Category: 4-Stars

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Book Review: Picture Not Perfect by D.E. Haggerty

 

Picture Not Perfect

(The Not So Reluctant Detectives #2)

by D.E. Haggerty 

 

Amazon US / UK / CA / AU 

 Smashwords ~ Kobo ~ B & N

 

A picture tells a story. But is it the truth?

When the police find pictures of Melanie hanging up at her murdered colleague’s house, they’re convinced he was stalking her. Maybe she even killed him. Melanie was not being stalked! And she certainly didn’t kill her supposed stalker – as if. But Mel – always up for a bit of drama – jumps at the chance to go search for the real killer. When Mel’s ex-boyfriend, Owen, discovers her plans, he pulls out all the stops to ensure she’s safe and to win her back. No matter what happens with the murder investigation, he’s not letting her go. With the police setting their sights on Mel, he may need to jeopardize his own career on the police force to protect her.

Will Mel find the real killer before the detectives arrest her for murder?

 

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

Please, you could find danger at a knitting club full of old ladies.

Wow. You don’t jump to conclusions. You take a flying leap to them.

My Review:

 

I take considerable pleasure in humor, which is a talent that D.E. Haggerty puts to good use by so deftly tucking it into her cozy mysteries. I am enjoying the levity and intriguing storylines of her new series, as well as the humorous chapter titles that read like headlines. But I had a hard time enjoying her main character of Mel.   Mel’s personality would be rather vexing to anyone unaccustomed to dealing with someone with an Attention Deficit or Hyperactivity issue. And Mel had a whopping dose of ADHD with many annoying and exasperating personality traits. She was fidgety, easily frustrated, emotionally immature, impulsive, stubborn, reckless, craved drama, and was loud and thoughtless of others. How she could be a successful high school guidance counselor had me scratching my head as she didn’t listen to others, lied easily, and obsessive in her thinking while prone to jump from one ridiculous far-fetched conclusion to another in attempting to prove her point. Being her friend would be an extremely difficult endeavor and only for those with endless patience and tremendous fortitude. Lucky for her, the delicious Owen had the patience of a saint, a few sexy saint. And lucky for me, I don’t have to have that anymore because retirement is swweeeet!

About the Author

Website

Amazon 

Goodreads

I grew up reading everything I could get my grubby hands on from my mom’s Harlequin romances to Nancy Drew to Little Women. When I wasn’t flipping pages in a library book, I was penning horrendous poems, writing songs no one should ever sing, or drafting stories which have thankfully been destroyed. College and a stint in the U.S. Army came along, robbing me of free time to write and read, although on the odd occasion I did manage to sneak a book into my rucksack between rolled up socks, MRIs, t-shirts, and cold weather gear. After surviving the army experience, I went back to school and got my law degree. I jumped ship and joined the hubby in the Netherlands before the graduation ceremony could even begin. A few years into my legal career, I was exhausted, fed up, and just plain done. I quit my job and sat down to write a manuscript, which I promptly hid in the attic after returning to the law. But being a lawyer really wasn’t my thing, so I quit (again!) and went off to Germany to start a B&B. Turns out being a B&B owner wasn’t my thing either. I polished off that manuscript languishing in the attic before following the husband to Istanbul where I decided to give the whole writer-thing a go. But ten years was too many to stay away from adopted home. I packed up again and moved to The Hague where I’m currently working on my next book. I hope I’ll always be working on my next book.

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Book Review, Giveaway: Second Chance At The Ranch by Maxine Morrey

 

Second Chance At The Ranch

by Maxine Morrey

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

 

It’s never too late for a second chance at love in this uplifting and warm-hearted romance.

It’s never too late to find love…

When Juliet Scott falls for ruggedly handsome Pete while away traveling, she never imagines how different her life will be to that of her sister, successful and beautiful model Hero. Based on a cattle station in the vast Australian Outback, Juliet’s life is now simple, down-to-earth and honest, and the perfect antidote to the chaotic celebrity lifestyle that Hero leads in the UK.

With her striking brunette hair, perfect posture, and mesmerizing green eyes, it is no wonder Hero has come so far in such a superficial industry. But when tragedy strikes, Hero finds herself in the arms of her sister, recuperating from a terrible accident on the other side of the world.

With her modeling career in tatters, and her scars more than just skin deep, Juliet worries that Hero will hide behind the mask she wears forever. But does Australia have something, or someone, to offer that London never could?

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

She practically took out my eye with that cleavage. She’s most definitely more woman than I’ll ever be.

 Shame you didn’t back over the pneumatic bimbo whilst you were at it.

My Review:

 

Angst is not my friend, I crave balance in my world – crazy I know – it is just my personal preference. While well written with an interesting premise, this book was so angsty it was painful. Yet I was hooked and just couldn’t seem to let it go despite my pique, I was intrigued by the story and had to know what happened, regardless of having to wade through a tale that was 90% conflict and tension to get to that coveted HEA. Ms. Morrey certainly made me work for it, but it was worth it. The quick glimpses of humor and romance were brief respites, refreshing and well appreciated.

The characters were an interesting and endearing mix of Brits and Aussies. I frequently lost patience with the main character of Hero, who was the vortex of all the angst. Hero was an international supermodel who had a kind heart, yet she was an ice queen, deeply damaged, self-involved, terminally stubborn, and extremely anxious and uptight with a penchant for running away and shutting down when uncomfortable issues arose; a childish and tedious trait.   Hero’s sister married an Aussie with a sheep ranch in the Outback, hence the dual-continent tale. Of course, I enjoyed the Aussie side of the story considerably more, due to the handsome men residing there as well as the sizzle and dust they kicked up.

This time my new vocabulary lesson includes a mix of Brit and Aussie words, with Brumby – the wild horses of Australia; Pommie – a derogatory term for a Brit in Aussie speak; and Antipodean accent – what Brits call Aussie and New Zealand accents.

Author Bio

Maxine has wanted to be a writer for as long as she can remember and wrote her first (very short) book for school when she was ten.

As time went by, she continued to write, but ‘normal’ work often got in the way. She has written articles on a variety of subjects, as well as a local history book on Brighton. However, novels are her first love.

In August 2015, she won Harper Collins/Carina UK’s ‘Write Christmas’ competition with her first romantic comedy, ‘Winter’s Fairytale’.

Maxine lives on the south coast of England, and when not wrangling with words loves to read, sew and listen to podcasts. Being a fan of tea and cake, she can (should!) also be found doing something vaguely physical at the gym.

 

Follow Maxine Morrey

Website           www.scribblermaxi.co.uk

Twitter @Scribbler_Maxi

Instagram @scribbler_maxi

Facebook www.Facebook.com/MaxineMorreyAuthor

Pinterest ScribblerMaxi

Giveaway 

Win Second Chance at the Ranch and other Goodies

(Open Internationally)

Prize includes:

1 x paperback copy of Second Chance at the Ranch

1 x notebook

1 x mini handbag keyring

1 x V&A museum lipstick shaped pen

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

 

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Book Review: Finders, Not Keepers (The Not So Reluctant Detectives #1) by D.E. Haggerty

Finders, Not Keepers

(The Not So Reluctant Detectives #1)

by D.E. Haggerty 

 

Amazon US / UK / CA / AU / B&N

What do you do with a diamond no one wants? You can’t keep it. Or can you?

While cleaning her ex-husband’s effects out of the attic, Terri finds an exquisite diamond pendant necklace. She’s determined to return the necklace to its proper owner, but the owner was brutally killed, a murder which remains unsolved, and her heirs want nothing to do with the diamond. Terri embarks upon a journey researching charities to which she can donate the diamond. When her research becomes dangerous, Terri contemplates solving the murder herself. Her best friend, Melanie, jumps feet first into investigating the murder, but her neighbor, Ryder, doesn’t want Terri exposed to any danger. Ryder, to Terri’s surprise, also wants to be more than neighbors with Terri. Luckily, he’s prepared to take any measure necessary to keep her safe because someone is determined to stop her inquiries.

Join Terri on her quest to find a home for the diamond, which may result in the unveiling of a murderer – if she survives long enough.

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

She didn’t deem to use Terri’s ex-husband’s name. Terri had barely managed to get her to stop calling him a rat bastard…

 

“Your hot neighbor? The man who causes the entire female population of your neighborhood to have hot flashes when he goes for a run without his shirt on?” Melanie fanned herself as her voice got progressively louder and louder. “That neighbor?”

 

“They say it was a random act of violence.” Mrs. Collins snorted in a very unladylike manner at that idea. “As if violence is something random.”

 

What would Nancy Drew do?

 

I’d totally make sure no one was around before I started talking about someone I’d killed. That’s like murdering 101 or something.

My Review:

 

This series appears to be a hybrid genre that is part Romantic Comedy and part Cozy Mystery, and when the parts were put together the story was fun, light, and breezy entertainment. The characters were uniquely drawn in a broad and somewhat madcap comedic type manner. Terri was recovering from a disappointing marriage and seemed rather prickly and edgy, as well as prone to impulsive and impatient behaviors and was full of sass and easily riled. Her best friend Melanie was even more impulsive, always up for an adventure, and a regular drama-llama. And of course, I adored the “hot neighbor dude,” the sexy PI who attempted to keep their nosy sleuthing in check and grounded, but is that a possibility when your mentor was Nancy Drew? I look forward to more outrageous hijinx from this pair.

About the Author

Website

Amazon 

Goodreads

I grew up reading everything I could get my grubby hands on from my mom’s Harlequin romances to Nancy Drew to Little Women. When I wasn’t flipping pages in a library book, I was penning horrendous poems, writing songs no one should ever sing, or drafting stories which have thankfully been destroyed. College and a stint in the U.S. Army came along, robbing me of free time to write and read, although on the odd occasion I did manage to sneak a book into my rucksack between rolled up socks, MRIs, t-shirts, and cold weather gear. After surviving the army experience, I went back to school and got my law degree. I jumped ship and joined the hubby in the Netherlands before the graduation ceremony could even begin. A few years into my legal career, I was exhausted, fed up, and just plain done. I quit my job and sat down to write a manuscript, which I promptly hid in the attic after returning to the law. But being a lawyer really wasn’t my thing, so I quit (again!) and went off to Germany to start a B&B. Turns out being a B&B owner wasn’t my thing either. I polished off that manuscript languishing in the attic before following the husband to Istanbul where I decided to give the whole writer-thing a go. But ten years was too many to stay away from adopted home. I packed up again and moved to The Hague where I’m currently working on my next book. I hope I’ll always be working on my next book.

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Book Review, Giveaway: Irresistibly Yours by Lilly Avalon

Title: Irresistibly Yours

Author: Lilly Avalon

Release Date: January 16th, 2019

Preorder links:

Amazon |B&N |Kobo |Apple

Book Description:

Irresistibly Yours is a compilation of six short stories, all contemporary romance with sexytimes.

Included in this compilation:

  • Here All Along
  • More Than Words
  • Taking the Risk
  • Breaking the Rules
  • Hook Me Up
  • Just One Favor

 

My Rating:

Favorite Quote:


Everything I’m feeling unravels like a ribbon from a spool when I realize he left without saying goodbye.

My Review:

 

I continue to have a love/hate issue with short stories, they can be just the thing or leave me annoyed and unfulfilled. This grouping had a bit of both as some were significantly better than others, although all in all, it was a quick and saucy little diversion. A few smirks and tasty treats to amuse your naughty side.

About the Author

Lilly Avalon is the thirty-something author of the RESIST series and other romance books. She started to pen her first erotica at twelve years old, but her mom found the “dirty story” and threw it away, which was just as well because it wasn’t that good. At all. Luckily, she continued to write stories for years until she rediscovered her love of sexy tales in her late twenties.

Lilly currently resides in Ohio with her husband and pet rodents. Lilly Avalon is a pen name.

| Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads Author Page | Instagram | Amazon |

Giveaway:

$5 Amazon Gift Card & Swag

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Book Review: So Then There Were None: a Tale of Ten Little Bridesmaids (The Flower Shop Mystery Series Book 5) by Annie Adams

So Then There Were None: a Tale of Ten Little Bridesmaids 

The Flower Shop Mystery – Book 5

by Annie Adams 

Amazon US / UK / CA / AU / B&N

 

When she said she’d rather die than be a bridesmaid, she didn’t mean it literally…

Reluctant bridesmaid Quincy McKay hopes this island wedding breezes by in a hurry. But when the couple announces a murder mystery game, the amateur sleuth is willing to take her time to earn the prize money. She thinks the cash is as good as hers until one evening’s sinister turn makes it impossible to tell the difference between entertainment and cold-blooded murder…

With few friends among the wedding party, Quincy can’t help but label everyone a suspect. As the bridesmaids disappear one-by-one, it’s only a matter of time until the ruthless game calls her number.

Will Quincy unravel the plot before she perishes in paradise?

So Then There Were None: A Tale of Ten Little Bridesmaids is a thrilling standalone in The Flower Shop Mystery Series of cozy mysteries. If you like lots of laughs, hair-raising plots, and twists that keep you guessing, then you’ll love Annie Adams’ delightful homage to an Agatha Christie classic.

 

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

I didn’t have bosoms to speak of. At least, no one I knew ever spoke of them, probably because they weren’t that easy to detect with the naked human eye.

 

I followed the direction of his gaze to see what had caused his eyes to become the size of dinner plates. And I’m sure mine had done the same, because we were about to be surrounded by mountains. Mountains of flesh in this case, which bulged out the sides of tiny, taut triangles of fabric, held together by strings that must have been made from the same material as the suspension cables from the Golden Gate Bridge for all the load the tiny strands were supporting. The “Ees,” had all donned bikinis and not much of anything else… I glanced at Alex, who pretended to look in the opposite direction as the flesh-fest. “It’s okay, you don’t have to pretend,” I said. I lowered my voice. “I can’t expect you to be super-human. Although I think a large percentage of their bodies might not actually be human anymore.”

 

Her steps were measured, almost prancing. I looked back at Alex to see if he noticed too. I realized she was trying to tiptoe, so as not to draw any attention. Since that portion of the room was carpeted, there was no point to her sneaky walk and she just ended up looking like a character in a Bugs Bunny cartoon.

 

I couldn’t move. It wasn’t because I had hurt myself—seriously, that is. I was definitely experiencing some physical pain. But I was frozen, due to the most overwhelming embarrassment I had ever experienced in my life. This beat out wetting my pants in front of the entire elementary school and their parents at a Christmas choir performance, getting pulled over by Alex’s colleague in my underwear, and walking into a window, that I thought was an open sliding glass door, in front of an entire wedding party and having it all caught on film in their wedding video.

 

K.C. volunteered the information that she knew how to lash together a primitive raft using planks from the shed and everybody’s underwear tied together in case things escalated.

 

My Review:

 

This book started as a serialized story with ten installments and was cleverly combined into a long yet fast-paced cozy mystery novel. As there were ten bridesmaids and assorted friends and resort workers, there was a rather large cast of characters to keep up with, yet it didn’t prove a hardship as each was uniquely obnoxious and well fleshed out with intriguing and colorful details. The plot was active and action-packed and the pace was nearly nonstop as, after all, there were ten bridesmaids to kill off. I adore Annie Adam’s wry humor and clever wit; she kept me smirking even though the writing was tame enough for my elderly mother’s book club.

 

About the Author

Amazon

Website

Annie Adams is the author of THE FINAL ARRANGEMENT, book one in The Flower Shop Mystery series. She lives with her husband, two giant dogs, and two too giant cats in Northern Utah at the foot of the Wasatch Mountains. When not writing she can be found arranging flowers or delivering them in her own Zombie Delivery Van.

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Book Review: Christmas on Mistletoe Lane (Sweetwater Springs #1) by Annie Rains

Christmas on Mistletoe Lane

Series: Sweetwater Springs (Book 1)

by Annie Rains

Amazon | Barnes & Noble

USA Today bestselling author Annie Rains invites you to the delightful North Carolina town of Sweetwater Springs in this all-new series . . .

‘Tis the season for a fresh start . . .

Christmas is coming to the North Carolina mountains, and the air is fresh and crisp and filled with promise. After the devastating loss of her job in the big city, the small town of Sweetwater Springs feels like heaven to Kaitlyn Russo. She’s inherited her grandparents’ charming (if a little rundown) bed and breakfast, and it’s just the new lease on life she needs. Only “heaven” comes with a catch-and a handsome and completely infuriating one at that.

After what he hopes will be a quick trip, Mitch Hargrove wants nothing more than to put his hometown in the rearview mirror. But his plans get derailed when he learns he’s now half-owner of the Sweetwater B&B. The fact that he’s given only two months to make the inn a success is a huge problem, but it’s his pretty-and incredibly headstrong-partner who’s the real challenge. With the holiday fast approaching and a grand re-opening looming, will Mitch keep running from the ghosts of Christmas past . . . or will he realize the true gift he’s been given?

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

“You’re a crappy excuse for a Santa,” Mrs. Krespo bellowed from one of the tables. “Though I can see why Mommy was caught kissing Santa under the mistletoe if he looked like you.”

 

“No kissing and telling, Marvin,” Mrs. Krespo muttered, reaching for her coffee cup. “Kaitlyn doesn’t need to know you got lucky last night.” Mr. Krespo’s face turned beet red. “I didn’t tell her that, Evie.” “Well, you might as well have.” Mrs. Krespo gave her husband an assessing look. “I haven’t danced in years. I forgot how good of a dancer you were. It did things to me.”

 

“Didn’t he have a pet squirrel for a while?” “That was better than the pet skunk that lasted a day.”

 

She grabbed a box of Kleenex along with a large bag of chocolates because if you were going to have a pity party, you needed to do it right… She was hoping to find a Hallmark movie and live vicariously through the actors and actresses on-screen. Their problems could be fixed in a two-hour time slot on television.

 

My Review:

 

This gentle story was perfectly minted for Hallmark, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see it listed next year as a holiday movie. I enjoyed this sweet, feel good, small-town tale, it was holiday treat with no calories – although I was frequently taunted with mentions of diet-shattering fudge and other culinary delights. The characters were enticing and highly likable while the storylines and writing were entertaining, engaging, and easy to follow with alternating licks of humor and heart squeezes.   With her career in tatters, Kaitlyn packed up and left New York City behind and headed toward her inheritance and only hope, which was her grandparents’ run-down B&B in a small North Carolina town. Although she was unpleasantly surprised to learn she had a partner, one she needed to convince to stay and meet conditions of the will within a two-month time frame or she had nothing. And of course her partner was a handsome and rugged Marine who had other plans in the works, no desire to stay, and an unfortunate history to flee. At least he was smart enough to know that when you mess up and need to grovel, bring a puppy.

About Annie Rains
Annie Rains is a USA Today bestselling contemporary romance author who writes small town love stories set in fictional places in her home state of North Carolina. When Annie isn’t writing, she’s living out her own happily ever after with her husband and three children.

 

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Book Review: Murder at Mistletoe Manor by Holly Tierney-Bedord

Murder at Mistletoe Manor

by Holly Tierney-Bedord 

 

Klarinda Snow is the innkeeper of a beautiful, historic bed and breakfast in Windy Pines, Idaho. Guests come to Mistletoe Manor to escape from their troubles while enjoying the scenic mountain town.

When all seven rooms of the inn get booked on a Tuesday night in December, Klarinda is excited about having so much business, but a little confused as well. After all, her inn normally isn’t exactly a destination hotspot.

The guests have barely settled in before strange things begin happening. Is this the most accident-prone group of travelers ever, or is someone out for revenge?

 

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

“I’ll call Rod Showers. His rates are reasonable. And he’s a hottie!” “Myrtle, are you serious? He’s got to be seventy years old,” said Klarinda. “Easier to catch him,” said Myrtle, wiggling her eyebrows.

 

With me here and him there, that means a hundred percent of his common sense isn’t even in the same state as his penis. I should have known better than to come here.

 

My Review:

 

This was a quickly paced, wryly humorous, and fun cozy murder mystery featuring a revenge plot in a small-town inn located in the middle of nowhere Idaho. It was a banner day for the struggling innkeeper as all seven rooms had been reserved, yet when her guests arrived, they all mentioned winning an all-expense paid luxury vacation to her inn, which was a stunning surprise to the innkeeper. A large envelope stuffed with cash arrived later, which helped to ease the sting as well as adding an extra layer of puzzlement.

The weather was foul although not as vicious as the contemptuous and imperious attitudes of the female guests.   It was readily apparent that the evening was likely to be of an increasingly unpleasant nature, more for some than others as most of the guests departed the premises with the coroner.   The storylines were original, easy to follow, unpredictable, well-paced, and entertaining. Many of my favorite moments were the humorous inner musings and observations of the innkeeper, although I was quite taken by the quirkiness of the characters as well as the many ancillary details such as the elderly reindeer sweatered gentlemen who caroled on skis ~ smirk.

About Holly Tierney-Bedord

Holly Tierney-Bedord is the author of over a dozen novels and novellas, including Sweet Hollow Women, Surviving Valencia, Right Under Your Nose, Bellamy’s Redemption, and Murder at Mistletoe Manor. She lives in Madison, Wisconsin.

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Book Review: Adorable Fat Girl and the Mysterious Invitation by Bernice Bloom

Adorable Fat Girl and the Mysterious Invitation

by Bernice Bloom

Amazon US / UK / CA / AU

 

Mary Brown receives an invitation to a funeral. But she has absolutely no idea who the deceased is. She’s told that he invited her on his deathbed, and he’s very keen for her to attend, so she heads off to a dilapidated old farmhouse in a remote part of Wales. When she gets there she discovers that only five other people have been invited to the funeral. None of them knows who he is either.


NO ONE GOING TO THIS FUNERAL HAS EVER HEARD OF THE DECEASED. WHAT IS GOING ON??


Then they are told that they have 20 hours to work out why they have been invited in order to inherit a million pounds.


Who is this guy and why are they there? And what of the ghostly goings-on in the ancient old building?


Featuring Mary Brown, star of the Adorable Fat Girl series of books, in her greatest adventure yet.


This is BOOK NINE in the series but can be enjoyed as a stand-alone book or as part of the series.

 

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

“I met a yogi, banged my head, lay there as some bloke’s tackle fell out of his shorts when he was coming down from downward dog, then came home again.” … “What about the bloke with the runaway testicles?”

 

He indicated the seat next to him and put the phone on the table in front of us, clicking it onto loudspeaker. We leaned over it like the French resistance and Ted dialed the number.

 

I am a size 22, I convince myself that I’m 20 but since I can’t get into clothes that are size 20, it’s an entirely inaccurate conviction.

 

At Llanelli station I was the only person to get off the train, and I stepped onto the deserted platform like I was in some film from wartime… I was half waiting for the steam to clear to reveal my family, running towards me to greet me after I’d been away at war for years.

 

My Review:

 

The Adorable Fat Girl series is indeed just that, Mary Brown is sweet, adorable, and a ton of good fun. And so are the scribblings of her talented creator, Bernice Bloom. I am totally enamored with the both of them.   There was a mystery afoot and the taxi driver transporting Mary to the funeral was a tad confused and introduced her as Miss Marple upon arrival. Mary didn’t have a chance of solving the intriguing and well-crafted conundrum, but neither did anyone else. Mary’s sincere attempts and wry observations were highly amusing and entertaining.   And joy, I have two additions to my Brit Word List with faffing about – dithering or wasting time, and bender – slang for a male homosexual.

Author Bio 

My name is Bernice Bloom and I write funny novels about a crazy lady called Mary Brown in my ‘Adorable Fat Girl’ series. 

Mary is funny, gorgeous and bonkers. She’s also about six stone overweight. When she realizes she can’t cross her legs and has trouble bending over to tie her shoelaces without wheezing like an elderly chain-smoker it’s time to take action. But what action? She’s tried every diet under the sun.

This series is the hysterical story of what happens when Mary joins ‘Fat Club’ where she meets a cast of funny characters and one particular man who catches her eye.
The series follows Mary as she goes on safari, on a cruise, to a weekend yoga retreat, and on an incredible adventure when she receives a mysterious invitation to a funeral.

The stories are laugh-out-loud funny and will resonate with anyone who has dieted, tried to keep up with any sort of exercise programme or spent 10 minutes in a changing room trying to extricate herself from a way-too-small garment that she ambitiously tried on and is now completely stuck in. xx

My website is: www.bernicebloom.com

Social Media Links –

https://www.facebook.com/BerniceBloombooks/

https://twitter.com/Bernice1Bloom

 

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Book Review, Giveaway: The Christmas Spirit by Susan Buchanan

The Christmas Spirit

by Susan Buchanan

Amazon US / UK / AU / CA

Christmas is coming, but not everyone is looking forward to it.


Rebecca has just been dumped and the prospect of spending the holiday period with her parents is less than appealing.


Eighty-two-year-old Stanley lost his beloved wife, Edie, to cancer. How will he cope with his first Christmas without her?


Jacob’s university degree hasn’t helped him get a job, and it looks like he’ll still be signing on come New Year.


Workaholic Meredith would rather spend December 25th at home alone with a ready meal and a DVD box set. Can anything make her embrace the spirit of the season?


The enigmatic Natalie Hope takes over the reins at the Sugar and Spice bakery and café in an attempt to spread some festive cheer and restore Christmas spirit, but will she succeed?

 

My Rating:

My Review:

 

I initially was uncertain if the main character of Natalie was human, and if not, what type of supernatural being she might be.   I’m still not entirely sure, but she certainly had magic, as does this creative and talented wordsmith. Susan Buchanan has gifted us with a sweet, lushly detailed, and insightfully emotive tale of common complications and foibles with a large cast of mostly likable and endearing characters or all ages.   Each character was struggling with various significantly vexing life events during a bone-chilling holiday season in Scotland. A full grab-bag of issues was confounding the previously unrelated group with each one facing life-altering events of turmoil and stress, whether financial, personal, familial, and/or career-wise. Little did they know that help had been covertly deployed with a secret plan already in operation. I enjoyed this tender, warm, and entertaining tale and was pleased with the interesting new addition to my British Word list with po-faced, which Mr. Google indicated was priggish, humorless, or critical. A look that I am well familiar with and, which apparently, was my destiny to incite from most of my relatives and teachers.   😉

Author Bio 

 Susan Buchanan lives in Scotland with her husband and their two children. She is the author of four novels: Return of the Christmas Spirit, The Christmas Spirit, The Dating Game, and Sign of the Times. She is currently working on books five and six: The Proposal and Just One Day.


Susan is also a proofreader, editor, and translator, and when not working, writing, or caring for her two delightful cherubs, loves reading, the theatre, quiz shows and eating out – not necessarily in that order!

Social Media Links

Facebook – www.facebook.com/susan.buchanan.author

Twitter – susan_buchanan

Blog – Sooz’s journal – www.susancbuchanan.blogspot.co.uk

Giveaway

Win e-copies of Sign of the Times and The Dating Game (Open Internationally)

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Book Review: Christmas at Black Cherry Retreat by Angela Britnell

Christmas at Black Cherry Retreat

by Angela Britnell

Amazon US / UK / CA / AU

 

What if you had nowhere to call home for Christmas? 
When Fee Winter books a winter break at the remote Black Cherry Retreat in the small town of Pine Ridge, Tennessee, it’s with the idea that the peace and quiet will help her recuperate from her hectic life as a photographer.

But what she didn’t bank on was meeting Tom Chambers and his huge, interfering yet lovable family. With them, could Fee finally experience the warmth and support that’s been missing from her own life – and maybe even find a place to call home in time for Christmas?

 

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

‘Mama’s orders, honey. It’s more than my life’s worth to argue.’ ‘Are you a man or a mouse?’ she hissed. He shuffled from one foot to the other. ‘Mouse when it comes to my mother. Sorry.’

 

Like so many men he wanted things both ways: to mean something to a woman without meaning too much.

 

I bought some of the chamomile tea Tom told me you drink… Tasted like cat’s pee to me when I tried it but I’m sure it’s mighty good for you.

 

Domesticity was never her mother’s forte… Meals were sporadic. Cleaning was something done by people with small minds and nothing better to occupy their time. And irons were only seen in historical dramas on the television.

 

‘And you think chitlins are nasty?’ Tom retorted. ‘The rest of your family won’t touch nasty pig intestines either. Your own mother said you were peculiar.’ He shook his head. ‘Y’all don’t know what you’re missing.’ ‘I’m happy to keep missing them.’ ‘Fine.’ Tom sighed. ‘Take me to the snails.’

 

The past never left a person alone but wound around them and became part of the fabric of who they were.

 

My Review:

 

This is one of those books I have a hard time rating and classifying as it had a bit of everything, emotional and physical issues, family drama, long-standing grief and guilt, parentage and identity issues, international travel, birth, death, a prison break, and a hard-won romance, and all occurring between Halloween and Christmas. I enjoyed the premise and storylines, but there were periods where the pacing dragged and I struggled considerably with the angsty, hypersensitive, and aggravating main character of Fee during the earlier parts of the book.   I had a difficult time appreciating Fee, as she was such a mess and a quagmire of unique and difficult issues.   She was initially extra prickly, resentful, often rude and thoughtless of others yet oversensitive and easily offended. I pitied sweet Tom with his white knight syndrome, although he came with a smaller set of battered and devastated baggage himself. Thankfully with Tom’s gentle perseverance and endless patience, the frosty Fee began to thaw and I enjoyed the manner Ms. Britnell chose to allow her to bloom and find her balance, voice, and wry humor. Toss in small town intrusiveness, a large meddlesome family, holiday observances, and an exuberant and a well-loved toddler for periodic moments of levity.

Author Bio 

Angela grew up in Cornwall, England and returns frequently from her new home in Nashville, Tennessee. A lifelong love of reading turned into a passion for writing contemporary romance and her novels are usually set in the many places she’s visited or lived on her extensive travels. After more than three decades of marriage to her American husband, she’s a huge fan of transatlantic romance and always makes sure her characters get their own happy-ever-after. Over the last twelve years, she’s been multi-published and sold over 25 novels. She also writes short stories for women’s magazines. She is a member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association, the Romance Writers of America and the Music City Romance Writers.

 

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