Book Review, Giveaway: Digging A Hole by Mimi Jean Pamfiloff

 Digging A Hole

by Mimi Jean Pamfiloff

 

 

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Synopsis:
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From New York Times Bestseller, Mimi Jean Pamfiloff, comes a new Romantic Comedy.

He’s the meanest boss ever.

She’s the sweet shy intern.

They’re about to wreck each other crazy.

My name is Sydney Lucas. I am smart, deathly shy, and one hundred percent determined to make my own way in the world. Which is why I jumped at the chance to intern for Mr. Nick Brooks despite his reputation. After ten failed interviews at other companies, he was the only one offering. Plus, everyone says he knows his stuff, and surely a man as stunningly handsome as him can’t be “the devil incarnate,” right? Wrong.

Oh…that man. That freakin’ man has got to go! I’ve been on the job one week, and he’s insulted my mother, wardrobe shamed me, and managed to make me cry. Twice. Underneath that stone-cold, beautiful face is the evilest human being ever.

But I’m not going to quit. Oh no. For once in my life, I’ve got to make a stand. Only, every time I open my mouth, I can’t quite seem to muster the courage. Perhaps my revenge needs to come in another form: destroying him quietly.

Because I’ve got a secret. I’m not really just an intern, and Sydney Lucas isn’t my real name.

 

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

… we both know if we were a herd of elk roaming the tundra, I’d be the limping doe trailing a mile behind the rest with a giant “eat me” sign on my ass.

 

I am a warrior squirrel… We move silently like the wind. We sneak to get what we want. But most of all, we crack nuts.

 

When I look in the mirror, one of my fake eyelashes is stuck to my chin. Nice. You’re a born princess.

 

My father flashes a sinister smile that touches his eyes, and I’m suddenly ashamed of every one of my body parts that looks like him, right down to my green irises.

 

 My Review:

 

This was my second time reading Mimi Jean Pamfiloff and I enjoy her clever humor and amusing wit. Her smooth and engaging writing style has a breezy flow and is easy to fall into. Although it took me a good while to fully warm up to the main character of Sydney as her mousy meekness and deathly fatal timidity annoyed me, she seemed too spineless to sit erect and did not speak up but ran sobbing to the bathroom even when boiling over with anger over blatant mistreatment.   It took me half the book to appreciate her intellect and fully comprehend the cost of her efforts to move past her paralyzing anxiety and tendency to freeze, or as described herself, “a girl who locks up like a bad pair of brakes when anything remotely overwhelming happens.” The storylines were smartly paced, well-crafted, and had a little sizzle and snap.

 About the Author

MIMI JEAN PAMFILOFF is a USA Today and New York Times bestselling romance author with over a million books sold worldwide. Although she obtained her MBA and worked for more than fifteen years in the corporate world, she believes that it’s never too late to come out of the romance closet and follow your dream. Mimi lives with her Latin Lover hubby, two pirates-in-training (their boys), and the rat terrier duo, Snowflake and Mini Me, in Arizona. She hopes to make you laugh when you need it most and continues to pray daily that leather pants will make a big comeback for men.

Sign up for Mimi’s mailing list for giveaways and new release news!

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Book Review: JUST ONE TOUCH (Oh’ Tequila #3) by CA Harms

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JUST ONE TOUCH

by CA Harms 

is LIVE!

 

AMAZON US | AMAZON INTERNATIONAL

Oh’ Tequila #3 Series / NA Contemporary Romance
Available on Amazon & KU from Limitless Publishing

 

I should have known this would happen…

Nothing about my Fraternity was ever simple. Parties, tequila – tons of tequila – and wild souvenirs from our kind of crazy.

Never, and I do mean never, did I expect my brother’s girl to target me in a midnight prank. A prank that backfired and left me squealing in pain.

Have you ever seen those shows, the ones that say the “dirty deed” sent you to the ER? Well, I went to the ER and yes, my manhood was involved. Let me just say, I gained absolutely no pleasure from it. Unless, of course, you consider that sweet nurse who treated me.

The problem? She hated me…and I had no idea why, but I wasn’t willing to let her walk away until I figured it out.

Emelie was feisty and I’d never felt the type of excitement I did after spending only five seconds in her line of fire. I was gonna enjoy this…way more than I should, and I knew it.

She saw, she conquered, and I was defeated.

All it took was just one touch and oh, what a ride it was.

PURCHASE: AMAZON US | AMAZON INTERNATIONAL

READ THE OH TEQUILA SERIES TODAY! https://amzn.to/2Ms5D7L

friendly family, young parents, mom and dad, play with their young child son

 

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

Corbin and I grew up in a town called Morehead, Kentucky. My parents were older before they’d decided to start a family, and they said after they had us, they knew they were done.

 

I’m not even sure if you’d call us friends. More like we were stuck in the same car for eleven hours and I had to count to ten a whole bunch of times and remember that I’m not the prison type.

 

 My Review:

 

I have relished every cleverly amusing installment of this series. CA Harms has a wicked sense of humor and I adore her brand of sassy levity, spirited banter, and naughty hijinks. The storylines were sweet, heart squeezing, and relevant while the characters were endearing and adorable. I needed a fun read and this quick and engaging read was more than timely.

JOTouch2

SNEAK PEEK

“Ethan,” I said, holding a tiny bear between my fingers. “Buddy, are you hungry?” I was practically begging my son to pay attention to me and stop idolizing the man who held him.

I held the bear closer and kind of shook it in between him and Clayton where he was still staring. Please just eat the thing and give us all something new to focus on.

“Ethan,” I said his name once more, and before I could register what was happening, Clayton wrapped his lips around the tips of my fingers and consumed the teddy graham. “Num num,” he said to Ethan, yet he was looking at me. “That’s yummy.”

Just One TOUCH full cover.jpg

MEET THE AUTHOR:
C.A. Harms is an avid romance and mystery reader. She’s always had a love for books, getting lost in writing and storytelling even as a young girl. She enjoys happy endings and HEA love stories.
She lives in Illinois and enjoys spending time with her husband and two children. She holds an addiction for Starbucks White Chocolate Mocha’s and KitKat when she should really be focusing on water and maybe a fruit or two to make herself feel less guilty, but that feeling quickly passes…thankfully.
She is easy going, fun, and although she may seem like one of the quiet ones at first, you just wait until she gets to know you better…that quietness changes, fast.
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Book Review: Searching For Steven by Jessica Redland

Searching For Steven

by Jessica Redland

 

Goodreads

Amazon US / UK

B&N

 

What if you already know your future… but not the path to take you there?

When Sarah Peterson accepts her Auntie Kay’s unexpected offer to take over her florist’s shop, she’s prepared for a change of job, home and lifestyle. What she isn’t prepared for is the discovery of a scarily accurate clairvoyant reading that’s been missing for twelve years. All her predictions have come true, except one: she’s about to meet the man of her dreams. Oh, and his name is Steven. Suddenly Stevens are everywhere. Could it be the window cleaner, the rep, the manager of the coffee shop, or any of the men she’s met online? On top of that, she finds herself quite attracted to a handsome web designer, but his name isn’t even Steven… During this unusual search, will Sarah find her destiny?

My Rating:

Favorite Quote:

 

All that stuff today was just the icing on the cake; it’s all very nice but the cake is the best part and I already have the cake.

My Review:

 

I have gotten around to all the Whitsborough Bay stories and oddly enough have read the first one last, but it really didn’t matter, they could all stand on their own with independent and strong storylines. I have enjoyed this series with its quirky cast of characters and their amusing encounters and unique considerations. I hope there will be more as I enjoy Ms. Redland’s clever humor and engaging writing style. Her levity balances and tempers the angst and heart-squeezes. I adored the characters of Auntie Kay as well as Nick and Sarah and found Sarah’s attempts to locate her fated Steven to be pleasantly entertaining. The premise was original and interesting while the writing was fun and humorous yet also thoughtfully observant and insightful. And as always, Ms. Redland has provided me with new Brit vocabulary words, this time I have gleaned swot (studious), and pernickety (UK version of persnickety).

Author Bio –

Jessica had never considered writing as a career until a former manager kept telling her that her business reports read more like stories and she should write a book. She loved writing but had no plot ideas. Then something happened to her that prompted the premise for her debut novel, Searching for Steven. She put fingers to keyboard and soon realized she had a trilogy and a novella!

She lives on the stunning North Yorkshire Coast – the inspiration for the settings in her books – with her husband, daughter, cat, Sprocker Spaniel, and an ever-growing collection of collectible teddy bears. Although if the dog has her way, the collection will be reduced to a pile of stuffing and chewed limbs!

Jessica tries to balance her time – usually unsuccessfully – between being an HR tutor and writing.

Social Media Links –

Twitter: @JessicaRedland

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

Website and blog: www.jessicaredland.com

Book Review, Giveaway: You Send Me by Jeannie Moon

YOU SEND ME, a new Compass Cove novel is LIVE!

In YOU SEND ME, Jordan and Nick must let go or their separate pasts in order to seize their future together in this charming fake engagement romance. Fans of Susan Wiggs and RaeAnne Thayne have fallen in love with the Compass Cove series from International Bestselling Author, Jeannie Moon.

Download YOU SEND ME or add it to your TBR pile on Goodreads! Then keep reading to get a sneak peek and enter the giveaway for a $25 Amazon gift card or books from Jeannie Moon!

Title: You Send Me

Author: Jeannie Moon

Genre: Women’s Fiction

Release Date: May 29, 2018

Publisher: Tule Publishing Group

Series: Compass Cove

Format: Digital/Print

AISN: B07CGJGDPZ

Available at:

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2HzVSES

Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/2vpQ6ki

iBooks: https://apple.co/2IVOqof

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Synopsis:

Jordan Velsor didn’t want to need anyone. After dumping her cheating fiancé, caring for her sick dad, and nearly being crushed along with her car during a violent storm, she’s pretty much at her breaking point. If anyone needs some luck, it’s Jordan, but the last thing she wants is gorgeous Nick Rinaldi, her landlord’s grandson, hovering over her while she nurses a bad cold. The wounded Navy doctor seems too good to be true… which means he probably is.

Nick Rinaldi left the Navy broken and adrift, wondering if he would ever practice medicine again. When his grandparents’ tenant is almost killed by a falling tree during a storm, he discovers Jordan is not only in shock, but suffering from pneumonia. Not one to miss an opportunity to play white knight, Nick arrives at her cottage to take care of her during the storm… But the lovely teacher has a fierce independent streak, and as he learns more about her, he wants to do more than merely help.

Can Jordan and Nick let go of their separate pasts and seize their future together?

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My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

The dog sighed— sighed her annoyance at Jordan. A dog with an attitude. Didn’t it figure? Gertie practically rolled off the plush cushion and settled on her back on the blue patterned rug. Her short little legs were straight up in the air, feigning death.

 

Nona was wringing her hands, and when she reached in her pocket, Nick thought she might break out her rosary. Whenever someone was sick, Lina hit the beads.

 

It wasn’t that he didn’t want a wife and kids, he did, but the Navy was his first wife and she hadn’t let go easily.

 

Even her dog was in love with him. As if she was staking her claim, Gertie laid at his feet and rolled over with a moan. The slut.

 

He wasn’t afraid of much. In fact, Nick could only think of one thing that truly scared his grandfather. His grandmother.

 

My Review:

 

You Send Me was a slowly developing, tender, sweet, and somewhat angsty read with frequent bites of amusing humor and wit, and just a tiny bit of steam. It is always refreshing to me when the main characters aren’t in constant conflict with each other but are miraculously kind, nurturing, and supportive of each other – why is that such a rare occurrence in novels? I adored these characters, they were people I’d like to know and spend time with. The storylines were relevant and the writing was fluid, easy to follow, and held my interest. I’m enjoying this sweet series and look forward to a return to this pleasant community and circle of friends.

Other books in the Compass Cove series

THE CAME YOU

Available at: Amazon Barnes & Noble | Kobo | iBooks

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Enter to WIN a $25 Amazon Gift Card or one of 12 print books of THEN CAME YOU or one of 5 print books of YOU SEND ME!

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You Send Me Excerpt

Copyright © 2018 Jeannie Moon

The deep rattling cough woke her from a restless sleep. This cold was kicking her ass, but even though all she wanted to do was burrow under the covers, she was out of tissues, and the dog needed to go outside.

Glancing out her window, the weather had worsened. She almost would have been content putting out a pad for Gertie to go inside, but her tissues and cough medicine were in the back seat of her car. She had to go out regardless.

“Come on, Gertie, time to pee.”

With a whimper and a moan from her spot at the other end of the couch, her little rescue buried her face in the corner. Gertie was no dummy.

“Look, if I have to go out, so do you. Your bladder is the size of a thimble, and it’s going to get even worse later.”

The dog sighed—sighed her annoyance at Jordan. A dog with an attitude. Didn’t it figure? Gertie practically rolled off the plush cushion and settled on her back on the blue patterned rug. Her short little legs were straight up in the air, feigning death.

Jordan felt pretty dead herself, but they still had to go outside.

The wind howled, and all the windows in the cottage shook like it was going to lift up and fly away. Gust after gust provided a not-so-subtle reminder that the nor’easter currently blowing across Long Island was going to make all their lives miserable. This storm was brutal. It had been wreaking havoc for the last twelve hours and based on the latest weather report it had slowed down to a crawl, meaning it was going to stick around for a while.

Grabbing the dog’s leash, Jordan gently nudged the little furry blob on the floor. Nothing. She didn’t budge. “Gertie! Come on!”

Ninety-nine percent of the time, she loved the little mutt. This moment definitely fell into the one percent.

After she broke her engagement, Jordan had the sudden urge to have a pet. A lot of people told her it would pass, but she knew that wasn’t the case. Jordan needed unconditional love in her home, so she kept her eyes open for the right opportunity. She couldn’t handle a puppy or a kitten, so when she wandered around a rescue fair one Sunday this past September, she found herself completely enamored with Gertie. A stubby-legged little mutt, Gertie was a tube of golden fur with a pointy snout and big, soulful brown eyes. She was about five years old, and her owner had just died, leaving the little dog all alone.

Jordan felt a kinship with the pooch, and took her home that day.

Lina Rinaldi, who usually frowned on her cottage tenants having pets, took to the dog right away, and Gertie loved the older woman right back.

As Jordan stared at the lump still upside down on the floor, she was about ready to offer Mrs. Rinaldi full custody. Then a deep, rasping cough shook Jordan to the core. It racked her body violently, and pain shot around her chest. God, she felt awful.

“Come on,” she said firmly to the pooch. “We’ll skip the leash this time. Out and in. Let’s get this over with.”

Gertie rolled over and trotted to the front door, giving Jordan the side eye as she waited. Donning her parka and a pair of lined wellies that she pulled over her pajama pants, Jordan grabbed the remote and unlocked her car. When she opened the front door, she was hit by a blast of wind, rain, and sleet that stung her cheeks and chilled her to the bone. “Lord, it’s miserable.” Looking down at Gertie, she nodded. “Okay, let’s make this quick.”

The two of them bolted outside, with Gertie heading for her favorite patch of grass and Jordan heading for her car. She stopped when she coughed so hard she could barely breathe. It hurt. She’d never had a chest cold that hurt so much. Finally, yanking open the door, she heard her pooch barking from the small covered porch. Jordan grabbed the bag that was filled with some basic food provisions, juice, tea, tissues, and a selection of over-the-counter cold remedies. She slammed the car door shut, and on her way back inside she noticed the whitecaps on Jennings Bay. The wind was forcing massive amounts of water into the coves and harbors around town, and she hoped the it didn’t breach the seawall surrounding the property. Jordan’s cottage was closer to Cove Road, but the Rinaldis’ big house was at risk.

Without any further delay, Jordan made it back to the porch, feeling chilled and soaked to the bone despite all the foul weather gear she’d put on. Gertie was barking frantically, having positioned herself under the old wooden swing, and Jordan was starting to lose her patience.

“Gertie, what the hell is the problem?”

That’s when she heard the groan and crack. Jordan looked up just as a large section of an old oak tree, about fifty feet from the house, gave way. Throwing her body against the wall to avoid any debris, Jordan watched as the massive tree split in half and came crashing down, crushing her car in the process.

If she had waited ten more seconds to head outside, Jordan would have been killed.

Frozen in place for—she didn’t know how long—Jordan startled when a large, strong arm wrapped around her.

She looked away from the wreckage in the front yard and into the gorgeous face of Nick Rinaldi.
“Damn. Are you alright?”

Was she? She wasn’t sure. Jordan tried to answer, but she had trouble catching her breath. Sucking in air, he kept her steady when they walked into the house.

Waiting for the dog before he closed the door, Nick sat her on the bench in the entryway. Glancing in the canvas tote from the market, his brow furrowed.

“You’re sick? What’s wrong?”

With a low rattling cough that had him pressing the back of his hand to her forehead, she muttered, “Chest cold.”

Shaking his head, he helped her off with her boots and jacket. “Let’s get you settled in bed, and I’ll go get my bag. You’ve got a lot more than a chest cold.”

“My car…”
“We can’t do anything about your car until the storm passes, so put it out of your head. It’s the last thing you need to worry about.”

“Are you kidding? Not worry about it?” How was she supposed to get to work or see her dad? How was she supposed to do anything if she didn’t have a car? The pain in her chest wasn’t just from her cough at that moment, but at the wave of dread—helplessness—that rushed through her.

“One thing at a time.” Nick, a former Navy doctor, was single minded. And as much as Jordan didn’t want to admit it, he was right. In this weather, there was nothing she could do.

“Come on,” he said. “Lead the way.”

“I’ll be fine,” she said, stopping in her tracks. Those few words taxed her already strained system. She coughed painfully into her arm while Nick guided her into her room. The coughing spell was so violent, ripping at her tender lungs, she couldn’t even object as he tucked her into bed.

Sick as she was, Jordan wasn’t blind. Nick Rinaldi had been on her radar since he landed back in Compass Cove the previous fall. The guy was gorgeous, smart, and a gentleman to the core. But he’d settled back in with his grandparents almost six months ago, and other than a token hello, or a polite smile, he rarely spoke to her.

Still, with his lean frame, dark hair, and kind eyes, he checked a lot of boxes.

She thought she heard him mutter something about being stubborn, but her lack of breath didn’t allow a response. If anyone was stubborn, he was. The man of mystery was a well-known do-gooder, and obviously she was his next project. There was only one problem with that. She didn’t want his help. Needing people was a slippery slope, and Jordan had no intention of heading down that way again.

 

About Jeannie Moon:

Jeannie Moon, author of fifteen novels, has always been a romantic. When she’s not spinning tales of her own, Jeannie works as a school librarian, thankful she has a job that allows her to immerse herself in books and call it work. Married to her high school sweetheart, Jeannie has three kids, three lovable dogs and a mischievous cat and lives in her hometown on Long Island, NY. If she’s more than ten miles away from salt water for any longer than a week, she gets twitchy.

Connect with Jeannie at: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Pinterest

Book Review, Giveaway: A Garden in Cornwall (A Wedding in Cornwall Book 12) by Laura Briggs

A Garden in Cornwall

(A Wedding in Cornwall Book 12)

by Laura Briggs

Goodreads

Amazon US / UK

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With their lives exactly what they’ve always dreamed, Matt and Julianne await the arrival of the third member of their family — but their happiness is threatened when their landlady Mathilda announces her intention to sell their beloved Rosemoor Cottage for an impossible value. Devastated, Julianne struggles to accept the cold reality of her and Matt making their home elsewhere.

Matt’s life has taken a new turn as he finally puts aside his academic work to pursue his gardening hobby as a career: his first new job as a landscape designer involves neglected Penwill Hall’s ‘lost’ garden — one with a truly romantic Cornish past. But the task of restoring its legendary beauty from nearly seventy years ago proves difficult among the ruins lost in weeds and wilderness.

With notions of secret gardens and wartime stories echoing in her thoughts, Julianne is determined to help Matt and the estate’s new owner after the discovery of a hidden mural in the hall itself, depicting a breathtaking garden that may well be the lost one. Her efforts to uncover the past lead her to a curmudgeonly local gardener who just may hold the knowledge that would restore the ‘lost garden’ to its former glory. Will Julianne’s quest help her find a way to deal with losing the home she loves?

Hellos and farewells abound as Dinah returns to lend a helping hand at Cliffs House and Julianne relives her favorite memories of her and Matt’s beloved cottage in Book Twelve — the final installment in the bestselling series A WEDDING IN CORNWALL.

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

Mrs. Norbit’s reign of terror continued… she continued to swipe fingers along the bottom of every portrait’s frame and the surface of every stick of furnishing; and appear suddenly and silently, like a Gestapo agent emerging from the shadows, if you happened to be an offender with a saucerless cup of tea or a trail of crumbs on your desk.

 

Nothing alive is ever the same from moment to moment, I thought, remembering Matt’s words about changes in a garden’s life. My arms tightened around him as I reminded myself that it was true about a human’s life, too.

 

Sometimes a place in your mind is all you have… For some people, a memory becomes a place in itself — bigger and better than just pictures or reminders.

 

Heavens, I’ve seen hens in a coop bicker less over one nesting box than the two of you over some insignificant point of conversation. It’s enough to make an army general cry surrender and crawl under his bunker.

 

My Review:

 

I knew I would be at a disadvantage in picking up a series at book number twelve, and I probably didn’t have the investment in the characters or their backstories as a devoted follower would, but that doesn’t mean the story was difficult to follow.   What it does mean, is I now need to go backward and read the other eleven installments of this pleasant and sweetly entertaining series. I enjoyed the likable characters and Ms. Brigg’s amusingly insightful and observantly descriptive writing style. And I have a new addition to my Brit Vocabulary List with “spit spot” – which Mr. Google informed me was frequently used by Mary Poppins to mean hurry up. I cannot wait to start using and abusing it, though I am a bit concerned some uninformed person may take me literally…

 

 

Purchase Link – http://smarturl.it/agardenincornwall

 

Author Bio 

 Laura Briggs is the author of several lighthearted romance novels and novellas, including the bestselling Amazon UK series A Wedding in Cornwall. She has a fondness for vintage-style dresses (especially ones with polka dots) and reads everything from Jane Austen to modern-day mysteries. When she’s not writing, she enjoys spending time with family, caring for her pets, going to movies and plays, and trying new restaurants.

Social Media Links –

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/PaperDollWrites

Giveaway

 Win an e-copy of A Garden In Cornwall

(Open Internationally)

*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 despatch or delivery of the prize.

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Book Review: Raving About Rhys by Jessica Redland

Raving About Rhys

by Jessica Redland

Goodreads

Amazon US / UK

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Bubbly Callie Derbyshire loves her job as a carer, and can’t believe she’s finally landed herself a decent boyfriend – older man Tony – who’s lasted way longer than the usual disastrous three months. Tony’s exactly what she’s always dreamed of … or at least he would be if he ever took her out instead of just taking her to bed. And work would be perfect too if she wasn’t constantly in trouble with her boss, The She-Devil Denise.

When the new gardener, Mikey, discovers her in a rather compromising position at work, Callie knows that her days at Bay View Care Home could be numbered. Can she trust him not to tell Denise? If she’s issued with her marching orders, who’ll look out for her favorite client, Ruby, whose grandson, Rhys, seems to constantly let her down? What does Ruby know about Tony? And what is Denise hiding?

Surrounded by secrets and lies, is there anyone left who Callie can trust?

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

Believe me, I’ve kissed more than my fair share of frogs. And toads. And snakes.

 ‘Please don’t tell anyone I said rude words. Especially The She-Devil.’ … I’d been hauled into her office only the week before and lectured on the ‘inappropriateness’ of shouting out, ‘Who’s farted?’ during film night. It didn’t matter to her that the residents had found it hilarious… Apparently, ‘The elderly frequently suffer from flatulence issues and staff should know better than to draw attention to it using vulgar language’. Whoops.

 I like sugar daddies. Did I tell you about my first one? I was sixteen and he was the fifty-eight-year-old lion tamer at the circus. There was nothing that man couldn’t do with a whip…

 My Review:

 

I have read this series out of order but that doesn’t seem to have mattered as every installment has strong enough legs to stand on its own. I have enjoyed each of the Whitsborough Bay stories that I’ve read and fervently hope that Ms. Redland continues the series into perpetuity. I enjoy her amusing storylines and uniquely vulnerable characters, as most of us in the real world are struggling with something even if the issues appear of no consequence or minuscule to others. Her stories are well balanced with humor, angst, and an interesting and relevant storyline with a few twists and surprises tossed in to keep us alert.

Author Bio –  Jessica Redland

 

Jessica had never considered writing as a career until a former manager kept telling her that her business reports read more like stories and she should write a book. She loved writing but had no plot ideas. Then something happened to her that prompted the premise for her debut novel, Searching for Steven. She put fingers to keyboard and soon realized she had a trilogy and a novella!

She lives on the stunning North Yorkshire Coast – the inspiration for the settings in her books – with her husband, daughter, cat, Sprocker Spaniel, and an ever-growing collection of collectible teddy bears. Although if the dog has her way, the collection will be reduced to a pile of stuffing and chewed limbs!

Jessica tries to balance her time – usually unsuccessfully – between being an HR tutor and writing.

Social Media Links –

Twitter: @JessicaRedland

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

Website and blog: www.jessicaredland.com

 

Book Review, Giveaway: Road Trip by Andie M. Long and Laura Barnard

Road Trip

by Andie M. Long & Laura Barnard 

Amazon US / UK

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Romantic comedy authors Andie M Long and Laura Barnard have teamed together to bring you the hilarious Road Trip! 

Out NOW!  #oneclick #romcom #chicklit #lovehate

After the end of a car crash relationship can Katy find true love?

Catching her sister in bed with her fiancé, school teacher Katy Cornish enlists playboy colleague Felix Montague to help her save face. What she doesn’t bargain on is them both losing their jobs in the process.

With finances running out, Katy must endure the rude and arrogant Felix while they embark on a road trip around the country in hopes of securing a new job. But there’s just one problem… they’re up for the same posts. This road trip is going to be unlike any other, with them doing whatever they can to sabotage the other.

Can they see past themselves and their egos to each other? Or will their desperation to continue their careers drive them apart?

 

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

I might be twenty-six, but in my parents’ eyes me and Vic are still about twelve. I am, but only in clothes.

 I don’t need to prepare anything. People naturally love me. It’s you I’d be worried about. People assume you’ve got something stuck up your arse. You might want to look into that.

 It wasn’t my fault, it was Victoria’s… She hit it with a stick while I was at a swimming pool party. It flew around and stung my bum. Then it died, so I felt really sad while Vic laughed that it had been so scared of my bottom it had died of fright.

You like me? … Like, as in you also like cheese? Or a different kind of like?

My Review:

 

I frequently smirked and occasionally giggled-snorted during this amusing and saucy misadventure of two broke and suddenly unemployed teachers, who were not always comfortable or friendly with each other while sharing a ride during their desperate attempts to find new employment. Both had lost their teaching positions due to a backfired prank, with continued shenanigans, antics, irresponsible behavior, poor planning, bad luck, accidents, mishaps, and incidents of sabotage to come during their careening trek across the country in search of new futures while their limited funds dwindled to mere coins. Written from my favorite dual POV, the story was entertaining and engaging with colorful humor and bits of steam. However, the snarky characters were not always likable or admirable in their motivations as they are often competing for the same limited job openings. Forced to remain in constant contact and close quarters for days on end, they began to see each other differently and an unexpected attraction bloomed in a fretful and vexing manner until they scorched the sheets. I scored a new addition to my Brit Vocabulary list with “on the lash” which is drinking to intoxication.


Giveaway

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Book Review: The Wedding Date by Zara Stoneley

The Wedding Date

by Zara Stoneley

Goodreads

 Amazon  USUK   /  iBooks  /  Waterstones

One ex.
One wedding.
One little white lie.

When Samantha Jenkins is asked to be the maid of honor at her best friend’s wedding, she couldn’t be happier. There are just three problems…

1) Sam’s ex-boyfriend, Liam, will be the best man.
2) His new girlfriend is pregnant.
3) Sam might have told people she has a new man when she doesn’t (see points 1 and 2 above)

So, Sam does the only sensible thing available to her… and hires a professional to do the job.

Actor Jake Porter is perfect for the role: single, gorgeous and cheap! Sam is certain it’s the perfect solution: no strings, no heartbreak and hopefully no chance of being found out.

But spending a week in the Scottish Highlands with Jake is harder than she imagined. He is the perfect boyfriend, charming, sexy and the hottest thing in a kilt since Outlander! And his dog Harry is quite possibly the cutest things Sam has ever seen!

As the wedding draws closer, Jake plays his part to perfection and everyone believes he is madly in love with Sam. The problem is, Sam’s not sure if Jake is acting anymore…

 

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

The drinks are green. I’m never quite sure that anything I eat or drink should be green. Apart from M&Ms.

 

She giggles in what I can only describe as a flirtatious manner and I could swear she’s got a bum wiggle going on as she heads back towards the front door. Bum wiggles should be banned for all mothers, at least when their daughters are there. Particularly if the wiggle is for the benefit of their daughters’ boyfriends. Honestly, it’s indecent, even if he isn’t a proper boyfriend.

 

Dad knows the warning signs, he knows that sometimes, like after a bottle of wine, or a couple of cocktails, she gets stuck in and things can escalate. Like they did in Crete when Juliet said she’d dived in the Commonwealth games, so Mum said she’d dived for the Girl Guides and ten minutes later had to be rescued after a belly flop that half-emptied the pool of water. It added insult to injury when she recovered enough to find her saviour looked more Sumo wrestler than Hoff and he was determined to give her the kiss of life. For some strange reason we didn’t sit by the pool after that; it was all sea, ice-creams and historical monuments.

 

I haven’t had hot sex for at least three years, and that happened by accident when Liam accidentally put the air conditioning on a heat setting he didn’t know it had. I thought he was all hot and sweaty from excitement, and apparently he thought the same about me.

 

‘Steer well clear. I think she must be … what do they call it … vajazzled or something, to have led Liam astray like that… Well, the rest of her isn’t that pretty, is it? … Crystals for your crotch, it said in that magazine article I saw in the hairdresser’s. I’m not sure it would suit me though dear.’ From the look on Dad’s face it wouldn’t suit him either. ‘I’m quite sensitive down there and if you start using superglue you don’t know where it will all end up, do you?’

 

My Review:

 

I alternated between smiling and smirking while I read this amusing tale of relationship woe.   Samantha had been unceremoniously dumped, shortly before her best friend’s wedding, where she was to be the maid of honor, and her ex the best man – awkward. The wedding festivities were to last a week, in Scotland, with friends and family, including the ex and his “hugely” pregnant girlfriend. Yikes – obviously his “double-dipping” had been going on for quite awhile, which crossed the intersection of Uncomfortable and Embarrassing and turned right onto Torture Street! Not wanting to be pitied and unable to find a suitable date, Samantha hired an actor, a sweet and gorgeous man, to be her pretend boyfriend. While the overall premise was not anything new – we’ve all read similar tales – the quirky characters, clever humor, and fresh storylines made this one unique. I adored the twinkly-eyed Jake Porter, who had relationship wounds of his own. Samantha’s mother was an original personality and her scenes provided considerable mirth and gleeful entertainment. I was brand new to Ms. Stoneley’s wily humor but I hope to rectify that oversight going forward; reading her clever words was good fun.

Author Bio –

Born in a small village in Staffordshire, Zara Stoneley wanted to be James Herriot, a spy, or an author when she grew up. Writing novels means she can imagine she is all these things, and more!

Zara’s bestselling novels include ‘The Holiday Swap’, ‘Summer with the Country Village Vet’, ‘Blackberry Picking at Jasmine Cottage’ and the popular Tippermere series – ‘Stable Mates’, ‘Country Affairs’ and ‘Country Rivals’.
She lives in a Cheshire village with her family, a naughty cockapoo, and a very bossy cat, and loves spending time in sunny Spain.

Where you can find her-

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

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zarastoneley/

Book Review: Keeping 6 (Rock Point Series #1) by Freya Barker

 
Title: Keeping 6
Series: Rock Point Series #1
Author: Freya Barker
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Release Date: May 2, 2018
Cover Design: Rebel, Edit & Design

Bookstore owner Kerry Emerson finally seems to be back in control of her life. Her failure of a marriage firmly in her rearview mirror and her recent business expansion a success, she is in charge of her own future. One that is looking better than ever. 


The sight of the tall man, with the familiar salt and pepper goatee pushing open the door of her store, sets her hair on end. He doesn’t exactly bring good memories. 

FBI Special Agent in Charge, Damian Gomez, is just looking for a decent cup of coffee when he walks into the small store offering books and brew. The pretty, feisty woman behind the counter is an unexpected surprise. Not at all unpleasant, especially since her finger that used to hold a wedding ring is now bare. 

Her wild hair, boho style, and silvery grey eyes suddenly hold a lot of promise. But when his office is pulled into an international investigation into the trafficking of rare books and manuscripts, the straight-laced SAC realizes he has to keep his distance from the woman who might well be involved. 

Easier said than done since fate seems determined to throw them together.

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

Damn that man. I can’t even hang on to a good snit.

 

My mind twisted in so many different directions, I was giving myself whiplash.

 

He really has no idea the kind of danger he’s putting himself in right now. My sister can be like a rabid Chihuahua, especially with men.

 

“You know you’re near perfect, right?” “Near?” I sputter, mock insulted. “Perfection is boring, but near perfection? There isn’t a thing more intriguing, more tantalizing, more beautiful than that.

 

Deadly words, those— I’m fine. Especially since it doesn’t take much to know she’s anything but fine.

 

…the reality of her never was a match to the dream of you.

 

There’s a reason I’m moving to Durango, aside from my job. More than an hour or two at a time and my mother has me reaching for the rat poison… for me!

 My Review:

 

I have enjoyed every Freya Barker book I have ever picked up. Her books always provide me with a smirk-worthy level of entertainment as in addition to the intrigue of a good mystery and few murders and maybe a fight or two, Ms. Barker always supplies a healthy serving of humor, spicy sensuality, adult level romance, and authentic characters that I would enjoy knowing. I wasn’t familiar with the law enforcement terminology of keeping your 6, but I had an inkling of what it would mean, and it was an excellent title for this engaging tale. I adored FBI Special Agent in Charge Damian Gomez and loved the humor make available by the family dynamics of his intrusive relatives. I am already looking forward to the next installment of this new series.

“With impeccable writing Freya Barker weaves words into a story so captivating I was glued to the pages for hours.” ~Britt Red Hatter Book Blog

 

 

“Freya’s unmatched storytelling leads the reader up a mountain of suspense and intrigue. Dangers lurk as the cast of characters, both main and secondary, along with the readers, are consumed in the mystery of what’s to come. Five stars granted for the first book in this edge of your seat series. Cannot wait to see what’s coming next.” ~A.C. Bextor, Best selling author of KEPT: A Second Chance Fairy Tale

 

 

“Freya Barker has never written about perfect people. She writes about real people. This is why I can never put her books down.” ~ Kez’s Korner Blog

Damian

“You?”

My head whips around at the sound of a woman’s voice.

It’s been a long-ass morning already with meetings I would’ve loved to have avoided. Since being put in charge of the Durango field office, it seems I spend more time in meetings than working in the field. I swear each week there are new task forces put together, and I can barely keep up. I stepped out of the office for a much-needed break to find that the coffee shop around the corner had a sign plastered on the door stating they were closed due to a family emergency. Desperate for my caffeine fix, I kept walking and bumped into Kerry’s Korner: Books & Brew. Something about the name is familiar. I push the door, which opens with the ring of a bell, when I hear her voice. 

She’s pretty. The woman behind the counter looks like a seventies flower child, with wild, dirty blonde hair, some kind of flowy top leaving her collarbones and a goodly amount of cleavage exposed, and a pixie face. Something about her is familiar, and it appears she knows me, too. Fuck if I can’t place her. 

“Got me at a disadvantage, sweets,” I tell her with a shrug.

“You’re FBI,” she says, propping her hands on her nicely rounded hips. “I remember you.”

I look at her a little closer. Not a hardship, there’s a lot to check out. Those pale gray eyes trigger a memory. “You’re Kimeo’s girl,” I say, remembering the case a few years ago when I first saw her for the briefest of moments. A case long since put to rest, but not before this woman was snatched and roughed up before we got to her. We’d been called in by Gus Flemming, a friend of mine who owns an investigation and security company in Cedar Tree. Kimeo, the wife of one of Gus’s guys, found herself in the middle of shady land deals and this woman, her best friend, had been kidnapped to ensure her silence. I may not have remembered her name until I saw her standing behind the counter of Kerry’s Korner, but I sure as hell remember her. I also remember the wedding ring on her finger, which is why I didn’t bother looking twice at the time. 

The hands resting on her hips no longer sport that wedding ring, just a large knuckle ring on the middle finger of her left hand as a sort of fuck you to the world. I bet she flips that bird easily, judging by the attitude she throws off. I like it.

“Kerry,” she says, almost as a challenge. 

“Right. You look better now,” I tell her, making her snort loudly.

“No shit. I’d just been used as a punching bag when you found me and shoved me into the back of a van without a word.” Yup, most definitely a challenge. She doesn’t like me much, I deduct from the slightly distasteful look on her face.

“Was a little preoccupied with my investigation. Sorry if I didn’t take the time to make nice.” Fuck me, I sound like a dick. Something about her attitude grates on me, especially when she rolls her eyes dramatically before placing her hands on the counter in front of her and leaning over. 

“Damian. Right?” She doesn’t wait for my confirmation before she continues, “Well, Damian, what brings you to my bookstore?”

“Coffee. Straight up,” I tell her without blinking. She turns her back without a word and starts fiddling with the expensive-looking machine on the sideboard, and I take the opportunity to check out her backside. “Double shot?” she asks over her shoulder, catching me ogling. 

“Good guess.” I smile at her, which only earns me another eye roll. Attitude in spades, this one. As much as it irritates me, it somehow turns me on, too. 

She’s late thirties, maybe forty, if I had to venture a guess from the lines around her eyes. She obviously laughs a lot—something I wouldn’t mind hearing. I have a feeling with that slightly raspy voice of hers, her laugh will sound even sexier. She’s not wearing a stitch of makeup from what I can tell and seems totally at ease in her skin. Not usually the kind of woman I find myself drawn to, but this one has an appeal all her own. Most women I end up with are well put together: stacked, sweet, and sultry. Just the way I like them. This one, though? This one is like the fucking girl next door. Fresh-faced, with a hippy vibe, barely enough tit to fill my hands, but an ass that should be framed, it’s that lush. Always considered myself a boob man, until I just got an eyeful of her backside. 

While she doctors the elaborate coffee machine, I take the time to check out her shop. An older building, it has an old-fashioned facade with shallow bay windows, displaying an assortment of books, framing the door. Old wood floors that have been left bare to the wear and tear of foot traffic, resulting in a well-worn look more suited to an old saloon. Rows of rugged bookcases, jutting out from the back wall, with chalkboard display signs indicating the different genres. The counter is on one side in front of the window and on the opposite side, in front of the second bay window, is a small seating arrangement with an old, brown leather couch and two club chairs around a small, round coffee table. On the counter is a large, round, glass cake stand with pastries. 

“Here you go. Anything else with that? A pastry to sweeten you up a bit or perhaps a book on appropriate social behavior? I have both.” I can’t stop the smirk tugging at my mouth. This one’s a handful, for sure. Too much of one. I pull out my wallet and slap a couple of dollar bills on the counter. 
“Nah,” I drawl. “Not the kind of sweet I’m looking for, and as for the book, I’ll just wait until you get done with it. You’re probably due for a reread.” I snag my coffee off the counter, and with a wink, I saunter out the door, leaving her standing with her mouth hanging open and fire shooting from those pretty gray eyes.

Freya Barker loves writing about ordinary people with extraordinary stories.

Driven to make her books about ‘real’ people; with characters who are perhaps less than perfect, but just as deserving of romance, thrills and chills, and some hot, sizzling sex in their lives.

A recipient of the RomCon “Reader’s Choice” Award for best first book, “Slim To None”, and Finalist for the Kindle Book Award with “From Dust”, Freya has not slowed down.


She continues to add to her rapidly growing collection of published novels as she spins story after story with an endless supply of bruised and dented characters, vying for attention!

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Book Review: Between Me and You by Allison Winn Scotch 

Between Me and You

by Allison Winn Scotch 

Goodreads

AmazonB&N

From New York Times bestselling author Allison Winn Scotch comes an honest, touching, and funny exploration of falling in and out of love, told from two perspectives—one rewinding history, one moving it forward—and each with bias and regret.

When their paths first cross, Ben Livingston is a fledgling scriptwriter on the brink of success; Tatum Connelly is a struggling actress tending bar in a New York City dive. They fall in love, they marry, they become parents, and they think only of the future. But as the years go by, Tatum’s stardom rises while Ben’s fades. In a marriage that bears the fallout of ambition and fame, Ben and Tatum are at a crossroads. Now all they can do is think back…

A life of passion, joy, tragedy, and loss—once shared—becomes one as shifting and unpredictable as a memory. As the pieces of their past come together, as they explore the ways love can bend and break, Ben and Tatum come to see how it all went wrong—and wonder what they can do now to make it all right.

 .

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

I want you to be anything you dream of. But mostly I want you to be happy. Those things aren’t always the same, you know.

 

I can’t measure my love for Ben against Mom’s love for Dad because it’s not like you can quantify these things. It’s not like I can pour them into a cup and see which one measures more.

 

It’s raining in Los Angeles, and no one knows what to do about it. People are scattering around, hovering in Whole Foods, tweeting with panicked abandon: It’s raining! It might be the apocalypse!

 

He tells me he’ll be on his best behavior, but I’d cleaned up enough of Leo’s messes over the years… to know that while Leo might promise the moon, he’ll often never even glance up at the sky.

 

“He needs to grow up, Ben.” I could picture my dad shaking his head like he couldn’t imagine how Leo had gotten this far in life without being drafted into clown school.

 My Review:

 

I struggled, valiantly I must add, oh, how I struggled, as this book was a full-on angst-fest and that is so not my jam. But I also couldn’t stop reading. Hmm, Allison Winn Scotch seems to have a handle on this writing thing… The storylines wove in and out of various timelines, and not in chronological order, with emotions and motivations capriciously seesawing from cautious jubilation to bleak and heart-squeezing despair, with clever licks of humor and amusing observations periodically tossed in. Ms. Scotch’s deftly paced, observantly insightful, and emotive writing pulled me in quickly and held my attention, despite my exasperation with the prickly and temperamental characters.

The characters weren’t inherently bad people but they were fatally flawed and vastly insecure as well as alluring, complicated, moody, selfish, stubborn, and damn it, they fascinated me to no end. They weren’t always likable or admirable, in fact, there were times I despised them and wanted to throw my Kindle down in disgust of their self-centered, pettish, and pedantic behaviors. And the more successful they became, the more out of sync, self-involved, dour, and loathsome they appeared. Both had made critical errors in judgment in dealing with each other, so much so that I wasn’t sure a reunification was the best thing for either one. The actress’s penchant for playacting had gone so far afield she had become inauthentic, even with herself. Yet despite their odious and repellent behaviors, I couldn’t stop reading… I was more than satisfied with the conclusion and proud of myself for my dogged perseverance yet I had the irrational impulse to hurriedly close my Kindle before they could start in on each other and ruin it again. Silly me. 

Allison Winn Scotch   

I’m the author of a bunch of novels, including IN TWENTY YEARS, THE THEORY OF OPPOSITES and TIME OF MY LIFE. My next and seventh book – which I am suuuuper-excited about! – is titled BETWEEN ME AND YOU and will be released in January 2018.

As an author, I know how brutal reviews can be, so I’ll only post about books I’ve enjoyed. (Just in case you’re wondering why all of my reviews are positive!)