Category: 5-Stars

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Book Review: Friends With Benedicts by Staci Hart @imaquirkybird

Friends With Benedicts by Staci Hart

Amazon  / B&N / Apple / BB

Timing is everything. Presley Hale and Sebastian Vargas are no strangers to goodbye. Their high school summers were spent wrapped up in each other until she would inevitably go home to California. One season after college, Sebastian finally escaped the little Texas town to travel the world, and they said goodbye for what they thought might be the last time. Sebastian went one way. Presley went the other. For the first time in five years, they’re both in town, but the timing is no better than ever. So the only thing to do is what they do best. Keep it casual. Friends with benefits. They’ve done it before—doing it again will be easy. But their hearts don’t get the memo. When the lines of their arrangement blur, Presley and Sebastian are faced with decisions they’ve avoided for years. And that’s not even their biggest problem. A small town in danger of failing. A secret that could tear them apart. And two hearts that can’t hide anymore. They’ve shared so many summers, but none compare to what they’ll face. Timing is everything. And their time is almost up.
 

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

Lightning struck me dead to the spot—shock, I realized distantly. The sensation was followed by the frying of my ovaries like a couple of unsuspecting eggs. Sebastian Vargas had that effect on me and my eggs. I turned, smiling through my surprise. And there he stood, tall, dark and smirking at me in that way that made all the girls fling their panties at him. It’s our curse. Our men either die young or leave. So just make sure he’s healthy and isn’t going anywhere. “I really am a kick ass mom, aren’t I?” “Judging by the small fortune in the swear jar, I’d beg to differ.” No more telling Priscilla her dad was busy fighting crime in Metropolis, or that he was on a moon station collecting rock samples. Don’t worry— she didn’t believe me. It was a running joke in our family. Sometimes he swallowed knives with the circus. Sometimes he was a baseball hall of famer. Just depended on my mood.
  My Review:   This was a delightfully fun read with the steamy treats and witty and irreverent humor that I tend to savor. I am totally enamored with Staci Hart. While I may be a relatively new acolyte I am now a devoted one. I enjoy her breezy and cleverly amusing writing style with edgy insights and keen observations. Her characters are lovable and endearing yet a bit frayed and struggling. The storylines were engaging, relatable, and highly entertaining. In a word, it was delectable.  

Staci has been a lot of things up to this point in her life — a graphic designer, an entrepreneur, a seamstress, a clothing and handbag designer, a waitress. Can’t forget that. She’s also been a mom, with three little girls who are sure to grow up to break a number of hearts. She’s been a wife, though she’s certainly not the cleanest, or the best cook. She’s also super, duper fun at a party, especially if she’s been drinking whiskey. When she’s not writing, she’s reading, sleeping, gaming, or designing graphics.

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Book Review: Murder at the Fair (A Lady Eleanor Swift Mystery #6) by Verity Bright @BrightVerity @Bookouture

Murder at the Fair
(A Lady Eleanor Swift Mystery #6)
by Verity Bright

Amazon  / B&N

 

Summer flowers, warm sunshine, a maypole dance, and… is that another murder? A tricky case is afoot for Lady Swift!

Summer, 1921. Lady Eleanor Swift, the best amateur sleuth in the country, is delighted to be in charge of the prize-giving at her village summer fair. But the traditional homemade raft race takes a tragic turn when the local undertaker, Solemn Jon, turns up dead amongst the ducks. Jon was the life of any party and loved by the entire village. Surely this was simply an awful accident?

But when a spiteful obituary is printed in the local paper, Eleanor realizes there may be more to Jon’s death than first thought. Despite handsome Detective Seldon giving her strict instructions not to interfere, Eleanor owes it to Jon’s good name to root out the truth. So with her partner in crime, Gladstone the bulldog, Eleanor starts digging for clues…

When another local dies in a riding accident, the police refuse to believe he was murdered. But a second vindictive death notice convinces Eleanor of foul play. Solemn Jon’s assistant, a bullish banker, and a majestic marquess make her suspect list, but it isn’t until she finds a dusty old photograph that she knows the true culprit behind both crimes. Then another obituary appears – her own! Can Eleanor nail the killer before she too turns up dead among the ducks?

An utterly compelling and charming cozy mystery! Pure delight for fans of Agatha Christie, T.E. Kinsey, and Lee Strauss.

My Rating:

 

 Favorite Quotes:

 

She wracked her brain for a more charitable description, but all she could think of was an underfed ferret. With his sharp dark eyes set in hollow sockets, protruding jaw and barely-there upper lip, his face seemed permanently set in a scowl.

 

We have to invite her, old friend of the family and all that. Personally, she constantly reminds me of the native Scottish thistle she is so fiercely proud of. Prickly year-round and thoroughly invasive.

 

Out of the blue he simply hurled the offer of marriage at me like I was a giddy, aged spinster who would bite his arm off to accept.

 

‘Have, er, Polly or Gladstone, met the vacuum cleaner yet?’… He sighed. ‘Polly is still terrified of the machine after Mrs Trotman told her it would suck her eyeballs out if she stared down the hose while it was on.’

 

Folk say she’s about as handsome as a three-legged horse born backwards, which is why she doesn’t have any young gentleman courting her.

 

Guilt’s a bad enough bedfellow without grief stealing in and hogging the quilt.

 

My Review:

 

I continue in my love fest with Verity Bright, as I am evermore enamored with this delightfully amusing cozy mystery series. I have enjoyed every installment, which only improves with each new entry. The books could be read as standalones although a quicker connection and deeper understanding could be had by reading the earlier publications as frequent mentions of her previous exploits were sprinkled throughout. I adore the kind and gentle Lady Eleanor (Ellie), who has a tendency to become embroiled and entangled in various schemes and becomes determined to solve the surrounding mystery and ferret out the culprits. This time, despite being admonished by her would-be suitor and police inspector to keep her nose clean, Ellie has stepped into several oddly mysterious deaths she suspects were murders, which led back to blackmail, family secrets of her own, and a few nefarious scams.

 

Generous helpings of wit, amusing humor, and entertaining side stories occur along the way as she and her ever-attentive butler apply their skills and attention towards unraveling the villainous schemes.   Verity Bright’s engaging writing style was refreshingly breezy and smoothly enticing in addition to being brain and rib-tickling as the cleverly plotted storylines and clues were a curious conundrum. I am already rubbing my hands together with glee contemplating her next adventure.

 

About the Author

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Verity Bright is the pseudonym for a husband-and-wife writing partnership that has spanned a quarter of a century. Starting out writing high-end travel articles and books, they published everything from self-improvement to humor, before embarking on their first historical mystery. They are the authors of the fabulous Lady Eleanor Swift Mystery series, set in the 1920s.
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Book Review: The Forever Home by Sue Watson  @suewatsonwriter @Bookouture

The Forever Home
by Sue Watson 

Amazon  / B&N / Apple / GP / BB

 

You thought you’d always be safe there… you were wrong.

Carly had thought they’d always live there. The beautiful Cornish cliffside house they’d taken on as a wreck, that Mark had obsessively re-designed and renovated – a project that had made him famous. It was where they’d raised their children, where they’d sat cozily on the sofa watching storms raging over the sea below. It was where they’d promised to keep each other’s secrets…

Until now. Because Mark has fallen in love. With someone he definitely shouldn’t have. Someone who isn’t Carly. And suddenly their family home doesn’t feel like so much of a safe haven.

Carly thinks forever should mean forever though: it’s her home and she’ll stay there. Even the dark family secrets it contains feel like they belong to her. But someone disagrees. And, as threats start to arrive at her front door, it becomes clear, someone will stop at nothing. Because someone wants to demolish every last thing that makes Carly feel safe. Forever.

An utterly unputdownable psychological thriller about what lies are hidden in the most beautiful homes. Perfect for fans of Date Night, Gone Girl, and The Woman in the Window.

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

I knew then, as he stood there weak and pitiful, that however deep I dug, I couldn’t find any more love for this man. Like a thief, he’d been stealing it from me for years, piece by piece, crumb by crumb, and now all that was left was a residue of hurt, a tidal wave of anger, and all the wasted years. I was finally done with him.

 

For God’s sake, isn’t it bad enough that they make me sound like the woman scorned, bloodied by betrayal, reeking of bitterness – do they really have to keep adding two years to my age?

 

My Review:

 

This was a busy, tense, and compelling tale of family drama and suspense that was shrewdly plotted and fiendishly paced to keep me on edge. It was slippery, full of secrets, and constantly shifting with taunts and snippets of reveals and revelations. No one was as their persona seemed and few were trustworthy or even likable, and even those that were had seemed questionable. The little pea in my brain was bouncing and skidding while attempting to keep up and formulate new theories only to swiftly abandon them a few chapters later. It was cleverly contrived but I was frequently annoyed with the main character of Carly and had to wonder how she could be so naïve and trusting. But the ending was brilliant and the biggest twist of all and left me with a satisfied smirk on my face.

About the Author

Sue Watson was a journalist in national magazines and newspapers before becoming a TV producer with the BBC.

Now a USA Today bestselling author, Sue explores the darker side of life, writing psychological thrillers with big twists.

Originally from Manchester, she now lives with her family in leafy Worcestershire where much of her day is spent writing – and procrastinating. Her hobby is eating cake while watching diet and exercise programs from the sofa, a skill she’s perfected after many years of practice.

http://www.suewatsonbooks.com/

https://www.facebook.com/sue.watson.39501

https://twitter.com/suewatsonwriter

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Book Review: The Road Trip by Beth O’Leary @BerkleyPub

The Road Trip
by Beth O’Leary 

Amazon  / B&N / Apple / GP / BB

Two exes reach a new level of awkwardness when forced to take a road trip together in this endearing and humorous novel by the author of the international bestseller The Flatshare.

What if the end of the road is just the beginning?

Four years ago, Dylan and Addie fell in love under the Provence sun. Wealthy Oxford student Dylan was staying at his friend Cherry’s enormous French villa; wild child Addie was spending her summer as the on-site caretaker. Two years ago, their relationship officially ended. They haven’t spoken since.

Today, Dylan’s and Addie’s lives collide again. It’s the day before Cherry’s wedding, and Addie and Dylan crash cars at the start of the journey there. The car Dylan was driving is wrecked, and the wedding is in rural Scotland–he’ll never get there on time by public transport.

So, along with Dylan’s best friend, Addie’s sister, and a random guy on Facebook who needed a ride, they squeeze into a space-challenged Mini and set off across Britain. Cramped into the same space, Dylan and Addie are forced to confront the choices they made that tore them apart–and ask themselves whether that final decision was the right one after all.

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

My family. They’re like a bad cold I can’t shake, a dreadful pop song I can’t stop singing. How do I get rid of them?

 

Easy and casual is what I’m aiming for, and I think I come pretty close— or, at least, as close as one can get when making a huge effort to make no effort at all.

 

I don’t care about almost. I care about what really happened. Everyone’s got the potential to do the wrong thing—if we were measured that way, we’d all come up short. It’s about what you do.

 

I have a feeling that if this journey had been any longer, it would have become progressively more Lord of the Flies, and Marcus probably would have eaten somebody.

My Review:

 

This was my second exposure to the sharp insights and sparkling wit of Beth O’Leary and I am forevermore her fangirl.   Not only were the premise and storylines original, smirk-worthy, and entertaining; but this tale involved an extremely interesting and extraordinary mix of odd and eccentric secondary characters.   The character of Marcus was complicated, deeply damaged, and obnoxious, yet also quite fascinating, he was basically a train-wreck laden with hazardous materials.

 

I’ve noticed that Ms. O’Leary’s characters tend to be complex and multi-layered and while not always likable, they remain strangely endearing and uniquely appealing. These characters were on the go in multiple timelines with the current period being the most fraught with tension and peril as well as being highly eventful as the travelers faced a series of snags and challenging mishaps while make their way across England’s roadways to attend the wedding of a mutual friend. While the characters were stressed and struggling with each other as well as the journey, their adventures and problem-solving methods were quite comical and engaging. I vastly enjoy Ms. O’Leary’s writing style and tend to lose myself in her storytelling. I am already looking forward to her next contrivance.

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Beth O’Leary studied English at university before going into children’s publishing. She lives as close to the countryside as she can get while still being within reach of London, and wrote her first novel, The Flatshare, on her train journey to and from work.  You’ll usually find her curled up with a book, a cup of tea, and several woolly jumpers (whatever the weather).

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Book Review: The Bridesmaid by Nina Manning @ninamanning78 @rararesources  @BoldwoodBooks

The Bridesmaid
by Nina Manning

‘Promise me? If you hear any secrets, never tell me. That would make you a most treasured friend. More than a friend really. You’re almost like a sister to me…’

 

Your best friend….

From the moment they met as children, Sasha knew that beautiful, wealthy, and confident Caitlin would always be her absolute best friend.  Sasha would do anything to make Caitlin happy.

Even keep her darkest secrets…

The years have passed, but their friendship remains.  And when Caitlin announces she’s getting married there is only one choice for the role of bridesmaid.

Sasha will make sure Caitlin’s wedding is as beautiful and perfect as she is.  Won’t she?

Your worst nightmare?

 

But Sasha is growing tired of always being in Caitlin’s shadow  – always the bridesmaid, never the bride.  And as the big day approaches, cracks begin to appear between the two women.  Secrets and lies swirl between the two friends like confetti. Both of them are hiding dark secrets, both of them are lying.

 

Could the secrets that once bound these two friends, rip them apart for good?

My Rating:

Favorite Quote:

 

He always makes me feel like the most upgraded version of myself. And that is worth something very special to me because it is the very thing that I don’t get from Caitlin.

My Review:

 

This is one of those cleverly plotted books that turned me inside out and slapped me around as everything I thought I had so smugly deduced was inside out and backward. Oh, that Nina Manning is a wily one. I was distrustful of all the characters as most of them seemed rather vile and deceitful. The storylines were multi-layered and cunningly textured to continually poke and taunt my curiosity. I was intrigued, ensnared, and invested in unraveling the dreadful secrets of the past that the author ruthlessly baited me with throughout. I was so wrong in my observations and wild theories, and quite happy to be. What a devious and shrewd scribbler, I am in awe of her capricious storytelling.

About the Author

Nina Manning studied psychology and was a restaurant owner and private chef (including members of the royal family). She is the founder and co-host of Sniffing The Pages, a book review podcast. Her debut psychological thriller, The Daughter in Law, was a bestseller in the UK, US, Australia, and Canada. She lives in Dorset.

Social Media Links

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ninamanningauthor1

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ninamanning78

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

Newsletter Sign Up Link: http://bit.ly/NinaManningNewsletter

Bookbub profile: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/nina-manning

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Book Review: When We Touch (The Heartbreak Brothers #5) by Carrie Elks  @CarrieElks

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When We Touch
(The Heartbreak Brothers #5)
by Carrie Elks 

 

There’s a fine line between love and hate… and they’re about to cross it.

Becca Hartson should be used to moody men by now. She grew up with four overprotective older brothers, after all. But nothing could prepare her for the hostility she encounters from her new boss – the annoyingly gorgeous Daniel Carter.Sure, his first impression of her was bad. She was in the arms of his brother, crying into his shirt. But the whole situation was purely platonic and Daniel knows that.

It doesn’t stop him from scowling at her every time they work together. Or from sending her heart into a crazy spin.

But if she wants to keep this job, she’ll have to grin and bear it.

Coming back to work at his family’s distillery after six years away was a mistake. Daniel knows it from the moment his gaze clashes with Becca’s. With her tumbling waves and soft smile, he knows she’s trouble from the start.

Daniel doesn’t believe in love. And he definitely doesn’t believe in falling for his employees.

But when Becca looks at him with those sweet doe eyes, he keeps forgetting to hate her…

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

Even with its modern buildings and political life, Charleston was a slower way of life. Bloodlines were important, manners were everything. And backstabbing was practically an art form.

She’d always found tuxedos a little comical before. Grown men wearing little bow ties that made them look like the mouse from Tom and Jerry, tied up and presented like a Christmas gift.

Oh come on. I haven’t heard so much squealing since Logan and Courtney bred their prize boar.

The gossip had disappeared about a week after they went public. It was amazing how boring a good relationship was to people.

My Review:

 

This was an enjoyable and satisfying installment and an excellent finale for the series although I fervently wish the family had more members, as I had grown attached to them. The characters were endearing and lovable and the storylines were relatable and easy to follow regardless of whether you had read the previous installments, although you should if you haven’t. The romance was tender and deliciously steamy with a minimum of conflict, my favorite type!   Generous helpings of humor and family drama with vile relatives provided balance and flavor. In addition to being well entertained, I learned quite a bit about distilling whiskey as well as the complications and management of diabetes.

 

Carrie Elks writes contemporary romance with a sizzling edge. Her first book, Fix You, has been translated into eight languages and made a surprise appearance on Big Brother in Brazil. Luckily for her, it wasn’t voted out. Carrie lives with her husband, two lovely children, and a larger-than-life black pug called Plato. When she isn’t writing or reading, she can be found baking, drinking an occasional (!) glass of wine, or chatting on social media.

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Book Review: Daisy’s Dilemma by Debbie Viggiano  @DebbieViggiano @rararesources 

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Daisy’s Dilemma
by Debbie Viggiano

Amazon  / BB

Florist Daisy is loved-up and blossoming. Boyfriend Dominic has proposed marriage!

However, Dominic isn’t in any rush to buy a ring, and meeting the parents is looong overdue. What is the problem? After all, Daisy’s mum has already bought her big hat and wants to know the wedding date!

Then careless words plant seeds of doubt and, like weed, Daisy’s concerns begin to multiply. Is Dominic hiding something?

Meanwhile, sexy ex Harry is back on the scene and begging Daisy for a reconciliation. He thought the grass was greener with HER but now says he made a mistake. Is Harry – for once – being genuine, or simply leading Daisy up the garden path?

New neighbor Seth seems like a fun guy, but a single throwaway comment has Daisy mimicking a species of Calla Lily – Red Alert! It’s time to do some digging. But even she never anticipated a mad car chase across London or unearthing a shocking secret that changes everything.

Sparks are set to fly in this gorgeous romantic comedy about love, trust, and new beginnings.

 

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

My husband went off with HER. I can’t name HER but to give you a clue she has knockers the size of sunflowers and butt cheeks bigger than a ball cactus.

 

Seth blasted us both with a smile that threatened to singe my eyelashes and had Becky behaving like my ex-mother-in-law’s dog when it had cornered a squirrel.

 

Sometimes, if there was a lull at work, Becky and I played the “what if” game. What if the human population was extinct save for four people. Yours truly and Becky, and you had to populate Earth with the next two men who came into the shop. The rule was you had to choose one of them. On one occasion Becky and I had argued fiercely over who was bagging eighty-year-old Mr Harris against ninety-two-year-old Mr Payne who never wore dentures. The game had become quite heated… We’d eventually admitted defeat and agreed that, on this occasion, planet Earth would fail to be repopulated.

 

‘Well it wasn’t tiddlywinks we were playing last night, Daisy,’ she chortled. ‘And he definitely doesn’t have a tiddly wink.’

 

‘None of the other whatsits I’ve ever dated have been like Alfie.’ She paused to consider. ‘They were like the tide. Went out and never came back.’

My Review:

 

I giggle-snorted, chortled, and laughed aloud as I perused this cleverly amusing missive featuring the adorable, gentle, and rather hapless Daisy. Daisy had niggles about her fiancé and although she wanted to live in the land of denial, her waspish inner voice kept harping at her for being such a jellyfish. The snark was as humorous as it was insightfully keen. I wanted to give Daisy a few good bumps with my elbow to dislodge her cranium from her colon but she finally snapped to and being a gentle soul, took only a mild form of revenge. Being of the Lorena Bobbitt philosophy of vengeance myself, I was a bit outraged by her choice to desecrate innocent cheesecake, but that is neither here nor there.

 

About the Author

Prior to turning her attention to writing, Debbie Viggiano was, for more years than she cares to remember, a legal secretary. She lives with her Italian husband, a rescued pooch from Crete, and a very disgruntled cat. Occasionally her adult children return home bringing her much joy… apart from when they want to raid the fridge or eat her secret stash of chocolate. Tweet @DebbieViggiano or follow her on Facebook!

Social Media Links

TWITTER: @DebbieViggiano

FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/debbie.viggiano.5/

INSTAGRAM: debbieviggiano

WEBSITE: www.debbieviggiano.co.uk

 

 

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Book Review: The Secretary by Catherine Hokin @cathokin @Bookouture

The Secretary
by Catherine Hokin 

Amazon  / B&N / Apple / GP / BB

The Tower House. Down a secluded path, hidden by overgrown vines, the crumbling villa echoes with memories. Of the family who laughed and sang there, until the Nazis tore them from their home. And of the next woman to walk its empty rooms, whose courage in the face of evil could alter the course of history…

Germany 1940. As secretary to the leader of the SS, Magda spends her days sending party invitations to high-ranking Nazis, and her evenings distributing pamphlets for the resistance. But Magda is leading a dangerous double life, smuggling secrets out of the office. It’s a deadly game, and eventual exposure is a certainty, but Magda is driven by a need to keep the man she secretly loves safe as he fights against the Nazis…

Forty years later. Nina’s heart pounds as she steps into an uncertain future carrying a forged passport, a few banknotes, and a scribbled address for The Tower House taken from an intricate drawing she found hidden in her grandmother’s wardrobe. Separated from her family and betrayed by her country, Nina’s last hope is to trace her family’s history in the ruins of the past her grandmother ran from. But, when she finally finds the abandoned house, she opens the door to a forgotten story, and to secrets that will change everything: past, present, and future…

A poignant and gripping novel about bravery, loss, and redemption during the Second World War. An unputdownable read for fans of The Tattooist of Auschwitz, We Were the Lucky Ones, and The Alice Network.

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

Magda was shouting. She never shouted. Her eyes were black and hard, as if someone else was using them.

 

It’s come at a price, believe me – being with men whose values are as twisted as Himmler’s corrodes a little piece of your soul. But if it means I can help decent men keep their jobs and old friends get to safety, close is where I have to be.

 

He was of medium height and medium build and his hair was thinning. He had the kind of pasty complexion that suggested long hours in dark rooms. He was so completely unremarkable, he didn’t seem real.

 

That’s the worst of these things, Nina; that’s what I never wanted you to have to learn. There’s always a choice that isn’t a choice. It’s always impossible to save everyone.

 

There has been talk of a memorial on the platform the death trains went out of, but… Every time a plaque is installed there, it gets stolen. Sometimes I wonder what kind of people are still living here.

My Review:

 

This was an intense and tragic read yet Ms. Hokin’s writing was extraordinarily poignant, well-crafted, and thrummed with a taut and anxious tone throughout due to the constant peril her characters faced in both timelines. The storylines were rife with family drama, intrigue, subterfuge, and the constant danger of discovery. I was quite taken by the quality of the characters’ development as the individuals were realistically flawed and believable human beings who made serious errors yet were well-intentioned and endearing, even though I often wanted to give them a pinch or two.

About the Author

Catherine Hokin is the author of two World War Two-inspired novels set in Berlin, her favorite city. Following a History degree at Manchester University she worked in teaching, marketing and politics while waiting for a chance to do what she really wanted which was to write full time. Her short stories have been published by iScot, Writers Forum, and Myslexia magazines and she was the winner of the 2019 Fiction 500 Short Story Competition. She is a lover of strong female leads and a quest.

Catherine now lives in Glasgow with her American husband. She has two grown-up children – one of whom lives, very conveniently, in Berlin – and a lifelong addiction to very loud music.

https://www.catherinehokin.com/

https://www.facebook.com/cathokin/?ref=aymt_homepage_panel

https://twitter.com/cathokin

 

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Book Review: The Ladies’ Midnight Swimming Club The Ladies’ Midnight Swimming Club by Faith Hogan @GerHogan  @Aria_Fiction

The Ladies’ Midnight Swimming Club 
byFaith Hogan 

Amazon  / B&N / Apple / GP

 

Three women. Three different stages of life. United by one thing: the chance to start again.

‘Uplifting, emotional and brimming with warmth and humour’ – Cathy Bramley

When Elizabeth’s husband dies, leaving her with crippling debt, the only person she can turn to is her friend, Jo. Soon Jo has called in her daughter, Lucy, to help save Elizabeth from bankruptcy. Leaving her old life behind, Lucy is determined to make the most of her fresh start.

As life slowly begins to return to normal, these three women, thrown together by circumstance, become fast friends. But then Jo’s world is turned upside down when she receives some shocking news.

In search of solace, Jo and Elizabeth find themselves enjoying midnight dips in the freezing Irish Sea. Here they can laugh, cry and wash away all their fears. As well as conjure a fundraising plan for the local hospice that will bring the whole community together…

From bestselling Irish writer Faith Hogan, The Ladies’ Midnight Swimming Club is an emotional story about finding new friends and living life to the fullest, that will appeal to fans of Sheila O’Flanagan, Heidi Swain, and Liz Fenwick.

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

To be honest, I think we were all a little in awe of your extensive vocabulary when it came to telling her where to go. The parish priest had to run into the pantry to hide his smirk.

 

The walls held charts that looked as if they could belong in a museum. The blinds that had stuck closed many years earlier had a tatty, neglected air about them. Even the doors creaked onerously as they were opened; it seemed they too were ready to hand notice in.

 

I’m sorry, Lucy, but consider yourself stepping into the TARDIS and re-emerging somewhere in the early 1970s.

 

‘It should be in the nip. A dip in the nip! That’s what I’d enjoy most, thinking of all of you, down here, in the altogether and jumping into the water… Think about it, Elizabeth, even old crabby boots O’Neill… herself.’ And they all began to laugh at the notion of Eric’s former receptionist pulling off her interlocking knickers before diving into the cold Atlantic.

 

What’s she thinking? The sight of her in the buff will be enough to frighten every fish from the bay.

 

‘I’ll strategically add in a pink ribbon to cover everyone’s jiggly bits at the end,’ she intoned to the startled Elizabeth as she began to unpack a fairly complex-looking camera.

 

My Review:

 

I adore Faith Hogan and her latest missive was yet another one to savor. I read it slowly and enjoyed every storyline while keeping my fingers crossed for a happy ending that tied them all together, and of course, she delivered in spades. I am enamored with Ms. Hogan’s agile craft and nimble word skills, she has her own unique brand of insightfully written and poignant storytelling that pulls in just the right amount of wry humor to balance out the drama and tension. I have never been to Ireland and every time I read one of her tales it ignites my desire to see the land of leprechauns and distant ancestors. I have enjoyed every book of hers I’ve had the luck to pick up and I covet the ones I don’t have. She has mad skills and a lifelong fangirl in me.

About the Author


Faith Hogan is an Irish award-winning and bestselling author of five contemporary fiction novels. Her books have featured as Book Club Favorites, Net Galley Hot Reads, and Summer Must Reads. She writes grown-up women’s fiction which is unashamedly uplifting, feel-good, and inspiring.

She is currently working on her next novel. She lives in the west of Ireland with her husband, four children, and a very busy Labrador named Penny. She’s a writer, reader, enthusiastic dog walker, and reluctant jogger – except of course when it is raining!

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Book Review:  The Complete Stars Duet by Amie Knight

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The Complete Stars Duet
by Amie Knight

Download your copy today or read FREE in Kindle Unlimited! 

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3tEEHG1

Amazon Worldwide: http://mybook.to/completestars

The Stars Duet Boxed Set, including the complete The Stars Series including the bonus story Christmas Beneath the Stars from Amie Knight, is available now! 

 

Beneath His Stars

I met Adam Nova under the twinkling lights of a nighttime sky.

He was hiding, but that gorgeous boy didn’t belong in the dark.

Nevertheless, it was where he lived; a different world than mine.

I was Livingston Montgomery, Southern debutante.

With the world at my fingertips, I was well on my way to being another spoiled socialite.  

But I didn’t want money.  

I didn’t want social status.  

I wanted him; tattoos, sarcastic smirk, bad boy reputation and all.  

It didn’t matter that he was from the wrong side of the tracks.  

It didn’t matter that my family forbade me from seeing him.  

I just wanted to be Beneath His Stars.    

 

In Her Space

I was reunited with Livingston Montgomery in the broad sunshine of a Carolina morning, right where she belonged; in the light.   

It’d been too long since I’d seen her face.

She had changed, but so had I.  

I was Adam Nova, reformed bad boy.  Now, successful businessman.  

I had it all, except for the one person I’d always wanted, and now I was back to claim her.  

She was living in the shadows, just a shell of the former girl I knew.   

But it didn’t matter that she tried to hide from me in the dark.

I’d follow her into the deepest depths of hell.

I just wanted to be In Her Space.

My Rating:

 

Favorite Quotes:

He was covered in tattoos. They didn’t just peek out of the sleeves of his shirt. No, this man wore his tattoos like clothes. They blanketed his arms and came out of the top of his shirt and onto his neck.

My finger brushed the paper and I felt a spark of something. Something that felt bigger than me… It was like coming alive. It was electric and it lit me up from the inside until I felt like all of the stars above my head were suddenly all living inside of me.

He was one big contradiction I couldn’t get enough of. His tattoos and attitude screamed bad boy, but his mind? It screamed nerd. I loved it.

I don’t just love you to that moon and back, baby. I love you to Pluto and back even if it would take me nineteen years to get there and back.

“Man, if I knew all it took was coffee to get a proclamation of love, I would have started with that sooner.” She took the coffee from my hand while holding up the blanket with the other and shot me a sassy look. “This isn’t just coffee, Adam. This is nectar of the gods.”

My Review:

 

Sizzle and snap, this was smokin’ hot and fever-inducing. While the first installment was angsty YA, the second half was adult-rated with breath-stealing sensuality and angsty adulting. Oddly, I didn’t seem to mind despite my abhorrence of constant contrived conflict. The characters were sympathetic and endearingly appealing while struggling with relevant issues, although I did want to give them each a few smacks to the back of the head from time to time. I adored Adam, he was such a romantic. The storylines were angsty yet intriguing and taut with flinch-inducing family drama and tensions that remained tautly held throughout. I had trouble putting my Kindle down. Amie Knight has mad skills.

 

About  Amie

Amie Knight has been a reader for as long as she could remember and a romance lover since she could get her hands on her momma’s books. A dedicated wife and mother with a love of music and makeup, she won’t ever be seen leaving the house without her eyebrows and eyelashes done just right. When she isn’t reading and writing, you can catch her jamming out in the car with her two kids to ’90s R&B, country, and show tunes. Amie draws inspiration from her childhood in Columbia, South Carolina, and can’t imagine living anywhere other than the South.

 

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