Category: 5-Stars

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Book Review: Finding Love at Mermaid Terrace by Kate Forster @kateforster @Aria_Fiction

 

Finding Love at Mermaid Terrace
by Kate Forster

 

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Love comes when you least expect it…

Tressa Buckland likes her quiet life in Port Lowdy, with its cobbled streets and colorful terraced houses overlooking the sea. Her job at the local paper allows her to pursue her art in her free time, with no one but her tabby cat Ginger Pickles to mind her in Mermaid Terrace. But then the owner of the paper is called away on an emergency, and it’s up to Tressa to run the paper for six months. Her first task: find a new part-time journalist.

Dan Byrne is the angriest man in Ireland – or so the readers of his very successful column, ‘Dan takes on the world’, think. But after a story goes south and he loses his job in Dublin, Dan has no choice but to start afresh. When an opportunity comes up in sleepy Cornwall, Dan and his Golden Retriever Ritchie set off for a new adventure.

For Tressa, Dan’s arrival to Port Lowdy changes everything. Tressa tries not to look too deeply at her own life, but Dan sees a story to uncover in absolutely everyone – even her. The two of them couldn’t be more different… yet, if they can find a way to work together, they may just breathe new life and joy into this sleepy seaside village.

Finding Love at Mermaid Terrace is a heartwarming new village romance about the power of love and kindness, from the bestselling author of Starting Over at Acorn Cottage.

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

She had a voice like sandpaper and an accent that could have shucked an oyster but her eyes were kind and she smiled at him like she meant it.

 

He’s very handsome… Even a nun would have a little squirm if she was sitting opposite that man.

 

‘I could sue you.’ ‘Get in line,’ he said. ‘But be warned all I have is my shitty Subaru and Ritchie, and both of them have dodgy exhausts, quite smelly with the wrong fuel.’

 

She wants to be home and she’s moping around here like an egg with no yolk.

 

I missed the smell of the sea… Mum’s house smells like potpourri and disappointment in me.

My Review:

 

This was a fun and cleverly amusing and enticing read packed with oddly compelling, complex, and endearingly quirky characters. I was fully consumed from start to finish and reveled in the deft author’s agile and wry levity, insightful observations, and thoughtful and perceptive narrative. Ms. Forster’s writing hit all the feels and was slyly emotive and absorbing. My attention and interest never lagged, as the various storylines were equally engaging whether humorous, angsty, or heart squeezing. She has mad skills.

About the Author

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I live in Melbourne, Australia with my husband, two children, and dogs and I can be found nursing a laptop, surrounded by magazines, and talking on the phone, usually all at once. I am an avid follower of fashion, fame and all things pop culture and I am also an excellent dinner party guest who always brings gossip and champagne.

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Book Review:  What Now? by Shari Low @sharilow @rararesources  @BoldwoodBooks

What Now?
by Shari Low

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The follow-up sequel to the bestselling ‘What If?’ from Shari Low


Twenty years ago, Carly Cooper went on an epic quest to track down all the men she’d ever loved and lost in the hope that one of them was her Mr Right.

Now, two decades and two teenage sons later, she thinks she might have got it all wrong.

As the years have passed, lots of things have changed, leaving Carly asking ‘What Now?’

With a divorce and an empty nest on the horizon, Carly sets off once more to Los Angeles with her band of trusty girlfriends, to find the carefree, wild and adventurous Carly Cooper that she used to be.

On this latest quest, Carly discovers a few home truths and has to decide If her marriage is worth saving or is there a new happy-ever-after out there, just waiting for her…

 

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

I realised we were both wearing the same outfit: white jumpers, ripped faded jeans. However, with my size fourteen figure and her size eight, we looked like a before and after poster advertising weight-loss shakes.

 

…it icked me out even to think about women lusting after my brother, but, to his credit, he only had eyes for Carol. Especially as she’d assured him that she’d take her straightening irons to his pubic hair while he slept if he dared to consider infidelity.

 

She could have married George Clooney and she’d still have found fault. She always had that sour expression – like her knickers were on too tight.

 

Christ on a bike, I wouldn’t want to have to Hoover that place. You’d just be finished and it’d be time to start again.

 

‘Is she the one that did that orgasm scene in the café? Our Josie once copied that at a coffee morning in the community centre. They asked us to leave.’ I turned to Carol. ‘Is it just me, or is she the gift that keeps on giving?’

 

‘…blame the menopause,’ Val announced, making several people around us choke on their drinks. ‘When I was going through the change, I was forever just blurting out whatever was on my mind. Although, my Don says I’m still doing it, so this must be the longest menopause in history.’

My Review:

 

I enjoyed every perfectly pitched word of this highly engaging and delightful book. It was definitely giggle-snort worthy. Ms. Low’s storylines and writing style were good fun and sparkled with wry wit, clever levity, and situations that resonated deeply with me. The characters were endearingly quirky, highly invested, tirelessly supportive, and interesting women whom I covet to have as my own circle of friends.   My favorite of all was of course Auntie Val. I suspect Ms. Low was following me around and taking notes, although I am not quite as well accessorized. I aspire to ascend to Val’s lofty heights of Auntiedom and colorful fashion sense. I adore Shari Low and am scheming to read all of her past and future scribblings as I am enamored with her deliciously amusing and pleasantly absorbing wordcraft.

About the Author

Shari Low is the #1 bestselling author of over 25 novels, including One Day In Summer and My One Month Marriage and a collection of parenthood memories called Because Mummy Said So. She lives near Glasgow.

Social Media Links –

Newsletter sign up: http://bit.ly/ShariLowNewsletter

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/sharilowbooks/

Website – http://www.sharilow.com

Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/sharilowbooks/

Twitter @ https://twitter.com/sharilow

 

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Book Review:  Faking It by Portia MacIntosh @PortiaMacIntosh @rararesources  @BoldwoodBooks

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Faking It 
by Portia MacIntosh

 

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The perfect house, the perfect husband, and the perfect life… or is she just faking it?


Life has been a bit of a rollercoaster for Ella. Growing up as the ‘less successful’ identical twin to her ‘perfectly successful’ sister, Emma, has left her feeling isolated, inadequate, and let’s face it.. a little bitter.

When Emma unexpectedly reaches out to Ella in a time of need, Ella suddenly finds herself with the opportunity to fill in for her sister and experience how the other half live.

But as Ella navigates the world of gossiping mothers, rebellious teens, and trying to play the model housewife (not to mention avoiding the temptation of attractive men at the school gates…) will she discover that all is not always as it seems on the other side?

Discover the brilliantly funny new romantic comedy from top 10 bestseller Portia MacIntosh. Perfect for fans of Mhairi McFarlane, Sophie Ranald, and Lindsey Kelk

 

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

Then we have Arthur, who is the local know-it-all, who keeps the info up to date. He’s probably in his early seventies, and has lived here all his life. He holds his non-smartphone as if it’s a dog turd – a dog turd that might have a bomb in it, perhaps, because he eyeballs it so suspiciously.

 

To be honest, I hated being on the bus with the kids; it was like being trapped inside a headache.

 

I guess I’ll just have to try talking to her again – unless you’re allowed to return kids to the hospital or something. Can you return the ones that turn out horrible?

 

‘I’m going to embarrass her so hard she’ll spend the next year in her room trying to work out how to change her identity,’ I reply. ‘Millie has been walking all over Emma for too long. I’m going to go in there and – maybe I’ll grab a drink? Maybe I’ll get up on a table and dance?’

 

What do I say? ‘I’m Edward’s mum,’ I lie. ‘He forgot his anti-diarrhoea medication. I thought I’d better bring it.’ ‘You’re not my mum,’ he says angrily before turning to his lady friend. ‘She’s not my mum.’

 

Marco’s body tells me that he’s no stranger to the gym. My body tells people that the only working out I do is what my pizza is going to cost me with my ‘20 percent off’ code.

My Review:

 

I giggle-snorted my way through this endearingly witty and crisply written delight and am already eager for more of the same. This was good fun and packed with wry and wily humor, touching insights, and highly amusing observations and character descriptions. Portia MacIntosh is the bombdiggity and a recent discovery for me. I want to amass all her divinely snarkalicious and clever arrangements of words.

About the Author

 

Portia MacIntosh is a bestselling romantic comedy author of over 15 novels, including My Great Ex-Scape and Honeymoon For One. Previously a music journalist, Portia writes hilarious stories, drawing on her real-life experiences.

Social Media Links –

Newsletter sign up: http://bit.ly/PortiaMacIntoshNewsletter

https://portiamacintosh.com/

https://www.facebook.com/macintoshportia

https://twitter.com/PortiaMacIntosh

http://instagram.com/portiamacintoshauthor

http://bookbub.com/authors/portia-macintosh

 

 

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Book Review:  The Missing Husband (DCI Hanlon Book 3)by Alex Coombs @AlexHowardCrime @rararesources  @BoldwoodBooks

 

The Missing Husband
(DCI Hanlon Book 3)
by Alex Coombs

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A security officer is assassinated. A small child grieves for his father. A psychopath commits their first crime…

A frightened Russian woman seeks DCI Hanlon’s help in finding her missing husband. Hanlon’s not keen on the case. Until she hears a name she recognizes only too well. Arkady Belanov, sadistic owner of an exclusive brothel in Oxford is involved. And when DCI Enver Demirel, her former partner, and friend, disappears, Hanlon is determined to solve the case.Forced into an uneasy alliance with the London underworld, the race to him from the blood-stained hands of the Russian mafia is underway…

Another gripping case for the unstoppable DCI Hanlon. Perfect for fans of Angela Marsons, Lisa Regan, and Mark Dawson.

This book was previously published as A Hard Woman To Kill by Alex Howard.

 

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

Her brief glance summed him up. He was short, stocky and bald and he had an unpleasant, slightly fat, aggressive face. He was like a sneer in human form.

 

Everyone in violent crime liked a good funeral; you never knew when yours might be. There was also the added plus that it wasn’t you who was in the box. One day it would be, but not today.

 

Fredericks had the kind of mouth that held a perpetual sneer, as if there were some kind of specialist curling tongs that he used on his lips on a nightly basis.

 

His GP had told him to stop smoking, but so far he’d stopped buying cigarettes and just smoked other people’s. He was amazed at the money he was saving.

My Review:

 

Book three of this absorbing and highly active series found no flagging in quality as it is holding strong in intrigue, complexity, and oddly compelling and curiously peculiar characters. Alex Coombs is a diabolically skilled and agile storyteller with a wicked keen vocabulary and uncommonly adept command of language. His word skills and phrasing pack a deadly punch and kept my curiosity on edge and my brain itching for the next puzzle piece to emerge. I am fatally awestruck and a total devotee of his inimitable, controversial, and indomitable DCI Hanlon.

 

About the Author

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Alex Coombs studied Arabic at Oxford and Edinburgh Universities and went on to work in adult education and then retrained to be a chef. He has written four well-reviewed crime novels as Alex Howard.  Sign up for his newsletter at

http://bit.ly/AlexCoombsNewsletter

 

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Book Review: The Innocent Girl (DCI Hanlon Book 2) by Alex Coombs @AlexHowardCrime @rararesources  @BoldwoodBooks

The Innocent Girl
 (DCI Hanlon Book 2)
by Alex Coombs

Amazon / B&N /  GP

DCI Hanlon is going undercover.

Oxford Philosophy lecturer Dr. Gideon Fuller is in the frame, but Hanlon is not convinced.

From the specialist brothels in Oxford and Soho, to the inner sanctum of a Russian people trafficker with a taste for hurting women, the trail leads Hanlon deeper and deeper into danger – until she herself becomes the killer’s next target…

Can Hanlon track down the killer before it’s too late?

A thrilling new case for DCI Hanlon. Perfect for fans of Angela Marsons, Lisa Regan, and Mark Dawson.

This book was previously published as Cold Revenge by Alex Howard.

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

Hanlon felt again a surge of almost homicidal rage… It wasn’t just the crime, it was the arrogance behind it. It was the way Hannah had been swatted out of existence like an insect. I’m like the Duracell bunny, she thought, except I’m powered by anger, not by a battery, and I’ll keep on going.

 

At first glance, Hanlon had mistaken the madam for a drag queen. It was an easy mistake to make. The woman in front of her was not conventionally feminine. Iris Campion –‘Like the flower, but not as pretty’– was at least six foot tall and burly with it. She had massive, flabby arms, revealed by the short-sleeved dressing gown, like a shot-putter gone to seed.

 

Maybe, she thought, he wasn’t meant to make old bones. Jann defined himself enormously through his physical attractiveness and that’s not a quality that lasts. Maybe an old Jann would have been dreadful to behold.

 

The policewoman had that rare gift of almost complete immobility that animals have, and humans rarely do.

 

I feel happy, she thought. It was a peculiar sensation, but she was sure that’s what it was… It wasn’t that she was an unhappy person; it was more like living with a defective sense of smell or colour. You knew that these senses existed, you knew everyone else appreciated them, but for you they simply weren’t there.

My Review:

 

I am continuing on with my adoration and infatuation with the enigmatic and taciturn DCI Hanlon. She has been promoted, which is quite shocking given that she is famously reviled, and by nearly everyone but a handful of co-workers. Book two was a more challenging read than the first although it was still outstanding in the quality of writing, cunningly crafted, shrewdly paced, and cast with dynamic and oddly compelling characters on both sides of the law.

 

The absorbing storylines were nothing less than gripping while also often startlingly gruesome with realistic and cringe-worthy brutality. I didn’t toss my cookies so it wasn’t sickening although the emotive nature of the scenes often squeezed my underused coronary muscle in a painful manner.   The pace was nonstop with devious and conniving behaviors and required endurance of brainpower as well as physical demands on the beleaguered characters. Hanlon is once again predictably unpredictable and off the hook with her clever yet risky undertakings to prove her theories. I covet this woman’s self-possessed confidence, conditioning, and drive as much as I do this wily wordsmith’s stunning storytelling. I do believe I am hopelessly and irrevocably enamored.

About the Author

Alex Coombs studied Arabic at Oxford and Edinburgh Universities and went on to work in adult education and then retrained to be a chef. He has written four well-reviewed crime novels as Alex Howard.  Sign up for his newsletter at http://bit.ly/AlexCoombsNewsletter

 

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Book Review: The Stolen Child (DCI Hanlon Book 1) by Alex Coombs @AlexHowardCrime @rararesources  @BoldwoodBooks

 

The Stolen Child
(DCI Hanlon Book 1)
by Alex Coombs

 

Amazon  / B&N / GP

Meet DI Hanlon. A woman with a habit of breaking the rules and a fierce loyalty to the few people she respects.
Her boss, Corrigan. Looks like a street copper promoted above his ability. Underestimate him at your peril.Enver Demirel. Known in the boxing ring as Iron Hand. Now soft and gone to seed. But he would do anything for Hanlon. When the kidnap of a 12-year-old boy blows the case of some missing children wide apart, the finger is pointing at the heart of the Met.

Corrigan sends in the only cop in his team who is incorruptible enough to handle it – Hanlon.

And then he sends Demirel to spy on her…

 

Once you start the DI Hanlon series, you won’t be able to put it down. Perfect for fans of Angela Marsons, Lisa Regan, and Mark Dawson.

This book was previously published as Time To Die by Alex Howard

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

Hanlon was careful with words. She weighed them carefully before she used them, like a miser with money

She ran her eyes over him speculatively like a butcher eyeing a piece of meat of dubious quality, and Enver straightened his back into a more erect posture.

He still had an out-of-date mental image of himself as being in terrific shape, if a little overweight… Like in a dream he’d run as fast as he could, yet seemed to be going nowhere. He’d misjudged totally how quickly he could move; he’d only just managed to break into a speedy waddle.

My Review:

 

This was an intense, riveting, and propulsive read with several distinct storylines that were constantly gathering steam toward a devastating convergence. Alex Coombs is a first-class scrivener with exceptionally strong word voodoo. His superb writing and top-shelf storytelling featured cleverly crafted story threads that were woven with exacting word choices that kept the varied emotional tones at the perfect pitch while crackling with tension. The crimes and issues involved were totally unconscionable and had me cringing and flinching, yet I couldn’t have stopped reading if my hair had been on fire. I was quickly sucked into an ever-darkening vortex during the first few lines of page one, and it never abated.

Each addition to the large cast of diverse characters was uniquely etched and oddly compelling with brain-tickling descriptions and observations. The enigmatic and fiercely composed DI Hanlon was a conundrum for everyone and I am completely enthralled with her, as I do revere and adore a kickass chick. So imagine my glee to have three more volumes of her exploits already loaded on my beloved Kindle. Score!

I also gained a new entry to my Brit Words and Phrases list with navvy, which Mr. Google tells me is a laborer employed in the excavation or construction.

 

About the Author

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Alex Coombs studied Arabic at Oxford and Edinburgh Universities and went on to work in adult education and then retrained to be a chef. He has written four well-reviewed crime novels as Alex Howard.  Sign up for his newsletter at : http://bit.ly/AlexCoombsNewsletter

 

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Book Review: AFTERSHOCK (Dr. Jessie Teska Mystery, #2) by Judy Melinek & T.J. Mitchell @drjudymelinek

AFTERSHOCK
Dr. Jessie Teska Mystery, #2
by Judy Melinek & T.J. Mitchell

 

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ISBN: 9781335147295

Publication Date: January 19, 2020

Publisher: Hanover Square Press

 

When an earthquake strikes San Francisco, forensics expert Jessie Teska faces her biggest threat yet in this explosive new mystery from the New York Times bestselling authors of Working Stiff and First Cut.

At first glance, the death appears to be an accident. The body is located on a construction site under what looks like a collapsed beam. But when Dr. Jessie Teska arrives on the scene, she notices the tell-tale signs of a staged death. The victim has been murdered. A rising star in the San Francisco forensics world, Jessie is ready to unravel the case, help bring the murderer to justice, and prevent him from potentially striking again.

But when a major earthquake strikes San Francisco right at Halloween, Jessie and the rest of the city are left reeling. And even if she emerges from the rubble, there’s no guaranteeing she’ll make it out alive.

With their trademark blend of propulsive prose, deft plotting, and mordant humor, this electrifying new installment in the Jessie Teska Mystery series offers the highest stakes yet.

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

A steel band cover of “Don’t Fear the Reaper” makes for a lousy way to lurch awake. Couple of months back, some clown of a coworker got a hold of my cell phone while I was busy in the autopsy suite, and reprogrammed the ringtone for incoming calls from the Medical Examiner Operations and Investigation Dispatch Communications Center. I keep forgetting to fix it.

 

Oskar had nervous eyes under bushy brows, small nostrils in a mousy nose, and bluish stubble against a complexion like an altar candle. He impressed me as a man who climbed out of bed every morning wound up three turns too tight.

 

My Review:

 

This was an active, nonstop, wryly written, and superbly crafted tale that was shrewdly paced, cunningly plotted, and cast with a wide variety of curiously compelling characters. I had great difficulty putting my Kindle down for those senseless interruptions that dared to interfere with my perusal such as thirst, hunger, dying batteries, and need for sleep.

The busy storylines were written from the first-person POV of the brilliant and hard-working medical examiner Jessie Teska, M.D., and were taut with intrigue and pernicious conflicts with arrogant and egregious detectives and lawyers who didn’t have the good sense to listen to her sagacious theories and perceptive observations. I wanted to kick them in the shins for her. Lashing of amusing and clever wit cropped up to balance the emotional tone, which I always appreciate. This is my second time reading this dynamic duo’s exceptional wordcraft and I am so enamored with their mad skills that I have added them to my list of favorites and will be eagerly awaiting Dr. Teska’s next case.

About the Authors

Judy Melinek & T.J. Mitchell are the New York Times bestselling co-authors of Working Stiff: Two Years, 262 Bodies, and the Making of a Medical Examiner, and the novel First Cut. Dr. Melinek studied at Harvard and UCLA, was a medical examiner in San Francisco for nine years, and today works as a forensic pathologist in Oakland and as CEO of PathologyExpert Inc. T.J. Mitchell, her husband, is a writer with an English degree from Harvard, and worked in the film industry before becoming a full-time stay-at-home dad to their children.

SOCIAL

TWITTER: Judy: @drjudymelinek  TJ: @TJMitchellWS

FB: @DrWorkingStiff

Insta: Judy: @drjudymelinek

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Book Review: Escape With Me (The O’Callaghans #3) by Kristen Proby  @Handbagjunkie

Escape With Me
(The O’Callaghans #3)
by Kristen Proby 

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From New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author Kristen Proby comes ESCAPE WITH ME, an all-new stand-alone novel in her beloved WITH ME IN SEATTLE SERIES!

Keegan O’Callaghan has been told he’s married to his pub. It’s true. He’s happiest when he’s pulling taps and filling drink orders, so long as he can keep an eye on his family and ensure that all is well. Bringing a woman into his life for anything but a pleasant, short-term romp isn’t even on his radar.

Until she comes running through his door, soaking wet and in a princess gown.

Isabella Harris ran out on her wedding, and she’s not even a little bit sorry. She may have loved her groom a long time ago, but standing there about to take her vows, she realizes it’s not right. And that’s all she needs to know. Four hours later, she finds herself on a tiny island outside of Seattle, walking into a random Irish Pub and locking eyes with the sexiest bartender she’s ever seen. But now what? She’s alone and broke, with only a wedding dress to her name.

Despite the undeniable attraction between them, Keegan can see that Izzy’s scared and alone. The job offer he extends is only until she gets back on her feet–he has no intention of keeping her.

But sometimes Fate has other plans…

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

… you don’t deserve to be the back-burner girl…You’re a front and center, rolling boil kind of girl.

 

Women. I can’t go a day without her, yet sometimes, I want to tumble her right into the sea.

 

“I can totally keep a secret,” she says, but I know better. “If you tell anyone, you won’t be my favorite anymore.” The smile leaves her face. “Well, that’s just mean.”

My Review:

 

This was a fun and engaging read while pleasantly low on conflict or angst. I enjoyed the delightful respite! The characters were endearing and hard-working and the storylines were relatable, easy to follow and detailed with amusing descriptions and scenarios.   I have enjoyed the books in the series I’ve been lucky enough to obtain, although I am a fairly recent convert to Ms. Proby’s coven, I have a lot of catching up to do!

 

 

About the Author

Kristen Proby has published more than forty titles, many of which have hit the USA Today, New York Times and Wall Street Journal Bestsellers lists. She continues to self-publish, best known for her With Me In Seattle and Boudreaux series and is also proud to work with William Morrow, a division of HarperCollins, with the Fusion and Romancing Manhattan Series.

Kristen and her husband, John, make their home in her hometown of Whitefish, Montana with their two cats.

Connect with Kristen

 

Website: https://www.kristenprobyauthor.com/

Goodreads: http://bit.ly/2kBRdpj

Amazon: http://amzn.to/2BD4vfq

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

Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/684662744993031/

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Handbagjunkie

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/kristen-proby

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/handbagjunkie/

Book+Main: https://bit.ly/30ImsmP

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Book Review: Chasing The Sun (Angel Sands #7) by Carrie Elks @CarrieElks

CHASING THE SUN
(Angel Sands #7)
by  Carrie Elks

Genre: Small Town, Contemporary Romance
Release Date – January 20, 2021
Cover Designed by Najla Qamber
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AMAZON

READ FOR FREE ON KINDLE UNLIMITED

 

A whirlwind is coming to Angel Sands…

Take a vacation from taking vacations. That’s Lydia Paxton’s plan when she arrives in Angel Sands to celebrate her baby niece’s christening. Organizing trips of a lifetime for her exclusive New York clientele has taken its toll. Now she just wants to kick back, relax, and spend time with her family.

But, as her sister tells her, Lydia always leaves devastation in her wake.

This time, the devastation goes by the name of Jackson Lewis.

As soon as he sets eyes on her, Jackson knows Lydia’s trouble with a capital T. The problem is, the attraction between them is off the scale.

It’s a good thing Jackson swore off relationships years ago. He’s certain he has it all under control. Until this confirmed workaholic finds himself the foster father of a stray dog and playing hooky from work thanks to Lydia’s influence.

And at night, she’s curled up next to him in his bed.

Now the clock is ticking. They have twelve days together and then she’ll be gone. All they have to do is NOT fall in love with each other.

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

He has that little lost boy, bad boy combination women can’t resist. Women want to save him and ravage him at the same time.

Jackson wasn’t one for talking, especially not deeply. In the days she’d spent with him, she’d learned more from his silences than his sentences.

She was his kind of crazy.

Home wasn’t a town or a city or any physical location. It was the thing that filled your soul. The place in your heart filled with the people you love.

 

My Review:

 

Although I haven’t been lucky enough to read them all, this has been such a fun series with lovable characters, low angst, relatable issues, and engaging storytelling that continues on into each standalone installment. The couples are earnest, likable, and endearing people whom I would enjoy knowing.   The writing is easy to follow and enjoyable to read. Sigh, I can only hope Ms. Elks continues this series into perpetuity and decides to write a tale for every resident in this small beach town.

 

Excerpt

Flipping her hair over one shoulder, he brushed his lips against her neck. “Does that help?” he murmured softly.

That brief touch made her shiver. “Not really.”

He chuckled against her skin, kissing his way up to below her ear, his breath hot against her sensitive flesh. “How about this?” he asked, sliding his mouth to her jaw.

She wanted to turn, to capture his lips with hers, but he was holding her too tightly.

“Or this?” He ran his fingers through her thick hair, his gaze catching hers. His eyes were dark, needy, and sent a shot of electricity through her veins.

Pushing the straps of her dress down past her shoulders, his fingers teased her skin as he pressed his warm lips against hers. He took his time as he kissed her, his movements slow and sure.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Carrie Elks Headshot

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: Did My Love Life Shrink in the Wash? (The Callaghan Sisters #3) by Kristen Bailey @mrsbaileywrites @Bookouture 

Did My Love Life Shrink in the Wash?
(The Callaghan Sisters #3)
by Kristen Bailey

 

Amazon  / B&N / Apple / GP/ Kobo

Sure, my bedroom gets lots of action. It’s called snoring.

Will and I didn’t have a clue what we were signing up for. It turns out that there are loads we weren’t warned about:

1) You’ll spend more time spooning your child’s cuddly donkey than your own boyfriend.
2) Communication with your other half will be via post-it notes on the fridge, mainly telling him to buy more milk.
3) If you make the mistake of going to a nightclub you’ll nod off, drool, and be woken up by an angry bouncer.
4) In the middle of the night you’ll be begging Siri for advice on getting your baby to sleep. (Whale music doesn’t work.)
5) Sex is something that happened in another dimension.

But even if I feel like I’m waiting for my motherhood powers to come in the post, at least I’ve got Will. Our old life – festivals, sambuca shots, an actual sex life – might be a distant memory, but we can get through anything together, can’t we?

At least that’s what I thought until, one day, Will walked out on us… If I’m on my own (apart from Siri, obviously) can I do this whole parenting thing? Or I am destined to lose my sanity one sleepless night at a time?

A totally hilarious and absolutely relatable tale for anyone who has survived parenthood purely on microwave meals and wished for an IV drip of coffee to get them through! This uplifting page-turner will make your belly ache with laughter. Perfect for fans of Why Mummy Drinks, Sophie Ranald, and Sophie Kinsella.

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

Another wave of pain strikes me and I bellow out some feral crescendo through the ward. Wolves in London Zoo howl back in reply.

 

Midhusband Joe continues to talk from in between my arched legs. His face and the giant lamp down there are slightly disconcerting, like he’s mining for something.

 

And who calls a baby Leonard? That’s just cruel… And he wasn’t good-looking. Face like a cabbage. She’s just inviting that kid to be beaten up when he’s older.

 

‘Do the stretch marks ever fade?’ I ask. ‘Mine are dark red, I look like a tiger.’ ‘Own them. They’re your new warrior stripes.

 

Swimming?’ ‘Then I’d have to do my bikini line.’ ‘No, you don’t. I swim at the lido near Emma’s and there’s a lady who goes out with full pits and fanny. It sprouts out like alfalfa.’

 

‘Sean also looks like the sort of man who wears bad shorts in summer. Am I right?’ ‘Cargo, knee-length. Sometimes the ones with the zips so he can add some length if the weather gets cooler.’ ‘If you married that, I’d voice my objections at your wedding, just so you know.’

My Review:

 

Maternity, birth, and baby issues aren’t my jam and topics I typically avoid in my book selections.   But I couldn’t seem to pass this one up as I had read and delighted in the previous books in this series.   Needless to say, I have few regrets after diving into this riotously amusing tale and am just as enamored with this author’s clever wit and irreverent humor as I was before. I cackled and giggle-snorted at the outrageous scenarios and sharp visuals her wily and cunning selections of words conjured in my cranium. My face is actually a bit tired from smirking. As there are five oddly captivating and quirky sisters in this family, I will be eagerly awaiting the next sister’s odyssey.

And, score! I have two new additions to my Brit Words and Phrases list with norks – which are a woman’s breasts; and gubbins – which is a multitasker of a word as it has several meanings which include scraps, useless bits and pieces, gadgetry, and a foolish person. For most women of my age, norks are generally gubbins.

About the Author

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Mother-of-four, gin-drinker, binge-watcher, receipt hoarder, enthusiastic but terrible cook. Kristen also writes. She has had short fiction published in several publications including Mslexia & Riptide. Her first two novels, Souper Mum and Second Helpings were published in 2016. In 2019, she was long-listed in the Comedy Women in Print Prize and has since joined the Bookouture family. She hopes her novels have fresh and funny things to say about modern life, love, and family.

You can find out more about her on Twitter (@mrsbaileywrites), Instagram (@kristenbaileywrites), and Facebook.