Category: 5-Stars

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Book Review: The Worth of a Penny by Jess B. Moore

 

The Worth of a Penny

by Jess B. Moore

 

Amazon

 

Sweetheart Penelope Davies is what her daddy calls gullible, right after he told her she was stupid and worthless. With her cheek red from being slapped by him, and her heart trampled by a worthless boyfriend, she packs up and follows her half-brother to Fox River, North Carolina, in need of a fresh start.

Dominic MacKenna is the youngest of five brothers, the friendly one with a killer smile and easy laugh. His brothers are all grown up, and one by one they’re flying the nest, leaving him out of sorts and unsure of his place. Who is he if not the youngest MacKenna?

Penny falls in with the MacKenna brothers, welcomed in as family, and offered the kind of love and support she never knew existed. With a new job and a lot of determination, she is finding out what she’s capable of. The last thing she needs now is to fall in love with the most notorious flirt in town.

Dominic falls for the sweet strong girl with a penchant for random facts and quirky homemade dresses. All he wants is to show Penny how wonderful she is, how smart and funny, and how desired and loved—even if he has to do it as her friend.

 

My Rating:

 

Favorite Quotes:

 

Are they monitoring your texts now? Should I send a shot of my nipples? My gentleman sausage? Would it get you fired?

 

“I can show you all the places girls have professed their love for Dominic.” “Oh, yes, please show Penny all the graffiti. Way to keep it classy, Magnolia.” I deadpanned, shifting my weight, and wishing for an end to this conversation. “Don’t’ Magnolia me, Dominic Oswald MacKenna.” I sucked in a breath. Maggie middle named me. In front of Penny.

 

It’s all my sisters do, and all the women working here. Like a sickness. I swear, if and when I meet a woman who doesn’t gossip, I’ll know she’s the one.

 

My Review:

 

There has to be some type of bewitchment or inexplicable magic that Jess B. Moore sprinkles on her stories as I am immediately sucked into her characters’ vortex whenever I pick up her books. This is my third exposure to her craftily written and heart squeezing tales, and this delightful phenomenon has occurred each and every time.   Her word voodoo is strong! I adored these quirky, irresistible, and complex characters. Ms. Moore certainly has a knack for casting her tales with uniquely compelling and slighted dented yet highly endearing individuals. Penny and Dominic were both adorable, highly appealing, and gentle souls who were well worth knowing. I cannot wait to see what Ms. Moore conjures next for Fox River.

About the Author

Jess B Moore is a writer of love stories. When she’s not writing, she’s busy mothering her talented and stubborn children, reading obscene numbers of books, and knitting scarves she’ll likely never finish.

Jess lives in small-town North Carolina with her bluegrass obsessed family. She takes too many pictures of her cats, thinking the Internet loves them as much as she does. She is a firm believer of swapping stories over coffee or wine, and that there should always be dark chocolate involved.

Her novels combine her interests in family, music, and small towns into thoughtful tales of growing up and falling in love.

Social Media Links –
Website: https://jessbmoore.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorjessb
Twitter: https://twitter.com/authorjessb
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authorjessb/

 

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Book Review: One Hundred Ways (Aspen Cove #8) by Kelly Collins

 

One Hundred Ways

 (Aspen Cove #8)

by Kelly Collins

Amazon US / UK / AU / CA 

Welcome back to Aspen Cove, the tiny mountain town filled with fresh starts and happily ever afters…

After the death of her father, sculptor Riley Black leaves Butte, Montana for Aspen Cove in search of the family she’s never known. There, she will bend steel to her artistic vision… and maybe, just maybe find a place to belong. Her welcome is less than warm however when handsome firefighter Luke Mosier catches her violating fire safety codes.

Luke Mosier isn’t just dead sexy. He’s dead serious about keeping the people of Aspen Cove safe. He’s convinced Riley Black is an accident waiting to happen. Even so, under her welder’s mask, Riley is the most beautiful woman he’s ever seen. His iron jaw softens when he realizes she’s more than she first appears to be… Not only can she melt metal, but she melts his heart.

As their attraction heats into a red hot passion and their world goes up in flames, Luke has to choose between love and duty. Will their bond hold together under the strain… or shatter into a thousand pieces?

 

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

“We have many single men in town, and they have deep pockets for a girl with a nice smile.” She looked down to where the buttons of her dress were opened to reveal a large amount of cleavage. “Don’t forget to show your personality… Remember to smile. You may want to murder someone on the inside, but you get more tips with sugar than salt.” Riley was sure the saying was something like you get more flies with honey than vinegar, but it never made much sense because why would someone want flies?

 

“Honey, you know I fell in love with you when you used your pickup line.” She tapped her chin. “What was it… oh yeah: baby, if you were a fruit, you’d be a fineapple.”

 

“It all starts with a kiss.” “Says the confirmed bachelor buying a family home on a street called Pansy.” He sat back and frowned. “It gets me more bang for the buck.” “With your crazy standards, you’ll never see any bang in that house.”

 

“I don’t like to talk poorly of the dead,” Maisey said. Riley squinted her eyes and tilted her head. “She’s not dead.” “She is to me.”

 

“That damn love bug hit him like a hammer to the head.” Riley giggled. “I hear it’s contagious.” Thomas held up his hand, giving her a five finger stop sign. “I’m inoculated.” “Someday, someone will worm their way into your heart.” He cuffed her chin. “I’m not an apple.”

 

 My Review:

 

Another lively and wittily amusing small-town romance by the lovely Kelly Collins, AKA, The Queen of Hearts. I adore her wry and uniquely engaging writing style and One Hundred Ways finds her in fine form with reams of keenly honed quips, witty banter, and lots of quirky and interesting little details that tickled my brain and conjured sharp visuals, such as a man drowning during a vodka-fueled session of dishwashing. I enjoyed getting to know this sweet couple and am already looking forward to becoming better acquainted with one of their friends in the next installment.

ABOUT KELLY COLLINS   

Kelly Collins writes with the intention of keeping the love alive.

Always a romantic, she is inspired by real-time events mixed with a dose of fiction. She encourages her readers to reach the happily ever after but bask in the afterglow of the perfectly imperfect love.

Kelly lives in Colorado with her husband of twenty-seven years. She loves hockey, shiny objects and has a new-found appreciation for green smoothies.

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Book Review, Giveaway: The Inheritance (The Guernsey Novels #7) by Anne Allen

The Inheritance

(The Guernsey Novels #7)

by Anne Allen

 

Amazon US / UK / AU / CA / B&N

 

1862 Young widow Eugénie faces an uncertain future in Guernsey when her husband dies at sea. A further tragedy brings her to the attention of Monsieur Victor Hugo, exiled on the island and living in his voluptuous house only yards away from Eugénie. Their meeting changes her life and she begins working for him as a copyist, forming a strong friendship with both Hugo and his mistress, Juliette Drouet.

2012 Doctor Tess Le Prevost, born in Guernsey, now living in Exeter, is shocked to inherit her Great-Aunt’s house on the island. As a child, she listened to Aunt Doris’s tales of their ancestor, Eugénie, whose house this once was, and who, according to family myth, was particularly close to Hugo. Was he the father of her child? Tess doubts it, but inheriting the house allows her to make a fresh start on her beloved island.

Will she discover the truth about Eugénie and Hugo? A surprise find may hold the answer as Tess embraces new challenges which test her strength – and her heart.

 

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

She didn’t like confrontations but her mother thrived on them and not for the first time, Tess questioned why she lived in the same city as her mother… Her father had disappeared to his study soon after she arrived. He referred to it as his ‘strategic withdrawal’.

 

I am not particularly religious and not in awe of a God who allows so much death and misery to be endured on this earth.

 

You may be a clever doctor, but I’m not sure how well you understand the workings of the heart.

 

My Review:

 

I know I’m more than fashionably late to the party as this was my introduction to The Guernsey Novels series at book seven. I was an instant convert to Anne Allen’s special talents. Her word voodoo is strong as her transportive writing provided effortless travel for me today, and not just in distance, but also in time. I slipped right into this divinely written and evocative tale that covered two active and eventful timelines one-hundred-fifty-years apart. Ms. Allen’s writing was fluid, well-paced, highly engaging, and so vividly detailed it was as if a movie reel was rolling through my cranium as I read. Her characters were worth knowing and held my interest and curiosity with their lives. I was so deeply enamored with the subjects and setting I was compelled to hit Mr. Google and Ms. YouTube for additional info. I despaired on reaching the end and felt rueful in having to leave them behind, but I’m always greedy when it comes to excellent literature. Anne Allen has mad skills and a rabid fangirl.

All the other 6 titles in The Guernsey Novels are only 99p/c across all ebook retailers until 15th April while The Inheritance is only £1.99/$2.99 until that date. 

Here’s the link for all titles on Amazon: http://Author.to/AnneAllen

 

About the Author
Anne Allen lives in Devon, by her beloved sea. She has three children, and her daughter and two grandchildren live nearby. Her restless spirit has meant a number of moves which included Spain for a couple of years. The longest stay was in Guernsey for nearly fourteen years after falling in love with the island and the people. She contrived to leave one son behind to ensure a valid reason for frequent returns. By profession, Anne was a psychotherapist, but long had the itch to write. Now a full-time writer, she has written The Guernsey Novels.

Giveaway 

 

Win a copy of The Inheritance and a notebook

(Open Internationally)

1st Prize – Signed copy of The Inheritance and notebook

2nd Prize – E-copy of The Inheritance and notebook

*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 Rachel’s Random Resources reserves 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 Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data.  I am not responsible for dispatch or delivery of the prize.

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Book Review: The Girl He Used to Know by Tracey Garvis Graves 

The Girl He Used to Know

by Tracey Garvis Graves 

Amazon US / UK / AU / CA / B&N

 

Annika Rose likes being alone.


She feels lost in social situations, saying the wrong thing or acting the wrong way – she just can’t read people. She prefers the quiet solitude of books or playing chess to being around others.

Apart from Jonathan. She liked being around him, but she hasn’t seen him for ten years. Until now that is. And she’s not sure he’ll want to see her again after what happened all those years ago.

 

Annika Rose likes being alone.

Except that, actually, she doesn’t like being alone at all.

 

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

“Marched to the beat of a different drum, did she?” “She marched to the beat of an entirely different band. One you’ve never heard of and under no circumstances ever expected to like.”

 

Whenever I think of Annika, my mind returns to the way we left things and the same unanswered question. It’s like a pebble in my shoe, uncomfortable but not unbearable. But it’s always there.

 

He had the whitest teeth I’d ever seen, which made me think his kisses would taste like Pep O Mint Life Savers. Joe’s kisses probably tasted like pot and Funyuns. And failure.

 

All my life, I’d been waiting for someone I could be myself with. It had never occurred to me that I could be that person for someone else.

 

It’s a quote from Eleanor Roosevelt… My best friend bought me a book of them. ‘Do one thing every day that scares you’ is what got me through my twenties.

 

My Review:

 

This is my favorite book so far this year, it was highly engaging, keenly insightful, and hit all the feels. The storylines were ingeniously crafted and flawlessly populated with an intriguing and captivating cast of characters. Ms. Graves’ writing was emotive and perfectly pitched; she bruised my cold heart, held me transfixed to my Kindle, and stung my eyes more than once.

 

The story was cleverly woven between two timelines and told from the equally mesmerizing POVs of the two compelling and intriguing main characters. This was my inaugural outing with the stunningly talented Tracey Garvis Graves and I am at a total loss as to why I have never availed myself of this clever scribe’s works before as it was nothing short of brilliant.   I covet all her lovely words and am greedy to amass her entire listing.

About the Author

Goodreads
Twitter
Amazon

Tracey Garvis Graves is the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author of contemporary fiction. Her debut novel, On the Island, spent 9 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list, has been translated into thirty-one languages, and is in development with MGM and Temple Hill Productions for a feature film. She is also the author of Uncharted, Covet, Every Time I Think of You, Cherish, Heart-Shaped Hack, White-Hot Hack, and The Girl He Used to Know. She is hard at work on her next book.

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Book Review: The Perfect Disaster by Abby Tyler

 

The Perfect Disaster

by Abby Tyler

 

Amazon US / UK / AU / CA / B&N

 

Her giant pup drags her across town, right into the arms of the football coach.

Abby Tyler welcomes you to the witty, well-meaning busybodies of Applebottom, Missouri, where the community takes its pies — and its matchmaking — very seriously.

Ginny Page arrives in Applebottom with a problem — a Great Dane she rescued three days before her big move.

An untrained Great Dane that outweighs her by twenty pounds.

When Roscoe trashes the doggie bakery on Town Square, the locals send their strong, single football coach to help Ginny tame her new addition.

Carter McBride is a favored son despite his team’s losing tradition. He got his heart broken on national television, and he’s content to hide in Applebottom and underachieve himself into oblivion.

Until Ginny. Her devotion to her students and this wild, crazy dog inspire him to be a better man. With the town’s encouragement, Ginny and Carter learn that sometimes life’s biggest setbacks can turn a disaster into the perfect match.

All Applebottom books are clean and wholesome standalone HEA romances that can be read in any order.

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My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

Maude came back and took another peek at my notes and told me I was too old to be sparking over Alfred Felmont. I nearly smacked her with my good leather notebook, except I have a high regard for our distinguished group and don’t want to get blood on our minutes.

What are our childhoods for, except to traumatize us?

No one could sneeze in this town without someone holding out a box of tissue.

“Gertrude looks like she’s just bit a lemon.” Ginny bit back a smile. Gertrude, with her helmet of white hair and sour expression, did indeed seem to be permanently displeased.

Just listen to yourself, Maude. You’re going off like a preacher during Lent.

 

My Review:

 

I was an instant fan just a few sentences into Abby Tyler’s amusing debut novel of The Sweetest Match, and she has topped that with her clever sequel of The Perfect Disaster. I adore this wittily written small-town series and giggle-snorted my way through this fun and frothy tale featuring the new arrivals of Roscoe, an excitable gentle giant and rescued Great Dane; and Ginny, his petite new dog mom, whom Roscoe clearly outweighed. The meddlesome biddies of Applebottom discussed the large and vexing loose cannon and as they just weren’t having it, decided to tag in Carter, the handsome and single high school football coach for muscle. The snark and petty sniping those old crones tossed at each other and under their breath was comedic gold.

About the Author

Abby Tyler loves puppy dogs, pie, and small towns (she grew up in one!) Her Applebottom Matchmaker Society books combine the sweet and wholesome style of romance she loves with the funny, sometimes a-little-too-truthful characters she remembers from growing up in a place where everyone knew everybody’s business.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

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Book Review, Giveaway: When We Left Cuba by Chanel Cleeton

When We Left Cuba

by Chanel Cleeton

Amazon US / UK / AU / CA 

 B&N / iTunes

 

In 1960s Florida, a young Cuban exile will risk her life–and heart–to take back her country in this exhilarating historical novel from the author of Next Year in Havana, a Reese Witherspoon Book Club pick.

Beautiful. Daring. Deadly.

The Cuban Revolution took everything from sugar heiress Beatriz Perez–her family, her people, her country. Recruited by the CIA to infiltrate Fidel Castro’s inner circle and pulled into the dangerous world of espionage, Beatriz is consumed by her quest for revenge and her desire to reclaim the life she lost.

As the Cold War swells like a hurricane over the shores of the Florida Strait, Beatriz is caught between the clash of Cuban American politics and the perils of a forbidden affair with a powerful man driven by ambitions of his own. When the ever-changing tides of history threaten everything she has fought for, she must make a choice between her past and future–but the wrong move could cost Beatriz everything–not just the island she loves, but also the man who has stolen her heart…

.

My Rating:

 

Favorite Quotes:

 

War has a way of sanding down your virtue.

 

I reenact my own Cinderella routine sans the discarded pump. If Cinderella had paid what I did for these shoes, she’d have made sure she left the ball with both, too.

 

If I’m going to have regrets in this life, I’d rather them be for the chances I took and not the opportunities I let slip away.

 

The line between villain and hero is whisper thin, and, very frequently, a matter of perspective. Gray, Miss Perez. We operate in the gray.

  

My Review:

 

I was completely sucked into Ms. Cleeton’s well-crafted and deftly written cloak and dagger vortex as I zigzagged the globe while she brilliantly unfolded her impressive tale of Beatriz Perez, Cuban femme fatale. Her captivating storylines sparkled with intrigue, betrayals, passion, family drama, an epic love, patriotism, scandal, and tropical heat. The engaging plot was quickly paced and highly eventful while blending fact and fiction with stunning agility in an informative yet entertaining and evocative manner.

 

Ms. Cleeton’s writing activated a long forgotten grade school memory flash of participating in those ridiculous duck and cover drills and being reprimanded for giggling while sitting under my desk. And I am proud to exclaim that I finally, yes finally, have a grasp on the atrocity of the Bay of Pigs and the disgraceful betrayals of the US government that caused such butchery, which is nothing new and probably even worse now, yet still, so disheartening. The 60s really were a mess!

About the Author

Chanel Cleeton is the USA Today bestselling author of Reese Witherspoon Book Club pick for Next Year in Havana. Originally from Florida, Chanel grew up on stories of her family’s exodus from Cuba following the events of the Cuban Revolution. Her passion for politics and history continued during her years spent studying in England where she earned a bachelor’s degree in International Relations from Richmond, The American International University in London and a master’s degree in Global Politics from the London School of Economics & Political Science. Chanel also received her Juris Doctor from the University of South Carolina School of Law. She loves to travel and has lived in the Caribbean, Europe, and Asia.

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Book Review: The Problem With Perfect by Megan Mayfair

 

The Problem With Perfect

by Megan Mayfair

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Marigold Doyle’s life was perfect, with a successful career and a wonderful marriage. But when her husband, Julian, passes away, her life is thrown into turmoil as she discovers a trail of secrets Julian was hiding in the months prior to his death. Struggling with her grief, she knows she needs to find out Julian’s actions to help her move on.

Finn Schröder, a former police officer and now a private security consultant, is focused on an uncomplicated, unattached life and growing his business. He agrees to help Marigold find out the truth about Julian, but as they become closer, he realizes his feelings for her may be developing beyond simply professional.

As Marigold and Finn work through the web of Julian’s deception, will they learn to face the reality that things aren’t always exactly as they seem?

My Rating:

 

Favorite Quotes:

 

She’d end up running D-Line one day after her father retired, or she’d become the Prime Minister. They seemed like the only two jobs worthy of her.

 

Why was life so unfair? She’d lost her husband, she’d discovered he’d been keeping an entire, furnished apartment secret from her, she’d been barred from her work, and now she was going to have to spend all afternoon with her mother.

 

They’d host dinner parties, but the friends were always couples. They’d enter the property, two-by-two, like some form of well-heeled, impeccably-dressed human recreation of Noah’s Ark.


Perfectly imperfect. She’d take that. Perfect, after all, was totally and completely over-rated.

 

My Review:

 

I adored this cleverly penned book from beginning to end. The premise and writing were intriguing and original with a well-crafted mystery running through the center that kept my curiosity primed, although the complex characters were just as intriguing and unpredictable. The storylines were highly engaging and cunningly paced with a fair balance of humor, angst, and intrigue.

 

What sealed the deal for me was the wily Ms. Mayfair’s expert character development, as she has filled her tale with an authentic and uniquely complicated cast of characters who were not genuinely appealing or always likable, yet never failed to hold my interest. The observantly insightful and detailed manner in which characters’ emotional tones were narrated were an important part of the journey and frequently shifted with surprise revelations, humbling epiphanies, staggering stressors, irritations and annoyance, flashes of anger, relaxed amusement, and ultimately ending with a satisfying and sigh-inducing HEA. And as this is only her third published book within less than a year, I am quite eager to see what this crafty new talent comes up with next.

About the Author

Megan’s stories are about families, intrigue and love. Every book contains a bit of humor and a lot of heart.

Megan lives in Melbourne with her husband and three children and has a background in public relations and higher education.

She drinks far too much coffee and has an addiction to buying scarves. She interviews with other authors for her blog series, Espresso Tales, and loves a bit of #bookstagram.

Her debut novel, The Things We Leave Unsaid, was released by Crooked Cat Books in 2018, followed by Tangled Vines. The Problem with Perfect is her third novel.

 

Social Media Links –

Https://www.instagram.com/meganmayfairwrites

Https://www.facebook.com/meganmayfairauthor

Https://www.twitter.com/mayfairmegan

https://www.meganmayfair.com

https://www.bookbub.com/profile/megan-mayfair

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Book Review: Nothing is Forgotten by Peter Golden

Nothing is Forgotten

by Peter Golden

 

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Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iTunes

 Paperback: 352 pages

Publisher: Washington Square Press;

Reprint edition (March 19, 2019)

From the beloved author of Comeback Love and Wherever There Is Light, comes “a sweeping tale full of humor and heartbreak” (Karin Tanabe, author of The Diplomat’s Daughter) about the life-changing journey of a young man who travels from New Jersey to Khrushchev’s Russia and the beaches of Southern France to discover long-hidden secrets about his heritage.

In 1950s New Jersey, teacher Michael Daniels—or Misha Danielov to his doting Russian-Jewish grandmother—is at loose ends, until he becomes the host of a nightly underground radio show. Not only does the show become a local hit because of his running satires of USSR leader Nikita Khrushchev, but half a world away, it picks up listeners in a small Soviet city.

There, with rock and roll leaking in through bootlegged airwaves, Yulianna Kosoy—a war orphan in her mid-twenties—is sneaking American goods into the country with her boss, Der Schmuggler.

But just as Michael’s radio show is taking off, his grandmother is murdered. Why would anyone commit such an atrocity against such a warm, affable woman? She had always been secretive about her past and, as Michael discovers, guarded a shadowy ancestral history. In order to solve the mystery of who killed her, Michael sets out for Europe to learn where he—and his grandmother—really came from.

“Both heartbreaking and mesmerizing, Nothing Is Forgotten is the sort of book you won’t soon forget…Cold War Europe, lingering Nazi secrets, and the tragic history faced by millions of families not only bring this tale to life but will keep you turning the pages” (Lisa Wingate, New York Times bestselling author) and will appeal to fans of novels by Anita Diamant and Kristin Hannah.

“Golden draws a vivid portrait of the Cold War era, but it is the complex and unexpected connection between Holocaust survivors and their descendants that turns this book into a page-turner.” (RT Book Reviews)

“Nothing Is Forgotten is a Russian nesting doll of plot twists across continents and decades. This cleverly constructed Cold War tale, based on gripping true events, keeps readers eagerly anticipating what lies at its heart.” (Sarah McCoy, New York Times and internationally bestselling author of The Mapmaker’s Children)

 

My Rating:

 

Favorite Quotes:

 

I shook my head, and he smiled a little sadly—the Russian smile, my grandmother called it, like a weak sun in a winter-gray sky.

 

Named for Mark Twain, whose loathing of Tsarist Russia endeared him to the party, the students spent half the day immersed in the government-blessed curriculum in Russian and the other half taking courses in English, all while a portrait of Vladimir Lenin, the founder of the Soviet state, stood guard on a wall of every classroom, glaring at the students as if accusing them of harboring the forbidden desire to own private property.

 

“He is a real magician, my father.” “A magician? Like he pulls rabbits out of hats?” “Like he makes vodka disappear.”

 

I had a new reaction. I imagined smashing the wine bottle over Stenka’s head. Visiting Dachau, I concluded, could make a Jew touchy.

 

Of course, almost everyone loves dead Jews. Jesus was a Jew, no? It is the live Jews who seem to bother people.

 

I feel like I wandered into the middle of a freakish play, and I can’t get off the stage.

 

My Review:

 

Peter Golden has created exceptionally compelling arrangements of words within these 353 pages. His beguiling selections of nouns, verbs, and adjectives were densely packed across two timelines and were highly intriguing, thoughtfully written, mysteriously emotive, poignantly insightful, spiritually devastating, yet highly compelling. His well-crafted storylines were lushly detailed and often held a weighty aura of melancholy, which resulted in a bruised and heavy heart, yet, oddly, I didn’t seem to mind. To deploy his own words out of reference, Mr. Golden is truly a “connoisseur of irony.” He sagely tucked in clever turns of mocking wit and deftly tossed in twists of levity with razor-sharp sarcasm, quips, and sardonic banter. His cunning use of humor felt like delightful treats and often erupted in the most expected of places.

 

This was not an easy book to slice through given the disquieting subject matter, a large cast of unusual and disturbing characters, frequent use of foreign words and names, and unfamiliar cultural references; all of which left me ever so thankful for the translator and Wikipedia function on my tablet. However, I assure you, this masterfully penned tale was well worth the effort. I feel humbly and gratefully enlightened while having gleaned considerable and relevant knowledge in an entertaining manner. Peter Golden has mad skills and a new fan.

About the Author

Website

Amazon

Goodreads

Peter Golden is an award-winning journalist, novelist, biographer, and historian. He lives outside Albany, New York, with his wife and son. He is the acclaimed author of the novels Comeback Love, Wherever There Is Light, and Nothing Is Forgotten.

 

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Book Review: Maybe Baby by Carol Thomas

MAYBE BABY

by Carol Thomas

Amazon US / UK / AU / CA / B&N

 

Just when you thought you had it all worked out …

Best friends Lisa and Felicity think  – maybe, just maybe – they finally have everything sorted out in their lives.

Lisa is in a happy relationship with her old flame, and busy mum Felicity has managed to reignite the passion with her husband, Pete after a romantic getaway.

But when Lisa walks in on a half-naked woman in her boyfriend’s flat and Felicity is left reeling from a shocking discovery, it becomes clear that life is nothing but full of surprises …

 

My Rating:

 

Favorite Quotes:

 

Isn’t mentioning your mother and no hassle in the same sentence an oxymoron or something?

 

It’s not an easy thing to just bring up, though, is it? “By the way, that woman you just found naked in my flat, I delivered her son.” Telling your other half you’ve seen someone else’s foof is never an easy conversation.

 

‘Then we’re calling it Thor.’ ‘What?’ Felicity sat up and looked at Pete’s excited face. ‘Are you mad? Why?’ ‘Because he’s got superpowers. We thought we’d killed them all off… My swimmers, but no, Thor there’ –Pete gestured to Felicity’s stomach – ‘he’s made it through, against the odds.’ ‘Wouldn’t that make him Aquaman?’

 

‘Shut up, you daft cow. I’m not offended.’ ‘You’re the second person to call me daft this week.’ ‘Hmm, might be something in that, then.’

 

Yes, I just wondered, when a baby is born, does some air … no, wait … how did the baby get in your tummy?… Did you eat it?

 

Congratulations my lovelies, and when the days feel long remember the years are all too short, treasure every moment with your precious baby!

 

My Review:

 

I snickered and smirked my way through this cleverly crafted, delightfully amusing, and wittily written tale. This wily author is a master at misdirection; she has used my cynical nature against me and fooled me yet again! I am hoping she will repeatedly succeed at pulling off this miraculous and monumental feat with many more deftly penned sequels featuring these endearing and irresistible characters.

Author Bio 

Carol Thomas lives on the south coast of England with her husband, four children, and a lively young Labrador. She has been a playgroup supervisor and taught in primary schools for over fifteen years, before dedicating more of her time to writing. Carol is a regular volunteer at her local Cancer Research UK shop. She has a passion for reading, writing and people watching and can often be found loitering in local cafes working on her next book.

Carol writes contemporary romance novels, with relatable heroines whose stories are layered with emotion, sprinkled with laughter and topped with irresistible male leads.

Social Media Links 

http://carol-thomas.co.uk http://facebook.com/carolthomasauthor

http://twitter.com/carol_thomas2 http://www.pinterest.co.uk/carol_thomas2/ http://www.instagram.com/carol_thomas2/

Blog:http://carol-thomas.co.uk/blog

 

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Book Review: Ten Dares (Power of Ten Series #2) by Emily James

Ten Dares

(Power of Ten Series #2)

by Emily James

 

Amazon

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Can 10 Dares help Melinda loosen up, conquer stress and find love? Or might they push her over the edge….

Melinda Spencer had everything but now her life has fallen apart.

Her two best friends, Mikey and Joanie are worried. Melinda’s been acting even more highly strung than usual. They decide to stage an intervention. Something to help her lighten up and take her mind off things: 10 crazy dares. After all, they say laughter is the best medicine…

Never one to squelch on a dare, Melinda accepts her challenge. The dares look simple enough: knock on a door and run away, tend her lady garden, flash a stranger… and if it gets Joanie and Mikey off her back about loosening up, it’ll be worth it. But with a sexy vet, a troublesome ex, and a village full of nutters hot on her trail, has Melinda finally bitten off more than she can chew?

Ten Dares is a hilarious romp about a strung-out single mum trying to hold everything together when life is throwing her lemons as curve balls.

This standalone romantic comedy has a happy ending, no cliffhanger, and can also be enjoyed as part of The Power of Ten Series.

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My Rating:

 

Favorite Quotes:

 

Thirsty Thursday always leads to Fragile Friday…

 

Small town life, Melinda. You know how quick news travels around here. It’s probably all over the senior’s community bingo group and halfway to the London Eye by now. Mrs Bugden is not a happy camper. I saw her in Costco this morning. I’d nipped in for this week’s Celebrity Tattler magazine and ended up with a tale so salacious I’m not sure even the Tattler would print it.

 

Hyacinth Bugden, my neighbour of twelve years, is most well known for her calculating stares, blather-mouth and acid tongue. She’s stocky for an older lady and generously proportioned. I once saw her accost a shoplifter with the gusto of a sumo wrestler. She’s no sweet old lady, that’s for sure.

 

“We should make her shave off her lady garden.” Joanie laughs hysterically. “Doesn’t everyone tend their garden?” Mikey asks seriously. When no one bites, he nonchalantly grins and adds, “You don’t know what you’re missing. I’ve been as smooth as an eel since I was old enough to brave the blade, and the guys love it!”

 

His eyebrows shoot skyward with the precision of synchronised swimmers.

 

My Review:

 

What fun! I gleefully consumed this diabolically witty tale while enduring a constant smirk, frequent bouts of giggle-snorting, and the occasional uncontrollable bark of laughter. Emily James’ lithesome writing style was highly engaging and summoned vivid and outrageously humorous visuals. Her wily storylines were cleverly plotted, well-paced, and laced together with colorful levity and deviously and comically peculiar characters. I rued reaching the last page and am eager for the next installment.

About the Author

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Emily James is an insanely funny British author who writes romance.

Current titles:

Ten Dates

Ten Dares 

Ten Lies

The Mistakes of My Past

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