Category: 5-Stars

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Book Review: Perfect Match by Zoe May

Perfect Match

by Zoe May

Amazon US / UK / AU / CA   B&N

 

Can you ever find true love online?

Sophia Jones is an expert in all things online dating: the best sites, how to write a decent bio, which questions to ask and the right type of photos to use. The only thing she’s not so great at? Picking the guys…

After sitting through yet another dreadful date with a man who isn’t quite what she expected, Sophia is just about ready to give up on the whole dating scene. But her flatmate, Kate, persuades her to give it one more chance, only this time she must create a profile describing her ‘perfect’ man.

Yes, he must look like Robert Pattinson and needs to own a multi-million-pound business, but there are a couple of other deal breakers, too! So, when a guy comes along who ticks every box, surely there’s got to be a catch?

A laugh-out-loud romantic comedy, perfect for fans of Catherine Bennetto and Rosie Blake!

 

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

Paulo was so ditzy that my friends dubbed him ‘the himbo’

 

Ferret Man is a local Lewisham legend. He’s a fairly weird -looking older man who hurtles through Lewisham in a rickety old wheelchair pulled along by two whippets. But the trick Ferret Man has employed to keep the whippets running ahead is to keep a ferret on a long leash. The whippets chase the ferret, and Ferret Man gets from A to B without having to touch the wheels of his chair once. It’s actually pretty ingenious when you think about it.

 

I turn around and look up at him, taking in his perfectly chiselled face, the symmetry that never ceases to amaze me. When God made Daniel, he really took his time. He got out his rulers, his protractor, his compass. Regular people look slapdash in comparison, as if God made them after one too many sherries.

 

De Santford doesn’t look like a millionaire or a billionaire for that matter; he just looks like any other overweight bald guy in a suit. Although I’m not sure what I’m expecting to see, he’s hardly going to be dripping in solid gold chains.

 

My Review:

 

Reading Perfect Match was a perfect introduction to the clever wordsmith Zoe May; she is found treasure. I smirked and giggle-snorted my way through this wittily written tale of a dating disaster. Sophia had tried all the apps promising a love connection yet was tipping the scales at over 70 bad dates – she knows this for a fact as she has them plotted on a spreadsheet. Sophia was the last singleton in her circle of friends; even her odd wand-wielding hippy friend had found someone. It couldn’t possibly be a reflection on her though, could it?

 

The writing was refreshingly crisp and rippled with levity, humorous descriptions, and clever wit. While Sophia was no dummy, she had become rather shallow, arrogantly judgmental, and impatient. She didn’t realize this until the tables were turned in a highly humiliating and amusing manner. She learned the hard way that the grass is not always greener, bigger is not always better, and that money and privilege doesn’t mean constant comfort and ease. The storylines were cunningly insightful yet cleverly comedic. I adored the originality and creativity of the quirky cast of characters, each with their own unique traits.

 

And score! I found two new additions for my Brit Vocabulary list with poncey which means pretentious and chavvy which seems to be a lower class sense of taste. I would never outright admit to being either poncey or chavvy, although I do have some lovely designer knock-offs… 😉

Author Bio –

Zoe May lives in south-east London and writes romantic comedies. Zoe has dreamt of being a novelist since she was a teenager. She moved to London in her early twenties and worked in journalism and copywriting before writing her debut novel, Perfect Match. Having experienced the London dating scene first hand, Zoe could not resist writing a novel about dating, since it seems to supply endless amounts of weird and wonderful material!

As well as writing, Zoe enjoys going to the theatre, walking her dog, painting and, of course, reading.

Zoe loves to hear from readers, you can contact her on Twitter and Instagram at: @zoe_writes

Social Media Links –

Twitter: https://twitter.com/zoe_writes

https://instagram.com/zoe_writes

 

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Book Review: A Bad Bit Nice by Josie Kerr

A Bad Bit Nice

by Josie Kerr

Amazon / B&N

 

Em Davidson is a curvy, never-married, 43-year-old Internet security analyst who has been working at the wrong job, living in the wrong house, and involved with the wrong man for about 10 years too long. All she wants is a challenging career, her very own home, and an age-appropriate Mister Ideal who will make her toes curl when he kisses her.

Mick Brennan is a bearded, tattooed widower of 20-plus years who thinks, maybe, just maybe, he might be ready to dip his foot back in the dating pool. He might not know exactly what he’s looking for in a relationship, but he knows he doesn’t want a girl half his age.

When Em moves into her dream home, she had no idea that her downstairs neighbor could be her Mister Ideal. When Mick meets his talkative upstairs neighbor, he’s more intrigued by her than he has been in any other woman in two decades.

Can these two lonely people overcome the wounds of their pasts to discover love again?

This contemporary/second-time contains explicit sexual situations, graphic language, and material that some readers may find objectionable.

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

Em, if I had a rack like yours, I would be topless as much as possible.

 

I know it’s only been a week or so, but goddammit, you’re super smart, crazy caring, and hot like fire and I think I could love you, so you need to kiss me or tell me to utterly and completely fuck off.  Either way, put me out of my misery.

 

Mick, honey, what you did to me earlier?  If you’d been more expert at it, I seriously think I would have lost consciousness.

 

Rory, don’t do anything that will get you sent to prison, because I am absolutely not having sex in a trailer!

 

I always knew that Em, Miss National Merit Finalist Summa Cum Everything Smarty Pants, would end up with a tattooed brawler.

My Review:

 

This is undoubtedly my favorite type of book and I whole-heartedly adored this story from start to finish.  I was already marveling at the easy flow and crisp humor as I read the first page.  My eyes nearly popped from their sockets – like Roger Rabbit’s – when I discovered this exceptional tome was the author’s first novel.  I want to rave about its merits.

The story and writing were unique, well-crafted, highly entertaining, and plucked each emotion with surprising depth.  I smirked, snorted, gasped, fanned myself, and at other times – I teared up and… okay… maybe sobbed a little bit.  The characters were middle-aged, adorable, broken, lovable, flawed, thoughtful, and would most likely be easily overlooked in real life.  Moreover, I absolutely must love a woman in her forties who babbles when she is nervous, swears so creatively, just recently bought her first pair of “magical panties,” and often looks at events as “a sign.”

This book was fantastic.  It was humorous, insightful, thoughtful, clever, and witty.  I enjoyed the characters’ teasing, fun banter, and supportive relationships.  The love story was sweet, endearing, and so smokin’ hot my kindle was sizzling.  First novel or 100th, Josie Kerr has mad skills and is definitely one to watch.

About the author

Goodreads

Website

Amazon

Josie Kerr is transplanted West Texan living on the edge of semi-profoundly rural Georgia, a.k.a. the southernmost edge of the northernmost county in Metro Atlanta.

She has an M.Ed. in Secondary English Education but discovered that she hated high school more the second time than she did the first, so she decided to meld her love of technology with her education background and became an Instructional Designer. When not writing articles about how to fire someone without getting sued or why you should really not apply for jobs using your SexxyStud99@aol.com email address, she writes steamy romance novels that feature grown-up Heroes and Heroines.

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Book Review: The Widows by Jess Montgomery

The Widows

by Jess Montgomery

Amazon | Books-A-Million | B & N

Hardcover: 336 Pages

Publisher: Minotaur Books (January 8, 2019)

“The Widows kept me on the edge of my seat. Montgomery is a masterful storyteller.” –Lee Martin, author of Pulitzer Prize-finalist The Bright Forever

Kinship, Ohio, 1924: When Lily Ross learns that her husband, Daniel Ross, the town’s widely respected sheriff, is killed while transporting a prisoner, she is devastated and vows to avenge his death.

Hours after his funeral, a stranger appears at her door. Marvena Whitcomb, a coal miner’s widow, is unaware that Daniel has died, and begs to speak with him about her missing daughter.

From miles away but worlds apart, Lily and Marvena’s lives collide as they realize that Daniel was not the man that either of them believed him to be–and that his murder is far more complex than either of them could have imagined.

Inspired by the true story of Ohio’s first female sheriff, this is a powerful debut about two women’s search for justice as they take on the corruption at the heart of their community.

“In the hard-luck, homespun Appalachian town of Kinship, Ohio, in 1924, two strong women become unlikely comrades to solve a murder in this flinty, heartfelt mystery that sings of hawks and history, of coal mines and the urgent fight for social justice.”–Julia Keller, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Bone on Bone

“Two women, a murdered husband, and the secret life he lived. Set in Appalachian Ohio coal country in 1924, The Widows kept me on the edge of my seat. Jess Montgomery is a masterful storyteller. This is a novel about courage and the good hearts of women, and it builds, almost unbearably, to its stunning end.”–Lee Martin, author of the Pulitzer Prize Finalist The Bright Forever

 

My Rating:

Favorite Quote:

 

Mama’s round face is so puckered with outrage that her mouth looks like the top of a drawstring purse.

 

My Review:

 

I am in awe of this author, this is her first novel and it was simply stellar! The storytelling was commanding, cunningly crafted, enthralling, emotive, highly descriptive, and smartly nuanced. I was instantly sucked into her vortex and heard a multitude of sounds, accents, and dialects in my head.   I was right there with them, riding in their cars, feeling the dynamite blasts as well as their deep sorrows, and smelling their sweat and fear. The mystery was hopelessly intriguing and appeared an impossibly tangled knot that I feared was without hope for a solution. I was so deeply engrossed in their tale I experienced the conflict of simultaneous relief and grief upon completion. Jess Montgomery’s word voodoo packs a powerful punch and is dangerously hypnotic.

About Jess Montgomery

JESS MONTGOMERY is the Literary Life columnist for the Dayton Daily News and Executive Director of the renowned Antioch Writers’ Workshop in Yellow Springs, Ohio. Based on early chapters of The Widows, Jess was awarded an Ohio Arts Council individual artist’s grant for literary arts and the John E. Nance Writer-in-Residence at Thurber House in Columbus. She lives in her native state of Ohio.

.Connect with Jess

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram 

 

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Book Review: Hook (Men of Inked: Southside #3) by Chelle Bliss

Hook  (Men of Inked: Southside, #3)
by Chelle Bliss 

Amazon  |  Apple Books  |  B&N Nook  |  Kobo


Falling in love is supposed to be the easy part.
But nothing prepared me for losing my wife. I promised her that I’d love again. Find someone to mend my broken heart. And that seems impossible, until the day that I walk into Tilly Carter’s cupcake shop.I’ve never met a woman like her—sassy, dirty-mouthed, and smells like vanilla and sin. Someone that makes me want to sweep her off her feet.

But there’s pain in her emerald eyes that mirrors my own.
A past that neither of us can truly escape.

Now that I have her, I’ll do anything to keep her.

Hook is the third book in the STANDALONE USA Today bestselling Men of Inked: Southside series.

 

Book 1 – Maneuver

Book 2 – Flow

Book 3 – Hook

Book 4 – Hustle

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

God took a little extra time when he created this one, and he should be enjoyed, even if my thoughts aren’t exactly holy.

 

She doesn’t just drop hints, she hurls bombs.

 

“It’s a dinner as friends,” I remind him, even though I’m dressed like I’m ready to pounce on my prey and get busy.

 

Delilah and I can watch the kids… They can even spend the night… What’s two more? It’s already mass chaos at our place. The only thing I can promise is that they’ll come back alive, but everything else is a crapshoot.

 

She will stab you with her fork if you try to take a bite of her cake. You’re safer if you buy the whole damn thing…

 

Daphne stares at Delilah’s stomach and points to her tiny pooch. “Maybe you should lay off the cake.” “You better shut up,” Delilah snaps and sucks in her gut until she practically turns blue.

My Review:

 

Hook was an emotive and evocative read with the perfectly balanced between the heartbreak of grief, irreverent humor, the sweetness of precocious children, the excitement of a new romance, and the comedy of a loud, tightly knit, and overdramatic family. The Gallos are a garrulous and meddlesome clan who work and love hard and whole-heartedly, and generously pepper their speech with profanity and expletives. I adore them to no end and covet one to have as my very own.

Meet the Author

USA Today bestselling author Chelle Bliss currently lives in a small town near the Gulf of Mexico. She’s a full-time writer, time-waster extraordinaire, social media addict, and coffee fiend. She’s written over ten books and has two series available. She loves spending her free time with her boyfriend, 2 cats, and her hamster.

Before becoming a writer, Chelle taught high school history for over ten years. She holds a master’s degree in Instructional Technology and a bachelor’s in History. Although history is her first love, writing has become her dream job and she can’t imagine doing anything else.

http://chellebliss.com/

https://www.facebook.com/authorchellebliss1

http://chellebliss.com/newsletter/

https://twitter.com/ChelleBliss1

https://www.instagram.com/authorchellebliss/

JOIN MY READER GROUP

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Book Review: First Grave on the Right (Charley Davidson #1) by Darynda Jones

First Grave on the Right
(Charley Davidson #1)
by Darynda Jones 

  Amazon US / UK / AU / CA / B&N  

 

This whole grim reaper thing should have come with a manual.
Or a diagram of some kind.

A flow chart would have been nice.Charley Davidson is a part-time private investigator and a full-time grim reaper. Meaning, she sees dead people. Really. And it’s her job to convince them to “go into the light.” But when these very dead people have died under less than ideal circumstances (like murder), sometimes they want Charley to bring the bad guys to justice. Complicating matters are the intensely hot dreams she’s been having about an entity who has been following her all her life…and it turns out he might not be dead after all. In fact, he might be something else entirely. But what does he want with Charley? And why can’t she seem to resist him? And what does she have to lose by giving in?

With scorching-hot tension and high-octane humor, First Grave on the Right is your signpost to paranormal suspense of the highest order.

 

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

My stepmother was never big on the whole nurturing thing. I think she used up all the good stuff on my older sister, and by the time she got to me, she was fresh out of nurture. She did, however, give me one pertinent bit of 411. She was the one who informed me that I had the attention span of a gnat; only, she said I had the attention span of a gnat with selective listening. At least I think that’s what she said. I wasn’t listening.

 

Maybe I needed sensitivity training. I once signed up for an anger management class, but the instructor pissed me off.

 

He didn’t care enough about me to give me the time of day, but I pretty much had the time-of-day thing covered anyway.

 

She didn’t smile back. Not even a little. I totally needed to read that book on how to win friends and influence people. But that would involve an innate desire to win friends and influence people. My desires were a tad more visceral at the moment.

 

I pointed to my right breast. “This is Danger.” Then my left. “And this is Will Robinson. I would appreciate it if you addressed them accordingly.”

 

I just prayed neither of us was biting off more than we could chew. I did that once with bubble gum. It wasn’t pleasant.

 

My Review:

 

I don’t often read paranormal but there are exceptions and this series looks like it will be one of them, I lapped it up this talented wordsmith’s story like the free booze at my arch nemesis’s wedding reception.   I’m a bit late to the party as this was a dazzling debut and merely book one of what is now a thirteen book best-selling series. The writing and storylines were crisp, cunningly crafted, and laced with dark and clever asides, witty observations, and scintillating snark. I was captivated by the creativity and besotted with the enticingly intriguing characters. I fear I just may have developed an instant and insatiable taste for this crafty authors word voodoo and am kicking myself for my procrastination in sampling her brilliance.

About the Author

Goodreads

NYTimes and USA Today Bestselling Author Darynda Jones has won numerous awards for her work, including a prestigious RITA, a Golden Heart, and a Daphne du Maurier. As a born storyteller, she grew up spinning tales of dashing damsels and heroes in distress for any unfortunate soul who happened by, annoying man and beast alike. She currently has two series with St. Martin’s Press, the Charley Davidson Series and the Darklight Trilogy. Darynda lives in the Land of Enchantment, also known as New Mexico, with her husband of more than 25 years and two beautiful sons, the Mighty, Mighty Jones Boys.

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Book Review, Giveaway: The Hopes and Dreams of Lucy Baker by Jenni Keer

 

The Hopes and Dreams of Lucy Baker

by Jenni Keer

 

Amazon US / UK / AU / CA / B&N 

 

 

Lucy Baker is not your usual 25-year-old. She is more at home reading and knitting in her cluttered little flat than going out partying and socializing.

79-year-old Brenda is full of wise and wonderful advice, but when she’s diagnosed with dementia her life begins to change. Before her memories slip away forever, Brenda is desperate to fulfill one last wish – to see Lucy happy.

Gifting Lucy the locket that helped Brenda find her own true love, she hopes to push her reticent neighbor in the right direction. But is Lucy Baker ready for the opportunities and heartbreaks of the real world? It’s about time she put her knitting needles aside and found out…

The Hopes and Dreams of Lucy Baker will be the most charming, heart-warming and feel-good novel you will read this year, perfect for fans of Ruth Hogan and Gail Honeyman.

 

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

There was an inaudible twang as one of her heartstrings was plucked.

 

A man of few words, and even fewer talents.

 

She’s got me running around like a squirrel on speed.

 

Adam rubs people up the wrong way and doesn’t stop rubbing until there are friction burns.

 

I can imagine you’ll be the sort of parent who responds to a question about death with a PowerPoint presentation depicting the various stages of decay occurring in the human body – maggots and all.

 

My Review:

 

This debut author’s work was a delight to read, I was quickly enamored with her dynamic characters and vivid storytelling.   I adored the friendship of the elderly yet feisty Brenda and her quiet yet kind neighbor Lucy. Brenda had purple streaks in her hair and was gifted with many talents. Young Lucy was a crafty knitter and an endearing and tenderhearted soul, yet timid and lacking in confidence. I enjoyed watching a stronger and more colorful Lucy evolve although Brenda’s deterioration squeezed my cold heart, put hot rocks in my throat, and caused my eyes to sting in a curious manner. The storylines were crisp, engaging, evocative, and laced with clever levity.   Jenni Keer is one to watch and taught me a new Brit idiom of “big up,” which Mr. Google taught me was to praise or speak well of.   I will gladly big up Jenni Keer anytime!

 

Author Bio

Jenni Keer is a history graduate who embarked on a career in contract flooring before settling in the middle of the Suffolk countryside with her antique furniture restorer husband. She has valiantly attempted to master the ancient art of housework but with four teenage boys in the house, it remains a mystery. Instead, she spends her time at the keyboard writing women’s fiction to combat the testosterone-fuelled atmosphere with her number one fan #Blindcat by her side. Much younger in her head than she is on paper, she adores any excuse for fancy-dress and is part of a disco formation dance team.

 

Social Media Links –

FB Jenni Keer Writer

Twitter @JenniKeer

Instagram jennikeer

Website – https://jennikeer.co.uk/

Giveaway 

Win The Hopes and Dreams of Lucy Baker goodies

(UK Only)

Prize contains – Thornton’s fudge, a Nu notebook, a Hopes and Dreams bookmark and a set of five “Scratbag” blank greetings cards designed by Jenni Keer

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

 

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Book Review: In This Ground by Beth Castrodale

In This Ground

by Beth Castrodale

Amazon US / UK / AU / CA / 

B&N  / B-A-M

Paperback: 160 Pages

Publisher: Garland Press (September 18, 2018)

Just as his indie-rock band was poised to make it big, Ben Dirjery traded it all in for fatherhood and the stability of a job at Bolster Hill Cemetery. Now closing in on fifty, the former guitarist finds himself divorced and at loose ends, and still haunted by the tragic death of his former band’s lead singer, who is buried, literally, under Ben’s feet. Then Ben’s daughter begins questioning a past he has tried to bury. If he can face her questions, he might finally put to rest his guilt over his bandmate’s death, and bring music back into his life.

“Startlingly incongruous parts–graveyards, guitars, and mushrooms–come together in satisfying and unexpected ways. Sharp writing and an unconventional plot make for a darkly enjoyable read.”–Kirkus Reviews

 

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

Cole tried to picture Ms. Gale drinking in a cemetery and didn’t come close. Though she looked younger than any other teacher in the school it was impossible to imagine her at seventeen—at least not the loud, stupid kind of seventeen. Her type of serious seemed elemental, the type you had from birth.

 Nature will have her way with all of us, son, no matter what tricks we try to pull. If you want someone to stay the same forever you better take a picture.

 

My Review:

 

This was one of the quirkiest, smartly written, and multi-layered tales I have ever read; I enjoyed it immensely. I wasn’t always in full comprehension of what was transpiring or where the story was taking me, but I certainly delighted in the unpredictability and capriciousness of this wily author’s route. The characters were an odd assortment of unconventional and unorthodox, and I was incurably curious about each and every one of them. Even the secondary characters were tantalizingly complex and thoughtfully constructed with peculiar foibles and compelling irregularities.

At the heart of the story was an existential and analytical gravedigger who had been an up and coming and talented musician in his youth, but had denied himself the pleasure of his first love of music for over twenty years.   Mix in family dramas, yarn bombing, mushroom hunting, art, covert cemetery gatherings, green burials and environmental concerns, cemetery maintenance, and prickly small-town bureaucrats; and I was amazed at the author’s agile artistry in creatively weaving all these wildly diverse threads together. This is one of those unusual tales where the extraordinary characters will periodically revisit and inhabit my cranium for quite some time.

About Beth Castrodale

Beth Castrodale has worked as a newspaper reporter and editor. Her novels include Marion Hatley, a finalist for a Nilsen Prize for a First Novel from Southeast Missouri State University Press (published by Garland Press in 2017), and In This Ground (Garland Press, 2018). Beth’s stories have appeared in such journals as Printer’s Devil Review, The Writing Disorder, and the Mulberry Fork Review. Get a free copy of her novel Gold River when you sign up for her e-newsletter, at http://www.bethcastrodale.com/gold-river/.

Connect with Beth

Website | Facebook | Twitter

 

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Book Review: A Place Without You by Jewel E. Ann

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A Place Without You, an all-new emotional New Adult romance from Jewel E. Ann, is available now!

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The Law of Henna and Bodhi:

When love breaks, fall inward, fall together, and fall hard. Then let time pick up the pieces.

Everything feels temporary when you’ve experienced tragedy—until Henna Lane meets Bodhi at a music festival.

Young and spontaneous, they have a lust for seizing the moment, falling hard and fast.

When Bodhi is forced to leave without a goodbye, Henna thinks she’ll never get over him. But then she meets Mr. Malone, her sexy, new guidance counselor.

They are reckless.

They are forbidden.

When their secret is discovered, Henna has to choose between finishing school—banned from seeing Mr. Malone—or dropping out to follow her nomad dreams.

Henna chooses her dreams.

Over time, she learns that life is not a destination or a journey, some things are more than temporary, and the forbidden can never be ignored. But if she returns for him, will he still be hers?

A Place Without You is an emotional story of young love, shattered dreams, and impossible decisions.

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Download your copy today or read FREE in Kindle Unlimited!

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

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

Add to GoodReads: http://bit.ly/2AHhTNT

 

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

He eats one fry and hands me the last one. It’s oddly the most romantic thing a guy has ever done for me. The final french fry trumps a single red rose. At least, that’s how my mind works.

 

“Are you still flirting with me?” “Always. Even when our kids think it’s gross and we’re too old to flirt, I’m going to tease you with my sexiness.”

 

It’s hotter than a pot of Devil’s stew.

 

Do people really use paperweights? I always think of them as unsuspecting weapons in murder mysteries.

 

One of his eyes pops open, followed by the other. “Oh my God! You’re not dead.” I drop to my knees and rest my forehead on the arm of his chair, grabbing his hand and squeezing it tightly. “Not today, young lady. But Christ … I hope the mortician does a better job of checking my pulse than you did. I don’t relish the idea of being burned or buried alive.”

 

I’m pretty sure you’re still my greatest memory.

 

My Review:

 

I am not a fan of the angst which made this tragic story a treacherous and somewhat arduous trek for me to journey through, yet the writing was stellar and the cleverly alluring characters were enticing, complicated, and so incredibly nuanced; I couldn’t give up. I had to read all the words. Even the ones that greatly annoyed me.

The storylines were shrewdly paced, and often heart-wrenching and multi-layered with complex issues and thought-provoking real-world dilemmas and obstacles that would be difficult for anyone to navigate, much less while in the throes of an epic love story. The writing was lushly descriptive, poignantly insightful, and relentlessly mined all the feels with panache. And oh, I have to mention the bone-melting sensuality… I may have been gasping… a few times.

I struggled in how to rate it overall which proved to be quite the predicament as there were sections I truly struggled with as well as the unfortunate deployment of my least favorite trope, yet the superior quality and thoughtfulness of the writing couldn’t be overlooked. While the HEA was hard won, it was well worth the effort and “quite the snack.”

Excerpt:

“Let’s eat before we leave. I’m sure there’s quite the spread downstairs.”

“Rich people breakfast?” I ask.

She furrows a brow for a few seconds. “Yes. I suppose so.” Rolling away, she swings her legs around and stands up, stretching like a cat.

“Do you eat rich people breakfast every morning?” My curiosity has been piqued.

After a long yawn, she cocks her head to the side, lips slightly twisted. “Shredded Wheat with cut-up banana and almond milk. Is that a rich person’s breakfast?”

I sit up, doing a bit of my own stretching, loving the way her gaze roams along my bare chest, her lips parting ever so slightly. “No. I think that’s a solid middle-class breakfast.”

“Middle. That’s average. Average is good, right?”

“There’s nothing average about you, Henna.” I stand, following her into the bedroom.

“I’m going to shower quickly, and by quickly I mean I need an hour. Do you have an hour?”

“To shower with you?” I try to play it cool, like I’m serious.

I’m a little serious.

The color leaves her face. “Oh, um …” She twists her fingers together, drawing her shoulders inward.

“I’m kidding.”

A little kidding.

Henna’s posture relaxes as her cheeks pink up again. “We could.” Her gaze darts around the room before landing on mine for two seconds only to wander around the room again.

“My clothes are at my hotel. I’ll shower there. I need to get going.”

A slow sigh deflates her chest as she tries on a smile that misses the confident mark by a few centimeters. “Okay.”

“But thanks for the offer.” I wink.

More color paints her cheeks, and it looks stunning on her. “I kinda sorta thought we’d have sex last night, but we didn’t, and that’s fine, but now I don’t know what comes next.”

Does that make me the world’s biggest idiot for not taking what she was planning on offering? Or does that make me a gentleman? I’ve already fucked her a hundred different ways in my head, so I’m going to shy away from the gentleman label.

“How about you put my number in your phone and I’ll call you later today? That feels like a good next, don’t you think?”

Henna nods and turns, walking toward the bedroom door. Digging through her purse, she retrieves her phone. When she pulls it out, a string of three condoms comes out with it. “Oh jeez.” Quickly snatching them off the floor, she shoves them back into her purse.

I don’t respond because I’m not sure what the correct response should be.

“I was conceived at Coachella.” She hands me her phone with the contact screen open, ready for my information.

Taking her phone, I give her an expectant look, but she withholds all elaboration.

“And by conceived, you mean physical conception, not merely an idea kind of conception?” I hand her phone back and give her mine.

“In the shadows behind a stage. I know more details than most people should actually know about the moment they were conceived.” She lifts a shoulder in a small shrug. “But Juni is my best friend. She’s the absolute coolest mom ever, and the story of how she met my dad is my favorite story ever.”

I nod as she keeps her chin tipped toward the screen to my phone. “Why is that?” I take my phone back when she holds it out to me.

“Yin Yang. Opposites. Laws of the universe.” She wears a satisfied smile. “My parents were temporary. I was permanent.” Holding out her arms, she inspects her henna tattoos as if seeing them for the first time. “My mom had henna tattoos on her body when she met my dad. Henna grows in intensity over a few days before fading to nothing. It’s magical and beautiful and then it’s gone. My parents say that about their love for each other. It grew quickly into something deep and intense, but over time it faded. Their love—like most everything in life—was temporary.”

“We’re temporary.”

Her empty stare shifts to meet my gaze and she nods. “Don’t sweat it. Everything is temporary. But today…” she walks into my chest, and my arms wrap around her as she looks up at me “…we should be at our brightest, our most intense.”

About Jewel:

Jewel is a free-spirited romance junkie with a quirky sense of humor.

With 10 years of flossing lectures under her belt, she took early retirement from her dental hygiene career to stay home with her three awesome boys and manage the family business.

After her best friend of nearly 30 years suggested a few books from the Contemporary Romance genre, Jewel was hooked. Devouring two and three books a week but still craving more, she decided to practice sustainable reading, AKA writing.

When she’s not donning her cape and saving the planet one tree at a time, she enjoys yoga with friends, good food with family, rock climbing with her kids, watching How I Met Your Mother reruns, and of course…heart-wrenching, tear-jerking, panty-scorching novels.

JewelEAnn

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Book Review, Giveaway: Burning For Autumn (On Call Series #1) by Freya Barker

Title: Burning For Autumn (On Call Series #1)
Author: Freya Barker
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Release Date: January 8, 2019
Cover Designer: Freya Barker
Hosted by: Buoni Amici Press, LLC.

When Autumn McCoy accepted a temporary work contract in Durango, she thought it would be a safe way to add some spark to her existence. She may be getting more than she bargained for when she finds herself the target of impending danger. The outspoken forty-two-year-old isn’t prepared for that spark to ignite flames threatening to engulf every aspect of her life.

Buried under the weight of responsibilities, all interim Chief of Police, Keith Blackfoot, wants is to get back to good old-fashioned detecting. He gets his chance when an encounter with a feisty redhead seems to incite a wave of arson cases. Although a visit from friend and firefighter, Roman “Chief” Proudfit, provides some direction, he’s left to battle an invisible menace fueling fires that could leave his town—and his heart—in ashes.

Kindle Unlimited

 

 

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

Daylight is not my friend. Every freckle, frown line, wrinkle, and blemish stands out like a beacon on my face, screaming ‘well past expiration date.’

 

Didn’t think I’d live to see the day… The most committed bachelor of La Plata County, brought to his knees by a ballsy redhead.

 

“You remind me of my Ana, she was a redhead like you and could cook like a saint, fight like the devil, and love like a sinner.” His watery blue eyes sparkle. Ten minutes later, when I’m putting away the last of the dishes, I’m still smiling at his words. To love like that, still so strong even after death rips you apart, is tragically beautiful.

 

… he makes my soul sing.

 

Trial run with the new babysitter… A seventeen-year-old neighbor with purple hair, combat boots, and enough metal in her face to set off security detectors from fifty feet, but she came highly recommended. I just hope my new flat-screen TV will still be there when I get back.

 

My Review:

 

In just a handful of years, Freya Barker has the Romantic Suspense genre well mastered. Her tales are easy to follow yet captivating; cleverly detailed and populated with quirky and endearing characters; deftly constructed with engaging and entertaining storylines; and well-balanced with wry and acerbic levity, sensual sizzle, and tension building intrigue that keeps my curiosity primed. So it is easy to see why she has continuously resided near the top of my Favorite Authors List since I initially fell into her work by picking up Slim to None on a freebie day. Her lovely words are now an instant one-click purchase at any price.

Freya Barker inspires with her stories about ‘real’ people, perhaps less than perfect, each struggling to find their own slice of happy.

She is the author of the Cedar Tree and Portland, ME Series, the Northern Lights Collection and the Rock Point Series. She is also co-author of the SnapShot Series.

To see Freya’s complete backlist, or to find out what is coming down the pipe, visit freyabarker.com.

 

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

This is my Review of the Month for the review collection on LovelyAudiobooks.info

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Book Review: Fatal Invasion (Fatal #13) by Marie Force

Fatal Invasion (Fatal #13)

by Marie Force

Amazon | B-A-M | Barnes & Noble

 

SYNOPSIS:

First the fire, then the heat…

A brutal home invasion. Two small traumatized survivors who may have witnessed the horror. Lieutenant Sam Holland has never worked a case quite like this one, in which her eyewitnesses are five-year-old twins. But when Sam steps up in a big way for them, she risks her heart as much as her career.

While Sam and her husband, Vice President Nick Cappuano, go to battle in more ways than one for her tiny witnesses, her colleague Sergeant Tommy “Gonzo” Gonzales battles his own demons. Months of unbearable grief and despair come to a head in an unimaginable way that threatens Gonzo’s status with the department and his relationship with his fiancée, Christina.

With trouble both at the precinct and on the case, Sam struggles to keep her priorities straight at home and at work while trying not to lose her heart to her latest crime victims.

 

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

All eyes turned to an older, stern-looking woman, who looked like she’d been sucking on a particularly sour kosher dill for the last five years.

 

“I have to play nice with him and ‘work together.’ Ever since elementary school I’ve gotten marked down in the ‘plays well with others’ category.” “A problem that has dogged you well into adulthood…”

 

Dr. Anderson returned with Sam’s discharge paperwork. “I had this made for you,” he said, handing her a card that had a hole punched in it… GW E.R. Frequent Flier.

 

My Review:

 

I haven’t read all thirteen books in this series but I have greatly enjoyed all of the action-packed volumes I have completed. I adore this power couple, comprised of a Metro Homicide Police Lieutenant and Vice-President of the US. They enjoy a sexy and ultra-supportive relationship of mutual respect with clever banter and sizzling chemistry. The storylines were clever, intriguing, fast-paced, well-crafted, and unpredictable.

About Marie Force

Marie Force is the New York Times bestselling author of contemporary romance, including the indie-published Gansett Island Series and the Fatal Series from Harlequin Books. In addition, she is the author of the Butler, Vermont Series, the Green Mountain Series and the erotic romance Quantum Series. In 2019, her new historical Gilded series from Kensington Books will debut with Duchess By Deception.

All together, her books have sold 7 million copies worldwide, have been translated into more than a dozen languages and have appeared on the New York Times bestseller list 29 times. She is also a USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestseller, a Speigel bestseller in Germany, a frequent speaker and publishing workshop presenter as well as a publisher through her Jack’s House Publishing romance imprint. She is a two-time nominee for the Romance Writers of America’s RITA® award for romance fiction.

Her goals in life are simple–to finish raising two happy, healthy, productive young adults, to keep writing books for as long as she possibly can and to never be on a flight that makes the news.

Join Marie’s mailing list on her website at marieforce.com for news about new books and upcoming appearances in your area.

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