Category: 5-Stars

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Book Review: It Takes Two (Bridesmaids Behaving Badly #2) by Jenny Holiday

It Takes Two

(Bridesmaids Behaving Badly #2)

by Jenny Holiday

 

Amazon | Kobo | iBooks 

 B&N | Google Play

 

In this hilarious romantic comedy, USA Today bestselling author Jenny Holiday proves that what happens in Vegas doesn’t always stay in Vegas…

 
All’s fair in love and war
.
Wendy Liu should be delighted to be her best friend’s maid of honor. But after years spent avoiding the bride’s brother – aka the boy who once broke her heart – she’s now trapped with him during an endless amount of wedding festivities. Luckily she’s had time to perfect her poker face, and engaging Noah Denning in a little friendly competition might just prove that she’s over him for good…
.
Noah Denning is determined to make his little sister’s wedding memorable. But it seems Wendy is trying to outdo him at every turn. Challenging each other was always something he and Wendy did right, so when she proposes they compete to see who can throw the best bachelor or bachelorette party in Sin City, Noah takes the bait – and ups the stakes.  Because this time around, he wants Wendy for keeps. And when you’re fighting for love, all bets are off.
.
.
The Bridesmaids Behaving Badly series:
One and Only
It Takes Two
Three Little Words

.

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

Maybe this hadn’t been a good idea. Maybe the correct number of times a man should accompany his little sister wedding dress shopping was actually zero… And, ignorant as he was about such matters, he’d had no idea how long it took to put one of those things on— or how many helpers it required. Each new dress required a small army of overly Botoxed women in Chanel suits to carry it into the fitting room, and, from the sound of things, to hoist it onto Jane.

 

She still thinks she’s doing the ‘low-key’ thing… So she can’t get too out of control because that will violate her image of herself and create a disturbance in the force.

 

“One and done. Two and through.” That was Gia’s motto…

 

“We have a nice ‘hot for teacher’ experience. Or we do a Los Alamos package— your dancer will arrive attired in a scientific lab coat and hand out sex toys emblazoned with the phrase ‘Caution: nuclear fallout.’” Wendy cracked up. A person really could order up anything in Vegas, it seemed.

 

“I have no plans to get married either.” Gia raised her glass again as if to punctuate the point. “But ‘spinster’ implies, like, dust and cobwebs.” She made a vague gesture at her body. “Ain’t nothing getting dusty here.”

My Review:

 

I have hit my favorite jam with this delightful series and will profess to be near gleeful with the knowledge of having the next book already locked and loaded on my kindle for immediate perusal. Every book in this beguiling series has been an expertly balanced mix of clever levity; smart, endearing, yet somewhat emotionally damaged characters; insightfully observant, smooth and alluring writing that hits all the feels; volcanic sensual scenes; and engaging and Pez related storylines. It feels like nirvana. I do hope Jenny Holiday isn’t easily startled, as she seems to have gained a rather rabid fangirl.

About the Author:
Jenny Holiday is a cunning Slytherin who is constantly being told she’s unduly optimistic. This year, after realizing she had accidentally put “hero makes late-night grilled cheese sandwiches for heroine/other hero” in three books, she started doing it on purpose. When she’s not writing, she’s probably having porch wine with her neighbors and enjoying having gardened. Follow her @JennyHoli on Twitter, @holymolyjennyholi on Instagram, and find other fun stuff at JennyHoliday.com.
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Book Review: The Last by Tawna Fenske

The Last

 by Tawna Fenske

 

Amazon / B&N / Universal

 

Sarah Keating was sure she’d be married by 30. Husband, kids, the kick-ass career helping adults with Down Syndrome—she assumed she’d have it all, and there’d be no need to fall back on the marriage pact she made with her best pal from college.

But a tipsy message she sends from her birthday party brings Ian Nolan to her door ready to rock her world, and not just with mind-blowing sex. He’s up for tying the knot, and has a million pragmatic reasons it makes perfectly good sense.

As Sarah and Ian test drive their marriage-of-convenience, they navigate awkward business dinners, a slippery steam room hookup, and a costume party gone awry. Their friendship is stronger than ever, and the sexual chemistry is off the charts.

But is that enough to make a marriage work, or will one of them fall hard and end up brokenhearted?

Each book in The List series is STANDALONE:
* The List
* The Test
* The Last

 

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

For the record, it’s a bad sign when the guy you’re having sex with buys you sleepwear that suggests you should cover up more.

 

I’m grinning like a girl who just unwrapped Barbie and the Barbie Dreamhouse…

 

“You just had a big birthday, am I right?” Glenda’s sympathetic cluck would be more appropriate if she offered it to someone who just lost a limb. “Best get to it, sweetheart. Those eggs are drying up.”

 

He stretches up and pulls back the cover on the car’s sunroof. It takes me a few seconds to figure out what I’m staring at. “Is that a butthole?” Ian nods solemnly. “Yep. The feline variety.” … The cat stays seated with its stink-star pressed against the glass… “I’d just appreciate him removing his cheerio from our line of sight… Well, fiancée… I can’t promise you romance, but I can promise you laughs.” “And cat buttholes,” I add.

 

He squirts some canned cheese onto a cracker and hands it to me. “Keeping it classy.”

 

My Review:

 

I mirthfully smirked and periodically fanned myself throughout this fun and wickedly humorous tale featuring a pair of past college friends who had missed their chance at a deeper connection due to unfortunate timing and circumstances, but were back in touch ten years later while circling that big three-o celebration of their birth, and recalled they had jokingly made a pact to marry at that particular milestone if both were still single.

 

Ian thought he was taking a practical route of leaving love out of the mix by establishing a legal contract for a relationship of mutual attraction and benefit. Sarah was agreeable and determined to see the common advantage to deem it acceptable to settle for less than true love, but was having some minor difficulties in getting there. If not in total simpatico, they were more than compatible in most ways that counted, and then some. The plot seemed far-fetched yet the storylines were so smoothly engaging and gleefully entertaining, the premise became reasonably convincingly. And oh my, sizzle and snap, this couple of dirty talkers needed to keep a fire extinguisher handy as they were atomically hot and sensually matched well enough to leave scorch marks not only on the sheets but also on the ceiling, floor tiles, walls, and car seats. I had greatly enjoyed the previous books in this series and was instantly enamored with these endearing and cleverly crafted characters as well.

 

About the Author    

Goodreads

When Tawna Fenske finished her English lit degree at 22, she celebrated by filling a giant trash bag full of romance novels and dragging it everywhere until she’d read them all. Now she’s a RITA-nominated, USA Today bestselling author who writes humorous fiction, risqué romance, and heartwarming love stories with a quirky twist. Publishers Weekly has praised Tawna’s offbeat romances with multiple starred reviews and noted, “There’s something wonderfully relaxing about being immersed in a story filled with over-the-top characters in undeniably relatable situations. Heartache and humor go hand in hand.”

Tawna lives in Bend, Oregon, with her husband, stepkids, and a menagerie of ill-behaved pets. She loves hiking, snowshoeing, standup paddleboarding, and inventing excuses to sip wine on her back porch. She can peel a banana with her toes and loses an average of twenty pairs of eyeglasses per year. To find out more about Tawna and her books, visit www.tawnafenske.com.

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Book Review: Love Heart Lane by Christie Barlow

Love Heart Lane

by Christie Barlow

 Amazon US / UK / AU / CA / B&N 

 

Welcome to Love Heart Lane…

When Flick Simons returns to the small village of Heartcross she only expected to stay for a few days. The white-washed cottages of Love Heart Lane might be her home, but the place holds too many painful memories, and of one man in particular – Fergus Campbell.

When a winter storm sweeps in, the only bridge connecting the village to the mainland is swept away! As the villagers pull together, Flick finds herself welcomed back by the friends she once left behind. And as the snow begins to melt, maybe there is a chance that Fergus’s heart will thaw too…

 

My Rating:

My Review:

 

Christie Barlow has a new fangirl! I adored this heart-squeezing and emotive story from beginning to end.   It was well-paced, highly engaging, insightfully written and easy to follow despite containing a small Scottish village of unique and quirky residents. Felicity had abandoned her small village and loved ones while in despair over personal tragedy, and in her embarrassment, did not reconnect with them again for eight years. Fleeing her sorrow for London hadn’t been the solution she had hoped for, and a visit to her mother was reminding her of what she had left behind. The grass always seems greener…

I enjoyed everything about this story, the writing style, the characters, the storylines, the tangled issues and messes Felicity kept stepping in, she meant well but her tenacious and somewhat impulsive tendencies of jumping in to help was a double-edged sword. There was a bit of everything to be found in this lovely tale as it hit all the feels with humor, heartbreak, danger, regret, adorable children, community involvement, romance, family issues, bad weather, and small village life. All the elements were well incorporated along with the idiosyncrasies of the village.

I hit the mother load of idioms and new terms for my Brit/UK word list with fairy cakes which appear to be small cupcakes; the big smoke – London or other large cities; wetting the baby’s head – father and friends celebrate the baby’s birth with alcohol; get a shifty on – to get started on something; and not on your Nelly – there is no chance at all of something happening. Thank goodness for the Urban Dictionary, Google, and Wikipedia!

Author Bio

Christie Barlow is the author of A Year in the Life of a Playground Mother, The Misadventures of a Playground Mother, Kitty’s Countryside Dream, Lizzie’s Christmas Escape, Evie’s Year of Taking Chances, The Cosy Canal Boat Dream, A Home at Honeysuckle Farm and Love Heart Lane. Her writing career came as somewhat a surprise when she decided to write a book to teach her children a valuable life lesson and show them that they are capable of achieving their dreams. The book she wrote to prove a point is now a #1 bestseller in the UK, USA & Australia. 

Christie is an ambassador for @ZuriProject raising money/awareness and engaging with impoverished people in Uganda through organizations to improve their well-being as well as Literary Editor for www.mamalifemagazine.co.uk bringing you all the latest news and reviews from the book world.

website www.christiebarlow.com 

Twitter @ChristieJBarlow 

Facebook page Christie Barlow author

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Book Review, Giveaway: Playing for Keeps (Heartbreaker Bay – Book 7) by Jill Shalvis

 

 Playing for Keeps

Heartbreaker Bay – Book 7

By: Jill Shalvis

Avon Books – Jan 22nd, 2019

 

 Amazon /  B&N / iBooks / Kobo

 

Blurb

If you’re planning on falling in love…

When it comes to the confident, charismatic Caleb Parker, Sadie Lane feels the spark—the kind that comes from rubbing each other the wrong way. She’s yoga pants, he’s a suit. She’s a tattoo artist, he’s a straight-laced mogul. But after they accidentally co-rescue an abandoned dog from a storm, Sadie sees a vulnerable side to the seemingly invincible hottie.

You’d better be sure…

Caleb doesn’t do emotions. Growing up the underdog, he’s learned the hard way to build up an impenetrable wall. Perfect for business. Disastrous for relationships. He’s never worried about it before—not until he finally gets behind Sadie’s armor and begins to fall.

Someone is there to catch you.

Both guarded and vulnerable, Sadie and Caleb are complete opposites. Or are they? Shocked at their undeniable connection, can they ever admit to wanting more? That all depends on what they’re each willing to risk.

 

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

Sadie listened with half her brain, the other half wandering off.

 

Sometimes life really bit a girl on the ass. Thankfully she had enough padding there to take the hit.

 

“So she can be bribed.” “You just fed her a fortune in fancy cuts of meats and cheeses,” she said. “Anyone could’ve been bribed with that. Hell, I’d have jumped into a stranger-danger van for that.”

 

“She dumped me. Twice. Women should come with instructions.” “What would be the point of that?” Sadie asked. “I’ve never actually seen a man read any instructions.”

 

He sighed. “It’s hard to meet the good ones.” “That’s because they don’t usually frequent the dives you frequent. Go to Target. The female to male ratio is ten to one and they’re already looking for things they don’t need.”

 

Rocco offered his fork with a grape on it. She shook her head. “I don’t consume wine in pill form.”

 

She’d long ago taught herself how to take a mental step back from her family and treat them like . . . well, entertainment. She was no longer part of the circus but just an audience member.

My Review:

 

Every time I have finished a Jill Shalvis book I remind myself of the objective to clear my calendar and read the rest of her listings, which would take a chunk of time, as she has been quite the busy bee; Goodreads lists thirty books to her credit. I was late to this party but I have every intention be that nightmare type guest that never leaves. I am greedy and want them all, past, current, and future works. I am totally enamored. I adore her clever wit and humorous banter as much as her insightful observations and emotive reflections. Her writing is so stunningly agile she can have giggle-snorting and sniffling on the same page. Playing For Keeps was a heart-clenching tale yet well-balanced with levity, swoon-worthy romance, and sumptuous sensuality. I delight her wordplay and worship her altar of used printer cartridges.

Author Info

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Jill Shalvis writes warm, funny, sexy contemporary romances and women’s fiction. An Amazon, BN & iBooks bestseller, she’s also a two-time RITA winner and has more than 10 million copies of her books sold worldwide.

 WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | GOODREADS

Newsletter: http://jillshalvis.com/faq/newsletter/

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/jill-shalvis

 

Rafflecopter Giveaway

($50 Amazon eGift Card)

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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/

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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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