Little Teashop of Horrors

by Jane Lovering

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Secrets, lies, carrot cake and an owl called Skrillex!

Amy Knowles has always been the plain sidekick to her pretty best friend Jules. And whilst the tearoom they both work in on the Monkpark Hall estate in Yorkshire is not exactly awash with eligible bachelors, it’s obvious where the male attention is concentrated – and it’s not just on the cakes!

There is one man who notices Amy. Joshua Wilson also works at Monkpark, where he flies his birds of prey for visitor entertainment. He lives a lonely existence but he has reasons for choosing isolation – and, in Amy, he may have found somebody who understands.

Then a management change brings slick and well-spoken Edmund Evershott to Monkpark. He’s interested in Amy too, but for what reason? Josh suspects the new manager is up to no good – but will Amy? Because Edmund could leave her with much worse than a broken heart…

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

Jules had a tendency to go off in full pursuit of any man that took her fancy like a whippet after a sausage.

Julia pulled the ‘sensible one’ trick, a move so rare that it was probably endangered… Her heels clattered over the waxed and shiny boards, attracting his attention to our approach, while my sensible flats squealed and squeaked like distressed hamsters.

That young lady is all fur coat and no knickers. She’ll find herself in trouble one of these days, mark my words.

His face was pale and narrow, giving him a sort of ‘shuffled together’ look, as though his features were furniture in an overcrowded room.

Julia was so upwardly mobile that she was practically rocket-fuelled.

‘Cleaning’ was probably not the right word for what this caravan needed, but flamethrowers are hard to come by.

You’re a bridesmaid, Ames, and if you’re not really nice to me I’m putting you in primrose yellow trimmed with puce. And those heels. Well, one heel, one flat, so you sort of lurch.

My Review:

This book was found treasure. It was a delightfully amusing and well-crafted tale which was sneakily and slowly constructed while we became acquainted with the oddly compelling yet endearing and strangely enticing characters and their heartbreaking histories. I smirked every single time a character was introduced, as each one was uniquely peculiar and described in such a colorful manner they were instantly knowable. The writing was stealthily insightful, acutely observant, and riddled with clever wit and levity. I adored it, even when I wanted to give the mousy main character a kick in her scratchy Edwardian outfit. I greatly admired and greedily covet the author’s vast and artfully nimble word skills and want to read every line she has ever penned. And I proudly have a few new words and phrases for my Brit Vocabulary List – which has become quite voluminous… First up is “go like the clappers” which is to go fast, supposedly like the clappers found in hells bells, then there is “pranny” which Urban Dictionary told me was a cross between prat and fanny but could also be considered an idiot as well as female genitals, so… hmm, seems to be a multitasker.

Author Bio –

Jane Lovering was born in Devon and now lives in Yorkshire. She has five children, three cats and two dogs! Jane is a member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association and has a first-class honors degree in creative writing. Jane writes comedies which are often described as ‘quirky’. Her debut Please Don’t Stop the Music won the 2012 Romantic Novel of the Year and the Best Romantic Comedy Novel award from the Romantic Novelists’ Association. Her Christmas novella, Christmas at the Little Village School, was the winner of the RONA Rose Award from the Romantic Novelists’ Association in 2018.

Social Media Links –

www.twitter.com/janelovering

https://www.facebook.com/Jane-Lovering-Author-106404969412833/

www.janelovering.co.uk/

My Oxford Year

by Julia Whelan

  

HarperCollins | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Paperback: 352 pages
Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks (April 24, 2018)

Major Motion Picture Already in Development with Temple Hill Entertainment

Set amidst the breathtaking beauty of Oxford, this sparkling debut novel tells the unforgettable story about a determined young woman eager to make her mark in the world and the handsome man who introduces her to an incredible love that will irrevocably alter her future—perfect for fans of JoJo Moyes and Nicholas Sparks.

American Ella Durran has had the same plan for her life since she was thirteen: Study at Oxford. At 24, she’s finally made it to England on a Rhodes Scholarship when she’s offered an unbelievable position in a rising political star’s presidential campaign. With the promise that she’ll work remotely and return to DC at the end of her Oxford year, she’s free to enjoy her Once in a Lifetime Experience. That is, until a smart-mouthed local who is too quick with his tongue and his car ruins her shirt and her first day.

When Ella discovers that her English literature course will be taught by none other than that same local, Jamie Davenport, she thinks for the first time that Oxford might not be all she’s envisioned. But a late-night drink reveals a connection she wasn’t anticipating finding and what begins as a casual fling soon develops into something much more when Ella learns Jamie has a life-changing secret.

Immediately, Ella is faced with a seemingly impossible decision: turn her back on the man she’s falling in love with to follow her political dreams or be there for him during a trial neither are truly prepared for. As the end of her year in Oxford rapidly approaches, Ella must decide if the dreams she’s always wanted are the same ones she’s now yearning for.

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

His voice is so melodious, so low and soothing, it should be accompanied by choral music.

Everyone else looks very British about it, like this is where fun comes to die.

 “Given the lovely turn of your figure, it’s quite gratifying you’re not one of those dreadful American girls who subsist entirely on lawn clippings and glacier water,” Charlie says. My mouth is too full of scone to reply.

 He has this ability to go still, as if he’s stopped breathing. Like a vampire. Which makes me realize I’m not breathing.

 She also holds a fan.   Like, an actual fan. Like it’s Gone With The Wind and she’s about to tap someone flirtatiously on the shoulder with it. She drips money like a leaky faucet.

My Review:

I adored this delightfully crisp and eloquent book; it pleased me and did so in a cleverly amusing and intellectually stimulating manner.   I greatly enjoyed the thoughtful and well-chosen quotes and poems that started each chapter, which provided just a little taste of what was to come.   Julia Whelan is a master wordsmith with graceful and elegant wordplay.   My Oxford Year was written from the first person POV of Ella, an endearing and wholly relatable character that I instantly connected with. I quickly fell into Ella’s vortex and enjoyed hitchhiking in her head and was loath to leave her and her new friends behind. The storylines were unique, relevant, and expertly crafted. Ms. Whelan’s writing was nimble, flawless, lushly detailed, and a felt like a long awaited gift. I will most likely be stalking her listings as long as I have functioning brain cells.  I was provided with a review copy of this inordinately clever book by HarperCollins and TLC Book Tours. 

About Julia Whelan

Julia Whelan is a screenwriter, lifelong actor, and award-winning audiobook narrator. She graduated with a degree in English and creative writing from Middlebury College and Oxford University. While she was in England, her flirtation with tea blossomed into a full-blown love affair, culminating in her eventual certification as a tea master.

Find out more about Julia at her website, and connect with her on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

Every Single Secret

by Emily Carpenter 

Goodreads

Amazon / B&N

  

Unwritten

(Rock Star Duet #1)

by Rachel Lacey 

Amazon US / UK / Can ~ B&N ~ iBooks ~

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The first book in Rachel Lacey’s sizzling new Rock Star Duet, where the only thing brighter than the glare of the spotlight is the power of love.

Pop sensation and Hollywood star Katherine Hayes has worked hard to maintain her squeaky-clean image. But with nude photos going viral on the internet, the ensuing smear campaign threatens to ruin everything.

A chance meeting with a handsome college professor—who’s adorably clueless about her identity—is a rare break from the stress. But when shocked recognition dawns in his eyes, her survival mechanism kicks in. She can’t simply let him walk away to add grist to the rumor mill.

Josh Randall has already loved and lost his soulmate. Yet when he witnesses Kate in a vulnerable moment, he can’t deny the pull between them. Even though he believes down to his bones that true love doesn’t come twice in a lifetime.

A no-strings fling sounds like the perfect solution. But Kate never expected Josh to see the woman hiding behind the celebrity—or that the paparazzi would catch on to their sizzling passion so quickly. Making it hard to keep their tangled emotions from tearing their hearts apart when it’s time to say goodbye…

My Rating:

Favorite Quote:

You blend in like a supermodel at a nun convention.

 My Review:

I enjoyed this well-crafted and heart-squeezing story from beginning to end. The writing was engaging and emotive while the storyline was entertaining, active, and well-paced. Ms. Lacey is a recent find for me and I have greatly appreciated her word skills with each foray into her work. Her characters tend to be uniquely flawed yet enticing and endearing.   She has my attention now as I have joined the ranks of her adoring fans.

About the Author

Rachel Lacey is a contemporary romance author and semi-reformed travel junkie. She’s been climbed by a monkey on a mountain in Japan, gone scuba diving on the Great Barrier Reef, and camped out overnight in New York City for a chance to be an extra in a movie. These days, the majority of her adventures take place on the pages of the books she writes. She lives in warm and sunny North Carolina with her husband, son, and a variety of rescue pets.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | GoodReads 

Same Beach, Next Year

by Dorothea Benton Frank

 HarperCollins | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

New York Times bestselling author Dorothea Benton Frank returns to her magical Lowcountry of South Carolina in this bewitching story of marriage, love, family, and friendship that is infused with her warm and engaging earthy humor and generous heart.

One enchanted summer, two couples begin a friendship that will last more than twenty years and transform their lives.

A chance meeting on the Isle of Palms, one of Charleston’s most stunning barrier islands, brings former sweethearts, Adam Stanley and Eve Landers together again. Their respective spouses, Eliza and Carl, fight sparks of jealousy flaring from their imagined rekindling of old flames. As Adam and Eve get caught up on their lives, their partners strike up a deep friendship—and flirt with an unexpected attraction—of their own.

Year after year, Adam, Eliza, Eve, and Carl eagerly await their reunion at Wild Dunes, a condominium complex at the island’s tip end, where they grow closer with each passing day, building a friendship that will withstand financial catastrophe, family tragedy, and devastating heartbreak. The devotion and love they share will help them weather the vagaries of time and enrich their lives as circumstances change, their children grow up and leave home, and their twilight years approach.

Bursting with the intoxicating richness of Dorothea Benton Frank’s beloved Lowcountry—the sultry sunshine, cool ocean breezes, icy cocktails, and starry velvet skies—Same Beach, Next Year is a dazzling celebration of the infrangible power of friendship, the enduring promise of summer, and the indelible bonds of love.

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

He was with a woman, a very large woman, who had to be at least ten years older than him, if not twenty.   She was towering over a grinning Ted, wearing a black mink coat to the ground, high heels that could produce altitude sickness, and enough makeup to scare the hell out of Estee Lauder… “Merry Christmas, y’all!” she said in a smoky voice that suggested a lifetime of dedication to tobacco products.

Let’s be honest.   Who could please Cookie? She’d find fault with the pope himself! He’d come to dinner and bring baked ziti and she’d hate it! She’d hate the pope’s baked ziti! She’d tell him it tasted like dog shit. Believe me!   I’ve given this a lot of thought!

The air was thick with contentment, something you might run through your fingers if you held your hand outside the window. I wished I could grab some, put it in a jar, and keep it with me.

 My Review:

I always eagerly anticipate reading a Dorothea Benton Frank book as I admire and relish her easy pace, bright wit, observant insightfulness, relatable plots, and twists of clever irony. She is a skilled illusionist and uses colorful distractions and crafty sleight of hand to keep us guessing; things are seldom what they seem. I adore her quirky and vibrant characters who aren’t always likable or admirable but take Southern eccentricity to a new level of entertainment. Reading her books is like going on a fun yet relaxing vacation with a seldom seen but trusted friend.   I was provided with a review copy of this lovely book by TLC Book Tours and HarperCollins. 

About Dorothea Benton Frank

New York Times bestselling author Dorothea Benton Frank was born and raised on Sullivans Island, South Carolina. She resides in the New York area with her husband.

Find her on the web at www.dotfrank.com, or like her on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.