Category: Book Reviews

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Book Review: UNSCREWED by Ren Alexander 

UNSCREWED

by Ren Alexander 

Goodreads

Amazon / B&N

 

Greg Rodwell.

The myth, the man, the legend.
Yeah. I’m none of that crap.
Okay. I’m a man. There’s that much.

Almost everyone calls me Rod, whether I like it or not. I’m the guy others look to for a laugh, a dirty joke, a distraction—the office clown. Even my best friend, Hadley, laughs.

It’s just that, I’m not always laughing. Not even on the inside. Nobody knows the real Greg or the agony I hide with humor. My recently dead sister had a clue, but she’s in no position to blab. I screwed up big time—then and now—but it’s all my undoing. Through everything, Hadley’s been my cure and my curse. And I fell in love with my married best friend. But she wasn’t always married, and I wasn’t always broken.

I had a millisecond of a chance, but I blew it, siding with morality. What guy does that? And sailing that sinking ship all the way down, I sacrificed my wants for her needs. Doing that, I fathered a kid with the office trouser troll. Stupid? Hell to the yes. Because now, regardless of the grand total, I want something I can’t have. Integrity and my sanity be damned.

But nobody, especially Hadley, can know the real Greg Rodwell, my tortured soul, my unashamed love, or my darkest truth, because it wouldn’t just blow her mind.

It would rock our damn world.

.

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

Do Jewish vampires avoid the Star of David? Does killing time damage eternity? Do you need a silencer if you shoot a mime? Can a hearse carrying a corpse drive in the carpool lane? If a person dies and then rises from the dead, do they get a refund for the coffin?

 

…our new receptionist is denser than a lead coffin and no doubt couldn’t write dialogue for porn.

 

…her Legal Eagles shirt is knotted to the side, calling attention to her belly button. She also cut a V into the collar of her shirt, showcasing her tits. It’s low enough that you can almost see their price tag.

 

Gloria laughs, and I’m stunned. In all the years I’ve worked with her, I’ve never seen that humanoid crack a smile. It’s like witnessing an alien abduction or playing cards with a ghost. No one would fucking believe me.

 

You’re like fogged glass I can’t touch. A solar eclipse I can’t look at. Forbidden fruit I can’t eat.

 

My Review:

 

Ren Alexander is an evil minx and seems to have bewitched me.  Her word voodoo is strong and quite bawdy.  But, hmm, I am deeply and irrevocably conflicted about this one… I am not sure what genre to use to categorize it, what to rate it, or even how I honestly feel about it.  I’m all over the place with this book. The storylines captivated yet also made me itch and annoyed me greatly – yet I remained intrigued and highly invested and couldn’t seem to put my Kindle down.  Amazon listed Unscrewed as a Romantic Comedy, but I have to disagree.  There was no romance other than a fantasized one, and while there was a considerable amount of clever well-honed humor, the overriding tone was one of tension and angst – sigh.  I had enjoyed and admired the irreverent and razor-sharp wit as well as the overall enigmatic persona of Greg Rodwell in the author’s previous Wild Sparks Series, but I found him rather exhausting in this book.  I don’t believe a new reader could fully appreciate Greg without first reading the previous series.  Greg deserves the exalted title of the Sultan of Snark, as while his humor was rather juvenile it was also keenly clever and highly amusing.  However, when his life took a spiky downturn with a series of highly unusual and unfortunate events, his rapier wit twisted into a more caustic and abrasive outlook and took on a cruel middle-school mean-girl quality, which broke my heart.

 

But I also had empathy and sympathy for the Gregster as his life was in a meteoric downward spiral, which had me bracing for a total meltdown.  Poor Greg was circling the drain, in constant turmoil, and fronting on overblown bravado while drowning in angst.  He was also as sexually frustrated and randy as a pubescent teen; his inner musings were consumed with his constant and painfully erect appendage and his secret obsession and unrequited love for a married woman.  Yet a good portion of this mess was not of his making and I empathized with the obnoxious twit while I also want to administer a few swift slaps to the head. And then there is the thorny issue of a cliffhanger. ;(  I am hooked, and appalling so. Yet my conflict remains firmly rooted…

About the Author

Ren Alexander was born in Wheeling, West Virginia. She graduated from West Liberty University, where she received a B.S. in criminal justice. Although interested in that field, her true passion was reading and writing. She currently lives in Detroit, Michigan with her husband, two daughters, and two cats.

Ren’s novel, “The Keys to Jericho,” was chosen as an “Official Selection” in the Romance category of Apple Literary’s 2017 Annual Book Awards.

Find Ren:
Goodreads /  Amazon
Twitter: https://twitter.com/wild_renalex
FB: https://www.facebook.com/RenAlexander…
Insta: https://www.instagram.com/author_rena…
Wattpad: https://www.wattpad.com/user/RenAlexa…

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Book Review: Tiffany Blues by M. J. Rose

Tiffany Blues

by M. J. Rose

Amazon | Books-A-Million |

Barnes & Noble

 

Hardcover: 336 pages

Publisher: Atria Books (August 7, 2018)

 

The New York Times bestselling author of The Library of Light and Shadow crafts a dazzling Jazz Age jewel—a novel of ambition, betrayal, and passion about a young painter whose traumatic past threatens to derail her career at a prestigious summer artists’ colony run by Louis Comfort Tiffany of Tiffany & Co. fame. “[M.J. Rose] transports the reader into the past better than a time machine could accomplish” (The Associated Press).

New York, 1924. Twenty-four-year-old Jenny Bell is one of a dozen burgeoning artists invited to Louis Comfort Tiffany’s prestigious artists’ colony. Gifted and determined, Jenny vows to avoid distractions and romantic entanglements and take full advantage of the many wonders to be found at Laurelton Hall.

But Jenny’s past has followed her to Long Island. Images of her beloved mother, her hard-hearted stepfather, waterfalls, and murder, and the dank hallways of Canada’s notorious Andrew Mercer Reformatory for Women overwhelm Jenny’s thoughts, even as she is inextricably drawn to Oliver, Tiffany’s charismatic grandson.

As the summer shimmers on, and the competition between the artists grows fierce as they vie for a spot at Tiffany’s New York gallery, a series of suspicious and disturbing occurrences suggest someone knows enough about Jenny’s childhood trauma to expose her.

Supported by her closest friend Minx Deering, a seemingly carefree socialite yet dedicated sculptor, and Oliver, Jenny pushes her demons aside. Between stolen kisses and stolen jewels, the champagne flows and the jazz plays on until one moonless night when Jenny’s past and present are thrown together in a desperate moment, that will threaten her promising future, her love, her friendships, and her very life.

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

I tried to make my voice light. My mother once told me I had a silver voice that tarnished when I wasn’t giving her the whole truth.

 

I’ve just always viewed marriage as a job, and it’s not the job I want for myself in the foreseeable future.

 

I felt as if I’d stepped inside a jewelry box. Everything shone and sparkled and glowed in gemstone shades

 

We’re all broken in one way or another, but it’s through the cracks in our souls that the light comes through. And the light, Jenny, that’s our art.

My Review:

 

Tiffany Blues wasn’t at all what I was expecting, and more the better. This was my first exposure to M.J. Rose and I now count myself her newest fan. Her clever combinations of words deftly painted rich and opulent pictures, equivalent in skill and technique to any of the Old Masters. My curiosity was quickly snagged by the intriguing prologue and continued forth as an ominous and haunting ambiance of tension, danger, and potential exposure of long-hidden secrets remained throughout, which kept me on edge and nibbling at my cuticles. The writing was lushly detailed with colorful and lavish descriptions of the well-appointed accommodations, feasts, gardens, and elegant clothing and décor.   The storylines were gradually developed yet well-crafted, engaging, tragic, and captivating.

I cannot imagine the amount of research involved in such an undertaking but I reveled in the fruits of her labor as I enjoyed learning many interesting little tidbits and history of the time as I was unaware of the trendy interest in spiritualism, the history of Ouija boards, and of Thomas Edison’s Spirit Phone – which I Googled to be certain, and he had actually labored with other scientists of the day toward “a telephone that calls beyond this realm to reach people who have passed.”  Nearing the end, I began to fret with increasing alarm that my niggling questions would be left unanswered. Silly me, I sighed a satisfied and relaxing breath at the clever conclusion. Well-played Ms. Rose, “there is beauty even in broken things.”

About M. J. Rose

New York Times bestselling author M. J. Rose grew up in New York City exploring the labyrinthine galleries of the Metropolitan Museum and the dark tunnels and lush gardens of Central Park. She is the author of more than a dozen novels, a founding board member of International Thriller Writers, and the founder of the first marketing company for authors, AuthorBuzz.com. She lives in Connecticut. Visit her online at MJRose.com.

Connect with M. J. Rose

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

 

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Book Review: Why Her? (Mistaken Identities #2) by Rie Warren

Why Her? 

(Mistaken Identities #2)

by Rie Warren 

Goodreads

Amazon

If you believe in second chances . . . 

All I did was dance with her at a bar. Just once.
Then this undeniably gorgeous party girl, Stevie, turns up at my house, the contractor in charge of my remodel.
Ha!
How am I supposed to take her seriously?
The problem is she’s excellent at her job, which aggravates me even more.
She’s changing my house, changing my life, and my animal urge to protect and possess her feels like a betrayal to my deceased wife.

She’s absolutely unsuitable.
He’s uptight, f*** hot, and there’s no way she can compete with the ghost of his wife.

A book full of filthy sex and beautiful tortured romance. Why Her? is a standalone novel with a tear-worthy HEA, no cheating, no cliffhangers, just all yes. Keep the fan handy, you’ll need it.

 

My Rating:

Favorite Quote:

“I ordered pizza.” “I thought you said you were making dinner.” … “I am. I’m making it come to the door.”

My Review:

This atomically hot and lusty couple had amazing sexual endurance and supernatural stamina, I feel so clumsy and inadequate by comparison. For a middle-aged widower with a relatively sedate first marriage, Kane seemed to be making up for lost time as once he finally caved for his attraction to the feisty Stevie, they want at it like savages. They scorched the sheets with rapturous abandon every-single-time with their wild and passionate interplays that occasionally had me flinching. Rie Warren seems to have a proclivity for filthy pillow talk and copious amounts of body fluids since this lewd lipped pair habitually went off like geysers. In addition to their creatively lascivious exploits, there were clever naughty bits of humor, family drama, and a heart-enlarging and transformative romance. And as an added bonus, a new euphemism for spanking the monkey was gleaned when Stevie confessed to unwittingly witnessing Kane “shuck his corn.” ~ Smirk, I doubt I could ever have too many alternative expressions in my pockets for that…

Rie Warren   

Home of Alpha Male Romance and the Original Bad Boys, Author of the Carolina Bad Boys, the Bad Boys of Retribution MC, the Bad Boys of X-Ops and the Don’t Tell series.

All of Rie Warren’s self-published series are available to read on Kindle Unlimited, including the instant hit Bad Boys of Retribution MC, Carolina Bad Boys, Bad Boy Ballers, and many more!
Badass, sassafras Rie Warren is the author of Sugar Daddy and the Don’t Tell series—a breakthrough trilogy that crosses traditional publishing boundaries beginning with In His Command.
She lives in gorgeous Charleston, South Carolina with her small family where she basks in the sunshine during the day, and adjourns to her woman cave at night. A nocturnal creature, she stays up way too late talking to herself, her characters, and anyone who will listen. She’s all about writing with heat, heart, and a hint of the dark, and she doesn’t shy away from the impossible.

Rie’s work has been called “edgy”, “daring”, and “some of the sexiest smut around”.

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Book Review: Wild With You by Layla Hagen

About WILD WITH YOU

Lori

Planning weddings is my dream job. As a single Mom, I live vicariously through my brides. From picking the dress to cutting the cake, I’m there every step of the way.

When I meet the best man at the latest wedding, sparks fly. Graham Frazier is more than I bargained for. The charismatic soccer club owner is disillusioned with marriage after his divorce, so it’s part of my job to make sure he won’t slip any sarcastic jokes in his best man’s speech.

It’s not part of my job to notice his washboard abs, or that he kisses like a dream. Graham’s touch is sizzling.

Before I know it, he bosses me into accepting gifts and spending the night at his house (his excuse is good: I can’t possibly drive after working a wedding, can I?)

I say yes to both. There are no two ways about it. I have the hots for this bossy man.

Graham

Since my divorce, weddings aren’t my favorite events. But when my best friends decide to tie the knot, I promise to throw them a party they won’t forget.

I was counting on sitting through long hours of preparations, but I didn’t count on meeting someone like Lori Connor.

I pursue her relentlessly, wanting those long legs wrapped around me and her smooth skin under my lips.

Then I meet her son, and that boy charms me even faster than his mother did. Before I know it, he has me wrapped around his little finger.

But are Lori and I ready for our lives to intertwine in ways we haven’t even imagined before?

Get your hands on ANYTHING FOR YOU now:

Amazon | iBooks | Kobo | Nook | Audio

Add WILD WITH YOU to Goodreads!

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 I was sporting a grin that took up my entire face—the kind of photo dentists might display in their waiting room.

We’re not doomed to repeat our parents’ mistakes, you know. Or I’ll end up with a bad perm after the age of sixty, or a slight wine addiction. Or both. Imagine the horror.

My Review:

I adored this couple, and what a treat to read a story where the characters aren’t in constant conflict or turmoil but are happy and playfully enjoying and supporting each other instead. It was gratifying and a welcome respite for my bruised coronary muscle. The storylines were engaging and relevant while the characters were endearing, enticing, and bright and shiny. The writing was entertaining and delightfully amusing with witty and bawdy banter. The pairing of Lori and Graham was dynamic and vibrant as both characters were independent, strong, and successful and secure in their careers although lacking in their social lives.   Their attraction was instant, their chemistry was unmistakable, their passion was volcanic, and their story was pleasantly enjoyable and oh, so, sweet. I am simply loving her new series and can’t wait to see what this crafty scribbler does with the rest of the large Connor clan.

Want to win?

Layla Hagen has a great giveaway for running on her facebook page – head on over to check it out!

 

 About Layla Hagen

Layla Hagen is a USA Today bestselling author of contemporary romance.

She fell in love with books when she was nine years old, and her love affair with stories continues even now, many years later.

She writes steamy and romantic stories and can’t wait to share them with the world.

She is represented by fabulous Louise Fury (The Bent Agency)

Website | Twitter | Facebook

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Book Review, Giveaway: Calamity in Camberwell (The London Murder Mysteries Book 3) by Alice Castle

Calamity in Camberwell

(The London Murder Mysteries Book 3)

by Alice Castle

Goodreads

Amazon US/ UK  / B&N

Beth Haldane, SE21’s answer to Miss Marple, worries she is losing a kindred spirit when her friend Jen, the only other single mum in the playground, suddenly gets married and moves to Camberwell.

Soon Beth has to face much more pressing fears. Has something gone horribly wrong with Jen’s marriage? What is her husband really up to? Why is her daughter leading Beth’s son astray? And where on earth IS Jen anyway?

As Beth’s friends push her to start dating again, Beth turns to Met Police DI Harry York for help. But will they solve the mystery in time, or will it turn out that in south-east London, not everyone gets to live happily ever after?

 

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

To onlookers, her long fringe, sturdy build, and diminutive stature might say adorable little Shetland pony, but inside, Ben’s exams made her feel like an overbred dressage horse, nostrils flaring, quivering with nerves before going into the ring to do utterly impossible things with her hooves.

 

Puberty was lurking round the corner, like the bad fairy at the Christening. It would change her soft-skinned, gorgeous boy, with his luxuriant eyelashes and ready smile, into a gangling, bristly, spotty giant that she would scarcely recognise or want to acknowledge.

 

‘What happened? Not a pervert? What was he, a boob man?’ Sam leaned in to get all the details. ‘Toe sucker?’ said Lily understandingly.

 

Oh come on, don’t you recognise Ryan Gosling when you see him? Someone’s just using his picture. You can bet he looks nothing like that at all.

 

‘I should go to the movies more. The only things I see now are superhero films with Ben. He’s ten… I don’t think I’ve seen a man who isn’t wearing a mask and a Lycra bodysuit for years.’ ‘Well, you can probably find loads just like that on Tinder,’ said Sam.

 

What do you call it when you’ve had déjà vu twice? Déjà vu-vu? Or déjà déjà vu?

 

 My Review:

I have become quite a fan of Ms. Castle’s wry and sardonic humor and cleverly amusing depictions of her characters’ appearance, temperament, and contemplations. Her vivid and evocative descriptions never failed to call forth keenly sharp and smirk-inducing visuals. This installment had a lighter tone than the first two volumes as the focus was not on solving a murder (until much later in the book) but rather on the characters themselves.

Widowed for eight years, Beth felt under pressure from her friends and co-workers to return to the social minefield of dating. Her colleagues even introduced her to Tinder – oh my. And being a world-class procrastinator, Beth did what she did best – she dithered and ruminated – over everything. I adored the little pixie boot-wearing sprite but there were times I wanted to give her a good pinch, or ten.

My curiosity was quickly piqued and remained alert to something rather foul and troublesome occurring in the home of her friend Jen, although the discovery of what exactly was always thwarted by Beth’s scatty dithering. I was beginning to despair that the wily author had forgotten to include my favorite Detective Inspector, the Inscrutable Harry York, although he was just busy elsewhere until midway through the book. I look forward to more pairings and hopefully sparks flying for this somewhat recalcitrant duo in future installment as I am totally grooving on this author’s lush word skills. My latest extra fun bonus word addition to my Brit List was “goolies,” which are those rather useless appendages that my coy and genteel Grandmother called the family jewels, but of course, only when absolutely necessary.

Author Bio –

Before turning to crime, Alice Castle was a UK newspaper journalist for The Daily Express, The Times and The Daily Telegraph. Her first book, Hot Chocolate, set in Brussels and London, was a European hit and sold out in two weeks.

Death in Dulwich was published in September 2017 and has been a number one best-seller in the UK, US, Canada, France, Spain and Germany. A sequel, The Girl in the Gallery was published in December 2017 to critical acclaim. Calamity in Camberwell, the third book in the London Murder Mystery series, will be published this summer, with Homicide in Herne Hill due to follow in early 2019. Alice is currently working on the fifth London Murder Mystery adventure. Once again, it will feature Beth Haldane and DI Harry York.

Alice is also a mummy blogger and book reviewer via her website: https://www.alicecastleauthor.com

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/DDsDiary?lang=en

Links to buy books: MyBook.to/GirlintheGallery

myBook.to/1DeathinDulwich

myBook.to/HotChocolate

She lives in south London and is married with two children, two step-children and two cats.

Giveaway 

Win a signed copy of Calamity in Camberwell

(Open Internationally)

*Terms and Conditions –Worldwide entries welcome.  Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below.  The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then 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, Giveaway: INFINITE (A Carolina Beach Novel #3) by Cecy Robson

INFINITE

by Cecy Robson
A Carolina Beach Novel, #3
Publication Date: August 15, 2018
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance, Standalone

NEW RELEASE!

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2L7CiS1
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Amazon MX: https://amzn.to/2Ndseob
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SYNOPSIS

Hale Wilder, aka the Anaconda of Wall Street, spent his childhood fighting to be the best to win his father’s love. He was the best student and the best athlete, who grew into a successful businessman and took the finance world by storm. Want to retire before you’re forty-five? He’s got you. Need your millions to be billions? He’s your man.

Young, rich, and powerful, Hale was unstoppable, until a company scandal destroys his reputation and threatens to bring down everything he’s bled for.

Becca Shields is the kickass public relations goddess spinning scandals to gold and launching has-beens into superstardom. She never expected to see Hale again—not following the humiliating night when her family caught them on the beach, barely clothed.

When Becca discovers Hale is in trouble, she can’t turn her back on the boy who was once her world and the man she never forgot.

Hale never thought he’d have another shot at greatness or with Becca. Now that he has both, he won’t let either go without a fight.

*NOTE* Although a part of a series, INFINITE can be read as a complete STANDALONE and features a new couple!

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My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

She smiles. It’s not that friendly smile I’ve seen her flash to her devoted fans. Come to think of it, I think sharks might have fewer teeth.

I don’t like machines that are smarter than me. I don’t think it’s natural…Ever see the Terminator? … As far as I’m concerned, that’s a lesson in the making.

Candy and flowers are overrated, Becks. Give me clean floors and dinner started and Callahan can have me any way he wants.

You come across as fine and sweet as sugar until you open your mouth and cuss viciously enough to send a drunken sailor staggering off and screaming.

 My Review:

Cecy Robson is a recent find for me and each time I read her work I adore her even more.   Infinite was well-crafted and evenly balanced between heart-squeezing family dysfunction, heartbreaking insights, swoony romance, and amusing wit.   I relish Ms. Robson’s clever humor and comedic observations. My curiosity was captured and held throughout each well-paced and engaging storyline. I fell hard and fast for this couple and was reluctant to put my Kindle down. There were just a few sensual scenes but oh my, they left me breathless.   Cecy Robson has the word voodoo and I will gladly fall under her spell time and time again.

DON’T MISS THE OTHER BOOKS IN THE CAROLINA BEACH SERIES

*****FREEBIE ALERT****

INSEVERABLE (A Carolina Beach Novel, #1)

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ETERNAL (A Carolina Beach Novel, #2)

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ABOUT CECY ROBSON

Cecy Robson is an author of contemporary and new adult romance, young adult adventure, and award-winning urban fantasy. A double-nominated RITA® Finalist, Winner of the Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence, and published author of more than twenty titles, you can typically find Cecy on her laptop or stumbling blindly in search of caffeine.

Connect with Cecy online:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Newsletter | Goodreads | Amazon Author Profile | Bookbub | Instagram

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Book Review: A Recipe for Disaster by Belinda Missen

A Recipe for Disaster

by Belinda Missen

Goodreads 

Amazon US / UK  /  iBooks / B&N

 

Meet Lucy, master wedding cake baker, idealistic school canteen crusader, and someone whose broken heart just won’t seem to mend…

Lucy is quietly confident that she has made the right choices in life. Surrounded by friends and family in a small country town, Lucy can easily suppress the feeling that something is missing from her life.

But when a blast from the past arrives in the form of her estranged husband, international celebrity chef Oliver Murray, Lucy’s carefully constructed life begins to crumble beneath her like overbaked meringue.

Is Oliver’s return all business or is it motivated by something more?

A Recipe for Disaster starts long after most love stories would have ended, proving it is never too late to offer someone a second slice of cake or a second chance.

Perfect for fans of Carole Mathews, Mhairi McFarlane and Carrie Hope Fletcher.

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

A nervous Oliver was like Willy Wonka’s Golden Ticket. You knew there was one out there somewhere, but you’d be hard-pressed to find it without some serious legwork.

A small crowd of adults gathered around the cake, like it was baby Jesus in the manger. Instead of offering me any kind of rare gifts, they offered my cake to the Instagram gods.

My vagina is depressed – that is officially something that can happen, mind you– and I don’t know what to do… It’s a thing… They waste away and die. God knows they probably drop off and run away of their own volition.

You don’t know this is for sure, though, so let’s not roll down worst case scenario hill, it’s right next to depression valley and crazy cat lady land.

I slipped across the road and into my car, all the while reminding myself there were no cakes in prison, nor were there any savoury pinwheels or cheese twists.

A local bookshop is, and I quote, going down quicker than a cheerleader on a Saturday night. Can we please stop by and buy some books?

 My Review:

I giggle-snorted my way through this delightfully witty and cleverly written tale. I have a new favorite author to fangirl as I treasured Belinda Missen’s cunning and irreverent sense of humor and would gleefully worship at her writing desk as her rabid acolyte. I had reams of favorite quotes to painfully whittle down to include in my review. The characters were quirky and endearing yet deeply flawed and I held my breath for them as a couple as I couldn’t tell what outcome this sly scribbler was going to choose for them. Lucy was a prickly pear and still nursing a grudge and tended to be defensive and pick unnecessary fights and fly off in a temper, yet I still adored her.

The writing was crisp and insightful and pulled sharp visuals to mind while tripping my salivary gland and whetting my appetite with the keenly detailed efforts of, and the sumptuous meals and delectable treats created and ingested by, Chefs Oliver and Lucy. For some reason, my clothes feel a bit tighter – as if my immense enjoyment of Ms. Missen’s crafty and delicious words had led my traitorous body to believe I had actually consumed the vast amounts of butter and sugar described. Curses! If this phenomenon were possible it would surely happen to me.

Author Bio –

Belinda Missen is an award-winning and best-selling author, screenwriter, and freelance writer from Geelong, Australia.

A reader from an early age, Belinda began writing her own stories shortly after her love affair with Steven Spielberg’s film Jurassic Park began. What began as fan-fiction soon took deeper root, and she was scribbling out strange little stories in empty notebooks she found laying around the house.

With qualifications in transport and office administration and a combined career of fifteen years in these industries, Belinda decided to uproot everything in 2013 and return to her first love of writing. She now writes full-time, between cups of coffee, binge-watching television, and feeding her cats and husband.

In April 2016, she was awarded the JOLT Courthouse Youth Arts Award in the Inspire 26+ Category for her pieceObsession.

In February 2017, her book Love And Other Midnight Theories clawed its way to the top of the Amazon charts in its category of Performing Arts, beating JK Rowling’s Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. True story – she has the screenshots to prove it.

When not dabbling in the written word, Belinda can be found mentoring other writers, beta-reading, reviewing, helping others to ready books for publication, and sleeping. In the digital world, she can be found online at Goodreads, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest

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Book Review: Rancher’s Dream (The Montana Cahills #6) by B. J. Daniels

Rancher’s Dream

The Montana Cahills #6

by B. J. Daniels

Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages

Publisher: HQN; Original edition (July 24, 2018)

A bride becomes a target in New York Times bestselling author B.J. Daniels’s latest can’t-miss suspense

Tragedy sent Deidre “Drey” Hunter running from rancher Hawk Cahill and into the arms of a sleek businessman who promised her a new life. But dreams of Manhattan days and cosmopolitan nights shatter when he brings her back to an ultramodern paradise in her hometown of Gilt Edge—and vanishes on their wedding night.

Taunted by seclusion and silence, Drey starts to doubt everything…including her sanity. Only Hawk, the stubborn cowboy from her school days, believes the threats are real and that someone is ready to kill. But is he willing to forgive the past if it means ending her nightmare?

My Rating:

My Review:

This intriguing volume in the Cahill series was taut with suspense and included a generous dollop of second chance romance. There were several compelling mysteries to solve and secrets to reveal. The evidence was muddled concerning the incredibly naïve Drey being set-up, gaslighted, or losing her mind, and although I had strong suspicions as to who was behind her tribulations, I couldn’t discern the why.   And I loved that. Ms. Daniels has skillfully penned a crazy good mystery as her writing kept me attentive, on-edge, and highly curious. The separate storylines wove in and out until combining seamlessly into a satisfying conclusion. The final installment of this beloved series is in the works and I look forward to seeing how this crafty writer wraps things up.

About B. J. Daniels

NYT and USA Today Bestselling author B.J. Daniels was born in Texas but moved with her family to Montana at the age of five. Her first home was a cabin in the Gallatin Canyon and later a lake house on Hebgen Lake outside of West Yellowstone.

Most of her books are set in Montana, a place she loves. She lives now in a unique part of the state with her husband and three Springer Spaniels.

When she isn’t writing, she loves to play tennis, boat, camp, quilt and snowboard. There is nothing she enjoys more than curling up with a good book.

Connect with B. J. Daniels

Website | Facebook | Twitter

 

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Book Review: Murder at the Flamingo by Rachel McMillan

 Murder at the Flamingo

 A Van Buren and DeLuca Mystery (Book 1)

by Rachel McMillan

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 352 pages

Thomas Nelson (July 10, 2018)

 

“Maybe it was time to land straight in the middle of the adventure…”

Hamish DeLuca has spent most of his life trying to hide the anxiety that appears at the most inopportune times — including during his first real court case as a new lawyer. Determined to rise above his father’s expectations, Hamish runs away to Boston where his cousin, Luca Valari, is opening a fashionable nightclub in Scollay Square.  When he meets his cousin’s “right-hand man” Reggie, Hamish wonders if his dreams for a more normal life might be at hand.

Regina “Reggie” Van Buren, heir to a New Haven fortune, has fled fine china, small talk, and the man her parents expect her to marry. Determined to make a life as the self-sufficient city girl she’s seen in her favorite Jean Arthur and Katharine Hepburn pictures, Reggie runs away to Boston, where she finds an easy secretarial job with the suave Luca Valari. But as she and Hamish work together in Luca’s glittering world, they discover a darker side to the smashing Flamingo nightclub.

When a corpse is discovered at the Flamingo, Reggie and Hamish quickly learn there is a vast chasm between the haves and the have-nots in 1937 Boston—and that there’s an underworld that feeds on them both. As Hamish is forced to choose between his conscience and loyalty to his beloved cousin, the unlikely sleuthing duo work to expose a murder before the darkness destroys everything they’ve worked to build.

 

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 Sometimes stories are in the people whose life’s pages no one thinks of turning…

Reggie didn’t have the privilege of choice when it came to finding gainful employment. Economic times had fallen hard for those with numerous skills she didn’t possess.

She almost missed having someone to rush home and apply red lipstick for. Someone to turn in front of a mirror and adjust her skirt for. Someone she would watch the clock to be fashionably late for…

They both knew Luca had a past. Heck, anyone seeing that suave Valentino gait would know Luca Valari had a past. And probably a present.

There are layers and layers of crime here. You’d think it was a chocolate cake.

“He’s too good looking to be sinister,” Nate reassured with a wink at Hamish. “Besides, he doesn’t have the right mustache.”

Hamish couldn’t help but follow Reggie with his eyes. He hadn’t known fabric could cling like that. The material of her dress knew what it was doing…

My Review:

It took me several chapters to ease into this tale and acclimate to the writer’s style. This was a slowly developing story with tons of details that filled my head and initially appeared merely observational yet gradually most of these ancillary tidbits dovetailed into a finely woven tapestry. This was a thoughtful and insightful read that included, gangsters, mystery, a bit of pining romance, family drama, humor, Bostonian history, and one character’s interest in the newly created Superman comics.

Murder at the Flamingo kicked off a new series and was my first time reading the talented scribblings of Rachel McMillian. Ms. McMillian has a unique writing style and provided a complicated and intriguing plot populated with distinctive, intriguingly flawed, and complex characters.   Her writing was highly descriptive calling forth sharp visuals that included not only the sounds and sights but also set the emotional tone for each scene. What I struggled the most with was the lack of communication between the characters as they all seemed so secretive and furtive, as such, the majority of the book consisted of the observations and inner musings of the highly captivating two main protagonists who aspired to be Nick and Nora from The Thin Man movies, although, unfortunately, they were lacking the adorable Asta.

About Rachel McMillan

Rachel McMillan is a history enthusiast, lifelong bibliophile, and author of the Herringford and Watts series. When not reading (or writing), Rachel can be found at the theater, traveling near and far, and watching far too many British miniseries. Rachel lives in Toronto where she works in educational publishing and is always planning her next trip to Boston. Facebook: RachKMc1; Twitter: @RachKMc; Instagram: RachKMc.

Connect with Rachel

Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

 

 

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Book Review: Little Pink Taxi by Maria Laval

Little Pink Taxi

by Maria Laval

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Rosalie Heart is a well-known face in Irlwick – well, if you drive a bright pink taxi and your signature style is a pink anorak, you’re going to draw a bit of attention! But Rosalie’s company Love Taxis is more than just a gimmick – for many people in the remote Scottish village, it’s a lifeline.

Which is something that Marc Petersen will never understand. Marc’s ruthless approach to business doesn’t extend to pink taxi companies running at a loss. When he arrives in Irlwick to see to a new acquisition – Raventhorn, a rundown castle – it’s apparent he poses a threat to Rosalie’s entire existence; not just her business, but her childhood home too.

On the face of it Marc and Rosalie should loathe each other, but what they didn’t count on was somebody playing cupid …

 

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

Well, she had some old wizard cast a spell on the bed before her nuptials to make sure her betrothed could … Perform … Over the years, this bed has proved a steady source of income for the McBrides. Any man whose virility was in need of a little …push could bring his wife here for a fee –a jar of whiskey, a brace of pheasants, a good-sized salmon. Every mark on the bedposts represents a successful night… We organise weddings here now, and people come a long way to … ahem … stay, in this bed.

The kind of physical attraction she’d never experienced before, but that could, according to her friend Alice’s late night confessions, make you lose your head, your self-respect, and most of your clothing.

Now it’s time for the Stitch and Bitch group… The local knitting group or “Knit and Natter”, as they are formally known.

What’s wrong? Is it a little too strong for you? … Perhaps my hand slipped as I was pouring in the coffee granules … unless I mistook the pepper container for sugar.

My Review:

 

With the playful cover and title, I was expecting a Rom/Com, and although the entertaining storylines included romance and amusing humor, there were also strong elements of mystery and suspense with and serious crimes that were committed and solved along the way.   I enjoyed the premise, quirky characters, smooth writing style and well-paced mysteries that kept my curiosity primed.

There was a bit of everything in this story including a hidden treasure, ghosts, parentage issues, and a series of vexing crimes that started out as small nuisances before mushrooming into more serious felonies that included hit and run, sabotage, attempted murder, kidnapping, blackmail, burglary, and assault. And I dare not forget the mythical properties of the magical bed with centuries worth of actual notches.

I reveled in the quirky traits and colorful descriptions and behaviors Ms. Laval gave her characters. I adored the major players although the character of Rosalie was not always likable as she was stubborn and immature and prone to outbursts and childish displays of temper – of course, I have never been accused of such annoying behaviors myself as I’m simply lovely, all-the-time.

I have two sparkling new additions to my British Isles Vocab list with “yob,” which Mr. Google informed me was a rude, noisy and aggressive young man, and “bampot,” which according to the Urban Dictionary is a Scottish term meaning ‘hooligan’ or ‘trouble-maker’, so essentially, they are much the same thing and both quite fun to say.

 

Author Bio –

Originally from Lyon in France, Marie now lives in Lancashire with her family. She works full-time as a modern languages teacher, and in her spare times loves writing romance and dreaming about romantic heroes. She writes both historical and contemporary romance, and her historical romance The Lion’s Embrace won the Gold Medal at the Global eBook Awards 2015 (category Historical Romance). She is a member of the Romantic Novelists Association and the Society of Authors. Her native France, as well as her passion for history and research, very much influences her writing, and all her novels have what she likes to call ‘a French twist’!

Social Media Links –

Twitter:
www.twitter.com/MarieLaval1
Blog: http://marielaval.blogspot.co.uk/