Jane Doe

by Victoria Helen Stone

Amazon | Books-A-Million | Barnes & Noble

Lake Union Publishing (August 1, 2018)

A double life with a single purpose: revenge.

Jane’s days at a Midwest insurance company are perfectly ordinary. She blends in well, unremarkably pretty in her floral-print dresses and extra efficient at her low-level job. She’s just the kind of woman middle manager Steven Hepsworth likes—meek, insecure, and willing to defer to a man. No one has any idea who Jane really is. Least of all Steven.

But plain Jane is hiding something. And Steven’s bringing out the worst in her.

Nothing can distract Jane from going straight for his heart: allowing herself to be seduced into Steven’s bed, to insinuate herself into his career and his family, and to expose all his dirty secrets. It’s time for Jane to dig out everything that matters to Steven. So she can take it all away.

Just as he did to her.

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

I’ve been to church plenty of times. When you grow up in rural Oklahoma, there’s no avoiding it… We had no use for pull-yourself-up-by-your-bootstraps Christianity. If there wasn’t a big potluck after services, what was the point of going? My mom always stayed late, putting on a show of helping clean up. I liked that part. There were lots of leftovers, and she usually smuggled out a couple of free serving bowls.

That first time I read about sociopaths, I felt filled up with a bright light that was equal parts terror and joy. Finally—finally!—I understood. It was scary to know the truth, yes, but not nearly as frightening as ignorance… later research at the county library assured me that most people like me don’t grow up to be killers. We lie and manipulate and take advantage, but usually that just makes us great at business. Yay for capitalism…

There are a lot of us. More than I even realized back then. Most of us are just trying to get through the day, like aliens living secretly among humans. And we’re great for the economy. It’s easy to turn a profit when you have no self-doubt.

The clerk is a pale young man who looks like he suffered a terrible haircut nine months ago and decided to never try again.

Everyone likes to be told they are right, because that means someone else is deliciously, fantastically wrong, and that is a joy that never gets old. I like it too.

Don’t believe the movies about us. Being a sociopath doesn’t automatically make someone a genius at killing. I’m learning on the job here.

 My Review:

Gird yourselves – this is going to be a full-on rave and I fear my anxiously eager yet well-manicured fingers may not be able to keep up. Jane Doe was a tasty treat! It was deliciously snarky, brilliantly written, expertly crafted, and savagely clever. I loved every fiendishly compelling word. It was wicked good, and I feel impotent and ineffectual, as I cannot mentally retrieve enough lofty adjectives and adverbs to do it justice.

I was immediately sucked into Jane’s cunning vortex and honestly, I didn’t want to leave as I took great pleasure in being a hitchhiker within her deviously sly cranium and being privy to her sardonic inner musings and razor-sharp insights while she ingeniously plotted the demise of her best friend’s tormenter. In deciding the best course of action for her vengeance, Jane debated and shuffled through various scenarios in determining her plan. I was gleefully cheering her on every step of the way and greatly relieved when she landed on the winning combination without bloodshed, yet was far more devastating. I had never read this author in either incarnation whether Victoria Helen Stone or Victoria Dahl, but she is my new favorite. I adore her. Fangirl down!

About Victoria Helen Stone

Victoria Helen Stone is the nom de plume for USA Today bestselling author Victoria Dahl. After publishing more than twenty-five novels, she is now taking a turn toward the darker side of genre fiction. Born and educated in the Midwest, she finished her first manuscript just after college. In 2016, the American Library Association awarded her the prestigious Reading List Award for outstanding genre fiction. Having escaped the plains of her youth, she now resides with her family in a small town high in the Rocky Mountains, where she enjoys hiking, snowshoeing, and not skiing (too dangerous).

Connect with Victoria

Website | Twitter

Forgive Me Not

by Samantha Tonge

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Amazon UK  / US / B&N / 

 Kobo /  Google / iBooks

Forgiveness can be hard to come by… An unputdownable new novel from bestseller Samantha Tonge

How far would you go to make amends?

When Emma fled her home at Foxglove Farm, she’d let down and hurt those who cared for her most. But now, two years later, she’s ready to face up to her past; she’s ready to go back.

But Emma’s unannounced return causes more problems than she could have foreseen. The people she knew and loved aren’t ready to forget, let alone forgive. And the one person she wants to reconnect with the most, her mother, can’t remember who she is.

Just as Emma starts to rebuild trust, an uncovered family secret and a shocking past crime threaten her newly forged future…

Sometimes simply saying sorry isn’t enough.

Perfect for readers of Ruth Hogan or Amanda Prowse, this is an extraordinary and unforgettable novel about running away from yourself – and finding a way back.

My Rating:

Favorite Quote:

Forgiving isn’t so easy, is it? You’ve waltzed back into our lives expecting us to say that we understand. That we’ll forget what happened in the past. Now you know what it feels like to be hurt irrevocably by someone you love. How difficult it is to understand how they could do that. 

My Review:

Forgive Me Not was not what I was expecting, it really wasn’t my cup of tea as my personal preference is to eschew high angst and constant conflict. Yet the book was well written and a thought-provoking family drama, and certainly gave me pause in my own thinking as it squeezed my heart and put a few hot rocks in my throat.   Having dealt with more than my share of addicted and/or prevaricating personalities, I had a hard time appreciating the main character of Emma. Emma had been a rather heinous problem child and abandoned her family after causing and leaving them with yet another appallingly hideous mess. She was the worst type of manipulative and selfish party girl and had been for quite some time. After she finally hit bottom and found an impetus to clean up in rehab, she slowly and carefully went about her recovery and sincerely attempted to make amends, but she didn’t seem to fully realize just how much she needed to atone for.

Emma returned to her small village but not to the open arms she was hoping for; her family and the entire community at large were having none of it as they were struggling with their own hard times – and they were more than done with Emma. Every single one of them doubted her veracity, and for good reason. I didn’t blame them. Not one bit. I’ve jettisoned people for far less. But it was rather unnerving for me to consider if maybe, possibly, I should have given some of those a third chance. Although this was probably Emma’s thousandth chance… But there are some acts that cut extra deep and just aren’t forgivable, and Emma had committed far too many of those, and repeatedly, and to my horror – with little consequence.

The writing was insightfully observant and evocative with several interesting storylines involving the small and quirky little village and its unique inhabitants. To end on an upbeat, I do have yet another new addition for my Brit List with “mithering,” which Mr. Google defined as to irritate or pester. I cannot wait to start employing its use.

About Samantha Tonge

Samantha Tonge lives in Manchester UK and her passion, second to spending time with her husband and children, is writing. She studied German and French at university and has worked abroad, including a stint at Disneyland Paris. She has traveled widely.

When not writing she passes her days cycling, baking and drinking coffee. Samantha has sold many dozens of short stories to women’s magazines.

In 2013, she landed a publishing deal for romantic comedy fiction with HQDigital at HarperCollins and in 2014, her bestselling debut novel, Doubting Abbey, was shortlisted for the Festival of Romantic Fiction best Ebook award. In 2015 her summer novel, Game of Scones, hit #5 in the UK Kindle chart and won the Love Stories Awards Best Romantic Ebook category.

Links

Twitter: https://twitter.com/SamTongeWriter

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

Website: http://samanthatonge.co.uk/

Death in Dulwich

by Alice Castle

Goodreads

Amazon US / UK    B&N

Thirty-something single mum Beth Haldane is forced to become Dulwich’s answer to Miss Marple when she stumbles over a murder victim on her first day at work.

To clear her name, Beth is plunged into a cozy mystery that’s a contemporary twist on Golden Age crime classics. But can she pull it off? She already has a bouncy young son, haughty cat, a fringe with a mind of its own and lots of bills to pay, as she struggles to keep up with the yummy mummies of SE21.

Join Beth in #1 of the London Murder Mystery series, as she discovers the nastiest secrets can lurk in the nicest places.

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

The spring sunshine glinted off perfectly tousled blonde hair and the equally shiny metal clasps of a new handbag, the size of a well-fed toddler. Beth raised her eyebrows at Katie. That bag must have cost more than her monthly mortgage payment.

Dr Grover was famously married to a willowy actress– the only factor that kept most of Dulwich’s divorcees at bay. But when had being married ever stopped people? True, if it ever got out, there would be a fuss; not least from the disappointed divorcees.

It was true that the man had had a certain arrogant swagger. She’d just thought it had come from being a guy of a certain age, in possession of a penis. There was a type and a generation of men who thought this simple appendage made them superior to every woman around them, and also, in some very strange corner of their psyche, convinced that all females desperately wanted them to demonstrate their skills with that specific piece of gristle at the slightest opportunity, whether the women demurred or not.

 My Review:

I took a gamble and decided to read an unfamiliar author with a three-part British mystery series, a genre I haven’t indulged in for ages. While still on page one I was struck by the refreshingly comfortable and amusing writing style, allowing me to relax into my chair and settle in for a cozy treat. The storylines were slowly developed yet easy to follow, engaging, and character driven. I relished Ms. Castle’s dry wit and use of vibrant descriptions and amusing details, which often brought and kept a smirk to my lips. A young widow and single-mom, Beth was having the worst type of first day of a new job with the disheartening realization that her new boss was a loathsome letch, only to be the one to find that loathsome letch dead a few hours later while on her way to lunch. Yikes. Talk about bad luck… Beth had no alibi and being the snoopy sort, she felt compelled to launch her own inquiries for fear she was the top suspect. Although her efforts to clear her name were vaguely thought out and she tended to dither, I adored her anyway. I am eagerly looking forward to more of her hapless adventures and am ready to gobble the next installment, which is currently idling on my kindle.

Author Bio   – Alice Castle

 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

Giveaway

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The Girl in the Gallery (UK Only)

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Here Comes the Best Man

by Angela Britnell

Goodreads

Amazon UK / US 

Being the best man is a lot to live up to …

When troubled army veteran and musician Josh Robertson returns home to Nashville to be the best man at his younger brother Chad’s wedding he’s just sure that he’s going to mess it all up somehow.

But when it becomes clear that the wedding might not be going to plan, it’s up to Josh and fellow guest Louise Giles to make sure that Chad and his wife-to-be Maggie get their perfect day.

Can Josh be the best man his brother needs? And is there somebody else who is beginning to realize that Josh could be her ‘best man’ too?

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

Even Goodwill wouldn’t accept Josh’s old clothes, his last haircut was six months ago and his haphazard shave could serve as the before picture for a razor commercial.

‘I’ve gotta get in practise for being an obedient husband.’ ‘I’m sure you’ll get it right after about fifty years,’

The Brits should use Audrey as a lethal weapon. She’d be much cheaper than any atomic bomb and far more deadly.

Audrey had been adopted by a crowd of half-drunk girls on a bachelorette party and he’d overheard them encouraging the old lady to talk so they could listen to her. One of the ringleaders yelled at the top of her voice that they’d found the elderly countess from Downton Abbey.

For a forty-year-old man you sure don’t know much about women… A wise man smiles, agrees and does what he’s told.

My Review:

I was new to the series and the author and starting on installment number five yet it didn’t seem to be a detriment, although I am sure I would have enjoyed the first four as well as these characters apparently have each had a colorful past. The storylines moved quickly in several directions before finally converging for a satisfactory conclusion with generous sprinkles of levity, steam, mild bridezilla meltdowns, family drama, working through old issues and anxieties, and pulling a wedding together without bloodshed – which is always tricky 😉 A new brain wrinkle for me was Scotch eggs, something I’m now quite curious about and will order the next chance I get.

Author Bio – Angela Britnell 

Angela grew up in Cornwall, England and returns frequently from her new home in Nashville, Tennessee. A lifelong love of reading turned into a passion for writing contemporary romance and her novels are usually set in the many places she’s visited or lived on her extensive travels. After more than three decades of marriage to her American husband, she’s a huge fan of transatlantic romance and always makes sure her characters get their own happy-ever-after. Over the last twelve years, she’s published over 20 novels and several short stories for women’s magazines. She is a member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association, the Romance Writers of America and the Music City Romance Writers.

Social Media Links –

www.angelabritnellromance.com

www.facebook.com/angelabritnell

www.twitter.com/angelabritnell

https://www.instagram.com/angelagolleybritnell/

Kissing in the Rain 

(Blushing Bay #2.5)

Annie Rains

Goodreads

Amazon /  B&N 

A Blushing Bay Prequel Novella

After a rough year, Jillian Maready is overdue for a relaxing weekend getaway. Where better to find that than Blushing Bay, North Carolina where her family vacationed growing up? When she sets sail on her own, however, she ends up stranded on a deserted island in the middle of one of the biggest storms of the summer—and in the arms of her sexy childhood crush.

As part of the Coast Guard Reserve, Gabe Sawyer is used to search and rescues. After learning that his sister’s best friend is in trouble, he doesn’t hesitate to brave the storm to find her. With the raging seas too volatile to navigate back, Gabe is in over his head when he and Jillian must spend one hot summer night surviving the storm together—and giving in to their sizzling attraction. But what happens when the sun comes back out?

My Rating:

Favorite Quote:

I don’t hate your guts. I’m just not very fond of them.

My Review:

This saucy little second chance tale was short and sweet and a petite side story to accompany the other installments in this engaging series featuring the Sawyer family.   Jillian and Gabe shared an embarrassing episode in their teens when fifteen-year-old bookworm Jillian had thrown herself at Gabe, her first crush and best friend’s older brother. He had also feelings for her at the time but didn’t feel it appropriate, and his rejection had humiliated and continued to sting years later. Nothing like being cold, wet, and in need of shared body heat while stranded together in a storm to work out those pesky issues.

Annie Rains is a USA Today bestselling author who writes small-town love stories set in fictional towns on the coast of North Carolina. Raised in one of America’s largest military communities, Annie often features heroes who fight for their countries, while also fighting for a place to call home and a good woman to love. When Annie isn’t writing, she’s spending time with her husband and three children, or reading a book by one of her favorite authors.

Website /  Goodreads / Amazon / Facebook / Twitter

Me and Mr. Jones

(Heartbreak Hotel Book 2)

by Christie Ridgway

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

Jessie’s expression fell, looking as if he’d broken her favorite toy and stolen the last of her Halloween candy.

I have a cat. A white cat… Hildr, after a famous Viking shieldmaiden. She killed her enemies in battle and wore their dried penises on a belt around her waist.

He ordered them each beers from the female bartender who wore a Harley-Davidson tank top and jeans so tight they seemed to split her in two from behind.

“Married a jerk,” she said matter-of-factly. “Promised me the moon and gave me green cheese instead.”

My Review:

I’m enjoying this light and entertaining series featuring couples who have no interest in being a part of any couple, but by the end of the book, they have become one none the less. The premise and storylines were entertaining and easy to follow with an even balance of angst, sizzle, and humor. Although initially despondent after being abandoned hours before her elaborate wedding, Audra began to rejoin the land of the living before growing excessively crusty and devised two separate bucket list types of activities after taking stock of her Goody-Two-Shoes personality and “pleaser gene” tendencies. I enjoyed Audra attempting to locate and embrace her more daring feisty side with the assistance of a sexy hotelier.

About the Author