Category: Book Reviews

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Book Review, Giveaway: Jersey Six by Jewel E. Ann

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“Jewel E. Ann has once again crafted a flawless story that is utterly unique and unforgettable. Hands down my favorite book of 2019!”

— Aly Martinez, USA Today bestselling author

Jersey Six, an all-new “intriguing, gut-wrenching and raw” romantic suspense from Jewel E. Ann, is available now!

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How far would you go for revenge?

A hit-and-run accident leaves Jersey Six orphaned and homeless on the streets of Newark, shattering her dreams of school dances, pink nail polish, and a diploma.

Eight years later, a burn victim with amnesia wanders into Jersey’s barely-existent life. She resists his efforts to form a friendship until he reveals knowledge of the person responsible for derailing her future. Through their unusual friendship, she discovers a way to avenge the deaths of her foster parents.

All she has to do is destroy the world’s biggest rock star.

In the ultimate game of sex, lies, and manipulation, can Jersey discover the truth? Or will she be blinded by attraction, deceived by love, and destroyed by her past?

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Download your copy today or read FREE in Kindle Unlimited!

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2EXNz3c

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

Amazon Paperback: https://amzn.to/2WIS8nR

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

 

My Rating:

Favorite Quote:

 

Sometimes … sometimes when you close your eyes, when darkness comforts you, the truth doesn’t matter because no one can see it.

 

My Review:

 

I am grappling for the appropriate words to describe this cleverly crafted and emotionally stunning book. It devastated me and turned me inside out and wouldn’t let go. I am rattled and in knots, yet I reveled in the totality of the experience.

 

The storylines were complicated and all kinds of twisted with tragedy and life-altering misery and were laced together with a cast of complex and deeply damaged characters who were not always likable but were extremely compelling. I was taut with tension and fully invested as I cringed, gasped, bit my cuticles, and gritted my teeth. It was worth the distress and every prickle of unease as the writing was ingeniously perceptive and packed a powerful punch. Jewel E. Ann has achieved a new level of sorcery – her word voodoo is without equal.

 

Excerpt:

“We ate at the hotel.” Her lips twisted to the side. “Mind if I stick some stuff in my bag for later?”

A tiny wrinkle formed between Ian’s eyes, just below the long sweep of his black bangs. “There will be lots of food available later too. But…” he shrugged, leaning forward and resting his elbows on his knees “…take whatever you want.”

Jersey glanced over her shoulder at the food and the three other men in the room. She decided to wait a little while before shoving as much as possible into her bag like a free-for-all. “Thanks.” Jersey returned her attention to Ian. “So … you’re a singer. Like … are you a big deal?”

Every word she spoke seemed to feed his level of happiness. “Well …” He rubbed his chin, twisting his lips. “We play music. People like to listen to our music. But no … it’s not a big deal. We’re not saving lives or anything like that.”

She eyed him with suspicion for a few seconds. That smile of his didn’t feel worthy of complete trust. “Um … what exactly do you need me to do? What’s my job? They already took Chris. Will that big, bearded guy come for me too?” Jersey couldn’t remember his name.

“No.” Ian stood, pushing his elbows out from his shoulders, twisting side to side. “Tonight you are just going to watch the concert from backstage. Tomorrow night you’ll sell merchandise.”

“Drugs. You mean drugs, don’t you?”

Ian paused his stretching, letting his arms fall limp to his sides. “Merchandise—T-shirts, posters, keychains, phone cases, hats, guitar pics …”

“To who?”

“Fans.” Ian grinned. “Okay. I might have understated all of this to you … can you name a famous singer? Old or new. Doesn’t matter. Just a famous singer.”

“I had a foster parent who used to listen to Josh Groban.” Jersey gnashed her teeth, still feeling so much anger. Dena wasn’t just a foster parent; she was Jersey’s friend.

“Okay. Well, Josh has sold millions of records, and he’s a huge star in his genre of music. Thousands of people pack venues all over the world to see him sing live in concert. And they sell merchandise of his at those concerts.”

Jersey gazed unblinkingly at Ian as he scratched his jaw.

“Well, I sing a different genre of music, but I, too, travel the world, singing to sold-out concert venues, andI have people who sell my merchandise at these concerts.”

Jersey dropped her bag to her feet and planted her fists on her hips. “Listen, Coop. Stop talking down to me. I’m not an idiot. I know what a concert is. But earlier today you didn’t say what you did or what the job was you were offering. You bought a homeless person a hot dog and offered her a job. Of course, I’m going to think something sketchy might be involved.”

Tipping her chin up, she held her breath to puff out her chest, pretending the recent revelation of Ian Cooper being a famous singer didn’t faze her one bit. Inside, Jersey’s heart hammered into her ribcage, and her mind reeled trying to figure out the day’s events.

“Coop?” His lips twitched into a tiny grin.

“It’s short for Cooper.”

“Clearly.” Ian chuckled. “But my name is Ian. Everyone calls me Ian.”

“I busted the nose and jaw of a kid named Ian. He tried to stick his cock in my ass. I’ll call you Tom, Dick, or Harry, but I’m not calling you Ian because that makes me want to physically harm you.”

Ian’s eyebrows shot up his forehead as his head whipped back a few inches. “Coop it is.”

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Enter Jewel’s giveaway for a signed paperback and swag!

https://www.jeweleann.com/jersey-six-giveaway

About Jewel

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

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

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

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

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Connect with Jewel

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/JewelE_Ann

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authorjeweleann/

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/jewel-e-ann

Stay up to date with Jewel by joining her mailing list:

http://www.jeweleann.com/free-booksubscribe/

http://www.jeweleann.com

 

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 Book Review: The Woman in the White Kimono by Ana Johns

 The Woman in the White Kimono

by Ana Johns

 

Amazon US / UK / CA / AU 

 B&N / iBooks

Hardcover: 352 Pages

Publisher: Park Row; Original edition (May 28, 2019)

Oceans and decades apart, two women are inextricably bound by the secrets between them.

Japan, 1957. Seventeen-year-old Naoko Nakamura’s prearranged marriage to the son of her father’s business associate would secure her family’s status in their traditional Japanese community, but Naoko has fallen for another man—an American sailor, a gaijin—and to marry him would bring great shame upon her entire family. When it’s learned Naoko carries the sailor’s child, she’s cast out in disgrace and forced to make unimaginable choices with consequences that will ripple across generations.

America, present day. Tori Kovac, caring for her dying father, finds a letter containing a shocking revelation—one that calls into question everything she understood about him, her family and herself. Setting out to learn the truth behind the letter, Tori’s journey leads her halfway around the world to a remote seaside village in Japan, where she must confront the demons of the past to pave a way for redemption.

In breathtaking prose and inspired by true stories from a devastating and little-known era in Japanese and American history, The Woman in the White Kimono illuminates a searing portrait of one woman torn between her culture and her heart, and another woman on a journey to discover the true meaning of home.

 

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

Each step I took brought me closer to my future and farther away from my family. It was a contrast of extremes in every sense, but I had somehow found my place between them. That was what Buddha called the middle way. The correct balance of life. I called it happy. A life with love is happy. A life for love is foolish. A life of if only is unbearable. In my seventy-eight years, I have had all three.

 

“Chase two hares and you will catch neither,” says Grandmother. This is but a single parable in her arsenal of many. She releases them like arrows, but instead of one, which breaks with ease, she slings ten to a bundle.

 

I should hurry, but I’m already late, and as Grandmother says, “If you are going to eat poison, you may as well clean your plate.” I kick the gravel, causing angry puffs of loose dirt to rise in protest.

 

When I first met Hajime in Yokosuka, his eyes charmed me. They captured light and sparkled like water absorbing the sun.

 

To pick the correct one is fate. To pick the wrong one is also fate. So, you must choose your love, and be prepared to love your choice.

 

Time is a stubborn creature that delights in goading you. When happy, it sprouts wings and flies. When waiting, it drags through thick mud with heavy feet.

 

My Review:

 

Ana Johns is a bewitching storyteller. Her expertly crafted tale mesmerized and gutted me while essentially holding me transfixed to my Kindle from start to finish. How is this astounding work her first novel?!?   I rarely cry but this poignantly written book moved me to tears several times and, okay, I will even confess to ugly cry sobbing. Any author who can perform such a rare fete deserves a ten-star rating.

 

The storylines were a well-researched blend of fact and fiction while cunningly related within brilliant and highly emotive narratives.   I instantly fell right into Ms. John’s cleverly woven story as if sucked into a vortex that zipped me back and forth from post-war 1950s Japan and present-day USA – and thankfully did so with without jetlag, confusion, or motion sickness. The characters were compellingly drawn, admirable, and strong – yet struggling with limited choices and truly miserable options. I was intrigued, horrified, staggered, captivated, completely invested, heartbroken, enthralled, and totally engaged by this powerful and transportive story. It is safe to say that Ana Johns has a newly minted fangirl.

About the Author

ANA JOHNS worked over twenty years in the creative arts field, as both a creative director and business owner, before turning her hand to fiction. Born and raised in metro Detroit, she now resides in Indianapolis with her family. The Woman in the White Kimono is her first novel.

Connect with Ana

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

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Book Review, Giveaway: To the Stars and Back by Camilla Isley

 

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To the Stars and Back

by Camilla Isley

Amazon  / B&N

When Hollywood’s sexiest bachelor meets the girl next door their relationship doesn’t follow the script…

On-screen, Christian Slade is America’s favorite heartthrob. Off-screen, letting romance into his life isn’t as easy. The women he dates all seem to want a piece of his glamorous life rather than his heart, and trust doesn’t come easy for him.

Then along comes Lana. A beautiful rocket scientist who’s also sweet, smart, sexy, and has absolutely no idea who he is. But what will happen when she finds out?

Will their worlds prove too far apart or could love really be like in the movies?

 

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

“Two adults booking a room at the Peninsula? They’re not here to play Scrabble,” she hisses.

 

“I’m trying to find a silver lining,” Winter says. “If breaking up with Jonathan isn’t giving you the slightest chest pain, perhaps it isn’t all bad you broke up. I mean, he and my sister are two cockroaches who deserve to burn in hell forever, but maybe it was about time you took your relationship with John behind the barn and shot it.”

 

 My Review:

 

This was a fun and appealing read that was smartly written and I can boast it was also informative as well since the main character was a rocket scientist who taught me the little known fact that there is a scientific unit of measurement called a slug, which weighs 32.2 pounds.   And my mother always chided me for reading fiction – claiming it was a waste of time.

 

I adored these characters, they were easily accessible and highly likable and I wanted good things for them.   Penned in my favorite dual POV, the writing style was crisp and engaging, yet also perceptive and loaded with wry wit and clever touches such as naming identical twins Summer and Winter.   I easily fell into this tale from the very beginning and felt happily entertained and well pleased as I zipped through their star-crossed storylines.

About the Author

Camilla is an engineer turned writer after she quit her job to follow her husband on an adventure abroad.

She’s a cat lover, coffee addict, and shoe hoarder. Besides writing, she loves reading—duh!—cooking, watching bad TV, and going to the movies—popcorn, please. She’s a bit of a foodie, nothing too serious. A keen traveler, Camilla knows mosquitoes play a role in the ecosystem, and she doesn’t want to starve all those frog princes out there, but she could really live without them.

Social Media Links –

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

Twitter https://twitter.com/camillaisley

Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14135080.Camilla_Isley

Bookbub https://www.bookbub.com/authors/camilla-isley

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Pinterest https://www.pinterest.com/camillaisley/

Giveaway

 Win a To The Stars and Back Tote Bag

(Open to UK Only)

*Terms and Conditions –  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 dispatch or delivery of the prize.

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Book Review: Stiff Suit (Ponderosa Resort Romantic Comedies Book 5) by Tawna Fenske

Stiff Suit (Ponderosa Resort Romantic Comedies Book 5)

by Tawna Fenske

Amazon US / UK / CA / AU / 

B&N/ iBooks / Kobo / Google

James “Iceman” Bracelyn is wound tighter than a vintage Rolex. Besides his CEO role at Ponderosa Resort, he’s guardian of the family’s biggest secrets, including a doozy that keeps him up at night. Alone. In that big bed he’d rather not share, thank you very much. 

That’s fine with Lily Archer, who likes her flings flaming hot and fleeting. Her man-eater rep might be slightly exaggerated, but she’ll gladly dial it up to rescue James from himself—and a bottle of Glenlivet—at his brother’s wedding.

Intimacy’s the last thing either one wants, but it’s tough to dodge when they’re drawn together by the world’s drooliest dog, a TPing escapade gone wrong, and a good old-fashioned desktop hookup. That’s problematic for James, whose ability to hide the family’s riskiest secret is complicated by the secret’s refusal to get the hell out of his guest room.

Can Iceman keep his frigid shell intact while falling for the hottest science geek sex goddess he’s ever met, or will the ticking time bomb blow it all to smithereens?

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

When footsteps click closer, I freeze like a pervert shoplifting in a porn shop.

 

Come to think of it, there’s not much warmth in the whole Bracelyn family tree. Just endless rows of icicle-covered branches.

 

Things are so far from what I expected that I can’t even remember my expectations anymore.

 

James Bracelyn is sealed up tighter than a clam with lockjaw.

 

My Review:

 

I have enjoyed every book in this cleverly amusing series that I’ve had the chance to pick up. I adored these characters, they were smart and endearing and given to smirk-worthy banter and wordplay that snapped with irreverent levity and sizzle while their storylines were engaging and quickly paced with a few extra spicy bits and unexpected twists. All of which were expertly combined to result in an entertaining, effortless, and pleasurable reading experience that left me smiling with satisfaction and looking forward to the next installment.

 

About the Author    

Website 

Amazon

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: Summer Season on the Seafront by Katie Ginger

Summer Season on the Seafront

by Katie Ginger

Amazon US / UK / AU / CA / B&N

The Greenley Players are back practicing their Shakespeare and, as usual, things aren’t going to plan.

Sarah Powell is fed up with her sad single status and when her estranged father walks back into her life things get even worse. Can dishy doctor Finn MacDonald mend her broken heart and help her figure things out?

TV star, Nate Hardy’s career is going from strength to strength until his performance is interrupted and he has to flee the West End to hide away in Greenley. Will he ever get his career back on track or will Sarah and the rest of Greenley’s madcap residents capture his heart forever?

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

Sarah sent Lottie the SOS message. For her and Lottie, SOS meant Sort of Scared. Which she was, on several fronts. Dean’s capacity for consuming Chinese food verged on the terrifying and knowing that if the date continued he may well expect a kiss at some point filled Sarah with the sort of fear she hadn’t experienced since watching Chucky as a kid.

 

Today had been hotter than Satan’s underpants.

 

Sarah hid behind her menu for a moment to regain her composure thinking about something completely un-sexy like Donald Trump… She popped her head back up and stopped picturing Trump ’s strange wig-like hair and Oompa Loompa face.

 

He had a nice mouth and she’d always imagined his kisses would be soft and gentle, and not like having a sink plunger attached to her face, which she had, unfortunately, experienced before.

 

My Review:

 

This was a fun and witty rom-com with a few heart-squeezing issues and a side order of stubbornness. I enjoyed Ms. Ginger’s crisp writing style, it was brightly entertaining and easy to follow yet pleasantly engaging and wryly amusing.   Her characters were endearingly quirky and humorously detailed. This was my first exposure to the author, who was quickly added to my new favorites list. And it has been a while since I’ve had an addition to my Brit Word List and Ms. Ginger has provided me with dustman – which is a garbage collector, and squiffy – which is slightly drunk (and oh, so, fun to say).

About The Author

KATIE GINGER lives in the South East of England, by the sea, and apart from holidays to very hot places where you can sit by a pool and drink cocktails as big your head, she wouldn’t really want to be anywhere else. Summer Season on the Seafront is Katie’s second novel. Her debut novel The Little Theatre on the Seafront was shortlisted for the Katie Fforde Debut Novel of the Year award. She is also the author of some cozy mystery short stories. Katie loves making her characters either fall in love, or killing them off – it depends on her mood!

When she’s not writing, Katie spends her time drinking gin, or with her husband, trying to keep alive her two children: Ellie, who believes everything in life should be done as a musical number from a West End show; and Sam, who is basically a monkey with a boy’s face. And there’s also their adorable King Charles Spaniel, Wotsit (yes, he is named after the crisps!).

For more about Katie, you can visit her website: www.keginger.com, find her on Facebook: www.facebook.com/KatieGAuthor, or follow her on Twitter: @KatieGAuthor

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Book Review: Valencia and Valentine by Suzy Krause

Valencia and Valentine

by Suzy Krause

Hardcover: 254 Pages

Publisher: Lake Union Publishing (June 1, 2019)

For readers of Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine, debut author Suzy Krause delivers a quirky, colorful story about love, loss, second chances, and what it means to truly live.

Valencia, a timid debt collector with crippling OCD, is afraid of many things, but the two that scare her most are flying and turning thirty-five. To confront those fears, Valencia’s therapist suggests that she fly somewhere—anywhere—before her upcoming birthday. And as Valencia begins a telephone romance with a man from New York, she suddenly has a destination in mind. There’s only one problem—he might not actually exist.

Mrs. Valentine is an eccentric old woman desperate for company, be it from neighbors, telemarketers, or even the funeral director (when you’re her age, you go to a lot of funerals). So she’s thrilled when the new cleaning girl provides a listening ear for her life’s story—a tale of storybook love and incredible adventures around the world with her husband before his mysterious and sudden disappearance.

The stories of Valencia and Mrs. Valentine may at first appear to have nothing in common…but then again, nothing in life is as straightforward as it seems.

 

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

She’s not dying, technically, but she’s old enough that if she keeps living, it’ll start surprising people. She’s eighty-seven years old—but she’s a young eighty-seven. She’s more like an eighty-six.

 

Everyone has ulterior motives. When an evil person has ulterior motives, it’s called scheming. When a good person has ulterior motives, it’s called planning. Mrs. Valentine is planning.

 

When I was your age, Anna, I always said I’d do everything later. I can’t tell you what an odd day that was, when I woke up and realized it was later. And now I’m living in the part that comes after. There’s a part after later, where almost everyone else is dead and you’re just killing time, and it’s … odd.

 

This was a drastic leap in logic, but Valencia was very good at this kind of leaping; it was her only claim to athleticism.

 

That’s how it is when you’re in your thirties; birthdays aren’t important anymore because everyone has gotten over the initial excitement of your basic existence. You’re old news.

 

Time had never done anything but crawl for Valencia; it had never even walked before (she had, at points, wondered if it had lain down and died). This new speed was exhilarating.

 

“It’s kind of a dumb hobby, but you need a good, dumb, eccentric hobby, I think. I heard somewhere that eccentric people live longer.” “Okay,” said Valencia, picturing her own life stretching on and on ahead of her, even more vast and endless than she had previously supposed. I’m so eccentric I might be immortal, she thought miserably.

My Review:

 

It took me several chapters to settle into this tale, as it was oddly paced and at times a bit tedious when minutely detailing Valencia’s irrational, delusional and catastrophic fears and beliefs as she spiraled into panic attacks which involved worse case scenarios and epic disasters. However, that was merely setting the stage for the cleverness and well-crafted storylines to come. Ms. Krause’s writing was often bitingly witty and profoundly insightful with frequent lashings of brilliance. I had four solid pages of highlights and favorite quotes and it was rather painful to pare them down. But what staggered and astounded me was the realization that this wryly written and cleverly conjured book was the author’s debut. Impressive!

About the Author

Suzy Krause is a Canadian writer and music lover. Like Valencia, she has worked as a debt collector, and like Mrs. Valentine, she likes to tell stories. She writes about her life at www.suzykrause.com. Valencia and Valentine is her first novel.

Connect with Suzy

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

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Book Review: Gimme Some Sugar (Sex & Sweet Tea, Book #5) by Juliette Poe

Gimme Some Sugar (Sex & Sweet Tea, Book #5)
by Juliette Poe
Release Date: June 11, 2019

Synopsis:

Larkin Mancinkus prides herself on making the town of Whynot, North Carolina just a little sweeter. As owner of Sweet Cakes Bakery, Larkin gets all the town gossip – the sugar, the spice, and the everything not so nice. So when she finds herself on the tip of everyone’s tongue thanks to an encounter with a mysterious and handsome stranger, she learns the true meaning of ‘if you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen.’

Deacon Locke has spent his life traveling the world with no particular destination in mind. But when he rolls into Whynot on his Harley, he just knows there is something different about this town. What he doesn’t know is that out of all the places he’s traveled and all the people he’s met, the gorgeous bakery owner might just entice him to put down some solid roots.

Come on down to see what’s cookin’ between Larkin and Deacon!

Add Gimme Some Sugar to Goodreads!

Amazon | Nook | Apple | Google | Kobo | Paperback
** All books in the Sex & Sweet Tea series can be read as standalones, but if you’d like to start at the beginning, Ain’t He Precious? (Sex & Sweet Tea, Book #1) is #FREE for a limited time! **

Download Ain’t He Precious?
(Sex & Sweet Tea, Book #1) for FREE:
Amazon | Nook | Apple | Google | Kobo
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My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

But the heart wants what the heart wants, and when it starts making you want something you shouldn’t have, then it can make you stupid.

But I didn’t get you anything,” she murmurs guiltily… So? That’s like the biggest breach of etiquette a Southern girl can have. To fail to get a gift for a momentous occasion, then it adds insult to injury when a gift is given to her without it being expected. It’s totally romantic and swoony, and I cannot reconcile these feelings of guilt and inadequacy with the overwhelming need to snatch that out of your hand to see what you so thoughtfully got me.

I make a clucking sound in the back of my throat, realizing I sound just like my mom when she disapproves of something. That thought horrifies me, so I cough to clear it out.

I’ve never even thought about having kids. Don’t know much about them. The few I’ve been around have been loud and sticky.

My Review:

This was my first experience reading Juliette Poe, the alter ego of Sawyer Bennett and I am happy to report it was an amusing and effortless read despite being the fifth book in a sweet small-town series, although I now have four more books idling on my TBR as a result. Funny how that keeps happening. I adored this couple. Larkin was the last of her siblings still single, she was a bit pudgy, somewhat timid, and self-conscious small-town baker with deep family roots and a side order of southern sass. Deacon he was a sexy prior Marine turned nomad on a Harley who carried himself with confidence and worked whenever and where ever he pleased. It was a case of opposites attract with humor and sizzle with quirky small-town characters and an active and flourishing Gossip Mill to keep everyone up to date.

About the Author:

Juliette Poe is the sweet and swoony alter ego of New York Times Best Selling author, Sawyer Bennett.

A fun-loving southern girl, Juliette knows the allure of sweet tea, small towns, and long summer nights, that some of the best dates end sitting on the front porch swing, and that family is top priority. She brings love in the south to life in her debut series, Sex & Sweet Tea.

When Juliette isn’t delivering the sweetest kind of romance, she’s teaching her southern belle daughter the fine art of fishing, the importance of wearing Chucks, and the endless possibilities of a vivid imagination.

Connect with Juliette:
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads | Newsletter
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Book Review: Montauk by Nicola Harrison

Montauk

by Nicola Harrison

 

Montauk, Long Island, 1938. 
For three months, this humble fishing village will serve as the playground for New York City’s wealthy elite. Beatrice Bordeaux was looking forward to a summer of reigniting the passion between her and her husband, Harry. Instead, tasked with furthering his investment interest in Montauk as a resort destination, she learns she’ll be spending twelve weeks sequestered with the high society wives at The Montauk Manor—a two-hundred room seaside hotel—while Harry pursues other interests in the city.
College educated, but raised a modest country girl in Pennsylvania, Bea has never felt fully comfortable among these privileged women, whose days are devoted not to their children but to leisure activities and charities that seemingly benefit no one but themselves. She longs to be a mother herself, as well as a loving wife, but after five years of marriage she remains childless while Harry is increasingly remote and distracted. Despite lavish parties at the Manor and the Yacht Club, Bea is lost and lonely and befriends the manor’s laundress whose work ethic and family life stir memories of who she once was.
As she drifts further from the society women and their preoccupations and closer toward Montauk’s natural beauty and community spirit, Bea finds herself drawn to a man nothing like her husband –stoic, plain spoken and enigmatic. Inspiring a strength and courage she had almost forgotten, his presence forces her to face a haunting tragedy of her past and question her future.
Desperate to embrace moments of happiness, no matter how fleeting, she soon discovers that such moments may be all she has, when fates conspire to tear her world apart…

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

As we drove up the tight and winding road, tree branches reached overhead toward each other like lovers’ hands desperate to connect…

 

I’d felt paranoid that everyone already knew about Harry’s philandering. How could they not? Women talked and Harry, apparently, was about as discreet with his affairs as a pack of rats going through a dumpster.

 

Sometimes I yearned for that forever feeling—those hours that stretched into days and days into a week, without a thought for tomorrow. It was simple then. We wore swimsuits all day long and we slept long and deeply at night, eager for it all to start again the next day, never thinking for a second that another day wouldn’t come.

 

“What’s important in situations like these is that you find a way to relax and nature will most certainly take its course.” … He jotted these thoughts down on a prescription pad, tore off the page and handed it to me. “Take this seriously,” he said. “It’s your duty to your husband and to America.”

 

As a kid anything seemed possible; in the real world, though, nothing was. Youth gave us an inflated sense of possibility, that you could achieve anything if you really went for it, but it felt as if you’d have to fight your whole life to get there, and most of us just got married and had children.

 

My Review:

 

This beautifully written story was taut with tension and kept me on edge while I was mesmerized by the lushly descriptive and enticing writing style.   The storylines were wincingly well crafted and easily believable. This emotive tale upended me, I was quickly sucked into a confining and misogynistic 1938 vortex, something I would typically avoid – but not this time – I couldn’t put it down. I am totally in awe; this debut author has major skills and a bright future ahead.

 

Lies, deceit, rampant infidelities, and the petty dramas of social climbing women marked the days and nights of the betrayed and deeply disappointed Beatrice, and in many ways, she was just as tarnished and culpable as the rest, although she saw the hypocrisy and at least felt some guilt about it.   Apparently the entitled wealthy and social elite still existed and lived quite well throughout the Depression.   These compelling characters were rather vile yet kept me holding my breath and gripping my kindle from the very beginning to the crescendo finish that nearly broke me and left me in definite need of a spa day.

About the Author

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Goodreads
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Born in England, Nicola Harrison moved to CA where she received a BA in Literature at UCLA before moving to NYC and earning an MFA in creative writing at Stony Brook. She is a member of The Writers Room, has short stories published in The Southampton Review and Glimmer Train and articles in Los Angeles Magazine and Orange Coast Magazine. She was the fashion and style staff writer for Forbes, had a weekly column at Lucky Magazine and is the founder of a personal styling business, Harrison Style. Montauk is Harrison’s debut novel.
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Book Review: Just One Bite by Jack Heath

JUST ONE BITE

by Jack Heath

ISBN: 9781335952844

Publication Date: June 4th, 2019

Publisher: Hanover Square Press

 

Buy Links:

Harlequin  / Amazon  / B&N  /  B-A-M / Powell’s

Timothy Blake, ex-consultant for the FBI, now works in body disposal for a local crime lord. One night he stumbles across a body he wasn’t supposed to find and is forced to hide it. When the FBI calls Blake in to investigate a missing university professor, Blake recognizes him as the dead man in his freezer.

Then another man goes missing. And another.

There’s a serial killer in Houston, Texas, and Blake is running out of time to solve the case. His investigation takes him to a sex doll factory, a sprawling landfill in Louisiana and a secret cabin in the woods.

As they hunt the killer together, FBI agent Reese Thistle starts to warm to Blake—but she also gets closer and closer to discovering his terrible secret.

Can Blake uncover the killer without being exposed himself?

 

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

The rent is surprisingly high for such a crummy place. Ideally I’d split it with someone, but I ate my last roommate. It’s safest for everyone if I live alone.

 

I’m too exhausted even to dream. A small mercy— my subconscious would have made Freud vomit.

 

The government was paying her to feed and clothe us, and she was making quite a lot of money, because she never bought any food or clothing.

 

Most people know that pigs feel stress and that cows grieve when their calves are taken away. They might feel guilty, but they still eat bacon and drink milk. So what use is the guilt?

 

It’s a dangerous meal, since I still don’t know how he died… Eating people is dangerous, anyway, because of bloodborne viruses. Doesn’t mean I can make myself stop. Don’t judge me. Heart disease is the number-one killer in the USA, but you still eat donuts. Your diet is killing you, too.

 

I drive just above the speed limit. Anything less is considered suspicious in Texas.

 

The field office director comes on the radio. “We’re pursuing several leads,” she says. “We urge anyone with information to come forward.” That’s code for: We’re shitting ourselves. The news anchor is back. “The victims’ names have yet to be released,” she says, barely managing to keep the glee from her voice, “but the details of the case have been described as ‘disturbing.’”

 

 My Review:

 

I had no idea what I was getting myself into when I delved into this stunningly crafted page-turner. Despite the disturbing issues, I was enthralled, mesmerized, and riveted to my kindle. I was on edge and biting my cuticles and more than a bit distressed about being so deeply invested in such a gruesome tale – what was wrong with me? But much similar to how the character in the book described his compulsion/hunger, I just couldn’t help myself. The writing was simply stellar while brilliantly paced, intriguing and unpredictable, action-packed, and unexpectedly laced with wry levity. It was also diabolically addictive; I couldn’t have stopped reading unless my kindle had been forcibly removed from my possession. Jack Heath is most certainly an evil genius; I would advise his family to keep him happy as well as to either sleep in shifts or with one eye open.

About the Author

First published as a teenager, Jack Heath is the award-winning author of more than twenty fiction titles for young adult and middle-grade readers. In the course of his research, Jack has toured morgues and prisons, performed as a street magician and traveled through eleven countries, including Russia. His previous day jobs—in which he met many interesting characters—include fry cook, music teacher, TV salesman, call center worker, and bookseller. He plays several musical instruments and lives on the land of the Ngunnawal people in Gunghalin, Australia.

Social Links:

Author Website

Twitter: @JackHeathWriter

Instagram: @JackHeathWriter.

Facebook: @JackHeathWriter

Goodreads

 

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Book Review: Dying to Meet You by Rich Amooi

 

Dying to Meet You

Rich Amooi

Amazon US / UK / AU / CA

 

Liz Parker doesn’t like surprises, but winning the lottery isn’t something she would complain about. Before she has time to think about how to spend her new fortune, she’s hit with an even bigger shock than unexpected wealth. She has three months to live unless she finds a one-in-a-million bone marrow donor.

While her medical team scrambles to locate her miracle, Liz throws together a bucket list, charters a private jet, and takes off to see the world. The journey of a lifetime holds even more surprises, including the hunky pilot she’s falling for at the most inconvenient time.

Will Liz die before she can realize her happily-ever-after, or will the universe come through for her one more time? Find out in this humorous tale of true love and adventure!

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

… a blue-haired woman appeared on the other side of the glass. Dolly Pearson, a professional busybody and all-around snoopster. Everyone within a two-mile radius of our street called her Snoop Dolly Dog.

 

The lottery office had an armed police officer, and video cameras on the walls. Three employees worked on the other side of what appeared to be bullet-proof glass. The lottery was serious business.

 

A pen sat next to a notepad to his right. A coffee mug on top of a coaster. Lots of elbow room for working on his laptop. He was organized. He was clean. Adam was not a normal man.

 

This has been amazing with a capital A and a zing!

 

I’m President of the Frozen Buns Club… I think it should be illegal to be outside when the temperature is lower than your age.

 

My Review:

 

Rich Amooi is a recent discovery for me, this is only my third time reading his work and all three have been a delight. His stories are a pleasure to read, easy to follow, and thoughtfully detailed with cleverly amusing observations, relevant issues, and likable and endearing yet imperfect characters. Dying to Meet You was a light yet observant and perceptively written tale with a quirky and interesting cast of players.

 

Liz was a recognizable character to most of us, she was a career teacher, honest, prideful and stubborn, and rigidly set in her routines – she had been eating the same salad for eight years. She made plans and stuck to them, as she didn’t like surprises. Then she hit the motherload with an astronomical mind-blowing lottery win but soon after learns she may have only months to live without a difficult to find bone marrow match. Advised by her doctor to make a bucket list and do some good with her remaining time, she promptly sets off to do just that. I enjoyed her travel adventure; her bucket list was similar to my own.   I confess to coveting her first class accommodations and personal jet, as well as the hunky sweet pilot and fun first officer. I adored this story and was stoked that Liz generously used her winnings to assist others along the way in the most meaningful and sincere manner she could.

About the Author

Fun, Quirky Romantic Comedies from a Guy’s Perspective. Rich Amooi is a former radio personality who now writes romantic comedies full-time. He is happily married to a kiss monster imported from Spain. Rich believes in public displays of affection, silliness, infinite possibilities, donuts, gratitude, laughter, and happily ever after.

Social Media Links 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/author.richamooi

Twitter: https://twitter.com/RichAmooi

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/richamooi