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Book Review: Time (Laws of Physics #3) by Penny Reid

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Time (Laws of Physics #3)

by Penny Reid 

“Utterly addictive, fascinating, hilarious, and absolutely electric chemistry!”

— Samantha Young, New York Times Bestselling Author

New York Times bestselling author Penny Reid’s The Laws of Physics Trilogy is complete with TIME!

LOP_TIME

A (brokenhearted) physicist.

Now an infamous (who is LITERALLY EVERYWHERE!! UGH!) musician.

The worst has already happened.

Mona has learned that she has nothing figured out and plans are meaningless. After leaving her in Aspen, Abram is now breaking sales-records, rising to rock star fame almost overnight. Mona can’t seem to escape him. He is literally everywhere, or at least images of him are.

Just when she thinks things can’t get any more confusing, Abram returns . . . What happens next? Only TIME will tell.

TIME_ALLLIVE01

 

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

Being with you is like living in a song.

 

Give us a chance to win big, and also fail spectacularly.

 

Nothing happened, and yet— and yet, I carry it around with me, empty luggage, and I have no idea why.

 

Please don’t waste energy on this. Haters gonna hate, idiots gonna procreate.

 

Do I like it? Does each action have an equal but opposite reaction? … Sorry. Newton. Not the fig kind.

 

 My Review:

 

I adored this series as well as the precious and cleverly matched couple of Mona and Abram; they were fascinatingly complex, multi-layered, and beautifully textured by the divinely talented Penny Reid. Suffering heinous cliffhangers and a near-fatal dose of angst, finally, (yes finally!) the TIME was right, the planets aligned, and hopefully, soonish, the tension in my neck and shoulders will abate as Abram and Mona have finally fallen into sync with an exceptionally cunning, fun, and smirk-worthy ending.

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Start the series today with MOTION!

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Continue the series with SPACE!

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Google Play: http://bit.ly/2RRny94

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Excerpt:

I wrapped my arms around her body, lifted her off the ground, and kissed her lips.

She was warm, and soft, and tasted like peppermint and honey. I bit back a groan.

God, she felt good. Great. Celestial. Heavenly. I may have surprised her, but she responded immediately, enthusiastically, twisting her arms around my neck, opening her mouth and welcoming the invasion of mine.

It wasn’t enough.

It was a crumb, and I was starving. Desire—to tighten my hold, devour, take, keep, cherish, to never let her go—obscured thought and sight, and I slipped a hand under her shirt to touch the silky skin of her back, sliding my fingers upward until they rested under her bra strap.

Mona lifted her chin, breaking our mouths apart, and I kissed the point of it, the elegant line of her jaw, the tender spot beneath her ear, the hot skin where Mona’s graceful neck met the slope of her shoulder. I was so hungry for her, I couldn’t stop myself from tasting every exposed inch.

“Abram,” she said, her voice a breathless, disbelieving whisper, followed by a little laugh. Her fingers flexed at the back of my neck, pressing me closer. Every part of my body hummed and vibrated, unable to contain the immensity of now, of this divine feeling.

“You’re here,” she said, her soft voice full of wonder and happiness, soothing the ravenous panic holding me hostage for the past six days. It had been a peculiar kind of madness, not being able to reach her while pretending all was fine, pretending she didn’t occupy my mind every second of the day. But receding now, it left a new kind of turmoil and urgency in its wake.

We had no time.

No, I corrected myself, We have time. We have the rest of our lives.

“I need your fu—your phone number.” I spoke gruffly against her neck, squeezing my eyes shut and breathing her in, again and again, the heat and sweetness of Mona.

I’d missed her, and that was a gross understatement. I’d been speeding toward this moment for days and being with her now felt like the aftermath of a head-on collision. Stupefied, frantic, but determined to enjoy every shared second remaining. My hands were shaking.

We have time. Calm down. Calm down.

Mona laughed lightly, the sound melodic, beautiful, and she pressed a kiss under my ear. “Why didn’t you just ask Leo? Or send me an email?”

Leo.

I worked to keep the darkness of my thoughts from showing on my face as I leaned away, letting her slide to the ground but unwilling to release her fully, fisting my unsteady hands into her T-shirt. “I couldn’t find an email for you anywhere, and neither could Marie. She tried calling your department for me. They told her all media requests had to go through the PR department at the university and it would take two weeks to a month for a response.”

“Ah, that’s true. My email is on lockdown, otherwise it gets out of hand.” She nodded contritely. “But what about Leo?”

“Leo.” I forced my jaw to relax and I lowered my voice but couldn’t completely disguise the intensity of my wrath. “Leo wouldn’t give me your number.”

Mona’s hand moved to my face, her palm pressed against my cheek, the pads of her fingers softly stroking my beard. “What? Are you serious?”

“Yes,” I ground out. “He said he was doing me a favor. So I flew to LA.”

“You flew to LA?” I felt her body tense, and the moment realization dawned, her beautiful eyes growing impossibly large as they moved over my face. “You must be so tired and—but I wasn’t in LA, I was—”

“Here. Yes. I found that out yesterday when I stopped by your department at Caltech and they told me you weren’t due back until Friday,” I rushed to explain, multitasking, using the time to devour the sight of her, soak and submerge in the reality of being here with her.

Calm down. We. Have. Time.

Meet Penny Reid:

Penny Reid is the New York Times, Wall Street Journal and USA Today Best Selling Author of the Winston Brothers, Knitting in the City, Rugby, and Hypothesis series. She used to spend her days writing federal grant proposals as a biomedical researcher, but now she just writes books. She’s also a full-time mom to three diminutive adults, wife, daughter, knitter, crocheter, sewer, general crafter, and thought ninja.

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Connect with Penny:

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www.pennyreid.ninja

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Book Review: Bridesmaids by Zara Stoneley

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Amazon US / UK / AU / CA / 

B&N / iBooks / Waterstones 

 

Meet Rachel, the beautiful bride with BIG plans for the perfect day! The venue is a castle and the dress is designer.  It’s just a shame her husband is a rat.

Maddie and Sally have only one thing in common – they both love the same man!

Beth is a newly single mum with a mystery baby daddy.  Surely the father isn’t someone the girls all know?

And then there’s Jane, the glue holding them all together, but being dumped doesn’t make her the happiest bridesmaid…especially with gorgeous flatmate Freddie complicating things. Will the bride say, ‘I Do!’?  Or will her bridesmaids save the day…and find love along the way?    The most hilarious, feel-good rom-com of the year!

 

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

He has been ‘he who must not be named’ for quite a while now. Mainly because hearing his name led either to an irrational outburst (from me), featuring lots of swear words, and descriptions about what I’d like to do to various parts of his anatomy, or, and this was so much worse, horrible, snot-inducing tears. Don’t you hate it when that happens, when you end up inside out and can’t stop?

I cut his head off all my photos. And a triangle out of the crotch area. And looked if Amazon Prime supplied Voodoo Dolls. They do, just in case you need to know for future reference.

Sally was the girl at school who either already had it all or was damned well going to get it soon. You know the type? You get that longed for pony, next minute she’s got a unicorn. A pink one, that makes dreams come true and farts rainbows.

I’m more Krispy Kreme doughnuts than quinoa, if you know what I mean. And most of that healthy stuff just seems to get stuck in my teeth and annoy me for the rest of the day. Whoever thought a rice cake was a good idea? I mean, who dreamt that the words rice and cake should even be in the same sentence?

‘But I’ll get over it. Plenty more fish in the sea,’ she raises an eyebrow, ‘just not that particular sprat.

 My Review:

 

My perusal of this cleverly crafted tale was rudely interrupted by occasional outbreaks of giggle-snorts and one particularly vivid scene involving a sick infant in a bridal shop that erupted in spasms of laughter that ceased all further reading until normal respirations and clear vision was regained. Ms. Stoneley’s quirky cast of characters and engaging storylines hit all feels in a highly entertaining and pleasantly appealing manner. This was a fun read with a badly behaved groom, poorly kept secrets, and reams of sharp wit and clever snark. A new addition to my Brit word list is bint, which Mr. Google tells me is derogatory (and possibly offensive) slang for a female in the UK but is also used as a cheeky form of endearment in Western Sydney.

This  divinely written book was chosen for my Review of the Month contribution  LovelyAudiobooks.info 

About the Author

Zara Stoneley is the USA Today bestselling author of The Wedding Date.

Born in a small village in the UK, she wanted to be a female James Herriot, a spy, or an author when she grew up. After many (many) years and many different jobs, her dream of writing a bestseller came true. 

She writes about friendship, dreams, love, and happy ever afters, and hopes that her tales make you laugh a lot, cry a little, and occasionally say ‘ahhh’.

Zara now lives in a Cheshire village with her family, a lively cockapoo called Harry, and a very bossy (and slightly evil) cat called Saffron.

Zara’s bestselling novels include ‘No One Cancels Christmas’, ‘The Wedding Date’, ‘The Holiday Swap’, ‘Summer with the Country Village Vet’, ‘Blackberry Picking at Jasmine Cottage’ and the popular Tippermere series – ‘Stable Mates’, ‘Country Affairs’ and ‘Country Rivals’.

Where you can find her-

Website: http://www.zarastoneley.com
Twitter: @ZaraStoneley
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ZaraStoneley

Instagram: zarastoneley

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Book Review, Giveaway: Lies Behind the Ruin by Helen Matthews

Lies Behind the Ruin

by Helen Matthews

 

Amazon US / UK / AU / CA  
Helen Matthews

 

Emma Willshire has overcome plenty of obstacles in her life. From student bride to single mum of a son, Owen, but she has found happiness with her second husband, Paul and another child, Mollie. Emma’s dark days seem far behind her until a fatal accident happens at Paul’s work and he is held responsible.

On holiday in France, Paul’s behavior turns erratic. On impulse, he buys a cheap, dilapidated property and, to Emma’s dismay, persuades her they can renovate it into a holiday home.

Back in England, their problems spiral out of control. Escape to a new life in France seems the only solution but with heart-breaking loss for Emma. As the couple strives to renovate their ruin and open a small business, shadows from the past threaten their happiness and safety. Because, how can you build a new life on toxic foundations?

 

My Rating:

Favorite Quote:

 

My empty kitchen shelves yawn, as if they’ve been plundered by a thief with a crockery fetish.

 

My Review:

 

Family drama, deceit, betrayal, duplicity, financial strain, and lots of angst underscore this slowly evolving tale of treachery. The writing was easy to follow and held my attention and despite the slow pace, I remained curious as to how long the deception could remain undetected. Apparently, Emma wasn’t a deep thinker, or at all observant, or diligent about birth control. Ms. Matthew’s storylines were taut with tension and fraught with various stressors and uncertainty as a British family stumbled and fractured while attempting to start anew in France amidst the insecurities of Brexit. I didn’t find any of the main characters to be totally likable yet I was sympathetic to the blinkered and beleaguered Emma, although I had nothing but disdain for either of her husbands.

About the Author

 

Helen Matthews is the author of Lies Behind the Ruin, a contemporary suspense novel set in France, to be published in April 2019 by Hashtag Press. Her debut novel After Leaving the Village, published in 2017, won first prize for the opening pages of a novel at Winchester Writers’ Festival. Born in Cardiff, she read English at the University of Liverpool and holds an MA in Creative Writing from Oxford Brookes University. Helen’s short stories and flash fiction have won prizes and been published in Reflex Fiction, Ad Hoc, Artificium, Scribble and Love Sunday. Her freelance journalism has been published in the Guardian and broadcast on BBC radio. She is an ambassador for Unseen, a charity that campaigns to end human trafficking and modern slavery.

Social Media Links – Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HelenMK7Writer/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/HelenMK7

Giveaway

Win 2 x Signed copies of Lies Behind The Ruins

(Europe Only)

*Terms and Conditions –European 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 Rachel’s Random Resources reserves 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 Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data.  I am not responsible for dispatch or delivery of the prize.

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Book Review: Midnight at the Tuscany Hotel by James Markert

Midnight at the Tuscany Hotel

by James Markert

Amazon US / UK / AU / CA / B&N

Paperback: 352 Pages

Publisher: Thomas Nelson (April 9, 2019)

A once-beloved hotel and a fountain whose water suddenly can restore lost memories. But is it a miracle, or are there strings attached?

The Tuscany Hotel was once a haven for young artists. A place full of inspiration and a work of art in and of itself, the hotel was built by Robert Gandy for his wife, Magdalena: a woman of beauty beyond description who was orphaned as an infant in Florence and grew up without the ability to remember. A tragedy caused the hotel to close its doors, however, and it has been years since the fountain in the courtyard ran with water and inspiration.

Vitto Gandy, Robert’s son, returns from the horrors of World War II to a wife who fears him, a son who is too young to remember him, and a father whose memory of him is fading. As Vitto faces the memories that torture his heart and mind, his father runs off in the night to seek solace in the last place he was happy: the Tuscany Hotel. Instead of finding ruins, he discovers that the water in the fountain has begun to run again. And as he drinks it, his memory returns.

Filled with Alzheimer’s patients hoping for restored memories rather than artists longing for inspiration, the hotel is once again a source of life and art. But nothing is truly as good as it seems, and the mysterious gift of the hotel comes with a price that each must determine they’re willing to pay. Bursting with beauty, art, and inspiration, Midnight at the Tuscany Hotel is a story of parent and child, husband and wife, and the joy and pain of what it means to be alive.

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My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

He’d been staring at her in awe but was afraid to say it—in awe because of her pretty face he wanted to touch but somehow couldn’t or shouldn’t, in awe because of those blue eyes that still looked as bright as liquid paint, in awe because of who she still was, that comforting soul, even as a child, who had always seemed to be a bandage for things in need of bandaging.

 

Time can be a tenuous dancing partner, Mr. Gandy. And memory the devil. Sometimes the wounds we can’t see leave the worst scars, unless they’re tended to.

 

Her demeanor immediately relaxed them, her smile a deep breath, her gait showing a grace no Tinseltown set could ever muster.

 

Juba was a vault stuck inside of a vault and he’d swallowed the key long ago.

 

 My Review:

 

This was only my second time reading James Markert’s masterful storytelling and I was once again wonderstruck by his intricate texturing and craftsmanship. This man can deftly weave a captivating and sophisticated yet circuitous tale that is not fully comprehended until reaching that last thoughtfully written page.   The story was slowly and stealthily crafted with threads of Greek mythology, history, and creative magic while deploying a narrative densely populated with elusive and eccentric characters who navigate interesting twists and turns that appeared ancillary until it was apparent they weren’t. Didn’t I mention he was clever and sneaky?

About the Author

James Markert lives with his wife and two children in Louisville, Kentucky. He has a history degree from the University of Louisville and won an IPPY Award for The Requiem Rose, which was later published as A White Wind Blew, a story of redemption in a 1929 tuberculosis sanatorium, where a faith-tested doctor uses music therapy to heal the patients. The Angels’ Share is his second novel, and he is currently working on his next historical, All Things Bright and Strange. James is also a USPTA tennis pro, and has coached dozens of kids who’ve gone on to play college tennis in top conferences like the BIG 10, the Big East, and the ACC.

Connect with James

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

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Book Review: I’ll Be Watching You by Courtney Evan Tate

 I’ll Be Watching You

by Courtney Evan Tate

Amazon US / UK / AU / CA / B&N

 

Paperback: 336 Pages

Publisher: MIRA; Original edition (March 26, 2019)

 

IT’S EVERY MOTHER’S NIGHTMARE…BUT ONE SHE WILL NOT ACCEPT

In an unthinkable flash, Emmy Fisher’s fifteen-year-old daughter, Leah, seemingly drowns close to shore one summer night—at least that is what the police report says.

In deep grief, Emmy needs time and courage before she can enter Leah’s bedroom. But when she does, she finds something at first bewildering, then unspeakable, as she begins to understand the full implications…

She uncovers evidence that Leah had been secretly involved with someone, someone perhaps older, someone with dark appetites.

Bit by bit, the last few months of Leah’s life unfold in a terrifying way that Emmy can hardly imagine.

All she knows is that she has to find the person who took her sweet daughter’s innocence. No matter the cost.

The truth will set her free. Or bury her.

 

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

She wants to sit and float on top of her board, staring at the moon, pretending the rays hitting her skin are fairy dust.

 

Bars always smell the same, even when they have open windows on the end of a pier. Like… old peanuts and neon lights, and felt-top pool tables and desperation.

 

My Review:

 

This cleverly paced and well-contrived tale started slowly and gradually built into a gripping tale that occasionally had me cringing and frequently found me biting my cuticles. I had narrowed down my list of suspects from four to two before all hell broke loose and removed all doubt. The premise was original and relevant and unfortunately could happen all too easily in any society. Ms. Tate’s writing was emotive and evocatively detailed, conjuring keen visuals in my cranium as I read. Her active storylines were cunningly constructed and perfectly pitched for each idiosyncratic character.

 

While the subject matter was a bit disturbing given the inappropriate and predatory behaviors involving a minor, the narrative was more intensely driven toward the well-crafted intrigue and mystery rather than provocative sensuality, although there was some of that as well. I was fully invested and bristling with curiosity as I gathered clues, formulated theories, and cast aside possible perpetrators, but I would never have anticipated this conclusion. Courtney Evan Tate is a sly and crafty wordsmith. This was my first exposure to her clever arrangements of words and I anticipate delving into many more.

About the Author

Courtney Evan Tate is the nom de plume for New York Times bestselling author, Courtney Cole.  Courtney Evan Tate is her darker side… the side that explores shadowy places.

Courtney lives in Florida with her husband and kids.  She has a passion for raising drug addiction awareness, the Marine Corp (her middle son is a Marine) and being introspective on the human condition.

Connect with Courtney

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

 

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Book Review: Kneel Down (Nailed Down Book 3) by Chelle Bliss & Eden Butler

 Kneel Down

(Nailed Down Book 3) 

by Chelle Bliss & Eden Butler

Amazon US / UK / AU / CA / B&N  

 

My job as a SEAL was to go in and save the day.
But even heroes fall. Even heroes make mistakes.

My only saving grace was Gin Sullivan.
My knock out best friend who wasn’t afraid to tell me the truth even when it hurt. She’d pick me up when I was wallowing in my own stupidity.

It wasn’t hard for me to fall for her.
Any man would.
She was beautiful.
She was smart.
She was everything I’d ever wanted.

I had plans to tell her that, squash the pinning we’d both done for two years.
But a bullet to the gut silenced me and Gin got tired of waiting.

Now I have a new mission, one that I can’t fail:
Do whatever it takes to make Gin mine forever.

Other books in the standalone Nailed Down Series:
Nailed Down – Book 1
Tied Down – Book 2
Kneel Down – Book 3

 

My Rating:

Favorite Quote:

 

Words always get in the way. They did. Somehow, it was the words we didn’t say that injured the most. It was the silence that kept us from what we want.

 

 My Review:

 

I struggled to finish this one, not that the book was bad, it just wasn’t aligned with or palatable to my personal taste as constant conflict just isn’t my jam. The angsty storylines were missing the critical element of wit and levity that I had come to expect from these talented authors and instead appeared to be a repetitive cycle of 90% conflict, reticence, and forfeiture. I also failed to connect with the painfully stubborn and annoying morose characters, I found them exasperating. However, for readers who have a proclivity for angsty and quarrelsome tales with a few sizzling scenes of hot steamy sex, this would be a quick and tasty treat.

Meet the Author

USA Today bestselling author Chelle Bliss currently lives in a small town near the Gulf of Mexico. She’s a full-time writer, time-waster extraordinaire, social media addict, and coffee fiend. She’s written over ten books and has two series available. She loves spending her free time with her boyfriend, 2 cats, and her hamster.

Before becoming a writer, Chelle taught high school history for over ten years. She holds a master’s degree in Instructional Technology and a bachelor’s in History. Although history is her first love, writing has become her dream job and she can’t imagine doing anything else.

http://chellebliss.com/

https://www.facebook.com/authorchellebliss1

http://chellebliss.com/newsletter/

https://twitter.com/ChelleBliss1

https://www.instagram.com/authorchellebliss/

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Book Review: The Lieutenant’s Nurse by Sara Ackerman

The Lieutenant’s Nurse

by Sara Ackerman

Paperback: 352 Pages

Publisher: MIRA; Original edition (March 5, 2019)

Amazon US / UK / AU / CA / B&N

 

November 1941. She’s never even seen the ocean before, but Eva Cassidy has her reasons for making the crossing to Hawaii, and they run a lot deeper than escaping a harsh Michigan winter. Newly enlisted as an Army Corps nurse, Eva is stunned by the splendor she experiences aboard the steamship SS Lurline; even more so by Lt. Clark Spencer, a man she is drawn to but who clearly has secrets of his own. But Eva’s past—and the future she’s trying to create—means that she’s not free to follow her heart. Clark is a navy intelligence officer, and he warns her that the United States won’t be able to hold off joining the war for long, but nothing can prepare them for the surprise attack that will change the world they know.

In the wake of the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Eva, and her fellow nurses band together for the immense duty of keeping the American wounded alive. And the danger that finds Eva threatens everything she holds dear. Amid the chaos and heartbreak, Eva will have to decide whom to trust and how far she will go to protect those she loves.

Set in the vibrant tropical surroundings of the Pacific, The Lieutenant’s Nurse is an evocative, emotional WWII story of love, friendship and the resilient spirit of the heroic nurses of Pearl Harbor.

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My Rating:

 

Favorite Quotes:

 

Eva had been shown a Pro-kit— sulfa ointment, directions, and a soaped-up cloth— and told to hand them out to every soldier who left the hospital. A Good Soldier Will Not Get Venereal Disease was stamped across the front.

 

Murmurs erupted and the room cleared faster than if someone had let loose a bagful of snakes.

 

He felt as though he were watching a war movie, his eyes unable to believe what he saw. He kept thinking about that first Zero and how close it had been. The bastard had actually waved. That face, he would never forget.

 

I swear to you, that morgue right there is enough to turn anyone against a war. Even the most hardened general. You ask me, it ought to be required visiting for those folks.

 

 My Review:

 

This was an engaging and poignantly written tale which combined fact and fiction, although, there were more surprising factual events than I was ever aware of or would have expected. The premise was unique and entertaining, with writing that squeezed my heart while continually plucking at my curiosity. I enjoyed the well-crafted mystery as well as the interplays between characters as much as I appreciated the historical significance of the story. Ms. Ackerman’s characters were complicated, smart, disarmingly endearing, and well fleshed out. Her scenes were lushly described and well textured to involve and employ all the senses. And despite the traumatic backdrop of the carnage of war, the emotional tone was generally well-balanced with surprising twists and unexpected bursts of wit tucked in.

 

I live in Hawaii and though I wasn’t around during the attack on Pearl Harbor, I am old but not that old, it was several levels beyond cool to read a book that mentioned quintessential local landmarks that were familiar and special to me. Some are no longer standing such as the iconic Dole Cannery water tower, which was shaped and painted like a pineapple; where else in the world would you ever see one of those? Having trod many of the same steps, it was supremely pleasing to be able to read of the locales they frequented and know exactly where they were and what it looked like. I’ve also sucked back drinks at sunset at the illustrious Royal Hawaiian Hotel, which is still lovely and still pink. And I could hear the crunch and taste the pleasant crispness as the nurses snacked on Saloon Pilot crackers, which are the absolute best and still baked fresh in Honolulu. Reading that scene had me cheating on my diet while digging my own tin out of the pantry and grabbing the guava jelly for an afternoon treat. That extra pound on the scale tomorrow will be blamed on Sara Ackerman’s charismatic storytelling.

About the Author

Sara is the bestselling author of Island of Sweet Pies and Soldiers. Born and raised in Hawaii, she studied journalism and earned graduate degrees in psychology and Chinese medicine. She blames Hawaii for her addiction to writing and sees no end to its untapped stories. When she’s not writing or teaching, you’ll find her in the mountains or in the ocean. She currently lives on the Big Island with her boyfriend and a houseful of bossy animals. Find out more about Sara and her books at www.ackermanbooks.com.

Connect with Sara

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

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Book Review: Ten Lies by Emily James

Katie Perkins lives a simple life. She takes care of her son, works hard, and tries not to worry about the man-shaped hole in her life. That is until she wins a fantastic luxury holiday. Throwing caution to the wind, Katie lets down her hair and the holiday mood takes over.

Enter Jackson Quinn, a handsome doctor who is no stranger to the good life.

Katie has no experience of riches, and with only her bus fare home in her pocket, she decides there’s no harm in a few white lies… Filthy rich? Check. Size ten? Check. Olympic Gymnast who can complete a Rubik’s Cube in under thirty seconds? Check. After all, it’s not like she’s ever going to see Doctor Quinn again…

Follow Katie’s hilarious journey as she learns that sometimes those little white lies really can come back and bite you on the butt.

This standalone romantic comedy has a happy ending, no cliffhanger, and can also be enjoyed as part of The Power of Ten Series. It is best suited for readers over the age of eighteen due to sexual themes and mature content.

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

What on earth happened to you, love? Come and sit down, you look like you’ve had a fight with death and come off worse…

 

I wonder what the hell kind of rubbish runners are on about when they say running brings them tranquillity and a chance to be at one with their thoughts. Right now, all I feel is dizzy from lack of oxygen and raw from no small amount of chafing between my thighs… My breathing is ragged, and the sun is so bright, all I can see is white light. I wonder if I’m about to encounter the pearly gates of heaven. Can you actually die from running?

 

What’s up? You look like you fell in a barrel of dicks and came out sucking your thumb?

 

My Review:

 

This was a fun and lively read.   Katie had won a first class vacation in a raffle, and after enduring more than four years of being pitied as “the widow” of her small quirky village, she decided to try on a new persona with the handsome and wealthy man sitting next to her on the plane, and her embellishments and prevarications became increasingly more grandiose with each glass of champagne. She enjoyed the lavish and romantic encounters throughout her vacation with this lovely stranger, never expecting to run into him again after her once in a lifetime vacation fling ended, so imagine her humiliation when he turns out to be the interim GP in her little village a few weeks later. She was unable to hide from him but tried her best to keep all of her lies from being outed and embarrassing her further, but that proved rather difficult as she had told some ridiculous whoppers.

 

The premise was entertaining and relevant while the writing was creatively spirited and zinging with sensuality and clever levity. I particularly enjoyed Katie’s imaginatively sweet fibs involving “the elf” and her various fake phone calls to an assortment of make-believe complaint departments for such distressing problems as “monster removal,” to delight and soothe her anxious child. I adored Jackson, but why can’t I meet a handsome and attentive doctor when I travel?   Sigh, I have decided to give up on flying as the skies aren’t so friendly and providence always seems to find me seated next to loud talkers, screaming infants, unmedicated hyperactive whiners, and rambunctious seat kickers instead.

About the Author

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Emily James is an insanely funny British author who writes romance.

Current titles:

Ten Dates

Ten Dares 

Ten Lies

The Mistakes of My Past

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Spotlight: The Mister by E L James

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Beautiful and mysterious she possessed little more. . .

Than a dangerous and troublesome past.

THE MISTER, the highly anticipated new love story from #1 New York Times bestseller E L James is available now!

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London, 2019. Life has been easy for Maxim Trevelyan. With his good looks, aristocratic connections, and money, he’s never had to work and he’s rarely slept alone. But all that changes when tragedy strikes and Maxim inherits his family’s noble title, wealth, and estates, and all the responsibility that entails. It’s a role he’s not prepared for and one that he struggles to face.

But his biggest challenge is fighting his desire for an unexpected, enigmatic young woman who’s recently arrived in England, possessing little more than a dangerous and troublesome past. Reticent, beautiful, and musically gifted, she’s an alluring mystery, and Maxim’s longing for her deepens into a passion that he’s never experienced and dares not name. Just who is Alessia Demachi? And can Maxim protect her from the malevolence that threatens her? And what will she do when she learns that he’s been hiding secrets of his own?

From the heart of London through wild, rural Cornwall to the bleak, forbidding beauty of the Balkans, The Mister is a roller-coaster ride of danger and desire that leaves the reader breathless to the very last page.

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Download your copy today:

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2T0zMwJ

AppleBooks: https://apple.co/2HjnVsb

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

Nook: http://bit.ly/2T3CzWb

Kobo: http://bit.ly/2O0pYC6

Google Play: http://bit.ly/2HixZSr

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

Audible: https://amzn.to/2u3HU5x

ABOUT E L JAMES

E L James is an incurable romantic and a self-confessed fangirl. After twenty-five years of working in television, she decided to pursue a childhood dream and write stories that readers could take to their hearts. The result was the controversial and sensuous romance Fifty Shades of Grey and its two sequels, Fifty Shades Darker and Fifty Shades Freed. In 2015, she published the #1 bestseller Grey, the story of Fifty Shades of Grey from the perspective of Christian Grey, and in 2017, the chart-topping Darker, the second part of the Fifty Shades story from Christian’s point of view. Her books have been published in fifty languages and have sold more than 150 million copies worldwide.

E L James has been recognized as one of Time magazine’s “Most Influential People in the World” and Publishers Weekly’s “Person of the Year.” Fifty Shades of Grey stayed on The New York Times Best Seller List for 133 consecutive weeks. Fifty Shades Freed won the Goodreads Choice Award (2012), and Fifty Shades of Grey was selected as one of the 100 Great Reads, as voted by readers, in PBS’s The Great American Read (2018). Darker has been long-listed for the 2019 International DUBLIN Literary Award.

She co-produced for Universal Studios the Fifty Shades movies, which made more than a billion dollars at the box office. The third installment, Fifty Shades Freed, won the People’s Choice Award for Drama in 2018.

 

E L James is blessed with two wonderful sons and lives with her husband, the novelist and screenwriter Niall Leonard, and their West Highland terriers in the leafy suburbs of West London.

E.L. James
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For more information about E L James, visit:

Website: https://www.eljamesauthor.com/

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

Twitter: http://bit.ly/2XTO0TM

And Instagram: http://bit.ly/2TO6vdd

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Book Review, Giveaway: Pieces of Us by A.L. Jackson

A second chance stand-alone romance in A.L. Jackson’s Confessions of the Heart Series.
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“I absolutely adored all of the sweet emotion, angst, and just all of the feelings “Pieces of Us” inspired. The characters and their growth had me hooked from the first page. Read it. You will not regret it.”
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~NYT & USA Today Bestselling Author Kylie Scott
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My loves!! PIECES OF US IS LIVE!!! I am so freaking excited, I can hardly stand it! This book is EVERYTHING!
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✓ Second-chance romance
✓ Sexy AF hero
✓ All the feels
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DETAILS:
TITLE: PIECES OF US
SERIES: A Confessions of the Heart Stand-Alone Novel
RELEASE DATE: April 22nd, 2019
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Maxon Chambers has a way of stealing all the attention.
All my affection, and all my dreams.
What I needed to remember was he’d stolen my good judgment and my virginity, too.
When he broke up with me, I ran across the country and swore I’d never return to Broadshire Rim.
But here I am, thirteen years later.
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Maxon is all grown up.
Sexier than sin and more tempting than ever.
A detective on the Charleston force, he lives on the outside of safety, devoted to protecting the people of his city.
But with the way he’s looking at me now? I’m pretty sure what needs protecting is my heart.
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Can we mend the pieces of us? Or will he leave my heart shattered forever . . .
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My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

Daddy-the-Great looks like he might be at his wit’s end. Grams said she is always at her wit’s end, and I don’t think we need to be driving Daddy there, too. It seems like a dangerous place to be. We might need an intervention.

 

I looked at Ian’s infant who was wearing nothing but a towel duct taped around his waist… “If you can get her into her bed for a nap without waking her up, I’ll give you a thousand dollars. Strike that, I’ll give you my car.”

 

Pulling me closer, she hiked up on her toes and murmured quietly in my ear so only I could hear, “Now don’t go and do something stupid like hurt my daughter. I’ll hunt you down and cut off your balls. Know it took some big ones for you to show up here today, so use ’em wisely.”

 

That’s a really bad word, Mr. Mack. Don’t tell me you really are a troublemaker, too. Mom’s already got her hands full with the two of us.

 

My Review:

 

A.L. Jackson seems to revel in anchoring her compelling yet broken and deeply flawed characters in misery, angst, melodrama, distress, and indecision while keeping her storylines fraught with tension. Thank goodness she always plants a few adorable children without filters on their mouths within her addictive stories to provide comic relief.   Like the previous two books in this series, Pieces of Us was an intriguing, tragic, and heart squeezing second chance romance with elements of suspense and a ton of heartbreaking family drama. My poor coronary muscle feels battered and bruised and is in dire need of wine therapy and lighter fare. I’m thinking a vat of Moscato and a nice relaxing romantic comedy is in order for my next read.

Don’t miss the awesome giveaway for the Pieces of Us release! It’s the first two books from the Confessions of the Heart Series + Kindle Fire + Polaroid Camera + All the Goods!
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Ahhh I can’t wait for you to experience this story! I’m so insanely proud of it! I can’t wait to hear what you think!
xoxo ~
Amy
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A.L. Jackson is the New York Times & USA Today Bestselling author of contemporary romance. She writes emotional, sexy, heart-filled stories about boys who usually like to be a little bit bad.

Her bestselling series include THE REGRET SERIES, CLOSER TO YOU, BLEEDING STARS, and FIGHT FOR ME novels. Grab A.L. Jackson’s latest novel, PIECES OF US, the third stand-alone novel in her brand-new CONFESSIONS OF THE HEART series.
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If she’s not writing, you can find her hanging out by the pool with her family, sipping cocktails with her friends, or of course with her nose buried in a book.
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Be sure not to miss new releases and sales from A.L. Jackson – Sign up to receive her newsletter http://smarturl.it/NewsFromALJackson or text “aljackson” to 33222 to receive short but sweet updates on all the important news.
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Connect with A.L.
Facebook: http://smarturl.it/ALJacksonPage
Reader Group: http://smarturl.it/AmysAngelsRock
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