Book Review, Giveaway: More of You by A.L. Jackson

A second-chance, small town, stand-alone romance in A.L. Jackson’s Confessions of the Heart Series.

 MORE OF YOU

 A Confessions of the Heart Stand-Alone Novel 

September 10th, 2018

 Goodreads

Amazon  /Paperback  / Audible

Are you ready for my newest romance?

My daddy warned me never to fall for a boy like Jace Jacobs . . .
The second I saw him walk through the door, I knew he was trouble.
A gorgeous rebel with a bad attitude and a huge chip on his shoulder.
My heart warned me. I didn’t listen. I saw something protective and good beneath the fierce, tough exterior.
I fell hard and fast.
He promised we’d be together forever, and then left me with a broken heart.
Now, ten years later, Jace Jacobs is standing at my door.
Sexier than he’s ever been.
Provocative and commanding.
Successful and powerful.
The man I always knew he would become.
But I promised myself I’d never lose my heart to him again.
Even time couldn’t dim our chemistry. One glance of his intense eyes, and I become weak. One brush of his hand, and he brings me to my knees.
Little do I know, Jace holds the key to everything I’ve lost and everything that threatens my future.
Now he will either save me, or he will break me all over again . . .
More of You – a Confessions of the Heart second-chance, stand-alone romance

 

 

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

Pain radiated from him like the heat waves that held to the sticky, summer air.

 

Who said I wanted to hear all your dirty little secrets? You usually leave me feeling like I need to pour bleach into my ears.

 

I was pretty sure Faith’s mom swooned right there, while her father slit my throat with a metaphorical knife… I would have laughed if her father weren’t clearly stabbing me over and over in his mind.

 

My Review:

 

Holy sizzling sex scenes – clutch the pearls, I was gasping. More of You featured heavily emotive and intriguing storylines with intensely sexy and compelling characters. The atmosphere swirled with grief, uncertainty, despair, hostility, and anger. I struggled with so much turmoil and angst, angst, angsty angst, I was dreadfully weary with it! Yet – I could not stop reading as the well-crafted mystery and ever-looming elements of danger and suspense kept niggling at my curiosity; and toss in a naughty best friend and a precocious and adorable toddler for levity and heart-squeezes and I was hooked. The mystery surrounding a murder and subsequent threats to the widow was well-plotted and maddeningly paced. I am not quite sure how she does it, but time after time, A.L. Jackson’s agile and crafty word skills keep me glued to my Kindle despite my personal distaste for near constant emotional tension and upheaval. Although her dazzlingly alluring characters and provocative storylines certainly help tip the scales.

 

 
Don’t miss the adorable giveaway for the More of You release! It’s a Fight for Me Bundle + the EXCLUSIVE products from my MORE OF YOU release boxes!

I hope you love Jace and Faith as much as I do. I’m so proud of this story, and am so thrilled to release it out into the world!

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.
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Her bestselling series include THE REGRET SERIES, CLOSER TO YOU, BLEEDING STARS, and FIGHT FOR ME novels. Grab A.L. Jackson’s latest novel, MORE OF YOU, the first 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  and sales from A.L. Jackson – Sign up to receive releases – newsletter  http://smarturl.it/NewsFromALJackson 
– text “aljackson” to 33222 to receive short but sweet updates on all the important news.

Connect with A.L.

Facebook: http://smarturl.it/ALJacksonPage
Reader Group: http://smarturl.it/AmysAngelsRock
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Bookbub: http://smarturl.it/ALJacksonBookbub
Twitter: @aljacksonauthor
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Book Review: The Oddest Little Book Shop by Beth Good

The Oddest Little Book Shop

by Beth Good

Goodreads

Amazon US / UK  / B&N

 

Escape to the gorgeous seaside resort of Port Pol, where love and laughter overflow in the Cornish sunshine.

‘I love Beth Good’s quirky style!’ – bestselling author, Katie Fforde

After ten long years away, television star Daisy Diamond is finally going home.

She’s not back at the gorgeous seaside resort of Port Pol in sunny Cornwall five minutes before she realizes the mistake she’s made. Her childhood sweetheart Nick Old – affectionately known as ‘Devil’ – is still living there, running the local bookshop, and he is determined to rekindle their flame.

Daisy is no longer the dewy-eyed romantic of her school days. Her life may not have gone according to plan, but she’s not afraid to show Nick how much she’s grown since he famously dumped her at the school leavers’ disco.

Even if it means bending her heart out of shape a little . . .

A charming summer novella from popular romantic comedy writer Beth Good and another entry in her quirky ‘Oddest Little Shop’ series.

 

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

Part of her wanted to dissolve in a pathetic heap after the verbal lashing he had just given her. Another part of her wanted to go and throw mud pies at the disappearing back window of his car.

 

‘I look appalling. Like I charge by the hour.’ ‘Oh, the half-hour, I’d say,’ Kirsty corrected her cheerfully…

 

Ha, you really look terrified now. Betwattled, as my great-gran would have said.

My Review:

I enjoy a clever second chance romance and score – I stumbled on one by my new favorite author, and thankfully, she has delivered an exceptionally thoughtful and amusing tale that kept me guessing. I am blissfully enjoying the pleasantly amusing and entertaining arrangements of words from the talented wordsmith known as Beth Good. With The Oddest Little Book Shop, I am three novellas in with her Oddest Little Shop series, and one of my favorite things about this installment was the wily and cunning name given to a despicable paparazzi photographer – Ron Scrotes. I’m just immature enough to smirk each time he appeared. Ms. Good’s wry wit may have caused an indelicate yet gleeful snort or ten, as Mr. Scrotes tends to pop up at inopportune moments for the main characters.

I adored the lovely Daisy Diamond, who became the biggest celebrity ever to have sprung from the small Cornish village of her youth. The same small Cornish village she fled ten years prior with a broken heart after being crushed by The Devil, AKA Nick Old – again – she is just so crafty with the clever names. The twists and turns leading to her painful teenaged heartbreak were finally explained to her and were quite compelling, yet there were many complications that presented a quagmire to unravel and make right. I didn’t think it could be done in a novella but Ms. Good miraculously made it happen and with a highly satisfying and happy ending for all parties, even the harpy who didn’t deserve one, but apparently Ms. Good is generous like that.

 

Author Bio – 

 

Born and raised in Essex, England, Beth Good was whisked away to an island tax haven at the age of eleven to attend an exclusive public school and rub shoulders with the rich and famous. Sadly, she never became rich or famous herself, so had to settle for infamy as a writer of dubious novels. She writes under several different names, mainly to avoid confusing her readers – and herself! As Beth Good, she writes romantic comedy and feel-good fiction. She also writes thrillers as Jane Holland, historicals as Victoria Lamb and Elizabeth Moss, and feel-good fiction as Hannah Coates.

Beth currently lives in the West Country where she spends a great deal of time thinking romantic thoughts while staring out of her window at sheep. (These two actions are unrelated.)

You can find her most days on Twitter as @BethGoodWriter where she occasionally indulges in pointless banter about chocolate making and the Great British Bake Off. Due to a basic inability to say no, she has too many children and not enough money, which means she needs as many readers as she can get.

Social Media Links –

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

TWITTER: https://twitter.com/BethGoodWriter

 

Book Review: But First, Coffee by Sarah Darlington 


But First, Coffee

by Sarah Darlington 

Goodreads  /   Amazon

 

She’s the boss.
I’m only a barista in her company.
I really don’t give a f**k about her one way or the other.And then there’s Doug Maddox, a man with a lot of power over me. He’s blackmailing me. Making me spy on her. I’m supposed to find her weaknesses and destroy her. But the closer I get, the more the lines between us start to blur.She’s sweet. She’s kind. She’s sexy as hell.
Why am I the only man who see’s this?

So now I’m stuck—between keeping my sister safe against Doug, because that’s what’s really at stake here, and these feelings I can’t deny for a woman who shouldn’t mean anything to me.

I know what I have to do. I’ll destroy her.
It doesn’t matter if I have to destroy my own heart in the process.

 

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

Joe Coffee. His name sounded like a cartoon character from the 1990s.

 

I gave up on the possibility of love and romance years ago. My last encounter with a man had been a blind date, set up by my mother, where I drank too much wine and ended up crying on my date’s shoulder by the end of the night. Needless to say, I never heard from that guy again. Until I saw him, awkwardly enough, at my parents’ Christmas Eve party last year. He avoided me like I had a highly contagious flesh-eating virus while I ended the night trying not to get too drunk off the eggnog in my parents’ basement. The eggnog won that battle.

 

I was hanging out with the most gorgeous man on Earth, and I looked like someone had thrown me into the washing machine. Wasn’t that the way things always went? Wear your baggy sweatpants with holes in them onto an airplane, and you’ll be seated next to some hot celebrity. Wear your makeup and your best outfit, and you’ll be seated next to a grandma who needs your help giving herself an insulin shot halfway through the flight.

 

My Review:

 

For some reason, I was expecting a steamy NA romance, what I found was an engaging, well-crafted, and addictive novel of romantic/suspense with clever twists and turns and a smokin’ love story. The intriguing storylines were seductively laced with blackmail, corporate espionage, manipulation, coercion, guilt, long-held grudges, scheming, steamy sensuality, addiction, wry humor, and a blossoming and transformative romance.   The enticing characters of Joe and his immature and irresponsible sister Kitty held questionable motives and veracity, yet they tantalized me. I felt conflicted in wanting to trust the alluring and captivating Joe as his complex issues and personality fascinated me.

Narrated from a dual POV, the writing was smartly plotted, easy to follow, well-paced, and continually plucked at my curiosity. I have read just a few of Ms. Darlington’s irresistible and titillating stories and have enjoyed each one. I definitely need to shuffle my overstuffed TBR to include more of them.

 

About the Author

Twitter @sadarlington

Goodreads

Sarah Darlington grew up traveling the United States (Navy Brat)—although, she’s called Virginia home for most of her adult life. She’s the proud mom of two beautiful children on the autism spectrum, who makes every day an adventure.   She believes in true love, soul mates, unicorns, rainbows, and that Hogwarts really does exist. Before having kids she worked as a flight attendant. And when she’s not writing, she’s busy plotting her next grand adventure (aka vacation).

Book Review: The Oddest Little Beach Shop by Beth Good

The Oddest Little Beach Shop

by Beth Good

Goodreads

Amazon US / UK  / B&N

 

‘I love Beth Good’s quirky style!’ – bestselling author Katie Fforde

From the first day of Annie’s arrival in the sleepy Cornish resort of Polzel, next-door neighbor Gabriel seems determined to make her life difficult.

Despite his sexy looks and angelic name, Gabriel behaves like an ogre to everyone and has apparently been that way since losing his wife in a surfing accident. Annie would do far better, her friend Claudia urges her, to focus her attention on Jamie instead. Jamie’s the hottest lifeguard in the village – and her co-worker in the Polzel beach shop.

But when Polzel’s famous annual pie-rolling contest sees Annie and Gabriel forced together, it turns out Annie might have a thing for big Cornish ogres after all . . .

A feel-good summer novella from popular romantic comedy writer Beth Good and another quirky entry in her ‘Oddest Little Shop’ series.

 

 

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

‘Hundreds of jolly cyclists are due to pass through town on Wednesday. And if we’re lucky, a few dozen will stop for ice creams and beach fun. So you’ve arrived just in time to marvel at their beefy thighs and calves.’ Claudia winked. ‘And maybe sell them some cute little Lycra outfits.’

 

It did not seem a very dignified thing to be doing in public, straddling a dry surfboard in a skimpy gold and black bikini. Potentially disastrous too, if anything shifted or ripped. But maybe this was Jamie’s way of getting a proper eyeful of her assets.

 

She… flung her arms round Jamie, her air-kisses loud enough to puncture his eardrums. ‘Darling!’ she brayed, ‘You look so bloody sexy in your lifeguard clobber. Casanova in shorts.’

 

Gabriel’s slow smile was both a reward and a provocation. He was so horrid and knowing! And goodness, his abs were spectacular. She could do her washing on them, she thought, they were so flat and muscular. Why couldn’t he have been flabby and repulsive to look at?

 

‘I have to have some kind of a social life.’ Sarah adjusted her bra quite unselfconsciously, jiggling her large boobs as though to check everything was in the right place. Apparently it was, because she looked down at them with a satisfied expression. ‘I mean, if we can’t get out a few nights every week to boogie-woogie in the night spots or pick up some fresh-faced surfer or big, strapping farmer . . . Well, what’s the point of being single on the Cornish bloody coast?’

 

We’re absolutely desperate for fresh blood on the committee. We’re like vampires without a victim, I promise you.

 

Leo’s a teenage boy, darling. They have no room in their brains for anything but their own little problems. Spots and girls and the size of their willies, in other words.

 

My Review:

 

Ms. Good’s delightful sense of humor provided a comfortable balance for a story that could easily have been overly angsty due to the serious issues of sorrow and loss. I am enamored with her humorous storytelling, quaint village way of life, and eccentric and colorful characters. A small and quirky beach village in Cornwall provided the perfect backdrop for a sorely needed new beginning for a freshly minted and struggling family unit of an aunt and young teenaged nephew who were struggling to find their footing together.

Annie’s life had been a series of upheavals after the death of her sister lead to the guardianship of her orphaned and surly thirteen-year-old nephew, Leo.   Her cad of a boyfriend wanted no part of that and promptly departed, leaving an additional gap in her life, although that one was a definite improvement. Leo’s self-harming and problem behaviors became of mounting concern, resulting in a change of scenery and new school environment, so why not toss in a few additional transitions with a move from urban London to a small beach village on the Cornwall coast and a new job working in a friend’s beach shop, which just so happened to blossom into a brilliant plan – although they had to work the kinks out first.

New additions to my Brit Vocab List include the comical entries of “tatty-bye” (a form of farewell coined by a comedian) and “get knotted,” which according to Mr. Google is, “a rude way to tell someone to go away,” I plan to use and abuse that one with the pesky phone scammers who so desperately want to talk to me about the viruses on my computer…

 

 

Author Bio –

Born and raised in Essex, England, Beth Good was whisked away to an island tax haven at the age of eleven to attend an exclusive public school and rub shoulders with the rich and famous. Sadly, she never became rich or famous herself, so had to settle for infamy as a writer of dubious novels. She writes under several different names, mainly to avoid confusing her readers – and herself! As Beth Good, she writes romantic comedy and feel-good fiction. She also writes thrillers as Jane Holland, historicals as Victoria Lamb and Elizabeth Moss, and feel-good fiction as Hannah Coates.

Beth currently lives in the West Country where she spends a great deal of time thinking romantic thoughts while staring out of her window at sheep. (These two actions are unrelated.)

You can find her most days on Twitter as @BethGoodWriter where she occasionally indulges in pointless banter about chocolate making and the Great British Bake Off. Due to a basic inability to say no, she has too many children and not enough money, which means she needs as many readers as she can get.

Social Media Links –

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

TWITTER: https://twitter.com/BethGoodWriter

 

Book Review: When the Lights Go Out by  Mary Kubica

When the Lights Go Out

by  Mary Kubica

 

Amazon | Books-A-Million | Barnes & Noble

 

Hardcover: 336 pages

Publisher: Park Row; Original edition (September 4, 2018)

A woman is forced to question her own identity in this riveting and emotionally charged thriller by the blockbuster bestselling author of The Good Girl, Mary Kubica 

Jessie Sloane is on the path to rebuilding her life after years of caring for her ailing mother. She rents a new apartment and applies for college. But when the college informs her that her social security number has raised a red flag, Jessie discovers a shocking detail that causes her to doubt everything she’s ever known.

Finding herself suddenly at the center of a bizarre mystery, Jessie tumbles down a rabbit hole, which is only exacerbated by grief and a relentless lack of sleep. As days pass and the insomnia worsens, it plays with Jessie’s mind. Her judgment is blurred, her thoughts are hampered by fatigue. Jessie begins to see things until she can no longer tell the difference between what’s real and what she’s only imagined.

Meanwhile, twenty years earlier and two hundred and fifty miles away, another woman’s split-second decision may hold the key to Jessie’s secret past. Has Jessie’s whole life been a lie or have her delusions gotten the best of her?

“Kubica brilliantly unravels the lives of two women in this tense and haunting tale of identity and deceit. WHEN THE LIGHTS GO OUT will keep you questioning everything-and everyone-until the riveting conclusion. A twisty, captivating, edge-of-your-seat read.” –Megan Miranda, New York Times bestselling author of ALL THE MISSING GIRLS

 

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

I told her that we’re trying. Trying to have a child, trying to start a family. An odd choice of words for creating a baby, if you ask me. Trying is how one learns to ride a bike. To knit, to sew. To write poetry.

 

The frustration over my identity boils inside me until I feel myself begin to lose it. All this red tape preventing me from getting what I need, from proving who I am. I’m starting to question it myself. Am I still me?

 

It’s an insidious way to die, I think, from lack of sleep because there is nothing gory about it, no blood, no guts, and yet the effects are just as gruesome. I know because I’m living it. As the sun begins to rise on the eleventh day, it’s only a matter of time until I die. This is what it feels like knowing you’re about to die.

My Review:

 

What clever sleight of hand, and I totally fell for it. This engrossing book was a minefield of intriguing and heart squeezing storylines. Ms. Kubica’s excellent storytelling was expertly woven with flawless word choices, bringing forth vivid and sharp visuals and several instances of chicken skin.   I was quickly under the influence of her powerful word voodoo and keenly felt the characters’ frustrations, discomforts, confusion, and fatigue.

Written from a dual POV, the two main characters and narrators were difficult to hold in positive regard, as they were often exasperating and repellent. Jessie was struggling with a conundrum while she was also not the brightest bulb in the pack. And as Jessie was suffered from extreme sleep deprivation and experiencing hallucinations, her observations and thoughts were untrustworthy and increasingly erratic; while her mental and physical decline and descent into madness were fascinating. I steadily grew to despise the character of Eden and found her obsessive and all-consuming drive to reproduce to be horrendously irresponsible and selfish.

Ms. Kubica’s well-crafted storylines and writing style were compelling yet taut with tension and angst. I was so caught up in their apprehensions that I am in dire need of a relaxing spa day. Until I can work one of those into my schedule, the next best plan would be a generous scoop of Ben and Jerry’s while trolling my TBR in search of an amusing comedy and lighter fare for my next read.

About Mary Kubica

Mary Kubica is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of THE GOOD GIRL and PRETTY BABY.  She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, in History and American Literature. She lives outside of Chicago with her husband and two children and enjoys photography, gardening and caring for the animals at a local shelter.

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Connect with Mary

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

 

Sunshine Blogger Award – With Thanx and Curses to Julia Swoons

 

If I knew how I’d put a hex on Julia Swoons for nominating me for a Sunshine Blogger Award and sending this nonsense into my realm of sloth – I sense a dubious honor in there somewhere…

I am the laziest blogger in the world as I really don’t blog, I write silly little reviews that no one reads.  But it amuses me to do so, and it keeps me occupied and distracted from the bright and shiny objects I covet in store windows and tend to overstock to a ridiculous degree.

The infamous Julia Swoons sent me a list of commands – how dare she!  Among them was a list of questions.  I am feeling rather magnanimous today so I will guess I could indulge her, just this once…

11 QUESTIONS FOR MY NOMINEES:

 

Who is your biggest celebrity crush?

 

Sam Neill always caught my eye

and while I’m much too old for him but – hmm, I am a bit of a cougar…  Purrr – Colin O’Donoghue makes Captain Hook look a tasty treat

Do you have any pets?

 

My 3 children wear fur coats – I have a Black Panther named Pudge – he is not really a panther but he thinks he is. I also a Golden Tiger (Tabby) named Caruso – because he sings opera.   I fostered a Siamese kitten that I named Ozzy as he was ill and wobbly when I rescued him, and once healthy he was somehow upgraded from a foster to a permanent resident… hmm, funny how that happened…

 

 

What got you into blogging?

 

I was approached by the original blogger to help with her blog by being a guest reviewer, and later that same week she suddenly became seriously ill and admitted to the hospital for several months, so I did the best I could to keep her blog going. I knew nothing – absolutely nothing about WordPress or blogging. She never came back to the blog but her name is still the first one listed. She will help me with IT issues when I’ve made a total hash of something.

What is your favorite genre of books? Movies? TV Shows?

 

I don’t watch much television anymore, I read. Although I do like some of the Masterpiece Theatre series. My primary genre would be Women’s Fiction, but I also like chewing on Thrillers, Cozy Mysteries, Rom/Coms, and Adult Contemporary Romance.

If you could live in a TV show world, which TV show would you choose?

 

Gilmore Girls

 

How long do you spend preparing posts? 

 

Several hours a day.

 

What is your dream car?

 

One that drives and parks itself and never gets stuck in traffic, dirty, or dented in parking stalls

If you could visit any place in the world, what place would you visit?

 

The Pyramids – but then – I really don’t want to deal with the discomforts of getting there, or the heat, or that pesky desert…

 

What is your favorite season?

 

Spring

What is your dream job? Are you doing it? 

 

Retirement is sweeeet!

 

Does blogging make your reading seem like a job or are you still loving every minute of it?

 

Not loving every minute, especially when WordPress decides to do its own thing or I’m struggling to do an exceptional book justice with my inadequate grasp of words, but I do love reading and getting my greedy paws on all the lovely books for free.

 

So many thanx to Julia Swoons for nominating me and forcing me to spend several tedious hours laboring over this dramatic and revealing expose’  – not like I don’t have a million funny memes and precious cat videos waiting for me to peruse on my Facebook feed.

 

Book Review, Giveaway: A Wedding in Cornwall by Laura Briggs

A Wedding in Cornwall 

(Books 7—12)

by Laura Briggs

Goodreads  / Amazon 

 

The last six novellas in the UK bestselling series A WEDDING IN CORNWALL are now available in one collection! Join American event planner Julianne in her final set of adventures ‘across the pond’ in beautiful Cornwall. From celebrity sightings to a local talent show, from a charming village fete to a secret Cornish garden, there’s never a dull moment for Julianne and her Poldark-esque true love Matthew in the quaint village of Ceffylgwyn.

This collection contains A Romance in Cornwall, A Star in Cornwall, A Sewing Circle in Cornwall, A Talent Show in Cornwall, An American in Cornwall, and A Garden in Cornwall. Exclusive bonus materials include a sneak peek of the author’s all-new 2019 Cornish romance series!

 

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

Book 7 – A Romance in Cornwall

The catch in her voice gave her away. I couldn’t help but smile. It was proof how far Kitty had come that we hugged goodbye, a brief one, but a warm one. She was far from the prickly girl who had stormed out of my office two years ago, when I suggested she was a diamond in the rough, who would have died rather than admit how much she wanted that job at the manor.

I was thinking it could be fun to be a writer. All that money and loads of spare time when your book is finished. No more dusting knickknacks and cleaning drapes for me.

He’s a dishy one, as sweet as chocolate and as brainy as Sherlock. Many a heart was broken in the village when he finally fell in love. If I’d been ten years younger, I’d have chased him up the nearest tree in haste to catch him.

“She hasn’t been out in the daylight for two days now,” said Dovie, keeping her voice low in the Fisherman’s Rest. “Only comes out in the evenings. Like a vampire, she is. I’d no idea writers were like that.”

Book 8 – A Star in Cornwall

Edwin has the makings of an excellent actor… At least I’ve never seen a child so young be quite so artful at thinking up stories. Did you know that he blamed a ‘piskie’ for the disappearance of all my chocolate-covered marshmallow puffs in my desk drawer?
I did Shakespeare in high school a couple of times. Basically, people just expect the usual hallmarks. Two people in love, a swordfight … like The Princess Bride with ‘thee’ and ‘thou.’
I wish I could act… Andy has loads of fun with the society. I tried to join once, but I was so awful they would only let me help move the furniture about.

Book 9 – A Sewing Circle in Cornwall 

His glance landed on the fabric pieces in my hands, and the tangle of sewing supplies that appeared to be having a terrible brawl amongst themselves in my workbasket. 

How such a stupid argument could turn into such a personal philosophical dilemma was staggering my imagination at this point.

Your own head can be your worst enemy when you’ve let one little mistake become a chain reaction of them, after all.

I knew Michael was wrong. Never trust the opinion of somebody whose tattoos look like a Russian prisoner’s.

Book 10 – A Talent Show in Cornwall

Colin was the ‘serious musician’ type, who seemed in his own world while playing, as if the guitar and his body had melded together and every molecule of his being was focused on the mellow, complex riff serenading the mostly-unappreciative patrons of the bar. Excepting, of course, the female ones.

I call it shyness — but others tended to call it rudeness, since Nikki was ‘different’ and among the typical number of teenagers set apart by their peers to be socially ostracized and mocked. 

… he didn’t even have the decency to tell me first when he took the job on that drilling crew… I had to hear about it from Jenny Bryce’s niece, who looked proper smug about telling me … stupid little cow, crushing on someone like him. He’s ten years older than her.

Never a ‘congratulations, Kitty’ or ‘oh, joy, my daughter’s getting married’ just a ‘what’s all this about?” Like you caught me stealing sweets from the grocer’s jar.

I felt a sudden rush of indignation and anger that the sneer in their voices could make me see her that way, bringing me back to my school days of popularity versus obscurity. 

It was like a scene out of a movie — things that never happen to real people, those impetuous moments of passion that evade real life for ninety-nine percent of us. From the corner of my eye, I saw Rosie’s jaw drop, as mine was doing the same.

Book 11 – An American in Cornwall

These days, anything looked like a crowd compared to my village’s version of High Street, where a traffic obstruction consisted of a produce truck and a motorbike both trying for a narrow turn at once.

A rich Cornish accent with a touch of something else in it —Irish, Scottish, a Celtic brogue of another kind —that would make any woman shiver just a little. A strong voice like black coffee laced with something gentler, it matched the creases at the corners of his eyes when he smiled.

How could Aimee be immune to this? It was impossible — he was good-looking, had swoon-worthy quiet, rugged charm, and that accent was making even me fantasize about romantic Cornish sea captains and rugged, sea-salted fishermen.

You’re right that some secrets — some feelings — are bigger than the two of us… But I respect that some things can’t be shared, so keep them private as long as you want. Even if that happens to be forever…

Book 12 – A Garden in Cornwall

Mrs. Norbit’s reign of terror continued… she continued to swipe fingers along the bottom of every portrait’s frame and the surface of every stick of furnishing; and appear suddenly and silently, like a Gestapo agent emerging from the shadows, if you happened to be an offender with a saucerless cup of tea or a trail of crumbs on your desk.

Nothing alive is ever the same from moment to moment, I thought, remembering Matt’s words about changes in a garden’s life. My arms tightened around him as I reminded myself that it was true about a human’s life, too.

Sometimes a place in your mind is all you have… For some people, a memory becomes a place in itself — bigger and better than just pictures or reminders.

Heavens, I’ve seen hens in a coop bicker less over one nesting box than the two of you over some insignificant point of conversation. It’s enough to make an army general cry surrender and crawl under his bunker.

 

My Review:

I had mistakenly started this series with book number twelve several months ago, which only served to whet my appetite to go back to read the previous installments of this sweet and engaging series. The characters were quirky and endearing, the villains were expertly cast, and the writing was easy to follow, had a smooth and gentle flow and contained an amusingly insightful and observantly descriptive style. I gleaned several new additions to my Brit Vocabulary List with my favorite being “spit spot” – which Mr. Google informed me was frequently used by Mary Poppins to mean hurry up. I have been using and abusing it with regularity, though I am a bit concerned some uninformed person may take me literally…

 

Author Bio –

Laura Briggs is the author of several lighthearted romance novels and novellas, including the bestselling Amazon UK series A Wedding in Cornwall. She has a fondness for vintage-style dresses (especially ones with polka dots), and reads everything from Jane Austen to modern-day mysteries. When she’s not writing, she enjoys spending time with family, caring for her pets, going to movies and plays, and trying new restaurants.

Social Media Links –

Twitter: https://twitter.com/PaperDollWrites

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

Website: https://paperdollwrites.blogspot.com/

 

Giveaway to Win A Wedding in Cornwall 

3 different prizes (Open Internationally)

1st Name Drawn will win – A paperback copy of the anthology to be shipped to the winner by the author via Amazon

2nd Name Drawn will win – A digital/eBook copy of the anthology to be sent via email

3rd Name Drawn will win – A Smashwords coupon code good for a free download of 1 ‘Surprise eBook’ from the Cornwall series of novellas

*Terms and Conditions –Worldwide entries welcome.  Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below.  The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then I reserve the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over.  Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will be passed to the giveaway organizer and used only for the fulfillment of the prize, after which time I will delete the data.  I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Review: The Oddest Little Romance Shop by Beth Good

The Oddest Little Romance Shop

by Beth Good

Goodreads

Amazon US / UK  / B&N

‘I love Beth Good’s quirky style!’ – Katie Fforde

Izzie has the perfect plan for a perfect life. Work hard, get married, settle down, start a family. But when a mysterious Valentine’s day card arrives, asking in a bold scrawl, ‘Will you marry me?’, it upends everything.
Because Izzie thought she’d found Mr. Right – and the card isn’t from him.

Puzzled, she sets out to discover the identity of her secret admirer . . . and is shocked by the truth. Torn in two directions, Izzie doesn’t know what to do.

Should she stick to the plan, or is it time to take life in a bold new direction?

Another quirky, charming novella in the ‘Oddest Little Shop’ series from popular romantic comedy writer Beth Good.

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

‘Oh get a grip, you can’t seriously marry someone called Norman. I mean . . . Norman.’ Her friend said his name with breathless emphasis as though in the throes of passion, then shook her head. ‘No, it’s not a name to send chills of expectation down your spine. Unless you’re desperate for a truly comprehensive insurance policy.’

 

She did want to marry Norman, she really did. He was a really nice guy, and he was so amazingly keen on her . . . It was just that, in the middle of the night, she did keep waking up in a cold sweat, wondering if she was making the biggest mistake of her life.

 

She clasped her handbag tight on her lap. Like an old granny worried about losing her lottery tickets. Not a good look.

 

As their lips met, bodies pressed together, Isabel realised that forcing Norman to kiss her tonight was the worst thing she had ever done in her life. Possibly barring the incident with the snail sandwich in Year 3. Which had been unspeakably grim… Then there was the fact that his breath smelt a bit whiffy. And his lips were damp. Not wet, exactly, which would have been horrible. But kind of clammy. Eww.

 

He sounded like her dad the time he discovered a steamy romance novel hidden under her mattress when she was only twelve. And she did not really want to marry her dad, did she? Quite apart from the fact that any Freudian therapist would have a field day with it.

 

One of the women, wearing a leopard-print fake fur hat and a thick winter scarf, made an obscene gesture at Lewis. Or she might simply have been rubbing her nose.

 

My Review:

 

I smirked and giggled-snorted my way through this delightfully entertaining and gleefully amusing tale. I may have even bounced in my chair a few times with unrestrained joy.   I have a new favorite author and I am totally fangirling as I venerated her clever wit, writing style, and engaging storylines. I am greedily hungering for every word this clever author has ever penned, like pronto.   I adored this – start to finish.

 

Author Bio –

Born and raised in Essex, England, Beth Good was whisked away to an island tax haven at the age of eleven to attend an exclusive public school and rub shoulders with the rich and famous. Sadly, she never became rich or famous herself, so had to settle for infamy as a writer of dubious novels. She writes under several different names, mainly to avoid confusing her readers – and herself! As Beth Good, she writes romantic comedy and feel-good fiction. She also writes thrillers as Jane Holland, historicals as Victoria Lamb and Elizabeth Moss, and feel-good fiction as Hannah Coates.

Beth currently lives in the West Country where she spends a great deal of time thinking romantic thoughts while staring out of her window at sheep. (These two actions are unrelated.)

You can find her most days on Twitter as @BethGoodWriter where she occasionally indulges in pointless banter about chocolate making and the Great British Bake Off. Due to a basic inability to say no, she has too many children and not enough money, which means she needs as many readers as she can get.

Social Media Links –

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

TWITTER: https://twitter.com/BethGoodWriter

Book Review: Tear Me Apart by J.T. Ellison

Tear Me Apart

by J.T. Ellison

Amazon | Books-A-Million | Barnes & Noble

 

SYNOPSIS:

The follow-up to her critically acclaimed Lie to Me, J.T. Ellison’s Tear Me Apartis the powerful story of a mother willing to do anything to protect her daughter even as their carefully constructed world unravels around them.

One moment will change their lives forever…

Competitive skier Mindy Wright is a superstar in the making until a spectacular downhill crash threatens not just her racing career but her life. During surgery, doctors discover she’s suffering from a severe form of leukemia, and a stem cell transplant is her only hope. But when her parents are tested, a frightening truth emerges. Mindy is not their daughter.

Who knows the answers?

The race to save Mindy’s life means unraveling years of lies. Was she accidentally switched at birth or is there something more sinister at play? The search for the truth will tear a family apart…and someone is going to deadly extremes to protect the family’s deepest secrets.

With vivid movement through time, Tear Me Apart examines the impact layer after layer of lies and betrayal has on two families, the secrets they guard, and the desperate fight to hide the darkness within.

My Rating:  

Favorite Quotes:

 

There is a nurse named Eleanor Snow who runs the ward, but we all call her Ratchet because she is a bitch. No one said we had to be original.

 

She doesn’t want to die. She feels the cancer moving through her, like a shadow in her blood. It has grown in the past few days, is becoming harder and harder to fight… Its snapping jaws are just there, out of reach, but for how long?

 

The words are absurd. This is one of those bizarre nightmares where you’re dreaming inside of a dream, and you know you’re dreaming, so you tell yourself to go ahead and wake up because this isn’t fun at all.

 

“Show me the Milky Way, Mommy. I want to see the candy bars in the sky”… She was so mad when she found out that the sky didn’t have chocolate in it.

 

Everything here is dirty; though it’s been cleaned, again and again, the stink of raw bleach hangs on every corner like a blanket. Bleach and fear, the prison olfactory. Plus the dirt of a thousand people, grimed into the history of the place.

 

My Review:

 

There was much beneath the surface of this slowly developing and captivating story; it was maddeningly paced yet in the end, I appreciated the cunning and craftiness of the plot. J.T. Ellison is an evil genius. I had initially devised a theory of a terrorist plot but quickly abandoned that when I easily identified the culprit although I had no idea of all the complex twists and turns and nuances there were to this tale. There were lots of clues as well as misdirections, yet the mounting incidents and the number of deceased in various cities and occupations were cleverly situated and although the deaths seemed incidental and easy to explain their occurrence was far too often to not be foul play. The writing was top quality, engrossing, and flowed smoothly in an alluringly addictive and enticing manner and while I wouldn’t call it a thriller, it certainly held my attention and kept me well entertained and glued to my Kindle. I also greatly treasured the recognition of Project Semicolon in the author’s ending notes.

About the Author

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author J.T. Ellison writes standalone domestic noir and psychological thriller series, the latter starring Nashville Homicide Lt. Taylor Jackson and medical examiner Dr.  Samantha Owens, and pens the international thriller series “A Brit in the FBI” with #1 New York Times bestselling author Catherine Coulter. Cohost of the Emmy Award-winning literary television series, A Word on Words, Ellison lives in Nashville with her husband and twin kittens.

Visit JTEllison.com for more insight into her wicked imagination, or follow her on Facebook, Twitter @thrillerchick, and Instagram @thrillerchick

Book Review, Giveaway: I Give You My Heart by SarahJane Ford

I Give You My Heart

by SarahJane Ford

Goodreads

Amazon US / UK  / B&N

𝗔 𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗱𝗶𝗮𝗴𝗻𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘀. 𝗔 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲-𝘀𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝗮𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗲. 𝗔 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝗹𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘄𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘁.

Alice Richards looked forward to watching the seeds of love she and her husband planted bloom and grow well into their old age. But her plans for the future shrivel up and die when she learns she has an inoperable brain tumor.

Determined that she won’t die in vain, she decides to become an organ donor. With a few precious months left, Alice begins documenting her fairytale romance—from their first meeting to the children they dreamed of having. She’ll pass on every detail to her heart’s next owner… along with careful instructions to send her husband reminders of her undying love. Before her time runs out, Alice must find the perfect candidate to guide her husband through unimaginable grief and hold the memory of their love in her heart.

I Give You My Heart is an emotional romantic fiction novel with an uplifting message. If you like strong-willed women, undying love stories, and honest portrayals of coping with a terminal illness, then you’ll love SarahJane Ford’s heart-warming epic.

An unmissable love story full of warmth, beauty and with a huge, beating heart. Perfect for fans of Cecilia Ahern’s ‘P.S. I Love You’ and Jojo Moyes’ ‘Me Before You’.

My Rating:  

Favorite Quotes:

 

He moved words around his mouth, silently, testing how they tasted before releasing them into the air.

 

I wondered when you were going to bring up your eyebrows, Al. What has happened to them? Did two caterpillars go to sleep on your face and you just didn’t notice?

 

She’d be the one on the front row of the nativity play clapping her hands red, her camera blinding all the children the whole way through the play, making her little darling feel like the next Leonardo DiCaprio while donning the back half of a donkey suit. She was the best.

 

Because she has to be perfect, you know? This is Alex we’re talking about. I mean I was thinking looks of Julia Roberts, spirit of Mother Theresa, sense of humour of Steve Martin, heart of, well, me.

 

Well, before I went into that operating theatre, I couldn’t draw so much as a stick man. When I came to, the first thing I asked is, could you pass me my pencils? Since then I’ve hardly been able to stop my hands. My new heart tells them and then they do it… I go in as a lifetime loser at Pictionary and come out as the next Rembrandt.

 

My Review:

 

Despite the expected seriousness of the underlying premise featuring a terminally ill main character, this brilliantly written first person POV narrative was a pleasantly insightful, thoughtful, and witty read.   After the twenty-six-year-old character of Alice was given the life-shattering news of an inoperable brain tumor, she set about filling her last months on earth with enjoying as many pleasant moments as she could with her loved ones while organizing a plan and writing a personal letter for every possible organ recipient.

 

I adored these captivating characters; their stories made my coronary muscle sigh and sing, as well as squeezed and tugged at the poor old thing. There were a few spots that burned my eyes and put hot rocks in my throat, but the vast majority of the book was artful storytelling that was lushly detailed with vivid and amusing observations and oh so many thoughtful touches. The character of Alice was determined to make a difference by donating as many organs and bits and pieces of her body as was possible, but she had a particular plan for the recipient of her heart. She set about writing a detailed instruction manual and was rather bossy in filling it not only with her personal history and special memories with her husband, but with detailed plans, suggestions, and specific requirements for the recipient of her heart to fulfill in hopes of easing her beloved husband back from the grief of her passing. I am fascinated with the idea of cellular memory and relished this thread throughout her storylines. I have a feeling the sweetness of this story will stay with me for quite some time.   To use a phrase from my ever-expanding Brit Vocab list – it worked a treat.

Author Bio 

SarahJane is the debut author of ‘I Give You My Heart’ which is due to be published on September 1st, 2018.

SarahJane was born in Scotland but grew up in the Cheshire countryside, which is home to her. After a few years living in Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire, where she went to secondary school, she has now settled back in Cheshire in a quirky flat surrounded by trees, birds and rolling fields.

A marketing professional since finishing her formal education SarahJane is delighted to be following her writing dream. She still works part-time as a Marketing Manager, whilst furiously penning her second novel.

Harboring an adventurous spirit, SarahJane loves to travel, be surrounded by the wilderness or be riding Cornish waves.

SarahJane loves to read (ideally by the sea!). She was raised on the greatest love stories, which is where her romantic soul comes from. She is in love with love…Mr. Darcy’s brooding looks in Pride and Prejudice; Julia Roberts and Richard Gere’s arresting chemistry in Runaway Bride; the intensely emotional Titanic; going weak at the knees for Danny Zuko in Grease; Cecilia Ahern’s heartbreaking P.S. I Love You and Patrick Swayze’s mega moves in Dirty Dancing.

Social Media Links – www.facebook.com/sarahjanefordauthor/

Website: www.sarahjaneford.com

 

Giveaway 

Win signed hardback of I Give You My Heart with a personalized message

(UK Only)

*Terms and Conditions –UK entries welcome.  Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below.  The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then I reserve the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over.  Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will be passed to the giveaway organizer and used only for the fulfillment of the prize, after which time I will delete the data.  I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.

a Rafflecopter giveaway