Book Review: Home on Folly Farm by Jane Lovering @janelovering @rararesources @BoldwoodBooks

Home on Folly Farm
by Jane Lovering

Amazon / B&N / GP

Escape the rat race by heading to the Yorkshire Moors in Jane Lovering’s funny, warm and magical new novel.

Needing an escape, Dora swapped city living for life as a shepherdess on her grandad’s Yorkshire farm. More than a decade later Dora is still there, now farming the fifty acres and caring for the one hundred rare sheep by herself. She never hears the call of the city, but instead relishes the peace and simplicity of life on the Moors.

When Dora’s glamorous but quarrelsome sister Cass, her teenage nephew Thor and his handsome tutor Nat, turn up for an unexpected and unreasonably long stay, life on the farm is thrown into chaos. Cass brings with her unwelcome memories from the past, and of someone who once stole Dora’s heart.

Dora takes refuge in the comforting routine of the farm, the sheep never allowing her too much time to dwell. But, as the seasons change, the snow starts to melt, and as lambs begin to fill the fields, Dora can’t keep hiding in the hills. Because even though she’s trying, Dora can’t run away from a love that never really let her go…

Let Jane Lovering whisk you away to the beauty and serenity of the Yorkshire Moors, far away from the noise of the city. Just right for fans of Emma Burstall, Holly Martin and Kate Forster.

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

…my teenage years are so far behind me that they’re practically a history lesson.

The worst of it was that Cass had a point. And Cass hadn’t had much of a point since the javelin incident at school.

This can’t go on, Dora. I mean, it just can’t. You’re living like some kind of eighteenth-century peasant, only with less disfiguring diseases and more electricity.

‘Did Cass eat it?’ ‘I’m not sure your sister does eat. I think she lives off fury and human blood.’

‘You’ve watched too much Mrs Doubtfire,’ he said. ‘Of course I’m not Thor’s father. Besides, that would imply that I’d slept with your sister, and I think she might bite the heads off her men after mating.’

I couldn’t let an animal suffer. I said another few ‘oh bugger’s and a couple of ‘bloody hell’s, like a kind of anti-rosary, and pulled out my mobile to call the vet.

I wanted to say that the sun could die a thousand fiery deaths and he could be the only man left on earth and I still wouldn’t sleep with him again and if it was sleep with him or die I’d start choosing my coffin now. But his good-natured grin stopped me.

My Review:

I giggled-snorted, chortled, and laughed aloud while perusing this cleverly amusing book. It was good fun and full of keen wit and snarky observations. I adored, savored, and marveled at every perfectly pitched scene and well-chosen word. I had reams of highlighted favorite quotes and found it quite painful to pare them down for this review.

The storylines were engaging, the writing was consistently on-point, and the characters were oddly intriguing and comically compelling with colorful descriptions and vivid visuals. Jane Lovering is a gifted scribe as well as a comedic genius.

About the Author

Jane Lovering is the bestselling and award-winning romantic comedy writer who won the RNA Novel of the Year Award in 2012 with Please Don’t Stop the Music. She lives in Yorkshire and has a cat and a bonkers terrier, as well as five children who have now left home. Her first title for Boldwood will be published in September 2020.

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March 17, 2021

Book Review: ARE WE THERE YET? By Kathleen West @kwestbooks @BerkleyPub

ARE WE THERE YET?
By Kathleen West

Amazon / B&N / Apple / GP

.

Alice Sullivan, a high-achieving architect and mom of two, is used to being in control. Until life rips the blueprints right out of her hands.

While she’s always strived for a picture-perfect life, Alice’s foundation is rocked when she discovers her daughter is failing reading at school, and worse, her son is a bully, having humiliated a classmate on stage in front of 500 of their peers. Alice feels desperate to make things right, but when she turns to her friends for support, she discovers her own social standing has eroded now that she’s one of “those moms” who can’t control her kids.

As she tries to figure out where she went wrong, her curated life unravels further. She faces setbacks with a key client, her husband travels incessantly for business, and her mother decides to unload a family secret she’s kept for more than thirty years–one that shifts Alice’s entire perception of herself.

Despite her attempts to keep things under control, Alice can no longer rely on a spotless kitchen and an inventive mudroom design to make her feel better. She’s been trying to beat the competition, measuring her success and happiness by everyone else’s standards. Alice finds help, comfort, and strength from unexpected places, once she realizes that no one’s got it all together, and that maybe that’s okay.

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

She felt as if she were watching a television show. This poor mother, she’d say if she were. How could she be so clueless?

“Okay, sweetie!” her mom shouted after her. “Dad and I are here for you.” Sadie scrambled away as if escaping a monster in a horror film.

My Review:

I wasn’t sure I was going to appreciate this book after finishing the first chapter, as the characters were not immediately likable, in fact, they were rather obnoxious. But the wryly-witty writing style pulled me in like a duck to water, and my curiosity was well and truly tripped. Ms. West is a divinely clever scribe and laced her tale with deliciously spiky humor, which was keenly insightful and at times cringe-worthily in realistically exposing our shallow tendencies, selfish inner musings, and common family foibles. Her characters were well fleshed out, extremely knowable, and lived and breathed as I read their storylines, which made me greatly appreciate the fact that I am not responsible for a tween or teen in this day and age. I’ll gladly be sticking to fur babies until I take my dirt nap.

About the Author

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Kathleen West is a veteran middle and high-school teacher. She graduated with a degree in English from Macalester College and holds a Master’s degree in literacy education from the University of Minnesota. She lives in Minneapolis with her hilarious husband, two sporty sons, and a very bad goldendoodle.

March 15, 2021

Book Review: The Poet (Samantha Jazz Series #1) by Lisa Renee Jones @entangled_publishing @lisareneejones @TLCBookTours

The Poet
(Samantha Jazz Series #1)
by Lisa Renee Jones

Amazon / B&N / GP/ Apple

The poet is a liar who always speaks the truth.” -Jean Cocteau

Some call him friend or boss.
Some call him husband or dad.
Some call him son, even a favorite son.

But the only title that matters to him is the one the media has given him: The Poet.

A name he earned from the written words he leaves behind after he kills that are as dark and mysterious as the reason he chooses his victims.

One word, two, three, a story in a poem, a secret that only Detective Samantha Jazz can solve. Because he’s writing this story for her.

She just doesn’t know it yet.

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

Propped against my headboard, snuggled under my down comforter, the air cranked a little too cold, I read while eating a healthy serving of chocolate. I’ve often wondered if serial killers eat chocolate, with the same conclusion. They do not, and perhaps that’s their problem.

Please don’t judge. That’s what God made my mother for.

Lang had followed him on a grocery run for milk and toilet paper, to which Lang had joked, “We’re so close, he’s shitting himself.” He’s classy like that and I love him for it.

The profiler is Judy Garland. For real. Her parents loved the movie star Judy Garland and named their daughter Judy. No wonder she chose to spend her days hunting killers. She needed to be bigger than the name.

Wade and I are in his fancy black pickup truck, the Texas version of a Mercedes…

“… she works downtown for some senator at the capitol building.” “But she was best friends with a call girl,” Lang says. “Interesting. What better place to get horny men with no morals than in politics?” I snort. “Truth.”

My Review:

This was exceptionally well-plotted and intriguing, I thought I had it solved but was so very, very wrong. Lisa Renee Jones is quite the storyteller. Her plot and storylines were smooth and full of red herrings and Easter eggs as well as being well-crafted and intricately nuanced. Her characters were complicated, compelling, and an odd assortment of potential suspects. No one was above reproach, but then again, I am a die-hard cynic. I am enamored with this crew and hope I’m paying attention when subsequent installments are released. I am hooked and definitely want more of Ms. Jazz.

About the Author

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Lisa Renee Jones is the author of the highly acclaimed INSIDE OUT series. Suzanne Todd (Alice in Wonderland) on the INSIDE OUT series: Lisa has created a beautiful, complicated, and sensual world that is filled with intrigue and suspense. Sara’s character is strong, flawed, complex, and sexy – a modern girl we all can identify with.

In addition to the success of Lisa’s INSIDE OUT series, Lisa has published many successful titles. The TALL, DARK AND DEADLY series and THE SECRET LIFE OF AMY BENSEN series, both spent several months on a combination of the New York Times and USA Today bestselling lists. Lisa’s other bestselling series include: DIRTY RICH and WHITE LIES.

Prior to publishing, Lisa owned a multi-state staffing agency that was recognized many times by The Austin Business Journal and also praised by the Dallas Women’s Magazine. In 1998 Lisa was listed as the #7 growing women-owned business in Entrepreneur Magazine.

Connect with Lisa

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March 12, 2021

Book Review: THE LIGHT THROUGH THE LEAVES by Glendy Vanderah @TLCBookTours

THE LIGHT THROUGH THE LEAVES
by Glendy Vanderah

Amazon / B&N

Paperback : 463 pages

Publisher: Lake Union Publishing (April 1, 2021)

Go on a powerful journey of forgiveness and healing with The Light Through the Leaves, a transcendent novel of love, loss, and self-discovery by the Wall Street Journal bestselling author of Where the Forest Meets the Stars.

One unbearable mistake at the edge of the forest.

In a moment of crisis, Ellis Abbey leaves her daughter, Viola, unattended—for just a few minutes. But when she returns, Viola is gone. A breaking point in an already fractured marriage, Viola’s abduction causes Ellis to disappear as well—into grief, guilt, and addiction. Convinced she can only do more harm to her family, Ellis leaves her husband and young sons, burying her desperate ache for her children deeper with every step into the mountain wildernesses she treks alone.

In a remote area of Washington, a young girl named Raven keeps secrets inside, too. She must never speak to outsiders about how her mother makes miracles spring from the earth, or about her father, whose mysterious presence sometimes frightens her. Raven spends her days learning how to use her rare gifts—and more importantly, how to hide them. With each lesson comes a warning of what dangers lie in the world beyond her isolated haven. But despite her mother’s cautions, Raven finds herself longing for something more.

As Ellis and Raven each confront their powerful longings, their journeys will converge in unexpected and hopeful ways, pulled together by the forces of nature, love, and family.

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

“How did you get like this?” “Like what?” “Like here but not here. Like this snow I can’t touch without it melting in my hand.”

What Audrey Lind did forced our family skeletons out of the closet and turned them into flesh-eating zombies.

She never would trust fate. It always did what it wanted. Fate didn’t give a damn how good a person was, or how innocent a baby, before it swept them away.

“Can I hug you while you’re out of character?” “Okay. But hurry before the real me comes back.”

My Review:

This absorbing book was tragic, emotive, brilliant, shrewdly paced, heartrending, and crafted with exceptionally deft and thoughtfully insightful writing. I fell right into this divinely conjured tale while implanted and entrenched with her struggling characters throughout every well-crafted scene. I could hear the water flowing, smell the plants, and feel the bitter cold of winter and the blazing sun of a tropical summer. Glendy Vanderah has magic in her words. She spun me upside down and sideways, and I loved every minute of it.

About the Author

Glendy Vanderah worked as an endangered bird specialist in Illinois before she became a writer. Originally from Chicago, she now lives in rural Florida with as many birds, butterflies, and wildflowers as she can lure to her land. Where the Forest Meets the Stars is her debut novel.

Connect with Glendy

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March 10, 2021

Book Review: Mystery by the Sea (A Lady Eleanor Swift Mystery #5) by Verity Bright @BrightVerity @Bookouture

Mystery by the Sea
(A Lady Eleanor Swift Mystery #5)
by Verity Bright

Amazon / B&N

A magnificent seaside hotel, striped deckchairs, strawberry ice cream… and a rather familiar dead body? Lady Swift is on the case!

Spring, 1921. Lady Eleanor Swift, explorer extraordinaire and accidental sleuth, hasn’t had a vacation since she arrived in England a year ago. Being an amateur detective can be a rather tiring business and she is determined to escape any more murder and mysteries. So she books into the Grand Hotel in the fashionable resort of Brighton for some fresh air, fish and chips and, of course, a dip in the ocean.

Eleanor is enjoying her view of the waves and trying to find her bathing suit when calamity strikes: a guest has been found dead at her beautiful hotel. The distraught manager, who can’t afford a scandal, asks Eleanor to solve the case as swiftly as possible. Thank goodness she has her partner in crime – Gladstone the bulldog – to help her sniff out the dastardly culprit.

But when Eleanor enters the dead man’s room, she receives a shock big enough to make her forget even the finest ice cream sundae. The body is that of her husband, who supposedly died six years ago on the other side of the world. Has he been alive all these years? Why does he have a copy of their wedding photograph with a cryptic message written on the back? If Eleanor can keep herself safe long enough to find her husband’s killer, she might discover that everything is not quite as it seems beside the seaside…

A warm and witty whodunnit! Fans of Agatha Christie, T E Kinsey, and L.B. Hathaway will be utterly charmed by this addictive and absolutely gripping page-turner.

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

One of her most treasured memories filtered into her mind. Her mother tucking her up in bed after an upsetting experience and whispering, ‘Sleep well, darling girl. All will be fine, I promise, because tomorrow doesn’t know what happened today.’

He is absolutely wonderful, genuinely. Yet at least twice a day I want to boil his head.

Widowed? Twice, as well. To lose one husband may be regarded as a misfortune, to lose the same one twice looks like carelessness.

My Review:

I have vastly enjoyed every one of the brain-teasing, curiosity prickling, and wryly-humorous tales in this delightfully entertaining series. Picking up one of these fun missives has always proven to be a refreshing change of pace. The endearing and humorously detailed characters are a delectable feast of extremes while the murder mysteries they find themselves embroiled in have been cleverly plotted, highly active, well nuanced, smartly textured, unpredictable, and have kept the little pea in my brain hopping. I adore Eleanor and her witty sidekick butler. She is a woman I would enjoy as a friend at any age and in any time period. As with all the previous books, the writing style was comfortable and flowed as smoothly as a movie reel while being true to the period and well researched. I hope the writing duo of Verity Bright continues this engaging series into perpetuity as I could never tire of them.

About the Author

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Verity Bright is the pseudonym for a husband-and-wife writing partnership that has spanned a quarter of a century. Starting out writing high-end travel articles and books, they published everything from self-improvement to humor, before embarking on their first historical mystery. They are the authors of the fabulous Lady Eleanor Swift Mystery series, set in the 1920s.

March 9, 2021

Book Review: The One That I Want (Scorned Women’s Society #3) by Piper Sheldon @piper_sheldon

The One That I Want (Scorned Women’s Society #3) by Piper Sheldon

The One That I Want, an all-new opposites attract contemporary romance from Piper Sheldon, is available now in Kindle Unlimited!

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There is no such thing as luck.

Roxy Kincaid isn’t a biker chick anymore. She’s made herself more than Jethro Winston’s castoff, and she’s never going back to her old life with the Iron Wraiths. But one summer night, a charming stranger threatens to sweep Roxy off her feet. Ignoring fate and their instant attraction, she has to get back to her real-life in Green Valley. He couldn’t be the one that she wants when he’s exactly the thing that could ruin everything. If only she could stop thinking about him.

Luck is everything.

Sanders Olsson is going to fix his mistakes. He’s determined to show his best friend he’s a reliable business partner not the distracted flake he’s been lately. But he has to listen when the universe brings him a sign in the form of a guarded beauty he can’t keep his eyes off. Their instant connection is almost magical but she leaves without giving him even a last name. When fate gives Sanders a second chance in life and love, he sets out for Green Valley without a backward glance.

Their summer lovin’ happened so fast but what will it take to make it last?

‘The One That I Want’ is a full-length contemporary romance and can be read as a standalone. Book #3 in the Scorned Women’s Society series, Green Valley Chronicles, Penny Reid Book Universe.

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

“You’re a tough cookie, aren’t you?” I asked her and squeezed her hand. “Just ask the guy who told me to smile once,” she said. “You’ll have trouble though because his jaw is still wired shut.”

He was as hard to read as a French dictionary…

He smiled at me and I smiled back. A full smile. If it were a movie, the needle would scratch on a record and everything would go silent.

I finally let my smile drop because it was beginning to hurt and experience told me that it was getting that strained look that caused the elderly to scurry away.

It occurred to me in that this was one of the reasons why women go in pairs to the bathroom. I always thought it was just so they could discuss the deepest secrets of their mysterious sex. But they obviously had a more practical application for avoiding men who were waiting for drunk “easy targets” to break off from their friends.

My Review:

I enjoyed this book overall but I also struggled with it as the storylines were heavy with angst and conflict, which are not items on my Christmas list. Thankfully, there were also generous servings of snarky humor and sizzling sensual scenes that had me gasping. The writing was easy to follow and kept me curious despite character behaviors that had me grinding my teeth with the prickly push/pull.

Both main characters were beautiful piles of hot mess while loaded with inner turmoil and less than appealing traits. They were also emotionally scarred to the point of damage. RBF Roxy was the most difficult for me to warm up to as she was fatally insecure and on a constant boil of hostility and gave mixed messages yet was easily annoyed when others misunderstood. Roxy was unpredictable and edgy, which intrigued me, although she was also more than a bit tiresome. Sanders was her polar opposite and appeared blithely cheerful while childishly ignoring and denying his unresolved issues and personal pain. He was often reckless and irresponsible as he scurried away rather than deal with unpleasant yet necessary adulting. Yet both were driven, good people at heart, and working hard improve.

Jethro Winston has a lot to account for.

Start the Scorned Women’s Society Series of standalones today!

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Excerpt

“Watch it,” I mumbled as I was steadied by strong hands on my shoulders. Then I remembered to be nice and tried to scoot to the side.

The arms held me gently in place. When I looked up, glaring pointedly, he dropped them. It was Mr. Eye Contact from across the room. A little thrill tickled the back of my knees. He was damn fine this close up. Not my taste, but definitely a certain appeal. Like, if I wanted to know someone with a yacht to “summer on,” he’d be my type.

His eyes were startlingly blue. His hair was this dark shade of blond, thick waves swept back with lighter tips that looked as though it had been bleached naturally by the sun. A smile quirked his mouth and my focus moved there. He had soft crinkles around the corners of his eyes and a natural tan that spoke of time outside.

He said something with the tilt of his head and a soft smile on his lips. I blinked away, wondering if my mouth had been hanging open catching flies as I took him in.

“What?” I yelled and pointed to my ear. The band had just started back up.

His smile grew to expose that two front teeth protruded just a little. It was a disarmingly charming flaw, like a puppy with just one floppy ear. His gaze moved over the exposed skin of my neck and shoulders under my tank top, seemingly studying the tattoos.

I wasn’t knocking my edgy looks, but I typically didn’t attract men who could have been plucked straight from an Ivy League fraternity mixer. At least the collar of his black button-up wasn’t popped. And he wore nice sneakers and jeans, not boat shoes and pink shorts. Okay, so he wasn’t preppy per se, but squeaky? Like he’d hurt my teeth to take a bite out of. He didn’t even have a beard, for crying out loud. Not to box this guy in, but guys like this did not go for girls like me. Then again, sometimes there were the guys who liked to “slum it” with the easy small-town girls from Green Valley.

Mr. Eye Contact leaned closer. He smelled like a shower after a hard workout. It was like the cleansing smell of a spring morning after working all night at the Dragon Bar. My jaw was clenched tight, thinking about taking a bite out of him again.

“Dance?” he asked. His voice had a rich and deep timbre that sent a tiny shudder down my spine.

His confidence was sexy without being overwhelming. He tucked his hands deep into his pockets and waited patiently as I took him in, studying him head to toe. There was no pressure in his question. I suspected if I said no, he’d walk away without another word. I told myself I wanted to dance alone but suddenly I wasn’t so sure. Wouldn’t it be nice to have hands on me? Wouldn’t it be an escape to just be a woman dancing with a man to good music?

Shocking myself, I realized I was interested. So I felt a zing for this man? It didn’t mean anything. It meant that my warning system wasn’t going off. It meant that I was a person who wanted to dance. It didn’t have to mean anything.

He extended his hand. I bit my lip. I was here to celebrate my hard work. It was one night before an early flight home tomorrow.

“What the hell?” I said unheard in the club.

I slid my hand into his. His hand was not the buttery-soft warmth of an Ivy Leaguer. His hand was calloused and hot. What might it feel like to have those rough palms gripping the tender skin of my hips?

He pulled me only long enough to let me pass, then he let me lead the way to the floor. As I made my way to the other dancers, I felt his gaze on my backside like the vibration of a motorcycle. I risked a glance over my shoulder. His focus returned to mine as he licked his bottom lip.

“Lord, help me,” I mumbled to myself.

Good thing it was just one night and just one dance. This guy would be way too easy to fall for. But what could one dance with a stranger hurt?

About Piper Sheldon

Piper Sheldon writes Contemporary Romance and Paranormal Romance. Her books are a little funny, a lotta romantic, and with just a little twist of something more. She lives with her husband, toddler, and two needy dogs at home in the desert Southwest. She finds writing bios in the third person an extreme sport of awkwardness.

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March 7, 2021

Book Review: A Cup of Compassion (A Recipe for Love #4) by Kelly Collins @kcollinsauthor

A Cup of Compassion
(A Recipe for Love #4)
by Kelly Collins

Amazon

He needs to balance the books. She needs to stabilize her life. Can two opposites be the perfect mix for true love?

The last thing on waitress Kinsley Culpepper’s mind was romance when she found the Recipe for Love cookbook. What she needed was a way to feed her growing son. Working at Luxe Resorts, the tips were nice but barely paid the bills. Accused of stealing, she ends up on the radar of Julian Dowling, the sexy Chief Financial Officer who’s convinced she’s the reason food costs are up. Afraid to lose her job, she uses a recipe to sweeten his disposition, but will she have the ingredients to convince him she’s not his thief?

Julian Dowling isn’t interested in people. As Luxe resorts Chief Financial Officer, all he cares about is the bottom line. With food costs out of control and his “always a profit” reputation on the line, he turns to the most likely culprit, a down on her luck waitress with a pretty smile and sticky fingers. When dessert shows up on his desk, he has to ask himself, is Kinsley bringing in homemade treats because she’s nice, or is she sugarcoating her deceit?

Will distrust scorch what they’ve whipped up together, or can they turn their distaste for each other into something sweet?

Find out in A Cup of Compassion …

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

He had a heart. It was honed from granite, but he had one.

He needed a girlfriend like he needed a bloody nose. In his opinion, the bloody nose was less painful and less messy.

Julian knew the cogs were turning in his best friend’s mind. He always had that faraway look when he was thinking. Like all the power went off so his brain could work twice as hard.

Kinsley couldn’t hate anyone. She was the kind of woman who was deathly afraid of spiders but would spend an hour catching one to put it outside rather than smash it with the heel of her shoe.

I’m a guy. You know how we are. We already talked about food, and now we’re on to sex.

My Review:

I am a late arrival to this series but that didn’t seem to matter, I enjoyed all the characters and plotlines without feeling lost or confused. Ms. Collin’s smirk-worthy humor and snarky wit are always a welcome addition to any storyline, as are her steamy love scenes. The endearing characters and the issues they faced were real-world and easily relatable, regardless of culture or status. I need to catch up on the earlier installments, as I am curious to know the stories of the previously featured characters.

ABOUT KELLY COLLINS

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International bestselling author of over 30 novels, Kelly Collins writes with the intention of keeping the love alive. Always a romantic, she blends real-life events with her vivid imagination to create characters and stories that lovers of contemporary romance, new adult, and romantic suspense will return to again and again.

March 6, 2021

Book Review: Eye Candy (Fighting for Love #3) by Jiffy Kate @JiffyKateWrites @SmartyPantsRom

Eye Candy, an all-new opposites attract small-town romance from Jiffy Kate, is available now in Kindle Unlimited!

Eye Candy
(Fighting for Love #3)
by Jiffy Kate

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Vali Erickson is the classic middle child—misunderstood, underestimated, and overlooked. He’s fine with it. Really. The overlooked part is actually serving him well during this phase of life.

He’s in Green Valley in an effort to fly under the radar and regroup after a life-altering blow to his heart and ego. The last thing he’s looking for is a woman to warm his bed until one throws him to the mat and rocks his world.

Margaret O’Neal is an only child who has led a sheltered life. She’s used to being a wallflower. Her ability to blend into the background is what allows her to maintain her anonymity as a gossip columnist for the Green Valley Ledger.

Since the Ericksons moved to town, she’s never felt more inspired, especially with the newest addition. Vali Erickson is the definition of eye candy—devastatingly handsome with muscles for days—giving her plenty to report about.

The more Maggie observes, the more she finds herself wanting things she’s only read about in romance novels.

Admiring Vali from afar is good enough for her until their paths cross and she finds herself trying to stay afloat in uncharted territory—no labels, no promises, and WAY out of her comfort zone.

Will this arrangement be what finally breaks her out of her shell, or will her heart be a casualty of the Viking Invasion?

‘Eye Candy’ is a full-length contemporary romance, and can be read as a standalone. Book #3 in the Fighting For Love series, Green Valley Chronicles, Penny Reid Book Universe.

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

“Honey, if they run out of chairs, you can sit on my lap,” Miss Faye offers. Missy turns to Miss Faye. “Don’t make me call Mister Ralph on you!” Faye waves her threat away. “Oh, please. He’d love for someone else to put up with me for a while. I wore him out years ago!”

“We’re not joining the Mile-High Club,” she says, still watching out the window as the captain announces we’ve been cleared for takeoff. “I already peeked inside that bathroom and it’s tiny. You’re a giant Viking and I’m not small. It would never work.”

My Review:

Margaret O’Neal, a socially awkward and virginal wallflower who had never been out of the state of Tennessee finally meets her secret crush face-to-face. Vali is a sculpted, gorgeous, smart, yet emotionally wounded Viking. They each experience an instant struck-by-lightning in the solar plexus attraction, which given Vali’s temporary status in the quirky mountain community of Green Valley, Tennessee was an unexpected yet pleasant surprise, and also a challenge to his plans. I adored this sweet couple and their families. All the characters were vastly and readily likable and people I’d enjoying knowing, including the elderly yet feisty Miss Faye. The witty storylines were engaging, easy to follow, low angst, and vastly amusing entertainment. I am looking forward to brothers four and five as I am expecting great things as the Viking Invasion continues.

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Excerpt

Standing outside the Green Valley Community Center, I’m getting a little antsy waiting for Maggie. I really hate not picking her up at her house for a date, but she insists it’s better this way. I’ve told her I didn’t care if she lived on the outskirts of town or Timbuktu, I still wanted to pick her up but she just laughed and redirected our conversation.

I have a feeling she doesn’t want to formally introduce me to her parents as the man she’s dating, especially after my one and only visit to their feed store. I guess I understand. I didn’t really make the best first impression but that’s on me. How can I redeem myself if she refuses to introduce me to them?

Maybe I need a do-over visit to the store.

Before I can formulate a solid plan, my attention is pulled to the parking lot where I see Maggie walking toward me, looking sexy as fuck. I lean back against a column and enjoy watching her come to me. She’s so striking with how she carries herself and I don’t think she even knows it. Her height and voluptuous curves paired with her long, dark hair and wide smile command the attention of everyone around her.

And she’s mine.

For now, anyway.

When she’s close enough for me to touch, I slide my arm around her waist and pull her to me. Capturing her mouth with mine, I claim it, not able to hold back any longer. Even though we made out in the parking lot of Genie’s on Friday, it’s been too long since I’ve been able to see her… touch her… taste her.

I want her so fucking much. I want to learn her body and watch her fall apart over and over. I want her to explore my body and have her way with me, any way she wants. I want so much but realize now is not the time or place for my dick to be running the show, so I slowly and reluctantly pull away.

Maggie’s lips are swollen and her eyes are dazed as she looks at me and whispers, “Wow”.

“Happy Valentine’s Day, beautiful.” I kiss her forehead, allowing my lips to linger so I can have one last taste before we walk inside.

“Same to you.” She bites down on her bottom lip, fighting back a smile as she shakes her head. I’d give anything to know what she’s thinking and to replace her teeth with my own. Those luscious lips have made an appearance in every dream I’ve had for the past week.

And as much as I want to make her come again, it’s not going to happen in the parking lot of the community center. My instincts tell me Maggie’s a virgin. Even though I don’t have a lot of experience in that arena, I know one thing for sure, I want every orgasm I give Maggie to be better than the one before.

I want all her firsts to be worth the wait because she definitely is.

“So, tell me about the jam sessions. I hear they’re pretty famous,” I say as I grab her hand and lead her to the building’s entrance, needing to distract myself so I’m not sporting a semi as we walk into the community center.

“They’ve been happening for a few years now and they’re pretty fun. Typically, they’re held on Friday nights and people from all over come to enjoy good music and even better food. You like bar-b-que, right?”

I look at her like she’s lost her mind. “Woman, I am from Texas. Of course, I like bar-b-que.”

She laughs and squeezes my arm as we step inside, where we’re instantly greeted by a friendly welcoming committee. After we get the rundown on where to find the festivities, we make our way to where the food is and Maggie continues our conversation.

“I know you’re from Texas, which is why I asked. Texas bar-b-que is very different from Tennessee bar-b-que. Some even say your version isn’t bar-b-que at all.”

I jerk away from her in shock. “Them’s fightin’ words, Miss O’Neal,” I say, laying my Texas twang on thick. “Now, take me to this high-and-mighty food so I can judge for myself.”

Thirty minutes later, I’m slumped in my chair, fighting the urge to unbuckle my belt and jeans.

“So, what’s the verdict?”

Maggie’s expression is smug and I want to kiss it right off her face but I’m too full to move right now. So instead, I give her a shrug, trying to play it off. “It’s alright, I guess. If you like that kind of thing.”

Her laughter fills the room and I’m mesmerized. It’s quickly becoming my favorite sound, second only to the sounds of her orgasm. Shit, I cannot be thinking like that right now, when I’m too stuffed to try and hide a boner.

“One of these days, I’ll fix you some Texas bar-b-que,” I vow.

She scrunches up her nose, and while the look on her face is absolutely adorable, it’s not quite what I was hoping for. “You’ve had my cooking before. Do you doubt my skills?”

“It’s not that,” she starts. “It’s just that Texas bar-b-que is mainly smoked meat, not cooked over an open flame, and you put your sauce on the side!” Her hand covers her heart to illustrate the horror of her words.

“Listen, good meat is good meat, I don’t care where it’s from. But, it’s only fair that you try my meat since I just tried yours.”

The words are out of my mouth before I realize how they sound, and when I look at Maggie’s face to get her reaction, I’m pleased to see the same dazed look from earlier. She’s also blushing something fierce, which tells me she’s just as dirty-minded as I am. Well, maybe not quite as much, but close.

“Hey,” I say to get her attention.

With flushed cheeks, she meets my eyes. “Yeah?”

“You gonna take me to one of the music rooms so I can finally dance with you?”

Her shoulders relax and she gives me one of her mega-watt smiles. “Are you sure you’re up to it?”

“Absolutely. Besides, I need to burn off some of this food.”

Maggie giggles and grabs my hand, pulling me out of my chair and leading me to the first music room we find. There are five or six musicians playing some good ol’ honky-tonk music, which is exactly what I need right now.

I twirl Maggie around before pulling her flush against my body. “Let’s dance.”

And, dance, we do. We two-step, we waltz, and we even jitterbug a couple of times before we’re worn out and need to take a break.

We leave the room and enter another with a band playing bluegrass music. I’m a little surprised to see both of my brothers, along with their significant others, on the dance floor. Bluegrass is not a genre of music we listened to much back home but it’s a slow song and I completely understand the draw of slow dancing with a woman. So much so, I grab Maggie’s hand and lead her onto the floor close to my siblings, so we can join in the fun, as well.

What a sight this must be, watching three big-ass dudes from Texas slow dancing to bluegrass music in a refurbished classroom.

“Oh, good, Cletus is playing. He’s so good on the banjo,” Maggie tells me.

“Who’s that?”

“You know Jenn from the bakery, right? Well, that’s her husband.” She uses her head to point in the direction of a man with wild hair, playing a banjo as if it’s the easiest thing to do. Not gonna lie, I’m kind of envious of his long beard. I’ve never been able to grow my beard out like that.

It doesn’t take long for me to get lost in the feel of Maggie in my arms again. She fits perfectly, her soft parts molding to my hard ones, and if it feels this good while we still have our clothes on, I can’t fucking wait to be this close to her while naked.

Maggie’s head is on my shoulder as we sway to the music, so she doesn’t see when Tempest waves at me. I look up at Tempest and watch as she mouths, “Have you asked about New Orleans.” Drawing my eyebrows together, I give a small shake of my head in reply. She’s obviously not happy with my answer because her eyes are now narrowed and her hands are on her hips.

Not wanting to get into it right now, I roll my eyes and sway our bodies so that my back is now facing Tempest. I’m sure I’ll pay for this tomorrow but I don’t care.

It’s not that I don’t want Maggie to go to New Orleans with us, with me, because I do. But I can’t help but wonder if it’s too soon for us. Of course, I wouldn’t have any expectations regarding the physical side of our relationship but it’d be our first weekend getaway as a couple, and to me, that’s a big deal. Road trips can either make or break a couple and the fact we’d also be with my family, as in my entire family… well, it kind of scares the shit out of me. I don’t want to pressure her or freak her out but, on the flip side, making that trip without her would fucking suck.

I will ask her, but not tonight.

Tonight, I just want to hold her in my arms for as long as she’ll let me.

About Jiffy Kate

Jiffy Kate is the joint pen name for Jiff Simpson and Jenny Kate Altman. They’re co-writing besties who share a brain. They also share a love of cute boys, stiff drinks, and fun times.

Together, they’ve written over twenty stories. Their first published book, Finding Focus, was released in November 2015. Since then, they’ve continued to write what they know–southern settings full of swoony heroes and strong heroines.

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March 4, 2021March 4, 2021

Book Review: Mr Right Across The Street by Kathryn Freeman @KathrynFreeman1 @rararesources @BoldwoodBooks

Mr Right Across The Street
by Kathryn Freeman

Amazon / B&N / Apple / GP

Mia Abbott’s move to Manchester was supposed to give her time and space from all the disastrous romantic choices she’s made in her past. But then the hot guy who lives opposite – the one who works out every day at exactly 10 a.m., not that Mia has noticed thank-you-very-much – starts leaving notes in his window…for her.

Bar owner Luke Doyle has his own issues to deal with but as he shows Mia the sites of her new city he also shows her what real romance looks like for the first time. And when he cooks up a signature cocktail in her honor, she realizes that the man behind the bar is even more enticing than any of his creations. And once she’s had a taste she knows it will never be enough!

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

Men like Luke, cocky and good looking, didn’t go for geek girls, she reminded herself. She attracted the shier, solid guys, who then turned out to be flakier than a Danish pastry.

The Luke Doyle I grew up with had the biggest heart of anyone I’ve ever met… He still has, but over the years he’s tried so hard to protect it, he’s forgotten how to use it.

Is this the part where I pretend I’m not interested and change the subject? … I hate to disappoint you but I’m nosey, so that’s not going to happen.

My Review:

This was a fun and light read filled with amusing and wry humor, family drama, and a fledgling romance between two people in transition. Mia was a small nerdy woman with technicolored hair, and Luke was her sexy, rabbit-loving, bar owner, neighbor who had a way with women, lots and lots of women. The pair had instant chemistry and gave clever and witty banter, but his reputation as a ladies man put her off, and truthfully, it was putting him off as well. Although that didn’t keep her from perving and lusting after him every day while she watched him exercise from her window. The storylines were easy to follow, engaging, and converged slowly with the plot being more character-driven than action-packed, which was fine by me. I enjoyed these surprisingly endearing characters as they struggled with their inner musings and worked through their issues to find their way to each other.

And I picked up a new entry for my ever-expanding Brit Words and Phrases List with, threw his toys out of the pram – which Mr. Google informs me means to react with ill-temper. I really like the visual on that one.

About the Author

A former pharmacist, I’m now a medical writer who also writes romance. Some days a racing heart is a medical condition, others it’s the reaction to a sexy hero.

With a husband who asks every Valentine’s Day whether he has to buy a card (yes, he does), any romance is all in my head. Then again, his unstinting support of my career change proves love isn’t always about hearts and flowers – and heroes come in many disguises.

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