I should never have married him. I ignored the warnings. It’s what you do when you’re in love. Ignore what you don’t want to see.
My husband is everything I ever dreamed of. A handsome, successful doctor who swept me off my feet.
Our new life together is perfect.
He’s perfect.
But am I good enough for him? I never seem to get anything right. And I’m starting to feel a little afraid of the man I married.
He’s taken away my bank card and my phone. I don’t know what to think or what to do. I gave up everything for him and now I’m trapped.
Then a stranger comes to our door. She tells me that I can’t trust my husband.
That I should ask him what happened to his first wife.
Totally gripping, chilling and with a twist you won’t see coming, The Next Wife is a dark, heart-stopping story of what really goes on behind closed doors. Fans of My Lovely Wife, B A Paris, and JP Delaney will be completely enthralled by this addictive read.
My Rating:
Favorite Quotes:
This wasn’t living. She was only alive in the sense that her body was breathing and her heart was beating.
…truth and lies are often told together. The truth to hide the lies and lies to hide the truth.
My Review:
I’m waffling and conflicted in how to rate this one, I was tense and antagonized with the main characters most of the way through yet their twisted logic and unpredictable storylines kept me reading to the end. The new wife was just as unhinged as her cruel and creepy sociopath husband for living under those abusive and volatile conditions, and it would be a rare woman with more than two working brain cells who would have. But I would never have guessed that ending, it was very clever and upped the final star rating. Liz Lawler is an underhanded minx and a twisted sister, and I have to give her props and kudos for her slick trickery – with maybe a few sharp pinches in a soft area for torturing me along the way. 😉
Liz Lawler grew up sharing pants, socks, occasionally a toothbrush, sleeping four to a bed. Born in Chatham and partly raised in Dublin, she is one of fourteen children. She spent over twenty years as a nurse and has since fitted in working as a flight attendant, a general manager of a five-star hotel, and is now working with trains. She became an author in 2017 when her debut novel Don’t Wake Up was published by Twenty7.
A little haunting sounds like innocent fun until a ghost plunders your stockroom.
Kristie is convinced ghosts don’t exist until food starts disappearing without a trace from the Youth Center storage. There are zero clues as to who’s been inside the building. The security guard hasn’t seen a thing, and the security tapes are mysteriously blank. When the ghost widens his hocus-pocus to include Kristie’s office, the gals of Callie’s Cakes jump in to find the culprit before Kristie can get in a whole mess of spooky trouble. Will the gals of Callie’s Cakes expose the ghost before Kristie’s facility is destroyed?
Cupcakes not included, although recipes for all the delicious cupcakes Anna bakes are.
My Rating:
Favorite Quotes:
So, here I am, placing a cupcake laced with laxatives on the kitchen counter in the Youth Center in the hopes the thief – who is most definitely not a ghost despite what Anna believes – takes the bait.
Anna is basically the only baker at Callie’s Cakes… Although Callie will claim she helps with the baking, don’t believe her. She mostly licks the frosting off of spoons and annoys the daylights out of Anna.
Logan grunts in response. I guess that’s manspeak for okay, I understand.
“Pumpkins!” Anna shouts before running off into the pumpkin patch…
Several children are clapping and giggling while chasing after her. Their parents look on concerned. I can’t blame them. It’s not every day you see an adult with orange and black tipped hair skipping through a pumpkin patch.
My Review:
This is such a fun and vibrant series of novellas, each delightfully amusing and interconnected yet capable of standing alone, but why deny yourself the pleasure of reading them all. All the major holiday periods appear to be represented in the various installments as well as witty banter, amusing humor, growly alpha men, delicious cupcake recipes, and more than a few mysterious conundrums for the three oddly matched friends to solve.
D.E. Haggerty is actually just plain old Dena, but she thinks using initials makes her sound sophisticated and maybe even grown-up. She was born and raised in the U.S. but considers herself a Dutchie and not only because it sounds way cooler. After a stint in the U.S. Army, she escaped the US to join her husband in Holland. She fled Holland over ten years ago when she couldn’t stand the idea of being a lawyer for one single second more. Turns out Bed & Breakfast owner in Germany didn’t do it for her either. When the hubby got a job in Istanbul, she jumped ship and decided to give this whole writer thing a go. She’s now back in Holland, which she considers home. Sorry, Mom.
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How do you plan the perfect July 4th wedding with the groom in jail for murder?
Anna is not about to find out. And no way is she getting married in the jailhouse. Not happening. Instead, she’s off to uncover the actual murderer, because there’s no way her fiancé Logan would hurt anyone. Yeah, sure, he looks kind of intimidating, but he’s a cop. He fights crime. He doesn’t commit it!
Will the gals of Callie’s Cakes solve the mystery before Anna’s wedding is ruined?
Cupcakes not included, although you’ll find recipes for all the delicious cupcakes Anna bakes.
My Rating:
Favorite Quotes:
He’s a hot fireman. If I didn’t have Logan, I’d drool all over him. Who am I kidding? I still drool over the man.
My pink hair might have been a dead giveaway. For some reason, gangbangers don’t usually have colorful hair. Their loss.
My Review:
This was a fun and lively read that was shot through with snarky humor and smirk-worthy wit. And clocking in at 110 pages it was a quick and satisfying treat that left me jonesing for sugar and eager to dive into the next installment.
D.E. Haggerty is actually just plain old Dena, but she thinks using initials makes her sound sophisticated and maybe even grown-up. She was born and raised in the U.S. but considers herself a Dutchie and not only because it sounds way cooler. After a stint in the U.S. Army, she escaped the US to join her husband in Holland. She fled Holland over ten years ago when she couldn’t stand the idea of being a lawyer for one single second more. Turns out Bed & Breakfast owner in Germany didn’t do it for her either. When the hubby got a job in Istanbul, she jumped ship and decided to give this whole writer thing a go. She’s now back in Holland, which she considers home. Sorry, Mom.
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November 1933. Amateur sleuth-cum-dutiful granddaughter Kitty Underhay stifles a sigh of boredom as she attends the annual Hoteliers’ Association Dinner and Dance on behalf of her grandmother, the proprietress of the Dolphin Hotel. She hopes the company of ex-army captain Matthew Bryant will enliven the otherwise dull evening. That is until bullish and overbearing local councilor Harold Everton drops dead into his bowl of consommé.
While the local police are still scrambling for their whistles, Kitty and Matt waste no time leaping into action. Soon they find themselves caught up in a dangerous search to uncover who amongst the distinguished guests used cyanide for seasoning?
When their digging throws light on a corruption scandal brewing in the local council involving Everton’s assistant Thomas King, they are sure they’ve cracked the case. But before he can be questioned further, King’s body is found in a smoldering car wreck. Meanwhile, the murderer has made a sinister plan to avoid detection or punishment, and it will lead Kitty and Matt into a dangerous dance with death…
A fast, fun, and utterly unputdownable Golden Age cozy murder mystery, perfect for fans of Agatha Christie, T E Kinsey, and Lee Strauss.
My Rating:
Favorite Quotes:
‘I believe I’ve met her cousin, Betty, on a few occasions.’ Alice’s mother sniffed. ‘My sister Aggie’s girl. A fast article she is and so sharp she’ll cut herself one of these times.’
You know you cannot do anything around here without the world knowing your business. You were seen, my dear, by one of the staff and now their tongues are wagging at both ends spreading gossip.
The remains of the snow lingered only in a few shady corners, piled up like spilled icing sugar that someone had swept up and forgotten to disperse.
My Review:
While this may be book number four in the series, it was my introduction to Miss Underhay as well as my first sojourn into the wry wit and smooth writing of Helena Dixon. It seems I’m slow on the uptake lately. Each scene flowed like a well-cast episode of Masterpiece Theater. It was an easy, engaging, and light read that kept me interested as well as entertained throughout perusal. The storylines and writing were well contrived, shrewdly paced, and laced with amusing observations and humorous descriptions of the cast of idiosyncratic and oddly intriguing characters.
And it has been a good while since I scored an addition to my Brit Words and Phrases list and I found two new ones tucked into their dialogues with walking out – an old fashioned term for courting or dating; and nine days’ wonder – a hot topic for a short duration, what we currently would say is trending on social media. Although what might have held an enduring interest for nine days then, might last all of nine minutes now due to our vastly diminished attention spans.
Nell Dixon was born and continues to live in the Black Country. Married to the same man for over thirty-five years she has three daughters, a cactus called Spike, a crazy cockapoo, and a tank of tropical fish. She is allergic to adhesives, apples, tinsel, and housework. Her addictions of choice are coffee and reality TV. She was the winner of The Romance Prize in 2007 with her book Marrying Max, and winner of Love Story of the Year 2010 with her book, Animal Instincts. She also writes historical 1930’s set cozy crime as Helena Dixon.
Logan Hartson is gorgeous, successful, and has a smile that’ll knock a woman off her feet. And from the moment Courtney Roberts meets him on a dirt road, the chemistry sizzles between them.
Everything about them is wrong. He’s city, she’s country.
He owns expensive restaurants. She runs a small farm.
None of that matters when they’re tangled together in her bed, his body promising things her heart shouldn’t want.
Until people start to talk, and things get rough, and after one last, sweet night together they agree to part.
She never thought she’d see him again. But nature has other plans. The serious kind.
Now she just has to tell him the truth.
So how do you tell somebody their life will never be the same again?
She takes a deep breath, her wide eyes meeting his. “Logan, I’m pregnant.”
*A Better Man is the third book in the Heartbreak Brothers series of emotional standalone romances, set in the small town of Hartson’s Creek. Find out why readers are falling in love with these handsome and brooding brothers!
My Rating:
Favorite Quotes:
She’d been called Poor Courtney so many times she wondered if it was her new name.
“The downsides of small town living.” Lainey sighed. “If the gossip doesn’t kill you, waiting for it will.”
Courtney Roberts is having a baby, even though her husband’s cold in the ground. It’s like an early Christmas gift for the town gossips.
My Review:
I am infatuated with this series of handsome, swoon-worthy, and successful brothers; they have all been my favorite brand of catnip. Each of the three installments could easily standalone yet they have been so much fun I advise anyone who hasn’t read them to start at the beginning. The storylines and writing style are engaging, witty, amusing, well-conceived, and expertly paced. There are two more endearing siblings to go in this quirky small-town family, although maybe if we beg the author enough she could be bribed to extend the series to in-laws, friends, and friends of friends.
Carrie Elks writes contemporary romance with a sizzling edge. Her first book, Fix You, has been translated into eight languages and made a surprise appearance on Big Brother in Brazil. Luckily for her, it wasn’t voted out. Carrie lives with her husband, two lovely children, and a larger-than-life black pug called Plato. When she isn’t writing or reading, she can be found baking, drinking an occasional (!) glass of wine, or chatting on social media.
Nobody expects to meet the love of their life on their first day at school, but from the moment Tanner Hartson set his eyes on Savannah Butler, she stole his breath away.
She was beautiful, wild and free. And though her life was hard, she made everything feel easy.
As they grew up, they were best friends.
Then sweethearts.
And finally lovers.
Until he broke her heart in the worst way.
They haven’t spoken for the last ten years. But now she’s returned to their small home town and he can’t fight the intense attraction that keeps pulling them together.
He wants her back. And this time he won’t take no for an answer.
Doesn’t true love deserve a second chance?
My Rating:
Favorite Quotes:
She’d always been obsessive about saving. Maybe somewhere deep inside she’d known her mom was a ticking time bomb. It was a matter of when, not if, she’d detonate.
“I have a sprinkle next weekend. Would you like to come?” “A sprinkle?” Van asked, biting down a smile. It sounded like some kind of incontinence problem. “What’s that?” “It’s like a baby shower, but without all the gifts.” Regan shrugged. “After three kids I have almost everything I need. And anyway, Mrs. Fairfax said it would be bad form to ask for gifts for the fourth time around.” She blinked, then forced a smile on her face.
My Review:
I am enjoying this series, but then I always enjoy reading Carrie Elk’s work. She implants me so easily into her characters’ vortex, I was so thoroughly engaged I could smell the popcorn and taste the smores. The storylines were entertaining and smirk-worthy and cast with a bevy of quirky yet complicated characters who rippled with wit and snark. I seemed to have inhaled this tale and feel more than ready for even more Carrie Elk goodness with her latest missive idling on my Kindle.
Carrie Elks writes contemporary romance with a sizzling edge. Her first book, Fix You, has been translated into eight languages and made a surprise appearance on Big Brother in Brazil. Luckily for her, it wasn’t voted out. Carrie lives with her husband, two lovely children, and a larger-than-life black pug called Plato. When she isn’t writing or reading, she can be found baking, drinking an occasional (!) glass of wine, or chatting on social media.
A grammy-winning rock star falls for a small-town girl in this all-new standalone romance from author Carrie Elks.
Gray Hartson is coming home. After years of playing to sold-out stadiums around the world, the tattooed singer is determined to build bridges with his sick father and reconnect with the family he left behind.But then he meets her . . . the beautiful waitress with the smart mouth who makes him laugh more than he has in years.
One small problem. She’s his ex-girlfriend’s sister. The only woman he can’t have.
Maddie Clark was an awkward teenager when Gray left. Now she slings hash in a backwater diner, her dreams of being a famous concert pianist left in tatters.
Don’t ask her why. She’ll never tell. Strong women do what it takes to keep a roof over their heads.
Until he walks through the door and complicates everything.
Their attraction is wrong.
But foolish hearts never listen to reason.
Maybe he should write a song about that.
Take Me Home is the first book in the Heartbreak Brothers series of emotional standalone romances, set in the small town of Hartson’s Creek.
My Rating:
Favorite Quotes:
“I’m sending the dogs out,” Della Thorsen shouted. “Sic ’em, Dodger.” “Dodger’s seventeen years old and incontinent,” Cora muttered to him. “Ignore her.”
Every day feels like one of those days sometimes, you know? Like you’re swimming against the tide when everybody else is on a motorboat, and right when you think you’re making progress, they circle around you and make sure their wake sends you under the surface.
“I only had a couple drinks.” “Four.” She held her fingers up. “A couple of couples.”
According to Mrs. Chilton, he looks like a ‘Beatnik’… I asked her what that meant, and it turns out he wears jeans that hang below his underwear, which is some kind of a crime around here.
I do kind of like her. The same way I kind of like Hannibal Lecter.
My Review:
This was a yummy, fun, and eventful read featuring a successful yet tired rocker returning to his small town after a ten years absence to check on his frail yet heinous father. The storylines were engaging, entertaining, and generously sprinkled with amusing wit, family drama, and a steamy romance. I enjoyed every word and am eager to continue on to the second and third installments, which are thankfully already locked and loaded on my beloved Kindle.
Carrie Elks writes contemporary romance with a sizzling edge. Her first book, Fix You, has been translated into eight languages and made a surprise appearance on Big Brother in Brazil. Luckily for her, it wasn’t voted out. Carrie lives with her husband, two lovely children, and a larger-than-life black pug called Plato. When she isn’t writing or reading, she can be found baking, drinking an occasional (!) glass of wine, or chatting on social media.
From New York Times Bestselling Author, Kristen Proby, comes Spells, the next installment in her gripping Bayou Magic series…
As a powerful hedgewitch and psychic, there isn’t much I can’t work to my advantage and finesse with a spell. Love, fortune, and even the perfect cup of coffee are all possible with the snap of my fingers. But some things are utterly beyond my control. Like the powerful and broody warlock who’s been a part of my life for as long as I can remember–and even the lifetimes I often can’t. Things almost as dangerous as Lucien Bergeron’s hold on me and the breathtaking smiles only I get to see. Or the evil still stalking the streets of New Orleans that beckons to me to see. To feel. To die. With everything riding on a razors-edge, and things that have been portended coming to fruition, threatening both me and those I love, I’m not sure if I’m strong enough to resist my fate. Or his charm. If I work with Lucien, it could mean the end for both of us. If I don’t, those I love most will pay.
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Why can’t we be a normal couple? … Just a normal, run-of-the-mill couple, who likes to have sex all the time and watch old eighties movies.
“I love you. No matter what you look like, or what you eat, I love you. I always have. So, eat your sweets. I don’t care.” “If I could find a way to clone and sell you, I could be richer than that dude who owns Amazon. You’re exactly the guy that every woman is looking for.”
My Review:
Paranormal is not my typical jam so I had to work a bit harder to keep up with this one. Groundhog Day hooked up with The Witches and Practical Magic in this complicated, intriguing, gruesome, creative, and eerie tale. While there was no naked dancing in the moonlight, Words of Power were spoken, spells were chanted, potions were brewed, covens convened, possessed souls were expelled, and amusing observations and an epic love story spanning a thousand years were woven in amongst several rather heinous murders.
But wait, the series isn’t done yet as there is still one sister to go and I’m not totally convinced the depraved villain was completely dispatched. I am thoroughly enamored with Lucien as he is the ultimate BBF – sexy, thoughtful, intelligent, romantic, highly skilled in every room, oh yes! And he can create snap his fingers and create fire, which is an exceptionally handy and convenient little trick, as I can never seem to find matches when I need them.
Meet Kristen
Kristen Proby has published more than forty titles, many of which have hit the USA Today, New York Times, and Wall Street Journal Bestsellers lists. She continues to self publish, best known for her With Me In Seattle and Boudreaux series, and is also proud to work with William Morrow, a division of HarperCollins, with the Fusion and Romancing Manhattan Series.
Kristen and her husband, John, make their home in her hometown of Whitefish, Montana with their two cats.
After a night of too many drinks, smokejumper Tony Warren and his best friend, photographer Kayla Gladney, come to the realization that they’re both bad at love. They even tried dating each other, but that crashed and burned, too. Now he’s got the hangover from hell and the certain conclusion he’s just a shit boyfriend. But Kayla thinks he’s a straight-up commitment-phobe.
So they make a bet—they’re going to hunt down his exes and decide once and for all why he’s so unlucky in love. Terrible boyfriend or commitment-phobe. Why does either answer feel like he’s still losing?
But between roadside burgers and late-night detours, they discover some fires never burn out—like the one slowly smoldering between them. And suddenly losing feels a whole lot like winning again.
My Rating:
Favorite Quotes:
What woman wouldn’t want a chance to tell a guy how he screwed up? … If an ex came to me and asked me to list all the ways he’d messed up, damn straight I’d share. Hell, I’d build PowerPoint presentations for some of them.
“Let’s get one thing straight right off the bat— everyone screws up. Your doctor screws up. Your hairstylist screws up. Your accountant screws up.” “I can’t decide if this is reassuring or terrifying.”
My Review:
While still a humorous romantic comedy at its core, considerable family drama, angst, and delicately handled issues of domestic abuse were also found on the pages of this insightfully written missive. I was enthusiastically rooting for Tony and Kayla and intrigued by the premise of visiting ex-girlfriends to unravel the underlying causes of relationship failures and following the not so woo-woo advice of a self-help guru. It was entertaining, smirk-worthy, and deliciously steamy between Tony’s angsty bouts of self-doubt. I’m ready for more sexy smokejumpers in my life and already looking forward to the next installment.
When Tawna Fenske finished her English lit degree at 22, she celebrated by filling a giant trash bag full of romance novels and dragging it everywhere until she’d read them all. Now she’s a RITA-nominated, USA Today bestselling author who writes humorous fiction, risqué romance, and heartwarming love stories with a quirky twist. Publishers Weekly has praised Tawna’s offbeat romances with multiple starred reviews and noted, “There’s something wonderfully relaxing about being immersed in a story filled with over-the-top characters in undeniably relatable situations. Heartache and humor go hand in hand.”
Tawna lives in Bend, Oregon, with her husband, stepkids, and a menagerie of ill-behaved pets. She loves hiking, snowshoeing, standup paddleboarding, and inventing excuses to sip wine on her back porch. She can peel a banana with her toes and loses an average of twenty pairs of eyeglasses per year. To find out more about Tawna and her books, visit www.tawnafenske.com.
“Complete with hot sex scenes, snarky double-entendres, slapstick humor, and quirky girlfriends, this comedic romp through modern-day dating checks all the romance boxes.” -Kirkus Reviews
Willa Frank has one simple rule: never go on a date with anyone more than twice. Now that her business is providing the stability she’s always needed, she can’t afford distractions. Her two-date rule will protect her just fine…until she meets smokejumper Grady Billman.
After one date–one amazing, unforgettable date–Grady isn’t ready to call it quits, despite his own no-attachments policy, and he’s found a sneaky way around both their rules.
Throwing gutter balls with pitchers of beer? Not a real date. Everyone knows bowling doesn’t count.
Watching a band play at a local show? They just happen to have the same great taste in music. Definitely not a date.
Hiking? Nope. How can exercise be considered a date?
With every “non-date” Grady suggests, his reasoning gets more ridiculous, and Willa must admit she’s having fun playing along. But when their time together costs Willa two critical clients, it’s clear she needs to focus on the only thing that matters–her future. And really, he should do the same.
But what is she supposed to do with a future that looks gray without Grady in it?
Each book in the Where There’s Smoke series is STANDALONE:
* The Two-Date Rule
* Just a Little Bet
* The Best Kept Secret
My Rating:
Favorite Quotes:
“Yes, please.” Kayla’s attention was fixed on Tony, and Grady couldn’t tell if her response was for the beer or for the tall smokejumper with rumpled black hair and dark eyes that seemed to make women crazy.
Sometimes I feel like I’m wearing a gorilla suit and trying to tread water in a pool filled with molasses.
My Review:
I adore Tawna Fenske and am greedy to amass every clever word she has and will ever scribble. Her wit is sharp, fathomless, and cleverly irreverent; who else would come up with a male stripper group named “The Bone Yard Gang,” or would give the main character a trio of special needs pets and name the three-legged cat Wheelbarrow and her deaf cat Earmuff? I eagerly ripped through this engagingly amusing missive and am licking my lips in readiness for the next in the series. I was quickly enamored with the featured couple and deeply infatuated with the secondary cast of characters and can’t wait to see what the wily minx has in store for the rest of them.
When Tawna Fenske finished her English lit degree at 22, she celebrated by filling a giant trash bag full of romance novels and dragging it everywhere until she’d read them all. Now she’s a RITA-nominated, USA Today bestselling author who writes humorous fiction, risqué romance, and heartwarming love stories with a quirky twist. Publishers Weekly has praised Tawna’s offbeat romances with multiple starred reviews and noted, “There’s something wonderfully relaxing about being immersed in a story filled with over-the-top characters in undeniably relatable situations. Heartache and humor go hand in hand.”
Tawna lives in Bend, Oregon, with her husband, stepkids, and a menagerie of ill-behaved pets. She loves hiking, snowshoeing, standup paddleboarding, and inventing excuses to sip wine on her back porch. She can peel a banana with her toes and loses an average of twenty pairs of eyeglasses per year.
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