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Book Review: A Wish in Irish Falls (Wishing Tree, #2) by Jen Gilroy, @JenGilroy1

 

A Wish in Irish Falls
(Wishing Tree, #2)
by Jen Gilroy 

 

When you wish on a wishing tree, you don’t always get what you want. If you’re very lucky, you get something even better . . .

When Tara Lynch’s husband was killed on military duty, her happily ever after died too. Although she still wishes on her hometown wishing tree, she’s no longer certain it makes dreams come true. All Tara wants is to somehow move forward without the love and family of her own she’d counted on.

Walker Cavanagh’s the new veterinarian in town. After his fiancée’s death in a car accident, he’s sure was his fault, he won’t get close to another woman to get hurt, or hurt her. As for wishes, they won’t bring back his lost love.

Yet, as Tara and Walker work together on a fundraising event to train service dogs for veterans, they find they have more in common than they think—and are soon more than a little hot and bothered.

With some wishing tree magic, can Tara and Walker face their biggest fears and open their hearts to each other . . . and find a new beginning in Irish Falls?

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

“Scoop up your poop, take responsibility for your actions, and control yourself.” Rowan glanced at Tara and her lips twitched. “Good advice for pet ownership as well as life.”

 

Spring’s the season of new beginnings, after all. Besides, we all survived an Adirondack winter and fifty-seven snow days. I want to celebrate any chance to get my clothes off.

 

Patty has mellowed over the years, but she’s a bit like medicine, better in small doses.

 

Like my sainted grandmother used to say, you can’t sew buttons on your neighbor’s mouth, although, in Patty’s case, I wish I could.

 

My Review:

 

This was a gentle, slowly evolving, and sweet story with generous servings of humor, personal angst, family drama, small-town life, and attempts at a new romance while widowed and living that small-town life – which certainly isn’t easy. I markedly enjoyed the characters as they each brought something uniquely appealing and different to the story. Ms. Gilroy’s writing style was easy to follow and pleasantly engaging and lazily pulled me in bit by bit as I grew familiar with these likable and hard-working characters and their individual traits. I covet their communal wishing tree as well as the exceptional treasure of knowing Mrs. Kathleen Byrne and look forward to a return trip for the remaining sister’s tale. I also learned a new term, as I needed to consult Mr. Google for a full explanation of the widowhood effect.

About the Author

Amazon

Goodreads

Website

Facebook

Twitter

Growing up under the big sky of western Canada and spending summers in a little Ontario town, books were my passport to other worlds. Pioneering Laura Ingalls, Jo March and her sisters, the English girls in Noel Streatfeild’s books and L.M. Montgomery’s independent, nature-loving heroines all became friends.

I started writing poems and stories in elementary school and, as a teenager, reached the semi-finals in a local short story contest. Even after all these years, I still remember the thrill of the judge encouraging me to keep writing.

I earned undergraduate and graduate degrees, setting fiction writing aside to teach at universities, write and publish academic research and work in marketing communications and international business development.

Along the way, I read romances, escaping into a world where a happy ending was guaranteed. One day, though, I realized that by losing my creative writing, I’d also lost part of what makes me who I am.

Now I write the kind of stories I like to read–heartwarming romances about finding home, family and community–where ordinary women overcome sometimes extraordinary challenges to earn their happy ever after.

I’m an RWA® Golden Heart® finalist 2015 in Contemporary Romance, and that manuscript sold to Hachette Book Group USA, Grand Central Publishing, Forever. It releases on January 31, 2017 as THE COTTAGE AT FIREFLY LAKE.

I’m a member of RWA® and the Romantic Novelists’ Association (RNA). And despite a few detours along the way, I’m doing what I’ve wanted to do since childhood.

After many years in England with my husband, a tech guy who’s still a small-town boy at heart, and our tween daughter, an English rose, who teaches me to cherish the blessings in the everyday, I’ve come home to my roots and live in a small town in Ontario’s Rideau Valley.

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Book Review: Accidentally In Love by Belinda Missen, @rararesources, @belinda_missen

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Accidentally In Love
by Belinda Missen

Don’t miss the new laugh-out-loud rom-com from the author of One Week ’Til Christmas!

Perfect for fans of Mhairi McFarlane, Rosie Walsh, and Josie Silver.

In the space of a week, Katharine Patterson has quit her job, decided to move back home, and broken up with the guy she thought was the one.

No big deal.

Because Katharine has a plan. She’s going to open her own art gallery, just like she’s always wanted. What she’s not going to do is worry about boyfriends.

Then she meets Kit, a handsome and talented local artist. He might be the most stubborn person Katharine has ever met. He might also make her feel like no one ever has before.

And Katharine might be about to fall accidentally in love…

 

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

…she looks like the poster child for corporate office perfection, whereas I’m sure I left the office looking like the love child of Beetlejuice and Alice Cooper.

 

‘Go easy on the old boy… He thought Kit would be right up your alley.’ ‘Let me be very clear… He’s not going anywhere near my alley.’

 

… there’s a teensy bit of smug satisfaction that comes from knowing he’s stuffed up so badly. Who am I kidding? The schadenfreude is a strawberry milkshake, and I’m so very thirsty.

 

‘Can I tell you a secret?’ He leans in and fixes me with such a look I’m certain he’s about to unload nuclear codes on me.

 

Everyone has those mornings where something simply doesn’t feel right… It’s more a charge in the air. That’s how I feel right now, life slipping off-kilter as I step into the bridal shop. A bell above the door tingles to alert the God of mischief that it’s time to suit up.

 

My Review:

 

I always enjoy delving into Belinda Missen’s books as every one of them that I’ve had the pleasure of perusing as been lively, fun, cleverly amusing, and delightfully irreverent, and this one was no exception. And in addition to all that, it was also highly entertaining and thoughtfully perceptive. There was a brilliant and well-honed balance of humor, interpersonal conflict, family issues, witty banter, romance, personal loss, deep friendship, angst, and unabiding familial supportiveness.   The storylines were teeming with uniquely flawed and oddly compelling characters full of unusual quirks that provided unexpected levity as well as additional creative story elements.

 

I smirked and snickered my way through this engaging tale and picked up a bit of artsy knowledge along the way as well as a new addition to my Brit Wordlist with lurgy, which Mr. Google told me is British slang for ‘A fictitious, highly infectious disease; often used in the phrase “the dreaded lurgi”, sometimes as a reference to flu-like symptoms.’ I recall suffering several reoccurring bouts of lurgy in high school – an excellent cover story for my perpetual truancy.

About the Author

 

 Author and sometimes foodie, Belinda is a ridiculous romantic who met her husband after being set up by a friend two states away.

Residing in country Victoria, surrounded by books, cat-fur, and half-eaten cake, Belinda divides her days between writing rom-coms, baking, and indulging her love of comic books.

Social Media Links

www.belindamissen.com

facebook.com/BelindaMissen

twitter.com/belinda_missen

Instagram @belinda_missen

 

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Book Review: The Road to Delano by John DeSimone, @tlcbooktours, @rarebirdlit, @johndesimone1969.

The Road to Delano
by John DeSimone

Amazon / B & N  / Rare Bird Books / GP/ Apple 

Hardcover: 320 pages

Publisher: Rare Bird Books (March 10, 2020)

Jack Duncan is a high school senior whose dream is to play baseball in college and beyond, as far away from Delano as possible. He longs to escape the political turmoil surrounding the labor struggles of the striking fieldworkers that infests his small ag town. Ever since his father, a grape grower, died under suspicious circumstances ten years earlier, he’s had to be the sole emotional support of his mother, who has kept secrets from him about his father’s involvement in the ongoing labor strife.

With their property on the verge of a tax sale, Jack drives an old combine into town to sell it so he and his mother don’t become homeless. On the road, an old friend of his father’s shows up and hands him the police report indicating Jack’s father was murdered. Jack is compelled to dig deep to discover the entire truth, which throws him into the heart of the corruption endemic in the Central Valley. Everything he has dreamed of is at stake if he can’t control his impulse for revenge.

While Jack’s girlfriend, the intelligent and articulate Ella, warns him not to so anything to jeopardize their plans of moving to L.A., after graduation, Jack turns to his best friend, Adrian, a star player on the team, to help to save his mother’s land. When Jack’s efforts to rescue a stolen piece of farm equipment leaves Adrian, the son of a boycotting fieldworker who works closely with Cesar Chavez, in a catastrophic situation, Jack must bail his friend out of his dilemma before it ruins his future prospects. Jack uses his wits, his acumen at card-playing, and his boldness to raise the money to spring his friend, who has been transformed by his jail experience.

The Road to Delano is the path Jack, Ella, and Adrian must take to find their strength, their duty, their destiny.

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

Coach never yelled. He just stared at that empty space above a boy’s head as if he were wondering what kind of torture would produce one ounce of common sense in the teenager’s brain.

 

It’s one thing to be poor. It’s another thing to be forced into poverty by men who don’t care that we’re human beings.

 

He plays like a turkey before Thanksgiving.

 

My Review:

 

This was my introduction to John DeSimone and I found his storytelling to be absorbing and deeply insightful. He implanted me so thoroughly in his tale I felt the scorching heat as well as tasted the bitterness of the times in my mouth. I was vaguely aware of Cesar Chavez as a child of the ’70s, although as a white child, his name was not spoken reverently in my parents’ home and as was typical, so often paired with several unflattering slurs that I likely thought it was part of the man’s name.   Embarrassing true story, and it happened more than once.

The storylines were well-crafted, profoundly perceptive, distressingly realistic, and adroitly captured the tumultuousness of the period as well as the unfettered arrogance, assumed privilege, blatant corruption, and abuse of power enjoyed at all levels. I remember gaining that same sense of staggering epiphany and awareness of the unfairness and hypocritical inhumanity experienced by the teenaged characters as if waking up to the not so well kept secret as a naïve and poorly informed bumpkin, and marveling at how entire communities silently allowed it to not only continue but to flourish.

John DeSimone’s powerful and emotive word choices hit all the feels and a sharp punch to the gut while reminding me of that oh, so, uncomfortable time. I found myself deeply invested in this hauntingly unsettling tale and fearful for all the characters as I knew it wasn’t going to end well for anyone. And along the way, I was well-schooled on baseball, card-playing, and grape growing in the most interesting fashion.  Anyone who can get to me like that deserves far more than 5-Stars.

About the Author

John DeSimone is a published writer, novelist, and teacher. He’s been an adjunct professor and holds an MFA in Creative Writing from Spalding University. His recent co-authored books include Broken Circle: A Memoir of Escaping Afghanistan (Little A Publishers), and Courage to Say No by Dr. Raana Mahmood, about her struggles against sexual exploitation as a female physician in Karachi. His published novel Leonardo’s Chair published in 2005.

In 2012, he won a prestigious Norman Mailer Fellowship to complete his most recent historical novel, Road to Delano. His novels Leonardo’s Chair and No Ordinary Man have received critical recognition.

He works with select clients to write stories of inspiration and determination and with those who have a vital message to bring to the marketplace of ideas in well-written books.

Find out more about John at his website, and connect with him on Instagram.

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Book Review: Her Aussie Holiday (Patterson’s Bluff #2) by Stefanie London @entangledpublishing @stefanielondon

Her Aussie Holiday
(Patterson’s Bluff #2)
by Stefanie London 

Amazon / B&N /  GP/ Apple 

Mass Market Paperback: 330 Pages

Publisher: Entangled: Amara (August 25, 2020)

The Holiday meets Property Brothers in this head over heels romantic comedy full of humor and heart, with a charming Aussie setting.

Cora Cabot’s life is falling apart. So when her Australian friend announces she’s secured an internship in the States, Cora has a brilliant idea: house swap! Small-town Australia sounds like the perfect getaway. Only, when she gets there, the house isn’t empty. Turns out her friend’s hot Australian brother is staying there, too—and he doesn’t look happy to see her.

The last thing Trent Walters needs is a roommate for the summer. Especially an American who immediately floods the house and single-handedly destroys the family project his sister created for their parents’ anniversary. Now, not only does Cora insist on helping fix the house, he needs her help re-creating the family scrapbook. And glitter is not his forte.

But between late nights cooking, pints at the local pub, and competitive matches of cricket on the beach, Cora starts to break through Trent’s defenses. Too bad Cora made a promise to return to working with her father at the end of the summer—a promise she can’t break—because this holiday is starting to feel like one she never wants to end.

Each book in the Patterson’s Bluff series is STANDALONE:
* The Aussie Next Door
* Her Aussie Holiday

 

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

Cora’s childhood could be best summed up as: may result in therapy.

 

Seriously? Did you hop into the DeLorean and travel back to high school?

 

I am the least creative person in my family. Seriously, my Christmas decorations were so bad as a kid, I caught my mum hiding them around the back of the tree whenever we had guests over… I can’t blame her. My ‘Christmas rocket’ really did look like a sparkly dick.

 

“I’ve heard about this.” Cora wrinkled her nose as the traffic-sign-yellow label on the jar of mysterious dark brown stuff. “Tell me, do Aussies really eat this or is it a mean prank you play on tourists?” Nick gasped and pressed a hand to his chest… “Excuse me,” he said, “but Vegemite is a national delicacy.”

 

My Review:

 

I’m enjoying this amusing yet thoughtfully written series with the second installment being just as entertaining and engaging as the first. The books are standalone yet involve the same family members and continue on from the previous publication. The storylines were relatable and held my interest with family drama, a sizzling new romance, Aussie assimilation, and amusing humor. The characters were uniquely flawed yet endearing, admirably hardworking, and highly likable human beings.   As this brother turned out to be the opposite of what I was expecting, I am looking forward to seeing what this clever author does with the next family member.

About the Author

About Stefanie London

Stefanie London is a multi-award-winning, USA Today bestselling author of contemporary romances and romantic comedies.

Stefanie’s books have been called “genuinely entertaining and memorable” by Booklist, and “Elegant, descriptive and delectable” by RT magazine. Her stories have won multiple industry awards, including the HOLT Medallion and OKRWA National Reader’s Choice Award, and she has been nominated for the Romance Writers of America RITA award.

Originally from Australia, Stefanie now lives in Toronto with her very own hero and is currently in the process of doing her best to travel the world. She frequently indulges in her passions for good coffee, lipstick, romance novels, and anything zombie-related.

Connect with Stefanie

Website | Facebook | Instagram 

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Book Review: The Aussie Next Door (Patterson’s Bluff #1) by Stefanie London  @entangledpublishing @stefanielondon

The Aussie Next Door
(Patterson’s Bluff #1)
by Stefanie London 

Amazon / B&N  / GP/ Apple  

American Angie Donovan has never wanted much. When you grow up getting bounced from foster home to foster home, you learn not to become attached to anything, anyone, or any place. But it only took her two days to fall in love with Australia. With her visa clock ticking, surely she can fall in love with an Australian—and get hitched—in two months. Especially if he’s as hot and funny as her next-door neighbor…

Jace Walters has never wanted much––except a bathroom he didn’t have to share. The last cookie all to himself. And solitude. But when you grow up in a family of seven, you can kiss those things goodbye. He’s finally living alone and working on his syndicated comic strip in privacy. Sure, his American neighbor is distractingly sexy and annoyingly nosy, but she’ll be gone in a few months…

Except now she’s determined to find her perfect match by checking out every eligible male in the town, and her choices are even more distracting. He doesn’t want to, but he’s going to have to intervene and help her if he ever hopes to get back to his quiet life.

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

Jace’s -brother was the kind of guy who seemed immune to worrying too much about his relationships— which had less staying power than the latest viral cat video. Along with his famous charm, Trent had the attention span of a goldfish, hence why their eldest brother, Adam, called him the One-Month Wonder.

 His elderly neighbor, Mrs. Marsh, had stood on his doorstep, still wearing her nightgown and slippers, her hair wrapped in a silk scarf and Truffle on a leash… Mrs. Marsh said she’d found Truffle humping her beloved beagle, Archer. Or, in her words, bringing “the devil” into her home.

Please never have children, Nick. We’ll find them lined +up in the backyard getting their nightly hose-down instead of having a shower.

 “I had to make sure you weren’t an ax murderer.” “As opposed to some other type of murderer? Would it be less of an issue if I didn’t use an ax?”

My Review:

 

This was an enjoyable and amusing story with an interesting premise but also deftly handled some perplexing real-life issues with sensitivity and thoughtful insights in an entertaining and agile manner. Both main characters were endearing and likable while riddled with idiosyncrasies and unique personal challenges that required accommodation and understanding.   I adored and admired them both well before reaching that well deserved HEA.

About the Author

Stefanie London is a multi-award-winning, USA Today bestselling author of contemporary romances and romantic comedies.

Stefanie’s books have been called “genuinely entertaining and memorable” by Booklist, and “Elegant, descriptive and delectable” by RT magazine. Her stories have won multiple industry awards, including the HOLT Medallion and OKRWA National Reader’s Choice Award, and she has been nominated for the Romance Writers of America RITA award.

Originally from Australia, Stefanie now lives in Toronto with her very own hero and is currently in the process of doing her best to travel the world. She frequently indulges in her passions for good coffee, lipstick, romance novels, and anything zombie-related.

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Book Review: Love at the Little Wedding Shop by the Sea (The Little Wedding Shop by the Sea #5) by Jane Linfoot @janelinfoot @rararesources

 

Love at the Little Wedding Shop by the Sea
(The Little Wedding Shop by the Sea #5)
by Jane Linfoot

St Aidan: a cozy Cornish village where friendships are made for life and it’s always cocktail hour somewhere…

‘A pure delight’ Debbie Johnson

Return to your favorite little wedding shop by the sea for love, laughter, and a romance to sweep you off your feet!

It’s the most romantic day of the year but the girls aren’t just gearing up for Valentine’s Day and a busy wedding season ahead, it’s also the 10 year anniversary of their beloved shop!

Jess is planning the party of the decade and with the champagne and cocktails flowing, sparks are going to fly…and not just from the fireworks display!

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

I know if Ben were the last guy in the world on a desert island, I’d actually have to make a boat and leave. And that’s saying a lot from me, who came bottom of the class in woodwork.

 

‘…we’re desperate for your input with the Faceplant side.’ Poppy stifles a smile. ‘That’s Jess’s affectionate name for Facebook.’

 

Once your eyes are open to the possibilities of super-hot, lukewarm doesn’t get a look in.

 

Nic’s young-at-heart Great Auntie Di was very grateful for the sewing kit in the emergency basket I had tucked away in the downstairs cloakroom. A few stitches and some safety pin reinforcement was all it took to make her look like an on-trend seventy-nine-year-old again, rather than a teenager on the pull.

 

It could have been worse, at least they weren’t playing naked Twister.

 

My Review:

 

Jane Linfoot has become one of my favorite people, she is certain to be my favorite person of the month, as I adored this book from beginning to end. The storylines were entertaining as well as insightfully observant and cleverly amusing while her character development was simply stellar. I reveled in their banter and thoughtfulness of each other. I admired Milla’s evolution and smirked at her propensity for creating a bit of chaos as she appears to be more than a bit of a Calamity Jane and destined to be plagued with funny little disasters, despite her best efforts and good intentions.   These were endearing and lovable people whom I would enjoy spending time with and knowing well. I look forward to delving into this series again and again for more antics and bridal adventures to keep Poppy’s busy eyebrow wagging.

About the Author

I write fun, flirty fiction, with feisty heroines, and lots of heart. Writing is fab because I get to wear pretty shoes instead of wellies. I live in a cottage up a mountain road in Derbyshire, where my family and pets are kind enough to ignore the domestic chaos. Happily, we’re within walking distance of a supermarket. I love hearts, flowers, happy endings, all things vintage, most things french. When I’m not on facebook, and can’t find an excuse for shopping, I’ll be walking, or gardening. On days when I want to be really scared, I ride a tandem.

Social Media Links – Follow Jane on Twitter @janelinfoot, or find her on her Author Page on Facebook. She’s also on Instagram, and has lots of Pinterest boards relating to her novels.

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Book Review: One Left Alive (Detective Morgan Brookes #1) by Helen Phifer

 

One Left Alive
(Detective Morgan Brookes #1)
by Helen Phifer

Amazon / B&N / Apple / GP/ Kobo

 She knelt down by the side of the first girl. She had to force herself to breathe as she lifted the soft white cloth covering the girl’s beautiful face…

When the body of a woman is found hanging from a tree in her front garden, rookie Detective Morgan Brookes is first on the scene. But Olivia Potter is past saving. And when her husband and daughters cannot be traced, Morgan knows there is more to this tragedy. And then she finds them. Lying huddled together in the dark basement, each of their faces covered with a small cotton cloth, their bodies cold to the touch.But as Morgan kneels beside the family, she realizes that one of the girls is still breathing. As she holds Bronte’s fragile hand in hers, begging her to hold on, she vows to find out who has done this.

Every day Morgan wakes at 4.25 a.m., her old insomnia now mixed with a new fixation on the case. But every clue about the murdered family leads to a dead end. Until, trawling through old files, she discovers a link to a cold case from years ago. Another family was murdered in this house, and the killer was never caught.

When Morgan returns to the scene of the crime to discover more about this forgotten case, she finds another body. With Bronte still unconscious in the hospital, Morgan must act fast to solve this case and lay two families to rest, before the killer returns for the girl left alive…

A chilling and gripping crime thriller that will have fans of Angela Marsons, Rachel Abbott, and Patricia Gibney glued to the page.

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

She remembered what it was like to be a teenager all too well; you never accepted anything an adult offered. God, was that what she was now: an adult? It was strange to think that she was probably only five or six years older than him, yet here she was trying to solve the murder of his girlfriend’s family.

 

If you ask me, she was already dead when they did that. Awful thing to do, vile. It’s like killing her twice; once wasn’t enough so they did it all over again.

 

What had her life come to getting relationship advice from a doctor who only worked with dead people?… ‘I have to go; I’m not used to being around so many living souls, it’s not good for my chakras.’

 

‘It’s not like on the television, is it?’ Amy spat crumbs of brownie all over herself, almost choking on the laughter which erupted. ‘No, it definitely is not. We don’t manage to solve the crimes in an hour.’

 

My Review:

 

 

An excellent start to a new series, and I plan to be following every one of their riveting cases if they are all as absorbing and well-crafted as this one. I’m rather new to police procedurals but I enjoyed the deft storytelling and complex characters on both sides of the law. The case was cannily layered and well-nuanced with compelling side stories and welcome hits of humor and humanity to balance the emotional tone.   I respected these people as well as their process and look forward to solving more conundrums with them, as well as seeing how well they rub along together in future endeavors.

About the Author

Helen Phifer lives in a small town called Barrow-in-Furness with her husband and five children.

Helen has always loved writing and reading. Her love of horror films and novels is legendary. Helen adores reading books which make the hair on the back of her neck stand on end. Unable to find enough scary stories to read she decided to write her own.

Author Social Media Links:

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/Helenphifer1

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

Twitter:      https://twitter.com/helenphifer1

Website:     https://www.helenphifer.com

 

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Book Review: The Country Escape by Jane Lovering

 

The Country Escape
by Jane Lovering

Amazon US / UK /  B&N / Google

Welcome to the idyllic country retreat of Christmas Steepleton, and let Jane Lovering whisk you away with the most heart-warming, romantic and comforting read of the year.

Leaving London and her ex-husband Luc behind, Katie and her 14-year-old daughter Poppy move into their very own, very ramshackle cottage near the village of Christmas Steepleton on the Dorset coast. 

Harvest Cottage has been unloved for many years, so the job of bringing it back to life is a slow and expensive one. So, with funds running low, Katie jumps at the chance when a film company asks to use the cottage as a location.  But even as things are looking up, as harvest time passes and autumn chill starts to bite, the prospect of a cold winter in the country is daunting.

Some light relief comes from new friend Gabriel, so different from Katie’s exuberant but arrogant ex Luc. Will their friendship blossom into something more romantic, or will the reality of a tough country winter send her and Poppy scurrying back to the comforts of town? 

Let Jane Lovering spirit you away to the perfect country escape, far away from the bustle of the city. Just right for fans of Emma Burstall, Fern Britton and Kate Forster.

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

… living with a fourteen-year-old gave a whole new insight into exactly how phoney people could be, although teenagers weren’t truly ‘people’ yet, more ‘humans in training ’.

 

… there’s not much of a dating pool round here. More of a puddle!

 

You’re the first woman to make me feel that I haven’t wasted my life making quilts and learning to crochet rather than strutting bare-chested down the street with power tools strapped to my body.

 

The other two men were just standing staring at Gabriel as though he’d suddenly ripped his clothes off to display Jean-Claude van Damme under his coat… Karen’s mouth fell open and the cocktail cherry dropped out.

 

I never knew bullies kept on being bullies when they were grown up… I thought you grew out of being a shithead like you grow out of wanting a fringe and sucking your thumb.

 

They looked a bit shocked and I realised that this was Poppy’s first exposure to a properly poorly person. My mother, despite her aches, pains and general incessant complaints, was fit and well and her grand -mère had the air of one who had had herself embalmed at the age of seventy to save time later.

 

My Review:

 

While continuing with my adoration of Jane Lovering (and I am totally enamored now), I giggle-snorted and smirked my way through this highly amusing tale, and will be honest and say I also barked a few times at the keen visuals and humorous imagery this talented wordsmith painted with her clever arrangements of words. Her crafty wordplay and impressive vocabulary skills rival Webster’s, although I believe he had a lot of help in amassing his.

The storylines were fresh and engaging and populated with an interesting mix of uniquely peculiar yet oddly intriguing characters, as well as a profoundly obnoxious teen named Poppy who was greatly annoying and had me wanting to glue her lips together.   Poppy could be the poster child for birth control and the prime example of why many Brits send their offspring to boarding school. But of course, I was a total delight at age fourteen.

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.

Social Media Links –

Twitter Profile: @janelovering

Facebook Profile: Jane Lovering Author

Website URL: www.janelovering.co.uk

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/jane-lovering

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Book Review: When I Was You by Amber Garza

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When I Was You
by Amber Garza 

Publication Date: August 25, 2020

Publisher: MIRA Books

 

YOU meets FATAL ATTRACTION in this up-all-night psychological thriller about a lonely empty-nester’s growing obsession with a young mother who shares her name.

It all begins on an ordinary fall morning, when Kelly Medina gets a call from her son’s pediatrician to confirm her upcoming “well-baby” appointment. It’s a cruel mistake; her son left for college a year ago, and Kelly has never felt so alone. The receptionist quickly apologizes: there’s another mother in town named Kelly Medina, and she must have gotten their numbers switched.

But Kelly can’t stop thinking about the woman who shares her name. Lives in her same town. Has a son she can still hold, and her whole life ahead of her. She can’t help looking for her: at the grocery store, at the gym, on social media. When Kelly just happens to bump into the single mother outside that pediatrician’s office, it’s simple curiosity getting the better of her.

Their unlikely friendship brings Kelly a renewed sense of purpose, taking care of this young woman and her adorable baby boy. But that friendship quickly turns to obsession, and when one Kelly disappears, well, the other one may know why.

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

Lola was my best friend growing up. She had strawberry blond hair, and a smattering of freckles across her nose and pale cheeks. Her scent was a mixture of roses and popcorn, sweet and salty to match her personality. She was fun, adventurous and followed me around for years like my shadow. She was the best friend I’d ever had, which is sad because she was imaginary.

 

I shook my head. What was wrong with me? I was seriously trying to justify this? This wasn’t me. I’d never done anything like this in my life. Well, I mean, except that one time… But that was different. Completely different. Besides, I hadn’t been in my right mind then. I couldn’t use that same excuse tonight.

 

My insides were jelly. A part of me felt like I might unravel, becoming nothing more than a scattered mess on the floor.

 

My Review:

 

I don’t normally enjoy books with unreliable narrators and/or serious mental health issues, but this one was truly extraordinary and expertly done with cunning and clever craft.   What a wily minx Amber Garza has proven herself to be! Hours later, my shoulders are still in my ears from the ever-ratcheting tension as I clutched my Kindle in a death grip lest someone dare snatch it from me and disturb my perusal.

I was enthralled, engrossed, ensnared, appalled, riveted, and transfixed by this devilishly clever and twisted tale.   The little pea in my brain was on fire and popping like a jumping bean with continuously evolving theories. And while I had succeeded in narrowing much of it down – as I am such as suspicious cynic – my paltry gray matter could never have generated or shaped such a complex web or even approach her agile and compelling prose. Sigh. It was brilliant!

About the Author

Amber Garza has had a passion for the written word since she was a child making books out of notebook paper and staples. Her hobbies include reading and singing. Coffee and wine are her drinks of choice (not necessarily in that order). She writes while blaring music and talks about her characters like they’re real people. She lives with her husband and two kids in Folsom, California, which is—no joke—home to another Amber Garza.

Author Website: http://www.ambergarza.com/

TWITTER: @ambermg1

FB: @ambergarzaauthor

Insta: @ambergarzaauthor

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5582891.Amber_Garza

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Book Review: And So It Begins (Stephanie King #1) by Rachel Abbott

 

And So It Begins
(Stephanie King #1)
by Rachel Abbott 

Amazon  / B&N

‘A truly compelling, twisty, enthralling and satisfying read… Absolutely AMAZING!’ Angela Marsons, #1 bestselling author of Silent Scream

When I met Mark, I knew I had to make him mine. Thoughtful and sensitive, Mark lived in the most breath-taking house I’d ever seen – all glass and perched on the clifftop, with mesmerizing views across the waves below. It was where his first wife had died tragically, but it would be our promising new start.

When our gorgeous daughter Lulu was born, our perfect life was complete. But then I started having accidents at home. A broken hand… a black eye… Mark’s sister thought I was doing it for attention, but she had no idea how scared I was of who I had become.

If I told you what my life with Mark has turned into, I doubt you would believe it. But I need you to listen because you’re the only hope Lulu and I have left. And if I can make you see the truth, then maybe there’s a chance I can save my precious daughter…

A book so twisty you won’t be able to put it down. From the four-million-copy bestselling author, And So It Begins is an absolutely gripping read for fans of The Girl on the Train and The Woman in the Window.

 

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

I think we’ve both given up pretending we can be friends. We have reached a point at which we manage to say all the right words to each other, but they are hollow – the fancy wrapping paper around an empty box.

 

There was something about the way she had related the story of her accident to Cleo that hadn’t rung true, and for just seconds Cleo had experienced a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach as if she was being dropped from a great height.

 

 My Review:

 

This is a prime example of how a thriller should be written – it was perfectly sublime! The premise was unique and original with cunningly crafted and shrewdly paced storylines. I fell right into this riveting tale while my beloved Kindle thrummed with tension.   The narrative vibrated with intrigue that wafted off the compelling and complex characters. There were so many well-nuanced and grinding secrets. I was on edge with unsure footing, waffling back and forth in my theories, and hissing at every interruption to my perusal.   It was divine and my first exposure to the exceptionally agile and insightful storytelling of Rachel Abbott.   I have but two words to sum up my final thoughts on the experience – MORE, please!

About the Author

 

Rachel Abbott was born just outside Manchester, England, and spent most of her working life as the Managing Director of an interactive media company. After her company was sold in 2000, she fulfilled a lifelong ambition of buying and restoring a property in Italy. She now splits her time between homes in Italy and Alderney, where she writes full time and has just completed her sixth novel.

Author Social Media Links:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/RachelAbbott

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RachelAbbott1Writer/

Website: https://www.rachel-abbott.com/

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