An Everyday Hero
(A Heart of a Hero #2)
by Laura Trentham

Amazon US / UK / CA / AU /

B&N / GP / Kobo

 

At thirty, Greer Hadley never expected to be forced home to Madison, Tennessee with her life and dreams of being a songwriter up in flames. To make matters worse, a series of bad decisions and even crappier luck lands her community service hours at a nonprofit organization that aids veterans and their families. Greer cannot fathom how she’s supposed to use music to help anyone deal with their trauma and loss when the one thing that brought her joy has failed her.

When Greer meets fifteen-year-old Ally Martinez, her plans to stay detached and do as little as possible get thrown away. New to town and dealing with the death of her father in action, she hides her emotions behind a mask of bitterness and sarcasm, but Greer is able to see past it and recognizes pieces of who she once was in Ally. The raw and obvious talent she possesses could take her to the top and Greer vows to make sure life’s negativities don’t derail Ally’s potential.

After Greer is assigned a veteran to help, she’s not surprised Emmett Lawson, the town’s golden boy, followed his family’s legacy. What leaves her shocked is the shell of a man who believes he doesn’t deserve anyone’s help. A breakthrough with Ally reminds Greer that no one is worth giving up on. So she shows up one day with his old guitar and meets Emmett’s rage head-on with her stubbornness. When a situation with Ally becomes dire, the two of them must become a team to save her—and along the way, they might just save themselves too.

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

The impulse to punch Wayne in the face simmered below the surface like a volcano no longer at rest… Dressed in his tan uniform, Wayne adjusted his heavy gun belt so often she imagined he got off every night by rubbing his gun. Giving him a badge had only empowered the part of him desperate for respect and approval. His nickname in high school, “the Weasel,” had been well earned.

 

Her dream of hearing one of her songs on the radio had died. Not in a blaze of glory but from a slow, torturous starvation of hope.

 

Look up “busybody” and Justine Danvers’s portrait would be printed in all its glory, toothy grin included at no extra charge. She’d been left a widow by her wealthy husband in her early thirties and had never remarried, but not for a lack of trying.

 

The first pawnshop he hit was seedy, with no sign or memory of Greer’s guitar. By the third shop, he decided all pawnshops had a melancholy air no matter how bright or clean or welcoming. It emanated from the items for sale. Items parted from their owners because of hard times and necessity.

 

I was a goner when you informed me in no uncertain terms that I needed better manners and a bath.” “If only I’d known that’s how to attract nice guys, I would have turned to insults years ago.”

 

My Review:

 

I fell right into this story on the first few pages and was reluctant to reemerge. I adored these fractured yet big-hearted characters, they were common yet atypical, realistically drawn, peculiarly appealing, decidedly flawed, and oddly irresistible. I was drawn to them and intrigued by their tale. The storylines were original, engaging, and well-crafted.   The talented Ms. Trentham’s smooth writing was well-paced, unpredictable, cleverly amusing, and hit all the feels and then some. I can’t wait to see what she does next with this all too relevant and heart-squeezing series.

 

About the Author

Dreaming of Verona
by T.A. Williams

.Verona is the City of Love. But will Suzie find romance there or, like Romeo and Juliet, will it all end in tears?

When Suzie is hired to accompany spoiled, abrasive Lady Alexandra Tedburn on an all-expenses-paid holiday to Italy, she fears the trip will be a disaster.

But she soon discovers there’s more to Alex than shopping and tantrums, and she’s determined to help her realize her potential – against Alex’s authoritarian father’s wishes.

As they settle in Verona, Suzie can’t stop thinking about local artist Michael, who is still mourning the tragic death of his wife. With Suzie’s future uncertain, and Michael’s past holding him back, it seems there’s no hope for romance in the city of star-crossed lovers… or is there?

A gorgeously uplifting and moving story, Dreaming of Verona is the perfect read for fans of Holly Martin, Tilly Tennant, and Jenny Oliver.

Favorite Quote:

She and Alex had been getting on so well, she had even started to forget that they were staying in an exorbitantly expensive hotel, but this place brought back to her the fact that she was an insignificant speck of very ordinary cosmic dust at the edges of the glittering Milky Way inhabited by the rich and famous.

My Review:

This was my introduction to the smooth flowing and descriptive writing of T.A. Williams. I enjoyed his colorful writing style, which heavily featured lush and lavish depictions of the beautiful Italian scenery, environs, and delectable dishes. I appreciated his unique and enticing characters as well and was absolutely adoring Suzie until I found out she was most likely part demon during a scene in which she was interrupted when reading a beloved book and, “…Suzie folded the corner of the page…” how monstrous!   😉

The storylines evolved gradually and gently but I found I was losing my patience with the spoiled and entitled twenty-five-year-old designer-clad Alex when she was whining and bemoaning that her wealthy father would not allow her to make her own decisions or take art lessons and if she disobeyed he would cut off her allowance and credit cards and she would be destitute… I actually growled aloud to my Kindle, “Suck it up, Buttercup, and get a job!” Which she later did and redeemed herself quite well in fact.

I picked up three new additions to my Brit Words and Phrases List with: agony aunt – a British advice column like the American Dear Abby, blowing a hoolie – a raging storm, and happy as a sandboy – blissfully contented.  

Favorite Quotes:

“I’ll be fine. You have eight kids to deal with. They would die without you.” Kristine laughed. “It’s three kids.” “When I visit, it feels like more.”

He sure was pretty, she thought absently. He must work out a lot to get shoulders and arms like that. Given the fact that the Lord gaveth and tooketh away in equal measure, she could only assume he had the IQ of a tree stump but that was okay. Sometimes pretty was plenty.

“You’ll be fine,” the woman added. Sophie nodded because curling up in a ball and keening didn’t look good on anyone.

It’s hard to be smug when you figure out the rest of the world is just as smart as you.

“From what you’ve told me, your mother took a difficult situation and made it worse.” “It’s a gift,” she said lightly…

“I hate it when you’re right.” “Then you hate it a lot.”

My Review:

I waffled a bit in how to rate this clever women’s fiction story of friendship and family drama as a lot was going on and there were elements and characters I adored, and others – well, not so much, and still others… not at all. But every family has at least a few of those not so much and not at alls, although, unfortunately, the majority of those within my DNA grouping seem to fill those last two categories. So the feelings toward those exasperating characters were all too familiar and annoying, but that is where the similarities end as this story was vastly more amusing, intelligent, cleverly staged, and attractively populated than those trying travesties of familial gatherings of my laboriously suppressed memories. Sigh, if only…

The engaging storylines were perceptively written and highly entertaining and were peppered with sassy banter, clever quips, witty wordplay, and humorous observations. I was completely enamored, besotted, and intrigued by the sexy Dugan who was so wise and insightful he was practically mystical.

I have enjoyed every Susan Mallery book I’ve ever picked up and truly revel in her wit and levity. I always seem to learn something interesting and useful from her books. This time she taught me quite a bit about marketing, and business plans, and quite unlike my deadly dull Econ course during college, it wasn’t painful at all 😉

.

.‘You don’t know me, but I’m your sister.’

.

The Beach House
by P.R. Black

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

‘If that’s your best come-on line, then that’s some weak sauce.’ ‘Trust me,’ Jonathan said – with that particular twinkle in his eye that usually meant she should do the opposite.

They had gone to see a conch expert at the conch museum, where a man in bright red ‘CONCH MUSEUM’ T-shirt had held up a live specimen of the shellfish, dripping wet from the pool, and told the rest of the spectators with a straight face: ‘This is a conch. And this is its penis.’ He went on to tell the assembled tourists how the humble conch has the biggest penis-to-body ratio in the animal kingdom, at which point Cora began to suffer from a coughing fit, which meant she had to go outside and laugh properly.

Cora hadn’t failed to notice he was absurdly ripped, with one of those fat-free gym-honed physiques that looked as if they shouldn’t exist outside of a comic book – abs she could have played a tune on, straining muscle fibre best suited to a racehorse and a closely shaven chest that might have belonged to Action Man.

‘Mixed Martial Arts. I was only thinking about it. I’ve got this health condition that stops me from getting into the ring.’ ‘What’s that?’ ‘I’m allergic to getting punched in the face.’

When a man lives with a woman who could disembowel him with a dessert spoon, a man understands when to shut up.

I’ll let you in on another secret –I’m great at lying. Hey, I’m a primary school teacher… About eighty percent of my job is bullshitting children so they can sit still, and shut up. It’s a skill. You get good at it.

 My Review:

This compelling book started off with crisp humor and amusing levity that put a smirk on my face and had me gleefully nestling in my chair for a snug session of relaxed reading. However, the tone soon turned a bit tauter, and steadily more so, until the smirk disappeared and I fell into Mr. Black’s vortex of intriguing doppelgangers, dangerous con artists, and a stupidly rich idiot fiancé and I totally lost track of myself as well as time. Wow, this absorbing read was nonstop action and cunningly well-paced with more twists and turns than a snake’s trail.

When I finally stopped to catch my breath and seek a bit of sustenance, I noticed my shoulders were in my ears and I was white-knuckling my Kindle, which was generally my reading posture for the remainder of the tale. I resented any interruption to my perusal and may have been rather snappish when my sweet husband inquired about dinner.   Oops. I seemed to have fallen under what I’m calling The P.R. Black Spell, as this wordsmith is obviously a master of the darker arts of word voodoo.

Author and journalist PR Black lives in Yorkshire, although he was born and brought up in Glasgow. When he’s not driving his wife and two children to distraction with all the typing, he enjoys hillwalking, fresh air, and the natural world, and can often be found asking the way to the nearest pub in the Lake District. His short stories have been published in several books including the Daily Telegraph’s Ghost Stories and the Northern Crime One anthology. His Glasgow detective, Inspector Lomond, is appearing in Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine. He took the runner-up spot in the 2014 Bloody Scotland crime-writing competition with “Ghostie Men”. His work has also been performed on stage in London by Liars’ League. He has also been shortlisted for the Red Cross International Prize, the William Hazlitt essay prize and the Bridport Prize.

Follow Aria

Website: www.ariafiction.com

Twitter: @aria_fiction

Facebook: @ariafiction

Instagram: @ariafiction

The Look-Alike
by Erica Spindler

Amazon US / UK / AU / CA / 

B&N / GP / Apple / Kobo

A New York Times and International bestselling author, Erica Spindler’s skill for crafting engrossing plots and compelling characters has earned both critical praise and legions of fans. Her stories have been lauded as “thrill-packed page turners, white- knuckle rides and edge-of-your-seat whodunits.”

Erica loves meeting and interacting with her fans, both in-person and online. She has a wicked sense of humor, an optimistic spirit and loves coffee, chocolate, and red wine, not necessarily in that order.

In 2002 her novel Bone Cold won the prestigious Daphne du Maurier Award for excellence. A Romance Writers of America Honor Roll member, she received a Kiss of Death Award for her novels Forbidden Fruit and Dead Run and was a four-time RITA® Award finalist. In 1999 Publishers Weekly awarded the audio version of her novel Shocking Pink a Listen Up Award, naming it one of the best audio mystery books of 1998.

Erica lives just outside New Orleans, Louisiana, with her husband and two sons.

Her Secret Past
(Detective Jessie Blake #3)
by Kerry Watts

Jean Angus pours the last of the lukewarm tea into her chipped cup, shivering as she looks outside into the dark night. Her eyes are drawn to a slow movement not far from her cozy farmhouse. She’s not expecting visitors. And as the back door opens with a bang, she doesn’t even have time to shout for help.

On a dark winter night, the bodies of Malcolm and Jean Angus lie cold and still in a pool of blood in their kitchen. Detective Jessie Blake is called in to find out what happened to the reclusive pair.

Searching the couple’s property, Jessie learns about a vicious dispute with a nearby landowner, Rachel Ferguson, and when Jessie looks into Rachel further, she doesn’t expect what comes up. Rachel isn’t the person everyone thinks she is and a previous murder conviction just made her Jessie’s prime suspect.

The small Perthshire town begins to gossip about the double murder and Jessie’s own past comes back to haunt her, when her abusive ex-husband begins to interfere in her new life. As the town starts a witch hunt against Rachel, Jessie is under pressure to find out what really happened in the farmhouse that night. Because if it isn’t Rachel, then who is the murderer living among them, waiting to kill again?

If you like LJ Ross, Val McDermid, and Helen H. Durrant, you’ll love this addictive new crime thriller from Kerry Watts. Her Secret Past will have you hooked from the start!

My Rating:

Favorite Quote:

Benito Capello had the knack of making her feel like a teenager again. It was his brooding Latin looks. The way his big brown eyes twinkled like he was sharing a naughty secret when he smiled.

My Review:

This tale was jam-packed with itchy twists, oddly peculiar and intriguing characters, compelling storylines, and a full slate of dark secrets and hidden agendas. The storylines seemed unlimited, as were my wild theories, and each was ingeniously complex and cleverly crafted -both mine and the authors 😉 My brain was on fire while attempting to work this one out ahead of the detectives.   I have a new favorite author to add to my list.

A Winter Wedding at the Little Duck Pond Café
(Little Duck Pond Cafe #8)
by Rosie Green

Amazon US / UK / AU / CA 

With Zak and Ellie’s wedding day approaching, there’s high excitement in the pretty village of Sunnybrook, especially among the Little Duck Pond Café crew. Ellie is over the moon with her romantic surprise wedding gift from Zak, and Madison is promising to organize a hen party to remember. Everyone has high hopes for a magical Christmas Eve wedding celebration at gorgeous Brambleberry Manor. (Even Maisie-Moo has a sparkling new outfit.)

But sometimes, even the best-laid plans can go wrong. And with the journey to the altar turning out to be rockier than expected, it’s going to take nothing short of a Christmas miracle to ensure a happy ending. 

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

The only time Zak gazes into my eyes these days is if I’ve got a bit of grit in them.

You have reached your final destination. Welcome to the Pleasure Palace. Calories do not count on a hen do, ladies.

I don’t believe in signs. Except for ones that say, “Free cake this way”.

Apparently nicotine patches work like magic… Yeah. You stick one over each eye and then you can’t find your fags.

 My Review:

This quick and easy to follow installment was written from multiple POV and was a fun and busy update featuring the plans for rapidly approaching wedding as well as the family issues experienced by all the ladies working at the café. The storylines varied from light and amusing to tense personal issues and anxious concerns, although it all leveled out at the end with happy news across the board. I still adore the sweet and mellow character of Rob best of all.

About The Author

Almost Just Friends
(Wildstone, #4)
by Jill Shalvis

William Morrow – Jan 21, 2020

When a massive storm hits, she runs into a tall, dark and brooding stranger, Camden Reid. There’s a spark there, one that shocks her. Surprising her further, her sister and brother return, each of them holding their own secrets. The smart move would be for Piper to ignore them all but Cam unleashes emotions deep inside of her that she can’t deny, making her yearn for something she doesn’t understand. And her siblings…well, they need each other.

Only when the secrets come out, it changes everything Piper thinks she knows about her family, herself…and Cam. Can she find a way to outrun the demons? The answer is closer than she thinks—just as the new life she craves may have already begun.

Excerpt: 

*Read the First Chapter, https://www.jillshalvis.com/excerpts/almost-just-friends 

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

Look, I’d have gotten to it eventually. But you’ve got to understand, my ability to remember to tell you things is far outweighed by my ability to remember every song lyric from the eighties.

Yes. I had my patience tested. I’m negative.

“Take your time.” He gave Cam a meaningful look. “And I mean that. Women like when you take your time.” Cam’s grimace said he’d maybe finally found the end of his patience. Emmitt held up a hand. “I know, who wants to take advice from your dad, right? But, son, I’ve been on Tinder for two years now, and trust me. I know these things.”

I’m not useless, at least not completely. For instance, I can be used as a really bad example.

… she was arrested at Walmart last week for driving one of those electric carts while drinking wine from a Pringles can in the parking lot. I don’t date felons.

She tried to look half as graceful as he while moving toward him, but instead she probably looked like an elephant fighting its way through a lake made of peanut butter.

My Review:

This amusing and engaging tale was laced with complicated characters, loads of family drama, obnoxious siblings, snarky banter, a swoony sexy soldier, and clever levity. This was a considerably more tense and angsty read than I was expecting but thankfully the humor and sizzling romance balanced out all the stress and HEAs were generously spread across the land. Sigh, I do loves me some Jill Shalvis.