Friday, June 29, 2018

Audio Review-Showcase How Hard Can it Be by Allison Pearson

Wow June just flew by but it was a wonderful month and I enjoyed all the audio month celebrations. I'm ending the month with an absolutely must listen to, How Hard Can It Be by Allison Pearson narrated by Poppy Miller (fun fact Poppy is right now staring in Harry Potter on Broadway)
Enjoy!


ISBN-13: 9781427293084
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Release Date: 6-5-2018
Length: 
13hours 38mins
Source: Publisher for review
Buy It: Audible


ADD TO: GOODREADS

Overview:
From the New York Times bestselling author of I Don't Know How She Does It comes an audiobook about starting over, and facing life with a sense of humor.

This program is read by acclaimed actor Poppy Miller, who stars as Ginny Weasley in the Broadway production of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.

Allison Pearson's brilliant debut novel, I Don't Know How She Does It, was a New York Times bestseller with four million copies sold around the world. Called "the definitive social comedy of working motherhood" (The Washington Post) and "a hysterical look—in both the laughing and crying senses of the world—at the life of Supermom" (The New York Times), I Don't Know How She Does It introduced Kate Reddy, a woman as sharp as she was funny. As Oprah Winfrey put it, Kate's story became "the national anthem for working mothers."

Seven years later, Kate Reddy is facing her 50th birthday. Her children have turned into impossible teenagers; her mother and in-laws are in precarious health; and her husband is having a midlife crisis that leaves her desperate to restart her career after years away from the workplace. Once again, Kate is scrambling to keep all the balls in the air in a juggling act that an early review from the U.K. Express hailed as "sparkling, funny, and poignant...a triumphant return for Pearson."

Will Kate reclaim her rightful place at the very hedge fund she founded, or will she strangle in her new “shaping” underwear? Will she rekindle an old flame, or will her house burn to the ground when a rowdy mob shows up for her daughter’s surprise (to her parents) Christmas party? Surely it will all work out in the end. After all, how hard can it be?


Thursday, June 28, 2018

Review The Darkest Warrior by Gena Showalter

Gena's Lords of the Underworld series was my first foray into paranormal romance and fantasy and she's still keeping me reading way past my bedtime :) I thought The Darkest Warrior Rocked! 

Please see personal note at the bottom of post


ISBN-13: 9781488029325
Publisher: Harlequin
Release Date: 6-26-2018
Length: 384pp
The Lords of the Underworld #14
Source: Publisher/Netgalley for review
Buy It: Amazon/B&N/Kobo/IndieBound/Audible


ADD TO: GOODREADS

OVERVIEW:
A searing Lords of the Underworld tale by New York Times bestselling author Gena Showalter, featuring a beastly prince and the wife he will wage war to keep

He is ice…
Puck the Undefeated, host of the demon of Indifference, cannot experience emotion without punishment, so he allows himself to feel nothing. Until her. According to ancient prophecy, she is the key to avenging his past, saving his realm and ruling as king. All he must do? Steal her from the man she loves—and marry her
She is fire
Gillian Shaw has suffered many tragedies in her too-short life, but nothing could have prepared the fragile human for her transition into immortality. To survive, she must wed a horned monster who both intrigues and frightens her…and become the warrior queen she was born to be.
Together they burn.
As a rising sense of possession and obsession overtake Puck, so does insatiable lust. The more he learns about his clever, resourceful wife, the more he craves her. And the more time Gillian spends with her protective husband, the more she aches for him. But the prophecy also predicts an unhappily-ever-after. Can Puck defeat fate itself to keep the woman who brought his deadened heart back to life? Or will they succumb to destiny, losing each other…and everything they’ve been fighting for?


Wednesday, June 27, 2018

#GIVEAWAY Showcase Yesterday's News by R.G. Belsky A Partners in Crime Blog Tour

A While ago I had a feature post on Yesterday's News when it released and so when I saw it on the Partners in Crime schedule I wanted to showcase it for them too.
Enjoy!




Yesterday's News

by R.G. Belsky

on Tour June 1-30, 2018

Tuesday, June 26, 2018

Showcase- Tempting the Laird by Julia London

Say hello to Julia London's latest Highland Groom, Hamlin Graham known as the Dark Duke. Interested now, yeah I thought so. Practice rolling those RRRRRs.
Enjoy!


ISBN-13: 9781335629418
Publisher: Harlequin
Release Date: 6-26-2018
Length: 384 pp
Highland Grooms #5
Buy It: Amazon/ B&N/Kobo/IndieBound/Audible


ADD TO: GOODREADS

Overview:
Mystery and desire cloak the Scottish Highlands
Unruly. Unmarried. Unapologetic. Catriona Mackenzie’s reputation precedes her everywhere she goes. Her beloved late aunt Zelda taught Cat to live out loud and speak her mind, and that’s exactly what she does when Zelda’s legacy—a refuge for women in need—comes under fire. When her quest puts her in the path of the disturbingly mysterious Hamlin Graham, Duke of Montrose, Cat is soon caught up in the provocative rumors surrounding the dark duke. Never one to retreat, Cat boldly goes where no one else has dared for answers.

Shrouded in secrets, a hostage of lies, Hamlin must endure the fear and suspicion of those who believe he is a murderer. The sudden disappearance of his wife and the truth he keeps silent are a risk to his chances at earning a coveted parliamentary seat. But he’s kept his affairs tightly held until a woman with sparkling eyes and brazen determination appears unexpectedly in his life. Deadly allegations might be his downfall, but his unleashed passion could be the duke’s ultimate undoing.


Monday, June 25, 2018

#GIVEAWAY Interview Burn One Down by Jeffrey A. Cooper a Partners in Crime Blog Tour

Today is my stop on the Burn One Down blog tour, read all about the book and my interview with the author then be sure and enter the giveaway.
Enjoy!


Burn One Down

by Jeffrey A. Cooper

on Tour June 11 - July 13, 2018

Synopsis:


Retiring thief Jack Apple is offered a low-­risk, six-­figure payout to heist a medical marijuana dispensary from the feisty and impetuous Diane Thomas after Diane steals the robbery plans from her shady ex-­husband Alvin, hoping to beat him to the score.
Diane promises to stay out of Jack’s way but she can’t help interfering, forcing them to take hostages inside the dispensary when the robbery is interrupted by law enforcement, inciting a media circus that deteriorates into a full-­on urban riot.
To escape, Jack and Diane must negotiate the hostages, their agendas, an army of Sheriff’s deputies, the tenacious local news media, crooked deals, corrupt politicians, rioters, Diane’s shady ex-­husband Alvin, and their growing attraction to each other.
This little ditty about Jack and Diane is a fast-paced read that finds a few new wrinkles in a familiar genre. ~ Kirkus Review








Book Details:

Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Crime, Heist
Published by: Indie
Publication Date: June 15, 2018
Number of Pages: 271
ISBN: 978-­0­‐692­‐06952-3
Purchase Links: Amazon | Goodreads

Thursday, June 21, 2018

Showcase - Review - Upstate by James Wood Audio version narrated by Raphael Corkhill

I've never had the pleasure of reading a James Wood novel before but I love British literature, their wit, humor and their staidness. So when Upstate was one of the June offerings from Macmillan Audio I said yes please.
June is audio month, celebrate by listening to an audio book.

Enjoy!


ISBN-13: 9781427298195
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Release Date: 6-5-2018
Length: 6hrs 52.mins
Source: Publisher for review
Buy It: Amazon/Kobo/Audible


ADD TO: GOODREADS

Overview:
New Yorker book critic and award-winning author James Wood delivers a novel of a family struggling to connect with one another and find meaning in their own lives.
In the years since his daughter Vanessa moved to America to become a professor of philosophy, Alan Querry has never been to visit. He has been too busy at home in northern England, holding together his business as a successful property developer. His younger daughter, Helen—a music executive in London—hasn’t gone, either, and the two sisters, close but competitive, have never quite recovered from their parents’ bitter divorce and the early death of their mother. But when Vanessa’s new boyfriend sends word that she has fallen into a severe depression and that he’s worried for her safety, Alan and Helen fly to New York and take the train to Saratoga Springs.

Over the course of six wintry days in upstate New York, the Querry family begins to struggle with the questions that animate this profound and searching novel: Why do some people find living so much harder than others? Is happiness a skill that might be learned or a cruel accident of birth? Is reflection conducive to happiness or an obstacle to it? If, as a favorite philosopher of Helen’s puts it, “the only serious enterprise is living,” how should we live? Rich in subtle human insight, full of poignant and often funny portraits, and vivid with a sense of place, James Wood’s Upstate is a powerful, intense, beautiful novel.



Wednesday, June 20, 2018

#GIVEAWAY Review- Untamed Cowboy by Maisey Yates

Maisey Yates is a favorite of mine from way back when I reviewed Harlequn Presents for RT Book reviews so it was a no brainer when I had the opportunity to review her latest Gold Valley novel.
Maisey's publisher is sponsoring a giveaway, details below.

Enjoy!



ISBN-13: 9781335900708
Publisher: Harlequin
Release Date: 6-19-2018
Length: 480pp
Gold Valley #2
Source: Publisher/Netgalley for review
Buy It: Amazon/B&N/Kobo/IndieBound/Audible


ADD TO: GOODREADS

Overview:
In Gold Valley, Oregon, love might be hiding in plain sight…

Some things are too perfect to mess with. Bennett Dodge’s relationship with Kaylee Capshaw is one of them. They work together at their veterinary clinic and have been best friends for years. When Bennett’s world is rocked by the appearance of a son he didn’t know he had, he needs Kaylee more than ever. And he doesn’t want anything else to change. But then Kaylee kisses him, and nothing will ever be the same…

Kaylee’s done her best to keep her feelings for the man she’s loved since high school hidden away, but one unguarded moment changes everything, and now there’s no more denying the chemistry that burns between them. But the explosion of desire changes all the rules, and what’s left could destroy their bond—or bring them to a love that’s deeper than she ever imagined…


Also includes a bonus Gold Valley novella, Mail Order Cowboy!

Giveaway is for One Print Copy of
Smooth Talking Cowboy US & Canada Only
Please Use the Rafflecopter form to enter
Good Luck!


Tuesday, June 19, 2018

#GIVEAWAY Review- The Lost For Words Bookshop by Stephanie Butland

I've been on a Brit-Lit frenzy lately, both in print and audio so when  The Lost For Words Bookshop landed on my desk I had to dig in and I'm so glad I did because its one of the best of the lot. And Stephanie's publisher St. Martin's Press is sponsoring a giveaway, details below.
Enjoy!


ISBN-13: 9781250124531
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Release Date: 6-19-2018
Length: 368pp
Source: Publisher/Netgalley for review
Buy It: Amazon/B&N/Kobo/IndieBound/Audible


ADD TO: GOODREADS

Overview:
The Lost for Words Bookshop by Stephanie Butland is a compelling, irresistible, and heart-rending novel, perfect for all book lovers.
Loveday Cardew prefers books to people. If you look carefully, you might glimpse the first lines of the novels she loves most tattooed on her skin. But there are some things Loveday will never, ever show you.
Into her hiding place - the bookstore where she works - come a poet, a lover, and three suspicious deliveries.
Someone has found out about her mysterious past. Will Loveday survive her own heartbreaking secrets?
Giveaway is one print copy of
The Lost For Words Bookshop
***US ONLY***
Please Use Raffleopter form to enter
Good Luck!

Monday, June 18, 2018

Review- Dark Operative: A Shadow of Death - A Glimmer of Hope - The Dawn of Love by I.T. Lucas

Those who follow me know that I was introduced to The Children of the Gods series by I.T. Lucas by a friend and have been eating them up ever since. The series is unique in it's storyline and it's characters and that's quite a feat in a genre that seems at times too alike. Another unique element of the series is that every love story is its own trilogy and yet is so apart of the whole that they can't be read out of order.
I had a chance to interview I.T. earlier click HERE to see it.

Enjoy my review of books 17, 18 & 19!


Click Title to buy on Amazon

                                           A Shadow of Death          A Glimmer of Hope          The Dawn of Love

Thursday, June 14, 2018

#Giveaway- Interview David L. Wallace - Preordained

Today is my stop on the Preordained by David L. Wallace blog tour, read an excerpt my interview with David and enter to win an Amazon GC. A Partners in Crime Virtual Blog Tour
Enjoy!

Wednesday, June 13, 2018

#Giveaway - Review - Interview Breathless Celeste Bradley & Susan Donovan

Breathless is Bradley and Donovan's second collaboration and sequel to Unbound staring two secondary characters from that novel. I loved the mix of romance and women's fiction, the two time periods and the absolutely unforgettable characters.
Read my chat with both authors and my review then enter to win a copy of your own, details below. Believe me you won't be sorry!
Enjoy!


ISBN-13: 9781250008060
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Release Date: 6-12-2018
Length: 384pp
Source: Publisher for review
Buy It: Amazon/B&N/Kobo/IndieBound


ADD TO: GOODREADS

Overview:
In Breathless, bestselling authors Celeste Bradley and Susan Donovan will sweep you away—across continents and centuries, combining the best of all worlds in one unforgettable romantic saga.

She was “the Swan.” London’s premiere courtesan. Men want to be with her. Women loathe her success and yet admire her beauty, her riches, her independence. But when the jealous wife of her lover moves to have the Swan banished from her home on the high seas, she winds up crashed against Spain’s rocky coast with no shoes, no clothes—and no name. Taken in by a tortured, sensuous man known as The Artist, the Swan comes to know the woman she wants to be—her artist’s siren.

When Art Professor Brenna Anderson is in danger of losing her post at Harvard, the rule-following, prim professor is at a loss of how to salvage the shreds of her life. But when a new painting in the mysterious Siren collection is discovered in a dusty old house in France, Brenna does the unthinkable—hops on a plane to uncover the identity of the beautiful, enigmatic woman who is the subject of the paintings.

There’s just one hitch—the frustrating, irritating, bold and beautiful art hunter Fitch Wilder is also looking for the Siren. He’s been a thorn in Brenna’s professional side for years, but when their individual quests lead them to team up despite being enemies, a whole new sumptuous world of art and culture opens up for the two of them. And with it, they enter a realm of passion and love…



Giveaway is for one print copy
 Breathless US ONLY
Please use Rafflecopter form to enter
Good Luck!

Tuesday, June 12, 2018

June #LibraryLoveChallenge - Lucky Bastard by Joe Buck


Welcome to the June #LibraryLoveChallenge post, The Library Love Challenge is hosted by Angel’s Guilty Pleasures & Brooke Blogs.
For my library love challenge I'm posting a review for the book my in-person library book club read, this month the selection was an autobiography of Joe Buck called, Lucky Bastard.
The name Buck is St. Louis Royalty and I was so glad that we got to read and discuss it.

Enjoy!


ISBN-13: 978-1101984567
Publisher: Dutton
Release Date:11-15-2016
Length: 304pp

Overview:
In this New York Times bestselling memoir, the announcer of the biggest sporting events in the country—including the 2017 Super Bowl and this century's most-watched, historic, Chicago Cubs–winning World Series—reveals why he is one lucky bastard.

Sports fans see Joe Buck everywhere: broadcasting one of the biggest games in the NFL every week, calling the World Series every year, announcing the Super Bowl every three years. They know his father, Jack Buck, is a broadcasting legend and that he was beloved in his adopted hometown of St. Louis.

Yet they have no idea who Joe really is. Or how he got here. They don’t know how he almost blew his career. They haven’t read his funniest and most embarrassing stories or heard about his interactions with the biggest sports stars of this era.

They don’t know how hard he can laugh at himself—or that he thinks some of his critics have a point. And they don’t know what it was really like to grow up in his father’s shadow. Joe and Jack were best friends, but it wasn’t that simple. Jack, the voice of the St. Louis Cardinals for almost fifty years, helped Joe get his broadcasting start at eighteen. But Joe had to prove himself, first as a minor league radio announcer and then on local TV, national TV with ESPN, and then finally on FOX. He now has a successful, Emmy-winning career, but only after a lot of dues-paying, learning, and pretty damn entertaining mistakes that are recounted in this book.

In his memoir, Joe takes us through his life on and off the field. He shares the lessons he learned from his father, the errors he made along the way, and the personal mountain he climbed and conquered, all of which have truly made him a Lucky Bastard.


Monday, June 11, 2018

Showcase June Harlequin Special Edition



Welcome to the June Harlequin Special Edition showcase, read a bit about each of the stories and maybe you'll find just the Happy Ever After You're looking for!
Enjoy!

Friday, June 8, 2018

Review, Showcase Dreams of Falling by Karen White

 I was the RT reviewer for Karen White and had the privilege and pleasure of reviewing her for many years for the magazine. I reviewed both stand-a-lones and series novels and in that time she's become a go to favorite. 
Last year I even got to scratch meeting her in person off my bucket list when she made a stop at a library near me.
Dreams of Falling was one of the very last RT reviews I did and will be featured in the very last issue of their digital magazine. If you're a fan of the genre this is one you shouldn't miss.
Enjoy!


ISBN-13: 9780451488411
Publisher: Penguin Group USA
Release Date: 6-5-2018
Length: 416pp
Source: Publisher for editorial review
Buy It: Amazon/B&N/Kobo/IndieBound/Audible


ADD TO: GOODREADS

Overview:
New York Times bestselling author Karen White crafts evocative relationships in this contemporary women’s fiction novel, set in the Lowcountry of South Carolina, about lifelong friends who share a devastating secret.
On the banks of the North Santee River stands a moss-draped oak that was once entrusted with the dreams of three young girls. Into the tree’s trunk, they placed their greatest hopes, written on ribbons, for safekeeping–including the most important one: Friends forever, come what may.But life can waylay the best of intentions….
Nine years ago, a humiliated Larkin Lanier fled Georgetown, South Carolina, knowing she could never go back. But when she finds out that her mother has disappeared, she realizes she has no choice but to return to the place she both loves and dreads–and to the family and friends who never stopped wishing for her to come home.
Ivy, Larkin’s mother, is discovered badly injured and unconscious in the burned-out wreckage of her ancestral plantation home. No one knows why Ivy was there, but as Larkin digs for answers, she uncovers secrets kept for nearly fifty years–whispers of love, sacrifice, and betrayal–that lead back to three girls on the brink of womanhood who found their friendship tested in the most heartbreaking ways.

Thursday, June 7, 2018

#GIVEAWAY Showcase Broken Ground by Joe Clifford

It's my pleasure to feature #4 in Joe Clifford's Jay Porter series, Broken Ground. In this installment Jay looks into the disappearance of a newspaper intern and the deeper he digs the more the more it seems that this case eerily takes him back to the past and his brother's death.
Joe's publicist Author/Guide is sponsoring a giveaway, details below.
Enjoy!
ISBN-13: 978-1608092437
Publisher: Oceanview
Release Date: 06-05-2018
Length: 304pp
Jay Porter #4
Buy It: Amazon/B&N/Kobo/IndieBound


ADD TO: GOODREADS

Overview:
At an AA meeting, handyman and part-time investigator Jay Porter meets a recovering addict who needs his help. In the midst of another grueling northern New Hampshire winter, Amy Lupus’ younger sister, Emily, has gone missing from the Coos County Center, the newly opened rehab run by Jay’s old nemeses, Adam and Michael Lombardi. As Jay begins looking into Emily’s disappearance, he finds that all who knew Emily swear that she’s never used drugs. She’s a straight shooter and an intern at a newspaper investigating the Center and the horrendous secret hidden in it—or beneath it.
When Jay learns of a “missing” hard drive, he is flung back to five years ago when his own junkie brother, Chris, found a hard drive belonging to Lombardi Construction. For years Jay assumed that the much-sought-after hard drive contained incriminating photos of Adam and Michael’s father, which contributed to Chris’ death. But now he believes the hard drive harbored a secret far more sinister, which the missing Lupus sister may have unwittingly discovered. The deeper Jay digs, the more poisoned the ground gets, and the two cases become one, yielding a toxic truth with local fallout—and far-reaching ramifications.


Giveaway is for One Print copy
Broken Ground US ONLY
Please Use Rafflecopter form to enter
Good Luck!

Tuesday, June 5, 2018

Review- The Patchwork Bride - Interview with Sandra Dallas

I first fell in love with the writing of Sandra Dallas when I read her historical novel, Tallgrass.  It was a life changing novel for me because up until that time I had no idea about internment camps for Japanese Americans, it wasn't taught in my history classes. 
So I jumped at the chance to interview Sandra about her upcoming novel when St. Martin's Press reached out to me.
Enjoy the interview and my review!


ISBN-13: 9781250174031
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Release Date: 06-05-2018
Length: 304pp
Source: Publisher for review
Buy It: Amazon/B&N/Kobo/IndieBound/Audible 


ADD TO: GOODREADS

Overview:

From Sandra Dallas, the best-selling author of A Quilt for Christmas, comes The Patchwork Bride, the irrepressible story of a runaway bride.

Ellen is putting the finishing touches on a wedding quilt made from scraps of old dresses when the bride-to-be—her granddaughter June—unexpectedly arrives and announces she’s calling off the marriage. With the tending of June’s uncertain heart in mind, Ellen tells her the story of Nell, a Kansas-born woman who goes to the High Plains of New Mexico Territory in 1898 in search of a husband.

Working as a biscuit-shooter, Nell falls for a cowboy named Buddy. She sees a future together, but she can’t help wondering if his feelings for her are true. When Buddy breaks her heart, she runs away.

In her search for a soul mate, Nell will run away from marriage twice more before finding the love of her life. It’s a tale filled with excitement, heartbreak, disappointment, and self-discovery—as well as with hard-earned life lessons about love. Another stunning, emotional novel from a master storyteller. 


Monday, June 4, 2018

#GIVEAWAY - Review I Liked My Life - Interview with Abby Fabiaschi

I have a special place in my heart for debut authors, I can't imagine putting months and sometimes years into a story until it becomes a piece of your soul finally getting it published and only to have it picked apart by so called experts. So when I get a chance to feature a debut author I jump at it if I have the time. When Abby's publicist reached out to me about I Liked My Life I agreed to feature it and when I started reading it I knew I had to interview Abby and spread the word about this incredible, perfect for book clubs, novel.

Abby's publicist is sponsoring a #giveaway of the novel, details below.
Enjoy!


ISBN-13: 978-1250161062
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Release Date: 1-31-2017
Paperback released 5-1-2018
Length: 288 pp
Source: Publisher
Buy It: Amazon/B&N/Kobo/IndieBound/Audible
ADD TO: GOODREADS
Overview:
A story from debut author Abby Fabiaschi that is "as absorbing as it is illuminating, and as witty as it is heartbreaking."
Maddy is a devoted stay-at-home wife and mother, host of excellent parties, giver of thoughtful gifts, and bestower of a searingly perceptive piece of advice or two. She is the cornerstone of her family, a true matriarch...until she commits suicide, leaving her husband Brady and teenage daughter Eve heartbroken and reeling, wondering what happened. How could the exuberant, exacting woman they loved disappear so abruptly, seemingly without reason, from their lives? How they can possibly continue without her? As they sift through details of her last days, trying to understand the woman they thought they knew, Brady and Eve are forced to come to terms with unsettling truths.
Maddy, however, isn’t ready to leave her family forever. Watching from beyond, she tries to find the perfect replacement for herself. Along comes Rory: pretty, caring, and spontaneous, with just the right bit of edge...but who also harbors a tragedy of her own. Will the mystery of Maddy ever come to rest? And can her family make peace with their history and begin to heal?



Giveaway is for one print copy of
I Liked My Life US ONLY
Please use Rafflecopter form to enter
Good Luck!