Best 20 of 2021

 

One of the best and hardest things I do is my best of picks every year. I hope you enjoy this year's picks in no order of importance. Note this is a mix of  print and audio editions.

Sophia Rose Reviews Miss Moriarity I Presume by Sherry Thomas

For those who celebrate Christmas I hope yours was merry and what better way to start the Monday after Christmas than with a historical mystery reviewed by Sophia Rose. 
Enjoy!

Miss Moriarity I Presume by Sherry Thomas

#6 Lady Sherlock

Historical Mystery

Publisher:  Berkley

Published:  11.2.21

ASIN:  B08ZHTDKHP

Pages:  365

Rating:  5

Format: eARC

Source:  Net Galley

Sellers:  Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo

ADD TO: GoodReads  

 

GoodReads Blurb:

Charlotte Holmes comes face to face with her enemy when Moriarty turns to her in his hour of need, in the USA Today bestselling series set in Victorian England.

A most unexpected client shows up at Charlotte Holmes's doorstep: Moriarty himself. Moriarty fears that tragedy has befallen his daughter and wants Charlotte to find out the truth.

Charlotte and Mrs. Watson travel to a remote community of occult practitioners where Moriarty's daughter was last seen, a place full of lies and liars. Meanwhile, Charlotte's sister Livia tries to make sense of a mysterious message from her beau Mr. Marbleton. And Charlotte's longtime friend and ally Lord Ingram at last turns his seductive prowess on Charlotte--or is it the other way around?

But the more secrets Charlotte unravels about Miss Moriarty's disappearance, the more she wonders why Moriarty has entrusted this delicate matter to her of all people. Is it merely to test Charlotte's skills as an investigator, or has the man of shadows trapped her in a nest of vipers?

 

Merry Christmas from my home to yours

At this very special time of year there are many traditions that make Christmas magic and one of those is always reciting this poem every Christmas Eve. I hope you have a very Merry Christmas and may all your Christmas dreams come true.

'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house

Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,

In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there;

The children were nestled all snug in their beds;

While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads;

And mamma in her 'kerchief, and I in my cap,

Had just settled our brains for a long winter's nap,

When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,

I sprang from my bed to see what was the matter.

Away to the window I flew like a flash,

Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.

The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow,

Gave a lustre of midday to objects below,

When what to my wondering eyes did appear,

But a miniature sleigh and eight tiny rein-deer,

With a little old driver so lively and quick,

I knew in a moment he must be St. Nick.

More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,

And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name:

"Now, Dasher! now, Dancer! now Prancer and Vixen!

On, Comet! on, Cupid! on, Donner and Blitzen!

To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!

Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!"

As leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,

When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky;

So up to the housetop the coursers they flew

With the sleigh full of toys, and St. Nicholas too—

And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof

The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.

As I drew in my head, and was turning around,

Down the chimney St. Nicholas came with a bound.

He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,

And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot;

A bundle of toys he had flung on his back,

And he looked like a pedler just opening his pack.

His eyes—how they twinkled! his dimples, how merry!

His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!

His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,

And the beard on his chin was as white as the snow;

The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,

And the smoke, it encircled his head like a wreath;

He had a broad face and a little round belly

That shook when he laughed, like a bowl full of jelly.

He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,

And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself;

A wink of his eye and a twist of his head

Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread;

He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,

And filled all the stockings; then turned with a jerk,

And laying his finger aside of his nose,

And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose;

He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,

And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.

But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight—

“Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night!”

Macmillan Audio Review - Best In Snow by David Rosenfelt Andy Carpenter #24

I first learned of this series last year when I reviewed Silent Bite for Mystery Scene Magazine so when Macmillan Audio offered it up for review I said Yes Please. And was I glad I did.
Enjoy!

ASIN: B08TZGD461
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Release Date: 10-19-2021
Length: 6hours/52minutes
Source: Publisher for review
Buy It: Audible

ADD TO: Goodreads

Overview:

In this Christmas mystery, lawyer Andy Carpenter and his golden retriever, Tara, are on the beat after a body turns up in the snow and a journalist is the prime suspect.

Christmas has come early to the town of Paterson, New Jersey, in the form of a snowstorm that dumps two feet of snow on the ground. Lawyer Andy Carpenter likes snow – white Christmas and all that – but it can cause problems for the walks he takes his dogs on every day.

When Andy’s golden retriever, Tara, goes to play in the snow and instead discovers a body, Andy ends up on the phone with the local newspaper editor. The murder victim is Mayor Alex Oliva, who had an infamous relationship with the newspaper. Last year a young reporter published an expose, and Oliva had him fired for libel. Now, the young reporter – and prime suspect – is in need of a lawyer.

Andy agrees to take the case, though it’s not looking good this holiday season. The evidence is piling up faster than the snow in Best in Snow, the next Christmas mystery in the best-selling Andy Carpenter series from David Rosenfelt.

Sophia Rose Reviews-‘Tis the Season by Susan Adriani, Jan Ashton, Julie Cooper, Amy D’Orazio, Jenetta James, Karalynne Mackrory, Lucy Marin, Elizabeth Rasche, and Mary Smythe

Today Sophia Rose is back to review a historical holiday anthology, 'Tis the Season
Merry Christmas!

‘Tis the Season by Susan Adriani, Jan Ashton, Julie Cooper, Amy D’Orazio, Jenetta James, Karalynne Mackrory, Lucy Marin, Elizabeth Rasche, and Mary Smythe

Historical Romance, Holiday Romance

Publisher:  Quills & Quartos

Published: 10.21.21

ISBN-10:  ‎ 1956613099

Pages:  667

Rating: 4.5

Format: Print

Source:  Quills & Quartos

Sellers:  Amazon

ADD TO: GoodReads  

GoodReads Blurb:

'Tis the Season is a collection of stories inspired by the beloved characters of Jane Austen in Pride and Prejudice.

HEART ENOUGH by Amy D’Orazio

WHEN ELIZABETH BENNET REASSURES Lady Catherine de Bourgh that she is not trying to ensnare her nephew, Darcy loses all hope of romance with her, and proposes to his cousin. Two years later, they meet again, both unmarried and both still cherishing tender feelings for one another, but will they have heart enough to love this time?

A YULETIDE DREAM by Julie Cooper

FOLLOWING THE UNTIMELY DEATH of his aunt, Lady Catherine de Bourgh, Fitzwilliam Darcy decides that his interests in Rosings Park should be inducement enough to marry his cousin Anne. However, his resolution is challenged by a series of Yuletide apparitions who will open his eyes and change his determination to undoing his past wrongs with a certain lady in Hertfordshire.

IN THE SPIRIT INTENDED by Jan Ashton

A YEAR AFTER THEY LAST MET, Mr Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet are reunited for Christmas at the Bingleys’ London home. In that year, he has travelled, while she has refused another offer of marriage, but as they gather with family, including two unexpected visitors, they will celebrate the holiday and unwrap old wounds.

STRANDED AT PEMBERLEY by Jenetta James

AFTER A DEVASTING CARRIAGE ACCIDENT IN DERBYSHIRE, at in Christmas 1810, Elizabeth Bennet and the Gardiners are stranded at Pemberley while Mrs Gardiner recovers. She soon finds that the halls of the great house are filled with secret and sorrows but Christmas cheer will prevail, and perhaps romance along with it.

CHRISTMAS AT BLACKTHORN MANOR by Lucy Marin

ELIZABETH AND MR DARCY FIND THEMSELVES brought together at a house party at Blackthorn Manor following a sixteen month separation. Will they learn the truth about what has kept them apart before the festive celebrations end, or will they go their separate ways once again?

CALL IT HOPE by Susan Adriani

CHRISTMAS APPROACHES AND DARCY is doomed to spend it under lock and key at Rosings Park. Will his relations and their antics drive him to Bedlam, or will he be rewarded with the one gift he always hoped to receive, but doubted he would ever attain?

WELCOME HOME by Mary Smythe

DARCY IS AMAZED when he discovers Elizabeth Bennet at Pemberley, living contentedly as his wife and mistress of the house. He will be forced to consider what is real and what is not, and what this Christmas miracle means for his life thereafter.

THE PINK DAFFODIL by Elizabeth Rasche

CHRISTMAS MIGHT MEAN FESTIVITY AND FUN for some, but for Mary Bennet it is just another occasion for displaying her piety and promoting her new charity, the Meryton Widows and Orphans Society. Then she finds herself drawn to a new gentleman who has arrived to stay at Netherfield Park, and soon finds his attractions threaten to mar more than just her Christmas charity.

MISGIVINGS & MISTLETOE by KaraLynne Mackrory

FORCED TOGETHER BY SNOW and the well intentions of their friends and family, Fitzwilliam Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet must hide agonizing lost hopes. Even with mistletoe abounding around them, the two must find their way through misgivings and snow storms to rediscover love.

Sophia Rose Reviews A Christmas Legacy by Anne Perry

 Today I welcome back Sophia Rose to the blog and she's got a very special treat today, she's reviewing Anne Perry's latest annual historical Christmas tale, A Christmas Legacy.
Merry Christmas!

A Christmas Legacy by Anne Perry

#19 Christmas Mysteries

Historical Mystery, Holiday Fiction

Publisher:  Ballantine Books

Published:  11.9.21

ASIN:  ‎ B08VSKGJG3

Pages:  192

Rating: 5

Format: eARC

Source:  Net Galley

Sellers: Amazon

ADD TO: GoodReads 

 

GoodReads Blurb:

Thomas and Charlotte Pitt's former maid takes a new job as Christmas approaches--but not everyone in the household may survive the holidays in this tension-filled novel from bestselling author Anne Perry.

After leaving her position with Charlotte and Thomas Pitt to get married, Gracie thought her days as a maid were behind her. But when her good friend's daughter, Millie, turns up on her doorstep just before the holidays, frantic because things are going missing from the kitchen in the household she serves, Gracie knows she has to find out what is happening. Millie, whose mother died years before, can't risk being accused of theft and getting thrown out on the street, with no character references for a new position.

So Gracie takes on Millie's job herself, claiming Millie is sick and needs a few days to recuperate. At first, it seems that all is normal in the household, even if the couple's elderly granny keeps entirely to her bedroom upstairs. But Gracie begins to realize that Granny is suffering from neglect--and rather than helping her, the husband and wife have decided she isn't dying fast enough.

Sophia Rose reviews A Cowboy Christmas Legend by Linda Broday

Today I welcome back Sophia Rose who is reviewing a Christmas Cowboy novel.
Enjoy!

A Cowboy Christmas Legend by Linda Broday

#2 Lone Star Legend

Historical Romance, Western Romance, Holiday Romance

Publisher:  Sourcebooks Casablanca

Published: 9.28.21

ASIN:  B08QX6M337

Pages:  336

Rating: 5

Format: eARC

Source:  Net Galley

Sellers:  Amazon

ADD TO: GoodReads

GoodReads Blurb:

This stunning, emotional, and redemptive historical Western romance by bestselling author Linda Broday will leave you cozy and warm this Christmas season, with:

• A cowboy learning how to start over
• A fiery young woman with the heart to save him
• A past neither can escape, and
• A future worthy of any Christmas miracle.

Devastated by the loss of his young wife—and the life he'd always thought would be his—Sam Legend II has done everything he can to make a fresh start. As a bladesmith, all he needs is a bed, a hot fire, and enough distance from his famous family to finally indulge in a little peace and quiet. So what if it's almost Christmas? This year, he's happy just keeping to himself.

But then fiery Cheyenne Ronan comes blasting into his home, and any notion of peace goes flying out the door.

Cheyenne's like no one Sam has ever met—and from the moment he first catches her eye, his quiet life is anything but. Now he's hunting wanted men with the Texas Rangers, decking every hall, and sharing passionate embraces with the woman who's set his world alight. For the first time in what feels like forever, Sam's facing Christmas feeling like his life is full of meaning again—and that with Cheyenne by his side, love can be the stuff of Legend.

#GIVEAWAY 9th Annual Ho Ho Ho Harlequin Holiday Extravaganza Merry Christmas and thank you!

 

Well once again we've reached the end of the holiday blog bash, be sure to get your #Giveaway entry in by midnight tonight!

#GIVEAWAY 9th Annual Ho Ho Ho Harlequin Holiday Extravaganza Showcase HQN holiday novels

 

Welcome to the next to the last day of my holiday blog bash, today I'm showcasing yet more wonderful heartwarming holiday novels by the publisher that makes the world go round, Harlequin. Don't forget to enter the #Giveaway at the end.
Merry Christmas!

Giveaway is a $25.00 digital
Amazon Gift Card US & Canada ONLY
Please Use Rafflecopter form to enter
Good Luck!

#GIVEAWAY 9th Annual Ho Ho Ho Harlequin Holiday Extravaganza Showcase HQN holiday novels

 

Welcome to week three of my holiday blog bash today I'm showcasing three more fantastic Harlequin holiday novels, don't forget to enter the #giveaway it and my bash ends on the 15th so don't delay!
Merry Christmas!

Giveaway is for a $25.00 digital

Amazon Gift Card US & Canada ONLY

Please Use Rafflecopter form to enter

Good Luck!

#GIVEAWAY 9th Annual Ho Ho Ho Harlequin Holiday Extravaganza Showcase HQN Christmas novels

Well we've come to the end of week two of my Holiday Blog Bash and there's still a few more days to go. Today I'm showcasing three more Harlequin holiday novels. I hope you enjoy the post and don't forget to enter the #Giveaway at the end!
Merry Christmas!

Giveaway is a $25.00 digital
Amazon Gift Card
US & Canada ONLY
Please use Rafflecopter form to enter
Good Luck!

 

#GIVEAWAY 9th Annual Ho Ho Ho Harlequin Holiday Extravaganza review Christmas at the Chateau by Rochelle Alers

 

Today I'm reviewing fave Special Edition author Rochelle Alers holiday tale, Christmas at the Chateau, for my ho ho ho bash. Read what I thought then don't forget to enter the contest!
Merry Christmas

ISBN-13: 978-1335408259
Publisher: Harlequin
Release Date: 11-30-2021
Length: 288pp
Source: Netgalley/Publisher for review
Buy It: Publisher/ Amazon/ B&N/ IndieBound

ADD TO: GOODREADS

Overview:

The halls are decked for holiday romance in nationally bestselling author Rochelle Alers's latest book in the Bainbridge House series!

Christmas dinner’s on the table

Served with a side of romance

Executive chef Viola Williamson has to have the kitchen up and running by the time the Bainbridge House restoration is complete. Working closely with Dom Shaw, Viola is struck by her hotter-than-mulled-cider attraction to her family estate’s handsome caretaker. It’s obvious that he feels it, too—yet Dom keeps his distance. Can Viola convince him that with all this cooking going on, he’s the only one stirring her heart?

#Giveaway is for a $25.00
digital Amazon Gift Card
US & Canada Only
Please use Rafflecopter form to enter
Good Luck!

#GIVEAWAY 9th Annual Ho Ho Ho Harlequin Holiday Extravaganza Showcase HQN Holiday Novels

Welcome back to my 9th annual #hohohoharlequinholidayextravaganza! Today I'm showcasing 4 holiday holiday novels from authors I adore. The first two are reissued Christmas novels from two classic HQN series. Don't forget to enter the #Giveaway!
Merry Christmas!

Giveaway is a $25.00

Amazon digital Gift Card

US & Canada only

Please use Rafflecopter form to enter

Good Luck!

#GIVEAWAY 9th Annual Ho Ho Ho Harlequin Holiday Extravaganza Showcase HQN Christmas Novels

 

Today I'm showcasing 4 wonderful Harlequin Holiday tales three are from my beloved Special Edition series and one is from my first HQN love the Presents series line. Plus don't forget to enter the #Giveaway!
Merry Christmas

#GIVEAWAY 9th Annual Ho Ho Ho Harlequin Holiday Extravaganza Review-Mistletoe Season by Michelle Major

 

Today to start off week two of my holiday blog bash I'm reviewing favorite romance author Michelle Major's holiday tale Mistletoe Season. See what I thought and be sure and enter the #Giveaway.
Merry Christmas

ISBN-13: 9781335477026
Publisher: Harlequin
Release Date: 10-26-2021
Length: 352pp
Carolina Girls #1
Source: Netgalley/Publisher for review
Buy It: Harlequin/Amazon/ B&N/ IndieBound

ADD TO: GOODREADS

Overview:

Spend the holidays in Magnolia, North Carolina, where two lonely hearts find exactly what they need for Christmas.

Angi Guilardi needs a man for Christmas—at least, according to her mother. What she really needs is to grow her fledgling catering business. Partnering with Magnolia’s Wildflower Inn holds promise, but when her mother falls ill, Angi’s pulled back to the responsibility of the family restaurant. While she balances work and her eight-year-old son, romance is the last thing on her mind…until Angi runs into Gabriel Carlyle.

Back in town to help his grandmother at her flower shop, Gabriel has no plans to stick around Magnolia, especially after he bumps into one of his childhood bullies. Sure, Angi's all grown up and gorgeous now, and when they find themselves under the mistletoe, their chemistry is undeniable. But it’ll take more than a Christmas miracle for Angi to break through the defenses of Gabriel’s well-guarded heart and find a love built to last.

Giveaway is for $25.00
Amazon digital Gift Card
US and Canada only
Please Use Rafflecopter form to enter
Good Luck!

#GIVEAWAY 9th Annual Ho Ho Ho Harlequin Holiday Extravaganza Review- Sleigh Bells Ring by RaeAnne Thayne

 

Today on day 3 of my #HoHoHoHarlequinHolidayExtravaganza I'm reviewing Raeanne Thayne's latest Christmas novel, Sleigh Bells Ring, a holiday tale that's got all the warm fuzzies you need this season.
Merry Christmas!

#Giveaway is for a $25.00

Amazon digital Gift Card US & Canada only

Please Use Rafflecopter form to enter

Good Luck!

#GIVEAWAY - 9th Annual Ho Ho Ho Harlequin Holiday Extravaganza - Showcase HQN Christmas novels

Welcome to day 2 of my 9th annual holiday blog blast today I'm showcasing 4 Harlequin Holiday novels, three from my beloved Special Edition series and one from another beloved HQN author.  Read all about them and don't forget to enter the #Giveaway.
Merry Christmas!

The Giveaway is a $25.00 Amazon 

Digital Gift Card US & Canada only

Please Use the Rafflecopter Form to enter

Good Luck!

#GIVEAWAY 9th annual Ho Ho Ho Harlequin Holiday Extravaganza- Review The Christmas Escape by Sarah Morgan

 

Welcome to day 1 of my holiday blog blast sponsored by the publisher that makes the world go round, Harlequin. Today I'm featuring my favorite genre romance author, Sarah Morgan who I started reviewing Waaay Back when she wrote for the Harlequin Presents line. Enjoy my review of her latest Christmas novel, The Christmas Escape it was amazing. Stop by and see what I thought and don't forget to enter the #Giveaway open for the entire bash.
Merry Christmas!

#Giveaway is for a

$25.00 Amazon digital

Gift Card US & Canada Only

Please Use Rafflecopter form to enter

Good luck!

My Sponsor - 9th Annual Ho Ho Ho Harlequin Holiday Extravaganza

 

My sponsor for the entire 9 years of my holiday bash needs no introductions but I thought maybe you'd like to hear how it all began.

Enjoy!

HOW HARLEQUIN BECAME ROMANCE

When Richard H. G. Bonnycastle, a former Arctic explorer with the Hudson Bay Company, launched Harlequin Books in Winnipeg in 1948, he had little interest in building a publishing empire around romance novels. Early in its history, Harlequin published inexpensive reprints of detective stories, cookbooks, westerns, and a smattering of tragic love stories.

When Bonnycastle’s wife, Mary, took on editorial duties in the 1950s, she focused on the vast untapped market of female readers in Canada who loved reading British romance novels. She discovered that her favorite novels were published by a British firm called Mills & Boon, which had been publishing romances since 1908. She contacted the firm and asked to acquire paperback rights to some of its romances.

Under Mary Bonnycastle’s guidance, Harlequin purged any potentially racy content from the Mills & Boon books and established a template for its own editions. The plot often involved a chance meeting in an interesting setting, a courtship that allowed both parties to overcome personal obstacles, and a happy denouement, almost inevitably involving marriage.

The formula worked. From Harlequin’s first reprint of a Mills & Boon romance, Anne Vinton’s The Hospital in Buwambo, there was a ready audience for chaste love stories that took place in exotic or historical settings.

THE GROWTH OF HARLEQUIN ROMANCE

Lawrence Heisey, a former soap salesman who had been appointed president of Harlequin in 1971, revolutionized romance publishing by distributing Harlequin romances to supermarkets and department stores, where they would be right at the fingertips of Canadian and American homemakers. The company often gave away one book as a free gift with the purchase of household items such as kitchen cleaners or napkins, hoping that shoppers would become hooked and buy the rest of the series.

By 1975, Harlequin had purchased British romance publisher Mills & Boon, and seventy percent of its sales came from outside of Canada.

Despite an early resistance to explicit sex scenes, Harlequin’s winning plot formula and marketing strategies fostered the company’s spread across the globe. After the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, Harlequin employees gave away more than 720,000 books at border checkpoints across the Eastern Bloc. Just two years later, Harlequin had sold seven million romance novels in Hungary alone and reached $10 million in sales in the Czech Republic in 1992. By 1995, it had released 550,000 copies of its titles in Mandarin Chinese, paving the way for the opening of offices across the world, from Tokyo to Mumbai.

THE TRANSFORMATION OF HARLEQUIN

By the 1990s, Harlequin had become synonymous with romance novels, grown the category into a score of successful subgenre lines—from the historical to the contemporary and the sweetly romantic to the sensually passionate—opened offices around the world and seen its books made available in more than 100 countries and over 30 languages. Now the publisher looked to move beyond romance novels and expand the breadth of its editorial into all genres of fiction for women.

In 1994 Harlequin launched MIRA Books, its first mainstream commercial fiction imprint. MIRA offered readers thrillers, suspense novels, small town dramas, macabre paranormals and more complex, involved romances. In addition to acquiring existing authors from other publishing houses, MIRA allowed the publisher the opportunity to lift authors who had honed their craft and build sizeable followings in Harlequin’s category romance lines and give them the canvas to expand their vision and stretch their wings in a trade program. MIRA’s ability to create bestselling novels and franchises also made the imprint very attractive to debut authors.

Four years later, MIRA Books was joined by Love Inspired, an inspirational fiction imprint, as Harlequin moved beyond the mainstream and into niche markets. In 2004 Harlequin launched HQN Books, its bestseller romance trade program, allowing the publisher to introduce its top romance authors to mainstream audiences. In 2009, two more imprints were established—Harlequin TEEN, capturing the imagination of young adult readers and Carina Press, a digital-first adult fiction imprint that allowed the publisher to explore subgenres of traditional genres and push beyond conventional boundaries.

In 2016, Harlequin continued its expansion of trade publishing by launching two new imprints—Park Row Books, which is dedicated to publishing voice-driven and thought-provoking books across a variety of genres, from mainstream literary fiction and book club fiction to literary suspense and narrative nonfiction, and Graydon House Books, a select hardcover and trade paperback imprint showcasing commercial women's fiction with a relationship element woven through. In 2017 Hanover Square Press was launched to publish compelling, original fiction and narrative nonfiction, including crime, thrillers, high-concept fiction, history, journalism and memoir.

Harlequin has scaled fresh heights with its new imprints. Multiple #1 New York Times and USA TODAY bestseller placements, overseas triumphs, films and television shows adapted from its novels have all served to help transform the company from the dominant romance publisher into a leading publisher of books for a wide range of readers and tastes.

Be sure and come back tomorrow for the kick off of the holiday blog bash!

9th Annual Ho Ho Ho Harlequin Holiday Extravaganza!

 

Welcome to my 9^th Annual Ho Ho Ho Harlequin Holiday Extravaganza

From December 1^st through the 15^th I’ll be featuring Harlequin Holiday novels

from some of my favorite HQN authors and once again Harlequin is sponsoring

a FAB #Giveaway. This year it’s a digital $25.00 Amazon Gift Card US and Canada Only.

I know in the past I’ve made these authors, many who have become friends through

the years a part of the holiday blast by sharing a holiday memory, recipe or message

and hopefully I’ll be able to do that again but like many of you this year has been a

challenge for my family.

Just before Christmas last year we lost our oldest daughter to cancer so even getting

Jolly this time of the year is a challenge. Then my husband had a stroke and has had

several subsequent hospital stays the last one just a few weeks ago.

So we put one foot in front of the other and try to carry on and focus on the good in

our lives and what we have to be thankful for keeping the glass half full instead of half

empty and thinking about all we’ve lost.

Unfortunately my blogging has taken the brunt of the challenges but I just couldn’t let

this time of year go by without at least trying to get the holiday blog bash in.

Stop by tomorrow when I feature a post about my holiday bash sponsor
Harlequin and then starting December 1st through the 15th
stop by everyday to see what HQN author and novel I'm featuring
and you'll be able to enter the #Giveaway once a day throughout the holiday bash!

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and here’s to the next year being even better than the last!

 

#MacmillanAudio Review of A Net for Small Fishes by Lucy Jago

 I love history and when I saw that this novel was based on actual events in the early 1600s I knew I had to listen to it and I'm sure glad I did. Read on to see what I thought of the novel
Enjoy!

ASIN: B08SSKHKSV
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Release Date: 11-16-2021
Length: 12 hours/30 minutes
Source: Publisher for Review
Buy It: Audible

ADD TO: GOODREADS

Overview:

Wolf Hall meets The Favourite in Lucy Jago's A Net For Small Fishes, a gripping dark novel based on the true scandal of two women determined to create their own fates in the Jacobean court.

“With Frankie, I could have the life I had always wanted and regain the honour I sought for myself and my family, and with me she could forge something more satisfying from her own....”

When the beautiful, unhappy Frances Howard meets the astute, diminished Anne Turner, the two women strike up an unlikely yet powerful friendship. Frankie quickly pulls Anne into her close confidence, sweeping her new companion into an extravagant world of glamour and decadence.

As the women grow closer, each hopes to change her circumstances. Frankie feels trapped in a miserable marriage while loving another, and newly widowed Anne struggles to stay afloat as she waits for a long-awaited proposal. Soon, a desperate plan that could change both their fortunes is hatched. But navigating the Jacobean court is a dangerous game, and one misstep could mean losing everything - including their lives....

Showcase The Anomaly by by HERVÉ LE TELLIER Translated by ADRIANA HUNTER

Today enjoy yet another offering from my favorite Indie publisher Other Press, The Anomaly mixes sci-fi, thriller and crime drama by the internationally bestselling author Herve Le Tellier. I know one thing for sure this is going on my list right now!
Enjoy!

ISBN-13: 978-1-63542-169-9
Publisher: Other Press
Release Date: 11-23-2021
Length: 400pp
Buy It: Publisher/Amazon/ B&N/ IndieBound

ADD TO: GOODREADS

Overview:

NAMED A BEST MYSTERY/THRILLER OF THE YEAR BY PUBLISHERS WEEKLY, A BEST MYSTERY/THRILLER OF THE MONTH BY POPSUGAR, AND A MOST ANTICIPATED READ OF THE YEAR BY CRIMEREADS

Who would we be if we had made different choices? Told that secret, left that relationship, written that book? We all wonder—the passengers of Air France 006 will find out.

In their own way, they were all living double lives when they boarded the plane:
Blake, a respectable family man who works as a contract killer.
Slimboy, a Nigerian pop star who uses his womanizing image to hide that he’s gay.
Joanna, a Black American lawyer pressured to play the good old boys’ game to succeed with her Big Pharma client.
Victor Miesel, a critically acclaimed yet largely obscure writer suddenly on the precipice of global fame.
About to start their descent to JFK, they hit a shockingly violent patch of turbulence, emerging on the other side to a reality both perfectly familiar and utterly strange. As it charts the fallout of this logic-defying event, The Anomaly takes us on a journey from Lagos and Mumbai to the White House and a top-secret hangar.
In Hervé Le Tellier’s most ambitious work yet, high literature follows the lead of a bingeable Netflix series, drawing on the best of genre fiction from “chick lit” to mystery, while also playfully critiquing their hallmarks. An ingenious, timely variation on the doppelgänger theme, it taps into the parts of ourselves that elude us most.