Monday, February 28, 2022

#Audible Review of The Garden of Promises and Lies by Paula Brackston

A funny thing happened to me when I downloaded my Netgalley audio copy of Paula Brackston's newest Found Things novel, City of Time and Magic, when I started listening to it I was lost and realized that I totally missed #3. So off I went to audible and downloaded a copy. Come back soon for my review of book #4 but right now sit back and see what I thought about the audible edition of , The Garden of Promises and Lies.
Enjoy!

ASIN: B08776X4TG
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Release Date: 12-15-2020
Length: 10 hours - 34 minutes
Source: Purchase Amazon/Audible
Buy It: Audible

ADD TO: GOODREADS

Overview:

The third installment of a bewitching series "brimming with charm and charisma" that will make "fans of Outlander rejoice!" (Woman's World Magazine).

New York Times bestselling author Paula Brackston's second novel in the Found Things series, Secrets of the Chocolate House, was called a "time-swapping romance [that] will please fans of Alice Hoffman" (Publishers Weekly). Now, Brackston returns to the Found Things series with a third audiobook, The Garden of Promises and Lies.

As the bustle of the winter holidays in the Little Shop of Found Things gives way to spring, Xanthe is left to reflect on the strange events of the past year. While she's tried to keep her time-traveling talents a secret from those close to her, she is forced to take responsibility for having inadvertently transported the dangerous Benedict Fairfax to her own time. Xanthe comes to see that she must use her skills as a Spinner if she and Flora are ever to be safe, and turns to the Spinners book for help.

It is then that a beautiful antique wedding dress sings to her. Realizing the dress and her adversary are connected in some way, she answers the call. She finds herself in Bradford-on-Avon in 1815, as if she has stepped into a Jane Austen story.

Now in Xanthe's time, Fairfax is threatening Xanthe into helping him with his evil doings, and demonstrates all too clearly how much damage he is capable of causing. With Fairfax growing ever more powerful, Xanthe enlists the help of her boyfriend Liam, taking him back in time with her. It is a decision that might just ensure she prevails over her foe, but only by putting her life—and his—on the line.

Friday, February 25, 2022

Showcase - Geography of an Adultery A Novel by AGNÈS RIVA Translated by JOHN CULLEN

Today I'm showcasing, Geography of an Adultery A Novel by AGNÈS RIVA, yet another fabulous new offering from the best Indie Publisher out there, Other Press. Stay tuned because my review will be posted soon!
Enjoy!

ISBN-13: 978-1-59051-110-7
Publisher: Other Press
Release Date: 2-22-22
Length: 160pp
Buy It: Publisher/ Amazon/ B&N/ IndieBound

ADD TO: GOODREADS

Overview:

Dissecting a midlife affair, this perceptive, slyly comical debut explores how the spaces that limit our movements can be more exciting than the person we think we want.

Ema and Paul are lovers. Like so many others before them, they met through work. Both are married with children, and they arrange hurried meetings away from prying eyes. Paul’s car, a corner of Ema’s house, a hotel room…But their relationship soon suffers from this too-restricted sphere, and Ema decides to put them both in danger, at the risk of losing everything.

Cleverly attaching itself to the locations where passion plays out—whether domestic or professional, safe or transgressive—Geography of an Adultery casts a radical eye on anticipation and desire. With her deceptively cool, clinically precise style, Agnès Riva unravels the inner workings of a private life.

Thursday, February 24, 2022

Sophia Rose Reviews Epiphany by Jessie Lewis

Today I once again welcome Sophia Rose to the blog this time to review, Epiphany by Jessie Lewis an Austen reimagining. And we know how our Lovely Sophia Rose loves those.
Enjoy!

Epiphany by Jessie Lewis

Historical Romance

Publisher:  Quills and Quartos

Published:  1.6.22

ASIN:  B09LJ3YL5N

Pages:  259

Rating: 4.5 stars

Format: Trade Paperback

Source:  Quills and Quartos

Sellers:  Amazon



ADD TO: GoodReads 

 

GoodReads Blurb:

“Somehow, his hapless sister had begun a rumour that he was romantically attached to the penniless young woman, from an unheard-of and vulgar family, with whom duty and good sense forbade him from ever considering an alliance…but whose extraordinary wit and captivating eyes he had been entirely unable to banish from his thoughts.”

HAVING RETURNED TO LONDON, in December 1811, Mr Darcy is appalled to learn that Anne de Bourgh, his vexatious spinster cousin, has embarked on a journey to Hertfordshire to visit Miss Elizabeth Bennet. From her correspondence with his sister, Georgiana Darcy, he learns that Anne intends to rid Miss Elizabeth of any false hopes she may have of marrying him. His dismay quickly turns into alarm when Anne begins to insert herself into Hertfordshire society, even attending balls with the dastardly George Wickham.

ELIZABETH BENNET FINDS HERSELF INTRIGUED by Miss Anne de Bourgh. After all, what sort of lady could ever meet the standards of the proud and fastidious Mr Darcy? She soon comes to realise, however, that her understanding of their supposed engagement—and indeed of Mr Darcy himself—is distinctly flawed.

As the cold days of December bleed into the new year, epiphanies abound for Elizabeth, Darcy, and even Anne, laying bare the machinations and desires of all those around them.

 

Tuesday, February 22, 2022

Showcase - 15 Minutes of Shame by Lisa Daily

Today I'm so excited because 15 Minutes of Shame, my friend Lisa Daily's debut is back in print and still as relevant as it was in 2008 when it was first released. So don't miss out on this fantastic rom-com where social media plays a big role.  A satisfying, swoony, laugh-out-loud romantic comedy perfect for readers who love Christina Lauren, Emily Henry, and Helena Hunting.

Be sure to stay tuned because this is high on my TBR shelf and I can't wait to share what I though of it.
Enjoy!

ASIN:  B09QY99KW1
Publisher: Siesta Key House
Release Date: 2-22-22
Length: 317 pp
Buy It: Amazon/ B&N

ADD TO: GOODREADS

Overview:

Why am I hiding behind a dumpster at the Gas-N-Go in my pajamas, spying on Will?

A month ago I was America’s favorite TV relationships expert. Now? I’m the loser facing a major scandal, whose catastrophic love life is splashed across TMZ, social media, and every gossip show and supermarket tabloid — all because I got dumped by my husband on national TV. For a reality TV star. And that’s not even the worst part.

Now, I’m scrambling to un-shamble my life, make a comeback, and salvage what’s left of my heart and my career — which is constantly complicated by the fact that I keep publicly screwing up (on camera, no less), my publicist is advising me to do some (let’s sayquestionable) stuff to get my career back on track, and most of all, because I can’t tell if my insanely sexy divorce attorney Holt is flirting with me, or just giving me legal advice.

It definitely feels like flirting.

Like, the best flirting of my entire life — the kind that makes all your parts tingle, not just your toes.

Is that a bad thing? Yeah it is — because if I fall for him, we’ll both be torpedoing our careers, not to mention everything else that really matters to me.
It’s just so hard to stop…

Friday, February 18, 2022

Showcase - Rose Royal A Love Story by by NICOLAS MATHIEU Translated by SAM TAYLOR

Today I'm showcasing yet another fabulous novel, Rose Royal by Nicolast Mathieu and translated from French by Sam Taylor. An upcoming release from Other Press.
Enjoy!

ISBN-13:  978-1-63542-195-8
Publisher: Other Press
Release Date: 02-22-2022
Length: 96pp
Buy It: Publisher/Amazon/B&N/IndieBound

ADD TO: GOODREADS

Overview:

From the Goncourt Prize–winning author of And Their Children After Them, a devilishly smart noir novella that finds uncomfortable truths in the everyday about romance, violence, and women’s desire and desirability.

Nearing fifty, with a divorce and a string of other failed relationships behind her, Rose has given up on the idea of love, if not sex—though that always comes with risks. Determined not to let another man hurt her, she even ordered a .38 caliber handgun after an argument with her latest boyfriend almost turned violent. Now she carries it everywhere, just in case.

As if on autopilot, Rose spends her days at work and then at the Royal, a familiar haunt where she knocks back one drink after another, sometimes with her best friend Marie-Jeanne. And then a sudden accident brings Luc into the bar, and Rose decides to give love one last chance.

Thursday, February 17, 2022

Floating on Air and Two Week Deal by Syrie James & Author Guest Post




Today on the blog I'm featuring Syrie James' Struck By Love two book series, Floating on Air and Two Week Deal. These novels are set and previously published in the 80s. They have both been revised and retitled so fans today can enjoy them more.

To celebrate this both Floating on Air and Two Week Deal are free on Kindle Unlimited and for a limited time on sale for $3.99 without.

Also Syrie is sharing with my readers why Floating on Air especially is so special to her because it is inspired by her real life whirlwind romance with her late husband Bill. Check out her guest post below!

Enjoy!

Tuesday, February 15, 2022

Sophia Rose Reviews - Texas Homecoming by Carolyn Brown

Today I'm welcoming back Sophia Rose whose reviewing a favorite author of mine Carolyn Brown and a novel that I have yet to read, Texas Homecoming, Ryan Family #2.
Enjoy!

Texas Homecoming by Carolyn Brown

#2 Ryan Family

Contemporary Romance

Publisher: Forever

Published:  1.25.22

ASIN:  B09436LWLB

Pages:  339

Rating: 4

Format: eARC

Source:  Net Galley

Sellers: Amazon

ADD TO: GoodReads  

GoodReads Blurb:

The bestselling Queen of Cowboy Romance delivers a heartwarming novel where a doctor and veterinarian get a second chance at true love when a storm traps them together.

Cody Ryan had been the smartest kid that ever came out of Honey Grove, Texas, and one of the few who went on to become a doctor. He's so grateful to his fantastic foster parents for giving him so many opportunities, so to help give back he joined Doctors Without Borders. But after 10 years of traveling the world Cody is ready to go back home. Stephanie O'Dell, better known as Dr. Stevie, the local vet, has been treating the cattle on Sunflower Ranch for years. So she's not thrilled when Cody starts offering medical advice the minute she steps on the ranch. But when the two get caught in a storm with a baby alpaca to take care of, the fireplace isn't the only thing throwing sparks. When they finally find their way back home, they've found out that they've fallen in love, but will either of them admit it?

Friday, February 11, 2022

Showcase - Abandoned In Death by J.D. Robb

Today I'm showcasing J.D. Robb's latest. #54 (wow) in her super successful In Death Series
Enjoy!

ISBN-13: 9781250278227
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Release Date: 02-08-2022
Length: 368pp 
In Death #54
Buy It: Amazon/ B&N/ IndieBound

ADD TO: GOODREADS

Overview:

Homicide detective Eve Dallas must untangle a twisted family history while a hostage’s life hangs in the balance—in Abandoned in Death by New York Times bestselling author J. D. Robb.

The woman’s body was found in the early morning, on a bench in a New York City playground. She was clean, her hair neatly arranged, her makeup carefully applied. But other things were very wrong—like the tattoo and piercings, clearly new. The clothes, decades out of date. The fatal wound hidden beneath a ribbon around her neck. And the note: Bad Mommy, written in crayon as if by a child.

Eve Dallas turns to the department’s top profiler, who confirms what seems obvious to Eve: They’re dealing with a killer whose childhood involved some sort of trauma—a situation Eve is all too familiar with herself. Yet the clues suggest a perpetrator who’d be roughly sixty years old, and there are no records of old crimes with a similar MO. What was the trigger that apparently reopened such an old wound and sent someone over the edge?

When Eve discovers that other young women—who physically resemble the first victim—have vanished, the clock starts ticking louder. But to solve this case she will need to find her way into a hidden place of dim light and concrete, into the distant past, and into the cold depths of a shattered mind.

Thursday, February 10, 2022

Jane and the Year Without A Summer by Stephanie Barron blog tour - Sophia Rose Review - Austenprose PR

Welcome to the Jane and the Year Without A Summer Blog Tour, book #14 in the Being A Jane Austen Mystery series, by Stephanie Barron sponsored by Austenprose PR and featuring a review of the book by Sophia Rose!
Enjoy!



Wednesday, February 9, 2022

Review - The Book of Lost Names by Kristin Harmel

 


Today I'm reviewing a book from my Netgalley backlist a WWII gem that definitely should not have sat on my self as long as it did.
Enjoy!

ISBN-13: 978-1982131906
Publisher: Gallery Books 
Release Date: 7-21-2020
Length: 416pp 
Source: Publisher/Netgalley for review
Buy It: Amazon/ B&N/ IndieBound

ADD TO: GOODREADS

Overview:

“A fascinating, heartrending page-turner that, like the real-life forgers who inspired the novel, should never be forgotten.” —Kristina McMorris, New York Times bestselling author of Sold on a Monday

Inspired by an astonishing true story from World War II, a young woman with a talent for forgery helps hundreds of Jewish children flee the Nazis in this “sweeping and magnificent” (Fiona Davis, bestselling author of The Lions of Fifth Avenue) historical novel from the #1 international bestselling author of The Winemaker’s Wife.

Eva Traube Abrams, a semi-retired librarian in Florida, is shelving books when her eyes lock on a photograph in the New York Times. She freezes; it’s an image of a book she hasn’t seen in more than sixty years—a book she recognizes as The Book of Lost Names.

The accompanying article discusses the looting of libraries by the Nazis across Europe during World War II—an experience Eva remembers well—and the search to reunite people with the texts taken from them so long ago. The book in the photograph, an eighteenth-century religious text thought to have been taken from France in the waning days of the war, is one of the most fascinating cases. Now housed in Berlin’s Zentral- und Landesbibliothek library, it appears to contain some sort of code, but researchers don’t know where it came from—or what the code means. Only Eva holds the answer, but does she have the strength to revisit old memories?

As a graduate student in 1942, Eva was forced to flee Paris and find refuge in a small mountain town in the Free Zone, where she began forging identity documents for Jewish children fleeing to neutral Switzerland. But erasing people comes with a price, and along with a mysterious, handsome forger named Rémy, Eva decides she must find a way to preserve the real names of the children who are too young to remember who they really are. The records they keep in The Book of Lost Names will become even more vital when the resistance cell they work for is betrayed and Rémy disappears.

An engaging and evocative novel reminiscent of The Lost Girls of Paris and The Alice Network, The Book of Lost Names is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and the power of bravery and love in the face of evil.

Monday, February 7, 2022

Review- Lightning In A Mirror by Jayne Ann Krentz

Today it's my absolute pleasure to bring you my review of Lightning In A Mirror book 3 and the finale in Jayne Ann Krentz's Fogg Lake trilogy. Imagine a secret government experiment gone wrong and swept under the carpet or in this case in caves hidden by mysterious fog in a small town called Fogg Lake.
Enjoy!

ISBN-13: 0349432228
Publisher: Berkley
Release Date: January 18, 2022
Length: 318 pp
Source: Netgalley/Publisher for review
Buy It: Amazon/ B&N/ IndieBound

ADD TO: GOODREADS

Overview:

The final installment in the chilling Fogg Lake trilogy by New York Times bestselling author Jayne Ann Krentz.

Olivia LeClair's experiment with speed dating is not going well. First there was the nasty encounter with the date from hell who tried to murder her and now the mysterious Harlan Rancourt—long believed dead—sits down at her table and tells her she's the only one who can help him locate the legendary Vortex lab.

This is not what Olivia had in mind when she signed up for the Four Event Success Guaranteed package offered by the dating agency. She doesn't have much choice, though, because her psychic investigation firm works for the mysterious Foundation and Victor Arganbright, the director, is adamant that she assist Harlan. There's just one problem—no one knows Harlan's real agenda. His father once ran the Foundation like a mob organization, and Harlan was destined to be his heir. There's a real possibility Harlan has returned to claim his inheritance.

For now, however, it's a case of the enemy of my enemy is my friend because others are after the secrets of the long-lost lab. Unfortunately for Olivia, the one thing friend and foe have in common is that everyone is convinced she is the key. Her unique psychic talent is required to defuse the ticking time bomb that is Vortex.

Neither trusts the other but Olivia and Harlan soon realize they must work together to survive and unlock the Bluestone Project's most dangerous secrets before more innocent people die.

Friday, February 4, 2022

#GIVEAWAY Showcase - The Prisoner of Paradise by Rob Samborn a Partners in Crime Virtual blog tour

Today is my stop on The Prisoner of Paradise by Rob Samborn sponsored by Partners In Crime Tours, read all about it and don't forget to enter the #Giveaway!
Enjoy!


The Prisoner of Paradise by Rob Samborn Banner

The Prisoner of Paradise

by Rob Samborn

January 24 - February 18, 2022 Virtual Book Tour

Synopsis:

The Prisoner of Paradise by Rob Samborn

The world's largest oil painting. A 400-year-old murder. A disembodied whisper: "Amore mio." My love.

Nick and Julia O'Connor's dream trip to Venice collapses when a haunting voice reaches out to Nick from Tintoretto's Paradise, a monumental depiction of Heaven. Convinced his delusions are the result of a concussion, Julia insists her husband see a doctor, though Nick is adamant the voice was real.

Blacking out in the museum, Nick flashes back to a life as a 16th century Venetian peasant swordsman. He recalls precisely who the voice belongs to: Isabella Scalfini, a married aristocrat he was tasked to seduce but with whom he instead found true love. A love stolen from them hundreds of years prior.

She implores Nick to liberate her from a powerful order of religious vigilantes who judge and sentence souls to the canvas for eternity. Releasing Isabella also means unleashing thousands of other imprisoned souls, all of which the order claims are evil.

As infatuation with a possible hallucination clouds his commitment to a present-day wife, Nick's past self takes over. Wracked with guilt, he can no longer allow Isabella to remain tormented, despite the consequences. He must right an age-old wrong - destroy the painting and free his soul mate. But the order will eradicate anyone who threatens their ethereal prison and their control over Venice.

Book Details:

Genre: Thriller
Published by: TouchPoint Press
Publication Date: November 30th 2021
Number of Pages: 333
ISBN: 1952816890 (ISBN-13: 9781952816895)
Series: The Paradise Series, #1
Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

Wednesday, February 2, 2022

Brilliance Audio Review of Bond of Destiny: A Demonica Novella by Larissa Ione - 1001 Dark Nights

Today I'm reviewing a novella in the 1001 Dark Nights collection and revisiting a favorite series and author, Bond of Destiny by Larissa Ione.
Enjoy!

ASIN: B0924ZF3L7
Publisher: Brilliance Audio
Release Date: 8-24-2021
Length: 7 hours- 8 minutes
Source: Purchase Amazon/Audible
Buy It: Audible

ADD TO: GOODREADS

Overview

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Larissa Ione returns with a new story in her Demonica series...

Sold into slavery mere hours after his birth to werewolf parents, Tracker spent decades in service to cruel underworlders. Then the fallen angel Harvester transferred his ownership to a human woman who gave him as much freedom as the unbreakable bond would allow. Still, thanks to his traumatic past, he’s afraid to trust, let alone feel love. But when an acquaintance shows up at his door, injured and in need of help, he finds himself longing for a connection. For someone to touch. For someone to care.

Stacey Orr has had it bad for Tracker since the day her best friend, Jillian, was forced to hold his unbreakable slave bond. At first, the fact that he’s a werewolf seemed weird to Stacey, but hey, her best friend was married to one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, so weird is definitely a matter of perspective. Stacey knows the depths of Tracker’s trauma, and she longs to help him even as he helps her, but breaking through his walls isn’t easy.

And it only gets harder when the only blood family he has, the pack that gave him away, lays claim to him...and everything he loves.

**Every 1001 Dark Nights novella is a standalone story. For new listeners, it’s an introduction to an author’s world. And for fans, it’s a bonus book in the author’s series. We hope you'll enjoy each one as much as we do.**

Tuesday, February 1, 2022

#GIVEAWAY Showcase The Pine Barrens Stratagem by Ken Harris a Partners In Crime Virtual Blog Tour

Welcome to my stop on this fabulous blog tour. Read all about it, visit all the stops and don't forget to enter the #giveaway too!
Enjoy!


The Pine Barrens Stratagem

by Ken Harris

February 1-28, 2022 Virtual Book Tour

Synopsis:

The Pine Barrens Stratagem by Ken Harris

Private Investigator Steve Rockfish needs cash, like yesterday. The bad news is that yesterday, a global pandemic raged, and Maryland was headed toward a lockdown that would ultimately lead to cheating spouses no longer "working late," and hence a lack of new clients.

Rockfish's luck changes when a Hollywood producer reaches out, but the job is two states away and involves digging up information on a child trafficking ring from the 1940s. What he uncovers will be used to support the launch of a true crime docuseries. He grabs a mask, hand sanitizer and heads for South Jersey.

On-site, Rockfish meets Jawnie McGee, the great granddaughter of a local policeman gone missing while investigating the original crimes. As the duo uncover more clues, they learn the same criminal alliance has reformed to use the pandemic as a conduit to defraud the Federal Government of that sweet, sweet, stimulus money.

It's not long before the investigation turns up some key intel on a myriad of illicit activity over the last eighty years and Rockfish rockets toward a showdown with the mafia, local archdiocese and dirty cops. COVID-19 isn't the only threat to his health.