#BookReview All Our Summers by Holly Chamberlin @HollyChamberlin @KensingtonBooks #AllOursummers

categories: Book Review, Women's Fiction, 7/10
#BookReview All Our Summers by Holly Chamberlin @HollyChamberlin @KensingtonBooks #AllOursummers Title: All Our Summers

Author: Holly Chamberlin

Published by: Kensington Publishing on Jun. 30, 2020

Genres: Women's Fiction

Pages: 352

Format: eBook, ARC

Source: Kensington Books, NetGalley

Book Rating: 7/10

Against the picturesque coastal Maine setting that she evokes so well, bestselling author Holly Chamberlin creates a heartfelt story of family bonds and new beginnings . . .
 
It came as no surprise to anyone in Yorktide when glamorous Carol Ascher fled the little Maine town for New York City. While Carol found success as an interior designer, her younger sister, Bonnie, stayed behind, embracing marriage and motherhood. She even agreed to take in Carol’s teenage daughter during a tumultuous patch. Now both their girls are grown and Bonnie, recently widowed, is anticipating the day she’ll retire to Ferndean House, the nineteenth-century family home on the rocky Maine coast.
 
But forty-five years after leaving Yorktide, Carol suddenly announces that she’s moving back—into Ferndean. Bonnie is indignant. She’s the one who kept the homestead in order and tended to their dying mother. Now Carol expects to simply buy her out? As far as Bonnie is concerned, Ferndean is part of their heritage—not just another of Carol’s improvement projects, to be torn apart and remade according to her whim.
 
The entire Ascher family is in flux, uncovering secrets that upend their relationships. Carol’s longing to be welcomed home is fueled by a painful truth she’s carried for years. It will take an extraordinary
summer—in a remarkable place—to lead these women back to each other, buoyed by the tides of friendship and forgiveness.

Review:

Nostalgic, tender, and optimistic!

All Our Summers is a compelling, heartfelt tale that sweeps you away to Yorktide, Maine and immerses you into the lives of the Ascher family complete with all the heartbreak, secrets, smiles, tears, strength, loyalty, resentments, and compassion that surround them.

The writing is smooth and light. The characters are complex, hurt, and vulnerable. And the plot, including all the subplots, intertwine and unravel into an uplifting tale about life, love, loss, family, friendship, parenthood, infidelity, and the complex relationship that exists between sisters.

All Our Summers is a sentimental, warm, touching, family saga by Chamberlin that drags slightly in parts but overall does a lovely job of reminding us of what’s truly important in life.

 

This novel is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

            

 

 

 

Thank you to Kensington Books for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Holly Chamberlin

Holly Chamberlin was born and raised in New York City. After earning a Master’s degree in English Literature from New York University and working as an editor in the publishing industry for ten years, she moved to Boston, married and became a freelance editor and writer. She and her husband now live in downtown Portland, Maine, in a restored mid-nineteenth-century brick townhouse with Betty, the most athletic, beautiful and intelligent cat in the world.

Photograph courtesy of Author's Goodreads Page.

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#BookReview Cowboy Strong (Longhorn Canyon #7) by Carolyn Brown @thecarolynbrown @readforeverpub @grandcentralpub #ReadForever #Forever20 #CarolynBrown #LongHornCanyon

categories: Book Review, Contemporary Romance, 8/10
#BookReview Cowboy Strong (Longhorn Canyon #7) by Carolyn Brown @thecarolynbrown @readforeverpub @grandcentralpub #ReadForever #Forever20 #CarolynBrown #LongHornCanyon Title: Cowboy Strong

Author: Carolyn Brown

Series: Longhorn Canyon #7

Published by: Forever on Jun. 30, 2020

Genres: Contemporary Romance

Pages: 400

Format: Paperback

Source: Forever

Book Rating: 8/10

A rugged Texas cowboy and the girl next door find a fake engagement feeling all too real in this heartwarming romance from a USA Today bestseller.

Alana Carey can out-rope, out-ride, and challenge even the best Texas cowboy. But she does have one soft spot — and his name is Paxton Callahan. With Pax back in town, Alana’s old feelings have returned with a vengeance. But she barely has time to process her attraction for the hunky cowboy before her father falls ill. All he wants is for her to marry and settle down before he passes away, and Alana isn’t about to break a dying man’s heart.

Paxton Callahan has been in love with Alana since…forever. Now that he’s living right next door, the electricity between them is about to set the whole Texas panhandle on fire. When Alana presents him with a crazy proposal — to pretend to be her fiancé so her father can die in peace — Paxton can’t refuse. But as the faux-wedding day draws near, Alana and Paxton must decide whether to come clean about their charade or finally admit their love is the real deal.

Includes the bonus novella Sunrise Ranch for the first time in print!

Review:

Sweet, sentimental, and romantic!

Cowboy Strong takes us to the Texas Panhandle and into the life of the hardworking, competent Alana Carey as she relies on the cowboy next door, the rugged Paxton Callaghan to help her fake an engagement in order to make her father’s final wishes, to see his daughter married, come true.

The writing is smooth and light. The characters are supportive, fun-loving, and endearing. And the plot is a charming mix of family, friendship, nostalgia, tender moments, palpable attraction, undeniable chemistry, wedding planning, and ranch life.

Cowboy Strong is the seventh and final title in the Longhorn Canyon series, and once again Brown has written an engaging, heartwarming, fulfilling tale with just the right amount of heart, humour, and heat to be a truly satisfying western treat.

 

This book is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

            

 

 

Thank you to Forever & Grand Central Publishing for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Carolyn Brown

Carolyn Brown is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling romance author and RITA® Finalist who has sold more than 3 million books. She presently writes both women’s fiction and cowboy romance. She has also written historical single title, historical series, contemporary single title, and contemporary series. She lives in southern Oklahoma with her husband, a former English teacher, who is not allowed to read her books until they are published. They have three children and enough grandchildren to keep them young.

Photography by Charles C. Brown.

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#BookReview Find Them Dead by Peter James @peterjamesuk @PGCBooks @panmacmillan #FindThemDead #RoyGrace

categories: Book Review, Police Procedural, Mystery/Thriller, 8.5/10
#BookReview Find Them Dead by Peter James @peterjamesuk @PGCBooks @panmacmillan #FindThemDead #RoyGrace Title: Find Them Dead

Author: Peter James

Series: Roy Grace #16

Published by: Pan Macmillan on Jul. 2, 2020

Genres: Mystery/Thriller, Police Procedural

Pages: 400

Format: Paperback

Source: Publishers Group Canada

Book Rating: 8.5/10

Roy Grace, creation of the award-winning author Peter James, unearths a powerful criminal network in Find Them Dead.

Ending his secondment to London’s Met Police, Roy Grace gets a tip-off about a county lines drugs mastermind operating out of Brighton. On his first day back in his old job in Sussex, he is called to a seemingly senseless murder.

Separately, Meg Magellan finally has her life back together, five years after the car crash that killed her husband and their son. Her daughter, Laura, now 18, is on her gap year travelling in South America with a friend, and Meg misses her badly. Laura is all she has in the world.

In between jobs, Meg receives a summons for jury service. She’s excited – it might be interesting and will help distract her from constantly worrying about Laura. But when she is selected for the trial of a major Brighton drugs overlord, everything changes.

Gradually, Grace’s investigation draws him increasingly into the sinister sphere of influence of the drug dealer on trial. A man utterly ruthless and evil, prepared to order the death of anyone it takes to enable him to walk free.

Just a few days into jury service, Meg arrives home to find a photograph of Laura, in Ecuador, lying on her kitchen table. Then her phone rings.

A sinister, threatening stranger is on the line. He tells her that if she ever wants to see Laura alive again, it is very simple. At the end of the trial, all she has to do is make sure the jury says just two words . . . Not guilty.

Review:

Sharp, engrossing, and unexpected!

In this menacing sixteenth installment in the Roy Grace series, Find Them Dead, DS Roy Grace is just finishing up his post at the London Met when he quickly becomes immersed in the newly commenced, high-stakes, illegal drug smuggling and distribution trial in Sussex of a ruthless defendant that’s not opposed to a little jury coercion and manipulation to get the verdict he’s hoping for.

The writing is taut and fluid. The characters are scheming, callous, and anxious. And the plot, including all the subplots, unravel and intertwine into a mysterious, courtroom drama filled with corruption, deception, manipulation, malevolence, speculation, violence, and murder.

Overall, Find Them Dead is another solid, complex, cunning addition to the Roy Grace series by James that’s a little different than the usual action-packed police procedural we’re used to and more of a tense, crafty, satisfying legal thriller. 

 

This book is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

              

 

 

Thank you to PGC Books for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Peter James

Peter James is the international bestselling author of many award-winning novels. His Detective Superintendent Roy Grace series, set in Brighton, has been translated into thirty-seven languages with worldwide sales of over eighteen million copies, and has given him eleven consecutive Sunday Times number ones. In 2015 WHSmith customers publicly voted him the Greatest Crime Author of All Time and in 2016 he became the recipient of the coveted CWA Diamond Dagger lifetime achievement award for sustained excellence. Peter has also written a short story collection, A Twist of the Knife, and his standalone titles include Perfect People and The House on Cold Hill. He has also co-written a non-fiction account of Brighton’s toughest cases with former detective Graham Bartlett entitled Death Comes Knocking. The Perfect Murder, Dead Simple and Not Dead Enough have all been turned into smash-hit stage plays. All his novels reflect his deep interest in the world of the police. Three of his novels have been filmed and before becoming a full-time author he produced numerous films, including The Merchant of Venice, starring Al Pacino and Jeremy Irons. He divides his time between his homes in Notting Hill, London and near Brighton in Sussex.

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#BookReview #Giveaway The Lion’s Den by Katherine St. John @thekatstjohn @GrandCentralPub #TheLionsDen #GrandCentralPub

categories: Book Review, Women's Fiction, Mystery/Thriller, 8.5/10
#BookReview #Giveaway The Lion’s Den by Katherine St. John @thekatstjohn @GrandCentralPub #TheLionsDen #GrandCentralPub Title: The Lion's Den

Author: Katherine St. John

Published by: Grand Central Publishing on Jun. 30, 2020

Genres: Women's Fiction, Mystery/Thriller

Pages: 368

Format: Hardcover

Source: Grand Central Publishing

Book Rating: 8.5/10

A dream vacation on a luxurious yacht turns deadly in this pulse-pounding beach read and perfect book club pick about glamour, friendship, romance, and betrayal on the Riviera.

Belle likes to think herself immune to the dizzying effects of fabulous wealth. But when her best friend, Summer, invites her on a glamorous girls’ getaway to the Mediterranean aboard her billionaire boyfriend’s yacht, the only sensible answer is yes. Belle hopes the trip will be a much-needed break from her stalled acting career and uniquely humiliating waitressing job, but once aboard the luxurious Lion’s Den, it becomes clear that all is not as it seems.

The dream vacation quickly devolves into a nightmare as Belle and the handful of other girlfriends Summer has invited are treated more like prisoners than guests by their controlling host, and Belle comes to see Summer for what she truly is: a vicious gold digger who will stop at nothing to get what she wants. Belle soon realizes she’s going to have to keep her wits about her — and her own big secret close to her chest — if she wants to make it off the yacht alive.

Review:

Salacious, mysterious, and addictive!

The Lion’s Den is a passionate, alluring tale that takes us into the lives of the rich, glamorous and famous and their not so wealthy friends, and reminds us that not everything is always as it seems and as well as having designer clothes, expensive cars, and fancy yachts they also seem to have an abundance of power, temptation, jealousy, scandal, sex, rivalry, jealousy, deception, tragedy, violence, and murder.

The writing is smooth and fluid. The characters are self-indulgent, secretive, and ambitious. And the plot is a sinister tale that’s humorous, clever, unpredictable, suspenseful and incredibly absorbing.

Overall, I would have to say that The Lion’s Den is a scintillating, enjoyable, outrageously entertaining treat by St. John that’s perfect for anyone who loves a story with a little backstabbing, glamour, gossip, sexual hijinks, and revenge.

 

This novel is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

           

 

 

Thank you to Grand Central Publishing for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

GIVEAWAY!

I’m giving two people a chance to win a copy of The Lion’s Den. To enter please visit my Instagram page HERE! 

Thank you to Grand Central Publishing for sponsoring the giveaway! All giveaway information can be found in the Instagram Giveaway Post. Books will be mailed by the publisher to the randomly chosen winners. Good luck!

 

About Katherine St. John

Katherine St. John is a native of Mississippi and graduate of the University of Southern California. Over the years she has worked as an actress, screenwriter, director, photographer, producer, singer/songwriter, legal assistant, bartender/waitress, yoga instructor, real estate agent, and travel coordinator… but finds she likes writing novels best. Katherine currently lives in Los Angeles with her husband and children.

Photograph courtesy of Author's Website.

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#BookReview The Dilemma by B. A. Paris @BAParisAuthor @StMartinsPress #TheDilemma

categories: Book Review, Mystery/Thriller, 8/10
#BookReview The Dilemma by B. A. Paris @BAParisAuthor @StMartinsPress #TheDilemma Title: The Dilemma

Author: B.A. Paris

Published by: St. Martin's Press on Jun. 30, 2020

Genres: Mystery/Thriller

Pages: 352

Format: Paperback, ARC

Source: St. Martin's Press

Book Rating: 8/10

Knowing the truth will destroy her. Keeping it secret will destroy him.

It’s Livia’s 40th birthday, and her husband Adam is throwing her the party of a lifetime to make up for the wedding they never had. Everyone she loves will be there, except her daughter Marnie, who’s studying abroad. But Livia is secretly glad Marnie won’t be there.

Livia has recently uncovered a secret about their daughter which, if revealed, will shake the foundation of their family to its core. She needs to tell Adam, but she’s waiting until the party is over so they can have this last happy time together.

Adam, meanwhile, has his own surprise for Livia: he’s arranged for Marnie to secretly fly back for the party. But before Marnie arrives, Adam hears some terrible news. Now he too is faced with a dilemma: Does he share what he’s learned with his wife? Is hiding the truth the same as telling a lie? And how far are Adam and Livia willing to go to protect the ones they love—and give each other a last few hours of happiness?

Review:

Pensive, unsettling, and emotional!

The Dilemma is a poignant, intense, domestic drama that immerses you into the lives of the Harman family as they each grapple with weighty decisions, make potentially unforgivable choices, keep devastating secrets, and receive news that will shatter their lives forever.

The writing is gripping and unnerving. The characters are anxious, secretive, and troubled. And the plot told from two different perspectives uses an alternating, back-and-forth style to create tension and unease as it subtly unravels all the personalities, relationships, behaviours, and histories within it.

Overall, The Dilemma is, ultimately, a novel about life, love, loss, marriage, friendship, parenting, expectations, secrets, betrayal, fear, anguish, tragedy, and repercussions. It’s not the usual psychological thriller we’ve come to expect by Paris but is nevertheless an edgy, tight, emotionally compelling, thought-provoking tale.

 

This novel is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

          

 

 

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About B.A. Paris

B. A. PARIS is the internationally bestselling author of Behind Closed Doors, The Breakdown, and Bring Me Back. She grew up in England but has spent most of her adult life in France. She has worked both in finance and as a teacher and has five daughters. The Dilemma is her fourth novel.

Photograph by Philippe Matsas.

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#BookReview The Black Swan of Paris by Karen Robards @TheKarenRobards @HarperCollinsCa @Bookclubbish #BooksofHCC #TheBlackSwanofParis

categories: Book Review, Historical Fiction, 8.5/10
#BookReview The Black Swan of Paris by Karen Robards @TheKarenRobards @HarperCollinsCa @Bookclubbish #BooksofHCC #TheBlackSwanofParis Title: The Black Swan of Paris

Author: Karen Robards

Published by: Mira Books on Jun. 30, 2020

Genres: Historical Fiction

Pages: 480

Format: eBook, ARC

Source: HarperCollins Canada, Edelweiss

Book Rating: 8.5/10

A world at war. A beautiful young star. A mission no one expected.

Paris, 1944

Celebrated singer Genevieve Dumont is both a star and a smokescreen. An unwilling darling of the Nazis, the chanteuse’s position of privilege allows her to go undetected as an ally to the resistance.

When her estranged mother, Lillian de Rocheford, is captured by Nazis, Genevieve knows it won’t be long before the Gestapo succeeds in torturing information out of Lillian that will derail the upcoming allied invasion. The resistance movement is tasked with silencing her by any means necessary—including assassination. But Genevieve refuses to let her mother become yet one more victim of the war. Reuniting with her long-lost sister, she must find a way to navigate the perilous cross-currents of Occupied France undetected—and in time to save Lillian’s life.

Review:

Absorbing, intense, and pacey!

The Black Swan of Paris is a suspenseful, thrilling tale set in Paris during WWII that takes us into the life of Genevieve Dumont a beautiful, Parisian performer who uses her charisma, fame, and desirability to acquire crucial information from high-ranking Nazis that will not only aid Allied Forces and the Resistance but also provide her with the intelligence needed to rescue her recently captured mother from the hands of the ruthless enemy.

The prose is descriptive and tense. The characters are committed, supportive, and courageous. And the plot is a compelling mix of life, love, loss, secrets, passion, heartbreak, betrayal, danger, tragedy, survival, friendship, and war.

Overall, The Black Swan of Paris is an emotive, action-packed, gripping tale by Robards that transports you to another time and place and immerses you so thoroughly into the feelings, lives, and personalities of the characters you can’t help but be fully invested and enthralled.

 

This novel is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

                

 

 

Thank you to HarperCollins Canada for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Karen Robards

Karen Robards is the New York Times, USA Today, and Publishers Weekly bestselling author of more than fifty books and one novella. Karen published her first novel at age 24 and has won multiple awards throughout her career, including six Silver Pens for favorite author.

Karen was described by The Daily Mail as one of the most reliable thriller....writers in the world.

Photograph courtesy of Author's Website.

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#BookReview Under Currents by Nora Roberts @smpromance @StMartinsPress #UnderCurrents #smpromance

categories: Book Review, 9/10, Romantic Suspense
#BookReview Under Currents by Nora Roberts @smpromance @StMartinsPress #UnderCurrents #smpromance Title: Under Currents

Author: Nora Roberts

Published by: St. Martin's Griffin on May 5, 2020

Genres: Romantic Suspense

Pages: 464

Format: Paperback

Source: St. Martin's Press

Book Rating: 9/10

For both Zane and Darby, their small town roots hold a terrible secret. Now, decades later, they’ve come together to build a new life. But will the past set them free or pull them under?

Zane Bigelow grew up in a beautiful, perfectly kept house in North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains. Strangers―and even Zane’s own aunt across the lake―see his parents as a successful surgeon and his stylish wife, making appearances at their children’s ballet recitals and baseball games. Only Zane and his sister know the truth, until one brutal night finally reveals cracks in the facade, and Zane escapes for college without a thought of looking back…

Years later, Zane returns to his hometown determined to reconnect with the place and people that mean so much to him, despite the painful memories. As he resumes life in the colorful town, he meets a gifted landscape artist named Darby, who is on the run from ghosts of her own.

Together they will have to teach each other what it means to face the past, and stand up for the ones they love.

Review:

Twisty, steamy, and suspenseful!

Under Currents is a propulsive, seductive tale that takes you to Lakeview, North Carolina where the strong, handsome Zane Bigelow has finally returned to his hometown to open a law practice after fleeing twenty years earlier after suffering years of abusive at the hands of his parents, and the hardworking, sweet Darby McCray, a young landscaper running from her own abusive past and looking for a new place to call home.

The writing is sharp and crisp. The characters are resilient, brave, and driven. And the plot is an ominous, passionate tale filled with twists, turns, familial drama, mayhem, abuse, secrets, danger, sizzling attraction, violence, romance, and murder.

Overall, Under Currents is a menacing, action-packed, alluring tale by Roberts that’s got all the elements we’ve come to know and love in her romantic suspense novels over the years, including endearing characters, tender moments, and a deliciously sinister storyline.

This book is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

            

 

 

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Nora Roberts

Nora Roberts is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of more than 200 novels, including Come Sundown, The Obsession, The Liar, and coming in December 2017, Year One -- the first book in The Chronicles of The One. She is also the author of the futuristic suspense In Death series written under the pen name J.D. Robb. There are more than 500 million copies of her books in print.

Photograph courtesy of Author's Goodreads Page.

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#BookReview Donna Has Left the Building by Susan Jane Gilman @SusanJGilman @GrandCentralPub

categories: Book Review, Women's Fiction, General Fiction, 7.5/10
#BookReview Donna Has Left the Building by Susan Jane Gilman @SusanJGilman @GrandCentralPub Title: Donna Has Left the Building

Author: Susan Jane Gilman

Published by: Grand Central Publishing on Jun. 23, 2020

Genres: General Fiction, Women's Fiction

Pages: 432

Format: Paperback

Source: Grand Central Publishing

Book Rating: 7.5/10

From the beloved New York Times bestselling author of Hypocrite in a Pouffy White Dress comes a hilarious, timely, and big-hearted novel about rebuilding life in the face of disaster.
 
Forty-five-year-old Donna Koczynski is an ex-punk rocker, a recovering alcoholic, and the mother of two teenagers whose suburban existence detonates when she comes home early from a sales conference in Las Vegas to the surprise of a lifetime. As her world implodes, she sets off on an epic road trip to reclaim everything she believes she’s sacrificed since her wild youth: Great friendship, passionate love, and her art. But as she careens across the U.S. from Detroit to New York to Memphis to Nashville, nothing turns out as she imagines. Ultimately, she finds herself resurrected on the other side of the globe, on a remote island embroiled in a crisis far bigger than her own.
 
Irresistibly funny, whip-smart, and surprisingly moving, Donna Has Left the Building spins an unforgettable tale about what it means to be brave — and to truly love — in a tumultuous world.

Review:

Direct, humorous, and edgy!

Donna Has Left the Building is a gritty, honest, bawdy novel that takes us into the life of Donna Koczynski, a middle-aged, married, recovering alcoholic, mother of two who embarks on a spontaneous, somewhat destructive road trip after returning home early from a conference to find her husband in a compromising position with a dominatrix.

The prose is witty and perceptive. The characters are unhappy, confused, and disappointed. And the plot is a reflective, brash, reality check about marriage, friendship, family, first loves, missed opportunities, regrets, mistakes, poor choices, bad decisions, and what’s truly important.

Overall, Donna Has Left the Building is a rollicking, bold, candid tale by Gilman that delves into all the messiness of life and highlights just how quickly life can spin out of control. It’s not for everyone though, as some readers would definitely find it a little too offensive and crude.

 

This novel is available in paperback now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

           

 

 

Thank you to Grand Central Publishing for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Susan Jane Gilman

Susan Jane Gilman is the bestselling author of the nonfiction books Hypocrite in a Pouffy White Dress, Kiss My Tiara, and Undress Me in the Temple of Heaven as well as the novels, The Ice Cream Queen of Orchard Street and the forthcoming Donna Has Left the Building. She has provided commentary for NPR, hosted a literary radio show, and written for the New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, Real Simple, and Ms., among many others. She has won several literary awards, and her books have been published in a dozen languages. She teaches writing and speaks to audiences worldwide.

Photograph by Guillaume Megevand.

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#BookReview Hate Crush by Angelina M. Lopez @AngelinaMLo @CarinaPress @HarlequinBooks #HarlequinPublicityTeam #FilthyRichSeries #HateCrush

categories: Book Review, Contemporary Romance, 8/10
#BookReview Hate Crush by Angelina M. Lopez @AngelinaMLo @CarinaPress @HarlequinBooks #HarlequinPublicityTeam #FilthyRichSeries #HateCrush Title: Hate Crush

Author: Angelina M. Lopez

Series: Filthy Rich #2

Published by: Carina Press on Jun. 30, 2020

Genres: Contemporary Romance

Pages: 384

Format: Paperback

Source: Harlequin Books

Book Rating: 8/10

A fake relationship could help Princesa Sofia save her kingdom. Only problem: she’ll have to fake it with the man who broke her heart.

Ten years ago, wild child Princesa Sofia Maria Isabel de Esperanza y Santos fell in fast crazy love with heartbreaker Aish Salinger during one California harvest season. Now, all grown up and with the future of her kingdom on her shoulders, she hates him as passionately as she once loved him.

Even if her body hasn’t gotten the hate memo.

Faking a relationship with the now-famous rock star for the press and public will ensure the success of her new winery and the prosperity of her kingdom. All she has to do is grit her teeth and bear his tattooed presence in her village and winery—her home—for a month.

Trying to recover from his own scandal, fallen superstar Aish Salinger jumps at the chance to be near Sofia again. Leaving her was the biggest mistake he’s ever made, and he’s waited ten years to win her back.

He never counted on finding a woman who despised him so much she didn’t want to be anywhere near him.

A war of wills breaks out as the princess and rock star battle to control their fake relationship. She wants to dictate every action to keep him away from her. He wants to be as close as he can be. She’s already lost so much because of Aish—he won’t be the reason her people lose even more.

But he also won’t make her break her life’s most important vow: to never fall in love again.

Read Filthy Rich book one, Lush Money, available now from Carina Press!

Review:

Seductive, satisfying, and dramatic!

Hate Crush is a passionate, second-chance romance featuring the sexy, infamous, rockstar Aish who’s still hopelessly in love with the one woman he let get away ten-years ago, and the intelligent, stubborn Princesa Sofia who’s willing to do whatever it takes to make her vineyard a success even fake date the one man who shattered her heart.

The writing is fluid and smooth. The characters are wounded, hardworking, and dependable. And the plot is a heartwarming tale of life, love, friendship, family, heartbreak, jealousy, community, expectations, fame, undeniable attraction, sizzling chemistry, awkward moments, genuine emotion, romance, and winemaking.

Overall, Hate Crush is an angsty, tender, entertaining read by Lopez that is definitely a wonderful addition to the Filthy Rich series with its intriguing cast of characters, unique setting, and push-pull storyline.

 

This book will be available on June 30, 2020.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

            

 

 

Thank you to Harlequin Books for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Angelina M. Lopez

Angelina M. Lopez writes sexy, contemporary stories about strong women and the confident men lucky to fall in love with them. She has been writing professionally her whole life: first as a journalist for an acclaimed city newspaper, then as a freelance magazine writer and a content marketer for small businesses, and now as a romance author. She lives with her family outside of Washington, D.C.

Photograph courtesy of Author's Goodreads Page.

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#BookReview A Woman Alone by Nina Laurin @NinaLaurinBooks @GrandCentralPub @HBGCanada #AWomanAlone

categories: Book Review, Mystery/Thriller, 8.5/10
#BookReview A Woman Alone by Nina Laurin @NinaLaurinBooks @GrandCentralPub @HBGCanada #AWomanAlone Title: A Woman Alone

Author: Nina Laurin

Published by: Grand Central Publishing on Jun. 23, 2020

Genres: Mystery/Thriller

Pages: 336

Format: Paperback

Source: HBG Canada, Grand Central Publishing

Book Rating: 8.5/10

A house with the darkest of secrets.
A woman who is the only one who knows.

It’s another bright, sunny day in Venture, Illinois, the sort of place where dreams come true and families can get a fresh start. Cecelia Holmes deserves it after the home invasion that shattered her previous life. Now everything seems perfect – her high-security SmartHome, her doting husband, her sweet daughter.

Until she begins to feel spied on. Her husband doesn’t believe her. Her neighbors ignore her. So when she discovers a shocking secret about the prior occupant of their house, she feels that she has no one to turn to. And now Cecelia must face her fears alone…

Review:

Brisk, intense, and clever!

A Woman Alone is a suspenseful, psychological thriller that introduces us to Cecelia Holmes, a young wife who after suffering a traumatic experience moves with her husband and three-year-old daughter into a new home in Venture, Illinois, a smart community where your every whim and need is controlled by AI technology and your safety and security is at utmost importance until the day the computers begin to malfunction, secrets begin creeping out of the woodwork, and danger lurks around every corner.

The writing is crisp and edgy. The characters are unreliable, distressed, and secretive. And the plot is a disturbingly eerie tale of control, betrayal, obsession, deception, familial drama, isolation, revenge, violence, and murder.

Overall, A Woman Alone is a twisty, creepy, sinister page-turner that keeps you on the edge of your seat from start to finish and is a wonderful reminder of just how vulnerable and susceptible our dependence on technology truly makes us.

 

This book is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

            

 

 

 

Thank you to HBG Canada and Grand Central Publishing for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Nina Laurin

Nina Laurin studied Creative Writing at Concordia University in Montreal, where she currently lives. She arrived there when she was just twelve years old, and she speaks and reads in Russian, French, and English but writes her novels in English. She wrote her first novel while getting her writing degree, and Girl Last Seen was a bestseller a year later in 2017.

Nina is fascinated by the darker side of mundane things, and she’s always on the lookout for her next twisted book idea.

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