General Blog Posts

#BookReview The Hotel of Secrets by Diana Biller @dcbiller @smpromance @StMartinsPress #HotelofSecretsNovel #DianaBiller #smpromance #smpinfluencers

#BookReview The Hotel of Secrets by Diana Biller @dcbiller @smpromance @StMartinsPress #HotelofSecretsNovel #DianaBiller #smpromance #smpinfluencers Title: The Hotel of Secrets

Author: Diana Biller

Published by: St. Martin's Griffin on Mar. 28, 2023

Genres: Historical Romance

Pages: 416

Format: Paperback

Source: St. Martin's Press

Book Rating: 8.5/10

During ball season, anything can happen, even love.

It’s ball season in Vienna, and Maria Wallner only wants one thing: to restore her family’s hotel, the Hotel Wallner, to its former glory. She’s not going to let anything get in her way – not her parents’ three-decade-long affair; not seemingly-random attacks by masked assassins; and especially not the broad-shouldered American foreign agent who’s saved her life two times already. No matter how luscious his mouth is.

Eli Whittaker also only wants one thing: to find out who is selling American secret codes across Europe, arrest them, and go home to his sensible life in Washington, DC. He has one lead – a letter the culprit sent from a Viennese hotel. But when he arrives in Vienna, he is immediately swept up into a chaotic whirlwind of balls, spies, waltzes, and beautiful hotelkeepers who seem to constantly find themselves in danger. He disapproves of all of it! But his disapproval is tested as he slowly falls deeper into the chaos – and as his attraction to said hotelkeeper grows.


Review:

Enticing, adventurous, and fun!

Hotel of Secrets is a passionate, compelling tale that sweeps you away to Vienna during 1878 and into the life of Maria Wallner, a hardworking, intelligent young woman who embarks on a mission to do whatever it takes to get her family’s hotel refurbished in time to host the illustrious Hotelkeeper’s Ball, even if it means that with all the mysterious mishaps, accidents, and lack of money she may have to befriend and ask for help from the frustratingly handsome, American secret service agent Eli Whittaker who seems to be on a mission of his own.

The prose is smooth and light. The characters are resilient, independent, and resourceful. And the plot is an enchantingly scandalous combination of life, love, friendship, secrets, history, adventure, opulence, familial drama, wicked intentions, malevolent behaviours, tender moments, and delectable romance.

Overall, Hotel of Secrets is an entertaining, intriguing, satisfying read by Biller that was a pleasant surprise with its exceptional character development, swoon-worthy ending, twisty, action-packed storyline, and unique setting that’s often not found in this genre.

 

This book is available now.

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

            

 

 

Thank you to SMP Romance – St. Martin’s Press for gifting me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Diana Biller

Diana Biller is the author of The Widow of Rose House and The Brightest Star in Paris. When she isn’t writing, she enjoys snuggling her animals, taking “research” trips abroad, and attending ballet class. She lives with her husband in Los Angeles.

Photo Credit: Lantz Simpson.

#BookReview A Spinster’s Guide to Danger and Dukes by Manda Collins @MandaCollins @readforeverpub @HBGCanada @grandcentralpub #ReadForever #ReadForeverPub #ReadForever2023 #MandaCollins #ASpinstersGuidetoDangerandDukes #LadiesMostScandalous

#BookReview A Spinster’s Guide to Danger and Dukes by Manda Collins @MandaCollins @readforeverpub @HBGCanada @grandcentralpub #ReadForever #ReadForeverPub #ReadForever2023 #MandaCollins #ASpinstersGuidetoDangerandDukes #LadiesMostScandalous Title: A Spinster's Guide to Danger and Dukes

Author: Manda Collins

Series: A Lady's Guide #3

Published by: Forever on Mar. 28, 2023

Genres: Historical Romance, Mystery/Thriller

Pages: 352

Format: Paperback

Source: HBG Canada

Book Rating: 9/10

It is a truth universally acknowledged that a lady in danger must be in need of rescue, but whether she wants to be rescued is up for debate—for fans of Evie Dunmore and Netflix’s Bridgerton from the bestselling author of A Lady’s Guide to Mischief and Mayhem!

England, 1867: Miss Poppy Delamare is living a lie. To escape an odious betrothal, she fled to London where she’s been hiding as the unassuming secretary Flora Deaver. However, when her beloved sister is accused of murder, Poppy cannot leave her to the wolves. Only a most unexpected—and unwelcome—collision interrupts her journey home . . .

Despite a rather dismal first meeting, Joshua Fielding, the Duke of Langham, has no intention of abandoning a lady in need. But he’s not above asking a favor. A fake betrothal will give Poppy and her sister the power of the dukedom and protect Langham from the society misses intent on becoming his duchess.

Yet the longer the ruse goes on, the more Poppy and Langham realize how false their first impressions were—and the less pretend their engagement feels. But before Langham can propose in truth, their search reveals a tangled web of lies and betrayals. With time running out, can Poppy and Langham find the real culprit—before Poppy becomes the next victim?


Review:

Mysterious, romantic, and entertaining!

A Spinster’s Guide to Danger and Dukes sweeps you away to the British countryside during 1867 and into the life of the independent, reliable Poppy Delamare who, after discovering her sister is accused of murdering her conniving husband, quickly heads home to do whatever it takes to prove her innocence even if it means agreeing to a fake engagement with the handsome, arrogant Duke of Langham, Joshua Fielding.

The prose is witty and sharp. The characters are resourceful, vulnerable, and passionate. And the plot is a fulfilling blend of family, friendship, danger, desire, societal expectations, scheming behaviour, tricky situations, awkward moments, secrets, attraction, and true love.

Overall, A Spinster’s Guide to Danger and Dukes is another humorous, charming, adventurous addition to the Ladies Most Scandalous series by Collins, complete with characters I couldn’t help but root for and a swoon-worthy ending that left me smitten, satisfied, and hopeful that there’s still a lot more to come!

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 & Forever for gifting me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Manda Collins

Manda Collins grew up on a combination of Nancy Drew books and Jane Austen novels, and her own brand of historical romantic suspense is the result. A former academic librarian, she holds master’s degrees in English and Library & Information Studies. Her novel Duke with Benefits was named a Kirkus Best Romance of 2017. She lives on the Gulf Coast with two lazy cats, a very spoiled Shih Tzu, and more books than are strictly necessary.

Photograph courtesy of read-forever.com.

#CoverReveal Still Beating by Jennifer Hartmann @authorjhartmann @Read_Bloom #ReadBloom #stillbeating #jenniferhartmann

Today I am excited and honoured to share with you the new Cover for a

novel by USA Today bestselling author Jennifer Hartmann!

 

Still Beating

Releasing on July 11, 2023!

 

 

He puts his hand against my chest. “It’s still beating,” he whispers, his words a soft kiss against my lips. “As long as it’s beating, you’re okay.”

When Cora Lawson attends her sister’s birthday party, she expects at most a hangover or a walk of shame by the end of it. She doesn’t anticipate a stolen wallet, leaving her stranded and dependent on her sister’s fiancé, Dean Asher—her archnemesis and perpetual thorn in her side.

And she really doesn’t anticipate getting knocked out and waking up chained in a madman’s basement, Dean in his own shackles beside her.

After fifteen years of teasing, insults, and never-ending pranks, the ultimate joke seems to be on them. The two people who always thought they’d end up killing each other must now work together if they want to survive long enough to escape.

But Cora and Dean don’t know that their abductor has a plan for them. A plan that will alter the course of their relationship, blur the line between hate and love, and shackle them to each other long after they are freed from their chains. They’re in this together—no matter what their unexpected bond might cost them.

 

 

PRE-ORDER NOW

    

 

 

About Jennifer Hartmann

Jennifer Hartmann resides in northern Illinois with her own personal romance hero and three children. When she is not writing angsty love stories, she is likely pondering all the ways she can break your heart and piece it back together again. She enjoys sunsets (because mornings are hard), bike riding, traveling, bingeing Buffy the Vampire Slayer reruns, and that time of day when coffee gets replaced by wine. She loves tacos. She also really, really wants to pet your dog.

Photo courtesy of Bloom Books Website.

#BlogTour #BookReview The Lost Song of Paris by Sarah Steele @sarah_l_steele @Mobius_Books #TheLostSongofParis #SarahSteele #MobiusBooksUS

#BlogTour #BookReview The Lost Song of Paris by Sarah Steele @sarah_l_steele @Mobius_Books #TheLostSongofParis #SarahSteele #MobiusBooksUS Title: The Lost Song of Paris

Author: Sarah Steele

Published by: Mobius on Mar. 21, 2023

Genres: Historical Fiction

Pages: 448

Format: Paperback

Source: Mobius Books US

Book Rating: 10/10

‘For a moment she closed her eyes and imagined she was perched on the diving board at the Piscine Molitor, the sun beating down on her bare shoulders and the sound of Parisians at play beneath her. All she had to do was jump.’

1941. Darkness descends over London as the sirens begin to howl and the bombs rain down. Devastation seeps from every crack of the city. In the midst of all the chaos is a woman gripping a window ledge on the first floor of a Baker Street hotel. She is perched, ready to jump. And as flames rise around her, she is forced to take her chances.

1997. Amy Novak has lost the two great loves in her life: her husband, Michael, and her first love, music. With the first anniversary of Michael’s death approaching, Amy buries herself in her job as an archivist. And when a newly declassified file lands on her desk, she is astonished to uncover proof that Agent ‘Colette’ existed – a name spoken only in whispers; an identity so secret that it has never been verified.

Her discovery leads her to MI6 ‘godmother’ Verity Cooper – a woman with secrets of her own – and on to the streets of Paris where she will uncover a story of unimaginable choices, extraordinary courage and a love that will defy even the darkest days of World War Two . . .


Review:

Immersive, memorable, and moving!

The Lost Song of Paris is predominantly set in London and Paris during 1941, as well as present day, and is told from two different perspectives; Amy, a young widow and archivist who, after receiving a declassified file regarding a top female agent based in Paris during WWII, embarks on a mission to discover her ultimate fate and true identity, and Sophie, a young woman who is determined to do whatever it takes, even at the detriment of her own reputation and safety, to fight the Nazis and their occupation of the city she loves to call home.

The prose is eloquent and rich. The characters are tenacious, resilient, and determined. And the plot is an exceptionally touching tale about life, loss, family, secrets, separation, desperation, love, tragedy, friendship, the horrors of war, and the power of music.

Overall, The Lost Song of Paris is an absorbing, poignant, beautifully written novel by Steele that does a wonderful job of showcasing the hard work, bravery, and danger involved in being an SIS officer in Nazi-occupied France during WWII. It’s now the second novel I’ve read and absolutely loved by Steele, and I can guarantee that whatever she decides to write next will always hold a top spot on my TBR list.

This novel is available now.

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

            

 

 

 

Thank you to Mobius Books US for gifting me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Sarah Steele

Sarah Steele is the author of USA Today bestseller THE MISSING PIECES OF NANCY MOON, THE SCHOOLTEACHER OF SAINT-MICHEL and THE LOST SONG OF PARIS.

After training in London as a classical pianist and violinist, Sarah joined the world of publishing as an editorial assistant at Hodder and Stoughton. She was for many years a freelance editor, and now lives in the vibrant Gloucestershire town of Stroud.

Photo courtesy of Author's Website.

 

#BookReview The Good Luck Cafe (Somerset Lake #4) by Annie Rains @AnnieRainsBooks @ReadForeverPub @KayePublicity #KayePublicity #ReadForever #Forever2023 #AnnieRains #TheGoodLuckCafe #SomersetLakeSeries

#BookReview The Good Luck Cafe (Somerset Lake #4) by Annie Rains @AnnieRainsBooks @ReadForeverPub @KayePublicity #KayePublicity #ReadForever #Forever2023 #AnnieRains #TheGoodLuckCafe #SomersetLakeSeries Title: The Good Luck Cafe

Author: Annie Rains

Series: Somerset Lake #4

Published by: Forever on May 25, 2021

Genres: Contemporary Romance

Pages: 352

Format: Paperback

Source: Kaye Publicity

Book Rating: 8.5/10

Moira Green is perfectly content with her life. She has a rewarding career and plenty of wonderful friends, including the members of her weekly book club. Then everything in her life goes topsy-turvy when the town council plans to demolish the site of her mother’s beloved café to make room for much-needed parking. Moira is determined to save her mother’s business, so she swallows her pride and asks Gil Ryan for help.

Moira and Somerset Lake’s mayor were good friends once, the kind who could laugh at everything and nothing at all. Until one night changed everything between them. And now, with Gil supporting the council’s plans, Moira is forced to find another way to save Sweetie’s—and it involves campaigning against Gil. Going head-to-head in a battle of wills reveals more than either of them are ready for, and as the election heats up, so does their attraction. But without a compromise in sight, can these two be headed for anything but disaster?


Review:

Warm, charming, and sweet!

The Good Luck Cafe is an amusing, tenderhearted, small-town romance that transports you to the idyllic Somerset Lake and into the lives of the dependable, kind Gil who is content being the local mayor and living close to his family but would love for the girl he’s always had a crush on to finally give him a chance, and the feisty, strong-willed Moira who is determined to do whatever it takes to stop the town council from tearing down her mother’s shop even if it means asking for help from the one man who used to be one of her best friends a long time ago.

The writing is cosy and light. The characters are supportive, helpful, and fun-loving. And the plot is a delightfully adorable mix of family, friendship, touching moments, adversity, attraction, chemistry, community, and swoon-worthy romance.

Overall, The Good Luck Cafe is a spirited, heartwarming, satisfying tale that touches on the importance of communication, teamwork, love and taking chances. It’s a wonderful addition to the Somerset Lake series by Rains, and I’m keeping my fingers crossed there’s still at least one more book still to come.

 

This book is available now.

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

       

 

 

Thank you to Kaye Publicity and Forever for gifting me a copy in an exchange for an honest review.

 

About Annie Rains

Annie Rains is a USA Today bestselling contemporary romance author who writes small town love stories set in fictional places in her home state of North Carolina. When Annie isn’t writing, she’s living out her own happily ever after with her husband and three children.Annie Rains is a USA Today bestselling contemporary romance author who writes small town love stories set in fictional places in her home state of North Carolina. When Annie isn’t writing, she’s living out her own happily ever after with her husband and three children.

Photograph courtesy of Read-Forever Website.

#BookReview Goodnight from Paris by Jane Healey @healeyJane @ThomasAllenLTD @AmazonPub #GoodnightfromParis #JaneHealey #LakeUnion #ThomasAllen

#BookReview Goodnight from Paris by Jane Healey @healeyJane @ThomasAllenLTD @AmazonPub #GoodnightfromParis #JaneHealey #LakeUnion #ThomasAllen Title: Goodnight from Paris

Author: Jane Healey

Published by: Lake Union Publishing on Mar. 7, 2023

Genres: Historical Fiction

Pages: 413

Format: Paperback

Source: Thomas Allen & Son

Book Rating: 9/10

In Nazi-occupied France, an American film star takes on the most dangerous role of her life in a gripping novel about loyalty and resistance, inspired by a true story, from the Washington Post and Amazon Charts bestselling author of The Secret Stealers.

Paris, 1939. Hollywood actress Drue Leyton, married to Frenchman Jacques Tartière, lives as an expatriate in love. But when her husband is dispatched to Brittany to work as a liaison for the British military, Drue finds herself alone with her housekeeper, adrift and heartsick in her adopted city. With her career and fame forty-five hundred miles away, Drue accepts an opportunity that will change her life forever.

Befriended by seasoned wartime journalist Dorothy Thompson and urged on by political operative Jean Fraysse, Drue broadcasts radio programs to the United States. Her duty: shake America from its apathy and, as Nazis encroach and France is occupied, push for resistance and help from the US. As Drue and Jean fall under suspicion, Hitler sends his own message: when Drue’s adopted country is conquered, she will be executed.

In a Paris that is no longer safe, Drue’s political passion is ignited. She’s prepared to risk anything to fight the enemy no matter how dangerous it gets—for her, for everyone she loves, and for everything she’s fighting for.


Review:

Captivating, heart-tugging, and absorbing!

Goodnight from Paris is an immersive, tender tale set in Nazi-Occupied France during WWII that follows American actress Drue Leyton Tartière who, after her husband heads off to Brittany as a liaison for the British military, takes a job working for Jean Fraysse at Paris Mondiale broadcasting the true horrors of war to the American people while also doing whatever she can, even at the detriment to her own safety, to help as many downed Allied pilots as possible escape the enemy and find their way home.

The prose is rich and vivid. The characters are brave, vulnerable, and strong. And the plot is a compelling blend of life, loss, secrets, surprises, heartbreak, betrayal, survival, danger, grief, war, friendship, romance, and selflessness.

Overall, Goodnight from Paris is a bittersweet, affecting, atmospheric tale inspired by real-life events that sweeps you away to another time and place and does an exceptional job of reminding you that survival of any form takes unimaginable sacrifice, enormous courage, and exceptional strength.

This book is available now.

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

         

 

 

Thank you to Thomas Allen & Son & Amazon Publishing for gifting me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Jane Healey

Jane Healey is the author of three historical fiction novels. Her novel THE BEANTOWN GIRLS was a Washington Post and Amazon Charts bestseller. Her latest novel, THE SECRET STEALERS, was an Amazon First Reads Editor’s Pick, one of the New York Post’s Best New Books in April 2021 and was a Historical Novel Society Editor’s Choice pick.

Jane has given presentations about the history behind her novels to hundreds of libraries, book clubs and organizations around the country, including through the Jewish Book Council Network and the American Red Cross. She is also the host of Historical Happy Hour, a monthly webinar and podcast featuring premiere historical fiction authors and their latest novels.

A graduate of the University of New Hampshire and Northeastern University, Jane shares a home north of Boston with her husband, two daughters, and two cats. When she’s not writing, she enjoys spending time with her family, traveling, running, cooking, and going to the beach.

Photo courtesy of Author's Website.

#BookReview Deep Fake by Ward Larsen @wardlarsen @ForgeReads #DeepFake #WardLarsen #ForgeBooks #ForgeReads

#BookReview Deep Fake by Ward Larsen @wardlarsen @ForgeReads #DeepFake #WardLarsen #ForgeBooks #ForgeReads Title: Deep Fake

Author: Ward Larsen

Published by: Forge Books on Mar. 14, 2023

Genres: Mystery/Thriller

Pages: 352

Format: Hardcover

Source: Forge Books

Book Rating: 8/10

Absolute Power meets The Manchurian Candidate in this explosive political thriller from USA Today bestselling author Ward Larsen, Deep Fake.

The Cold War is back—but for some it never ended.

Sarah Ridgeway is living the life she’s always envisioned. She has a devoted husband, a loving daughter, and a comfortable home. The path to reach it, however, has not always been smooth. For twelve years her husband, Bryce, served in the Army, deployed to some of the world’s worst trouble spots. After his service ended with a combat injury, the future had seemed precarious, but with Sarah’s support and that of his wealthy family, combined with his exemplary service record, he is elected to congress.

Then, in a moment, everything changes: at a drab Washington fundraiser, the junior congressman intervenes in a terrorist attack, and narrowly escapes with his life. When videos of his bravery go viral, he quickly becomes a national hero. The timing could not be more fortuitous. The presidential primaries are heating up, and Bryce’s party is desperate for a fresh candidate to challenge the vulnerable incumbent.

Amid the whirlwind, Sarah senses something amiss. Since the attack, Bryce has been forgetful and acting strangely. Could it be the stress? she wonders. Might the recent explosion have aggravated his combat trauma? For the first time ever, she finds herself doubting a man she has always trusted. Confessing her fears to her closest friend, together they quietly search for answers. What they uncover is stunning: the man who might soon be president has a deeply held secret. A secret that will likely destroy Sarah’s life—and certainly lead the nation to ruin.


Review:

Ominous, action-packed, and twisty!

Deep Fake is a well-executed, sinister tale that takes you into the life of Sarah Ridgeway, a mother and congressman’s wife who, after sensing something is just not right, decides to ask her friend for help figuring out what’s really going on with her ex-army husband who hasn’t been acting like himself since surviving a terrorist attack and then quickly announcing he’s running for president.

The prose is brisk and tight. The characters are vulnerable, resourceful, and persistent. And the plot is a thrilling tale full of greed, power, deception, coercion, manipulation, corruption, espionage, politics, and murder.

Overall, Deep Fake is a menacing, edgy, satisfying tale by Larsen that highlights just how easily the line between right and wrong can be blurred and reminds us that sometimes there are no limits to the lengths that people and countries will go for control and power.

 

This book is available now.

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

                

 

 

Thank you to Forge Books for gifting me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Ward Larsen

Ward Larsen is a USA Today bestselling author and a four-time winner of the Florida Book Award.

His first thriller, The Perfect Assassin, is currently being adapted into a major motion picture by Amber Entertainment.

A former U.S. Air Force fighter pilot, Larsen flew over twenty missions in Operation Desert Storm.

He has also served as a federal law enforcement officer, airline captain, and is a trained aircraft accident investigator.

Photo courtesy of Author's Website.

#BookReview Beyond That, the Sea by Laura Spence-Ash @LauraSpenceAsh @CeladonBooks #LauraSpenceAsh #BeyondThatTheSea #CeladonBooks #CeladonReads #partner

#BookReview Beyond That, the Sea by Laura Spence-Ash @LauraSpenceAsh @CeladonBooks #LauraSpenceAsh #BeyondThatTheSea #CeladonBooks #CeladonReads #partner Title: Beyond That, the Sea

Author: Laura Spence-Ash

Published by: Celadon Books on Mar. 21, 2023

Genres: Historical Fiction

Pages: 368

Format: ARC, Paperback

Source: Celadon Books

Book Rating: 10/10

A sweeping, tenderhearted love story, Beyond That, the Sea by Laura Spence-Ash tells the story of two families living through World War II on opposite sides of the Atlantic Ocean, and the shy, irresistible young woman who will call them both her own.

As German bombs fall over London in 1940, working-class parents Millie and Reginald Thompson make an impossible choice: they decide to send their eleven-year-old daughter, Beatrix, to America. There, she’ll live with another family for the duration of the war, where they hope she’ll stay safe.

Scared and angry, feeling lonely and displaced, Bea arrives in Boston to meet the Gregorys. Mr. and Mrs. G, and their sons William and Gerald, fold Bea seamlessly into their world. She becomes part of this lively family, learning their ways and their stories, adjusting to their affluent lifestyle. Bea grows close to both boys, one older and one younger, and fills in the gap between them. Before long, before she even realizes it, life with the Gregorys feels more natural to her than the quiet, spare life with her own parents back in England.

As Bea comes into herself and relaxes into her new life—summers on the coast in Maine, new friends clamoring to hear about life across the sea—the girl she had been begins to fade away, until, abruptly, she is called home to London when the war ends.

Desperate as she is not to leave this life behind, Bea dutifully retraces her trip across the Atlantic back to her new, old world. As she returns to post-war London, the memory of her American family stays with her, never fully letting her go, and always pulling on her heart as she tries to move on and pursue love and a life of her own.

As we follow Bea over time, navigating between her two worlds, Beyond That, the Sea emerges as a beautifully written, absorbing novel, full of grace and heartache, forgiveness and understanding, loss and love.


Review:

Captivating, absorbing, and beautifully written!

Beyond That, the Sea is an emotionally-charged, moving tale that takes you into the lives of two families, Thompson and Gregory, as their worlds intertwine and collide after eleven-year-old Beatrix Thompson is sent to Boston to live with the Gregorys for the duration of the war causing unlikely friendships to be forged, loyalties to be stretched, heartache to be inevitable, and the meaning of home to be irrevocably changed forever.

The prose is vivid and expressive. The characters are multi-layered, vulnerable, and torn. And the plot is a moving, coming-of-age tale about life, loss, friendship, heartbreak, guilt, grief, courage, hope, war, romance, regret, first love, and complex familial relationships.

Overall, Beyond That, the Sea is the perfect blend of historical facts, evocative fiction, and palpable emotion. It’s a bittersweet, affecting, tender tale that made me smile, make me cry, and resonated with me long after I finished the final page.

This novel is available March 21, 2023.

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

            

 

 

Thank you to Celadon Books for gifting me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Laura Spence-Ash

Laura Spence-Ash’s fiction has appeared in One Story, New England Review, Crazyhorse, and elsewhere. Her critical essays and book reviews appear regularly in the Ploughshares blog. She received her MFA in fiction from Rutgers–Newark, and she lives in New Jersey.

Photo Credit: Beowulf Sheehan

#BookReview Make a Wish by Helena Hunting @helenahunting @smpromance @StMartinsPress #MakeAWishNovel #HelenaHunting #SparkHouseSeries #SMPRomance #SMPInfluencers

#BookReview Make a Wish by Helena Hunting @helenahunting @smpromance @StMartinsPress #MakeAWishNovel #HelenaHunting #SparkHouseSeries #SMPRomance #SMPInfluencers Title: Make a Wish

Author: Helena Hunting

Series: Spark House #3

Published by: St. Martin's Griffin on Jan. 24, 2023

Genres: Contemporary Romance

Pages: 368

Format: Paperback

Source: St. Martin's Press

Book Rating: 9/10

Ever have a defining life moment you wish you could do over? Harley Spark has one. The time she almost kissed the widowed father of the toddler she nannied for. It was so bad they moved across the state and she never saw them again.

Fast forward seven years and she’s totally over it. At least she thinks she is. Until Gavin Rhodes and his adorable now nine-year-old daughter, Peyton, reappear at a princess-themed birthday party hosted by Spark House, Harley’s family’s event hotel. Despite trying to avoid the awkwardness of the situation, she can’t help but notice how unbearably sexy he looks in a tutu. Add to that a spontaneous hives breakout, and it’s clear she’s not even remotely over the mortification of her egregious error all those years ago.

Except Gavin seems oblivious to her inner turmoil. So much so that he suggests they get together for lunch. For Peyton’s sake, of course. It’s the perfect opportunity to heal old wounds. Or it could just reopen them. This is one of those times Harley wishes she could see the future…

With her signature charm and sense of humor, bestselling author Helena Hunting creates a novel about love, family, and second chances in Make a Wish.


Review:

Big-hearted, engaging, and swoon-worthy!

Make a Wish is a charming second-chance romance between the driven, spirited Harley and the sweet, hardworking, single father Gavin as they discover that time has not changed the deeply-rooted friendship and sizzling attraction they felt for each other seven years ago and is perhaps something that could be even more if only they’d take a chance on it.

The writing is passionate and heartfelt. The characters are kind, supportive, and dependable. And the plot is a delightfully enchanting tale about family, friendship, tension, chemistry, healing, self-discovery, parenthood, special moments, happiness, taking chances, and unconditional love.

Overall, Make a Wish is an amusing, lighthearted, adorable tale by Hunting that is the third and final book in the Spark House series and even though it can definitely be read as a standalone novel, as someone who absolutely loves this series, I would highly recommend you read them all.

 

This book is available now.

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

         

 

 

Thank you to SMP Romance – St. Martin’s Press for gifting me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Helena Hunting

Helena Hunting is the author of The USA Today and NYT bestselling PUCKED Series. She lives on the outskirts of Toronto with her incredibly tolerant family and two moderately intolerant cats. She writes everything from romantic sports comedy to new adult angst.

Photograph courtesy of Author's Website.

#BookReview I Will Find You by Harlan Coben @harlancoben @GrandCentralPub #IWillFindYou #HarlanCoben #GrandCentralPub #GCPInsider

#BookReview I Will Find You by Harlan Coben @harlancoben @GrandCentralPub #IWillFindYou #HarlanCoben #GrandCentralPub #GCPInsider Title: I Will Find You

Author: Harlan Coben

Published by: Grand Central Publishing on Mar. 14, 2023

Genres: Mystery/Thriller

Pages: 400

Format: Hardcover

Source: Grand Central Publishing

Book Rating: 9/10

An innocent father serving life for the murder of his own son receives evidence that his child may still be alive, and must break out of prison to find out the truth in #1 New York Times bestselling author Harlan Coben’s latest breathtaking thriller.

David and Cheryl Burroughs were living the dream life when tragedy struck. Now, five years after that terrible night, Cheryl is remarried. And David is serving a life sentence in a maximum-security prison for the brutal murder of their son.

Then Cheryl’s sister, Rachel, arrives unexpectedly during visiting hours and drops a bombshell. She’s come with a photograph that a friend took on vacation at a theme park with a boy in the background who has a familiar, distinctive birthmark … and even though David and Rachel realize it can’t be, they both just know. It’s David’s son, Matthew, and he’s still alive.

David plans a harrowing escape from prison, determined to do what seems impossible–save his son, clear his own name, and discover the real story of what happened that devastating night.


Review:

Riveting, thrilling, and suspenseful!

I Will Find You is an unpredictable, menacing tale that takes you into the life of David Burroughs, a father incarcerated for the past five years for killing his three-year-old son Matthew, but when a visit from his former sister-in-law opens the door to the possibility his son might still be alive, David will do whatever it takes, even break out of prison, in order to try and find him.

The writing is sharp and tight. The characters are tormented, resourceful, and determined. And the plot is an intense, mysterious tale filled with twists, turns, mayhem, coercion, politics, power, obsession, lies, secrets, deception, and murder.

Overall, I Will Find You had everything I’ve come to expect in a Harlan Coben novel and more. It’s an intricate, gripping, exceptionally twisty thrill ride that, in my opinion, is a must-read for anyone who enjoys an edge-of-your-seat, action-packed thriller.

 

This book is available now.

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

                

 

 

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

 

About Harlan Coben

Harlan Coben is a #1 NewYorkTimes bestselling author and one of the world's leading storytellers. His suspense novels are published in forty-five languages and have been number one bestsellers in more than a dozen countries, with seventy-five million books in print worldwide. His Myron Bolitar series has earned the Edgar, Shamus, and Anthony Awards, and many of his books have been developed into Netflix series, including his adaptation of The Stranger, headlined by Richard Armitage, and The Woods. He lives in New Jersey.

Photo by Claudio Marinesco.

%d bloggers like this: