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#BookReview Someone Is Always Watching by Kelley Armstrong @KelleyArmstrong @TundraBooks @PenguinRandomCA #SomeoneIsAlwaysWatching #KelleyArmstrong #PenguinRandomCA

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#BookReview Someone Is Always Watching by Kelley Armstrong @KelleyArmstrong @TundraBooks @PenguinRandomCA #SomeoneIsAlwaysWatching #KelleyArmstrong #PenguinRandomCA Title: Someone Is Always Watching

Author: Kelley Armstrong

Published by: Tundra Books on Apr. 11, 2023

Genres: Mystery/Thriller, Young Adult

Pages: 368

Format: Hardcover

Source: Penguin Random House Canada

Book Rating: 8/10

Blythe and her friends—Gabrielle, and brother and sister Tucker and Tanya—have always been a tight friend group, attending a local high school and falling in and out of love with each other. But an act of violence has caused a rift between Blythe and Tucker . . . and unexpected bursts of aggression and disturbing nightmares have started to become more frequent in their lives.

The strange happenings culminate in a shocking event at school: Gabrielle is found covered in blood in front of their deceased principal, with no memory of what happened.

Cracks in their friendship, as well as in their own memories, start appearing, threatening to expose long-forgotten secrets which could change the group’s lives forever. How can Blythe and her friends trust each other when they can’t even trust their own memories?

Review:

Intense, intricate, and twisty!

Someone Is Always Watching is a complex, psychological thriller that takes you into the life of a close-knit group of teens, all students at a private, prestigious STEM academy who, after one of their friends begins to exhibit unusual behaviours, becomes obsessed with the idea that the security cameras are always watching, and is found covered in blood at the scene of the Vice Principal’s death, begin to try and unravel what actually happened and what their ever-increasing nightmares and troubling, fragmented memories really mean.

The writing style is tight and sinister. The characters are vulnerable, determined, and resourceful. And the plot is an action-packed, ominous tale full of secrets, deception, tragedy, friendship, childhood trauma, red herrings, self-identification, experimentation, and shocking revelations.

Overall, Someone Is Always Watching is a menacing, mystifying, sinuous tale that is the first YA novel I’ve had the chance to read by Armstrong, but with its abundance of intrigue, action, deduction, and adventure surely won’t be my last.

 

This novel is available now.

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

             

 

 

 

Thank you to Penguin Random Canada for gifting me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Kelley Armstrong

Kelley Armstrong has been telling stories since before she could write. Her earliest written efforts were disastrous. If asked for a story about girls and dolls, hers would invariably feature undead girls and evil dolls, much to her teachers' dismay. All efforts to make her produce "normal" stories failed.

Today, she continues to spin tales of ghosts and demons and werewolves, while safely locked away in her basement writing dungeon. She's the author of the NYT-bestselling "Women of the Otherworld" paranormal suspense series and "Darkest Powers" young adult urban fantasy trilogy, as well as the Nadia Stafford crime series. Armstrong lives in southwestern Ontario with her husband, kids and far too many pets.

Photograph by Kathryn Hollinrake.

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#BlogTour #PromoPost The Woman Beyond the Sea by Sarit Yishai-Levi (translated by Gilah Kahn-Hoffmann) @OverTheRiverPR @AmazonPub #SaritYishaiLevi #thewomanbeyondthesea #translatedfiction #israeliliterature

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#BlogTour #PromoPost The Woman Beyond the Sea by Sarit Yishai-Levi (translated by Gilah Kahn-Hoffmann) @OverTheRiverPR @AmazonPub #SaritYishaiLevi #thewomanbeyondthesea #translatedfiction #israeliliterature Title: The Woman Beyond the Sea

Author: Gilah Kahn-Hoffmann, Sarit Yishai-Levi

Published by: Amazon Crossing on Mar. 21, 2023

Genres: General Fiction

Pages: 415

Format: Paperback

Source: OTRPR

This beautifully written, multi-generational story traces the paths of three women who lead entirely separate lives. There’s Eliya, a young woman who thinks she has finally found true love with her charismatic and demanding husband, an aspiring novelist, until he ends their relationship in a Paris café, spurring her suicide attempt; next is Lily, Eliya’s mother, who vanishes for long hours every day, and Eliya has no idea where she is; and a third, mysterious woman who has abandoned her newborn baby on the doorstep of a convent on a snowy night in Jerusalem.

Seeking to heal herself, Eliya is compelled to piece together the jagged shards of her life and history. Her heart-wrenching journey leads her to a profound and unexpected love, renewed family ties, and reconciliation with her orphaned mother, Lily. Together, the two women embark on a quest to discover the truth about themselves and Lily’s origins…and the unknown woman who set their stories in motion one Christmas Eve.

As each woman confronts upheavals in her life, Yishai-Levi, a truly gifted storyteller, masterfully ties the three together, striking chords of love, hate and despair.

“THE WOMAN BEYOND THE SEA is a very personal novel that emerged from longing and pain. But at the same time, it’s a book about forgiveness and acceptance and love that conquers all,” says Yishai-Levi. “Gilah’s translation is wonderful and I’m excited to bring this story to English readers.”

 

This novel is available now.

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

         

 

 

Thank you to OTRPR and Amazon Publishing for providing me with a copy.

 

About Gilah Kahn-Hoffmann

Gilah Kahn-Hoffmann moved from Montreal to Jerusalem after studying theater, literature, and communications at McGill University. Starting out as a freelance journalist, translator, writer, and editor, she became a feature writer at The Jerusalem Post and, subsequently, editor of the paper’s youth magazines. Later, during a stint as a writer at the Israel Center for the Treatment of Psychotrauma, she discovered how fulfilling it is to work for the benefit of others and moved to NGO work in East Jerusalem and the developing world. In recent years, she’s come full circle to her first loves and spends her best hours immersed in literary translation.

Photo Credit: Avi Hoffmann

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About Sarit Yishai-Levi

Sarit Yishai-Levi is a renowned Israeli journalist and author. In 2016 she published her first novel, The Beauty Queen of Jerusalem. It immediately became a bestseller and garnered critical acclaim. The book has sold hundreds of thousands of copies in Israel, was translated into 17 languages, and was adapted into a TV series that won the Israeli TV award for best drama series, and became a Netflix hit. It also won the Publishers Association’s Gold, Platinum, and Diamond prizes; the Steimatzky Prize for bestselling book of the year in Israel; and the WIZO France Prize for best book translated into French.

Yishai-Levi’s second novel, The Woman Beyond the Sea, was published in 2019. It won the Publishers Association’s Gold and Platinum prizes and has already been translated into several languages.

Yishai-Levi was born in Jerusalem to a Sephardic family that has lived in the city for eight generations. She’s been living with her family in Tel Aviv since 1970.

Photo Credit: Maya Baumel.

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#BookReview Where by Coyotes Howl by Sandra Dallas @StMartinsPress #WhereCoyotesHowl #SandraDallas #StMartinsPress #SMPInfluencers

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#BookReview Where by Coyotes Howl by Sandra Dallas @StMartinsPress #WhereCoyotesHowl #SandraDallas #StMartinsPress #SMPInfluencers Title: Where Coyotes Howl

Author: Sandra Dallas

Published by: St. Martin's Press on Apr. 18, 2023

Genres: Historical Fiction

Pages: 320

Format: ARC, Paperback

Source: St. Martin's Press

Book Rating: 9/10

Beautifully rendered, Where Coyotes Howl is a vivid and deeply affecting ode to the early twentieth century West, from master storyteller Sandra Dallas.

Except for the way they loved each other, they were just ordinary, everyday folks. Just ordinary.

1916. The two-street town of Wallace is not exactly what Ellen Webster had in mind when she accepted a teaching position in Wyoming, but within a year’s time she’s fallen in love—both with the High Plains and with a handsome cowboy named Charlie Bacon. Life is not easy in the flat, brown corner of the state where winter blizzards are unforgiving and the summer heat relentless. But Ellen and Charlie face it all together, their relationship growing stronger with each shared success, and each deeply felt tragedy.

Ellen finds purpose in her work as a rancher’s wife and in her bonds with other women settled on the prairie. Not all of them are so lucky as to have loving husbands, not all came to Wallace willingly, and not all of them can survive the cruel seasons. But they look out for each other, share their secrets, and help one another in times of need. And the needs are great and constant. The only city to speak of, Cheyenne, is miles away, making it akin to the Wild West in rural Wallace. In the end, it is not the trials Ellen and Charlie face together that make them remarkable, but their love for one another that endures through it all.

Review:

Moving, insightful, and incredibly atmospheric!

Where Coyotes Howl is a gritty, intriguing tale that sweeps you away to Wyoming during the early twentieth century and into the lives of the townsfolk of Wallace, especially schoolteacher Ellen Webster and cowboy Charlie Bacon, as they struggle to maintain their livelihoods, identities, sanity, health, and love for each other in harsh weather, barren plains, extreme loss, scarcity of money, and unimaginable tragedy.

The writing is eloquent and vivid. The characters are resilient, devoted, and strong. And the plot is a harrowing tale about life, loss, hope, family, friendship, grief, culture, community, hardship, poverty, trust, survival, and love.

Overall, Where Coyotes Howl is a beautifully written, exceptionally detailed, affecting novel by Dallas that I absolutely adored. It’s one of those novels that I went into thinking it would be good and finished it knowing it was great.

 

This novel is available April 18, 2023.

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 Sandra Dallas

Sandra Dallas, dubbed “a quintessential American voice” in Vogue Magazine, is the author of over a dozen novels, including Prayers for Sale and Tallgrass, many translated into a dozen languages and optioned for films. Six-time winner of the Willa Award and four-time winner of the Spur Award, Dallas was a Business Week reporter for 25 years covering the Rocky Mountain region, and began writing fiction in 1990. She has two daughters and lives with her husband in Denver and Georgetown, Colorado.

Photo Credit: Povy Kendal Atchison.

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#BookReview Coronation Year by Jennifer Robson @AuthorJenniferR @uplitreads @harpercollinsca #coronationyear #JenniferRobson #uplitreadscampaign

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#BookReview Coronation Year by Jennifer Robson @AuthorJenniferR @uplitreads @harpercollinsca #coronationyear #JenniferRobson #uplitreadscampaign Title: Coronation Year

Author: Jennifer Robson

Published by: William Morrow on Apr. 4, 2023

Genres: Historical Fiction

Pages: 400

Format: Paperback

Source: Uplit Reads

Book Rating: 8.5/10

The USA Today bestselling author of The Gown returns with another enthralling and royal-adjacent historical novel—as the lives of three very different residents of London’s historic Blue Lion hotel converge in a potentially explosive climax on the day of Queen Elizabeth’s Coronation.

It is Coronation Year, 1953, and a new queen is about to be crowned. The people of London are in a mood to celebrate, none more so than the residents of the Blue Lion hotel.

Edie Howard, owner and operator of the floundering Blue Lion, has found the miracle she needs: on Coronation Day, Queen Elizabeth in her gold coach will pass by the hotel’s front door, allowing Edie to charge a fortune for rooms and, barring disaster, save her beloved home from financial ruin. Edie’s luck might just be turning, all thanks to a young queen about her own age.

Stella Donati, a young Italian photographer and Holocaust survivor, has come to live at the Blue Lion while she takes up a coveted position at Picture Weekly magazine. London in celebration mode feels like a different world to her. As she learns the ins and outs of her new profession, Stella discovers a purpose and direction that honor her past and bring hope for her future.

James Geddes, a war hero and gifted artist, has struggled to make his mark in a world that disdains his Indian ancestry. At the Blue Lion, though, he is made to feel welcome and worthy. Yet even as his friendship with Edie deepens, he begins to suspect that something is badly amiss at his new home.

When anonymous threats focused on Coronation Day, the Blue Lion, and even the queen herself disrupt their mood of happy optimism, Edie and her friends must race to uncover the truth, save their home, and expose those who seek to erase the joy and promise of Coronation Year.

Review:

Nostalgic, mysterious, and immersive!

Coronation Year is a captivating, lighthearted tale set in London in 1953 that takes you into the lives of the residents of the Blue Lion hotel, especially Edie Howard, the hardworking owner who, after struggling for the last few years to make ends meet, is hoping the upcoming coronation will provide the influx of cash she so desperately needs; Stella Donati, a Holocaust survivor and up-and-coming photographer who just received the chance of a lifetime when due to unforeseen circumstances she is chosen to photograph the queen on this incredibly momentous occasion; and James Geddes, a Scottish man with Indian ancestry who after leaving law school to pursue his dream of becoming a successful artist secures a lucrative commission to paint the queen’s procession as it passes by the esteemed Cartwrights’ Hall.

The prose is rich and expressive. The characters are plucky, supportive, and kind. And the plot is a delightfully engaging tale about life, loss, love, friendship, family, loyalty, uncertainty, good intentions, self-discovery, meddling, mischief, deception, and a touch of romance.

Overall, Coronation Year is a vivid, sentimental, timely read by Robson that does a lovely job of interweaving historical facts, endearing characters, and intriguing fiction into an insightful, compelling tale that is atmospheric and highly absorbing.

 

This novel is available now.

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

            

 

 

Thank you to Uplit Reads for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Jennifer Robson

Jennifer Robson first learned about the Great War from her father, acclaimed historian Stuart Robson, and later served as an official guide at the Canadian National War Memorial at Vimy Ridge, France. A former copy editor, she holds a doctorate in British economic and social history from the University of Oxford. She lives in Toronto, Canada, with her husband and young children.

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#BookReview The Homecoming by Kate Morton @SimonSchusterCA #Homecoming #KateMorton #SimonSchusterCA

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#BookReview The Homecoming by Kate Morton @SimonSchusterCA #Homecoming #KateMorton #SimonSchusterCA Title: Homecoming

Author: Kate Morton

Published by: Simon & Schuster Canada on Apr. 4, 2023

Genres: Historical Fiction, Mystery/Thriller

Pages: 560

Format: ARC, Paperback

Source: Simon & Schuster Canada

Book Rating: 9/10

The highly anticipated new novel from the New York Times and #1 Globe and Mail bestselling author of The Clockmaker’s Daughter, a sweeping saga that begins with a shocking crime that echoes across continents and generations.

Adelaide Hills, Christmas Eve, 1959

At the end of a scorching hot day, beside a creek in the grounds of a grand country house, a local man makes a terrible discovery. Police are called, and the small town of Tambilla becomes embroiled in one of the most baffling murder investigations in the history of South Australia.

Many years later and thousands of miles away, Jess is a journalist in search of a story. Having lived and worked in London for nearly two decades, she now finds herself unemployed and struggling to make ends meet. A phone call summons her back to Sydney, where her beloved grandmother, Nora, who raised Jess when her mother could not, has suffered a fall and is seriously ill in hospital.

At Nora’s house, Jess discovers a true crime book chronicling a long-buried police case: the Turner Family Tragedy of 1959. It is only when Jess skims through its pages that she finds a shocking connection between her own family and this notorious event—a murder mystery that has never been satisfactorily resolved.

An epic story that spans generations, Homecoming asks what we would do for those we love, how we protect the lies we tell, and what it means to come home. Above all, it is an intricate and spellbinding novel from one of the finest writers working today.

Review:

Layered, unpredictable, and tortuous!

Homecoming is a captivating, eerie tale set in Australia during 1959, as well as 2018, that sweeps you away and immerses you into the complex, multi-generational Turner-Bridge family, complete with all the powerful emotions, distorted memories, inaccurate tales, long-buried secrets, and unimaginable tragedy that has unconsciously defined and plagued them for the past sixty years.

The prose is rich and lyrical. The main characters are inquisitive, determined, and resourceful. And the plot is an emotional, mysterious saga filled with life, loss, love, familial drama, heartbreak, community, secrets, lies, deception, moral dilemmas, sorrow, and tragedy.

Overall, Homecoming is another exquisitely written, exceptionally detailed, beautifully cunning novel by Morton that kept me guessing from the very first page and ultimately left me surprised, satisfied, and thoroughly entertained. 

This novel is available now.

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

        

 

 

Thank you to Simon & Schuster Canada for gifting me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Kate Morton

Kate Morton is the award-winning, New York Times bestselling author of The House at Riverton, The Forgotten Garden, The Distant Hours, The Secret Keeper, The Lake House, and The Clockmaker’s Daughter. Her books are published in thirty-six languages and have been #1 bestsellers worldwide. Born and raised in Australia, she holds degrees in dramatic art and English literature, and now lives with her family in London and Australia.

Photo courtesy of Amazon.

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#BookReview The Soulmate by Sally Hepworth @SallyHepworth @StMartinsPress #TheSoulmateBook #SallyHepworth #StMarinsPress #SMPInfluencers

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#BookReview The Soulmate by Sally Hepworth @SallyHepworth @StMartinsPress #TheSoulmateBook #SallyHepworth #StMarinsPress #SMPInfluencers Title: The Soulmate

Author: Sally Hepworth

Published by: St. Martin's Press on Apr. 4, 2023

Genres: Mystery/Thriller

Pages: 336

Format: ARC, eBook

Source: St. Martin's Press

Book Rating: 9/10

Get ready for a thrilling, addictive novel about marriage, betrayal, and the secrets that push us to the edge in Sally Hepworth’s The Soulmate.

There’s a cottage on a cliff. Gabe and Pippa’s dream home in a sleepy coastal town. But their perfect house hides something sinister. The tall cliffs have become a popular spot for people to end their lives. Night after night Gabe comes to their rescue, literally talking them off the ledge. Until he doesn’t.

When Pippa discovers Gabe knew the victim, the questions spiral…Did the victim jump? Was she pushed?

And would Gabe, the love of Pippa’s life, her soulmate…lie? As the perfect facade of their marriage begins to crack, the deepest and darkest secrets begin to unravel.

Review:

Twisty, sophisticated, and suspenseful!

The Soulmate is a gripping domestic thriller that delves into the intricate, entangled bonds that exist between friends and family members and reminds us that everything is not always as it seems and behind all those smiles and happy faces often hides an abundance of lies, secrets, and swirling emotions.

The writing is ominous and tight. The characters are complex, troubled, and secretive. And the plot, told from alternating perspectives, is sinister and tense as it twists, turns, and unravels all the actions, motivations, personalities, and relationships within it.

The Soulmate, at its core, is a novel about life, love, loyalty, family, marital discord, mental illness, parenthood, friendship, and deception. It’s intense, menacing, enthralling, and, without a doubt, another fantastic page-turner by Hepworth you don’t want to miss.

 

This novel is available now.

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

            

 

 

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

 

About Sally Hepworth

Sally Hepworth has lived around the world, spending extended periods in Singapore, the United Kingdom and Canada. She is the author of The Secrets of Midwives, The Things We Keep, The Mother's Promise, The Family Next Door and The Mother-in-Law. Sally now lives in Melbourne with her husband, three children, and one adorable dog.

Photo by Mrs. Smart Photography.

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

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#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.

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

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#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.

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

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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.

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

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#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.

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