Noteworthy Book Releases Archives - Page 26 of 38

Noteworthy Book Releases

14
Dec
2018

#BookBlitz False Hope by Meli Raine @meliraineauthor @XpressoReads

categories: Book Blitz, Noteworthy Book Releases, Romantic Suspense

Title: False Hope

Author: Meli Raine

Series: False #2

Published by: Prosaic Press Inc. on Dec. 11, 2018

Genres: Romantic Suspense

Pages: 240

She thinks she’s fooled me. But I’ve known all along.
Almost.
Lily is hiding something, a secret so big, she came out of a year-long coma and her first instinct was to lie.
Who does that? Someone who is afraid. No—not afraid.
Terrified. And it’s my job to take that fear away.
My partner and I have spent countless man-hours hunting down the cold-blooded killer who did this to her. Meanwhile, Lily’s spent her waking hours recovering. Getting stronger. Getting smarter.
Staying beautiful.
Never get involved emotionally. That’s my dictate. Never get attached.
When you realize you’re caught in a triangle, it turns out there is no exit.
Crossing a line is easy. Holding a line takes strength.
Lily’s shooter knows that she’s my weakness.
One I have to get back.
No matter what it takes.
Goodreads / iBooks Exclusive

EXCERPT:

If unicorns had a flavor, it would taste like kissing Lily.

Her essence is still on the tip of my tongue as I watch the layered response Lily has mastered. Observe her as that beautiful mind works to line all the pieces up and execute the subterfuge, living in two selves, one ever vigilant, one struggling to stay quiet.

For months now, I’ve felt it. Sensed it.

Now I can taste it, too. Lies have a flavor.

And God help me, I want more of the deliciousness of Lily.

But those lies come with an aftertaste, a bitter acrimony that has an overriding power.

My own words ring in the air like a gong as I wait: When were you going to tell me you’ve been faking the amnesia, Lily? Before or after I sleep with you?

“Sleep with me?” she squeaks, the words catching me off guard. I assumed she’d deny the lying.

Not talk about my fantasies.

“You want to talk about that?” I choke out, amused and sickened. “You’ve been lying to me for close to a year and all you want to talk about is sleeping with me?”

“You brought it up!”

She’s got me there.

“How about this fake amnesia bullshit, Lily? How about we talk about that before we discuss getting sweet between the sheets?”

She blushes.

I get hard.

This—this is why I should have recused myself from this damned assignment long ago. I knew this day would come. I knew I’d have to call her on the lying.

Worse than that—I knew I wouldn’t be able to help myself.

About Meli Raine

Meli Raine writes romantic suspense with hot bikers, intense undercover DEA agents, bad boys turned good, and Special Ops heroes — and the women who love them. Meli rode her first motorcycle when she was five years old, but she played in the ocean long before that. She lives in New England with her family.

GIVEAWAY!

$25 Gyft.com gift card (Blitz-wide giveaway (INTL))

a Rafflecopter giveaway

And Don’t forget to check out the first book in the series:

iBooks

13
Dec
2018

#BlogTour #GuestPost Start by Graham Morgan #GrahamMorgan @FledglingPress #LoveBooksGroupTours

categories: Blog Tour, Guest Post, Nonfiction, Noteworthy Book Releases

Title: Start

Author: Graham Morgan

Published by: Fledgling Press on Oct. 10, 2018

Pages: 256

Graham Morgan has an MBE for services to mental health, and helped to write the Scottish Mental Health (2003) Care and Treatment Act. This is the Act under which he is now detained.
Graham’s story addresses key issues around mental illness, a topic which is very much in the public sphere at the moment. However, it addresses mental illness from a perspective that is not heard frequently: that of those whose illness is so severe that they are subject to the Mental Health Act.
Graham’s is a positive story rooted in the natural world that Graham values greatly, which shows that, even with considerable barriers, people can work and lead responsible and independent lives; albeit with support from friends and mental health professionals. Graham does not gloss over or glamorise mental illness, instead he tries to show, despite the devastating impact mental illness can have both on those with the illness and those that are close to them, that people can live full and positive lives. A final chapter, bringing the reader up to date some years after Graham has been detained again, shows him living a fulfilling and productive life with his new family, coping with the symptoms that he still struggles to accept are an illness, and preparing to address the United Nations later in the year in his new role working with the Mental Welfare Commission for Scotland.

And now Graham Morgan with:

Inspiration for Start

When I was getting help from writerly friends as I wrote START, I had the occasional bit of advice about the chapters I included about Wendy; a slight “We know you love her, but you don’t need to make it too saccharine, too gushy and cloying!” And I do know that this was good advice but Wendy was the main inspiration for the most important chapters of the book and remains one of the main reasons why my life is currently such a good one.

I had lived a difficult life for a number of years which included a terrible break up of my marriage and estrangement from my son and had become used to admissions to hospital when I only wanted to die. Meeting Wendy, finding out that I could love again and be loved in turn woke me up, gave me a balance and an energy that was wonderful and also gave me a chance to get closer and closer to my family, made me aware of what people close to me have gone through by keeping me in their life for so many years.

At one point I was inspired by recording my story of what it was like to lose contact with my son, my possessions, my friends. I thought a man’s side of how people can treat each other at such times may be important but as time went by, I tempered this, took out some of the more blatant examples of what happened. I listened to people who said that I was not adding to the story, was maybe motivated by bitterness and anger, began to consider my own behaviour at that time and adapted what I was prepared to say publicly.

I remember a long walk to Lochinver on a hot summer’s afternoon, plagued by clegs and midges but delighted by the land, the sky, the hills, trees and rivers around me; slowly trusting the people I was walking with, with my worries about what I could say when telling my story, when it involves other people who may be more private than me. At that point I found some sort of slight resolution to the need to tell my version of whatever that truth might be. I began to believe that I have a right to tell some of my tale, but maybe not all of it. Which is partly why none of the people I talk of in the book have their real names recorded, apart from Wendy, and why some of the more shameful things people did were not in the final version of the book.

Lastly, apart from the wonderful inspiration and peace that living in the Highlands and latterly in Argyle, by the Clyde, has given me; has been the joy I have had in living with and working with so many people who experience mental illness. In this book I rarely say too much of their stories; maybe that will come in another book. This one is more my story, but their daily experiences, which are often similar to mine, weave themselves throughout it. I have spent my life trying to help my friends and colleagues and acquaintances speak out and bear witness to the gross injustices so many of us experience and those extreme ways of being and feeling or, for that matter, not feeling, that are so hard to describe and which I would so much love to be recorded.

I hesitate to define it properly; I want as much to record the indignity that trauma and mental illness causes; the terrible agonising loneliness and alienation that can come from the experience of mental distress and the reaction of our society to that distress. But also, in contrast, the joy and comradeship that has come when we have joined together as a community to make a difference both for ourselves and others who will experience mental illness in the future. To say that inspires me is an understatement; nearly all my friends have experienced mental illness, nearly all my working life has been working in partnership with them; their willingness to still see the good in other people, despite what has been done to them and what they have experienced in the way of sorrow and sadness, daily invigorates and inspires me.

This novel is available now.

Pick up a copy of this novel from your favourite retailer or from the following link!

About Graham Morgan

Graham was born in 1963 in York. He went to university as an angst-ridden student and was quickly admitted to one of the old mental asylums, prompting the work he has done for most of his life: helping people with mental illness speak up about their lives and their rights. He has
mainly worked in Scotland, where he has lived for the last thirty years, twenty of them in the Highlands. In the course of this work he has been awarded an MBE, made Joint Service User Contributor of the Year by the Royal College of Psychiatrists and, lately, has spoken at the UN about
his and other peoples’ experiences of detention. He has a diagnosis of paranoid schizophrenia and has been compulsorily treated under a CTO for the last ten years. He currently lives in Argyll with his partner and her young twins. Start is his first book.

Thank you to Graham Morgan for being featured on my blog today!

10
Dec
2018

It’s Monday (December 10, 2018)! What Are You Reading! #IMWAYR #Books #Reading #TBRList

categories: #IMWAYR, General Blog Posts, Noteworthy Book Releases

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? hosted by Kathryn at Bookdate is a weekly post to share what you’ve recently finished reading, what you’re currently reading, and what you plan on reading this upcoming week.

So here is what I just read, am reading, and what I plan to read next:

What I Read Last Week:

Title: The Wartime Sisters

Authors: Lynda Cohen Loigman

Immediate Thoughts: Expressive, thoughtful, and intriguing!

Rating: 8/10

Publication Date: January 22, 2019

Title: Josh & Hazel’s Guide to Not Dating

Author: Christina Lauren

Immediate Thoughts: Lighthearted, titillating, and so much fun!

Rating: 9/10

Publication Date: September 4, 2018

Title: Practising for Christmas

Author: Rachael Richey

Immediate Thoughts: Amusing, sweet, and engaging!

Rating: 7/10

Publication Date: November 12, 2018

What I’m Currently Reading:

Carrie is a successful TV producer in a high pressure job. She’s talented, liked, and well-respected. She and her husband, Adrian, an award-winning screenwriter, decided years before that they didn’t want children. But now, just as they’re both at the pinnacle of their careers, she has discovered she’s pregnant, and is shocked to discover that she wants to keep the baby. But in a competitive industry where time off is seen as a sign of weakness, Carrie looks at the prospect of maternity leave with trepidation.

Enter Emma, the temp, who is everything Carrie could wish for as her cover: smart, eager, and charming. Carrie fears that Emma is manoeuvring her way into Carrie’s life, causing turmoil in both her work and her marriage. The problem is everyone else adores Emma…

Increasingly isolated from Adrian and her colleagues, Carrie begins to believe Emma has an agenda. Does she want her job? Or is she after even more?

A twisting thriller about ambition, deception, and betrayal, The Temp will leave readers hanging on until the very last page!

What I’m Reading Next:

More than just a holiday romance?

Her daughter, her job and divorcing her untrustworthy ex are Leah’s main priorities. She isn’t really bothered that her life might be missing a few things. But after winning a prestigious travel blogger award, she’s inundated with offers to review glamorous holiday destinations. Lying around drinking exotic cocktails and being paid for it! What could be better? Perhaps a romantic trip to idyllic Greece to find the one man who might make Leah risk her heart again…

Have you read any of my upcoming reads? What do you have coming up? How are your stats?

Happy Reading!

07
Dec
2018

#BookBlitz High Reward by Brenna Aubrey @BrennaAubrey @XpressoReads

categories: Book Blitz, Contemporary Romance, Noteworthy Book Releases

Title: High Reward

Author: Brenna Aubrey

Series: Point of No Return #2

Published by: Silver Griffon Associates on December 6, 2018

Genres: Contemporary Romance

Pages: 354

From USA Today Bestselling author Brenna Aubrey: Don’t miss this emotional conclusion to Ryan & Gray’s stunning duet, lauded as “sharp, sensitive” and “pretty wonderful” by the New York Times book review.
He was looking for redemption. Instead, he found her.
After a rocky start, former Navy SEAL-turned-astronaut Ryan “Ty” Tyler and nerdy flight psychologist Gray Barrett found they worked well together. Ty managed to tame his playboy reputation, and cautious Gray got her first taste of adventure. They had a good thing going. Until a good thing turned into a smoking hot thing…and that turned into a falling-in-love thing.
Now Ty’s facing an impossible choice. Shake the demons of his past, or give up a future with the only woman he could ever love.
Goodreads / Amazon / B&N / iBooks / Kobo

EXCERPT:

Suddenly, I felt a cold sensation on my upper shoulder, just below my neck. I turned, and Ryan was right behind me. “What was that?”

“I think I accidentally spilled frosting on you. Here.” He traced a path along the top of my shoulder toward my neck, and I involuntarily shivered. In response, his other hand came up and cupped my other shoulder and his head dipped down to land right where he’d put the frosting.

Right there. In thatspot. He was licking and sucking, getting every last bit as his hands traveled down my arms, clamping around my elbows to hold me still.

“Accidentally, huh?” I rasped, my voice sounding alien to my own ears. Likely it was my aroused voice. And likely he knew exactly what it meant when I talked this way.

He was an expert at turning me on and doing it quickly. Zero to Mach 5 in seconds flat. Probably easier than flying his training jet. My panties were already wet, and my nipples were painfully hard and probably very visible under my thin tank top.

I cleared my throat. “I, uh.” And cleared my throat again. “Have another batch to do.”

Without a word he reached out and turned off the oven. “Let’s hit pauseon that little project for now,” he said in that low, gravelly voice of his. Hisaroused voice. I knew that voice, too, and it usually seemed in perfect sync with the tight squeezing sensation in my belly and lower that screamed for his hands and mouth—and other parts—to ease the tension and bring release.

“You are a wicked, wicked man.”

“This I already know,” he said between more kisses on the back of my neck that sent electric shocks down my spine and wound that tension deep inside me even tighter.

I spun in his arms, and though I could barely reach it, I managed to scoop up my own dollop of frosting from the edge of the metal mixing bowl. He watched me then raised his brow to ask the unspoken question—where are you going to put that?

My answer? I grabbed the hem of his t-shirt and rucked it up, holding it just below his collar, then liberally spread the frosting across his upper abs. Double yum.

He sucked in a quick breath, and that was enough to get me diving right in. “Mmm. What kind of mess do we have here? Better start cleaning up.”

The frosting was sweet, creamy. Delectable, really. Buttercream was delicious. Buttercream slathered across Ryan’s rock-hard abs? Perfection.

About Brenna Aubrey

Brenna Aubrey is a USA TODAY Bestselling Author of contemporary romance stories that center on geek culture. Her debut novel, At Any Price, is currently free on all platforms. Her books are on over a million e-readers worldwide, have been translated into German, French and Italian and made into an interactive app game. Look for the brand new POINT OF NO RETURN series and her extremely popular GAMING THE SYSTEM series.

She has always sought comfort in good books and the long, involved stories she weaves in her head. Brenna is a city girl with a nature-lover's heart. She therefore finds herself out in green open spaces any chance she can get. She currently resides on the west coast of the US with her husband and children (both human and furry).

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

GIVEAWAY!

Signed copies each of HIGH RISK & HIGH REWARD (the complete duet) + $10 Amazon gift card (US/CAN)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

And Don’t forget to pick up the first book in the series:

Amazon / B&N / iBooks / Kobo

04
Dec
2018

#BookReview My Favorite Half-Night Stand by Christina Lauren @christinalauren @SimonSchusterCA @GalleryBooks

categories: 10/10, Book Review, Contemporary Romance, Noteworthy Book Releases

Title: My Favorite Half-Night Stand

Author: Christina Lauren

Published by: Gallery Books on Dec. 4, 2018

Genres: Contemporary Romance

Pages: 400

Format: Paperback

Source: Simon & Schuster Canada

Book Rating: 10/10

By the New York Times bestselling author who “hilariously depicts modern dating” (Us Weekly), My Favorite Half-Night Standis a laugh-out-loud romp through online dating and its many, many fails.

Millie Morris has always been one of the guys. A UC Santa Barbara professor, she’s a female-serial-killer expert who’s quick with a deflection joke and terrible at getting personal. And she, just like her four best guy friends and fellow professors, is perma-single.

So when a routine university function turns into a black tie gala, Mille and her circle make a pact that they’ll join an online dating service to find plus-ones for the event. There’s only one hitch: after making the pact, Millie and one of the guys, Reid Campbell, secretly spend the sexiest half-night of their lives together, but mutually decide the friendship would be better off strictly platonic.

But online dating isn’t for the faint of heart. While the guys are inundated with quality matches and potential dates, Millie’s first profile attempt garners nothing but dick pics and creepers. Enter “Catherine”—Millie’s fictional profile persona, in whose make-believe shoes she can be more vulnerable than she’s ever been in person. Soon “Catherine” and Reid strike up a digital pen-pal-ship…but Millie can’t resist temptation in real life, either. Soon, Millie will have to face her worst fear—intimacy—or risk losing her best friend, forever.

Perfect for fans of Roxanne and She’s the Man, Christina Lauren’s latest romantic comedy is full of mistaken identities, hijinks, and a classic love story with a modern twist. Funny and fresh, you’ll want to swipe right on My Favorite Half-Night Stand.

Review:

Amusing, smart, and adorably romantic!

My Favorite Half-Night Stand is an engaging, witty, friends-to-more romance that features the spunky, intelligent Millie whose finding it harder and harder to keep her attraction for her best friend a secret, and the charming and honest Reid who may finally realize everything he’s ever wanted or needed is standing right in front of him.

The writing is whimsical and crisp and uses a delightful mix of text messages, group chats, snappy dialogue, and first-person narration from dual points of view. The characterization is spot on with an incredible cast of characters who are quirky, charismatic, and genuine. And the plot is an irresistible blend of shameless flirting, friendship, family, light drama, tricky situations, spirited shenanigans, awkward moments, steamy romance, and the hilarious ups and downs of online dating.

I’ve always been a fan of Christina Lauren novels, and My Favorite Half-Night Stand has just become my new favourite. It’s outrageously funny, deliciously swoon-worthy and without a doubt one of the best rom-coms I’ve had the pleasure to read this year.

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 providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

About Christina Lauren

Christina Lauren is the combined penname of longtime writing partners/best friends Christina Hobbs and Lauren Billings, the New York Times, USA TODAY, and #1 International bestselling authors of The Beautiful and Wild Seasons series, Dating You/Hating You, Roomies, Love and Other Words, Josh and Hazel’s Guide to Not Dating, and the critically acclaimed Autoboyography.

Photograph by Alyssa Michelle.

03
Dec
2018

It’s Monday (December 3, 2018)! What Are You Reading! #IMWAYR #Books #Reading #TBRList

categories: #IMWAYR, General Blog Posts, Noteworthy Book Releases

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? hosted by Kathryn at Bookdate is a weekly post to share what you’ve recently finished reading, what you’re currently reading, and what you plan on reading this upcoming week.

So here is what I just read, am reading, and what I plan to read next:

What I Read Last Week:

Title: The Light Over London

Authors: Julia Kelly

Immediate Thoughts: Sweet, intriguing, and romantic!

Rating: 7/10

Publication Date: January 8, 2019

Title: Good Luck with That

Authors: Kristan Higgins

Immediate Thoughts: Emotive, impassioned, and Hopeful!

Rating: 10/10

Publication Date: August 7, 2018

Title: Face Off (The Evelyn Talbot Chronicles #3)

Author: Brenda Novak

Immediate Thoughts: Intense, ominous, and action packed!

Rating: 9/10

Publication Date: November 29, 2018

Title: The Postman’s Fiancée

Author: Denis Thériault

Immediate Thoughts: Poetic, pensive, and poignant!

Rating: 8/10

Publication Date: June 1, 2017

What I’m Currently Reading:

Two estranged sisters, raised in Brooklyn and each burdened with her own shocking secret, are reunited at the Springfield Armory in the early days of WWII.

While one sister lives in relative ease on the bucolic Armory campus as an officer’s wife, the other arrives as a war widow and takes a position in the Armory factories as a “soldier of production.” Resentment festers between the two, and secrets are shattered when a mysterious figure from the past reemerges in their lives.

What I’m Reading Next:

One secret, one nightmare, one lie. You guess which is which.

1. I have the scar of a gunshot on my forehead.
2. I have willfully misrepresented my identity to the US military.
3. I’m the new mother of a seven-year-old girl.

Kellen Adams suffers from a yearlong gap in her memory. A bullet to the brain will cause that. But she’s discovering the truth, and what she learns changes her life, her confidence, her very self. She finds herself in the wilderness, on the run, unprepared, her enemies unknown–and she is carrying a priceless burden she must protect at all costs. The consequences of failure would break her. And Kellen Adams does not break.

What doesn’t kill her…had better start running.

Have you read any of my upcoming reads? What do you have coming up? How are your stats?

Happy Reading!

29
Nov
2018

#BlogTour #GuestPost The Bloomsbury Affair by Anita Davison @AnitaSDavison @aria_fiction

categories: Guest Post, Historical Fiction, Noteworthy Book Releases

Title: The Bloomsbury Affair

Author: Anita Davison

Series: A Flora Maguire Mystery #5

Published by: Aria on Nov. 20, 2018

Genres: Historical Fiction

Pages: 333

1905 London is a heady mix of unimaginable wealth and simmering political tensions, and with war looming Flora Maguire wants to keep her family safe.

So when her beloved charge Viscount Edward Trent is accused of murder, she’s determined not to leave the investigation to the police. Flora has trodden the path of amateur sleuth before, but with so much at stake, this time it’s personal.

Slowly the body of the victim found stabbed on a train bound for Paddington starts giving up its secrets, and Flora and her husband Bunny become mired in a murky world of spies, communists and fraudsters. And with the police more sure than ever that Edward is their murderer, Flora must work fast to keep him safe.

Anita Davison’s compulsive story-telling, combined with the irresistible mix of historical drama and gripping mystery, make this unputdownable.

And now Anita Davison with:

The Positives and Negatives of Writing a Historical Series

When I began writing about Flora Maguire, my amateur sleuth, I intended it to be a standalone story. However once published, I received e-mails from readers asking me questions like: What happened to Flora’s mother? Will she ever see Bunny again? What is Edward like as a grown up? etc.

When I was contracted to write Books 2 to 5, I began to wonder if my characters’ pasts were interesting enough to impact on their futures? Apart from the unique mystery at the core of each book, how could I develop the characters so they were worth reading about in themselves?

I implied in the first book that Flora’s mother, Lily Maguire disappeared mysteriously when Flora was a child. An incident in her early childhood related to her mother haunted Flora, giving her unexplained dreams. I carried this theme into the next story, and although some aspects were covered, what happened to Lily wasn’t fully explained. I didn’t want to drag out the mystery too long, so the full story was revealed in Book 4, giving closure for both the reader and Flora herself.

A disadvantage of an accidental series, is that I gave one major character an upper-middle class nickname, which seemed a good idea at the time, but after four books, I began to regret it, although it was too late to change. Some of my readers love the name, while others find it puerile and annoying – but I’m stuck with it.

One of the challenges which face me in each successive novel, is to make sure the information I included in a later book doesn’t contradict an earlier one. Eye colour and appearance is straightforward, but things like personal idiosyncrasies need to be dealt with. Flora had a nervous habit of chewing the base of her thumb which she acquired as a child; a reaction to her nightmares about what happened to her mother. Later on, when her questions are answered and her nightmares stop, she doesn’t do it anymore. It occurred to me recently that I have rationalised this to myself, but maybe I should have explained it to the reader as well?

Also, if a character’s childhood was portrayed as happy and secure in Book 1, introducing some new trauma as a reason for not entering a lift, or a graveyard jars with the reader as they were unaware of this. Bunny is a self-contained, loving man with a progressive attitude to women. I discovered there were many more like him too, but to suddenly make him into a wife controlling misogynist would anger some of my readers who adore him; especially the ones who point out if he is missed from more than one chapter!

Technology did not change as quickly in the early 20^thCentury as it does now. For instance, telephones were few and far between right up until after WW1, so I cannot have everyone calling each other all the time. Fingerprints were in the very early stages of being used in criminal cases, first used to convict someone in 1902, so weren’t universally searched for or used. Identification of blood groups, X-Rays and the use of motor cars were all in their infancy Most people still used horse-drawn vehicles and women who ate in public on their own were rare enough to be remarked open, even criticised. All this, while suffragists were marching on Parliament, but weren’t yet smashing windows in Downing Street. Getting the historical timeline right is imperative – as inaccuracies can spoil a good story.

In a murder mystery series, the focus is on the mystery itself, so the history of the characters takes second place. However, I’m aware readers like to read about those characters. How their careers progress, their relationships with parents, husband, how many children they have etc. I enjoy aging my characters, some by popular demand, for instance the thirteen-year-old boy who made an appearance in Book 1 reappears in a later book as a young man. Flora also had a child of her own, one who might even get to talk back if the series continues.

This novel is available now.

Pick up a copy of this novel from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links!

About Anita Davison

Born in London, Anita has always had a penchant for all things historical. She now lives in the beautiful Cotswolds, the backdrop for her Flora Maguire mysteries.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Bookbub

Thank you to Anita Davison for being featured on my blog today!

For more information on Aria visit them at:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram

27
Nov
2018

#BookReview Lying in Wait by Liz Nugent @lizzienugent @SimonSchusterCA

categories: 10/10, Book Review, Mystery/Thriller, Noteworthy Book Releases

Title: Lying in Wait

Author: Liz Nugent

Published by: Simon & Schuster on Nov. 27, 2018

Genres: Mystery/Thriller

Pages: 310

Format: Paperback, ARC

Source: Simon & Schuster Canada

Book Rating: 10/10

The second heartstopping suspense novel by international bestselling author Liz Nugent—filled with dark secrets, twisted relationships, and unexpected surprises.

My husband did not mean to kill Annie Doyle, but the lying tramp deserved it.

In 1980s Dublin, Lydia Fitzsimons seems to have the perfect life—wife of Andrew, a respected judge, and mistress of Avalon, the beautiful house where she grew up. Her pride and joy, however, is her only child, her son Laurence, to whom she is utterly, obsessively devoted.

But her husband’s murder of Annie Doyle, accidental or not, sets into motion a dark downward spiral. No one knows what Lydia and Andrew were doing with a drug-addled prostitute late at night on a deserted stretch of the strand near Dublin, but they stuffed her body into the trunk of their car and buried it in their tidy suburban garden, hoping that will put the matter to rest. Annie was a junkie from the wrong side of the tracks; surely no one will miss her or care to find out what happened to her.

Except that Annie has a sister. Her twin, Karen, who has fared much better in life, is desperate to find her. And when Karen crosses paths with Laurence, isolated and lonely, things begin to unravel. Laurence may be overweight and ungainly and bullied at school, but he’s more clever than he’s given credit for. He knows that something is very, very wrong in the Fitzsimons household—and he is determined to discover the truth…

Review:

Gothic, twisty, and downright creepy!

Lying in Wait is a compulsive, macabre, psychological thriller that isn’t so much a whodunit as a whydunit that delves into the complex dynamics between family members and reminds us just how controlling and possessive some of these relationships can truly be.

The prose is insightful, intense, and dark. The characters are obsessed, secretive, and perfectly unlikable. And the plot told from multiple perspectives and alternating timelines builds and unravels exquisitely into a story filled with unexpected twists, well-timed surprises, manipulation, fixation, ruthless deception, and pure wickedness.

Lying in Wait is an intelligent, murky, tragic tale that highlights the scheming, selfish, desperate side of human nature and the ability of even the most ordinary of people to commit the most heinous of crimes. It’s a tight, propulsive, shocking, must-read novel by Nugent that will grip you from the very first line, make your skin crawl throughout, and undoubtedly leave you wholly unnerved.

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 providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

About Liz Nugent

Liz Nugent has worked in Irish film, theater, and television for most of her adult life. She is an award-winning writer of radio and television drama and has written critically acclaimed short stories both for children and adults, as well as the novels Unraveling Oliver and Lying in Wait. She lives in Dublin.

Photograph by Beta Bajgartova.

Website | Twitter | Facebook

26
Nov
2018

It’s Monday (November 26, 2018)! What Are You Reading! #IMWAYR #Books #Reading #TBRList

categories: #IMWAYR, General Blog Posts, Noteworthy Book Releases

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? hosted by Kathryn at Bookdate is a weekly post to share what you’ve recently finished reading, what you’re currently reading, and what you plan on reading this upcoming week.

So here is what I just read, am reading, and what I plan to read next:

What I Read Last Week:

Title: Crossing the Line

Authors: Bibi Belford

Immediate Thoughts: Touching and fascinating, coming-of-age story!

Rating: 9/10

Publication Date: July 25, 2017

Title: The Scarred Woman (Department Q #7)

Authors: Jussi Adler-Olsen

Immediate Thoughts: Gritty, dark, Nordic thriller!

Rating: 8/10

Publication Date: September 19, 2017

Title: The Attraction Equation (Love Undercover #2)

Author: Kadie Scott

Immediate Thoughts: Humorous, sweet, and undeniably steamy!

Rating: 8/10

Publication Date: November 13, 2017

Title: Summer at the Little Wedding Shop

Author: Jane Linfoot

Immediate Thoughts: Sparkling, charming, and undeniably romantic.

Rating: 10/10

Publication Date: June 29, 2017

Title: Game On (Aces Hockey #8)

Author: Kelly Jamieson

Immediate Thoughts: Sporty, sexy, and sweet!

Rating: 9/10

Publication Date: January 15, 2019

Title: Chasing Forever (This Time Forever #3)

Author: Kelly Jensen

Immediate Thoughts: Intimate, sensuous, and timely!

Rating: 8/10

Publication Date: December 10, 2018

Title: The Military Wife (A Heart of a Hero #1)

Author: Laura Trentham

Immediate Thoughts: Absorbing, moving, and incredibly uplifting!

Rating: 9/10

Publication Date: February 5, 2019

What I’m Currently Reading:

Reminiscent of Martha Hall Kelly’s Lilac Girls and Kristin Hannah’s The Nightingale, this sweeping, entrancing story is a must-read for fans of remarkable women rising to challenges they could never have predicted.

It’s always been easier for Cara Hargraves to bury herself in the past than confront the present, which is why working with a gruff but brilliant antiques dealer is perfect. While clearing out an estate, she pries open an old tin that holds the relics of a lost relationship: among the treasures, a World War II-era diary and a photograph of a young woman in uniform. Eager to find the author of the hauntingly beautiful, unfinished diary, Cara digs into this soldier’s life, but soon realizes she may not have been ready for the stark reality of wartime London she finds within the pages.

In 1941, nineteen-year-old Louise Keene’s life had been decided for her—she’ll wait at home in her Cornish village until her wealthy suitor returns from war to ask for her hand. But when Louise unexpectedly meets Flight Lieutenant Paul Bolton, a dashing RAF pilot stationed at a local base, everything changes. And changes again when Paul’s unit is deployed without warning.

Desperate for a larger life, Louise joins the women’s branch of the British Army in the anti-aircraft gun unit as a Gunner Girl. As bombs fall on London, she and the other Gunner Girls relish in their duties to be exact in their calculations, and quick in their identification of enemy planes during air raids. The only thing that gets Louise through those dark, bullet-filled nights is knowing she and Paul will be together when the war is over. But when a bundle of her letters to him are returned unanswered, she learns that wartime romance can have a much darker side.

Illuminating the story of these two women separated by generations and experience, Julia Kelly transports us to World War II London in this heartbreakingly beautiful novel through forgotten antique treasures, remembered triumphs, and fierce family ties.

What I’m Reading Next:

Tortured and left for dead at sixteen, Evelyn Talbot turned her personal nightmare into her life’s work—studying the disturbing psychopathy of some of the world’s most vicious serial killers. Now a leading psychiatrist at Hanover House in a small Alaskan town, she tries to believe the past will never come back to haunt her—until a woman goes missing from a cabin nearby, and every clue points to the man who once brutalized her…

As her boyfriend, who is the area’s only police, begins to investigate—and finds not one but two bodies—Evelyn can’t forget that her would-be killer, Jasper Moore, was never caught. But there are no new faces in tiny Hilltop, no one who seems suspicious or potentially violent. In this twisted game of cat and mouse, Evelyn is certain of only one thing—Jasper must be hiding in plain sight. And if she can’t find him before he comes for her, she won’t be lucky enough to survive twice…

Have you read any of my upcoming reads? What do you have coming up? How are your stats?

Happy Reading!

22
Nov
2018

#BookBlitz The Attraction Equation by Kadie Scott @AOwenBooks @XpressoReads

categories: Book Blitz, Contemporary Romance, Noteworthy Book Releases

Title: The Attraction Equation

Author: Kadie Scott

Series: Love Undercover #2

Published by: Entangled: Lovestruck on Nov. 13, 2017

Genres: Contemporary Romance

Pages: 202

She’s the exception to his every rule…
FBI agent Max Carter lives his life by a strict set of rules—rules that don’t allow for distraction, deviation…or a relationship. But tell that to his matchmaking mama. To avoid yet another set-up, he announces he has a girlfriend. And now has to produce said girlfriend at Christmas dinner. Maybe Santa has a suitable actress in that red bag of his…
Gina Castillo is about to break her building’s iron-clad “no pets” policy to give her little brother the perfect Christmas gift—a dog. Too bad Max, the most inconveniently sexy tenant in the building, catches her red handed. Gina expects to be evicted, but instead finds herself blackmailed into playing the role of his girlfriend.
Two lies plus one dog should equal a hot mess of a holiday, but attraction and Christmas magic might just defy the rules…
Goodreads / Amazon / B&N / iBooks / Kobo / Google Play

EXCERPT:

But then…footsteps. Headed her way. She hopped away from the door and looked frantically around the room. Nope, still nowhere to hide.

Oh, God. I am so busted.

Only one day of breaking the building’s No Petsrule and now she was going to have to find her best friend another place to live.

Yep. I’m so totally screwed.

Her heart decided it wanted out of this hot mess and went for the escape hatch up her throat, but lodged there as the door opened.

Max stood there. Just Max.

They stared at each other for a long moment before she leaned to the side to peer around him. No Super lurking in the halls. No nosy neighbors. No animal control person threatening to take away the dog. They were alone.

“I took care of it,” he said.

Gina did her best to swallow her heart back into its rightful place in her chest as she stared at him. “What does that mean?”

His mouth tilted at one corner. “I didn’t dump their bodies in the river, if that’s what you’re thinking.”

Ha. Ha. Now the man was a comedian. She waited for a real answer.

Max shrugged. “I told them I tripped and fell, then I sent them on their way.”

The guy had been in the middle of yelling at her, or his silently fuming version of it. Why on earth would he cover for her?

For the second time that night, she got the distinct impression he was trying not to smile, despite how his expression didn’t change at all, other than a sardonically lifted eyebrow. Her expression must’ve reflected the combination of incredulity, relief, and suspicion that was going on inside her.

“You’re welcome, by the way,” he added.

Gina squeezed the dog close to her chest, stroking its soft fur for comfort. “Thank you,” she acknowledged belatedly.

“Your secret is safe with me…for now.”

Damn. She should’ve known her head was still on the chopping block. “What do you mean, for now?”

“I took care of it, but if you want me to keep taking care of it, I need something from you.”

Yup. Here came the axe. Gina edged away, nerves and disappointment both dogging her steps. Hottie McBlackmailer turned out to be a perv. She lifted her chin. “I’m not sleeping with you.”

Max crossed his arms, and she swallowed at the sight of defined muscles under the fine material of his shirt. “I don’t want sex.”

She stopped scooting back and eyed him, trying to determine how serious he was. “No?”

Max slammed her with a charming smile, one that softened the harsher lines of his face and had her stomach fluttering in response. However, like in the hall earlier, his blue-eyed gaze remained distant, and she didn’t quite trust that I-have-my-own-agendalight in his eyes.

“No,” he said. “I want you to pretend to be my girlfriend.”

About Kadie Scott

Award-winning contemporary romance author, Kadie Scott, grew up consuming books and exploring the world through her writing. She attempted to find a practical career related to her favorite pastime by earning a degree in English Rhetoric (Technical Writing). However, she swiftly discovered that writing without imagination is not nearly as fun as writing with it.

No matter the genre, she loves to write witty, feisty heroines, sexy heroes who deserve them, and a cast of lovable characters to surround them (and maybe get their own stories). She currently resides in Austin, Texas, with her own personal hero, her husband, and their two children, who are growing up way too fast.

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