#BookReview Family for Beginners by Sarah Morgan @SarahMorgan_ @HarlequinBooks #FamilyforBeginners #SarahMorgan #HarlequinPublicityTeam

#BookReview Family for Beginners by Sarah Morgan @SarahMorgan_ @HarlequinBooks #FamilyforBeginners #SarahMorgan #HarlequinPublicityTeam Title: Family for Beginners

Author: Sarah Morgan

Published by: HQN Books on Sep. 24, 2019

Genres: Contemporary Romance, Women's Fiction

Pages: 368

Format: Paperback

Source: Harlequin Books

Book Rating: 10/10

New York florist Flora Donovan is living the dream, but her bubbly optimism hides a secret. She’s lonely. Orphaned as a child, she’s never felt like she’s belonged anywhere…until she meets Jack Parker. He’s the first man to ever really see her, and it’s life changing.

Teenager Izzy Parker is holding it together by her fingertips. Since her mother passed away a year ago, looking after her dad and little sister is the only thing that makes Izzy feel safe. Discovering her father has a new girlfriend is her worst nightmare—she is not in the market for a replacement mom. Then her father invites Flora on their summer vacation…

Flora’s heart aches for Izzy, but she badly wants her relationship with Jack to work. As the summer unfolds, Flora must push her own boundaries to discover parts of herself she never knew existed—and to find the family she’s always wanted.


Review:

Poignant, sweet, and undeniably heartwarming!

Family for Beginners is an evocative, captivating tale that delves into the complex bonds and emotional ties between family members and immerses you in a tale about confronting the past, accepting the things you cannot change, following your heart, learning to trust, and embracing the future.

The prose is smooth and polished. The characters are lonely, sorrowful, and conflicted. And the story is an exceptionally absorbing tale about life, loss, love, grief, adultery, acceptance, forgiveness, familial drama, friendship, teenage angst, loneliness, communication, contentment and romance.

Overall, Family for Beginners is a beautiful mix of heart, happiness, and hope. And it’s no secret that Sarah Mogan is one of my favourite authors, and once again with this moving, emotive, affecting tale she didn’t disappoint.

This novel is available now.

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

            

 

 

 

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

 

About Sarah Morgan

USA Today bestselling author Sarah Morgan writes contemporary romance and her trademark humour and sensuality have gained her fans across the globe. She is a 3 time winner of the prestigious RITA® Award from the Romance Writers of America and has been nominated five times. Sarah lives near London, England, and when she isn’t reading or writing she loves being outdoors.

#BookReview The Friendship List by Susan Mallery @SusanMallery @HarlequinBooks #TheFriendshipList #SusanMallery #HarlequinPublicityTeam

#BookReview The Friendship List by Susan Mallery @SusanMallery @HarlequinBooks  #TheFriendshipList #SusanMallery #HarlequinPublicityTeam Title: The Friendship List

Author: Susan Mallery

Published by: HQN Books on Aug. 4, 2020

Genres: Contemporary Romance, Women's Fiction

Pages: 384

Format: Hardcover

Source: Harlequin Books

Book Rating: 10/10

[ ] Dance till dawn

[ ] Go skydiving

[ ] Wear a bikini in public

[ ] Start living

Two best friends jump-start their lives in a summer that will change them forever…

Single mom Ellen Fox couldn’t be more content—until she overhears her son saying he can’t go to his dream college because she needs him too much. If she wants him to live his best life, she has to convince him she’s living hers.

So Unity Leandre, her best friend since forever, creates a list of challenges to push Ellen out of her comfort zone. Unity will complete the list, too, but not because she needs to change. What’s wrong with a thirtysomething widow still sleeping in her late husband’s childhood bed?

The Friendship List begins as a way to make others believe they’re just fine. But somewhere between “wear three-inch heels” and “have sex with a gorgeous guy,” Ellen and Unity discover that life is meant to be lived with joy and abandon, in a story filled with humor, heartache and regrettable tattoos.


Review:

Absorbing, touching, and sweet!

The Friendship List is a heartwarming, engaging story set in the small-town of Willowbrook that takes you into the lives of Ellen, a single mother who has spent the last seventeen years taking care of her son and is finally ready to spend a little more time on herself, and Unity, a young widow still struggling with the loss of her husband and the all-consuming grief that is preventing her from moving on.

The writing style is witty and light. The characters are multilayered, quirky, and endearing. And the plot is a heartfelt, delightful mix of friendship, family, introspection, parenthood, sorrow, support, forgiveness, love, loss, drama, community, and new beginnings.

Overall, The Friendship List is a sophisticated, sensitive, romantic tale by Mallery that once again highlights her innate ability to delve into all the psychological and emotional dynamics between friends.

This book is available now.

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

            

 

 

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

 

About Susan Mallery

#1 New York Times bestselling author Susan Mallery writes heartwarming and humorous novels about the relationships that define women's lives—family, friendship, romance. She's best known for putting nuanced characters into emotionally complex, real-life situations with twists that surprise readers to laughter. Because Susan is passionate about animal welfare, pets play a big role in her books. Beloved by millions of readers worldwide, her books have been translated into 28 languages.

Susan lives in Washington state with her husband, two ragdoll cats, and a small poodle with delusions of grandeur.

Photo by Annie Brady

#BookReview Summer on Moonlight Bay by Hope Ramsay @HopeRamsay @readforeverpub @grandcentralpub #ReadForever #Forever20 #HopeRamsay

#BookReview Summer on Moonlight Bay by Hope Ramsay @HopeRamsay @readforeverpub @grandcentralpub #ReadForever #Forever20 #HopeRamsay Title: Summer on Moonlight Bay

Author: Hope Ramsay

Series: Moonlight Bay #2

Published by: Forever on Aug. 6, 2020

Genres: Contemporary Romance

Pages: 717

Format: Paperback

Source: Forever

Book Rating: 10/10

Only one thing can make veterinarian Noah Cuthbert return to Magnolia Harbor-his mother’s failing health. He’ll do anything to help his family, including taking a short-term gig at the local animal clinic. What he doesn’t count on is getting up-close-and-personal with the clinic’s new manager, a woman whose love and compassion for every stray that crosses her path has him rethinking his plans to head back to his big-city life…

After her time in the Navy, Lia wants nothing more than to settle down. The quaint seaside town is just what she’d been hoping for, and not just because her new boss is movie-star handsome. As they grow closer, Lia starts wondering if Noah could be the one. But when a town crisis forces Noah to take a stand that jeopardizes their new-found happiness, can Lia convince him that home doesn’t have to be a four-letter word?

Includes the bonus novel Then There Was You by Miranda Liasson!


Review:

Comforting, charming, and sweet!

Summer on Moonlight Bay is a heartwarming, engaging story that reminds us that sometimes it’s nice to make roots, settle down, and find a place to call home.

The writing is fluid and warm. The setting is the idyllic Magnolia Harbor, South Carolina with its quaint town and sandy beaches. The characters including the spirited, kindhearted Lia, the helpful, handsome Noah, and the adorably cute Prince are lovable, fun, and unique. And the plot is a lighthearted, uplifting journey about life, love, family, friendship, reconnecting with the past, healing, self-discovery, and happiness.

Overall, Summer on Moonlight Bay is a delightfully clever, amusing tale by Ramsay with a splendid cast of characters, beautiful locale, delicious romance, and a dab of drama that makes it the perfect pick for any sunny day.

This book is available now.

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

            

 

 

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

 

About Hope Ramsay

Hope Ramsay is a USA Today bestselling author of heartwarming contemporary romances set below the Mason-Dixon Line. Her children are grown, but she has a couple of fur babies who keep her entertained. Pete the cat, named after the cat in the children’s books, thinks he’s a dog, and Daisy the dog thinks Pete is her best friend except when he decides her wagging tail is a cat toy. Hope lives in the medium-sized town of Fredericksburg, Virginia, and when she’s not writing or walking the dog, she spends her time knitting and noodling around on her collection of guitars.

#BookReview Man Down (Rookie Rebels #3) by Kate Meader @KittyMeader #ManDown #RookieRebels

#BookReview Man Down (Rookie Rebels #3) by Kate Meader @KittyMeader #ManDown #RookieRebels Title: Man Down

Author: Kate Meader

Series: Rookie Rebels #3

Published by: Kate Meader LLC on Jul. 28, 2020

Genres: Contemporary Romance

Pages: 335

Format: eBook, ARC

Source: Kate Meader

Book Rating: 10/10

I’ve been texting the wife I lost, the woman I loved beyond measure … Now someone else has answered back.

Gunnar Bond is broken.

Three years ago, he lived through the car crash that took his wife and twins away from him—though “lived” barely describes his current state. Giving up professional hockey, going off grid, and drinking himself into oblivion are his coping mechanisms. Another is texting his dead wife about his days without her. Therapeutic? Doubtful. Crazy? Definitely. But those messages into the ether are virtually the only thing stopping him from spiraling to even darker places.

Until someone texts back …

Sadie Yates is losing it.

Suddenly guardian to a little sister she doesn’t know and a misbehaving hound she’d rather not know at all, she’s had to upend her (sort of) glamorous life in LA and move back to Chicago. The nanny has quit, the money’s running out, and her job is on the line. The last thing she needs is her sister’s hockey camp counselor, a judgmental Viking type, telling her she sucks at this parenting lark. Thank the goddess for her sweet, sensitive, and—fingers crossed—sexy text buddy who always knows the right thing to say. In the same city at last, they can finally see if their online chemistry is mirrored in real life. She just needs to set up a meeting …

A ruined man who claims to have used up all his love is surely a bad bet, but Sadie’s never been afraid of a challenge … even one that might shatter her heart into a million pieces.


Review:

Charming, sassy, and heartfelt!

Man Down, the latest novel in the Rookie Rebels series, is a slightly more emotive tale about the grieving, shattered Gunnar, who’s still struggling to come to grips with the loss of his entire family three years prior and whose only solace is the texts he receives back from a stranger with his wife’s old cell number, and the feisty yet frazzled Sadie, who may finally meet the man behind the phone who has been the one glimmer in her chaotic, everyday life.

The writing is sincere and seamless. The characters are patient, wary, and supportive. And the plot is a delightful mix of life, love, friendship, family, self-discovery, grief, attraction, tender moments, awkward situations, forgiveness, misunderstandings, and steamy romance.

What more can I say, once again with Man Down, Meader has proven that she is not only one of the best writers of contemporary romance stories that are witty, light, and bursting with sexual tension, but also emotionally compelling ones too.

This book is available now.

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

          

 

 

Thank you to Kate Meader for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Kate Meader

Originally from Ireland, Kate Meader cut her romance reader teeth on Maeve Binchy and Jilly Cooper novels, with some Harlequins thrown in for variety. Give her tales about brooding mill owners, oversexed equestrians, and men who can rock an apron, a fire hose, or a hockey stick, and she's there. Now based in Chicago, she writes sexy contemporary romance with alpha heroes and strong heroines (and heroes) who can match their men quip for quip.

#BookReview What You Wish For by Katherine Center @katherinecenter @StMartinsPress #WhatYouWishFor

#BookReview What You Wish For by Katherine Center @katherinecenter @StMartinsPress #WhatYouWishFor Title: What You Wish For

Author: Katherine Center

Published by: St. Martin's Press on Jul. 14, 2020

Genres: Women's Fiction, Contemporary Romance

Pages: 320

Format: Paperback, ARC

Source: St. Martin's Press

Book Rating: 10/10

From Katherine Center, the New York Times bestselling author of How to Walk Away comes a stunning new novel full of heart and hope.

Samantha Casey loves everything about her job as an elementary school librarian on the sunny, historic island of Galveston, Texas—the goofy kids, the stately Victorian building, the butterfly garden. But when the school suddenly loses its beloved principal, it turns out his replacement will be none other than Duncan Carpenter—a former, unrequited crush of Sam’s from many years before.

When Duncan shows up as her new boss, though, he’s nothing like the sweet teacher she once swooned over. He’s become stiff, and humorless, and obsessed with school safety. Now, with Duncan determined to destroy everything Sam loves about her school in the name of security—and turn it into nothing short of a prison—Sam has to stand up for everyone she cares about before the school that’s become her home is gone for good.


Review:

Inspirational, romantic, and incredibly absorbing!

What You Wish For is a moving, intimate tale that sweeps you away to Galveston, Texas and into the life of Samantha Casey, a young, school librarian who after finally finding her groove, confidence, and a place to call home has her life unexpectedly turned upside down when her former colleague and old crush, Duncan Carpenter moves to town and takes over as the new school principal with an obsessive focus on safety and security and none of the joviality he was previously known for.

The writing is tender and fluid. The characterization is well-developed with a wonderful cast of characters that are kind, caring, eccentric, and endearing. And the plot is a lovely blend of heart, hope, angst, and drama.

What You Wish For is, ultimately, a story about life, love, expectations, loss, trauma, grief, trust, forgiveness, friendship, community, second chances, and discovering one’s true self. It is a whimsical, addictive, immersive read by Center that does an exceptional job of highlighting the importance of always finding a little joy in everything you do and is a wonderful reminder that there’s no perfection in humanity, we are all wonderfully flawed.

This novel is available now.

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

            

 

 

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

 

About Katherine Center

Katherine Center is the author of several novels about love and family: The Bright Side of Disaster, Everyone Is Beautiful, Get Lucky, and The Lost Husband. Her books and essays have appeared in Redbook, People, USA Today, Vanity Fair, and Real Simple—as well as the anthologies Because I Love Her, CRUSH, and My Parents Were Awesome. Katherine is a graduate of Vassar College and the University of Houston's Creative Writing Program. She lives in Houston with her husband and two sweet children.

Photo by Skylar Reeves.

#BookReview Boyfriend Material by Alexis Hall @quicunquevult @SourcebooksCasa #BoyfriendMaterial

#BookReview Boyfriend Material by Alexis Hall @quicunquevult @SourcebooksCasa #BoyfriendMaterial Title: Boyfriend Material

Author: Alexis Hall

Series: London Calling #1

Published by: Sourcebooks Casablanca on Jul. 7, 2020

Genres: Contemporary Romance, LGBTQIA

Pages: 432

Format: Paperback

Source: Sourcebooks Casablanca

Book Rating: 10/10

Wanted:
One (fake) boyfriend
Practically perfect in every way

Luc O’Donnell is tangentially–and reluctantly–famous. His rock star parents split when he was young, and the father he’s never met spent the next twenty years cruising in and out of rehab. Now that his dad’s making a comeback, Luc’s back in the public eye, and one compromising photo is enough to ruin everything.

To clean up his image, Luc has to find a nice, normal relationship…and Oliver Blackwood is as nice and normal as they come. He’s a barrister, an ethical vegetarian, and he’s never inspired a moment of scandal in his life. In other words: perfect boyfriend material. Unfortunately, apart from being gay, single, and really, really in need of a date for a big event, Luc and Oliver have nothing in common. So they strike a deal to be publicity-friendly (fake) boyfriends until the dust has settled. Then they can go their separate ways and pretend it never happened.

But the thing about fake-dating is that it can feel a lot like real-dating. And that’s when you get used to someone. Start falling for them. Don’t ever want to let them go.


Review:

Witty, optimistic, and sweetly romantic!

Boyfriend Material is a sassy, vivacious, delightful tale featuring the affable, fun-loving Luc and the intense, thoughtful Oliver as they discover that there may be more to their relationship than just convenience, pretend feelings, and fake dating.

The writing is humorous and sharp. The characters are charismatic, dependable, and engaging. And the plot is an irresistible blend of tension, humour, sexual innuendoes, sizzling chemistry, flirty banter, familial drama, friendship, awkward mishaps, tender moments, introspection, and tricky situations.

Overall, Boyfriend Material is an amusing, cheeky, brilliant tale by Hall that had everything I look for in a lighthearted rom-com and more. I loved the characters, I loved the storyline, and I loved the happy-ever-after ending. It is without a doubt one of my favourite reads of the year and is definitely the must-read novel for summer 2020. Red, White, and Royal Blue was the must-read novel of 2019 and dare I say it, I think I liked this one even more!

This book is available now.

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

               

 

 

Thank you to Sourcebooks Casablanca for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Alexis Hall

Alexis Hall lives in a crumbling gothic manor that he inherited in mysterious circumstances. He is a genial host provided you swear that you will under no circumstances venture into the west wing.

#BookReview 28 Summers by Elin Hilderbrand @elinhilderbrand @littlebrown @HBGCanada #28Summers

#BookReview 28 Summers by Elin Hilderbrand @elinhilderbrand @littlebrown @HBGCanada #28Summers Title: 28 Summers

Author: Elin Hilderbrand

Published by: Little Brown and Company on Jun. 16, 2020

Genres: General Fiction, Women's Fiction

Pages: 432

Format: Paperback, ARC

Source: HBG Canada

Book Rating: 10/10

By the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Summer of ’69: Their secret love affair has lasted for decades — but this could be the summer that changes everything.

When Mallory Blessing’s son, Link, receives deathbed instructions from his mother to call a number on a slip of paper in her desk drawer, he’s not sure what to expect. But he certainly does not expect Jake McCloud to answer. It’s the late spring of 2020 and Jake’s wife, Ursula DeGournsey, is the frontrunner in the upcoming Presidential election.

There must be a mistake, Link thinks. How do Mallory and Jake know each other?

Flash back to the sweet summer of 1993: Mallory has just inherited a beachfront cottage on Nantucket from her aunt, and she agrees to host her brother’s bachelor party. Cooper’s friend from college, Jake McCloud, attends, and Jake and Mallory form a bond that will persevere — through marriage, children, and Ursula’s stratospheric political rise — until Mallory learns she’s dying.

Based on the classic film Same Time Next Year (which Mallory and Jake watch every summer), 28 Summers explores the agony and romance of a one-weekend-per-year affair and the dramatic ways this relationship complicates and enriches their lives, and the lives of the people they love.


Review:

Poignant, pensive, and nostalgic!

28 Summers is a lush, intimate tale that sweeps you away to the shores of Nantucket island and into the life of Mallory Blessing, a young woman who after inheriting a cottage from her late aunt and falling in love with her brother’s best friend from college in 1993 spends the next twenty-seven years fondly anticipating and savouring the last weekend of summer when she gets to spend three days of joy and pleasure with the one man who will always own her heart.

The writing is rich and emotive. The characterization is spot on with a cast of characters that are multilayered, genuine, and humanly flawed. And the compelling plot is a delightfully clever blend of moral dilemmas, family drama, relationship dynamics, and lighthearted beach read.

Overall, 28 Summers is another immersive, touching, astute tale by Hilderbrand that highlights once again her innate ability to delve into all the messy emotional and psychological entanglements that exist between family members, friends, and lovers, and proves why year-after-year she’s the queen of the must-read novel of the summer.

This novel is available now.

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

            

 

 

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

 

About Elin Hilderbrand

Elin Hilderbrand is a mother of three, an avid runner, reader, and traveler, and the author of twenty-three novels. She grew up outside Philadelphia, and has lived on Nantucket for more than twenty years.

#BookReview Rage & Ruin (The Harbinger #2) by Jennifer L. Armentrout @JLArmentrout @InkyardPress @HarlequinBooks @Bookclubbish #HarlequinPublicityTeam #TheHarbingerSeries #JenniferLArmentrout

#BookReview Rage & Ruin (The Harbinger #2) by Jennifer L. Armentrout @JLArmentrout @InkyardPress @HarlequinBooks @Bookclubbish #HarlequinPublicityTeam #TheHarbingerSeries #JenniferLArmentrout Title: Rage and Ruin

Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout

Series: The Harbinger #2

Published by: Inkyard Press on Jun. 9, 2020

Genres: Paranormal Romance, Young Adult, Fantasy

Pages: 576

Format: Hardcover

Source: Harlequin Books

Book Rating: 10/10

Half-angel Trinity and her bonded gargoyle protector, Zayne, have been working with demons to stop the apocalypse while avoiding falling in love. The Harbinger is coming…but who or what is it? All of humankind may fall if Trinity and Zayne can’t win the race against time as dark forces gather.

As tensions rise, they must stay close together and patrol the DC streets at night, seeking signs of the Harbinger, an entity that is killing Wardens and demons with no seeming rhyme or reason. Forbidden to be with each other, Zayne and Trinity fight their feelings and turn to unusual sources for help—the demon Roth and his cohorts. But as deaths pile up and they uncover a sinister plot involving the local high school and endangering someone dear to Zayne, Trin realizes she is being led…herded…played for some unknown end. As anger builds and feelings spiral out of control, it becomes clear that rage may be the ruin of them all.


Review:

Fierce, gripping, and action-packed!

Rage and Ruin is a suspenseful, thrilling tale that picks up right where Storm and Fury left off taking us back into the lives of trueborn Trinity and her protector Zayne as they adapt to their newly formed bond, resist the evergrowing attraction building between them, and hunt down the ever-elusive Harbinger that is increasingly leaving a trail of death and destruction in its wake.

The prose is seductive and intense. The characters are complex, fiery, and stubborn. And the plot is a creative, riveting tale of twists, turns, passion, angst, wrath, loyalty, heartbreak, duty, sizzling tension, violence, humour, forbidden romance, and supernatural abilities.

Overall, Rage and Ruin is another epic tale by Armentrout that features lots of bloody battles, determination, grit, sexual chemistry, heat, adventure, angels, demons, spirits, and fantastical elements. It keeps you invested, engaged, and on the edge of your seat from the very first page, and with its shocking, cliffhanger ending will undoubtedly leave you counting down the days until the third and final novel in this trilogy becomes available, and the battle between good and evil finally comes to a head.

 

This book is available now.

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

          

 

 

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

 

About Jennifer L. Armentrout

# 1 New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author Jennifer L. Armentrout lives in Martinsburg, West Virginia with her husband and her Jack Russell, Loki. Jennifer writes young adult paranormal, science fiction, fantasy, and contemporary romance. She also writes adult and New Adult romance under the name J. Lynn.

Photography courtesy of Author's Goodreads Page.

#BlogTour #BookReview Taking His Shot (Hot Jocks #7) by Kendall Ryan @KendallRyan1 #hotjocks

#BlogTour #BookReview Taking His Shot (Hot Jocks #7) by Kendall Ryan @KendallRyan1 #hotjocks

#BlogTour #BookReview Taking His Shot (Hot Jocks #7) by Kendall Ryan @KendallRyan1 #hotjocks Title: Taking His Shot

Author: Kendall Ryan

Series: Hot Jocks #7

Published by: Dream Press on Jun. 9, 2020

Genres: Contemporary Romance

Pages: 302

Format: eBook, ARC

Source: Kendall Ryan

Book Rating: 10/10

She says she doesn’t date players.

She swears up and down that she’ll never handle my stick.

We’ll see about that, sweetheart.

When I win the pleasure of Harper’s company at a charity auction, I get exactly one date—one shot to win over the gorgeous and feisty brunette.

Game on. I play hard, and I love a challenge.

But just when I think I’ve finally carved out my shot . . . a huge secret implodes around us, threatening everything we’ve built.


Review:

Sporty, sexy, and satisfying!

Taking His Shot is a passionate, sweet RomCom about the intelligent, feisty Harper who knows she needs more of a social life but is adamant she won’t date hockey players and the dreamy, hunky Jordan who’s finally ready for a little more than just casual hookups and is willing to work as hard as necessary to make it happen.

The writing is light and crisp. The characters are charismatic, kind, and fun-loving. And the plot is the perfect blend of drama, emotion, humour, heat, witty banter, chemistry, friendship, romance, and hockey.

Overall, Taking His Shot is the seventh and final novel in the Hot Jocks series, and even though it’s a little bittersweet to say goodbye to the characters we’ve come to know and love from the previous novels, it is nevertheless a fabulous ending, perhaps my favourite of them all, to a superb series that I am definitely going to miss.

This book is available now.

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

           

 

 

Thank you to Kendall Ryan for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Kendall Ryan

A New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author of more than two dozen titles, Kendall Ryan has sold over 1.5 million books and her books have been translated into several languages in countries around the world. She’s a traditionally published author with Simon & Schuster and Harper Collins UK, as well as an independently published author. Since she first began self-publishing in 2012, she’s appeared at #1 on Barnes & Noble and iBooks charts around the world. Her books have also appeared on the New York Times and USA Today bestseller lists more than three dozen times. Ryan has been featured in such publications as USA Today, Newsweek, and InTouch Magazine.

 

 

#BookReview The Mobster’s Lament by Ray Celestin @PGCBooks @MantleBooks #TheMobstersLament

#BookReview The Mobster’s Lament by Ray Celestin @PGCBooks @MantleBooks #TheMobstersLament Title: The Mobster's Lament

Author: Ray Celestin

Series: City Blues Quartet #3

Published by: Pan Macmillan on Jun. 1, 2020

Genres: Mystery/Thriller

Pages: 576

Format: Paperback

Source: Publishers Group Canada

Book Rating: 10/10

Award-winning author Ray Celestin’s The Mobster’s Lament is both a gripping crime novel and a vivid, panoramic portrait of 1940s New York as the mob rises to the height of its powers.

From the acclaimed author of The Axeman’s Jazz and Dead Man’s Blues, Ray Celestin’s gripping third book follows a gangster’s last chance to escape the clutches of New York’s mafia families, but as a blizzard descends on NYC, a ruthless serial killer is tracking his every move.

New York, 1947. Mob fixer Gabriel Leveson’s plans to flee the city are put on hold when he is tasked with tracking down stolen mob money by ‘the boss of all bosses,’ Frank Costello. But while he’s busy looking, he doesn’t notice who’s watching him.

Meanwhile, Private Investigator Ida Young and her old partner, Michael Talbot, must prove the innocence of Talbot’s son Tom, who has been accused of the brutal murders of four people in a Harlem flophouse. With all the evidence pointing towards him, their only chance of exoneration is to find the killer themselves.

Whilst across town, Ida’s childhood friend, Louis Armstrong, is on the brink of bankruptcy, when a promoter approaches him with a strange offer to reignite his career.

Both a gripping neo-noir crime novel and a vivid, panoramic portrait of New York, The Mobster’s Lament takes you to the heart of a city where the Mob has risen to the height of its powers.


Review:

Gritty, atmospheric, and action-packed!

The Mobster’s Lament is a pacey, enthralling thriller set in New York City in the late 1940s when America was still recovering from war, politicians were as dirty as they come, Italian gangsters were running the streets, the Copacabana nightclub was the place to see and be seen, and Jazz was still dominating the airwaves.

The prose is crisp and clear. The characters are focused, driven, and multilayered. And the plot is a fast-paced, riveting tale full of twists, turns, action, intrigue, power, corruption, deduction, duplicity, violence, and murder.

Overall, The Mobster’s Lament is another sinister, compelling, exceptionally absorbing, gangster tale by Celestin that does a fantastic job of blending real-life historical figures, insightful information, and gripping fiction into an unputdownable story.

This book is available now.

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

                 

 

 

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

 

About Ray Celestin

Ray Celestin is a novelist and screenwriter based in London. His debut novel, The Axeman’s Jazz, won the CWA New Blood Dagger for best debut crime novel of the year, and was featured on numerous ‘Books of the Year’ lists. His follow-up, Dead Man’s Blues, won the Historia Historical Thriller of the Year Award, and was shortlisted for a number of other awards, including the CWA Gold Dagger for best crime novel of the year. The novels are part of a series – ‘The City Blues Quartet’ – which charts the twin histories of jazz and the mob through the middle 50 years of the twentieth century. The Mobster’s Lament is the third instalment in this series.