Category: 8.5/10

#BookReview The Favor by Nora Murphy @MinotaurBooks @StMartinsPress #TheFavorBook #MinotaurBooks #NoraMurphyBooks #FavorForAFriend #MinotaurInfluencers #SMPInfluencers

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#BookReview The Favor by Nora Murphy @MinotaurBooks @StMartinsPress #TheFavorBook #MinotaurBooks #NoraMurphyBooks #FavorForAFriend #MinotaurInfluencers #SMPInfluencers Title: The Favor

Author: Nora Murphy

Published by: Minotaur Books on May 31, 2022

Genres: Mystery/Thriller

Pages: 288

Format: ARC, Paperback

Source: Minotaur Books

Book Rating: 8.5/10

Staying is dangerous. Leaving could be worse.

Leah and McKenna have never met, though they have parallel lives.

They don’t—ever—find themselves in the same train carriage or meet accidentally at the gym or the coffee shop. They don’t—ever—discuss their problems and find common ground. They don’t—ever—acknowledge to each other that although their lives have all the trappings of success, wealth and happiness, they are, in fact, trapped.

Because Leah understands that what’s inside a home can be more dangerous than what’s outside. Driving past McKenna’s house one night, she sees what she knows only too well herself from her own marriage: McKenna’s “perfect” husband is not what he seems. She decides to keep an eye out for McKenna, until one night, she intervenes.

Leah and McKenna have never met. But they will.

Review:

Devious, alluring, and intense!

The Favor is a riveting, character-driven thriller that immerses you into the lives of two strangers, Leah and McKenna, as their eerily similar worlds intersect, unravel, and collide while anxiously surviving day-by-day dangerous, controlling, troubling marriages.

The writing is brisk and precise. The characters are complex, troubled, and resolved. And the plot unravels quickly into an unnerving tale of secrets, power, control, deception, jealousy, obsession, domestic abuse, unlikely friendships, and murder.

Overall, The Favor is an addictive, twisty, brilliant debut by Murphy that delves into all the emotional and psychological damage caused by domestic abuse and highlights just how easily intimidation, manipulation, and dominance can often be masked as love.

 

This novel is available May 31, 2022.

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

            

 

 

 

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

 

About Nora Murphy

NORA MURPHY attended law school in Washington, D.C., then worked as a judicial law clerk before transitioning to private practice. During law school, she participated in two clinics through which she represented and studied the issues facing survivors of intimate partner violence. A practicing attorney, Nora writes as much as she can, usually long before the sunrise or on her phone for brief moments when the inspiration strikes. Nora resides in Maryland with her husband, young son, and five rescue pets. When she’s not working, writing, or chasing her toddler, Nora can be found contemplating her next ice cream run or reading. The Favor is her first novel.

Photo by Crystal Tseng Photography.

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#BookReview Sinkhole by Davida G. Breier @leekinginc @KayePublicity @unopress #Sinkhole #DavidaGBreier #KayePublicity

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#BookReview Sinkhole by Davida G. Breier @leekinginc @KayePublicity @unopress #Sinkhole #DavidaGBreier #KayePublicity Title: Sinkhole

Author: Davida G. Breier

Published by: University of New Orleans Press on May 26, 2022

Genres: Mystery/Thriller

Pages: 263

Format: ARC, Paperback

Source: Kaye Publicity

Book Rating: 8.5/10

Boiled peanuts, lovebugs, and murder.

Lies from the past and a dangerous present collide when, after fifteen years in exile, Michelle Miller returns to her tiny hometown of Lorida, Florida. With her mother in the hospital, she’s forced to reckon with the broken relationships she left behind: with her family, with friends, and with herself.

As a teenager, Michelle felt isolated and invisible until she met Sissy, a dynamic and wealthy classmate. Their sudden, intense friendship was all-consuming. Punk rocker Morrison later joins their clique, and they become an inseparable trio. They were the perfect high school friends, bound by dysfunction, bad TV, and boredom—until one of them ends up dead.

Confronting the death of her best friend requires Michelle to face her past if she is going to survive. But what if everything she remembers is a lie? Or just as dangerous: What if it isn’t?

An ingenious debut from editor and publisher Davida Breier, Sinkhole is a mesmerizing, darkly comic coming-of-age thriller immersed in 1980s central Florida. A disturbing and skillful exploration of home, friendship, selfhood, and grief set amidst golf courses, mobile homes, and alligators.

Review:

Raw, sinister, and consuming!

Sinkhole is a simmering, character-driven novel that transports you into the life of Michelle Miller who, after fifteen years away, reluctantly heads home to Lorida, Florida, knowing that the past will inevitably collide with the present, long-buried secrets will undoubtedly be unearthed, and a life littered with dysfunction, lies and insecurities will finally be confronted.

The writing is emotive and tight. The characters are flawed, vulnerable, and conflicted. And the plot is an immersive, coming-of-age tale about life, loss, deception, desperation, friendship, familial drama, manipulation, jealousy, obsession, cruelty, callousness, social inequality, and emerging sexuality.

Overall, Sinkhole is an astute, tragic, gritty tale by Breier that does a remarkable job of delving into the complex dynamics between friends and family and highlights just how parasitic and toxic some of those relationships can truly be.

 

This novel is available now.

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

           

 

 

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

 

About Davida G. Breier

Davida G. Breier was born in Miami, FL and spent her formative years in Florida, rural Minnesota, urban New Jersey, and suburban Pennsylvania. She’s worked as a youth sports photographer, TV extra, substitute teacher, jewelry maker, bookseller, and ATM cleaner. Davida discovered the world of zines and independent publishing in 1994 and Baltimore’s City Paper awarded her with “Best Local Zinester” in 2000 and “Best Zine” in 2003. She won the Literary Death Match, Baltimore 3.0 event in 2011. She’s spent the last two decades in various roles within the book industry and currently works for Johns Hopkins University Press. Davida lives in Maryland with her family, a pack of wee rescue dogs, a rescue tortoise, and two companion chickens.

Photo by Richard Montgomery.

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#BookReview The Woman in the Library by Sulari Gentill @PPPress #TheWomanintheLibrary #SulariGentill #inkedinpoison

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#BookReview The Woman in the Library by Sulari Gentill @PPPress #TheWomanintheLibrary #SulariGentill #inkedinpoison Title: The Woman in the Library

Author: Sulari Gentill

Published by: Poisoned Pen Press on Jun. 7, 2022

Genres: Mystery/Thriller

Pages: 288

Format: ARC, Paperback

Source: Poisoned Pen Press

Book Rating: 8.5/10

In every person’s story, there is something to hide…

The ornate reading room at the Boston Public Library is quiet, until the tranquility is shattered by a woman’s terrified scream. Security guards take charge immediately, instructing everyone inside to stay put until the threat is identified and contained. While they wait for the all-clear, four strangers sitting at the same table, pass the time in conversation and friendships are struck. Each has his or her own reasons for being in the reading room that morning—it just happens that one is a murderer.

Award-winning author Sulari Gentill delivers a sharply thrilling read with THE WOMAN IN THE LIBRARY, an unexpectedly twisty literary adventure that examines the complicated nature of friendship and shows us that words can be the most treacherous weapons of all.

Review:

Devious, intense, and full of surprises!

The Woman in the Library is an intricate, twisty, complex thriller featuring Hannah, a successful writer who is writing her latest mystery about four strangers, Freddie, Cain, Whit, and Marigold, who accidentally meet one day as they all share a table in the Boston Public Library and after they hear a woman scream subsequently work together to not only identify who the slain woman was but who out of the four of them, as impossible as it may seem, actually murdered her.

The prose is complex and tight. The characters are multilayered, secretive, and consumed. And the plot builds nicely to create just the right amount of tension and suspense as it unravels all the different personalities, questionable motivations, duplicitous actions, and relationships within it.

Overall, The Woman in the Library is a compelling, sly, creative tale by Gentill that, with its story within a story, is a clever, unique, addictive whodunit that certainly kept me guessing from start to finish.

 

This book is available June 7, 2022.

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

            

 

 

Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Sulari Gentill

Once upon a time, Sulari Gentill was a corporate lawyer serving as a director on public boards, with only a vague disquiet that there was something else she was meant to do. That feeling did not go away until she began to write. And so Sulari became the author of the Rowland Sinclair Mysteries: thus far, ten historical crime novels chronicling the life and adventures of her 1930s Australian gentleman artist, the Hero Trilogy, based on the myths and epics of the ancient world, and the Ned Kelly Award winning Crossing the Lines (published in the US as After She Wrote Hime). In 2014 she collaborated with National Gallery of Victoria to write a short story which was produced in audio to feature in the Fashion Detective Exhibition, and thereafter published by the NGV. IN 2019 Sulari was part of a 4-member delegation of Australian crime writers sponsored by the Australia Council to tour the US as ambassadors of Australian Crime Writing.

Sulari lives with her husband, Michael, and their boys, Edmund and Atticus, on a small farm in Batlow where she grows French Black Truffles and refers to her writing as “work” so that no one will suggest she get a real job.

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#BookReview The Night Shift by Alex Finlay @MinotaurBooks @StMartinsPress #TheNightShift #AlexFinlay #MinotaurInfluencers #SMPInfluencers

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#BookReview The Night Shift by Alex Finlay @MinotaurBooks @StMartinsPress #TheNightShift #AlexFinlay #MinotaurInfluencers #SMPInfluencers Title: The Night Shift

Author: Alex Finlay

Published by: Minotaur Books on Mar. 1, 2022

Genres: Mystery/Thriller

Pages: 368

Format: Hardcover

Source: Minotaur Books

Book Rating: 8.5/10

It’s New Year’s Eve 1999. Y2K is expected to end in chaos: planes falling from the sky, elevators plunging to earth, world markets collapsing. A digital apocalypse. None of that happens. But at a Blockbuster Video in Linden, New Jersey, four teenage girls working the night shift are attacked. Only one survives. Police quickly identify a suspect who flees and is never seen again.

Fifteen years later, in the same town, four teenage employees working late at an ice cream store are attacked, and again only one makes it out alive.

Both surviving victims recall the killer speaking only a few final words… “Goodnight, pretty girl.”

In the aftermath, three lives intersect: the survivor of the Blockbuster massacre who’s forced to relive her tragedy; the brother of the original suspect, who’s convinced the police have it wrong; and the FBI agent, who’s determined to solve both cases. On a collision course toward the truth, all three lives will forever be changed, and not everyone will make it out alive.

Review:

Devious, sinister, and propulsive!

In this latest novel by Finlay, The Night Shift, he transports you to Linden, New Jersey, a small town where tragedy seems to strike, secrets and gossip are rampant, and a mass murder of multiple teens at a local ice cream shop that is eerily similar to an unsolved crime that happened at the Blockbuster fifteen-years before on New Year’s Eve triggers strong emotions, tragic memories, and finally uncovers more suspects and skeletons buried within the community than anyone could have imagined.

The writing is intricate and tight. The characters are tormented, complex, and secretive. And the plot told from multiple perspectives keeps you on the edge of your seat as it submerges you into a menacing tale full of twists, turns, secrets, deception, manipulation, deduction, deviance, mayhem, violence, and murder.

Overall, The Night Shift is another adrenaline-pumping, twisty, highly satisfying page-turner that had just the right amount of suspense, tension, and nostalgia to keep me engaged, invested, and guessing until the very last page.

 

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 – Minotaur Books for gifting me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Alex Finlay

ALEX FINLAY is the pseudonym of an author who lives in Washington, D.C. His 2021 breakout thriller, Every Last Fear, was an Indie Next pick, a LibraryReads selection, an Amazon Editor’s Best Thriller, as well as a CNN, Newsweek, E!, BuzzFeed, Business Week, Goodreads, Parade, PopSugar, and Reader’s Digest best or most anticipated thriller of the year. Alex’s work has been translated into more than a dozen languages and optioned for film and television.

Photo by Kristina Sherk.

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#BookReview Truly, Madly by Stephen Galloway @GrandCentralPub #TrulyMadly #StephenGalloway #GrandCentralPub

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#BookReview Truly, Madly by Stephen Galloway @GrandCentralPub #TrulyMadly #StephenGalloway #GrandCentralPub Title: Truly, Madly

Author: Stephen Galloway

Published by: Grand Central Publishing on Mar. 22, 2022

Genres: Nonfiction

Pages: 416

Format: Hardcover

Source: Grand Central Publishing

Book Rating: 8.5/10

In 1934, a friend brought fledgling actress Vivien Leigh to see Theatre Royal, where she would first lay eyes on Laurence Olivier in his brilliant performance as Anthony Cavendish. That night, she confided to a friend, he was the man she was going to marry. There was just one problem: she was already married—and so was he.

TRULY, MADLY is the biography of a marriage, a love affair that still captivates millions, even decades after both actors’ deaths. Vivien and Larry were two of the first truly global celebrities – their fame fueled by the explosive growth of tabloids and television, which helped and hurt them in equal measure. They seemed to have it all and yet, in their own minds, they were doomed, blighted by her long-undiagnosed mental-illness, which transformed their relationship from the stuff of dreams into a living nightmare.

Through new research, including exclusive access to previously unpublished correspondence and interviews with their friends and family, author Stephen Galloway takes readers on a bewitching journey. He brilliantly studies their tempestuous liaison, one that took place against the backdrop of two world wars, the Golden Age of Hollywood and the upheavals of the 1960s — as they struggled with love, loss and the ultimate agony of their parting.  

Review:

Scandalous, informative, and dramatic!

Truly, Madly is the intriguing, candid biography of two of the most famous actors of the 20th century, Vivien Leigh and Laurence Olivier, and their volatile relationship that started in 1937 with a whirlwind love affair and ended all too suddenly in tragic heartbreak.

The writing is expressive and smooth. The characters are talented, tormented, and driven. And the novel is a poignant tale of one couple’s personal and professional successes and heartaches both on and off the screen, including a marriage grounded in love yet littered with insecurity, jealousy, depression, miscarriages, mental illness, and infidelity.

Overall, Truly, Madly is a captivating, descriptive, sobering tale by Galloway that highlights that loving someone means loving them in the good, the bad, and the ugly, and is an important reminder of just how unfortunate and detrimental our lack of knowledge and treatment of mental illness in the last century truly was.

 

This book is available now.

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

                

 

 

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

 

About Stephen Galloway

Stephen Galloway is the dean of Chapman University's Dodge College of Film and Media Arts. Prior to joining Chapman in 2020, he was for many years the executive editor of The Hollywood Reporter.

Goodreads

#BookReview Never a Duke (Rogues to Riches #7) by Grace Burrowes @GraceBurrowes @readforeverpub @grandcentralpub #ReadForever #ReadForeverPub #ReadForever2022 #NeveraDuke #GraceBurrowes #RoguestoRichesSeries

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#BookReview Never a Duke (Rogues to Riches #7) by Grace Burrowes @GraceBurrowes @readforeverpub @grandcentralpub #ReadForever #ReadForeverPub #ReadForever2022 #NeveraDuke #GraceBurrowes #RoguestoRichesSeries Title: Never a Duke

Author: Grace Burrowes

Series: Rogues to Riches #7

Published by: Forever on Apr. 26, 2022

Genres: Historical Romance

Pages: 383

Format: Paperback

Source: Forever

Book Rating: 8.5/10

Despite having humble origins and a criminal past, Ned Wentworth has learned to dress, waltz, and express himself as elegantly as any lordling. When Lady Rosalind Kinwood’s maid goes missing, her ladyship turns to Ned, precisely because he still has friends in low places and skills no titled dandy would ever acquire, much less admit he possesses.

Rosalind is too opinionated and too intelligent, and has frequently suffered judgment at polite society’s hands. In the quietly observant Ned Wentworth, she finds a man who actually listens to her and who respects her for her outspokenness. As the search for the missing maids grow more perilous, Rosalind and Ned will have to risk everything—including their hearts—if they are to share the happily ever after that Mayfair’s matchmakers have begrudged them both.

Review:

Enticing, adventurous, and fun!

Never a Duke is a passionate, compelling tale that sweeps you away to London and into the life of Lady Rosalind Kinwood, an intelligent young woman who embarks on a mission to do whatever it takes to find her missing lady’s maid, even if it means befriending and asking for help from the banker with old friends in low places and a scandalous past of his own, the handsome, dependable Ned Wentworth.

The prose is amusing and light. The characters are protective, independent, and resourceful. And the plot is an arousing combination of family, friendship, secrets, adventure, societal expectations, wicked intentions, devious behaviour, tender moments, and unconditional love.

Overall, Never a Duke is an entertaining, intriguing, satisfying read by Burrowes that was a pleasant surprise with its exceptional character development, swoon-worthy ending, and twisty, action-packed storyline that’s not always seen in this genre.

 

This novel is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from the following link.

                 

 

 

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

 

About Grace Burrowes

Grace Burrowes grew up in central Pennsylvania and is the sixth of seven children. She discovered romance novels in junior high and has been reading them voraciously ever since. Grace has a bachelor's degree in political science, a bachelor of music in music history (both from the Pennsylvania State University), a master's degree in conflict transformation from Eastern Mennonite University, and a juris doctor from the National Law Center at George Washington University. Grace is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author who writes Georgian, Regency, Scottish Victorian, and contemporary romances in both novella and novel lengths. She enjoys giving workshops and speaking at writers' conferences.

Photograph courtesy of read-forever.com.

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#BookReview That Cowboy of Mine by Donna Grant @donna_grant @smpromance @StMartinsPress #ThatCowboyofMine #DonnaGrant #smpromance #smpinfluencers

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#BookReview That Cowboy of Mine by Donna Grant @donna_grant @smpromance @StMartinsPress #ThatCowboyofMine #DonnaGrant #smpromance #smpinfluencers Title: That Cowboy of Mine

Author: Donna Grant

Published by: St. Martin's Griffin on Apr. 26, 2022

Genres: Contemporary Romance, Romantic Suspense

Pages: 304

Format: ARC, eBook

Source: St. Martin's Press

Book Rating: 8.5/10

Is he an enemy?

Dillon Young is proud that she inherited her aunt’s ranch. The problem: someone is trying to run her off and is willing to do whatever it takes. Strange, dangerous things keep happening. Dillion suspects her no-good neighbor and fellow wealthy rancher Hank Stephens. Never a man to get his hands dirty, he sends others to get the job done. So, when the irresistible Cal Bennett is found passed out drunk on her property, Dillion is on high alert. Until someone takes a shot at her and Cal springs to her rescue. When the hard-bodied, no-nonsense-talking cowboy points out that she may need some help, Dillion is inclined to reluctantly agree.

Or a lover?

Waking up on a stranger’s property with a shotgun in his face is not Cal Bennett’s idea of a good time. Never mind that the woman on the other end of the barrel is one of the most fiercely beautiful women he has ever seen. Things get more interesting when he finds himself shielding her from flying bullets. It’s clear that this smart, savvy woman could use a hand and he is all too happy to lend any part of his body she requires. His proposal: pose as lovers until they find out who is after her ranch. As the danger rises and secrets are revealed, the passion explodes between them. There is no turning back.

Review:

Gripping, menacing, and taut!

That Cowboy of Mine is a riveting, seductive tale that takes us to Hill Country, Texas and into the life of the strong, confident Dillion Young who, after inheriting her Aunt Dolly’s ranch and deciding to stay, quickly discovers that someone desperately wants her to leave and figuring out the good guys from the bad is going to be a lot harder than she originally expected, especially when it comes to the ruggedly handsome, bull rider Cal Bennett who suspiciously turned up just when she needed him.

The writing is sharp and crisp. The characters are complex, wary, and intriguing. And the plot is a passionate tale filled with twists, turns, secrets, red herrings, lies, danger, sexual attraction, mayhem, betrayal, corruption, and steamy romance.

Overall, That Cowboy of Mine is an action-packed, twisty, satisfying standalone by Grant that kept me on my toes, warmed my heart, and certainly left me eager for more.

 

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

 

About Donna Grant

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Donna Grant has been praised for her “totally addictive” and “unique and sensual” stories. She’s written more than thirty novels spanning multiple genres of romance including the bestselling Dark King stories, Dark Craving, Night’s Awakening, and Dawn’s Desire. Her acclaimed series, Dark Warriors, feature a thrilling combination of Druids, primeval gods, and immortal Highlanders who are dark, dangerous, and irresistible. She lives with her two children, a dog, and four cats in Texas.

Photo by Yvette Michelle Portraits LLC.

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#BookReview Wedding Season by Michelle Major @michelle_major1 @KayePublicity @HarlequinBooks #WeddingSeason #MichelleMajor #CarolinaGirls

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#BookReview Wedding Season by Michelle Major @michelle_major1 @KayePublicity @HarlequinBooks #WeddingSeason #MichelleMajor #CarolinaGirls Title: Wedding Season

Author: Michelle Major

Series: Carolina Girls #3

Published by: HQN Books on Apr. 26, 2022

Genres: Contemporary Romance

Pages: 384

Format: Paperback

Source: Kaye Publicity

Book Rating: 8.5/10

The last person she wants to see in Magnolia, North Carolina, could be exactly whom she’s been waiting for…

Mariella Jacob was one of the world’s premier bridal designers, but one viral PR disaster later, she’s trying to get her torpedoed career back on track in small-town Magnolia, North Carolina. With a secondhand store and a new business venture helping her friends turn the Wildflower Inn into a wedding venue, Mariella is finally putting at least one mistake behind her. Until that mistake—in the glowering, handsome form of Alex Ralsten—moves to Magnolia too.

Mariella ruined Alex’s wedding by announcing that his starlet bride-to-be was sleeping with Mariella’s fiancé. While he’s furious when they’re forced to work together, there’s no denying Mariella is hardworking, talented…and gorgeous. In fact, though Alex keeps reminding himself that they’re enemies, something deeper is growing…daring them to admit that a rocky past might lead to something unexpectedly wonderful.

Review:

Quaint, hopeful, and absorbing!

Wedding Season is a heartwarming, uplifting tale that takes you back to Magnolia, North Carolina and into the life of the hardworking, designer extraordinaire Mariella Jacob, as she juggles a new boutique, a partnership in the Wildflower Inn, a past that still haunts, undeniable chemistry with the one man she humiliated and hoped to never see again, and a reunion she never dreamed would happen but will ultimately change her life forever.

The prose is light and tender. The characters are resilient, supportive, and endearing. And the plot is a charming mix of life, love, family, friendship, forgiveness, understanding, attraction, self-discovery, heartfelt moments, taking chances, and moving on.

Overall, Wedding Season is another sweet, engaging, emotional tale by Major with characters I couldn’t help but root for and a swoon-worthy ending that left me smitten, satisfied, and wishing for more.

 

This novel is available now.

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

            

 

 

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

 

About Michelle Major

Michelle Major grew up in Ohio but dreamed of living in the mountains. Soon after graduating with a degree in Journalism, she pointed her car west and settled in Colorado. Her life and house are filled with one great husband, two beautiful kids, a few furry pets and several well-behaved reptiles. She’s grateful to have found her passion writing stories with happy endings.

Photograph courtesy of Author's Goodreads Page.

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#BookReview The Midwife by Tricia Cresswell @PGCBooks @panmacmillan #TheMidwife #TriciaCresswell #PGCBooks

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#BookReview The Midwife by Tricia Cresswell @PGCBooks @panmacmillan #TheMidwife #TriciaCresswell #PGCBooks Title: The Midwife

Author: Tricia Cresswell

Published by: Pan Macmillan on Apr. 5, 2022

Genres: Historical Fiction

Pages: 352

Format: Paperback

Source: Publishers Group Canada

Book Rating: 8.5/10

1830. After a violent storm, a woman is found alone, naked, near death on the Northumberland moors. She has no memory of who she is or how she got there. But she can remember how to help a woman in labour, how to expertly dress a wound and can speak fluent French. With the odds against her – a penniless single woman – she starts to build her life from scratch, using her skills to help other woman around her. She finds a happy place in the world. Until tragedy strikes, and she must run for her life.

In London, Dr Borthwick lives a solitary life working as an accoucheur together with his midwife, Mrs Bates, dealing with mothers and babies in both the elegant homes of high society, and alongside a young widow, Eleanor Johnson, volunteering in the slums of the Devil’s Acre. His professional reputation is spotless and he keeps his private life just as clean, isolating himself from any new acquaintances. He is harbouring a dark secret from his past, one that threatens to spill over everything.

A haunting and moving debut, The Midwife by Tricia Cresswell is perfect for fans of The Familiars and The Binding.

Review:

Multilayered, absorbing, and mysterious!

The Midwife is a raw, expressive, compelling tale set in England during the early 1800s when women were forbidden to practice medicine, childbirth still resulted in high mortality rates, and midwifery was grossly underappreciated and frowned upon by the majority of physicians.

The prose is evocative and rich. The characters are intelligent, troubled, and secretive. And the plot is a suspenseful, engrossing tale about life, loss, duty, friendship, family, determination, courage, self-identity, and the evolution and procedures of early obstetrics and gynaecology.

The Midwife is an atmospheric, alluring, beautifully written novel by Cresswell that grabs you from the very first page and does a remarkable job of blending historical facts with captivating fiction that’s both intriguing and exceptionally immersive.

 

This novel is available now.

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

                

 

 

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

 

About Tricia Cresswell

Tricia Cresswell is a retired public health doctor. She temporarily returned to work in spring 2020 in support of the response to the COVID-19 pandemic and volunteered as a vaccinator. She achieved a Distinction in her Creative Writing MA at Newcastle University in 2017. Creative response to the climate emergency has now taken priority in her writing.

Goodreads

#BookReview Fool Me Once by Ashley Winstead @ashleywinstead @KayePublicity @HarlequinBooks #FoolMeOnce #AshleyWinstead #GraydonHouseBooks #KayePublicity

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#BookReview Fool Me Once by Ashley Winstead @ashleywinstead @KayePublicity @HarlequinBooks #FoolMeOnce #AshleyWinstead #GraydonHouseBooks #KayePublicity Title: Fool Me Once

Author: Ashley Winstead

Published by: Graydon House on Apr. 5, 2022

Genres: Contemporary Romance

Pages: 368

Format: Paperback

Source: Kaye Publicity

Book Rating: 8.5/10

Lee Stone is a twenty-first-century woman: she kicks butt at her job as a communications director at a women-run electric car company (that’s better than Tesla, thank you) and after work she is “Stoner,” drinking guys under the table and never letting any of them get too comfortable in her bed…

That’s because Lee’s learned one big lesson: never trust love. After four major heartbreaks set her straight, from her father cheating on her mom all the way to Ben Laderman in grad school—who wasn’t actually cheating, but she could have sworn he was, so she reciprocated in kind.

Then Ben shows up five years later, working as a policy expert for the most liberal governor in Texas history, just as Lee is trying to get a clean energy bill rolling. Things get complicated—and competitive as Lee and Ben are forced to work together. Tension builds just as old sparks reignite, fanning the flames for a romantic dustup the size of Texas.

Review:

Sassy, seductive, and fun!

Fool Me Once is a playful, second-chance romance that features the fiery, intelligent Lee, who is content to be single and completely focused on her career and having a good time, and the competitive, hard-bodied Ben, who has landed the job of his dreams although it, unfortunately, involves working side-by-side with the one woman who shattered his heart fives years ago and who he’s never been quite able to forget.

The writing is witty and smooth. The characters are amusing, charismatic, and endearing. And the plot is a push-pull tale filled with workplace drama, tricky situations, tender moments, flirty banter, blistering chemistry, goals, expectations, family, friendship, and steamy romance.

Overall, Fool Me Once is a sweet, humorous, passionate read by Winstead with characters you can’t help but fall in love with and a happy-ever-after ending that will make you swoon.

 

This book is available now.

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

 

            

 

 

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

 

About Ashley Winstead

Ashley Winstead holds a Ph.D. in contemporary American literature from Southern Methodist University and a B.A. in English and Art History from Vanderbilt University. She lives in Houston, TX, where she drinks red wine and dreams up novels.

Photo by Luis Noble.

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