Category: 8.5/10

#BookReview Time for the Dead by Lin Anderson @PGCBooks @panmacmillan #RhonaMacLeod #TimefortheDead

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#BookReview Time for the Dead by Lin Anderson @PGCBooks @panmacmillan #RhonaMacLeod #TimefortheDead Title: Time for the Dead

Author: Lin Anderson

Series: Rhona MacLeod #14

Published by: Pan Macmillan on Jun. 1, 2020

Genres: Mystery/Thriller, Police Procedural

Pages: 400

Format: Paperback

Source: Publishers Group Canada

Book Rating: 8.5/10

Time for the Dead is a gripping crime novel by Lin Anderson and sees forensic scientist Rhona MacLeod discover that a terrifying war is unfolding on Scotland’s Isle of Skye.

When forensic scientist Rhona MacLeod returns to her roots on Scotland’s Isle of Skye, a chance encounter in the woods behind a nearby activities centre leads her to what seems to be a crime scene, but without a victim. Could this be linked to a group of army medics, who visited the centre while on leave from Afghanistan and can no longer be located on the island?

Enlisting the help of local tracker dog Blaze, Rhona starts searching for a connection.

Two days later a body is found at the base of the famous cliff known as Kilt Rock, face and identity obliterated by the fall, which leads Rhona to suspect the missing medics may be on the island for reasons other than relaxation. Furthermore, elements of the case suggests a link with an ongoing operation in Glasgow, which draws DS Michael McNab into the investigation.

As the island’s unforgiving conditions close in, Rhona must find out what really happened to the group in Afghanistan, as the consequences may be being played out in brutal killings on Skye . . .

Review:

Edgy, atmospheric, and immersive!

In this latest novel by Anderson, Time for the Dead, we head to the Isle of Skye, Scotland where forensic scientist Rhona MacLeod has fled for some much-needed rest and recuperation after a traumatizing previous case only to find herself suddenly immersed into the evidence collection and investigation of a bloody crime scene she inadvertently stumbles across in the woods.

The prose is descriptive and gritty. The characters are focused, tenacious, and troubled. And the plot, including all the subplots, intertwine and unravel meticulously into a hauntingly suspenseful tale full of deception, abuse, violence, rape, control, power, manipulation, war, drug trafficking, and murder.

Overall, Time for the Dead is an astute, intricate, mysterious tale by Anderson that kept me enthralled and entertained from the very first page 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 PGC Books for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Lin Anderson

Lin Anderson is a Scottish author and screenwriter known for her bestselling crime series featuring forensic scientist Dr Rhona MacLeod. Four of her novels have been longlisted for the Scottish Crime Book of the Year, with Follow the Dead being a 2018 finalist. Her short film River Child won both a Scottish BAFTA for Best Fiction and the Celtic Film Festival’s Best Drama award and has now been viewed more than one million times on YouTube. Lin is also the co-founder of the international crime writing festival Bloody Scotland, which takes place annually in Stirling.

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#BookReview Brave Girl, Quiet Girl by Catherine Ryan Hyde @cryanhyde @LUAuthors @AmazonPub #BraveGirlQuietGirl

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#BookReview Brave Girl, Quiet Girl by Catherine Ryan Hyde @cryanhyde @LUAuthors @AmazonPub #BraveGirlQuietGirl Title: Brave Girl, Quiet Girl

Author: Catherine Ryan Hyde

Published by: Lake Union Publishing on May 19, 2020

Genres: General Fiction

Pages: 300

Format: Hardcover

Source: Amazon Publishing

Book Rating: 8.5/10

From New York Times bestselling author Catherine Ryan Hyde comes a gripping and emotional novel about friendship, motherhood, and the journey toward finding a place to call home.

Brooke is a divorced single mom, financially strapped, living with her mother, and holding tight to the one thing that matters most: her two-year-old daughter, Etta. Then, in a matter of seconds, Brooke’s life is shattered when she’s carjacked. Helpless and terrified, all Brooke can do is watch as Etta, still strapped in her seat, disappears into the Los Angeles night.

Miles away, Etta is found by Molly, a homeless teen who is all too used to darkness. Thrown away by her parents, and with a future as stable as the wooden crate she calls home, Molly survives day to day by her wits. As unpredictable as her life is, she’s stunned to find Etta, abandoned and alone. Shielding the little girl from more than the elements, Molly must put herself in harm’s way to protect a child as lost as she is.

Out of one terrible moment, Brooke’s and Molly’s desperate paths converge and an unlikely friendship across generations and circumstances is formed. With it, Brooke and Molly will come to discover that what’s lost—and what’s found—can change in a heartbeat.

Review:

Emotive, raw, and heartwarming!

Brave Girl, Quiet Girl is a pensive, heart-tugging novel about a divorced mother of a two-year-old, Brooke and a homeless, sixteen-year-old, molly as their worlds inadvertently collide when a carjacking leaves an infant stranded, alone, and in desperate need of protection.

The prose is clear and direct. The characters are flawed, troubled, and genuine. And the plot told from alternating POVs is a gripping tale of family drama, unlikely friendships, poverty, homelessness, motherhood, compassion, honesty, survival, mental illness, and the often harsh realities of life.

Overall, Brave Girl, Quiet Girl is an astute, touching, compelling tale by Hyde that does a beautiful job of reminding us that family is not always those related by blood, but rather those that love, care, support, and accept us.

 

This book is available now.

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

           

 

 

Thank you to Amazon Publishing for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Catherine Ryan Hyde

I am the author of more than 30 published and forthcoming books, including ALLIE AND BEA, SAY GOODBYE FOR NOW, LEAVING BLYTHE RIVER, ASK HIM WHY, WORTHY, THE LANGUAGE OF HOOFBEATS, TAKE ME WITH YOU, WHERE WE BELONG, WHEN I FOUND YOU, WALK ME HOME, SECOND HAND HEART, DON'T LET ME GO, and WHEN YOU WERE OLDER.

I'm an avid hiker, traveller, equestrian, and amateur photographer, and have released my first book of photos, 365 DAYS OF GRATITUDE: PHOTOS FROM A BEAUTIFUL WORLD.

I am co-author, with fellow author and publishing industry blogger Anne R. Allen, of HOW TO BE A WRITER IN THE E-AGE: A SELF-HELP GUIDE.

My novel PAY IT FORWARD was adapted into a major motion picture, chosen by the American Library Association for its Best Books for Young Adults list, and translated into more than 23 languages for distribution in over 30 countries. The paperback was released in October 2000 by Pocket Books and quickly became a national bestseller. Simon & Schuster released PAY IT FORWARD: YOUNG READERS' EDITION in August of '14. It is suitable for kids as young as eight. A special Fifteenth Anniversary Edition of the original PAY IT FORWARD was released in December of '14

Photograph courtesy of Author's Goodreads Page.

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#BlogTour #BookReview The Paris Hours by Alex George @AlexGeorge @Flatironbooks #TheParisHours

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#BlogTour #BookReview The Paris Hours by Alex George @AlexGeorge @Flatironbooks #TheParisHours Title: The Paris Hours

Author: Alex George

Published by: Flatiron Books on May 5, 2020

Genres: Historical Fiction

Pages: 272

Format: Hardcover

Source: Flatiron Books

Book Rating: 8.5/10

One day in the City of Lights. One night in search of lost time.

Paris between the wars teems with artists, writers, and musicians, a glittering crucible of genius. But amidst the dazzling creativity of the city’s most famous citizens, four regular people are each searching for something they’ve lost.

Camille was the maid of Marcel Proust, and she has a secret: when she was asked to burn her employer’s notebooks, she saved one for herself. Now she is desperate to find it before her betrayal is revealed. Souren, an Armenian refugee, performs puppet shows for children that are nothing like the fairy tales they expect. Lovesick artist Guillaume is down on his luck and running from a debt he cannot repay—but when Gertrude Stein walks into his studio, he wonders if this is the day everything could change. And Jean-Paul is a journalist who tells other people’s stories, because his own is too painful to tell. When the quartet’s paths finally cross in an unforgettable climax, each discovers if they will find what they are looking for.

Told over the course of a single day in 1927, The Paris Hours takes four ordinary people whose stories, told together, are as extraordinary as the glorious city they inhabit.

Review:

Pensive, evocative, and atmospheric!

The Paris Hours takes you on a moving journey into the lives of four strangers in Paris for one day during 1927 and introduces you to their thoughts, feelings, motivations, fears, and dreams, and highlights just how small the world truly is and how easily our paths can cross, intertwine, and collide. 

The writing is eloquent and expressive. The characters are complex, damaged, and genuine. And the plot is an affecting, absorbing tale about life, loss, love, loneliness, family, friendship, heartbreak, war, grief, hope, guilt, secrets, deception, and survival.

Overall, The Paris Hours is a wonderful blend of historical characters and alluring fiction that sweeps you away to another time and place and does a beautiful job of reminding you that everyone that enters your life, no matter how brief, can impact, shape, and define it.

 

This novel is available now.

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

                

 

 

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

 

About Alex George

A native of England, Alex George read law at Oxford University and worked for eight years as a corporate lawyer in London and Paris. He has lived in the Midwest of the United States for the last sixteen years. He is the founder and director of the Unbound Book Festival, and is the owner of Skylark Bookshop, an independent bookstore in downtown Columbia, Missouri.

Alex is the author of The Paris Hours, A Good American, and Setting Free the Kites.

Photograph by Anastasia Pottinger/Rogue Studios.

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#BookReview The Girl Beneath the Sea by Andrew Mayne @AndrewMayne @AmazonPub

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#BookReview The Girl Beneath the Sea by Andrew Mayne @AndrewMayne @AmazonPub Title: The Girl Beneath the Sea

Author: Andrew Mayne

Series: Underwater Investigation Unit #1

Published by: Thomas & Mercer on May 1, 2020

Genres: Mystery/Thriller

Pages: 328

Format: Paperback, ARC

Source: Amazon Publishing

Book Rating: 8.5/10

For a Florida police diver, danger rises to the surface in an adventurous thriller by the Wall Street Journal bestselling author of The Naturalist.

Coming from scandalous Florida treasure hunters and drug smugglers, Sloan McPherson is forging her own path, for herself and for her daughter, out from under her family’s shadow. An auxiliary officer for Lauderdale Shores PD, she’s the go-to diver for evidence recovery. Then Sloan finds a fresh kill floating in a canal—a woman whose murky history collides with Sloan’s. Their troubling ties are making Sloan less a potential witness than a suspect. And her colleagues aren’t the only ones following every move she makes. So is the killer.

Stalked by an assassin, pitted against a ruthless cartel searching for a lost fortune, and under watch within her ranks, Sloan has only one ally: the legendary DEA agent who put Sloan’s uncle behind bars. He knows just how deep corruption runs—and the kind of danger Sloan is in. To stay alive, Sloan must stay one step ahead of her enemies—both known and unknown—and a growing conspiracy designed to pull her under.

Review:

Action-Packed, engaging, and suspenseful!

In this first installment of the Underwater Investigation Unit series, The Girl Beneath the Sea, Mayne has written an adrenaline-pumping tale featuring the intelligent, impulsive, police diver Sloan Harper who inadvertently becomes a suspect and a target when an old childhood acquaintance winds up dead and her family’s disreputable reputation and history as treasure hunters quickly becomes both an asset and a liability.

The writing is sharp and crisp. The characters are secretive, persistent and ruthless. And the plot keeps you on the edge of your seat with its short, intense chapters that submerge you into a menacing tale full of twists, turns, deception, corruption, mayhem, danger, revelations, power, violence, and murder.

Overall, The Girl Beneath the Sea is a tortuous, intricate, pacey mystery that’s a wonderful start to this new series by Mayne with its well-drawn characterization, nice sense of urgency, and thrilling conclusion.

 

This book is available now.

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

           

 

 

Thank you to Amazon Publishing for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Andrew Mayne

Andrew is the author of over a dozen novels and has been nominated for the Edgar Award for Best Paperback Original (Black Fall) and the Thriller Award for Name of the Devil. His recent novel, The Naturalist is an Amazon Charts bestseller and spent six weeks at the number one spot for all books on Amazon.

Photograph courtesy of Author's Goodreads Page.

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#BookReview Summer Longing by Jamie Brenner @JamieLBrenner @littlebrown @HBGCanada #SummerLonging

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#BookReview Summer Longing by Jamie Brenner @JamieLBrenner @littlebrown @HBGCanada #SummerLonging Title: Summer Longing

Author: Jamie Brenner

Published by: Little Brown and Company on May 5, 2020

Genres: General Fiction, Women's Fiction

Pages: 384

Format: Paperback, ARC

Source: HBG Canada

Book Rating: 8.5/10

Ruth Cooperman arrives in beautiful beachside Provincetown for her retirement, renting the perfect waterfront cottage while she searches for her forever home. After years of hard work and making peace with life’s compromises, Ruth is looking forward to a carefree summer of solitude. But when she finds a baby girl abandoned on her doorstep, Ruth turns to her new neighbors for help and is drawn into the drama of the close-knit community.

The appearance of the mystery baby has an emotional ripple effect through the women in town, including Amelia Cabral, the matriarch who lost her own child decades earlier; Elise Douglas, owner of the tea shop who gave up her dream of becoming a mother; and teenage local Jaci Barros who feels trapped by her parents’ expectations. Ruth, caring for a baby for the first time in thirty years, even reaches out to her own estranged daughter, Olivia, summoning her to Provincetown in hopes of a reconciliation.

As summer unfolds and friends and family care for the infant, alliances are made, relationships are tested, and secrets are uncovered. But the unconditional love for a child in need just might bring Ruth and the women of Provincetown exactly what they have been longing for themselves.

With heartfelt storytelling, Summer Longing is Jamie Brenner’s eagerly anticipated return to Provincetown; another unforgettable tale about motherhood, friendship, and finding your way home.

Review:

Charming, engaging, and breezy!

Summer Longing is a warm, cosy tale that takes us to Provincetown, Cape Cod and into the life of Ruth Cooperman, a retired cosmetic entrepreneur whose retirement becomes a little more hectic than she expected when a newborn baby is abandoned on the doorstep of her rental house, the owners move back in to care for the mysterious bundle of joy, her estranged daughter arrives and decides to stay for an unspecified amount of time, and her ex-husband also pops in for a day or two.

The prose is light and fluid. The characters are multilayered, inclusive, quirky, and endearing. And the plot is a delightful mix of relationship dynamics, friendship, introspection, parenthood, support, forgiveness, love, drama, family, community, and new beginnings.

Overall, Summer Longing is another scintillating, satisfying, enjoyable treat by Brenner that once again highlights her innate ability to delve into all the psychological and emotional entanglements that exist between family members and friends.

 

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 Jamie Brenner

Jamie Brenner was born and raised in suburban Philadelphia but has called New York City her home for the past twenty years. She graduated from George Washington University with a degree in literature and spent her career in publishing before becoming an author herself. Her books include The Gin Lovers, The Wedding Sisters. She lives in Manhattan with her husband and two daughters.

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#BookReview Stories We Never Told by Sonja Yoerg @SonjaYoerg @AmazonPub @LUAuthors #StoriesWeNeverTold

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#BookReview Stories We Never Told by Sonja Yoerg @SonjaYoerg @AmazonPub @LUAuthors #StoriesWeNeverTold Title: Stories We Never Told

Author: Sonja Yoerg

Published by: Lake Union Publishing on May 1, 2020

Genres: Mystery/Thriller

Pages: 328

Format: Paperback, ARC

Source: Amazon Publishing

Book Rating: 8.5/10

Psychology professor Jackie Strelitz thought she was over her ex-lover and colleague, Harlan Crispin. Why should she care if Harlan springs a new “friend” on her? After all, Jackie has everything she ever wanted: a loving husband and a thriving career. Still, she can’t help but be curious about Harlan’s latest.

Nasira Amari is graceful, smart, and young. Worse, she’s the new member of Jackie’s research team. For five years, Harlan enforced rules limiting his relationship with Jackie. With Nasira he’s breaking every single one. Why her?

Fixated by the couple, Jackie’s curiosity becomes an obsession. But she soon learns that nothing is quite what it seems, and that to her surprise—and peril—she may not be the only one who can’t let go.

Review:

Multilayered, tense, and guileful!

Stories We Never Told is a meticulous, chilling, domestic thriller that takes us into the life of Jackie Strelitz, an accomplished, intelligent woman who finds her life turned upside down when her ex-lover returns from a sabbatical with a new, younger girlfriend, her husband becomes more distant and her desire for a baby appears entirely one-sided, and someone suddenly seems extremely intent and determined to undermine and interfere with her research project at work.

The prose is intricate and raw. The characters are secretive, consumed, and vulnerable. And the plot, including all the subplots, intertwine and unravel subtly into a compelling tale of life, loss, family, manipulation, obsession, deception, jealousy, mind games, violence, and murder.

Overall, Stories We Never Told is a clever, taut, menacing tale by Yoerg that highlights just how easily people can be psychologically and emotionally exploited, and reminds us that even those closest to us often have deep, dark secrets they choose to hide.

 

This novel is available now.

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

         

 

 

Thank you to Amazon Publishing for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Sonja Yoerg

I grew up in Stowe, Vermont, the daughter of a ski instructor. In my first incarnation, I was an animal behaviorist who studied learning in blue jays, hyenas and kangaroo rats. I wrote a book about that. Now I make stuff up.

I've published four novels; the most recent is TRUE PLACES, a Washington Post and Amazon Charts bestseller. Yeah, typing that makes me smile because reaching readers is the point, right? My next novel, STORIES WE NEVER TOLD, releases May 1, 2020.

When I'm not writing or pretending to be writing, I run, garden, cook, eat, drink wine, then run some more. My husband and I live in central Virginia with a view of the Blue Ridge Mountains. It's quiet and pretty, like Vermont.

Photo by Tamara Hattersly Photography.

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#BookReview The Hidden Beach by Karen Swan @KarenSwan1 @PGCBooks @panmacmillan #TheHiddenBeach

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#BookReview The Hidden Beach by Karen Swan @KarenSwan1 @PGCBooks @panmacmillan #TheHiddenBeach Title: The Hidden Beach

Author: Karen Swan

Published by: Pan Macmillan on Apr. 30, 2020

Genres: Contemporary Romance, Women's Fiction

Pages: 416

Format: Paperback

Source: Publishers Group Canada

Book Rating: 8.5/10

From internationally bestselling author Karen Swan comes The Hidden Beach, an addictive story of heartbreak, loyalty and hope, set in the historic city of Stockholm and along the beautiful archipelagos of the Swedish coast.

In the oldest part of Stockholm, Bell Everhurst is working as a nanny for an affluent family. Hanna and Max Von Greyerz are parents to 7-year-old Linus, and 5-year old twins Ellinor and Tilde, and Bell has been with the family for over two years.

One early Spring morning, as she’s rushing out to take the children to school, she answers the phone – and everything changes. A woman from a clinic she’s never heard of asks her to pass on the message that Hanna’s husband is awake.

Bell is confused. She clearly just saw Max walking out of the house a few minutes earlier, but the woman mentioned Hanna by name . . .

When she gets hold of her employer, the truth is revealed: Hanna’s first husband fell into a coma seven years earlier, following an accident. But now he’s awake. And life is going to change for them all.

Review:

Pensive, mysterious, and multilayered!

The Hidden Beach is a heartwarming, compelling story that sweeps you away to the idyllic archipelagos islands of Sweden and immerses you into the lives of Bell Everhurst and the Von Greyers family as their world is turned upside down when a miracle brings the past into the present and triggers a whirlwind of emotions, strains on relationships new and old, and secrets long-buried to become unearthed.

The prose is expressive and vivid. The characters are complex, confused, troubled, and intriguing. And the story is a beguiling tale of life, loss, love, familial drama, friendship, secrets, infidelity, forgiveness, heartbreak, deception, and romance.

Overall, The Hidden Beach is a thoughtful, emotive, charming tale by Swan that is absorbing, entertaining, and perfect for any sunny day.

 

This novel is available now.

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

               

 

 

 

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

 

About Karen Swan

Karen Swan began her career in fashion journalism before giving it all up to raise her three children and a puppy, and to pursue her ambition of becoming a writer. She lives in the forest outside Sussex, England, writing her books in a treehouse overlooking the Downs.

An internationally bestselling author, her numerous books include The Rome Affair, The Paris Secret, Christmas Under the Stars, and The Christmas Secret. 

Photograph by Alexander James

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#BookReview The Split by Sharon Bolton @AuthorSJBolton @MinotaurBooks @StMartinsPress #MinotaurInfluencers #TheSplit

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#BookReview The Split by Sharon Bolton @AuthorSJBolton @MinotaurBooks @StMartinsPress #MinotaurInfluencers #TheSplit Title: The Split

Author: Sharon Bolton

Published by: Minotaur Books on Apr. 28, 2020

Genres: Mystery/Thriller

Pages: 400

Format: eBook, ARC

Source: Minotaur Books, NetGalley

Book Rating: 8.5/10

Tense, gripping and with a twist you won’t see coming, Sharon Bolton is back in an explosive new standalone thriller about a woman on the run in The Split.

No matter how far you run, some secrets will always catch up with you…

The remote Antarctic island of South Georgia is about to send off its last boat of the summer – which signifies safety to resident glaciologist Felicity Lloyd.

Felicity lives in fear – fear that her ex-husband Freddie will find her, even out here. She took a job on this isolated island to hide from him, but now that he’s out of prison, having served a term for murder, she knows he won’t give up until he finds her.

But a doctor delving into the background of Felicity and Freddie’s relationship, back in Cambridge, learns that Felicity has been on the edge for a long time. Heading to South Georgia himself to try and get to her first is the only way he can think of to help her.

Review:

Complex, vivid, and twisty!

The Split is a sharp, chilling thriller set in both Cambridge, England and the isolated, glacial wilderness of the South Georgia Island that takes you into the life of Felicity Lloyd, a young woman tormented by a relentless stalker, a resourceful night visitor, and a mind riddled with distorted memories and inexplainable gaps in time.

The prose is taut and intense. The characters are complex, unstable, and secretive. And the plot using flashbacks and told from multiple perspectives unravels briskly into a story filled with suspicious personalities, unreliable characters, unexpected twists, mayhem, fixation, instability, violence, and murder.

Overall, The Split is an unpredictable, tortuous, mindblowing tale by Bolton that keeps you guessing from the very first page and leaves you unsettled, mystified, and highly entertained.

 

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

 

About Sharon Bolton

Sharon (formerly SJ) Bolton grew up in a cotton-mill town in Lancashire and had an eclectic early career which she is now rather embarrassed about. She gave it all up to become a mother and a writer.

Her first novel, Sacrifice, was voted Best New Read by Amazon.uk, whilst her second, Awakening, won the 2010 Mary Higgins Clark award. In 2014, Lost, (UK title, Like This, For Ever) was named RT Magazine’s Best Contemporary Thriller in the US, and in France, Now You See Me won the Plume de Bronze. That same year, Sharon was awarded the CWA Dagger in the Library, for her entire body of work.

Photograph by Mark Bassett.

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#BookReview After All (Cape Harbor #1) by Heidi McLaughlin @HeidiJoVT @AmazonPub @ThomasAllenLTD #CapeHarbor

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#BookReview After All (Cape Harbor #1) by Heidi McLaughlin @HeidiJoVT @AmazonPub @ThomasAllenLTD #CapeHarbor Title: After All

Author: Heidi McLaughlin

Series: Cape Harbor #1

Published by: Montlake Romance on Mar. 24, 2020

Genres: Contemporary Romance

Pages: 336

Format: Paperback

Source: Thomas Allen & Son

Book Rating: 8.5/10

From New York Times bestselling author Heidi McLaughlin comes a heartfelt story about overcoming great loss and forgiving past sins to find happiness again.

Brooklyn Hewett hasn’t set foot in Cape Harbor for fifteen years—not since an accident claimed the love of her life, Austin Woods. Desperate to move forward, Brooklyn has focused on raising her daughter for the past fourteen years. But when the opportunity comes along to renovate the old Driftwood Inn, Brooklyn knows it’s time to go home.

But it won’t be easy. For one, Austin’s best friend, Bowie Holmes, still lives in Cape Harbor. Brooklyn hasn’t quite been able to forget him: not since the night they spent together—the same night they both lost Austin. Separated by tragedy and guilt, they’re brought together by the Driftwood project. And as they rebuild the inn, they discover they’re also rebuilding something else.

Brooklyn’s always been desperate to move on, not knowing that she first needs to reconcile past transgressions. She can’t forget, but she can forgive—Austin, Bowie, and herself—on her way toward long-awaited happiness.

Review:

Moving, uplifting, and sweet!

After All is an engaging, heartwarming tale that brings together the independent, single mom Brooklyn and the hardworking, patient Bowie as they discover that beneath all the past miscommunication, secrets, and heartbreak is an unconditional friendship and love that is still smouldering after fifteen years of absence.

The prose is emotive and sincere. The characters are hesitant, dependable, and endearing. And the plot is a tender tale brimming with relationship dynamics, introspection, parenthood, acceptance, forgiveness, love, romance, family, community, and new beginnings.

Overall, After All is an intimate, optimistic, bittersweet tale by McLaughlin that has characters you can’t help but root for and a happy-ever-after ending that leaves you 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 Thomas Allen & Son for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Heidi McLaughlin

Heidi McLaughlin is a New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today Bestselling author of The Beaumont Series, The Boys of Summer, and The Archers.

Originally, from the Pacific Northwest, she now lives in picturesque Vermont, with her husband, two daughters, and their three dogs.

In 2012, Heidi turned her passion for reading into a full-fledged literary career, writing over twenty novels, including the acclaimed Forever My Girl.

When writing isn’t occupying her time, you can find her sitting courtside at either of her daughters’ basketball games.

Heidi’s first novel, Forever My Girl, has been adapted into a motion picture with LD Entertainment and Roadside Attractions, starring Alex Roe and Jessica Rothe, and opened in theaters on January 19, 2018.

Photograph courtesy of Author's Goodreads Page.

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#BlogTour #BookReview Wild for You (Hot Jocks #6) by Kendall Ryan @KendallRyan1 #hotjocks

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#BlogTour #BookReview Wild for You (Hot Jocks #6) by Kendall Ryan @KendallRyan1 #hotjocks Title: Wild for You

Author: Kendall Ryan

Series: Hot Jocks #6

Published by: Dream Press on Apr. 20, 2020

Genres: Contemporary Romance

Pages: 258

Format: eBook, ARC

Source: Kendall Ryan

Book Rating: 8.5/10

He’s growly. Grumpy. Stubborn.

And now, my new roommate.

Walking away from my disastrous last relationship was an easy decision, but moving in with a friend-of-a-friend hockey star who’s rarely home? Not quite as simple, because Grant makes me feel things even I don’t understand.

One thing’s for certain, though. I definitely shouldn’t have crawled into his bed that night.

  • • •

There’s a brightness to her eyes I can’t seem to look away from.

She’s beautiful. Smart. Tempting.

And a little fragile.

I’ve never been anyone’s knight in shining armor, but when Ana needed a place to stay, it was easy to move her in with me.

Not so simple, though, is keeping my hands—or my mouth—to myself. And the night she crawls into my bed and shares her body with me has me conjuring up all kinds of ideas about our future.

Until a big surprise I never saw coming changes everything.

If you like sexy, confident men who know how to handle a stick (on and off the ice), and smart women who are strong enough to keep all those big egos in check, this series of athlete romances is perfect for you!

Review:

Sweet, passionate, and hopeful!

Wild for You is a steamy, heartwarming story about the troubled, hardworking Ana who needs a little tenderness, sympathy, and a safe place to stay and the broody, sexy, man of few words Grant who’s more than happy to help out someone in need.

The writing is smooth and sultry. The characters are kind, dependable, and supportive. And the plot is an engaging, slightly angsty tale filled with life, love, family, friendship, vulnerability, chemistry, tension, attraction, emotion, and romance.

Overall, Wild for You is a charming, absorbing, seductive tale by Ryan that comes complete with endearing characters, a lighthearted storyline, and a swoon-worthy, happy-ever-after ending.

 

This book is available now.

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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.

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