#BookReview I Think I Love You by Lauren Layne @readloveswept

#BookReview I Think I Love You by Lauren Layne @readloveswept Title: I Think I Love You

Author: Lauren Layne

Series: Oxford #5

Published by: Loveswept on Jul. 10, 2018

Genres: Contemporary Romance

Pages: 200

Format: eBook, ARC

Source: Loveswept, NetGalley

Book Rating: 8.5/10

A game of seduction between two best friends goes deliciously wrong in an irresistible Oxford Novel that brims with wit and sexual tension. Library Journal hails Layne’s work as exemplary contemporary romance.”
 
Brit Robbins knows that dating in New York City is hard—she just hoped to have it mastered by age thirty. But after yet another promising suitor says they have no sparks, Brit decides it’s time to torch her dating game and try a new plan. And who better to coach Brit through the art of seduction than the guy who first gave her the “let’s be friends” card?
 
Hunter Cross has always figured there’s nothing his best friend Brit can do to surprise him. But Brit’s request is a surprise he doesn’t see coming—and one he’s definitely not prepared for. Hunter and Brit have always been careful to keep things perfectly platonic, but the fake dates and faux flirting are starting to feel like the real deal. And soon Hunter realizes he has taught Brit too well. Not only has she become an expert at seduction, the man becoming thoroughly seduced is him.


Review:

Witty, charming, and delightfully romantic!

I Think I Love You is a passionate, friends-to-more RomCom about the determined and focused Brit who doesn’t want to be just one of the guys anymore and decides to undertake lessons in the art of seduction, and the sexy, considerate Hunter, who suddenly finds it harder and harder to keep his attraction for his best friend in check.

The writing is crisp and light. The characters, including all the supporting characters, are charismatic, fun-loving, and lovable. And the plot is a perfect blend of drama, heat, emotion, hilarious hijinks, sassy banter, unconditional friendship and true love.

I Think I Love You is the fifth and final story in the Oxford series, and even though it’s a little bittersweet to say goodbye to the characters we’ve come to know and love from the Stiletto and Oxford novels, it is nevertheless a lovely way to catch up on the whole gang and give Brit and Hunter the happy-ever-after ending they undoubtedly deserve.

 

This book is available now.

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

              

 

 

Thank you to NetGalley, especially Random House – Loveswept, for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Lauren Layne

Lauren Layne is the New York Times bestselling author of over a dozen romantic comedies.

A former e-commerce and web marketing manager from Seattle, Lauren relocated to New York City in 2011 to pursue a full-time writing career.

She lives in midtown Manhattan with her high-school sweetheart, where she writes smart romantic comedies with just enough sexy-times to make your mother blush. In LL’s ideal world, every stiletto-wearing, Kate Spade wielding woman would carry a Kindle stocked with Lauren Layne books.

#BookReview #BlogTour #Giveaway The Little Cornish Kitchen by Jane Linfoot @janelinfoot @rararesources @HarperImpulse

#BookReview #BlogTour #Giveaway The Little Cornish Kitchen by Jane Linfoot @janelinfoot @rararesources @HarperImpulse

#BookReview #BlogTour #Giveaway The Little Cornish Kitchen by Jane Linfoot @janelinfoot @rararesources @HarperImpulse Title: The Little Cornish Kitchen

Author: Jane Linfoot

Published by: HarperCollins UK, HarperImpulse on May 31, 2018

Genres: Contemporary Romance

Pages: 416

Format: eBook, ARC

Source: HarperImpulse, NetGalley

Book Rating: 9/10

It’s time to come home to Cornwall

With an exciting new life in Paris, Clemmie Hamilton isn’t looking forward to heading home to the picturesque but sleepy village of St Aidan, Cornwall. However, when she discovers that the cosy apartment by the sea, which her grandmother left to her, is under threat from neighbour and property developer, Charlie Hobson, Clemmie realises she can’t abandon her home in its time of need.

With her childhood friends encouraging her, Clemmie decides to turn the apartment into ‘The Little Cornish Kitchen’ – a boutique pop up pudding club raising money for the repairs to the building in an effort to stop Charlie once and for all. But when Charlie and his easy charm won’t seem to go away, everything soon becomes even messier than the state of Clemmie’s Cornish kitchen…


Review:

Humourous, lighthearted and picturesque!

The Little Cornish Kitchen is a sweet, engaging story that reminds us that sometimes it’s nice to settle down, make roots, and have a place to call home.

The writing is polished and vividly descriptive. The setting is the idyllic St Aidan with its rugged coastline and sandy beaches. The characters including the kindhearted, spirited Clemmie, the handsome, helpful Charlie, and the adorably cute Diesel are unique, lovable, and fun. And the plot is an uplifting, charming journey about life, loss, love, family, friendship, reconnecting with the past, self-discovery, and happiness.

Overall, The Little Cornish Kitchen is an amusing, delightful tale with a splendid cast of characters, beautiful scenery, hilarious hijinks, delicious romance, and delectable treats that is undeniably the perfect choice for any sunny, summery day.

This book is available now. 

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

 

 

Giveaway: 

 

Win a signed copy of The Little Cornish Kitchen, Mermaid Notebook and Sugar Unicorns (Open Internationally)

 

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

*Terms and Conditions – Worldwide entries welcome.  Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below.  The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then I reserve the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over.  Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time I will delete the data.  I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.

 

Thank you to Jane Linfoot, HarperImpulse, and Rachel’s Random Resources for providing me with a copy in an exchange for an honest review.

 

About Jane Linfoot

Jane Linfoot is a best selling author, who lives in a muddy cottage, up a steep hill in Derbyshire, with her family, their pets, and an astonishing number of spiders. Although she loves seeing cow noses over the garden wall, she’s happy she can walk to a supermarket.
Jane grew up in North Yorkshire where she spent a lot of her childhood avoiding horizontal gales blowing off the sea, and wrote her first book by accident, while working as an architect, and renovating country houses. While she loves to write feelgood books that let readers escape, she’s always surprised to hear her stories make people laugh, admits to (occasionally) crying as she writes, and credits her characters for creating their own story lines.
Jane’s garden would be less brambly if she wasn’t on Facebook and Twitter so often. On days when she wants to be really scared, she rides a tandem.
Her latest books include a series of stand alone novels, based around a seaside wedding shop in Cornwall. Cupcakes and Confetti – The Little Wedding Shop by the Sea, Sequins and Snowflakes – Christmas at the Little Wedding Shop, and Bunting and Bouquets – Summer at the Little Wedding Shop, and most recently, The Little Cornish Kitchen. These are all published by Harper Impulse, an imprint of Harper Collins.

 

#BlogTour #BookReview The Daughter of River Valley by Victoria Cornwall @VickieCornwall @rararesources @ChocLituk

#BlogTour #BookReview The Daughter of River Valley by Victoria Cornwall @VickieCornwall @rararesources @ChocLituk

#BlogTour #BookReview The Daughter of River Valley by Victoria Cornwall @VickieCornwall @rararesources @ChocLituk Title: The Daughter of River Valley

Author: Victoria Cornwall

Series: Cornish Tales #3

Published by: Choc Lit on Jul. 17, 2018

Genres: Historical Fiction, Women's Fiction

Pages: 329

Format: eBook, ARC

Source: Choc Lit, NetGalley

Book Rating: 8/10

Beth Jago appears to have the idyllic life, she has a trade to earn a living and a cottage of her own in Cornwall’s beautiful River Valley. Yet appearances can be deceptive …

Beth has a secret. Since inheriting her isolated cottage she has been receiving threats, so when she finds a man in her home she acts on her instincts. One frying pan to the head and she has robbed the handsome stranger of his memory and almost killed him.

Brought together by unknown circumstances, and fearful he may die, she reluctantly nurses the intruder back to health. Yet can she trust the man with no name who has entered her life, or is he as dangerous as his nightmares suggest? As they learn to trust one another, the outside threats worsen. Are they linked to the man with no past? Or is the real danger still outside waiting … and watching them both?


Review:

Captivating, mysterious, and incredibly atmospheric!

The Daughter of River Valley is a lighthearted, Victorian romance that transports you back to 1860s Cornwall where Beth, a fierce, independent, young woman is determined to live and survive on her own after losing her beloved grandfather, and a strikingly handsome, troubled stranger is struggling to remember who he is and where he came from after trespassing in the wrong cottage.

The prose is seamless and wonderfully descriptive. The characters are vulnerable, thoughtful, and intriguing. And the plot, including a series of compelling subplots, interweave and unravel to create a well-paced, engaging story about life, loss, familial love, friendship, secrets, class division, romance, as well as a touch of the importance of industrial mining, and the effects of the Crimean War on the British people.

The Daughter of River Valley is the third book in the Cornish Tales series, and even though it’s the first novel I’ve read by Victoria Cornwall, I can guarantee you it won’t be my last. It’s emotional, humorous, and exceptionally authentic, and is without a doubt a must read for historical romance lovers everywhere.

 

This novel is available now.

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

 

 

Thank you to Choc Lit and Rachel’s Random Resources for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Victoria Cornwall

Victoria Cornwall can trace her Cornish roots as far back as the 18th century and it is this background and heritage which is the inspiration for her Cornish based novels.

Victoria’s writing has been shortlisted for the New Talent Award at the Festival of Romantic Fiction and her debut novel reached the final for the Romantic Novelists’ Association’s Joan Hessayon Award.

Victoria likes to read and write historical fiction with a strong background story, but at its heart is the unmistakable emotion, even pain, of loving someone.

She is a member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association.

 

#BookReview Cooper’s Charm by Lori Foster @lorilfoster @HarlequinBooks

#BookReview Cooper’s Charm by Lori Foster @lorilfoster @HarlequinBooks Title: Cooper's Charm

Author: Lori Foster

Series: Love at the Resort #1

Published by: HQN Books on Jul. 31, 2018

Genres: Contemporary Romance

Pages: 384

Format: Paperback, ARC

Source: Harlequin Books

Book Rating: 7.5/10

One summer, two sisters and a chance to start over…

Before the burglary that shattered her confidence, Phoenix Rose had a fiancé, a successful store and a busy, happy existence. After months spent adrift, she takes a job at the lakeside resort of Cooper’s Charm. Surrounded by beautiful scenery, friendly colleagues and a charismatic, widowed boss, Phoenix is slowly inching her way back into the world.

Visiting Cooper’s Charm to check up on her little sister, Ridley Rose impulsively agrees to fill in as housekeeper. Still reeling from an ego-bruising divorce, she finds satisfaction in a job well done—and in the attention of the resort’s handsome scuba instructor.

For Phoenix and Ridley, Cooper’s Charm is supposed to be merely temporary. But this detour may lead to the place they most need to be, where the future is as satisfying as it is surprising…


Review:

Humorous, sweet, and heartwarming!

Cooper’s Charm is a heartfelt, entertaining tale about accepting the things you cannot change, letting go of the past, rediscovering one’s self, taking chances, moving on, and the special, selfless bonds between sisters.

The prose is clear and smooth. The characters are hardworking, charismatic, and dependable. The setting is an idyllic summer retreat, complete with cabins, tents, sun, and sand. And the plot, which drags just slightly in the middle, is an engaging tale with a dash of mystery that’s full of friendship, family, light drama, witty banter, shameless flirting, sexy innuendoes, smoking chemistry, and new beginnings.

Cooper’s Charm, overall, is a charming, uplifting, funny start to the Love at the Resort series by Foster that has a unique, quirky cast of characters, including the adorable beagle, Sugar that I can’t wait to read more about.

 

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 Lori Foster

Lori Foster is a New York Times, USA Today, and Publishers Weekly bestselling author of more than 100 titles. She’s known for her fun, very sexy contemporary romance novels revolving around alpha males and meet (and fall in love with) strong, independent women. Lori’s been a recipient of the prestigious RT Book Reviews Career Achievement Award for Series Romantic Fantasy, and for Contemporary Romance. Even more fun, Lori’s been a clue in the New York Times crossword puzzle, a clue in the USA Today Quick-cross puzzle, and the sensual and sexy Too Much Temptation was Amazon’s 2002 top-selling title in Romance.

Lori has a super-active Facebook page where she regularly gives away reader goodies like books (of course), T-shirts, ARCs (advance reviewers’ copies), tote bags and lots of fun swag. LIKE her Facebook page so you never miss out!

It’s Monday (July 30, 2018)! What Are You Reading! #IMWAYR #Books #Reading #TBRList

 

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

 

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

 

What I Read Last Week:

 

          

 

                    

 

What I’m Currently Reading:

 

          

 

What I’m Reading Next:

 

                    

 

Current Stats:

 

# of NetGalley ARCs Outstanding: 11

 

 

# of Books Still on my Goodreads TBR List: 913 (slowly coming down!)

 

 

# of Books Read in the #20BooksofSummer Challenge: 6/20 (almost 7)

(getting way behind 😳)

 

 

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

Happy Reading!

#BookReview Now You See Her by Heidi Perks @arrowpublishing @HeidiPerksBooks #NowYouSeeHer

#BookReview Now You See Her by Heidi Perks @arrowpublishing @HeidiPerksBooks #NowYouSeeHer Title: Now You See Her

Author: Heidi Perks

Published by: Century on Jul. 26, 2018

Genres: Mystery/Thriller

Pages: 416

Format: Hardcover

Source: Arrow Publishing

Book Rating: 9/10

SHE WAS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY. AND NOW SHE’S MISSING.

She’s playing at the school fete with your children. You pull out your phone, scroll through Facebook, and look up again.
NOW YOU DON’T

Charlotte is looking after her best friend’s daughter the day she disappears. She thought the little girl was playing with her own children. She swears she only took her eyes off them for a second.

Now, Charlotte must do the unthinkable, tell her best friend Harriet that her only child is missing. The child she was meant to be watching.

Devastated, Harriet can no longer bear to see Charlotte. No one could expect her to trust her friend again.

Only now she needs to. Because two weeks later Harriet and Charlotte are both being questioned separately by the police. And secrets are about to surface.

HOW FAR WOULD YOU GO TO PUT THINGS RIGHT?


Review:

Sophisticated, riveting, and chillingly plausible!

Now You See Her is a highly suspenseful, character-driven thriller that delves into the psychological and emotional devastation caused by a missing child and the resulting finger-pointing, fragility and dynamics between friends, family members, investigators, and the community at large.

The writing is clear and precise. The characters are complex, secretive, and troubled. And the plot told from dual point of views and alternating timelines, before-and-after the incident, ratchets up the intrigue and tension quickly as it twists, turns, and unravels all the motivations, actions, personalities, and relationships within it.

Now You See Her at its core is a novel about family, friendship, fear, secrets, manipulation, negligence, abuse, kidnapping, and murder. It’s a gripping, uniquely-written tale that highlights everything is not always as it seems and is a real page-turner you won’t want to miss.

This novel is available now.

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

          

 

 

 

Thank you to Penguin Random House UK – Arrow Publishing for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Heidi Perks

Heidi Perks was born in 1973. She lives by the sea in Bournemouth with her husband and two children.
Heidi graduated from Bournemouth University in 1997 with a BA (Hons) in Retail Management, and then enjoyed a career in Marketing before leaving in 2012 to focus on both bringing up her family and writing.
Heidi successfully applied for a place on the inaugural Curtis Brown Creative online Novel Writing Course and after that dedicated her time to completing her first novel, Beneath The Surface.
She has a huge interest in what makes people tick and loves to write about family relationships, especially where some of the characters are slightly dysfunctional.

 

#BookReview Somewhere Beyond the Sea by Miranda Dickinson @wurdsmyth @PGCBooks @panmacmillan

#BookReview Somewhere Beyond the Sea by Miranda Dickinson @wurdsmyth @PGCBooks @panmacmillan Title: Somewhere Beyond the Sea

Author: Miranda Dickinson

Published by: Pan Macmillan on Jul. 26, 2018

Genres: Contemporary Romance, Women's Fiction

Pages: 352

Format: Paperback

Source: Publishers Group Canada

Book Rating: 9/10

Can you fall in love with someone before you’ve even met?

Seren MacArthur is living a life she never intended. Trying to save the Cornish seaside business her late father built – while grieving for his loss – she has put her own dreams on hold and is struggling. Until she discovers a half-finished seaglass star on her favourite beach during an early morning walk. When she completes the star, she sets into motion a chain of events that will steal her heart and challenge everything she believes.

Jack Dixon is trying to secure a better life for daughter Nessie and himself. Left a widower and homeless when his wife died, he’s just about keeping their heads above water. Finding seaglass stars completed on Gwithian beach is a bright spark that slowly rekindles his hope.

Seren and Jack are searching for their missing pieces. But when they meet in real life, it’s on the opposing sides of a battle. Jack is managing the redevelopment of a local landmark, and Seren is leading the community campaign to save it.

Both have reason to fight – Seren for the cause her father believed in, Jack for his livelihood. But only one can win. With so much at stake, will they ever find what they are really looking for?

Miranda Dickinson’s Somewhere Beyond the Sea is a sparkling tale of love, life and finding magic where you least expect it.


Review:

Absorbing, encouraging, and delightfully affecting!

Somewhere Beyond the Sea is an astute, heartwarming tale that sweeps you away to the idyllic, seaside town of St Ives and into the lives of Seren, a young woman grieving the loss of her father and struggling to save the business he left behind, and Jack, a single, unemployed father focused on raising his seven-year-old daughter and providing her with love, attention, and security.

The prose is winsome and polished. The characters are authentic, optimistic, and engaging. And the plot told from alternating perspectives is an alluring tale about loss, life, love, heartache, grit, hope, family, friendship, community, sand, sea, self-discovery, beautiful jewelry, moving on, and finding the one.

Overall, Somewhere Beyond the Sea is an evocative, touching, romantic tale by Dickinson that reminds us that sometimes it’s the little things that mean the most and magic can truly be found everywhere.

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 Miranda Dickinson

Miranda Dickinson has always had a head full of stories. Coming from a creative family where stories and songs were always present, it was perhaps inevitable that she would end up adoring words. A songwriter for over 15 years, Miranda has successfully penned over thirty songs, delivering both live and recorded performances in a range of venues across the UK and Europe. Her first solo project album, About Time is due for release this year. To hear her music, visit www.mirandadickinson.com - and be sure to leave a message if you like it!

Miranda began writing in earnest four years ago with her first novel, Coffee at Kowalski's - a romantic comedy set in New York's Upper West Side. This was spotted on HarperCollins' site for unpublished authors, Authonomy.com at the end of 2008 and was released by Avon (part of HC) as Fairytale of New York on 12th November 2009. She has also written several short stories, scripts and novel excerpts, many of which are published on Helium.com. Miranda is also a regular contributor for www.myvillage.com writing a range of local interest articles for the Birmingham area and national film and festival reviews.

 

#BookReview Every Time You Go Away by Beth Harbison @BethHarbison @StMartinsPress

#BookReview Every Time You Go Away by Beth Harbison @BethHarbison @StMartinsPress Title: Every Time You Go Away

Author: Beth Harbison

Published by: St. Martin's Press on Jul. 24, 2018

Genres: General Fiction, Women's Fiction

Pages: 336

Format: eBook, ARC

Source: St. Martin's Press, NetGalley

Book Rating: 8.5/10

In New York Times bestselling author Beth Harbison’s most emotional novel ever, a fractured family must come together at a beach house haunted by the past.

Willa has never fully recovered from the sudden death of her husband, Ben. She became an absent mother to her young son, Jamie, unable to comfort him while reeling from her own grief.

Now, years after Ben’s death, Willa finally decides to return to the beach house where he passed. It’s time to move on and put the Ocean City, Maryland house on the market.

When Willa arrives, the house is in worse shape than she could have imagined, and the memories of her time with Ben are overwhelming. They met at this house and she sees him around every corner. Literally. Ben’s ghost keeps reappearing, trying to start conversations with Willa. And she can’t help talking back.

To protect her sanity, Willa enlists Jamie, her best friend Kristin, and Kristin’s daughter Kelsey to join her for one last summer at the beach. As they explore their old haunts, buried feelings come to the surface, Jamie and Kelsey rekindle their childhood friendship, and Willa searches for the chance to finally say goodbye to her husband and to reconnect with her son.

Every Time You Go Away is a heartfelt, emotional story about healing after a tragic loss, letting go, and coming together as a family.


Review:

Poignant, touching, and sweet!

Every Time You Go Away is a tender, moving novel that takes you on a journey into the life of Willa Bennett as she learns how to cope with unexpectedly losing the love of her life, enduring the heartache involved in acknowledging and accepting the loss, surviving the grief, healing as a family, and learning to live again.

The prose is heartfelt and immersive. The characters are lonely, scarred, and endearing. And the story is an absorbing tale about life, loss, love, grief, familial drama, friendship, relationship dynamics, courage, parenthood, moving on, happiness, and first loves all interwoven with a thread of the paranormal.

Every Time You Go Away is another uplifting, beautiful tale by Harbison that reminds us that love is powerful and everlasting, and that life is precious and should always be lived to the fullest.

 

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 Beth Harbison

Beth Harbison grew up in Potomac, Maryland, in the shadow of Washington, D.C. Apart from the occasional irritation at being held up in traffic by a presidential motorcade, she has remained fairly uninvolved in the politics that define her home town.

#BookReview Ghosted by Rosie Walsh @TheRosieWalsh @PGCBooks @panmacmillan

#BookReview Ghosted by Rosie Walsh @TheRosieWalsh @PGCBooks @panmacmillan Title: Ghosted

Author: Rosie Walsh

Published by: Pan Macmillan on Jul. 24, 2018

Genres: Contemporary Romance, General Fiction, Women's Fiction

Pages: 304

Format: Paperback, ARC

Source: Publishers Group Canada

Book Rating: 10/10

It was the perfect love story… until he disappeared.

Imagine you meet a man, spend seven glorious days together, and fall in love. And it’s mutual: you’ve never been so certain of anything in your life. So when he leaves for a long-booked holiday and promises to call from the airport, you have no cause to doubt him.

But he doesn’t call. And he doesn’t call. And he doesn’t call.

Your friends tell you to forget him, but you know they’re wrong – something must have happened – there’s got to be a reason for his silence.

What do you do when you finally discover you’re right? That there is a reason – and that reason is the one thing you didn’t share with each other? The truth.

If you’ve ever found yourself waiting for a call that didn’t come, Ghosted by Rosie Walsh is the book for you.


Review:

Brilliantly plotted, beautifully written, and hauntingly romantic!

Ghosted is the immersive, beguiling story of Sarah, a woman who spends seven wondrous days with the man of her dreams only to be devastated, mystified, and tormented with the question why when he seemingly disappears, and his promised call never arrives.

The writing is fluid, seamless, and expressive. The characterization is well done with an unforgettable cast of characters that are multilayered, strong, supportive, and determined. And the character-driven plot using the perfect mixture of narrative, letters, and emails, interweaves the lives of multiple families and friends as they each learn to cope, survive, heal, forgive, love, and move on from tragedy, heartbreak, marital discord, mental health issues and infertility.

Overall, Ghosted is a special blend of mystery, hope, humour, grit, romance, and heart-wrenching emotion that is much deeper and touching than it first appears. It’s enthralling, twisty, and engaging from the very first page, and I absolutely adored it!

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 Rosie Walsh

Rosie Walsh is the author of the international bestseller, THE MAN WHO DIDN'T CALL (which was a New York Times bestseller in the US under the title GHOSTED). The book was published in thirty-five languages and has sold more than 1.5 million copies. Her next novel, THE LOVE OF MY LIFE, publishes in the UK and US in Spring 2022, with translations following around the world. THE LOVE OF MY LIFE has already spent several weeks in the top ten bestseller list in Germany after an early release. 

Rosie came to writing after a career in factual television, which took her to some of the remotest places on earth. She wrote her first novel while living in South America, where she met her partner, George. They now live in Devon, UK, with their two young children. 

Photo by Verity Rivers.

 

#Excerpt House of Belonging by Andrea Thome @AndreaThome @JKSlitpublicity

#Excerpt House of Belonging by Andrea Thome @AndreaThome @JKSlitpublicity Title: House of Belonging

Author: Andrea Thome

Series: Hesse Creek #3

Published by: Andrea Thome on Jun. 5, 2018

Genres: Women's Fiction

Pages: 314

Who can we count on? The family we’re born into, or the one we create for ourselves?

Renowned chef Laina Ming walked away from the culinary spotlight and an unhealthy relationship—one that still haunts her a year later. She’s trying to start fresh in the Rocky Mountains, opening a concept restaurant on the banks of the Roaring Fork River, where she hopes she’ll be able to express her passion for food and bury her heartache.

Horse rancher Logan Matthews moved to Aspen to be near his sister and her husband, grateful for his newfound family. Since a chance meeting with Laina the previous summer, Logan’s been enchanted. But she doesn’t want anything to do with him—which makes her all the more appealing.

Despite Laina’s efforts to protect her heart, Logan has been on her mind, too—and he has a way of turning up in the most unexpected places. Can they learn to trust one another and finally find the sense of belonging they’ve both been searching for?

 

Excerpt:

Laina turned to fix herself a vodka and soda, and as she was squeezing a lemon wedge she felt someone ease up next to her. She knew who it was before she turned to face him.

“You know, you really should open a restaurant.  That was some dinner you served up tonight.” Logan smiled at her, that same cheeky look he’d given her during the ceremony. “Just a shame you weren’t out here to enjoy it with us.”

He reached around her to grab the bottle of vodka to make himself a drink, brushing up against her ever so slightly in the process.  The effect was as if someone had run a feather across her bare neck and shoulders, and Laina involuntarily shivered at the intrusion of her personal space. 

Logan noticed her stiffen, and he stifled a smile. “Sorry, I just figured I’d need something a little stronger if I was going to get up the courage to ask you to dance. I mean, a guy can only handle so much rejection from one person, so go easy on me if the answer is no.”

He’d added ice cubes and a splash of Pellegrino to the vodka in his glass while he spoke, and now he was stirring his drink and trying to gauge her response to his offer while he did so.  This was the closest he’d been to her in weeks, so he took the opportunity to study her while he awaited her answer.

Logan felt that, with her flawless skin and jet-black hair, Laina was the most exotic woman he’d ever laid eyes on. Her last name spoke of an Asian heritage, but he knew from a quick Google search that she had Italian roots too. He didn’t think she looked like she belonged to either ethnicity. No, she was definitely one of a kind. She studied him curiously with eyes that were somewhere between brown and green. He couldn’t decide which. 

“Here you are. I knew you’d try to wriggle away when I turned my back.” Van had sidled up next to Laina, sliding his left arm around her waist protectively. He reached for a sip of her drink before handing it back to her with a wink.

Laina watched in amusement as Logan’s face fell just for a moment before he regained his composure. Van wasn’t through with him yet. “Who’s this, Laina?” He looked squarely at Logan. “Friend of the bride or groom?”

Logan steeled himself with a sip of his drink before extending his right hand in greeting. “Logan Matthews. I’m a friend to both actually, but I’m also the brother of the bride. And you are . . . ?”

Logan knew exactly who this man was. Chef Donovan Laird had been the talk of his dinner table, at least among the ladies, but Logan wasn’t going to give the man the pleasure of divulging that awareness. He’d heard his sister and India giggling about the handsome Scot and pondering whether there was anything going on between him and their mysterious girlfriend.

Apparently, there was.

Van just laughed, extending his own hand to meet Logan’s. “I’m Van. Nice to meet you. Your sister and brother-in-law are good people.”

Van turned his attention back to Laina. “Now, you promised me a dance, lass, and a dance we’ll have.”

He nodded at Logan, who mumbled something unintelligible as Van ushered Laina out toward the pulsating mob of revelers.  They hit the dance floor in time for a song that Laina loved, so they jumped right in.

Laina leaned forward to shout over the music into Van’s ear. “You enjoyed that, didn’t you?” She pulled back to watch the grin bloom across Van’s handsome face, and there was her answer.

He moved closer to respond. “I predicted that coming a mile away. I’ve seen the way he looks at you, and I know you’ve been doing your best to get him to bugger off since last summer. So I thought I’d help drive the point home.”

They laughed together, enjoying the freedom of cutting loose after such a long and stressful night of cooking. From all outward appearances, anyone would have thought they were a couple, thanks to their comfortable way with each other.

Logan was still watching from the edge of the dance floor, wondering how he’d read her so wrong. He knew Laina had been doing her best to avoid him, but he also thought he’d felt chemistry when she’d caught him staring at her during the ceremony.  

He hadn’t been able to help himself.

 

 

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Thank you to Andrea Thome and JKS Communications for being featured on my blog today!

 

About Andrea Thome

Andrea Thome is a former broadcast journalist, having covered both sports and news during her career. WALLAND and SEEDS OF INTENTION are her first two novels. The third book in the series, House of Belonging, has just been released.

Andrea is beginning work now on the first book in a brand new series set in the Pacific Northwest.