#BlogTour #BookReview Vintner’s Vixen by Rebecca Norinne @rebecca_norinne @jamaila @InkSlingerPR

#BlogTour #BookReview Vintner’s Vixen by Rebecca Norinne @rebecca_norinne @jamaila @InkSlingerPR Title: The Vintner's Vixen

Author: Rebecca Norinne, Jamaila Brinkley

Series: River Hill #1

Published by: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform on Mar. 14, 2018

Genres: Contemporary Romance

Pages: 286

Format: eBook, ARC

Source: InkSlingerPR

Book Rating: 8/10

Welcome to River Hill, where the only thing more intoxicating than the wine is the man who makes it.

With movie roles for “curvy best friend” drying up fast, actress Angelica Travis is happy to be leaving Hollywood behind for a project she’s truly passionate about: renovating an historic bed and breakfast in peaceful wine country. She’s got plans and power tools ready, but an inconvenient attraction to her obnoxious new neighbor is NOT on the agenda.

Winemaker Noah Bradstone wants nothing more than to cultivate his grapes and win awards for his wine. But when construction on the B&B next door threatens his vines, Noah goes on a rampage – and comes up hard against the sexiest starlet he’s ever seen. Exactly the sort of woman he’s vowed never to get involved with again.

Angelica and Noah might be able to resolve their differences over a glass of some very fine wine, but when her opportunity at breakout stardom comes calling, all bets are off.


Review:

Humorous, sweet, and enchantingly romantic!

Vintner’s Vixen is a passionate, entertaining rom-com featuring the independent, fiery starlet, Angelica and the confident, grumpy winemaker, Noah as they discover that even though they got off to a rocky start, in the end, they may just be perfect for each other.

The prose is light and fluid. The characterization is wonderful with an incredible cast of characters who are charming, quirky, funny, and endearing. And the plot is an enticing ride full of instant attraction, steamy chemistry, drama, playful banter, friendship, community, winemaking, and reality tv.

Overall, I would have to say that Vintner’s Vixen is a tantalizing, witty, easy read and an excellent start to a new series.

 

 

About Jamaila Brinkley

Jamaila Brinkley writes historical romance with a hint of magic. Her Wizards of London series features thieves, duchesses, witches, and more indulging in mayhem and romance in Regency England. She is a member of the Romance Writers of America, and was a finalist in the Romance Through the Ages contest in 2015.

Jamaila came to romance as an avid reader of fantasy and science fiction, and found that her favorite historical romances seemed ripe for an injection of magic. Her favorite historical period is currently the Victorian era, and she’s never happier than when immersed in a multi-book family series.

Jamaila lives outside Baltimore, Maryland in a house that is perpetually under renovation with her husband and twin toddlers. You can find her blogging about romance, writing, parenting, cooking, and more on her website and posting pictures of her lunch on Twitter.

About Rebecca Norinne

Rebecca Norinne writes sexy romance from the heart. Her heroines are bold and headstrong, and her heroes will do anything for the ones they love.

When not banging away at the keyboard, she is watching rugby, enjoying a pint of craft beer, or traveling the globe in search of inspiration for her next book.

Originally from California, Rebecca currently resides in Dublin, Ireland, with her husband.

 

 

This book is available now.

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

         

 

 

 

Thank you to InkSlingerPR, Rebecca Norinne & Jamaila Brinkley for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

 

#BookReview Whiskey Sharp: Unraveled by Lauren Dane @laurendane @HarlequinBooks

#BookReview Whiskey Sharp: Unraveled by Lauren Dane @laurendane @HarlequinBooks Title: Unraveled

Author: Lauren Dane

Series: Whiskey Sharp #1

Published by: Harlequin Books on Jan. 30, 2018

Genres: Contemporary Romance

Pages: 345

Format: Paperback, ARC

Source: Harlequin Books

Book Rating: 6.5/10

The sharpest ache comes from wanting what you think you can’t have

Maybe Dolan has lived independent, free-spirited and unattached since leaving home at sixteen. Whiskey Sharp, Seattle’s sexy vintage-styled barbershop and whiskey bar, gave her a job and a reason to put down roots. Cutting hair by day, losing herself drumming in a punk rock band by night, she’s got it good.

But a longtime crush that turns into a hot, edgy night with brooding and bearded Alexsei Petrov makes it a hell of a lot better.

Maybe’s blunt attitude and carnal smile hooked Alexsei from the start. Protecting people is part of his nature and Maybe is meant to be his even if she doesn’t know it. Yet. He can’t help himself from wanting to protect and care for her.

But Maybe’s fiery independent spirit means pushing back when Alexsei goes too far. Still, he’s not afraid to do a little pushing of his own to get what he wants her in his life, and his bed, for good. Maybe’s more intoxicating than all the liquor on his shelf and he’s not afraid to ride the blade’s edge to bind her to him.


Review:

Intense, complex, and full of angst!

Whiskey Sharp: Unraveled is an emotional, friends-to-lovers romance that reminds you that your true family is composed of those that love, care, support, and accept you and not necessarily those that are related by blood.

The prose is smooth and fluid. The characters are colourful, dependable, and passionate. And the plot is a sexy and steamy ride about love, life, familial drama, abuse, sexual tension, friendship, and romance.

I have to admit that even though I didn’t have a great connection with the characters in Whiskey Sharp: Unraveled and I found the heroine’s name, Maybe, a little disruptive to the flow at times it is still an entertaining read with intriguing supporting characters that I look forward to reading more about in Whiskey Sharp Jagged, the next novel in the series.

 

This book is available now.

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

                                            

 

 

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

 

About Lauren Dane

Lauren Dane has been writing stories since she was able to use a pencil, and before that she used to tell them to people. Of course, she still talks nonstop, and through wonderful fate and good fortune, she’s now able to share what she writes with others. It’s a wonderful life!

The basics: Lauren is a mom, a partner, a best friend and a daughter. Living in the rainy but beautiful Pacific Northwest, she spends her late evenings writing like a fiend when she finally wrestles all of her kids to bed.

#BookReview #Q&A The Girlfriend by Michelle Frances @michellefrancesbooks @PGCBooks @panmacmillan

#BookReview #Q&A The Girlfriend by Michelle Frances @michellefrancesbooks @PGCBooks @panmacmillan Title: The Girlfriend

Author: Michelle Frances

Published by: Pan Macmillan on Mar. 1, 2018

Genres: Mystery/Thriller

Pages: 464

Format: Paperback, ARC

Source: Publishers Group Canada

Book Rating: 8.5/10

A relentlessly paced domestic noir examining a mother-son-daughter-in-law relationship in a chilling new light.

A girl. A boy. His mother and the lie she’ll wish she never told.

The Girlfriend by Michelle Frances is a gripping debut thriller, based on the fall-out following an unforgiveable lie. It follows the charged relationship between girlfriend, boyfriend and his mother, in a triangle of lies and deceit.

Laura has it all. She has a successful career, a long marriage to a rich husband, and a twenty-three year-old son, Daniel, who is kind, handsome, and talented. Then Daniel meets Cherry. Cherry is young, beautiful and smart but she hasn’t had the same opportunities as Daniel. And she wants Laura’s life.

Cherry comes to the family wide-eyed and wants to be welcomed with open arms, but Laura suspects she’s not all that she seems.

When tragedy strikes, an unforgiveable lie is told. It is an act of desperation, but the fall-out will change their lives forever.


Review:

Riveting, complex, and well crafted!

The Girlfriend is a character-driven, domestic thriller that delves into the embattled relationship that can occur between a mother and her son’s significant other when they’re both ruthlessly determined to be the most important woman in his life.

The writing is precise and intense. The characters are self-absorbed, troubled, devious, and at times despicable. And the plot, told from multiple perspectives, starts with a bang and continues to ratchet up the tension as it subtly unravels all the personalities, histories, and motivations within it.

The Girlfriend is a chilling, intriguing, page-turner that at its core is a novel about family, manipulation, jealousy, deception, and obsession. It’s a wonderful debut for Frances, and I can’t wait to read what she comes up with next.

 

This novel is available now.

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

                                            

 

  

 

And now a little Q&A with Michelle Francis:

 

This is a different sort of love triangle, the girlfriend, Cherry, isn’t competing with a lover but the potential mother-in-law, Laura. What made you choose this dynamic to write about?

I’ve always been fascinated by the notion that two women who are complete strangers are suddenly thrust together in a very intimate relationship for the rest of their lives – just because one starts to date the other’s son. It’s a bit weird and great territory for emotional stress and anxiety. Will she like me? Will I like her? What about for the next forty years?!

I really wanted to write a book that gave both the mother’s and the girlfriend’s point-of-view as each woman’s love for the same man is, although very different, of equal weight and importance. Pit these two loves against each other and who would win? I wanted to create a story that would get readers talking, debating which of the two women might be the more ‘wronged’ and the more justified in their behaviour.

 

There are times in the book where it’s easy to dislike Cherry and Laura! Did you feel empathy for them even though they both do some pretty bad things?

I find it hard to dislike either of them – particularly in the beginning. I want to shake Cherry and tell her to relax right at the start of the book and stop worrying so much! It’s sad really, she genuinely cares for Daniel (even though she does also like his money) and if she’d just stopped fretting about what Laura thought of her, things might have worked out very differently. And Laura does the most awful thing but she has been told by the doctors that Daniel has days – possibly hours – to live, and I can’t help but understand her actions as she’s about to lose her second – and only remaining – child. Both women have moments of possession and jealously and they are ugly, dangerous emotions that make them do despicable things. But as people I feel sorry for them both in many ways.

 

Part of the fun of The Girlfriend is trying to decide which of the characters’ behaviour is worse! Did you always intend for the story to be so morally ambiguous?

Yes, absolutely! I really wanted to test the characters, to see how far they would go, and importantly, try and make their actions justified – at least in their eyes. I think that in some cases, particularly with Laura, even though she does some awful things, she genuinely believes it’s for the right reason. Sadly, with the combination of both Laura’s and Cherry’s individual backgrounds and the situation they now find themselves in, mixed in with the paranoia and nerves, things start unraveling quite quickly.

 

How was writing for a novel different from writing for film and TV?

Well in TV, someone else does all the work! My work in television has been nearly all in producing and script editing (although I have attempted a script or two along the way). There are lots of key differences. The most obvious is length (!) – a script has about 12,000 words, a novel 100,000. Writing for television is also a very collaborative affair – certainly in the UK. There will be tiers of editors, producers, executives and commissioners, all with an opinion, that the writer will either embrace, or will need to successfully argue is invalid.

Things – mostly – happen on screen fast. A very respected UK producer once told me to ‘burn story’. Help, I thought, if I tell the writer to use that story beat in the first five minutes of the episode, what the heck are we going to do just before the ad break? But actually, it’s extremely liberating. It’s a bit like a natural disaster. The occurrence of one thing will set in motion other things, for example the earthquake will set off the tsunami. It’s the same with story – and more to the point, characters. Making things happen often triggers other things to happen.

I’m stating the obvious here but television is a visual medium. But so is a reader’s imagination. In TV, you would look to cut scenes against one another that can help to tell the story. For example, a cop might be talking to a colleague wondering who could be the culprit. Cutting to a new scene featuring a particular individual can make the audience think that individual is the guilty party. The use of visuals – and descriptive prose – cut against each other can create all sorts of drama. It can build tension, create cliffhangers, increase mystery, explain secrets. This is true of novels just as much as of television.

 

What inspired you to write a thriller for your first novel?

Personally, I wrote a thriller because that was the story nagging at me in my head wanting to be told! The darker side of our psyche and how far we’ll go when pushed fascinates me. Also, the dynamic between mother / son / girlfriend is a universal story that touches on a lot of people. Plenty of my girlfriends had tales of woe about their mothers-in-law. During the course of writing the novel I also heard a radio program about the difficulties some women were having with their new daughters-in-law and one story particularly affected me. A heart-broken woman had phoned in and was in tears speaking of how she was excluded to the extent she hadn’t even known her son and his new wife had not one, but two children. She had discovered that her grandchildren existed by accident. It reinforced to me that it’s a universal relationship that can affect a lot of women and cause a lot of distress – to either party.

 

What was your writing process like?

I tend to see writing a novel as a bit like completing a jigsaw puzzle. After shaping up the characters, I generally start with the foundations of the story, the big plot beats and twists (which I liken to the straight edges of a puzzle). Then I will fill in some of the more detailed beats in the first few chapters only – and then go ahead and write them. Once they’re complete, the characters will be starting to tell me where to go next, and so I’ll write the next section, and this continues until I’m near the end, where hopefully the jigsaw pieces are slotting in faster than I can write them!

I write everything out by hand first in a series of notebooks and once I’ve completed the day’s word target, I’ll then type them up, doing a mini-edit along the way. I like the sensation of pencil on paper and find it more liberating.

 

The Girlfriend has already been optioned for a film adaptation (congratulations!). Are you excited to see how your story will be adapted for the screen?

Very much so. Having worked in TV for so long, I’m aware of how you can have two different writers take the same source material and end up with two wildly different scripts. I’m excited to see a filmmakers’ take on the novel and watch his or her vision take shape. This also applies to casting – it’s fascinating to try and imagine different actress’s versions of Laura and Cherry!

 

Are you working on another novel and if so can you tell us anything about it?

Yes, it’s another psychological thriller, which is set in the world of the maternity leave replacement. The mum-to-be is a TV producer who tries to like her temporary replacement, but can’t help thinking she’s got a hidden agenda. Is she after her job – or something else entirely?

 

Thank you to Michelle Frances and Publishers Group Canada for participating on my blog today and providing me with a copy of this story in exchange for an honest review. It has been an honour and a pleasure.

 

About Michelle Frances

Michelle Frances graduated from Bournemouth Film School and then from the Masters programme at the American Film Institute, Los Angeles. Returning to London, she has worked for several years in film and TV as a script editor and producer for both the independent sector and the BBC.

Her first novel, The Girlfriend, became an international best seller.

 

#BookReview On a Beautiful Day by Lucy Diamond @LDiamondAuthor @PGCBooks @panmacmillan

#BookReview On a Beautiful Day by Lucy Diamond @LDiamondAuthor @PGCBooks @panmacmillan Title: On a Beautiful Day

Author: Lucy Diamond

Published by: Pan Macmillan on Mar. 9, 2018

Genres: Contemporary Romance, Women's Fiction

Pages: 480

Format: Paperback, ARC

Source: Publishers Group Canada

Book Rating: 9/10

An inspiring and uplifting novel from the bestselling author of The Secrets of Happiness and The House of New Beginnings.

In Lucy Diamond’s new novel, On a Beautiful Day, four thirty-something friends are catching up, eating al fresco at a bistro in Manchester. Laura is desperate to get pregnant and is glumly starting to think it’s never going to happen. Recent divorcee Juliet is swept up in a whirlwind romance although finding it hard to win over her new partner’s precocious teenage daughter. Eve, an uptight and a control freak, has found a lump in her breast and is in complete denial that anything might be wrong. India is the most happy-go-lucky of the four, but when you’re trying to juggle a career, marriage, kids, ailing parents, neurotic dog, and a falling-down house, there’s always a catastrophe waiting in the wings.

But when they witness an accident on the street that changes them forever, each woman begins to contemplate just how lucky (or not) they really are.


Review:

Affecting, inspiring, and delightfully mesmerizing!

On a Beautiful Day is a heartwarming tale that reminds us that life should be lived to the fullest every day and it’s not only the high but also the low moments in life that truly shape us.

There are four main characters in this novel; Eve, an accountant and mother of two who struggles to ask for help; Jo, a divorcee and nurse who’s hesitant to fall in love; Laura, a middle-aged woman who craves motherhood; and India, a mother of three who has a secret from the past that continually haunts.

The prose is warm and emotional. The characters are multifaceted, empathetic, resilient, and endearing. And the plot is a sweeping saga about life, loss, family, secrets, adultery, infertility, determination, acceptance, self-discovery, happiness, romance, and love.

Diamond has an uncanny ability to write beautiful, beguiling stories about female friendships that resonate and On a Beautiful Day is no exception. It’s powerful, genuine, heartfelt, and moving and I enjoyed every minute of 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 Lucy Diamond

Lucy Diamond lives in Bath, England with her husband and their three children. She has penned numerous bestselling novels, including The House of New Beginnings, The Secrets of Happiness, Summer at Shell Cottage, and The Year of Taking Chances.

 

 

It’s Monday (March 12, 2018)! What Are You Reading! #IMWAYR

 

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.

I got way too many books read this week, in fact I almost felt burnt out at the end. So hopefully this week I can read at a more leisurely pace.

 

What I Read Last Week (Ebook ARCs):

 

Title: The Vintner’s Vixen

Author: Rebecca Norinne, Jamaila Brinkley

Immediate Thoughts: Sweet and romantic with endearing characters. Great way to start a new series!

Rating: 8/10

Publication Date: March 14, 2018

 

 

Title: Unmasked

Author: Stefanie London

Immediate Thoughts: Enticing, salacious, and hands down one of the sexiest fairytale I’ve ever read!

Rating: 9/10

Publication Date: April 1, 2018

 

 

Title: Manhattan Millionaire’s Cinderella

Author: Sun Chara

Immediate Thoughts: Great premise, although a little too short which made the plot a little jumpy.

Rating: 6/10

Publication Date: October 7, 2013

 

 

What I Read Last Week (Physical ARCs):

 

Title: Such Dark Things

Author: Courtney Evan Tate

Immediate Thoughts: Dark, twisty, and suspenseful!

Rating: 8/10

Publication Date: March 20, 2018                   

 

 

 Title: On A Beautiful Day

Author: Lucy Diamond

Immediate Thoughts: Heartwarming tale about friendship and living life to the fullest!

Rating: 8.5/10

Publication Date: March 9, 2018         

 

 

 

What I Read Last Week (Off My TBR ):

 

 Title: The Woman in the Window

Author: A. J. Finn

Immediate Thoughts: Taut and intense with some clever surprises!

Rating: 8/10

Publication Date: January 2, 2018   

 

 

 

What I’m currently reading:

 

                                       
 

 

 

What I’m reading next:

 

                                

 

 

Current Stats:

# of NetGalley ARCs Read This Week: 1

# of Physical ARCs Read This Week: 2

# of Books Read off my Goodreads TBR This Week: 1

# of NetGalley ARCs Outstanding: 16

# of Publisher/Author Books Outstanding: 26

# of Books Still on my Goodreads TBR List: 877

 

Have you read any of my upcoming reads? What do you have coming up?

Happy Reading!

#BookReview #BlogTour Finding Dreams by Lauren Westwood @lwestwoodwriter @Aria_Fiction

#BookReview #BlogTour Finding Dreams by Lauren Westwood @lwestwoodwriter @Aria_Fiction Title: Finding Dreams

Author: Lauren Westwood

Published by: Aria on Mar. 1, 2018

Genres: Women's Fiction

Pages: 590

Format: eBook, ARC

Source: Aria, NetGalley

Book Rating: 8/10

When Lizzie Green opens up her house to be used as a set for a film based on a bestselling romance novel, she has no idea how her life will change. A heartwarming story of love and second chances.

A must-read for summer – a heartwarming story of love and second chances. Perfect for the fans of Jane Costello and Milly Johnson.

Lizzie Greene is about to lose everything when her husband suddenly dies and his debts come to light.

To make ends meet she opens up her quirky old house to be used as a set for a film based on a bestselling romance novel. Her life and household are turned upside down when a whole cast of colourful characters enters her family’s lives: from an enigmatic author, a handsome location scout, a brooding director, to a heart-throb leading man, never mind her now ex-mother-in-law camped out in her drive. As Lizzie delves deeper into the film’s book, all is not as it seems.


Review:

Compelling, poignant, and uplifting!

Finding Dreams is an entertaining, heartwarming read about letting go of the past, accepting the things you can’t change, forgiving, surviving, taking chances, and moving on!

The writing style is engaging and creative. The characters are reluctant, troubled, and lovable, including the quirky, old Tanglewild, which is a character itself with its landscape, history, and multitude of secrets. And the plot, using a story within a story, is an intriguing, mysterious tale about life, loss, heartache, infidelity, friendship, family, romance, and the crazy world of movie making.

Finding Dreams, overall,  is a delightfully charming tale that is heartfelt and genuine and reminds us that good things can happen if you believe in yourself, stay open minded, and be excited for whatever comes next.

 

This book is available now. 

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

         

 

 

Thank you to Lauren Westwood and Aria Fiction for providing me with a copy in an exchange for an honest review.

 

About Lauren Westwood

Lauren Westwood writes romantic women's fiction, and is also an award-winning children's writer. Originally from California, she now lives in England in a pernickety old house built in 1602, with her partner and three daughters.

 

For more information on Aria Fiction visit them at:

Website | Twitter | FacebookInstagram | |

 

#CoverReveal Amy Cole Has Lost Her Mind by Elizabeth McGivern @MayhemBeyond @rararesources

 

 

 

Synopsis:

Amy Cole is a stay-at-home mum and a woman on the edge.
After a very public breakdown and failed suicide attempt, Amy finds herself trying to make it through her everyday life as a high-functioning zombie.
Elle De Bruyn is a force of nature ready to shake Amy back to life whether she likes it or not.
After a fortuitous meeting, the two embark on a journey together which will change them both and help them find out exactly what they’re capable of when rock bottom is just the beginning.

 

About the Author:

Photograph by Jess Lowe

Elizabeth McGivern is a former journalist turned hostage-in-her-own-home surrounded by three men and a horrible dog named Dougal. 

In an effort to keep her sanity she decided to write a parenting blog after the birth of her first son so she can pinpoint the exact moment she failed as a mother. 

In an unexpected turn of events, the blog helped her to find a voice and connect with parents in similar situations; namely those who were struggling with mental health issues and parenting. It was because of this encouragement – and wanting to avoid her children as much as possible – her debut novel, Amy Cole has lost her mind, was born. 

Elizabeth lives in Northern Ireland although wishes she could relocate to Iceland on a daily basis. To witness her regular failings as a parent you can find her on: www.mayhemandbeyond.com 

 

For more information on Elizabeth McGivern, visit her at the following:

Facebook – mayhemandbeyond

Twitter – @MayhemBeyond

Instagram – mayhemandbeyond

 

Available May 25, 2018! Preorder Now!

 

 

 

#BlogTour #BookReview #Giveaway Undone by You by Kate Meader @KittyMeader @Pocket_Books

#BlogTour #BookReview #Giveaway Undone by You by Kate Meader @KittyMeader @Pocket_Books Title: Undone By You

Author: Kate Meader

Series: Chicago Rebels #3

Published by: Pocket Star on Mar. 5, 2018

Genres: Contemporary Romance, LGBTQIA

Pages: 184

Format: eBook, ARC

Source: Pocket Books, NetGalley

Book Rating: 10/10

Dante Moretti has just landed his dream job: GM of the Chicago Rebels. And screw the haters who think there should be an asterisk next to his name because he’s the first out managing executive in pro hockey. He’s earned the right to be here and nothing will topple him off that perch—especially not an incredibly inconvenient attraction to his star defenseman, Cade “Alamo” Burnett. Cade has always been careful to keep his own desires on the down low, but his hot Italian boss proves to be a temptation he can’t resist. Sure, they both have so much to lose, but no one will ever know…

As Dante and Cade’s taboo affair heats up off the ice and their relationship gets more and more intense, they’ll have to decide: is love worth risking their careers? Or is this romance destined to be forever benched?


Review:

Heartfelt, seductive and downright fervent!

Undone by You is an engrossing, passionate, sports romance that features the closeted, fun-loving Cade, and the handsome, mature Dante as they engage in a love affair strife with issues of age disparity, impropriety, hidden sexuality, and the stigma and stereotypical mentality surrounding professional sports.

The prose is titillating and sincere. The characters are well-drawn, appealing, and genuine. And the plot is a provocative tale full of explosive attraction, unquenchable lust, sizzling chemistry, family drama, friendship, support, acceptance, hockey, and love.

I didn’t think it was possible for this series to get any better but I stand corrected. Undone by You is emotional, tender, tantalizing, and absolutely dynamite and it has without a doubt left me counting down the days until the next novel in the series, Hooked on You, Violet’s story is available!

This book is available now.

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

             

 

 

Giveaway::

 

Kate Meader will be giving away a $50 Amazon gift card in honour of release week.

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Thank you to Simon & Schuster, especially Pocket Books, for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Kate Meader

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

 

 

#BookReview Find You In The Dark by Nathan Ripley @NabenRuthnum @SimonSchusterCA

#BookReview Find You In The Dark by Nathan Ripley @NabenRuthnum @SimonSchusterCA Title: Find You In The Dark

Author: Nathan Ripley

Published by: Simon & Schuster Canada on Mar. 6, 2018

Genres: Mystery/Thriller

Pages: 368

Format: Paperback, ARC

Source: Simon & Schuster Canada

Book Rating: 8/10

In this chilling debut thriller, in the vein of Dexter and The Talented Mr. Ripley, a family man obsessed with digging up the undiscovered remains of serial killer victims catches the attention of a murderer prowling the streets of Seattle.

Martin Reese is obsessed with murder.

For years, he has been illegally buying police files on serial killers and studying them in depth, using them as guides to find missing bodies. He doesn’t take any souvenirs, just photos that he stores in an old laptop, and then he turns in the results to the police anonymously. Martin sees his work as a public service, a righting of wrongs that cops have continuously failed to do.

Detective Sandra Whittal sees it differently. On a meteoric rise in police ranks due to her case-closing efficiency, Whittal is suspicious of the mysterious caller—the Finder, she names him—leading the police to the bodies. Even if the Finder isn’t the one leaving bodies behind, who’s to say that he won’t start soon?

On his latest dig, Martin searches for the first kill of Jason Shurn, the early 1990s murderer who may have been responsible for the disappearance of his sister-in-law, whom he never met. But when he arrives at the site, he finds a freshly killed body—a young and recently disappeared Seattle woman—lying among remains that were left there decades ago. Someone else knew where Jason Shurn buried his victims . . . and that someone isn’t happy that Martin has been going around digging up his work.

When a crooked cop with a tenuous tie to Martin vanishes, Whittal begins to zero in on the Finder. Hunted by a real killer and by Whittal, Martin realizes that in order to escape the killer’s trap, he may have to go deeper into the world of murder than he ever thought.


Review:

Dark, menacing, and gritty!

Find You In The Dark is an engrossing, creepy thriller that delves into the sadistic and disturbing thoughts, motivations, and actions of serial killers and immerses you in all the manipulation, violence, murder, depravity, and pure evil they’re capable of.

The prose is chilling and tight. The characterization is well done with a whole slew of characters that are flawed, vulnerable, and persistent. And the plot, told from multiple perspectives, is an exceptionally suspenseful, twisty, violent, tension-filled thrill ride that keeps you on the edge of your seat from the very first page.

Overall, Find You In The Dark is a fast-paced, unique, ominous tale that reminds you that if you continually dance with the devil eventually you might get burned.

 

This book is available now.

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

                                          

 

 

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

 

About Nathan Ripley

Nathan Ripley is the pen name of literary fiction writer and journalist Naben Ruthnum. His stories and essays have appeared in The Walrus, Hazlitt, Sight & Sound, and Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine, among other places. He lives in Toronto.

#BookReview Bad Bachelor by Stefanie London @Stefanie_London @SourcebooksCasa

#BookReview Bad Bachelor by Stefanie London @Stefanie_London @SourcebooksCasa Title: Bad Bachelor

Author: Stefanie London

Series: Bad Bachelors #1

Published by: Sourcebooks Casablanca on Mar. 6, 2018

Genres: Contemporary Romance

Pages: 384

Format: eBook, ARC

Source: Sourcebooks Casablanca, NetGalley

Book Rating: 9/10

Everybody’s talking about the hot new app reviewing New York’s most eligible bachelors. But why focus on prince charming when you can read the latest dirt on the lowest-ranked “Bad Bachelors”—NYC’s most notorious bad boys.

If one more person mentions Bad Bachelors to Reed McMahon, someone’s gonna get hurt. A PR whiz, Reed is known as an ‘image fixer’ but his womanizing ways have caught up with him. What he needs is a PR miracle of his own.

When Reed strolls into Darcy Greer’s workplace offering to help save the struggling library, she isn’t buying it. The prickly Brooklynite knows Reed is exactly the kind of guy she should avoid. But the library does need his help. But as she reluctantly works with Reed, she realizes there’s more to a man than his reputation. Maybe, just maybe Bad Bachelor #1 is THE one for her.


Review:

Seductive, sweet, and sexy!

Bad Bachelor is a delightfully, witty rom-com set in the hip-and-happening New York City where the Bad Bachelor app is the latest-and-greatest source for finding your mate and the fiery, intelligent, librarian, Darcy may not be able to trust everything she reads when it comes to the successful, suave, Reed McMahon.

The writing style is whimsical and clever. The characterization is spot on, with an incredible cast of characters who are quirky, charming, loveable, and fun. And the plot is a well crafted, amusing blend of drama, emotion, playful banter, exquisite tension, touching moments, steamy chemistry, and smoldering romance.

Bad Bachelor is undeniably an entertaining, lighthearted, humorous read that I thoroughly enjoyed and is without a doubt a fantastic way to kick off this new series!

This book is available now.

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

                                           

 

 

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

 

About Stefanie London

USA Today bestselling author of contemporary romance with humour, heat and heart. Also llamas.

Originally from Melbourne, Australia Stefanie now lives in Toronto, Canada with her wonderful husband. She loves to read, collect lipsticks, watch zombie movies and drink coffee.

Her bestselling book, Pretend It’s Love, is a 2016 Romantic Book of the Year finalist with the Romance Writers of Australia.