#BookReview Hard Cash Valley by Brian Panowich @BPanowich @MinotaurBooks @StMartinsPress #MinotaurInfluencers #HardCashValley

categories: Book Review, Mystery/Thriller, 9/10
#BookReview Hard Cash Valley by Brian Panowich @BPanowich @MinotaurBooks @StMartinsPress #MinotaurInfluencers #HardCashValley Title: Hard Cash Valley

Author: Brian Panowich

Series: Bull Mountain #3

Published by: Minotaur Books on May 5, 2020

Genres: Mystery/Thriller

Pages: 304

Format: Paperback, ARC

Source: Minotaur Books

Book Rating: 9/10

Return to McFalls County and Bull Mountain in Hard Cash Valley, where Brian Panowich weaves another masterful tale of Southern Noir.

Dane Kirby is a broken man and no stranger to tragedy. As a life-long resident and ex-arson investigator for McFalls County, Dane has lived his life in one of the most chaotic and crime-ridden regions of the south. When he gets called in to consult on a brutal murder in a Jacksonville, Florida, motel room, he and his FBI counterpart, Special Agent Roselita Velasquez, begin an investigation that leads them back to the criminal circles of his own backyard.

Arnie Blackwell’s murder in Jacksonville is only the beginning – and Dane and Roselita seem to be one step behind. For someone is hacking a bloody trail throughout the Southeast looking for Arnie’s younger brother, a boy with Asperger’s Syndrome who possesses an unusual skill with numbers that could make a lot of money and that has already gotten a lot of people killed―and has even more of the deadliest people alive willing to do anything it takes to exploit him.

As Dane joins in the hunt to find the boy, it swiftly becomes a race against the clock that has Dane entangled in a web of secrets involving everyone from the Filipino Mafia to distrusting federal agents to some of hardest southern outlaws he’s ever known.

Review:

Gritty, pacey, and suspenseful!

Hard Cash Valley is a chilling, action-packed thriller that sees GBI consultant, Dane Kirby, working with the FBI when the brutal murder of a man in Florida leads back to McFalls County where bodies begin piling up, a young boy is missing, and The Farm which recently hosted the largest illegal cockfighting match in the US seems to be at the centre of it all.

The prose is precise and crisp. The characters are relentless, callous, and impulsive. And the plot is a fast-paced, riveting tale full of twists, turns, intrigue, action, greed, power, corruption, duplicity, violence, and murder.

Overall, Hard Cash Valley is an edgy, engrossing, sinister tale that highlights just how fine the line between right and wrong truly is and reminds us that messing with the criminal underworld is never a wise decision.

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

 

About Brian Panowich

Brian Panowich is an award winning author, a Georgia firefighter, and a father to four incredible children. His first novel, Bull Mountain, was a Los Angeles Times Book Prize finalist, ITW Thriller Award winner for Best First Novel, Southern Book Prize winner, and a finalist for both the Anthony and the Barry Awards. He lives in Georgia with his family.

Photograph by David Kernaghan.

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

categories: Book Review, Women's Fiction, General Fiction, 8.5/10
#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

categories: Book Review, Mystery/Thriller, 8.5/10
#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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#CoverReveal How to Date a Younger Man by Kendall Ryan @KendallRyan1

categories: Noteworthy Book Releases, Cover Reveal, Contemporary Romance

 

 

Today I’m excited to bring you the Cover for the new standalone novel

 from New York Times bestselling author Kendall Ryan!

 

How to Date a Younger Man

Releasing on July 21st!

 

 

Tips for Surviving a Fling with a Sexy Younger Man

First, you’d think as a thirty-something-year-old woman, I’d be immune to Griffin’s flirty comments and six-pack abs. You’d think that his carefree playboy attitude, or the fact that he’s still finishing grad school, would deter me.

You’d be wrong.

If you accidentally bang your best friend’s younger brother, here are a few important tips . . .

One: Do not brag to your friend about how well-endowed her brother is.

Two: Do not go back for seconds (or thirds).

Three: Do not let him see your muffin top or jiggly behind. And definitely don’t let him feed you cookies in bed. Cookies are bad. Remember that.

Four: Act like a damn grown-up and apologize for riding him like a bull at the rodeo. And do not flirt with him when he laughs at said apology.

Five: This one is crucial, so pay attention.

Do not, under any circumstances, fall in love with him.

 

 

PRE-ORDER NOW

         

 

 

 

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

categories: Book Review, Women's Fiction, Contemporary Romance, 8.5/10
#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 #Giveaway The Royal We by Heather Cocks & Jessica Morgan @fuggirls @GrandCentralPub #TheRoyalWe #GrandCentralPub

categories: Book Review, Contemporary Romance, 8/10
#BookReview #Giveaway The Royal We by Heather Cocks & Jessica Morgan @fuggirls @GrandCentralPub #TheRoyalWe #GrandCentralPub Title: The Royal We

Author: Heather Cocks, Jessica Morgan

Series: Royal We #1

Published by: Grand Central Publishing on Apr. 28, 2020

Genres: Contemporary Romance

Pages: 624

Format: Paperback

Source: Grand Central Publishing

Book Rating: 8/10

An American girl finds her prince in this “fun and dishy” (People) royal romance inspired by Prince William and Kate Middleton.

American Bex Porter was never one for fairy tales. Her twin sister Lacey was always the romantic, the one who daydreamed of being a princess. But it’s adventure-seeking Bex who goes to Oxford and meets dreamy Nick across the hall – and Bex who finds herself accidentally in love with the heir to the British throne.

Nick is wonderful, but he comes with unimaginable baggage: a complicated family, hysterical tabloids tracking his every move, and a public that expected its future king to marry a Brit. On the eve of the most talked-about wedding of the century, Bex looks back on how much she’s had to give up for true love… and exactly whose heart she may yet have to break.

Review:

Sweet, sassy, and amusing!

The Royal We is a delightfully juicy, sparkling rom-com that introduces us to the independent, American exchange student, Bex and the quiet, responsible, heir to the throne, Nick as they discover firsthand the power of attraction, the pressures of living and loving under constant scrutiny, and the full weight of the crown.

The prose is whimsical and witty. The characterization is spot on with a cast of characters that are quirky, gregarious, and endearing. And the plot is a charming, modern-day fairy tale complete with a handsome prince, a feisty princess, a monarchy bound by tradition, sibling rivalry, scandalous behaviour, outlandish parties, sizzling chemistry, playful banter, familial responsibility, and a dreamy, happy-ever-after ending.

Overall, The Royal We is a scintillating, funny, enjoyable treat that’s perfect for anyone who loves gossip, glamour, tabloid fodder, and all things royal. 

 

This novel is available now.

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

           

 

 

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

 

GIVEAWAY!

 

I’m giving two people a chance to win a copy of The Royal We. To enter please visit my Instagram page HERE! 

Thank you to Grand Central Publishing for sponsoring the giveaway! All giveaway information can be found in the Instagram Giveaway Post. Books will be mailed by the publisher to the randomly chosen winners. Good luck!

 

About Heather Cocks

Heather Cocks is a die-hard sports fan, a Leo, an ex-reporter, a Notre Dame grad, a dual citizen of the U.S. and U.K., a sandwich enthusiast, and a former producer for America's Next Top Model.

Together, Heather and Jessica Morgan skewer celebrity fashion crimes on their popular blog, Go Fug Yourself, which draws millions of monthly readers and made Entertainment Weekly's Must List. They have covered New York Fashion Week for Cosmopolitan and New York magazine, and have written two young adult novels, Spoiled and Messy. The Royal We, their debut contemporary fiction novel, comes out April 7.

Photograph courtesy of Author's Goodreads Page.

About Jessica Morgan

Jessica Morgan is the Daskalopoulos Curator of International Art at the Tate museum.

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

categories: Book Review, Mystery/Thriller, 8.5/10
#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 Where the Lost Wander by Amy Harmon @aharmon_author @AmazonPub #WheretheLostWander

categories: Noteworthy Book Releases, Book Review, 10/10, Historical Fiction
#BookReview Where the Lost Wander by Amy Harmon @aharmon_author @AmazonPub #WheretheLostWander Title: Where the Lost Wander

Author: Amy Harmon

Published by: Lake Union Publishing on Apr. 28, 2020

Genres: Historical Fiction

Pages: 348

Format: Paperback

Source: Amazon Publishing

Book Rating: 10/10

In this epic and haunting love story set on the Oregon Trail, a family and their unlikely protector find their way through peril, uncertainty, and loss.

The Overland Trail, 1853: Naomi May never expected to be widowed at twenty. Eager to leave her grief behind, she sets off with her family for a life out West. On the trail, she forms an instant connection with John Lowry, a half-Pawnee man straddling two worlds and a stranger in both.

But life in a wagon train is fraught with hardship, fear, and death. Even as John and Naomi are drawn to each other, the trials of the journey and their disparate pasts work to keep them apart. John’s heritage gains them safe passage through hostile territory only to come between them as they seek to build a life together.

When a horrific tragedy strikes, decimating Naomi’s family and separating her from John, the promises they made are all they have left. Ripped apart, they can’t turn back, they can’t go on, and they can’t let go. Both will have to make terrible sacrifices to find each other, save each other, and eventually… make peace with who they are.

Review:

Enthralling, moving, and authentic!

Where the Lost Wander is an absorbing story that sweeps you away to 1853 and into the life of Naomi May, a young widow who along with her family embarks on a wagon train journey from St. Joseph, Missouri to California in the hopes of forming a new life. But the prairies are not easily passable, and between the landscape, the elements, disease, and Sioux warriors this adventure is fraught with danger and death from the outset and if not for the help and love of John “Two Feet” Lowry, a mule drive with a foot in both the white man and Pawnee world they would have had little hope for survival.

The writing is eloquent and vivid. The characters are resilient, devoted, and strong. And the plot is a harrowing tale about life, loss, hope, family, grief, culture, hardship, trust, violence, murder, and love.

Overall, Where the Lost Wander is a beautifully written, exceptionally atmospheric novel that transports you to another time and place and immerses you so thoroughly into the feelings, personalities, and lives of the characters you can’t help but be affected. It is indisputably one of my favourite novels of the year that reminds us of the rugged beauty of this land we call home and a lifestyle that was savage yet harmonic and respectful.

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 Amy Harmon

Amy Harmon is a Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and New York Times Bestselling author. Amy knew at an early age that writing was something she wanted to do, and she divided her time between writing songs and stories as she grew. Having grown up in the middle of wheat fields without a television, with only her books and her siblings to entertain her, she developed a strong sense of what made a good story. Her books are now being published in eighteen languages, truly a dream come true for a little country girl from Levan, Utah.

Amy Harmon has written fourteen novels including the USA Today Bestsellers, Making Faces and Running Barefoot, as well as The Law of Moses, Infinity + One and the New York Times Bestseller, A Different Blue. Her fantasy novel, The Bird and the Sword, was a Goodreads Book of the Year finalist. Her newest release, What the Wind Knows, is an Amazon charts bestseller.

Photograph courtesy of Author's Goodreads Page.

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#BookReview Burn Zone (Hotshots #1) by Annabeth Albert @AnnabethAlbert @CarinaPress @HarlequinBooks @Bookclubbish #HarlequinPublicityTeam #HotshotsSeries

categories: Book Review, LGBTQIA, Contemporary Romance, 8/10
#BookReview Burn Zone (Hotshots #1) by Annabeth Albert @AnnabethAlbert @CarinaPress @HarlequinBooks @Bookclubbish #HarlequinPublicityTeam #HotshotsSeries Title: Burn Zone

Author: Annabeth Albert

Series: Hotshots #1

Published by: Carina Press on Apr. 27, 2020

Genres: Contemporary Romance, LGBTQIA

Pages: 336

Format: eBook, ARC

Source: Carina Press, NetGalley

Book Rating: 8/10

Danger lurks everywhere for Central Oregon’s fire crews, but the biggest risk of all might be losing their hearts…

Smoke jumper Lincoln Reid is speechless to see Jacob Hartman among his squad’s new recruits. Linc had promised his late best friend he’d stay away from his little brother. And yet here Jacob is…and almost instantly, the same temptation Linc has always felt around him is causing way too many problems.

Jacob gets everyone’s concerns, but he’s waited years for his shot at joining the elite smoke jumping team, hoping to honor his brother’s memory. He’s ready to tackle any challenge Linc throws his way, and senses the chemistry between them—chemistry Linc insists on ignoring—is still alive and kicking. This time, Jacob’s determined to get what he wants.

Close quarters and high stakes make it difficult for Linc to keep his resolve, never mind do so while also making sure the rookie’s safe. But the closer they get, the more Linc’s plan to leave at the end of the season risks him breaking another promise: the one his heart wants to make to Jacob.

Review:

Seductive, tender, and timely!

Burn Zone is a steamy, engrossing firefighter romance that features the lonely, closeted Linc, and the fun-loving, younger Jacob as they engage in a love affair strife with issues of insecurities, hidden sexuality, promises made, and workplace fraternization.

The prose is passionate and sincere. The characters are well-drawn, rugged, and sexy. And the plot sweeps you away into a fervent storyline filled with friendship, family, light drama, danger, smouldering chemistry, explosive heat, romance, as well as an inside look into the expectations, pressures, and challenges of being a smokejumper.

Overall, Burn Zone is a sweet, provocative, heartwarming tale about teamwork, love, communication, and taking chances. It is a fabulous start to the new Hotshots series by Albert that has solidified once again why she’s one of my all-time favourite authors.

 

This book is available now.

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

          

 

 

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

 

About Annabeth Albert

Frequent tweeter, professional grammar nerd, and obsessive reader, Annabeth Albert is also a Pacific Northwest romance writer in a variety of subgenres.

Emotionally complex, sexy, and funny stories are her favorites both to read and to write. In between searching out dark heroes to redeem, she works a rewarding day job and wrangles two toddlers.

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#BookReview Dovetail by Karen McQuestion @KarenMcQuestion @AmazonPub @LUAuthors @ThomasAllenLTD #Dovetail

categories: Book Review, Women's Fiction, Contemporary Romance, Historical Fiction
#BookReview Dovetail by Karen McQuestion @KarenMcQuestion @AmazonPub @LUAuthors @ThomasAllenLTD #Dovetail Title: Dovetail

Author: Karen McQuestion

Published by: Lake Union Publishing on Mar. 10, 2020

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

Pages: 352

Format: Paperback

Source: Thomas Allen & Son

Book Rating: 8/10

From the bestselling author of Hello Love comes a spellbinding new novel of enduring love, family secrets, and mysterious death.

Joe Arneson’s ordinary life is upended by troubling dreams of himself as a different man in another place and time. It isn’t until he visits his estranged grandmother, Pearl, in her Wisconsin hometown that a startling connection emerges.

Drawn into his family’s past, Joe discovers secrets weighing on the old woman’s soul: the tragic death of her sister Alice a half century ago and its ripple effect on all who loved her. Digging into the events of that summer in 1916, Joe is convinced that his recurrent visions relate to Alice’s untimely passing and to the beloved man she meant to marry. With the help of Kathleen, a local woman Joe’s fallen for, the puzzles of the past start falling into place.

As uncovered truths bring Joe and Kathleen closer together, they also reveal a new danger. For Joe’s dreams may be a warning—from one star-crossed couple to another.

Review:

Pensive, heartwarming, and mysterious!

Dovetail is a captivating, moving tale that takes us into the life of Joe Arneson, a young man who after years of struggling with tormented dreams finally gets some closure and relief after moving to a new town, forging a relationship with a grandmother he never knew existed, embarking on a blossoming new relationship, and uncovering tragic memories and long-buried family secrets from the past.

The prose is fluid and smooth. The characters are troubled, complex, and genuine. And the plot, alternating between timelines and told from multiple perspectives is an absorbing tale of life, loss, love, family, guilt, grief, friendship, forgiveness, jealousy, obsession, and romance all interwoven with a thread of magical realism.

Overall, Dovetail is a compelling, thought-provoking, emotional novel by McQuestion that reminds us that often even the little choices we make often have far-reaching consequences, and sometimes, perhaps, things are truly just fated to happen. 

 

This novel 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 Karen McQuestion

Karen McQuestion is a bestselling author who writes for adults, teens, and kids. Some of her titles include Hello Love, Life on Hold, The Long Way Home, and the Edgewood series.
​
Her books have been translated into German, Spanish, Polish, Korean, Turkish, and Czech and are available internationally in English.
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All told, her books have sold over a million copies.

Her publishing story has been covered by the Wall Street Journal, Entertainment Weekly, and on NPR. She has also appeared on ABC’s World News Now and America This Morning. McQuestion lives with her family in Hartland, Wisconsin.

Photograph courtesy of Author's Website.

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