#BookReview #BlogTour
Foxglove Farm by Christie Barlow
@ChristieJBarlow @HarperImpulse @rararesources

categories: Blog Tour, Book Review, Women's Fiction, Contemporary Romance, 8/10

#BookReview #BlogTour Foxglove Farm by Christie Barlow @ChristieJBarlow @HarperImpulse @rararesources

#BookReview #BlogTour Foxglove Farm by Christie Barlow @ChristieJBarlow @HarperImpulse @rararesourcesTitle: Foxglove Farm

Author: Christie Barlow

Series: Love Heart Lane #2

Published by: HarperImpulse on June 28, 2019

Genres: Contemporary Romance, Women's Fiction

Pages: 400

Format: eBook, ARC

Source: HarperImpulse, NetGalley

Book Rating: 8/10

 

Synopsis:

Return to Love Heart Lane for friendship, romance and a community who will be be there for you no matter what…

Isla and Drew Allaway appear to have the perfect life – a strong marriage, two beautiful children and their picture-perfect home, Foxglove Farm.
 
But, new mum Isla is struggling.  She loves her little family but with Drew working all hours on the farm, Isla’s lonely.

When she discovers that Drew has been keeping secrets from her, Isla has to face losing the home they all love.
Can the Love Heart Lane community pull together once more to help save Foxglove Farm?  And can Isla save her home…and her marriage?

Review:

Inspiring, heartwarming, and sweet!

Foxglove Farm is an emotive, charming story that takes us to the quaint English countryside and into the lives of Isla and Drew Allaway who after years of marriage find themselves drifting apart and struggling to keep both their farm and their relationship afloat.

The writing is sincere and light. The characters are genuine, hardworking, and supportive. And the plot is a touching, dramatic tale about life, love, family, friendship, community, taking chances, starting over, and happiness.

Overall, Foxglove Farm is an uplifting, humorous read that does a beautiful job of reminding us just how important communication, trust, honesty, forgiveness, and unconditional love are to the success of a marriage. And even though it is the second book in the Love Heart Lane series, it can easily be enjoyed as a standalone novel if so desired.

 

This novel is available now. 

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

 

 

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

 

About Christie Barlow

Christie Barlow is the author of A Year in the Life of a Playground Mother, The Misadventures of a Playground Mother, Kitty's Countryside Dream, Lizzie's Christmas Escape, Evie's Year of Taking Chances, The Cosy Canal Boat Dream, A Home at Honeysuckle Farm, Love Heart Lane and Foxglove Farm. Her writing career came as somewhat a surprise when she decided to write a book to teach her children a valuable life lesson and show them that they are capable of achieving their dreams. The book she wrote to prove a point is now a #1 bestseller in the UK, USA & Australia.

Christie is an ambassador for @ZuriProject raising money/awareness and engaging with impoverished people in Uganda through organisations to improve their well-being.

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It’s Monday (July 8, 2019)!
What Are You Reading! #IMWAYR
#Books #Reading #TBRList

categories: Noteworthy Book Releases, #IMWAYR, General Blog Posts

 

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:

 

Title: Secret Wishes and Summer Kisses on Lily Pond Lane

Authors: Emily Harvale

Immediate Thoughts: Warm, delightful, and satisfying!

Rating: 9/10

Publication Date: June 26, 2019

 

 

Title: Come Back For Me

Authors: Heidi Perks

Immediate Thoughts: Ominous, suspenseful, and engrossing!

Rating: 9/10

Publication Date: July 11, 2019

 

 

Title: The Sentence is Death (Hawthorne #2)

Author: Anthony Horowitz

Immediate Thoughts: Mysterious, sharp, and crafty!

Rating: 9/10

Publication Date: May 28, 2019

 

 

Title: Black Sheep (Dirty Mafia Duet #1)

Author: Meghan March

Immediate Thoughts: Edgy, sultry, and risqué!

Rating: 8/10

Publication Date: July 2, 2019

 

 

Title: Dragonfly

Author: Leila Meacham

Immediate Thoughts: Poignant, absorbing, and incredibly affecting!

Rating: 10/10

Publication Date: July 9, 2019

 

 

What I’m Currently Reading:

 

When Frankie stumbles upon an unopened letter from her late mother, she’s delighted to have one last message from her . . . until she reads the contents and discovers the truth about her birth. Brimming with questions, she travels to York to seek further answers from the Mortimer family, but her appearance sends shockwaves through them all.

Meanwhile, Robyn Mortimer has problems of her own. Her husband John has become distant, and a chance remark from a friend leads Robyn to wonder exactly what he’s not been saying. Dare she find out more?

As for Bunny, she fell head over heels in love with Dave Mortimer when she first arrived in town, but now it seems her past is catching up with her. She can’t help wondering if he’ll still feel the same way about her if he discovers who she really is – and what she did.

As secrets tumble out and loyalties are tested, the Mortimers have to face up to some difficult decisions. With love, betrayal and dramatic revelations in the mix, this is one summer they’ll never forget.

 

What I’m Reading Next:

 

Life is a mixed bag for Piper Calloway.

On the one hand, she’s a twenty-nine-year-old VP at her dad’s multibillion-dollar real estate development firm, and living the high single life with her two best friends in a swanky downtown penthouse. On the other hand, she’s considered a pair of sexy legs in a male-dominated world and constantly has to prove her worth. Plus, she’s stuck seeing her narcissistic ex-fiancé—a fellow VP—on the other side of her glass office wall every day.

Things get exponentially more complicated for Piper when she runs into Kyle Miller—the handsome new security guard at Calloway Group Industries, and coincidentally the first love of her life.

The guy she hasn’t seen or heard from since they were summer camp counsellors together. The guy from the wrong side of the tracks. The guy who apparently doesn’t even remember her name.

Piper may be a high-powered businesswoman now, but she soon realizes that her schoolgirl crush is not only alive but stronger than ever, and crippling her concentration. What’s more, despite Kyle’s distant attitude, she’s convinced their reunion isn’t at all coincidental, and that his feelings for her still run deep. And she’s determined to make him admit to them, no matter the consequences.

 

Current Stats:

 

# of Books Still on my Goodreads TBR List: 444 (😊)

 

 

And check out this NetGalley Ratio 🎉

 

 

# of Books Read in the #20BooksofSummer Challenge: 5/20

😬 (15 More to Go!) 😬

 

 

 

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

#BookReview #AudioBook
Black Sheep by Meghan March
@Meghan_March @audible_com

categories: Book Review, Contemporary Romance, Romantic Suspense, 8/10, Erotica
#BookReview #AudioBook Black Sheep by Meghan March @Meghan_March @audible_comTitle: Black Sheep

Author: Meghan March

Series: Dirty Mafia #1

Published by: Audible Studios on July 2, 2019

Genres: Erotica, Romantic Suspense, Contemporary Romance

Format: Audiobook

Source: Audible

Book Rating: 8/10

 

 

Synopsis:

Every family has a black sheep. In the infamous Casso crime family, that black sheep is me – Cannon Freeman. 

Except I’m not a free man. I’ve never been free. Not since the day I was born. I owe my loyalty to my father, Dominic Casso, even if he won’t publicly acknowledge me as his blood. 

I’ve never had a reason to go against his wishes…until I met her. 

Drew Carson turned my world upside when she walked into my club looking for a job. 

Now, my honor and my life are on the line. 

Going against my father’s wishes might buy me a bullet straight from his gun, but black sheep or not, it’s time to make my stand. 

She’s worth the fallout.

Review:

Edgy, sultry, and risqué!

Black Sheep is a salacious, dramatic tale that takes you on a journey into the life of Drew Carson, a determined, intelligent, investigative reporter who finds herself inadvertently swept off her feet by the confident, sexy, dangerous, Cannon Freeman during her undercover investigation into the mafia’s role in her father’s death.

The narration is seductive and smooth. The characters are secretive, consumed, and intense. And the well-paced, alluring plot is filled with temptation, desire, deception, mystique, sizzling chemistry, and palpable attraction.

Overall, Black Sheep is another provocative, intriguing, suspenseful tale by March that has the right amount of mystery, romance, and bad boy vibes to keep you engaged and listening from the very start to the cliffhanger ending that will leave you on the edge of your seat and counting down the days until the White Knight audiobook, Dirty Mafia Duet #2, is available August 6th on Audible.

 

This novel is available now.

Pick up a copy from the following audible link.

 

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

 

About Meghan March

Making the jump from corporate lawyer to romance author was a leap of faith that New York Times, #1 Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author Meghan March will never regret. With over thirty titles published, she has sold millions of books in nearly a dozen languages to fellow romance-lovers around the world. A nomad at heart, she can currently be found in the woods of the Pacific Northwest, living her happily ever after with her real-life alpha hero.

Photograph by Megan March.

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#BookReview
Layover by David Bell
DavidBellNovels @BerkleyPub

categories: Book Review, Mystery/Thriller, 6.5/10
#BookReview Layover by David Bell DavidBellNovels @BerkleyPubTitle: Layover

Author: David Bell

Published by: Berkley Books on July 2, 2019

Genres: Mystery/Thriller

Pages: 416

Format: eBook, ARC

Source: Berkley Publishing

Book Rating: 6.5/10

 

 

Synopsis:

In this high concept psychological suspense novel from the USA Today bestselling author of Somebody’s Daughter, a chance meeting with a woman in an airport sends a man on a
pulse-pounding quest for the truth…

Joshua Fields takes the same flights every week for work. His life is a series of departures and arrivals, hotels and airports. During yet another layover, Joshua meets Morgan, a beautiful stranger with whom he feels an immediate connection. When it’s time for their flights, Morgan gets up to leave, leans over and passionately kisses Joshua, lamenting that they’ll never see each other again.

As Morgan slips away, Joshua is left feeling confused by what just happened between them. That’s when he looks up and is shocked to see Morgan’s face flashing on a nearby TV screen. He’s even more shocked when he learns the reason why–Morgan is a missing person.

What follows is a whirlwind, fast-paced journey filled with lies, deceit, and secrets to discover the truth about why Morgan is on the run. But when he finally thinks every mystery is solved, another rears its head, and Joshua’s worst enemy may be his own assumptions about those around him…

Review:

Crafty, complex, and unpredictable!

Layover is a character-driven whodunit featuring the reckless and determined Joshua Fields as he throws caution to the wind and leaves his ordinary life behind to do whatever it takes to find the missing, enigmatic Morgan Reynolds who seems to have vanished into thin air after sweeping him off his feet in a bar at the Atlanta airport.

The writing is crisp and clear. The characters are impulsive, irrational, and troubled. And the plot told from two different perspectives is a menacing tale of life, love, obsession, deception, familial dynamics, desperation, violence, and murder.

I have to admit this was a really tough one for me, as even though there is no doubt that Bell can write a creative, mysterious story that some readers will absolutely love, unfortunately for me the plot was a bit too unrealistic, and the characters were a little too hard to connect to for me to enjoy Layover as much as I would have liked.

 

This novel is available now.

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

                                            

 

 

Thank you to Berkley Publishing, through NetGalley, for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About David Bell

David Bell is the USA Today-bestselling author of eight novels from Berkley/Penguin, including SOMEBODY’S DAUGHTER, BRING HER HOME, SINCE SHE WENT AWAY, SOMEBODY I USED TO KNOW, THE FORGOTTEN GIRL, NEVER COME BACK, THE HIDING PLACE, and CEMETERY GIRL. His work has been translated into numerous foreign languages, and in 2013, he won the prestigious Prix Polar International de Cognac for best crime novel by an international author. He is an associate professor of English at Western Kentucky University where he directs the MFA program in creative writing. A native of Cincinnati, Ohio, he spends his free time rooting for the Reds and Bengals, watching movies, and walking in the cemetery near his house. He lives in Bowling Green, Kentucky, with his wife, writer Molly McCaffrey.

Photograph by David Bell.

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#BookReview
Between the Orange Groves
by Nadia Marks @Nadia_Marks
@panmacmillan @PGCBooks

categories: Book Review, Women's Fiction, Historical Fiction, 8/10
#BookReview Between the Orange Groves by Nadia Marks @Nadia_Marks @panmacmillan @PGCBooksTitle: Between the Orange Groves

Author: Nadia Marks

Published by: Pan Macmillan on July 2, 2019

Genres: Women's Fiction, Historical Fiction

Pages: 352

Format: Paperback

Source: Publishers Group Canada

Book Rating: 8/10

 

 

Synopsis:

In a small village, set among the wild mountains of Cyprus, two families of different faiths share a seemingly unbreakable friendship based on mutual respect and deep affection. Mothers and daughters share their daily secrets, fathers and sons support each other as they live their lives between the fragrant pine trees and orange groves. It’s here that two boys, Lambros and Orhan, grow up side by side, as close as brothers. Their lives are inextricably linked, but as their fortunes shift and time passes, an unforgivable act of betrayal takes place, setting in motion a chain of events that tears the two friends and their entire families apart…

Many decades later and now an old man living in London, Lambros decides to share his painful memories with his daughter Stella; transporting her back to an island brimming with passion and at its heart a scandal that still haunts those involved. Is it too late for forgiveness? Or can the next generation embark on a journey of their own to help mend the damage done all those years ago?

From Nadia Marks, the bestselling author of Among the Lemon Trees and Secrets Under the Sun, comes Between the Orange Groves, a moving tale of desire, burning secrets and forbidden love.

Review:

Captivating, informative, and picturesque!

Between the Orange Groves is set in the idyllic island of Cyprus and takes us into the lives of two main families who despite religious differences are the best of friends and are as close as close can be until one day desire and lust causes a rift that will change their lives forever.

The prose is smooth and fluid. The characters are multi-layered, alluring, and regretful. And the plot, written in a back and forth, past/present style is a delightful mix of life, loss, culture, religion, familial dynamics, deception, betrayal, and forbidden love.

Overall, Between the Orange Groves is a heartwarming, nostalgic, intriguing tale that highlights the unique political landscape of Cyprus over the years, and reminds us of the importance of forgiveness and the enduring power of friendship.

 

This book 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 Nadia Marks

Nadia Marks (ne Kitromilides,) was born in Cyprus, but grew up in London. An ex creative director and associate editor on a number of leading British women’s magazines, she is now a novelist and works as a freelance writer for several national and international publications. She has written for the Guardian, the Mail on Sunday, the Daily Express, the Independent, the Royal Photographic Society Journal, Psychologies, In Style magazine and others. For Europe and abroad she has contributed to Italian Vanity Fair, Brazilian Vogue, Greek and Australian Marie Claire, to the biggest Greek Sunday newspaper Vima, and the glossy Greek Cypriot lifestyle magazines Omikron and Must.

Website | Twitter | Facebook

#BookReview
Dead at First Sight by Peter James
@peterjamesuk @PGCBooks @panmacmillan

categories: Book Review, Police Procedural, Mystery/Thriller, 8/10
#BookReview Dead at First Sight by Peter James @peterjamesuk @PGCBooks @panmacmillanTitle: Dead at First Sight

Author: Peter James

Series: Roy Grace #15

Published by: Pan Macmillan on July 2, 2019

Genres: Mystery/Thriller, Police Procedural

Pages: 400

Format: Paperback

Source: Publishers Group Canada

Book Rating: 8/10

 

Synopsis:

A man waits at London Airport for Ingrid Ostermann, the love of his life, to arrive. Across the Atlantic, a retired NYPD cop waits in a bar in Florida’s Key West for his first date with the lady who is, without question, his soulmate. The two men are about to discover they’ve been scammed out of almost every penny they have—and that neither woman exists.

Meanwhile, a wealthy divorcée plunges, in suspicious circumstances, from an apartment block in Munich. In the same week, Detective Superintendent Roy Grace is called to investigate the suicide of a woman in Brighton, that is clearly not what it seems. As his investigations continue, a handsome Brighton motivational speaker comes forward. He’d discovered his identity is being used to scam 11 different women, online.

Roy Grace realizes he is looking at the tip of an iceberg. A global empire built on clever, cruel internet scams and the murder of anyone who threatens to expose them.

Review:

Dark, devious, and pacey!

Dead at First Sight is a sharp, compelling, police procedural that immerses you into the gritty, disturbing underworld of cybercrime, specifically online dating, and highlights just how easy it is to prey on humanity’s insatiable need to love and be loved.

The writing is complex and intense. The characters are a mix of ruthless, vulnerable, and tenacious. And the plot is a suspenseful tale full of twists, turns, action, duplicity, manipulation, intrigue, power, greed, violence, and murder.

Overall, Dead at First Sight is another timely, insightful, action-packed tale by James that highlights just how exposed the internet actually makes us and how easy and quickly it is for those with nefarious tendencies to commit crimes and destroy lives worldwide.

Dead at First Sight is the fifteenth novel in the Roy Grace series and even though there are some references to cases and events from the previous books, it can certainly be read as a standalone if desired.

 

This book 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 Peter James

Peter James is the international bestselling author of many award-winning novels. His Detective Superintendent Roy Grace series, set in Brighton, has been translated into thirty-seven languages with worldwide sales of over eighteen million copies, and has given him eleven consecutive Sunday Times number ones. In 2015 WHSmith customers publicly voted him the Greatest Crime Author of All Time and in 2016 he became the recipient of the coveted CWA Diamond Dagger lifetime achievement award for sustained excellence. Peter has also written a short story collection, A Twist of the Knife, and his standalone titles include Perfect People and The House on Cold Hill. He has also co-written a non-fiction account of Brighton’s toughest cases with former detective Graham Bartlett entitled Death Comes Knocking. The Perfect Murder, Dead Simple and Not Dead Enough have all been turned into smash-hit stage plays. All his novels reflect his deep interest in the world of the police. Three of his novels have been filmed and before becoming a full-time author he produced numerous films, including The Merchant of Venice, starring Al Pacino and Jeremy Irons. He divides his time between his homes in Notting Hill, London and near Brighton in Sussex.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Google+

#BookReview
The Runaway Daughter by Joanna Rees
@joannareesbooks @PGCBooks @panmacmillan

categories: Book Review, 9/10, Historical Fiction
#BookReview The Runaway Daughter by Joanna Rees @joannareesbooks @PGCBooks @panmacmillanTitle: The Runaway Daughter

Author: Joanna Rees

Series: A Stitch in Time #1

Published by: Pan Macmillan on July 2, 2019

Genres: Historical Fiction

Pages: 496

Format: Paperback

Source: Publishers Group Canada

Book Rating: 9/10

 

Synopsis:

The first novel in a dazzling and sweeping historical trilogy from bestselling author Joanna Rees.

It’s 1926 and Anna Darton is on the run from a terrible crime. Alone and scared in London, salvation comes in the form of Nancy, a sassy American dancer at the notorious nightclub, The Zip. Re-inventing herself as Vita Casey, Anna becomes part of the line-up and is thrown into a hedonistic world of dancing, parties, flapper girls and fashion.

When she meets the dashing Archie Fenwick, Vita buries her guilty conscience and believes him when he says he will love her no matter what. But unbeknown to Vita, her secret past is fast catching up on her, and when the people closest to her start getting hurt, she is forced to confront her past or risk losing everything she holds dear.

Review:

Glamorous, absorbing, and incredibly atmospheric!

The Runaway Daughter is an immersive, alluring tale that takes you into the life of Anna Darton, a determined, naive, resilient, young woman who suddenly finds herself alone, overwhelmed, and on the run from a past filled with cruelty, dominance, and violence.

The prose is fluid and expressive. The characters are well drawn, authentic, and intriguing. And the story sweeps you away to the bustling city of London during the 1920s when extravagance and self-indulgence were rampant, and women were cutting their hair, shortening their skirts, getting their groove on, and gaining some independence.

Overall, I would have to say that The Runaway Daughter is a smashing tale by Rees that has just the right amount of drama, romance, and suspense to be a pleasing, entertaining read for historical fiction lovers 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 Joanna Rees

Joanna Rees, aka Josie Lloyd and Jo Rees, is a bestselling writer of twelve novels, including rom-coms, blockbusters and big- hearted adventures such as Come Together, Platinum and A Twist of Fate.The Runaway Daughter, published in August 2019, is the first in The Stitch in Time trilogy set in the 1920s and following the fortune of budding fashion designer and girl-about-town, Vita Casey. The second part, The Hidden Wife is out in 2020.Based in Brighton, Joanna is married to the author Emlyn Rees with whom she has three daughters. They have co-written seven novels, including the Sunday Times number one bestseller Come Together, which was translated into twenty-seven languages and made into a film. They have written three bestselling parodies of their favourite children’s books, including We’re Going On A Bar Hunt and The Teenager Who Came To Tea as well as a light-hearted activity book encouraging people to stop being addicted to their technology called Switch It Off.

Photograph from www.curtisbrown.co.uk.

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It’s Monday (July 1, 2019)!
What Are You Reading! #IMWAYR
#Books #Reading #TBRList

categories: Noteworthy Book Releases, #IMWAYR, General Blog Posts

 

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:

 

Title: The Runaway Daughter (A Stitch in Time #1)

Authors: Joanna Rees

Immediate Thoughts: Glamorous, absorbing, and incredibly atmospheric!

Rating: 9/10

Publication Date: July 2, 2019

 

 

Title: The Barista’s Beloved (River Hill #4)

Authors: Rebecca Norinne & Jamaila Brinkley

Immediate Thoughts: Cute, charming, and light!

Rating: 8/10

Publication Date: June 1, 2019

 

 

Title: Foxglove Farm

Author: Christie Barlow

Immediate Thoughts: Inspiring, heartwarming, and sweet!!

Rating: 8/10

Publication Date: June 28, 2019

 

 

Title: Layover

Author: David Bell

Immediate Thoughts: Unpredictable, complex, and character driven!

Rating: 6.5/10

Publication Date: July 2, 2019

 

 

Title: Good Guy (Rookie Rebels #1)

Author: Kate Meader

Immediate Thoughts: Sassy, steamy, and sexy!

Rating: 8.5/10

Publication Date: July 30, 2019

 

 

Title: Red, White & Royal Blue

Author: Casey McQuiston

Immediate Thoughts: Witty, optimistic, and emotive!

Rating: 9/10

Publication Date: May 14, 2019

 

 

What I’m Currently Reading:

 

At the height of WWII, five idealistic young Americans receive a mysterious letter from the OSS, asking them if they are willing to fight for their country. The men and women from very different backgrounds–a Texan athlete with German roots, an upper-crust son of a French mother and a wealthy businessman, a dirt-poor Midwestern fly fisherman, an orphaned fashion designer, and a ravishingly beautiful female fencer — all answer the call of duty, but each for a secret reason of his or her own. They bond immediately, in a group code-named Dragonfly.

Soon after their training, they are dropped behind enemy lines and take up their false identities, isolated from one another except for a secret drop-box, but in close contact with the powerful Nazi elite who have Paris under siege.
Thus begins a dramatic and riveting cat-and-mouse game, as the young Americans seek to stay under the radar until a fatal misstep leads to the capture and the firing-squad execution of one of their team. But…is everything as it seems, or is this one more elaborate act of spycraft?

 

What I’m Reading Next:

 

A shocking discovery.
An island wrapped in secrets.

A tiny island community is stunned by the discovery of a long-buried body.

For Stella Harvey, the news is doubly shocking: the body was found in the garden of her childhood home.

The home her family fled without explanation twenty-five years ago.

Now, questioning her past and desperate to unearth the truth, Stella returns to the isolated Dorset island. But she quickly finds that the community she left isn’t as welcoming as she remembers – and that people in it will go to any length to protect their secrets.

But one thing rings true…
You can’t bury the truth forever.

 

Current Stats:

 

# of Books Still on my Goodreads TBR List: 441 (😊)

 

 

# of Books Read in the #20BooksofSummer Challenge: 4/20

😬 (16 More to Go!) 😬

 

 

 

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

#BookReview
Sweet Summer Sunset by Delores Fossen
@dfossen @HarlequinBooks

categories: Book Review, Contemporary Romance, 8/10
#BookReview Sweet Summer Sunset by Delores Fossen @dfossen @HarlequinBooksTitle: Sweet Summer Sunset

Author: Delores Fossen

Series: Coldwater Texas #3

Published by: Harlequin Books on June 25, 2019

Genres: Contemporary Romance

Pages: 384

Format: Paperback, ARC

Source: Harlequin Books

Book Rating: 8/10

 

Synopsis:

Coldwater’s most-wanted cowboy is just her best friend–until one sizzling summer kiss changes everything…

Rodeo rider Nico Laramie may have a not-so-squeaky-clean reputation with the women of Coldwater, but there are rules he doesn’t break. No bullies. No married women. And definitely not his best friend, Eden Joplin. So what exactly is Nico thinking, kissing Eden in front of her jerk ex-husband? With the proverbial bull out of the pen, Nico is about to get gored–hard.

Eden has secretly been writing a sex-advice blog called “Naughty Cowgirl,” but her divorce killed all her sexy inspiration. Then, when her gorgeous best friend kisses her in a way that makes her toes curl, suddenly Eden’s mojo is back. And the heat isn’t going away. Now something deep and long-denied is happening between them. Something that could destroy their friendship…or finally prove that this time it’s the real deal.

Review:

Spirited, steamy, and sweet!

Sweet Summer Sunset is an easy, tantalizing, friends-to-more romance that features the ruggedly handsome, playboy Nico and the sassy, fun-loving, sex blogger Eden as they discover that they may actually like each other as more than just friends after one surprising, spontaneous, toe-curling kiss.

The prose is alluring and light. The characters are funny, supportive, and kind. And the plot is an enticing ride of steamy chemistry, playful banter, bull riding, community, family, friendship, secrets, scandals, and drama.

Overall, Sweet Summer Sunset is the third novel in the Coldwater, Texas series that is undoubtedly another entertaining, spicy, enjoyable read by Fossen that’s perfect for any hot summer night.

 

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 Delores Fossen

Delores Fossen is a USA Today bestselling author, who has sold over 100 novels. Needless to say, she writes a lot. She’s had the honor of receiving the Booksellers’ Best Award for romantic suspense, the Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice Award, and was a finalist for the prestigious Rita. Her books have been featured in Vogue, Woman’s Day and Woman’s World. She’s also had nearly a hundred short stories and articles published in national magazines.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Pinterest

#BookReview
The Woman in the White Kimono
by Ana Johns @author_AnaJohns @HarperCollinsCa @SavvyReader #SavvyReadathon

categories: Book Review, 10/10, Historical Fiction
#BookReview The Woman in the White Kimono by Ana Johns @author_AnaJohns @HarperCollinsCa @SavvyReader #SavvyReadathonTitle: The Woman in the White Kimono

Author: Ana Johns

Published by: Park Row on May 28, 2019

Genres: Historical Fiction

Pages: 352

Format: Paperback, ARC

Source: HarperCollins Canada

Book Rating: 10/10

 

 

Synopsis:

Oceans and decades apart, two women are inextricably bound by the secrets between them.

Japan, 1957. Seventeen-year-old Naoko Nakamura’s prearranged marriage to the son of her father’s business associate would secure her family’s status in their traditional Japanese community, but Naoko has fallen for another man—an American sailor, a gaijin—and to marry him would bring great shame upon her entire family. When it’s learned Naoko carries the sailor’s child, she’s cast out in disgrace and forced to make unimaginable choices with consequences that will ripple across generations.

America, present day. Tori Kovac, caring for her dying father, finds a letter containing a shocking revelation—one that calls into question everything she understood about him, her family and herself. Setting out to learn the truth behind the letter, Tori’s journey leads her halfway around the world to a remote seaside village in Japan, where she must confront the demons of the past to pave a way for redemption.

In breathtaking prose and inspired by true stories from a devastating and little-known era in Japanese and American history, The Woman in the White Kimono illuminates a searing portrait of one woman torn between her culture and her heart, and another woman on a journey to discover the true meaning of home.

Review:

Poignant, beautiful, and incredibly heartwrenching!

The Woman in the White Kimono is predominantly set in Japan during the late 1950s, as well as present day, and is told from two different perspectives; Tori, a young journalist who journeys to Japan after her father’s death to unravel the secrets of his past and to find the family he may have left behind, and Naoko, a young Japanese girl whose forbidden love for an American soldier will change her life forever.

The prose is vivid and expressive. The characters are multi-layered, vulnerable, and resilient. And the plot is a profoundly moving tale about life, love, familial relationships, heartbreak, loss, guilt, grief, desperation, courage, hope, and regret.

Overall, The Woman in the White Kimono is the perfect blend of historical facts, evocative fiction, and palpable emotion. It’s a bittersweet, tender, affecting tale that will not only make you smile, make you cry, but resonate with you long after the final page has been read.

 

This novel is available now.

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

                                            

 

 

Thank you to HarperCollins Canada for providing me with a copy as a prize during the #savvyreadthon.

 

About Ana Johns

Ana Johns studied broadcast journalism and worked over twenty-years in the creative arts field, as both a creative director and business owner before turning her hand to fiction. THE WOMAN in the WHITE KIMONO, an instant Globe and Mail & Toronto Star bestseller & BBC Radio2 Book Club Pick, is her first historical fiction.

Photograph by Ana Johns.

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