#BookReview The Night Swim by Megan Goldin @megangoldin @StMartinsPress #TheNightSwim

#BookReview The Night Swim by Megan Goldin @megangoldin @StMartinsPress #TheNightSwim Title: The Night Swim

Author: Megan Goldin

Published by: St. Martin's Press on Aug. 4, 2020

Genres: Mystery/Thriller

Pages: 352

Format: Paperback, ARC

Source: St. Martin's Press

Book Rating: 9/10

In this new thriller from the author of The Escape Room, a podcast host covering a controversial trial in a small town becomes obsessed with a brutal crime that took place there years before.

After the first season of her true crime podcast became an overnight sensation and set an innocent man free, Rachel Krall is now a household name―and the last hope for thousands of people seeking justice. But she’s used to being recognized for her voice, not her face. Which makes it all the more unsettling when she finds a note on her car windshield, addressed to her, begging for help.

The small town of Neapolis is being torn apart by a devastating rape trial. The town’s golden boy, a swimmer destined for Olympic greatness, has been accused of raping a high school student, the beloved granddaughter of the police chief. Under pressure to make Season Three a success, Rachel throws herself into interviewing and investigating―but the mysterious letters keep showing up in unexpected places. Someone is following her, and she won’t stop until Rachel finds out what happened to her sister twenty-five years ago. Officially, Jenny Stills tragically drowned, but the letters insists she was murdered―and when Rachel starts asking questions, nobody seems to want to answer. The past and present start to collide as Rachel uncovers startling connections between the two cases that will change the course of the trial and the lives of everyone involved.

Electrifying and propulsive, The Night Swim asks: What is the price of a reputation? Can a small town ever right the wrongs of its past? And what really happened to Jenny?


Review:

Raw, impactful, and thought-provoking!

The Night Swim is a slow-burning, intense mystery that introduces us to the tenacious, driven, podcast-host Rachel Krall as she heads to Neapolis, North Carolina to cover the rape trial of a sixteen-year-old teen by the local superstar athlete and ends up in turn also unexpectedly investigating a twenty-five-year-old murder.

The writing is sharp and edgy. The characters are intelligent, relentless, and determined. And the complex plot told from alternating POVs and through a mixture of narration and podcast-style musings subtly unfolds into a chilling tale of scandal, consent, deception, reputation, coercion, injustice, class division, violence, and murder.

Overall, The Night Swim is a dark, gripping, sensitive tale by Goldin that packs a real emotional punch and does an exceptional job of highlighting the psychological and emotional devastation caused by rape and the cultural stigmatization that regrettably still surrounds it.

 

This novel is available now.

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

                

 

 

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for providing me with a copy of this story in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Megan Goldin

MEGAN GOLDIN worked as a correspondent for Reuters and other media outlets where she covered war, peace, international terrorism and financial meltdowns in the Middle East and Asia. She is now based in Melbourne, Australia where she raises three sons and is a foster mum to Labrador puppies learning to be guide dogs. THE ESCAPE ROOM was her debut novel.

Photograph courtesy of Author's Goodreads Page.

 

#BookReview The Love Scam by MaryJanice Davidson @smpromance @StMartinsPress #TheLoveScam #smpromance

#BookReview The Love Scam by MaryJanice Davidson @smpromance @StMartinsPress #TheLoveScam #smpromance Title: The Love Scam

Author: MaryJanice Davidson

Published by: St. Martin's Griffin on Aug. 4, 2020

Genres: Contemporary Romance

Pages: 320

Format: Paperback, ARC

Source: St. Martin's Press

Book Rating: 7/10

A sweet and sassy contemporary romance from New York Timesbestselling author MaryJanice Davidson.

Rake Tarbell is in trouble. When the fabulously wealthy and carefree bachelor wakes up horribly hungover in Venice, it’s not something that would normally be a problem…except he has no idea how he got there from California. Or who stole his wallet. Or who emptied his bank account of millions. Or who in the world is Lillith, the charming little girl claiming to be his long lost daughter. For the first time in his life, Rake is on his own and throwing Benjamins around aren’t going to solve his problem. Now if only the gorgeous, fun, and free-spirited woman who brought Lillith into his life was willing to help the situation…

Claire Delaney finds Rake’s problems hilarious and is not in the least bit sorry of adding to them by bringing Lillith into the mix. A pretty Midwestern girl with a streak for mischief, Rake is not the kind of man Claire hangs around with. Even if he is drop-dead handsome and charming as all get-out. Even if he needs help and she has all the answers. But if this helps Lillith, she will go out of her way. And with a guy like Rake, she’s willing to bend her rules a bit for some fun. But when adventure-filled days turn to romantic nights as they search for answers, and someone starts following them through the streets of Venice, Claire realizes she’s playing more than just a game. And maybe, just maybe, she isn’t willing to let go of Rake or Lillith just yet.


Review:

Quirky, cute, and lighthearted!

The Love Scam is an intriguing, edgy story that transports you to Venice, Italy and into the life of the rich, handsome Rake Tarbell who wakes up with a wicked hangover, no phone, no memory of how he got there, and in the unexpected presence of a woman with a hidden agenda and a little girl who may or may not be his daughter.

The writing is creative and witty. The characters are unique, charming, and likeable. And the plot, along with all the subplots, intertwine and unravel quickly into a humourous tale filled with family, friendship, danger, mystique, oddball situations, hilarious mishaps, and outrageous adventures.

Overall, The Love Scam is an intricate, lively, funny tale by Davidson that is a little hard to follow at times with its complex plot and excessive use of internal monologues but is nevertheless extremely entertaining.

 

This book is available now.

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

               

 

 

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About MaryJanice Davidson

MARYJANICE DAVIDSON is the international best-selling author of several books, including the Betsy the Vampire Queen series. Her books have been translated into several languages and are available in fifteen countries. She writes a bi-weekly column for USA Today and frequently speaks to book clubs, writer's groups, teaches writing workshops, and attends conferences all over the world. She has published books, novellas, articles, short stories, recipes, and movie reviews.

Photo by Mac McGoon Studio.

#BookReview The Friendship List by Susan Mallery @SusanMallery @HarlequinBooks #TheFriendshipList #SusanMallery #HarlequinPublicityTeam

#BookReview The Friendship List by Susan Mallery @SusanMallery @HarlequinBooks #TheFriendshipList #SusanMallery #HarlequinPublicityTeam Title: The Friendship List

Author: Susan Mallery

Published by: HQN Books on Aug. 4, 2020

Genres: Contemporary Romance, Women's Fiction

Pages: 384

Format: Hardcover

Source: Harlequin Books

Book Rating: 10/10

[ ] Dance till dawn

[ ] Go skydiving

[ ] Wear a bikini in public

[ ] Start living

Two best friends jump-start their lives in a summer that will change them forever…

Single mom Ellen Fox couldn’t be more content—until she overhears her son saying he can’t go to his dream college because she needs him too much. If she wants him to live his best life, she has to convince him she’s living hers.

So Unity Leandre, her best friend since forever, creates a list of challenges to push Ellen out of her comfort zone. Unity will complete the list, too, but not because she needs to change. What’s wrong with a thirtysomething widow still sleeping in her late husband’s childhood bed?

The Friendship List begins as a way to make others believe they’re just fine. But somewhere between “wear three-inch heels” and “have sex with a gorgeous guy,” Ellen and Unity discover that life is meant to be lived with joy and abandon, in a story filled with humor, heartache and regrettable tattoos.


Review:

Absorbing, touching, and sweet!

The Friendship List is a heartwarming, engaging story set in the small-town of Willowbrook that takes you into the lives of Ellen, a single mother who has spent the last seventeen years taking care of her son and is finally ready to spend a little more time on herself, and Unity, a young widow still struggling with the loss of her husband and the all-consuming grief that is preventing her from moving on.

The writing style is witty and light. The characters are multilayered, quirky, and endearing. And the plot is a heartfelt, delightful mix of friendship, family, introspection, parenthood, sorrow, support, forgiveness, love, loss, drama, community, and new beginnings.

Overall, The Friendship List is a sophisticated, sensitive, romantic tale by Mallery that once again highlights her innate ability to delve into all the psychological and emotional dynamics between friends.

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 Susan Mallery

#1 New York Times bestselling author Susan Mallery writes heartwarming and humorous novels about the relationships that define women's lives—family, friendship, romance. She's best known for putting nuanced characters into emotionally complex, real-life situations with twists that surprise readers to laughter. Because Susan is passionate about animal welfare, pets play a big role in her books. Beloved by millions of readers worldwide, her books have been translated into 28 languages.

Susan lives in Washington state with her husband, two ragdoll cats, and a small poodle with delusions of grandeur.

Photo by Annie Brady

#BookReview Summer on Moonlight Bay by Hope Ramsay @HopeRamsay @readforeverpub @grandcentralpub #ReadForever #Forever20 #HopeRamsay

#BookReview Summer on Moonlight Bay by Hope Ramsay @HopeRamsay @readforeverpub @grandcentralpub #ReadForever #Forever20 #HopeRamsay Title: Summer on Moonlight Bay

Author: Hope Ramsay

Series: Moonlight Bay #2

Published by: Forever on Aug. 6, 2020

Genres: Contemporary Romance

Pages: 717

Format: Paperback

Source: Forever

Book Rating: 10/10

Only one thing can make veterinarian Noah Cuthbert return to Magnolia Harbor-his mother’s failing health. He’ll do anything to help his family, including taking a short-term gig at the local animal clinic. What he doesn’t count on is getting up-close-and-personal with the clinic’s new manager, a woman whose love and compassion for every stray that crosses her path has him rethinking his plans to head back to his big-city life…

After her time in the Navy, Lia wants nothing more than to settle down. The quaint seaside town is just what she’d been hoping for, and not just because her new boss is movie-star handsome. As they grow closer, Lia starts wondering if Noah could be the one. But when a town crisis forces Noah to take a stand that jeopardizes their new-found happiness, can Lia convince him that home doesn’t have to be a four-letter word?

Includes the bonus novel Then There Was You by Miranda Liasson!


Review:

Comforting, charming, and sweet!

Summer on Moonlight Bay is a heartwarming, engaging story that reminds us that sometimes it’s nice to make roots, settle down, and find a place to call home.

The writing is fluid and warm. The setting is the idyllic Magnolia Harbor, South Carolina with its quaint town and sandy beaches. The characters including the spirited, kindhearted Lia, the helpful, handsome Noah, and the adorably cute Prince are lovable, fun, and unique. And the plot is a lighthearted, uplifting journey about life, love, family, friendship, reconnecting with the past, healing, self-discovery, and happiness.

Overall, Summer on Moonlight Bay is a delightfully clever, amusing tale by Ramsay with a splendid cast of characters, beautiful locale, delicious romance, and a dab of drama that makes it the perfect pick for any sunny day.

This book is available now.

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

            

 

 

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

 

About Hope Ramsay

Hope Ramsay is a USA Today bestselling author of heartwarming contemporary romances set below the Mason-Dixon Line. Her children are grown, but she has a couple of fur babies who keep her entertained. Pete the cat, named after the cat in the children’s books, thinks he’s a dog, and Daisy the dog thinks Pete is her best friend except when he decides her wagging tail is a cat toy. Hope lives in the medium-sized town of Fredericksburg, Virginia, and when she’s not writing or walking the dog, she spends her time knitting and noodling around on her collection of guitars.

#BookReview Paris Never Leaves You by Ellen Feldman @StMartinsPress #ParisNeverLeavesYou

#BookReview Paris Never Leaves You by Ellen Feldman @StMartinsPress #ParisNeverLeavesYou Title: Paris Never Leaves You

Author: Ellen Feldman

Published by: St. Martin's Press on Aug. 4, 2020

Genres: Historical Fiction

Pages: 368

Format: Paperback, ARC

Source: St. Martin's Press

Book Rating: 8/10

Living through WWII working in a Paris bookstore with her young daughter, Vivi, and fighting for her life, Charlotte is no victim, she is a survivor. But can she survive the next chapter of her life?

Alternating between wartime Paris and 1950s New York publishing, Paris Never Leaves You is an extraordinary story of resilience, love, and impossible choices, exploring how survival never comes without a cost.

The war is over, but the past is never past.


Review:

Nuanced, pensive, and intriguing!

Paris Never Leaves You is an atmospheric, compelling story set in Manhattan in the 1950s, as well as Paris during WWII that takes you into the life of Charlotte Foret, a young widow who spent the majority of the war running a bookshop, protecting her infant daughter, hiding an enormous secret, and befriending a German Officer who had the means to provide the much-needed food and safety she needed for survival.

The prose is precise and vivid. The characters are complex, secretive, and vulnerable. And the plot using a past/present, back-and-forth style is an engaging tale about life, loss, war, heartbreak, guilt, betrayal, loyalty, forbidden love, and desperation.

Overall, Paris Never Leaves You is an immersive, gritty, satisfying tale by Feldman that does a lovely job of blending historical events, intense emotion, and thought-provoking suspense.

 

This novel is available now.

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

               

 

 

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Ellen Feldman

Ellen Feldman, a 2009 Guggenheim Fellow in fiction, is the author of Scottsboro, which was shortlisted for the UK’s prestigious Orange Prize, Next to Love, The Boy Who Loved Anne Frank, which was translated into nine languages, Terrible Virtue, The Unwitting, and Lucy.

In addition to her novels, she writes articles on social history and has published numerous book reviews and blogs. She has lectured extensively around the country and in Germany and England.

She grew up in northern New Jersey and attended Bryn Mawr College, from which she holds a B.A. and an M.A. in modern history. After further graduate studies at Columbia University, she worked for a New York publishing house.

She lives in New York City and Amagansett, New York, with her husband and rescue terrier Charlie.

Photograph by Laura Mozes.

#BookReview Sorry Not Sorry by Sophie Ranald @SophieRanald @readforeverpub @grandcentralpub #ReadForever #Forever20 #SophieRanald #SorryNotSorry

#BookReview Sorry Not Sorry by Sophie Ranald @SophieRanald @readforeverpub @grandcentralpub #ReadForever #Forever20 #SophieRanald #SorryNotSorry Title: Sorry Not Sorry

Author: Sophie Ranald

Published by: Forever on Jul. 28, 2020

Genres: Contemporary Romance

Pages: 384

Format: Paperback

Source: Forever

Book Rating: 8/10

Charlotte has always been a good girl. But after discovering a motivating podcast she suddenly feels restless and sees that being good is getting boring . . .
 
She’s not just stuck in a rut — she’s buried in it up to her chin. The only company she has in bed is the back catalog of Netflix, and falling in love feels like the stuff of fairy tales. So when she stumbles across the popular podcast Sorry Not Sorry, which challenges women to embrace their inner bad girl, she jumps at the chance to shake things up.
 
Old Charlotte would never ask for a stranger’s number, go on a blind date or buy lacy lingerie . . . but New Charlotte is waving goodbye to her comfort zone (with a side order of margaritas). And it turns out that good things do happen to bad girls . . .
 
If you’re a fan of romantic comedies by Sophie Kinsella, Helena Hunting, or Christina Lauren, and love TV shows like Girls, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, and Jane the Virgin, you won’t be able to put down this hilarious read.

Review:

Cute, light, and playful!

Sorry Not Sorry is a spirited, witty rom-com about the focused, hardworking Charlotte who after working long hours and focusing solely on her career decides with the help of a podcast to step out of her comfort zone and take some risks when it comes to dating and finding love.

The writing style is funny and sharp. The characters are quirky, amusing, and endearing. And the plot is a humourous blend of life, love, introspection, friendship, embarrassing moments, awkward situations, misunderstandings, workplace drama, taking chances, and the ups-and-downs of finding Mr. Right.

Overall, Sorry not Sorry is an easy, engaging, entertaining read by Ranald that’s bursting with female friendships, self-discovery, and a sliver of romance.

 

This book is available now.

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

            

 

 

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

 

About Sophie Ranald

Sophie Ranald is the youngest of five sisters. She was born in Zimbabwe and lived in South Africa until an acute case of itchy feet brought her to London in her mid-20s. As an editor for a customer publishing agency, Sophie developed her fiction-writing skills describing holidays to places she’d never visited. In 2011, she decided to disregard all the good advice given to aspiring novelists and attempt to write full-time. After one false start, It Would Be Wrong to Steal My Sister’s Boyfriend (Wouldn’t It?) seemed to write itself, and six more novels have followed. Sophie also writes for magazines and online about food, fashion, finance and fitness. She lives in southeast London with her amazing partner Hopi and their two adorable cats.

#CoverReveal Must Love Cowboys (Once Upon a Time in Texas #3) by Carly Bloom @carlybloombooks @readforeverpub @grandcentralpub #ReadForever #Forever20 #CarlyBloom #OnceUponaTimeinTexas

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

 by the lovely author Carly Bloom!

 

Must Love Cowboys

Releasing on April 13, 2021!

 

 

Beau Montgomery is living his best life . . . until he’s left in charge of Rancho Cañada Verde. With his dyslexia, he’d choose a saddle over spreadsheets any day. His best hope is to ask the town librarian for tutoring. Only he’s had a crush on the book-loving beauty since his junior high days—and despite being a smooth talker, he can’t help getting tongue-tied every time they meet.

Alice Martin doesn’t regret putting her career above personal relationships—but when Beau comes to her for help, Alice decides to see what she’s been missing. She’ll improve Beau’s reading skills if the handsome cowboy teaches her how to flirt and agree to be her date to an upcoming wedding. But when the town’s gossip mill gets going, they’re forced into a fake romance to keep their deal a secret. Soon Alice is seeing Beau in a whole new way . . . can she turn their imaginary story into a real-life happy-ever-after?

 

Add now to your Goodreads “Want to Read” shelf!

 

 

 

About Carly Bloom

Carly Bloom began her writing career as a family humor columnist and blogger, a pursuit she abandoned when her children grew old enough to literally die from embarrassment. To save their delicate lives, Carly turned to penning steamy, contemporary romance. The kind with bare chests on the covers.

Carly and her husband raise their mortified brood of offspring on a cattle ranch in South Texas. Also? Carly is a vegan. The cows love her.

 

#BookReview Man Down (Rookie Rebels #3) by Kate Meader @KittyMeader #ManDown #RookieRebels

#BookReview Man Down (Rookie Rebels #3) by Kate Meader @KittyMeader #ManDown #RookieRebels Title: Man Down

Author: Kate Meader

Series: Rookie Rebels #3

Published by: Kate Meader LLC on Jul. 28, 2020

Genres: Contemporary Romance

Pages: 335

Format: eBook, ARC

Source: Kate Meader

Book Rating: 10/10

I’ve been texting the wife I lost, the woman I loved beyond measure … Now someone else has answered back.

Gunnar Bond is broken.

Three years ago, he lived through the car crash that took his wife and twins away from him—though “lived” barely describes his current state. Giving up professional hockey, going off grid, and drinking himself into oblivion are his coping mechanisms. Another is texting his dead wife about his days without her. Therapeutic? Doubtful. Crazy? Definitely. But those messages into the ether are virtually the only thing stopping him from spiraling to even darker places.

Until someone texts back …

Sadie Yates is losing it.

Suddenly guardian to a little sister she doesn’t know and a misbehaving hound she’d rather not know at all, she’s had to upend her (sort of) glamorous life in LA and move back to Chicago. The nanny has quit, the money’s running out, and her job is on the line. The last thing she needs is her sister’s hockey camp counselor, a judgmental Viking type, telling her she sucks at this parenting lark. Thank the goddess for her sweet, sensitive, and—fingers crossed—sexy text buddy who always knows the right thing to say. In the same city at last, they can finally see if their online chemistry is mirrored in real life. She just needs to set up a meeting …

A ruined man who claims to have used up all his love is surely a bad bet, but Sadie’s never been afraid of a challenge … even one that might shatter her heart into a million pieces.


Review:

Charming, sassy, and heartfelt!

Man Down, the latest novel in the Rookie Rebels series, is a slightly more emotive tale about the grieving, shattered Gunnar, who’s still struggling to come to grips with the loss of his entire family three years prior and whose only solace is the texts he receives back from a stranger with his wife’s old cell number, and the feisty yet frazzled Sadie, who may finally meet the man behind the phone who has been the one glimmer in her chaotic, everyday life.

The writing is sincere and seamless. The characters are patient, wary, and supportive. And the plot is a delightful mix of life, love, friendship, family, self-discovery, grief, attraction, tender moments, awkward situations, forgiveness, misunderstandings, and steamy romance.

What more can I say, once again with Man Down, Meader has proven that she is not only one of the best writers of contemporary romance stories that are witty, light, and bursting with sexual tension, but also emotionally compelling ones too.

This book is available now.

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

          

 

 

Thank you to Kate Meader 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 A Cowboy for Keeps (Chestnut Creek #3) by Laura Drake @LauraDrakeBooks @readforeverpub @grandcentralpub #ReadForever #Forever20 #LauraDrake #ChestnutCreek

#BookReview A Cowboy for Keeps (Chestnut Creek #3) by Laura Drake @LauraDrakeBooks @readforeverpub @grandcentralpub #ReadForever #Forever20 #LauraDrake #ChestnutCreek Title: A Cowboy for Keeps

Author: Laura Drake

Series: Chestnut Creek #3

Published by: Forever on Jul. 28, 2020

Genres: Contemporary Romance

Pages: 352

Format: Paperback

Source: Forever

Book Rating: 8.5/10

From a “fabulous new voice in romantic fiction” (NYT bestselling author Lael Miller): an arrogant cowboy meets a headstrong woman determined to take custody of his niece, only to realize that she may be the family he was always searching for.

There’s not much that could rattle a cowboy like Reese St. James. But when his twin brother dies in a car accident, Reese is stunned to discover he has a six-month old niece, Sawyer. Wanting to make up for lost time, Reese heads down to Unforgiven, New Mexico, to bring her home. He doesn’t plan on Sawyer’s guardian giving him any trouble, but the intriguing, independent woman is turning out to be more than he bargained for.

Lorelei West had given up hope of having a family of her own until her sister’s tragic death brought little Sawyer into her life. And now there’s no way she’s going to let Reese take her away. Lorelei knows hotshot, good-looking cowboys like him — she’s dated enough of them — and she intends to stand her ground. Yet the more time Reese and Lorelei spend together, the harder it is to deny the attraction building between them. But opening their hearts to a baby is one thing — can they also open their hearts to the possibility of a happily-ever-after?


Review:

Touching, charming, and sincere!

A Cowboy for Keeps is a sweet, heartfelt story that takes you into the lives of Lorelei West and Reese St. James, two strangers who come from completely different backgrounds who must learn to cope with the loss of a sibling, their surprising new status as potential guardians to a child they never knew existed, and a budding relationship that will require a lot of trust and understanding.

The writing is passionate and tender. The characters are multilayered, stubborn, and reliable. And the plot told from two different points of view unravels nicely into a tale about life, loss, grief, responsibility, friendship, family, compromise, parenthood, happiness, and the importance of communication.

A Cowboy for Keeps is the third novel in the Chestnut Creek series, and once again Drake has written a heartwarming, satisfying, engaging, western romance that’s brimming with hope, heat, and heartache.

 

This book is available now.

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

            

 

 

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

 

About Laura Drake

Laura Drake grew up in the suburbs outside Detroit. A tomboy, she’s always loved the outdoors and adventure. In 1980 she and her sister packed everything they owned into Pintos and moved to California. There she met and married a motorcycling, bleed-maroon Texas Aggie and her love affair with the West began.
In 2014, Laura realized a lifelong dream of becoming a Texan, and is currently working on her accent. She gave up the corporate CFO gig to write full time. She’s a wife, grandmother, and motorcycle chick in the remaining waking hours.

Photograph by Jane Carlyle.

#BookReview Come Home to Deep River by Jackie Ashenden @JackieAshenden @SourcebooksCasa #ComeHometoDeepRiver

#BookReview Come Home to Deep River by Jackie Ashenden @JackieAshenden @SourcebooksCasa #ComeHometoDeepRiver Title: Come Home to Deep River

Author: Jackie Ashenden

Series: Alaska Homecoming #1

Published by: Sourcebooks Casablanca on Jul. 28, 2020

Genres: Contemporary Romance

Pages: 352

Format: Paperback

Source: Sourcebooks Casablanca

Book Rating: 8/10

First in a bold, sexy new small-town Alaska contemporary romance series from Jackie Ashenden

Deep River, Alaska boasts a fiercely independent though small population. The people who live here love it, and they don’t much care what anyone else thinks. Until the day Silas Quinn comes back and tells them an oil reserve has been found below the town and now it’s neighbor vs. neighbor. Some want to take the money and run, while others want to tell the oil company to put its rigs where the sun don’t shine.

Hope Dawson never expected to leave Deep River. Her mom needs her. Her grandfather died and left her the local hangout to run. Her dreams of college and adventure died long ago. Until Silas comes back to town, holding the key to set her free. But freedom means she loses him again, and he’s the one she’s really always wanted.


Review:

Quaint, sweet, and optimistic!

Come Home to Deep River is a tenderhearted, charming tale that transports you to Deep River, Alaska and into the lives of the dependable, broody, Silas Quinn and the loyal, hardworking Hope Dawson as together they grieve the friend they lost, work to save the town they grew up in, and discover that unconditional love is right there for the taking.

The prose is smooth and fluid. The characters are hesitant, troubled, and reliable. And the plot is a hopeful tale of life, love, loss, drama, family, friendship, community, forgiveness, acceptance, trust, self-reflection, taking chances, and finding happiness.

Overall, I found Come Home to Deep River to be a warm, cosy, romantic tale by Ashenden, that’s a promising start to the Alaska Homecoming series with its unique setting, intriguing characters, and uplifting storyline.

 

This book is available on July 28, 2020.

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

               

 

 

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

 

About Jackie Ashenden

Jackie has been writing fiction since she was eleven years old. Mild mannered fantasy/SF/pseudo-literary writer by day, obsessive romance writer by night, she used to balance her writing with the more serious job of librarianship until a chance meeting with another romance writer prompted her to throw off the shackles of her day job and devote herself to the true love of her heart – writing romance. She particularly likes to write dark, emotional stories with alpha heroes who've just got the world to their liking only to have it blown wide apart by their kick-ass heroines.

She lives in Auckland, New Zealand with her husband, the inimitable Dr Jax, two kids, two cats and some guppies (possibly dead guppies by the time you read this). When she's not torturing alpha males and their stroppy heroines, she can be found drinking chocolate martinis, reading anything she can lay her hands on, posting random crap on her blog, or being forced to go mountain biking with her husband.

Photograph courtesy of Author's Goodreads Page.