Format: eBook, ARC

#BlogTour #BookReview The Weekend Spa Break by Anne John-Ligali @AnneJohnLigali @rararesources

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#BlogTour #BookReview The Weekend Spa Break by Anne John-Ligali @AnneJohnLigali @rararesources Title: The Weekend Spa Break

Author: Anne John-Ligali

Series: Friendships Online #2

Published by: Authors Publishing UK on Apr. 30, 2018

Genres: Contemporary Romance, Women's Fiction

Format: eBook, ARC

Source: Authors Publishing UK, Rachel's Random Resources

Book Rating: 8/10

Friendships Online Series – Part Two

After finally meeting in person at the publishing party of the season, Constance and Estelle are determined not to let their friendship return to mere virtual champagne bottles and uploaded pictures of food.

It’s been a busy year, and Constance feels it’s time to reward herself with the spa break Estelle gave her for Christmas. Naturally, Constance wouldn’t dream of taking anyone other than Estelle, and this will provide the perfect opportunity to bond with her new chum.

As the excited pair spend some quality time together, they realise it’s not just writing books they have in common, but something that goes much deeper. After a few Jacuzzi sessions, facials, pedicures, and a massage by sexy Senior Therapist, Julio, everything seems to be peachy until an unexpected visitor turns Constance’s weekend of bliss … on its head.

A two-day spa break.

Sparkling water on tap.

And the perfect massage.

But who’s rubbing who up the wrong way?

Review:

Genuine, humorous, and a little mysterious!

In this latest novella, The Weekend Spa Break, we check back in on the gang of online friends we were introduced to in The Big Event and head out on an exquisite getaway with authors Constance and Estelle as they unwind, relax, and get to know each other a little better.

The writing is descriptive and smooth. The characters are supportive, fun-loving, and likable. And the plot is a lovely blend of developing friendships, budding romance, a handsome masseuse, decadent spa treatments, scrumptious food, and a surprising, unexpected twist.

Overall, The Weekend Spa Break is a lighthearted, easy read about life, love, friendship, and family, and I look forward to reading the third novella in the series to find out what these lovers of social media get themselves mixed up in next.

 

This novel is available now.

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

 

 

 

 

 

Giveaway:

To mark the release of part two in the friendships series, Anne John-Ligali is giving away a Sanctuary Spa gift set and a signed printed and binded copy of The Weekend Spa Break to one lucky winner.  At present, there are no physical copies of The Weekend Spa Break available, so this is a treat.

To enter you only have visit her Twitter page and retweet the pinned tweet showing this GIVEAWAY.

A winner will be chosen at random by Tweet Draw and announced on Saturday the 19th of May at 20:00hrs.

Competition is open worldwide.

Good luck!

 

 

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

 

About Anne John-Ligali

Anne John-Ligali is a writer and the founder of Books and Authors UK, a popular website featuring author interviews and book reviews. She loves all things books: reading, writing, going to book events, and meeting other book lovers. She has written a series of short stories and is currently writing her first novel.

Anne has always loved stories and read many books as a child, including the entire Sweet Valley High and Caitlyn series. Her interest in writing fiction came years later, when she began writing for pleasure in 2007.

Originally from Peterborough, Anne now lives in London. After moving to London, she studied graphic design at the University of Arts and has held a number IT administration jobs in the city. Anne continues writing and aspires to write more women’s fiction books, a non-fiction book and several children’s books.

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#BookReview The High Tide Club by Mary Kay Andrews @mkayandrews @StMartinsPress

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#BookReview The High Tide Club by Mary Kay Andrews @mkayandrews @StMartinsPress Title: The High Tide Club

Author: Mary Kay Andrews

Published by: St. Martin's Press on May 8, 2018

Genres: General Fiction, Women's Fiction

Pages: 480

Format: eBook, ARC

Source: St. Martin's Press, NetGalley

Book Rating: 8.5/10

When ninety-nine-year-old heiress Josephine Bettendorf Warrick summons Brooke Trappnell to Talisa Island, her 20,000 acre remote barrier island home, Brooke is puzzled. Everybody in the South has heard about the eccentric millionaire mistress of Talisa, but Brooke has never met her. Josephine’s cryptic note says she wants to discuss an important legal matter with Brooke, who is an attorney, but Brooke knows that Mrs. Warrick has long been a client of a prestigious Atlanta law firm.

Over a few meetings, the ailing Josephine spins a tale of old friendships, secrets, betrayal and a long-unsolved murder. She tells Brooke she is hiring her for two reasons: to protect her island and legacy from those who would despoil her land, and secondly, to help her make amends with the heirs of the long dead women who were her closest friends, the girls of The High Tide Club—so named because of their youthful skinny dipping escapades—Millie, Ruth and Varina. When Josephine dies with her secrets intact, Brooke is charged with contacting Josephine’s friends’ descendants and bringing them together on Talisa for a reunion of women who’ve actually never met.

Review:

Mysterious, sentimental, and uplifting!

The High Tide Club is an alluring tale that delves into the life of ninety-nine-year Josephine Bettendorf Warrick and all the friendships, lies, secrets, and promises she made, told, and broke over her lifetime.

The prose is clear and fluid. The characters are well-developed, unique, and inquisitive. And the plot, alternating between past and present, is a nostalgic, twisty tale full of familial drama, loss, grief, war, forgiveness, deception, happiness, love, skinny dipping, southern life, and murder.

Overall, The High Tide Club is a humorous, emotional, heartbreaking, suspenseful story that highlights the intricate and dynamic bonds between friends, both old and new, that gets better and better as it goes along and is an excellent choice for a summer read!

 

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 Mary Kay Andrews

Mary Kay Andrews is the pen name of American writer Kathy Hogan Trocheck, based in Atlanta, who has authored a number of best-selling books under the Andrews pen name since 2002.

Trochek graduated from the University of Georgia with a journalism degree in 1976. She worked as a reporter at a number of papers, and spent 11 years as a reporter for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution before leaving to write fiction full-time in 1991. She published ten mystery novels under her own name between 1992 and 2000, and switched to the Andrews pen name in 2002 to author Savannah Blues, which marked a change in her style to more Southern-flavored themes.

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#BlogTour #BookReview Hooked On You by Kate Meader @KittyMeader @Pocket_Books

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#BlogTour #BookReview Hooked On You by Kate Meader @KittyMeader @Pocket_Books Title: Hooked On You

Author: Kate Meader

Series: Chicago Rebels #4

Published by: Pocket Books on May 29, 2018

Genres: Contemporary Romance

Pages: 384

Format: eBook, ARC

Source: Pocket Books, NetGalley

Book Rating: 8/10

Violet Vasquez never met her biological father, so learning he left his beloved hockey franchise—the Chicago Rebels—to her is, well, unexpected. Flat broke and close to homeless, Violet is determined to make the most of this sudden opportunity. Except dear old dad set conditions that require she takes part in actually running the team with the half-sisters she barely knows. Working with these two strangers and overseeing a band of hockey-playing lugs is not on her agenda…until she lays eyes on the Rebels captain and knows she has to have him.

Bren St. James has been labeled a lot of things: the Puck Prince, Lord of the Ice, Hell’s Highlander…but it’s the latest tag that’s making headlines: washed-up alcoholic has-been. This season, getting his life back on track and winning the Cup are his only goals. With no time for relationships—except the fractured ones he needs to rebuild with his beautiful daughters—he’s finding it increasingly hard to ignore sexy, all-up-in-his-beard Violet Vasquez. And when he finds himself in need of a nanny just as the playoffs are starting, he’s faced with a temptation he could so easily get hooked on.

For two lost souls, there’s more on the line than just making the best of a bad situation… there might also be a shot at the biggest prize of all: love.

Review:

Sweet, romantic, and satisfying!

Hooked on You is a fervent, bittersweet tale that brings together the broody, guilt-ridden Bren, and the feisty, fun-loving Violet as they both discover that some things are worth fighting for and together they can overcome any baggage from their pasts.

The prose is emotive and smooth. The characters are hesitant, dependable, and affable. And the plot is an alluring mix of compassion, patience, attraction, friendship, addiction, parenthood, familial drama, hockey, combustible chemistry and unconditional love.

Hooked on You is the fourth and final novel in the Chicago Rebels series. It’s a little rueful to say goodbye to the characters we’ve come to love but is nevertheless a lovely way to catch up on the whole gang and finally give Violet and Bren the happy-ever-after ending we’ve imagined for them from the very start.

 

This book is available now.

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

             

 

 

 

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

 

About Kate Meader

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

Website | Facebook | Instagram

 

 

#BlogTour #BookReview Bro Code by Kendall Ryan @KendallRyan1 @InkSlingerPR

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#BlogTour #BookReview Bro Code by Kendall Ryan @KendallRyan1 @InkSlingerPR

#BlogTour #BookReview Bro Code by Kendall Ryan @KendallRyan1 @InkSlingerPR Title: Bro Code

Author: Kendall Ryan

Published by: CreateSpace on May 1, 2018

Genres: Contemporary Romance

Pages: 340

Format: eBook, ARC

Source: InkSlingerPR

Book Rating: 10/10

From New York Times bestselling author Kendall Ryan comes a flirty new standalone about falling for your older brother’s best friend.

There’s pretty much only one rule when you’re a guy.

Don’t be a douche.

Turns out, the fastest way to break that rule is to fall for your best friend’s sister.

Ava’s brilliant, sharp-tongued, gorgeous, and five years younger than me.

She’s the sexual equivalent of running with scissors. In a word, she’s dangerous. And completely off-limits.

Falling for her could ruin everything.

Yet I can’t seem to stop, even when her company is threatened by a lawsuit, and my promotion hinges on representing the opposing client—and winning.

I can’t see a way out of this mess that doesn’t end in a broken friendship, a broken heart, or a ruined career.

I may have broken the bro code when I fell for Ava. But do I have the balls to handle what comes next?

Review:

Sultry, sassy, and sweet!

Bro Code is an enchanting, passionate read that mixes the the hardworking, caring Ava who’s determined to not only keep the family business up and running but her hands off the man of her dreams, and the chivalrous, delectable Barrett who may finally take the risk and act on his feelings for his best friend’s sister.

The writing is effortless and fluid. The supporting characters are fun-loving and engaging. And the plot sweeps you away into a push-pull storyline filled with tantalizing mishaps, witty banter, shameless flirting, red-hot chemistry, family, friendship, light drama, romance, and love.

I’m not sure there’s a Kendall Ryan book out there that isn’t well written with the perfect mix of heart, humour, and heat and Bro Code is no exception. I loved the story, I loved the characters, I loved the swoon-worthy happy-ever-after ending, and I especially loved the cover 😋!

This book is available now.

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

                                        

 

 

 

 

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.

Website | Facebook | Goodreads | Amazon | Pinterest | Newsletter

 

 

Thank you to InkSlingerPR and Kendall Ryan for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

 

#BookReview Her Last Word by Mary Burton @MaryBurtonBooks @JoanSchulhafer

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#BookReview Her Last Word by Mary Burton @MaryBurtonBooks @JoanSchulhafer Title: Her Last Word

Author: Mary Burton

Published by: Montlake Romance on May 8, 2018

Genres: Mystery/Thriller, Romantic Suspense

Pages: 360

Format: eBook, ARC

Source: Mary Burton, NetGalley

Book Rating: 9/10

An unsolved crime pits a desperate woman against a relentless killer in New York Times bestselling author Mary Burton’s heart-stopping novel of psychological suspense…

Fourteen years ago, Kaitlin Roe was the lone witness to the abduction of her cousin Gina. She still remembers that lonely Virginia road. She can still see the masked stranger and hear Gina’s screams. And she still suffers the guilt of running away in fear and resents being interrogated as a suspect in the immediate aftermath. Now Kaitlin has only one way to assuage the pain and nightmares—by interviewing everyone associated with the unsolved crime for a podcast that could finally bring closure to a case gone cold.

But when a woman Kaitlin questions is later found stabbed to death, she fears that she’s drawn a killer out of hiding. It’s Detective John Adler’s fear that the murders have only just begun. Now his job is to keep Kaitlin safe. As a bond between Kaitlin and Adler builds, the past closes in just as fast—and it’s darker than Kaitlin remembers. Soon, her wish will come true. She’s going to find out exactly what happened to Gina. Someone has been dying to tell her.

Review:

Suspenseful, sinister, and exceptionally gripping!

Her Last Word is a fast-paced, intense police procedural that not only delves into a 14-year-old cold case involving a missing teen but takes you on a hunt for an obsessed serial killer consumed with revenge.

The writing is sharp and crisp. The characters are flawed, scarred, and tenacious. And the complex plot told through a mixture of narration and interview-style musings interweaves into a compelling story with lots of twists, turns, red herrings, violence, sexual attraction, mayhem, and murder.

Once again with Her Last Word, Burton has written a highly entertaining, intricately woven mystery with a touch of romance that is satisfying, enthralling, and doesn’t disappoint.

This book will be available May 8, 2018.

Preorder now from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

             

 

 

Thank you to Mary Burton and Joan Schulhafer Publishing for providing me with a copy of this story in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Mary Burton

New York Times and USA Today bestselling novelist Mary Burton is the highly praised author of twenty-six romance and suspense novels and five novellas. She lives in Virginia with her husband and three miniature dachshunds.

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#BookReview The Broken Girls by Simone St. James @simone_stjames @BerkleyPub #NetGalley

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#BookReview The Broken Girls by Simone St. James @simone_stjames @BerkleyPub #NetGalley Title: The Broken Girls

Author: Simone St. James

Published by: Berkley Publishing on Mar. 20, 2018

Genres: Mystery/Thriller, Historical Fiction

Pages: 336

Format: eBook, ARC

Source: Berkley Publishing, NetGalley

Book Rating: 9/10

A suspense novel from the award-winning author of The Haunting of Maddy Clare…

Vermont, 1950. There’s a place for the girls whom no one wants–the troublemakers, the illegitimate, the too smart for their own good. It’s called Idlewild Hall. And in the small town where it’s located, there are rumors that the boarding school is haunted. Four roommates bond over their whispered fears, their budding friendship blossoming–until one of them mysteriously disappears. . . .

Vermont, 2014. As much as she’s tried, journalist Fiona Sheridan cannot stop revisiting the events surrounding her older sister’s death. Twenty years ago, her body was found lying in the overgrown fields near the ruins of Idlewild Hall. And though her sister’s boyfriend was tried and convicted of murder, Fiona can’t shake the suspicion that something was never right about the case.

When Fiona discovers that Idlewild Hall is being restored by an anonymous benefactor, she decides to write a story about it. But a shocking discovery during the renovations will link the loss of her sister to secrets that were meant to stay hidden in the past–and a voice that won’t be silenced. . . .

Review:

Haunting, imaginative, and mystical!

In this latest novel by St. James, The Broken Girls, she transports us to Barrons, Vermont a small town where the restoration of an abandoned boarding school will unearth powerful emotions, tragic memories, and more long-buried secrets and skeletons than anyone could have imagined.

The prose is eerie and dark. The plot, told from alternating timelines, is gripping, suspenseful and filled with familial drama, neglect, hatred, abuse, desperation, violence, and murder all interwoven with a thread of the supernatural. And the characterization is spot on with a cast of characters that are damaged, fearless, and loyal, and a setting, Idlewild Hall, that is a character itself with its dereliction and isolation.

Overall, The Broken Girls is an intelligent, unique, skillfully crafted page-turner that will have you on the edge of your seat from the very first page and will ultimately leave you chilled, surprised, satisfied and thoroughly entertained.

This book is available now.

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

                                        

 

 

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

 

About Simone St. James

Simone St. James is the award-winning author of The Haunting of Maddy Clare, which won two RITA awards from Romance Writers of America and an Arthur Ellis Award from Crime Writers of Canada. She wrote her first ghost story, about a haunted library, when she was in high school, and spent twenty years behind the scenes in the television business before leaving to write full-time. She lives in Toronto, Canada with her husband and a spoiled cat.

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#BookReview The Husband Hour by Jamie Brenner @JamieLBrenner @littlebrown

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#BookReview The Husband Hour by Jamie Brenner @JamieLBrenner @littlebrown Title: The Husband Hour

Author: Jamie Brenner

Published by: Little Brown and Company on Apr. 24, 2018

Genres: General Fiction, Women's Fiction

Pages: 368

Format: eBook, ARC

Source: Little Brown and Company, NetGalley

Book Rating: 10/10

When a young widow’s reclusive life in a charming beach town is interrupted by a surprise visitor, she is forced to reckon with dark secrets about her family, her late husband, and the past she tried to leave behind.

Lauren Adelman and her high school sweetheart, Rory Kincaid, are a golden couple. They marry just out of college as Rory, a star hockey player, earns a spot in the NHL. Their future could not look brighter when Rory shocks everyone-Lauren most of all-by enlisting in the U.S. Army. When Rory dies in combat, Lauren is left devastated, alone, and under unbearable public scrutiny.

Seeking peace and solitude, Lauren retreats to her family’s old beach house on the Jersey Shore. But this summer she’s forced to share the house with her overbearing mother and competitive sister. Worse, a stranger making a documentary about Rory tracks her down and persuades her to give him just an hour of her time.

One hour with filmmaker Matt Brio turns into a summer of revelations, surprises, and upheaval. As the days grow shorter and her grief changes shape, Lauren begins to understand the past-and to welcome the future.

Review:

Absorbing, poignant, and incredibly moving!

The Husband Hour is a beautifully written story that delves into the complexities and dynamics of relationships between partners, siblings, and the nuclear family as a whole and reminds us that there’s no perfection in humanity, we are all wonderfully flawed.

The prose is fluid and well turned. The characters are authentic, scarred and lovable. And the story is an exceptionally mesmerizing tale about life, loss, love, grief, forgiveness, familial drama, friendship, courage, community, moving on, happiness, and the enduring physical and psychological effects of sports injuries on professional athletes.

Overall, The Husband Hour is the perfect blend of heart-wrenching emotion, grit, hope, and humour. It made me laugh, it made me cry, and it left me smiling, and I absolutely loved it!

This book is available now.

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

                                             

 

 

Thank you to Little, Brown and Company and NetGalley 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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#BlogTour & #BookReview Killing Time by Mark Roberts @MR_CrimeWriter @Aria_Fiction @HoZ_Books

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#BlogTour & #BookReview Killing Time by Mark Roberts @MR_CrimeWriter @Aria_Fiction @HoZ_Books Title: Killing Time

Author: Mark Roberts

Series: DCI Eve Clay #4

Published by: Aria on Apr. 1, 2018

Genres: Mystery/Thriller

Pages: 400

Format: eBook, ARC

Source: Aria, NetGalley

Book Rating: 7/10

Before night falls, someone will die…

A young Czech girl, missing for eight days, is found in a deserted playground. Starving and terrified, she may be alive but the horrors she’s survived have left her mute.

DCI Eve Clay is on her way to try and interview the girl, when another case is called in. Two Polish migrant workers have been found dead in their burnt out flat. But this is no normal house fire. The men’s bodies had been doused in petrol.

Then Clay uncovers a sinister message at the scene: killing time is here, embrace it. It’s clear this is only the beginning, but how long does Eve have before another life is taken?  

Review:

Disturbing, menacing, and tortuous!

Killing Time is a complex tale that immerses you into the hunt, evidence collection, and investigation of a serial killer with a penchant for fire.

The prose is dark and eerie. The characters are devout, fanatical, and manipulative. And the plot is an incredibly twisty tale that delves into a world filled with deception, mental illness, obsession, malice, hatred, religious indoctrination, violence, and murder.

Killing Time is the fourth novel in the DCI Eve Clay series, and even though I found a few parts a little hard to follow in the early part of the story and could never pinpoint why it was set in the future rather than present day, it was still an entertaining, fast-paced, gripping read that fans of police procedurals will certainly enjoy.

 

This book is available now.

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

                   

 

 

Thank you to Aria, an imprint of Head of Zeus for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Mark Roberts

Mark Roberts was born and raised in Liverpool. He was a teacher for twenty years and now works with children with severe learning difficulties. He is the author of What She Saw, which was longlisted for a CWA Gold Dagger.

Website | Facebook

 

 

#BookReview Squared Away by Annabeth Albert @AnnabethAlbert @CarinaPress #NetGalley

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#BookReview Squared Away by Annabeth Albert @AnnabethAlbert @CarinaPress #NetGalley Title: Squared Away

Author: Annabeth Albert

Series: Out of Uniform,

Published by: Carina Press on Apr. 16, 2018

Genres: Contemporary Romance, LGBTQIA

Pages: 336

Format: eBook, ARC

Source: Carina Press, NetGalley

Book Rating: 8.5/10

In the wake of tragedy, SEAL Mark Whitley rushed stateside to act as guardian to his sister’s three young children. But a conflicting will could give custody to someone else—someone Mark remembers as a too young, too hot, wild party boy. Even after six years, Mark can’t shake the memory of his close encounter with Isaiah James, or face up to what it says about his own sexuality.

Isaiah’s totally over the crush that made him proposition Mark all those years ago. In fact, he’s done with crushing on the wrong men altogether. For now, he’s throwing himself into proving he’s the best person to care for his cousin’s kids. But there’s no denying there’s something sexy about a big, tough military man with a baby in his arms.

As the legal details get sorted out, their long-buried attraction resurfaces, leading to intimate evenings after the kids are tucked in. A forever future is within reach for all of them, if only Mark can find the courage he needs to trust Isaiah with his secrets—and his heart.

Review:

Sensuous, intimate, and sensitive!

Squared Away is a heartfelt story that takes us into the lives of Mark and Isaiah as they each must learn to cope with the loss of a sibling, their new status as guardians to three children, and a budding relationship that will require a lot of trust and understanding.

The writing is generous and compassionate. The characters are sorrowful, supportive, and flawed. And the plot told from two different points of view nicely unravels to reveal a tale about life, loss, grief, responsibility, friendship, family, support, and the importance of communication.

Squared Away is another beautifully written tale about finding unconditional love by Albert that not only touches on the struggles encountered by same-sex and interracial relationships, but also the challenges faced by those who are grey ace on the asexual spectrum.

 

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 The First Family by Michael Palmer & Daniel Palmer @danielpalmer @StMartinsPress

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#BookReview The First Family by Michael Palmer & Daniel Palmer @danielpalmer @StMartinsPress Title: The First Family

Author: Michael Palmer, Daniel Palmer

Published by: St. Martin's Press on Apr. 17, 2018

Genres: Mystery/Thriller

Pages: 384

Format: eBook, ARC

Source: St. Martin's Press, NetGalley

Book Rating: 7.5/10

A riveting new medical thriller from the critically acclaimed novelists.

Cam Hilliard is, in addition to being the President’s sixteen-year-old son, a chess prodigy. A year into President Hilliard’s second term Cam inexplicably stops playing the game he loved and becomes withdrawn. The First Lady is convinced that the senior White House physician is wrong in diagnosing Cam’s issue as a psychological one, and she demands that Dr. Lee Blackwood be brought on to provide a second opinion. Lee’s opinion is dismissed, until Cam’s spleen ruptures and it becomes obvious that something is horribly wrong.

Lee informs the President and First Lady that to make a diagnosis they need to find other people with the same symptoms to conduct additional testing. From there, it’s possible to identify the gene defects and correlate those to the missing enzymes. Only then can a diagnosis be made and treatment begun. For now, they must face the harsh reality that Cam’s genes are producing a mutation that appears to be entirely new to science.

As Lee delves into this medical mystery, he comes to believe Cam is not the first case of this presentation of an inborn error of metabolism. But when two young people Lee has found, each with exceptional gifts, are murdered, Cam’s condition suddenly takes on a terrifyingly new dimension. Is someone out to murder the President’s son? If so, why? As Lee searches for answers he will uncover unimaginable secrets and dark betrayals that breach the highest levels of security.

Review:

Descriptive, entertaining, and action packed!

The First Family is a scientifically intriguing medical thriller that takes you into the heart of the White House and delves into the effects of alternative medicine, training, and practice on higher-level cognitive skills.

The writing is crisp. The characters are intelligent, protective, and relentless. And the plot is an engaging tale about greed, corruption, friendship, politics, mysterious illnesses, violence, and murder.

The First Family doesn’t keep you on the edge of your seat or feature a lot of suspense, but it’s still a compelling read that fans of stories filled with Secret Service drama, medical analysis and scientific jargon will definitely enjoy.

 

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 and NetGalley for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review

 

About Daniel Palmer

Daniel Palmer is the author of four critically-acclaimed suspense novels. After receiving his master’s degree from Boston University, he spent a decade as an e-commerce pioneer. A recording artist, accomplished blues harmonica player, and lifelong Red Sox fan, Daniel lives in New Hampshire with his wife and two children where he is currently at work on his next novel.

Website | Facebook

About Michael Palmer

Michael Palmer, M.D., 1942-2013, was the author of Political Suicide, Oath of Office, A Heartbeat Away, The Last Surgeon, The Second Opinion, The First Patient, The Fifth Vial, The Society, Fatal, The Patient, Miracle Cure, Critical Judgment, Silent Treatment, Natural Causes, Extreme Measures, Flashback, Side Effects, and The Sisterhood. His books have been translated into thirty-five languages.

He trained in internal medicine at Boston City and Massachusetts General Hospitals, spent twenty years as a full-time practitioner of internal and emergency medicine, and served as an associate director of the Massachusetts Medical Society’s physician health program.