Format: eBook

#BookReview The Black Swan of Paris by Karen Robards @TheKarenRobards @HarperCollinsCa @Bookclubbish #BooksofHCC #TheBlackSwanofParis

#BookReview The Black Swan of Paris by Karen Robards @TheKarenRobards @HarperCollinsCa @Bookclubbish #BooksofHCC #TheBlackSwanofParis Title: The Black Swan of Paris

Author: Karen Robards

Published by: Mira Books on Jun. 30, 2020

Genres: Historical Fiction

Pages: 480

Format: eBook, ARC

Source: HarperCollins Canada, Edelweiss

Book Rating: 8.5/10

A world at war. A beautiful young star. A mission no one expected.

Paris, 1944

Celebrated singer Genevieve Dumont is both a star and a smokescreen. An unwilling darling of the Nazis, the chanteuse’s position of privilege allows her to go undetected as an ally to the resistance.

When her estranged mother, Lillian de Rocheford, is captured by Nazis, Genevieve knows it won’t be long before the Gestapo succeeds in torturing information out of Lillian that will derail the upcoming allied invasion. The resistance movement is tasked with silencing her by any means necessary—including assassination. But Genevieve refuses to let her mother become yet one more victim of the war. Reuniting with her long-lost sister, she must find a way to navigate the perilous cross-currents of Occupied France undetected—and in time to save Lillian’s life.


Review:

Absorbing, intense, and pacey!

The Black Swan of Paris is a suspenseful, thrilling tale set in Paris during WWII that takes us into the life of Genevieve Dumont a beautiful, Parisian performer who uses her charisma, fame, and desirability to acquire crucial information from high-ranking Nazis that will not only aid Allied Forces and the Resistance but also provide her with the intelligence needed to rescue her recently captured mother from the hands of the ruthless enemy.

The prose is descriptive and tense. The characters are committed, supportive, and courageous. And the plot is a compelling mix of life, love, loss, secrets, passion, heartbreak, betrayal, danger, tragedy, survival, friendship, and war.

Overall, The Black Swan of Paris is an emotive, action-packed, gripping tale by Robards that transports you to another time and place and immerses you so thoroughly into the feelings, lives, and personalities of the characters you can’t help but be fully invested and enthralled.

 

This novel is available now.

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

                

 

 

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

 

About Karen Robards

Karen Robards is the New York Times, USA Today, and Publishers Weekly bestselling author of more than fifty books and one novella. Karen published her first novel at age 24 and has won multiple awards throughout her career, including six Silver Pens for favorite author.

Karen was described by The Daily Mail as one of the most reliable thriller....writers in the world.

Photograph courtesy of Author's Website.

#BookReview #BlogTour The Beauty of Broken Things by Victoria Connelly @VictoriaDarcy @rararesources

#BookReview #BlogTour The Beauty of Broken Things by Victoria Connelly @VictoriaDarcy @rararesources

#BookReview #BlogTour The Beauty of Broken Things by Victoria Connelly @VictoriaDarcy @rararesources Title: The Beauty of Broken Things

Author: Victoria Connelly

Published by: Lake Union Publishing on Jun. 9, 2020

Genres: Women's Fiction

Pages: 314

Format: eBook, ARC

Source: Rachel's Random Resources

Book Rating: 8/10

United by tragedy, can two broken souls make each other whole?

After the tragic loss of his wife, Helen, Luke Hansard is desperate to keep her memory alive. In an effort to stay close to her, he reaches out to an online friend Helen often mentioned: a reclusive photographer with a curious interest in beautiful but broken objects. But first he must find her—and she doesn’t want to be found.

Orla Kendrick lives alone in the ruins of a remote Suffolk castle, hiding from the haunting past that has left her physically and emotionally scarred. In her fortress, she can keep a safe distance from prying eyes, surrounded by her broken treasures and insulated from the world outside.

When Luke tracks Orla down, he is determined to help her in the way Helen wanted to: by encouraging her out of her isolation and back into the world. But Orla has never seen her refuge as a prison and, when painful secrets and dangerous threats begin to resurface, Luke’s good deed is turned on its head.

As they work through their grief for Helen in very different ways, will these two broken souls be able to heal?


Review:

Heartbreaking, hopeful, and absorbing!

The Beauty of Broken Things is a moving, sensitive tale set in the idyllic Suffolk countryside that takes us into the lives of Orla Kendrick and Luke Hansard, two strangers whose budding friendship helps them learn how to support, heal, grow, take chances, start anew, and grieve the tragedies they’ve each endured.

The prose is emotive and smooth. The characters are vulnerable, scarred, and compassionate. And the plot is a captivating tale full of love, loss, family, tragedy, courage, community, contentment, anxiety, and unconditional friendship.

Overall, The Beauty of Broken Things is a pensive, tender, evocative tale by Connelly that reminds us that life can be unpredictable and full of curveballs, but it’s how we approach, handle and survive all these messy, complicated, highs-and-lows that truly make all the difference.

 

This book is available now. 

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

 

 

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

 

About Victoria Connelly

Victoria Connelly studied English literature at Worcester University, got married in a medieval castle in the Yorkshire Dales and now lives in rural Suffolk with her artist husband, a young springer spaniel and a flock of ex-battery hens.
She is the author of two bestselling series, Austen Addicts and The Book Lovers, as well as many other novels and novellas. Her first published novel, Flights of Angels, was made into a film in 2008 by Ziegler Films in Germany. The Runaway Actress was shortlisted for the Romantic Novelists’ Association’s Romantic Comedy Novel award.
Ms Connelly loves books, films, walking, historic buildings and animals. If she isn’t at her keyboard writing, she can usually be found in her garden, with either a trowel in her hand or a hen on her lap.

 

#BookReview #Excerpt The Dare (Briar U #4) by Elle Kennedy @ElleKennedy @ninabocci #TheDare #BriarU

#BookReview #Excerpt The Dare (Briar U #4) by Elle Kennedy @ElleKennedy @ninabocci #TheDare #BriarU Title: The Dare

Author: Elle Kennedy

Series: Briar U #4

Published by: Elle Kennedy Inc. on Jun. 16, 2020

Genres: Contemporary Romance

Pages: 344

Format: eBook, ARC

Source: Elle Kennedy

Book Rating: 9/10

Get ready for another binge-worthy romance from New York Times bestselling author Elle Kennedy!

College was supposed to be my chance to get over my ugly-duckling complex and spread my wings. Instead, I wound up in a sorority full of mean girls. I already have a hard time fitting in, so when my Kappa Chi sisters issue the challenge, I can’t say no.

The dare: seduce the hottest new hockey player in the junior class.

Conor Edwards is a regular at Greek Row parties…and in Greek Row sorority beds. He’s the one you fall for before you learn that guys like him don’t give girls like me a second glance. Except Mr. Popular throws me for a loop—rather than laughing in my face, he does me a solid by letting me take him upstairs to pretend we’re getting busy. 

Even crazier, now he wants to keep pretending. Turns out Conor loves games, and he thinks it’s fun to pull the wool over my frenemies’ eyes. 

But resisting his easy charm and surfer-boy hotness is darn near impossible. Though I’m realizing there’s much more to Conor’s story than his fan club can see.

And the longer this silly ruse goes on, the greater the danger of it all blowing up in my face.


Review:

Lighthearted, charming, and angsty!

The Dare is a sweet, steamy, college romance featuring the intelligent, quiet Taylor who’s finding it harder and harder to keep from falling for her fake boyfriend, and the hot, outgoing Conor who may have finally found the one girl who makes him want more.

The writing is honest and emotive. The characters are warm, kind, and endearing. And the plot is an alluring blend of friendship, family, drama, emotion, attraction, heat, insecurities, self-discovery, happiness, taking chances, awkward moments, college antics, delicious dirty talk, and budding romance.

Overall, The Dare is a witty, passionate, swoon-worthy finale to the Briar U series by Kennedy that will leave fans of New Adult novels delightfully satisfied and wishing for more. 

This novel is available now.

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

         

 

 

EXCERPT:

“Thank you,” she breathes the moment we’re alone.

“No problem. Mind if I make myself comfortable?”

“Um, yeah. I mean, no. I don’t mind. Sit if you want. Or—wow, okay, you’re lying down.”

I grin at her visible nervousness. It’s cute. While I stretch out my six-foot-two frame amid the stuffed animals and decorative pillows on the bed, she remains the startled rabbit plastered against the door and breathing heavily.

“Gotta be honest,” I tell her, entwining my hands behind my head, “I’ve never seen a girl so unhappy to be locked in a bedroom with me.”

This has the desired effect of loosening her shoulders and even eliciting a shy smile. “I have no doubt.”

“I’m Conor, by the way.”

She rolls her eyes. “Yeah, I know.”

“What’s the eyeroll for?” I ask, playing wounded.

“No, sorry, I didn’t mean anything by it. Just, I know who you are. You’re, like, campus famous.”

The more I watch her, hands braced at her sides against the door, one knee bent, dirty-blonde hair a little messy and draped over one shoulder, I can’t help picturing myself holding her arms above her head while I explore her body with my mouth. She’s got very kissable skin.

“Taylor Marsh,” she blurts out, and I realize I don’t know how long we were silent until then.

I scoot to the far side of the bed and put a pillow beside me as a divider. “Come on. If we’re going to be in here awhile, let’s at least make friends.”

Taylor laughs out a breath and with it she releases a bit more tension. She’s got a nice smile. Bright, warm. It takes a bit more coaxing, however, to get her on the bed.

“This isn’t like a move,” she tells me, lining up stuffed animal guards to patrol the pillow wall between us. “I’m not some sort of weirdo who tricks men into getting in bed with her and then mauls them.”

“Sure.” I nod with mock seriousness. “But a little mauling would be okay.”

 

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

 

About Elle Kennedy

A New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author, Elle Kennedy grew up in the suburbs of Toronto, Ontario, and holds a B.A. in English from York University. From an early age, she knew she wanted to be a writer, and actively began pursuing that dream when she was a teenager.

Elle currently writes for various publishers. She loves strong heroines and sexy alpha heroes, and just enough heat and danger to keep things interesting!

#BlogTour #BookReview Taking His Shot (Hot Jocks #7) by Kendall Ryan @KendallRyan1 #hotjocks

#BlogTour #BookReview Taking His Shot (Hot Jocks #7) by Kendall Ryan @KendallRyan1 #hotjocks

#BlogTour #BookReview Taking His Shot (Hot Jocks #7) by Kendall Ryan @KendallRyan1 #hotjocks Title: Taking His Shot

Author: Kendall Ryan

Series: Hot Jocks #7

Published by: Dream Press on Jun. 9, 2020

Genres: Contemporary Romance

Pages: 302

Format: eBook, ARC

Source: Kendall Ryan

Book Rating: 10/10

She says she doesn’t date players.

She swears up and down that she’ll never handle my stick.

We’ll see about that, sweetheart.

When I win the pleasure of Harper’s company at a charity auction, I get exactly one date—one shot to win over the gorgeous and feisty brunette.

Game on. I play hard, and I love a challenge.

But just when I think I’ve finally carved out my shot . . . a huge secret implodes around us, threatening everything we’ve built.


Review:

Sporty, sexy, and satisfying!

Taking His Shot is a passionate, sweet RomCom about the intelligent, feisty Harper who knows she needs more of a social life but is adamant she won’t date hockey players and the dreamy, hunky Jordan who’s finally ready for a little more than just casual hookups and is willing to work as hard as necessary to make it happen.

The writing is light and crisp. The characters are charismatic, kind, and fun-loving. And the plot is the perfect blend of drama, emotion, humour, heat, witty banter, chemistry, friendship, romance, and hockey.

Overall, Taking His Shot is the seventh and final novel in the Hot Jocks series, and even though it’s a little bittersweet to say goodbye to the characters we’ve come to know and love from the previous novels, it is nevertheless a fabulous ending, perhaps my favourite of them all, to a superb series that I am definitely going to miss.

This book is available now.

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

           

 

 

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

 

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.

 

 

#BookReview Always a Bridesmaid by Cindi Madsen @CindiMadsen @entangledpub #CindiMadsen #GettingHitchedinDixie

#BookReview Always a Bridesmaid by Cindi Madsen @CindiMadsen @entangledpub #CindiMadsen #GettingHitchedinDixie Title: Always a Bridesmaid

Author: Cindi Madsen

Series: Getting Hitched in Dixie #2

Published by: Entangled Publishing on May 26, 2020

Genres: Contemporary Romance

Pages: 400

Format: eBook, ARC

Source: Entangled Publishing, NetGalley

Book Rating: 8/10

Violet Abrams has always been in love with everything love and weddings. Good thing, too, since she’s been a bridesmaid no less than seven times. Sure her turn was next, she’d been planning her own nuptials meticulously in a treasured three-ring binder…until her longtime boyfriend left her for someone else.

Fast-forward to the day of his wedding, an ill-advised match being lit to said binder, and the fire department getting called to her sister’s bakery. Violet’s always been a little impulsive and a lot awkward, but having to explain to the super-cute firefighter, Ford Maguire, why she was setting fire to a bunch of wedding dress photos? Worst day ever.

Except now her bridesmaid expertise has her helping Ford cover his “man of honor” duties in his best friend’s upcoming wedding. Ford may be a “bridesdude,” but forever is the last thing on his mind. And if there’s one thing a perpetual bridesmaid knows, it’s the importance of a happily ever after.


Review:

Intimate, amusing, and sweet!

Always a Bridesmaid is an uplifting, humorous tale that takes us into the life of the energetic, wary Violet Abrams as she heads to Uncertainty, Alabama to mend her broken heart, help redesign her half-sister’s bakery, and navigate all the ups and downs of falling in love with the practically perfect, local K-9 trainer, paramedic/firefighter, Ford Maguire.

The prose is effortless and smooth. The characters are fun-loving, supportive, and endearing. And the plot is a charming blend of heart, hope, humour, family, friendship, tension, attraction, tender moments, communication, taking chances, and the craziness of wedding planning.

Overall, Always a Bridesmaid is an adorable, heartwarming, spirited tale by Madsen that’s a lovely addition to the Getting Hitched in Dixie series and the perfect choice for dog lovers, romance fans, and summer!

 

This book is available now.

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

                

 

 

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

 

About Cindi Madsen

Cindi Madsen is a USA Today Bestselling author of contemporary romance and young adult novels. She sits at her computer every chance she gets, plotting revising, and falling in love with her characters. Sometimes it makes her a crazy person. Without it, she’d be even crazier. She has way too many shoes, but can always find a reason to buy a new pretty pair, especially if they’re sparkly, colorful, or super tall. She loves music, dancing, and wishes summer lasted all year long. She lives in Colorado (where summer is most definitely NOT all year long) with her husband and three children.

Photography courtesy of Author's Website.

#BookReview Dream Maker (Dream Team #1) by Kristen Ashley @KristenAshley68 @readforeverpub @grandcentralpub #ReadForever #Forever20 #KristenAshley #DreamTeam

#BookReview Dream Maker (Dream Team #1) by Kristen Ashley @KristenAshley68 @readforeverpub @grandcentralpub #ReadForever #Forever20 #KristenAshley #DreamTeam Title: Dream Maker

Author: Kristen Ashley

Series: Dream Team #1

Published by: Forever on May 26, 2020

Genres: Romantic Suspense, Contemporary Romance

Pages: 544

Format: eBook, ARC

Source: Forever

Book Rating: 8/10

From the New York Times bestselling author of the Dream Man and Rock Chick series comes a brand new story about love, friendship, and the bonds of sisterhood.

Evie is a bonafide nerd and a hyper-intelligent chick who has worked her whole life to get what she wants. Growing up, she had no support from her family and has only ever been able to rely on herself. So when Evie decides she wants to earn her engineering degree, she realizes she needs to take an alternative path to get there. She takes a job dancing at Smithie’s club thinking this would be a quick side gig, where she can make the money she needs. But with her lack of dancing skills and an alpha bad boy who becomes overly protective, Evie realizes this might not be as easy as she thought.

Daniel “Mag” Magnusson knows a thing or two about pain, but the mask he wears is excellent. No one can tell that this good-looking, quick-witted, and roguish guy has deep-seated issues. Mag puts on a funny-guy routine so he can hide his broken heart and PTSD. But when Evie dances her way into Mag’s life, he realizes that he needs to come face-to-face with the demons of his past if he wants a future with her.


Review:

Charged, edgy, and passionate!

Dream Maker is an entertaining, alluring tale that introduces us to Evie, a young, nerdy stripper who has a friend determined to be a matchmaker and a degenerate family whose actions have finally put her in the crosshairs of some very unsavoury people, and Danny (aka Mag) an enigmatic, commando who may be in over his head and in full protection mode from the very start when he falls for the klutzy babe he just got set up with.

The writing is sultry and humorous. The characters are affectionate, stubborn, and playful. And the plot is an enticing mix of friendship, family, danger, drama, sisterhood, chaos, romance, instant attraction, smouldering tension, sizzling chemistry, and steamy romance.

Overall, Dream Maker is a menacing, alluring, action-packed start to this new series by Ashley that’s got all the elements we’ve come to know and love in her contemporary romance/romantic suspense novels including a quirky heroine, a sexy alpha male, and an adventurous storyline.

 

This novel 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 Kristen Ashley

Kristen Ashley was born in Gary, Indiana, USA. She nearly killed her mother and herself making it into the world, seeing as she had the umbilical cord wrapped around her neck (already attempting to accessorise and she hadn't taken her first breath!).

Kristen grew up in Brownsburg, Indiana but has lived in Denver, Colorado and the West Country of England. Thus she has been blessed to have friends and family around the globe. Her posse is loopy (to say the least) but loopy is good when you want to write.

Kristen was raised in a house with a large and multi-generational family. They lived on a very small farm in a small town in the heartland and existed amongst the strains of Glenn Miller, The Everly Brothers, REO Speedwagon and Whitesnake (and the wardrobes that matched).

Needless to say, growing up in a house full of music, clothes and love was a good way to grow up.

And as she keeps growing up, it keeps getting better.

#BookReview Summer on Honeysuckle Ridge (Highland Falls #1) by Debbie Mason @ReadForeverPub @GrandCentralPub #ReadForever #Forever20 #DebbieMason #HighlandFalls

#BookReview Summer on Honeysuckle Ridge (Highland Falls #1) by Debbie Mason @ReadForeverPub @GrandCentralPub #ReadForever #Forever20 #DebbieMason #HighlandFalls Title: Summer on Honeysuckle Ridge

Author: Debbie Mason

Series: Highland Falls #1

Published by: Forever on May 26, 2020

Genres: Contemporary Romance

Pages: 400

Format: eBook, ARC

Source: Forever

Book Rating: 8/10

Sparks fly between an L.A. career woman and a former Army Ranger in this delightful enemies-to-lovers romance from the USA Today bestselling queen of small-town love stories.
 
Welcome to Highland Falls, a small town where love is always in the air.
 
In just a few months Abby Everhart has gone from being a top LA media influencer to an unemployed divorcée living out of her car. So inheriting her great-aunt’s homestead comes at the perfect time. Abby heads to Highland Falls, North Carolina, to spruce up Honeysuckle Farm before putting it on the market for some much-needed cash. But instead of finding a charming getaway, she discovers a serious fixer-upper, complete with a leaky roof, overgrown yard, and a reclusive — albeit sexy — man living on the property.
 
Ex-Delta Force soldier Hunter MacKenzie has faced war and loss, but nothing has quite prepared him for an outgoing redhead who’s determined to turn his life upside down. Hunter doesn’t want to get involved with anyone, especially a city girl who plans to sell the only place he’s ever felt at home. But the sparks between them are undeniable. Spending time with Abby is easy. Convincing her to stay for good is another matter entirely.

Review:

Warm, sweet, and affecting!

Summer on Honeysuckle Ridge is an amusing, tenderhearted, enemies-to-more romance that transports you to the small town of Highland Falls and introduces you to the reclusive, broody, Hunter who is content to live alone and wallow in his guilt and grief for past losses, and the spunky, accident-prone Abby, who is need of some quick cash and is determined to scrimp, save, fix, sell and move on as quickly as possible.

The writing is humorous and light. The characters are supportive, helpful, and fun-loving. And the plot is a charming blend of family, friendship, touching moments, adversity, attraction, chemistry, swoony romance, and hilarious mishaps.

Overall, Summer on Honeysuckle Ridge is a heartwarming, spirited, satisfying tale about teamwork, communication, love, and taking chances. It’s a fabulous start to the new Highland Falls series by Mason, and I can’t wait to read Mallory & Gabriel’s story next.

 

This book is available May 26, 2020. 

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

       

 

 

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

 

About Debbie Mason

Debbie Mason is the USA Today and Publishers Weekly bestselling author of the Christmas, Colorado series and the Harmony Harbor series. The first book in her Christmas, Colorado series, “The Trouble with Christmas,” was the inspiration for Hallmark’s “Welcome to Christmas.” Her books have been praised by RT Book Reviews for their “likable characters, clever dialogue, and juicy plots.” When Debbie isn’t writing, she enjoys spending time with her family in Ottawa, Canada.

Photograph courtesy of Author's Goodreads Page.

#BookReview Sure Shot (Brooklyn #4) by Sarina Bowen @SarinaBowen #SureShot #BrooklynSeries

#BookReview Sure Shot (Brooklyn #4) by Sarina Bowen @SarinaBowen #SureShot #BrooklynSeries Title: Sure Shot

Author: Sarina Bowen

Series: Brooklyn #4

Published by: Tuxbury Publishing LLC on May 12, 2020

Genres: Contemporary Romance

Pages: 300

Format: eBook, ARC

Source: Sarina Bowen

Book Rating: 9/10

A new stand-alone hockey romance from USA Today bestseller Sarina Bowen.

On the eve of her thirtieth birthday, successful sports agent Bess Beringer is ready to make some changes. Armed with a five-year plan—indexed and color coded—she’ll tackle a few goals in her personal life.

A big, tall, ripped hunk of hockey player who’s just been traded to the Brooklyn Bruisers is not a part of that five year plan. Mark “Tank” Tankiewicz has a lot of baggage. He’s a ride-or-die loner. He’s on the rebound. He’s also the sexiest thing on two legs, and for some crazy reason it’s Bess that he wants.

She knows better. But then she falls stupid in love with him anyway. And for a while it seems like maybe he’ll do the same.

Until she asks him for the one thing he can never give her…


Review:

Amusing, seductive, and sassy!

Sure Shot is a sweet, playful rom-com featuring the broody, hunky Mark whose life is in turmoil after a recent divorce and the sudden trade to a new team, and the confident, successful Bess who is content and happy with her career but ready for a little more in her personal life.

The writing is light and sultry. The characters, including the supporting characters, are charming, flawed and fun. And the plot is an enchanting, slightly angsty tale filled with smouldering chemistry, sizzling tension, heartfelt emotion, witty banter, friendship, understanding, compromise, communication, delicious romance, and hockey.

Overall, Sure Shot is an alluring, humourous, passionate addition to the Brooklyn series by Bowen that has characters you can’t help but root for and a happy-ever-after ending that leaves you eager for more. 

This novel is available now.

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

     

 

 

 

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

 

About Sarina Bowen

Sarina Bowen is the RITA® Award winning author of over two dozen contemporary and LGTB romance novels. She most recently hit the USA Today bestseller's list in February, with Brooklynaire. Formerly a derivatives trader on Wall Street, Sarina holds a BA in economics from Yale University.

Sarina Bowen is a New Englander whose Vermont ancestors cut timber and farmed the north country since the 1760s. Sarina is grateful for the invention of indoor plumbing and wi-fi during the intervening 250 years. On a few wooded acres, she lives with her husband, two boys, and an ungodly amount of ski and hockey gear.

Sarina's books are published in a dozen languages on four continents. In 2016, The Romance Writers of America honored HIM by Sarina Bowen & Elle Kennedy with a RITA award for Best Contemporary Romance, Mid-Length.

 

#BookReview The Trouble with Hating You by Sajni Patel @ReadForeverPub @GrandCentralPub #ReadForever #Forever20 #SajniPatel

#BookReview The Trouble with Hating You by Sajni Patel @ReadForeverPub @GrandCentralPub #ReadForever #Forever20 #SajniPatel Title: The Trouble with Hating You

Author: Sajni Patel

Published by: Forever on May 12, 2020

Genres: Contemporary Romance

Pages: 352

Format: eBook, ARC

Source: Forever

Book Rating: 9/10

A laugh-out-loud romantic comedy debut about first impressions, second chances, and finding the love of your life in the most unexpected way.

Liya Thakkar is a successful biochemical engineer, takeout enthusiast, and happily single woman. The moment she realizes her parents’ latest dinner party is a setup with the man they want her to marry, she’s out the back door in a flash. Imagine her surprise when the same guy shows up at her office a week later — the new lawyer hired to save her struggling company. What’s not surprising: he’s not too thrilled to see her either after that humiliating fiasco.

Jay Shah looks good on paper…and off. Especially if you like that whole gorgeous, charming lawyer-in-a-good-suit thing. He’s also arrogant and infuriating. As their witty office banter turns into late night chats, Liya starts to think he might be the one man who truly accepts her. But falling for each other means exposing their painful pasts. Will Liya keep running, or will she finally give love a real chance?


Review:

Sassy, emotive, and sweetly romantic!

The Trouble with Hating You is a fresh, heartwarming tale that transports you to Houston, Texas and into the lives of Liya Thakkar, an assertive, independent, Indian-American woman who is more than happy being single and is completely uninterested in any of her parent’s matchmaking abilities, and Jay Shah, a persistent, handsome, young man who takes his family obligations very seriously and is not easily persuaded.

The writing is heartfelt and light. The characters are intelligent, stubborn, vulnerable, and endearing. And the plot is a push-pull tale full of familial responsibility, workplace drama, tender moments, hilarious mishaps, witty banter, goals, expectations, friendship, community, optimism, chemistry, and love.

Overall, The Trouble with Hating You is so much more than a typical rom-com with lots of culture and tradition, weighty, hard-hitting issues, and an enemies-to-lovers romance that skirts it all. It is a fantastic debut for Patel and I can’t wait to read what she comes up with next.

This book is available now.

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

            

 

 

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

 

About Sajni Patel

Sajni Patel was born in vibrant India and raised in the heart of Texas, surrounded by a lot of delicious food and plenty of diversity. She draws on her personal experiences, cultural expectations, and Southern flair to create worlds that center on strong Indian women. Once an MMA fighter, she's now all about puppies and rainbows and tortured love stories. She currently lives in Austin where she not-so-secretly watches Matthew McConaughey from afar during UT football games. Queso is her weakness and thanks to her family's cooking, Indian/Tex-Mex cuisine is a real thing. She's a die-hard Marvel Comics fan, a lover of chocolates from around the world, and is always wrapped up in a story.

Photograph courtesy of Goodreads Author's Page.

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

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

Author: Sharon Bolton

Published by: Minotaur Books on Apr. 28, 2020

Genres: Mystery/Thriller

Pages: 400

Format: eBook, ARC

Source: Minotaur Books, NetGalley

Book Rating: 8.5/10

Tense, gripping and with a twist you won’t see coming, Sharon Bolton is back in an explosive new standalone thriller about a woman on the run in The Split.

No matter how far you run, some secrets will always catch up with you…

The remote Antarctic island of South Georgia is about to send off its last boat of the summer – which signifies safety to resident glaciologist Felicity Lloyd.

Felicity lives in fear – fear that her ex-husband Freddie will find her, even out here. She took a job on this isolated island to hide from him, but now that he’s out of prison, having served a term for murder, she knows he won’t give up until he finds her.

But a doctor delving into the background of Felicity and Freddie’s relationship, back in Cambridge, learns that Felicity has been on the edge for a long time. Heading to South Georgia himself to try and get to her first is the only way he can think of to help her.


Review:

Complex, vivid, and twisty!

The Split is a sharp, chilling thriller set in both Cambridge, England and the isolated, glacial wilderness of the South Georgia Island that takes you into the life of Felicity Lloyd, a young woman tormented by a relentless stalker, a resourceful night visitor, and a mind riddled with distorted memories and inexplainable gaps in time.

The prose is taut and intense. The characters are complex, unstable, and secretive. And the plot using flashbacks and told from multiple perspectives unravels briskly into a story filled with suspicious personalities, unreliable characters, unexpected twists, mayhem, fixation, instability, violence, and murder.

Overall, The Split is an unpredictable, tortuous, mindblowing tale by Bolton that keeps you guessing from the very first page and leaves you unsettled, mystified, and highly entertained.

 

This novel is available now.

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

            

 

 

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

 

About Sharon Bolton

Sharon (formerly SJ) Bolton grew up in a cotton-mill town in Lancashire and had an eclectic early career which she is now rather embarrassed about. She gave it all up to become a mother and a writer.

Her first novel, Sacrifice, was voted Best New Read by Amazon.uk, whilst her second, Awakening, won the 2010 Mary Higgins Clark award. In 2014, Lost, (UK title, Like This, For Ever) was named RT Magazine’s Best Contemporary Thriller in the US, and in France, Now You See Me won the Plume de Bronze. That same year, Sharon was awarded the CWA Dagger in the Library, for her entire body of work.

Photograph by Mark Bassett.

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