#BookReview Muzzled (Andy Carpenter #21) by David Rosenfelt @MinotaurBooks @StMartinsPress #MinotaurInfluencers #Muzzled

#BookReview Muzzled (Andy Carpenter #21) by David Rosenfelt @MinotaurBooks @StMartinsPress #MinotaurInfluencers #Muzzled Title: Muzzled

Author: David Rosenfelt

Series: Andy Carpenter #21

Published by: Minotaur Books on Jul. 7, 2020

Genres: Mystery/Thriller

Pages: 304

Format: eBook, ARC

Source: Minotaur Books, NetGalley

Book Rating: 9/10

In David Rosenfelt’s newest Andy Carpenter mystery, Muzzled, Andy and his beloved golden retriever, Tara, are back on the case as a favor to a friend.

Andy Carpenter is a lawyer who would rather not practice law. He’d rather spend his time working with the Tara Foundation, his dog rescue organization, and being with his family and his two dogs, Tara and Sebastian. But when a friend asks him for a favor that involves both dogs and his lawyerly expertise, he can’t say no.

Andy’s friend Beth has found a stray that seems to have belonged to a murder victim–in fact, the man and two of his colleagues died in an explosion a few weeks ago. But when the murdered man contacts Beth, asking for his dog back, Andy knows there must be more to the story. The man claims his life is in danger, and that’s why he disappeared. As much as Andy doesn’t want to get involved–anything to avoid a new case–he can’t help but come to the rescue of a man who’d risk everything, even his life, to reunite with his dog.


Review:

Intricate, fresh, and outrageously funny!

Muzzled is an absorbing, humorous mystery that transports you to Patterson, N.J. where Alex Vogel, one of three men supposedly killed in a boat explosion is arrested for murder when he reappears to claim his dog from the Tara Foundation causing the happily retired, defense attorney Andy Carpenter to once again come out of retirement to defend someone in need.

The prose is witty and crisp. The characters are multilayered, unique, and amusing. And the plot is a funny yet thrilling tale full of twists, turns, mayhem, corruption, coercion, red herrings, deduction, violence, greed, danger, and murder.

Overall, Muzzled is a clever, quirky, suspenseful mystery that kept me absorbed, entertained and laughing out loud from the very first page. It’s hard to believe that this is the first novel I’ve read by Rosenfelt, but I can guarantee it won’t be my last.

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 – Minotaur Books for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About David Rosenfelt

DAVID ROSENFELT is the Edgar-nominated and Shamus Award-winning author of more than twenty Andy Carpenter novels, including One Dog Night, Collared, and Deck the Hounds; its spinoff series, The K-Team; the Doug Brock thriller series, which starts with Fade to Black; and stand-alone thrillers including Heart of a Killer and On Borrowed Time.

Rosenfelt and his wife live in Maine with an ever-changing pack of rescue dogs. Their epic cross-country move with 25 of these dogs, culminating in the creation of the Tara Foundation, is chronicled in Dogtripping.

Photo by Brandy Allen.

#BookReview All Our Summers by Holly Chamberlin @HollyChamberlin @KensingtonBooks #AllOursummers

#BookReview All Our Summers by Holly Chamberlin @HollyChamberlin @KensingtonBooks #AllOursummers Title: All Our Summers

Author: Holly Chamberlin

on Jun. 30, 2020

Genres: Women's Fiction

Pages: 352

Format: eBook, ARC

Source: Kensington Books, NetGalley

Book Rating: 7/10

Against the picturesque coastal Maine setting that she evokes so well, bestselling author Holly Chamberlin creates a heartfelt story of family bonds and new beginnings . . .
 
It came as no surprise to anyone in Yorktide when glamorous Carol Ascher fled the little Maine town for New York City. While Carol found success as an interior designer, her younger sister, Bonnie, stayed behind, embracing marriage and motherhood. She even agreed to take in Carol’s teenage daughter during a tumultuous patch. Now both their girls are grown and Bonnie, recently widowed, is anticipating the day she’ll retire to Ferndean House, the nineteenth-century family home on the rocky Maine coast.
 
But forty-five years after leaving Yorktide, Carol suddenly announces that she’s moving back—into Ferndean. Bonnie is indignant. She’s the one who kept the homestead in order and tended to their dying mother. Now Carol expects to simply buy her out? As far as Bonnie is concerned, Ferndean is part of their heritage—not just another of Carol’s improvement projects, to be torn apart and remade according to her whim.
 
The entire Ascher family is in flux, uncovering secrets that upend their relationships. Carol’s longing to be welcomed home is fueled by a painful truth she’s carried for years. It will take an extraordinary
summer—in a remarkable place—to lead these women back to each other, buoyed by the tides of friendship and forgiveness.


Review:

Nostalgic, tender, and optimistic!

All Our Summers is a compelling, heartfelt tale that sweeps you away to Yorktide, Maine and immerses you into the lives of the Ascher family complete with all the heartbreak, secrets, smiles, tears, strength, loyalty, resentments, and compassion that surround them.

The writing is smooth and light. The characters are complex, hurt, and vulnerable. And the plot, including all the subplots, intertwine and unravel into an uplifting tale about life, love, loss, family, friendship, parenthood, infidelity, and the complex relationship that exists between sisters.

All Our Summers is a sentimental, warm, touching, family saga by Chamberlin that drags slightly in parts but overall does a lovely job of reminding us of what’s truly important in life.

 

This novel is available now.

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

            

 

 

 

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

 

About Holly Chamberlin

Holly Chamberlin was born and raised in New York City. After earning a Master’s degree in English Literature from New York University and working as an editor in the publishing industry for ten years, she moved to Boston, married and became a freelance editor and writer. She and her husband now live in downtown Portland, Maine, in a restored mid-nineteenth-century brick townhouse with Betty, the most athletic, beautiful and intelligent cat in the world.

Photograph courtesy of Author's Goodreads Page.

#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.