Source: St. Martin's Press

#BookReview Brooklyn by Tracy Brown @IAmTracyBrown @StMartinsPress #BrooklynTheBook #TracyBrown #StMartinsPress #SMPInfluencers

#BookReview Brooklyn by Tracy Brown @IAmTracyBrown @StMartinsPress #BrooklynTheBook #TracyBrown #StMartinsPress #SMPInfluencers Title: Brooklyn

Author: Tracy Brown

Published by: St. Martin's Griffin on Feb. 27, 2024

Genres: Mystery/Thriller

Pages: 320

Format: Paperback

Source: St. Martin's Press

Book Rating: 9/10

Tracy Brown crafts a tale about a master manipulator and serial survivor, who will scorch earth to get what she wants. The question isn’t who murdered her; the question is who wouldn’t?

Brooklyn Melody James has finally gotten the punishment she deserves after leaving a web of lies, heartache, and betrayal behind her. As her life slips away, Brooklyn remembers the events that shaped her into the cold, calculating creature she became.

Brooklyn learned the art of hustling from her parents who used the church to get money. Idolizing her father and despising her mother, Brooklyn’s determined to be the type of woman who makes her own rules. When her back’s up against the wall, she sacrifices her family, takes the burnt offering that remains, and runs away. In NYC, young Brooklyn charms her way into the inner circle of hustlers and stick-up kids, learning tricks along the way. She catches the eye of a major player in the drug game, Hassan, and they have a breathless love affair. Brooklyn becomes integrated into his operation, earning the trust of Hassan and his associates. But when she gets the keys to the kingdom, driven by unfettered ambition and a ruthless desire to survive, Brooklyn snatches the pot of gold, leaving bitter retribution promises behind her.

From DC to Maryland, Brooklyn burns bridges and breaks hearts. What she doesn’t realize is that someone is prepared to end her reign of terror. As she faces her killer and her fate, Brooklyn’s stunned that justice comes from the least likely place.


Review:

Brisk, tight, and immersive!

Brooklyn is a gritty, absorbing tale that takes you on a journey into the life of Brooklyn Melody James, a young woman whose life spirals out of control when her selfishness and ambition lead her to destroy every caring relationship she ever has while simultaneously leaving a slew of hurt, angry people in her wake who are just waiting for her to get her own back.

The prose is crisp and tense. The characters are self-assured, brazen, and ruthless. And the plot is a fast-paced, captivating tale of life, love, loss, family, friendship, deception, lies, drama, manipulation, jealousy, secrets, revelations, tragedy, vengeance, and betrayal.

The sudden passing of Tracy Brown in May of last year was a tremendous loss for the literary world, and it was an honour to be able to read her final novel. Brooklyn is a dark, cunning, enthralling page-turner that I devoured in one sitting and was an excellent reminder that life is truly what you make it.

 

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 for gifting me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Tracy Brown

Tracy Brown is the Essence bestselling author of Boss; White Lines, White Lines II: Sunny, White Lines III: All Falls Down, Aftermath, Snapped, Twisted, Criminal Minded, Black and Dime Piece. She passed away two days after turning in Brooklyn—her final, and arguably best, book. The African Americans on the Move Book Club bestowed their Urban Classic Honor Award on Tracy's White Lines series in celebration of her legacy and impact on the literary world.

Photo Credit: Ashley Williams

#BookReview Everyone Who Can Forgive Me Is Dead by Jenny Hollander @_JennyHollander @MinotaurBooks @StMartinsPress #JennyHollander #EveryoneWhoCanForgiveMeIsDead #MinotaurInfluencers #SMPInfluencers

#BookReview Everyone Who Can Forgive Me Is Dead by Jenny Hollander @_JennyHollander @MinotaurBooks @StMartinsPress #JennyHollander #EveryoneWhoCanForgiveMeIsDead #MinotaurInfluencers #SMPInfluencers Title: Everyone Who Can Forgive Me Is Dead

Author: Jenny Hollander

Published by: Minotaur Books on Feb. 06, 2024

Genres: Mystery/Thriller

Pages: 304

Format: ARC, Paperback

Source: St. Martin's Press

Book Rating: 8/10

She has everything to live for—and everything to hide.

Nine years ago, with the world’s eyes on her, Charlie Colbert fled. The press and the police called Charlie a “witness” to the nightmarish events at her elite graduate school on Christmas Eve—events known to the public as “Scarlet Christmas”—though Charlie knows she was much more than that.

Now, Charlie has meticulously rebuilt her life: She’s the editor-in-chief of a major magazine, engaged to the golden child of the publishing industry, and hell-bent on never, ever letting her guard down again. But when a buzzy film made by one of Charlie’s former classmates threatens to shatter everything she’s worked for, Charlie realizes how much she’s changed in nine years. Now, she’s not going to let anything—not even the people she once loved most—get in her way.


Review:

Menacing, unpredictable, and compelling!

Everyone Who Can Forgive Me Is Dead is an intense, mysterious tale that transports you into the life of successful NYC magazine editor and a victim of what the press dubbed “Scarlet Christmas” Charlotte Colbert, as her life gets turned upside down when the surviving twin sister of another victim decides to make a movie to honour the ten-year reunion of the tragedy causing the past to collide with the present, memories to come flooding back, long-buried secrets to be unearthed, and what truly happened on that ill-fated night when six journalism graduate students had their lives changed forever to finally come to light.

The writing is intricate and tight. The characters are scarred, self-involved, and secretive. And the plot, using flashbacks and a back-and-forth, past/present style, intertwines and unravels effortlessly into an ominous tale of manipulation, deception, lies, drama, jealousy, secrets, revelations, obsession, misdirection, mayhem, and murder.

Overall, Everyone Who Can Forgive Me Is Dead is a captivating, sinister, promising debut by Hollander that kept me guessing from the very first page and left me chilled, surprised, and highly entertained.

 

This novel is available now.

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

         

 

 

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

 

About Jenny Hollander

JENNY HOLLANDER is the director of content strategy at Marie Claire, where she oversees the brand's daily coverage, as well as the #ReadithMC book club. Before moving to Marie Claire, she worked at Bustle. A graduate of the Columbia University School of Journalism, Jenny spent ten years in New York before moving back to her hometown of London. Everyone Who Can Forgive Me Is Dead is her first novel.

#BookReview Second Duke’s the Charm by Kate Bateman @katebateman @smpromance #SecondDukesTheCharm #KateBateman #HerMajestysRebels #SMPRomance #SMPInfluencers

#BookReview Second Duke’s the Charm by Kate Bateman @katebateman @smpromance #SecondDukesTheCharm #KateBateman #HerMajestysRebels #SMPRomance #SMPInfluencers Title: Second Duke's the Charm

Author: Kate Bateman

Series: Her Majesty’s Rebels #1

Published by: St. Martin's Griffin on Dec. 26, 2023

Genres: Historical Romance

Pages: 314

Format: Paperback

Source: St. Martin's Press

Book Rating: 8/10

Meet Her Majesty’s Rebels: three brilliant women who run King & Co., London’s most exclusive investigative agency…

The wedding-night death of her much older husband left Tess Townsend the Dowager Duchess of Wansford—and still a virgin. Now she and her two best friends investigate London’s most scandalous crimes, and while Tess longs to experience physical pleasure for herself, she can’t risk losing her treasured independence…

Cynical shipping magnate Justin Thornton never expected to inherit a dukedom, but he’ll do his duty. When the ravishing woman he kissed at a party turns out to be the Dowager Duchess, Justin sees an obvious solution: a marriage of convenience that will suit them both.

But the passion that sparks between them is anything but convenient. As Tess works on a new case at the request of Queen Charlotte, her increasingly suspicious behavior makes Justin question her motives—and her past. The infuriating woman clearly can’t be trusted, but Justin doesn’t believe in love, so there’s absolutely no danger of him falling for his own wife…is there?


Review:

Enticing, amusing, and entertaining!

Second Duke’s the Charm is a heartwarming, playful romp that sweeps you away to London during 1816 and into the lives of the independent, spirited widow, Tess Townsend and the dashingly handsome, newly appointed Duke of Wansford, Justin Thornton, as they navigate a sensual meeting, undeniable attraction, a marriage of convenience, a mission for the Queen, and strange, suspicious behaviour that could ruin it all.

The prose is smooth and light. The characters are passionate, secretive, and hardworking. And the plot is an enchanting mix of friendship, family, societal expectations, tricky situations, tender moments, desire, and romance.

Overall, Second Duke’s the Charm is a charming, seductive, delightful tale by Bateman that’s without a doubt a promising, enjoyable start for this new Her Majesty’s Rebels series.

 

This novel is available now.

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

            

 

 

Thank you to SMP Romance – St. Martin’s Press for gifting me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Kate Bateman

Kate Bateman, (also writing as K. C. Bateman), is the #1 bestselling author of Regency, Victorian, and Renaissance historical romance. Her Renaissance romp, The Devil To Pay, is a Romance Writer’s of America 2019 RITA® Finalist and her Regency-set A Counterfeit Heart (Secrets & Spies series) won the 2018 Book Buyer’s Best contest for Best Historical Romance.
Kate wrote her first historical romance in response to a $1 bet with her husband who rashly claimed she’d ‘never finish the thing.’ She gleefully proved him wrong. Her books feature her favourite intelligent heroines, (badasses in bodices!) wickedly inappropriate banter, and heroes you want to both strangle and kiss.
When not travelling to exotic locations ‘for research’, Kate leads a not-so-secret double life as a fine art appraiser and on-screen antiques expert for several TV shows in the UK, each of which has up to 2.5 million viewers. Before writing romance, Kate was director and valuer at her own UK Auction House, Batemans in Stamford, Lincolnshire. She currently splits her time between Illinois and her native England and writes despite three inexhaustible children and that husband . . . who still owes her that dollar.

Photograph courtesy of Author's Website.

#BookReview The Getaway List by Emma Lord @dilemmalord @WednesdayBooks @StMartinsPress #EmmaLord #TheGetawayList #WednesdayBooks #SMPInfluencers

#BookReview The Getaway List by Emma Lord @dilemmalord @WednesdayBooks @StMartinsPress #EmmaLord #TheGetawayList #WednesdayBooks #SMPInfluencers Title: The Getaway List

Author: Emma Lord

Published by: Wednesday Books on Jan. 23, 2024

Genres: Contemporary Romance, Young Adult

Pages: 314

Format: Hardcover

Source: St. Martin's Press

Book Rating: 8/10

The day of her high school graduation, Riley realizes two things: One, that she has spent the last four years trying so hard to be a Good Kid for her mom that she has no idea who she really is anymore, and two, she has no idea what she wants because of it. The solution? Pack her bags and move to New York for the summer, where her childhood best friend Tom and co-creator of The Getaway List ― a list of all the adventures they’ve wanted to do together since he moved away ― will hopefully help her get in touch with her old adventurous self, and pave the road to a new future.

Riley isn’t sure what to expect from Tom, who has been distant since his famous mom’s scriptwriting career pulled him away. But when Riley arrives in the city, their reconnection is as effortless as it was when they were young―except with one, unexpected complication that will pull Riley’s feelings in a direction she didn’t know they could take. As she, Tom, and their newfound friends work their way through the delightfully chaotic items on The Getaway List, Riley learns that sometimes the biggest adventure is not one you take, but one you feel in your heart.

Inescapably romantic and brimming with Emma Lord’s signature cheer, The Getaway List is an uplifting and romantic read that will settle into your heart and never leave.


Review:

Cute, tender, and uplifting!

The Getaway List is a bighearted, charming tale that takes you into the lives of a handful of teenagers, including Riley, a young woman who, after graduation, decides to embark on a journey to Manhattan to visit her best friend Tom in order to complete a list of adventures they created as kids and perhaps finally discover who she truly is and what she really wants to do with her life.

The writing is smooth and fluid. The characters are well-drawn, genuine, and supportive. And the plot is a lovely blend of heart, hope, humour, and emotion.

The Getaway List is, ultimately, a story about life, friendship, family, coming-of-age, self-discovery, independence, and the joys of falling in love. It’s a sweet, heartwarming, entertaining novel by Lord that’s also a true love letter to the City of New York.

 

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 – Wednesday Books for gifting me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Emma Lord

Emma Lord (she/her) is a digital media editor and writer living in New York City, where she spends whatever time she isn't writing either running or belting show tunes in community theater. She graduated from the University of Virginia with a major in psychology and a minor in how to tilt your computer screen so nobody will notice you updating your fan fiction from the back row. She was raised on glitter, a whole lot of love, and copious amounts of grilled cheese. Her books include Tweet Cute, You Have a Match, and When You Get the Chance.

Photo Credit: Clinton B. Photography

#BookReview Love, Naturally by Sophie Sullivan @smpromance @StMartinsPress #SophieSullivan #LoveNaturally #smpromance #smpinfluencers

#BookReview Love, Naturally by Sophie Sullivan @smpromance @StMartinsPress #SophieSullivan #LoveNaturally #smpromance #smpinfluencers Title: Love, Naturally

Author: Sophie Sullivan

Published by: St. Martin's Griffin on Jan. 16, 2024

Genres: Contemporary Romance

Pages: 320

Format: Paperback

Source: St. Martin's Press

Book Rating: 8/10

Presley Ayers is not the woman you bring on a camping trip. An accomplished concierge at an exclusive hotel in Great Falls, MI, she knows more about the top ten places for champagne and caviar than she does about the best hiking boots to go stomping around near Lake Michigan. But when she surprises her boyfriend of eight months with a vacation to the Get Lost Lodge and he dumps her instead, Presley decides to rough it solo and take the trip herself.

When Beckett Keller helps the gorgeous woman off the rickety boat and onto Lodge territory, it’s clear she’s made a mistake. She doesn’t like hiking, fishing, or nature in general, so why did she go on this trip?―but he’s got other things on his mind. A crumbling lodge, and his own plans and dreams that are forever deferred―so he doesn’t have time for Ms. Fish-Out-of-Water. But neither Beckett or Presley can help that inexplicable draw they feel towards each other. He’s all rough stubble and plaid shirts, while she’s all high heels and brand-name athleisurewear.

But you know what they say about opposites.

A charming opposites-attract romance, Love, Naturally is for anyone who ever stepped outside their comfort zone and found that all the best things can happen when you take a chance.


Review:

Sweet, heartfelt, and fun!

Love, Naturally is a lovely, character-driven rom-com that sweeps you away to Get Lost Lodge and into the lives of the easy-going, kind Presley and the hardworking, considerate Beckett as they discover that opposites do attract, and there may actually be more to their relationship than just fake dating, surface feelings, and a short-term fling.

The prose is fluid and smooth. The characters are helpful, attentive, and charismatic. And the plot is an engaging mix of friendship, family, light drama, tender moments, humorous situations, snappy dialogue, introspection, support, sizzling romance, and new beginnings.

Overall, Love, Naturally is an amusing, captivating, charming novel by Sullivan that was a delight to read with its irresistible characters and heartwarming storyline.

 

This book is available now.

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

         

 

 

Thank you to SMP Romance – St. Martin’s Press for gifting me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Sophie Sullivan

SOPHIE SULLIVAN is a Canadian author as well as a cookie-eating, Diet Pepsi-drinking, Disney enthusiast who loves reading and writing romance in almost equal measure. She writes around her day job as a teacher and spends her spare time with her sweet family watching reruns of Friends. TEN RULES FOR FAKING IT is her romcom debut novel, but she's had plenty of practice writing happily ever after as her alter ego, Jody Holford.

#BookReview Diva by Daisy Goodwin @DaisyGoodwin @StMartinsPress #DivaANovel #DaisyGoodwin #StMartinsPress #SMPInfluencers

#BookReview Diva by Daisy Goodwin @DaisyGoodwin @StMartinsPress #DivaANovel #DaisyGoodwin #StMartinsPress #SMPInfluencers Title: Diva

Author: Daisy Goodwin

Published by: St. Martin's Press on Jan. 23, 2024

Genres: Historical Fiction

Pages: 336

Format: Hardcover

Source: St. Martin's Press

Book Rating: 8.5/10

New York Times bestselling author Daisy Goodwin returns with a story of the scandalous love affair between the most celebrated opera singer of all time and one of the richest men in the world.

In the glittering and ruthlessly competitive world of opera, Maria Callas was known simply as la divina: the divine one. With her glorious voice, instinctive flair for the dramatic, and striking beauty, she was the toast of the grandest opera houses in the world. But her fame was hard won: Raised in Nazi-occupied Greece by a mother who mercilessly exploited her golden voice, she learned early in life to protect herself from those who would use her for their own ends.

When she met the fabulously rich Greek shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis, for the first time in her life, she believed she’d found someone who saw the woman within the legendary soprano. She fell desperately in love. He introduced her to a life of unbelievable luxury, showering her with jewels and sojourns in the most fashionable international watering holes with celebrities like Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, and the Duke and Duchess of Windsor.

And then suddenly, it was over. The international press announced that Aristotle Onassis would marry the most famous woman in the world, former First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy, leaving Maria to pick up the pieces.

In this remarkable novel, Daisy Goodwin brings to life a woman whose extraordinary talent, unremitting drive, and natural chic made her a legend. But it was only in confronting the heartbreak of losing the man she loved that Maria Callas found her true voice and went on to triumph.


Review:

Fascinating, captivating, and rich!

Diva is an insightful, immersive tale that sweeps you away to Europe during the mid-1900s and into the life of “La Divina” Maria Callas from her dysfunctional upbringing, her ongoing worries and insecurities, her dispassionate marriage to Giovanni Battista Meneghiniher rise and fame as one of the most renowned opera singers of the 20th century, to her sordid love affair with the richest man in the world at the time, Greek shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis.

The prose is eloquent and expressive. The characters are hardworking, dedicated, and passionate. And the plot is an intriguing tale of life, love, friendship, family, glitz, glamour, jealousy, scandals, uncertainty, infidelity, drive, determination, and the ins and outs of operatic performances.

Overall, Diva is a vivid, compelling, absorbing novel by Goodwin that does an exceptional job of highlighting her impressive knowledge and considerable research into this renowned iconic figure whose life, talent, and hard work had an undeniable impact on the world of opera as we know it today.

 

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 gifting me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Daisy Goodwin

DAISY GOODWIN is the author of the New York Times bestselling novels The American Heiress and The Fortune Hunter. She attended Columbia University's film school as a Harkness scholar after earning a degree in history at Cambridge University, and was Chair of the judging panel of the 2010 Orange Prize for Fiction. She is the screenwriter and executive producer of the PBS/Masterpiece drama Victoria. She lives in London.

Photo Credit: Credit: Francesco Guidicini

#BookReview Hedging Your Bets by Jayne Denker @JDenkerAuthor @smpromance @StMartinsPress #JayneDenker #HedgingYourBets #smpromance #smpinfluencers

#BookReview Hedging Your Bets by Jayne Denker @JDenkerAuthor @smpromance @StMartinsPress #JayneDenker #HedgingYourBets #smpromance #smpinfluencers Title: Hedging Your Bets

Author: Jayne Denker

Published by: St. Martin's Griffin on Jan. 9, 2024

Genres: Contemporary Romance

Pages: 320

Format: Paperback

Source: St. Martin's Press

Book Rating: 8/10

Opposites attract in this enemies-to-lovers romantic comedy of feuding neighbors and dueling hearts from Jayne Denker, the author of The Rom-Com Agenda.

When small-town neighbors go head-to-head, better start Hedging Your Bets.

Gillian has been happily divorced for several years and, after trying a few dating apps, prefers to stay that way. Navigating her way through dates with fat shamers and lackluster men has left her with no desire to do anything other than work in her garden in her spare time. Who needs rude comments and awkward first-date conversation when soft roses and vibrant tulips are so much better?

Noah West has just moved to Willow Cove. After a rough breakup that leaves him looking to get far away, he relocates to the same small town he spent summers in as a teen―and moves right next door to Gillian. A big believer in minimalist design and that the best kind of plants are non-flowering, he knows as soon as he meets his neighbor that they are going to clash on just about everything. Now if only he could keep his eyes off her too. That might be helpful.

When a gardening contest brings out the competition in Gillian and Noah, dueling plant arrangements and fiery banter ensues. But is it possible that beneath all their differences, they might just be perfect for each other?


Review:

Heartfelt, engaging, and fun!

Hedging Your Bets is a spirited, heartwarming, enemies-to-lovers romance that introduces us to both the sexy, kind Noah who, after having his heart broken, is hoping that a move to the small town of Willow Cove, Ontario will be the perfect place for him to settle down and create a new life, and the insecure, passionate Gillian who, after a somewhat dismal foray into the world of dating since her divorce, is more than content spending her days helping the people of the community with their pharmaceutical needs and working on her beautifully cultivated garden.

The prose is amusing and light. The characters are quirky, supportive, and sweet. And the plot is a playful, flirty blend of tricky situations, tender moments, awkward mishaps, self-discovery, friendship, kindness, support, happiness, chemistry, misunderstandings, undeniable attraction, and romance, 

Overall, Hedging Your Bets is a charming, humorous, enjoyable treat by Denker that is a delight to read and a wonderful reminder that true love is always worth the fight.

 

This book is available now.

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

         

 

 

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

 

About Jayne Denker

Jayne Denker is the author of romantic comedies, including The Rom-Com Agenda and the Welcome to Marsden series. When she's not hard at work on another novel (or, rather, when she should be hard at work on another novel), she can usually be found frittering away stupid amounts of time on social media.

Photo by Elizabeth Torgerson-Lamark.

#BookReview The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins @LadyHawkins @StMartinsPress #TheHeiressNovel #RachelHawkins #StMartinsPress #SMPInfluencers

#BookReview The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins @LadyHawkins @StMartinsPress #TheHeiressNovel #RachelHawkins #StMartinsPress #SMPInfluencers Title: The Heiress

Author: Rachel Hawkins

Published by: St. Martin's Press on Jan. 9, 2024

Genres: Mystery/Thriller

Pages: 304

Format: Hardcover

Source: St. Martin's Press

Book Rating: 9/10

When Ruby McTavish Callahan Woodward Miller Kenmore dies, she’s not only North Carolina’s richest woman, she’s also its most notorious. The victim of a famous kidnapping as a child and a widow four times over, Ruby ruled the tiny town of Tavistock from Ashby House, her family’s estate high in the Blue Ridge mountains. In the aftermath of her death, that estate—along with a nine-figure fortune and the complicated legacy of being a McTavish—pass to her adopted son, Camden.

But to everyone’s surprise, Cam wants little to do with the house or the money—and even less to do with the surviving McTavishes. Instead, he rejects his inheritance, settling into a normal life as an English teacher in Colorado and marrying Jules, a woman just as eager to escape her own messy past.

Ten years later, Camden is a McTavish in name only, but a summons in the wake of his uncle’s death brings him and Jules back into the family fold at Ashby House. Its views are just as stunning as ever, its rooms just as elegant, but coming home reminds Cam why he was so quick to leave in the first place.

Jules, however, has other ideas, and the more she learns about Cam’s estranged family—and the twisted secrets they keep—the more determined she is for her husband to claim everything Ruby once intended for him to have.

But Ruby’s plans were always more complicated than they appeared. As Ashby House tightens its grip on Jules and Camden, questions about the infamous heiress come to light. Was there any truth to the persistent rumors following her disappearance as a girl? What really happened to those four husbands, who all died under mysterious circumstances? And why did she adopt Cam in the first place? Soon, Jules and Cam realize that an inheritance can entail far more than what’s written in a will––and that the bonds of family stretch far beyond the grave.


Review:

Complex, intense, and gripping!

The Heiress is a charged, unpredictable mystery that sweeps you away to North Carolina and into the life of Camden McTavish, who are receiving an email from an estranged cousin, reluctantly heads home after ten years away to deal with the inheritance he never wanted, introduce his wife to the dysfunctional, multigenerational McTavish family he willingly disowned, and finally discover all the long-buried secrets that his adopted mother, the infamous Ruby McTavish tried for a long time to keep hidden and buried for good.

The prose is powerful and polished. The characters are flawed, self-absorbed, and ruthless. And the plot, using a mixture of letters, news articles, and dual perspective narration, is a captivating, menacing tale of life, loss, secrets, deception, privilege, resentments, greed, corruption, violence, familial drama, surprises, and despicable truths.

Overall, The Heiress is a gritty, provocative, twisty novel by Hawkins that’s a must-read for anyone who loves a well-written mystery interlaced with a dramatic family saga all mired in the dark, toxic history of the past.

 

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 for gifting me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Rachel Hawkins

Rachel Hawkins is the New York Times bestselling author of The Wife Upstairs, as well as multiple books for young readers, and her work has been translated in over a dozen countries. She studied gender and sexuality in Victorian literature at Auburn University and currently lives in Alabama.

Photo by John Hawkins.

#BookReview The Wedding Ranch by Nancy Naigle @smpromance @nancynaigle @StMartinsPress #TheWeddingRanch #NancyNaigle #SMPRomance #SMPInfluencers

#BookReview The Wedding Ranch by Nancy Naigle @smpromance @nancynaigle @StMartinsPress #TheWeddingRanch #NancyNaigle #SMPRomance #SMPInfluencers Title: The Wedding Ranch

Author: Nancy Naigle

Published by: St. Martin's Griffin on Dec. 6, 2022

Genres: Contemporary Romance

Pages: 352

Format: Paperback

Source: St. Martin's Press

Book Rating: 8/10

Two people get a second chance at love in this heartwarming story by author Nancy Naigle, The Wedding Ranch

When Lorri Walker’s husband gifted her with a mastiff puppy on Valentine’s Day, she believed he was recommitting himself to their marriage after going astray. Six months later, he left both her and their dog for someone else. Since her recent move to Dalton Mill to unbraid herself from the past, Lorri’s graphic design business is now flourishing, her growing mastiff, Mister, has plenty of space to romp, and her ex in Raleigh can fade to a distant memory.

Ryder Bolt is haunted by the tragic loss of his wife and young son seven years ago. Thankfully, ranching keeps Ryder busy, and spending time with his niece and nephew—whose venue, The Wedding Ranch, has become a popular tourist destination—keeps him from getting lonely.

When Lorri and Ryder met, love was the last thing they were looking for. When they’re together, smiles come easier and burdens feel lighter, and both are embracing the possibility of something deeper.

But when a long-buried revelation surfaces, the fate that brought them together threatens to tear them apart.


Review:

Quaint, absorbing, and sweet!

The Wedding Ranch is a heartfelt, uplifting tale set in the small town of Dalton Mill that takes you into the lives of Ryder Bolt, a young widower still grappling with the loss of his wife and young son and the all-consuming grief that is preventing him from moving on, and Lorri Walker, a newly divorced woman looking forward to starting a new life in a new home with her beloved mastiff, Mister.

The prose is genuine and smooth. The characters are relatable, hesitant, and kind. And the plot is an addictive, alluring mix of friendship, family, life, loss, grief, introspection, support, forgiveness, community, new beginnings, furry friends, and the power of love.

Overall, The Wedding Ranch is another cosy, heartwarming, delightfully enchanting story by Naigle that reminds us to surround ourselves with those we love and to always live life to the fullest.

 

This book is available now.

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

       

 

 

Thank you to SMP Romance – St. Martin’s Press for gifting me a copy in an exchange for an honest review.

 

About Nancy Naigle

USA Today bestselling author NANCY NAIGLE whips up small-town love stories with a dash of suspense and a whole lot of heart. Now happily retired, she devotes her time to writing, antiquing, and the occasional spa day with friends. A native of Virginia Beach, she currently calls North Carolina home. Nancy is the author of Christmas Joy and Hope at Christmas, both of which have been turned into film for Hallmark Channel.

Photograph by Adam Sanner.

#BookReview Inheritance by Nora Roberts @StMartinsPress #InheritanceNovel #TheLostBrideTrilogy #NoraRoberts #StMartinsPress #SMPInfluencers

#BookReview Inheritance by Nora Roberts @StMartinsPress #InheritanceNovel #TheLostBrideTrilogy #NoraRoberts #StMartinsPress #SMPInfluencers Title: Inheritance

Author: Nora Roberts

Series: The Lost Bride Trilogy #1

Published by: St. Martin's Press on Nov. 21, 2023

Genres: Contemporary Romance, Fantasy, Historical Fiction

Pages: 419

Format: Hardcover

Source: St. Martin's Press

Book Rating: 9/10

Inheritance is the first in The Lost Bride Trilogy by #1 New York Times bestselling author Nora Roberts―a tale of tragedies, loves found and lost, and a family haunted for generations.

1806: Astrid Poole sits in her bridal clothes, overwhelmed with happiness. But before her marriage can be consummated, she is murdered, and the circle of gold torn from her finger. Her last words are a promise to Collin never to leave him…

Graphic designer Sonya MacTavish is stunned to learn that her late father had a twin he never knew about―and that her newly discovered uncle, Collin Poole, has left her almost everything he owned, including a majestic Victorian house on the Maine coast, which the will stipulates she must live in it for at least three years. Her engagement recently broken, she sets off to find out why the boys were separated at birth―and why it was all kept secret until a genealogy website brought it to light.

Trey, the young lawyer who greets her at the sprawling clifftop manor, notes Sonya’s unease―and acknowledges that yes, the place is haunted…but just a little. Sure enough, Sonya finds objects moved and music playing out of nowhere. She sees a painting by her father inexplicably hanging in her deceased uncle’s office, and a portrait of a woman named Astrid, whom the lawyer refers to as “the first lost bride.” It’s becoming clear that Sonya has inherited far more than a house. She has inherited a centuries-old curse, and a puzzle to be solved if there is any hope of breaking it…


Review:

Unique, captivating, and romantic!

Inheritance is a dramatic, mysterious tale that takes you into the life of Sonya MacTavish, a hardworking graphic designer who, after finding her fiancé cheating and learning she has inherited a mansion from her father’s twin brother no one even knew existed, moves into the stately home in Maine only to discover that it is haunted by a generational curse cast in 1806 that will take not only the help of the dashingly handsome Trey to break but also all the friends she can muster.

The writing is smooth and effortless. The characters are kind, tolerant, and endearing. And the plot is a captivating tale of life, love, friendship, family, intrigue, desire, temptation, attraction, supernatural phenomenon, romance, and danger.

Overall, Inheritance is a creative, atmospheric, brilliant start to the new Lost Bride Trilogy by Roberts that I absolutely devoured and highly recommend.

 

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

 

About Nora Roberts

Nora Roberts is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of more than 200 novels, including Come Sundown, The Obsession, The Liar, and coming in December 2017, Year One -- the first book in The Chronicles of The One. She is also the author of the futuristic suspense In Death series written under the pen name J.D. Robb. There are more than 500 million copies of her books in print.

Photograph courtesy of Author's Goodreads Page.