Source: William Morrow

#BookReview Love in Color: Mythical Tales from Around the World, Retold by Bolu Babalola @WmMorrowBooks #LoveinColor #BoluBabalola

categories: 8/10, Book Review, Fantasy, General Fiction, Women's Fiction
#BookReview Love in Color: Mythical Tales from Around the World, Retold by Bolu Babalola @WmMorrowBooks #LoveinColor #BoluBabalola Title: Love in Color: Mythical Tales from Around the World, Retold

Author: Bolu Babalola

Published by: William Morrow on Apr. 13, 2021

Genres: Fantasy, General Fiction, Women's Fiction

Pages: 304

Format: ARC, Paperback

Source: William Morrow

Book Rating: 8/10

A high-born Nigerian goddess, who has been beaten down and unappreciated by her gregarious lover, longs to be truly seen.

A young businesswoman attempts a great leap in her company, and an even greater one in her love life.

A powerful Ghanaian spokeswoman is forced to decide whether she should uphold her family’s politics or be true to her heart.

In her debut collection, internationally acclaimed writer Bolu Babalola retells the most beautiful love stories from history and mythology with incredible new detail and vivacity. Focusing on the magical folktales of West Africa, Babalola also reimagines Greek myths, ancient legends from the Middle East, and stories from long-erased places.

With an eye towards decolonizing tropes inherent in our favorite tales of love, Babalola has created captivating stories that traverse across perspectives, continents, and genres.

Review:

Uplifting, thought-provoking, and empowering!

Love in Color is an astute, beautiful collection of short stories that takes a variety of ancient folklore and tales and creatively reinvents them into contemporary love stories.

The writing is bold and colourful. The stories are imaginative, well written and romantic. And the plots, although slightly different, all feature strong, independent women and highlight the incredible power of love in all its forms.

Overall, Love in Color is a thoughtful, inspirational, perceptive anthology by Babalola that ultimately reminds us that to love and be loved is one of humanity’s most fundamental needs, or to quote Mahatma Gandhi’s iconic words, “Where there is love there is life.” 

 

This novel is available now.

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

           

 

 

Thank you to William Morrow for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Bolu Babalola

Bolu Babalola is a British-Nigerian woman with a misleading bachelor's degree in law and a masters degree in American Politics & History from UCL. She feels it is important to state that her thesis was on Beyoncé's "Lemonade" and she was awarded a distinction for it. So essentially she has a masters degree in Beyoncé. A writer of books, scripts and retorts, a lover of love and self-coined "romcomoisseur", Bolu Babalola writes stories of dynamic women with distinct voices who love and are loved audaciously. She is a big believer in women being both "Beauty and the beast". She is not a fan of writing her own bios.

Photo by Folaju Oyegbesan.

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#BookReview Band of Sisters by Lauren Willig @WmMorrowBooks #BandofSisters #LaurenWillig

categories: 10/10, Book Review, Historical Fiction, Noteworthy Book Releases
#BookReview Band of Sisters by Lauren Willig @WmMorrowBooks #BandofSisters #LaurenWillig Title: Band of Sisters

Author: Lauren Willig

Published by: William Morrow Paperbacks on Mar. 2, 2021

Genres: Historical Fiction

Pages: 528

Format: Paperback, ARC

Source: William Morrow

Book Rating: 10/10

A group of young women from Smith College risk their lives in France at the height of World War I in this sweeping novel based on a true story—a skillful blend of Call the Midwife and The Alice Network—from New York Times bestselling author Lauren Willig.

A scholarship girl from Brooklyn, Kate Moran thought she found a place among Smith’s Mayflower descendants, only to have her illusions dashed the summer after graduation. When charismatic alumna Betsy Rutherford delivers a rousing speech at the Smith College Club in April of 1917, looking for volunteers to help French civilians decimated by the German war machine, Kate is too busy earning her living to even think of taking up the call. But when her former best friend Emmeline Van Alden reaches out and begs her to take the place of a girl who had to drop out, Kate reluctantly agrees to join the new Smith College Relief Unit.

Four months later, Kate and seventeen other Smithies, including two trailblazing female doctors, set sail for France. The volunteers are armed with money, supplies, and good intentions—all of which immediately go astray. The chateau that was to be their headquarters is a half-burnt ruin. The villagers they meet are in desperate straits: women and children huddling in damp cellars, their crops destroyed and their wells poisoned. 

Despite constant shelling from the Germans, French bureaucracy, and the threat of being ousted by the British army, the Smith volunteers bring welcome aid—and hope—to the region. But can they survive their own differences? As they cope with the hardships and terrors of the war, Kate and her colleagues find themselves navigating old rivalries and new betrayals which threaten the very existence of the Unit.

With the Germans threatening to break through the lines, can the Smith Unit pull together and be truly a band of sisters?  

Review:

Poignant, affecting, and incredibly immersive!

Band of Sisters is an absorbing, stirring tale set in German-Occupied France during WWI that follows seventeen young American women from Smith College as they embark on a mission that doesn’t quite go as smoothly as planned, to befriend and use their own unique skillsets to provide relief, food, medical care, and education to the villagers whose lives have been decimated by war.

The prose is seamless and vivid. The characters are courageous, driven, and resilient. And the plot, including all the subplots, intertwine and unravel into a sweeping saga of life, loss, secrets, insecurities, self-discovery, heartbreak, determination, survival, tragedy, and friendship.

Overall, Band of Sisters is a rich, evocative, beautifully written novel by Willig that grabs you from the very first page and is sure to be a big hit with book clubs and historical fiction fans everywhere. I absolutely devoured it, and it is hands down one of my favourite reads of the year!

This novel is available now.

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

            

 

 

Thank you to William Morrow for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Lauren Willig

Lauren Willig is the New York Times bestselling author of nineteen works of historical fiction. Her books have been translated into over a dozen languages, awarded the RITA, Booksellers Best and Golden Leaf awards, and chosen for the American Library Association's annual list of the best genre fiction. After graduating from Yale University, she embarked on a PhD in History at Harvard before leaving academia to acquire a JD at Harvard Law while authoring her "Pink Carnation" series of Napoleonic-set novels. She lives in New York City, where she now writes full time.

Photograph courtesy of Author's Website.

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#BookReview #GoodreadsGiveaways The Gown by Jennifer Robson @AuthorJenniferR @WmMorrowBks @goodreads

categories: 10/10, Book Review, Historical Fiction, Noteworthy Book Releases
#BookReview #GoodreadsGiveaways The Gown by Jennifer Robson @AuthorJenniferR @WmMorrowBks @goodreads Title: The Gown

Author: Jennifer Robson

Published by: William Morrow on Dec. 31, 2018

Genres: Historical Fiction

Pages: 292

Format: Paperback

Source: William Morrow, Goodreads Giveaways

Book Rating: 10/10

London, 1947: Besieged by the harshest winter in living memory, burdened by onerous shortages and rationing, the people of postwar Britain are enduring lives of quiet desperation despite their nation’s recent victory. Among them are Ann Hughes and Miriam Dassin, embroiderers at the famed Mayfair fashion house of Norman Hartnell. Together they forge an unlikely friendship, but their nascent hopes for a brighter future are tested when they are chosen for a once-in-a-lifetime honor: taking part in the creation of Princess Elizabeth’s wedding gown.

Toronto, 2016: More than half a century later, Heather Mackenzie seeks to unravel the mystery of a set of embroidered flowers, a legacy from her late grandmother. How did her beloved Nan, a woman who never spoke of her old life in Britain, come to possess the priceless embroideries that so closely resemble the motifs on the stunning gown worn by Queen Elizabeth II at her wedding almost seventy years before? And what was her Nan’s connection to the celebrated textile artist and holocaust survivor Miriam Dassin?

With The Gown, Jennifer Robson takes us inside the workrooms where one of the most famous wedding gowns in history was created. Balancing behind-the-scenes details with a sweeping portrait of a society left reeling by the calamitous costs of victory, she introduces readers to three unforgettable heroines, their points of view alternating and intersecting throughout its pages.

Review:

Evocative, enchanting, and beautifully written!

The Gown is a captivating, sentimental tale predominantly set in London post-WWII, as well as present day, that follows the lives of three main characters.  Ann, a young talented embroider employed by the esteemed Norman Hartnell; Miriam, a Holocaust survivor and émigré from France who becomes Ann’s coworker and close friend; and Heather, Ann’s granddaughter who after discovering embroidered flowers in her grandmother’s possessions after her passing embarks on a journey to determine their significance.

The prose is eloquent and well turned.  The characters are flawed, multifaceted, hardworking, and brave. And the plot, along with all the seamlessly intertwined subplots, is an impressive mix of drama, familial dynamics, emotion, secrets, love, loss, duty, heartbreak, passion, and courage; as well as an insightful look at life in postwar London and the importance of female friendships.

Overall, The Gown is a wonderful blend of historical facts and compelling fiction that’s mesmerizing, gripping, nostalgic and perfect for those who love anything royal.

This novel is available now.

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

                                            

 

 

Thank you to William Morrow and Goodreads Giveaways for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Jennifer Robson

Jennifer Robson first learned about the Great War from her father, acclaimed historian Stuart Robson, and later served as an official guide at the Canadian National War Memorial at Vimy Ridge, France. A former copy editor, she holds a doctorate in British economic and social history from the University of Oxford. She lives in Toronto, Canada, with her husband and young children.

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#BookReview The Dressmaker’s Dowry by Meredith Jaeger @Meredith_Jaeger @WmMorrowBks

categories: 8/10, Book Review, Historical Fiction
#BookReview The Dressmaker’s Dowry by Meredith Jaeger @Meredith_Jaeger @WmMorrowBks Title: The Dressmaker's Dowry

Author: Meredith Jaeger

Published by: William Morrow on Feb. 7, 2017

Genres: Historical Fiction

Pages: 384

Format: eBook, ARC

Source: William Morrow, Edelweiss

Book Rating: 8/10

For readers of Lucinda Riley, Sarah Jio, or Susan Meissner, this gripping historical debut novel tells the story of two women: one, an immigrant seamstress who disappears from San Francisco’s gritty streets in 1876, and the other, a young woman in present day who must delve into the secrets of her husband’s wealthy family only to discover that she and the missing dressmaker might be connected in unexpected ways

An exquisite ring, passed down through generations, connects two women who learn that love is a choice, and forgiveness is the key to freedom…

San Francisco: 1876

Immigrant dressmakers Hannelore Schaeffer and Margaret O’Brien struggle to provide food for their siblings, while mending delicate clothing for the city’s most affluent ladies. When wealthy Lucas Havensworth enters the shop, Hanna’s future is altered forever. With Margaret’s encouragement and the power of a borrowed green dress, Hanna dares to see herself as worthy of him. Then Margaret disappears, and Hanna turns to Lucas. Braving the gritty streets of the Barbary Coast and daring to enter the mansions of Nob Hill, Hanna stumbles upon Margaret’s fate, forcing her to make a devastating decision…one that will echo through the generations.

San Francisco: Present Day

In her elegant Marina apartment overlooking the Golden Gate Bridge, Sarah Havensworth struggles to complete the novel she quit her job for. Afraid to tell her husband of her writer’s block, Sarah is also hiding a darker secret—one that has haunted her for 14 years. Then a news headline from 1876 sparks inspiration: Missing Dressmakers Believed to be Murdered. Compelled to discover what happened to Hannelore and Margaret, Sarah returns to her roots as a journalist. Will her beautiful heirloom engagement ring uncover a connection to Hanna Schaeffer?

Review:

Intriguing, thought-provoking and heartwarming!

This story is told from two different perspectives. One is that of Sarah, a young woman who stumbles upon an unsolved mystery from the 1870s while working on her thesis. And the other is Hanna, a young woman struggling to survive and raise her siblings in a time when women had no rights and few options.

It is, ultimately, a story about loneliness, loss, injustice, determination, strength, tragedy, guilt, and love.

The writing is smooth. The characters are strong, multi-layered, and fascinating. And the multiple plots quickly unravel into a engrossing mystery that not only manages to intertwine all the subplots, but also ends with a little surprise.

Overall this is a wonderful debut novel and I look forward to reading more from Jaeger in the future.

 

This book is due to be published on February 7, 2017.

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

Amazon UK, Amazon US, Amazon Canada, Indigo, Kobo, Book Depository, B&N

 

 

Thank you to Edelweiss, especially William Morrow, for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Meredith Jaeger

Meredith is a USA Today Bestselling Author. She is a native of the San Francisco Bay Area, where she was raised by a Swiss father and an American mother. She is a graduate of the University of California, Santa Cruz.

Her own engagement ring, which is an heirloom from 1903, inspired her to write her debut novel The Dressmaker’s Dowry. She wrote it on weekends while working for a San Francisco startup.

Meredith finds the immigrant experience a rich part of the fabric of American history. Her second novel, Boardwalk Summer, will be published in June 2018. Meredith lives outside San Francisco with her husband, their rambunctious toddler and spoiled English bulldog, where she now writes full time.

Photo credit: Erika Pino Photography

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#BookReview The Wicked City by Beatriz Williams @bcwilliamsbooks @WmMorrowBks

categories: 9/10, Book Review, Historical Fiction
#BookReview The Wicked City by Beatriz Williams @bcwilliamsbooks @WmMorrowBks Title: The Wicked City

Author: Beatriz Williams

Published by: William Morrow on Jan. 17, 2017

Genres: Historical Fiction

Pages: 292

Format: eBook, ARC

Source: William Morrow, Edelweiss

Book Rating: 9/10

New York Times bestselling author Beatriz Williams recreates the New York City of A Certain Age in this deliciously spicy adventure that mixes past and present and centers on a Jazz Age love triangle involving a rugged Prohibition agent, a saucy redheaded flapper, and a debonair Princetonian from a wealthy family.

When she discovers her husband cheating, Ella Hawthorne impulsively moves out of their SoHo loft and into a small apartment in an old Greenwich Village building. Her surprisingly attractive new neighbor, Hector, warns her to stay out of the basement at night. Tenants have reported strange noises after midnight—laughter, clinking glasses, jazz piano—even though the space has been empty for decades. Back in the Roaring Twenties, the place hid a speakeasy.

In 1924, Geneva “Gin” Kelly, a smart-mouthed flapper from the hills of western Maryland, is a regular at this Village hideaway known as the Christopher Club. Caught up in a raid, Gin becomes entangled with Prohibition enforcement agent Oliver Anson, who persuades her to help him catch her stepfather Duke Kelly, one of Appalachia’s most notorious bootleggers.

Headstrong and independent, Gin is no weak-kneed fool. So how can she be falling in love with the taciturn, straight-arrow Revenue agent when she’s got Princeton boy Billy Marshall, the dashing son of society doyenne Theresa Marshall, begging to make an honest woman of her? While anything goes in the Roaring Twenties, Gin’s adventures will shake proper Manhattan society to its foundations, exposing secrets that shock even this free-spirited redhead—secrets that will echo from Park Avenue to the hollers of her Southern hometown.

As Ella discovers more about the basement speakeasy, she becomes inspired by the spirit of her exuberant predecessor, and decides to live with abandon in the wicked city too. . . . 

Review:

Once again Beatriz Williams sweeps us away into another time and place with a storyline full of deception, lies, adultery, jealousy, love, loss, passion and murder.

The story is told from two different perspectives. Gin, a young, strong-minded woman who enjoys her independence and the love of more than one man in New York City in the Roaring Twenties when prohibition, jazz, and speakeasies are the norm.  And Ella, an intelligent, inquisitive woman who is determined to move forward after discovering her husband’s infidelity in the Big Apple metropolis of the late 1990s.

The prose is exquisite and vividly described. The characters are flawed, multi-faceted, and intriguing. And the plot is a fast-paced, complex, fascinating tale with lots of twists, turns, action and suspense that will keep you engaged until the very end.

What more can I say, I really enjoyed this novel and I can’t help but highly recommend it.

If you haven’t had a chance to check out my review of her previous novel, A Certain Age, you can find it HERE.

This novel is due to be published on January 17, 2016. 

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

Amazon UK, Amazon US, Amazon Canada, Indigo, Kobo, B&N

 

 

Thank you to Edelweiss, especially William Morrow, for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Beatriz Williams

Beatriz Williams is the New York Times bestselling author of A Hundred Summers, The Secret Life of Violet Grant, Along the Infinite Sea, A Certain Age, and several other works of historical fiction. A graduate of Stanford University with an MBA in Finance from Columbia University, Beatriz worked as a communications and corporate strategy consultant in New York and London before she turned her attention to writing novels that combine her passion for history with an obsessive devotion to voice and characterization. Beatriz’s books have won numerous awards, have been translated into more than a dozen languages, and appear regularly in bestseller lists around the world.

Born in Seattle, Washington, Beatriz now lives near the Connecticut shore with her husband and four children, where she divides her time between writing and laundry.

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#BookReview The Fire By Night by Teresa Messineo

categories: 9/10, Book Review, Historical Fiction
#BookReview The Fire By Night by Teresa Messineo Title: The Fire by Night

Author: Teresa Messineo

Published by: William Morrow on Jan. 17, 2017

Genres: Historical Fiction

Pages: 336

Format: eBook, ARC

Source: William Morrow, Edelweiss

Book Rating: 9/10

A powerful and evocative debut novel about two American military nurses during World War II that illuminates the unsung heroism of women who risked their lives in the fight—a riveting saga of friendship, valor, sacrifice, and survival combining the grit and selflessness of Band of Brothers with the emotional resonance of The Nightingale.

In war-torn France, Jo McMahon, an Italian-Irish girl from the tenements of Brooklyn, tends to six seriously wounded soldiers in a makeshift medical unit. Enemy bombs have destroyed her hospital convoy, and now Jo singlehandedly struggles to keep her patients and herself alive in a cramped and freezing tent close to German troops. There is a growing tenderness between her and one of her patients, a Scottish officer, but Jo’s heart is seared by the pain of all she has lost and seen. Nearing her breaking point, she fights to hold on to joyful memories of the past, to the times she shared with her best friend, Kay, whom she met in nursing school.

Half a world away in the Pacific, Kay is trapped in a squalid Japanese POW camp in Manila, one of thousands of Allied men, women, and children whose fates rest in the hands of a sadistic enemy. Far from the familiar safety of the small Pennsylvania coal town of her childhood, Kay clings to memories of her happy days posted in Hawaii, and the handsome flyer who swept her off her feet in the weeks before Pearl Harbor. Surrounded by cruelty and death, Kay battles to maintain her sanity and save lives as best she can . . . and live to see her beloved friend Jo once more.

When the conflict at last comes to an end, Jo and Kay discover that to achieve their own peace, they must find their place—and the hope of love—in a world that’s forever changed. With rich, superbly researched detail, Teresa Messineo’s thrilling novel brings to life the pain and uncertainty of war and the sustaining power of love and friendship, and illuminates the lives of the women who risked everything to save others during a horrifying time. 

Review:

Incredibly moving, hauntingly realistic and exceptionally captivating!

This is an impactful story that is told from two different perspectives. Jo, an American nurse whose compassion and strength are tested near the front lines of the western front. And Kay, Jo’s friend and fellow nurse who must endure horrific conditions and extreme brutality after being taken as a POW by the Japanese in the Pacific.

This is story about war, strength, bravery, hope, loss, injustice, love, and survival.

The prose is poetic. The imagery is remarkably descriptive. The characters are young, dedicated, damaged and disheartened. And the plot uses alternating points-of-view, and a back-and-forth style to give depth and understanding to all the personalities, relationships, and situations within it.

Overall, I would have to say I found this story to be profound and heartbreaking and a real reminder of just how indomitable the human spirit can truly be.

This novel is due to be published on January 17, 2017.

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

Amazon UK, Amazon US, Amazon Canada, Indigo, Kobo, Book Depository, B&N

 

 

Thank you to Edelweiss, especially William Morrow, for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

#BookReview Her Every Fear by Peter Swanson @PeterSwanson3

categories: 8.5/10, Book Review, Mystery/Thriller
#BookReview Her Every Fear by Peter Swanson @PeterSwanson3 Title: Her Every Fear

Author: Peter Swanson

Published by: William Morrow on Jan. 10, 2017

Genres: Mystery/Thriller

Pages: 384

Format: eBook, ARC

Source: William Morrow, Edelweiss

Book Rating: 8.5/10

Growing up, Kate Priddy was always a bit neurotic, experiencing momentary bouts of anxiety that exploded into full-blown panic attacks after an ex-boyfriend kidnapped her and nearly ended her life. When Corbin Dell, a distant cousin in Boston, suggests the two temporarily swap apartments, Kate, an art student in London, agrees, hoping that time away in a new place will help her overcome the recent wreckage of her life.

Soon after her arrival at Corbin’s grand apartment on Beacon Hill, Kate makes a shocking discovery: his next-door neighbor, a young woman named Audrey Marshall, has been murdered. When the police question her about Corbin, a shaken Kate has few answers, and many questions of her own—curiosity that intensifies when she meets Alan Cherney, a handsome, quiet tenant who lives across the courtyard, in the apartment facing Audrey’s. Alan saw Corbin surreptitiously come and go from Audrey’s place, yet he’s denied knowing her. Then, Kate runs into a tearful man claiming to be the dead woman’s old boyfriend, who insists Corbin did the deed the night that he left for London.

When she reaches out to her cousin, he proclaims his innocence and calms her nerves–until she comes across disturbing objects hidden in the apartment and accidentally learns that Corbin is not where he says he is. Could Corbin be a killer? What about Alan? Kate finds herself drawn to this appealing man who seems so sincere, yet she isn’t sure. Jet-lagged and emotionally unstable, her imagination full of dark images caused by the terror of her past, Kate can barely trust herself, so how could she take the chance on a stranger she’s just met?

Review:

Disturbingly creepy with rich characterization!

This story is predominantly set in Boston, Massachusetts and is told from multiple perspectives, including Kate, a recent victim of kidnapping who agrees to apartment swap with her cousin in hopes of a fresh start; Corbin, the intelligent, remote, secretive cousin; and Alan, the introverted neighbour with a fondness for people watching.

The writing is smooth and precise. The characters are varied, intriguing and dark. And the plot, although not exceptionally fast-paced, does a good job of creating suspense, fear and tension through a character driven storyline and an unconventional narration style in which the same story is retold from differing points of view.

Ultimately, this is a story about secrets, lies, deception, jealousy, manipulation, obsession and murder.

Overall, I have to say I really enjoyed this novel. It is definitely a well written, fascinating thriller that reminds us that sometimes there lies a complex, deranged, horrifying mind behind the normal facade.

 

This novel is due to be published on January 10, 2017.

Pick up a copy of this story from your favourite retailer or from the following Amazon links.

Amazon UK, Amazon US, Amazon Canada, Indigo, Kobo, Book Depository, B&N

 

 

Thank you to HarperCollins and Faber & Faber Ltd. for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Peter Swanson

Peter Swanson is the author of four novels: The Girl With a Clock For a Heart, an LA Times Book Award finalist; The Kind Worth Killing, winner of the New England Society Book Award, and finalist for the CWA Ian Fleming Steel Dagger; Her Every Fear, an NPR book of the year; and his most recent, All the Beautiful Lies. His books have been translated into 30 languages, and his stories, poetry, and features have appeared in Asimov’s Science Fiction, The Atlantic Monthly, Measure, The Guardian, The Strand Magazine, and Yankee Magazine.

A graduate of Trinity College, the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, and Emerson College, he lives in Somerville, Massachusetts with his wife and cat.

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#BookReview I See You by Molly McAdams @MollySMcAdams

categories: 7.5/10, Book Review, Contemporary Romance
#BookReview I See You by Molly McAdams @MollySMcAdams Title: I See You

Author: Molly McAdams

Published by: William Morrow Paperbacks on November 1, 2016

Genres: Contemporary Romance

Pages: 345

Format: eBook, ARC

Source: William Morrow, Edelweiss

Book Rating: 7.5/10

 

 

Synopsis:

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Molly McAdams’ powerful new novel offers one of the most memorable love triangles in fiction since Twilight—perfect for fans of New Adult fiction like Jamie McGuire, Abbi Glines, and Tamarra Webber. 

Futures are uncertain, unpredictable—like ink spilled across the purest surface. Nearly imperceptible ripples move and flow until a unique stain is formed. The ink is permanently imbedded in the surface…

During one wild night in college, Jentry Michaels is a tidal wave of ink that brands Aurora Wilde’s soul. An unparalleled stain she can’t forget despite the many months that have passed—and despite the distraction she’d hoped she would find in her new relationship with Declan, the charmer who captured her heart soon after. Jentry has irrevocably touched her soul, and he is intertwined in her present and future in ways she never fathomed. Now Aurora is faced with keeping that night hidden though it feels as if the ink has indelibly etched their story across her skin.

When Declan is confronted with his own personal demons, Aurora must decide if she will continue to hold tight to their relationship and a safe, reliable future with him, or if she will turn to Jentry—the guy she can’t forget no matter how hard she tries.…

Review:

Angst-ridden, passionate, and extremely emotional!

This is a love triangle that takes you on a psychological rollercoaster ride of tension, heartache, guilt, regret, romance, and true love.

The writing is well done. The characters are distressed, hesitant, bewildered, and young. And the plot is told from differing perspectives, and moves back-and-forth between past and present, to create a deep connection and understanding of the relationships between the characters and the circumstances surrounding the predicament they find themselves in.

Overall, this is an enjoyable, easy read full of drama, chemistry, unexpected twists, surprising turns, seduction, and all-consuming love.

 

This book is due to be published on November 1, 2016.

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

Amazon UK, Amazon US, Amazon Canada, Indigo, Book Depository

 

 

Thank you to Edelweiss, especially William Morrow, for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Molly McAdams

olly grew up in California but now lives in the oh-so-amazing state of Texas with her husband, daughter, and fur babies. When she's not diving into the world of her characters, some of her hobbies include hiking, snowboarding, traveling, and long walks on the beach … which roughly translates to being a homebody with her hubby and dishing out movie quotes. She has a weakness for crude-humored movies and fried pickles, and loves curling up in a fluffy comforter during a thunderstorm ... or under one in a bathtub if there are tornados. That way she can pretend they aren't really happening.

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#BookReview The Boy is Back by Meg Cabot @megcabot

categories: 10/10, Book Review, Contemporary Romance
#BookReview The Boy is Back by Meg Cabot @megcabot Title: The Boy Is Back

Author: Meg Cabot

Series: Boy #4

Published by: William Morrow Paperbacks on Oct. 18, 2016

Genres: Contemporary Romance

Pages: 368

Format: eBook, ARC

Source: William Morrow, Edelweiss

Book Rating: 10/10

In this brand-new novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author Meg Cabot, a scandal brings a young man back home to the small town, crazy family, and first love he left behind

Reed Stewart thought he’d left all his small town troubles—including a broken heart—behind when he ditched tiny Bloomville, Indiana, ten years ago to become rich and famous on the professional golf circuit. Then one tiny post on the Internet causes all of those troubles to return . . . with a vengeance.

Becky Flowers has worked hard to build her successful senior relocation business, but she’s worked even harder to forget Reed Stewart ever existed. She has absolutely no intention of seeing him when he returns—until his family hires her to save his parents.

Now Reed and Becky can’t avoid one another—or the memories of that one fateful night. And soon everything they thought they knew about themselves (and each other) has been turned upside down, and they—and the entire town of Bloomville—might never be the same, all because The Boy Is Back.

Review:

Romantic, light-hearted, and laugh-out-loud funny!

This is an intriguing story that takes us on a journey through the trials of elderly parents, crazy siblings, teenage struggles, and enduring love.

The writing style is unconventional, with the narration being told completely through text messages, emails, and journal entries, but is nevertheless smooth, clear, and easy to follow. And the characterization is perfection, with an incredible cast of characters who are charming, witty, quirky, fun, real, and loveable.

Overall this story is brimming with humour, emotion, familial dynamics, small-town hijinks and second-chance romance, and it is hands down one of the funniest rom-coms I have read this year.

This book is due to be published on October 18, 2016.

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

Amazon UK, Amazon US, Amazon Canada, Indigo, Book Depository

 

 

Thank you to Edelweiss, especially William Morrow, for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Meg Cabot

Meg Cabot was born in Bloomington, Indiana during the Chinese astrological year of the Fire Horse, a notoriously unlucky sign, but learned at an early age that a good storyteller can always give herself a happy ending. Her 80+ books for both adults and tweens/teens have included multiple #1 New York Times bestsellers, selling over twenty-five million copies worldwide. Her Princess Diaries series has been published in more than 38 countries and was made into two hit films by Disney. Meg’s numerous other award-winning books include the Mediator series, the Heather Wells mystery series, and Avalon High, the later of which was made into a film for Disney Channel. Meg Cabot (her last name rhymes with habit, as in “her books can be habit forming”) currently lives in Key West with her husband and various cats.

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#BookReview Without Mercy by Jefferson Bass @Jefferson_Bass

categories: 9/10, Book Review, Mystery/Thriller
#BookReview Without Mercy by Jefferson Bass @Jefferson_Bass Title: Without Mercy

Author: Jefferson Bass

Series: Body Farm #10

Published by: William Morrow on Oct. 4, 2016

Genres: Mystery/Thriller

Pages: 342

Format: eBook, ARC

Source: William Morrow, Edelweiss

Book Rating: 9/10

In the most suspenseful installment of the New York Times bestselling Body Farm series to date, forensic anthropologist Dr. Bill Brockton investigates a bizarre murder—and confronts a deadly enemy he thought he’d put behind bars for good.

Forensic anthropologist Bill Brockton has spent twenty-five years solving brutal murders—but none so bizarre and merciless as his latest case: A ravaged set of skeletal remains is found chained to a tree on a remote mountainside. As Brockton and his assistant Miranda dig deeper, they uncover warning signs of a deadly eruption of hatred and violence.

But the shocking case is only the beginning of Brockton’s trials. Mid-case, the unthinkable happens: The deadliest criminal Brockton has ever foiled—the sadistic serial killer Nick Satterfield—escapes from prison, bent on vengeance.

But simply killing Brockton isn’t enough. Satterfield wants to make him suffer first, by destroying everything he holds dear: Brockton’s son, daughter-in-law, grandsons; even Miranda, his longtime graduate assistant, now on the verge of completing her Ph.D. and launching a forensic career of her own.

The dangers from all directions force Brockton to question two things on which he’s based his entire career—the justice system, and the quality of mercy—and to wonder: can the two co-exist?

If not, which will Brockton choose in his ultimate moment of truth?

Review:

Dark, disturbingly absorbing, and incredibly creepy!

This is an insightful thriller that reminds us that even though we’ve come so far, there’s still a lot of hatred out there.

It is gripping story about cruelty, captivity, violence, revenge, murder, and ultimately, evil.

The writing is crisp and clear. The usual ‘Body Farm’ characters are back, led by the intelligent, witty, persistent Dr. Brockton, as well as some new, sadistic, malicious ones. And the plot, along with several subplots, will have you intrigued, mystified, surprised, and gripping the edge of your seat from start to finish.

It’s hard to believe this is already the tenth novel in the ‘Body Farm’ series, but boy it’s a good one! If you haven’t read any of the previous ‘Body Farm’ novels I would definitely think about picking one of those up as well.

This novel is due to be published on October 4, 2016. 

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

Amazon UK, Amazon US, Amazon Canada, Chapters/Indigo

 

For more information on Jefferson Bass, visit their website at: jeffersonbass.com

or follow them on Twitter at: @Jefferson_Bass

 

 

Thank you to Edelweiss, especially William Morrow, for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.