Monthly Archives: July 2020

Misadventures with a Sexpert by Elizabeth Hayley-Review tour

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Misadventures with a Sexpert by Elizabeth Hayley-Review tour

 

 

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date July 21, 2020

Isla Scott seeks to enhance her sexual repertoire, and she’s using every available app to do so. But no matter what buttons she pushes, she isn’t having much luck during her frequent coffeehouse dating rendezvous. If she’s to eventually satisfy Mr. Right—and herself—in every way, she needs to gain some more experience. But so far she’s only encountered duds.

Grayson Hawkins’s marriage fell apart when he caught his wife with his best friend. Emotionally bankrupt, he’s left her and his high-pressure job to start over in a new town. A clean slate for the artist. A new coffeehouse to patronize. A fresh page on which he can draw his illustrations.

Grayson and Isla form an unconventional pact where he agrees to be her sex guru to help her gain the experience she seeks in trade for permission for him to sketch her comical dates for his newspaper’s Instagram page. But such a pact doesn’t come without pitfalls, and Isla must make a decision. Does she apply her newfound knowledge on one of her dates, or will she realize her Sexpert was always the one?

Misadventures is a romantic series of spicy standalone novels, each written or co-written by some of the best names in romance. The stories are scandalous, refreshing, and, of course, incredibly sexy. They’re the perfect bedside read, a ‘quick blush’ for the reader who loves a page-turning romance.

••••••••

REVIEW: Misadventures with a Sexpert begins with Grayson Hawkins at work having yet another unwanted conversation with his boss at the Daily Gazette. After leaving the meeting, in which he has been told he has to take over their social media accounts, he heads out and ends up at a local coffee shop, the Coffee Bean. He discovered the place when he’d moved out of the city several months ago after going through a divorce that left him hurt and angry. He has been trying to find his passion for drawing again, but not having much luck.

Isla Scott has promised her sister that she will go along with her plan to date more. Isla picked the Coffee Bean as the place to meet her prospective beaus. To say things didn’t go well was a bit of an understatement. For one reason or another, the ones coming in had been all wrong for her. Some of them hilariously wrong.

Grayson couldn’t help but notice Isla and wonder what she was up to. He found himself intrigued with Isla and her ‘experiment’. Once he figured out what she was actually doing, he made it his duty to be there every week when Isla was meeting up with her prospective dates. Eventually, Grayson approached Isla and told her she had made the right decision in letting her current prospect go. Isla had noticed Grayson before, but hadn’t given it much thought. Grayson then asked Isla if she’d like to join him. As she was about to decline the offer, she noticed his drawing of the prospect who had just left. After commenting on the drawing, she left.

The next week, Isla was at the Coffee Bean once again, waiting on the next one, only to be let down……again. Isla then approached Grayson and figured out that he had been sketching all of her encounters, which made her laugh. From there, the two of them form a friendship of sorts. However, once they start getting to know each other, Isla confesses that she’s not very experienced when it comes to men and makes an offer to Grayson: the two of them could be friends with benefits and he could teach her things about sex. Not that she was a virgin, but as stated before, she didn’t have much experience.

Grayson found himself stunned and excited at the same time. Isla had become his muse, of sorts, and he had found his passion for drawing again. So, why not? As the two of them get to know each other, two things are certain: their chemistry is off the charts and their friendship easy. However, when Isla finally meets a guy she’s interested in, why is Grayson at the forefront of her mind? And why does Grayson feel so confused about Isla finally meeting a good guy? After all, the both of them had been so sure of the ground rules they had put in place.

Misadventures with a Sexpert is a great addition to the Misadventures series. The characters are relatable and nicely written. The chemistry between Isla and Grayson is off the charts. I loved their interactions and found myself laughing out loud at times. If you’re a fan of the Misadventures series, and just romance in general, you’ll love the world Hayley has created in this installment. Well done, Elizabeth Hayley!

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Vickie

Elizabeth Hayley is actually “Elizabeth” and “Hayley,” two friends who love reading romance novels to obsessive levels. This mutual love prompted them to put their English degrees to good use by penning their own. They learned a ton about each other through the process, like how they clearly share a brain and have a persistent need to text each other constantly. They live with their husbands and kids in a Philadelphia suburb. Thankfully, their children are still too young to read.

Connect on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/elizabethhayleyauthor/

Website: http://www.authorelizabethhayley.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authorelizabethhayley/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/EHayleyAuthor

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THE WHAT IF GUY by Lauren Blakely-Review Tour

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THE WHAT IF GUY (The Guys Who Got Away #2) by Lauren Blakely

 

 

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date July 24, 2020

It should be an easy rule to follow – don’t bang your boss…
But I didn’t know who he was when I met him.

And the first time I saw him, our connection sounded like the stuff of romantic legends — that whole “their eyes locked across a crowded room” moment that turned into more.

I didn’t believe it. . . . until it happened to me.

Fine, the charming, clever, sexy-as-sin guy in the tailored suit was only trying to buy the same Snoopy lunchbox (as a gift!), but still, our eyes totally locked, and my lady parts definitely tingled as we vied for the prize.

Naturally, I did what any badass business woman would do. Negotiated for the lunchbox, then found my what-if guy online and made plans to see him the next night.

One night only — that was the deal we made.

But one fantastic night had us both changing our minds in the morning. And making plans for another.

Until I walked into the office to learn he just bought my company.

And here’s the biggest rule of romantic legends — no matter what, don’t bang your boss.

Especially if you’re already falling for him.

••••••

REVIEW: THE WHAT IF GUY is the second instalment in Lauren Blakely’s contemporary, adult THE GUYS WHO GOT AWAY erotic, romance series focusing on a tight-knit group of friends. This is lifestyle website manager Bryn Hawthorne, and media finance entrepreneur / single father Logan Clarke’s story line. THE WHAT IF GUY can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story line is revealed where necessary.

Told from dual first person perspectives (Bryn and Logan), as well as third person from our couple’s cats, and several text messages between our leading couple, THE WHAT IF GUY follows the building romance and relationship between thirty-two years olds, lifestyle website manager Bryn Hawthorne, and media finance entrepreneur / single father Logan Clarke. Bryn Hawthorne is a collector but when a handsome stranger wants the same Snoopy lunchbox as Bryn has been coveting, all bets are off when Bryn posts an ad in the ‘Made Connections’ chat room in an effort to find the man that caught her eye. With a connection made, Logan and Bryn agree to see one another followed by a wild night of passionate $ex neither one will ever forget. But a buyout of the copy for which Bryn currently works finds our heroine face to face with her new boss and CEO Logan Clarke, and the future of their relationship is about to be put on hold. Days of uncontained sexual attraction followed by nights of texting one another force our couple to come to a decision regarding their future, and their time together both inside and outside of the boardroom. What ensues is the building but forbidden romance and relationship between Logan and Bryn, and the potential fall-out if management determines their relationship goes against company policy.

Bryn Hawthorne has already loved and lost when she discovered her husband wanted more than Bryn was able to give. Logan Clarke’s first wife left after having an affair but his love for his daughter Amelia is currently the most important relationship in his life. Meeting Bryn Hawthorne gives Logan a second chance at love but discovering he is technically Bryn’s boss puts a damper on their future plans.

The relationship between Bryn and Logan is one of immediate attraction. Bryn is sexually aggressive and knows what she wants-she demands honesty both in and out of the bedroom. Logan is a man who is ready to move forward, and Bryn is the woman that will allow him to become the lover he has always wanted to be. The $ex scenes are intimate, erotic and passionate without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text. The back and forth texting is sexy and fun.

There is a large ensemble cast of colorful and energetic secondary and supporting characters including Logan’s friends Fitz and Ransom, Christian, and Oliver; his daughter Amelia, and his ex-wife Stacey; Bryn’s co-workers and friends Teagan, Hadley, Rosario, Matthew, Quentin, Isaac and James; sex toy company owner Casey Sullivan as well as Logan’s cat Queen LaTofu, and Bryn’s cat Bruce.

THE WHAT IF GUY is story of friendships, family, passion and love. The premise is energetic, sexy and fun; the romance is provocative and intense; the characters are spirited and impassioned. THE WHAT IF GUY is a delightful and playful story of forbidden love and happily ever after.

Click HERE for Sandy’s review of book one DEAR SEXY EX-BOYFRIEND.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

 

A #1 New York Times Bestselling author, Lauren Blakely is known for her contemporary romance style that’s hot, sweet and sexy. She lives in California with her family and has plotted entire novels while walking her dogs. With fourteen New York Times bestsellers, her titles have appeared on the New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal Bestseller Lists more than eighty times, and she’s sold more than 2 million books. In October she’ll release HARD WOOD, a sexy, standalone romantic comedy. To receive an email when Lauren releases a new book, sign up for her newsletter! laurenblakely.com/newsletter

Website ** Facebook ** Twitter ** Newsletter ** Goodreads

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Redemption & Guardian Angel 1-4 by Sharon Hamilton-Review Tour

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Redemption & the Guardian Angel Series 1-4 by Sharon Hamilton-Review Tour

 

 

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Former Dark Angel Joshua Brandon has skirted a forever un-death in the Underworld until his heart yanks him from his life of debauchery and back into the Human World. He has accepted a very stealth assignment from the man upstairs to perhaps obtain those white wings he’s never wanted until now.

But it will require him turning back to the dark side. And just after his promise is made, the only woman he’s ever loved comes back into his life. She is in desperate need of saving. But as a Dark Angel, the only thing he can do is claim her soul for his own in the Underworld.

Will he have to throw away any hope of redemption, in order to save her?

Book 4 in this popular series about Guardian Angels, Dark Angels, the healing power of love, and good vs. evil. Although, evil can be more fun!

Remember, in this world: Heaven is created by design. The Underworld is created by accident.

•••••••••••

REVIEW: Remember Joshua? No! He isn’t a nice guy, he’s a dark angel with a real bad boy attitude, except that’s not an attitude. Seeing the Underworld for as many years as Joshua did changed him. Tempting angels/guardians to fall from heaven and become a dark/fallen angel. But he was given a shot at redemption, he’s done good so far……

Now God/Father wants him to return to the Underworld and bring back all those angels and guardians, simple right? No! Joshua has been with us through all the previous books, whispering, plotting and conniving in the background, so how come he got a clean slate? (Well to find out your going to have to read the other books)

Melanie loved and lost Joshua, and now with a chance to meet up with him she jumps at the chance. But when she has to travel to the underworld she’s not sure. But with the chance of happiness she has to weigh it all up. Does she want to be with him that much?

I didn’t think Joshua should have had a happy ending, he really had no redeeming qualities, but reading more about him, you have to change your mind. Loved the interaction between Father and Joshua, it did make me chuckle.

I liked this book, we caught up with previous characters, we watch as he interacts with fallen angels (trying to convince them to leave the underworld for heaven) his has admits his faults to Melanie. The spark that was between Melanie and Joshua never really left them. Lots of stuff going on, backstabbing (literally) and double dealings. Who can you really trust in the underworld?

The story sets off at a nice pace, and continues through the book. As in the previous three books, both worlds are written really well. Yes the underworld is dark, but it’s also fascinating, the diversity and the cultures, it’s like a dark earth, but no real law, power is everything and there are a few that want to rule.

So can he let Melanie give everything up to be with him in the underworld? And when his job is finished, what happens to him? Father says he has a place in heaven, he can earn those wings and go home, but what about Melanie? Can he really turn his back on the only person who loves him? Can he leave her a second time? And can Melanie trust Joshua, he’s lied and left her before. What’s to stop the underworld from claiming him again?

I’d recommend you read at least book 2 (this is where we meet Joshua and Melanie.) it’s better if you read them in order, I have and it’s definitely helped.

I’m hoping for a few more books. We still have s couple of characters that need sorting out. So who knows. I’ll hero my fingers crossed.

?Reviewed by Julie B

Copies supplied for review

“My dear, it’s all been arranged. You’ll soon see for yourself.” He always looked so attentive as he bowed his head and gave that flat-lipped smile that extended nearly to his ears. His handsome face was hard to tear her focus from. His bright red lips hinted he might wear lip stain, and in shadow, they nearly glowed. His eyes certainly did, as if lit from within. Although human, Naveen had an aura of an actor playing the part of a dark vampire lord, and couldn’t get enough of his own character. She wondered if he slept in pajamas or animal skin. He had a keen sense of smell, even guessing the exact flowery recipe of her custom-made perfume scent.

 

 

HEAVENLY LOVER
The Guardian Angel #1
by S. Hamil (Sharon Hamilton)
Release Date: December 18 ,2013

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk / Amazon.au /

Claire, an unconventional Guardian angel sent to save a sexy Brazilian-born painter from killing himself, discovers Daniel has been preyed upon by a powerful dark angel posing as his best friend and agent. Although successful in saving Daniel’s life, Claire is in danger of losing her own when attraction to her handsome charge blooms into a forbidden love.

The dark angel offers her what she’s only dared to dream about—an eternity with Daniel. Will she sacrifice her soul, or sacrifice a lifetime with a man she knows she was created to love?

•••••••••

REVIEW: First book in a new series, and a new author for me to read.

Claire isn’t your usual angel, as a guardian, she’s suppose to be serious and focused. I’d say Claire was more feisty, opinionated and fun loving than that. Her role is to guide and keep “humans” on the correct path. She’s never failed…..But if the higher powers have their way, it’s going to be Claire’s last job, she’s being reassigned to teaching other angels to be guardians, and she’s not happy about that, not in the least!!

Daniel is an artist, a beautiful soul, destined to do great things.He’s had enough of life, he tries to commit suicide after losing the love of his life. He never expected to become a pawn in the never ending battle between good and evil.

She’s suppose to remain unseen. But all that changes when she sees Daniel trying time end his life. She’s only suppose to guide him in his dreams, but there is something not quite right about this job!!

Josh dark angel (bad guy) his role is to turn his charges to the dark side, he’s never lost one to the light. Losing Daniel is not an option, but watching the angel with Daniel gives josh an idea…..Josh now has a new goal, to turn Claire. He uses the new love that is growing between Daniel and Claire. He whispers, he plots.

Fighting their feelings for one another proves challenging for both Claire and Daniel. It doesn’t help when Josh offers Claire a way for them to be together. To good to be true? With a fallen angel, I’d say it’s more than likely!

Loved the premise of this one, and as it’s a series, I’m hoping we get more of Josh. Beautifully written, characters are well thought out.
The twist and turns in this book had me gripped right up until the end. Scenes set in both heaven/underworld and earth put you there. The angst, the anger and passion are expressed with great care. The fight between light and dark is ongoing, the battle for Daniels soul is the prize.

Claire as an angel is suppose to be focused, we see that side of her, we also get to witness her transformation, the love she fights for Daniel. Daniel is complex, he’s an artist, so you expect them to be a tormented soul, you don’t expect them to try to commit suicide. His love for painting was overtaken by his love for Audray, all consuming, his passion for her was vibrant and exciting. He never thought he’d find her in the arms of another! He’s never going to paint again!

I felt his pain, his anger and then his sorrow at losing her. Life wasn’t worth living. Then his love for Claire slowly growing, it’s not the same as his love for Claire, but to me the loves between Audray and Claire is totally opposite, the slow burn will last longer than the flash fire Audray and Daniel had.

I couldn’t put this book down, and I’m looking forward to the next one. Highly recommend this one.

Julie ?

_____________

UNDERWORLD LOVER
The Guardian Angel Series #2
by S. Hamil (Sharon Hamilton)
Release Date:December 14, 2014

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Joshua Brandon, a legendary and powerful rogue dark angel, meets a human woman whose soul he cannot take, and finds something he has not experienced before: love. At the same time, a new director comes to power in the Underworld, who asks for a test of Josh’s loyalty by delivering this very woman to him.

Melanie Worthington is back among the living, after reeling from the suicide of a close friend. She has no idea she is to become the pawn between two powerful dark angels, one who would command her as his personal concubine, and the other who would set her free.

Will their love survive the battle between the two dark angels, or will Joshua risk his own immortal life to protect the woman he loves?

••••••••

REVIEW: OMG it’s Josh from book one (Heavenly Lover) Dark angel and resident bad guy. He’s training new recruits, but he’s not in the zone. He’s still bristling from losing both a human soul and a heavenly one.

Melanie is slowly recovering from the loss of her boyfriend, she’s sure he tried to save her before he died. Her new love is a flower shop, she loves her job, but still misses him. The only person who ever really knew her.

I didn’t think this book could be any better than the first, I was wrong. I’d come to expect a story full of passion, indecision and twists. I got that in spades. I didn’t think we would be able to redeem Josh, he’s been evil for centuries, convincing humans to end their life for a better one in the underworld (well that’s not going to happen is it?) he’s very good at his job. But he feels like he’s under investigation from the new director, and he’s not sure why!

Melanie was lovely, coming from a rich but cold family, all she’s ever wanted was love and a family, meeting Felix she thought they’d be together forever….. Meeting Josh, Melanie thinks she’s found a new love, but Josh being Josh has been given a task. But will he be able to convince Melanie to come with him? But what if he doesn’t want her to travel to the underworld, what if he wants to stay with her? The attraction Josh feels for Melanie is confusing him no end. He wants her, he could have her, but keeping her? That’s not like him.

(Peter) New Director runs the Underworld, I liked that idea, different from the usual rulers of Hell/Underworld. He’s now interested in Melanie, but why? Is it because he knows how Josh feels about her? Can someone that evil actually want Melanie? Yes he does, but not as a mate/wife, he wants her as a concubine in his harem!

Secondary characters are just as important as the main characters in this book. A lot of time and effort is invested. Audray makes a surprising visit in this book (the woman Daniel loved in “Heavenly Lover”) And Jonas (who I hear you cry) well he’s a player and a much needed character, and that’s all your getting from me?

Third book “Underworld” Queen is next on my reading list.

Highly recommend this book.

? Julie B.

____________

UNDERWORLD QUEEN
The Guardian Angel Series #3
by S. Hamil (Sharon Hamilton)
Release Date: December 30, 2014

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Audray has just assumed the title as first-ever Queen of the Underworld. As she attempts to consolidate her rule, characters from the past threaten to destroy her and the love she shares with Jonas Starling, a 300-year old dark angel.

When she discovers she has been the recipient of a miracle, suddenly their whole immortal lives are changed forever. Will they survive the coming war or get snagged in the power struggle over not only the underworld, but the human world as well?

•••••••••••

REVIEW: Well damn!!! That could have gone either way!!

So, without giving too much away….. Audray is now Queen of the underworld!! Technically still a director, but she likes Queen better. She’s also the first ever female to rule the Underworld.

Jonas a dark/fallen angel, totally devoted to Audray. His previous life was full of misdeeds and adventure, and finally as a fallen angel for the past few centuries. Meeting Audray has been a rollercoaster, lust, fun, lust, dismemberment. But recently he’s been having feelings…. does he care for his Queen? Certainly, he’d die for her, but love? Not sure about that one.

Carl is a human professor, his love of history has put him in the firing line, being asked to dig up information on a landowner from the 17th century, he stumbles upon something he shouldn’t have.

Molly is the cute librarian that works in the reference section of the university that Carl works at. She’s had a crush on him forever, but she knows he won’t look at her, she’s too young for him. But she can look.

You can read the book without reading the first, but personally I wouldn’t, your going to miss out on two wonderful previous books, but also it gives you lots of background on Audray.

Now I was prepared to hate Audray on sight, my least favourite person in the whole of this series so far! Why? I hear you ask, well….. nope I can’t, if I do, then I spoil the other books. But she really isn’t a nice person. So I did wonder how she would or could redeem herself?

When reading further into the book you get more of her past. It’s not been easy for her, so you now know why she gave up and became a dark angel.

The thought of Jonas and Audray getting a happy ending was a little annoying, they both were really nasty in previous books. But they slowly grow on you. They have broken backgrounds, so it shapes you, so why shouldn’t they have a happy ending? And if they do commit to one another, love each other like they they are beginning to, what will it mean for the Queen of the underworld?

I have to admit, I was a little disappointed with this one. It felt rushed, it seemed less polished than the last two, and in some ways written by someone else!! The dialogue felt crass and cruder than the others. And for a while I did wonder why Carl and Molly were there. So what they doing there?

? Julie B.

S. HAMIL, Sharon Hamilton’s twisted sister, writes paranormal romance with a central theme of the healing power of true love. Her characters from multiple worlds including Heaven and the Underworld are angels, dark angels, vampires and some who are not quite sure what they are. They follow a bumpy path to redemption, but not exactly what they taught you in Sunday School!

AUTHOR LINKS

Website: https://authorsharonhamilton.com
Newsletter: https://authorsharonhamilton.com/newsletter
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/author/sharonhamilton
Bookbub: http://bookbub.com/authors/sharon-hamilton
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/SharonHamilton
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SharonHamiltonAuthor
Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/sealteamromance
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sharonhamiltonauthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/sharonlhamilton
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YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDInkxXFpXp_4Vnq08ZxMBQ

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Her Second Chance Cowboy by Makenna Lee – a Review

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Her Second Chance Cowboy by Makenna Lee – a Review

 

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Description:
Wealthy cowboy, James MacLachlan, is content running his massive family ranch and starting an equine therapy program for special needs children. After his mother died in childbirth, and witnessing his father’s destruction at the loss of true love, James sticks to casual affairs. Marriage and children are risks he won’t take.

Reese Turner visits Cypress Creek, Texas, to complete a photo assignment for National Geographic and buy back her grandparents’ cottage. After disastrous romances, she’s sworn off men to focus on her career. Marriage and the babies she longs for can wait. When she runs into an old flame, she decides she can live out a fantasy, then leave town to pursue her dreams.

But love doesn’t play by the rules…

 

Review:

Her Second Chance Cowboy begins with Reese Turner returning to her hometown to take pictures for a client and to complete an assignment for National Geographic.  She finds herself on the side of the road taking pictures of an area that she hopes to buy back: her grandparent’s cottage. 

While taking pictures, Reese sees a man working on the roof of the cottage and snaps a few pictures of him, only to lose sight of her subject.  The next thing she knows, someone comes up behind her and tells her she is trespassing.  Surprised, she turns to see none other than James MacLachlan.  She soon finds out that the cottage had been bought by James, as it bordered his family ranch.  James invites her to have lunch with him in town and she gladly accepts.  After all, what would it hurt to have lunch with the guy who broke her heart all those years ago?

Reese is filled with nostalgia as she enters the town square and goes to the diner to meet James.  When he arrives, he apologizes for the jerk that he had been when they were together years ago.   Reese tries to play it off and changes the subject.   James invites her to stay at the cottage that they use as a guest house.  Reese, having already checked in at a local B&B, accepts, but tells him she will be there the following morning.

As Reese and James get reacquainted with each other, old feelings start to seep in.  James tells Reese that some big developer has been trying to buy up land around the area and that none of them will sell to him.  Then, ‘accidents’ start happening at different farms, including his own.  What stops Reese cold is when she finds out that the freelance photography job she is doing is for none other than said developer.  After an internal struggle, she assures herself that he could get the pictures from anyone else, so it was okay for her to take the pictures.  She even goes so far as to try and talk the developer out of trying to buy the land, only to be shut down.  Hard.

James finds himself more than smitten with Reese.  Their days and nights are easy and memorable for them both.  They just seem to fit.  Having lost his mother when she gave birth to his little sister, he had decided that he would never marry.  His father became a different man after the death and James didn’t want to follow that path. 

Reese knows that she’s in love with James.  Their relationship makes her dream of a future with James.  However, once secrets are revealed that leaves both of them feeling betrayed by the other, Reese takes the National Geographic job and leaves James, and a piece of her heart, behind.

Her Second Chance Cowboy is a nicely written story of second chance love.  The characters are relatable and well written.  The world Lee has built leaps off of the page and draws you in from the beginning.  The secondary characters are well written as well and add depth to the story.  If you’re a fan of second chance romances, you’ll certainly enjoy this one.  Well done, Makenna Lee!

Reviewed by Vickie

Copy provided by Publisher

 

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BURN / ICE (Alaska Heat ) by Stephanie Rowe-a review

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BURN / ICE (Alaska Heat ) by Stephanie Rowe-a review

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Nook /  iBooks / Kobo / GooglePlay/ Chapters Indigo /

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date July 21, 2020

Five years ago, Charlotte Murphy’s brother tracked down her family through a DNA ancestry test. Charlotte was the only one he left alive. And now he’s back to finish the deadly game he started.

When reclusive Mack Connor is summoned to Alaska by his best friend, he’s not prepared to play bodyguard to a spunky, sexy bartender fighting to reclaim her life from the stalker who killed her family. But when Mack falls hard for the sassy Alaskan, the stakes suddenly become much higher than he can afford.

Charlotte’s scared. She’s in danger. She’s afraid to trust. Until Mack walks into her life, with shadows in his eyes, a gun at his hip, and a heart he keeps under lockdown.

When the serial arsonist heats up his game, can Charlotte and Mack find a way to survive, or will her death be the final victory for the brother no one would ever want?

••••••••••

REVIEW: BURN is the fourth instalment in Stephanie Rowe’s contemporary, adult ALASKA HEAT romantic, suspense series set in the wilderness of Alaska. This is cyber security specialist Mack Connor, and waitress Charlotte Murphy’s story line. BURN can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story lines is revealed where necessary. Mack and Charlotte’s story begins in book three GHOST. Mack is Ben Forsett’s childhood best friend, and Charlotte is Mari Walsh’s co-worker at the local bar.

NOTE: For fans of the series, there is a six year gap for the author in writing the series, and a continuity error as it pertains to Charlotte’s family.

Told from dual third person perspectives (Mack and Charlotte) BURN follows in the aftermath of Charlotte and Mari’s abduction by Charlotte’s former boyfriend Joseph. Struggling to move on with her life, Mari is determined to pack up and leave Alaska until Ben Forsett introduces Charlotte to the man with whom she will fall in love. Enter security specialist Mack Connor. What ensues is the quick building romance and relationship between Mack and Charlotte, and the potential fall out as Charlotte’s past has returned in an effort to take down Charlotte and everyone connected to our heroine’s past.

Charlotte Murphy lost everything five years earlier when her step-brother Dexter took the lives of her mother and father. Swearing to return to finish the job and kill the ‘sister’ he never knew, Charlotte has been hyper aware and in seclusion fearing Dexter will make good on the promise. Mack Connor’s last mission went all to h*ll, and in the ensuing months Mack has come to believe he is unworthy of love, relationships, friendships or help. Meeting Charlotte gave Mack a hope for the future but Charlotte’s issues of trust, may be something Mack is unable to overcome.

The relationship between Mack and Charlotte is one of immediate attraction but Charlotte’s confidence is shattered, and she waffles between trusting our hero and the uncertainty of his ability to protect her life. Both Mack and Charlotte are a little bit broken and struggle with their demons both day and night. The $ex scenes are passionate and seductive without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

There is a large ensemble cast of secondary and supporting characters many who have been introduced in the previous instalments: Cort and Kaylie (Ice #1), Luke and Isabella (Chill #2), Ben and Mari (Ghost #3) ; local Haas Carter; bar manager David Hampton; and Trooper Trey Hooper.

BURN is a story of betrayal and vengeance; trust and uncertainty; relationships, friendships and love. The premise is intriguing and dramatic; the romance is captivating, tender and emotional; the characters are energetic and impassioned. BURN is an engaging and intense story of jealousy, retribution, hatred and hostility.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

•••••••••

ICE
(Alaska Heat #1)
by Stephanie Rowe
Genre: adult, contemporary, romantic, suspense

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon. UK / B&N /

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date June 30, 2009

Most people find beauty in Alaska’s austere mountains. To Kaylie Fletcher, there is only death – her whole family gone after a disatrous climbing expedition. Then again, maybe not. A raspy call in the middle of the night leads Kaylie to believe her mother might still be alive. For now…

A strange message in a bar. A bloody knife. A fiery explosion. There’s a killer inching closer, but Kaylie has nowhere to run. Except straight into the arms of Cort McClaine. The rugged bush pilot is too much of an adrenaline junkie to be considered safe, but Kaylie can’t resist the heat of his touch amid the bitter cold.

Caught in a high-stakes race against a murderous madman, Kaylie and Cort know that with one wrong step they’ll be…iced.’

•••••••••

REVIEW: ICE is the first instalment in Stephanie Rowe’s contemporary, adult ALASKA HEAT romantic suspense series set in the wilderness of Alaska. This is pilot Cort McClaine, and Kaylie Fletcher’s story line.

NOTE: Due to the graphic nature of the story line premise, there may be some triggers for more sensitive readers

Told from several third person perspectives including Cort and Kaylie ICE focuses on Kaylie Fletcher’s search for her family. Mountain climbing was her parents’ passion but a phone call telling Kaylie her mother survived a fatal climbing expedition on Mount McKinley forced our heroine to venture into the wilds of Alaska, something she promised herself she would never do. Hoping to stay with her friend Sara and her husband Jackson, Kaylie found herself facing pilot Cort McClaine, a man who stirred something within our story line heroine but all was not well when Cort and Kaylie arrived, and in the ensuing melee our couple will discover that death was awaiting them upon their return. What ensues is the building but acrimonious relationship between Cort and Kaylie, and the potential fall out as Kaylie becomes the target of an obsessed stalker, someone who knows too much about Kaylie, and the family she lost.

The relationship between Kaylie and Cort is one of immediate attraction but Kaylie is a city girl and wants nothing, absolutely nothing to do with the Alaska wilderness. Cort’s life is in the air, and the surrounding greenery of the state of Alaska but falling in love with Kaylie brought too many memories of another woman from his past, another woman who wanted nothing to do with Cort’s lifestyle or the land upon which he lived. The back and forth, up and down, constant push and pull between our leading couple is filled with anxiety, stress, sexual tension and the arrogance of two people who refuse to accept the other for who they are, and what they represent. Saying that, Cort and Kaylie had nothing in common but the sexual tension that ran tight and strong-at every opportunity Kaylie was pushing Cort away, and Cort’s demons from the past continue to push him over the edge. The $ex scenes are intimate and passionate, without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

There is a large ensemble cast of colorful and energetic secondary and supporting characters including Kaylie’s brother Mason; Cort’s friend Luke Webber; Charity Simms; Old Tom; Troopers Bill Man, and Richie Parker.

ICE is a story of family, friendships, obsession and betrayal. The action packed premise is dramatic and intense; the romance struggles in the face of preconceived notions; the characters are animated, compelling but vulnerable. This one was a bit of a struggle -perhaps a little less friction between our leading couple would have made for a more believable happily ever after.

Copy supplied for review

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The Unseen by Thea Harrison – Dual Review & Excerpt

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The Unseen by Thea Harrison – Dual Review & Excerpt

 

Amazon / Kobo / Google Play / Apple

Description:
Saying goodbye to their old life in the Wyr demesne in New York may be hard, but Dragos and Pia are determined to create a new life in the Other land of Rhyacia.

At first, everything seems idyllic. Rhyacia is paradisiacal. Accompanied by old friends and new allies, the future looks safe and bright for Dragos, Pia, and baby Niall.

But strange things are happening beneath the picturesque façade. Items move unaccompanied, buildings collapse without justifiable cause, and even the most Powerful residents of Rhyacia can provide no logical explanation for the events transpiring. Whispered rumors point to something called the unseen.

As Dragos and Pia investigate, they uncover a greater mystery than they could have imagined, and they realize the startling truth…

They’re not alone in Rhyacia. The land Dragos had thought was uninhabited hides many secrets, a shocking history that’s not quite ready to be buried, and something more.

Something ancient, evil, and hungry. Something that wants to consume Dragos and take everything he holds dear.

Something that just may be powerful enough to overcome the dragon…

 

 

Barb’s Review:
The Unseen by Thea Harrison is the start of a new 4 episode arc, which is part of her wonderful Elder Races series. I have always been a big fan of this series, and was thrilled to learn that Thea was writing 4 novellas around Pia and Dragos, who are two of my favorite couples. It was wonderful to see many of our favorites make cameo appearances.

Pia, Dragos and baby Niall are in the final days of leaving New York (and Earth), and moving to Rhyacia, the Other land to start a new and less stressed life.  Dragos has turned over his command temporarily to Rune until Liam (older son) is ready to take over.   Some of their friends such as Graydon, Ninane, Eva, Bel are also going to live there.  I got a kick out of Pia saving a dog (Skeeter), much to Dragos’s dismay, but she insists that the dog comes with them, and of course the dog falls in love with Dragos. Lol  Baby Niall is only a few months old, but he can shift into a unicorn (like Pia) and loves to stab anyone.  Cute.  It was also wonderful to see the love between Pia and Dragos, which is what makes them such a great couple.

But in a very short time, after they arrive in their temporary new home (another one will be built much bigger), Pia senses something strange that only she can see.  Some of the new buildings are collapsing, leading Dragos and others suspecting that they are not alone in this land.  When she notices a being in her home, everyone teams up to protect each other, especially taking turns watching Niall. 

The first part of this story was fun, spending time with Pia and Dragos, getting a kick out of the dog, Skeeter, enjoying Niall and his antics, as well as being with friends.  But the last third of the book was a surprising twist that took us by surprise, and as we raced to the exciting cliffhanger of a climax, we marveled at Pia’s strength and command, and loved how everyone returned to try and defeat the unknown enemy.  Of course, there was a cliffhanger that has us holding our breath, impatiently waiting for the next book. Thea has warned us that the next two books will also have cliffhangers.

The good news is that Thea will be bringing the other 3 novellas fast, and we won’t have to wait long.  The Unseen was a wonderful start to this story line, with the joy of spending time with a great couple, their friends and family; and then surprise turn of events that changes the game.  If you love the Elder Races, you need to read this new arc.  You can read The Unseen and wait like me for the future books, or just wait for all 4 and read it all at once.  Your choice, but don’t miss this.

 

Sandy’s Review:

THE UNSEEN is the first of four novellas in Thea Harrison’s contemporary, adult ELDER RACES paranormal/ fantasy romance series focusing on the former leader of the Wyr demes new in New York Drago Cuelebre, and his mate Pia.

Told from third person perspectives THE UNSEEN follows Dragos and Pia as they and 20,000 members of the supernatural Wyr begin a new life in the Other land of Rhycia but not all goes according to plan when an unseen force begins to cause a disturbance within the new society-misplaced items, collapsing buildings, and a threat to the life and personal safety of Dragos Cuelebre. Desperate to protect the man that she loves, Pia calls for assistance from Dragos current and former guardians and warriors, assistance that may be needed to save the life of the man that she loves.

THE UNSEEN is a welcome return and revisit to the Elder Races series. With a large ensemble cast of familiar secondary and supporting characters THE UNSEEN pulls the reader into a beautiful, magical but dangerous world of the ‘unseen’, whose actions are threatening the very existence of the eldest and most powerful dragon in this world and the Other. With a little bit of drama, intrigue, fun and familiarity, THE UNSEEN ends on a cliff hanger-you have been warned.

Copies supplied for review

 

 

 

“I think this is the nicest thing you’ve ever done for me.”
He looked faintly mystified as he stroked along Pia’s cheek with his thumb. “I’ve bought you plenty of jewelry that cost a hundred or a thousand times what this makeup box cost.”
Amusement curved her lips. Yes, he had, and it was a measure of his love for her that he was able to actually give the jewelry to her after he had acquired it. But as much as she loved that the dragon gave her jewels, those outrageously expensive pieces never meant as much to her as they did to him.
This, however, was purely about her. He had seen her struggling to let go of something that was pretty minor in the grand scheme of life, and he had taken steps to make sure she didn’t have to. He could have had the makeup inserted into disposable cardboard shapes, and that would have been astonishing and thoughtful enough, but, being Dragos, he had to turn the whole project into treasure.
“Thank you. I love it with all my heart,” she said. Hooking an arm around his neck, she drew his head down to hers.
“That’s all that matters, then,” he said against her lips. His voice had turned husky.
She had told him what she could of the things she struggled with, but there were some things she could never tell him. Never. Savoring his mouth and every sensual detail of his long, hard body pressed against her, she locked down those secrets tight in the deepest, most private part of her soul.
After all, they had already discussed it, two months ago after Pia and Rune’s mate Carling had been kidnapped. The kidnapping had been a ploy by a crazed and embittered Elf to trap and destroy Dragos Cuelebre, who was known throughout the Elder Races as the Great Beast. During that nightmare, Pia had been forced to give birth to Niall in a cave and had met Dragos’s brother, Lord Azrael, the god of Death.
Once, she had just been a New York girl who wore makeup from Target and got freaked out over having feelings for a dragon. She was an herbivore who had to keep her Wyr nature secret, while he was the ultimate predator. Falling in love and mating with him had felt earthshaking and immense all on its own.
But coping long term with the reality of mating with Dragos was like opening an infinity of nesting puzzle boxes. As soon as she opened one and thought she had a grasp on things, she found another box to open, another reality even more immense than the one before.
She remembered the conversation they’d had after the kidnapping as if it had happened yesterday. How many Primal Powers are there? she had asked. The Elder Races only have seven in their pantheon.
You got me, Dragos had said with a shrug. I don’t really have anything to do with them, except I used to have a…let’s call it a certain rapport with Azrael.
He hadn’t been lying, exactly; her truthsense was deeply attuned to him and she was certain of that. But his gold gaze had slid away from hers when he had said it.
And Azrael had said to her, You, of all people, should know how closely related death and the dragon are.
She did, or at least she had thought she had. But there were consequences to that close relation that she had never before queried, until then.
When she’d talked to Dragos, she’d tried to make light of it. To make it safe, as she’d asked him, We’re not going to talk about the pressures of godhood or anything like that?
And he’d brushed the whole thing off. Pia, what does godhood mean? Tiago is a thunderbird. More than half my sentinels have been worshipped as gods in Egypt. Look at the Djinn and what they can do. Hell, look at yourself in the mirror—look at yourself when you’re in your Wyr form. Unless something or someone kills you, you are going to live indefinitely, and your blood heals any wound. That’s pretty damn miraculous in my book. There are many of the Elder Races who have been called gods at one point or other in history, and just as many who have been called demons.
His logic had been unassailable. He was right, but….
But.
Dragos was her husband, her mate, her dedicated lover, and most fierce protector, and yet in many ways he was still a total mystery to her. Some days, she couldn’t help but run that conversation through her mind again. Some days, she felt just like a New York girl who had gotten lost on a lonely road in a country so foreign she didn’t even know its name.
And the only thing that brought her home again was this: his mouth, his hands, his scent. Her body knew every exciting detail of his and craved it. She craved him.
When he shut the door to his office and turned back to her, his movements were tight with the hunger that drove him. She was already moving, stripping off her shirt and wriggling out of her jeans.
As she kicked out of them, he wound one hard arm underneath her hips and lifted her onto the desk. They often took their time with foreplay and teasing, laughing together under the velvet cloak of an indulgent midnight, but this was not one of those times.
He yanked off her underwear, and she eagerly wound her legs around his hips while she pulled his T-shirt over his head to reveal the heavy musculature of his tremendous chest. When he eased the thick, broad head of his erection against her opening, she was wet and ready. Her head fell back, eyes closed, as he entered her.
They fit together like the oldest, truest magic: yin and yang; female and male; dark and light.
It was only during times like these when she felt relief from the doubts and insecurities that plagued her. When all her doubts were vaporized in the heat of passion, and the deepest, most private part of her soul said to him, I don’t care who or what you are. You’re mine.
You’re mine.


 

 

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Someone’s Listening by Seraphina Nova Glass-Review,Excerpt & Q&A

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Someone’s Listening by Seraphina Nova Glass-Review,Excerpt & Q&A

 

Amazon / B&N / Kobo / Google Play / BAM / Book Depository/ Harlequin

 

Description:
She wrote the book on escaping a predator… Now one is coming for her.

Faith Finley has it all: she’s a talented psychologist with a flourishing career, a bestselling author and the host of a popular local radio program, Someone’s Listening, with Dr. Faith Finley. She’s married to the perfect man, Liam Finley, a respected food critic.

Until the night everything goes horribly wrong, and Faith’s life is shattered forever.

Liam is missing—gone without a trace—and the police are suspicious of everything Faith says. They either think she has something to hide, or that she’s lost her mind.

And then the notes begin to arrive. Notes that are ripped from Faith’s own book, the one that helps victims leave their abusers. Notes like “Lock your windows. Consider investing in a steel door.”

As the threats escalate, the mystery behind Liam’s disappearance intensifies. And Faith’s very life will depend on finding answers.

 

 

Review:

Someone’s Listening by Seraphina Nova Glass is a standalone thriller. Faith Finley, our heroine, is a famous psychologist, who is also a bestselling author and tv personality; Faith writes or talks about abused women and how to leave their abusers.  The story switches between two POV’s (all Faith), but ‘then’ and ‘now’.  It begins with the ‘then’ Pov, where there is a horrific car crash after she and her husband, Liam left a party.  When Faith regains conscious, she tries to find out how Liam is, with everyone avoiding her. Finally, the police tell her that she was alone in the car, and her husband was not there.  Faith has a long recovery ahead, but she knows something is wrong, as she fully remembers Liam in the car with her.  What is going on?  Where is Liam?

The ‘Now” POV picks up with Faith having recovered and desperately trying to find out what happened to Liam.  At first the police do suspect Faith, since there is no sign of Liam anywhere.  But when Faith begins to received veiled threats, the police change tactics to look if he left town, or who is behind the strange notes she keeps getting.  Despite the police, her sister, and friends telling her to leave the investigation to the experts, Faith continues to do her own investigations.

During the ‘Then’ Pov we also learn that a former client, a teenage boy, claims that Faith had sexual relations with him; she is shocked, and knows this is not true. This causes her to lose her show, and receive a lot of negative feedback; Liam believes and supports her. The story about half way in stays in the “Now” time period, as Faith makes friends with her neighbors upon moving back to her condo, and begins to investigate rumors about Liam, missing money and his card.  In time, as we get past the first half of the book, we learn some surprising truths, which will have the police pushing for more information on Liam.

The last third of the book is exciting, but I did have some mixed feelings.  Faith was a good character, but did come across not totally likeable.  I thought the story started a bit slow, and confusing at times, going back and forth; which didn’t really win me over.

Overall, Someone Listening was a suspenseful thriller, that kept us glued, unable to put the book down, as I needed to find out who the villain was.  If you like thrillers, and don’t mind going back and forth between time periods, I suggest you read this book.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

 

PROLOGUE

WHEN I WAKE UP, IT’S BLACK AND STILL; I FEEL A light, icy snow that floats rather than falls, and I can’t open my eyes. I don’t know where I am, but it’s so quiet, the silence rings in my ears. My fingertips try to grip the ground, but I feel only a sheet of ice beneath me, splintered with bits of embedded gravel. The air is sharp, and I try to call for him, but I can’t speak. How long have I been here? I drift back out of consciousness. The next time I wake, I hear the crunching of ice under the boots of EMTs who rush around my body. I know where I am. I’m lying in the middle of County Road 6. There has been a crash. There’s a swirling red light, a strobe light in the vast blackness: they tell me not to move.
“Where’s my husband?” I whimper. They tell me to try not to talk either. “Liam!” I try to yell for him, but it barely escapes my lips; they’re numb, near frozen, and it comes out in a hoarse whisper. How has this happened?
I think of the party and how I hate driving at night, and how I was careful not to drink too much. I nursed a glass or two, stayed in control. Liam had a lot more. It wasn’t like him to get loaded, and I knew it was his way of getting back at me. He was irritated with me, with the position I’d put him in, even though he had never said it in so many words. I wanted to please him because this whole horrible situation was my fault, and I was sorry.
When I wake up again I’m in a hospital room, connected to tubes and machines. The IV needle is stuck into a bruised, purple vein in the back of my hand that aches. In the dim light, I sip juice from a tiny plastic cup, and the soft beep of the EKG tries to lull me back to sleep, but I fight it. I want answers. I need to appear stabilized and alert. Another dose of painkiller is released into my IV; the momentary euphoria forces me to heave a sigh. I need to keep my eyes open. I can hear the cops arrive and talk to someone at a desk outside my door. They’ll tell me what happened.
There’s a nurse who calls me “sweetie” and changes the subject when I ask about the accident. She gives the cops a sideways look when they come in to talk to me, and tells them they only have a few minutes and that I need to rest.
Detective John Sterling greets me with a soft “Hello, ma’am.” I almost forget about my shattered femur and groan after I move too quickly. Another officer lingers by the door, a tall, stern-looking woman with her light hair pulled into a tight bun at the base of her skull. She tells me I’m lucky to be alive, and if it had dropped below freezing, I wouldn’t have lasted those couple hours before a passing car stopped and called 911. I ask where Liam is, but she just looks to Sterling. Something is terribly wrong.
“Why won’t anyone tell me what happened to him?” I plead. I watch Detective Sterling as he picks his way through a response.
“The nurse tells me that you believe he was in the car with you at the time of the accident,” he says. I can hear the condescension in his voice. He’s speaking to me like I’m a child.
“They said ‘I believe’ he was? That’s not a— That’s a fact. We came from a party—a book signing party. Anyone, anyone can tell you that he was with me. Please. Is he hurt?” I look down at my body for the first time and see the jagged stitches holding together the bruised flesh of my right arm. They look exaggerated, like the kind you might draw on with makeup and glue for a Halloween costume. I close my eyes, holding back nausea. I try to walk through the series of events—trying to piece together what happened and when.
Liam had been quiet in the car. I knew he’d believed me after the accusations started. I knew he trusted me, but maybe I’d underestimated the seeds of doubt that had been planted in his mind. I tried to lighten the mood when we got in the car by making some joke about the fourteen-dollar domestic beers; he’d given a weak chuckle and rested his head on the passenger window.
The detective looks at me with something resembling sympathy but closer to pity.
“Do you recall how much you had to drink last night?” he asks accusingly.
“What? You think…? No. I drove because he… No! Where is he?” I ask, not recognizing my own voice. It’s haggard and raw.
“Do you recall taking anything to help you relax? Anything that might impair your driving?”
“No,” I snap, nearly in tears again.
“So, you didn’t take any benzodiazepine maybe? Yesterday…at some point?”
“No— I— Please.” I choke back tears. “I don’t…” He looks at me pointedly, then scribbles something on his stupid notepad. I didn’t know what to say. Liam must be dead, and they think I’m too fragile to take the news. Why would they ask me this?
“Ma’am,” he says, standing. He softens his tone. This is it. He’s going to tell me something I’ll never recover from.
“You were the only one in the car when medics got there,” he says, studying me for my response, waiting to detect a lie that he can use against me later. His patronizing look infuriates me.
“What?” The blood thumps in my ears. They think I’m crazy; that soft tone isn’t a sympathetic one reserved for delivery of the news that a loved one has died—it’s the careful language chosen when speaking to someone unstable. They think I’m some addict or a drunk. Maybe they think the impact had made me lose the details, but he was there. I swear to God. His cry came too late and there was a crash. It was deafening, and I saw him reach for me, his face distorted in terror. He tried to shield me. He was there. He was next to me, screaming my name when we saw the truck headlights appear only feet in front of us—too late.Excerpted from Someone’s Listening by Seraphina Nova Glass, Copyright © 2020 by Seraphina Nova Glass.
Published by Graydon House Books

Q&A with Seraphina Nova Glass

Q: Please give the elevator pitch for Someone’s Listening.

A: Faith Finley has survived a lot of trauma in her own past, so in her current profession, she helps victims of abuse. Her career is just starting to take off when a very public sex scandal stops it in its tracks. She hopes her husband, Liam, believes her when she says she says the accusations against her are lies, but when he disappears and she becomes a suspect, her world falls apart.

She doesn’t handle the crisis well. It’s easy to give advice to others, but as things escalate, she leans on alcohol and pills to cope with her anxiety and her worst fears. She decides to take matters into her own hands and search for the real reason behind Liam’s disappearance. The closer she gets to the truth, the more she is putting herself in danger.

 Q: What’s the “story behind the story”?

A: In October of 2018, I was directing the Fall play at the university where I teach. It’s a bit of a commute, and since I was to be there every evening for rehearsal, I decided to listen to audiobooks. A Ruth Ware novel was the first thriller I had ever read/listened to. I like thriller movies, but never meandered outside literary fiction much as a reader. I was immediately in love and said, “that’s what I am going to do. I’m gonna write a thriller.” The play closed mid- October, and I started writing immediately afterward. I finished Someone’s Listening ten weeks later.

I was annoyed that it was Christmas time because I had to wait until after the new year to send it out and try to get an agent. Yes, it was completely crazy that I thought I’d just send out a first draft and get anywhere. I really didn’t expect to, but I didn’t know how to revise it. I’d written the story I wanted to write and would put it out there and see. A few weeks later I signed with Folio Literary Management, and my agent quickly sold it to Harper Collins, Graydon House imprint.

It’s still surreal. I had been writing screenplays and had a bunch of Hallmark scripts under option, and I was getting nowhere, really. It was just a lot of waiting and disappointment, but I found that writing thrillers is exactly where I want to be. My second book will come out next summer, and I’m about halfway through writing my third book now.

Q: Which came first: the characters or plot line?

A: I always start with plot. Well, I start with atmosphere first which is not intentional, forming the idea for the book just seems to always begin with a feel–winter in Chicago or summer in rural Louisiana. I really think about the world the characters are in–the sensory details and how that will feel to a reader. Then plot because I’m an outliner. I have to know exactly where the plot is going, how it will end, what chapter each twist and turn will be in and how that will lead to the next. I cannot imagine winging any of that. I think the characters sort of materialize in my peripheral while I am plotting, and I know who they are by the time I am familiar with the plot.

 Q: Why do you love Faith and why should readers root for her?

A: Faith is suffering an unthinkable loss. I think everyone knows what loss feels like, and we all handle it differently. Simply because Faith is a psychologist doesn’t mean she has the coping skills to handle the love of her life missing on top of the scandal and suspicion surrounding her. Her occupation also doesn’t mean she doesnt struggle with addiction and might turn to sleeping aids or booze when her life is falling apart the way many people might do to numb some of the pain.

She’s carved out a great career for herself and enjoyed some local fame, but ultimately, she is going through the darkest time of her life. When someone critiques her as “not likable” I think, would you be very likable in the midst of this much loss and uncertainty?” I don’t think she needs to be a protagonist who does and says the right things to be the hero of the story. I think we root for her because she screws up and makes desperate and flawed decisions because she is desperate and flawed. We root for her because she’s out there risking quite a lot to uncover the truth about her husband despite the danger, and who wouldn’t want that kind of love –someone who would go to any length for their partner no matter what the cost?

 Q: Which character is most like you and why?

A: Writing in first person gives me a pretty strong bond with all of my protagonists. I think, inevitably, there is a lot of me in all of them, so I have to say I’m most like Faith. The way she sees the world and navigates her insecurity with her professional drive and ambitions is a constant balancing act. She’s a natural introvert trying to live outside of her comfort zone in order to meet success which makes managing her anxiety an ever present struggle.

 Q: What was your last 5 star read?

A: I really enjoyed the Sundown Motel by Simone St. James, and I recently started reading Lisa Jewell. It’s like Christmas discovering an author you really like and you’re late to the party, so they have several other books you still get to read. I just finished The Family Upstairs, and loved it.

 Q: What is one thing about publishing you wish someone would have told you?

A: It’s really, really slow. I finished writing this book a year and a half ago, and finally it’s getting released. It will be another year’s wait for the second book. If you write fast, this is sort of torture.

Also, as a private person who only just signed up for Twitter and Instagram recently and find it hard to remember to even check, all of a sudden having your work out here for public opinion is tough. No matter how many good reviews, you can’t obsess over the readers who don’t like your work. Not everyone will, of course, but you have to get quickly comfortable with being out there and try not to obsess over every comment.

 Q: Do you have any specific writing rituals?

A: Not really. I don’t write every day or keep a journal or anything. I don’t have multiple projects or ideas going at once. I guess the only thing consistent, is that when I am working on an idea, I keep really fixated on developing it, and I have to write it quickly. I feel like too much time away and I’ll lose my understanding of the world and the characters and I need to stay totally engaged and invested in the story until it’s all out on paper. I can’t spend months doing that. I have to dedicate large chunks of time and get it done in a handful of weeks. Revise later.

 Q: What can you tell us about your next project?

A: My next book comes out summer 2021. It was titled The Seduction, so you’ll notice an excerpt in the back of Someone’s Listening with that title, but that will be changing. Another unexpected part of publishing, but I trust the marketing team knows more than me about that!

It’s another mystery revolving around a woman in small town Louisiana who had dreams of being a scholar, and having a career as a writer, but she puts that on hold when she and her husband have their second child and he has special needs. She finds herself a stay-at-home mom which she loves on one hand because she adores her family, but she also finds it hard to see herself in this role she never expected. When she meets a semi-famous romance writer, she feels guilty at how taken she is with him–jealous of his jet-setting life and freedom. She gets too close to him and makes a string of bad decisions that put her marriage and family in danger, and someone ends up dead. The lengths she goes to distance herself from this suspicious death shocks even herself.

 

 


Seraphina Nova Glass is a professor and Playwright-in-Residence at the University of Texas-Arlington, where she teaches Film Studies and Playwriting. She holds an MFA in playwriting from Smith College, and has optioned multiple screenplays to Hallmark and Lifetime. Someone’s Listening is her first novel.


Social Links:
Author Website
Twitter: @SeraphinaNova
Instagram: @SeraphinaNovaGlass
Facebook: @SeraphinaNovaGlass
Goodreads

 

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The Devil’s Crown Part 1 by Monica James-Review tour

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The Devil’s Crown Part 1 by Monica James-Review tour

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date July 21, 2020

I was feared.
Respected.
Worshiped.

But all of that changed when the impossible happened—I fell in love. Only those feelings weren’t reciprocated, because who could love a monster like me?

My empire crumbled. People died. I went from being a victorious leader to lurking in the shadows, planning revenge on my half-brother who now reigns in my place.

An orphanage is where I find sanctuary, but when she walks into my world and evokes a yearning I thought long dead, my demons are awakened and want what they can’t have—her. Sooner or later, I knew I’d need to feed the darkness inside me.

Mayhem, power, and control course through my veins. I will use them to regain my crown, my throne, and then claim her, despite what solemn vows she might’ve made.

I will break them…and her.

••••••

REVIEW: THE DEVIL’S CROWN is the first instalment in Monica James’ adult, contemporary, dark erotic romance duet focusing on former head of the Russian underworld Aleksei Popov, and Sister Arabella aka Antonella Ricci-a spin off from the author’s ALL THE PRETTY THINGS trilogy. We were first introduced to Aleksei Popov in the aforementioned series. You do not have to have read the original series to follow or understand but for back story and cohesion I recommend reading All the Pretty Things Trilogy to understand Aleksei and his relationship to Willow and Saint.

WARNING: THE DEVIL’S CROWN contains scenes of graphic violence and sexual abuse that may be triggers for more sensitive readers.

Told from first person perspective (Aleksei Popov) THE DEVIL’S CROWN follows the former head of the Russian underground Aleksei Popov as he sets about to reclaim that which his half-brother has stolen. Having lost the woman with whom he had fallen in love to the man he groomed to be an assassin and killer, Aleksei Popov focuses on the orphanage where he has taken refuge, and in the interim sets about to take down his half-brother Serg Ivanov. But Aleksei never expected to fall for Sister Arabella, a young nun who is working and living at the Russian orphanage, a woman on the run from a past that is desperate to take back that which doesn’t belong. A contract for hire in exchange for his brother’s location, Aleksei sets about to take back his world only to discover that all is not as it appears to be. Betrayal, vengeance, power and control are but the tip of the proverbial iceberg as Aleksei plans to sacrifice himself to save the woman that calls to his heart.

THE DEVIL’S CROWN is a story of dysfunctional family, the criminal underworld, betrayal and vengeance. A haunting, gritty and dramatic tale of one man’s struggle to regain his power, and one’s woman’s battle for the freedom she lost. The premise is dark and edgy; the characters are broken, flawed, and tragic. THE DEVIL’S CROWN ends on a cliff hanger-you have been warned.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

Monica James spent her youth devouring the works of Anne Rice, William Shakespeare, and Emily Dickinson.

When she is not writing, Monica is busy running her own business, but she always finds a balance between the two. She enjoys writing honest, heartfelt, and turbulent stories, hoping to leave an imprint on her readers. She draws her inspiration from life.

She is a bestselling author in the U.S., Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Israel, and the U.K.

Monica James resides in Melbourne, Australia, with her wonderful family, and menagerie of animals. She is slightly obsessed with cats, chucks, and lip gloss, and secretly wishes she was a ninja on the weekends.

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