Monthly Archives: May 2022

Owned by a Sinner (Sinners 2) by Michelle Heard-Review tour

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Owned by a Sinner (Sinners 2) by Michelle Heard-Review tour

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date May 2, 2022

All I want to do is look after my dad, so when I land the job of a lifetime that will take care of our expenses, I grab at the chance with both hands. Little do I know, the impossible will be expected of me.

Slowly my smile fades, and my laughter dies until all that’s left is the broken puppet my personal hell created.

Liam Byrne, the head of the Irish mafia, returns from a business trip, and I expect my hellish nightmare to increase ten-fold. Brutal, merciless, and dangerous, Liam is feared by all – even the monster intent on killing my soul.

Turns out I was wrong.

The instant Liam notices what’s happening, he takes me under his wing, and even though he’s all sharp edges and threatening growls, I feel safe with him.

Little by little, my sunshine creeps through the cracks, and my laughter returns.

But can one monster really defeat another, or am I just a girl dreaming about the impossible?

•••••

REVIEW:Owned By A Sinner is an Irish Mafia romance stand alone by Michelle Heard.
Kiara Murphy has the responsibility of taking care of her dad. When she lands an amazing job at Byrne Enterprises she doesn’t understand why both her parents aren’t ecstatic for her. In fact they both insist that she quit. But Kiara doesn’t listen to them and takes the job anyways. The company is owned by Liam Byrne. Liam isn’t exactly what he seems! Liam is CEO by day and Irish Mafia Boss the rest of the time! When she begins to be sexually harassed by company director and CEO step brother Finn Byrne. She is worried she has no one to turn to. And when Finn threatens the life of her mother she knows she has to do what he wants to protect her. But when things take a tragic turn, Liam comes to her rescue and saves her from tragedy. But can he keep her safe from his step brother? And as Liam begins to develop feelings for Kiara, does she feel the same?

Kiara is a strong willed woman that only saw her dad on special occasions growing up. So when she has the opportunity to take care of him after a heart attack she readily agrees. But it seems like her father doesn’t want her around. What secret could he be hiding from her? And what will it take for him to tell her the truth?

Liam is a Charlie Hunnam look alike business man and Irish Mafia Boss. He owns Byrne Enterprises but has a serious dislike for people and being touched. Makes it hard to form any kind of connection with anyone when you have all that going for you. So when he meets Kiara for the first time, his body reacts differently to her. He isn’t repulsed like he is with everyone else. And as Kiara begins to fall for him will she be able to handle the truth of what he is… a criminal?

This is a standalone but I recommend all of the books on this series. Trigger warning there is topics involving sexual assault and battery. The story is such a page turner you won’t be able to put it down!

 

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Erin

Michelle Heard is a Bestselling Romance Author who loves creating stories her readers can get lost in. She might have a slight obsession with alpha heroes who are not afraid to fight for their women.

Want to be up to date with what’s happening in my world? Sign up to receive the latest news on her alpha hero releases, sales, and great giveaways →http://eepurl.com/cUXM_P

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The Dachshunda Wears Prada by Stefanie London -a Review

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The Dachshunda Wears Prada by Stefanie London -a Review

 

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Description:
How do you start over when the biggest mistake of your life has more than one million views?

Forget diamonds—the internet is forever. Social media consultant Isla Thompson learned that lesson the hard way when she went viral for all the wrong reasons. A month later, Isla is still having nightmares about the moment she ruined a young starlet’s career and made herself the most unemployable influencer in Manhattan. But she doesn’t have the luxury of hiding until she’s no longer Instagram poison. Not when her fourteen-year-old sister, Dani, needs Isla to keep a roof over their heads. So, she takes the first job she can get: caring for Camilla, a glossy-maned, foul-tempered hellhound.

After a week of ferrying Camilla from playdates to pet psychics, Isla starts to suspect that the dachshund’s bark is worse than her bite—just like her owner, Theo Garrison. Isla has spent her career working to make people likable and here’s Theo—happy to hide behind his reputation as a brutish recluse. But Theo isn’t a brute—he’s sweet and funny, and Isla should not see him as anything but the man who signs her paychecks. Because loving Theo would mean retreating to his world of secluded luxury, and Isla needs to show Dani that no matter the risk, dreams are always worth chasing.

Paws in the City

 

Review:

The Dachshund Wears Prada by Stefanie London is the first book in her new Paws in the City series. I absolutely love this cover. It’s so different from the usual bare chested dudes holding dogs (?) and I love Stefanie Londons writing style, it has me smiling from almost the first sentence. 

Theo is a recluse, and he likes it that way, grumpy, sullen and a total grump. But today he’s goodbye to his beloved grandmother, the only person he cared about after his parents died (so you could see why he’s the way he is) he doesn’t do public speaking very often, and he hates being in the limelight, but his grandmothers reputation and standing has him swallowing his fear and sadness, he’ll do her proud…..

Isla has gone from influencer to pariah overnight! A simple mistake has her scrabbling around for a job, but nobody wants to hire her! Desperate she takes the only job offered to her. Dog walking a pampered pooch! 

Reading as these two stumble through hilarious moments had me laughing at loud. Then sniffling through tears as heartfelt moments are spoken about. So many emotions in this book. Spicy moments that catch you unawares, and if your reading it on the train (then be prepared to blush ?) There are a also few sad moments that will have you reaching for the tissues. 

I loved Camilla, she just stole the book, a grumpy, snappy dog who hated everyone. But with her going to psychics, and slowly becoming an internet star you fall in love with her, and now I want a Dachshund. 

So can the team of grumpy/sunshine ever work? And what will Theo think of Isla turning his grandmother’s dog into a tool that will push Isla back into the heady heights of social influencer? 

End note to this review, the ending was just perfect. Grab a copy of this book, you won’t be disappointed. Feel good read that I highly recommend. 

Reviewed by Julie

Copy provided by Publisher

 

 

 

 

 

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Of Claws and Fangs by Faith Hunter – a Review

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Of Claws and Fangs by Faith Hunter – a Review

 

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Description:
Collected together for the first time, this volume contains shorter works featuring heroines Jane Yellowrock and Nell Ingram, as well as a host of other characters from the Jane Yellowrock and Soulwood series. Faith Hunter is “an expert at creating worlds filled with intriguing supernatural elements and exciting scenarios”* and her skills are on full display in this collection. From a vampire-filled Halloween evening in New Orleans to the searing tale of how a certain were-leopard first got his spots, this collection has something for everyone, and each story is sure to put the super in supernatural.

 

 

Review:

Of Claws and Fangs by Faith Hunter is a collection of her shorter books (Jane Yellowrock/Soulwood), some which were on her site.  I am a big fan of all of Faith Hunter’s books, and I looked forward to reading these stories that I may have missed from her site, or I did not remember.  Happy to say I loved reading these stories.

Of Claws and Fangs is a wonderful Faith Hunter anthology, especially for long time fans, bringing back many memories of those stories we read before, as well as some other stories I never read (which may have been on her blog).  There are 18 short stories (one was fairly bigger) from her series, such as the awesome Jane Yellowrock series, and a few from her Soulwood series.  Besides spending time with Jane, we got looks at many of our favorites; Nell, Eli and Alex, Edmund, Leo, Bruiser, Brute, Molly and Angie, and the Everhearts, just to name a few.

If you are a fan of Faith Hunter, you need to read Of Claws and Fangs, as it was a terrific and entertaining to read.  Below is a table of contents of the stories listed.

Candy From a Vampire
Make It Snappy
It’s Just a Date
Life’s a Bitch and Then You Die
Black Friday Shopping
How Occam Got His Name
Shiloh and the Brick
Beast Hunts Vampire with Jane
Of Cats and Cars
Beast Hunts Pie-bald
Jane Tracks Down Miz (never published)

From Anthos:
Anzu, Duba, Beast
Eighteen Sixty
Wolves Howling in the Nights
Death and the Fashionista
My Dark Knight
Bound Into Darkness
The Ties That Bind

 

 

 

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Double Twist (Mia Murphy 1) by Stephanie Rowe-Review tour

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Double Twist (Mia Murphy Mystery 1) by Stephanie Rowe-Review tour

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date May 3, 2022

In this new mystery series from New York Times bestselling author Stephanie Rowe, the irreverent, underappreciated, and alarmingly talented Mia Murphy risks it all to do the right thing…even if it means doing the wrong thing.

A high-octane, feel-good romp starring women you’ll wish were your best friends, an inconveniently attractive cop, a posse of gray-haired quilters with a fondness for margaritas, and an eccentric town with more secrets than Mia’s con artist mom.

All Mia Murphy wants is an ordinary, law-abiding life.

Accidentally marrying a drug kingpin? Easily fixed with an anonymous tip to the FBI…which resulted in a not-so-voluntary, surprisingly stressful stint as an undercover spy against him.

But with her ex finally in prison and assassins in her rearview mirror, Mia is off to Diamond Lake in Bass Derby, Maine with King Tut, her rescue (aka purloined) cat, to start over.

Upon arrival, Mia quickly finds a couple of soulmates in a blue-haired “I’ll show you what old is” café owner and a baton-twirling mail carrier. Life is headed in the right direction…until the trio stumbles across a dead body during a slightly illegal but well-intentioned home invasion.

When one of her new besties is arrested for the murder, Mia is the only one with the skills to ferret out the real killer…but she can’t afford to resurrect her morally flexible past. Can Mia keep her life on the straight and narrow with so much at stake? Or will a homicidal, jet-skiing moose, a dead Mr. January firefighter, and an overzealous mayor take them all down?

Mia has to step up, or she’ll lose her chance for the life she’s always wanted and the friends she’s never had. Even worse, she might wind up dead…

•••••

REVIEW:DOUBLE TWIST is the first instalment in Stephanie Rowe’s contemporary, adult MIA MURPHY cozy mystery series set in Bass Derby, Maine focusing on twenty-nine year old Mia Murphy.

Told from first person perspective (Mia) DOUBLE TWIST follows the former wife of a Boston drug kingpin as she embarks on a new life in Bass Derby Maine. For two years Mia Murphy was forced to work undercover for the FBI in an effort to take down the man she thought she had loved. Fast forward to present day wherein Mia, refusing to go into protective custody in the wake of her husband’s guilty conviction, heads to the small seaside town of Bass Derby where she buys an old Marina, anticipating a life of leisure on Diamond Lake, Maine but all does not go well from the outset for our heroine when she is befriended by two local women, who eventually find themselves in the middle of a murder investigation, and all three are considered prime suspects. When a large group of jet-ski riding moose threaten our story line heroine, Mia goes into overdrive in an attempt to protect her new investment, as well as the people in Bass Derby , Maine.

DOUBLE TWIST is a fast paced and captivating story of intrigue and mystery, betrayal and vengeance, drugs and power, murder and mayhem. Stephanie Rowe pulls the reader into an entertaining story with moments of humor and sorrow, acceptance and friendships. We are introduced to FBI Agent Rob ‘Hawk’ Strauss, Officer Devlin Hunt, as well as real estate agent Ruby Lee Hanrahan, Mayor Eloise Stone, police chief Stone, and local cafe owner Hattie Lawless, and mail carrier Lucy Grande. The requisite evil has many faces. If you are a fan of cozy mysteries, DOUBLE TWIST is a wonderful start to a new series.

Copy supplied by Netgalley

Reviewed by Sandy

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New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Stephanie Rowe is the author of more than forty-five novels, and she’s a four-time nominee for the RITA® award, the highest award in romance fiction. As an award-winning author, Stephanie has been touching readers’ hearts and keeping them spellbound for more than a decade with her contemporary romances, romantic suspense, paranormal romances, and YA contemporary romances.

A life-long reader, she began crafting stories at age ten, but didn’t realize it was her dream until she was an adult.

Once the light dawned, she immediately left behind “work” as the world defines it and went to “work” as she defines it, which means getting up every morning with a smile in her heart so she can spend the day doing that which makes her spirit sing.

Stephanie believes in learning to listen to your heart in order to figure out what your dreams are, and then opening yourself to the inspiration that will direct you there. She believes we all deserve the right to enjoy life, and for the ride to be as easy as we want it to be, and that we all should accept nothing less than making our dreams come true.

Stephanie currently lives in New England, and spends every day doing her best to fill it with people, observations and activities that uplift her soul, which include writing, tennis, dancing, friends, her dogs, and her amazing family.

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When She Dreams by Amanda Quick – Review & Excerpt

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When She Dreams by Amanda Quick – Review & Excerpt

 

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Description:
Maggie Lodge, assistant to the reclusive advice columnist known only as Dear Aunt Cornelia to her readers, hires down-but-not-quite-out private eye Sam Sage to help track down the person who is blackmailing her employer. Maggie and Sam are a mismatched pair. As far as Sam is concerned, Maggie is reckless and in over her head. She is not what he had in mind for a client but he can’t afford to be choosy. Maggie, on the other hand, is convinced that Sam is badly in need of guidance and good advice. She does not hesitate to give him both.

In spite of the verbal fireworks between them, they are fiercely attracted to each other, but each is convinced it would be a mistake to let passion take over. They are, after all, keeping secrets from each other. Sam is haunted by his past, which includes a marriage shattered by betrayal and violence. Maggie is troubled by intense and vivid dreams–dreams that she can sometimes control. There are those who want to run experiments on her and use her for their own purposes, while others think she should be committed to an asylum.

When the pair discovers someone is impersonating Aunt Cornelia at a conference on psychic dreaming and a woman dies at the conference, the door is opened to a dangerous web of blackmail and murder. Secrets from the past are revealed, leaving Maggie and Sam in the path of a ruthless killer who will stop at nothing to exact vengeance.

 

 

Review:

When She Dreams by Amanda Quick is the 6th book in her wonderful Burning Cove series. This series takes place during the 1930’s in the small town of Burning Cove, California.  Some of the recurring characters we have met in the previous books continue to have secondary roles, as we return to Burning Cove. 

We meet Maggie Lodge, our heroine, who is a lucid dreamer, and has been drugged by her physic therapist, and manages to escape. Two years pass, with Maggie being an assistant to the famous advice columnist, Aunt Cornelia. With Cornelia away on a cruise, Maggie hires a private investigator, to help find out who is sending Aunt Cornelia blackmail threats. 

Sam Sage, our hero, is a former cop, and now a private eye; he accepts the job offer from Maggie, though he finds her dream escapades a bit weird. They begin to work together, as Maggie insists to be part of his investigation; along the way, Sam will learn more about these lucid dreamers, and the organization that is trying to prove that they are real.  Sam also gets to see first-hand, when Maggie has some visions, and a slow burn romance will begin between them. 

They both decide to go to Burning Cove to attend the conference on psychic dreaming, led by the leaders of the Physic Dreaming organization, as well as the man who tried to drug Maggie.  When someone impersonates Aunt Cornelia, all hell breaks loose, as a woman is found murdered, with a murder from the past opening the doors to another murder, with a ruthless killer on the loose.  Secrets are revealed, and Sam contacts Raina Kirk and Luther Pell (in our previous books) to help with his investigation. Sam is also concerned that Maggie’s life is in danger, as things escalate. 

What follows is an exciting, intriguing, intense and suspenseful story that has a number of surprises and twists.  I do not want to give spoilers, saying anything more would ruin the book for you. When She Dreams was fast paced, enthralling, with a romantic couple whose chemistry was sizzling.

Amanda Quick once again gives us a complex mystery that had a bit of everything in this glamorous historical world of 1930’s.  I suggest you start this series from the beginning to enjoy the setting of this series, as well as meet some very good characters. However, each book does read very well as a standalone.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

It struck him that being here with Maggie was different. Sam was comfortable standing in the alcove with her for a couple of reasons. The first was that she wasn’t asking him to become something he wasn’t. She had been concerned about the evening jacket only because she thought it constituted the camouflage he needed to go undercover for the investigation.
So, yes, she was enthusiastic when it came to telling him how to do his job, but he had no problem with that. He already knew how to do his job. He found it entertaining to have her instruct him in the art of investigation. Okay, it was also irritating. Why did it amuse him? One of the mysteries of the universe, probably. Make that one of the mysteries of Maggie Lodge.
As for the second reason why he was happy to stand here with her—well, he wasn’t sure what it was yet, but there was another reason, of that he was positive.
Her own camouflage this evening was entirely satisfactory, as far as he was concerned. She wore an emerald green number with short, fluttery sleeves. The dress was demure in front, cut low in back, and clung to her feline curves. The silky fabric flowed over her hips and stopped just short of her very nice ankles and green evening sandals.
Her hair was parted in the center and clipped back behind her ears with a couple of combs. It fell in soft waves to her shoulders. Her jewelry was limited to a pair of simple gold earrings and a tiny evening bag studded with gold sequins. Classy. He would have been content to stand in the alcove with her all evening, sipping champagne and studying the crowd.
Studying the crowd.
That was it—the second reason why he liked being here with Maggie. She was an outsider—an observer—like him. He wasn’t sure how he knew that, but he trusted his intuition. Maybe, deep down, they actually had a few things in common. But probably not.
“Guilfoyle may be a fake psychic selling dreams, but judging by the size of this crowd, it’s obvious he’s got a real talent for promotion,” he said.
Maggie sipped a little champagne but she did not take her attention off the people milling around the grand room. He knew she was searching the faces of those around them, trying to spot the woman who was posing as her employer.
“I told you, Guilfoyle has some interesting theories and techniques,” she said. “That’s why I originally planned to attend this conference.”
Sam watched Arthur and Dolores Guilfoyle play the role of gracious hosts at the entrance of the lobby. They made a handsome, glamorous couple. Dolores was a striking, sophisticated blonde. She wore a pale pink gown that glittered with what must have been a million pale pink sequins. Long pink gloves, a dainty pink bag, and a lot of jewelry completed the outfit.
Arthur had the dark eyes and the chiseled profile of a leading man. He deployed a polished charm that seemed to work as well on men as it did on women. His tailored black-and-white evening clothes fit his tall, lean frame with the perfection that could only be achieved with hand-tailoring. His dark, collar-length hair was brushed back from a dramatic widow’s peak and gleamed with just the right amount of oil.
In addition to the Guilfoyles, four attractive young people—two male and two female—circulated around the room offering champagne and a warm welcome. They wore name tags identifying them as dream guides. They all looked as if they had been borrowed from a movie studio for the evening.
“Do you think there’s something wrong with Guilfoyle’s eyes?” Sam asked in low tones.
“His eyes?” Maggie was obviously surprised by the question. “No, what makes you ask that?”
“I noticed a weird look in them when he kissed your hand.”
“Oh, right.” Maggie smiled. “Mr. Guilfoyle possesses what is called a smoldering gaze.”
“I thought maybe he had a vision problem. Does the smoldering thing work on you?”
“Under other circumstances, I might find it entertaining, but I have other interests at the moment.”

Excerpted from When She Dreams by Amanda Quick Copyright © 2022 by Amanda Quick. Excerpted by permission of Berkley. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.

 


 

 

Author photo by Marc von Borstel
The author of a string of New York Times bestsellers, Jayne Ann Krentz uses three different pen names for each of her three “worlds.” As Jayne Ann Krentz (her married name) she writes contemporary romantic-suspense. She uses Amanda Quick for her novels of historical romantic-suspense. Jayne Castle (her birth name) is reserved these days for her stories of futuristic/paranormal romantic-suspense.

“I am often asked why I use a variety of pen names,” she says. “The answer is that this way readers always know which of my three worlds they will be entering when they pick up one of my books.”

In addition to her fiction writing, she is the editor of, and a contributor to, a non-fiction essay collection, Dangerous Men and Adventurous Women: Romance Writers on the Appeal of the Romance, published by the University of Pennsylvania Press. Her commitment to her chosen genre has been strong from the very beginning of her career.

“The romance genre is the only genre where readers are guaranteed novels that place the heroine at the heart of the story,” Jayne says. “These are books that celebrate women’s heroic virtues and values: courage, honor, determination and a belief in the healing power of love.”

She earned a B.A. in History from the University of California at Santa Cruz and went on to obtain a Masters degree in Library Science from San Jose State University in California. Before she began writing full time she worked as a librarian in both academic and corporate libraries.

She is married and lives with her husband, Frank, in Seattle, Washington.

https://jayneannkrentz.com/

 

 

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Book Lovers by Emily Henry – Review & Giveaway

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Book Lovers by Emily Henry – Review & Giveaway

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Description:
One summer. Two rivals. A plot twist they didn’t see coming…

Nora Stephens’ life is books—she’s read them all—and she is not that type of heroine. Not the plucky one, not the laidback dream girl, and especially not the sweetheart. In fact, the only people Nora is a heroine for are her clients, for whom she lands enormous deals as a cutthroat literary agent, and her beloved little sister Libby.

Which is why she agrees to go to Sunshine Falls, North Carolina for the month of August when Libby begs her for a sisters’ trip away—with visions of a small-town transformation for Nora, who she’s convinced needs to become the heroine in her own story. But instead of picnics in meadows, or run-ins with a handsome country doctor or bulging-forearmed bartender, Nora keeps bumping into Charlie Lastra, a bookish brooding editor from back in the city. It would be a meet-cute if not for the fact that they’ve met many times and it’s never been cute.

If Nora knows she’s not an ideal heroine, Charlie knows he’s nobody’s hero, but as they are thrown together again and again—in a series of coincidences no editor worth their salt would allow—what they discover might just unravel the carefully crafted stories they’ve written about themselves.

 

 

Review:

Book Lovers by Emily Henry is a stand alone novel. We meet Nora Stephens, our heroine, who is a literary agent, always landing great deals for her clients; she is cutthroat in many ways, but her clients love her.  Nora runs into a book editor, Charlie Lastra, who hates the book that one of her clients is releasing, with the negativity between them sarcastic. Nora represents Dusty Fielding, a romance novelist, who just completed her book, Once in a Lifetime to wonderful success.

Nora’s sister Libby, is pregnant again, very exhausted and wants to take a trip with her sister for the month of August, to Sunshine Falls, N.C. (where the book Once in a Lifetime takes place). Nora is a workaholic, but she agrees to take some time off to be with her sister, especially since she has always taken care of Libby over the years, including spending time with Libby’s family (husband and two kids, who stayed home).  When they arrive at Sunshine Falls, the small town is not quite what the book describes, but the residents are very nice.  Nora will be shocked to run into Charlie Lastra, whom she hasn’t seen since their disagreement two years ago.  Turns out that Charlie is living in Sunshine Falls to help his family, and they keep running into each other. When Nora needs some help, she asks Charlie, about a new novel by Dusty, and he falls in love with the book, begging to be the editor for the book,  Frigid; Nora is upset, because the heroine in the book reminds her of herself. Once they begin working together, the relationship between Nora and Charlie begins to change to slow burn romance.

What follows is a fun, heartwarming and emotional story focusing on Nora and Libby’s relationship and how to relinquish her parental control after the mother’s death; and the slow burn romance that builds between Nora and Charlie was lots of fun.  The banter and snark between them were amazing, and in the second half of the book, I really rooted hard for them; which made a fantastic enemy to lover’s story. I also loved the publishing background revolving around agents and editors. 

Book Lovers was a wonderful fun story of family and romance with a small-town atmosphere, not to mention the constant bantering between our couple. Books Lovers was so very well written by Emily Henry.  I suggest you read this fun storyline.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

 

Emily Henry’s publisher is graciously offering a paper copy of  PEOPLE WE LOVE TO MEET ON VACATION to ONE (1) lucky commenter at The Reading Cafe.

1. If you have not previously registered at The Reading Cafe, please register by using the log-in at the top of the page (side bar) or by using one of the social log-ins.

NOTE: If you are having difficulty commenting after logging onto the site, please refresh the page (at the top of your computer).

2. If you are using a social log-in, please post your email address with your comment.

3. LIKE us on FACEBOOK and then click GET NOTIFICATION under ‘liked’ for an additional entry.

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7. Giveaway is open to USA only

8. Giveaway runs from May 2 to 7, 2022

 

 

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Tear Down the Throne by Jennifer Estep – Dual Review & Giveaway

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Tear Down the Throne by Jennifer Estep – Dual Review & Giveaway

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Description:
Crown princess. Clever spy. Powerful mind magier. Gemma Ripley of Andvari is all those things–and determined to stop an enemy from using magical tearstone weapons to conquer her kingdom.

Gemma’s quest for answers leads her to a trade Summit between the various kingdoms. Among the other royals in attendance is Queen Maeven Morricone of Morta and her son, Prince Leonidas–Gemma’s charming and dangerous nemesis.

Gemma knows that Maeven always has a long game in motion, and sure enough, the cunning queen invokes an arcane tradition that threatens the fragile truce between Andvari and the other kingdoms. Despite her best intentions, Gemma once again finds herself thrown together with Leo and battling her growing feelings for the enemy prince.

When a series of deadly attacks shatters the Summit’s peaceful negotiations, Gemma realizes that someone wants to tear the royals down from their thrones–and that this enemy just might succeed.

 

Barb’s Review:
Tear Down the Throne by Jennifer Estep is the 2nd book in her Gargoyle Queen series.  I am a big fan of Jennifer Estep, and I couldn’t wait for Tear Down the Throne; I am happy to say I am loving this series.

Tear Down the Throne picks up where it left off in the last book, with Gemma back home in Andvari. Gemma has recovered from her injuries (scars still remain), which her evil enemy Milo inflicted on her.  But nothing stops Gemma from continuing spying on Milo, as well as Maeven, to learn what they are up to; especially with Milo’s use of the tearstone.   Gemma always has her friend Reiko, who is also a spy, with her when they investigate; I really liked how close Gemma and Reiko were.  Slowly, Gemma learns to use her magical powers, which begin to increase.

The annual Summit is upon us, with all royals from various kingdoms gathering to make trades.   Gemma knows she will come face to face with Queen Maeven Morricone of Morta, as well as her evil son, Prince Milo, and Prince Leonidas (the man she truly cares for), whom she feels betrayed her during her capture. Determined to ignore Leo, Gemma knows this will be heard, as they both have strong feelings for each other; the caveat is that they are both from warring kingdoms.   I really loved Gemma and Leo together, and prayed they would find a way. 

Queen Maeven is up to her old tricks, and invokes an old tradition that threatens the fragile truce between all other kingdoms. This will also push Gemma and Leo closer together, even if she continues to deny her feelings; they begin to work together to try and see what Milo is planning, to destroy his mother, and assume control of Morta, and all kingdoms, including Andvari.

What follows is an exciting, tense, wild last half of the book that had me on the edge of my seat.  Gemma was an amazing heroine, as she continues utilize her growing power, especially against another dangerous enemy.   The wild crazy climax was a thrill a minute, with all their lives in danger and me holding my breath to see if she would survive. At one point near the end, with her life on the line, Gemma rises up with help from her loyal gargoyles and friends.  To say too much more would be spoilers. I will say this was non-stop action from start to finish, with magic, mystery, political intrigue, suspense, mystery, and some surprises along the way.

Jennifer Estep has given us another fantastic story, filled with, magic, mystery, betrayal, espionage; as well as a slow burn romance that beings to opening move forward.  Tear Down the Throne was so very well written by Estep, which is no surprise, as I love all her books. I cannot wait for the next book.  If you enjoy fantasy, you need to start reading the Gargoyle Queen series, which you should start with the first book, Capture the Crown.

 

Sandy’s Review

TEAR DOWN THE THRONE is the second instalment in Jennifer Estep’s adult, GARGOYLE QUEEN dystopian, fantasy series, a spin off from the author’s CROWN OF SHARDS series. The Gargoyle Queen trilogy focuses on the secondary characters originally introduced in the Crown of Shards series. This is twenty-nine year old, Andvari Princess Gemma Ripley, and Mortan Prince Leonidis Morricone’s story line. TEAR DOWN THE THRONE should not be read as a stand alone as some of the events in the current time line are as of a direct result of the events in book one CAPTURE THE CROWN but the author does recap some of the history and background using memories and reflections.

SOME BACKGROUND: Sixteen years earlier, Gemma Ripley lost everything including the ability to control her magic the day Queen Maeven declared war on her family, killing her mother, and destroying her heart in the process. As Gemma’s ‘mind magic’ becomes more powerful than she could have ever imagined, our heroine struggles to forgive and forget, knowing she will one day have to destroy the people who destroyed her life, including the man that she loves.

NOTE: If you have not read book one, there may be spoilers in my review.

Told from first person perspective (Princess Gemma) TEAR DOWN THE THRONE continues to focus on Princess Gemma Ripley as she tries to uncover the truth behind the mining and disappearance of the magical ‘tearstone’ in Mortan territory. Weeks earlier, working as a spy, Gemma went undercover in enemy territory but found herself imprisoned and tortured by the Mortan family, a direct result of betrayal by the man she once loved, Mortan Prince Leonidis ‘Leo’ Morricone. With the approach of the yearly Summit, a gathering of Royal families and Kingdoms, Gemma knows she will have to face her torturers and the man she once loved but our heroine will be blindsided when Queen Maeven demands Gemma enter into a marriage with her son Leo, a marriage that would unite two powerful Kingdoms. When Gemma refuses, Maeven invokes the ‘Ungerian Gauntlet’, a series of challenges that will prove her son Leo is a worthy suitor but Gemma suspects Maeven is sentencing her son to die, a ‘legal’ murder to be enacted in front of hundreds of people. All is not well within the Kingdom of Morricone, as not only is Gemma a target of several assassination attempts during the Summit but so too, is Queen Maeven and Prince Leonidis. Meanwhile, Prince Leonidis’ brother Crown Prince Milo, who is a prime suspect in the numerous attempts of assassination against our story line heroine, has been conducting a series of experiments, years of experiments that will directly affect someone close to the Ripley family. What ensues is Prince Leonidis attempts to win the Gauntlet as Gemma begins another investigation into the attempts on her life, and Queen Maeven’s desire to invoke the Gauntlet, only to realize betrayal comes from more than one Kingdom, and from within, as well.

Once again , the world building is intricate, complex and detailed. The story line and premise is familiar and similar to the author’s CROWN OF SHARDS series, as well as her ELEMENTAL ASSASSIN series including the use of ‘elemental’ magic, corresponding characters and history, powerful metal and stones, violence directed at the story line heroine and her family; Gemma’s rag tag team of warriors and friends, and the evil Maeven and her dysfunctional family whose goal is to ultimately rule and take over every territory and Kingdom, while destroying Gemma and everyone she loves.

As per my previous review, there continues to be an overwhelming use of the words purple (71 times) and violet (54 times) pertaining to the Mortan Kingdom’s Royal colors, eye color, and world as a whole.

TEAR DOWN THE THRONE is another intriguing story of betrayal and vengeance, power and control, family and friendships, relationships and love. The premise is captivating but the ongoing use of real world / modern day vernacular is distracting; the characters are charismatic, magical and powerful including fellow spy and dragon shifter Reiko Yamato, gargoyles Grimley (Gemma’s familiar), Fern and newcomer Otto, and strixes Lyra (Leo’s familiar) and Violet; the romance struggles in the face of betrayal and issues of trust; there continues to be no perceived palpable or discernible sexual attraction between our story line couple but saying that, dystopian and urban fantasy ‘style’ story lines do not necessarily focus on the love connection or romances which are often behind the scenes or tertiary to the main story line, although there occasionally is a ‘love match’ for the leading characters.

 

Jennifer is graciously offering an ARC paper copy of Tear Down The Throne to ONE (1) lucky commenters  at The Reading Cafe:

1. If you have not previously registered at The Reading Cafe, please register by using the log-in at the top of the page (side bar) or by using one of the social log-ins.

NOTE:  If you are having difficulty commenting after logging into the site, please refresh the page at the top of your computer

2. If you are using a social log-in, please post your email address with your comment.

3. Please LIKE and Follow Jennifer Estep on Facebook

4. Please LIKE and Follow Jennifer Estep on TWITTER

5. LIKE us on FACEBOOK and then click GET NOTIFICATION under ‘liked’ for an additional entry.

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7. Please FOLLOW us on GOODREADS for an additional entry.

8. Giveaway open USA only

9. Giveaway runs from May 2 – 7 2022

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Kiss Hard (Hard Play 4) by Nalini Singh-a review

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KISS HARD (Hard Play 4) by Nalini Singh-a review

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO / Chapters Indigo /

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date May 3, 2022

Daniel Esera is a young god on the rugby field, a sexy and charming man who’s got the world at his feet. There’s just one problem: his sudden potent attraction to his number one nemesis–Catie River. No. Just no. Not happening.

Catie River is on her way to Paralympic gold, and she’s not about to allow Danny “Hotshot” Esera to derail her plans. Too bad her body isn’t cooperating. Even worse? Her heart might be coming along for the ride. No. Nope. Never.

The pair are united in their desire to remain enemies… until a stranger’s reckless action threatens both their careers. Now, the only way out for Catie and Danny is to pretend to be in a relationship. How bad can it be? They’re adults in full control of their hormones and their hearts. There will be no kissing. No PDA. And definitely no falling in love.

Let the games begin.

••••••

REVIEW: KISS HARD is the fourth instalment in Nalini Singh’s contemporary, adult HARD PLAY erotic, romance series. This is soon to be twenty-five year old, New Zealand rugby star Daniel Esera, and Paralympian Catie River’s story line. KISS HARD can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story lines is revealed where necessary. Catie is Isa Rain’s sister (Cherish Hard 1), and Daniel is Jacob Esera’s brother (Love Hard 3).

Told from dual third person perspectives (Daniel and Catie) KISS HARD follows the frenemies to lovers fake relationship between soon to be twenty-five year old, New Zealand rugby star Daniel Esera, and Paralympian Catie River. A night on the town with friends finds Daniel Esera a victim of a drug assault at the local bar. Noticing something was wrong, Catie River immediately took charge, getting our hero to the hospital just in time. As both Catie and Daniel were fodder for the paparazzi and local sports news, Daniel wanted to keep everything on the down low but the possibility of a major fallout found Daniel and Catie embarking on a ‘fake relationship’ in an effort to keep the media at bay. As Daniel and Catie’s fake relationship begins to take on a life of its’ own, Daniel finds himself at a professional crossroad, a crossroad that is about to pull our hero away from the woman with whom he is falling in love. What ensues is the frenemies to lovers relationship between Daniel and Catie, and the potential fall-out as time apart forces our couple to reconsider the future with or without the person who has stolen their heart.

Catie River never considered her own happily ever after having watched her own parent’s relationship implode. Years earlier, an accident cost our heroine her legs, changing Catie’s life forever. Her relationship with Daniel has always been fraught with antagonism and irritation, anger disguising a palpable sexual attraction. Daniel Esera’s life as a professional rugby player has stagnated, and the recent incident at the local bar could quite possibly threaten our hero’s career. A fake relationship with Paralympian Catie River is the key to possibly redirecting his life but Daniel never expected to fall for our story line heroine. The $ex scenes are intimate and passionate without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

We welcome the return of Catie’s sister Isa and her husband Sailor Bishop; Gabriel and Charlotte ; and Daniel’s brother Jacob. We are introduced to Catie’s friend Laveni aka Veni, and fellow rugby player Viliame Vili Serevi; Catie’s mother Jacqueline, and her father Clive and girlfriend Gloria; as well as Daniel’s parents Allison and Joseph.

KISS HARD is a story of family and friendships, relationships and acceptance; struggle and healing, love and understanding. The premise is inviting and captivating; the romance is flirty and energetic; the characters are ambitious and charismatic.

Previous Reviews and Reading Order

Cherish Hard
The Rebel Hard
Love Hard

Copy supplied by Netgalley

Reviewed by Sandy

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