Category Archives: Guest Post

Subversive by Colleen Cowley-Review & Guest Post

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Subversive (Clandestine Magic #1) by Colleen Cowley-Review & Guest post

 

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date September 27, 2020.

In an America controlled by wizards and 100 years behind on women’s rights, Beatrix Harper counts herself among the resistance—the Women’s League for the Prohibition of Magic. Then Peter Blackwell, the only wizard her town has ever produced, unexpectedly returns home and presses her into service as his assistant.

Beatrix fears he wants to undermine the League. His real purpose is far more dangerous for them both.

Subversive is the first novel in the Clandestine Magic trilogy, set in a warped 21st century that will appeal to fans of gaslamp fantasy.

••••••

REVIEW: SUBVERSIVE is the first instalment in Colleen Cowley’s multi-genre CLANDESTINE MAGIC /paranormal/ UF/ Gaslamp fantasy series focusing on wizard/omnimancer Peter Blackwell, and store clerk/suffragette Beatrix Harper.

Told from dual third person perspectives (wizard/omnimancer Peter Blackwell, and store clerk/suffragette Beatrix Harper) SUBVERSIVE follows in the aftermath of thirty-three year old, Peter Blackwell’s return to his hometown of Ellicott Mills, a return that finds Blackwell hiding in plain sight since Ellicott Mills has not had a wizard in a number of years. Needing an assistant, Blackwell forces Beatrix Harper into a contract, a contract that will bind our couple in everyway possible but Peter Blackwell is on the run, and his return to Ellicott Mills coincides with the suffragette movement of the Women’s League for the Prohibition of Magic, a league that wants to curtail the use of magic, as well as the wizard’s who push back. With Beatrix Harper by his side, Blackwell quickly discovers that all is not well in Ellicott Mills, including the mysterious appearance of another wizard, and the possibility of a mole in the Women’s League organization. What ensues is the acrimonious but forced relationship between Blackwell and Beatrix, and the potential fall-out as magic no longer appears to be the domain of only men.

SUBVERSIVE is classified as ‘Gaslamp Fantasy’ – a sub-genre of both fantasy and historical fiction with elements of steampunk and the paranormal. The story line is set in an alternate 21st century, one in which the rise of feminism and equal rights has only just begun, and women are still considered second class citizens with no power, no magic and no rights. For decades wizards aka men, have controlled the world, using magic and the elements to increase their power and domination but subtle cracks begins to fragment their authority, and a magical weapon commissioned by our story line hero is needed to regulate the users of magic.

Colleen Cowley pulls the reader into an imaginary, enchanting and intriguing story of discrimination, magical power, fate and fear. An enemies to lovers, forced proximity relationship between a wizard whose secrets are dangerous and dark, and a woman who only wants the right to be considered his equal. The premise is fascinating; the characters are colorful and energetic; the romance is complex as the attraction may not be natural or from the heart.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

Follow author: Website /Twitter /Goodreads/

Helping out your imagination with some hard facts

Colleen Cowley

Even fantastical stories about wizards running America can benefit from some research.

That’s what I figured as I wrote a trilogy about that idea, anyway. The Clandestine Magic series opens in 2020, but it’s such a warped timeline that it feels more akin to the 1910s, complete with suffragist-like women. So there’s plenty of history to tap.

At heart, the novels are about Beatrix Harper, one of those activists, and Peter Blackwell, the wizard who upends her life. I wanted an immersive world for them, though. And that’s where research came in handy.

One gold mine for writers and readers alike: the Library of Congress’ website, where you can spelunk through history from your couch. Their collection of photographs is amazing, and it’s a great way to get a mental picture of places and people at a certain time.

Much of my trilogy is set in a fictionalized version of historic Ellicott City, Maryland. Very conveniently, the Library of Congress has photos of its picturesque Main Street and homes, so I could see what it looked like decades ago. (Many of the photos are copyright free. Very useful for, you know, sharing with people on your author website.)

Also very conveniently, the LOC has photos of all sorts of people, taken in all eras since the camera was invented. I had a lot of fun matching photos to characters, especially since many of the real women fought for equal rights in our timeline.

But there are so many other ways to get inspiration. Listening to Martin Luther King Jr.’s collected speeches, for instance. (The women in the Clandestine Magic world have similar aims, one good reason for me to pay careful attention, but more importantly: Everyone should listen to his speeches, and not just bits and pieces of “I Have a Dream.”)

I read a lot, too, of course, but I didn’t find out the craziest part of the women’s suffrage story until just recently — after I’d already finished writing the series. The 19th Amendment, the one that gave women the vote, was almost undone after the last required state approved it. As this New York Times piece puts it: Opposition forces, seeing a chance for a redo, “tried to persuade legislators with cash bribes, job offers, blackmail and bare-knuckled threats.” It got even wilder and more ominous from there.

Lesson learned: Nothing is more fantastical than real life.

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Hollywood Name Game 1 & 2 by Alexa Aston-Reviews & Guest Post

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Hollywood Name Game 1 & 2 by Alexa Aston-Reviews & Guest Post

 

Hollywood Heartbreaker
Hollywood Name Game #1
by Alexa Aston
Release Date: August 6, 2020
Genre: adult, contemporary, romance

ebook ONLY 99¢ Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk / Amazon.au /

Don’t own a Kindle? Download the FREE Amazon Kindle App for your mobile device or pc

ABOUT THE BOOK: Being late to an interview lands her the biggest job opportunity of her life. He may be rich and successful–but he’s just this side of miserable.

Can a wannabe be The One for the biggest star in Hollywood?

Cassie Carroll came to Hollywood with big dreams that never materialized. Acting isn’t even on the back burner anymore–it’s completely off the stove. Working for a third-rate agent, Cassie hopes to land a new job that will give her credibility, as well as help pay the rent. Late to her interview, she swerves to avoid hitting a dog–and totals the car of Hollywood’s leading action superstar. Surprisingly, she walks away from their encounter with a job–as the sexiest man alive’s personal assistant.

Rhett Corrigan is bored with the movies he makes and the drop-dead gorgeous model he’s dating. He’s afraid that Hollywood has typecast him–and that he’ll never be able to break out of his action mold and try new acting challenges. When Cassie Carroll literally slams into his life, she brings a breath of fresh air and common sense to his world. She pushes him to be a better actor and a better man.

Can these friends become lovers–and can their love survive–in a tabloid-happy town that thrives on rumors and backstabbing?

Hollywood Heartbreaker is the first book in the Hollywood Name Game series. Each book in the series is a standalone story that can be enjoyed out of order.

•••••••••

REVIEW: Hollywood Heartbreaker is a contemporary romance and love story. I don’t usually do a lot of contemporary romance, but this one is an exceptionally entertaining novel. It’s a great look into the behind the scenes of the life of a superstar. The good, the bad, and the sad.

I don’t want to spoil the story for anyone so let me just tell you the gist of the setup and all the wonderful things that make this a pleasure to read. I loved the characters and their thoughts and feelings as the story went on. They are well-written with a lot of fun and compassion.
Here’s the basic setup.

Cassie Carroll is struggling to find her way to make a decent living in LA. She came to Hollywood as an aspiring actress, but soon learned she didn’t have the talent for it. She didn’t return to Texas and her estranged mother. Instead she managed to get a job as an assistant to a failing talent agent. She took over the office and learned much, while her boss snorted the profits up his nose. So, she’s out looking for another position at a more successful agency. She has an interview but is having a …. well a rough day! She swerves her car to avoid hitting a fluffy dog and wrecks into a BMW. While she’s still in her car, she’s disoriented and doesn’t notice the danger. A strange but gorgeous man pulls her from her car and carries her away, then the cars explode. She’s been truly rescued by none other than superstar actor Rhett Corrigan.

Rhett Corrigan is a superstar action movie hero. He’s struggling to make his agent see that he wants more, better parts in serious movies. He’s grateful for his success but knows he can expand his skill and do much more. Getting his agent and others to take a chance on that, well that’s another ballgame. As he leaves his agent’s office, he sees his “Beemer” get hit and recognizes the danger the driver does not. He pulls the woman from the car and carries her off to safety as the cars explode. She’s cute, disheveled, lost one shoe, but determined to go ahead for her interview in his agent’s building. He accompanies her to help, but instead offers her the job of his personal assistant. His sister (current assistant) is having cancer treatments and he needs someone to take her place, at least temporarily.

And the game is afoot! They like each other, but the relationship is professional. For Cassie, it’s a dream job. For Rhett, he really needs some help as his household is falling apart. They’re attracted, but it builds even more, slowly.

Okay, that’s the setup. It’s intriguing and a rather good look into the life of a superstar no one actually gets to see. The characters are well done. The conversations are realistic, sometimes quirky and sometimes fun, but always entertaining. The plot is simple but well executed. I found it remarkable entertaining and couldn’t stop reading. Kudos to author Alexa Aston on a successful new series, I can’t wait for more.

____________

Hollywood Flirt
Hollywood Name Game #2
by Alexa Aston
Release Date: August 22, 2020

ebook ONLY 99¢. Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk / Amazon.au /

ABOUT THE BOOK: She’s Hollywood royalty whose trail vanished a dozen years ago.

He doesn’t do relationships and thinks commitment is a four-letter word.

They Google each other . . . and sparks fly . . .

Sydney Revere, the daughter of a famous movie couple, left Hollywood behind over a decade ago. Christened The Wild Child by the media, she reinvents herself as a serious student who becomes an attorney and marries a safe, predictable man. When her husband cheats on her and the law loses its glitter, Sydney returns to Hollywood. Her father hires her to storyboard his upcoming movie, No Regrets—and then stuns Sydney when he offers her the job as his assistant director.

Dash DeLauria is a rising actor who hasn’t trusted a woman since his mother left. He’s now the guardian of his mentally-challenged brother. Dash is looking to grow professionally and after he wins the lead in No Regrets, he finds he’s lost his heart and soul to Sydney. With both their careers on the upswing, life is sweet.

But Sydney’s ex-husband isn’t finished with her yet. Discovering who she really is—and that she’s wealthy—he tracks her to California, ready to start over with her again.

No matter what it takes . . .

•••••••••

REVIEW: Hollywood Flirt is the second volume of Alexa Aston’s Hollywood Name Game series. This a contemporary romance series that you won’t want to miss. In a place where more people act like they’re made of plastic, author Alexa Aston has created some characters that will win your heart, make you cry with both heartbreak and tears of joy.

This is the story of Sydney Revere and Dash DeLauria. I really can’t give you the total setup, the backstory is super fantastic and crucial to the plot. Let me just say that neither character has had the best of lives, but when these two dynamic people meet…WOW!

This is also a story of growing up and coming into their own, both physically and emotionally. This may be the second book in this series, but I certainly hope there’s a great long line of more. Not only is the plot genius, the conversations are wonderful. The characters both main and secondary are richly developed and thoroughly enjoyable. It’s one of those stories you don’t ever want to get to the end of, but you keep turning pages. Just when you think you’re ready for a HEA, crazy danger comes in…oops, I almost did a spoiler!

Seriously, I really enjoyed these stories and especially Hollywood Flirt. Characters you are familiar with return to make this story realistic and enthralling. I never thought I’d find this much enjoyment from stories of Hollywood. Author Alexa Aston is a remarkable talent. I can’t wait for more!

Copies supplied for review

Reviews by Georgianna S

When a Writer Accepts a Challenge:

Writers challenge themselves all the time. They may want to write faster and put out more books than the previous year or push to sell more copies of their newest release than the previous one. Their new goal may be to switch publishing houses to go indie. They might challenge themselves to attend a professional writing conference or set up a book signing event.

My latest challenge? Switching romance sub-genres!

I’ve written sixteen medieval romances for Dragonblade Publishing, including my series The Knights of Honor and The King’s Cousins. Last year, my publisher and mentor, Kathryn Le Veque, wanted me to spread my wings a bit and try and new time in history. I settled upon the Regency era and found it is delightful to write in. I’ve already released three Regency series in 2019 & 2020—The St. Clairs; Soldiers & Soulmates; and The de Wolfes of Esterley Castle. I’ve enjoyed creating the new families and characters within these series.

Then a new itch needed to be scratched. I had an idea for a series set in Hollywood—and thus, Hollywood Name Game was born!

I started writing this series in-between Regency books and found I could write more quickly and feel fresher as a writer by alternating between the two different sub-genres. While I will always write my historicals (I have a medieval trilogy coming out this year and a five-book Regency series releasing in 2021), I think it will be fun and challenging to pursue this new contemporary genre.

Here’s an overview of the series to let you see what it’s about. Three random commenters will receive an ebook copy of Hollywood Heartbreaker, Book 1 in Hollywood Name Game. You have until midnight CST to comment, and I’ll reveal the winners tomorrow on this site.

Meet the men of Hollywood and the women they fall for in Alexa Aston’s new contemporary romance series, Hollywood Name Game—five romances sprinkled with humor and a few laced with a bit of suspense—but all guarantee a satisfactory, happily ever after for these couples.
Anything can happen in Hollywood . .

*Each book in the series is a standalone romance that can be read out of order.

Hollywood Heartbreaker (August 6)
Totaling the car of Hollywood’s leading action star leads Cassie Carroll to the job of a lifetime—and love.

Hollywood Flirt (August 27)
After clashing on set, a Hollywood star and his director find love—until her crazy ex-husband shows up with an agenda.

Hollywood Player (September 17)
Can a reclusive singer-songwriter trust enough to give her heart to a Hollywood superstar who’s known for breaking hearts?

Hollywood Double (October 8)
A stuntman becomes the leading man when the actor he doubles for is murdered—and falls hard and fast for his co-star.

Hollywood Enigma (October 29)
Sparks fly when Hollywood superstar Wynn Gallagher hires attorney Scarlett Corrigan to get him out of his ironclad contract.

Award-winning and internationally bestselling author Alexa Aston lives with her husband in a Dallas suburb, where she eats her fair share of dark chocolate and plots out stories while she walks every morning. She’s a binge fiend (The Crown and Ozark are favorites) who enjoys travel, sports, and time with her family.

Her historical romances bring to life loveable rogues and dashing knights, while her contemporary romances are light and flirty and sometimes contain a bit of suspense.

Website: https://alexaaston.com/

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Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authoralexaaston/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AlexaAston

BookBub Follow: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/alexa-aston

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/author/alexaaston

 

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Changing Lanes by Season Vining-Review & Guest Post

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Changing Lanes (Welcome to Grace #1) by Season Vining-Review and Guest Post

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

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date April 1, 2020

Stella Locke is starting over. After an ugly divorce, she picks up her Southern roots and transplants to upstate New York where the air is crisp and no one knows her name. She’s an enthusiastic reader and just so happens to pick the quaint little spot where her favorite author lives. The small town of Grace welcomes Stella with open arms, a new job, and a smoking hot neighbor.

Lane Holder is a bit mysterious with his midnight jogs and brazen flirting. He’s got an adorable corgi named Chap who immediately steals Stella’s heart. In time, Stella is blown away by Lane’s charm, maturity, and undeniable interest in her. Being out of the dating game for 20 years has filled her with self-doubt and the hurt endured from her marriage has made her want to keep that part of her past hidden. Still, Lane convinces her to take a chance on him.

Their relationship is a slow, steamy burn that seems to be building toward something special and permanent. But as with any relationship built on secrets, one wrong move and it all could come crashing down.

•••••••

REVIEW:Changing Lanes by Season Vining is book one in The Welcome to Grace series.

Stella Locke has recently divorced her cheating husband and has decided to pick up her life and move to upstate New York. Stella picks Grace, New York because that is where her favorite romance author Alaina Taylor lives. Her thinking is that if its good enough for Alaina its good enough for her to start over. Upon arriving in Grace she meets her next door neighbor Lane Holder. Mysterious, smoking hot man that jogs every night at midnight. Lane slowly breaks down Stella’s defenses and a beautiful relationship begins.

The sub-characters in this story were amazing and hilarious. Stella’s real estate agent turned best friend is outrageously hilarious and I am praying that she gets her own story soon. She is on of those characters that you want to know more about.

Stella and Lane have amazing chemistry, but when Stella finds out that Lane has been lying to her, all games are off. She has been betrayed before by her ex-husband, but this hurts way worse. Will she be able to forgive him?

And will she even want to take him back?

This was an imaginative, fun romantic read. The story pulls you in and you become invested in small town Grace and the characters that live there.

Looking forward to more books in this series. Recommend highly if you are looking for a boy next door romance with lots of laughs.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed By Erin K

What makes a cover?
by Season Vining

Along with the apparent upswing in romantic comedy novel sales has been a trend in illustrated covers to go along with them. Maybe both of these things coincide with the madness and chaos of the world today. People need a distraction—something light with moments of hilarity and heart. RomComs and illustrated covers seem to both fit the bill. Plus, they’re fun. And for those of you who like to carry around paperbacks in public, they are not sexually suggestive no matter what the content of the book is.

The first question when building a cover is, do I want a couple or just one person or just an object. This is completely subjective to the author/designer/publisher’s taste and what they think will sell the book. For RomCom, both members of the couple are almost always represented. Then, what do you want your audience to feel when they look at your cover? Turned on? Happy? Inquisitive? The answer will set the tone of the cover, which could covers everything from the style of illustration, background elements, and colors used.

Like in my new RomCom, Changing Lanes. I knew I wanted an illustrated cover and I knew I wanted the couple on there. But I also knew that Chap, the adorable and lovable corgi featured in the story, should have his place too. There are a lot of elements of the story represented on the cover. For example, you can see Stella’s work apron with the name of the bookstore she works at. Chap sits atop a stack of books, so you know that those are important to the theme of the story. There are fall elements, letting you know when the book takes place. And finally, a road to literally represent Changing Lanes.

When the book is part of a series, you’ve really got to think ahead enough to makes sure that you can create a cover for each book that is unique and appealing while fitting in with the rest of the series seamlessly. Changing Lanes is book 1 in the Welcome to Grace series. I added the fall elements, because there are four books and four seasons. Each cover will have its own theme.

In the end, the cover is usually what sells your book. It is what makes people stop and read the blurb. It is the first impression. So, make sure it’s a good one. Most importantly, make sure it represents the story and overall feel so that readers know exactly what to expect. Sure, there can be twists, turns, and surprises… but leave that to the writing.

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Camp Lake by John A Heldt-Review, Guest Post & Giveaway

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Camp Lake (Carson Chronicles #5) by John A Heldt-Review, Guest Post & Giveaway

 

CAMP LAKE
The Carson Chronicles #5
by John A Heldt
Release Date: September 30, 2019
Genre: time travel, romance

 

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

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date: September 30, 2019

Phoenix, Spring 1983. For the Carsons, five siblings from the present day, it has come down to this. Find the parents they have chased through time for more than two years or go home and resume their lives without them.

While Adam and Greg remain in Arizona and Natalie searches the country for leads, Cody and Caitlin travel to a summer camp in Maine, where their mother and father met as counselors. The twins, now 19, hope to intercept the older versions of their parents even as they work beside the younger ones.

All of the Carsons prepare for a reunion that seems inevitable. Then tragedy strikes one family member and seductive strangers pull two others in unhelpful directions as a summer of promise turns into one of uncertainty and sacrifice.

Filled with humor, romance, and heartbreak, CAMP LAKE, the poignant conclusion of the Carson Chronicles series, follows the lives of several spirited adults as they confront choices and change the era of big hair, space shuttles, and video arcades.

••••••••

REVIEW:CAMP LAKE is the fifth and final instalment in John A Heldt’s CARSON CHRONICLES time travel romance series focusing on the Carson family.

SOME BACKGROUND: The Carson Chronicles focuses on the Carson siblings, a family of time travellers, as they search for their missing parents Tim and Caroline Carson. Months earlier, the siblings discovered their parents had disappeared but an itinerary of places and timelines found the family on a journey of their own. Starting in 2017, the siblings travelled back in time to 1889, 1918, the tumultuous era of 1943-44, 1962 where the Cuban Missile Crisis is about to unfold, and presently arriving in 1983.

Told from several third person perspectives CAMP LAKE is the culmination of twenty-eight months ‘on the road’ as the Carson siblings search for their missing parents Tim and Caroline Carson. The year is 1983, and the family have crossed paths on numerous occasions without running into one another. At Camp Lake, a summer camp where Tim and Caroline Carson first met and fell in love, twins Caitlin and Cody Carson, as well as Caitilin’s lover Dennis Sawyer, find themselves working as camp counsellors, where they will meet the younger version of their now missing parents. But things don’t go according to plans when their parents’ romance is threatened by someone else.

At Camp Lake, Cody, the lone single sibling, believes he has met his future, in the past. Karen O’Reilly, the camp botanist, pulls Cody in like a moth to a flame, but not all is well in Karen’s world, and Cody is about to discover that his previously shattered heart is about to be broken, once again.

Meanwhile, Tim and Caroline Carson believe they have located their children but once again, paths will be crossed, as the siblings continue their search one step ahead of, or behind, their missing parents.

CAMP LAKE and the Carson Chronicles is an imaginative and original series; a cleverly written story of family, struggle, memories and love. Unlike the previous instalments, 1983 is but a year wherein the family takes center stage-history is barely afforded a mention. An engaging and enchanting story line, CAMP LAKE and the Carson Chronicles is an energetic, animated and brilliant addition to your reading library.

Reading Order and Previous Reviews
River Rising
The Memory Tree
Indian Paintbrush
Caitlin’s Song

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

As one who has written fifteen novels that blend both fact and fiction, I know firsthand the importance of getting it right. Writing about time travel, after all, requires more than describing the means of travel. It requires accurately depicting the past. It requires meeting the standards of quality historical fiction.

The challenges are often daunting, particularly when writing about the recent past, as I have done on multiple occasions. When writing about places and times that are in the living memory of many readers, you have to make an extra effort to get even the little things right.

When I wrote my first novel, The Mine, a story set mostly in Seattle in 1941, a few older readers gently reminded me that chocolate-chip cookies were more commonly called “Toll House cookies” and that aluminum foil was generally called “tin foil,” even after aluminum replaced tin as its primary component. Since that time, I have done what I could to ensure the historical accuracy of my books, which have spanned eras ranging from the 1880s to the 1980s.

Like many writers of historical fiction, I favor primary sources, such as newspapers, documents, letters, photographs, and oral histories. I generally find eyewitness accounts of events and eras, produced by those who lived through them, to be more compelling than even the best research compiled decades – or even a few years – after the fact.

Even so, I don’t limit myself. When preparing to write about times I did not experience, I will often sample the movies, music, and literature of the day. I find it easier to describe Americans of the 1950s and early 1960s, for example, if I immerse myself in the very things that drove them to theaters, concert halls, and libraries.

On some occasions, I look closer to home. When writing The Journey, set in 1979 and 1980, and Camp Lake, my newest book, set in 1983, I relied mostly on memories of — and mementos from — my senior year of high school and my experience at a summer camp in Maine.

No matter where I turn for answers, however, I follow advice that has been around for decades. When writing historical fiction, even in the context of time travel, pay attention to details. Note the nuances and the particulars. Sweat the small stuff.

~~John A Heldt~~

Follow John: Goodreads / Facebook / Website/Blog/ Twitter / Amazon / Instagram / Tumblr

 I’m a married father of two grown daughters and a son and, as of August 15, the grandfather of a delightful little girl named Stella. Before turning to novel writing in 2011, I worked as a sports writer and editor for several newspapers in Oregon and Washington, where I was born and raised, and several more years as a reference librarian in Montana. I love traveling around the western United States, watching sports, cooking, and experiencing the great outdoors. I currently make my home in the Las Vegas, Nevada, area.

 

 

John A Heldt is graciously offering the complete CARSON CHRONICLES 5 ebook time travel  series (mobi or epub)  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.

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The Legacy/ Fae Hunter by Amelia Shaw-Reviews & Guest Post

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The Legacy / Fae Hunter (Slayer Academy) by Amelia Shaw-Review and Guest Post

THE LEGACY
Slayer Academy Year 1
by Amelia Shaw
Genre:new adult, paranormal
Release Date: July 1, 2019

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

From nerdy bookworm to Fae Slayer in training.

My life is carefully planned, and blissfully free of surprises. I hate surprises.

Discovering I come from a long line of Fae Slayers and must give up my position at a prestigious college to attend a Slayer Academy?

Worst. Surprise. Ever.

I’m a nerd. A bookworm. I slay with words, not swords.

Fighting to stay at the top of the class is nothing compared to fighting to survive.

If the deadly weapons and mysteriously hot, but possibly evil guys don’t kill me, then six months without cell reception might.

He haunts my dreams… His eyes pierce my soul.. but will my sword have to pierce his heart?

Megara’s battle to survive Slayer Academy has just begun. Weapons classes, unexpected passion, and forbidden love await in The Legacy…

The legacy is the first book in a New Adult, college-age paranormal academy series. Expect magic lessons, a bookworm heroine, a sexy scene or two,and a slow-burn forbidden love romance

***Author note – this series is three novella length urban fantasy books. Recommended 17+ due to language and love scenes.

•••••••••••

REVIEW: Reading the back cover, I got the impression of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I liked that show, so I flipped the kindle open and dived in…..

Megara (or Meg to her friends)is not a kick ass warrior woman, Meg is a book worm, she’s not use to fighting and certainly not monsters. But we are getting ahead of ourselves. Let’s go back …..

Meg is off to do a gap year before deciding what’s next in her life she very excited. But her whole world is about to change, and in her opinion, not for the better.

She’s unaware that both her parents are Fae slayers (and are pretty good at their job) and it’s time for their daughter to leave this life and enrol in Slayer Academy, to say that Megara is shocked and displeased is an understatement…… she’s thinking it’s a big joke, but as it sinks in, she realises her family are serious, they are going to shop her off to some school….

Arriving at the front of the academy Megara is in awe of the building, but she’s also a little apprehensive, it doesn’t look too friendly, and the nerves Meg had been suppressing, come back big a bang (this is all some terrible dream).

We meet other class mates (and that wasn’t a great first meeting) they aren’t impressed, the Callum’s are great warriors and hunters of the Fae, and Meg, well she’s a big disappointment!!!

We then read all the fun times (not) with weaponry (she’s no good with swords) and her hand to hand skills are a joke!!! But the other lessons, Meg is a keen student and makes the grades.

And it’s not teenage angst unless there is a love story…. and this one will be a forbidden one, why? Is Fiore Fae ? And if so, that’s a big NO NO in the slayer world, they can’t and shouldn’t be together, but you try telling a teenager NO?and Fiore (that’s the hunks name) is definitely worth disobeying everyone for. There is just something about him (besides being hot) there is a connection Megara has never felt with anyone before. But there is also that element of danger that keeps Meg from falling too deep.
We also have Brutus (a student at the school) there is definitely a spark between them, so we could have a love triangle?

Oh and did I mention a Legacy? (Well the title does give it away) it’s her legacy, five generations of her family have attended and have slain the evil Fae. Is there more to her legacy (I have a feeling there is)

So if you like heroines that’s aren’t warriors, that are nerds first and foremost, then you definitely need to pick this book up.

And book two….. if it’s half as good as this one, then I’m in.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Julie B ?

__________

FAE HUNTER
Slayer Academy Year 2
by Amelia Shaw
Genre:new adult, paranormal
Release Date: August 1, 2019

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

From Fae Slayer to renegade rebel.
Slayer Academy 101:
•The Fae are evil
•A Slayer must trust their instincts.

Well, my instincts are flashing like a neon sign—the Academy can’t be trusted.
I’ve glimpsed the true heart of a Fae prince. Fiore is kind, merciful and saved my life.
Now he’s missing.

Journeying to the Fae realm is treacherous, especially with Nyeer, the Fae prince who tried to kill me.
But loathing soon turns to lust and Nyeer strips away my defenses—along with my clothes— until my heart’s in just as much danger as my life.

This Fae Slaying gig is not all it’s cracked up to be.
Magic lessons and weapons classes were child’s play compared to the fight to rescue Fiore and protect the Fae Kingdom.
And to save three Fae princes, their Kingdom’s only defense… I may have to give them up forever.

Author warning: This book is much hotter than book 1. ***Fae Hunter is the second book in a College-age Paranormal Reverse Harem Academy series.

•••••••••••••

REVIEW: Reading the description I got the distinct impression our Meg is turning into a little slut!!! (Well she slept with Brutus, she’s been having sexy dreams about Fiore, and now she’s turned her attention to Nyeer) I can’t keep up with the girl?

We start this book at the beginning of a new term, Meg has just spent the last two weeks at her parents, catching up with her BFF and family. But now she’s back, her mission is clear …… Find evidence that the Fae aren’t as bad as the history books say they are.

Megara/Meg has decided that she’s not going to hunt and kill the evil Fae, she’s going to find out what the truth is, and she feels like the Fae have had a raw deal for centuries. But proving it will be difficult, she can’t tell her roommates, she can’t tell Brutus (sparring partner and part time lover) she can’t even ask the librarian. She’s on this mission alone. She just needs to speak to Fiore or Nyeer (one of the Fae leaders)

She gets her wish sooner than she anticipated, a portal opens and a figure emerges…..

Fiore is missing!!! Meg needs to do something, she feels like it’s her fault. She needs to do research whilst waiting for Nyeer to return in three days time.

After meeting up with Nyeer, he takes her back to his castle (he is one of the three princes that rules the Fae kingdom, Fiore being one of the others)
Teaching Meg defence movements has her all hot and bothered, and before you know it Meg and Nyeer are going at it like bunny rabbits (this not I found a bit disconcerting, if there is a connection between Fiore and Meg, why is she in bed with Nyeer?)

The third prince (Everly) makes an appearance at the castle and is disgusted that no one is looking for the third Prince (Fiore) Meg is feeling really guilty and steps up the attempts to find Fiore……
With luck and a little magic, they find where Fiore is being held, and plan a rescue.

Do they rescue Fiore? Will Megara have to chose? And who will it be?
And boy is it a cliffhanger ending……

This book is more racier than the first, it felt like it was heading towards a reverse harem (three guys one woman)

copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Julie B?

Hi guys! Thank you so much for asking me to do a post today. I’ve been writing on and off for ten years, and have been published for the last six years or so.

Follow: Facebook / Website / Bookbub Instagram /

I write under several pen names, and my other PNR one is Tamsin Baker, but I leave that pseudonym for more of my LGBT or unusual projects now.

My latest series is – the Slayer Academy.

A college aged- New adult, Paranormal Academy serial. A trilogy. It’s my first ever New adult story, so it’s been challenging to get the themes and language right.

Not to mention the fact I’d never written about the Fae before. I loved the idea of the touch of magic, other realms and beautiful men. I mean- who doesn’t? But getting the balance right was hard as well.

Question 1. Cover Images-do you believe a cover image can make or break a book sale?

I do. I am a massive cover art collector. I love pre-mades and have over ten files sitting in my old downloads that I know I’ll never use- but HAD to buy them at the time. Without thought to market or genre- I just wanted them.

I think you have to have an appealing cover- but it also has to tell the person looking at it- exactly what the book is about in the two second glance we give a new cover.

I do like my covers for this series- but since launching them I’ve acknowledged that I will need to hire a higher priced, more photoshop trained designer for my next series.

Question 2. Balancing writing and family.

Hmmm… well, to answer this question correctly, I will have to reveal that I live in an unusual family situation. My relationship is a closed poly triad, with my husband and our live in partner/girlfriend. My husband has four grown children, I have two biological children and I help raise my girlfriends two children. So in short, we have three adults, four children under ten and I have a day job as well.

How do I balance it all? Prioritise. I have a cleaner- my girlfriend and I share the washing, the cooking, the shopping. I try to write in pockets of time I have when my kids are asleep, at school, or at their fathers.

My writing is a passion, a need, a must. I can’t… not write. So, like with all passions, I think you find the time. Even if it means I don’t watch much tv, but I always have quality time with my kids and my partners.

That’s my priority as I work towards publishing and writing full time.

Thanks for your time! And I hope you enjoy one, some or ALL of my books!

Tamsin Baker aka Amelia Shaw aka Fiona Myers

 

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Robby (Cooper Construction #3) by Jen Davis-Review & Giveaway

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ROBBY (Cooper Construction #3) by Jen Davis-Review, Guest Post & Giveaway

ROBBY
Cooper Construction #3
by Jen Davis
Release Date : June 4, 2019
Genre: adult, contemporary, erotic, M/M, romance

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

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date June 4, 2019

No one knows me–not the true me shaped by my sordid past. I cover the scars on my soul as well as I hide the ones on my skin.

I’m living proof that only the strongest survive on these streets. But I paid a heavy price for my survival.

Now I’m ready to move on, to forget my past. In my dreams, I do it with Matt. I’ve had my eye on him ever since he joined Cooper Construction. Like me, he keeps his true self hidden, locked inside a shy and silent shell.

Somehow, I break through. Touch the untouchable. But when love strips us both naked, the truths we reveal may end up tearing us apart.

•••••••••

REVIEW: ROBBY is the third instalment in Jen Davis’ contemporary, adult COOPER CONSTRUCTION erotic, romance series focusing on the men and women who work for Cooper Construction. This is foreman’s assistant Robby Jordan, and construction worker /architect student / single father Matt York’s story line. ROBBY can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story lines is revealed where necessary.

NOTE: ROBBY contains scenes of M/M sexual situations, as well as reference to abuse, drugs, alcohol and self-harm that may be triggers for more sensitive readers.

Told from dual third person perspectives (Robby and Matt) ROBBY follows the building relationship between co-workers foreman’s assistant Robby Jordan, and construction worker /architect student / single father Matt York. Robby Jordan has been attracted to his co-worker for close to a year but single father Matt York is oblivious to Robby’s attraction, as well as his own tempered sexuality. Having always considered himself asexual, but desperate to prove otherwise, Matt’s one and only sexual experience resulted in his now one year old son. Lonely and needing a friend, Matt accepts Robby’s offer for online gaming, an offer that brings the two co-workers closer together. What ensues is the building relationship, romance and love between Matt and Robby, and the potential fall-out as Robby’s past conflicts with potential custody arrangements between Matt and the mother of his child.

Robby’s past is mired in abuse and rejection; alcohol and drugs but our hero has struggled to move on with his life including helping those who are unable or unwilling to help themselves. Matt battles his direction in life including his attraction to a man when he, himself, had never considered himself bisexual or gay. Using their work relationship as a conduit towards friendship and love, Robby begins a slow seduction of the man he has lusted after for over a year.

The relationship between Robby and Matt is one of immediate attraction but Matt struggles with who he is, and what he wants. Robby’s past is dangerous and dark, but a past that continues to haunt him both day and night. The $ex sense are intimate and passionate without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

There is a large ensemble cast of secondary and supporting characters including Brick and Olivia , Kane and Amanda; Matt’s friend and mother of his child Patty, and their son Jimmy, as well as a number of gay, lesbian, bi and transgendered youth who struggle for a place to live, and feel protected from life. The requisite evil has many faces.

ROBBY is a story of family, friendship, rejection and love; of finding where you belong no matter the path or choices that lie ahead. The premise is heart breaking, emotional and engaging; the romance is sensitive and provocative; the characters are broken, wounded but energetic and spirited.

Reading order and previous reviews
Brick
Kane
Robby

 

Pick up a FREE ebook copy of KANE: Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / amazon.uk / Amazon.au /

Copy supplied by Netgalley

Reviewed by Sandy

Thanks so much, Sandy, for hosting me today. I’m beyond excited to be here in support of my new release, Robby. This book is my first male/male romance and I had an amazing time writing it. As a longtime romance reader, I enjoy almost all subgenres and I’ve always held a special place in my heart for male-male romance. I loved, loved, loved the Cut & Run series by Abigail Roux, and some other early favorites for me included Zero at the Bone by Jane Seville and Shades of Gray by Brooke McKinley. (What can I say? I have a type.)

It never occurred to me not to have LGBTQ characters in the Cooper Construction series, though the first two installments were m-f. Robby was such an important part of the first book, Brick, because he was a soft, gentle spirit who contrasted so sharply with the title character, who was this big badass who beat people up and killed folks for a crime lord. Robby saw the human side of Brick when few others did and they built a deep friendship which included Kane, the title character of book two.

Once I got through Brick and Kane’s stories, I knew Robby needed an HEA. But there was so much we didn’t know about him. His book is about how he came to be the man Brick and Kane befriended in the earlier novels. He is gentle and kind, but he’s been through fire. And I feel like that history is what led these men to connect. They all lived through hell and came out the other side so very different.

Another fun thing to explore was finding the perfect match for this character I love so much. Matt is a demisexual single father who doesn’t really understand himself or see the possibility of love in his life. He’s always struggled to find his place and to make interpersonal connections. With Robby, he finds a beloved friendship and a romance that takes everyone by surprise.

I hope deeply that readers of the m-f books in this series will follow these characters over to a male-male love story. I know many readers like only straight or LGBTQ content exclusively. But love is love is love is love. And what grows between Matt and Robby is just beautiful. (If you haven’t read the other two books, don’t worry. These all hold up as standalones. You can follow along just fine.)

A word of warning, though, if you’re new to my work, the content is dark. Trigger warnings for references to abuse, drug use, and self-harm. But this book also includes themes of self-acceptance, found family, and happy ever after.

Tell me. If you enjoy LGBTQ romance, which authors were among your early favorites? Or which series have you enjoyed which include both straight and LGBTQ romances?

Follow: Facebook /Goodreads /Website /Twitter /Instagram /

Jen started her love affair with romance novels, first as a reader, then as a reviewer and blogger. She launched the Red Hot Books blog in 2010 and jumped into Book Twitter shortly after.

She wrote her first books, a YA/NA trilogy under another name back in 2016. But Brick is her first foray into Adult Contemporary Romance.

Jen is happily married to her high school sweetheart. Together, they’re raising two kids, a cat, and a dog who is afraid of his own shadow.

She spends her days working as television journalist and her nights curled up with a good book.

Jen Davis is graciously offering an ebook copy of any ONE book in her COOPER CONSTRUCTION series 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 into The Reading Cafe, 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 Jen Davis on Facebook

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

5. Please like THE READING CAFE on Twitter for an additional entry.

6. Please follow THE READING CAFE on GOODREADS for an additional entry.

7. Please follow The Reading Cafe on Tumblr

8. Giveaway is open internationally

9. Giveaway runs from June 2-6, 2019

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Kept Hidden (The Hidden Series #2) by Leigh Fleming-Review & Guest Post

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KEPT HIDDEN (The Hidden Series #2) by Leigh Fleming-Review & Guest Post

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

Don’t own a Kindle? Download the FREE Amazon Kindle App for your mobile device or pc

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date March 6, 2019

Recently fired from a Dallas TV station, reporter Vanessa Barczak’s career languishes in a small West Virginia town until she witnesses an abduction—a child is snatched directly in front of her. She desperately wants to get back to the big time, and this story might be the one to do it. But the crime stirs up past memories she’d hoped were long buried.

Up for a promotion in Chicago, FBI Special Agent Bo Azar needs to solve this case. Vanessa Barczak gets in his way, insinuating herself into the investigation and into his head. After she witnesses a second abduction, he realizes she knows more than she’s letting on. Now he’s forced to depend on her to help catch the kidnapper, but she’s not talking.

Determined to get justice for the young victims, Vanessa and Bo grow closer as they unravel the truth behind the crimes. Through the mountainous terrain and surrounding forests, they stumble onto a scenario neither could’ve imagined, forcing them to open up to emotions they’ve Kept Hidden.

•••••••••

REVIEW: This is an exciting crime/romance story by Leigh Fleming. This author is very talented and builds an exciting story quickly and yet develops the romance naturally and slowly. It’s very well written with a page turning plot.

Vanessa Barczak is a reporter for a local paper in West Virginia. She’s doing articles on old courthouses and other mundane things to have a job. She was fired for exposing a Senator’s ring of sexual favors for hire in Texas without enough proof. She hopes to get back to the big city and more exciting assignments someday.

When a young girl is abducted right in front of her, the FBI is called in to help the local police find the girl. While she was filming the courthouse, she inadvertently caught the abduction.

Special Agent Bo Azar is supervising the investigation. The attraction between the two characters is immediate, but neither of them wants to admit it or handle the complications of a relationship, at this time. They verbally spar and the sparks begin to fly.
The case continues and then the plot takes an unexpected turn, in true Fleming style!

That’s the setup, I won’t spoil this wonderful story for you. Just be sure to grab a copy to read for yourself. You won’t regret it, it’s thrilling and marvelous with a lot of unexpected revelations! Enjoy, I certainly did!

Click HERE for Georgie’s review of book one-STAY HIDDEN

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Georgiana

The Secret Behind The Hidden Series

The Hidden Series is a romantic suspense trilogy set in my home state of West Virginia, in which each book features a heinous crime, an FBI special agent male protagonist, and a strong, determined female protagonist.

I wish I could tell you I’m a former FBI special agent with working knowledge of law enforcement and mad crime-solving skills. I wish I could tell you I’d spent months holed up in my office sweating and eating chocolate, meticulously planning the characters and plots of each novel in the series. I wish I could say that I had witnessed at least one of the crimes mentioned in the stories. Nope—nada—nix. There was no special sauce to making these books compelling, hard-to-put-down reads. The secret was my vivid imagination and luck.

I write the contemporary romance Whatever series. Each of the books’ titles begin with the word Whatever, which I later learned was the least favorite word in the English language. (Perhaps I should research titles more thoroughly in the future.) There is a minor character in the first three books—Derek Bronson—for whom some of my readers became fixated. In one day alone I had five different readers tell me that Derek needed his own book. Maybe it was because he is a hunky, blond Adonis who happens to be an FBI special agent. A big, bright light flashed in my mind. Good suggestion readers! I had a new hero for my next book. Now I needed a heroine.

In the third book of the series, Whatever You Say, I introduced Riley Smith—a quiet, unassuming young woman who lives next door. She had a small part, but I’d always wondered about her backstory. (Yep, my characters come alive when I’m writing.) So, when I decided to write Derek’s story, Riley was an easy choice for the heroine. They just fit together in my mind. I had my protagonists! However, I had a problem. Up until that point I’d only written lightly-steamy, contemporary romance, but Derek was a special agent. I had to show him doing special-agent-y things. Thus, Stay Hidden was born.

In Stay Hidden, Derek works on a team with two other agents, hunting the man who killed his father in a bank robbery. He meets Riley, to whom he is very attracted, and they spend a passionate week together until he sees her face in a convenience store surveillance photo that identifies her as an accomplice in the murder.

I hadn’t immediately set out to write a series, but as I developed the other agents, Alex and Bo, I knew I had to give them their own stories as well. Plus, I’d entered Stay Hidden in a writing contest (this is where the luck part came in) and it won! One of the judges offered me a publishing contract with Soul Mate Publishing and immediately asked about the next book in the series. Thankfully, I had the rough draft of Kept Hidden handy. It features Bo and Vanessa, a broadcast journalist recently fired from a Dallas TV station who witnesses a child abduction that conjures up painful memories.

Openly Hidden, the third book in the series, will be released in September 2019. Its hero is Alex and its heroine is Olivia. Olivia comes to West Virginia to investigate the disappearance of a college student and finds out there are three others who have also mysteriously vanished.
It’s possible that all of these books were inspired by something I’d heard in the news or on a talk show, or simply came to me in a dream (which has happened to me before.). I can’t specifically point to how the stories were born. I have no expertise in police work or journalism or private investigation or floral design, the careers of the main characters. What I do have knowledge of is small town West Virginia—the lifestyle, the mindset, the food, and the interesting people that make up the fabric of a close knit community.

So, there you have it. I confess there’s actually no secret to my writing process. My stories are a mix of captivating characters, unique settings, and my lively imagination. So far, Stay Hidden and Kept Hidden have been well received by several people in the publishing industry, as well as my core fan base, and I hope you get a chance to read them. Thank you in advance if you do!

Twenty years ago Leigh Fleming vowed to write a book someday and her goal finally came to fruition in 2013. Since the day she first sat down at the computer to write, she has been hard at work creating unique characters facing life’s challenges, but who are always rewarded with their happy ending. When she’s not writing in her windowless office, she enjoys reading, travelling, scrapbooking, and spending time with friends.

Leigh is a member of Romance Writers of America and the Washington Romance Writers chapter. She lives in Martinsburg, West Virginia, with her husband, Patrick, and her deaf French Bulldog Napoleon, and is mom to adult children, Tom and Liza.

Contact Leigh at leigh@leighfleming.com. Follow Leigh on Facebook at www.facebook.com/leighhflemingauthor and on Twitter www.twitter.com/leighhfleming1

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The Good Ones by Jenn McKinlay-Review, Guest Post & Giveaway

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The Good Ones by Jenn McKinlay-Review, Guest Post & Giveaway

 

 

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

 

Description:
Ryder Copeland is an accomplished architect and one heck of a father…not to mention tall and sexy. He’s everything a hero should be, and Lord knows, Maisy Kelly has read enough of her great-aunt Eloise’s romance novels to recognize one when she sees one. But like all fairy tales, Maisy can’t help but wonder if this Prince Charming is too good to be true…

Ryder is drawn to the shy, curly haired professor who hires him to convert the Victorian house she’s inherited from her aunt into a romance bookstore. Attracted to a woman for the first time since his divorce, Ryder finds himself wishing for a future with Maisy that he knows is impossible. Ryder has never wavered from his plan to leave the small town of Fairdale, North Carolina, so he can give his daughter the life she deserves. But suddenly he’s not so sure. And the closer he gets to Maisy, the harder it’s going to be to walk away…

 

Review:

The Good Ones by Jen McKinlay is the first book in her new Happily Ever After series.  This was a fun sweet romance, with a wonderful couple and outstanding secondary characters.

We meet our heroine Maisy Kelly at the start, as she awaits the arrival of the architect to arrange for improvements to the house she inherited from her great aunt, who recently was deceased.   Maisy is coming off having quit her job as a professor, when her ex boyfriend betrayed her by working behind her back to steal the promotion she expected.  When her ex tries to convince her to stay on the job working for him, she refuses.  Instead, Maisy plans to renovate the mansion to create a romance book store, as the house is full of romance books.

Ryder Copeland, our hero, is an architect, and a single dad, with a teenage daughter.  Ryder wants this job to renovate the old sturdy mansion, and then plans to take a job out of town, as he arranges to send his daughter, Perry to an expensive school.  Ryder does a double take when he meets Maisy, who was in her sloppy casual work clothes looking extremely young.  Ryder will learn later on the Maisy is close to 30 and an accomplished woman.  When Maisy meets Ryder, who is wearing a cowboy hat, she can’t take her eyes off him; he looked like a hot handsome cowboy from many of her romance books. 

Maisy was a wonderful heroine, who was fun, spunky, and independent. I loved her, and the other savvy great friends of hers that we got to love too.  Major kudos to McKinlay for giving us such great women, such as Maisy, Savy, Jeri and Hannah. I also loved Ryder’s daughter, Perry, who quickly became close to all the women.  King George, the little kitten who brought them all together was such a sweet plus to the story.

What follows is a fun, amusing story, with Maisy and Ryder slowly falling for each other, despite Ryder’s determination that he is too old, not to mention he is moving away.   They were a fun couple, with hot chemistry, that had us rooting hard for them to stay together.  Jenn McKinlay also gave us some enjoyment with various mentioning of famous authors or book titles, during the renovation of the home, making it a fabulous book store with a turret and calling it ‘Happily Ever After’.

The Good Ones was a wonderful story, with the backdrop of the creation of the romance bookstore; a wonderful couple in Ryder and Maisy; the daughter and the adorable kitten, and a fantastic group of secondary characters.  If you enjoy a sweet fun pure romance, you need to read this book written so very well by Jenn McKinlay.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

 

 

When Jake took off his cowboy hat and pulled her close, Claire wrapped her arms around him and the two became one. When they kissed she knew they were making each other a promise for today, tomorrow, and forever. Clare sighed. For the first time in her life, she knew that no matter what happened this man, who was her partner and her best friend, would be by her side. For all time.

Maisy Kelly closed the book and pressed it to her chest and sighed. Jake Sinclair, the perfect man, why did he reside only in the pages of a book? It wasn’t fair. She was twenty-nine and none of the men she’d ever dated had been even remotely as caring or charming as Jake Sinclair.
Knock knock knock.
Maisy blinked. Someone was at the door. No, no, no. She had a book hangover and she didn’t want to deal with the world right now.
Knock knock knock.
They weren’t going away. Maisy rose from where she’d been seated on the bottom step of the stairs. In theory, she was supposed to be cleaning out her Great Aunt Eloise’s house, in reality she was binge reading Auntie El’s hoarder’s trove of romance novels. It wasn’t making the task, which was heartbreaking to begin with, any easier.
Knock knock knock.
“All right, all right,” Maisy grumbled. “I’m coming.”
She strode to the door and yanked it open. Probably, if she had bothered to glance through the peep hole she would have been prepared, but she hadn’t and she wasn’t.
Standing on her front step, looking impossibly handsome and imposing, was a cowboy. Maisy glanced down at her book. On the cover was the artist’s rendering of Jake Sinclair, in jeans and a white shirt, leaning against a split rail fence, with a brown cowboy hat tipped carelessly over his brow. Maisy could practically hear the cows mooing in the background.
She glanced back up. Jeans, white shirt, and a cowboy hat. This guy had it all going on, except where the artist had left Jake’s face in shadow and not clearly defined, this guy was a full on 3D HD of hotness, with full lips, faint stubble on his chin, and quite possibly the bluest eyes Maisy had ever seen this side of the sky. She had a sudden urge to poke him with her pointer finger to see if he was real.
“Mornin’, Miss,” the man drawled, drawled!
Miss? Huh, she hadn’t been called “Miss” since she’d started teaching at Fairdale University. Why would he…she glanced down.
She was wearing her favorite floral Converse All-stars, ripped up denim shorts, and her old Fairdale University sweatshirt, the one with the sleeves that hung down past her hands, oh, and she had on no makeup and her hair was held back by an enormous pink headband. She probably looked like one of her college students, possibly a freshman.
In that brief shining moment, she was certain if it was possible to die of embarrassment, she would expire in three…two…one. She gave it a second. Nope, still standing. Damn it.
“Listen, I’m sorry, sir, but whatever you’re selling, I’m not interested—,” she began but he cut her off.
“Oh, I’m not selling anything,” he said. He looked confused. “This is three-twenty-three Willow Lane, right?”
“Yes, it is. Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to get back–,” she let her voice trail off, hoping he’d get the hint. He didn’t.
“I have an appointment with a Ms. Kelly,” he said. “Or Mrs. Kelly, I’m not sure.”
Maisy knew she didn’t have any appointments today. That was why she’d indulged herself in a good long reading sesh. This guy was probably a hustler, trying to con her to buy some property insurance or new windows. Ever since she’d inherited this monster of a house from Auntie El she’d had all sorts of scammers climbing out of the cracks in the sidewalk, trying to get her to refinance or buy a security system. It was exhausting.
The man met her squinty stare with one of his own. He shrinkled up one eye and mimicked her look of disbelief right down to the small lip curl. The nerve! Then she saw the twinkle in his one open eye, and Maisy couldn’t hold it. She burst out laughing.
He grinned at her and her ire diminished as she noted the cowboy had a sense of humor. Okay, she decided to give him a break and at least take his name and number.
“I’m sorry,” she said. “What was your appointment with Ms. Kelly about?”
“It’s about the house, actually,” he said. “My name’s Ryder Copeland. I’m a restoration architect, and you are?”
“Ryder Copeland?” Maisy’s eyes went wide. “But our appointment isn’t until tomorrow, you know, Tuesday.”
“Today is Tuesday,” he said.
“No, it isn’t,” she said. “It’s Monday.”
“Sorry, it really is Tuesday. Wait,” he said. “Our appointment? You’re Maisy Kelly?”

In Defense of Romance

An interesting thing happened when I was writing THE GOOD ONES, a story about an English professor, Maisy Kelly, who inherits an old Victorian stuffed with romance novels from her Aunt Eloise and decides instead of pitching the books to hire architect Ryder Copeland to remodel the place into a bookstore. While fictionally sorting through years of romance novels with my heroine Maisy, I was reacquainted with the many brilliant and talented writers who I had sadly forgotten over the years. There really is some phenomenal writing in romance, just as in all genres, but romance, I believe, is the most frequently dismissed, which is a shame.

The character of Aunt Eloise, Auntie El, in the Happily Ever After books is that of a woman who was widowed in middle-age, losing the love of her life without ever having had children. In the dark days after losing her husband, she turned to romance novels to pull her through her grief and they became her comfort. Let me say here that there have been a lot of rough patches in my life where the only thing that pulled me through the bad, sad, mad days was a well crafted romantic comedy.

It occurred to me as I wrote THE GOOD ONES that I was inadvertently becoming an advocate for the genre. I have absolutely no problem with this since romance novels have been truer to me in my life than most of my boyfriends. And, in fact, when the drudgery of wife-ing and mothering is too much, romance novels do some of the emotional heavy lifting for my Hub and our hooligans.

Why? Because on a regular Tuesday, or any day but we’ll go with Tuesday, I wake up to the alarm clock’s flashing light and hit the ground running. It’s breakfast for two teens, two dogs, and three cats. Then it’s laundry, dishes, and a quick calendar check of everyone’s schedule. Things need to be bought so there’s an errand, oh, then there’s work stuff to do that doesn’t include writing. Done. Now it’s writing time. Ten pages a day must be accomplished or I’ll fall off deadline. On a good day, it’s done while everyone is out. On a bad day, and there are a lot of bad days, work is stopped by orthodontist appointments, gym workouts, school activities, and homework checks. Then it’s family dinner. And back to the writing for however long it takes to grind those final pages out. Finally, it’s time to curl up with a book and read. At this point in my day, I am emotionally exhausted. I’ve given all I’ve got to everyone I love. I am done.

This moment. This moment is when I reach for a romance novel. Asking the Hub to refill my dry emotional well is a Herculean task to dump on a man, who also hit the ground running and partnered in the chores, obligations, and responsibilities of the day. Plus, his football team probably lost so he’s happier unconscious at the moment. Sliding into a world where the heroine has her own struggles, where she can be sassy and smart, strong and brave, where she can fall in love and have someone fall in love with her in all her quirky weirdness in return, floods the wasteland of my emotional reserves and I am restored. When the alarm goes off the next morning, I am duly prepared to face another day and this is why I think everyone should read romance. Truly, it’s like medicine for the emotionally bereft.

Wishing you nothing but happily ever afters!

XOXO, Jenn McKinlay

 

 

Jenn McKinlay’s publisher,  is offering a paper copy of THE GOOD ONES to ONE (1) commenter at The Reading Cafe.

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