Tag Archives: New Release reviews 2023

Flame (Carmichael Family 5) by Adriana Locke-review tour

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Flame (Carmichael Family 5) by Adriana Locke-review tour

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

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

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date November 20, 2023

RSVP to my Marriage of Convenience

I swore I would only get married if my life depended on it. Oh, the irony.

Many things have happened over the past few weeks that I didn’t see coming. My family imploded. Our business was turned upside down. And someone threatened to harm me if I didn’t make good on my father’s promises.

But the biggest thing I didn’t see coming?

Foxx Carmichael demanding marriage.

He’s doing it out of loyalty to my brother. I know that. But I can’t help but think if, through that deliciously hot, grumpy exterior, my bodyguard doesn’t have ulterior motives.

There’s no denying the fire in his touch or the heat in his blue eyes. He protects me with a ferocity that leaves me breathless. He makes me rethink many things I thought I knew for sure—like my position on marriage.

But how we dance around our fake relationship makes me wonder what part of this is pretend. None of it matters if he doesn’t admit he feels the same way.

Our sham wedding will fall apart as soon as the threat is contained. But what happens if the flames between us burn everything to the ground first?

••••

REVIEW:Flame is the fifth installment of the Carmichael Family by Adriana Locke. Each book can be read as a standalone, and no real need is made in the story line to read them in any order. Fame is a traditional contemporary romance and marriage of convenience trope.

The plot and story is what I have come to expect with AL and the Carmichael family, however I think Flame was lacking … .sparks between the main leads. Foxx and Bianca have known each other for some time by the time we get their story, but it didn’t feel like there was much of a build up to them as a couple. Foxx was Bianca’s brother’s best friend as well and that I think played a part in the “slow get together”.

Foxx and Bianca work together, and when it comes to light that someone wants to hurt Bianca, Foxx is on the ball to protect her, and thus their romance begins. There wasn’t much chemistry between them in my opinion, and what there was felt forced, almost like a bad first date. Then when the marriage of convenience happens, they magically decide to act on their feelings.

Overall, I was a little disappointed in Flame, not what I have come to expect from this author. I love the Carmichael’s and was super excited for Foxx’s romance, but it just felt forced and rushed. For fellow AL fans, I’m sure you will like Bianca and Foxx.

Reading Order and Previous Reviews
Flirt
Fling
Fluke
Flaunt

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sarah

USA Today bestselling author Adriana Locke lives and breathes books. After years of slightly obsessive relationships with the flawed bad boys dreamed up by other authors, she decided to create her own. She is the author of Tumble, the first novel in her Dogwood Lane series; the Exception series; the Gibson Brothers series; and the Landry Family series.

She resides in the Midwest with her husband, her sons, two dogs, two cats, and a bird. She spends a large amount of time playing with her kids, drinking coffee, and cooking. You can find her outside if the weather’s nice, and there’s always a piece of candy in her pocket. Besides cinnamon gummy bears, boxing, and random quotes, her next favorite thing is chatting with readers. She’d love to hear from you! Look for her at www.adrianalocke.com.

Social Media Links

Website / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / Goodreads / Amazon Author / Bookbub / Newsletter Sign up /

 

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Duties and Dreams (Second Chance 3) by John A Heldt-review

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Duties and Dreams (Second Chance 3) by John A Heldt-review

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 November 9, 2023

As World War I rages in Europe, the Carpenters and the Lees make a home in Southern California. Bill and Cassie add to their family. Andy and Annie start one of their own. Paul, a bachelor, enters the world of business. All find peace in a turbulent time. Then draft notices arrive, illness strikes a child, and life for two intertwined families takes a troubling turn.

Thirty years later, Emilie Perot, a beautiful resistance fighter, and Steve and Shannon Taylor, an American couple with ties to Paul Carpenter, conspire to escape Nazi occupation. Each seeks freedom and a new life in France’s Vosges Mountains, home of a legendary fountain of youth that can restore health and send visitors through time.

As events unfold in the different eras, the participants march on. All are unaware of the forces that seem determined to throw them together.

In DUTIES AND DREAMS, the epic conclusion of the Second Chance trilogy, several young adults find love, heartbreak, and redemption in a world of war, pandemics, and social unrest.

•••••

REVIEW:DUTIES AND DREAMS is the third and final instalment in John A Heldt’s adult SECOND CHANCE time-travel trilogy focusing on the Carpenter siblings-Paul, Bill and Annie.

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

SOME BACKGROUND : The Second Chance series focuses on the search for the Fountain of Youth. In May of 2022, 81 year old William Carpenter is a retired professor of folklore, who learns the mythology about the Fountain of Youth may be the reality of which he and his siblings are looking. Having just buried his wife, William believes he has nothing more to lose, and convinces his siblings Paul 75, who has terminal cancer, and Annie 72, a paraplegic, to test the proverbial magic waters in La Paz, Mexico but the myth comes with the caveat of time travel, a caveat wherein the siblings have no idea where in the world or when they will land.

Told from numerous omniscient third person perspectives and several timelines (1918, 1944, 1961) DUTIES AND DREAMS, advances the series approximately seven years. The year is now 1918, and the siblings, now all in their twenties and thirties, two with their respective spouses and growing families, have travelled to an era wherein war and a pandemic are about to ravage the world’s population. When Paul, and his new brother in law Andy are conscripted into the US Army, they know their futures are no longer set in stone. Sent to Europe as marksmen, both men would come under fire: one would be injured, while the other is MIA.

Meanwhile back home in America, the pandemic aka Spanish Flu is gaining momentum but William’s small family is about to learn of the helplessness of medicine in the early 1900’s. Their only hope is to jump to the future, a future wherein one of the siblings may remain lost to the past.

DUTIES AND DREAMS is the culmination of three story lines, several real-world and fictionalized histories and historical events, and the reborn lives for the Carpenter siblings. Having lived through several timelines each sibling will find his or her new happily ever after, with new loves, new lives, new families and new friends. The premise is intriguing and captivating; the romances are subtle; the characters are determined and dynamic.

Reading Order and Previous Reviews
The Fountain
Annie’s Apple

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

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Daring Enough (Love in Montana 4) by Kelly Elliott-review tour

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Daring Enough (Love in Montana 4) by Kelly Elliott-review tour

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

Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3F2eM37

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date November 21, 2023

Rose Shaw has no idea what she wants. She put aside passion for practicality, earning her degree in a subject she likes, but doesn’t love. Same for her job as an junior architect. And don’t even get started on her personal life…been there, done that, got betrayed for her effort. So when sparks fly after meeting a renowned MLB player while on vacation, she takes him for what he is—a homerun in the sack, but nothing more. The next day, she sneaks back to Montana, leaving Bryson behind…but the memories of their night together refuse to disappear so easily.

Bryson Robinson knows exactly what he wants. His parents are a love-at-first-sight success story, so he recognizes what he felt with Rose Shaw during their night together could be the real deal. She has no interest in long-distance dating…so when the league’s best pitcher gets devastating news that could be the third strike for his career, he turns it into a win, going all in to get the girl. Starting with a home in Montana—and hiring Rose to design it.

Now he just has to convince her that not all men, including MLB superstars, are players…if she’s daring enough to take the risk.

•••••••

REVIEW:DARING ENOUGH is the fourth instalment in Kelly Elliott’s contemporary, adult LOVE IN MONTANA erotic, romance series. This is MLB pitcher Bryson Robinson, and designer Rose Shaw’s story line. DARING ENOUGH can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story lines is revealed where necessary.

Told from dual first person perspectives (Bryson and Rose) DARING ENOUGH follows the building relationship between our leading couple. Rose Shaw’s best friend Loren is dating Seattle Mariner’s baseball player Nick Rossi, and as such, while visiting Loren, Rose was invited to a post-game party where she would meet and spend one glorious night together with Mariner’s pitcher Bryson Robinson, a night in which she would ghost our story line hero. Bryson Robinson had fallen instantly in love with Rose Shaw but Rose had been burned in the past, and she would push away at every opportunity, hurting Bryson Robinson in the process. Having suffered a career ending injury, Bryson decided to move back home to Montana, to the same state in which Rose Shaw still lived. Buying land, and needing an architect and designer, Bryson went after our heroine, a move that would place Rose in the direct line of fire. What ensues is the building romance and relationship between Bryson and Rose, and the potential fall-out as Rose continues to struggle with issues of trust, issues that would threaten when Bryson’s past returns.

The world building follows several paths including Rose’s struggle with a past betrayal. From heart break to professional suicide, Rose refused to open her heart to love, but most especially, to take a chance on a career move into something she wanted more. Bryson Robinson knew immediately Rose was the woman with whom he wanted to spend his life, and went about seducing not only her family but everyone involved.

The relationship between Bryson and Rose begins as a one night stand in which Bryson woke alone. Rose struggled with her attraction to a man she believed would destroy her heart, while Bryson battled between his career and the woman he knew he had to pursue. The $ex scenes are intimate and passionate without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

There is a large ensemble cast of colorful, frenetic and lively secondary and supporting characters including most of Rose’s extended family, whose craziness and love of life was overwhelming and fun.

DARING ENOUGH is a story of family and friendships, betrayal and heart break, acceptance and love. The premise is captivating and heartwarming ; the characters are humorous, sassy, animated and honest; the romance is seductive and decadent.

Click HERE for Sandy’s review of BRAVE ENOUGH

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

Kelly Elliott is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling contemporary romance author. Her bestselling works include, Wanted, Broken, Lost Love, and Never Enough, to name a few.

Kelly lives in central Texas with her husband, Gus, her chocolate lab, four cats, and endless wildlife creatures. When she’s not writing, Kelly enjoys reading and spending time with her family.

To find out more about Kelly and her books, you can find her through her website.
www.kellyelliottauthor.com

Connect with Kelly

Website | https://www.kellyelliottauthor.com
Goodreads | https://bit.ly/34ucSHq
Amazon | https://amzn.to/2Efkcwa
Facebook | https://bit.ly/32jyBPP
Facebook Group | https://bit.ly/2ElCLyG
Instagram | https://bit.ly/3lg6ERJ
Bookbub | https://bit.ly/3j3ynTA
Pinterest | https://bit.ly/34ualwY
Newsletter | https://bit.ly/32gz70W

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Tango (Dark Water 4) by JL Drake-review tour

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Tango (Dark Water 4) by JL Drake-review tour

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO /Apple

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date November. 21, 2023

Major Ty Beckett

A ghost returned with one of our own.
A rescue has been made.

Ivy and I fight to stay strong while the team leans on one another and goodbyes are laid to rest.
Missing pieces to an old puzzle form a picture that will send a shockwave through the house.

I return for one last mission on familiar ground to bring justice to light.
Then I focus on one of the biggest fights Blackstone will ever face.

We call in every favor we are owed because it’s time for revenge.

Eric Noah

I am a ghost with a recognizable face racing to cross the border unseen.

Once on home soil, I’m met with confusion and doubt.
There’s a lot to explain.

I gather information and continue to watch those who feared me.
Secrets spill as tempers rise and the truths start to surface.

I can’t change the past, but I can help mend the future.

•••••

REVIEW:TANGO is the fourth instalment in JL Drake’s contemporary, adult DARK WATER romantic suspense series, a spin off series, interconnected with the author’s BLACKSTONE and BROKEN worlds. This is the continuing story of Major Ty Beckett, and psychiatrist Dr. Ivy Knight. TANGO should not be read as a stand alone as it picks up after the events of books two and three WHISKEY and ALPHA, referencing numerous past missions and plot lines, as well as focusing on the embattled relationship between Lexi and Keith (ESCAPE: Blackstone series 2), and the appearance of someone long thought dead.

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

Told from several first person perspectives including Ty, Ivy and Paul, following several paths using present day and memories from the past, TANGO follows in the aftermath of an undercover operation in Mexico where everything spirals out of control. Working undercover in an effort to rescue the most vulnerable from the human trafficking rings in Mexico, several members of Dark Water find themselves struggling in the aftermath of betrayal and vengeance, where one of their own will not survive.

Meanwhile, Major Ty Beckett has proclaimed his love for psychiatrist Dr. Ivy Knight but Ty has unfinished business in Afghanistan, and is desperate to retrieve that which he lost. As the team at Dark Water mourn the loss of one of their own, the reappearance of an another may threaten all sense of trust going forward.

The world building is complex, detailed and therefore, I strongly recommend reading the series in order, as well as the interconnected books. The overarching premise of the Dark Water series is dependant upon knowing about previous events and character involvement in the other series, as well as the building conflict throughout the current timeline.

The relationship between Ty and Ivy continues to grow. Ivy struggles with her attraction to Ty but a proclamation of love and forever pushes our couple together, only to see Ivy struggle with Ty’s need to return to Afghanistan.

There is a large ensemble cast of colorful, energetic and charismatic characters, all of whom we have met, once again, throughout the interconnected series. Some will die, some will return, others will be betrayed by the people they know.

TANGO is a story of betrayal and vengeance, power and control, secrets and lies, love and lost, friendships, relationships and family. The premise is heart breaking, emotional and captivating; the romance is seductive; the characters are energetic, dynamic and determined.

Click HERE for Sandy’s review of ALPHA

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

J.L. Drake is a bestselling author with multiple series published in several different countries. The Broken Trilogy is her best seller, and her next series, Quiet Mafia, has the same kind of homey feel sprinkled with some yummy darkness. 

She was born and raised in Nova Scotia, Canada, later moving to southern California. Though she loves the weather in Cali, she would sell her left kidney for a good rainstorm. Jodi’s love of the seasons back home in Canada definitely put in an appearance in her books.

When she’s not writing, you can often find her sitting somewhere along the coast of Huntington Beach, reading, or at home curled up on a couch with her two children and husband, binge watching Marvel movies.  

SOCIAL MEDIA: Website / Goodreads / Facebook /  Instagram/

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TAINTED PROMISE (Tainted Kings 2) by Senna Kincaid-review tour

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TAINTED PROMISE (Tainted Kings 2) by Senna Kincaid-review tour

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk / Amazon.au / B&N / KOBO / Apple /

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

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date November 20, 2023

A contract signed with blood, two lives forever intertwined with the stroke of a pen.

Vanna Volkov always knew she’d never have a normal life, no matter how much she longed for it. She was born into a world where the only way out was six feet under.

To end a war, her father signs a marriage contract, binding her to a man she‘s never met.

Gabriel Olysses is a member of the biggest crime family in Chicago. And he’s prepared to do whatever it takes to ensure they stay at the top. Even if it means entering into an arranged marriage.

But what he isn’t prepared for is someone as seductive as Vanna. And what started out as an arrangement soon turns into more.

Has she finally found salvation, or is her nightmare only beginning? Because in their lives, until death do you part is an oath to live by.

••••••

REVIEW: TAINTED PROMISE is the second instalment in Senna Kincaid’s contemporary, adult TAINTED KINGS dark, erotic, Mafia romance series-a spin off from the author’s LOCKED SECURITY series. This is thirty year old, Gabriel Olysses, and twenty-one year old, Vanna Volkov’s story line. TAINTED PROMISE can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story line is revealed where necessary.

NOTE: TAINTED PROMISE is the re-release of the original book GABRIEL by Sarah Peis.

Due to the nature of the story line premise, there will be triggers for more sensitive readers.

Told from dual first person perspectives (Vanna and Gabriel) TAINTED PROMISE focuses on the arrange marriage between our leading couple. Vanna Volkov has been sold to the Olysses’ family in an effort to end the war between the Russians and the Greeks but Vanna has never met her intended groom, a man who treats Vanna like the dirt beneath his shoes. Left alone for days at a time, Vanna is forced to betray her new husband, a betrayal that will end with Vanna battling for her life. As Gabriel struggles between head and heart with his attraction to his new bride, a leak in the organization points a finger at someone close. What ensues is the building but acrimonious relationship between Vanna and Gabriel, and the potential fall-out when Vanna discovers she has gone from the proverbial frying pan into the fire, and may not survive the actions of everyone involved.

The world building continues to focus on the tight knit, powerful Olysses family. The patriarch is recovering from an attempt on his life, and the family is hunting for the people responsible. As Vanna struggles with a new direction in life, betrayal will come at a cost, a cost to her life.

The relationship between Vanna and Gabriel is an arranged marriage. Tempestuous at best, Gabriel is rarely home, abandoning his wife until her presence is necessary. Neither one was accepting of their organized marriage but without her partner, Vanna suspected her life would be very lonely, dangerous and dark. The $ex scenes are intimate and passionate without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

The secondary and supporting characters include the return of Gabriel’s brothers: Liam and his wife Quinn, Jude, and sister Freya Olysses, their parents Althea and Constancine Olysses, as well as Vanna’s father and head of the Russian Bratva Aleksandr Volkov. We are introduced to Gabriel’s housekeeper Cleo, and Vanna’s friend Caspar. The requisite evil is a familiar face. Jude’s story line is next.

TAINED PROMISE is a story of betrayal and vengeance, power and control, abuse and torture, forgiveness and love. The fast paced, character driven premise is heart breaking, emotional and intriguing; the characters are broken, struggling but trying to heal; the romance is seductive and impassioned.

Click HERE for Sandy’s review of book one TAINTED KINGS

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

Come to the dark side, we have cookies

Books are my passion and I have always been an avid reader. Sneaking my mom’s romance books when I was too young to read them turned into a lifelong obsession.

And now I not only read kissing books, I also get to write them. Dark romance and romantic suspense have always been favourites of mine to read, and I hope you enjoy the worlds and characters in my books as much as I love creating them.

I currently live in a small town in Victoria, Australia, with the love of my life, our two little humans and two fur babies.

Connect with Senna Kincaid:

Website/ Facebook/ Facebook Group/ Instagram

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Merry Little Heartbreak by Stella Holt-a review

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Merry Little Heartbreak (Legacy of the Maguires 5) by Stella Holt-review

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO / Google Play

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date November 14, 2023

This year, they’re unwrapping the truth for Christmas…

Drake Maguire’s first love dumped him right before they were to move cross country for medical school. Now he’s made a name for himself as a plastic surgeon to LA’s wealthiest, even if it bores him. But this Christmas, he returns home to Virginia to pitch in at the same hospital as his ex. Could this be a restart for his career and his heart?

Margo Monroe can’t believe her bad luck. December should be a time to string twinkle lights and stockings in her ER, but instead, she’s dodging Drake’s questions and her urge to run her fingers through his hair. Yes, they broke each other’s hearts last time—yet perhaps throwing in the towel was a mistake.

But flirting leads to more than just words, and Margo needs her head in the game if she wants to expand her career in the new year. Are their emotions merely on call for the holidays, or is this attraction a symptom of something far merrier?

•••••

REVIEW: MERRY LITTLE HEARTBREAK is the fifth instalment in Stella Holt’s contemporary, adult LEGACY OF THE MAGUIRES erotic, romance series. This is plastic surgeon Dr. Drake Maquire, and ER physician Margo Monroe’s story line. MERRY LITTLE HEARTBREAK can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story lines is revealed where necessary.

Told from omniscient third person perspectives (Margo and Drake) MERRY LITTLE HEARTBREAK follows the second chance romance and relationship between our story line couple. Margo Monroe and Drake Maguire were high school and college sweethearts but weeks before heading to UCLA medical school Margo broke off their relationship, breaking Drake’s heart in the process. Fast forward twelve years, Dr. Drake Maguire is a visiting plastic surgeon at Mercy Hospital in Alexandria Virginia where he will come face to face with his past in the guise of ER physician Margo Monroe. Margo wants nothing to do with the man she once loved, a man who continues to struggle with the how and why. Accepting a rotation in the emergency department, Drake will work side by side with the woman he still loves, hoping for a second chance at a happily ever after. What ensues is the rebuilding romance and relationship between Margo and Drake, and the potential fall-out as Drake’s time in Virginia comes to a close.

The world building focuses on the acrimonious relationship, and fall-out between two people who has planned their future together but something went wrong, and Margo refused to move, leaving Drake Maguire heart broken and dejected.

The relationship between Margo and Drake is one of second chances; a rekindling romance in which Drake is hoping for a another chance but Margo is quick to blame Drake for everything that went wrong. As our couple work together in the hospital ER, Drake will quickly discover that everything is not as it had appeared to be. The $ex scenes are intimate and passionate without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

The colorful secondary and supporting characters include several medical personnel, as well as Drake’s parents, and his brother Ian, and Margo’s sister Izzy.

MERRY LITTLE HEARTBREAK is a story of misunderstanding and miscommunication, love and loss, second chances and happily ever after. The premise is inviting and imaginative; the characters are animated and spirited but Margo was difficult to like in the early pages; the romance is moving and tender.

Reading Order and Previous reviews
Last First Kiss
Battle of Hearts
Strictly Off Limits
Love and Order

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

Follow: Website/ / Goodreads/ Amazon author page/ Instagram

Author of your next binge-worthy romance series, Stella has been plotting sexy, tear-jerker stories since she was old enough to hold a pencil. Born a Georgia peach, Stella loves all things country but calls the beach home. Most days she can be found drinking too much coffee, collecting lipstick she forgets to wear, and baking.

Stella’s first series featuring first responders debuts in 2023.

Newsletter: https://bit.ly/StellaMail

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A Wish for Christmas by Courtney Cole-review & giveaway

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A Wish for Christmas by Courtney Cole-review & giveaway

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 November 14, 2023

Two weeks ’til Christmas…

Noel Blake is not in a great place. After several years of marriage, she and her husband Jonah are quietly drifting apart. The only time they really talk at all anymore is when they walk their dog, Elliott. And even then it usually ends in bickering.

When, one snowy day, Elliott manages to slip his leash, they find him blocks away in the care of a mysterious old man who asks them to make a wish on an old snow globe. Eager to get their dog safely home, they agree to his strange request. Neither one realizes that the wish they’re about to make will change the course of their lives… possibly forever.

When Noel and Jonah wake up the next morning, they’re in separate beds, separate apartments, separate lives. But are they any happier? As they live the existences they’d always wished for, both feel that something very important is missing. And when a chance encounter brings the pair back together, they find they have a spark of something very special.

Will they be able to find their way back to each other before it’s too late, or does the Christmas Magic have another fate in store?

••••

REVIEW:A WISH FOR CHRISTMAS by Courtney Cole is a contemporary, adult, slightly paranormal, story of women’s fiction focusing on struggling married couple Jonah and Noel Blake.

Told from dual first person perspectives Jonah and Noel, A WISH FOR CHRISTMAS follows in the wake of a mutual wish on a magical snow globe. Jonah and Noel Blake’s marriage is at an impasse; both of them concentrating on their own careers but neither one considering the next phase of their relationship. A visit to a quaint antique shop finds our couple opening their hearts to a lonely old man, a man who may be more than they could have ever imagined. A gift of a snow globe, and a secret wish that they had never met finds our couple waking the next day as strangers, two people whose sense of deja-vu and a visit back home begins a life anew, a life where they will get to know one another more than twenty years after they first met.

A WISH FOR CHRISTMAS is a slow building, magical holiday story line about second chances, focusing on two people torn between their careers, and the family that never will be. A mutual trip to their home town of Winter Falls comes with the advantage of growth and experience but secrets about the past begin to reveal a different sense of worth, and an emotional family history.

We are introduced to Noel’s parents, Jonah’s father, as well as Jonah’s best friend Jace, his ailing mother Izzy; Ellliott and Mazie. Noel’s father Rich is butting heads with Jonah’s father Judd, both of whom want and see something different for Winter Falls, a competition for Mayor, and the renewal of Christmas traditions.

A WISH FOR CHRISTMAS is a story within a story; a familiar tale of family and loss, grief and forgiveness, acceptance and love. The premise is sweet and captivating; the romance is subtle-there are no $ex scenes; the characters are struggling, but sassy and determined.

 

Copy supplied by Netgalley

Reviewed by Sandy

Social Media: Amazon Author/ Goodreads/ Website / Blog /Facebook /Twitter

Courtney Cole is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling novelist who loves to eat your emotions for breakfast.

She believes in the power of blonde hair dye and red lipstick, and that a well-timed smile can save the world.

Courtney Cole’s publisher HARPER COLLINS/ Avon books is offering a paper copy of  A WISH FOR CHRISTMAS  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. Please LIKE/FOLLOW The Reading Cafe on FACEBOOK and then click GET NOTIFICATION under ‘liked’ for an additional entry.

4. Please LIKE and FOLLOW Courtney Cole on FACEBOOK for an additional entry.

5. Please LIKE and follow HARPER COLLINS  on FACEBOOK for an additional entry.

5. 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 open to USA only

9. Giveaway runs from November 19-23, 2023

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A Temporary Memory (Oil Knights 2) by Marie Johnston-review tour

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A Temporary Memory (Oil Knights  2) by Marie Johnston-review tour

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 November 16, 2023

Nannying two adorable kids was a way to support myself until I got on my feet again. I wasn’t supposed to fall for their stern single dad.

After a sudden, bad breakup, I land in a small town in the middle of nowhere, cut off from all my accounts and resources. I have a stalled dancing career, a mom in long-term care, and no money.

Then I meet Alcott “Cody” Knight. The type of guy I’ve learned to steer clear of—driven, rigid, and devastating in a suit. Only he also has two adorable kids, and he needs a nanny for the summer.

For two months, he’ll pay more than I need to help my mom and myself. For two months, I’ll take care of his kids, give them dance lessons, and see what a normal life could be like. For two months, I have to try not to fall for a guy who’s hotter in jeans and cowboy boots than in a suit and treats me like I matter.

But my stay was only ever for a few months, to get back on my feet so I can get my life back. I might be used to leaving, but I can’t stop wishing Cody and I could be more than a temporary memory.

•••••••

REVIEW: A spin off series from her “Oil Kings” Series, these are cousins/family of the original series. You don’t need to read the previous series, nor the previous book to enjoy this one.

“A Temporary Memory” is a small town/single dad/slow burn romance that I’ve come to love from this author.

Tova is a burlesque dancer, but life is on hold at the moment…. What with her love life down the toilet and her dancing career taking a tumble! Oh! And don’t forget her ill health mother! Her finances won’t let her rest for too, so taking a nanny job seems to be the best option whist she figures out her life…..

Cody Knight desperately needs help.
(Can’t help but think of Captain Von Trapp in the Sound of Music movie) how unbending and strict he is, he loves his kids, but doesn’t really know how to show it!

Almost from the start there is a spark between them, but Tova can’t get entangled with emotions again, and it’s only a temporary job. You can almost see from the start there will be sparks, but it takes time to fan the flames ?
I loved the scenes where Tova teaches dance, it shows how much she enjoys dancing and the author puts real passion and thought into those scenes.

I really liked how Cody changed from rigid father, to someone the kids could call daddy and want to spend time with. Is that Tova’s influence, I’m sure it is, considering how he was in the start of the book!
The small town is beautifully written about, you could easily imagine walking the streets.
All the additional characters are added with care and thought. (Nothing worse than throwing in people when they aren’t needed!)
Pace was steady and never felt rushed or packed out with useless information.

Yes, it does follow the usual route, but as I said, this author adds something to her stories that will have you wanting the pages never ending ?

A highly recommended read if you love this genre.

Click here for Julie’s review of book one A RECKLESS MEMORY

? Reviewed by Julie B

Copy supplied for review

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Marie Johnston is a RITA® Finalist, and a best-selling and award-winning writer of paranormal and contemporary romance – and an avid reader of them both.

Several years ago, when kids started outnumbering adults in the house, Marie Johnston left her job as a public health microbiologist to stay at home. Settling into working part-time and shuttling kids around gave Marie the opportunity to think about what she wanted to be when she grew up. A die-hard science geek, she explored her previously thought to be non-existent creative side after much time spent making snowman crafts and coloring princesses. Having entertained thoughts of writing a book one day then subsequently deciding it would be too hard, she finally put the figurative pen to paper and began to type – and fell in love with storytelling.

The Sigma Menace is the first series by Marie with Fever Claim being her first book EVER. She is humbled by the fact that people are willing to read to her books and looks forward to keeping readers entertained for many years.

Marie lives with her husband and four kids in the Upper Midwest where the summers are gorgeous, the winters are brutal, and spring and fall are luxuries.

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