Puppy Kisses by Lucy Gilmore – Review, Excerpt & Giveaway

Puppy Kisses by Lucy Gilmore – Review, Excerpt & Giveaway

 

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Description:
These adorable service puppies
are matchmakers in the making…

Dawn Vasquez never takes life too seriously. But when she rescues a golden retriever named Gigi, Dawn begins to imagine what it’d be like to settle down and let someone rely on her for a change. Unfortunately, Adam Dearborn–a handsome, hopelessly buttoned-up cattle rancher in need of a guide dog–has also fallen in love with the little ball of fluff and stubbornly insists that no other animal will do.

Adam isn’t sure what drives him to fight to keep Gigi for himself, but he suspects it has something to do with his growing–and unfortunate–attachment to Dawn. Her whirlwind spirit and sunny disposition might make her a delight to be around, but they also make her unsuited for the difficult life of a rancher. He should be able to put her out of his head. But what’s a love-struck cowboy to do when what he wants and what he needs have never seemed so far apart? And can he allow himself to take a chance on everything Dawn has to offer: puppy kisses, puppy love…and her.

Forever Home Series:
Puppy Love (Book 1)
Puppy Christmas (Book 2)
Puppy Kisses (Book 3)

 

 

Review:

Puppy Kisses by Lucy Gilmore is the 3rd book in her fun enjoyable Forever Home series.  Dawn Vasquez, our heroine, is the middle sister, of the three sisters who run Puppy Promise, a service puppy training school.  The story begins with Dawn, and her friend, Zeke, rescuing an abused, chained, sickly, starving puppy golden retriever, and escaping from the terrible dog owner.  The local sheriff stops them for speeding, and they falsely explain they are bringing the puppy to Zeke’s brother, Adam.

Adam Dearborn, our hero, runs the Dearborn ranch with Zeke and his sister, Phoebe.  When the sheriff follows through about the puppy, Adam does go along with the ruse, and has the local veterinarian visit to check on the poor puppy.  But Adam decides to keep the puppy, much to Dawn’s chagrin (she was planning to nurse the puppy back to health and be her pet), but Adam loves to push Dawn’s buttons and keeps Gigi, even if the puppy is not meant to be a service dog.

Adam and Dawn have been attracted to one another, but neither looks at this being a permanent relationship, especially as they are night and day opposites.  Adam is serious, organized and totally dedicated to his ranch and his family.  Dawn is the wildly fun-loving free spirit opposite, always bubbly and pushing herself into everyone’s lives.  Dawn will bring ‘Uncle’ a great Dane to the ranch to prove to Adam that this is the dog that is trained to help him, but Adam, realizing that the great dane was perfect for him, he still refused to give up Gigi.  I really did enjoy the antics between Dawn and Adam, though early on it was a bit frustrating; as Adam felt that Dawn was not meant to a dull life on a ranch, and did his best to try and stay clear from Dawn, even if he was beginning to fall hard for her.

Puppy Kisses was another sweet, fun heartwarming story, with a great couple, fantastic secondary characters, such as Lila, Sophie, Zeke, Phoebe, Bea, Marcia.  But most of all, I absolutely adored Gigi, who as she recovered from her ordeal, fell in love with both Adam and Dawn, not to mention Uncle.  Those moments with the dogs was so much fun, and smiles.

Puppy Kisses was so very well written by Lucy Gilmore. The three sisters were wonderful heroines, and I loved how close they were to each other.  If you love puppies, and a sweet romance, you need to be reading this series.  I for one enjoyed all three of the books in this series. 

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

 

Mentioning her lips had to have been some kind of tactic. Just the word—lips—had him remembering their shape and size, the way the bottom one was so much plumper than the top, how good they felt when pressed against his bare skin. She always warned him to scrub hard before he met up with any other women, since she left a trail of lipstick all over his body.
He wasn’t seeing any other women, but there was no way he was telling her that. She already had him under her spell. He didn’t need to be under her power as well.
“Thank you for the offer,” he said tightly. “But I already like—”
“—the one you can’t have,” Dawn finished for him. She was definitely closer now, the unmistakable nonscent of her mixing with the hay and dirt to whirl his senses. “That seems to be a sort of thing with you, doesn’t it?”
He ran his hands through his hair, since it seemed suddenly important that he do something with them. It was also important to do something with this situation. If he let her continue like this, unchecked and uninhibited, there was good chance neither one of them was getting any work done today.
“As I recall, I’ve had you plenty of times already,” he said, a challenge in his voice. “In fact, I bet I could have you right here and now.”
Adam didn’t know if he was the one who’d drawn closer to her or if she’d stepped up to him, but there was no longer anything between them. Not a puppy, not air, definitely not common sense. The jut of her breasts pressed softly against his chest, the toes of her shoes touching the tips of his work boots.
His hands suddenly decided they had minds of their own. Moving forward to clasp her around the waist, they touched silky fabric and heat and a patch of skin where her shirt didn’t quite reach her waistband. That alone should have been enough to stop him—what kind of a person wore a tiny, silken shirt to a working ranch?—but of course he didn’t. That touch of skin set off something inexplicable inside him.
It always did. That was the problem. Words could be ignored and the sound of her laughter pressed deep down inside him, but one graze of his fingertips on her body and he was lost.
“I’ve always wanted to have sex on a pile of hay,” Dawn said, calling his bluff. She arched into his touch, allowing his hand to slide up her back. He encountered nothing but soft skin and the gentle curve of her spine, both of which promised more of the same, should he give in and really cop a feel. Which was tempting for a lot of reasons, including the fact that Dawn was stacked in ways that seemed wholly against nature. “Surely there must be one or two of those in the barn we could try?”
“There are.” He brought his lips close to her ear, though he was careful not to press against the gently pounding pulse below it. The moment the kissing started, all other bets were off—including the one that had a Great Dane puppy at their feet and a golden retriever puppy napping under Phoebe’s desk. That was the one thing he knew for sure. Dawn had come out here with the sole intention of luring him into lowering his defenses, in using her incredible body and the promise of what it could do to get her own way. She wanted Methuselah, and she’d stop at nothing to get her.
Well, two could play that way. In fact, he was becoming something of an expert at this particular game.
“We could slip in there right now, and no one would know where we are,” he murmured. Dawn arched her neck to give him better access, but he didn’t kiss, didn’t touch. Only teased. “I could throw you into the biggest stack of hay and rip this tiny scrap of a shirt from your body.”
A slight, guttural sound indicated how much she liked the direction this conversation was going. Typical. With Dawn, the anticipation, the clandestine nature of their meetings, was half the fun.
Who was he kidding? Where that woman was concerned, it was probably all the fun.
“No one will think to look for us for hours,” he added, still in that low, crooning voice. “It’ll just be me and you, our bodies slick with sweat.”
Dawn’s hips pressed against his, her arms coiling around his neck so that her entire body could melt against him. This was how she always struck, coiled and soft and yielding.
So he struck back.
“Well, that and the snakes.”
Instead of pulling back, Dawn only laughed and clasped her hands tighter around his neck. “Good thing I happen to like snakes,” she said. Her mouth brushed lightly against his, fluttering like a pair of butterfly wings. “Like the alligators, they make such nice shoes. Purses too.”
Even though Adam’s body thrummed with anticipation, burning hot in all the places it touched hers, he kept his tone level. “We also get the occasional badger, even though they’re pretty rare in these parts. Rats are almost a certainty.”
“Why, Adam Dearborn, are you trying to sweet-talk me?”
No, dammit. He was trying to do the exact opposite. Why did this woman refuse to act like a normal human being? She should run at the mention of rats, not press her hips against his until he ached.
“I’m just making sure you know what you’re getting into, that’s all,” he said. His voice sounded strained to his own ears. “Things can get pretty nasty out here in the wilderness.”
“That’s funny,” she purred. “So can I.”
***

Excerpted from Puppy Kisses by Lucy Gilmore. © 2020 by Lucy Gilmore.
Used with permission of the publisher, Sourcebooks Casablanca, an imprint of Sourcebooks, Inc.
All rights reserved.

 

 

 

Lucy Gilmore is a contemporary romance author with a love of puppies, rainbows, and happily ever afters. She began her reading (and writing) career as an English literature major and ended as a die-hard fan of romance in all forms. When she’s not rolling around with her two Akitas, she can be found hiking, biking, or with her nose buried in a book. Visit her online at http://lucygilmore.com. She lives in the Spokane, WA area.

Author Website: http://lucygilmore.com.

 

 

 


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It’s A Wonderful Midlife Crisis by Robyn Peterman-Review tour

It’s A Wonderful Midlife Crisis (Good To The Last Death #1) by Robyn Peterman-Review tour

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date February 16, 2020

A Paranormal Women’s Fiction with a bit of class, and a lot of sass, for anyone who feels like age is just a number!

Whoever said life begins at forty must have been heavily medicated, drunk, or delusional.

Thirty-nine was a fantastic year. I was married to the man I loved. I had a body that worked without creaking. My grandma, who raised me, was still healthy, and life was pretty damned good.

But as they say, all good things come to an end. I’d honestly love to know who ’they’ are and rip them a new one.

One year later, I’m a widow. My joints are starting to ache. Gram is in the nursing home, and dead people think my home is some kind of supernatural bed and breakfast. Gluing body parts onto semi-transparent people has become a side job—deceased people I’m not even sure are actually there. I think they need my help, but since I don’t speak dead, we’re having a few issues.

To add to the heap of trouble, there’s a new dangerously smokin’ hot lawyer at the firm who won’t stop giving me the eye. My BFF is
thrilled with her new frozen face, thanks to her plastic surgeon, her alimony check, and the miracle of Botox. And then there’s the little conundrum that I’m becoming way too attached to my ghostly squatters… Like Cher, I’d like to turn back time. Now.

No can do.

Whatever. I have wine, good friends, and an industrial sized box of superglue. What could possibly go wrong?

Everything, apparently.

All in all, it’s shaping up to be a wonderful midlife crisis…

••••••••

REVIEW:IT’S A WONDERFUL MIDLIFE CRISIS is the first instalment in Robyn Peterman’s contemporary, adult GOOD TO THE LAST DEATH paranormal, women’s fiction story line focusing on forty year old, paralegal Daisy.

Told from first person perspective (Daisy) IT’S A WONDERFUL MIDLIFE CRISES follows paralegal Daisy as she traverses the world of the recently departed. Daisy is a widow whose fortieth birthday brought with it the ability for our heroine to see the dead. One year earlier Daisy’s husband died in a motor vehicle accident, and in the ensuing year Daisy struggled to move on with her life. The appearance of numerous animated but ghostly cadavers finds our heroine at a crossroads in both her personal and professional life when she discovers that she is not the only one in her circle with the ability to work with the dead. A bitchy boss who has taken a dislike to our heroine is in opposition to the presence of a sexy new lawyer who is determined to make Daisy his own, a determination that threatens the people she loves. With the help of her aging grandmother, Daisy learns she is a ‘death counselor’, and her friends and co-workers are the Grim Reaper, Angel of Mercy and the Arbitrator between heaven and h*ll, a group of people who are at odds with one another, both in and out of the business of death. Daisy quickly discovers the reason for the growing number of decaying ghosts in her house, and the realization that there are much stronger and nastier forces waiting to take her down.

IT’S A WONDERFUL MIDLIFE CRISIS is a fun story with a sassy and snarky heroine who believes she is alone as she counsels the dead but realization comes quickly that Daisy is but a one of many in the world between life and death. With her tight-knit group of friends, co-workers and a new love interest, Daisy sets out to right a wrong, and must acknowledge her own past, and forgive the man she once loved. IT’S A WONDERFUL MIDLIFE CRISIS ends on a cliff hanger-you have been warned.

I will add that I felt somewhat disconnected reading the book. There is limited back story and little to no information regarding the heroine’s new abilities as someone who is able to see and talk to ghosts-it’s as though the reader is thrown into the middle of the book without explanation-even her grandmother’s comments about their ability is blunt and lacks any detail.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

Whose Midlife Crisis Is It Anyway?
Good to the Last Death Book 2

Midlife’s a journey. Enjoy the ride. Crisis included.

Never knew that life after death was far more dangerous than real life.

Never in my forty years did I think my new normal would be gluing body parts back onto ghosts and hosting a houseful of dead squatters. Thank God for superglue and a strong stomach.

Never thought I’d date the Grim Reaper and that I would be the one to blow it. I mean, how idiotic does one have to be to get dumped by a dude who lives in Hell?

Going about business as usual is not usual in any way. No one is who they seem to be… and to be honest, neither am I. What I’d known to be true has turned out to be myth. The Angels are frightening and the Demons are hot. Wait. I mean not. Who am I kidding? The Grim Reaper is very hot—like a freaking pre-menopausal hot flash hot.

Now I’m in a race against time and all sorts of unsavory supernatural horrors to save my deceased gay husband’s afterlife. And that was a sentence I never thought would leave my lips.

Whatever. I’ll yank up my big girl panties, stock up on wine and lean on my girlfriends as needed. As they say, when the going gets tough, the tough get inebriated… or something like that.

With everything to lose, I have no choice but to grow some lady balls. That I can do. I just hope balls will be enough.

I had planned to live midlife in peace, not in pieces.
Good luck to me…

Goodreads * Amazon

___________

A Most Excellent Midlife Crisis
Good to the Last Death Book 3

Midlife’s a bumpy journey. The ride is a freaking rollercoaster. The crisis is real.

With my life back to normal–normal being a very relative word–one would think I’d catch a break.

One would be very wrong.

With an Angel gunning for me and a Demon in my bed, life couldn’t be more complicated. Not to mention, I’m going to have to make a rather large life choice.

Do I want to live forever?

Does anyone? Forever is a very long time.

Whatever. I’ll think about it tomorrow… or next week… or next month. As long as I have my girlfriends, my dogs, a super-sized case of merlot and my deceased squatters, I’m good to go.

My midlife crisis. My rules. If it doesn’t kill me dead first, I plan to have a most excellent midlife crisis.

Goodreads * Amazon

Chapter 1
“No. Way. Are you freaking serious?” I screamed as I flattened myself against the wall of my laundry room with a thud, trying not to hyperventilate. “There’s a hand in the laundry basket. There’s a hand in the laundry basket. There’s a hand in the damn laundry basket.”
Sliding carefully along the wall so the unattached appendage didn’t jump out and grab me, I eased my way out of the tiny room and sprinted to the kitchen. It had a door that led outside, just in case the hand was up to no good.
Wait. What kind of good could a lone hand in a basket of dirty laundry be up to?
No good. That’s what kind of good a companionless hand could be up to.
“I’m nuts,” I muttered, closing my eyes and pressing my fingers to my temples. Forty was supposed to be the new thirty, according to all the magazines. If this was forty, I was going to take a pass. I’d only been forty for three hours and it was already seriously bad. The solitary hand was the rancid icing on top of a really crappy birthday cake.
Pacing my kitchen and keeping my eyes peeled for more random body parts, I spotted the empty coffee container and almost cried. Handling the ridiculously absurd while un-caffeinated was not going to end well.
“I don’t have the energy for this right now,” I told no one in particular, since I was alone. “Who did I screw over in a former life that I’m dealing with this shit?”
Unfortunately, I’d been seeing semi-corporeal versions of dead people for a few weeks. I’d become the kid from the Sixth Sense except that was a movie and this was real life… and my dead people did not look like Bruce Willis.
Up until now, all my deceased buddies had done was stare and laugh—or so I’d thought. There was nothing quite like being the butt of a cadaver’s joke… that was, if the hand was a joke and not a warning that I was going to be six feet under soon.
“Isn’t it enough that you freaks follow me around? Now you’re leaving body parts in my dirty clothes? For God’s sake, today’s my birthday and this behavior is totally unacceptable. I almost puked. And let me tell you something,” I bellowed to the empty kitchen. “If I’d thrown up because one of you idiots thought it would be hilarious to put a hand in with my dirty panties, you’d be cleaning that mess up. Are we clear here?”
Of course, there was no answer. There was never an answer. They didn’t speak—just silently accompanied me to the grocery store and around my house. They were very partial to reality shows. I’d started leaving the television on all night so they didn’t wander into my bedroom while I slept. Thankfully they hadn’t discovered where I worked yet. However, I had no doubt that was coming soon.
“Come on, you guys. It wasn’t funny.” Maybe reasoning with them would work. Hell, I didn’t know if they were real or if I was imagining them. There was a fifty-fifty chance I’d lost my mind. “I think I’ve been pretty nice about letting you stay here rent-free. I don’t deserve to be given a heart attack at seven in the morning.”
Again, no answer.
Again, maybe I was nuts.
Was there even a hand in my laundry basket? Maybe it was a fleshy, skin-colored winter glove. Since it was October and I lived in Georgia it was doubtful. Not to mention, I didn’t own any fleshy, skin-colored winter gloves. I had a little more fashion sense than that. Until I had my iced coffee with an extra-large squirt of chocolate syrup, I wasn’t going to test the theory.
Pleasant. I’d be pleasant. A nice conversational tone might prevent another gag-inducing prank… or not. “Okay, I’m going to eat and leave the house. Whoever left their hand in the laundry room needs to remove it before I get home or I’m going to…”
What the heck was I going to do with a disembodied hand? Should I put it in the freezer? Should I bury it? Damn it, if I buried it, did I have to do it at the cemetery on hallowed ground instead of my yard? It would suck up, down and sideways if it popped out of the ground during a backyard barbecue. What if I got busted at the graveyard for burying a hand and had to do time in the big house? God, the heinous consequences were endless.
Terrified to open my cabinets, I debated how hungry I was. Breakfast was the most important meal of the day, but if there were eyeballs next to my oatmeal, I’d have to check myself into the loony bin.
From out of nowhere, a partially translucent woman tore around my kitchen, wailing in like a banshee—and ironically, she was missing a hand. Had the weirdos been trying to kill each other? Wait. That made no sense whatsoever. They were already dead. The varying states of decay were a dead giveaway—pun intended.
“You have got to be kidding me,” I shrieked as I scrambled up onto the kitchen table in fear for my life.
Could I make it out the door and into my yard? Crap, I was still in my nightie and it was chilly today. Furthermore, what in the hell was I going to do outside? Call for help to get the handless dead woman out of my kitchen? Not too many choices here.
“Stop,” I shouted in the voice I’d learned to use during my self-defense class at the Y.
She did.
Now what?
The woman was trembling from head to toe. Where her hand should have been was just shredded skin—if you could call grayish papery-looking stuff skin. No blood at all. If she was alive in the normal sense of the word, I’d guess her age to be somewhere in her late sixties. She was attractive in a ghostly way.
“Did you, umm… lose your hand?  I asked, not quite believing I was conversing with someone I was fairly certain wasn’t there.
She simply stared and cocked her head to the side.
“Maybe you don’t speak English. Or maybe you were brain dead when you died so it isn’t functioning now that you’re not exactly alive. Or maybe you were mute in life… or maybe I’m insane,” I added for good measure as I cautiously got down off the table.
She came a little closer, and I jerked back. The rules were wildly unclear.
“Stay where you are,” I warned, holding up my hand and hoping she understood sign language. “If you promise not to body snatch me or eat me, I think I can help you out.
Still she said nothing as I carefully made my way to the laundry room to retrieve what I assumed was her hand.
“I’m using a bath towel that’s seen better days in case you’re a disease-carrying zombie.” Never in my life did I think I would utter those words in a sentence. “So, I’ll toss it to you in a sec.”
Surprisingly, my gag reflex didn’t kick in. Dead stuff usually set it off. However, she seemed so upset about her hand, I was okay. Strange. I approached her with extreme caution. I held out her hand, and she held out her stump.
Oh. Hell. No.
Did she want me to reattach it? How did you reattach something to what was little more than a ghost? Her hand felt real, and she looked real enough, even though I could see through parts of her.
“Here you go,” I said as I tried again to give her the towel-wrapped body part.
She wasn’t having it. She simply stood there with her arm extended and waited.
“I’m not a doctor. Not real sure what you want me to do.”
Her eyes were huge in the hollowed-out sockets—watery blue and filled with what I guessed were tears. I was tempted to take her in my arms and hug her, but I still wasn’t positive she wouldn’t take a chunk out of me.
“I suppose I could glue it back on,” I suggested hesitantly. I knew there was some superglue in the junk drawer. I had no clue if there was enough to glue a hand back on. “Superglue can hold a big fat guy attached by his hat to a steel girder, according to the commercial,” I told the woman as I put her hand on the table and searched the drawer. “It might work on your hand.”
Damn, I was a slob. The drawer was full of stuff I didn’t need. However, I did find my eyelash curler, a few tampons, last month’s electric bill and the superglue.
“Mmmkay,” I said, assessing the situation.
I was going to have to touch her to make this work. I was hoping to live longer than forty years, but if my time was up—it was up. Maybe all the dead people were hanging out to let me know I was soon to be a goner. It would be nice if I went out doing something kind for someone. Reattaching a dead woman’s hand wouldn’t have been my first choice, but it was the only one I had at the moment.
“Here goes nothing,” I mumbled as I bit down on my lip and covered the stump with the goopy glue.
She watched in fascination as I then picked up her hand and connected it to her stump.
“I think I have to put pressure on it for at least one minute for it to hold. I’m pretty sure that’s what the guy in the commercial did. But to be safe, we’ll do it for two.
She looked at me. I looked at her. The silence was awkward and loud. If I was imagining the bizarre exchange, I needed some help immediately. Twice I thought I should start a conversation to be polite. I was Southern. It was in my DNA.
“Today’s my birthday,” I told her with a weak smile that I was fairly sure resembled a grimace. I was still hoping she wasn’t going to bite me. I needed to stop watching zombie movies.
The woman kind of moan-grunted in response. Since my life might still be on the line, I nodded and thanked her. Feeling the need to smack myself in the head, I refrained. If I dropped her hand, all hell could break loose.
After what felt like two hours, the two minutes were up. I stepped back and waited for her hand to crash to the floor. It didn’t. She held it up and moved her fingers. I was shocked that the superglue worked on her tendons too. Wait. Attributing normal to the impossible was nuts—like me.
“Wow,” I said with a surprised laugh. “Can’t believe that worked. Does it hurt?
As expected, she said nothing that made any sense, but she did give me a smile before she faded away.
I sat down heavily on the kitchen chair and mentally went over what had just happened. It was outlandish and unreal, and I couldn’t even talk to anyone about it. I was on my own in Crazytown.
I supposed if there was anything to be thankful for, it was that she wasn’t a flesh-eating zombie. She was just a dead person with a problem and I’d solved it for her. Note to self… stop watching horror movies.
The knock at my door pulled me back from my screwy introspective thought. Who was here at seven in the morning? The ghosts never knocked. They just appeared when they felt like it. I peeked through the peephole and audibly sighed in agony.
It was Stan—my latest mistake. Actually, my only mistake in a seriously long stretch of celibacy, but definitely a mistake.
Getting back into the dating scene twelve months after Steve died was too soon. I wasn’t ready for it. However, the bottle of wine I’d consumed at Patsy’s Bar and Grill last night didn’t agree with my assessment—not that it was a date. It was a booty call that never should have happened. Ever. At least I didn’t stay the night. A walk of shame at three in the morning was far classier than when the sun was out.
I’d already done surgery on a dead woman. It wasn’t fair that I now had to deal with Stan.
Happy birthday to me…
“Hi Stan,” I said as I opened my door enough to be polite, but not far enough to invite him in.
“Hello Daisy, you’re looking lovely today,” he said with an overly confident smile on his handsome face.
Glancing down, I realized I was still barely dressed. I hopped behind the door and poked my head out.
“Stan, what can I do for you? It’s kind of early.”
“I’m really sorry about last night, Daisy,” Stan said without any hint of apology in his perfectly cultured voice. I was sure he’d dressed in the pink polo shirt and starched madras pants with painstaking care. “I can usually go longer than that.”
Kill me now.
“It was great,” I lied and gave him a smile that I prayed didn’t look like I was constipated.
Stan was a nice guy with a job. He was extremely good-looking and had the personality of a box of hair. What on earth had I been thinking? Actually, it was the merlot that had done my thinking for me. I was an idiot. Casual sex wasn’t in my wheelhouse. I knew better. And accountants in madras pants didn’t equate to good sex—or even good conversation.
“I was just wondering when we had intimate relations last night… Did you… umm?”
“No. No, I didn’t, but no worries,” I insisted politely while trying desperately to ignore all of the floating entities that had popped up to see the show. Stan had no idea six semi-corporeal strangers were standing behind him watching my mortifying life play out in full color. Far be it from me to clue him in. I knew I was going crazy. No one else needed that info.
“I’d be happy to, you know…” Stan said as he made the peace sign with two fingers and then shoved his tongue between them.
“Good God, no!” I shouted on a gag and then slapped my hand over my mouth as the slightly decaying old man hovering over Stan’s left shoulder laughed like a loon. “I’m good—really. I have to go visit my gram at the nursing home in a bit and then get to work.”
“Can I see you again?” Stan asked as he made sure his meticulously gelled hair was still in place.
It was.
“I think maybe we should just be friends,” I said diplomatically, considering all I wanted him to do was leave.
“Is it because I could only go for ten minutes?” he asked with a slightly perplexed frown on his ridiculously pretty face.
“Actually, it was two minutes,” I corrected him. “But it’s not that at all. It was a very energetic two minutes.”
“Thank you,” he replied with a satisfied smirk.
It was all I could do not to roll my eyes. The laughing dead dude rolled his buggy eyes for me and I almost giggled.
“Welcome. However, I’m not in the right place for a relationship right now. It’s not you. It’s me. You’re just too… umm… perfect for someone else. You deserve someone who likes to shop at preppy stores. I, you know, don’t want to hold you back, and I’m not good at math, so… ahh,” I stuttered, searching for more inane crap to spew. He wasn’t an asshole. He just wasn’t for me.
And I wasn’t ready for any of this. It wasn’t Stan’s fault. I had my own intimacy issues. However, it was all kinds of stupid to have gotten drunk and tried to work them out with someone who was less appealing than eating a full bag of plain rice cakes.
“I see what you mean,” Stan said as he nodded seriously then glanced over at me with pity. “While the sex was outstanding, I’m far smarter than you.”
“I’m sorry… what?”
Correction. He was a complete asshole.
The hanging specters didn’t like that one either. They flew around Stan like a freaking tornado. It was difficult to focus on the boring man on my porch with all the hoopla going on.
“Well, I do have two Masters and my CPA license. And you’re just an attractive widowed paralegal with a great rack,” he said in a socially acceptable, pleasant tone, clearly unaware he was an asshole.
There were several ways to handle the situation. One was to kill him, but I had too much going on to spend any time in prison for murder. Plus, I’d never killed anyone. My fortieth birthday wasn’t a good day to start a life of crime. This was a small town and I didn’t need that kind of reputation. The second was to escort him right out of my life.
I knew exactly how to do that.
“Stan, I’m going to suggest you leave before I tell you that you have a tiny penis and I wasn’t exactly sure we were having sex at all. You wear too much aftershave and if you’re going to manscape, you might want to have a go at your back. So, unless you want to hear all that, you’d better sprint your preppy, pencil-pushing ass off my porch.”
“Can I call you?” he asked through the closed door as I slammed it shut.
I didn’t grace the request with an answer. It was embarrassing and unbelievable that I’d spent even two minutes of time I couldn’t get back on a jackass with a mini man tool who thought he was smarter than me.
God, I missed Steve. I mean, we had our problems, but he wasn’t hairy.
I was done dating. Forever. Forty, widowed and single was starting to sound very good.
Now I just needed to deal with the visible to only me weirdos hanging out in my house. However, I had to give it to them. They were very supportive when Stan was talking smack.
After a full two and a half minutes of contemplative thought—which was thirty seconds longer than Stan’s performance last night—I decided to ignore my uninvited houseguests. I was completely out of coffee and the lack of caffeine made me slightly dangerous. I’d just go on with my day and block out the fact I was hanging on to my sanity by a thread.
***
“Turn it up, baby. Bob Barker mumbles and I won’t get the damn price right if I can’t hear the old coot,” Gram shouted from her bed as I slapped my hands over my ears and winced.
“Pot, kettle, black, old lady,” I muttered with a grin as I handed my beloved grandmother her hearing aids. “Try these. Bob’s on fire today.”
“Hate ’em,” she griped as she adjusted her bed so she was sitting more upright. “With those little nuggets in my ears, I can hear every damn sound in this here prison I’m in. Happy Birthday, my Daisy girl!”
“Thank you.” I kissed her wrinkled cheek and breathed in her sent—Ivory soap and dime store perfume. It was the best smell in the world. “You like the bed?”
“Love it. You’re my best girl,” she said with a wink as she smoothed the wild dark hair out of my face. “The love of my life.”
The bed had cost me almost three full paychecks and the nursing home had pitched a fit when I’d moved it in, but I’d prevailed. Gram called her new home a prison, but I was onto her. I knew she secretly loved it. She played poker several nights a week while lying in her new bed and from what I’d heard from the nurses, she was juggling three paramours at the moment.
The visual of my ninety-year-old grandmother with a man-friend was alarming. I pushed it to the section of my brain labeled don’t go there ever. To reprogram the disturbing images, I started folding Gram’s housecoats.
“The show is rigged and I think Bob’s had him a little nip and tuck. However, I wouldn’t kick him out of bed for eatin’ crackers,” she informed me and everyone within a five-mile radius.
“I just ate a banana, Gram. Can’t listen to you talking about getting horizontal with Bob Barker,” I said as I nonchalantly glanced around the room and peeked under the bed. Thankfully it was clear—no ghosts and no unattached appendages.
They’d been following me constantly and I wasn’t sure what they wanted. Terrified at first, I’d gotten used to them… kind of. I had no choice really. It was either accept that I’d become a dead-people magnet or buy a straitjacket and commit myself. Hell, I still wasn’t sure they were really there. The only thing I was certain of was that I was losing my marbles.
“Daisy, I can’t do it now cause all my programs are coming on, but I have some stuff you need to know before I become one with the earthworms,” Gram said as she put her hearing aids in and then pulled them right back out.
“You’re not dying anytime soon. If you leave me, I’m traveling straight to Hell and yanking your sorry deaf ass back up here.”
“Hell ain’t so bad. I got a condo with air conditioning reserved.” She cackled with glee until Bob came back on the tube and began describing the final showcase.
I’d had enough of the big wheel and guessing the price of microwaves. The Game Show Network was on 24/7 in Gram’s room. If I had to guess, I’d have to say the episode we were watching was from the 1970s. I had to get to work anyway.
“Gram, I’ll stop by tonight. Make sure you eat today.”
I kissed her forehead. She waved me away as not to miss a second of Bob.
At least she was happy.
I wished I could say the same for myself.


 

NYT and USA Today best selling author, Robyn Peterman writes because the people inside her head won’t leave her alone until she gives them life on paper. She writes snarky, sexy, funny paranormal and snarky, sexy, funny contemporaries.

Her addictions include laughing really hard with friends, shoes (the expensive kind), Target, Coke Zero Cherry with extra ice in a styrofoam cup, bejeweled reading glasses, her kids, her super-hot hubby and collecting stray animals.

A former professional actress, with Broadway, film and T.V. credits, she now lives in the south with her family and too many animals to count. Writing gives her peace and makes her whole, plus having a job where she can work in her underpants works really well for her.

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Wild Horses on The Salt by Anne Montgomery-a review

Wild Horses on The Salt by Anne Montgomery-a review

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date June 14, 2020

A woman flees an abusive husband and finds hope in the wilds of the Arizona desert.

Rebecca Quinn escapes her controlling husband and, with nowhere else to go, hops the red-eye to Arizona. There, Gaby Strand – her aunt’s college roommate – gives her shelter at the Salt River Inn, a 1930’s guesthouse located in the wildly beautiful Tonto National Forest.

Becca struggles with post-traumatic stress, but is enthralled by the splendor and fragility of the Sonoran Desert. The once aspiring artist meets Noah Tanner, a cattle rancher and beekeeper, Oscar Billingsley, a retired psychiatrist and avid birder, and a blacksmith named Walt. Thanks to her new friends and a small band of wild horses, Becca adjusts to life in the desert and rekindles her love of art.

Then, Becca’s husband tracks her down, forcing her to summon all her strength. But can she finally stop running away?

•••••••

REVIEW: Wild Horses On The Salt by Anne Montgomery. Rebecca “Becca” Quinn is an abused woman. When she flees for her life she takes refuge at The Salt River Inn, in the Sonoran Desert of Arizona. The Salt River Inn is l owned by Gabriella Strand, who was her Aunt Ruthie’s college roommate. When her Aunt found out how bad things had become she knew Becca would be safe with Gaby.

Becca had gone to college to be a lawyer, but that was something she ended up hating. She was an artist with a soul that was starving to express itself. Later, she tries to call off her impending marriage to her husband, her mother guilts her into going through with it. Being that her future husband was quite wealthy. When Becca finally realizes that he will eventually kill her she tells her Aunt who helps her escape. As Becca begins her journey in the scenic Tonto National Forest, she finds healing and solace in the desert. She finds amazing people in Gaby, Walt and Noah Tanner. Noah knows that Becca needs healing. He becomes the friend that she needs to walk along side her through this journey of healing. Noah and her beautiful surroundings begin to reignite the fire in her soul to be an artist. But unfortunately Becca’s husband finds her and she will comes face to face with her abuser. Is she strong enough to stand her ground? Will she be able to survive.

This was a beautiful and sometimes dark story of abuse and PTSD. Becca recalling different events of abuse at times turned my stomach and made my heart ache for her. You can tell that the abuse has taken its toll on her. She finds friendship and understanding in Noah.

The story beautifully portrays the desert surroundings that lend to healing process for Becca!

An added bonus is the story of The Salt River Horses. What an amazing added Author Note at the end that further explains the situation. Even the acknowledgements at the end were quite interesting.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Erin K.

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Daddy’s Girls by Danielle Steel – a Review

Daddy’s Girls by Danielle Steel – a Review

 

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Description:
Decades ago, after the death of his wife, Texas ranch hand JT Tucker took his three small daughters to California to start a new life. With almost no money, a will of iron, and hard work, he eventually built the biggest ranch in California. But when he dies suddenly at the age of sixty-four, the ranch is inherited by his three daughters—each of them finding it impossible to believe that this larger-than-life figure is gone from their lives.
 
JT’s relationship with each daughter was entirely different. Caroline, the youngest and most reserved, was overlooked by her father for her entire life and fled to become a wife, mother, and writer in Marin County. Gemma, his declared favorite, sought out Hollywood glamour and success and became a major television star. Kate, the eldest, stayed at home with her father to do his bidding as a ranch hand, without thanks or praise, forsaking marriage and a family of her own for the love of him.
 
Now, upon JT’s death, the paper trail he leaves behind begins to reveal much more than the three sisters ever guessed about who he really was. It will turn their world upside down, and each of them must grapple with a new reality, strengthening their relationships with one another, and discovering who they are now as grown women, in spite of him.
 
Set against the magnificent backdrop of the West and the drama of a family in turmoil, Daddy’s Girls is the story of three remarkable women and their unique bond to each otherthe daughters of a complex, many-faceted, domineering father who left his mark on each of them.

 

 

Review:

Daddy’s Girls by Danielle Steel is another one of her wonderful standalone novels focusing on family. This story centers on three sisters, who though close, do not see each other much; but that changes when their father dies of a massive heart attack.   JT Tucker brought up his three young daughters after his wife died, and moved to California and years later owned one of the biggest ranches.   Only one daughter, Kate stayed on the ranch and helped her father run everything, but it was always his way or no way.

The other two sisters come home to help Kate pick up the pieces, plan the funeral, and learn that the three of them now share equally the ranch, but they each know that everything in their life will change.

Kate loved the ranch, and planned to continue to run it and also make improvements that she thought would make things easier and better.  The foreman, Thad, secretly has always had a crush on Kate.  He has told her if the other two sisters want to sell their share, he would love to buy one of them out and work with Kate.  Kate is the strong dedicated sister, who kept things organized and always took care of everyone.

Gemma, the middle sister, is a successful actress, who has a fun, bubbly personality, as she lives a lifestyle of a star.  Gemma was considered her father’s favorite daughter, mainly because he enjoyed her being famous.  When her television show is cancelled, Gemma is unable to keep up with her high living style, and has problems financially.   She talks to Kate about selling her share of the ranch, even if she has enjoyed staying there, but it will give her the money to pay off some debts.  She spends a lot of time at the ranch, planning to sell her mansion and hoping in time she will get another job offer. 

Carolyn, the younger sister, is happily married with two children, and is a successful writer. Caro left the ranch soon after graduation, and rarely came back.  She brings her two children to stay a bit at the ranch and they all enjoyed themselves.  When Carol returns home, she accidently discovers that her husband is having an affair; unable to cope with this, she kicks him out, and decides to take the children back to the ranch for the summer.

It was nice watch the three sisters spend more time together and their close bond brought them back to the days when they were children.  Now as adults, they planned to be there for each other.  The one major thing changed their opinion of their father was revealed pretty early on.  Kate found documents that their mother was not dead; their father divorced her.  This shocked all the sisters, and they set out to find out if she was still alive, and if so, why a divorce and why he did lie?  I loved how they find their mother all these years later, and she explains her mistake, and that over the years she tried to see them, but their father would not allow it.  But most of all I was crazy about how all three sisters came to terms, and opened their heart to their newly found mother.  Great addition to this story.  Very well done.

What follows is a wonderful story, as the three sisters become even closer, especially after finding the mother they never had.  I loved seeing each of them learning to lean on their sisters, as well as making decisions to better their lives.  It was a wonderful, emotional, heartwarming and satisfying story of a family and their journey to happiness, forgiveness and togetherness.  I really enjoyed Daddy’s Girls very much.  Danielle Steel once again gives us another winner that you need to read.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

 

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Always the Last to Know by Kristan Higgins – a Review

Always the Last to Know by Kristan Higgins – a Review

 

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Description:
The Frosts are a typical American family. Barb and John, married almost fifty years, are testy and bored with each other…who could blame them after all this time? At least they have their daughters– Barb’s favorite, the perfect, brilliant Juliet; and John’s darling, the free-spirited Sadie. The girls themselves couldn’t be more different, but at least they got along, more or less. It was fine. It was enough.

Until the day John had a stroke, and their house of cards came tumbling down.

Now Sadie has to put her career as a teacher and struggling artist in New York on hold to come back and care for her beloved dad–and face the love of her life, whose heart she broke, and who broke hers. Now Juliet has to wonder if people will notice that despite her perfect career as a successful architect, her perfect marriage to a charming Brit, and her two perfect daughters, she’s spending an increasing amount of time in the closet having panic attacks.

And now Barb and John will finally have to face what’s been going on in their marriage all along.

 

 

Review:

Always the Last to Know by Kristan Higgins is another one of her wonderful family standalone novels.  Always the Last to Know revolves around three women in the Frost Family in a time of crisis that changes their lives.  Barb is the matriarch, who is not happy in her marriage.  Just when she is about to ask her husband, John, for a divorce, he has a stroke that will disable him drastically.   We meet their two daughters, Juliet, a brilliant successful architect, who is very close to her mother;  and Sadie, a struggling artist and teacher, who lives in New York.  Sadie is her father’s favorite, and when she is told about her father’s illness, she drops everything to head home and help her him.  The focus of the story is their struggle during this difficult time, as each has their own life issues.

The story is told by POV’s of the three women, and occasionally that of the father, who cannot speak, as well as having difficulty in remembering who the women constantly visiting him are. 

Barb has been considering divorce for a while, as they are like strangers with nothing in common.  When she rushes to the hospital, she accidently sees messages on his phone that prove he was having an affair.  Despite her resentment, Barb knows she needs to hide this from her daughters, and to make matters even more difficult, John will eventually come home needing round the clock care.  The prognosis is not good, but the family will continue to help him.  John’s POV shows how frustrated he is, and he cannot even find how to say words, or remember things.

Juliet has a successful career, with a wonderful husband and two children.  With all the pressure of the job and being there for the children, she finds herself suffering from anxiety attacks.   To top it off, the young girl she hired to be her assistant at their firm, is slowly making moves to push ahead of her, causing her panics to rise more.  In her busy life, she does her best to be there for her mother, and sister.

Sadie is the youngest child, who loves her life in New York, dreaming of being a successful artist.  She rushes home to be there for her father, and despite her mother and sister trying to put him in a home where he can get constant care, she will not allow it and makes it her business to take care of her father.  Where Juliet was her mother’s favorite, Sadie only wanted to be with her father.  Once she returns home, she will begin to see her mother in a new light, trying to cope with what is happening.  When things get stressful, it is Sadie who will force Barb and Juliet to take a weekend at a spa to rejuvenate.  Sadie left town after she graduated to move to New York, and in so doing, she left her boyfriend, Noah, who did not want to move to New York.  Slowly, Sadie and Noah begin to realize that they still love each other, but will either of them be able to move forward?

What follows is an emotional, heartbreaking story of a family in crisis, and how they find a way to come together. I loved the dynamics between Barb, Juliet and Sadie, especially watching them change their lives for the better.  Barb to rise above her husband’s betrayal; Juliet to find the confidence in her ability and fight for her rights; Sadie to accept her dreams and challenges, as well to recognize her love for Noah.  Though we see John improve a little, the prognosis is still dire, with no hope.  

Always the Last to Know is a wonderful heartwarming story, filled with remembrances, lies, tragedy, hope, happiness, sadness and love.  Kristan Higgins once again give us a beautiful family driven story that you need to read.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

 

 

 

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The Summer Deal by Jill Shalvis – Review & Giveaway

The Summer Deal by Jill Shalvis – Review & Giveaway

 

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Description:
Brynn Turner desperately wishes she had it together, but her personal life is like a ping-pong match that’s left her scared and hurt after so many attempts to get it right. In search of a place to lick her wounds and get a fresh start, she heads back home to Wildstone.

And then there’s Kinsey Davis, who after battling serious health issues her entire twenty-nine years of life, is tired of hoping for . . . well, anything. She’s fierce, tough, and pretty much the opposite of Brynn except for one thing: they’re half-sisters. Kinsey is keeping this bombshell, and a few others as well. Long time frenemies from summer camp, there’s no way she’s going to tell Brynn they’re related.

But then Brynn runs into Kinsey’s lifelong best friend, Eli, renewing a childhood crush. He’s still easy-going and funny and sexy as hell. When he gets her to agree to a summer-time deal to trust him to do right by her, no matter what, she never dreams it’ll result in finding a piece of herself she didn’t even know was missing. She could have a sister, love, and a future―if she can only learn to let go of the past.

As the long days of summer wind down, the three of them must discover if forgiveness is enough to grasp the unconditional love that’s right in front of them

 

 

Review:

The Summer Deal by Jill Shalvis is the 5th book in her wonderful Wildstone series.  As noted on previous occasions, I love reading Jill Shalvis’s books, as she is the best at pure romances. We meet our heroine, Brynn Turner, who returns home to Wildstone, after her boyfriend left her and took everything she owned (money, valuables,  apartment lease, etc).   Brynn considers herself a loser, always picking the wrong guy.  She returns to her two moms, doing her best to not reveal how bad shape she was in. When she has an anxiety attack trying to explain her predicament, she is rushed to the hospital, but not for long.  As she leaves to runs into an old friend, whom she had a crush on as a teenager.

Eli Thomas, always had a slight crush on Brynn, but because he was part of the popular group in school, led by the mean girl Kinsey, he never got to first base with Brynn.  Kinsey and Brynn were enemies at camp during their childhood days, with Brynn hating her. Life is about to change for all of them.

Kinsey Davis, continues to be Eli’s best friend, and once again he is there for her in the hospital.  Kinsey has a failing kidney, and is currently on dialysis; and had been hoping for a kidney transplant, but it turned out not to be a match. Kinsey has had her issues since she was 15 years old, having received a kidney from a school mate, only for him to die shortly thereafter.  She refuses to accept any kidney, unless it’s from a recently deceased person.   Kinsey does have a secret, when investigating DNA’s, she discovered that Brynn had the same sperm donor father, and therefor she is her half-sister; but she is not about to tell Brynn that. 

When Eli runs into Brynn the next day, he offers her a room to rent at his place, which in order to get away from her moms constant attention, she accepts.  She meets Max, Eli’s brother and then to her shock learns that Kinsey also has a room there.  At first Brynn leaves, but they will convince her to give it a chance.

The Summer Deal revolves around Brynn, Eli and Kinsey, as Eli tries hard to help them learn more about each other, in hope that Kinsey would tell Brynn the truth, and maybe save her own life in the process.  The romance between Eli and Brynn was slow built, but we saw the chemistry between them quickly.  Brynn had been hurt badly a number of times, and was hesitant to allow herself to fall for Eli.  Very slowly, both Brynn and Kinsey learn to get past their old differences, and become friends; though when Kinsey reveals the truth about her condition, as well as they are half sisters, things fall apart.  Brynn demands truths always, no secrets and they make up, and now Brynn is determined to be tested to help her sister; but Kinsey will not accept, for her fear of the donor dying again.

I loved all the characters in this story, and Shalvis usually creates wonderful ones, but she outdid herself in this book. Besides, Brynn, Kinsey, Eli, I loved Deck (Kinsey’s nurse boyfriend), Max, Toby, Brynn’s two moms. Most of all, I loved how Brynn and Kinsey became closer, and turn into true sisters, there for each other.  Very well done. 

The Summer Deal was a fantastic, intriguing, heartwarming story about family, tragedy, romance, forgiveness and love.  Secrets will be revealed that will change the course of their lives. Though Brynn and Kinsey were difficult at times, I did care about both of them, as well as the rest of the other characters, especially Eli and Deck.

The Summer Deal was so well written by Jill Shalvis, which I always come to expect from her, as well as being very emotional.  Shalvis pulls on our emotions throughout the book, which happily does have a HEA. I do not want to tell too much more, as this is one book you want to read from start to finish.  If you have not read Jill Shalvis, what are you waiting for?   

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 



New York Times bestselling author Jill Shalvis lives in a small town in the Sierras full of quirky characters. Any resemblance to the quirky characters in her books is, um, mostly coincidental. Look for Jill’s bestselling, award-winning books wherever romances are sold and visit her website, www.jillshalvis.com, for a complete book list and daily blog detailing her city-girl-living-in-the-mountains adventures.

 

Connect with Jill

Website: http://jillshalvis.com/
Facebook: @JillShalvis
Twitter: @JillShalvis
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jillshalvis/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/jillshalvis/
Tumblr: http://jillshalvis.tumblr.com/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author
show/22370.Jill_Shalvis?from_search=true

 

Jill Shalvis’s publisher is  offering a paper copy of THE SUMMER DEAL to ONE (1) lucky commenter at The Reading Cafe.

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9. Giveaway runs from June 2 – 5, 2020

 

 

 

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Beach Read by Emily Henry – a Review

Beach Read by Emily Henry – a Review

 

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Description:
Augustus Everett is an acclaimed author of literary fiction. January Andrews writes bestselling romance. When she pens a happily ever after, he kills off his entire cast.

They’re polar opposites.

In fact, the only thing they have in common is that for the next three months, they’re living in neighboring beach houses, broke, and bogged down with writer’s block.

Until, one hazy evening, one thing leads to another and they strike a deal designed to force them out of their creative ruts: Augustus will spend the summer writing something happy, and January will pen the next Great American Novel. She’ll take him on field trips worthy of any rom-com montage, and he’ll take her to interview surviving members of a backwoods death cult (obviously). Everyone will finish a book and no one will fall in love. Really.

 

 

Review:

Beach Read by Emily Henry is a fun romantic stand-alone novel focusing on two authors, who are totally different.

January Andrews, our heroine, arrives at her new beach home on Lake Michigan which she inherited from her deceased father.  January is a romance author, who is currently having writers block, and is having money problems.  The house is a surprise, as she discovers the father she always loved, was also having an affair, and owned this beach house with his mistress.  January has problems coming to terms accepting the truth about her father, especially with her mother still alive, having recovered from cancer, and her mother never told her about his other life.  All of this make it even more difficult for her to write happy ever after romance novels. 

Gus Everett, our hero, is January’s next-door neighbor, and the two get off on the wrong foot immediately.  Gus is also a writer, but he writes literary fiction more towards dark story lines, and he too has his own issues writing his next book.  They are both totally opposites, as Gus is more pessimistic and January is an optimist, though things will change. 

In a short time, they begin to get to know each other, and a friendship will develop.  The banter between them was cute and funny, and with both of them unable to write, they decide to help push each other by making a bet.  January will take Gus to romantic field trips, dinners, to teach him how to write a romance novel with a happy ending.   Gus will take January to meet people who have suffered a loss, visit a grave yard or meet someone involved with a cult.  The bet is for them to write something different, and whoever sells their manuscript first will win.

What follows is a romance between two people who had their own issues with family, leaving both of them somewhat damaged.  In a short time, they both will move forward past their friendship to love.  Gus comes off of a divorce, and his fear of getting hurt again keeps him from making the next step toward his relationship with January.  January has her own problems dealing with her feelings of betrayal by her father, and though she knows she loves Gus, she too is scared to move forward. During this period, they enjoy each other’s company, as they do all the things together that require research for each of their novels. There was a lot of fun and bantering between them, and we knew they were perfect for each other. 

Emily Henry has written a wonderful story of two people who deserve happiness and each other, but there was much heart wrenching angst, betrayals, secrets, and pain that made it difficult.  But in the end, happiness, forgiveness and love will change everything.  I wholly suggest that you read Beach Read.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

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Sunrise on Half Moon Bay by Robyn Carr – Review & Excerpt

Sunrise on Half Moon Bay by Robyn Carr – Review, Excerpt & Blog Tour

 

 

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Description:
Sometimes the happiness we’re looking for has been there all along…

Adele and Justine have never been close. Born twenty years apart, Justine was already an adult when Addie was born. The sisters love each other but they don’t really know each other.

When Addie dropped out of university to care for their ailing parents, Justine, a successful lawyer, covered the expenses. It was the best arrangement at the time but now that their parents are gone, the future has changed dramatically for both women.

Addie had great plans for her life but has been worn down by the pressures of being a caregiver and doesn’t know how to live for herself. And Justine’s success has come at a price. Her marriage is falling apart despite her best efforts.

Neither woman knows how to start life over but both realize they can and must support each other the way only sisters can. Together they find the strength to accept their failures and overcome their challenges. Happiness is within reach, if only they have the courage to fight for it.

 

 

Review:

Sunrise on Half Moon Bay by Robyn Carr is an emotional and sweet story of family and sisterhood.  Justine and Adele are sisters, but with the 20-year age difference, they are not that close, but they do care about each other.  Justine is a successful attorney, being the breadwinner for the family, and married to Scot, a stay at home dad, with two children. 

Adele was planning to go to college, but when her father died, and her mother had a stroke, she dropped out of school to take care of her mother.  Justine helped staying with the mom once a week to give Adele a break, and giving her money, as well as playing their expenses.  8 years later, her mother dies, and Adele needs to find a way to resume her life.  At the same time, Justine’s marriage is falling apart, as her husband is having an affair, and spending his money on his mistress.  

What follows is a change in both of their lives, with Justine moving forward with a divorce, as well as having to deal with her husband using the money to pay off his mistress debts; and Adele deciding it was time for her to find a job.  It was nice to see Adele accidently fall into a job which helps people, and discovers she is very good at it.  The sisters become closer, as they both must face the new challenges life has given them, and be able to be there to support each other along the way.

 Both Adele and Justine will also find themselves with friends that eventually would grow to a relationship, giving both the happiness they deserved. I liked the many secondary characters Carr created, which included Adele’s work friends and Jake, who was her best friend; as well as Justine’s friend who helped her through the divorce and a new job.  I did not like Scot, nor his girlfriend, who both not nice.

Sunrise on Half Moon Bay was a wonderful heartwarming and emotional story line, very well written by Robyn Carr.   It is a story that revolves around two sisters, in very different stages of their lives, who bond together to embrace their sisterhood and the changes life offers to bring back happiness.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

 

“Has it ever occurred to Scott to get a serious job?” Adele asked. “I mean, forgive me, since I haven’t had a serious job in my life.”
Justine smiled patiently. “Your jobs have all been serious, and without you we’d have been lost. If you hadn’t dedicated yourself to Mom’s care, it would have cost our whole family a fortune. We’re indebted to you. And I agree it would help if Scott worked more than part-time, but I think that ship sailed years ago. He’s only worked part-time since Amber and Olivia came along.”
Adele adored her nieces, ages sixteen and seventeen. She was much closer to them than she was to Justine.
“I’m sorry you’re going through this,” Adele said. “I wish there was something I could do.”
“Well, the thing is, the future is looking very uncertain. I might need your help,” Justine said.
“What could I do?” she asked.
“Adele, I don’t like to push you, but you have to get it to¬gether. We have to make some decisions about what you’re going to do, what we’ll do with the house. I realize what I’ve given you for your hard work hasn’t been much, but I don’t know how long I can keep it up—paying for the maintenance on this house, the taxes, a modest income for you… I don’t want to panic prematurely,” Justine said. “Maybe I’ll be able to work everything out without too much hassle, but if I run into trou¬ble… Money could get very tight, Addie. All those promises I made—that I’d help financially while you fix up the house, that I’d give you my half of the proceeds when and if you sold it… I might not be able to come through. I know, I know, I promised you it would be yours after all of your sacrifice, but you wouldn’t want me to ignore the girls’ tuition or not be able to make the mortgage…”
“But Justine!” Adele said. “That’s all I have! And I was con¬sidering finishing school myself!” Though if she was honest, she had no plans of any kind.
Justine reached out to her, squeezing her hand. “We’re a long way from me needing money. I just felt it was only fair to tell you what’s going on. If we’re in this together, we can both make it. I swear, I will make this all work out. I’ll make it right.”
But as Adele knew, they had never really been “in it together” in the past, and they wouldn’t be for very long in the future. Addie’s dedication to their parents allowed Justine to devote herself to her career. For that matter, it should be Justine and Scott shoring each other up. At least until Justine had a better idea. But where was Scott today? Golfing? Biking? Bowling?
Adele realized she had some difficult realities to face. When she dropped out of school to help her mother care for her fa¬ther, she wasn’t being completely altruistic. She’d needed a place to run away to, hiding an unplanned pregnancy and covering her tattered heart. She’d never told her family that her married lover—her psychology professor—had broken down in tears when he explained he couldn’t leave his wife to marry Adele, that the college would probably fire him for having an affair with a student. For her, going home was the only option.
At the time Justine and Scott had been riding the big wave and didn’t lust after the small, old house in Half Moon Bay. That house was chump change to them. So, they worked out a deal. Adele had become her mother’s guardian with a power of attorney. But the will had never been adjusted to ref lect just one beneficiary rather than two. In the case of the death of both parents, Adele and Justine would inherit equal equity in the eighty-year-old house and anything left of the life insur¬ance. At the time, of course, neither Adele nor Justine had ever considered the idea that Adele would be needed for very long. But before Adele knew it, eight years had been gobbled up. She was thirty-two and had been caring for her parents since she was twenty-four.
Adele, as guardian, could have escaped by turning over the house, pension, social security to a care facility for her mother and gone out on her own, finding herself a better job and her own place to live. She wasn’t sure if it was her conscience or just inertia that held her in place for so long.
“I just wanted to make sure you understood the circumstances before anything more happens,” Justine said. “And since you don’t have any immediate plans, please don’t list the house for sale or anything. Give me a chance to figure out what’s next. I have children. I’ll do whatever I can to protect them and you. They’re your nieces! They love you so much. I’m sure you want them to get a good education as much as I do.”
Does anyone want me to have a real chance to start over? Adele asked herself. This conversation sounded like Justine was pull¬ing out of their deal.
“I’ll think about this, but Scott has responsibilities, too,” she pointed out.
“He’s been out of the full-time workforce for so long…” Jus¬tine said.
“Just the same, we all have to live up to our adult commit¬ments and responsibilities. And you’ve had a highfalutin job for a long time. You’ve made a lot of money. You can recover. I haven’t even begun.”
“I need your help, Addie,” Justine said. “You need to come up with a plan, something we can put in motion. Make plans for your next step, put a little energy into this old house, make suggestions of what we should do with it, everything. Let’s fig¬ure out what to do before I find myself short and unable to help. I’m sorry, but we have to move forward.”Excerpted from Sunrise on Half Moon Bay, Copyright © 2020 by Robyn Carr. Published by MIRA Books.

 

 



Robyn Carr is an award-winning, #1 New York Times bestselling author of more than sixty novels, including highly praised women’s fiction such as Four Friends and The View From Alameda Island and the critically acclaimed Virgin River, Thunder Point and Sullivan’s Crossing series. Virgin River is now a Netflix Original series. Robyn lives in Las Vegas, Nevada. Visit her website at www.RobynCarr.com.

 

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