#BookReview- Always the Last to Know by @Kristan_Higgins #WomensFic #amreading

Sometimes you have to break a family to fix it.

From New York Times bestselling author Kristan Higgins, a new novel examining a family at the breaking point in all its messy, difficult, wonderful complexity.

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.

From the author of Good Luck with That and Life and Other Inconveniences comes a new novel of heartbreaking truths and hilarious honesty about what family really means.

As posted on Amazon.com

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About the Author

Biography

Kristan Higgins is the New York Times, USA TODAY, Wall Street Journal and Publishers Weekly bestselling author of 19 novels, which have been translated into more than two dozen languages and sold millions of copies worldwide. Her books have received dozens of awards and accolades, including starred reviews from Kirkus, The New York Journal of Books, Publishers Weekly, Library Journal , People and Booklist. If you want to keep up with Kristan’s new releases and get a free short story, sign up for her mailing list at http://www.kristanhiggins.com.

Her books regularly appear on the lists for best novels of the year. Kristan is also a cohost of the Crappy Friends podcast, which discusses the often complex dynamics of female friendships, with her friend and fellow writer, Joss Dey.

The proud descendant of a butcher and a laundress, Kristan lives in Connecticut with her heroic firefighter husband. They own several badly behaved pets and are often visited by their entertaining and long-lashed children.

My Review

Sadie Frost left her first love, her family, and her home in Connecticut to chase her dream of becoming a famous artist in New York City. But a frantic phone call from her older sister sends her racing back to the past.

Beth Frost loves her life. She has two successful (well, one more than the other, but we won’t get into that), beautiful daughters, a career she enjoys, and a husband of almost fifty years. And yes, there is a reason John comes in on the end of the list. Truthfully, their marriage is hanging by a tattered thread. They don’t have the same interests, rarely talk, and have seperate bedrooms. He doesn’t even see her anymore. He’s planning a triathlon for pete’s sake. She’s ready to move on and plans to ask for a divorce on their anniversary.

But a horrible accident changes everything.

Juliet Frost has worked hard to get to where she is in the prestigious architect company she helped grow into an international corporation, and expects to become partner any time now. Her husband is one in a million. Her two daughters are beautiful (if moody), and her house is perfect. So why is she having these stupid panic attacks? And then she sees her father practically making out with a woman on the sidewalk near her work and Juliet’s already teetering world, crashes.

This story is of a dynamic family whose secrets almost tear them apart. I love Beth. She’s seventy years old and has been through many crises, but when her husband has a stroke and she learns he’s been cheating on her, she doesn’t do the expected and dump him on his sorry ass. Instead, she overcomes her anger and hurt feelings to give him the care he needs.

Juliet is a complicated character with incredible strength, yet she’s also vulnerable and weighs her worth by her successes.

Sadie is a free spirit, and while I liked her character, I don’t think she deserves Noah. He never got over her and she can’t decide if being an artist in New York is more important than their relationship.

Kristan Higgins is a master manipulator when it comes to emotions. She gets the most out of her characters, thereby leaving the reader laughing or in search of tissues!
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I give Always The Last to Know 5+ lovely kisses- Family drama done right!

Check out all of my book recommendations on BookBub

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An Ode to A Friend- #FictioninaFlash #WritingCommunity

It’s Week #22 of Suzanne Burke’s Fiction in a Flash Challenge Write up to 750 words on the photo prompt. Go where your muse leads you. Check out some of the fabulous entries and join in here An Ode to A Friend It’s strange how empty my world is without you. I realize now how… Continue reading →

October 27, 2020October 26, 2020

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#SundayStills- It’s a Bird’s Life

This week’s Sunday Stills Challenge- birds that visit your yard Terri Webster Schrandt has a wonderful blog where she posts a weekly photography challenge. Check it out here My Iphone doesn’t do these birds justice, but I thought I’d share some of my favorite bird pics, anyway. Some are taken from the beach about two… Continue reading →

October 25, 2020

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Sunday Lines: Sunday, October 25

Originally posted on Word by Word:
Here are a few encouraging #SundayLines provided by our #WordbyWord authors with the theme WHEN THE ROAD GETS BUMPY. Interested in learning more? Click on the pictures below to gain more insight into each author. “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to…

October 25, 2020

October 6, 2020October 5, 2020

Jacquie Biggar26 Comments

#BookReview- The First Girl Child @AHarmon_Author #Fantasy #Read

From the New York Times bestselling author comes a breathtaking fantasy of a cursed kingdom, warring clans, and unexpected salvation.

Bayr of Saylok, bastard son of a powerful and jealous chieftain, is haunted by the curse once leveled by his dying mother. Bartered, abandoned, and rarely loved, she plagued the land with her words: From this day forward, there will be no daughters in Saylok.

Raised among the Keepers at Temple Hill, Bayr is gifted with inhuman strength. But he’s also blessed with an all-too-human heart that beats with one purpose: to protect Alba, the first girl child born in nearly two decades and the salvation for a country at risk.

Now the fate of Saylok lies with Alba and Bayr, whose bond grows deeper with every whisper of coming chaos. Charged with battling the enemies of their people, both within and without, Bayr is fueled further by the love of a girl who has defied the scourge of Saylok.

What Bayr and Alba don’t know is that they each threaten the king, a greedy man who built his throne on lies, murder, and betrayal. There is only one way to defend their land from the corruption that has overtaken it. By breaking the curse, they could defeat the king…but they could also destroy themselves.

Biography

Amy Harmon is a Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and New York Times Bestselling author. Her books have been published in eighteen languages, truly a dream come true for a little country girl from Utah.
Amy Harmon has written thirteen novels, including the USA Today Bestsellers, The Smallest Part, Making Faces, and Running Barefoot, and the #1 Amazon bestselling historical, From Sand and Ash. Her novel, A Different Blue, is a New York Times Bestseller. Her USA Today bestselling fantasy, The Bird and the Sword, was a Goodreads Best Book of 2016 finalist. For updates on upcoming book releases, author posts and more, join Amy at http://www.authoramyharmon.com.

My Review of The First Girl Child

Stunning visuals- this should be a blockbuster movie!

We are gently introduced to a larger-than-life world created by the God, Odin. A land called Saylok. Warring clans, an evil king, a curse upon the land, benevolent, powerful keepers whose runes protect those in need; this story is a saga of treachery and deceit and a love that transcends time.

Bayr, the temple boy as he is called, has been raised in the cradle of the keepers, loved and protected by his uncle Dagmar. He has the strength of Thor, and when a fearless rescue brings him to the attention of the queen, young Bayr is commissioned to guard her baby daughter- the first girl child the clans have seen in twelve, long years.

Betrayed by Banruud before he was king, Dagmar’s sister cursed all of Saylok with no girl children on her deathbed, so the seemingly miraculous birth of Alba guaranteed Banruud his place as king.

Bayr and Alba become inseparable, and as the years pass their bond grows. But King Banruud has a plan for his daughter and it doesn’t include the temple boy.

There are so many memorable moments in this book, I know I’m going to be reading it again, and again!

Favorite Lines

“Be careful what you fear,” Ivo replied, grave. “We draw the attention of the fates when our fear grows too loud. The fates are cruel, and they will reward you with what you fear most.”
The First Girl Child- Amy Harmon

“We do not live to endure. We endure so someday we can . . . live. I have endured a great deal, but there have only been a few moments when I have truly lived.”
The First Girl Child- Amy Harmon

Her happiness seeped from her chest, ran down her weak legs, and pooled beneath her feet, leaving her as empty as she’d been yesterday and the day before.
The First Girl Child- Amy Harmon

Read this Book!

Check out all of my book recommendations on BookBub

September 15, 2020September 14, 2020

Jacquie Biggar15 Comments

The Girl in The Love Song by Emma Scott #BookReview #YARomance @EmmaS_Writes

Now a Top 100 Amazon Bestseller*At Santa Cruz Central High School, they called them the misfits, the outcasts, the weirdos. But most of us knew them as the Lost Boys…

Miller Stratton is a survivor. After a harrowing childhood of poverty, he will do anything it takes to find security for himself and his mom. He’s putting all his hopes and dreams in the fragile frame of his guitar and the beauty he creates with its strings and his soulful voice.

Until Violet.

No one expects to meet the love of their life at age thirteen. But the spunky rich girl steals Miller’s heart and refuses to give it back.

Violet McNamara’s life hasn’t been as simple as it looks. Her picture-perfect family is not so perfect after all. Her best friend Miller is her one constant and she is determined not to ruin their friendship with romantic complications.

But the heart wants what it wants. As Miller’s star begins to rise to stratospheric heights, what will it take for Violet to realize that she’s the girl in all of his love songs?

Lost Boys is a new series of interconnected, coming-of-age standalones from USA Today bestselling author Emma Scott, coming in 2020

Biography

Emma Scott is a USA Today and Wall St. Journal bestselling author whose books have been translated in five languages and featured in Buzzfeed, Huffington Post, New York Daily News and USA Today’s Happy Ever After. She writes emotional, character-driven romances in which art and love intertwine to heal, and in which love always wins. If you enjoy emotionally-charged stories that rip your heart out and put it back together again, with diverse characters and kind-hearted heroes, you will enjoy her novels. Visit http://www.emmascottwrites.com

RECENT RELEASES

Someday, Someday (M/M standalone)

A Five-Minute Life (standalone)

Bring Down the Stars (Beautiful Hearts #1)

Long Live the Beautiful Hearts (Beautiful Hearts #2)

COMING SOON:
A new YA/NA series of interconnected standalones, coming in 2020

“At Santa Cruz Central High, we called them the misfits, the outcasts, the weirdos. But most of us knew them as the Lost Boys.”

The Girl in the Love Song (Lost Boys #1) : http://bit.ly/2MLnYhU
The Shadows of Yesterday (Lost Boys #2) : http://bit.ly/37BsCHh
The Last Piece of his Heart (Lost Boys #3) : http://bit.ly/2QeVlfa

You can follow me at all the places…

Super-cute NON SPAMMY newsletter: http://bit.ly/2nTGLf6

Author page: https://www.facebook.com/EmmaScottwrites/

Reader group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/906742879369651/

Attribution: Amazon.com

My Review

Homeless after his father deserts their family, thirteen-year-old Millar Stratton doesn’t have much faith in anyone- until he meets Violet.

Violet lives a privileged life and has never known what it means to be poor, but that doesn’t stop her from reaching a hand out to help the grungy looking boy who appears on her doorstep.

Soon, an unbreakable bond grows between the two and when Millar is diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes after a scary situation, Violet vows to watch over him.

A ball and chain of rules and diets and restrictions, needles and pills that I’d have to carry across a tightrope without a net, for the rest of my life.
The Girl in The Love Song- Emma Scott

High school is tough for the street kid, even though Millar and his mom now live in a dumpy two bedroom apartment. He’s watched Violet blossom throughout the years and it makes him proud, and jealous of every guy who tries to go out with her.

Violet doesn’t understand how she went from geek to popular kid, but it’s kind of nice to have fun her last year of high school before she starts the strenuous studies for med school. She just wishes Millar was by her side as more than a friend. Violet’s parents loved each other and now they constantly argue- cementing her fear of taking her and Millar’s relationship to the next level.

Millar is madly in love with Violet, but doesn’t dare step over the limits of their friendship for fear of pushing her away. Instead he opens his heart the only way he knows how- writing songs that allow him to pour out his feelings in the melodies.

Millar, together with a ragtag group of friends, learn that life’s lessons can knock you down, but love can change the outcome.
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This book had me in tears a couple of times. It puts a spotlight on T1D (Type 1 Diabetes) and the life-threatening complications associated with this disease. My grandson was diagnosed five years ago. He’s now thirteen (like Millar) and has faced many of the symptoms described. It is my hope and prayer that one day soon a cure will be found.

Until then, I am grateful amazing writers like Emma Scott can use their platforms to shed a light on illnesses, racial diversity, sexual discrimination, and homelessness.

We need to do more to change our world.

June 24, 2020June 23, 2020

Jacquie Biggar17 Comments

What the Wind Knows by Amy Harmon #BookReview #Historical #TimeTravel @aharmon_author

An Amazon Charts, Wall Street Journal, and Washington Post bestseller.

In an unforgettable love story, a woman’s impossible journey through the ages could change everything…

Anne Gallagher grew up enchanted by her grandfather’s stories of Ireland. Heartbroken at his death, she travels to his childhood home to spread his ashes. There, overcome with memories of the man she adored and consumed by a history she never knew, she is pulled into another time.

The Ireland of 1921, teetering on the edge of war, is a dangerous place in which to awaken. But there Anne finds herself, hurt, disoriented, and under the care of Dr. Thomas Smith, guardian to a young boy who is oddly familiar. Mistaken for the boy’s long-missing mother, Anne adopts her identity, convinced the woman’s disappearance is connected to her own.

As tensions rise, Thomas joins the struggle for Ireland’s independence and Anne is drawn into the conflict beside him. Caught between history and her heart, she must decide whether she’s willing to let go of the life she knew for a love she never thought she’d find. But in the end, is the choice actually hers to make?

Biography

Book Review

Raised by a loving grandfather, Anne Gallagher is heartbroken at his death. She follows his last wishes and takes his ashes home to Ireland to spread them on the lough near the home where he’d grown up.

The moment she lands, Anne is overcome by a sense of history and tries to find out more about her grandfather’s life as a child. She has a few photos of her mother, father, and their best friend, Dr. Thomas Smith.

After visiting the graves of past members of her family, Anne rents a boat and heads out on the lough, only to get lost in a sudden fog. Frightened, she calls for help and gets shot by a stranger in a trawler.

When Anne awakens, it is to find herself in the care of a man who looks exactly like the Thomas Smith from her photos and it soon becomes clear that nothing is as it should be.

They can’t forget, they never will, the wind and waves remember Him still.
“Thomas?”
I’d called to him before. I’d screamed his name across the water until I was hoarse and hopeless. But I called to him again. “Thomas?” His name hung precariously in the air, weighty and wishful, before it teetered and fell, sinking like a stone beneath the surface. The lough whispered back with liquid lips, slow and sighing. Tho-mas, Tho-mas, Tho-mas.
Harmon, Amy. What the Wind Knows

This story shines a light on the Easter Rising, a massacre that took place in 1916 and changed Ireland forever.

“I’ve been reading about Ireland—biographies and documentaries and collections and diaries. I’ve been doing research for six months. I have so much information in my head, and I don’t know what to do with it. The history after the 1916 Easter Rising is just a garbled mess of opinions and blame. There’s no consensus.” Eoin laughed, but the sound was brittle and mirthless. “That, my love, is Ireland.”
Harmon, Amy. What the Wind Knows

While the rebellion is a key part of the book, so to is the growing romance between Thomas and Anne- a forbidden love.

Anne is from the future. How can she stay in her mother’s time period, even though it gives her the opportunity to live with her grandfather when he was a child, and Thomas?

When she makes the decision to risk all, outside forces step in to separate her from the life she truly wants.

I can’t imagine all men love their women the way I love Anne. If they did, the streets would be empty, and the fields would grow fallow. Industry would rumble to a halt and markets would tumble as men bowed at the feet of their wives, unable to need or notice anything but her.
Harmon, Amy. What the Wind Knows

I didn’t know much about Ireland’s turbulent history. What I learned is that Irish people are proud of their culture and their land. They are passionate of what they believe in and won’t give up- no matter the odds.

What the Wind Knows is a sweeping saga of love and history that proves where there is hope, there is a chance.
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June 23, 2020June 22, 2020

Jacquie Biggar30 Comments

Where the Lost Wander by @AmyHarmon #Historical #BookReview @aharmon_author

In this epic and haunting love story set on the Oregon Trail, a family and their unlikely protector find their way through peril, uncertainty, and loss.

The Overland Trail, 1853: Naomi May never expected to be widowed at twenty. Eager to leave her grief behind, she sets off with her family for a life out West. On the trail, she forms an instant connection with John Lowry, a half-Pawnee man straddling two worlds and a stranger in both.

But life in a wagon train is fraught with hardship, fear, and death. Even as John and Naomi are drawn to each other, the trials of the journey and their disparate pasts work to keep them apart. John’s heritage gains them safe passage through hostile territory only to come between them as they seek to build a life together.

When a horrific tragedy strikes, decimating Naomi’s family and separating her from John, the promises they made are all they have left. Ripped apart, they can’t turn back, they can’t go on, and they can’t let go. Both will have to make terrible sacrifices to find each other, save each other, and eventually…make peace with who they are.

Attribution- Amazon

Biography
Amy Harmon is a Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and New York Times Bestselling author. Her books have been published in eighteen languages, truly a dream come true for a little country girl from Utah.
Amy Harmon has written thirteen novels, including the USA Today Bestsellers, The Smallest Part, Making Faces, and Running Barefoot, and the #1 Amazon bestselling historical, From Sand and Ash. Her novel, A Different Blue, is a New York Times Bestseller. Her USA Today bestselling fantasy, The Bird and the Sword, was a Goodreads Best Book of 2016 finalist. For updates on upcoming book releases, author posts and more, join Amy at http://www.authoramyharmon.com.

My Review

Seeking a better life, widow Naomi May joins a wagon train with her family heading across the country to California. She knows it will be a tough journey but faces it with enthusiasm and a touch of trepidation.

When John Lowry agrees to help his uncle guide a wagon train as far as a fort where he is to deliver his father’s mules, he doesn’t expect to be instantly attracted to the beautiful Naomi. But their relationship is doomed to fail. He is half Pawnee, a man straddling two worlds. She is everything he wants but cannot have.

The trail is a hard taskmaster. Soon, the wagon train is faced with challenges they could never have imagined; hostile territories, lack of drinking water, dangerous river crossings, dysentery, and racial prejudice.

It’s been a long time since I was so caught up in a story. The author does a wonderful job drawing the reader into the hearts and heads of our two protagonists, John Lowry and Naomi May. We get real insights into the pride of indigenous people, the clash of two cultures, and those caught in the middle.

Favorite Lines

That’s what hope feels like: the best air you’ve ever breathed after the worst fall you’ve ever taken. It hurts.
Harmon, Amy. Where the Lost Wander: A Novel

This kiss is slow and languid like the Platte, hardly moving, while beneath the surface the silt shifts and settles. His arms snake around me, and my palms flatten over his heart, needing and kneading, and heat grows in my belly and in my heart and where our mouths are moving together.
Harmon, Amy. Where the Lost Wander: A Novel

…eventually, time thinks for us. It cuts through the fog of emotion and delivers a big bowl of reality, and feelings don’t stand a chance,” John says with bleak finality.
Harmon, Amy. Where the Lost Wander: A Novel

Where the Lost Wander is a sweeping saga of a love that knows no bounds and defies a nation at war. It’s real. It’s brutal. It’s unforgettable.
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#ThriftyThursday- The Lady Said No #Mystery #Reading

The Lady Said No is on Sale– 0.99! #Free in #KindleUnlimited! The Lady Said No Timeline: 1953 Location: Lexington and Bourbonville Kentucky And Now on Audio Book!– http://a.co/23uX6b8 Start your #Free Trial Today! https://www.audible.com/pd/B074VFB534/?source_code=AUDFPWS0223189MWT-BK-ACX0-094041&ref=acx_bty_BK_ACX0_094041_rh_us And check out my other #audiobooks here: https://www.audible.com/author/Jacquie-Biggar/B00MSIJQBG The Race is on to find a Killer in the heart of Kentucky… Continue reading →

October 22, 2020October 21, 2020

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#BookReview- Mid-October #reads @Jacqui_Nelson Jacqui Murray @DWallacePeach @WordDreams

Mid-October Book Reviews from Three Fabulous Writers! Generally, I like to give separate posts for book reviews, but I’ve been doing a lot of reading lately (your fault!), that I decided to post three of them today. Ready? Here we go! Tap the covers to go to the retail site. Against All Odds by Jacqui… Continue reading →

October 21, 2020October 20, 2020

Guest Post

New Release- A Mother for Christmas by @JackieWeger #Romance #Reading #eNovAaw

A Mother for Christmas by Jackie Weger Book Description: Decker Davenport is on a deadline. He has thirty days — Christmas Eve, to be exact — to remodel a St. Augustine Victorian house or the owner will put it back on the market. Not a good time for Decker’s decorator to take off on a… Continue reading →

October 21, 2020October 19, 2020

Check out all of my book recommendations on BookBub

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June 10, 2020June 10, 2020

Jacquie Biggar12 Comments

#BookReview- If You Must Know by Jamie Beck #WomensFic @writerjamiebeck

Life turns upside down for two sisters in Wall Street Journal bestselling author Jamie Beck’s emotional novel about how secrets and differences can break—or bind—a family.

Sisters Amanda Foster and Erin Turner have little in common except the childhood bedroom they once shared and the certainty each feels that her way of life is best. Amanda follows the rules—at the school where she works; in her community; and as a picture-perfect daughter, wife, and mother-to-be. Erin follows her heart—in love and otherwise—living a bohemian lifestyle on a shoestring budget and honoring her late father’s memory with a passion for music and her fledgling bath-products business.

The sisters are content leading separate but happy lives in their hometown of Potomac Point until everything is upended by lies that force them to confront unsettling truths about their family, themselves, and each other. For sisters as different as these two, building trust doesn’t come easily—especially with one secret still between them—but it may be the only way to save their family.

Biography

Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestselling author Jamie Beck’s realistic and heartwarming stories have sold more than two million copies. She is a two-time Booksellers’ Best Award finalist, a National Readers’ Choice Award winner, and critics at Kirkus, Publishers Weekly, and Booklist have respectively called her work “smart,” “uplifting,” and “entertaining.” In addition to writing novels, she enjoys dancing around the kitchen while cooking and hitting the slopes in Vermont and Utah. Above all, she is a grateful wife and mother to a very patient, supportive family.

Fans can learn more about her on the web (www.jamiebeck.com), which includes a fun extras page with photos, videos, and playlists. She also loves interacting with everyone on Facebook (www.facebook.com/JamieBeckBooks). For monthly fun tips, birthday sweepstakes and other exclusive content, join my newsletter at http://bit.ly/1V0d7Qi. NO SPAM–EVER. For updates on discounts, follow me on BookBub at http://bit.ly/2GBcLM3.

My Review

Pregnant, in love with her handsome husband and owner of her dream home, Amanda Foster believes she has the world by the tail- that is until he disappears on a so-called business trip, taking her mother’s life savings with him. And then she learns of his affair.

Erin Foster puts out a confident, take-no-crap attitude, but in reality she deeply mourns the loss of her father and the emotional distance between herself and the rest of her family. A messy breakup convinces her it’s time to make some changes in her life.

When Erin and Amanda’s mother has a series of accidents caused by stress, the sisters pull together to watch over her, get back the stolen money, and see that justice is served.

This is a well written story on family dynamics. Sometimes, life knocks us down, as Amanda learned, and the family we take for granted are the only ones we can truly count on to have our backs.

The characters are multi-dimensional and though the plotline went a little over the top, it was believable because of their reactions.

An enjoyable read!

“I voluntarily read an ARC of this book which was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.”

Check out all of my book recommendations on BookBub

I love having guests on the blog. If you have a new release, a sale or just want to chat, send me an email via the contact page and we’ll set something up. Hope to see you soon!

May 7, 2020May 6, 2020

Jacquie Biggar16 Comments

#BookReview- Forever Right Now by @EmmaS-Writes #Romance

***STANDALONE new adult romance from the author of The Butterfly Project and the Full Tilt Duet***

Darlene Montgomery has been to hell and back…more than once. After a stint in jail for drug possession, she is finally clean and ready to start over. Yet another failed relationship is just the motivation she needs to move from New York to San Francisco with the hopes of resurrecting her dance career and discovering that she is more than the sum of her rap sheet. As Darlene struggles in her new city, the last thing she wants is to become entangled with her handsome—but cranky—neighbor and his adorable little girl…

Sawyer Haas is weeks away from finishing law school, but exhaustion, dwindling finances, and the pressure to provide for himself and his daughter, Olivia, are wearing him down. A federal clerkship–a job he desperately needs–awaits him after graduation, but only if he passes the Bar Exam. Sawyer doesn’t have the time or patience for the capricious—if beautiful—dancer who moves into the apartment above his. But Darlene’s easy laugh and cheerful spirit seep into the cracks of his hardened heart, and slowly break down the walls he’s resurrected to keep from being betrayed ever again.

When the parents of Olivia’s absentee mother come to fight for custody, Sawyer could lose everything. To have any chance at happiness, he must trust Darlene, the woman who has somehow found her way past his brittle barbs, and Darlene must decide how much of her own bruised heart she is willing to give to Sawyer and Olivia, especially when the ghosts of her troubled past refuse to stay buried.

Biography

RECENT RELEASES

Someday, Someday (M/M standalone)

A Five-Minute Life (standalone)

Bring Down the Stars (Beautiful Hearts #1)

Long Live the Beautiful Hearts (Beautiful Hearts #2)

COMING SOON:
A new YA/NA series of interconnected standalones, coming in 2020

“At Santa Cruz Central High, we called them the misfits, the outcasts, the weirdos. But most of us knew them as the Lost Boys.”

The Girl in the Love Song (Lost Boys #1) : http://bit.ly/2MLnYhU
The Shadows of Yesterday (Lost Boys #2) : http://bit.ly/37BsCHh
The Last Piece of his Heart (Lost Boys #3) : http://bit.ly/2QeVlfa

You can follow me at all the places…

Super-cute NON SPAMMY newsletter: http://bit.ly/2nTGLf6

Author page: https://www.facebook.com/EmmaScottwrites/

Reader group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/906742879369651/

My Review

Darlene Montgomery moves from New York to San Francisco in search of a fresh start on her messed up life. She knows what rock bottom feels like and is determined never to go there again.

Sawyer Haas dreamed of becoming a prosecuting attorney ever since he was eight and lost his mother to a drunk driver. He’s close, so close when a woman shows up at his door with a baby and news that he’s a father. As if that’s not crazy enough, she runs away and leaves him holding the diaper bag. But one look at Olivia’s sweet face and he’s a goner. Now he just has to figure out how to study for the bar, care for his tiny daughter, and wait out the year until his name can go onto her birth certificate making her officially his baby girl- no pressure.

Darlene finds a loft apartment in an old victorian and is immediately drawn to the taciturn man on the second floor and his adorable little girl. She knows she’s supposed to be working on getting herself healthy, but Sawyer calls to her on an elemental level. He needs her help, whether he wants to admit it or not, and her nurturing heart is falling hard.

This is a wonderful story about overcoming life’s storms and finding the rainbow at the other side.

I love all of Emma Scott’s books and highly recommend them- she’s an incredible, emotional writer that knows how to draw on a reader’s emotions in all the best ways.

doing a breakdance move called the freeze with boombox in background

Check out all of my book recommendations on BookBub

I love having guests on the blog. If you have a new release, a sale or just want to chat, send me an email via the contact page and we’ll set something up. Hope to see you soon!

April 23, 2020April 22, 2020

Jacquie Biggar15 Comments

#BookReview- Parental Guidance by @AveryFlynn #SportsRomance

“A fantastically fun, HOT love story.” – Kendall Ryan, New York Times bestselling author
It wasn’t me.

It was my team.

But as almost co-captain I raised my hand to fix it.

Never imagined they’d arrange a PR stunt to make me look like Mr. Right to someone my mom picks out on some new dating app.

Then my salvation walks into the restaurant.

Zara Ambrose.

The five-foot-nothing redhead with more freckles than inches that I convinced to go on five dates with me for all the world to see.

She’s got her own reasons for our set up–and her own rules.

But somewhere between the couples’ obstacle course, wrestling matches with her Great Dane, and fights over mashed potatoes, Zara went from means-to-an-end to something so much more.

What happens when you start to fall for the one girl you can’t have…on live TV?

Biography

Avery Flynn is a USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling romance author. She has three slightly-wild children, loves a hockey-addicted husband and is desperately hoping someone invents the coffee IV drip.

She was a reader before she was a writer and hopes to always be both. She loves to write about smartass alpha heroes who are as good with a quip as they are with their *ahem* other God-given talents. Her heroines are feisty, fierce and fantastic. Brainy and brave, these ladies know how to stand on their own two feet and knock the bad guys off theirs.

Find out more about Avery on her website (averyflynn.com), follow her on Twitter (@AveryFlynn) and Pinterest (pinterest.com/AveryFlynnBooks), and like her on her Facebook page (facebook.com/AveryFlynnAuthor).

Join her street team, The Flynnbots, and receive special sneak peeks, prizes and early access to her latest releases!

Also, if you figure out how to send Oreos through the Internet, she’ll be your best friend for life.

Contact her at avery@averyflynn.com. She’d love to hear from you!

My Review

Get a group of alpha males together and the trash talk is bound to flow. Such is the basis for this fun, yet insightful story about NHL player Caleb Stuckey and Zara Ambrose.

A recorded cab trip with some of the rookie’s on his team goes viral overnight after the guys brag about their luck on and off the ice. Caleb’s mother comes up with the idea of showing her son’s remorse by having him date a woman she picks out via a new app called Bramble. Caleb just wants to get back to playing hockey.

Zara is a miniatures artist and a self-professed workaholic. She has zero interest in dating men (bad experience with a flighty father), but gives in to her friend’s pressure after a few too many drinks and adds a racy bio to the Bramble website, never expecting a call to come through. When it does, her father begs her to try it as a way for him to get his SAG card through the TV segments.

Caleb and Zara’s first meeting is awkward. Neither one wants to be there, but are determined to make the best of a bad situation. They decide on the required five dates, and done.

Too bad their attraction is off-the-charts!

Favorite Lines

What was wrong with her? He hated mashed potatoes. Only sociopaths hated mashed potatoes. It was a sign on top of all the other ways they were total and complete opposites
Parental Guidance- Avery Flynn

“Life is like hockey—you put in the preparation, you put in the work, and you pray like hell that the calls will go your way.”
Parental Guidance- Avery Flynn

This is a fun read! I give Parental Guidance 4 lovely kisses.

Check out all of my book recommendations on BookBub

I love having guests on the blog. If you have a new release, a sale or just want to chat, send me an email via the contact page and we’ll set something up. Hope to see you soon!

March 12, 2020March 11, 2020

Jacquie Biggar18 Comments

#BookReview- The Last Sister by Kendra Elliot #Mystery

Three sisters’ secrets collide in a shocking novel of suspense by the Wall Street Journal and Amazon Charts bestselling author of the Mercy Kilpatrick series.

Twenty years ago Emily Mills’s father was murdered, and she found his body hanging in the backyard. Her younger sister, Madison, claims she was asleep in her room. Her older sister, Tara, claims she was out with friends. The tragedy drove their mother to suicide and Tara to leave town forever. The killer was caught. The case closed.

Ever since, Emily and Madison have tried to forget what happened that night—until an eerily similar murder brings it all back. It also brings FBI special agent Zander Wells to the Oregon logging town. As eager as he is to solve the brutal double slaying, he is just as intrigued with the mystery of Emily’s and her sisters’ past.

When more blood is shed, Zander suspects there’s a secret buried in this town no one wants unearthed. Is it something Emily and Madison don’t know? Or aren’t telling? And Tara? Maybe Emily can’t bear to find her. Because when Tara disappeared, she took a secret of her own with her.

Biography

***For a free Insider’s Guide to my novels, visit KendraElliot.com.***

Kendra Elliot has sold over 7 million books, hit the Wall Street Journal top ten bestseller list nine times, and is a three time winner of the Daphne du Maurier award.

Her 2017 release, A MERCIFUL DEATH, was a #1 Amazon overall bestseller and has been optioned for TV.

She is an International Thriller Writers’ finalist and a Romantic Times finalist. She grew up in the lush Pacific Northwest and still lives there with her family, three cats, and two Pomeranians. She’s always been fascinated with forensics, refuses to eat anything green, and can’t wait to wear flip flops every day.

My Review

Secrets from the past collide with a modern day murder in this thrilling suspense novel by Kendra Elliot!
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When restaurant owner Emily Mills goes to check up on a late-for-work employee, she comes upon a shocking crime scene. The woman is dead and her husband is found hanging in the backyard– a déjà vu moment for Emily who found her father the same way twenty years earlier.

A horrible coincidence or is there a mysterious connection?

FBI Agent Zander Wells is brought in to help the local sheriff’s department on a possible hate crime of a young couple, and finds a town steeped in secrecy.

As the investigation delves deep, a desperate criminal amps up his game, threatening Emily and her family. Will the truth cost the Mills girls their lives?

This is a gripping mystery with multiple storylines that all weave together into a surprising conclusion I didn’t see coming (Gotta love a good mystery!), but thought there were several threads left dangling by the end of the book to give it a 5* review. Racism is the leading factor in the storyline, yet the author doesn’t use it as a platform to teach us a valuable lesson- rather it’s sensationalized and then almost forgotten in the subsequent murder/mysteries that take place throughout the story. I feel that was an important moment lost.

Overall, a good story,

I give The Last Sister 4 lovely kisses

“I voluntarily read an ARC of this book which was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.”

Check out all of my book recommendations on BookBub

I love having guests on the blog. If you have a new release, a sale or just want to chat, send me an email via the contact page and we’ll set something up. Hope to see you soon!

January 28, 2020January 27, 2020

Jacquie Biggar21 Comments

#BookReview- Cross Her Heart by @MelindaLeigh1 #Suspense

A homicide detective’s violent family history repeats itself in #1 Amazon Charts and Wall Street Journal bestselling author Melinda Leigh’s novel of murder, secrets, and retribution.

For more than twenty-five years, Philadelphia homicide detective Bree Taggert has tucked away the nightmarish childhood memories of her parents’ murder-suicide…Until her younger sister, Erin, is killed in a crime that echoes that tragic night: innocent witnesses and a stormy marriage that ended in gunfire. There’s just one chilling difference. Erin’s husband, Justin, has vanished.

Bree knows how explosive the line between love and hate can be, yet the evidence against her troubled brother-in-law isn’t adding up. Teaming up with Justin’s old friend, former sheriff’s investigator and K-9 handler Matt Flynn, Bree vows to uncover the secrets of her sister’s life and death, as she promised Erin’s children. But as her investigation unfolds, the danger hits close to home. Once again, Bree’s family is caught in a death grip. And this time, it could be fatal for her.

Biography

#1 Amazon Charts and #1 Wall Street Journal bestselling author Melinda Leigh has sold over 8 million books. As a fully recovered banker and a life-long lover of books, she started writing as a way to preserve her sanity while raising her kids. Melinda’s debut novel, SHE CAN RUN, was an International Thriller Award finalist. Since then, she has garnered numerous writing accolades, including two RITA® Award nominations and an induction into the NJ Romance Writers Hall of Fame.

Melinda holds a 2nd degree belt in Kenpo Karate. She’s dabbled in Arnis stick fighting, studied Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and taught women’s self-defense. She lives near the beach with her family and two spoiled rescue dogs. With such a pleasant life, she has no explanation for the sometimes dark and disturbing nature of her imagination. Find out more about Melinda by visiting http://www.melindaleigh.com.

My Review

Past and present collide!

When homicide detective Bree Taggert receives a distressing phone call from her sister, she rushes back to a hometown filled with nightmarish memories, only to find her sister was murdered.

Bree is overcome by grief, and guilt that she hadn’t been there when Erin needed her- especially when she learns the main suspect is Erin’s husband.

Was the past repeating itself?

Several years ago, Bree witnessed her father’s murderous rage against her mother. She grabbed her younger brother and sister, and hid until the police came. By then, both of her parents were dead in an apparent murder-suicide. It changed the sibling’s lives forever.

When the evidence doesn’t seem to add up, Bree teams up with her brother-in-law’s best friend, former officer and K-9 handler Matt Flynn.

As facts come to light, danger awaits and a murderer stalks the detective.

This is a riveting story of betrayal, mystery, suspense and a budding attraction.
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I give Cross Her Heart 4.5 lovely kisses- A Must-read!

“I voluntarily read an ARC of this book which was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.”

Check out all of my book recommendations on BookBub

I love having guests on the blog. If you have a new release, a sale or just want to chat, send me an email via the contact page and we’ll set something up. Hope to see you soon!

December 2, 2019December 2, 2019

Jacquie Biggar11 Comments

My Way to You by @CatherineBybee #WomensFic #BookReview

A woman’s journey through tragedy leads to the discovery of love in a novel about hope and survival by New York Times bestselling author Catherine Bybee.

When a wildfire nearly destroys Parker Sinclair’s family home, it’s just one more disaster to add to her mountain of stress. For the past two years, she has shouldered the responsibility of raising her younger brother and sister after their parents’ untimely deaths. Forced to leave college for a crappy job that barely pays the bills, Parker manages her family property, which consumes every aspect of her life. Now winter is coming and the forecast isn’t spreading sunshine on the dark cloud over her head. The last thing Parker needs is a mudslide destroying everything she has worked so hard to maintain.

Colin Hudson’s job as a public works supervisor is to protect Parker’s property and neighborhood from further damage. But it’s a little hard when the owner of the land is a control freak who tries to do everything herself. The hardworking, attractive young woman is far from the “hot mess” she claims to be. In fact, her tight grip of control is one of the things that attract him the most. It’s also the hardest to crack. Now Colin’s working overtime to help Parker open up her heart, trust him, and let him in.

As Parker and Colin work together to keep her home and neighborhood safe, they may be in for another disaster. Or they may just realize that sometimes it takes destruction to create something new.

https://amzn.to/2N6WLXn

Biography

#1 Wall Street Journal Bestselling Author
New York Times Bestselling Author
USA Today Bestselling Author
#1 Amazon Bestselling Author
#1 Indie Reader Bestselling Author

Catherine Bybee is a New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author of twenty-five books that have collectively sold more than eight million copies and have been translated into twelve languages. Raised in Washington State, Bybee moved to Southern California in hopes of becoming a movie star. After growing bored with waiting tables, she returned to school and became a registered nurse, spending most of her career in urban emergency rooms. She now writes full-time and has penned the Not Quite series, the Weekday Brides series, and the Most Likely To series.

Visit me at http://www.catherinebybee.com

My Review

A relevant and scary look into the California wildfires!

Parker Sinclair is forced into growing up when her parents unexpectedly die, leaving her in charge of her teenaged siblings and the family home.

She’s barely hanging on when a wildfire rips through the hills behind her house, threatening everything they own. Thankfully, the fire crews manage to get it under control, but the hillside is compromised now that the trees are gone. If a flood were to occur, it would wash away their home.

In steps public works supervisor Colin Hudson with a plan to fortify the embankment and build two buildings to house the rainwater and stop a potential mudslide- if only he weren’t so attracted to the homeowner.

Throw in a mysterious renter who jumps at every noise, and you have the setup for a page-turning story of strength, determination, and willpower.

Favorite Lines

Southern California was in its seventh year of a severe drought. The hillsides were nothing but dense vegetation, too starved for water to even scream anymore.
My Way to You- Catherine Bybee

Band-Aid on a hemorrhage. Water rushed off the mountain like anxious kids on a slip-and-slide.
My Way to You- Catherine Bybee

This story was written as a way for the author to show her appreciation for all the people who protect, serve, and care for those in the way of these destructive acts of nature.

I give My Way to You 5 lovely kisses- an eye-opening read!

“I voluntarily read an ARC of this book which was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.”

Check out all of my book recommendations on BookBub

November 1, 2019October 31, 2019

Jacquie Biggar24 Comments

Take Me Now by @CarlyPhillips #NewRelease #Romance @jennw23

“Carly Phillips can take you to romantic places you haven’t yet dreamed of!”- Robyn Carr, #1 New York Times bestselling author

Take Me Now, an all-new, never before published sexy short story from New York Times bestselling author Carly Phillips, is available now!

He acts like he barely knows her.

But she knows he’s the one.

Matt Banks was ready to tell Harper Sanders that he loved her, that he’d always loved her and that even though they were young, she was his forever girl.

Then her brother stepped in, wanting more for his sister than a garage owner. Too young to stand up for himself, Matt made her brother a promise that he’s regretted every day since.

After years of being ignored by the guy she’s always loved, Harper is on a dating binge. No one is Matt, but a girl can keep on trying. Then she gets stranded on the side of the road, and she has no choice but to call the only mechanic in town.

Matt comes to her rescue, and then to her bed. It’s an idyllic, passion-filled weekend—but there’s still the matter of his promise. And a man’s word is his bond.

**Take Me Now is a never before published short story in the Knight Brothers series.**

Download your copy today!

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2NFObiX

AppleBooks: https://apple.co/2NBmaZS

Amazon Worldwide: http://mybook.to/TakeMeNowcp

Nook: http://bit.ly/2U9L18o

Kobo: http://bit.ly/30BEaad

Google Play: http://bit.ly/2Znekua

Meet Carly Phillips

New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today Bestseller, Carly Phillips gives her readers Alphalicious heroes to swoon for and romance to set your heart on fire. She married her college sweetheart and lives in Purchase, NY along with her three crazy dogs: two wheaten terriers and a mutant Havanese, who are featured on her Facebook and Instagram. The author of 50 romance novels, she has raised two incredible daughters who put up with having a mom as a full time writer. Carly’s book, The Bachelor, was chosen by Kelly Ripa as a romance club pick and was the first romance on a nationally televised bookclub. Carly loves social media and interacting with her readers. Want to keep up with Carly? Sign up for her mailing list and receive TWO FREE books at www.carlyphillips.com.

Connect with Carly

Bookbub: http://bit.ly/2FIG6FH

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2QyGiLl

Instagram: http://bit.ly/2TI6LX9

Facebook: http://bit.ly/2Nk4bID Sign up for Text Updates of New Releases: http://tinyurl.com/p3upm5s Join Carly’s Addicts: http://bit.ly/2CM78tY Twitter: http://bit.ly/2FJRa5y Website: www.carlyphillips.com

Blog: http://bit.ly/2HQaYXg

August 29, 2019August 28, 2019

Jacquie Biggar4 Comments

Life and Other Inconveniences by @Kristan_Higgins #BookReview #WomensFic

From the New York Times bestselling author of Good Luck with That comes a new novel about a blue-blood grandmother and her black-sheep granddaughter who discover they are truly two sides of the same coin.

Emma London never thought she had anything in common with her grandmother Genevieve London. The regal old woman came from wealthy and bluest-blood New England stock, but that didn’t protect her from life’s cruelest blows: the disappearance of Genevieve’s young son, followed by the premature death of her husband. But Genevieve rose from those ashes of grief and built a fashion empire that was respected the world over, even when it meant neglecting her other son.

When Emma’s own mother died, her father abandoned her on his mother’s doorstep. Genevieve took Emma in and reluctantly raised her–until Emma got pregnant her senior year of high school. Genevieve kicked her out with nothing but the clothes on her back…but Emma took with her the most important London possession: the strength not just to survive but to thrive. And indeed, Emma has built a wonderful life for herself and her teenage daughter, Riley.

So what is Emma to do when Genevieve does the one thing Emma never expected of her and, after not speaking to her for nearly two decades, calls and asks for help?

Biography

Kristan Higgins is the New York Times, USA TODAY, Wall Street Journal and Publishers Weekly bestselling author of 18 novels, which have been translated into more than two dozen languages and have sold millions of copies worldwide. Her books have received dozens of awards and accolades, including starred reviews from Kirkus, The New York Journal of Books, Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and Booklist. She is a five-time nominee for The Kirkus Prize for Best Work of Fiction, and her books regularly appear on the lists for best novels of the year of many prestigious journals and review sites. If you want to keep up with Kristan’s new releases and get a free short story, sign up for her mailing list at http://www.kristanhiggins.com.

The proud descendant of a butcher and a laundress, Kristan lives in Connecticut with her heroic firefighter husband, two long-lashed children, a couple of frisky rescue dogs and an occasionally friendly cat.

My Review

Emma London hasn’t had it easy. Her mother committed suicide when she was eight and her father dumped her on a grandmother who was the antithesis of sweet and kind-hearted.

At eighteen, Emma became pregnant. When she refused to give up the child, her grandmother kicked her out. Emma had to dig deep for her London strength and pride to get through the next few years- thank God for Pops. Her mother’s father took her and baby Riley in and the three of them formed a tight family unit.

Everything changed with one fateful phone call– Genevieve London (Emma’s perfect patrician grandmother) was dying.

Though it goes against Emma’s instincts, she packs up Riley and they go to Gigi’s aid, only to find she’s as judgmental and rude as ever. Tempted to leave her to die by herself, it takes along time before Emma finds it in her heart to understand the woman who had such a strong influence on her life.

Favorite Lines:

You never realize it until you’re pregnant, or holding your baby in your arms, but your heart, soul and peace of mind will never be yours again. The tiny hijackers take over before they draw their first breaths, and you would do anything to keep them safe. Anything.

Higgins, Kristan. Life and Other Inconveniences (p. 7). Penguin Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.

Parenting isn’t always a peachy-colored glow. Half the time, it’s just showing up and doing your best.

Higgins, Kristan. Life and Other Inconveniences (p. 393). Penguin Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.

Family ties aren’t always easy, but they play an integral part in the person you become. Kristan does a beautiful job creating a tough, yet vulnerable matriarch in Genevieve and a supporting cast of characters who are sure to steal your heart (even Mac- you’ll have to read the story to see what I mean 🙂 )

I give Life and Other Inconveniences 5+ lovely kisses- My favorite kind of read; #FamilyFirst

August 19, 2019August 17, 2019

Jacquie Biggar20 Comments

One virgin, one night, one surprise baby… Dare Me Tonight by Carly Phillips #NewRelease #Romance @jennw23

“Carly Phillips is synonymous with red-hot romance.”

–Lauren Blakely, New York Times Bestselling Author

DARE ME TONIGHT, an all new steamy standalone from New York Times bestselling author Carly Phillips is available now, and you do not want to miss this Dare/Knight crossover novel!

One virgin, one night, one surprise baby…

For Ethan Knight, managing his empire is his priority. Women, not so much. But when a favor leads to him meeting sexy, driven Sienna Dare at a black tie corporate event, his interest is piqued along with his desire, and his infamous control slips as he joins her for an unforgettable night in bed.

Sienna Dare is trying to figure out the direction of her life when she meets enigmatic Ethan Knight—a strong, confident man so hot and irresistible he’s the one she finally relinquishes her v-card to.

The problem? Ethan has a billion dollar contract with Sienna’s brother at stake. An overly-protective brother who doesn’t take it well when he finds out his business associate bedded his much younger sister. Oh, and she’s pregnant, too. . .

Download your copy today!

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2JZcWpY

AppleBooks: https://apple.co/2OATkar

Amazon Worldwide: http://mybook.to/DareMeTonight

Nook: http://bit.ly/2U2qc1K

Kobo: http://bit.ly/2FIY9vN

Google Play: http://bit.ly/2HMcmu0

Amazon Paperback: https://amzn.to/2HMcIRm

Add to GoodReads: http://bit.ly/2uAJlsC

And as a special treat, if you download DARE ME TONIGHT before August 11th and fill out this form and you’ll receive a free copy of Take Me Now – a short story featuring Harper and Matt from Take Me Down from Carly!

http://bit.ly/2YIpVi0

Meet Carly Phillips

New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today Bestseller, Carly Phillips gives her readers Alphalicious heroes to swoon for and romance to set your heart on fire. She married her college sweetheart and lives in Purchase, NY along with her three crazy dogs: two wheaten terriers and a mutant Havanese, who are featured on her Facebook and Instagram. The author of 50 romance novels, she has raised two incredible daughters who put up with having a mom as a full time writer. Carly’s book, The Bachelor, was chosen by Kelly Ripa as a romance club pick and was the first romance on a nationally televised bookclub. Carly loves social media and interacting with her readers. Want to keep up with Carly? Sign up for her newsletter and receive TWO FREE books at www.carlyphillips.com.

Connect with Carly

Bookbub: http://bit.ly/2FIG6FH

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2QyGiLl

Instagram: http://bit.ly/2TI6LX9

Facebook: http://bit.ly/2Nk4bID

Stay up to date with Carly by joining her mailing list:

http://bit.ly/2FKDasp Sign up for Text Updates of New Releases: http://tinyurl.com/p3upm5s Join Carly’s Addicts: http://bit.ly/2CM78tY Twitter: http://bit.ly/2FJRa5y Website: www.carlyphillips.com

Blog: http://bit.ly/2HQaYXg

August 6, 2019August 5, 2019

Jacquie Biggar8 Comments

A Cold Trail by @RobertDugoni #Suspense #BookReview

From Amazon:

In New York Times bestselling author Robert Dugoni’s riveting series, Seattle homicide detective Tracy Crosswhite returns home to a brutal murder and her haunted past.

The last time homicide detective Tracy Crosswhite was in Cedar Grove, it was to see her sister’s killer put behind bars. Now she’s returned for a respite and the chance to put her life back in order for herself, her attorney husband, Dan, and their new daughter. But tragic memories soon prove impossible to escape.

Dan is drawn into representing a local merchant whose business is jeopardized by the town’s revitalization. And Tracy is urged by the local PD to put her own skills to work on a new case: the brutal murder of a police officer’s wife and local reporter who was investigating a cold-case slaying of a young woman. As Tracy’s and Dan’s cases crisscross, Tracy’s trail becomes dangerous. It’s stirring up her own haunted past and a decades-old conspiracy in Cedar Grove that has erupted in murder. Getting to the truth is all that matters. But what’s Tracy willing to risk as a killer gets closer to her and threatens everyone she loves?

Biography

Robert Dugoni is the New York Times, #1 Wall Street Journal, and #1 Amazon Internationally Bestselling Author of the Tracy Crosswhite Series : My Sister’s Grave (2014), Her Final Breath (2015), In the Clearing (2015), The Trapped Girl (2016), Close to Home (2017) and A Steep Price (2018).

Dugoni’s espionage novel, The Eighth Sister, inspired by real events, arrives April 2019.

His critically acclaimed literary novel, The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell (2018) won Suspense Magazine’s Crimson Scribe Award as The Best Book of 2018 and has drawn comparison’s to novelist John Irving’s work. Dugoni also won a Golden Microphone for his narrationo that novel. Connect with him on Facebook @AuthorRobertDugoni, on Twitter @robertdugoni, and on Instagram, robertdugoni, author

Dugoni is also the author of the David Sloane series: The Jury Master, Wrongful Death, Bodily Harm, Murder One and The Conviction.

Dugoni is the winner of the 2015 Nancy Pearl Award for Fiction, has twice been a finalist for the Harper Lee Award for Legal Fiction, twice been a finalist for the Silver Falchion award for his mysteries, was a 2015 and 2017 International Thriller Writer’s finalist for thriller of the year, and a 2017 Mystery Writers of America Edgar Finalist for his stand alone novel, The Seventh Canon. His books are sold world-wide in more than 30 countries and have been translated into dozens of languages including French, German, Italian and Spanish.

Dugoni’s first in the Tracy Crosswhite series, My Sister’s Grave (Nov. 2014), became a months-long #1 Amazon Bestseller in the United States, France, Italy, Germany and in the UK, as well as a New York Times and Wall Street Journal Best Seller and won the 2014 Nancy Pearl Award for fiction. Library Journal gave it a Starred Review and said it “Combines the best of a police procedural with a legal thriller, and the end result is outstanding…Dugoni continues to deliver emotional and gut-wrenching, character-driven suspense stories that will resonate with any fan of the thriller genre.”

The sequel, Her Final Breath, also became an Amazon top 10 bestseller, as did In the Clearing. The Trapped Girl was a #1 Amazon and #1 Wall Street Journal best-seller that Kirkus and Booklist are calling his best book to date. Close to Home debuted at #2 on the Wall Street Journal Best Seller list.

For more on Robert Dugoni and his novels, visit his website at http://www.robertdugoni.com

Photo by Guillaume Hankenne on Pexels.com

My Review

Tracy Crosswhite and her husband Dan make the trip to their childhood home and are soon immersed into a tangled web of murder, betrayal, and conspiracies.

A series of brutal murder draws Tracy into investigating the cold case connections to a young woman’s death, along with that of Tracy’s sister, while Dan accepts a suspicious case against the city. When Tracy and Dan’s cases show a few too many coincidences, the danger ramps up.

As a killer draws close, Tracy fights not only her own parental instincts, but her husband’s disapproval. With more questions than answers, Tracy’s hunt leads to a surprise ending.

I love a good whodunit, and for the most part this story fit the bill. I did guess who the murderer was and would have liked to have felt a bit more tension throughout the book, but overall a good read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this advanced copy of A Cold Trail- 4 lovely kisses!

July 22, 2019July 20, 2019

Jacquie Biggar21 Comments

Five dates—that’s it—and then we go our separate ways. At least, that was the plan… Parental Guidance by @AveryFlynn #NewRelease #SportsRomance @jennw23

“A fantastically fun, HOT love story.” – Kendall Ryan, New York Times bestselling author

Parental Guidance, an all-new, sexy and laugh-out-loud romantic comedy from Wall Street Journal bestselling author Avery Flynn, is available now!

All I want is to play hockey on the Ice Knights, instead, I’m in a viral video for all the wrong reasons and my mom—yes, my mom—has taken over my dating apps. Then, when I think it can’t get any worse, the fates deliver Zara Ambrose, a five-feet-nothing redhead with more freckles than inches and who’d rather be anywhere other than on a date with me.

Now a bet with her friends and my PR nightmare have us both stuck in this go-on-five-dates-with-the-same-person hell situation. But if we band together, we can get the whole thing over with and go on with our lives. It’s perfect! No feelings. No future. No fuc— *ahem* fun. No naked fun.

What could go wrong? Nothing—as long as I remember the rules. Don’t notice the way she looks in a dress. Don’t react when she does that little shivery sigh thing whenever we touch. Don’t think about the fact that she’s never had a toe-curling orgasm that wasn’t self-delivered and just how badly I want to change that.

Five dates—that’s it—and then we go our separate ways. At least, that was the plan.

Download your copy today!

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2VGNZ41

AppleBooks: https://apple.co/2Lc2R9Y

Amazon Worldwide: http://mybook.to/ParentalGuidance

Nook: http://bit.ly/2XcYigS

Kobo: http://bit.ly/2DfttAr

Google Play: http://bit.ly/2IhwwfD

Add to GoodReads: http://bit.ly/2UAMacp

About Avery

USA Today bestselling romance author Avery Flynn has three slightly-wild children, loves a hockey-addicted husband and is desperately hoping someone invents the coffee IV drip. She fell in love with romance while reading Johanna Lindsey’s Mallory books. It wasn’t long before Avery had read through all the romance offerings at her local library. Needing a romance fix, she turned to Harlequin’s four books a month home delivery service to ease the withdrawal symptoms. That worked for a short time, but it wasn’t long before the local book stores’ staff knew her by name. Avery was a reader before she was a writer and hopes to always be both. She loves to write about smartass alpha heroes who are as good with a quip as they are with their *ahem* other God-given talents. Her heroines are feisty, fierce and fantastic. Brainy and brave, these ladies know how to stand on their own two feet and knock the bad guys off theirs.

Connect with Avery

Instagram: @AveryFlynn https://www.instagram.com/averyflynn/

Website: http://averyflynn.com

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June 17, 2019June 16, 2019

Jacquie Biggar8 Comments

Tomboy by @AveryFlynn #Romance #amreading

✮ ✮ ✮ HOT 99¢ SALE ALERT! ✮ ✮ ✮

Tomboy, a HOT and hilarious romantic comedy from USA Today bestselling author Avery Flynn, is ON SALE now for only 99¢!

What Readers are Saying:

Review

“I absolutely loved this book and had a hard time putting it down. Fallon’s strong, independent, take no prisoners attitude is perfect for Zach’s stubborn nature. It is a fast paced, fun and steamy read and I can’t wait for more from the author.”

-Urvashi H., Goodreads

“A really great entertaining but also heartwarming read! A perfect addition to the series!” -Marina S., Goodreads

“Fallon & Zach will have you laughing & crying. I was rooting for them in the beginning just bc of the way this story takes off. To say that this book was great would not even be enough. I can’t wait for the next book!”

-Shannon G., NetGalley

“Hot Chemistry, fun banter and super sexy, this was a very entertaining read!”

-Amber H., Goodreads

“I just read my favorite book by this author!!! I just love a total butthole with a soft center and a fearless woman who takes him on! A story with intense sexual tension, a great family of crazy characters, the best friends a girl could have and a budding bromance. A recommended read that will put a smile on your face!”

-Keri R., Goodreads

“Adorable laugh out loud sexy read.”

-Becky W., Goodreads

“I am so in love with this series! And I have to honestly say, at this point Avery could publish her grocery list and I would devour it like it was my last meal. Avery is definitely a “one-click” author for me and I cannot wait to see what she writes next! Oh and in closing, I will say I am am totally #TeamZuck!!”

-Chloe T., NetGalley

Don’t miss out! Grab your copy today!

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2AFNizI

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Amazon Worldwide: http://mybook.to/Tomboy

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How exactly has one good deed landed me in the penalty box?

Ice Knights defenseman Zach Blackburn has come down with the flu, and my BFF—his PR manager—begs me to put my nursing degree to use and get him back to health. Of course she would call in a favor for the most hated man in Harbor City.

But when he’s finally on the mend and I’m sneaking out of his place, everything goes sideways. Paparazzi spot me and pictures, plus accusations that I slept with him, fly faster than a hockey puck.

At first, all of Harbor City wants my blood—or to give me a girlie-girl makeover. But then…the team finally wins a game. And now this fickle town wants me with the big jerk twenty-four seven.

Argh. I never slept with him the first time! But no one will listen. Then the grumpy bastard goes and promises to break his no-fan-appearances rule to help raise money for a free health clinic—but only if I’m rink-side at every game. That’s not a deal I can turn down.

But when the team keeps winning, and I realize there’s more to him than his bad reputation, suddenly remembering to keep my real hands off my fake date gets harder and harder to do.

Biography

Join her street team, The Flynnbots, and receive special sneak peeks, prizes and early access to her latest releases!

Also, if you figure out how to send Oreos through the Internet, she’ll be your best friend for life.

Contact her at avery@averyflynn.com. She’d love to hear from you!

June 7, 2019June 6, 2019

Jacquie Biggar5 Comments

Boyfriend for Hire by @KendallRyan1 #NewRelease #Romance @InkSlingerPR

I’m the guy you call when you need to impress your overbearing family, your boss, or your ex. Yeah, I’m a male escort, but not just any escort, I’m the escort. The one with a mile-long waiting list and a pristine reputation that’s very well-deserved.

I’m the guy who’ll make you feel beautiful, desired, and worshipped . . . all for a steep price. I’m hired to make you shine, and I always deliver.

I’ll be whatever you want me to be for one night—except my true self. This is just a job, a role I play to earn a paycheck.

But I’m not the guy who falls for a client. Not once in six years.

And then I meet Elle. Her friend has hired me to escort her to a wedding, but Elle doesn’t know we’re just pretending.

There’s a fire between us I never expected. A connection I haven’t felt in so long. One kiss, and I’m losing all control.

But what will happen when she finds out who I really am?

ADD TO GOODREADS

AVAILABLE NOW

✦ Amazon ✦ Amazon UK ✦ Apple ✦ B&N ✦ Kobo ✦ Audio

A New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author of more than three dozen titles, Kendall Ryan has sold over 2.5 million books and her books have been translated into several languages in countries around the world.

Her books have also appeared on the New York Times and USA Today bestseller lists more than 70 times. Ryan has been featured in such publications as USA Today, Newsweek, and InTouch Magazine.

She lives in Texas with her husband and two sons.

Visit her at: www.kendallryanbooks.com for the latest book news, and fun extras

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February 19, 2019February 12, 2019

Jacquie Biggar4 Comments

Close To the Bone by @KendraElliot #Suspense #BookReview

From Wall Street Journal bestselling author Kendra Elliot comes the first novella in the thrilling Widow’s Island series.

FBI Special Agent Cate Wilde is back home on a remote Pacific Northwest island when she gets the call: a teenager’s skeletal remains have been found on a nearby island.

Together with Tessa Black, a childhood friend turned local deputy, Cate confronts dreary weather and bleak leads to make sense of the death. The complications pile up as Cate is distracted by the coroner on the case—and by nagging memories that draw her twenty years into the past. The remains suggest eerie similarities between this victim, and Cate and Tessa’s friend Samantha, who disappeared when she was fourteen.

Cate finds herself up against closemouthed locals, buried town secrets, and even her own heart. As the case unravels, will she be able to cut through the fog and find justice for the missing and the dead?

Biography

***For a free Insider’s Guide to my novels, visit KendraElliot.com.***

Kendra Elliot has sold over 6 million books, hit the Wall Street Journal top ten bestseller list seven times, and is a three time winner of the Daphne du Maurier award.

Her 2017 release, A MERCIFUL DEATH, was a #1 Amazon overall bestseller and has been optioned for TV by Warner Brothers Television and Ellen Degeneres’s A Very Good Production.

My Review

A Spooky Thriller!

When a teenager’s skeleton is found on a private island near FBI agent Cate Wilde’s childhood home, she’s asked to take the case. Cate is battling her own demons after a recent shooting and isn’t anxious to take on the responsibility of another case, especially one that could be linked to the twenty year old disappearance of her best friend.

As the islanders close ranks and the suspect lost grows, Cate works with another childhood friend, turned police officer, and the handsome new doctor/coroner to find the answers before anyone else gets hurt.

This was a good read, though it started out slow with a lot of back story on the island’s notorious founder that I didn’t find necessary.

I give Close To the Bone 4 lovely kisses- a good mystery!

January 12, 2019January 11, 2019

Jacquie Biggar6 Comments

Butterface by @AveryFlynn #Romance #BookReview

It’s true. I’m not what most people would call “pretty” and, well, high school was rough. Fast forward ten years and life is good…

Until a bunch of jerks think it’s hilarious to put the “butterface” (AKA me) on a wedding Kiss Cam with the hottest guy ever—and that old humiliation hits hard.

I recognize him immediately. The sexiest cop in Waterbury and totally out of my league.

But then he kisses me. And we totally forget the room, the crowd, everything.

Then he tells everyone we’ve been dating for months.

Soon everything starts to feel too real, from adorable fights over “necessary” tools to fix my broken porch to surviving a free-for-all dinner with his six siblings to picking up where our last kiss left off.

But there’s something he’s not telling me about why he’s really hanging around, and I’m pretty sure it has to do with my mob-connected brothers.

Because this is not a make-over story, and Cinderella is only a fairy tale…

About the Author

Biography

Join her street team, The Flynnbots, and receive special sneak peeks, prizes and early access to her latest releases!

Also, if you figure out how to send Oreos through the Internet, she’ll be your best friend for life.

Contact her at avery@averyflynn.com. She’d love to hear from you!

My Review

This book gave me the feel-goods!

When Detective Ford Hartigan walks out of the shower in his hotel room and finds the wedding planner he’d met earlier that night undressing- for his benefit- he’s all for it, until he discovers it was a trick put together by some other officers.

His explanations justifiably fall on deaf ears as the young woman escapes with her pride in tatters. But, then Ford learns that she is the sister of a couple of low-entry mobsters and it changes everything.

Regina (Gina) Luca is used to being dumped by men who can’t see past the nose on her face so why should she be surprised when the guy she decides to take a chance on, makes a fool of her instead?

No guy wants to date a Butterface.

This book is everything a good, sexy romance should be. Ford is a straightforward, hotter-than-sin hero and Gina, far from being a damsel in distress, knows who she is and is just fine with that- even though there are scars from the past she can’t quite ignore.

A couple of my favorite lines:

Disaster was bearing down on her like a midtown bus with busted breaks. There was no way she was gonna get out of the way in time. She was about to be a bug on the windshield of life.

Flynn, Avery. Butterface (A Hot Romantic Comedy) (The Hartigans Book 1) (p. 136). Entangled Publishing, LLC. Kindle Edition.

The woman just did things to him. She shook things up. And he liked it. A lot. Probably too much. He should probably be worried about that. He wasn’t. He was too busy wondering how, when they’d first met, he’d missed how her eyes twinkled when she smiled, how the curve of her high cheekbones perfectly highlighted her dark eyes, and how the nose she hated so much gave her a unique look that was so much her own that she redefined what beautiful could be.

Flynn, Avery. Butterface (A Hot Romantic Comedy) (The Hartigans Book 1) (p. 172). Entangled Publishing, LLC. Kindle Edition.

There were a couple of minor editing mistakes, but it in no way diminished the story for me. I love this book and will definitely be adding it to my re-read list!