Wednesday, August 30, 2017

#BookReview - Sleep Savannah Sleep by Alistair Cross

Title:  Sleep Savannah Sleep
Author:  Alistair Cross
Genre:  Horror, Occult
Release Date:  September 25, 2017


About the Book:

The Dead Don't Always Rest in Peace


Jason Crandall, recently widowed, is left to raise his young daughter and rebellious teenage son on his own - and the old Victorian in Shadow Springs seems like the perfect place for them to start over. But the cracks in Jason’s new world begin to show when he meets Savannah Sturgess, a beautiful socialite who has half the men in town dancing on tangled strings.

When she goes missing, secrets begin to surface, and Jason becomes ensnared in a dangerous web that leads to murder - and he becomes a likely suspect. But who has the answers that will prove his innocence? The jealous husband who’s hell-bent on destroying him? The local sheriff with an incriminating secret? The blind old woman in the house next door who seems to watch him from the windows? Or perhaps the answers lie in the haunting visions and dreams that have recently begun to consume him. 

Or maybe, Savannah herself is trying to tell him that things aren’t always as they seem - and that sometimes, the dead don’t rest in peace. 

“SLEEP SAVANNAH SLEEP hooks you with a small-town atmosphere that quickly turns ghostly cold. Beware a plethora of twists and turns …” – Michael Aronovitz, author of Alice Walks and Phantom Effect

Buy Links: Amazon 
AVAILABLE FOR PREORDER - RELEASE DATE SEPTEMBER 25, 2017

My Review:

Sometime in October, when I list my absolute favorite Halloween night reads, this book will be way up on my list!  Probably #1.  This is one of those books you simply cannot put down.  Warning:  Don't read SLEEP SAVANNAH SLEEP when you are alone in the house all night.  I made the mistake of reading it while in a hotel room while I was traveling alone on a trip from North Carolina to Florida. Not only did I not get any sleep because I was too busy reading... but even after I finished the book... there was no way I was going to shut my eyes!

This story starts out by drawing you in to a sweet yet quirky small town with interesting characters, a bar called The Devil's Triangle, a book store called Tome After Tome, a blind old lady who "sees" Jason, a gossipy next door neighbor, and the beautiful sexy Savannah who does every guy in town and ends up missing.

Jason Crandall's wife had died several months earlier and he was left to raise his two children, a sweet young daughter and a difficult teenage son.  Moving to this small town of Shadow Springs and starting up his massage therapy business in an old Victorian home seemed like a fresh start for all of them.  Then the dreams began.  Not my dreams.  I was too afraid to fall asleep.  I'm talking about Jason Crandall's dreams.  Wow!  Such vivid descriptions!  This book keeps you guessing as to what these dreams mean and what happened to Savannah.  Or maybe I should just say "Who".  I'm usually pretty good at figuring out who-done-its, but this one totally surprised me.  

This is the first book I have read by Alistair Cross (I'm embarrassed to say), but I have already started looking for more to put on my TBR list.  I just won't be reading them when I'm alone in a strange hotel room.

Disclosure:  A complimentary ARC was provided by the author's representative in exchange for an honest review.  All thoughts, opinions and ratings are my own.

My Rating:
About the Author:

Alistair Cross was born in the western United States and began penning his own stories by the age of eight. First published by Damnation Books in 2012, Alistair has since published several more novels. In 2012, he joined forces with international bestselling author, Tamara Thorne, and as Thorne & Cross, they write the successful Gothic series, The Ravencrest Saga. Their novel, The Cliffhouse Haunting, is an Amazon Best Seller, as is Alistair's solo novel, The Crimson Corset.

In 2014, Alistair and Tamara began the internet radio show, Thorne & Cross: Haunted Nights LIVE! Haunted Nights LIVE! premiered to great acclaim and has featured such guests as Chelsea Quinn Yarbro of the Saint-Germain vampire series, Charlaine Harris of the Southern Vampire Mysteries and basis of the HBO series True Blood, Jeff Lindsay, author of the Dexter novels that inspired the hit television series, Jay Bonansinga of the Walking Dead series, Laurell K. Hamilton of the Anita Blake Vampire Hunter novels, and New York Times best sellers Christopher Rice, Jonathan Maberry, and Christopher Moore.

Alistair is currently at work on several projects including a solo novel and a new Thorne & Cross collaboration. His influences include the works of Stephen King, Dean Koontz, John Saul, Ira Levin, and William Peter Blatty.

Learn more about him at his website: http://alistaircross.com

Tuesday, August 29, 2017

#BookReview - Walk Me Home by Catherine Ryan Hyde

Title:  Walk Me Home
Author:  Catherine Ryan Hyde
Genre:  Literary Fiction, Womens Fiction
Release Date:  April 23, 2013

About the Book:


Since their mother’s sudden death, sixteen-year-old Carly and her eleven-year-old sister, Jen, have been walking and hitchhiking across the Southwest trying to find Teddy, the closest thing they have to a family. Carly desperately hopes Teddy will take them in and save them from going into foster care—and forgive them for the lies told by their mother.
But when the starving girls get caught stealing food on a Native American reservation, their journey gets put on hold. While the girls work off their debt, Carly becomes determined to travel onward—until Jen confesses a terrible secret that leaves both sisters wondering if they can ever trust again. 
Set against the backdrop of the American Southwest, Walk Me Home and its resilient heroines will inspire readers and renew their faith in recovery and redemption.

Buy Links: Amazon 

My Review:


Catherine Ryan Hyde creates characters so real to life that you can imagine yourself being right there with them, feeling every fear, frustration and fantasy.

I normally don't read stories about teenage girls.  Quite frankly, I don't like teenage girls.  Not many people do.  Not even teenage boys.  Generally speaking, teenage girls are too self-centered, living in their "me" world and not caring so much about others.  Generally speaking.  Of course there are exceptions to this.  Carly was not an exception.  Her attitude infuriated me throughout a large portion of the book.  But even though I was irritated with her, this book was good... very, very good.

Through her journey, Carly learned more about life and trust and appreciation of what was right there in front of her than she could have ever imagined.

"Walk Me Home" would be a good book club pick.

My Rating:

About the Author:


Catherine Ryan Hyde is the author of more than 30 published and forthcoming books, including LEAVING BLYTHE RIVER, ASK HIM WHY, WORTHY, THE LANGUAGE OF HOOFBEATS, TAKE ME WITH YOU, WHERE WE BELONG, WHEN I FOUND YOU, WALK ME HOME, SECOND HAND HEART, DON'T LET ME GO, and WHEN YOU WERE OLDER. 


An avid hiker, traveler, equestrian, and amateur photographer, she has released her first book of photos, 365 DAYS OF GRATITUDE: PHOTOS FROM A BEAUTIFUL WORLD.

She is co-author, with publishing industry blogger Anne R. Allen, of HOW TO BE A WRITER IN THE E-AGE: A SELF-HELP GUIDE.

Her novel PAY IT FORWARD was adapted into a major motion picture, chosen by the American Library Association for its Best Books for Young Adults list, and translated into more than 23 languages for distribution in over 30 countries. The paperback was released in October 2000 by Pocket Books and quickly became a national bestseller. Simon & Schuster released PAY IT FORWARD: YOUNG READERS' EDITION in August of '14. It is suitable for kids as young as eight. A special Fifteenth Anniversary Edition of the original PAY IT FORWARD was released in December of '14

LOVE IN THE PRESENT TENSE enjoyed bestseller status in the UK, where it broke the top ten, spent five weeks on the bestseller lists, was reviewed on a major TV book club, and shortlisted for a Best Read of the Year award at the British Book Awards. Both BECOMING CHLOE and JUMPSTART THE WORLD were included on the ALA's Rainbow List, and JUMPSTART THE WORLD was a finalist for two Lambda Literary Awards. WHERE WE BELONG won two Rainbow Awards in 2013 and THE LANGUAGE OF HOOFBEATS won a Rainbow Award in 2015.

New Kindle editions of her backlist titles FUNERALS FOR HORSES, EARTHQUAKE WEATHER AND OTHER STORIES, ELECTRIC GOD, and WALTER'S PURPLE HEART are now available. Also available is THE LONG, STEEP PATH: EVERYDAY INSPIRATION FROM THE AUTHOR OF PAY IT FORWARD, her first book-length creative nonfiction. 

More than 50 of her short stories have been published in The Antioch Review, Michigan Quarterly Review, The Virginia Quarterly Review, Ploughshares, Glimmer Train and many other journals, and in the anthologies Santa Barbara Stories and California Shorts and the bestselling anthology Dog is my Co-Pilot. Her stories have been honored in the Raymond Carver Short Story Contest and the Tobias Wolff Award and nominated for Best American Short Stories, the O'Henry Award, and the Pushcart Prize. Three have been cited in Best American Short Stories.

She is founder and former president (2000-2009) of the Pay It Forward Foundation, and still serves on its board of directors. As a professional public speaker she has addressed the National Conference on Education, twice spoken at Cornell University, met with Americorps members at the White House and shared a dais with Bill Clinton. 

For more information and book club questions, please visit the author at catherineryanhyde.com

Sunday, August 27, 2017

#BookBlitz & #Giveaway - Autumn's Dance by Sarah Gai


Autumn’s Dance
Sarah Gai
(Season Named, #1)
Publication date: February 14th 2017
Genres: Contemporary, New Adult, Romance
“A story that captures your heart and continues you thinking about it long after you fall asleep.”
Autumn Nash lives a nomadic existence with her harvest-travelling father, except every summer when they return to one place like clockwork…Ligonier, PA. But this season, Autumn meets a young man who changes her world and makes her long for more.
Eric Foster has been sent to stay the summer in Ligonier with his grandfather in hopes of altering his path as his life spirals downward. His direction changes the moment he sees Autumn; he knows his very reason for breathing is solely to be with her.
When Autumn is ripped away from Ligonier, she leaves Eric confused and devastated that their time is over. Both teens struggle through the years gone by without the other. Will Autumn ever see the boy who changed her life again? Will Eric wait for her? Will Autumn ever make it back to Ligonier? And what will happen when buried secrets surface?
Discover a love that takes you back to what it’s all about—the confusing, yet simplistic, beginnings of falling in love and watch it evolve into something that takes your breath away.
‘Autumn’s Dance can be read as a standalone or part of The Season Named Series’
Grab your copy for 99¢ for a limited time only!


Author Bio:
So this is me in short. I'm plus size and completely adorable (or so my husbands tells me) A momma of three princes who light my world. I drink way too much coffee, chocolate is a staple. I love to write after midnight and my love for short stories will never fade. With such a limited amount of time to enjoy quiet writing, I have mastered the skills of fitting a lot into a small amount of pages. Humour keeps me smiling and well.. if you've read my books you'll know that I put a lot of myself into the characters. And to answer your questions. My best friends and I forgot the part about growing up and love every minute of it. Aside from writing I also run a publication IndieLove Magazine, promoting Indie Awesomes from a range of fields and professions. Check it out at www.indielovemagazine.com
In 2017 I will be saying goodbye to Chick lit for a while and heading into Contemporary Romance. I hate to be put in a box! Join my street team at www.sarahgai.com and come have some fun!
Love to all xo.
Wanting to write for all the women out there who want a good short read about strong friendships, romance and body positive, love the skin you're in kind of fiction. Check out http://Facebook.com/sarahgaiauthor or www.sarahgai.com

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Saturday, August 26, 2017

#BookReview - Home of Her Heart by Shanna Hatfield

Title:  Home of Her Heart (Hearts of the War - Book 2)
Author:  Shanna Hatfield
Genre:  Historical Romance
Publisher:  Self Published
Release Date:  August 10, 2017


About the Book:


A sweet World War II romance from USA Today Bestselling Author Shanna Hatfield

All he needed was a bride. . .

Who said anything about falling in love?

Orphaned at birth and a loner all his life, the last thing Sergeant Klayne Campbell needs is for feisty Delaney Danvers to entangle his thoughts. Bravely volunteering for a top-secret mission almost certain to get him killed, Klayne can’t bear the thought of dying utterly alone. All he wants is to face death knowing his life meant something to at least one person. Offering Delaney a marriage of convenience, he plans to leave behind a war bride as his beneficiary. After just one night as her husband, Klayne realizes he’ll do anything to survive and return to her.
The moment she met handsome Sergeant Campbell at a holiday party, Delaney’s whole world shifted off kilter. Full of fun with an unquenchable zest for life, she isn’t afraid to go after what she wants. And what she wants is Klayne. When he prepares to join a hazardous mission, she seizes the opportunity to give him a reason to fight his way back home - to her heart.
A tender, sweet romance rich with history and enduring love, Home of Her Heart captures the era and emotions prevalent during America’s entry into World War II.

Buy Links: Amazon 

My Review:

Shanna Hatfield is well known for writing sweet romance with characters the reader can easily embrace.  She has done that once again with her novel HOME OF HER HEART, set during the time of WWII.

Sergeant Klayne Campbell grew up as an orphan, never feeling loved or able to love in return.  Then one night, while lingering behind a Christmas tree in the corner, Delaney Danvers caught his eye... and soon his heart.  By February the two were married, the day before Klayne left for a dangerous mission that took him to fly over Tokyo.  After being severely injured in a plane crash, he fights his way back by holding on to his love for Delaney.  All the while, Delaney has no idea if Klayne is dead or alive.  All she knows is that he left her the day after their wedding night and has heard very little since then.

More tragedy hits the Danvers family that Delaney has to deal with alone.  Although she still loves Klayne deeply, can she forgive him if he returns home?

This story was incredibly sad and although there were a few moments of smile-worthy pages, the majority of the book was just downright sad.  Tears streamed down my cheeks on numerous occasions.  During the months of waiting for Klayne to return, the story dragged a bit, and I felt the frustration that Delaney must have felt.  

This is not my favorite of Shanna Hatfield's books, but it is certainly read-worthy, especially if you enjoy books in the time period of the 1940's.  There were interesting time period references to things like chocolate chip cookies, food rationing, war bonds, homemade cloth diapers, music and Bob Hope movies.

My Rating:
About the Author:


USA Today Bestselling Author Shanna Hatfield writes character-driven romances with relatable heroes and heroines. 

Her historical westerns have been described as “reminiscent of the era captured by Bonanza and The Virginian” while her contemporary works have been called “laugh-out-loud funny, and a little heart-pumping sexy without being explicit in any way.”


Convinced everyone deserves a happy ending, this hopeless romantic is out to make it happen, one story at a time. When she isn’t writing or indulging in chocolate (dark and decadent, please), Shanna hangs out with her husband, lovingly known as Captain Cavedweller.


To learn more about Shanna or the books she writes, visit her blog http://shannahatfield.com or follow her on Facebook.

#BookBlitz & #Giveaway - False Awakening by Cassandra Page


False Awakening
Cassandra Page
(Lucid Dreaming #2)
Publication date: August 26th 2017
Genres: New Adult, Urban Fantasy
How can you fight your nightmares when they’re real?
Melaina, half-human dream therapist, just wants her life to return to normal. Yes, her Oneiroi father is in prison and, yes, the place she worked burned down, but she has a cute boyfriend and a new house. She beat the bad guy. She’s earned a break. Right?
Unfortunately for Melaina, people are still getting possessed by nightmare spirits; the police are investigating her past; and the bad guy’s brother, the Morpheus himself, is coming to town to demand answers. When a deranged ex-nurse checks himself out of hospital on the same day her cousin runs away from home, Melaina is dragged into a fight not just for her life but for her soul.
EXCERPT:
Usually when I stepped into someone’s dreams just after they’d fallen asleep, I didn’t arrive in an active dream so much as in a place of significance in their subconscious. The kind of place they’d have recurring dreams about. As a lucid dreamer, I didn’t have true recurring dreams—deliberately conjuring dreams of my favourite places didn’t count. But I was familiar with the concept. Jen had told me that, usually, those dreams she remembered contained elements of her family home. Brad often dreamed of his grandparents’ house, where he’d spent a lot of time as a child.
That was why, when I appeared in a brightly lit department store, I raised my eyebrows. Huh. First job, maybe? I stood in an aisle full of bags of confectionary: liquorice sticks, mixed lollies, chocolate drops. But everything was slightly off. When I focused on a rustling purple and yellow packet, trying to make out the brand name, the logo slid away from my gaze as if it didn’t want to be nailed down. Price tags were illegible: smeared or written in gibberish characters. And when I looked between the packages I didn’t see a backboard filled with mounting holes but sheer, impenetrable darkness.
The darkness gaped back at me.
With goosebumps shivering along the length of my forearms, I took a moment to prepare myself, sparing a thought and a shred of energy to conjure a set of trusty motorcycle leathers. I didn’t have any such thing in the real world, but in dreams I’d found they served quite well as armour against the barbs on a blight’s tentacles. A clear-faced, round helmet made me feel like an idiot but protected my eyes. I didn’t know for certain that there was a blight here, but something was definitely not right. Even if it was just a creepy manifestation of Daniel’s subconscious—even if he was indeed going crazy—it paid to be careful. Ephemera could still have teeth.
I crept towards the end of the aisle, leather squeaking faintly as I listened for the telltale bubbling hiss of a blight. Peering past a stand of round-bellied plastic animals stuffed with jellybeans, I saw a row of unattended registers to my left. To my right, clothes swayed in a breeze I couldn’t feel. In front of me was the store’s main entrance: the roller shutter was down, allowing only a vague impression of a darkened mall beyond.
Deserted apartment stores were bloody creepy. Even ones with the lights on. Still, this didn’t look like a place a blight had trashed. Brad’s had shredded the surface of his dream, tearing holes in walls and coating everything with a mess that would do a slimy Ghostbusters spectre proud. This store was creepy, sure, but trashed? No.
Like my thought made it happen, a corner of the store went dark as one fluorescent light, then another, went out with a pop and a tinkle of glass on tile. “What the…?” I whispered, looking up.
That was when I spotted the blight.
It hung upside down from the ceiling, somewhere above the menswear section, like a deranged bat a few feet wide and made of smog. Its tentacles were jammed deep into the rectangular ceiling tiles; the tiles themselves were slick with an oily coating of blight ichor that dripped downwards, spattering across a garish display of novelty ties that hurt my eyes.
“Gross,” I said, my voice somewhat muffled behind the helmet’s faceplate. The blight turned, rotating slowly until its stained yellow eyes glared down at me.
“Oneeiiiiroi,” the creature hissed.


Author Bio:
Cassandra Page is a mother, author, editor and geek. She lives in Canberra, Australia’s bush capital, with her son and two Cairn Terriers. She has a serious coffee addiction and a tattoo of a cat — despite being allergic to cats. She has loved to read since primary school, when the library was her refuge, and loves many genres — although urban fantasy is her favourite. When she’s not reading or writing, she engages in geekery, from Doctor Who to AD&D. Because who said you need to grow up?

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Wednesday, August 23, 2017

#BookReview - Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer

Title:  Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close
Author:  Jonathan Safran Foer
Genre:  Humor, Literary Fiction
Release Date:  September 3, 2013


About the Book:

Jonathan Safran Foer emerged as one of the most original writers of his generation with his best-selling debut novel, Everything Is Illuminated. Now, with humor, tenderness, and awe, he confronts the traumas of our recent history. What he discovers is solace in that most human quality, imagination.

Meet Oskar Schell, an inventor, Francophile, tambourine player, Shakespearean actor, jeweler, pacifist, correspondent with Stephen Hawking and Ringo Starr. He is nine years old. And he is on an urgent, secret search through the five boroughs of New York. His mission is to find the lock that fits a mysterious key belonging to his father, who died in the World Trade Center on 9/11.

An inspired innocent, Oskar is alternately endearing, exasperating, and hilarious as he careens from Central Park to Coney Island to Harlem on his search. Along the way he is always dreaming up inventions to keep those he loves safe from harm. What about a birdseed shirt to let you fly away? What if you could actually hear everyone's heartbeat? His goal is hopeful, but the past speaks a loud warning in stories of those who've lost loved ones before. As Oskar roams New York, he encounters a motley assortment of humanity who are all survivors in their own way. He befriends a 103-year-old war reporter, a tour guide who never leaves the Empire State Building, and lovers enraptured or scorned. Ultimately, Oskar ends his journey where it began, at his father's grave. But now he is accompanied by the silent stranger who has been renting the spare room of his grandmother's apartment. They are there to dig up his father's empty coffin.
Buy Links: Amazon 
My Review:

I had a long drive ahead of me, a drive that took me through the "eclipse" area.  Matching the number of hours I had to drive to one of the Audible recordings I had, I decided to choose this one.  EXTREMELY LOUD & INCREDIBLY CLOSE has been around for awhile, but I had not had a chance to read it.  I will tell you right now... I had a very enjoyable trip, sometimes chuckling and laughing out loud and sometimes wiping the tears from my eyes as I listened.  The time sped away.  The narration was extremely good and incredibly fun.

The story takes you back and forth from 1945 Dresden, Germany to 2003 New York City.  The historical descriptions of the bombings during WWII ate away at my heart.  Yet the antics of young Oskar made me smile.

Oskar and his father had a warm and close relationship.  Oskar's life was turned upside down when his father's life was cut short on 9/11.  The events of that day left Oskar devastated, hiding certain facts from his mother, and making Oskar desperate to reconnect with his father in some way.  After finding a key hidden in a blue vase, Oskar goes through extremes seeking the lock that fits this key.  During his search, he meets a variety of characters including the man who is renting the spare room in his grandmother's apartment.

Oskar is a bright, intelligent, creative young boy who reminds me a bit of a young Sheldon Cooper from The Big Bang Theory.  He writes letters.  A lot of letters.  He writes to people like Stephen Hawking and Jane Goodall, asking to be their protege.  

I can see where this would get mixed reviews, but I, for one, thoroughly enjoyed listening to this unique novel.  Not the typical story line.  This one was truly different.  This was a story about family relationships and the bond between fathers and sons... and grandsons.

My Rating:


About the Author:
Jonathan Safran Foer is the author of the bestseller Everything Is Illuminated, named Book of the Year by the Los Angeles Times and the winner of numerous awards, including the Guardian First Book Prize, the National Jewish Book Award, and the New York Public Library Young Lions Prize. Foer was one of Rolling Stone's “People of the Year” and Esquire's “Best and Brightest.” Foreign rights to his new novel have already been sold in ten countries. The film of Everything Is Illuminated, directed by Liev Schreiber and starring Elijah Wood, will be released in August 2005. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close has been optioned for film by Scott Rudin Productions in conjunction with Warner Brothers and Paramount Pictures. Foer lives in Brooklyn, New York.

Tuesday, August 22, 2017

Cover Reveal - Forbidden & Forever by Marly Andrews

Forbidden & Forever, Lake Lovers Book 3
Author: Marly Andrews
Cover Designer: Kris Kendall
Photographer: Golden Czermak, Furious Fotog
Model: Shawn Dawson
Genre: Military Romance, New Adult Romance
Release Date: September 12, 2017

Nate Thompson has met the heart-stopping girl of his dreams. There’s just one problem. The man who he just started to know as his dad is marrying her mom. Best possible solution? Join the Army. Go as far away as possible and stay as long as it takes to forget her. By the time he returns, she’ll be off the market, and he won’t have to deal with the untimely feelings he has for his new stepsister. At least, that was the plan.

Claire Carter is just trying to get through nursing school while maintaining a relationship with her uncommitted college boyfriend. Her immediate plan is to graduate, start a career and solidify her relationship status before Nate returns. Then these forbidden feelings for him will no longer matter.

But she promised to write to him while he was gone. How was she to know those letters would bring him home to her?

AVAILABLE FOR PREORDER

About the Author:

I'm a die hard romantic. I like all the hearts and flowers; all the hand holding and breathless kisses. My writing is straight forward feel-good romance. When I sit down to read I want to feel something inside, so I try very hard to give that to my readers as well. When I write, I like to disappear into a story and decide when the first kiss happens, or when the story climaxes and how the happily ever after will take place. It's fun to see how the voices in my head come to life on paper. I began writing as a creative outlet. Once the first book was finished, I realized there was much more waiting to come out.

Sunday, August 20, 2017

#BookReview - Second Chance Girl by Susan Mallery

Title:  Second Chance Girl (Book #2 - Happily Inc.)
Author:  Susan Mallery
Genre:  Contemporary Romance
Release Date:  September 26, 2017


About the Book:

A touching modern fairy tale that won't let go of your heart, from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Fool's Gold romances! 

Mathias Mitchell's easy smile hides a world of hurt. After the worst kind of family betrayal, he moves to Happily Inc., California—the wedding destination town supplies a steady stream of bridesmaids, perfect for his "no promises, no pain" lifestyle. Yet he can't stop watching for his beautiful, elusive neighbor on the animal preserve behind their homes. 

Gamekeeper Carol Lund knows she's not special enough to attract an alpha male like Mathias, so his offer to help her adopt a herd for her lonely giraffe is surprising—and his determined seduction, even more so. But just as she finally welcomes him into her bed, his careless actions crush her heart. Will she give him a second chance to prove she'll always come first in his heart?
Buy Links: Amazon
AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER - RELEASE DATE IS SEPTEMBER 26, 2017 

My Review:


You may have noticed that it was just a week or so ago that I reviewed the first book in Susan Mallery's Happily, Inc. series.  I liked it so much that I dropped everything to read SECOND CHANCE GIRL, Book #2.  This is a delightful story following the residents of a small town that caters to unusual destination weddings.  In this book we get to know Carol Lund, who manages the local large-game animal preserve.  Her newest acquisition is a giraffe named Millie.  Carol is worried about Millie because she seems so lonely.  Her efforts to raise money to buy a small herd of giraffe's for Millie are assisted by Mathias and his "twin" brother by having a benefit auction to sell works of art.  Things heat up between Carol and Mathias as things go from friendship to so much more.  But can things work out for these two after that one night of too much alcohol and no memory?  No spoilers.  You have to read this book to find out.  And what happens when Matthew's horrid father arrives to attend Del's wedding?

In the meantime, Carol's sister Violet is accused of theft by none other than the Duke of Somerbrooke, Ulrich Sherwood, changing her fond childhood memory to a nightmare.  But all that changes when Ulrich realizes his mistake and he begins to see Violet in a whole new light.

Susan Mallery has once again created some loveable and delightful characters in a town I wish really did exist.  I'd be packing my bags to go there right now!    Even the dog, Sophie, was adorable!  If you have any problem keeping these wonderful characters straight, you can find them all at Who's Who in Happily Inc.


Disclosure:  A complimentary ARC was provided by NetGalley and the Publisher in exchange for an honest review.  All thoughts, opinions and ratings are my own.

My Rating:


About the Author:
Susan Mallery is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of books about the relationships that define women's lives—romance, friendship, family. With compassion and humor, Susan keenly observes how people think and feel, in stories that take readers on an emotional journey. Sometimes heartbreaking, often funny, and always uplifting, Susan's books have spent more than 200 weeks on the USA Today bestsellers list, thanks to her ever growing legions of fans.

Critics, too, have heaped praise on "the new queen of romantic fiction." (Walmart) Booklist says, "Romance novels don't get much better than Mallery's expert blend of emotional nuance, humor, and superb storytelling," and RT Book Reviews puts her "in a class by herself!"

Although Susan majored in Accounting, she never worked as an accountant because she was published straight out of college with two books the same month, January of 1992. Sixteen prolific years and seventy-four books later, she hit the New York Times bestsellers list for the first time with Accidentally Yours in 2008. She made many appearances in the Top 10 before (finally) hitting #1 in 2015 with Thrill Me, the twentieth book in her most popular series, the Fool's Gold romances, and the fourth of five books released that year.

Susan lives in Seattle with her husband, two ragdoll cats, and a tattletale toy poodle. Her heart for animals has led Susan to become an active supporter of the Seattle Humane Society. Animals play a big role in her books, as well, as she believes they're an integral component to a happy life. Visit Susan online at www.SusanMallery.com.

Saturday, August 19, 2017

#NewRelease - Indigo by Amber Lacie


Some girls are born independent and fierce. They constantly shock the world––bringing it to its knees. Indigo Bryant is one of them. 


At the young age of thirty, she has already bought and sold a highly successful design business. Needing a change of pace, she uproots her life in New York City, to be near her best friend in a small town near Huntsville, Alabama. What was supposed to be a relaxing summer with little stress and a fresh start, suddenly takes an unexpected turn when she meets Alexander Clark.

Despite his many talents and charming personality, no one would have guessed the ghosts that haunt Alexander Clark. What was once a promising baseball career has now faded into the shadows. 
Paralyzed by the nightmares of his past, and the guilt of a horrible accident, he can’t seem to let go and move forward. That is––until he meets Indigo.

Not every girl needs a knight in shining armor. Not every girl needs to be saved. And not every boy is a knight. Sometimes, they are the ones that need to be saved.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35565637-indigo
Universal link: https://www.Books2read.com/amberlacieindigo
Amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0746CJVKP

Friday, August 18, 2017

#BookReview - An American Cage by Ted Galdi

Title:  An American Cage
Author:  Ted Galdi
Genre:  Crime Fiction, Psychological Thriller, Suspense
Release Date:  October 16, 2017


About the Book:

Three inmates break out of a maximum-security prison in Texas, one of them Danny Marsh, a suburban kid in his twenties who landed in jail because of a crime he never intended to commit. 

An American Cage follows Danny and his two escape partners over a twenty-four-hour period as they struggle to cross Texas to freedom in Mexico. On this dangerous journey, Danny has to evade the rabid Texas authorities, and even worse, the schemes of one of his closest allies, who isn't who he seems.

RELEASE DATE IS OCTOBER 16, 2017 

My Review:

I wasn't sure what to expect from this novel, but I must admit that I was hooked from the very first page.  The writing allowed me to "see" in my mind every detail of what was happening.

The story starts off with the months of planning coming to a head as three inmates of Thurgood L. Crick prison make their escape.  As each step unfolded, I found myself holding my breath.  Whew!  Was I actually cheering for these bad guys to get away?  Huh.  As I got to know them, I actually felt sorry for them and thought they must have all been wronged with these prison sentences.

The escape doesn't go exactly as planned and they must quickly come up with new alternate plans, plans that involved other people.  Phil Zorn, a former professor and the brains behind the escape plan, sets the group on a new path... a path neither Danny or Monty expected.  Page by page we learn more and more about each of these three escapees and how they react to the world around them... and just how fine that line is between good and evil... or how evil a person can truly become.

Ted Galdi was masterful in plotting the twists and turns in this nail-biting adventure that digs deep into the psychological thriller it rapidly becomes.

Disclosure:  A complimentary ARC was provided by NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.  All thoughts, opinions and ratings are my own.

My Rating:


About the Author:

Ted Galdi is the author of the bestselling novel Elixir. The book is a winner of a Reader Views Reviewers Choice Award and a Silver Medal in the Readers' Favorite Book Awards. Ted is a graduate of Duke University and lives in Los Angeles. He has been featured by ABC and FOX television, iHeartRadio, Examiner, and many other media outlets.


His second novel, An American Cage, is set for release Fall 2017. 

Ted can be contacted at ted@tedgaldi.com. To learn more about him, check out his interviews, and receive updates about releases and special events before anyone else, visit his official website at www.tedgaldi.com.



 

The Novel Lady Published @ 2014 by Ipietoon