Happy Publication Day to For Your Own Good, a new psychological thriller from Samantha Downing, the author of My Lovely Wife and He Started It.
Synopsis:
SOME LESSONS CAN BE DEADLY…
USA Today bestselling author Samantha Downing is back with her latest sneaky thriller set at a prestigious private school—complete with interfering parents, overeager students, and one teacher who just wants to teach them all a lesson…
Teddy Crutcher won Teacher of the Year at Belmont Academy. Everyone thinks he’s brilliant. Only you know the truth. They all smile when he tells us his wife couldn’t be more proud. But no-one has seen her in a while. They’re impressed when the tragic death of a school parent doesn’t distract him. Even when rumours start to say it was murder. You’re sure Teddy is hiding something about what happened that day. You’re sure you can prove it.
But you didn’t stop to think that when it comes to catching a killer, there’s no place more dangerous than just one step behind . . . _______
Happy Publication Day to She Who Became the Sun, a powerful debut novel by Shelley Parker-Chan!
Description:
Mulan meets The Song of Achilles in Shelley Parker-Chan’s She Who Became the Sun, a bold, queer, and lyrical reimagining of the rise of the founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty from an amazing new voice in literary fantasy.
To possess the Mandate of Heaven, the female monk Zhu will do anything
“I refuse to be nothing…”
In a famine-stricken village on a dusty yellow plain, two children are given two fates. A boy, greatness. A girl, nothingness…
In 1345, China lies under harsh Mongol rule. For the starving peasants of the Central Plains, greatness is something found only in stories. When the Zhu family’s eighth-born son, Zhu Chongba, is given a fate of greatness, everyone is mystified as to how it will come to pass. The fate of nothingness received by the family’s clever and capable second daughter, on the other hand, is only as expected.
When a bandit attack orphans the two children, though, it is Zhu Chongba who succumbs to despair and dies. Desperate to escape her own fated death, the girl uses her brother’s identity to enter a monastery as a young male novice. There, propelled by her burning desire to survive, Zhu learns she is capable of doing whatever it takes, no matter how callous, to stay hidden from her fate.
After her sanctuary is destroyed for supporting the rebellion against Mongol rule, Zhu uses takes the chance to claim another future altogether: her brother’s abandoned greatness.
Publisher: Tor Books
Publication Date: July 20th, 2021
Genre: Fantasy / Historical Fantasy
Series: The Radiant Emperor #1
Age Category: Adult
Shelley Parker-Chan is an Australian by way of Malaysia and New Zealand. A 2017 Tiptree Fellow, she is the author of the forthcoming historical fantasy novel She Who Became the Sun. Parker-Chan spent nearly a decade working as a diplomat and international development adviser in Southeast Asia, where she became addicted to epic East Asian historical TV dramas. After a failed search to find English-language book versions of these stories, she decided to write her own. Parker-Chan currently lives in Melbourne, Australia, where she is very grateful to never have to travel by leaky boat ever again.
Book & Author Details: Outlaw by R.L. Caulder (The Pack Prophecy, #2) Publication date: July 16th 2021 Genres: Adult, Paranormal, Romance Synopsis:
Behind every woman scorned is probably a person who made her that way. For me, it was more than one.
It was an entire pack. I was exiled for exposing a murderous traitor. I was rejected by my mate, our bond shattered forever. Even after being chosen by our goddess, my powers and title will never be enough for them to stand by me. Now plagued by frequent and debilitating visions of battle and death, my mates and I must fight to assemble an army with no one but our goddess at our back. Because war is coming, and not everyone will survive.
But I was chosen for a reason. I will lead an army if I must. I will stand in the gap and protect my people and their future, no matter what they’ve done. I will fulfill my prophecy.
Even if it means my death. *** Author Note:. This book has a 18+ warning and is intended for mature audiences. It is book two in The Pack Prophecy series which will end in a cliffhanger.
R.L. Caulder is the author of The Pack Prophecy and Darkness Rising series. She lives in her writing cave away from the intense heat of the Florida sun with her husband and pets keeping her company.
If you’re looking for ways to interact with R.L., you can find her on facebook in her group: The Cauldron: R.L. Caulder Reader Group
It’s Monday! What are you Reading is a weekly meme hosted by Kathryn from Book Date, a place to share and discuss what we’ve read in the past week and what we’re in the middle of or are planning to read this week.
The Silent Patient is a shocking psychological thriller of a woman’s act of violence against her husband—and of the therapist obsessed with uncovering her motive.
After 10 years in London, working in a stressful City firm, Liv O’Neill returns home to Sandycove, a picturesque seaside village, just outside Dublin to care for her mother after a fall. Whilst Liv reconnects with friends and family, she is amazed by Sandycove’s thriving community spirit with its artisan shops, delis and cafes – it’s not quite the place she left behind. As village life begins to creep under her skin, Liv is forced to confront the things that drove her away. Can Liv balance her past, present and future and find her own happy place? And will a handsome young doctor help her make a decision about the life she really wants? Suddenly her old life in London begins to seem extremely unappealing and Liv is forced to use her family’s past in order to forge a brand new future.
Sheriff Sunshine Vicram finds her cup o’ joe more than half full when the small village of Del Sol, New Mexico, becomes the center of national attention for a kidnapper on the loose.
Del Sol, New Mexico is known for three things: its fry-an-egg-on-the-cement summers, strong cups of coffee – and, now, a nationwide manhunt? Del Sol native Sunshine Vicram has returned to town as the elected sheriff – thanks to her adorably meddlesome parents who nominated her–and she expects her biggest crime wave to involve an elderly flasher named Doug. But a teenage girl is missing, a kidnapper is on the loose, and all of this is reminding Sunshine why she left Del Sol in the first place. Add to that the trouble at her daughter’s new school, plus and a kidnapped prized rooster named Puff Daddy, and, well, the forecast looks anything but sunny.
How did your last week go and what are you reading this week?
From Melissa Foster, the New York Times bestselling author of She Loves Me, comes a sexy and heart-warming novel about finding love—and family—where you least expect it.
When chef Abby de Messiéres returns to Silver Island with her sister to get their late mother’s affairs in order, she expected to inherit her mother’s bistro along with their childhood home, not to discover a half sister they never knew existed, and a handsome vacationer camped out on her mother’s patio.
Workaholic Aiden Aldridge has been sent to Silver Island on a work-free vacation, armed with a “Let Loose List,” and ordered to get a life by the much-younger sister he raised after the death of their parents. After years of focusing on his sister’s well-being, he’s blindsided by his intense attraction to the gorgeous, free-spirited Abby.
Aiden might not know much about chilling out, but he’s excellent at striking deals. He helps Abby with the restaurant in exchange for her help in tackling the items on his list. Sparks fly as Aiden and Abby work, and play, side by side. Intimate conversations lead to steamy kisses and undeniable passion. But there’s more to Aiden then Abby knows, and when the truth comes out, their new romance is put to the test, as the two find out if true love really can conquer all.
Publisher: Montlake Publication Date: May 4th 2021 Goodreads
If you’ve read Melissa Foster’s books, you know she is a very prolific author with close to a hundred books under her belt. Not surprisingly, she is a master of creating sweet and sassy, loveable protagonists, large groups of friends and extended families, and lots of hot and steamy scenes (if you’re looking for a clean romance, you’re not going to find it here). Maybe We Will is Book1 in her new series of books set on Silver Island, but there are numerous characters from Melissa Foster’s previous series making their appearance as a neighbour, a childhood friend or a business associate.
Abby de Messiere and her sister Deidra come back home to sort the legal issues and take care of their family Bistrot after their mother Ava passed away. Ava had a life-long secret – she had a baby when she was seventeen and was forced to give her away for an adoption. So Abby and Deidra discover they have a new sister Cait. Abby also meets a gorgeous vacationer Aiden and their romance proceeds at a breakneck speed.
Aiden Aldridge has given up his private life to take care of his twelve-year-old sister Remi after their parents died in a car accident. Now that Remi is a grown-up woman with her own family, he is free to dedicate more time to his own happiness, but old habits die hard and he is a workaholic in a league of his own. Remi sends him to Silver Island with a list of ‘fun’ things to do e.g. walk barefoot on the sand and fly a kite. Aiden, a businessman to the bone marrow, can’t help himself- he checks out this lovely, albeit neglected property in the prime location. He even makes an offer. Now he can finally relax and get on with Remi’s list with the help of the mysterious Runner Girl who has a sparkly personality and a sassy comeback to anything he says. Yes, it’s insta-super-hot connection that quickly turns into a super-serious relationship. At thirty-eight, Aiden is ready for something more and he is ready to support Abby in making all her dreams come true.
Let’s come back to Abby’s lifestory for a moment. Abby’s father, who was a spectacular chef and a safe haven for Ava, died when the girls were just 9 and 11 years old, and Ava lost her way, drowning her grief in alcohol. It isn’t easy to grow up with parent-child roles being reversed. The island community did its best to help (I have to wonder why Social Services didn’t get involved). Abby saw how damaging losing the man you depend on can be and she drew her own conclusions. She will always be independent and rely on her own efforts to make her way in the world.
This is a very family-oriented romance, despite a large proportion of the book being devoted to hot and steamy scenes (the protagonists get together very early in the book). Their lovemaking and their relationship feel very comfortable and mature- these two people are essentially happy with who they are and where they are at in their life, they are not shy or bashful, they both value stability and honesty. Aiden’s love declarations and things he does seem too perfect and too much too soon, but if you are a fan of love at first sight and giving it all to woo your One and Only, you’ll find it all romantic and swoonworthy.
My biggest niggle with the book is that it seemed too long. We get introduced to Abby’s friends and get updates on what is happening with other couples’ lives. Great, if you’ve been following Melissa Foster’s books and are on a lookout for some familiar faces…If this is a standalone for you, treat it as your first big family get together with brand new in-laws.
I’m really interested in Cait’s story (Abby and Deidra’s newly found sister) and I bet there is a good man somewhere there who will break the barriers our workaholic Deidra has built to protect her heart! Looking forward to reading their books.
Thank you to NetGalley and Montlake romance for the ARC provided in exchange for an honest opinion.
Melissa Foster is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling and award-winning author of nearly one hundred books, including the Sugar Lake series, The Steeles at Silver Island series, and the Harmony Pointe series. Her novels have been recommended by USA Today’s book blog, Hagerstown magazine, the Patriot, and others. She has also painted and donated several murals to the Hospital for Sick Children in Washington, DC. She enjoys discussing her books with book clubs and reader groups, and she welcomes an invitation to your event. Visit Melissa on her website, http://www.MelissaFoster.com, or chat with her on Instagram @MelissaFoster_Author, Twitter @Melissa_Foster, and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/MelissaFosterAuthor.
Book & Author Details: Can’t Tie Me Down! by Janet Elizabeth Henderson (Sinclair Sisters, #1) Publication date: April 22nd 2018 Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Synopsis:
There aren’t many jobs available in the tiny village of Arness, Scotland, which is why Mairi Sinclair works online—as a virtual girlfriend. For a weekly fee, she emails, messages and sends photos to desk-bound geeks around the world. Nothing dodgy, mind you, she keeps her clothes on! Mairi loves her job, because the last thing she wants is to be tied down to one man forever. Life is so much simpler when you can keep men at a distance.
And that’s why she’s upset when her virtual boyfriends start turning up in town. Someone has hacked her online presence and given out her real life address. To make matters worse, they’ve told the world that she’s looking for a husband and the first virtual boyfriend to romance her properly will win the role in real life. Mairi needs help to fend off the hordes. She needs help to hide and find out who sold out her details. Fortunately, local mechanic and one time boyfriend, Keir McKenzie, is more than willing to help her—for a price. He too wants a chance to win Mairi’s heart and tie her down forever.
Janet is a Scot who moved to New Zealand fifteen years ago. Among other things, she’s been an artist, a teacher, a security guard at a castle, a magazine editor, and a cleaner in a drop in center for drug addicts (NOT the best job!). She now writes full-time and is working on her 19th book. Her books have won several awards, including the Daphne du Maurier award for excellence in mystery and suspense. When she isn’t living in her head, she raises two kids, one husband, and several random animals. She survives on chocolate and caffeine.
Book & Author Details: The Moon Shadow by K. Rea (The Wolfrik Trilogy, #1) Publication date: February 3rd 2021 Genres: New Adult, Paranormal, Romance, Urban Fantasy Synopsis:
AN EXILED WOLF. A VAMPIRE PRINCE. A LOVE THAT WILL BRING A COURT TO ITS KNEES. ——————————————-
When Evelyn Wolfrik, an exiled wolf-shifter, walked into a Court of Shadows nightclub she had one plan — find the vampire that executed her parents, put a dagger in his heart, and get out.
Being caught by Aiden Kensley, the dark vampire prince, before she could exact justice wasn’t part of the plan. Now that the little wolf is in his hands, Aiden refuses to let her go….
With a wolf rebellion rising, if Evelyn makes one wrong move the Court of Shadows, her people, and her heart could be lost forever.
K. Rea is a part-time romance writer and full-time mom. When she isn’t writing or playing with her daughter, she’s reading and crafting. She lives with her husband and family in Florida.
Book & Author Details: Backup Offer by Liz Crowe (Stewart Realty, #9) Publication date: July 13th 2021 Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance Synopsis:
An ex-boyfriend, his massive dog, her house, and no hotel room in sight. What could go wrong?
After Blair ended things with Brandis, she was determined to get away–and stay away from him for good. She put family, friends, and the life she knew in Michigan in her rear view mirror and started over. As owner and head chef of her own place in Louisville, she stays plenty busy, especially since “Blair’s Kitchen” is the darling of the restaurant scene. She’s managed to avoid Michigan for almost a decade, but when her best friend needs her help, she drops everything and heads home.
Brandis has spent the last ten years coming to terms with addiction, personal tragedy, and the loss of the woman he loved. He’s now the third generation to run his family’s construction business, and he’s managed to reconstruct tattered relationships with his family. He’s even adopted a dog, thanks to some donated renovation time spent at an animal shelter. He’s got everything he needs—except a for one thing.
When the contractor she paid to build her restaurant’s expansion vanishes, leaving her with a giant mess, Blair only hesitates a moment before calling Brandis for help. But when he rushes to her side to evaluate the crisis, there isn’t an available room in a twenty mile radius. So they settle in to a routine—her, her one-time boyfriend, and his giant, slobbering dog in her small house. It doesn’t take long for the temptation of close proximity to give way, and while Blair tries to keep it all physical, Brandis has other ideas.
The end of the Stewart Realty saga brings the second generation full-circle in ways many never expected, but no one regrets.
Liz Crowe is a Kentucky native and graduate of the University of Louisville living in Central Illinois. She’s spent her time as a three-continent expat trailing spouse, mom of three, real estate agent, brewery owner and bar manager, and is currently a social media consultant and humane society development director, in addition to being an award-winning author.
With stories set in the not-so-common worlds of breweries, on the soccer pitch, inside fictional television stations and successful real estate offices, and even in exotic locales like Istanbul, Turkey, her books are compelling and told with a fresh voice. The Liz Crowe backlist has something for any reader seeking complex storylines with humor and complete casts of characters that will delight, at times frustrate, and always linger in the imagination long after the book is finished.
After the events of the Fourth Trial, Martial soldiers hunt Elias and Laia as they flee the city of Serra.
Laia and Elias are determined to break into the Empire’s most secure and dangerous prison to save Laia’s brother, even if for Elias it means giving up his last chance at freedom.
They will have to fight every step of the way to outsmart their enemies: the bloodthirsty Emperor Marcus, the merciless Commandant, the sadistic Warden of Kauf, and, most heartbreaking of all, Helene, Elias’s former friend and the Empire’s newest Blood Shrike.
Bound to Marcus’s will, Helene faces a torturous mission of her own, one that might destroy her: find the traitor Elias Veturius and the Scholar slave who helped him escape… and kill them both.
( From the book blurb)
Titles in the Series (tetralogy): Book 1 An Ember in the Ashes Book 2 A Torch Against the Night Book3 A Reaper at the gates Book 4 A Sky Beond the Storm
My thoughts
The best things about the book:
the world-building- we’re getting more glimpses of both the Martial world and the tribes the Emprire conquered;
the sense of adventure;
the book is action-packed and has a good pace;
the introduction of the third POV-Helene Aquilla’s.
…and some things I wasn’t particularly sure about…
romance- two very weird intertwined love triangles don’t add anything useful to the story apart from making everyone involved seem weaker and more confused;
villains- I want to know more about their motivations-we got a glimpse into the Commandant’s birth-story in the last book (not enough!) and we meet a new villain (The Warden) who appears to have morbid curiosity about pain and inmate psychology, but what about Marcus? Hannah was also one-dimensional. The Nightbringer seemed a lot scarier before the Twist and before Laia ‘read’ his thoughts.
What this is all about:
A brief recap of An Ember in the Ashes
Laia and Darin’s family are Scholars, an oppressed group of people conquered by the Martial Empire (inspired by Ancient Rome). Scholars are free, but there are countless restrictions on what they can do. Darin becomes an apprentice to Teluman, the only blacksmith capable of producing arms that don’t break in the fight against the Martial Army. Darin is caught with his sketches of new secret weapons and sent to prison. Laia escapes and embarks on the mission to save her brother’s life. She contacts the Resistance who promise to help her as Laia and Darin are the two surviving children of the legendary founders of the Resistance movement. Laia is sent to Blackcliff, an elite military school, where she is supposed to spy on Keris Venturia, the ruthless School Commandant. In Blackcliff Laia meets Elias Venturius, one of the best cadets. Meanwhile, Augurs predict that the bloodline of the current Emperor is about to end and a new Emperor has to be chosen among 4 recent graduates in 4 Trials. Elias and his best friend Helene Aquilla are among the Aspirants. Whoever wins the Trials will become the new Emperor and choose their Blood Shrike, the Second-in-Command. Gentle, loyal Elias abhors the violence the Empire has become synonymous with. The Augurs promised that he will gain freedom at the end of Trials, but how and what kind of freedom is unclear.
So what is Book 2 about? warning-spoilers for Book 1 !!!!
Laia and Elias are on the run…Elias has given Laia his word to help her get Darin out of the Kauf prison, but first they need to avoid being caught. They manage to escape the city, although during this fight something important happens that will determine the trajectory of Elias’s life. Helene Aquilla has sworn her oath to the new Emperor and is sent on the mission to capture and kill the Empire’s most wanted traitor, Elias. On their way to Kauf, Elias and Laia are joined by Keenan, Laia’s liaison with the Resistance movement.
Helene’s point of view brings new aspects into the story- the volitalie nature of the political situation in the Empire, her efforts to control and command the Black Guard, impossible choices she is facing that will forge her into a very different figure from the cadet girl we met in Book 1.
There is a lot of action and movement -basically, 70% of the book is on the road from Serra where the Blackcliff is to the North where Laia’s brother Darin is kept in the prison. We meet Elias’s adoptive mother, who is the opposite of Keris in everything. Elias’s biggest dilemma is outlined in the previous book in the Third Trial, where his decision cost his friends’ lives and he has to learn to live with it. The less I say about his love life, the bettter.
I felt strangely detached from Laia in this book. Laia in An Ember in the Ashes was more flawed, showed promise for development -a healer who has to become a spy and a soldier, a sheltered girl who feels she lacks the courage and selflessness of her parents has to survive and get stronger. Here we see less determination and more confusion. She discovers having her own magic, so I guess we’ll see her come into her own powers later in the series. The less I say about her love life, the better. There were some excellent secondary characters in this book- I want to know more about Cook, Afya and Soul Catcher. And, of course, I want more Helene who appeared to be the most complex character in The Torch Against the Night.
Overall, I enjoyed reading the book, but I did feel that it was on a lengthy side with its 464 pages. Not that I wanted it to be shorter, but I would have prefered more focus on the character development rather than action.
Title: The Do-Over Author: Melissa MacKinnon Genre: Contemporary Romance
About The Do-Over: After years in the grueling California dating scene, Maggie Kelley has finally agreed to marry her Mr. Right Now. But there’s just one teensy problem…the county clerk lets her know that she’s technically still married to her Vegas fling: the best three days she ever had…and can’t actually remember. The moment she sees her very hot husband after eight years, with his works-well-with-his-hands attitude, she’s sure their wedding night must have been explosive.
The absolute last person Finnegan Garrity expected at his door is Maggie—his ultimate “one who got away.” Yet here she is in his small-town boat shop, looking just as adorable as ever…and wanting a divorce. Yeah, he has no intention of letting that happen. Now he’s got one week to convince Maggie that they’re still perfect for each other.
But he’s going to need more than just a do-over: he’s going to need a miracle.
Eight years ago Maggie Kelly went on her first trip to Vegas which was so liberating and so much fun that she just couldn’t say no to one more dare…to get married to a hot and handsome boatbuilder from Maine.
Fast forward eight years …Maggie is about to get married to a plastic surgeon with lots of important political connections. Maggie’s family are also overjoyed, even if there is no chemistry or real human connection between the engaged couple. There’s just one snag. The sexy boatbuilder Finn Garrity never filed the divorce papers. It turns out Maggie’s fiance never did care that much for her anyway, so the engagement is off, but she still needs to sort the situation out. Finnegan Garrity, you do have some explaining to do.
Now look at the things from Finn’s point of view. Yes, his gorgeous brand new wife promised to take care of their marital status. Only she never did. Even so, she is still as beautiful and feisty… Can he possibly try to convince her to give them a second chance? Before he knows, his sweet and outspoken grandmother assumes Maggie is his girlfriend (oh, look at the rock on her finger-they are engaged, let’s plan their wedding)
If you loved Sweet Home Alabama, you’ll love this book as well. There are some differences, of course, but the message is similar. Friends and family are more important than displays of wealth, power or connections. Maggie cares a lot about her career of a charity event organiser and she never loses the sight of why she does it- to help people who need these charities.
Lovely supporting characters-did I mention Finn’s Nana and his sister who has a lot ofserious stuff to deal with, but still finds time to worry about her brother’s love life? Finn’s family are a boisterous and caring bunch, very different from people in Maggie’s world.
Sweet, easy to read…if you are in need of a quick romantic read or are a fan of the second chance and fake engagement tropes, don’t miss The Do-Over.
Thankyou to NetGalley, Entangled Publishing and Inkslinger PR for the ARC provided in exchange for an honest opinion.
About Melissa MacKinnon:
Melissa spent her childhood exploring the coast of down east Maine without parental supervision and immersing herself in any book she could get her scrappy little hands on. Although she pursued a career in theater, the written word is her true calling. She leads a full life with her husband and six children traveling the country to wherever the Army sends them in her very large twelve passenger van, in what she lovingly deems “organized chaos”. She finds time to write in her “spare time”, somewhere in between soccer practices and nap time with coffee. Lots and lots of coffee. She loves creating unforgettable romance, and enjoys writing and reading everything from sexy, sword-toting heroes to spit-out-your-coffee funny romantic comedies… as long as she doesn’t get the book wet. She leaves that up to the characters.
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