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#Book Blitz #The Proposal Laughbox by Julia Kent (Laughbox Boxed Sets 2) #Comedy #Romcom @Xpresso Book Tours

The Proposal Laughbox
Julia Kent
(Laughbox Boxed Sets, #2)
Publication date: September 13th 2022
Genres: Adult, Comedy, Contemporary, Romance

The Proposal Laughbox contains THREE full-length novels and TWO novellas – ONE ALL NEW! – from New York Times bestselling romantic comedy author Julia Kent’s series.

Who doesn’t love a funny, heartwarming proposal? Diamond engagement rings, flowers, candy, romantic dinners — it’s all in here in rom com style.

Julia Kent’s madcap style, that is.

Future brides swallow engagement rings, paparazzi crash tender moments when billionaires pop the question, mistaken identity causes mayhem, small-town lumberjacks ask their girfriends for their hands in marriage, and rock stars make grand gestures on New Year’s Eve.

Laugh, swoon, blush and let your imagination heat up as you read across varying series, different heat levels, but all connected by love.

This boxed set includes:

Shopping for a Billionaire’s Fiancee
Random Acts of New Year
Shopping for a CEO’s Fiancee (A USA Today bestseller)
Random Acts of Yes

and an ALL NEW novella, Love You Fiancee, featuring Kell and Rachel from Love You Right, as Kell pops the question during the I Will Always Love You festival in his hometown of “Love You,” Maine – where every day is Valentine’s Day.

Sink into five fun books that leave you with all the feels, loads of laughs, and strange looks from people around you as you read, giggle, and fall in love.

Note: each of these books can be read as a standalone, but they are part of larger series. All of my Laughbox boxed sets are designed to give readers a taste of my books, centered on a specific concept (in this case, proposals and engagements). Full disclosure for readers.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo

Author Bio:

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Julia Kent writes romantic comedy with an edge. Since 2013, she has sold more than 2 million books, with 4 New York Times bestsellers and more than 21 appearances on the USA Today bestseller list. Her books have been translated into French, German, and Italian, with more titles releasing in the future.
From billionaires to BBWs to new adult rock stars, Julia finds a sensual, goofy joy in every contemporary romance she writes. Unlike Shannon from Shopping for a Billionaire, she did not meet her husband after dropping her phone in a men’s room toilet (and he isn’t a billionaire she met in a romantic comedy).

She lives in New England with her husband and three children where she is the only person in the household with the gene required to change empty toilet paper rolls.

She loves to hear from her readers by email at julia@jkentauthor.com, on Twitter @jkentauthor, on Facebook at @jkentauthor, and on Instagram @jkentauthor. Visit her at http://jkentauthor.com

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / Bookbub / Newsletter / Amazon

#Shy Girls Can’t Date Billionaires by Milly Rose #YA #Enemies to Lovers #Billionaire #Sweet Romance (Shy Girls Sweet Romances) @Xpresso Book Tours

Shy Girls Can’t Date Billionaires
Milly Rose
Publication date: September 5th 2022
Genres: Comedy, Romance, Young Adult

I never existed until the wrong guy took notice…

I was born shy. And near him, I fall apart. No wonder he can’t stand the sight of me.

After a fire destroys our home, my family is taken in by a billionaire tycoon. His mansion has countless bedrooms, yet my room is next door to his son, Thomas Ashworth III. Yes, he’s as pompous as the name suggests. And, for some reason, he hates my guts.

Even though his arrogance drives me crazy, his chiseled features turn me into a stammering, awkward mess. I hate being stuck with someone I can’t stand. And when he does something unexpectedly kind, it confuses my heart.

When I bump into him in the middle of the night, I’d never guess it lead to us sharing secrets.

He’s impossible to get out of my head. But he wouldn’t consider dating someone like me. Would he?

You will love Christie and Ash. They are stuck together in forced proximity, becoming practically roommates. He is a billionaire, alpha male type who is learning to love. She is the new girl in school, dealing with past trauma. Together they will go from enemies to lovers in an adorable young adult romance.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble

My thoughts:

Tell me the book has the ‘Enemies-to-Lovers’ main plotline and I’m sold! But there’s so much more going on with this one: ‘Opposites Attract’, ‘New girl-Popular Guy’, ‘Forced Proximity’ and ‘High School/Mean Girls’- there’s something for everyone in this smörgåsbord of romance tropes. Just beware, this is a YA book with sixteen-year-old protagonists -so if you happen to like a ‘Workplace romance/Capable assistant secretly pines for her billionaire boss’ story-sorry, this one isn’t on the menu today.

When Christie’s house burns down and her family loses everything, her father’s boss Mr Ashworth offers a temporary residence in his mansion. Yay! Who hasn’t dreamt of living like a billionaire just for a day? add Christie’s Dad’s promotion, and no wonder Christie’s parents are totally charmed. She, on the other hand, is too busy trying to work out what Mr Ashworth’s son’s problem is. One moment Thomas would like nothing better than see the back of Christie’s family, next, he’s all kind and sympathetic. He’s also a drop-dead-gorgeous, undisputed king of Christie’s new school, where she (as usual) is struggling to make new friends. But then again maybe Thomas or Ash as everybody calls him has his own share of worries and disappointments and being with a shy listener can help?

The book is all written from Christie’s point of view, so, if you are/were shy at school and didn’t find it easy to meet new people and open up to strangers, you will relate. Also, there’s quite a lot of first love/ high school drama, so again get ready for some misunderstandings, heated arguments, inexplicable conclusions drawn out of sero evidence, and, of course, Mean Girls. Since I don’t think there is anything wrong with being shy, I am more than happy to see more rep for this trait! I love the way Milly Rose gave Christie a perfect creative outlet- painting. Ash also has a passion of his own- I would have loved to see more of his nerdy side and how it matches her artistic one.

Christie and Ash are sixteen, so obviously they still have a long way from having everything worked out in life. I didn’t find it too credible the way Mr Ashworth provided for everything or some of Mrs Ashworth’s actions, while Ash relied on his parents’ money a bit too much- it would have worked if the protagonists were older.

Overall, it was a very quick and easy read. Although I would have prefered more humour, Milly Rose did capture how important family dynamics and school relationships are at sixteen. Hope we’re getting Ash’s sister Nessa’s story next!

Thank you to NetGalley and Xpresso Book Tours for the review copy provided in exchange for an honest opinion.

Author Bio:

Milly Rose is an animal-loving romance enthusiast with a swoon-inducing book formula. Shy girl + hot guy + first kisses. Her YA sweet romance books will have you falling in love every instalment. Milly Rose is the quintessential shy girl, who you can contact via her mailing list and reply to her monthly email blasts! Milly spends her days vying for her cat’s affection, dreaming up her next book boyfriend, and writing a fun meet-cute under candlelight with a lovely brewed cup of tea.

GET A FREE BOOK HERE >> https://dl.bookfunnel.com/cod6m6wfzw

(You will sign up to Milly Rose’s Newsletter and are free to unsubscribe anytime!)

Follow along on Instagram + Tiktok @shy.author.milly.rose

Giveaway:

Tour-wide giveaway (INT)

Paperback copy of Shy Girls Can’t Date Billionaires

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Thank you for reading the post! Have a wonderful Friday and a lovely weekend!

#Thursday Throwback #The Village Shop for Lonely Hearts (Riverside Lane 1) by Alison Sherlock #Clean Romance @Boldwood Books

From the blurb:

A feel-good story of new beginnings set in a gorgeous country village, perfect for fans of Katie Fforde and Milly Johnson.

After losing her job in New York, Amber Green isn’t looking forward to visiting her godmother in the sleepy village of Cranbridge. With its empty lanes and rundown shops, it’s hardly a place to mend her lonely heart.

But when Amber discovers that Cranbridge Stores, owned by her godmother Cathy and son Josh, is under threat of financial ruin, she realises that her skills as a window dresser might just be able to help save the struggling shop.

When disaster strikes, Amber and Josh must unite to save both the shop and the village from flooding.

Can Cranbridge Stores become the heart of the village once more?

And as the village begins to come back to life, perhaps Amber will discover a reason to stay…

My thoughts:

Oh be still my DIY loving heart…Who doesn’t like a good makeover story? Fascinated and mesmerised, we watch home improvement TV shows and think we could do as well- just a lick of paint here and there, a few cushions, a fireplace, and a gingham table cloth…Nah, better leave it to experts 🙂 or if you’re Alison Sherlock, get a great plotline out of turning an old and tired looking village shop into something quirky and memorable.

Seriously, I love this series. It is sweet, relaxing, and heartwarming, like a cuppa on a cold and windy November day. It’s all about community spirit and lovely friendships, finding a place where we belong and people we belong with.

en’s parents decided to move to New Zealand, so when she is made redundant by her New York employer, Amber doesn’t feel she has a place she’d call a home. Her parents are more than happy to welcome her on their brandnew farm, but would like Amber to visit her godmother Cathy in England. cathy has had a few very tough years. First, her husband Todd passed away, then she had cancer treatment. Cathy’s son Josh feels their family shop could do with some serious modernising, but his mum, stuck in her grief, stubbornly refuses to change things.

Enter Amber..and what an entrance it is! Some books start with a bang, this one starts with a tumble into the local river…Amber is a lovely, kind-hearted girl and it’s impossible not to wish her all the happiness in the world. But is she really just passing through this picturesque village or is there a chance that Amber can help this lovely, peaceful place get a push towards revival?

The Village Shop for Lonely Hearts is the first book in Alson Sherlock’s Riverside Lane series which focuses on four friends (Amber, Lucy, Belle and Molly) who live in a little village called Cranbridge. The protagonists are very likeable (although Josh could have been a teeny-tiny bit less grumpy and more proactive) and there’s a large cast of secondary characters, including Grandma Tilly (she will steal your heart), Dodgy Del, Stanley and many others- don’t worry, somehow it doesn’t get overwhelming, you just get a nice glimpse of this supportive community.

It was nice to come back to this series and re-read the first book. And now I’m off to the second book!

Author Bio

Alison Sherlock is the author of the bestselling Willow Tree Hall books. Alison enjoyed reading and writing stories from an early age and gave up office life to follow her dream.

#Can’t Wait Wednesday #What Have We Done by Alex Finlay #Thriller @Minotaur Books

Can’t-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted at Wishful Endings, to spotlight and discuss the books we’re excited about that we have yet to read. Generally they’re books that have yet to be released. It’s based on Waiting on Wednesday, hosted by the fabulous Jill at Breaking the Spine. If you’re continuing with WOW, feel free to link those up as well! Find out more here.

And the book I am waiting for is…

From the blurb:

From Alex Finlay, the author of Every Last Fear and The Night Shift, comes an action-packed new thriller about the lives we leave behind and the secrets we carry with us forever.

A stay-at-home yoga mom with a past.
A has-been rock star with a habit.
A reality TV showrunner with a crushing gambling debt.
Three disparate lives.
One big secret.

Twenty five years ago, Jenna, Donnie, Nico, Arty, and Ben were the best of friends, a bond forged as residents of Savior House, an abusive group home for wayward teens. When the home was shut down—after the disappearance of several residents—the group was disbanded.

Though the trauma from Savior House has never left them, each went on to successful, if troubled, lives. They haven’t seen each other since they were teens, but now are reunited for a single haunting reason: someone is killing them one by one.

It’s a reunion none of them asked for or wanted. But one that may be the only way to save all their lives.

**************

Expected Publication Date: March 7, 2023

Publisher: Minotaur Books

Thriller/Suspense

9781250863720, 1250863724

**************

ALEX FINLAY lives in Washington, D.C. and is the author of critically-acclaimed novels, including the 2021 breakout, Every Last Fear. His work has appeared on numerous best-of-the-year lists, been published in seventeen languages around the world, and is currently in development for a major television limited series.

#Blog Tour #Happy Publication Day #The Ultimate Village Game by Beth Merwood #Q&A with the author @rararesources

Thank you to Rachel from Rachel’s Random Resources for inviting me to participate in the blog tour for Beth Merwood’s newest novel. Happy Publication day to The Ultimate Village Game!

About the book:

The Ultimate Village Game

Riddled with guilt and tormented by desire, Lucy Short keeps notes about newcomers to the village, but why? The misfit with the rescue dog has a mysterious past. She’s been biding her time, plotting and scheming, and now she’s determined to get what she deserves. It won’t be straight forward. Someone is sure to be watching her every move, and there seems to be something more sinister going on.

Mr. Lester Senior is dead. The family is in turmoil. The future of the famous village treasure hunt is in doubt, but for Lucy a new world beckons. She must stick to her task. The rewards could be huge, but will there also be a price to pay?

Purchase Links

UK / US

Q and A with Beth Merwood

Have you got a writing routine?What do you find most enjoyable about writing?

I aim to find a few hours a day when I can leave everything else behind and become totally absorbed in my writing. If I can achieve that I’m happy!

I think I enjoy writing because of that absorption. I’m able to become completely immersed, and I can lose track of time when I’m working on a story. I enjoy escaping into the world that I am creating.

Has the pandemic situation influenced your writing process?

I don’t think anyone would choose to be in lockdown, but to be honest, I believe it helped me in some ways. I had more time on my hands; I was able to spend more of my day writing, and there were less distractions. I’ve not introduced a lockdown or pandemic into my work so far, though. I don’t think I’m likely to want to incorporate either into a novel, but I believe the experience we all went through influenced my thinking in some ways and also helped me to recognize what I value.

Why did you choose to write in this genre?

That’s a great question. In fact, I think I write what comes naturally. I believe my first and my current novel fit more than one genre. Both are mysteries, but neither is a typical mystery. In my eyes, my debut novel was more literary and my new novel is more cozy. I have written some magical realism in the past, and that’s a genre I would like to explore a little more.

What kind of research do you do for your books?

It depends on the particular novel. For The Ultimate Village Game, my research was mostly people watching, taking note of interactions and snippets of conversation. I searched out some inspiring settings too.

There is more background reading to do for the novel I am working on at the moment. I have collected a pile of books and am looking for a number of experts to consult on some subject matters. I’m not intending to write anything overly informative, but I feel I need a more thorough understanding of certain subjects to be able to create authentic characters.

Were there any parts of The Ultimate Village Game or any characters that you found difficult to write?

Lucy, the protagonist, was difficult to write at times. She’s struggling with internal conflict, in the throes of a personal psychological battle, and the novel is written in the first person, so I needed to feel that I was inside her mind at all times and that I fully understood her thought processes.

I always find it challenging to write the more tragic parts of a story. In effect it means that I am choosing to create dreadful events for the characters. It sometimes seems cruel to put a character into a place that will cause them anguish or introduce an event that hurts or damages them. After writing a scene such as this, I can also feel disturbed. In the real world I prefer to avoid difficulty wherever possible!

What’s in the pipeline? What are you working on at the moment?

I am currently working on a mystery with a touch of paranormal.

Thanks for the questions and for having me on Reading Tonic.

Author Bio

Beth Merwood is a writer from the south of England. Her debut novel, The Five Things, was published in 2021.

Social Media Links

instagram / twitter / website / facebook / goodreads / bookbub /tiktok

Giveaway to Win 1 x Paperback and 1 x e-copy of The Ultimate Village Game (Open to UK Only)

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1^st Prize- Paperback copy of The Ultimate Village Game

2^nd Prize – E-copy of The Ultimate Village Game

*Terms and Conditions –Worldwide entries welcome. Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below. The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s Random Resources reserves the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over. Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data. I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.

Thank you to Beth Merwood for answering the questions and thank you for dropping by and reading the post! Have a wonderful Wednesday!

#Top Ten Tuesday #Books with Geographical Terms in the Title

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.

How it works:

Jana from That Artsy Girl assigns each Tuesday a topic and then posts her top ten list that fits that topic. Anybody is welcome to join and create their own top ten (or 2, 5, 20, etc.) list as well. You can put a unique spin on the topic to make it work for you!

Todays’s Topic:

September 13: Books with Geographical Terms in the Title (for example: mountain, island, latitude/longitude, ash, bay, beach, border, canyon, cape, city, cliff, coast, country, desert, epicenter, hamlet, highway, jungle, ocean, park, sea, shore, tide, valley, etc. For a great list, click here!) (Submitted by Lisa of Hopewell)

…and here is my list (as usual, in no particular order):

1 Brokeback Mountain by Annie Proulx

2 Black Tide by KC Jones

3 The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman

4 Starting Over in Bellbird Bay by Maggie Christensen

5 Oasis by Katya de Becerra

6 The Atlas Six by Olivie Blake

7 Beach Read by Emily Henry

8-10 StillHouse Lake, Killman Creek, and Wolfhunter River by Rachel Caine

Have you read any of these books? If yes, did you like or hate them? Would you recommend them?

Upcoming Top Ten Tuesday Topics:

September 20: Books On My Fall 2022 To-Read List
September 27: Typographic Book Covers (Book covers with a design that is all or mostly all words. You can also choose to do books with nice typography if that’s easier!) (Submitted by Mareli @ Elza Reads)
October 4: Favorite Bookstores OR Bookstores I’d Love to Visit (The UK celebrated National Bookshop Day on October 1, so I thought it would be a fun topic!)
October 11: Books I Read On Vacation (bonus points if you tell us where you were!) (Submitted by Dedra @ A Book Wanderer)
October 18: Favorite Words (This isn’t so much bookish, but I thought it would be fun to share words we love! These could be words that are fun to say, sound funny, mean something great, or make you smile when you read/hear them.)
October 25: Halloween Freebie
November 1: Unlikable Characters You Can’t Help but Love (These are villains, criminals, jerks, etc. that make you fall in love with them anyway, perhaps because they evolve by the end or they’re secretly wonderful and have been all along.)
November 8: Series I’d Like to Start/Catch up on/Finish
November 15: Favorite “Aww” Moments In Books (Share those sweet/cute moments in books that give you warm fuzzies.)
November 22: Thankful Freebie
November 29: Cozy Reads (Share books that give off a cozy vibe, whether through atmosphere, setting, or some other factor. Please tell us why they’re cozy for you, too!)
December 6: Freebie
December 13: Books on My Winter 2022-2023 To-Read List
December 20: Books I Hope Santa Brings This Year
December 27: Most Recent Additions to My Book Collection (What books did you get as presents this holiday season? Or what did you buy with gift cards?)

Thank you for stopping by and reading the post! Have a wonderful Tuesday!

#Blog Tour #Murder in Myrtle Bay by Isobel Blackthorn #Mystery @rararesources

Thank you to Rachel from Rachel’s Random Resources for inviting me to participate in the blog tour for Isobel Blackthorn’s new book release Murdr in Myrtle Bay.

Murder in Myrtle Bay

When feature writer Ruth Finlay and her elderly neighbor Doris Cleaver visit an antique and collectibles market in the small town of Myrtle Bay, they get a lot more than they bargained for.

After Ruth’s old tennis coach is found dead, they discover that there’s no lack of people who harbor a grudge against the victim, and a tangled web of family ties and lies begins to unravel. But can Ruth and Doris find the killer in time to avert a second murder?

A quirky feel-good mystery laced with intrigue, Murder in Myrtle Bay is the first book in Isobel Blackthorn’s ‘Ruth Finlay Mysteries’ series. Set in small town Australia, it is a sure pick for any fan of classic whodunits and cozy mysteries!

Purchase Links

UK / US

My thoughts:

Murder in Myrtle Bay is the first book in Isobel Blackthorn’s new series of cozy mysteries featuring Ruth Finlay, an intrepid journalist with a passion for cooking.

As you would expect it, a lot of attention is paid to describing the characters- our protagonist Ruth, her father who is now living in a home, Ruth’s neighbour/ surrogate mother figure Doris Cleaver, and lots of other inhabitants of Ruth’s little town of Myrtle Bay. Isobel Blackthorn masterfully weaves the tapestry of creating stories and unique features for her large cast of characters. Of course, some of them become suspects in this new case of a murder in an old factory/marketplace. While Ruth is more on a cautious (i.e. let’s not jump to conclusions!) side, her seventy-five-year old neighbour Doris doesn’t waste much time in going after her suspects straightaway. I must admit I totally admire Doris’s adventurous sense of fashion and her encyclopaedic knowledge of who is related to and who might have wronged who in this little town.

The mystery starts with Ruth and Doris visitng the marketplace and finding a dying man in one of the stalls. With his last breath David Fisk, a local P.E teacher, manages to say ‘I didn’t do it’- the words Ruth and Doris will have to ponder over multiple times over the course of their amateur investigation. Ruth has fond memories of David and for the life of her can’t see why anyone would want to do harm to this sweet man, but she is bound to discover that there were plenty of people to bear a grudge against The Coach. Luckily for Ruth, there is a limited list of suspects-people who were present at the antiques and collectables market when the crime happened. Still, our amateur sleuths will have their hands full and that is even before they discover another mystery- that of two lovers who had their trysts in the old factory in an attempt to hide their extra-marital affair.

Ruth is also on a writing deadline for her piece on the factory history. It was surprising entertaining to read about a successful business that implemented innovative management practices and flourished economically only to die a slow death in 1980s when cheap exports flooded Australian markets. Ruth’s article, the descriptions of her running route and Ruth’s and Doris’ obligatory sleauthing at the local Bakery add to creating a good sense of what the town of Myrtle Bay where the series is set is like.

If you love cooking, baking and feeding people as a way of showing your love and something to help you clear your mind and concentrate, you’ll relate to Ruth. I found her relationship with her elderly father very touching and I hope to see more of Mr Finlay in the sequels. I also expect Doris’s daughter Emily to play a part and hope Ruth can find a good friend in her.

Thank you to the author and the publisher for the complimentary review copy provided in exchange for an honest review.

Author Bio –

Isobel Blackthorn is a prolific novelist of unique and engaging fiction. She writes across a range of genres, including gripping mysteries and dark psychological thrillers.

The Unlikely Occultist: A biographical novel of Alice A. Bailey received an Honorable Mention in the 2021 Reader’s Favorite book awards. A Prison in the Sun was shortlisted in the LGBTQ category of the 2021 International Book Awards and the 2020 Readers’ Favorite Book Awards. Her short story ‘Nothing to Declare’ was shortlisted for the Ada Cambridge Prose Prize 2019. Her dark thriller A Legacy of Old Gran Parks won a Raven Award in 2019. The Cabin Sessions was nominated for the Bram Stoker Award 2018 and the Ditmar Awards 2018.

Isobel holds a PhD in Western Esotericism from the University of Western Sydney for her ground-breaking study of the texts of Theosophist Alice A. Bailey. Her engagement with Alice Bailey’s life and works has culminated in the biographical novel The Unlikely Occultist and the full biography Alice A. Bailey: Life and Legacy.

Isobel carries a lifelong passion for the Canary Islands, Spain, her former home. Five of her novels are set on the islands of Lanzarote and Fuerteventura. These standalone mystery novels are setting rich and fall into the broad genre of travel fiction.

Isobel has led a rich and interesting life and her stories are as diverse as her experiences, the highs and lows, and the dramas. A life-long campaigner for social justice, Isobel has written, protested and leant her weight to a range of issues including asylum seekers and family violence. A Londoner originally, Isobel currently lives in rural Victoria, Australia.

Social Media Links

twitter / website /facebook

Thank you for reading the post! Have a wonderful Tuesday!

It’s Monday! What are you reading? September 12th, 2022

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.

What I read / listened to last week:

The Lost Notebook by Louise Douglas

Archibald Finch and the Lost Witches by Michel Guyon

A Perfect Discovery by Margaret Amatt

The Santa Killer by Ross Greenwood

What I am reading/listening to now:

Murder in Myrtle Bay by Isobel Blackthorn

All of Our Demise by Amanda Foody and Christine Lynn Herman

What I’m reading /listening to next:

Buried Deception by Amanda McKinney

Vanessa Jared’s Got a Man by LaQuette

The Other Side of Night by Adam Hemdy

How did your last week go and what are you reading this week?

#Book Blitz #A Hate Like This by Melanie Summers and Whitney Dineen (A Gamble on Love Mom-Com, 2) #Romcom @Xpresso Book Tours

A Hate Like This
Melanie Summers & Whitney Dineen
(A Gamble on Love Mom-Com, #2)
Publication date: September 8th 2022
Genres: Adult, Comedy, Contemporary, Romance

Single mother Moira Bishop hates when her family interferes in her love life. If life as a young widow isn’t hard enough, just add three boys, a slew of unruly pets, and ownership of Gamble Alaska’s only diner. The last thing she needs is a man to look after too.

Entertainment lawyer to the stars Ethan Caplan hates his clients. There’s only so much coddling and placating a man can do in a lifetime. He’s finally decided he’s had enough, so he escapes to the tiny no-horse town of Gamble to work on the novel he’s always wanted to write.

Positive that Alaska will be distraction-free, Ethan’s sure he can pen a bestselling legal novel. That is until he lays his eyes on Moira Bishop. Suddenly he finds himself having five meals a day at the diner, just so he can talk to her for a few minutes.

When Moira’s son wins tickets to the Galaxy Studio Theme Park in L.A., Ethan jumps at the chance to play host to the family. He’s sure he can win her over by showing her how glamorous life could be with him. With the help of his friends, he plans the date to end all dates, hoping one incredible night will change her mind about giving love a second chance.
Will Moira open her heart to Ethan? Will Ethan do what it takes to prove that he can be the man Moira and her boys need in their lives? Will little Colton be tall enough to ride the Galactic Mindbender?

Find out in the deliciously fun second installment in the Gamble on Love Momcom series.

Goodreads / Amazon

EXCERPT:

Moira Bishop is something of a conundrum. On the surface she looks like a go-getting live wire, but beneath that façade she appears to be experiencing her own struggles. Being a parent has never been a driving force in my life, so I don’t spend much time imagining what it’s like. Yet I can certainly see that being a single parent to three boys is an exhausting endeavor. Add her job at the diner, and she probably doesn’t have a minute for herself.

Moira goes over to a youngish couple sitting at a table on the other side of the dining room. The woman openly scowls at her before demanding a coffee refill. I wonder if they had some sort of argument before I got here. Or maybe the woman is just a horrible person. She has a hard look about her. I pull my phone out of my pocket and open the notes tab—I might be staring at the villain in my novel. I hurry and type out a description of her.

A few minutes later, Moira sets my meal in front of me. “I brought hash browns and bacon to help fuel your day. But only three eggs, so you won’t get weighed down.” Her eyes sparkle with humor.

“You realize the amount of food on this plate could feed a family of six in Beverly Hills.”

She giggles loudly. “I doubt most families in Beverly Hills would eat much of what we serve here.”

“Priorities are definitely a bit skewed there. So are portion sizes.”

“Remind me never to move to Beverly Hills,” she says sardonically.

“You can see why it was imperative I got away,” I tell her. “I’ve been slowly starving for years.”

As she walks back to the counter, I look down at my plate and dig in with gusto. While I stuff my face, I watch as Moira zips around refilling cups and dropping off bills. By the time I’ve eaten every bite, I’m so full I’m wishing I’d ordered a bowl of Special K. .

Moira returns to my table. Staring at my empty plate, she says, “Oh, dear, what would the good folks from Beverly Hills say?”

“They’d either get busy planning an intervention or they’d pool their resources and find me a surgeon to perform an emergency gastric bypass.” I look around the now-empty diner before indicating the seat across from me. “Care to join me?”

“Sure.” She sits down into the booth across from me and groans. “Oh, that’s nice.” Her trainer-clad feet suddenly appear on the bench next to me. “It’s still early, but my dogs are already barking. What’s up?”

Author Bio:

Whitney loves to laugh, play with her kids, bake, and eat french fries — not always in that order.

Whitney is a multi-award-winning author of romcoms, non-fiction humor, and middle reader fiction. Basically, she writes whatever the voices in her head tell her to.

She lives in the beautiful Pacific Northwest with her husband, Jimmy, where they raise children, chickens, and organic vegetables.

Gold Medal winner at the International Readers’ Favorite Awards, 2017.

Silver medal winner at the International Readers’ Favorite Awards, 2015, 2016.

Finalist RONE Awards, 2016.

Finalist at the IRFA 2016, 2017.

Finalist at the Book Excellence Awards, 2017

Finalist Top Shelf Indie Book Awards, 2017

Author links
Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram

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Melanie Summers also writes steamy romance as MJ Summers.

Melanie made a name for herself with her debut novel, Break in Two, a contemporary romance that cracked the Top 10 Paid on Amazon in both the UK and Canada, and the top 50 Paid in the USA. Her highly acclaimed Full Hearts Series was picked up by both Piatkus Entice (a division of Hachette UK) and HarperCollins Canada. Her first three books have been translated into Czech and Slovak by EuroMedia. Since 2013, she has written and published three novellas, and eight novels (of which seven have been published). She has sold over a quarter of a million books around the globe.

In her previous life (i.e. before having children), Melanie got her Bachelor of Science from the University of Alberta, then went on to work in the soul-sucking customer service industry for a large cellular network provider that shall remain nameless (unless you write her personally – then she’ll dish). On her days off, she took courses and studied to become a Chartered Mediator. That designation landed her a job at the R.C.M.P. as the Alternative Dispute Resolution Coordinator for ‘K’ Division. Having had enough of mediating arguments between gun-toting police officers, she decided it was much safer to have children so she could continue her study of conflict in a weapon-free environment (and one which doesn’t require makeup and/or nylons).

Melanie resides in Edmonton with her husband, three young children, and their adorable but neurotic one-eyed dog. When she’s not writing novels, Melanie loves reading (obviously), snuggling up on the couch with her family for movie night (which would not be complete without lots of popcorn and milkshakes), and long walks in the woods near her house. She also spends a lot more time thinking about doing yoga than actually doing yoga, which is why most of her photos are taken ‘from above’. She also loves shutting down restaurants with her girlfriends. Well, not literally shutting them down, like calling the health inspector or something–more like just staying until they turn the lights off.

She is represented by Suzanne Brandreth of The Cooke Agency International.

Author links
Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram

Book Blitz #Just Like Family by Barbara Casey @Xpresso Book Tours

Just Like Family
Barbara Casey
Publication date: July 28th 2022
Genres: Adult, Romance

All in one day, thirty-five-year-old Hallie Marsh learns that the man she loves, works for, and is living with has found someone else-and that she no longer has a job, a place to live, or a car since she crashed it into a hedge. Her feelings of rage and desire for revenge are soon replaced by a fascination with her new neighbors-four peculiar, elderly people who decide to buy an old run-down estate, fix it up, and live in it “just like family.”

Goodreads / Amazon

EXCERPT:

Hallie’s heart raced as she walked briskly past the other offices to the executive suite at the end of the corridor. Since Jeff had sent word asking to see her, it must mean that he was finally finished with that project he had been working on day and night for the past several weeks and that he needed her as much as she needed him. She knew his divorce had just been finalized, although he hadn’t told her yet. She had called the courthouse downtown and found out on her own. He was probably just waiting for the right time to tell her. Over a romantic dinner at one of their favorite places. Or maybe he would take her somewhere for the weekend. He enjoyed surprising her. And there was the awards banquet tonight. He hadn’t mentioned that to her either, but naturally he would want her to go with him. In real estate circles, it was the event of the year. Even though it was supposed to be a secret, everyone knew that Jeff was getting the Salesman of the Year Award again. So much to celebrate and what better way than to make love in his office now.

“Mr. Darnell is expecting you, Ms. Marsh.”

Hallie smiled at the secretary, hoping that her demeanor was that of a public relations director going into a meeting with the president of the company and not of a woman who was going to make love to her boss in his office at four o’clock in the afternoon. “Thanks, Mary,” she said shifting her notebook in an exaggerated movement from one hand to the other, feeling slightly self-conscious. She suppressed the urge to giggle, something she frequently did whenever she felt self-conscious, and walked past the secretary’s desk. On the other side of the ornate double doors was Jeff’s office, a large multi-functional room that had both a southern and eastern exposure.

Jeff was standing with his back to her, looking out one of two mullioned, floor-to-ceiling windows, the one facing the intracoastal waterway. Hallie quietly closed the door and locked it. The desire she felt for him was tremendous and had somehow managed to gravitate to an area the size of a baseball between her naval and vulva. Without saying anything she unbuttoned her navy blue coatdress, silently applauding the fact that she had decided to wear it today since it was so easy to take off. Then she walked up behind him, slipped her arms around his waist, and pressed her body into his back. “You can’t imagine how much I have missed you,” she whispered when he turned around. She eagerly sought his lips as she loosened his tie and began unfastening the buttons on his shirt, completely forgetting the self-consciousness she had experienced moments earlier. He did that to her. Things she wouldn’t normally do under any other circumstances, she felt no inhibitions in doing with Jeff.

“Hallie, I need to tell you something.” Jeff held her trembling hands in his but she continued with the buttons, stopping only when she reached the buckle on his belt. She pulled his shirt loose from his trousers and opened it, exposing his bare chest. Then she tenderly kissed his neck, working her way down his chest and stomach with her mouth and tongue.

“Hallie, please. Stop. We have to talk.”

Hallie looked up into Jeff’s face, breathless and flushed with desire. Curiously at that moment she remembered seeing somewhere in a magazine two similar photographs side by side, the caption under one of them reading, “What’s wrong with this picture?”

Author Bio:

Barbara Casey is the author of several award-winning novels for both adults and young adults, and numerous articles, poems, and short stories. In addition to her own writing, she is an editorial consultant and president of the Barbara Casey Agency, established in 1995, representing authors throughout the United States, Great Britain, Canada, and Japan. In 2014 Barbara became a partner in Strategic Media Books Publishing, an independent publishing house that specializes in true crime and other cutting-edge adult nonfiction. Barbara lives on a mountain in Georgia with her three cats who adopted her.

Website / Goodreads