Big City Little Rebel Kelly Collins Publication date: July 21st 2022 Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Opposites attract when a sexy builder falls for the little blonde rebel intent on destroying his life…
When tragedy claimed the life of Beau Westhaven’s father, he didn’t just lose his dad, he lost his future. Now the project manager for Aspen Construction, Beau has two goals—to rebuild the family construction business and to get his still-grieving mother out of her dire situation. His plan was simple until a beautiful activist named Bobbie Cruise arrived.
Bobbie Cruise lost everything to corporate greed. Despite a deathbed promise to her cancer-stricken mother, Bobbie hadn’t planned on being a real activist. But when the construction company responsible for her mother’s death showed up with yet another potentially lethal project, she chained herself to the front door of the building to stop their progress. She wasn’t expecting the man in charge to be tall, dark, and unforgettable.
He’s focused on his success. She’s counting on his failure. Two lives pushed together by fate and torn apart by circumstances. Can they set aside their pasts to build a future together?
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International bestselling author of more than thirty novels, Kelly Collins writes with the intention of keeping love alive. Always a romantic, she blends real-life events with her vivid imagination to create characters and stories that lovers of contemporary romance, new adult, and romantic suspense will return to again and again.
Kelly has sold more than a quarter of a million books worldwide, and in 2021 she was awarded a Readers’ Favorite Award Gold Medal in the Contemporary Romance category for A Tablespoon of Temptation.
A Heartbeat Away from You Ann M. Miller Publication date: August 16th 2022 Genres: Contemporary, Romance, Sports, Young Adult
After a daredevil play on the baseball field leads to a four-minute long cardiac arrest, seventeen-year-old Ali Benton is lucky to be alive. Now she wants to make the most of her second chance-and she’s not going to let a pesky little pacemaker, or her helicopter dad, slow her down.
Between chairing multiple school clubs and working two jobs to help his single mother pay the bills, Max Delaney has got every second of every day planned. His childhood nemesis, Ali, doesn’t figure into any of them. But when her overprotective father offers him cash to keep an eye on her and steer her away from baseball, his plans change.
Ali can’t figure out why Max, the condescending know-it-all, is sticking to her side like Krazy Glue, and Max can barely tolerate headstrong Ali. But opposites attract, and before long, fighting turns to kissing. Even as sparks fly, the secrets they’ve been keeping threaten to tear them apart. When Max learns Ali’s been putting herself in harm’s way and playing ball in secret, he struggles with how to tell her father. If he tattles, he’ll lose her trust. If he doesn’t, he may lose her heart…in more ways than one.
Ann M. Miller writes young adult fiction about first loves and complex family dynamics. Her debut novel Captured in Paint was published in 2021, followed by the sequel, Illusions in Paint, in 2022. Her forthcoming YA contemporary romance A Heartbeat Away from You will be released in August 2022.
The youngest of six children, Ann grew up in Nova Scotia, Canada, where the local bookmobile fed her addiction to Nancy Drew mysteries, Sweet Valley High books, and Stephen King horror. After graduating from the University of King’s College, she moved to Newfoundland, an island that makes up for its unforgiving climate with beautiful coastlines and majestic icebergs.
When not reading or writing, Ann can be found spending time with her husband and son or binge-watching her favorite TV shows while curled up with the four-legged members of her family.
Clues to a hidden treasure. Clues to a family secret. Both lead to murder in a twisting novel of suspense
A national treasure hunt with a $2 million prize has driven obsessed fortune seekers to overrun the small town of Eagle’s Nest, Oregon. The hunt’s cryptic clues and the lure of wealth have exposed the desperate side of human greed: theft, fights, trespassing—and even the motive to kill. Police chief Truman Daly craves peace in his town but has a murder on his hands instead. Now the big prize isn’t the only thing hiding in the pines. So is a killer.
When a young boy walks into the local café and claims his mother and baby sister have been missing for weeks, FBI special agent Mercy Kilpatrick investigates and exposes a disturbing twist in his story. Deep family secrets and lies that started sixty years ago have burst into the present, bringing with them deadly consequences.
Mercy’s and Truman’s investigations lead down a path of murder, revenge, and buried secrets to uncover two intertwined mysteries as dark as an Oregon forest.
Publication date: August 16, 2022
My thoughts: In the Pines is the 7th book in the Mercy Kilpatrick series and my third one by Kendra Elliot. The other two were short novellas, but I really like her attention to the emotional side, family lines and family dynamics to counter-balance the non-stop action and relentless pace of an FBI investigation.
A teenage boy comes up to police Chief Truman Daly, Mercy’s husband, and tells him that his mother Bridget Kerr and his 18two-month-old sister Molly are missing. Bridget had gone to visit her brother whom the children had never seen or heard of. As there is a missing child involved and two minors left behind, Truman involves FBI ( Mercy) straightaway and Mercy quickly finds the children’s uncle closer to home than anyone could have guessed. Bridget disappeared/ran away from her family fourteen years ago and her brother knew nothing about her whereabouts, her lifestyle or his nephew and nieces.
The case happens to coincide with a National Treasure Hunt that brings countless hopeful to Truman and Mercy’s little town. The clues left by an eccentric millionaire are confusing and seem to lead to the pines around the town. Truman’s son Ollie and Mercy’s niece also have their theories and try to decipher enigmatic instructions. But, very soon it becomes clear that there are some very dangerous people involved and the hunt starts claiming lives.
In the Pines is fast-paced and action-packed, with an interesting plot -no wonder it kept my attention from the first page to the last one. There is something about treasure hunts and figuring out clues and linguistic puzzles that is bound to engage even the laziest reader. Having said that, it isn’t easy to come up with challenging clues. Homonyms are fun, of course, but I would have loved the hunt plotline to be more developped. It wasn’t immediately clear how the cases were connected and at times I thought the link is going to be too tenuous. I should have trusted the author as everything makes sense in the end and all the loose ends are tied in.
If you have been following the series, you’ll be glad to see Mercy and Truman’s love is blossomming. Since I am a newcomer to Mercy’s world, I was intrigued by her prepper past. It is easy to relate to Mercy’s need to have a place that could serve as a safe haven for her and her family. Clearly, Mercy’s character has undergone a lot of development to reflect her journey of self-discovery. Her husband Truman Daly is a truly delightful character-everyone needs a rock of strength in their life, even FBI agents with nerves of steel and a heart of gold.
I really enjoyed reading this romantic suspense set in Central Oregon (as usual, I had to do a bit of cyber-travelling by googling its wonderful views) and I’m looking forward to reading more books from the series!
Thank you to Netgalley and Montlake for the review copy provided in exchange for an honest opinion.
About the author:
An Amazon #1 selling author, Kendra Elliot has sold over 10 Million books and been on the WSJ best seller over a dozen times.
She grew up in the lush Pacific Northwest and still lives there with her family and three cats. She’s fascinated with forensics, refuses to eat anything green, and dreams of living every day in flip flops. UPDATE: She now lives in flip flops and watches the sun rise over the ocean every day.
*New series!* THE COLUMBIA RIVER series. THE LAST SISTER. THE SILENCE, and IN THE PINES.
The BONE SECRETS NOVELS: HIDDEN, CHILLED, BURIED, ALONE, KNOWN and VEILED (a novella).
The CALLAHAN & McLANE novels are a spin-off of the Bone Secrets books. VANISHED, BRIDGED, SPIRALED, and TARGETED. THE SILENCE continues Ava and Mason’s story. THE LAST SISTER is Zander’s story.
The MERCY KILPATRICK series, a spin-off of the CALLAHAN & McLANE series, A MERCIFUL DEATH, A MERCIFUL TRUTH, A MERCIFUL SECRET, A MERCIFUL SILENCE, A MERCIFUL FATE, and A MERCIFUL PROMISE. IN THE PINES is a continuation of Mercy and Truman’s story.
She also writes the Widow’s Island and Rogue River novellas with Melinda Leigh.
International Thriller Writers finalist, a three time Daphne Du Maurier winner, and a Romantic Times Reviewers Choice finalist.
The Winds of Change Troy Knowlton Publication date: July 12th 2022 Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult
After an assassination attempt that could lead to an all-out war, Tyras and Oren, two young Seekers of the Argan Empire, are each given secret missions in an attempt to thwart the coming chaos. Both tasks require the Seekers to venture through the war-torn continent of Tiarna where the young men face mortal danger, horrible monsters, and hostile groups – all challenges Seekers are trained to combat. Luckily, the two Seekers also find guidance, friendship, and romance along the way. However, powerful and mysterious forces are conspiring behind the scenes and both Tyras and Oren will have to overcome a host of obstacles, including their own inner demons, in order to maintain a glimmer of hope for success. With war imminent and the unknown ahead, will the Seekers triumph, or will they be swallowed by the turbulent, relentless Winds of Change?
Set in a new, masterfully created high fantasy world, Seekers: The Winds of Change is perfect for fans of An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir and We Free the Stars by Hafsah Faisal.
Troy Knowlton always had a burning desire to tell stories. He started at a young age by drawing maps of made-up continents and fantasy kingdoms. The empty kingdoms beckoned to be given life, and his work eventually blossomed, leading him to create full narratives and characters for his worlds. He currently lives in California where he works as an X-Ray technologist and teacher when he isn’t writing. He’s also a great lover of history, currently working to earn his bachelor’s degree in History and Political Science.
Hiding from the Truth AB Medley (Finding the Truth Series, #2) Publication date: August 16th 2022 Genres: Adult, Romance, Suspense
Secrets don’t keep. Lucy’s are life-changing and dangerous. Her darkest one is an abusive ex who will stop at nothing to control her, leaving only a smoking ember of who she used to be. She thinks she’s alone in the battle to get her life back. Then she meets Tate. The one man who seems to tear down every defense she’s built around her heart. The problem is…he doesn’t want a relationship and she wants it all.
Tate’s no stranger to secrets, but he’s content until he meets her. At first sight, he’s enamored by Lucy. But the more he discovers, the deadlier her truth becomes. Now he’s determined to keep her safe whether she wants his help or not. Suddenly—the ice around his heart is melting, leaving him helpless to fight his feelings for her.
Can they overcome their pasts and the real danger they face to give love a fighting chance, or will they keep hiding from the truth?
A.B. Medley lives in Tennessee with the love of her life and two sons. Her husband stole her heart when she was sixteen and their relationship is one of those meant to be love stories you find in magazines and novels.
She is a dental hygienist who loves to read and has always dabbled in writing. When she’s not making people’s smiles shine, she enjoys belting out songs with her boys, dancing, raspberries, baseball, and anything vintage. Like any proper Tennessean, Sundrop is her drink of choice.
She loves her family and friends fiercely and believes in always chasing your dreams.
Deception in the Truth is her debut novel—but now she’s hooked, and there’s more to come!
Saving Sophie Debbie Schrack Publication date: April 26th 2022 Genres: Contemporary, Romance, Young Adult
Seventeen-year-old Gabe Hunter knows he has a purpose in life. He has always strived to be the “best of the best,” but lately nothing has gone his way. Gabe was devastated six months earlier when his half-brother Josh had a drunk driving accident that killed four members of a family and left a sixteen-year-old girl named Sophie an orphan. Josh went to prison and Gabe struggles to forgive him because how can he forgive the unforgivable? When Gabe reluctantly agrees to do math tutoring for his senior service project, he discovers that the girl he will be tutoring is also named Sophie. But in a town of eighty thousand people, what are the odds it will be the same person? Astronomical, Gabe figures.
Gabe soon discovers, though, that it is the same Sophie. A former National Merit Scholar finalist, Sophie had a severe brain injury in the accident. She has seizures, amnesia, and can barely read or write. When he meets her, Gabe realizes what his purpose in life must be—to help Sophie and make amends for his brother. His plan is to spend the rest of the school year tutoring Sophie, then say goodbye and go quietly off to college without ever telling her that his brother was the one who killed her family. What Gabe doesn’t count on is falling in love.
Debbie Schrack has spent her professional life working with children and young adults. She has a B.S in Special Education from the University of Virginia, and an M.Ed. from George Mason University. Although the character Sophie in her debut novel SAVING SOPHIE is fictional, she is a composite of many of the struggling learners Debbie has taught over the years.
Debbie lives with her family in Fairfax, Virginia, a suburb of Washington, D.C. Debbie finds personal fulfillment in creating new things, whether it be a novel, a painting, or a batch of croissants. She loves animals, and horses are her special passion. When she’s not writing or horseback riding, Debbie is a sucker for musicals, enjoys visiting art galleries, and desperately wants to travel more. She also loves hanging out with her three children, who she will always consider her most amazing creations.
The Reckless Union by Monica Murphy (Arranged Marriage, #3) Publication date: August 16th 2022 Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Synopsis:
Our marriage may look like a fairytale, but outside forces threaten to tear us apart. Don’t they realize that nothing will keep me apart from Charlotte? Not my family. Not hers either.
What started out as a relationship in name only has evolved into something much more. Something deeper. And when Charlotte is taken from me, I launch into action, determined to rescue her.
She’s mine. Nothing is going to stop me from being with her.
Not a damn thing.
Welcome to the Midnight Dynasty… The warring Morelli and Constantine families have enough bad blood to fill an ocean, and their brand new stories will be told by your favorite dangerous romance authors.
WARNING: This book is intended for readers eighteen years old and over. It contains material that some readers could find disturbing. Enter at your own risk.
Monica Murphy is a New York Times, USA Today and international bestselling author. She writes new adult, young adult and contemporary romance.
She is a wife and a mother of three who lives in central California on fourteen acres in the middle of nowhere, along with their four cats and one crazy dog. She’s a firm believer in happy endings, though she will admit to sometimes putting her characters through tough, angst-filled moments before they finally get that hard won HEA.
Monica is also known as USA Today bestselling romance author Karen Erickson (http://karenerickson.com).
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:
he Haunting of Hill House meets Sadie in this evocative and mind-bending psychological thriller following two teen girls navigating the treacherous past of a mysterious mansion ten years apart.
Daisy sees dead people—something impossible to forget in bustling, ghost-packed Toronto. She usually manages to deal with her unwanted ability, but she’s completely unprepared to be dumped by her boyfriend. So when her mother inherits a secluded mansion in northern Ontario where she spent her childhood summers, Daisy jumps at the chance to escape. But the house is nothing like Daisy expects, and she begins to realize that her experience with the supernatural might be no match for her mother’s secrets, nor what lurks within these walls…
A decade later, Brittney is desperate to get out from under the thumb of her abusive mother, a bestselling author who claims her stay at “Miracle Mansion” allowed her to see the error of her ways. But Brittney knows that’s nothing but a sham. She decides the new season of her popular Haunted web series will uncover what happened to a young Black girl in the mansion ten years prior and finally expose her mother’s lies. But as she gets more wrapped up in the investigation, she’ll have to decide: if she can only bring one story to light, which one matters most—Daisy’s or her own?
As Brittney investigates the mansion in the present, Daisy’s story runs parallel in the past, both timelines propelling the girls to face the most dangerous monsters of all: those that hide in plain sight.
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Expected Publication Date: February 28, 2023
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
YA Fiction / Thriller
ISBN 9781665903493, 166590349X
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Liselle Sambury is the Trinidadian Canadian author of the Governor General’s Literary Awards Finalist Blood Like Magic. Her work spans multiple genres, from fantasy to sci-fi, horror, and more. In her free time, she shares helpful tips for upcoming writers and details of her publishing journey through a YouTube channel dedicated to demystifying the sometimes complicated business of being an author.
Thank you to Rachel from Rachel’s Random Resources for inviting me to participate in the blog tour for this delightful book- The Little Theatre on Halfpenny Lane by Clodagh Murphy.
The Little Theatre on Halfpenny Lane
Aoife and her sisters know exactly what to do when they inherit their Great-aunt Detta’s theatre on Halfpenny Lane:
Restore the dilapidated building to its former glory.
Perform together on its stage to packed houses and rapturous applause.
Live happily ever after.
But they didn’t count on Detta leaving a share in the theatre to her godson, Jonathan. Now they’ll have to persuade him to buy into their vision of stardust and magic – or find the money to buy him out.
As they fight to save the theatre, Aoife also battles her growing feelings for Jonathan. Because she can’t let herself fall for the man who’s about to bring the curtain down on their dreams.
The little Theatre on Halfpenny Lane is a delightful, family-oriented story that is difficult not to fall in love with.
Aoife, Mimi, and Sive Carroll always knew their great aunt Detta was going to leave them the old theatre on Halfpenny Lane in her will. Aunt Detta, a talented actress herself, encouraged the girls to follow their dreams and passed on trade secrets, but she also kept changing her will, nothing serious, bits and bobs…When Aunt Detta’s will is read, the sisters find out that there is the fourth person their aunt left the theatre to- her godson Jonathan. While Aoife, Mimi, and Sive discover or rather come to terms with how much it would cost to breathe new life into the old place, Jonathan has more practical plans.
I love books about families in general and sisters in particular. Aoife took care of her younger sisters when they lost their parents in a car accident. Anyone who had to make sacrifices for one’s family would relate to this kind-hearted and responsible seventeen year old who tried to give her younger sisters as normal life as possible, taking care of their food, clothes, and extra classes. She even gave up her place in the Acting Academy to get a sensible job that would put bread on the table. But her sisters are grown-up now and Aoife is still stuck in the same life. I loved the development this sweet heroine goes through in the book and the last lines are a sheer perfection!
Anyone who loves theatre and/or has been involved in a theatrical production is going to appreciate the descriptions of the old theatre and its special atmosphere- the lights, the stage make-up, tiny changing rooms at the backstage- it’s all there! Add the bigger picture of Dublin itself and you have a perfect setting written with a lot of love and insider knowledge.
I hope this was just the first book and we’re going to get feisty Mimi and gentle Sive’s stories in the following books. Can’t wait to find out what life has in store for Carroll sisters and their little theatre.
Thank you to Rachel from Rachel’s Random Resources and the author for the review copy, provided in exchange for an honest opinion.
Author Bio
Clodagh Murphy lives in Dublin, Ireland. She has worked as a bar waitress, cleaner, secretary, editorial assistant, mystery shopper and movie extra. But she always dreamed of being an author, and after more jobs than she cares to (or can) remember, she now writes full-time. For more information about her books or to sign up to her newsletter, visit her website at http://clodaghmurphy.com/.
Happy Publication Day to The Oleander Sword by Tasha Suri!
Publisher: Orbit
ISBN 9780316472661, 0316472662 Publication Date: August 16, 2022
From the Blurb:
“Alluring, action-packed, and gut-wrenching,” (Publishers Weekly, starred review),The Oleander Sword continues Tasha Suri’s acclaimed Burning Kingdoms trilogy,in which a powerful priestess and a vengeful princess will change the fate of an empire.
The prophecy of the nameless god—the words that declared Malini the rightful empress of Parijatdvipa—has proven a blessing and curse. She is determined to claim the throne that fate offered her. But even with the strength of the rage in her heart and the army of loyal men by her side, deposing her brother is going to be a brutal and bloody fight.
The power of the deathless waters flows through Priya’s blood. Thrice born priestess, Elder of Ahiranya, Priya’s dream is to see her country rid of the rot that plagues it: both Parijatdvipa’s poisonous rule, and the blooming sickness that is slowly spreading through all living things. But she doesn’t yet understand the truth of the magic she carries.
Their chosen paths once pulled them apart. But Malini and Priya’s souls remain as entwined as their destinies. And they soon realize that coming together is the only way to save their kingdom from those who would rather see it burn—even if it will cost them.
Tasha Suri was born in London to Punjabi parents. She studied English and Creative Writing at Warwick University, and is now a cat-owning librarian in London. A love of period Bollywood films, history, and mythology led her to write South Asian-influenced fantasy.
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