Happy Publication Day to Sophie Go’s Lonely Hearts Club by Roselle Lim!
From the Blurb:
A new heartfelt novel about the power of loneliness and the strength of love that overcomes it by critically acclaimed author Roselle Lim.
Newly minted professional matchmaker Sophie Go has returned to Toronto, her hometown, after spending three years in Shanghai. Her job is made difficult when she is revealed as a fraud: she never actually graduated from matchmaking school. In a competitive market like Toronto, no one wants to take a chance on an inexperienced and unaccredited matchmaker, and soon Sophie becomes an outcast.
In dire search of clients, Sophie stumbles upon a secret club within her condo complex: the Old Ducks, seven septuagenarian Chinese bachelors who never found love. Somehow, she convinces them to hire her, but her matchmaking skills are put to the test as she learns the depths of loneliness, heartbreak, and love by attempting to make the hardest matches of her life.
Story Locale:Toronto, Canada
Publisher: Berkley Publication Date: August 16, 2022
Roselle Lim is a Filipino Chinese writer who came to Canada from the Philippines as a young teen and learned English by watching wrestling shows on television. She has a degree in humanities and history from York University.
Accidentally Perfect Marissa Clarke (Hideaway Harbor, #1) Published by: Entangled: Amara Publication date: March 1st 2022 Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Workaholic Lillian Mahoney has given everything to her job. The hugely popular lifestyle show she helped create monopolizes her time, energy, creativity, and anything remotely resembling a life. But all it takes is the show’s womanizing, egomaniac star throwing a massive hissy on live TV to utterly implode Lillian’s career in a New York minute.
Now Lillian’s hiding out in the gorgeous and completely unknown seaside village of Blink, Maine. Out of gas. A stolen wallet. A broken heel. And worse, she’s somehow managed to completely piss off the town’s resident hunk, Caleb Wright. She’ll show that hot, grumpy single father exactly what she’s made of.
But Blink isn’t quite what Lillian expects—and neither is Caleb…or his feisty teen daughter she can’t help but love. And while her entire life and career are in shreds, Lillian might just discover what happens when she gives her bad first impression a second chance.
Each book in the Hideaway Harbor series is STANDALONE: * Accidentally Perfect * Accidentally Famous
Marissa Clarke is a multi-award-winning, RITA nominated author of romance for adults and teens. She lives on the Texas Gulf Coast with her ever-patient husband, two cantankerous Cairn Terriers, and an abundance of bossy chickens. She loves to hear from readers, so please reach out through social media or on the contact form on her website, http://www.marissaclarke.com
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:
Book Lovers by Emily Henry- the best banter I’ve read in a very long time!
Hail Mary Project by Andy Weir
Someone Else’s Honeymoon by Phoebe MacLeod
What I am reading/listening to now:
Weather Girl by Rachel Lynn Solomon
The Little Theatre on Halfpenny Lane by Claudagh Murphy
What I’m reading /listening to next:
In the Pines by Kendra Elliot
Stay Awake by Megan Goldin
Interworld by Neil Gaiman and Michael Reaves
How did your last week go and what are you reading this week?
Today I’m delighted to participate in the blog tour for Someone Else’s Honeymoon by Phoebe MacLeod.
Someone Else’s Honeymoon
When Charley finds herself suddenly single on Christmas Day it feels like her world has fallen apart.
Forced to move back in with her parents, she embarks on a journey of re-invention. When she meets Ed, who is on honeymoon alone after being jilted at the altar by a bride he’s never met, it looks like her life may be taking a turn for the better.
Fate, however, has other ideas, and she and Ed are forced apart.
Will she find her way back to him, or are they just not meant to be?
Someone Else’s Honeymoon is a very light and quick summer read about re-inventing oneself and finding joy and romance after a break-up.
Charley (Charlotte for her Dad, Lottie or Lots for her nieces, Charley for almost enyone else) gets a nasty surprise at Christmas -her long-term boyfriend breaks up with her, which means she also needs to find a place to stay as soon as possible. However much heartbreak losing a ten-year-old relationship may have caused Charley, the truth is she was very unhappy and had been suppressing her real feelings and desires to avoid conflict.
Now Charley is suddenly single ….and free to change her life. Luckily, she has a great system of support- her feisty bestie Madison, her colleagues, and, course, her parents, who are happy to let her stay with them for as long as she wants. They even invite her to go with them on a holiday to Antigua, and, well…who can resist an offer like this? Charley is willing to embrace all this new life and new experiences that come with it and that includes a holiday romance which turns into something more serious! If you’re a fan of reality TV (‘Married at First Sight’ to be more precise), you’ll love her new love interest and all the drama this chance meeting brings into Charley’s life!
The plot focused so much on Charley’s self-reinvention that the romance took the second place (we don’t even meet Ed in the first 40% of the book) and I didn’t really mind. It was more about selling the idea of ‘There’s life after the end of a very unfulfilling relationship and this life can be very good, just believe in yourself’. Charley needs to take care of herself, something she has been neglecting for a long time, before she can have her happily-ever-after.
There’s a lot of detail- some of it seems excessive, some you might recognise from your own life experience if you have gone through something similar. personally, I loved the resort and all the extra activities Charley (and Ed) tried. I wasn’t sold on the romance or Ed himself (too good to be true?), but the rest was fun.
If you are looking for a quick beach read with a focus on self-love and without too much drama, Someone Else’s Honeymoon is a good fit. Sunshine, water-skiing, massages…the works!
Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the review copy, provided in exchange for an honest opinion.
Author Bio –
Phoebe MacLeod is the author of several popular laugh-out-loud romantic comedies. She mainly sets her books in her home county of Kent and her first new title for Boldwood will be published in November 2022. They will also be republishing her existing titles from August this year.
Cate soon learns that a brotherhood of bank robbers abducted Henry in the hopes that he might be able to save their youngest brother, who had been shot during a robbery. But this man is beyond saving, which spells life-threatening danger for Henry.
Bone Deep is the ninth novella in Widow Island series written by Melinda Leigh and Kendra Elliot. If you have been following the series, you know how the stories from the two authors (Melinda Leigh wrote books 2,3, 6,7, and 10, Kendra Elliot -1,4,5,8, and 9) intertwine and merge.
Kendra Elliot’s novellas are told from the point of view of Cate Wilde, a former FBI agent who left her extremely dangerous and highly stressful job to come back to her tiny home island in the Pacific Northwest and become a baker and bookstore owner. Her feelings towards her decision to leave FBI are still mixed, but she seems to have found real happiness in her close-knit community of Widow’s Island. Cate and her brother Logan were raised by their grandmother Jane who plays an important role in everything that is happening on the island. Cate’s best friends Samantha and Deputy Tessa Black also support Cate’s decision. Melinda Leigh’s novellas are written from the point of view of Tessa.
If you’re a newcomer to the series, don’t worry- you won’t be lost. It’s amazing how the authors provide crucial recap details without overloading the narrative structure. Still, it is definitely better to read the series from the beginning and in order to keep up with the developments in the recurring characters’ lives. Plus, we get to know the island itself, how it got its name, and little snippets on its history. This time we learn about Jane/Cate and Logan’s ancestors and learn about one of the most long-standing feuds on the island.
The plot is based around the kidnapping of Cate’s fiance Dr Henry Powers and we are thrown into action from the first page. Two masked men threaten Henry’s assistant’s life and lead him away at a gunpoint. all he knows he will have to take care of someone who’s been shot, but for some reason can’t (or won’t) go to hospital. Needless to say, Henry’s feelings are complex- he is terrified, he is trying to figure out who his kidnappers are and whether they will let him live, but he’s also going to do his best to save ‘his patient’. In the meantime Cate is going to do everything possible and possible to find him. We see how easy it is for her to slip back into the old role. We also see how much she has changed and how unlikely it is that she will ever go back to her old job.
As in all novellas in this series the pace is excellent. There’s a great balance of action and slower, more private, intimate moments of reflection (and Cate is dealing with a huge change in her life which she still hasn’t processed). Cate isn’t just a tourist on the island- her roots are here as well as the most important people in her life- her childhood friends, including indomitable Tessa, her family and her community all come through in this moment of need.
Given the fact that these novellas are really short, it isn’t surprising that action takes precedence over character development and this is a good reason why I urge anyone interested in picking up the series to start from the beginning. You will see that the characters are well-differentiated- Cate may be missing the intellectual stimulation of being an FBI agent, but she also has few regrets and few doubts she is better suited to this calmer stage in her life. Henry may have got a bit more than he bargained for when he took up his job on Widow’s Island, but he’s not a person who run away from a challenge. Tough Tessa has a lot to deal with at home, but she also has a soft side, and we see it clearly in this novella when she is helping Cate. Once again, I was amazed at how well Kendra Elliot and Melinda Leigh provided character and story continuity in their creatibìve collaboration.
I am a bit sad that the series is coming to an end, but it was a great journey, and I am looking forward to finding out more about the authors’ new projects!
Thank you to NetGalley and Montlake for the review copy. All opinions are my own and were not influenced in any way.
The Acadian Secret Tammy Lowe (The Acadian Secret, #1) Published by: The Wild Rose Press Publication date: August 10th 2022 Genres: Action, Adventure, Time-Travel, Young Adult
Nova Scotia has kept an incredible secret for centuries. In 1795, sixteen-year-old John Smith, convinced he’s found buried treasure, digs down into a mysterious pit on a small island.
In present day Nova Scotia, twelve-year-old Elisabeth London knows there’s no such thing as magic, but when she finds herself in 17th century Scotland, she no longer knows what to think. While under the guardianship of a kind-hearted Highlander, Elisabeth discovers his ancestral home holds a mystery of its own.
As John continues to dig the strange pit, he inadvertently begins the longest running, most expensive, and deadliest treasure hunt in history. Now, Elisabeth London and John Smith each try to unravel the secrets consuming them, unaware that a tormented young man holds the string weaving all of their lives together.
For Elisabeth, the adventure is just beginning. Unless her parents discover she’s time-travelling. Then…she is so grounded.
An adventurer at heart, Tammy has explored ruins in Rome, Pompeii, and Istanbul (Constantinople) with historians and archaeologists.
She’s slept in the tower of a 15th century castle in Scotland, climbed down the cramped tunnels of Egyptian pyramids, scaled the Sydney Harbour Bridge, sailed on a tiny raft down the Yulong River in rural China, dined at a Bedouin camp in the Arabian Desert, and escaped from head-hunters in the South Pacific.
I suppose one could say her own childhood wish of time traveling adventures came true…in a roundabout way.
Jester Brielle D. Porter Publication date: August 9th 2022 Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Young Adult
What happens in Oasis, stays in Oasis.
Lisette’s father killed the King. His execution leaves Lisette alone, disgraced, and without the magic he intended to pass on to her. In Oasis, that’s a problem. Glutted with enchanted performers, Oasis is a sin city where courtiers pay in gold to drink, gamble, and above all, be entertained. To survive on its competitive streets, Lisette peddles paltry illusions in place of magic.
Desperate to prove herself, Lisette enters into a deadly competition to be chosen as the highest-ranked magician in the world, the Queen’s Jester. But her rival, the irritatingly handsome Luc, possesses the one thing Lisette does not—real magic. Lisette will do anything to win, but when evidence implicating the Queen in her husband’s murder surfaces, Lisette must choose between redeeming her family name, or seizing the fame she’s hungered for her entire life.
Brielle D. Porter decided to become a writer after a well-meaning elementary school teacher told her she had a gift for it. Stolen moments under the covers reading anything from Harry Potter to William Goldman solidified the desire to tell stories herself one day. Jester is her debut novel.
Brielle lives with her husband and three sons on a lavender farm in Northern Idaho. When she’s not writing, she can be found running and beekeeping. Only ask her about her hobbies if you have plenty of time to spare.
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:
A laugh-out-loud funny and emotionally resonant send-up of Legally Blonde and The Ex Talk, Begin Again is a vibrant, romantic novel about the journey we take to find our people, and ourselves.
As usual, Andie Rose has a plan: Transfer from community college to the hyper competitive Blue Ridge State, major in psychology, and maintain her lifelong goal of becoming an iconic self-help figure despite the nerves that have recently thrown her for a loop. All it will take is ruthless organization, hard work, and her trademark unrelenting enthusiasm to pull it all together.
But the moment Andie arrives, the rest of her plans go off the rails. Her rocky relationship with her boyfriend Connor only gets more complicated when she discovers he transferred out of Blue Ridge to her community college. Her roommate Shay needs a major, and despite Andie’s impressive track record of being The Fixer, she’s stumped on how to help. And Milo, her coffee-guzzling grump of an R.A. with seafoam green eyes, is somehow disrupting all her ideas about love and relationships one sleep-deprived wisecrack at a time.
But sometimes, when all your plans are in rubble at your feet, you find out what you’re made of. And when Andie starts to find the power of her voice as the anonymous Squire on the school’s legendary pirate radio station–the same one her mom founded, years before she passed away–Andie learns that not all the best laid plans are necessarily the right ones.
Filled with a friend group that feels like family, an empowering journey of finding your own way, and a Just Kiss Already! romance, Begin Again is an unforgettable novel of love and starting again.
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Expected Publication Date: January 24, 2023
Publisher: Wednesday Books
YA Fiction
ISBN 9781250783363, 1250783364
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EMMA LORD is a digital media editor and writer living in NYC, where she spends whatever time she isn’t writing either running or belting show tunes in community theater. She graduated from the University of Virginia with a major in psychology and a minor in how to tilt your computer screen so nobody notices you updating your fan fiction from the back row. She was raised on glitter and copious amounts of grilled cheese. She is the author of Tweet Cute, You Have a Match, and When You Get the Chance.
Happy Publication Day to Master of Blood Like Fate by Liselle Sambury!
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books Publication Date: August 9, 2022 ISBN 9781534465312, 1534465316
From the Blurb:
Blood Like Magic
High stakes, big heart, and lots of Black Girl Magic…unputdownable.” —Aiden Thomas, New York Timesbestselling author of Cemetery Boys
A rich, dark urban fantasy debut following a teen witch who is given a horrifying task: sacrificing her first love to save her family’s magic. The problem is, she’s never been inlove—she’ll have to find the perfect guy before she can kill him.
After years of waiting for her Calling—a trial every witch must pass to come into their powers—the one thing Voya Thomas didn’t expect was to fail. When Voya’s ancestor gives her an unprecedented second chance to complete her Calling, she agrees—and then is horrified when her task is to kill her first love. And this time, failure means every Thomas witch will be stripped of their magic.
Voya is determined to save her family’s magic no matter the cost. The problem is, Voya has never been in love, so for her to succeed, she’ll first have to find the perfect guy—and fast. Fortunately, a genetic matchmaking program has just hit the market. Her plan is to join the program, fall in love, and complete her task before the deadline. What she doesn’t count on is being paired with the infuriating Luc—how can she fall in love with a guy who seemingly wants nothing to do with her?
With mounting pressure from her family, Voya is caught between her morality and her duty to her bloodline. If she wants to save their heritage and Luc, she’ll have to find something her ancestor wants more than blood. And in witchcraft, blood is everything.
Blood Like Fate
In the spellbinding sequel to “breath of fresh air for the genre” (Kirkus Reviews, starred review) Blood Like Magic, Voya fights to save her witch community from a terrible future, perfect for fans of Legendborn and Cemetery Boys.
Voya Thomas may have passed her Calling to become a full-fledged witch, but the cost was higher than she’d ever imagined.
Her grandmother is gone. Her cousin hates her. And her family doesn’t believe that she has what it takes to lead them.
What’s more, Voya can’t let go of her feelings for Luc, sponsor son of the genius billionaire Justin Tremblay—the man that Luc believes Voya killed. Consequently, Luc wants nothing to do with her. Even her own ancestors seem to have lost faith in her. Every day Voya begs for their guidance, but her calls go unanswered.
As Voya struggles to convince everyone—herself included—that she can be a good Matriarch, she has a vision of a terrifying, deadly future. A vision that would spell the end of the Toronto witches. With a newfound sense of purpose, Voya must do whatever it takes to bring her shattered community together and stop what’s coming for them before it’s too late.
Even if it means taking down the boy she loves—who might be the mastermind behind the coming devastation.
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.
Happy Publication Day to Stay Awake by Megan Goldin!
From the Blurb:
A murder she doesn’t remember committing. A killer she doesn’t remember meeting. Megan Goldin’s Stay Awake is an electrifying novel that proves memory can be deadly.
Liv Reese wakes up in the back of a taxi with no idea where she is or how she got there. When she’s dropped off at the door of her brownstone, a stranger answers—a stranger who claims to live in her apartment. She reaches for her phone to call for help, only to discover it’s missing. In its place is a bloodstained knife. Her hands are covered in scribbled messages, like graffiti on her skin: STAY AWAKE.
Two years ago, Liv was thriving as a successful writer for a trendy magazine. Now, she’s lost and disoriented in a New York City that looks nothing like what she remembers. Catching a glimpse of the local news, she’s horrified to see reports of a crime scene where the victim’s blood has been used to scrawl a message across a window, similar to the message that’s inked on her hands. What did she do last night? And why does she remember nothing from the past two years? Liv finds herself on the run for a crime she doesn’t remember committing. But there’s someone who does know exactly what she did, and they’ll do anything to make her forget—permanently.
A complex thriller that unfolds at a breakneck speed, Stay Awake will keep you up all night.
Publisher: St.Martin’s Press Publication Date: August 9, 2022 ISBN 9781250280664, 1250280664
MEGAN GOLDIN worked as a correspondent for Reuters and other media outlets where she covered war, peace, international terrorism and financial meltdowns in the Middle East and Asia. She is now based in Melbourne, Australia where she raises three sons and is a foster mum to Labrador puppies learning to be guide dogs. She is the author of The Escape Room and The Night Swim.
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