November 2024 – Page 4

Happy Publication Day – 15 November 2024

Playing The Game By Sasha Lace

She dominates on the pitch. But he’s the boss in the bedroom.

Miri

I’ve always dreamed of playing professional football, so when the new director of Calverdale Ladies wants to sign me, I should be ecstatic. But renowned billionaire playboy Gabe Rivers doesn’t just want me as his new striker…

I need to get to the top because of my talent on the pitch, not in the sack. So I can’t be another prize for Gabe. Even if he is infuriatingly gorgeous.

Gabe

Do I care that the press have decided I’m a heartless womanizer? Not one bit. I’ve never given up anything I want, and that includes Miri Forster.

She’s the most talented player I’ve ever seen, and sexy as hell. I know I can get her out of my system—I just need one night. And I don’t care what it costs me…

Playing The Score By Sasha Lace

He’s wanted her for years…but they’re professionals now. Who will cross the line first?

Skylar

I’ve fought my way to the captaincy of Calderdale Ladies, and it means everything to me. So when my toxic boyfriend breaks my heart, I bottle it up. The team comes first.

Dr Reece Forster is supposed to be getting the team in the right head space for victory, not counselling me through heartache, but I can’t help opening up to him.

The hot doc is off limits, but the chemistry between us is off the charts…

Reece

I’ve longed for Skylar Marshall since we were in school, when she was prom queen and I was eating lunch with the librarian. She never even knew I existed.

And now? I’m good at my job because I’m in control. The professional boundaries are there for a reason.

But when Skylar confides in me, it’s all I can do not to abandon my principles completely. If I tell her how I feel, I could lose everything. But, how can something that feels this right be wrong…?

Playing For Keeps By Sasha Lace

She’s breaking all his rules.

Lana

The press say I’m the wild child of women’s football, and now a tabloid journalist’s blackmailing me. No wonder I needed distraction in the shape of Alex, the men’s team’s new Scottish goalie.

It was a one-night stand: fun and done. I don’t do commitment – and he’s old enough to be my dad. But there’s something different about Alex…

Alex

Lana is like a tornado. Fierce. Devastating. Just passing through. My son, Brodie, is my world, and he needs someone who’s sticking around.

But Lana’s made me feel alive again for the first time in years, and I can’t get her out of my head. Is a future with this party girl too much to hope for…?

Playing To Win By Sasha Lace

She only wants a winter fling with no promises. But rules are there to be broken.

Madison

After being jilted in Kentucky, playing for Calverdale Ladies in England was a chance to escape and spend Christmas alone, avoiding my feelings.

Which is how I’ve ended up snowed in at a Welsh pub with a retired rugby player who’s hot enough to thaw me out.

But when the snow’s gone, so am I. I won’t let another man in, not even one as gorgeous as Geraint…

Geraint

Running the pub, I’ve had flings with guests, but never one as sexy as Madison.

Too bad she’s so closed off. For both our sakes, we’ve agreed to keep our relationship physical. No attachments. No regrets.

Which is good, because I promised my dad I’d hold on to the Dragon Inn, no matter what. So I’m fine with no commitments, because I can’t ask a woman with a brilliant career in London to give everything up to be with me, in the middle of nowhere. Can I?

Don’t You Want Me Baby? By Rachel Dove

Amber Fitzpatrick is about to hit thirty and has achieved none of the things she hoped to have done by now. Her dreams of owning her own business seem out of reach. Her boyfriend has just dumped her and now her biological clock is clanging in her head.

But maybe Amber doesn’t need a man for the next stage of her life? Maybe as an independent woman she can have a baby all by herself?

There’s only one problem. Handsome but excruciatingly annoying best friend Tyler Williams. Tyler thinks Amber’s motherhood plans are plain crazy! She just needs to wait for Mr. Right to come along…and maybe he’s closer than she thinks?

But with Amber hellbent on doing it alone, Tyler sets out to prove to her that being her best friend could also come with excellent benefits…if only she’s brave enough to take the chance.

Review Card & Book Review – Finding Love In Micklewick Bay By Eliza J Scott

Welcome to your happy place…

Stella Hutton has everything under control. Her high-flying career as a lawyer relies on her keeping a calm, rational head on her shoulders. She hasn’t got time for love, or space for a man in her glamorous new apartment, a converted warehouse overlooking the rugged cliffs of Micklewick Bay.

But when a handsome stranger walks into the Jolly Sailors pub, with a sparkle in his blue eyes and a head of dark curls, everything changes. Making a beeline for her, Alex Bainbridge introduces himself while a gorgeous labrador waits at his feet. Electricity instantly sparks between Stella and Alex, as her heart flips inside her chest and her usual strict rules about men fly out the window…

Stella thinks her crush will pass. But every time she bumps into Alex – on her daily jog along the promenade, at the supermarket, inside the Happy Hartes Bookshop – her feelings only grow stronger. Her close-knit group of friends have never seen her like this before. After thirty years of being happily single, has Stella finally met the one? Or will her cherished independence sabotage her chance at a forever love?

About The Author

My Review

This is a contemporary romance featuring Stella Hutton, a barrister who moves back to her hometown and meets Alex, a charming single man with a Labrador. As Stella falls for Alex, she becomes interested in uncovering the identity of her father, despite her mother Alice’s discouragement. Stella’s career as a barrister influences her tendency to assume the worst, leading to misunderstandings, such as when she mistakenly believes Alex’s female companion is his girlfriend. The novel balances romance with Stella’s personal journey. It’s recommended for fans of contemporary romance where the protagonist’s flaws drive the plot, those who enjoy a mix of romance and character exploration, and readers who appreciate small-town UK settings.

My Rating

Link To Purchase

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Review Card & Book Review – Summer Days At Clifftop Cottage By Eliza J Scott

Welcome to your happy place…

As summer comes to the tranquil shores of Micklewick Bay, Maggie Marsay is on cloud nine. She can barely keep up with orders for her handmade teddy bears, turning her crafting hobby into a thriving business. And after trying for a baby for some time, she has joyful news to share with her devoted husband Bear who she lives with in an idyllic clifftop cottage alongside their cheeky labrador.

But an unexpected visitor casts a shadow over Maggie’s sun-drenched bliss. Robyn, a ghost from the past Maggie hasn’t seen in twelve long years, arrives on their doorstep. What could have brought Robyn back into Maggie’s life after so long? Is she truly sorry for her past mistakes, or is she up to her old tricks?

Maggie welcomes Robyn into their home, trying her best to forgive and forget. But when Robyn starts to drive a wedge between her and Bear, Maggie’s close-knit group of friends and neighbours rally around. Can they help Maggie weather this storm and find her way back to happily ever after? Or is trouble here to stay?

About The Author

My Review

This is a contemporary novel following Maggie, her husband Bear, and Maggie’s cousin Robyn. Robyn unexpectedly arrives at Maggie’s door after years of estrangement, causing turmoil in Maggie and Bear’s lives. Robyn is the nightmare house guest, overstaying her welcome, using expensive items without permission, and even trying to cozy up to Bear. Maggie, a sympathetic character, struggles to tell Bear she’s pregnant after years of trying, while also managing a new contract for her handmade stuffed bears. The story explores themes of marriage strained by external pressures, pregnancy, and creativity. It’s ideal for readers who enjoy small-town contemporary romances with elements of family drama and personal growth.

My Rating

Link To Purchase

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Review Card & Book Review- Swap and Smell the Roses By Karen Booth

When Willow Moore’s lifelong dream of music stardom goes bust, she’s burned out enough to need drastic change. As in, she’s trading her Brooklyn apartment for two months in the Connecticut countryside. Soon she’s baking bread, spending Saturdays at the farmer’s market and stopping to smell the roses, but some things in her new #cottagecore life aren’t so pleasant. Like her landlord, former chef Reid Harrell. As grouchy and reserved as Willow is chatty and outgoing, Reid is an annoyingly sexy keep-out sign. If only Willow was good at staying away.

Something about Reid, a sliver of pain poking through that flinty facade, makes her wonder if they’re more alike than she thought. Reid once chased success, too, and found it—at a price. Now all he wants is to be left alone to garden, but Willow’s not giving up so quick, especially when one of their heated arguments sparks an idea for a song. Her renewed creativity awakens them both, hurling them into a passionate vortex neither expects.

As the summer winds down, Willow is forced to confront her needs, wants and desires, not to mention Reid, the hardest puzzle of all to figure out. Maybe it’s time for the city girl to stop dwelling on dreams dashed and start following her heart—no matter where it might take her…

About The Author

My Review

In “Swap and Smell the Roses” by Karen Booth, Willow Moore, after her dream of music stardom falters, moves from Brooklyn to the Connecticut countryside for two months. Embracing the slower pace of rural life, she finds herself at odds with her grumpy landlord, Reid Harrell, a former chef who now values solitude. Despite their differences, sparks fly between them. Willow’s persistent attempts to engage Reid lead to a surprising connection. As her creativity resurges, Willow decides to pursue what she truly wants, including a potential romance with Reid. This contemporary romance blends humor, heart, and emotional depth, making it a captivating and delightful read.

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Review Card & Book Review – Sisters In Paradise By Carolyn Brown

Sometimes the only way to find true happiness is to go back home.

Ophelia Simmons is back home at the Paradise—the former brothel where her mom raised her and six sisters—contemplating her next career move and dodging Great Aunt Bernie’s matchmaking attempts. She is about to meet her match in Jake Brennan, the ruggedly handsome owner of a local winery where Aunt Bernie convinces her to take a job for the summer. At first Ophelia and Jake’s personalities clash, but soon enough sparks start flying.

Meanwhile, older sister Tertia Simmons also returns home to look for a new job. Tertia never thought she’d work for, let alone fall for, Noah Sullivan—the boy who once taunted her when they were kids. But when he offers her the job of her dreams in his new café, Tertia finds herself torn between her head and her heart.

As the sisters navigate the ups and downs of love and career with the help of their outrageous great aunt and the rest of the close-knit family, they learn that love can be found in the most unexpected of places—including their own hometown.

About The Author

My Review

This is a delightful small-town romance novel featuring the Simmons sisters returning to their family home, the old Paradise house, where Great-Aunt Bernie plays matchmaker. The story focuses on two sisters: Ophelia, a former Air Force drone operator, and Tertia, a dissatisfied substitute teacher. Set in a slowly reviving Texas town, Ophelia finds romance with her new boss, winemaker Jake Brennan, while Tertia rekindles a softened enemies-to-lovers relationship with an old school rival, Noah Sullivan.

Great-Aunt Bernie catalyzes these romances, prompting the sisters to reevaluate their desire for relationships. Meanwhile, the family is busy with Ursula and Luna’s summer wedding plans and the opening of Luna and Shane’s bait store. The novel features low conflict, focusing on family, sisterhood, and the revitalization of their town. The series continues with hints of future romances for other sisters. “Sisters in Paradise” is perfect for readers who enjoy easy-going, slice-of-life small-town romances.

My Rating

Link To Purchase

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Happy Publication Day – 12 November 2024

Someone Like You By Sandy Barker

What do you do when you realise you’ve fallen for your best friend, but he sees you as the sister he never had? And to make things worse, you’re stuck in the middle of a matchmaking scheme to find him someone else!

Best friends Gaby and Raff are inseparable and know each other inside out. But with Raff’s string of disastrous relationships and his newfound fame as Britain’s Best Baker, it’s time to enlist the Ever After Agency to help him find true love.

At first, Gaby is all in – Raff is a catch, after all. But as she secretly helps to find his perfect match, she’s hit with unexpected pangs of jealousy. And before she can act on her feelings, Raff falls for one of his dates.

Can Gaby keep her emotions in check, or will she risk ruining their friendship to find out if Raff feels the same way?

The Forgotten One By Catherine Bybee

Sarah McNeilly is a rare find in the tabloid industry. She won’t ignite gossip. She finds the truth. And for once, that’s what her boss wants. With her job on the line, Sarah’s latest assignment is to identify the elusive “Maximillian Smith,” unearth his connection to the billionaire Stone family, and dig up some dirt.

Yesterday Max was an ordinary workingman, concerned with little more than the price of gas. Now he suddenly has a family, jaw-dropping wealth, and an avid (if clumsy) reporter on his trail. With the press threatening to destroy his new life, he needs to release his real story strategically, and Sarah is the key—not to mention an adorable yet invaluable resource for finding his mother.

As Max and Sarah team up to peel back the ugly layers of Max’s past, they stumble heart-first into their fiery attraction. But when their research threatens their newly built trust, it’s their future that is on the line.

Rolling Toward Clear Skies By Catherine Ryan Hyde

Maggie Blount, divorced mother of two and California physician, puts her private practice on hold when disaster strikes. Doctors on Wheels takes her and Alex—Maggie’s professional and romantic partner—wherever they’re needed. After rolling into rural Louisiana in the wake of a category five hurricane, Maggie immediately bonds with two sisters and their puppy, all orphaned by the storm. It’s enough to break Maggie’s heart, and she’s not leaving them behind.

Feeling blessed and looking forward to their new foster home in affluent Vista del Mar—a world apart from the one they’ve known—Jean and Rose are polite, appreciative, and humble. Frankly, they’re the polar opposite of Maggie’s own self-involved teenage daughters, Willa and Gemma, who resist this intrusion by strangers into their privileged lives. Soon enough, Maggie’s new blended family is in chaos.

Teaching Willa and Gemma about gratitude and empathy will be hard enough. Maggie must also admit her own role in their entitled upbringing, undo the damage, and anticipate the needs of all four girls and a puppy, all amid faraway natural disasters and those closer to home.

I Do With You By Lauren Landish

Hope Barlowe is a vow away from a lakeside wedding to her high school sweetheart. Next, check off her follow-up dreams: two kids, a dog, a home, and a happy ever after. But suddenly, ever after seems like a very long time. Instead of saying I do, Hope thinks I can’t and bolts for the woods—right into the unpredictable life of a handsome tattooed hiker.

Days into a three-week getaway, struggling musician Ben Taylor is in search of inspiration. He never thought he’d find a bride stumbling through the bramble. Right away her sweet baby blues, confounding dilemma, and spirited independence strike a chord. Ben has found his muse, and he’s falling fast. Hope is finding something just as important—herself.

Soon enough Hope and Ben have all of Maple Creek talking—and divided. Where do they go from here? If Hope has learned anything, it’s that happiness is more than a checklist, and dreams can change in a heartbeat.

Review Card & Book Review – The Second Chance By Charlotte Butterfield

Nell has always known the date she’s going to die.

After a psychic predicted her death date twenty years ago, she has lived life accepting she would never see forty – embracing adventure and travelling the world, choosing fun over commitment and laying down roots.

So, when the fateful day comes, Nell feels ready. She sends five excruciatingly honest confessions to her sister, parents and past loves, knowing she won’t be around to face the consequences. Then, with her heart laid bare, all that’s left to do is check into a glamorous hotel and wait for the inevitable…

But when Nell unexpectedly wakes up the next morning broke, single and very much alive, she must figure out exactly how to seize this second chance at life. And then it also hits her:

What on earth happens now that everyone knows how she really feels?

About The Author

My Review

Nell Graham is fully prepared to die, having spent the last nineteen years getting ready for this moment. She travels the world, sells her possessions, shuts down her bank accounts and social media, and sends farewell letters to loved ones. She even books a room in a luxurious London hotel to end her life. However, she wakes up alive the next day, with no plan and nothing to her name. This unexpected second chance forces Nell to confront what’s truly important, reconnect with loved ones, and embrace life anew. The novel follows Nell and her dear friends Tom, Greg, Jenny, Polly, and Juno as they explore what it means to get a second chance. The story combines poignant moments with hilarious scenes, like Nell’s escape from a hotel in a ballgown and a comedic Mrs. Doubtfire-like episode. The narrative is both heartwarming and humorous, celebrating the joy of rediscovering life.

My Rating

Link To Purchase

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Review Card & Book Review – Shielding the Innocent Target By Terri Reed

A child under his protection…

and a hit man in pursuit.

After witnessing her boss’s murder, Paige Walsh must trust Deputy US Marshal Lucas Cavendish to bring her to safety. But when a notorious assassin targets her and her son, Lucas’s short-term assignment turns into a dangerous cross-country mission. For Paige to identify her boss’s killer, Lucas must get the family into witness protection. Except the hit man knows their every move…and trusting the wrong person could get them killed.

About The Author

My Review

This book is a gripping romantic suspense novel centered on Paige Walsh, who becomes a target after witnessing her boss’s murder. Deputy US Marshal Lucas Cavendish steps in to protect Paige and her son from a relentless assassin. The story uniquely intertwines suspense with deep faith, portraying God as a comforting and guiding presence amid danger. Paige relies on prayer for strength, and Lucas frequently seeks divine intervention, enhancing their bond. The pervasive sense of threat keeps readers on edge, with danger constantly looming. This novel not only delivers intense suspense but also showcases a powerful journey of faith and resilience, making it a compelling read.

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Review Card & Book Review – In the Midnight Rain By Barbara O’Neal

Biographer Ellie Connor is in Gideon, Texas, to research blues singer Mabel Beauvais who, on the verge of fame, mysteriously disappeared more than forty years ago. Gideon holds another mystery for Ellie. It’s the truth about her parents—a restless mother who died young and a father she never knew. They are an unsettled piece of Ellie’s own past. Somewhere in this town is the answer to both of her quests.

No one is more accommodating than charismatic Laurence “Blue” Reynard, a local with deep roots in Gideon. Sexy and charming, he’s also getting under Ellie’s skin like a smooth jazz rhythm. Yet beneath his seductive facade is a soul damaged by loss. Tragic, wanting, and beautiful. So wrong for a woman just passing through town. If only his passion and vulnerability weren’t so irresistible.

As Ellie pieces together Mabel’s puzzling life and that of her father, Blue takes the surprising journey with her. What then for Ellie? Follow her instincts and say goodbye, or follow her heart?

About The Author

My Review

Dr. Laurence ‘Blue’ Reynard was a charismatic ladies’ man with a captivating voice and a passion for orchids and old music. He owned a small dog named Sasha and an elderly cat named Piwacket. Biographer Ellie Connor, a music historian, moved to his cottage in Pine Bend, Texas, to research the mysterious disappearance of blues singer Mabel Beauvais and to find her own father, who was linked to the area. Despite expecting an older man, Ellie found herself drawn to the handsome Blue. Their relationship developed amid the sultry, secretive atmosphere of the town, rich with gossip and haunting music. The narrative’s strength lay in its descriptive, engaging prose, evoking a modern-day gothic romance.

My Rating

Link To Purchase

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Review Card & Book Review – A Little Bit of Love By Synithia Williams

Their first meeting changed her life

Their second one changes everything

Sheri “Li’l Bit” Thomas will do anything to help revitalize the community she loves—even work with Lieutenant Deandre King, the cop who once arrested her after a stupid breakup stunt. Opening her new restaurant is a great first step. Partnering with the handsome widowed dad on an outreach event for at-risk youth and businesses is an even better one. But neither counts on the attraction simmering between them—or the potential problems with Deandre’s teen son. Is Sheri’s past a bad example for him, indicative of drama to come? Or is she the mom—and wife—they never knew they needed?

About The Author

My Review

“A Little Bit of Love” is a standalone novel set in the same town as the Heart and Soul series. Sheri, a restaurant owner, returns to her hometown to escape her past. Deandre, a widowed cop and single dad, moves there for family support. Years ago, Deandre arrested Sheri for a minor incident. Now, they work together on a town revitalization committee, and their close proximity sparks a romance. Deandre’s son, however, tries to keep them apart. Williams’ storytelling and character development shine, making this a highly recommended read for new and long-time fans alike.

My Rating