Synopsis

 

A TALE OF LONELINESS AND DANGER …From USA Today Bestselling Author, Bette Lee Crosby, comes a chilling tale of betrayal, self-doubt, and a friendship so powerful it can change a life.

When Susan Robertson buried her husband, she thought that would be the worst day of her life. She was wrong. Before there is time to grieve, she starts to discover the secrets he left behind. A hidden key. Another woman. A baby on the way.

Devastated by the truth, Susan sinks into an emotionally charged world of pain, loss, and recrimination. With a ready supply of sleeping pills and a well-stocked liquor cabinet, she is on the verge of giving way to her growing despair when friend Blanche steps in with a firm hand and a fistful of tough love.

Trying to instill a renewed sense of purpose in her friend, Blanche suggests a day of sailing. Despite her life-long fear of water, Susan agrees to go. When a sudden storm rolls in, she discovers herself in a dangerous situation and will have to find an inner-strength she thought impossible. If she fails, someone will die.

 

 

 

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Review

 

Bette has a gift for storytelling. Each book is a delight to read, and this one was no different.

Susan has recently lost her husband, but in the process, she uncovers deception on his part. This shatters her confidence, as I would imagine it would most people. This starts her on a downward spiral. Thankfully, she has two wonderful friends that come to her rescue and insert themselves into her life more than normal. These are true friends! This is Susan’s journey to rediscovering herself and finding out who she truly is deep down.

What I love about Susan’s character is that she is flawed. She isn’t the perfect wife, mother, or friend. Yet, this is what makes her relatable to the reader. I had to think about how I would have handled things if I were in her shoes. Would I react the same or differently? How would I handle betrayal?

I think the hidden gem is Nina. She is a 91-year-old parishioner at Susan’s church, and the pastor does a little conniving to get them to help one another. I feel like they learned a lot from one another. Nina is a bit of a wild woman, but when you get to that age, you have to know what you want from life and go for it.

The story does have a HEA ending, but it is also a story about finding oneself in the midst of a crisis.

We give this book 5 paws up.

 

 

 

 

 

About the Author

 

USA Today Bestselling Author and Award-winning novelist Bette Lee Crosby brings the wit and wisdom of her Southern Mama to works of fiction—the result is a delightful blend of humor, mystery, and romance along with a cast of quirky charters who will steal your heart away.

 

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Synopsis

 

After tragedy strikes, Callie Sinclair is left with a gift she never wanted—the ability to communicate with ghosts. But when a desperate widow begs for her help, she reluctantly agrees to investigate the strange occurrences at Hillwood Farm. She quickly realizes she’s dealing with a dangerous presence beyond anything she’s ever experienced, and something else becomes equally clear—the only other living person in the house, Mrs. Turner’s handsome grandson, thinks she’s a scam artist. While she’d prefer to just ignore him, her heart beats a little faster every time he’s nearby.

Luke Turner doesn’t believe in spirits. He’s moved back to restore the family farm, but living on the property serves a dual purpose—he can watch out for his grandmother. He’s not happy about the sudden appearance of a self-described psychic, or his inexplicable attraction to her. His initial suspicions crumble as evidence points to an actual haunting, but he’s still determined not to fall for Callie—the past has taught him it’s best to avoid relationships.

As Callie is drawn deeper into the mystery, she becomes the target of a vengeful spirit, and Luke can no longer fight his feelings for her. Unable to resist their desire, passion ignites…even as the paranormal activity escalates to a final deadly confrontation.

 

 

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Review

 

This story is spooky, suspenseful, and with a twist of romance to keep a reader engrossed in the book.

I loved this book! The mystery kept me engaged while trying to figure out who the ghost was and why were they haunting the farm. I did figure it out before the reveal at the end, but it was by chance. I think I picked up on a few clues that might have been obscure but stood out in my mind. I won’t tell you what they are because you need to read the book yourself and figure it out. I will say that there were a few twists that I wasn’t expecting when everything was revealed.

I really enjoyed Callie’s character. She has had a tough life, but she keeps rolling with the punches. I wonder if an accident that took her boyfriend’s life is what opened her mind to be able to communicate with ghosts. Anything is possible. Luke is the skeptical grandson, but there is an attraction between these two that will not be denied.  The romance between these two is clean, and most of it is “behind closed doors,” which was fine with me because detailed scenes weren’t needed.

The haunting scenes are descriptive and made me a little nervous. I know I don’t have ghosts around my house, but it made me wonder what might happen if I did.

This was the first book I have read by this author, but it won’t be the last. We give this book 5 paws up.

 

 

 

 

About the Author

 

USA TODAY Bestselling Author Kathryn Knight writes books filled with steamy romance, dangerous secrets, and haunting mysteries. Her novels are award-winning #1 Amazon and B&N Bestsellers and RomCon Reader-Rated picks. When she’s not reading or writing, Kathryn spends her time exploring abandoned places and searching for ghosts. She lives on beautiful Cape Cod with her husband, their two sons, and a number of rescued pets.

 

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Synopsis

 

Small chunks of life, perfectly wrapped and waiting for you to open is what you’ll get when you dive into Soaring by Nicole Fitton! A collection of 24 short stories told in 70 -2000 words.

Award-winning and short-listed pieces of prose sit alongside newer thoughtfully crafted short glimpses of human nature and 21st century life. You are invited to pause for a moment and reflect on the writer’s suggestions. They are sure to uplift and inspire you. The stories are perfect for today but will linger and stay with you for much longer.

 

 

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Review

 

This collection of short stories is perfect to read while waiting at appointments, over lunch, or anytime that you have 5-10 minutes.

Each story is unique and brings a new perspective to life with the situations that the characters find themselves in. I don’t know if I could choose a favorite, but I devoured all of them in no time. The author was able to draw me in while I forgot about reality, even if for a moment.

Some of the stories do have an abstract feel, which only adds to the depth of the book.

There is something for everyone in this collection and we give it 5 paws up.

 

 

 

 

About the Author

 

Nicole Fitton is an author who resides in the wonderful leafy countryside of Devon, U.K. Originally from London, she has lived in such glamorous locations as London, New York, and Croydon!

For over three decades, she worked in music PR and marketing in Europe and the USA before reinventing herself within the world of healthcare management. She mainly writes mystery thriller novels and an abundance of short stories. She has published two contemporary novels – All Tomorrow’s Parties and Forbidden Colours both of which have received many 5* reviews. Her first single author collection of short stories, Soaring, has recently been published by Chapeltown Books.

When not writing, she likes to take long swims in cold places (Fjords & lakes) and can often be found sharing secrets and treats with her trusty English Spaniel Spaniel Poppy.

 

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Synopsis

 

One night. That’s all the time a family has to decide what to do with the man they believe murdered their daughter: Do they forgive him, or take justice into their own hands? An electrifying novel by the author of Nanny Needed. . .

The anonymous letters arrive in the mail, one by one: To find out what really happened to Meghan, meet at this location. Don’t tell anyone you’re coming. In one night, you’ll find out everything you need to know.

Ten years after her murder, the letters tell Meghan’s family exactly when and where to meet: a cliffside home on the Oregon coast. But on the night they’re promised answers, the convicted killer–her high school boyfriend, Cal, who spent only ten years in prison for murder–is found unconscious in his car, slammed into a light pole near the house where the family is sitting and waiting. Is he the one who invited them to gather?

As a storm rampages along the Pacific Northwest, the power cuts off and leaves the family with no chance of returning to the main road and finding help. So they drag Cal back to the house for the remainder of the night. How easy it would be to let him die and claim it was an accident. Or do they help him instead? As the hours tick by, it becomes an excruciating choice. Half of the family wants to kill him. The other half wants him to regain consciousness so he can tell them what he knows.

But if Cal wakes up, he might reveal that someone in the family knows more than they’re letting on. And if that’s the case, who is the real killer? And are they already in the house?

 

 

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Review

 

I do love a good twisty psychological thriller. And that ending? Wowsa was not expecting some of those twists in the plot.

This one night in a beach house on the coast of Oregon will not be the same for anyone after that night. Deception, betrayal, and so much more are wrapped up in the pages. The story flips back and forth between various points of view, primarily the three sisters, the mother, and the stepmother. Each POV reveals a little more about the plot and the history of the characters. The story does flip back and forth in time, giving us a better feeling for the family, the characters, and maybe why Meghan was killed all those years ago.

Meghan is not a very nice person. She tormented her sisters, as is usual amongst siblings, but there seems to be a darker side that is revealed throughout the book. Her boyfriend of the time, Cal, is charged with her murder despite protesting his innocence. This incident causes strife in the family, including the parents divorcing. However, that might have just been the last thing they needed since their relationship was tenuous at best. Maureen, the mother, does not handle losing her “mini-me” very well, and when Cal is brought to the rental with everyone else in dire condition, she is ready to finish him off for killing her daughter. While I could understand her grief, the thought of her killing Cal was horrifying. She was manic about it too.

Alice and Samantha are the two younger sisters, each with flaws. Alice is quiet and reserved, but there is something different about her that I couldn’t put my finger on until the end when everything made sense. Samantha was truly a wild card. She tried to be the peacemaker, but her deceptions ran deeper than one might think.

A few others in the cast of characters add dimension to the story. Rebecca, the new wife and potentially the reason for the divorce; Paul, the dad and Rebecca’s husband; and Geoff, the “uncle” to the girls and best friend to Paul. Each character has secrets that come to light during this one night.

I was intrigued throughout the novel, and while I might have guessed part of the outcome, other details were a surprise. I would have felt nervous in this house during the storm that wreaked havoc on the house and the occupants. But it adds to the overall mood of the storyline and characters.

Don’t read this book during a storm, or you might hear things that aren’t there! Very enjoyable story, and we give it 5 paws up.

 

 

 

 

 

About the Author

 

Georgina Cross is the author of One Night, Nanny Needed, The Stepdaughter, The Missing Woman, and The Niece. She has worked as a journalist and spent nine years in business development for an aerospace and defense contractor before joining the Huntsville/Madison County Chamber of Commerce. She now writes full-time and lives in Alabama with her husband and their combined family of four sons.

 

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Includes an original, never-before-published story about the Fablehaven woodland brownies by #1 New York Times best-selling author Brandon Mull

The Fablehaven house brownies are known for coming into the kitchen at night and baking delightful treats as a surprise for caretakers and their guests. Now, Fablehaven fans can enjoy nearly fifty wondrous recipes inspired by the world of Fablehaven. Each recipe includes a Fablehaven origin story and full-color food photography. Enjoy a selection of magical crafts like Wizard Slime and Vanessa’s Invisible Ink. Bonus: also includes a few of Brandon Mull’s favorite desserts.

Wondrous Recipes Include:

Fairy Toast
Muriel’s Pretzel Knots
Ogre Stew
Bubda’s Sloppy Guac
Calico Bread
Lena’s Loaded Crepes
Bracken’s Unicorn Shakes
Zombie Cake Eyeballs
Dragon Egg Cupcakes
Goblin Glop Trifle
Tanu’s Bottled-Up Emotions
Singing Sisters Bubbling Brew

 

 

 

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Bookshop * IndieBound * Walmart

 

Preorder today, the book releases on 8/1/23

 

 

Review

 

 

 

 

 

 

About the Authors

 

BRANDON MULL is the #1 New York Times best-selling author of the Fablehaven, Candy Shop War, Beyonders, and Five Kingdoms series. A kinetic thinker, Brandon enjoys bouncy balls, squeezable stress toys, and popping bubble wrap. He lives in Utah in a happy little valley near the mouth of a canyon with his wife, Erlyn, their eleven children, and some animals. Brandon loves meeting his readers and hearing about their experiences with his books.

 

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CHERIE MULL is a mom of four who has always loved making and eating good food. After graduating with a degree in biology, Cherie worked in gene sequencing and pharmaceutical research before exchanging her lab coat for an apron. She now owns a thriving baking business, creating cakes and custom treats for weddings, birthdays, and other celebrations. Cherie and her husband, Bryson—Brandon Mull’s brother—have been beta readers for the Fablehaven stories since the beginning, and she is thrilled to be a part of this new adventure.

 

 

 

Synopsis

 

Portland, Oregon. In May 2022, the Carpenters are a sad lot. Bill, 81, has just buried his beloved wife. Paul, 75, has terminal lung cancer. Annie, 72, is a paraplegic with broken dreams. Childless and directionless, the siblings face an uncertain future in their childhood home.

Then Bill, a retired folklore professor, learns from a dying man that the legendary Fountain of Youth, his obsession for decades, may be more than a myth. He races to Mexico to find the truth.

Within weeks, the Carpenters, with nothing to lose, enter a mysterious cave and exit in July 1905 as healthy young adults. They begin new lives in Oakland, California, only vaguely aware of a devastating earthquake that will rock the San Francisco Bay Area on April 18, 1906.

In THE FOUNTAIN, the first book in the Second Chance trilogy, three siblings find opportunity, romance, and heartbreak as they make the most of a new lease on life.

 

 

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Review

 

Does the Fountain of Youth exist? If it does, would you utilize its powers to turn back time? What if it threw you back or forward in time? Do you still think you would want to test its powers?

While this book has a little bit of time travel in it, it is more historical. I always enjoy this author’s books, and it is obvious the research that is put into the people and events of the eras he is portraying.

The story is told from several different perspectives – the three siblings and Cassie, the love interest of one of the siblings. Since this is a trilogy, I am assuming that books two and three will focus on Annie and Paul, the other two siblings. This one focuses a lot on Bill, his guardianship of his two siblings, finding employment in a world that is 100+ years before his time, and finding love. There isn’t really a lot of conflict, but not everything is easy, and they do face challenges in this world. It is hard not to use terminology that we would use today without having to go into detail explaining what it means.

While the book focuses on Bill, we learn much about Annie and Paul. I really like Annie and her whip-smart intelligence and attitude. Paul realizes what might have gone wrong in his life in the past and seeks to make changes.

I am looking forward to reading the next two books in this trilogy.

We give this book 5 paws up.

 

 

 

 

 

 

About the Author

 

John A. Heldt is a reference librarian and the author of the critically acclaimed Northwest Passage time-travel series. The former award-winning sportswriter and newspaper editor has loved getting subjects and verbs to agree since writing book reports on baseball heroes in grade school. A graduate of the University of Oregon and the University of Iowa, he is an avid fisherman, sports fan, home brewer, and reader of thrillers and historical fiction. When not sending contemporary characters to the not-so-distant past, he weighs in on literature and life on his blog.

 

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Synopsis

 

In the tradition of Craig Johnson and C. J. Box, Bruce Borgos’s The Bitter Past begins a compelling series set in the high desert of Nevada featuring Sheriff Porter Beck…

Porter Beck is the sheriff in the high desert of Nevada, north of Las Vegas. Born and raised there, he left to join the Army, where he worked in Intelligence, deep in the shadows in far off places. Now he’s back home, doing the same lawman’s job his father once did, before his father started to develop dementia. All is relatively quiet in this corner of the world, until an old, retired FBI agent is found killed. He was brutally tortured before he was killed and clues at the scene point to a mystery dating back to the early days of the nuclear age. If that wasn’t strange enough, a current FBI agent shows up to help Beck’s investigation.

In a case that unfolds in the past (the 1950s) and the present, it seems that a Russian spy infiltrated the nuclear testing site and now someone is looking for that long-ago, all-but forgotten person, who holds the key to what happened then and to the deadly goings on now.

 

 

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Review

 

This book had me hooked from the start. It blends mystery, humor, suspense, action, a touch of romance, and unique characters that blend the past with the present to portray a complex scenario.

The story is primarily told in the present, but there are jumps to the late 50s that share what it was like when they were testing nuclear bombs, what they thought would happen with the radioactive material, and what actually happened. I really enjoyed the changes in time because it helped us to understand the present by understanding the past.

Sherriff Beck has his own issues to deal with, including degeneration in his eyes, especially at night, that hinders his abilities. FBI Special Agent Sana Locke is sent to Nevada to investigate the death of a former agent. The tension between these two could set off sparks. One underrated character is Beck’s sister, Brinley. She is one hot mess but has skills that most of us might wish we possessed.

I enjoyed the interaction between all of the characters. I especially loved Sana’s dry and sarcastic wit. I had a good chuckle throughout the book.

I don’t know if this is going to be a series, but I think the author should consider it. It does say #1 on Goodreads, so I’m going to go with it probably will be a series.

If you enjoy mysteries, you might want to give this one a whirl. We give it 5 paws up.

 

 

 

 

 

About the Author

 

BRUCE BORGOS lives and writes from the Nevada desert where he works hard every day to prove his high school guidance counselor had good instincts when he said “You’ll never be an astronaut.” He has a degree in political science which mostly served to dissuade him from a career in law while at the same time tormenting his wife with endless questions about how telephones work. When not writing, you can usually find him at the local wine store.

 

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Synopsis

 

A long-kept secret. A seaside kingdom. A life-changing revelation.

 

No stranger to tragedy, Amira seeks joy in the little things—books, nature, her friends, and the memories of her late mother. When she gets the opportunity to leave her sleepy village and visit the kingdom’s capital of Kalopsia, her excitement knows no bounds. But even her vivid imagination couldn’t anticipate gaining a crown…or a father.

King Thorndale has spent the years since his queen left with their infant daughter blaming himself, struggling under the combined weight of his guilt and duties to his realm. When Amira arrives, her cheerfulness sheds light on the darkness inside him. But he cannot welcome her wholeheartedly, not when he knows the danger she may be in and what little he can do to prevent it.

Amira soon realizes her royal life isn’t the fairy tale she expected. And when a precious item goes missing, she realizes there’s a larger threat afoot. She’s determined to find answers, but failing may bring her tentative relationship with her father to ruin. Will the ray of hope be bright enough to see them through? Or will grief and doubt overshadow it for good?

Walking the line between historical fiction and fantasy, you’ll travel to a realm devoid of magic and dragons but overflowing with ballgowns, secret rooms, ocean breezes, and touches of mystery perfect for readers, young and old, seeking a clean, wholesome story. This is the second stand-alone novel in the “Fallen Stars” series.

 

 

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Review

 

This novel was quite a surprise! It entranced me from the start. While billed as a historical fantasy, it isn’t filled with dragons or mythical creatures. It is set in a non-existent country with royalty and the usual squabbles that arise. It is more like a fairytale than historical fiction.

Amira is a young woman on a path to a life she wasn’t expecting. She wasn’t taught how to handle certain situations but made great strides in fulfilling her potential. I enjoyed watching her relationship with her father grow. They brought out the best in each other.

There is a mystery that pops up about 60% of the way into the story. I enjoyed watching Amira reason who might have committed the crime, why, and how.

This is part of a series but can definitely be read as a standalone book. It is also very clean and could fall into the YA category, or at least the NA category, since Amira is 20.

We give this book 5 paws up.

 

 

 

 

About the Author

 

Madison grew up in a small town in Florida, surrounded by her loving family. She has always enjoyed getting lost in the fictional worlds of movies, literature, and her own imagination. Her favorite stories are clean and sweet with happily ever afters. She enjoys traveling, drawing, going to the beach, spending time with her friends and family, and playing with her dog, Sprinkles.

 

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AND THEY DANCED

 

The Tess Corona Chronicles, Book 1

 

by

 

Tiffany Seitz

 

Paranormal Suspense / Urban Fantasy

Publisher: The Wild Rose Press

Date of Publication: March 6, 2023

Number of Pages: 352 pages

 

 

Scroll down for Giveaway!

 

 

 

 

Tess Corona left home thanks to a traumatic experience with the paranormal and has only recently returned home from a secretive military career. Her only desire is to reconnect with her family and find meaningful work. That plan changes when a Texas Ranger lands on her doorstep looking for her twin brother.

Thanks to the suspicious actions of a murder victim’s family, Texas Ranger Crock Ward is asked to investigate the twenty-five-year-old case. With the evidence missing and victim’s husband now deceased, Crock seeks alternatives to solve the murder in the form of Dr. Lazaro Corona and his ghost hunting team.

Laz has dreamed of combining cold cases with paranormal investigation, but he curses the timing. He can’t stop Tess from resuming her role in his investigation any more than he can stop a tornado or a century-old feud that has already destroyed one family and now threatens his.

 

 

 

 

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This book has the perfect blend of paranormal, mystery/suspense, ghosts, and even a bit of romance. I don’t know if the author plans to make this a series (it does say book 1 in a few places), but she should! I can see future cases with Tess, Laz, and Crock. There is a smidge at the ending that leads one to believe this might happen…fingers crossed!

Tess is a bit lost after leaving the military. For now, she is living with her brother, niece, and grandmother until she can figure out what to do with her life. I can understand her weariness and uncertainty regarding her future. She is suffering from some PTSD from some situations that she is keeping close to the vest. The truth does eventually come out, and it is a bit of a surprise to everyone. There are a few hints that it is more than she lets on, but not many.

Laz is a professor at TCU but has other dreams for his career. He enjoys researching cultural rituals, which allows him to provide insight into this case that Crock has brought to them. I found his knowledge fascinating, and it brings a different dynamic to solving the crime at hand.

Crock is a handsome Texas Ranger trying to get back to 100% after an event puts him on medical leave. However, after working with Tess and Laz, he learns a little bit more about himself, and I think it even gives him more confidence than he had before.

The rest of the Corona family is quite a hoot. Gram acts crazy, but she really isn’t. There are some facts that are shared toward the end of the book that shine a new light on her abilities. Laz’s daughter is quite precocious for a three-year-old. I can only imagine what it is like dealing with her on a daily basis since she seems wise for her years.

The interactions between Tess, Laz, and Crock reflect the type of team they could become if they decide to go down this path. All three have some psychic ability, which makes them a formidable team while trying to solve the unsolved murder of Esme Green. The answer just might surprise you once all is revealed. I enjoyed following the path and trying to determine what actually happened and who was to blame. I can tell you right now I did not uncover the truth.

This book was hard for me to put down. I wanted to understand more, uncover more clues, and I rooted for a spark between Tess and Crock to lead to a relationship. It didn’t hurt that the book is set in my part of Texas. I could imagine the various locations around town, which helped me brush a clearer picture in my mind. I enjoyed the full cast of characters and can envision a full series.

We give this book 5 paws up.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tiffany (T. A.) Seitz is a 7th generation native Texan, married with two daughters and one wonderful granddaughter. She discovered her love of writing in 2013, publishing her first independent novel, If You Touch My Mind, in the summer of 2015. Since then, she’s published several novels and has a story in Next Chapters Unleashed: A Beachy Anthology. When she’s not writing, she works as an occupational therapist and spends her free time reading, writing, and crocheting.

 

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————————————–

 

GIVEAWAY!  GIVEAWAY!  GIVEAWAY!

 

TWO WINNERS:

 

First prize—autographed paperback;

 

Second prize–eBook

 

(US only; ends midnight, CDT, 07/15/23/23)

 

 

 

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway
 

 

 

Visit the Lone Star Literary Life Tour Page

For direct links to each post on this tour, updated daily,

 

or visit the blogs directly:

 

07/05/23	Reading by Moonlight	Review
07/05/23	Hall Ways Blog	BONUS Stop
07/06/23	The Real World According to Sam	Review
07/06/23	LSBBT Blog	BONUS Stop
07/07/23	Book Fidelity	Review
07/0823	The Plain-Spoken Pen	Review
07/09/23	The Clueless Gent	Review
07/10/23	StoreyBook Reviews	Review
07/11/23	Forgotten Winds	Review
07/11/23	Shelf Life Blog	BONUS Stop
07/12/23	Boys’ Mom Reads	Review
07/13/23	The Page Unbound	Review
07/13/23	Rox Burkey Blog	BONUS Stop
07/14/23	It’s Not All Gravy	Review

 

 

Synopsis

 

From New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Catherine Bybee comes the story of two wine enthusiasts who ride the ups and downs of love in the vineyards of Tuscany.

Tasting wine is not enough: sommelier Giovanni D’Angelo wants to create it. To put his family first, he’s always deferred his dreams—a vineyard to run, a woman to marry. But a three-week vineyard tour in Italy could set him back on track.

For Emma Rutledge, wine is in her blood. Intent to run the family wine business one day, she finds that the men in her family are only intent to push her out of it. But that’s fine—she’s got a plan.

When Gio and Emma meet on a wine tour in Tuscany, their shared aspirations fuel an undeniable chemistry. Returning home to California, they work toward setting up Emma’s vineyard and a label of their own. But when Emma receives a life-altering diagnosis, she worries it’s all been for nothing.

As Emma works to cement her family legacy while dealing with this unexpected challenge, Gio tries to convince her that their future isn’t just wine.

It’s each other.

 

 

 

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Review

 

I really enjoy the characters in this series. It focuses on one family, and each book is about a different family member. In this one, we get to fall in love with Gio and Emma and their love story.

These are characters that you will want to get behind and support. Gio has a loving family, but they do want to see him married or at least in a relationship. Emma is trying to prove to her father that she can be a contributing member of the winery. Her father is a misogynist, and it won’t be hard to dislike him. A secret is revealed about 2/3 of the way, which explains a lot about his behavior. It doesn’t excuse his actions but does explain it a bit more.

I love the journey through Italy where Gio and Emma meet. I would love to do a wine tour! I can only imagine the experience. It doesn’t hurt that both Emma and Gio have the knowledge to delve into the grapes, so to speak. I chuckled at the competition between the two in pinning down the flavor notes and other aspects of the wines they tasted.

This love story is not without its challenges. I don’t want to spoil the story, but there is more than just Emma’s dad throwing kinks into her life. I will say that it definitely made me misty, but so thankful it ended on a positive note.

Franny, Gio’s niece, is a hoot and steals the plot at different times. Out of the mouths of babes, as they say!

Loved this book and highly recommend it, and the rest of the series too.

We give it 5 paws up.

 

 

 

 

 

Excerpt

 

And when Gio paused long enough to shove some food into his mouth, his mother offered a sweet smile and tapped her fingers on the table.

“You’ve said nothing about Emma.”

Gio chewed slowly and looked around the table.

Everyone was quietly watching him.

He slowly swallowed with a grin and followed it with a drink of water. “What do you want to know?”

Mari lost her smile. Slapped a hand on the table. “What do I want to know?” She rolled her eyes, lifted a hand in the air, and switched to Italian. “For an hour you’ve talked about everyone but the woman you introduced us to.”

“C’mon, Gio . . . give it up,” Chloe said, kicking him under the table.

“Hey.”

“Is she your girlfriend?” Franny asked without hesitation.

Gio winked at his niece. “Emma is someone I hope you will all meet very soon.”

“Bene, bene . . .” His mother was smiling again.

“I won’t say she’s a girlfriend, but we are more than friends.”

Mari’s smile fell to a flat line. “Why not a girlfriend?”

“Mama, we’ve only known each other a few weeks.”

“This means nothing to me. When you know, you know.” Mari swirled spaghetti with her fork. “Your father and I—”

“Yes, Mama, we know. Instant love, marriage, and babies. It isn’t like that nowadays.”

Brooke cleared her throat and placed a hand on her protruding baby bump. “I disagree.”

Dante laughed. “It took Chloe and I more time.”

Mari tossed around gestures with her free hand. “You were childhood friends. That’s different. And since you eloped without a whisper to the family, something must have been instant. Not that I want you to share.”

Dante stood down.

Smart man.

“This Emma is beautiful, and the way you smiled at her . . .”

“It was sappy adorable, Gio,” Chloe said in agreement with their mother.

He was infatuated with the woman, there was no pretending otherwise. “Her guard is up a bit. She’s been married before.”

“Children?” Mari asked.

“No, Mama. But when someone is divorced it takes a little longer to trust.”

All eyes turned to Luca. The only person at the table who had any personal authority on the subject.

Gio waited for his brother to agree.

Instead, Luca placed a hand over Brooke’s at the table and shook his head. “Not when you find the right person.”

Gio rolled his eyes. “It still takes time.”

“Wasting time, you mean,” his mother said.

Gio spread his hands to each side of the table, indicating his sister and brother. “Mama, two weddings in one year . . . isn’t that enough?”

“No,” she said flat out. “My youngest son still isn’t married. There is still room at this table. So, no. It’s not enough. When you’re married, it will be enough.”

“It’s a trap, Gio,” Dante said.

Chloe hit his arm.

“Not marriage . . . the enough part. Soon as you’re married the question switches to babies.”

The two things Emma said she didn’t want.

“Oh,” Chloe sighed. “That’s true.”

“None of this when you meet Emma. We don’t talk about my lack of being a husband or anyone’s biological clock. I don’t want anyone scaring her off.”

“What’s a biological clock?” Franny asked.

Dante started laughing.

“I mean it!” Gio pointed his fork at his sister and mother.

“She means something to you,” Luca said quietly.

Gio paused, thought of her smile, her laugh. The freckles on her face and how crazy her hair turned in the humidity. “Yeah. She does.”

“Then we will do our best to keep our opinions about weddings and babies to ourselves. Don’t you think, Mama?” Luca asked.

Mari released a deep sigh. “Fine. I can do that.”

Gio felt the tension in his shoulders ease.

Franny leaned over, tapped his arm. “What’s a biological clock?”

 

 

About the Author

 

Catherine is a #1 Wall Street Journal, Amazon, and Indie Reader bestselling author. In addition, her books have also graced The New York Times and USA Today bestsellers lists. In total, she has written thirty-six beloved books that have collectively sold more than 8 million copies and have been translated into more than twenty languages.

Raised in Washington State, Bybee moved to Southern California in the hope of becoming a movie star. After growing bored with waiting tables, she returned to school and became a registered nurse, spending most of her career in urban emergency rooms. She now writes full time and has penned The Not Quite series, The Weekday Brides series, The Most Likely To series, and The First Wives series.

 

 

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