Posted in 4 paws, mystery, Review, romance on August 19, 2021

 

 

Synopsis

 

A sophisticated romantic thriller, in the vein of Gone Girl, minus the graphic violence.

Attorney, Chenille Conrad, has mysteriously disappeared. Her husband, Daniel, finds her BMW in the garage, her cell in her Gucci purse, and her clothes undisturbed in the closet. She never goes anywhere without her phone. Where is she? He’s confident she wouldn’t leave him. They’re deeply in love, and on the fast track to successful careers, a house in the suburbs, and a family to fill it. They talked at noon and agreed salacious sex was the plan for the evening. She had to have been abducted.

When the police find bloodstains on the front porch, and on her sweatshirt, Daniel becomes the primary suspect. Profiled by the detective as a jealous, control freak, he must prove his innocence. He puts the pieces of the puzzle together, yet can’t overcome his need to protect his wife. As the investigation unfolds, shocking clues exposing her motivations, and true persona, are revealed. Who is this woman he married? Chenille’s greed and tenacity have thrown her into an inescapable web of her own creation, putting her life, and that of her young son, in danger.

Written with alternating, yet simultaneous points of view, a multi-cultural triad of love stories evolve, each with their own unexpected outcome. An intriguing story of love, lies, and larceny with an unpredictable happily-ever-after.

 

 

Amazon * B&N * Kobo

 

Read for Free via Kindle Unlimited

 

 

The homeland I idolized in my mind has betrayed me. Without the ones you love, it isn’t home. It’s a hollow utopia. An empty shell of my former life. A life I didn’t deserve or appreciate. A life that was too good for me.

 

 

Review

 

This book has a little bit of everything for the reader that doesn’t know what they want to read at that moment. There is a little bit of mystery, some romance, international flair, and legal hijinks.

Chenille’s mother left them when she was young and she rebelled by shoplifting and other things. She meets a guy, Daniel, at college and thinks this is the one, and maybe he is. That is until Chenille goes missing and Daniel is the prime suspect in a potential homicide despite the fact that there is no body to know what might have happened.

The first half of the book alternates between the past and the present and I wasn’t sure whether to believe that someone set Chenille up for the illegal activities or if she actually did participate in said events. Chenille is not portrayed as a very nice person. She is self-absorbed and selfish. I was actually amazed that Daniel was still with her when she went missing.

Then we discover what actually did happen to Chenille and the story takes an interesting twist and the truth comes out. Despite Chenille’s flaws, I felt bad for her later on in the book and what she was enduring at that time. But that doesn’t excuse all of her other actions and perhaps she got her just rewards in the end.

I’m sure if you are reading this you are wondering why I am being vague on details….well, if I told you too much it would ruin the story for you. So trust me, just pick up the book and read it. There is a bit of a cliffhanger and since this is a trilogy I can’t wait to hear what happens next.

Overall, we give this book 4 paws up.

 

 

 

 

 

 

About the Author

 

After a successful career as a Vice President for a large international bank, I trade small business lending for creative writing. Years of experience in the corporate world and entrepreneurship have given me a unique perspective in developing multifaceted characters; relentless, assertive women who are not deterred by adversity.

My novels focus on the strengths and vulnerabilities of independent women and the consequences of their choices. Conflicted characters who navigate the triumphs and tragedies of life with resilience and tenacity. Every incident, every twist and turn, every relationship, could have happened – to your mother, your daughter, your sister, yourself.

As the CEO of Pacific Premier Publishing, I enjoy the challenge of marketing my novels as much as I do creating them. Book sales enable me to provide funding to charities that empower women and promote world peace. That’s how I measure my writing success.

My husband of forty plus years and I enjoy spending time with family, traveling, camping, kayaking, skiing, fishing, and wine tasting. With three sons and four grandchildren, I am truly the most blessed person on the planet. My claim has not been verified, nor has it been disputed.

 

Twitter * Facebook * LinkedIn

 

 

 

 

 | 
Comments Off on Review – Deceptions of Chenille by Sally Dallas @SallyDallas_ #mystery #romance #international
Posted in 5 paws, Giveaway, Review, women on August 18, 2021

 

 

 NO NAMES TO BE GIVEN

 

By

 

JULIA BREWER DAILY

 

 

Categories: Women’s Fiction / Vintage Fiction / Adoption / 1960s
Publisher: Admission Press Inc.
Pub Date: August 3, 2021

Pages: 334 pages

Scroll for the Giveaway!

 

 

 

 

1965. Sandy runs away from home to escape her mother’s abusive boyfriend. Becca falls in love with the wrong man. And Faith suffers a devastating attack. With no support and no other options, these three young, unwed women meet at a maternity home hospital in New Orleans where they are expected to relinquish their babies and return home as if nothing transpired.

But such a life-altering event can never be forgotten, and no secret remains buried forever. Twenty-five years later, the women are reunited by a blackmailer, who threatens to expose their secrets and destroy the lives they’ve built. That shattering revelation would shake their very foundations—and reverberate all the way to the White House.

Told from the three women’s perspectives in alternating chapters, this mesmerizing story is based on actual experiences of women in the 1960s who found themselves pregnant but unmarried, pressured by family and society to make horrific decisions. How that inconceivable act changed women forever is the story of No Names to Be Given, a heartbreaking but uplifting novel of family and redemption.

 

 

Amazon ~ IndieBound ~ Barnes and Noble

 

Praise

 

A gorgeous, thrilling, and important novel! These strong women will capture your heart. Stacey Swann, author of Olympus, Texas.

An insightful and sympathetic view offered into the lives of those who were adopted and those who adopted them. Pam Johnson, author of Justice for Ella.

A novel worthy of a Lifetime movie adaptation. Jess Hagemann, author of Headcheese.

Readers can expect deep knowledge of the world the characters inhabitSara Kocek, author of Promise Me Something.

This book is a relevant read and one that will keep readers guessing page after page until the very end. The US Review of Books

Today’s young women, especially, need to absorb No Names to Be Given. Midwest Book Review, D. Donovan, Senior Reviewer

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This story touched my heart in so many ways. From the struggles that the three women went through to how it affected the children that they never knew until much later in life.

We meet Becca, Sandy, and Faith – three young women that find themselves pregnant in 1965 when being unwed and pregnant was frowned upon. Each of these young women has a story to tell and the chapters alternate between the three as we learn about their families, struggles, beliefs, and so much more. On top of the women being unwed, Becca is involved in an interracial relationship. She doesn’t see anything wrong with this because she grew up with multiple races at home. Granted, they were employees and not family members, but there was a close bond between them. Faith also has demons to battle when she is raped by someone that is supposed to be close to the family. I thought it sad that she couldn’t tell her father the truth because she feared he wouldn’t believe her and he probably would not have believed her. Sandy left home and ended up finding her way into a gentleman’s club. Since this is the 1960s, it was very tame by today’s standards. Obviously, she can’t perform if she is pregnant hence why she ended up at the home.

These women come together in a maternity home in New Orleans and end up in the same room. While they don’t share all of their past, these do become fast friends especially when their children are all born on the same day. I liked how they pledged to remember August 22nd and to say a prayer and light a candle each year. The home was quite interesting and the couple that ran the home did care about those that crossed their threshold. They kept impeccable records which will come in handy later in the book because none of the women know if they had a boy or a girl since that was the time when they would put women under while delivering the baby.

The book does jump forward a decade later and we see how the three women are faring in life. Have they accomplished their dreams? Is there more that they want to do in life? What does the future hold for them? I have to admire the entrepreneurial spirit of Sandy and Becca’s drive to fight for desegregation and the rights for all people to be treated the same. Faith has her own issues with her career and her guilt. We also get a glimpse of another character that will become pivotal near the end.

We then jump forward another decade and we start to meet the children. There are a few surprises along the way, along with some tragedies. I like how the author introduced DNA testing as one way they connected. This is old school since it is the mid 90s and reports were mailed. I can’t imagine the overwhelming feelings of finding out who your birth parents are and how this situation came to be for each of them.

Overall, I loved the story and it was even more poignant when I read in the author notes that she was also adopted and this journey could have been her own in seeking her birth parents. I’m so glad that times have changed and it isn’t taboo to be an unwed mother. There are so many women that probably wish they could have done something differently or had other options. I enjoyed how the author wove social issues of the times into the character’s lives and made them appear as someone we might all know. Some of the revelations regarding the children were mindboggling, at least for some of these characters. The actions and reactions of these three women and their families felt authentic because we know that these situations can be emotionally charged and everyone will react differently.

We give this book 5 paws up.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Julia Brewer Daily is a Texan with a southern accent. She holds a B.S. in English and a M.S. degree in Education from the University of Southern Mississippi. She has been a Communications Adjunct Professor at Belhaven University, Jackson, Mississippi, and Public Relations Director of the Mississippi Department of Education and Millsaps College, a liberal arts college in Jackson, MS.  She was the founding director of the Greater Belhaven Market, a producers’ only market in a historic neighborhood in Jackson, and even shadowed Martha Stewart. As the Executive Director of the Craftsmen’s Guild of Mississippi (300 artisans from 19 states) which operates the Mississippi Craft Center, she wrote their stories to introduce them to the public. Daily is an adopted child from a maternity home hospital in New Orleans. She searched and found her birth mother and through a DNA test, her birth father’s family, as well.  A lifelong southerner, she now resides on a ranch in Fredericksburg, Texas, with her husband Emmerson and Labrador retrievers, Memphis Belle and Texas Star.

 

Website | Facebook | Twitter

 

Instagram | LinkedIn | Amazon | Goodreads

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

GIVEAWAY! GIVEAWAY! GIVEAWAY!

ONE WINNER:

$100 Amazon gift card.

(US only; ends midnight, CDT 8/20/2021)

 

 

 

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:

 

8/17/21 Book Trailer Chapter Break Book Blog
8/17/21 Review It’s Not All Gravy
8/18/21 Review StoreyBook Reviews
8/18/21 BONUS Promo LSBBT Blog
8/19/21 Notable Quotable Hall Ways Blog
8/19/21 Review Missus Gonzo
8/20/21 Author Interview All the Ups and Downs
8/21/21 Review Bibliotica
8/22/21 Excerpt The Page Unbound
8/23/21 Excerpt That’s What She’s Reading
8/23/21 Review The Clueless Gent
8/24/21 Guest Post Forgotten Winds
8/24/21 Review KayBee’s Book Shelf
8/25/21 Review Jennie Reads
8/26/21 Review Rainy Days with Amanda
8/26/21 Review Reading by Moonlight

 

 

 

 

blog tour services provided by

 

Posted in 4 paws, Psychological, Review, Thriller on August 16, 2021

 

 

Synopsis

 

When a family obsessed with true crime gathers to bury their patriarch, horrifying secrets are exposed upon the discovery of another body in his grave in this chilling novel from the author of Behind the Red Door and The Winter Sister.

At twenty-six, Dahlia Lighthouse has a lot to learn when it comes to the real world. Raised in a secluded island mansion deep in the woods and kept isolated by her true crime-obsessed parents, she has spent the last several years living on her own, but unable to move beyond her past—especially the disappearance of her twin brother Andy when they were sixteen.

With her father’s death, Dahlia returns to the house she has avoided for years. But as the rest of the Lighthouse family arrives for the memorial, a gruesome discovery is made: buried in the reserved plot is another body—Andy’s, his skull split open with an ax.

Each member of the family handles the revelation in unusual ways. Her brother Charlie pours his energy into creating a family memorial museum, highlighting their research into the lives of famous murder victims; her sister Tate forges ahead with her popular dioramas portraying crime scenes; and their mother affects a cheerfully domestic façade, becoming unrecognizable as the woman who performed murder reenactments for her children. As Dahlia grapples with her own grief and horror, she realizes that her eccentric family, and the mansion itself, may hold the answers to what happened to her twin.

 

 

Amazon * B&N * IndieBound * Kobo

 

The release date is August 17, 2021

 

 

Review

 

The Lighthouse family is not your normal type of neighbor. They are fascinated with true crime incidents; actually, I should say the mother is obsessed with these events and drills the details into her children’s schooling. I’m glad I am not a part of this family. However, a tragedy befalls their own family when Andy disappears. It takes four years before the truth is revealed and the ups and downs, twists and turns of the events might just surprise you as they did me.

All of the children are named after famous true crime events and their victims. The family is quite warped as you will find out near the end with the details surrounding Andy’s disappearance and then the discovery of his body. I never suspected the truth as it unfolded. I felt bad for Dahlia because Andy was her twin and she believed that he was still alive and would search for him in towns across the states in hopes of discovering some sort of digital footprint for him.

What actually happened was sad in the fact that children should never be exposed to these types of events. It does explain why the Lighthouse children were the way they were and what led them to the paths that they have chosen in life. The upside is that they inherited money at 18 and didn’t have to work too hard to find fulfillment through a job/career which could be a good and a bad thing.

While some might be able to discern the details and who the Blackburn Killer is, I had no idea. So you know, the Blackburn Killer is someone that killed women across the island over a span of about 10 years. The truth is discovered near the end of the book and it made sense once the facts were revealed.

I was engrossed in this book trying to discover the truth before it was revealed, but no such luck. I do think that this family needs some therapy after all was said and done! Perhaps they will find a better life now that the truth is out and any quirks they might have, such as Tate’s die-oramas that depict the Blackburn murders.

We give this book 4 paws up.

 

 

 

 

 

 

About the Author

 

Megan Collins is the author of THE FAMILY PLOT, BEHIND THE RED DOOR, and THE WINTER SISTER. She taught creative writing for many years, and she is the managing editor of 3Elements Review. A Pushcart Prize and Best of the Net nominee, her work has appeared in many print and online journals, including Off the Coast, Spillway, and Tinderbox Poetry Journal. She lives in Connecticut.

 

Website * Twitter * Facebook * Instagram

 | 
Comments Off on Review – The Family Plot by Megan Collins #newrelease #thriller #psychological @ImMeganCollins
Posted in 3 paws, excerpt, fiction, Review, romance, women on August 15, 2021

 

 

 

Title: It Takes Heart

Author: Tif Marcelo

Release Date: August 10, 2021

Publisher: Montlake

 

Synopsis

 

Heart Resort, a private resort in the Outer Banks, is a romantic getaway for couples but a hotbed of family drama for its proprietors, the Puso family. Brandon Puso, the youngest of the four siblings, prefers life on his own as a licensed contractor in DC after a falling-out with his eldest brother.

After a hurricane plows through the Outer Banks, Brandon has a change of heart. He returns to the resort to help with the grand reopening but encounters his big sister’s best friend, designer Geneva Harris, who’s there to do the same thing. But Geneva and Brandon have a secret. Years ago, they had a secret romance that ended in heartbreak.

With the resort’s future at stake, Brandon and Geneva decide to put the past aside and to keep peace with the family. But as their mutual attraction heats up, they have to decide if history will repeat itself—or if this time, love gets a second chance.

 

 

Amazon * B&N * IndieBound

 

Read for Free on Kindle Unlimited

 

 

A Heart Shaped Romance with Author Tif Marcelo

 

It was at the Romance Writers of America conference in 2019 when I came up with the idea for the Heart Resort series. Though I was under contract for a third contemporary fiction book (which would become my sixth novel), my first three books were romance novels, and an escapist series tugged at my shirt sleeves. My initial idea: interconnected destination romance novels with the setting as relaxing and lush as it could be, despite the romantic angst and family drama I knew my characters would be placed in.

Then came COVID-19. I had released my second contemporary fiction, ONCE UPON A SUNSET, and was in edits for IN A BOOK CLUB FAR AWAY, and I was no longer under contract for future books. My need to escape heightened during the fear of lockdown. So, I dove headlong into the proposal of the Heart Resort series. At first, I thought of setting this book on an island in the Pacific Ocean but I could not make myself write it knowing that the borders were closed to travel due to the virus. Though I tried not to put COVID into my novels, still I needed to be realistic for the times.

Then the location dawned on me: our family’s most favorite vacation spot: the Outer Banks, or OBX. And especially south of 12: Nags Head, Rodanthe, Hatteras. On a printed map, I drew what would be the Heart Resort peninsula, connected to highway 12 via a land bridge.

Heart Resort is serendipitously heart-shaped. In the epicenter is the headquarters and the apartments of the four Puso siblings. Puso, which means “heart” in Tagalog—of course it does! Chris, Gil, Bea, and Brandon, the four Puso siblings, live and work on this resort. They are the heart, they make the resort and peninsula “go.” Though, we come to find out that they each have their own secrets and matters of the heart to contend with.

Everything on this peninsula is specific and special. Each home is named. Every employee is family. The view from every window is spectacular. And though they promise their clients their own version of the HEA, or the happily ever after, the Puso siblings clamor for theirs.

IT TAKES HEART, the first in the series, introduces Brandon Puso and Geneva Harris, former lovers reunited in their common mission to help rebuild the resort after a tropical storm. Neither knew the other was going to be there, and their first instinct is to run. But both are loyal to a fault, and soon they find themselves growing closer despite their best intentions. Surrounding them are a cast of characters, all with their stories to tell, all while trying make the resort successful despite throes of competition with another resort.

Love, loyalty, and business all in one peninsula located at one of the most gorgeous locations in the United States. Heart Resort is truly a place to read about to get your heart pumping.

 

It Takes Heart Excerpt

 

Brandon tripped over his own feet as his sister leapt from her chair.

“Now it’s my turn to surprise you.” Beatrice wrapped her hands around his bicep and pulled him toward the round table. She was laughing, enthused.

But Brandon, simultaneously exhausted from a fitful sleep and amped from laborious work that morning, could not grapple with what was before him. He was seeing a ghost. Or, rather, he was seeing the living, breathing apparition of the woman who had all but ghosted him.

He shut his eyes for a beat to clear his vision, but when he opened them and refocused, she was still there.

“Geneva,” he breathed out.

The Geneva Harris he’d fallen for four years ago after a stunning three weeks together. The same Geneva Harris who, after an argument, had left him to wake alone the next morning with her side of the bed all tucked back into place as if she’d never been there. Like she had been a vivid dream.

The memory yanked Brandon’s heart out of his chest, leaving a cavernous space. He’d had a myriad of feelings over the years after their breakup: loss, anger, sadness. Now, all he felt was nothing—was this shock? No, shock was the brick wall he couldn’t get around when his parents died. This felt like . . . emptiness.

He was dumbfounded even as he got close enough to reacquaint himself with the details of her face: her high cheekbones, which even without makeup carried a muted shade of pink; the one tiny mole next to her nose; and what he now knew was a forced smile because it was this exact same smile she had placated him with the night before she had taken off.

“Hi,” Geneva said.

Beatrice dragged him down to sit in the chair across from Geneva, then took the third seat at the table. “You remember Geneva, right?”

The cue threw him off his running thoughts. Time had passed. They were not in Las Vegas, but in Heart Resort. His family didn’t know about them. “Oh, yeah. Hey. Sorry, I’m just a little . . .” He stuck a hand out.

What looked like relief played across Geneva’s features. She shook his hand. “It’s okay. It’s the ocean air. Nice to see you again.”

Was it nice to see him? Had she hoped to see him? Did she know he’d be here?

“How long has it been for the both of you? Since we left for school?” Beatrice asked.

Four years, actually.

“Four years.” Geneva echoed his thoughts, eyes leaving his sister’s face, then down to her drink. “Chris and Eden’s wedding.”

“How could I forget.” Beatrice bumped her forehead with a palm. “I take that back. Of course I forgot—I planned that event and was probably stressed to high heavens. Now that was a whirlwind.” Then, to Brandon, in a change of subject only Beatrice could manage, gestured to their surroundings. “Did you want me to order? I assume that you’re here for lunch. Chef Castillo pivoted to feed us even if our restaurant’s closed. Oh, just as an FYI, our new Friday dinners are now at Chef Castillo’s and her sister’s eatery, south on 12.”

That took his attention for a beat. “A Filipino restaurant, down here?”

“Yep. So keep your Friday night free, both of you. It’s required.” She grinned. “So, what’s your poison.”

“Actually, I’m good.” Whatever appetite he’d had disappeared. “I spotted your golf cart and thought I would stop to say hi before my first meeting with the team.”

“Perfect timing! I was telling Geneva about your demo sesh this morning. You might have been exactly where Geneva’s was. She’s in Ligaya.”

Brandon had found it clever that the family had decided to assign a Tagalog word for each of the cabins, the yoga studio, and restaurant. It had been Gil’s idea, though taken right out their parents’ playbook of hammering their wooden sign at every residence.

“Ah . . . I was definitely next door, at Habang-buhay.” Brandon snorted at the irony, that he’d demoed a beach house that was named forever, and all that morning, she had been just beyond his reach in a cabin whose name meant joy.

She had been his joy, once.

 

 

Review

 

This is the first book in a new series about a Filipino-American family that has opened a resort in the Outer Banks of NC aimed at helping couples that are drifting apart come back together.

The book starts at a wedding 4 years previously and there is a hook up between Brandon and Geneva that didn’t last too long. Perhaps it was expectations, or lack thereof, or that they were too close since they were family friends. But whatever the cause, it takes time for them both to realize that maybe they shouldn’t have given up so soon.

While billed as a romance, the romance portion was very light in my opinion. I think it is more of a second chance at romance and Brandon and Geneva working out their issues with each other and on their own. Of course, keeping all of this a secret from their families….who aren’t as clueless as you might think. And what better place that the resort for couples that they are helping rebuild after a hurricane took down part of the buildings. Outside of the chemistry between the two, they have their own issues to work through including a lack of commitment and fear of the unknown.

I enjoyed the back and forth between all of the families but I have to say that Chris needs to lighten up. He is the oldest brother of the Puso family and runs the resort and he is a bit of a control freak. I had to laugh at some of the dialogue that involved his wife, Eden. She is an author and I think the funniest part when she said that her characters were not following the outline and were going rogue!  I have heard this from many authors that they have a plan and then the character decides to go down another path.

The book does go back and forth in time so that we can see what happened between Brandon and Geneva in the past. The book did feel longer than normal and while I enjoyed the book, it didn’t draw me in as much as other books. I did enjoy the story and the family and am curious what might happen for other siblings in this series. I did learn some new words that are Filipino which I really enjoyed. And of course the food discussions…left me hungry for more!

We give this book 3 paws up.

 

 

 

 

About the Author

 

Tif Marcelo is a veteran US Army nurse who holds a BS in nursing and a master’s in public administration. She believes in and writes about the strength of families, the endurance of friendship, and the beauty of heartfelt romance—and she’s inspired daily by her own military hero husband and four children. She hosts the Stories to Love podcast, and she is also the USA Today bestselling author of In a Book Club Far Away, Once Upon a Sunset, The Key to Happily Ever After, and the Journey to the Heart series.

 

Facebook * Twitter * Instagram * Goodreads

 

 

Giveaway

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 | 
Comments Off on Excerpt & #Giveaway – It Takes Heart by Tif Marcelo @TifMarcelo #MontlakeRomance #Romance #Women #SecondChanceRomance
Posted in 5 paws, Family, Review, romance, women on August 14, 2021

 

 

 

 

The Cottonwoods
Women’s Fiction/Romance
Camel/Coffeetown/Epicenter Press
Pages 238

 

Synopsis

 

 

When Amber Bradshaw was twelve, her dying mother made her promise that someday she would find the family treasure brought to the U.S. by her great grandparents during WWI. She’s been left the farmhouse they built but the farm on which it stands is to be sold. If Amber is ever to find the treasure, it has to be soon. She locates her great Grandmother Ina’s journal which speaks of shimmering golden coins, but also tells of her bitterness with her husband who stole her dowry and ripped her from her homeland. It’s an all-too-familiar concept to Amber who struggles with her own resentment about having to become a “mother” to her little sister, Claire, after her mother died. With two men interested in her, a heavy decision to make about Claire’s baby, and an agro-company trying to buy the farm, Amber has big decisions to make. Will she choose the right man? Will she keep Claire’s baby? Will she find the treasure? It’s a landscape strewn with snares and Amber is determined not to put a foot wrong.

 

 

Amazon

 

 

Review

 

I have read several really good books lately and I am happy to say that this is one of those books. It combines history with the present, family dynamics, a mystery, and one woman’s search for her true path.

Amber has made the journey to Apple Falls, Wisconsin, to get the family home in order so that it can be sold. She is from Chicago and has a life there, but what she doesn’t expect is to fall in love with this town and the home. I chuckled at her interactions with the contractor because he insisted on making the home true to the original time period. This included a stove that was heated by fire and not electricity. Despite wanting to modernize the farmhouse, Amber seemed to continually lose out to the contractor. This isn’t a bad thing because his ideas were always so much better.

One of my favorite characters was Great Aunt Irene. Despite being near the end of her days (at a mere 99), she was a spitfire and definitely put Amber through the wringer. She wanted Amber to find her mother’s journal but didn’t know where it was located in the house. That was part of the mystery, the journal and several other artifacts mentioned by Irene. Irene was a take-charge kind of woman in her day and she had quite the story to share with Amber about how she ran a dairy and her one true love.

This book wouldn’t be complete without the family drama when it came to Amber’s sister, Claire. Amber has regrets from her youth that have held her back but a tragedy pushes Amber on a road of forgiveness and rethinking her life and what she thought she knew to be true.

There is a love story/romance brewing. There is something about the neighbor, Hunter, that draws Amber to him. However, another man, Marc, stepped in first but is he who Amber should be with long-term? Are Marc’s motives pure or is there a hole he is trying to fill?

I did mention a mystery – part of it is finding the missing journal/diary. There are rumors about an icon and gold coins, but are they true? It is a trail that Amber follows and at some points almost too late. I loved the adventure and the clues that she found that had to be followed to the truth and the treasure.

The pace of this book is non-stop and it kept me engrossed until the very end. I had a hard time putting the book down and wouldn’t have objected to a few more chapters.

Make sure to read the author’s notes….this is based on actual people and events!

We give this book 5 paws up.

 

 

 

 

About the Author

 

Lynda J. Farquhar (penname Lyn Farrell) holds a master’s degree in English and a Ph.D. in Higher Education/Administration from Michigan State University. Prior to her retirement from MSU, she was a professor in the College of Human Medicine where she worked for 30+ years. When she retired, she returned to her first love, writing, and self-published a YA Trilogy, “Tales of the Skygrass Kingdom.” Subsequently, she and her daughter, Lisa Fitzsimmons, wrote a 7-book mystery series, “The Mae December Mysteries,” published by Camel Press under their joint penname, Lia Farrell. Marketing efforts for the Mae December mysteries, as well as much work by Camel on subsidiary rights, deal with Harlequin, have resulted in sales of 22,000+ (to date) for the series. She is now writing a new mystery series, “Rosedale Investigations.” The first is titled, “The Blind Switch” and was released in January 2021.

 

Website & Blog * Facebook * Newsletter

 

 

Giveaway

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

 

 | 
Comments Off on Review & #Giveaway – The Cottonwoods by Lyn Farrell #romance #women #fiction
Posted in 5 paws, fiction, Review, women on August 11, 2021

 

 

Synopsis

 

The USA Today bestselling author of When We Believed in Mermaids returns with a tale of two generations of women reconciling family secrets and past regrets.

Life’s beautiful for seventysomething influencer Gloria Rose, in her Upper West Side loft with rooftop garden and scores of Instagram followers—until she gets word that her old flame has been arrested for art theft and forgery, and, knowing her own involvement in his misdeeds decades earlier, decides to flee. But that plan is complicated when the nieces she raised are thrown into crises of their own.

Willow, overshadowed by her notorious singer-songwriter mother, has come home to lick her wounds on the heels of a failed album and yet another disastrous relationship. Sam, prickly and fiercely independent, is on the verge of losing not only her beloved video game company but the man she loves, thanks to her inability to keep her always-simmering anger in check.

With the FBI closing in, Willow’s career in shambles, and Sam’s tribulations reaching a peak, each of the three woman will have to reckon with and reconcile their interwoven traumas, past loves, and the looming consequences that could either destroy their futures or bring them closer than ever.

 

 

Amazon * B&N * IndieBound

 

 

Review

 

When life hands you lemons, make lemonade. That is what each of these characters does in this book. Each woman has her own trials and tribulations and all have an issue with trust, at least with each other.

Gloria hasn’t let life slow her down, even when her sister dies and she takes charge of her nieces, Willow and Samantha (Sam). She raises them in an apartment in New York that sounds amazing. Thankfully, it was purchased and not a rental..can you even imagine the cost? Gloria has traveled the world as a flight attendant and still has gatherings with those that she started with at the airline. Those are the kinds of friends to have, the ones that stick by you through thick and thin. Gloria is about to find that out when her past comes to light and she has to come clean about some of her actions that involve these friends. Art forgery and theft is nothing to sneeze at but there is more to the story.

Willow is a talented musician and she inherited that talent from her mother, a world-famous singer. I think that Willow isn’t as confident in herself and her talents and it takes a journey home to realize that maybe she does have what it takes once she grounds herself. I enjoy her interactions with Josiah and how he brings out the best in her, especially when it comes to her music. I know this is fiction, but anyone that can create music is amazing to me.

Sam is also a whizkid when it comes to gaming. She and her friend, Asher, wrote a game when they were teenagers that made them millionaires. However, an incident causes them to part ways and Sam’s business is floundering, so much that she is considering getting an outside investor. You know what happens when that occurs, nothing good. However, an illness might bring Sam to realize what she has lost or is on the verge of losing before it is too late.

These three women have grit but are also vulnerable in one way or another. Despite their differences in the past, they can come together to support one another and move forward with life. I liked all of these characters and could understand why they were reserved with one another at times. Even the best of relationships need work and can flounder when not tended. Because of their flawed relationships, I think many could relate to one of them in one form or fashion.

Overall, we enjoyed this book and give it 5 paws up. I will be seeking out some of her other works to enjoy.

 

 

 

 

 

About the Author

 

Barbara O’Neal is the bestselling author of fourteen novels of women’s fiction, including The Lost Girls of DevonWhen We Believed in MermaidsThe Art of Inheriting Secrets, and How to Bake a Perfect Life. Her award-winning books have been published in more than a dozen countries, including France, Great Britain, Poland, Australia, Turkey, Italy, Germany, Israel, Croatia, Russia, and Brazil. She lives in the beautiful city of Colorado Springs with her beloved, a British endurance athlete who vows he’ll never lose his accent.

 

Website * Facebook * Twitter

 

Instagram * Pinterest * BookBub

 | 
Comments Off on Review – Write My Name Across the Sky by Barbara O’Neal #fiction #women @barbaraoneal
Posted in 5 paws, Cozy, Giveaway, mystery, Review on August 8, 2021

 

 

 

 

The Ghost Camper’s Tall Tales: Destiny Falls Mystery & Magic Series
Paranormal Cozy Mystery
3rd in Series
Independently Published (August 2, 2021)
Digital Print Length ‏ 312Pages

 

Synopsis

 

A ghost, a witch, a sassy cat, and a mystery. Hayden’s adventures in Destiny Falls continue when a mysterious old man keeps popping up to tell her a series of tall tales. Who is he? And is he actually glowing? Are his stories fiction, or is he telling her the history of her family, the enchanted islands, and the witch? And why did a dead body show up . . . of someone who is already dead? Can Hayden and her brave, quirky sidekick, Latifa unscramble this mystery before someone else turns up dead?

 

 

Amazon

 

 

Review

 

This series is more than just a mystery book, it is magical, about family, and of course murder with Hayden and friends working to solve the mystery.

This series continues to capture my attention as I get to know Hayden and her family a bit more, plus the magical world of Destiny Falls. I have so many questions, and this book answers some of them but not all….because there has to be something left for future books, right? I love all of the characters and some of them are quirky and unique and I love that because it makes the series so much more interesting. We are introduced to a new character, Gaspar, a friendly ghost, that has quite a tale to spin for Hayden. There is more to him than meets the eye and we learn more about him by accident and then his stories make a lot more sense. Actually, you could say it is a plot within a plot and adds dimension to the book.

I think one of my favorite characters is the whimsical Cleobella. She is a woman of few words, but her outfits and character bring joy to the book. There is more to her than meets the eye and even though she can’t speak, she has a big impact on Hayden and even the cats….all of them! I like that Hayden seeks to learn sign language to be able to communicate with her more often.

Hayden is continuing to get to know her family better and was recently put in charge of the town newspaper. That is quite an undertaking but she has the skills to handle it all on her own. I like that she respects the police and isn’t out to sensationalize everything and only reports what they ask her to report.

Of course, you have to have a little bit of romance, and Hayden and Han are kicking things off once this mystery is solved. This of course motivates both of them to figure out what happened so they can go on that first date. I won’t tell you how it goes or what happens because there are some things that leave you hanging and impatiently waiting for the next book in the series.

I really enjoyed the first two books but this one really took it up a notch so I have higher expectations for the next book!

We give this book 5 paws up.

 

 

 

 

About the Author

 

Elizabeth Pantley is the international bestselling author of The No-Cry Sleep Solution and twelve other books for parents. Her books have been published in over twenty languages. She lives near Seattle and is the mother of four and nana to one.

 

NoCrySolution​.com | Facebook | Pinterest

 

Instagram |  Website | Amazon

 

 

Giveaway

 

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

 

 

Posted in 5 paws, fiction, Giveaway, Historical, Review, Southern on August 5, 2021

 

 

 

UNDER THE BAYOU MOON

 

by

 

Valerie Fraser Luesse

 

 

Categories: Fiction / Christian / Historical

 

Publisher: Revell

 

Date of Publication: August 3, 2021

 

Number of Pages: 352

 

Scroll down for the giveaway! 

 

 

 

 

When Ellie Fields accepts a teaching job in a tiny Louisiana town deep in bayou country in 1949, she knows her life will change–but she could never imagine just how dramatically.

Though rightfully suspicious of outsiders, who have threatened both their language and their unique culture, most of the residents come to appreciate the young and idealistic schoolteacher, and she’s soon teaching just about everyone, despite opposition from both the school board and a politician with ulterior motives. Yet it’s the lessons Ellie herself will learn–from new friends, a captivating Cajun fisherman, and even a legendary white alligator haunting the bayou–that will make all the difference.

Take a step away from the familiar and enter the shadowy waters of bayou country for a story of risk, resilience, and romance.

 

 

Baker Book House • Amazon • Christianbook.com

 

Other Revell Books Affiliates

 

 

 

 

 

 

I had a hard time getting into another book that I was reading, so I decided to pick this one up knowing that it needed to be read soon. I could NOT put the book down! Oh My Word! I feel like the author must have looked into my family tree when writing these characters in South Louisiana. Heck, even one of the characters had the same last name as people in my family tree. I guess this is what happens when an author writes about the Cajun culture with which I am somewhat familiar…but even I learned a few things.

This story takes us back to the late 40s in a small town where poverty runs rampant but the sense of community is humbling. These people looked out for each other and while it might be hard to give their trust to you, once you have earned it there is no looking back. The camaraderie is what we should all try to achieve in our own lives.

Ellie accepted a teaching position in this small town and she is exactly what they need to educate their children and breathe life into this sleepy little town. From the moment she arrives, she wants nothing more than to foster a positive environment for the children because word is that the previous teachers were not kind. All because one man didn’t want French to be spoken by anyone, mostly because he couldn’t speak it and didn’t know what they were saying. But you can’t stamp out heritage and embracing the dual languages can only be a good thing. But that was then and this is now and the mindset was very different.

Even though Ellie is there to teach the children, she finds love with Raphe, a local man that is raising his nephew. Their journey together is beautiful and reminds us that you can find love if you only take the chance.

Perhaps one of my favorite characters is Heywood. Ellie first meets him in New Orleans by chance, but they form a fast friendship that spans the years. Heywood has his own issues by believing he won’t live to see his 30th birthday. I liked how Ellie brought all of this into perspective for him and encouraged him to see a different path for his life.

This tiny town has its share of tragedies that might have brought another community to its knees. Not this town. They rallied around each other and found solutions that worked for everyone. I liked that they did not discriminate based on color or religion.

I loved every bit of this book and highly recommend it to everyone. We give it 5 paws up.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Valerie Fraser Luesse is the bestselling author of Missing Isaac, Almost Home, and The Key to Everything, as well as an award-winning magazine writer best known for her feature stories and essays in Southern Living, where she is currently senior travel editor. Specializing in stories about unique pockets of Southern culture, Luesse received the 2009 Writer of the Year award from the Southeast Tourism Society for her editorial section on Hurricane Katrina recovery in Mississippi and Louisiana. A graduate of Auburn University and Baylor University, she lives in Birmingham, Alabama, with her husband, Dave.

 

WebsiteFacebook * Blog

 

Amazon Author Page * BookBub

 

 

GIVEAWAY!  GIVEAWAY!  GIVEAWAY!

 

ONE WINNER: 

 

A copy of Under the Bayou Moon, $10 Starbucks gift card,  

 

& Flavors of the Bayou seasonings gift box.   

 

(US only, ends midnight, CDT, 8/13/2021)  

 

 

 

 

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: 

 

 

8/3/21 Notable Quotable All the Ups and Downs
8/3/21 BONUS Promo LSBBT Blog
8/4/21 Author Interview The Book’s Delight
8/4/21 BONUS Promo Hall Ways Blog
8/5/21 Review StoreyBook Reviews
8/6/21 Review Tangled in Text
8/7/21 Excerpt Stories Under Starlight
8/8/21 Excerpt Forgotten Winds
8/9/21 Review The Adventures of a Travelers Wife
8/10/21 Top Five Chapter Break Book Blog
8/11/21 Review Jennie Reads
8/12/21 Review The Plain-Spoken Pen
8/12/21 BONUS Review Jennifer Silverwood

 

 

 

 

blog tour services provided by

 

 

Posted in 3 1/2 paws, Review, suspense, Thriller on August 2, 2021

 

 

Synopsis

 

When a teenaged girl disappears from an insular small town, all of the community’s most devastating secrets come to light in this stunningly atmospheric and slow-burning suspense novel—perfect for fans of Megan Miranda and Celeste Ng.

The town of Whistling Ridge guards its secrets.

When seventeen-year-old Abigail goes missing, her best friend Emma, compelled by the guilt of leaving her alone at a party in the woods, sets out to discover the truth about what happened. The police initially believe Abi ran away, but Emma doesn’t believe that her friend would leave without her, and when officers find disturbing evidence in the nearby woods, the festering secrets and longstanding resentment of both Abigail’s family and the people of Whistling Ridge, Colorado begin to surface with devastating consequences.

Among those secrets: Abi’s older brother Noah’s passionate, dangerous love for the handsome Rat, a recently arrived Romanian immigrant who has recently made his home in the trailer park in town; her younger brother Jude’s feeling that he knows information he should tell the police, if only he could put it into words; Abi’s father’s mercurial, unpredictable rages and her mother’s silence. Then there is the rest of Whistling Ridge, where a charismatic preacher advocates for God’s love in language that mirrors violence, under the sway of the powerful businessman who rules the town, insular and wary of outsiders.

But Abi had secrets, too, and the closer Emma grows to unraveling the past, the farther she feels from her friend. And in a tinder box of small-town rage, and all it will take is just one spark—the truth of what really happened that night—to change their community forever.

 

 

 

Review

 

I have mixed emotions about this book. The characters are small-minded, racist, homophobic, and misogynic. Very few of the characters are likable outside of the children. Even then I’m not too sure because they aren’t painted with the best brush either. What happens throughout the book could happen anywhere and the twists kept me guessing.

The book does jump back and forth in time, but not in any specific pattern. We see bits of pieces from the past that shapes the characters into who they are today.

What we know – Abi has gone missing but what we don’t know if she is dead or alive. There are some tidbits of information that might lead you to believe one way or another as information is shared. What unfolds would shock most towns and people. I know I was dumbfounded that people can act this way (and there are too many examples to list) because it goes beyond human decency. I suppose I shouldn’t have been too surprised because there are many people out there that live in a bubble and don’t know what to do outside of that bubble.

I did feel for Noah, Abi’s brother because of how he was treated by his father for being gay. And his brother Jude? That was an even sadder story. Their whole family was dysfunctional from day one and it did not get any better. Emma is Abi’s best friend and seems to be the only one that really wants to find out what happened to Abi. Unfortunately, what she uncovers will devastate many.

It did take me a bit to get into this book. It was harder for me to read because of the characters. At least the story is somewhat wrapped up at the end, but not completely.

Overall, we give it 3 1/2 paws.

 

 

 

 

About the Author

 

Anna Bailey grew up in Gloucestershire and studied Creative Writing at Bath Spa University, before moving to Texas and later Colorado. In 2018, she returned to the UK where she enrolled in the Curtis Brown Creative novel-writing course. She currently works as a freelance journalist in Cheltenham, where she lives with her three cats.

 

Twitter * Instagram

 | 
Comments Off on Review – Where the Truth Lies by Anna Bailey #newrelease #debutnovel #thriller #suspense @annafbailey
Posted in 5 paws, Book Release, Review, Southern, women on August 1, 2021

 

 

Synopsis

 

Three women form a village to help a friend in need.

Becca has embarked on the most important mission of her life. She trusts no one, and she’s running out of time. On a whim, she rents a beach cottage on Palmetto Island for the summer. She’s searching for a solution to her problem. Help comes in an unexpected friendship with the young woman next door.

Hannah has three months to plan her dream wedding. While she’s eager to marry the man of her dreams, she finds the logistics of combining households and the details of organizing her event overwhelming. When she learns of a new friend’s crisis, she drops everything to come to her aid.

Sidney forges ahead with her successful career as a chef, while her heart remains in the past. On impulse, she reaches out to her old boyfriend on social media, and they rekindle their relationship. Chemistry between them still exists. But is it enough? Can she live with her secret? Or will she risk her happiness by revealing the truth?

Amelia is suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. She seeks therapy in order to put the past behind her. Do all her problems stem from her abusive marriage? Or is something missing from her life? Will she give up the possibility of a future with the love of her life to fulfill another dream?

The paths of these four women collide in a dramatic conclusion. Farley once again reminds us that family is more than blood ties.

 

 

This book releases August 3rd, 2021…pre-order today!

 

Amazon * B&N * Indiebound * Kobo * Bookshop

 

 

Review

 

Such a great series set in the Low Country. This book in the series features, Becca and Happy (Harper), who are visiting Palmetto Island because Becca doesn’t have good news in her life and wants to give her daughter a memorable summer. There are also other main storylines featuring Hannah, Sydney, and Amelia.

The crux of this book focuses on PTSD, fear, sorrow, and joy. The phrase “it takes a village” could not be any more appropriate for this book. No one should have to live alone or without the help of others, but sometimes it takes the influence of those around you to help one realize that life isn’t meant to be traveled alone. We all need the support of friends and family to make it through.

I like that the characters deal with real-life issues. Anyone reading this book will probably be able to relate to one or more of the characters and their situation. Of course, there are also characters to not like or be frustrated with their actions. But it adds conflict and tension before everything is resolved.

We give this book 5 paws up!

 

 

 

 

About the Author

 

Ashley FarleyAshley Farley writes books about women for women. Her characters are mothers, daughters, sisters, and wives facing real-life issues. Her bestselling Sweeney Sisters series has touched the lives of many.

Ashley is a wife and mother of two young adult children. While she’s lived in Richmond, Virginia for the past 21 years, a piece of her heart remains in the salty marshes of the South Carolina Lowcountry, where she still calls home. Through the eyes of her characters, she captures the moss-draped trees, delectable cuisine, and kindhearted folk with lazy drawls that make the area so unique.

 

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Bookbub

 

Subscribe to Ashley Farley’s Newsletter for monthly updates, release info, sneak peeks, and more.

 

 | 
Comments Off on Review – Sail Away by Ashley Farley @AshleyWFarley #palmettoisland #women #southernfiction #comingsoon #newrelease