Synopsis

 

A people-pleasing baker tries to find her place as a bridesmaid-for-hire. Will she finally find her happily ever after—and her own voice?

Amy, a semi-closeted queer baker, and bartender in mid-2010s Oklahoma, she has spent a lifetime putting other people’s needs before her own. Until that is, she’s fired from her job at a Christian bakery and turns her a one-off gig subbing in for a bridesmaid into a full-time business—thanks to her baking talents, crafting skills, and years watching rom-coms and Say Yes to the Dress. Between her new gig and meeting Charley, the attractive engineer who’s just moved to Tulsa, suddenly Amy’s found something— and someone—she actually wants.

Her tight-knit group of chosen family is thrilled that Amy is becoming her authentic self. But when her deep desire to please kicks into overdrive, Amy’s precarious balancing act strains her relationships to the breaking point, and she must decide what it looks like to be true to herself—and if she has the courage to try.

 

 

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This book releases on May 3rd, pre-order today!

 

 

Review

 

This look into the LGBTQ community reveals that underneath it all we all have the same fears, hopes, dreams, and desires in life.

Set in Oklahoma (part of the famed bible belt) around 2013, this story is a reflection of the lack of support the LGBTQ+ community received before marriage was legalized in 2015. There are many that do not support this community and in some cases, you could lose your job just for being gay. Amy discovers after working for 2 years in a bakery that her hard work and dedication don’t mean squat to the owner and it is all about your lifestyle to her. This throws Amy into a quandary on what to do with her life and she comes up with a great solution, a professional bridesmaid. She stumbles upon this after helping resolve a few crises at a family wedding and meeting her first clients at the same wedding and it snowballs from there.

Amy struggles with her own life outside of a job including finding love. She meets Charley by chance and they seem to start up a relationship but is it what either party wants long term? I didn’t get a good sense of Charley and her likes, dislikes, or much of anything else about her personality. She did feel a little flat. I will say that it did pick up in the last 20% of the book with some great advice from Regi when she asked Amy if she was showing her true self to Charley, or anyone else for that matter. I think we all get caught up in trying to be our best selves that sometimes we forget that who we are deep down is the most important person to reveal to friends and family.

Friendships abound in this community and I did appreciate how they seemed to support one another. Considering the timeframe, it isn’t too surprising and I enjoyed the friendships and the interactions, especially with Joel and Damien. Amy and Joel have been best friends since they were 18 and it is nice to have that strong bonds to fall back on until you don’t. I won’t spoil it but it goes a lot to Amy and her insecurities with herself that cause a rift between these friends.

There is a good baseline story but it is filled with stereotypes. I also found it weird that people were using pronouns to define themselves in 2013 when that really didn’t become a thing for many years later. I felt like the last 20% of the book is the best because it is when Amy starts realizing that she needs to do what is right for her and not what is expected by society.

Don’t miss the cupcake recipe at the end, yum!

Overall we give this 3 paws up.

 

 

 

 

About the Author

 

Susie Dumond is a queer writer from Little Rock, Arkansas. She is a Senior Contributor at Book Riot, where she writes a monthly Horoscopes and Book Recommendations column, as well as various quizzes, book lists, and bookish news pieces. Susie received a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Tulsa and a Master of Arts in Public Policy and Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies from the George Washington University. Currently, she’s probably making cupcakes at her home in Washington, DC, with her partner Mary, her dog Waffles, and her cat Maple.

 

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Murder Next Door (Charlie Kingsley Mysteries)
Cozy Mystery
3rd in Series
Setting – Wisconsin
Love-Based Publishing (April 19, 2022)

Synopsis

 

Everyone knows vampires don’t exist.

So when Mildred Schmidt, one of Charlie’s customers, is convinced that her next-door neighbor’s house sitter is actually a vampire, Charlie of course has to step in to see what is really going on.

What she finds is … disturbing. The house sitter DOES have some peculiar habits—like digging holes in the backyard in the middle of the night.

Surely, they aren’t … graves.

But then Polly, a local teenager, goes missing.

Of course, teenagers DO run away from time to time.

Less explainable is the dead body that then appears in the “vampire’s” yard.

Luckily, Charlie is hot on the case, and not a moment too soon as she races to not only find Polly, but to discover the killer before the bodies start to pile up.

 

Meet Charlie. Better known as “Aunt Charlie” from the award-winning Secrets of Redemption series. She’s back, making teas and solving cases in this funny, twisty, cozy mystery series set in the 1990s in Redemption, Wisconsin.

 

 

Amazon

 

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About the Author

 

When Michele was 3 years old, she taught herself to read because she wanted to write stories so badly. It took some time (and some detours) but she does spend much of her time writing stories now. Mystery stories to be exact, ranging from psychological thrillers to cozies, with a dash of romance and supernatural thrown into the mix. If that wasn’t enough, she also hosts a virtual book club you can check out and join (for free!) at MPWNovels.com.

Michele holds a double major in English and Communications from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Currently, she lives in the mountains of Prescott, Arizona with her husband Paul and southern squirrel hunter Cassie.

 

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Giveaway

 

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Title: SAND DOLLAR LANE

Author: Sheila Roberts

Publisher: Harlequin/Mira

Pages: 368

Genre: Women’s Fiction / Romance

 

Synopsis

 

Brody Green is finding it hard to recover after being dumped by his fiancée, Jenna Jones, then watching her walk down the aisle with someone else. Jenna is determined to make up for her love defection and find him the perfect woman, but Brody is done with love. First a divorce, then a broken engagement. From now on he’s keeping things light, no commitments. Luckily Brody’s business is booming. Beach Dreams Realty is the best real estate company in town. And the only one. Until…

Lucy Holmes needs a new start. In business, in love, in…everything. If ever there was a cliché, it was her life back in Seattle. She was a real estate broker working with her husband until she caught him trying out the walk-in shower in a luxury condo—with another agent. She’s always been the more successful of the two, and with him gone, she’s determined to build a business even bigger than what she had. Moonlight Harbor is a charming town and it has only one real estate agency. Surely there’s room for a little competition.

Or not. Looks like it’s going to be a hot market in Moonlight Harbor. And maybe these two competitors will make some heat of their own.

“Lighthearted and full of colorful, quirky characters and surf-side warmth… Roberts’s picturesque coastal world is sheer delight and will appeal to romance and women’s fiction fans alike.” —Library Journal

 

 

Amazon

 

Review

 

If you are looking for a beach read, then look no further than this series. It is filled with tension, love, hope, and reimaging your life once you have to put the pieces back together.

Lucy walks into a showing and finds her husband in the shower with another woman. That sets into motion a series of events that forces Lucy to reevaluate her life and move forward without him. She decides to chuck it all and move to this small beach community called Moonlight Harbor. Here she sets up shop as a realtor much to the dismay of the only realty shop in town and Brody Green. But competition is a good thing and this creates even more tension between the two. I really enjoyed their banter at the beginning and how long it took them to warm up to each other. I even chuckled when their children were dating and how much that grates on their nerves that their parents were acting like children.

Hannah, Lucy’s daughter, does come off as somewhat entitled in the beginning but I liked how she realized that her dad didn’t treat Lucy right and in a way boycotted him and his new girlfriend. However, time with Lucy helping her start her business and remodel the house stabilizes and grounds her so that she isn’t so bratty.

This small town drew me in with the unique shops and engaging characters, and I really wanted to pack up and move there so that I too could enjoy the small-town feel. I feel like everyone would be welcoming no matter the situation and I would feel right at home.

This is the 6th book in this series and can be read as a standalone, but there are comments in this book that didn’t make sense (having not read the first 5 books) until I went back and looked at the synopsis for the first book regarding Jenna and spousal support. Since she and Brody were previously engaged but not married, I didn’t understand until I discovered she had been married before. Then it all made sense.

A very engaging book and we give it 4 paws up.

 

 

 

 

Excerpt

 

Lucy Holmes-Anderson was smiling as she made her way to the condo she was showing in downtown Bellevue. She and her husband, Evan, had seen it during a realtors’ open house the day before and been sure that it would sell in a moment. And she was going to be the one to jump on that moment. She had a couple she knew the place would be perfect for and she’d arranged to meet them there on their lunch hour.

She’d tried to let Evan know that she had a fish on the line but her call had gone straight to voice mail. It seemed like that happened a lot lately. Hardly surprising, though. Like her, he was busy showing houses, getting listings, writing up offers, and when he was with someone, he never took calls. He had said something about having a noon appointment so he was probably already with his clients.

Sometimes it seemed he spent more time showing houses to other people than hanging out in his own house with her. For a couple who worked together, it sure seemed that they didn’t see much of each other.

But that was the nature of the real estate business. No set hours, and evenings and weekends were usually busy. For both of them. They were often either in their separate offices in Anderson-Holmes Realty or meeting with people.

Even when they were together, it felt more like they were simply sharing space. He’d spent most of the evening the night before convincing a hesitant couple to lay out a king’s ransom on a dog of a house in a Seattle neighborhood that was supposed to be the next big thing. By the time he’d gotten off the phone, he’d been ready to do nothing more than crash in front of the TV.

There wasn’t even such a thing as a cozy breakfast together. Nothing new there though. Breakfast had always been a crazy rush to get out the door. This particular morning it had involved a phone conversation with their daughter, Hannah, about the “little” accident she’d had with the new car they’d given her the summer before for her high school graduation. At least she’d only crunched into a post in a parking garage and the only thing that got hurt was the car, but it was a costly hurt. Not good for the insurance premiums.

“It’s not that new anymore,” she’d said in between tears and apologies. “I’ve had it almost a year.”

“And we’ve paid the insurance for the first year. Remember, come June it’s going to be time for you to take that over,” Lucy had said. “And accidents only make your insurance go up.” Which it was going to do to theirs.

Lucy hadn’t wanted to be the baddie, but they’d flipped a coin over who was going to have a chat with their baby and she’d lost.

“Remind her that she’s got to get a job as soon as spring quarter is over. It’s time she started taking some financial responsibility,” Evan had insisted.

They were paying for her tuition at the University of Washington, plus housing (which wasn’t cheap when you lived in a sorority). Car insurance was something they’d decided Hannah could cover in the future.

So Lucy had done the reminding thing.

This had not been welcome news, and while Hannah could often wheedle one or the other parent into caving when she wanted something (or to get out of something), the parents had stayed united on the issue of a summer job.

“You’re not doing summer quarter,” Lucy had said. (More reminding.) “You’ll have time for a job. I’m sure you can find something fun. Maybe helping Daddy and me in the office.”

“Inputting boring stuff into the computer,” Hannah had said in disgust.

“And posting listings online. Looking at all those cool pictures of houses.”

“Stuck inside like a mushroom.”

Lucy hadn’t bothered to remind her daughter that mushrooms grew outside in the woods.

“You guys are so unfair,” Hannah had concluded.

Of course, that accusation had been enough to make Lucy want to cave. She had always struggled with dishing out discipline, even when their daughter was little, although she’d certainly tried her best. And really, Hannah wasn’t a bad kid. Just a little spoiled, maybe.

“We need to do this, don’t we?” she’d said as Evan grabbed the keys to his Maserati and started for the door.

“We do. Everybody has to face reality sooner or later, Luc.”

And reality included hard work. Lucy knew that firsthand. She’d come from a hardworking middle-class family and put herself through college. So had Evan.

They’d both worked their way through school at the same pizza parlor and slowly fallen in love in between orders. With his degree in business and hers in interior design, they’d partnered up in both business and life. They’d put in long hours to establish their real estate agency, and when the market in the Seattle area turned hot, they’d been more than ready to take advantage of it.

They were now the epitome of success, with three brokers in their office—two hunky millennials who could charm anyone into listing their house with Anderson-Holmes and a beautiful, bright young thing named Pandora who reminded Lucy a lot of herself twenty-two years earlier when she and Evan first opened their doors.

As far as Lucy could see, the girl’s only flaw was that she lacked confidence. It seemed she couldn’t submit a single offer without consulting Evan. Only the other day she’d called with a silly question about a house inspection that left Lucy shaking her head.

“She just needs some hand-holding,” Evan had said.

“I could use some hand-holding,” Lucy had replied in a playful tone of voice.

There’d been a time when he would have taken the hint, taken her to bed and gotten a hold of more than her hand. This time, he’d merely chuckled and returned to surfing the internet on his laptop.

She hadn’t pushed. They were both going pretty hard and it seemed he was tired a lot.

Still, this wasn’t what she’d envisioned their love life looking like now that they were empty nesters. She’d joked to her older sister, Darla, that with Hannah out of the house, she and Evan would probably have sex in every room. That was what you did when you had the place to yourselves, right? She and Evan were only forty-four. He was still in his prime and she was at her sexual peak.

So far, she’d been lucky if she got him stirred up in the bedroom let alone anywhere else. Where was all that empty-nester-second-honeymoon fun they were supposed to be having? Somewhere in the future—at the rate they were working, the distant future.

But all work and no play… If she closed this deal, she was going to make sure they went on a nice long vacation. They needed to put the romance back in their relationship. She’d been eyeing resorts in both Hawaii and Fiji. She’d also been looking into cruises. One of those European river cruises would be so nice.

Yes, a river cruise. Evan had his boat and his fancy midlife sports car. She should get a cruise.

Her smile grew bigger. The Jorgensons were going to love this slick two-bedroom condo in downtown Bellevue. In addition to a bonus room, it had all the bells and whistles—a generous kitchen with quartz countertops and an eating bar; spacious living and dining rooms; windows with electric blackout blinds; unobstructed views of downtown Bellevue, Seattle, Lake Washington and the Olympic Mountains. The facility offered a spa, fitness center and theater room. What was not to like? For some, the price. But the Jorgensons could afford this.

Actually, so could Lucy and Evan. It might be nice to downsize from their four-bedroom three-thousand-square-foot house. It wasn’t like they’d filled the place up with kids. Or ever would.

Okay, maybe not this condo. Their house was on Lake Washington and it was important to Evan to be on the water. She liked the water, too. There was something so calming about it. So someplace smaller. Cozier.

That appealed to her. Yes, it was worth considering.

Meanwhile, here were the Jorgensons. In their late thirties, dressed in trendy clothes, driving a Tesla compact, this couple was more than ready to go from being renters to becoming homeowners. Lucy had convinced them that a condo was a good way to start. Plenty of freedom and no maintenance worries.

“I know you’re going to go crazy when you see this condo,” she told them as she let them into the lobby.

“I looked at the pictures online,” said Emma Jorgenson. “It looks gorgeous.” She smiled at her husband, Aaron, who smiled back at her.

“We’re excited to see it,” he said.

“I’m excited to show it to you. If you like it, we’ll want to move quickly. This one won’t last.”

They rode the elevator up to the twenty-seventh floor. “The view is amazing. You won’t believe your eyes,” Lucy said.

She let them into the unit. It was gorgeous. Hardwood floors, windows showcasing a million-dollar view (no, make that two million).

But what did she hear? Was that voices?

“Is someone else looking at this place?” asked Aaron.

“No one should be.”

Lucy followed the sound down the hallway and into the master bedroom, her clients trailing her.

“This bedroom is fabulous,” Emma breathed. Then her eyes fell on the trail of his and hers clothes leading into the bathroom. “Umm.”

“Sounds like someone’s in the shower,” said Aaron.

“That’s not possible. The owners are in Cabo.” But Lucy had seen the clothes also, and someone was definitely in the bathroom. She could hear water running, and a high-pitched giggle. What on earth was going on?

“Maybe you should wait here,” she said to her clients, and moved toward the bathroom.

“Ooh,” said a familiar female voice as Lucy stepped through the door and onto the azure porcelain floor.

Oh, no. She had to be hallucinating. Behind frosted sea green glass, etched with marsh grass, under the luxury rainfall showerhead, two bodies were silhouetted.

“Baby,” said another voice.

It was a voice Lucy knew well, a voice that had called her baby, too. Dread urged her not to look around that glass wall but anger won out and she did.

There stood Evan with Pandora, the bright young thing. Both naked and sudsy. And Evan wasn’t holding her hand. This didn’t happen in real life. This happened in books or movies.

Lucy blinked, hoping the image before her would disappear. It didn’t. Evan and Pandora Welk were still right where she’d seen them.

“Evan?” Lucy squeaked. He was too busy to hear her. She raised her voice. “Evan!”

Pandora was the first to turn. Those faux-innocent hazel eyes of hers got so big they looked like golf balls. She let out a screech and the soap in her hands shot across the shower.

Evan turned, too, and looked over his shoulder. If eyeballs could bounce, his would have bounced right out of his head and onto the shower floor.

“Luc!” he cried, and stepped in front of Pandora in an effort to shield her.

Caption the moment What’s Wrong With This Picture?

Plenty. Evan was old enough to be this girl’s father. There she was, all slender and perky, and there he was, a forty-four-year-old fool with love handles. It was so inappropriate and unprofessional and…wrong! And furthermore, if he was going to go wild and crazy like this, he should have been doing it with Lucy.

The Jorgensons joined the party, apparently too curious to stay behind. “Eeep,” said Emma Jorgenson.

“Whoa,” said Aaron Jorgenson, half laughing.

“Ack!” said Evan, still trying to shield the home-wrecker from the audience that was gathering to gawk at them.

Red-faced, Pandora hurried out of the shower, grabbed a towel and her clothes, and beat it as if the hounds of hell were after her.

Lucy hoped they were and she hoped they took a great big bite out of that perky, bouncy bottom.

 

 

About the Author

 

USA Today and Publisher’s Weekly best-selling author Sheila Roberts has seen her books translated into several different languages, included in Reader’s Digest compilations, and made into movies for both the Hallmark and Lifetime channels. She’s happily married and lives in the Pacific Northwest.

Her latest book is the women’s fiction/romance Sand Dollar Lane (Harlequin/Mira, April 2022)

 

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CHARLESTON CONUNDRUM

 

A Liz Adams Mystery

 

by

 

STACY WILDER

 

 

Cozy Mystery / Female Sleuth / Cozy Animal

Publisher: Wild Hawk Press

Date of Publication: January 15, 2022

Number of Pages: 235 pages

 

Scroll down for Giveaway!

 

 

 

A Cozy Mystery with a Twist…

Liz Adams never imagined when she moved to Charleston with her truth sniffing Labrador retriever, Duke, that she would use her skills as a private investigator to avoid winding up on Death Row.

Liz’s life is upended when her best friend, Peg, is murdered and she becomes a suspect.  Liz’s gun was the murder weapon. Tensions flare between Liz and the cops as she rises to the top of their suspect list.

At the request of Peg’s father, Liz agrees to take on the investigation. Riding a roller coaster of emotions, Liz uncovers many secrets Peg kept from her despite being best friends. The suspects include a cast of characters: the ex-husband, the boyfriend, a coworker, several neighbors and family members.

Charleston Conundrum takes the reader from Charleston, South Carolina to Paris and back in the emotional unraveling of Peg’s life and death to a killer ending. It is the first book in the Conundrum series.

 

 

 

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Blue Willow Books | Murder By The Book

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I do love a good mystery and this one will definitely keep you guessing who the murderer is because many have motives, but the truth just might surprise you.

I have never visited Charleston but it is on my bucket list and the descriptions in this book might just bump it up a few places. From the crayon-colored homes to the old brick buildings, there is a lot of history in this town that is referenced in this story.

Liz decides to become a PI after a disastrous divorce and ditching her life in Atlanta for Charleston. All things considered, I can’t blame her for making that move. She has really made this town her home and her neighborhood seems tight-knit which is a plus and a minus when you take into consideration the busybody that has her nose in everyone’s business. But this plus is this is where she met Peg, her best friend. A senseless murder takes Peg’s life and Liz sets out to uncover the truth because she doesn’t have much faith in the police. After experiencing the cranky police officer Sam, I can see why. He seems to have it out for Liz and instead of looking for other possible suspects, he wants to pin it all on her. Liz sets out to uncover who has the best motive and might have killed Peg. Unfortunately, most of the suspects are her friends and neighbors. But Liz persists in uncovering the truth while dealing with the grief she feels at the loss of her friend. She is also a little angry at Peg for not being told about Peg’s love interest, Bjorn.

Besides the Charleston setting, we get to experience a little bit of Paris and the mention of the Lourve and Musee d’Orsay took me back to a trip I took to Paris years ago. These are some amazing museums that I am thrilled I could experience. And let’s not forget the patisserie and chocolate! My mouth was watering as I imagined indulging in a pastry or two. There is also a love interest for Liz and the potential for a love triangle, but I think Liz realizes that one man may be enough for her.

There are some intriguing twists to this story that definitely kept me on my toes and the revelation of the murder took me by surprise a little bit but as it was close to the reveal, I wondered if this character could be the suspect but didn’t know why. This person wasn’t even on my radar until the end. I kept trying to pin it on a family member but that just wasn’t working out well for me.

I think a character that deserves a bigger part next time is Duke, her labrador. He seems to have a lie detector sense about him and knows when someone isn’t telling the truth. That does pique Liz’s interest, especially during conversations with a few of the characters during her investigation.

A couple of things surprised me about this book. Liz breaks into multiple homes to snoop for clues that might give those homeowners a motive for killing Peg. Would a PI really do that? Maybe but I don’t know for sure. Secondly, when Liz is arrested she is put into an orange jumpsuit. That seemed awfully quick considering she was being held in the local jail and overnight at the most, but perhaps that is their process there.

Overall, this is a solid story and I was able to read a sneak peek into the next book, Caramel Conundrum, and can’t wait to read it. We give it 4 paws up.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stacy writes mysteries, children’s stories, short stories, and poetry. Her debut novel, Charleston Conundrum, is the first in the Conundrum mystery series.

Stacy’s mission is to deliver a delightful story to readers of all ages while benefiting a larger community. She donates a portion of the proceeds from the sales of her books to causes that support wildlife conservation, and the homeless, both people and pets. A portion of the proceeds from Charleston Conundrum is donated to National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI).

As well as writing, Stacy is passionate about her faith, family, Labradors, the causes that she supports, the beach, art, and reading books.

She and her husband live in Houston, Texas with a totally spoiled Labrador retriever, Eve.

 

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Autographed copies of Charleston Conundrum

 

(US only; ends midnight, CDT, 5/06/2022)

 

 

 

 

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Visit the Lone Star Literary Life Tour Page

 

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

 

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4/26/22	Playlist	All the Ups and Downs
4/27/22	Review	StoreyBook Reviews
4/27/22	BONUS Promo	LSBBT Blog
4/28/22	Guest Post	The Page Unbound
4/29/22	Review	Jennie Reads
4/30/22	Fun Facts	The Plain-Spoken Pen
5/1/22	Author Interview	Chapter Break Book Blog
5/2/22	Review	Carpe Diem Chronicles
5/3/22	BONUS Review	Shelf Life Blog
5/3/22	Author Interview	It’s Not All Gravy
5/4/22	Review	Forgotten Winds
5/5/22	BONUS Promo	Hall Ways Blog
5/5/22	Review	The Book’s Delight

 

 

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Synopsis

 

The Civil War has ended.

Confederate cavalryman, David Summers, returns home to Alabama, taking his new wife, Anna, with him. Upon arrival, he understands how much the war has changed him and has scarred his homeland. Faced with challenges of transition, he learns how to navigate his new world, along with the pain and trauma of his past. He is also forced to confront his foes, including Stephen Montgomery. Their hatred for one another inevitably boils over into a fierce confrontation, whereby David is arrested.

Will the jury believe his side of the story, even though he is an ex-Confederate? Or will he be hung for his crime?

 

 

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Excerpt

 

David helped Anna down after tying the mule, and followed her inside. A lanky man who stood behind a counter looked up from the hotel register as they entered. David nodded to the man, led Anna into the dining hall, and sat down beside her at a small round table. Like before, the room was nearly unoccupied. Three Union officers sat in the far corner, drinking whiskey and smoking cigars. Two men stood near the back of the room. One was playing a fiddle while the other attempted to sing a slow ballad in a low, baritone voice. The room was bright with sunlight, and lace curtains hung over the long windows. A thin, balding gentleman with an apron wrapped tightly around his waist appeared, pencil and paper poised in his hands.

“How do,” he said softly. “What would y’all like to order?”

Anna smiled up at him, but he only stared back.

“Well,” she began, “what is your specialty?”

“And more importantly, how much is it?” added David.

The waiter laughed. “More than you can afford, I’ll wager!”

David chuckled. “We have two dollars. Bring us whatever that provides.”

He glanced at his wife, who glared at him.

“It ain’t Confederate currency, is it?” the man asked.

“Silver,” responded David.

The waiter grinned and walked off into the kitchen.

Anna was still glaring. “The money you earned in prison?”

David nodded.

“You should hold on to that, sweetheart. We might need it for something important.”

He smiled. “You’re important,” he answered. “You said you needed to eat, and I’m starvin’. What could be more important than that?”

The musicians began to play another melody, and the couple listened to the lyrics.

“We shall meet but we shall miss him, there will be one vacant chair.
We shall linger to caress him, while we breathe our ev’nin’ prayer.
When a year ago we gathered, joy was in his mild blue eye.
But a golden cord is severed. And our hopes in ruin lie.”

David couldn’t help but think of the loss of his best friend. The lyrics saddened him deeply, searing his soul, rekindling the painful remembrance of discovering Jake’s lifeless body on the battlefield. He drew a heavy sigh, and took his beloved’s hand.

“It’ll be all right,” she comforted.

He nodded in confirmation, relieved when the song finally ended and the musicians broke into a lively tune.

 

 

 

About the Author

 

J.D.R. Hawkins is an Amazon, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling, award-winning author. She is one of a few female Civil War authors, uniquely describing the front lines from a Confederate perspective. Her “Renegade Series” includes “A Beautiful Glittering Lie,” winner of the 2013 John Esten Cooke Fiction Award and the 2012 B.R.A.G. Medallion. The sequel, “A Beckoning Hellfire,” is an Amazon bestseller and winner of the 2022 B.R.A.G. Medallion. “A Rebel Among Us,” the third book in the series, is the recipient of the 2017 John Esten Cooke Fiction Award and winner of the 2022 B.R.A.G. Medallion. Double-Edged Sword is the newly-published, fourth book in the series. These books, published by Westwood Books Publishing, LLC, tell the story of a family from north Alabama who experience immeasurable pain when their lives are dramatically changed by the war. Ms. Hawkins has also published a nonfiction book about the War Between the States, titled “Horses in Gray: Famous Confederate Warhorses,” with Pelican Publishing. She is a member of the United Daughters of the Confederacy, the International Women’s Writing Guild, Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers, and Pikes Peak Writers. Ms. Hawkins is also an artist and a singer/songwriter.

 

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Synopsis

 

As San Francisco’s Chinatown prepares for the Lunar New Year festivities in the fogbound month of February, astrologer Julia Bonatti finds herself with three new clients, all in desperate straits who don’t seem to heed her advice. Tracy is the victim of a brutal husband with nowhere to run and Jeanette is worried sick about her son, whom she suspects has fallen in with a bad lot.

But most frightening of all to Julia is Frankie Chang’s dilemma. Frankie’s only eleven years old and he’s terrified. His mother is missing and no one will help him. Julia’s heart goes out to him but her hands are tied. Frankie won’t let her talk to the police and neither will his family.

Julia eventually discovers that the three worlds of her clients intertwine. Those lives inevitably collide exposing a dangerous smuggling cabal. Julia knows too much and becomes a victim of both a ruthless environmental group and criminals who will stop at nothing, including murder.

 

 

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This book releases on 4/26/22 and will be available to read for Free via Kindle Unlimited

 

 

Review

 

This series has always fascinated me surrounding Julia’s profession, astrology. I don’t know how it all works but I love reading the descriptions of the different houses and how charts intersect and more.

There are three separate storylines that are intriguing on their own but every more engaging once we discover how they intersect with one another. Frankie and his missing mother are probably the primary focus of this cozy. Frankie knows something has happened to his mom, but at 11, I think his father and grandfather think that they can placate him with false truths about where she has gone. Frankie is a spitfire and he is as bad as Julia for putting himself into the middle of dangerous situations. There is one part of the story where I expected something to happen regarding Frankie and I was right. I don’t want to spoil anything so you’ll have to read the book to see if you can figure it out for yourself.

The other two clients were dealing with some tough topics – spousal abuse and smuggling. You can never underestimate the love of a mother for her son and I liked Julia’s advice to her to stay strong and force the conversations. They almost came too late so there was a bit of action that will speed up the heart rate! It also brought the crux of the mystery to a close. I’m always amazed at what the protagonist will uncover on her own because I never seem to be that capable of putting the pieces of the puzzle together. I will say that Julia put herself in harm’s way too many times to count but she was lucky that nothing too bad happened to her.

Another storyline that was incorporated into this book is the death of Julia’s boyfriend, Michael. He was killed years ago but she just decided to read a journal he had sent to her based on a comment from a mutual college friend. The mystery isn’t solved yet, but it opens some doors and left me wondering what could possibly happen next in this journey. I think it was good for Julia to read the journal because it might be the path to closing that chapter in her life.

While you could read this book as a standalone, I think it is best to start at the beginning with Enter A Wizard, Stage Left (prequel), and then The Madness of Mercury.

On a side note, I see that all of the covers have been redone. They are gorgeous and give off the right vibe for this series.

We give this book 5 paws up.

 

 

 

 

 

About the Author

 

With the Zodiac Mysteries, featuring Julia Bonatti, a crime-solving San Francisco astrologer, Connie di Marco has combined her fascination with astrology and her love of writing mysteries.  Writing as Connie Archer, she’s the national bestselling author of the Soup Lover’s Mysteries from Berkley Prime Crime.  You can find her excerpts and recipes in The Cozy Cookbook and The Mystery Writers of America Cookbook.  She is a member of International Thriller Writers, Mystery Writers of America, and Sisters in Crime.  She lives in Los Angeles but dreams constantly of the San Francisco fog.

 

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Synopsis

 

Following a long-standing feud and looking to settle the score, a woman decides to dismantle her home—alone and by hand—and move it across a frozen pond during a harsh New England winter in this mesmerizing debut.

Home is certainly not where Del’s heart is. After a local scandal led to her parents’ divorce and the rest of her family turned their backs on her, Del left her small town and cut off contact.

Now, with both of her parents gone, a chance has arrived for Del to retaliate.

Her uncle wants the one thing Del inherited: the family home.

Instead of handing the place over, and with no other resources at her disposal, Del decides she will tear the place apart herself—piece by piece.

But Del will soon discover, the task stirs up more than just old memories as relatives—each in their own state of unraveling—come knocking on her door.

This spare, strange, magical book is a story not only about the powerlessness and hurt that run through a family but also about the moments when brokenness can offer us the rare chance to start again.

 

 

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Review

 

This was quite an interesting tale and while it seems bizarre on the surface, if you dive down and read between the lines, you might find that this book is about so much more.

Del (short of Adela) is 24 and hasn’t done much with her life and doesn’t seem to care too much that she is floundering along. She lives with a friend of her dad’s, Tym, who has given her a safe place to live. Until he doesn’t and decides that he wants to live with his latest beau. So Del is out on the street but what timing because her cousin Greg has shown up in town telling her that they want to buy the house she inherited from her mother so they can develop the area. With nothing better to do, she sets off for this small town to see what the family (that she despises) has got in mind. You can tell by how smarmy her Uncle Chuck appears that it will not be in her favor. A deal is struck and Del has about 4 months to move the home she grew up in to another location that she agreed to with her Uncle.

This is where the book got weird (for me anyway). She decides to take the house apart brick by brick (or board by board in this case) and move it to the land she took as part of the deal. So we see her toiling over this house, removing the walls, ceilings, plumbing fixtures, furniture, and everything else to this small plot of land and laying it on tarps. Perhaps dismantling the house was a way she could deal with the destruction of her life with her mother’s accident and death years before, acceptance of her father’s lifestyle before his death, and struggling to discover herself. Or perhaps she was an odd duck and decided to stick it to her uncle and make her new “home” an eyesore for the people that will eventually own homes surrounding it.

I wondered if Del might have some psychological issues of her own that were never discovered because she seemed to self-sabotage herself with jobs, friends, and more. When she moves back to this town, the house has very few utilities. There is no electricity and heat comes from a coal stove. There is running water from a well but she doesn’t seem to take advantage of it much since she rarely bathes or showers. She is a loner but manages to befriend a few people in the town including the waitress at the local diner where she eats from time to time. But despite her attitude, she manages to have a few people willing to help her in her endeavors with the house.

I enjoyed the last couple of chapters and found that Del might have learned something about herself and those around her. I don’t think it changed her much, but perhaps she found a new self-worth…or maybe not. Only time will tell for her.

We give this book 3 paws up.

 

 

 

 

 

About the Author

 

A native of New England, Colleen Hubbard now lives in the U.K. with her family. She wrote her debut novel, Housebreaking, while on maternity leave from her job with the NHS. She graduated from the University of East Anglia’s MA program in creative writing, where she earned the Head of School Prize with a distinction.

 

Website

 

 

Synopsis

 

One moment, one choice can change a life forever.

Two years ago, Evgeny Yurlov’s dreams shattered on the stage of the Bolshoi Theatre. Without many options, he lands a job—far different from ballet—and returns to Moscow. There, he’s reunited with old friends—friends who need his help as government scrutiny intensifies on Grace Baptist Church.

Sasha Dvornikova isn’t the woman she once was, but Dmitri Rykov’s shadow is relentless. Reminders of her past lurk everywhere, and her sins have branded her undeserving of a man like Evgeny.

As mounting danger surrounds both the church and his job, Evgeny finds past struggles reignited, struggles that reach even Sasha. Amidst so much darkness, will Truth prevail, or will Evgeny’s choices destroy him—and those he loves?

 

 

Amazon

 

 

Review

 

This is the follow-up book to Unknown that features a tight-knit group of believers in Russia and their desire to spread the word of God and convert others into believers.

I enjoyed the first book and was looking forward to Evgeny’s story. Evgeny was a ballet dancer with Sofia (from Unknown) until his knee no longer allowed him to dance, and so he dived into the world of security. This seems like an odd choice, but he has the physique after years of ballet and he could hold his own. His new position brought him back to Moscow into a position that may or may not have been what he was expecting. He discovers he isn’t quite so sure after the first job he is sent on to recover a spy. His heart holds that all should be treated humanely, but let’s be honest, in the spy game all is fair in war including torture.

We also get to know Sasha better in this book. In the first book, she is the girlfriend of Sofia’s brother and one could say she is a golddigger, seeking an easier lifestyle. However, after his death, she realizes that perhaps that is not the life she wants and becomes a believer. She still struggles with her faith and believing she is good enough. This struggle is seen throughout most of the story. It is easy to see why it takes her a long time to accept her self-worth, but with the help of her friends, she learns to love herself and accept everything about herself, including her flaws.

This book felt heavier than the first one. I’m not sure why but there is a lot to get through including the government changing their rules and now allowing churches or evangelizing in public. However, this does not stop those involved with the church and they continue their mission to convert citizens to Christ. Evgeny is quite concerned for his friends and does what he can to make sure that they stay safe, including providing personal protection for what it is worth.

I did enjoy the details about the arm wrestling competitions and how it brings kids and others off the street and into a safer environment. I chuckled when Sasha finally agrees to learn how to arm wrestle and there is no better teacher than Evgeny.

The love story between Evgeny and Sasha is slow and I appreciated how the relationship was not rushed because there was a lot for Sasha to deal with before believing she was deserving of love.

This is a solid story and it is not a fast read. It took me longer to read this than most books due to the intricacies of the events in this story. We give this 4 paws up.

 

 

 

 

 

About the Author

 

Vanessa Hall is an author, musician, and homeschool graduate. Most days, she is reading, writing, or practicing the violin—or trying to find time for all three pursuits. Currently, she is working toward gaining a degree in instrumental music education. Unknown is her debut novel. Above all, she is a sinner saved and held fast by the abounding grace of Jesus Christ.

 

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COMFORT ZONE

 

A Comfort Stories Book

 

by

 

KIMBERLY FISH

 

 

Genre: Contemporary / Second Chance Romance / Women’s Fiction

Publisher: Fish Tales Publishing

Date of Publication: November 1, 2021

Number of Pages: 289 pages

 

 

Scroll down for Giveaway!

 

 

 

The award-winning author of Comfort Songs, Comfort Plans, and Comfort Foods digs into the life of single-mom Anna Weber, an appraiser who gives value to other people’s found treasures. On assignment to research a handwritten sheet of music, Anna helps a stranded motorist, only to discover she’s rescued retired NFL quarterback Jack Moses. His confidence and fascination for solving problems make him impossible for Anna to ignore even as they both dart along separate deadlines to save the finances at an inner-city school. Little does Anna know that as she wrestles with secrets from her past and a suspicious approach to people, Jack is running too—dodging women, pro athletes, and a future with no definable end zone.

As a nemesis threatens Anna’s young daughters, these two unlikely partners discover that it’s in stepping back from years of self-sufficiency that Anna and Jack can find the best treasure of all: a series of sweet, second chances.

 

 

Amazon

 

 

Praise & Awards

 

“Kimberly Fish’s Comfort books are wonderful, charming stories set in the Texas Hill Country. Fans of small towns family relationships will enjoy these feel-good books. Two thumbs up!” – Jan Moran, USA Today bestselling author of Seabreeze Inn.

Comfort Zone is a Literary Titan Gold Award winner and a Reader Views Bronze Award winner in romance. It was also a runner-up in the regional fiction category of the New England Book Festival awards.

 

 

 

Journey back to Comfort, Texas, where the folks are friendly, friendships are treasured, and everyone has your back.

I have loved each of the books in this series and picking up a new one always feels like I am pulling up a chair and sitting back with familiar faces sharing life stories. This is the town where I wouldn’t mind living and I could since it is a real small town in the Texas Hill Country. However, current home prices are holding me back.

This story is filled with action, deception, intrigue, humor, and a little romance. Anna has a secret past that no one knows about, not even her friends. She even has a fascinating career as an appraiser of antiquities and such. I am amazed at the lengths she goes to when researching a piece of music that has been donated to the school. Is it worth something? Only time will tell and her research into possible creators of this song. Jack is struggling to find his place after his retirement from the NFL. He and some of his former teammates have started a school and they are in a rush to find funding to make sure the school stays open.

Both Anna and Jack fight their feelings for each other, well Anna more than Jack, and I enjoyed watching their relationship blossom and that there is not even a kiss until close to the end. It was nice to see a relationship not be rushed and with the obstacles in the way, it is one that needed time to mature. I chuckled many times when Anna would put Jack in his place and her knowledge of multiple topics, including how to repair a car, was amazing. She is definitely a renaissance woman.

While the focus is on these two, we have multiple characters from the past books immersed in this storyline. The friendship between this band of women is one that I can relate to in my own life.

I would be remiss in not mentioning LaDonna and Jo Jo (Joseph). This couple may have Jack’s best interests at heart, but they aren’t above meddling and playing matchmaker whenever possible between Jack and Anna. LaDonna is a force to be reckoned with and not someone I would want to get crossways with but have a feeling they would support those in their life to the fullest. This power couple adds additional depth to the story because it shows the strength of their relationship with Jack and how far they go back together.

I know without a doubt that any time I pick up one of Kimberly’s books I will be in for a treat and will perhaps stay up way too late to finish the book. This makes me sad because it means that story is over and I have to wait for the next one.

While you could read this book alone, start with the first book in the series, Comfort Plans, so you can get to know all of the characters and their stories.

We give this book 5 paws up.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kimberly Fish has been a professional writer in marketing and media for over thirty years, with regular contributions to area newspapers and magazines. As an accidental historian, she wrote two novels, The Big Inch and Harmon General, both based on factual events in Longview, Texas that changed world history. Kimberly also offers a set of contemporary women’s fiction, based in the Texas Hill Country, that reveal her fascination with characters discovering their grit and sweet, second chances; all four of these novels have won distinguished awards.

 

 

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 ONE WINNER!

 

Autographed copy of Comfort Zone,

hand-painted note card from artist Elaine McMillan,

and NFL official Silver Series football signed by Jack Moses.

(US only; ends midnight, CDT, 4/29/2022)

 

 

 

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4/19/22	Review	Jennie Reads
4/19/22	BONUS Promo	Hall Ways Blog
4/20/22	Review	Bibliotica
4/20/22	BONUS Promo	LSBBT Blog
4/21/22	Review	Carpe Diem Chronicles
4/22/22	Review	StoreyBook Reviews
4/23/22	Review	Reading by Moonlight
4/24/22	Review	Rox Burkey Blog
4/25/22	Review	Book Fidelity
4/25/22	BONUS Promo	All the Ups and Downs
4/26/22	Review	The Plain-Spoken Pen
4/27/22	Review	It’s Not All Gravy
4/28/22	Review	Forgotten Winds

 

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The Secrets We Conceal by S.R. Fabrico

 

Category: Adult Fiction (18+), 300 pages

 

Genre: Coming of Age, Women’s, Psychological and Family,

 

Relationships Abuse/Child Abuse

 

Release date: March 15, 2022

 

 

Synopsis

 

A riveting coming of age story, that will make you laugh, cry and root for Laura to find happiness.
​
Laura Shirk is a normal, happy, go-lucky, little girl playing with Cabbage Patch dolls and Legos. Until she isn’t. Set in the late 1980s-early 90s, a visit to her aunt and uncle’s house changes everything.

What follows is a nerve-racking story shedding light on child sexual abuse. As the tragedy unfolds, Laura mutters through life concealing her secret from everyone. Feeling alone and isolated, she struggles to navigate her younger years wondering if she can or will ever find happiness.

Then, Laura meets ‘the perfect man’ for her. Can he heal her heart and break down her steel walls?

The Secrets We Conceal, S.R. Fabrico’s debut novel is a riveting coming of age story that beautifully conveys how love and strength can heal all wounds.

 

 

Amazon * B&N * iBooks * BookBub

 

 

 

 

 

 

Review

 

If you have never been a victim of child sexual abuse, count yourself lucky. While I have not experienced what Laura experiences in this book, I felt like I was living it with her. The words were powerful and hard for me to read, but I kept plugging away and came away with a perspective I hope I never have to experience in real life with anyone that I know.

This is set during a time when there was less focus on this sort of abuse, or it was not as common as physical abuse. We see Laura change from a happy little girl to one that lashes out at everyone trying to wrap her mind around why this happened to her and why no one would stop it from happening. As I thought about it, I wondered if her cousin, Susie, endured the same thing because her actions and reactions to certain things seemed to be the same as Laura’s. I also had to wonder if Penny knew what was going on or if she was truly that clueless. And if Susie was also abused, why did she not try and shield Laura more from her father? I actually found myself angry at Penny for allowing this to happen, but she might have been a victim just as much as Susie and Laura.

I wondered why Laura didn’t speak up to either her mother or Penny, but this was also a time when it was not discussed that you should report such things. And then when Laura did say something to her mother nearly 10 years later, why did no one go after Max and put him in jail or something like that?

The first half focuses on the events surrounding the abuse and I felt that this was the best part of the book despite the topic. The second half was Laura’s attempt to deal with the situation, her low self-esteem, and self-worth. Once she gets into college, she isn’t successful with relationships at that point either until she meets Tom. I have to say that I appreciated their relationship with all of the ups and downs including multiple miscarriages and Laura’s mother’s cancer. It is amazing that Laura is able to hold it all together and while she has her moments dealing with the trauma and memories, she is a survivor.

I really did like her confrontation with Uncle Max near the end. It was what she needed to move forward with her life. You’ll have to read the book to find out what that is all about.

Overall we give it 4 paws up.

 

 

 

 

 

About the Author

 

Born a raised a Yankee who loves NY style pizza and Philly cheesesteaks. I was introduced to the amazing world of Southern BBQ after moving to Tennessee where I live with my husband and two children. My family is my main priority, everything I do is for them. I attended college in the 90s and received a degree in mathematics with a minor in secondary education, I went on to coach cheerleading and dance for 20 years and won a Hip Hop Dance World Championship. Anything and everything creative is my absolute favorite, so writing has always been a hobby. When I’m writing, I like to wife hard, mom hard, paint, read good books and watch good movies.

 

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Giveaway

 

Win a signed copy of THE SECRETS WE CONCEAL and a $25 Visa Gift Card (one winner / USA only) (ends May 6)

 

THE SECRETS WE CONCEAL Book Tour Giveaway