Book Review: Five Brothers by Penelope Douglas

 

publication July 30, 2024

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One woman learns the secrets of the five Jaeger brothers.

On the other side of town, in the dark glades, under the rain…

Macon is the oldest. Thirty-one. Ex-Marine. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him smile.

Army is twenty-eight. A single dad with the most beautiful green eyes. He has no idea who he is, if not a Jaeger brother.

Iron will be in prison soon. You’d never think it to meet him. He’s a nice guy, actually. But he can’t stop reacting to everything.

Dallas is the one I hate. Twenty-one, cruel, and selfish. He takes and then throws away whatever’s left.

And Trace is mine. Or he was for about two seconds. No one can tame him for long.

Not that I ever wanted to. It was fun, but now I need to go home. Back to my side of the tracks. Away from the swamps and these men. To my parents’ big house. On my clean street. Where I’m never dirty or messy or hot. And I will. I’ll leave first thing tomorrow morning. I just want to crash on the couch tonight.

Their house is dark and quiet, everyone else is asleep. Except for one. He sees me crying and comes at me from behind. I let him wrap his arms around my body and hold me tightly. His breath is on my neck, his fingers are in my hair, and he doesn’t stop there.

I don’t think it was Trace.

MY REVIEW:

Five Brothers by Penelope Douglas
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is the first book that I have read from this author and I will definitely be reading more.
You have a family of brothers and a sister from the wrong side of the tracks. The guys have bad reps with the women lol.
These men also have secrets. Krisjen comes from money and not supposed to have anything to do with people in this part of town but she is seeing Trace and ends up having sex in the dark with someone. I didn't think it was Trace. I had a feeling on who it was and was hoping it wasn't another Brother. I felt it was kind of a why choose but it ended up being better than that,
I could not put the book down and getting to know these characters and why they are the way they are. Kept me up reading.
Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for the book to review,


View all my reviews

Penelope Douglas

Bornin Dubuque, IA

February 01

Website

https://pendouglas.com/

Genre

Romance, Contemporary

Penelope Douglas is a New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author. Their books have been translated into nineteen languages and include The Fall Away Series, The Devil’s Night Series, and the stand-alones, Misconduct, Punk 57, Birthday Girl, Credence, and Tryst Six Venom. Please look for The Hellbent Series, coming next.

They live in New England with their husband and daughter.

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Blog Tour: I'm Her Mother - Lauren North

 

Published July 18, 2024

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We both say she’s our daughter. But one of us is lying…

My little girl Lola is my whole world. Three years old and so beautiful – all golden curls and dimpled cheeks.

But on our way home from holiday she was stolen, whisked away in the blink of an eye.

I can’t breathe without Lola. I don’t know how to get her back.

The woman who has my daughter is on the run. And she has no intention of bringing Lola home. Because she says she’s her mother.

But that’s impossible, because I’m Lola’s mother.

Though really, I should have known my secrets would come back to haunt me. That this day was always going to come…

Two women claim that Lola belongs to them. Two women with something to hide. Only one is telling the whole truth… Who will you believe?

MY REVIEW:

I'm Her Mother by Lauren North
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

You have 2 women saying that the daughter is theirs. 1 of them is lying.
On the way home from vacation Lola is taken and the parents are devastated. Who would do this? Where is she?
I did not like the husband in this book and especially not his mother. She was the MIL from hell. He was to secretive in my opinion.
I read this book in 1 day and could not put it down. I had to find out who was lying and why.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC to review.

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                                                            Lauren North

Lauren writes psychological suspense novels that delve into the darker side of relationships and families. She has a lifelong passion for writing, reading, and all things books. Lauren’s love of psychological suspense has grown since childhood and her dark imagination of always wondering what’s the worst thing that could happen in every situation.

Lauren studied psychology before moving to London where she lived and worked for many years. She now lives with her family in the Suffolk countryside. Readers can follow Lauren on Twitter @Lauren_C_North, Instagram @Lauren_C_North and Facebook @LaurenNorthAuthor

Author social media:

Website

https://www.lauren-north.com/

Facebook URL

https://www.facebook.com/LaurenNorthAuthor/?ref=bookmarks

Instagram URL

https://www.instagram.com/lauren_c_north/

Twitter URL

https://twitter.com/Lauren_C_North

Newsletter sign up https://www.bookouture.com/lauren-north

Book Review: The Ex Vows by Jessica Joyce

 

published July 16, 2024

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Estranged exes must stick close together to save their best friend’s wedding after a string of disasters in this swoony and steamy second-chance romance.

Georgia Woodward lives by her lists, none more so than the one about her ex, Eli Mora. It’s full of the ironclad dos and don’ts they’ve been following since she returned to the Bay Area after their cataclysmic breakup five years ago.

With the wedding of their mutual best friend, Adam, looming, and them about to step into their roles as best woman and man, Georgia’s never needed it more. She refuses to threaten their tight-knit friend group with her messy—and still very present—feelings. The rules on that list will keep her cool, calm, and compartmentalized.

What’s not on her list? Eli arriving from New York with a new rule-breaking attitude or the all-inclusive venue burning to the ground, leaving the bride and groom in dire straits. Nor does she anticipate Adam asking her and Eli to help him make a miracle happen. Together.

As Georgia and Eli rush up to Napa Valley to pull off the perfect wedding, their old chemistry comes back in technicolor. Somewhere between cake tastings gone wrong, disastrous DJ auditions, and Eli’s heated attention, Georgia starts recognizing the man she fell in love with before. And if she lets herself break her rules, she might find what they’re building isn’t the something old that ruined them—it’s a chance at something new.

MY REVIEW:

The Ex Vows by Jessica Joyce
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I loved this book. Made me laugh, cry, be mad and sad.
Georgia and Eli dated for a few years and broke up because he was a workaholic. It's been a few years and now their best friend is getting married and they are in the wedding. They have also had to take over a lot of the wedding planning. So for them to have to get a long was going to be a strain. They made it work and feelings came back or maybe they were already there just laying dormant.
Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for the ARC to review.

View all my reviews

Jessica Joyce

Born

December 19

Website

https://jessicajoycebooks.com

Twitter

_jessica_bee

Genre

Romance

Jessica Joyce lives happily-ever-ongoing with her husband and son in the Bay Area. When she’s not writing character-driven, realistic and relatable tales of millennials who are just Doing Their Best while falling in love, you can find her listening to one of her dozens of chaotically curated Spotify playlists, trying out a new skincare face mask, crying over cute animal TikToks, or watching the 2005 version of Pride & Prejudice.

Book Review: The Body in the Backyard by Lucy Score

 

published July 16, 2024

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Her self-absorbed news anchor ex-husband careening back into her life was not on this amateur psychic detective’s bingo card.

Not only does Griffin Gentry show up unexpectedly at Riley Thorn’s door—the real shock is that he’s begging her for help. Riley’s hot private investigator boyfriend Nick Santiago refusing to take the job is…well, less of a surprise.

Too bad for Nick that his octogenarian business partner overrules him and takes the lead on Griffin’s case. But when a dead body makes it clear someone really is out to get Riley’s ex, the mile-long suspect list means all hands on deck at Santiago Investigations. Even the wrinkly, retired ones.

It’s only a matter of time before Griffin brings the danger directly to their doorstep. And with Riley and Nick busy interviewing suspects, that leaves their elderly roommates to wreak havoc in the surveillance department. Can Riley block out the chaos to focus her psychic visions long enough to narrow down the list of suspects? Or will Griffin Gentry’s bad karma be the downfall of them all?

MY REVIEW:

The Body in the Backyard by Lucy Score
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I have tried sticking with this series because I really like Riley and Nick. It has gotten really old reading about the stupidity and rudeness of her elderly neighbors. This part of the series is over the top along with Riley's ex. I really would love to get to know more of Riley's family and Nick's family but the elderly people need to take a backseat.
Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for the ARC to review.

View all my reviews

Lucy Score

BornThe United States

Website

http://www.lucyscore.com

Twitter

lucyscore1

Genre

Romance

Lucy Score is an instant #1 New York Times bestselling author. She grew up in a literary family who insisted that the dinner table was for reading and earned a degree in journalism.

She writes full-time from the Pennsylvania home she and Mr. Lucy share with their obnoxious cat, Cleo. When not spending hours crafting heartbreaker heroes and kick-ass heroines, Lucy can be found on the couch, in the kitchen, or at the gym.

She hopes to someday write from a sailboat, oceanfront condo, or tropical island with reliable Wi-Fi.

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Book Review: The Au Pair Affair by Tessa Bailey

 

published July 16, 2024

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Tallulah is smart, vivacious, and studying to be a marine biologist. She’s also twenty-six and broke. So when Burgess, a battle-scarred hockey veteran and newly single dad, offers her a job as his live-in nanny, she jumps at the opportunity to get paid while living in a super fancy neighborhood and being around Lissa, his cool but introverted tween.

Her tween charge isn’t the only one who could use some help fitting in, though. According to…well, everyone except Burgess, he needs to get back on the dating scene, and adventurous Tallulah is just the girl to show him how. But as boundaries are slowly crossed and Burgess finds himself pulled between his daughter, who wants her parents back together, and his insane chemistry with Tallulah, a huge rift is formed, and Tallulah does the “right” thing—breaks her own heart and walks away.

Though Burgess knows it’s for the best—he’s too jaded, with too much baggage—a chance meeting, and a new push from his daughter, forces him to put everything on the line and fight to prove he learned his lessons well and is worthy of a happily ever after with Tallulah.

MY REVIEW

The Au Pair Affair by Tessa Bailey
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A cute Hockey romance. Tellulah is hired as a nanny for Burgess's daughter who is a tween. I loved how Tellulah and Lissa bonded right away until Lissa saw something between Tellulah and Burgess. Lissa wants her parents to get back together and when she is told no then she hates Tellulah. Burgess and his ex are coparenting so they see each other alot. I like how they still seemed to get a long. Tellulah was a character that I also enjoyed. This is the 2nd book of the series.
Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the ARC to review.

View all my reviews

Tessa Bailey

Bornin Oceanside, California, The United States

Website

http://www.tessabailey.com

Twitter

mstessabailey

Genre

Romance, Contemporary, Humor and Comedy

New York Times Bestselling author Tessa Bailey can solve all problems except for her own, so she focuses those efforts on stubborn, fictional blue collar men and loyal, lovable heroines. She lives on Long Island avoiding the sun and social interactions, then wonders why no one has called. Dubbed the “Michelangelo of dirty talk,” by Entertainment Weekly, Tessa writes with spice, spirit, swoon and a guaranteed happily ever after. Catch her on TikTok at @authortessabailey or check out tessabailey.com for a complete list of books.

Book Review: One Big Happy Family by Jamie Day

 

published July 16, 2024

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The newest, riveting summer suspense by the author of The Block Party, Jamie Day.

The Precipice is a legendary, family-owned hotel on the rocky coast of Maine. With the recent passing of their father, the Bishop sisters—Iris, Vicki, and Faith—have come for the weekend to claim it. But with a hurricane looming and each of the Bishop sisters harboring dangerous secrets, there's murder in the air—and not everyone who checks into the Precipice will be checking out.

Each sister wants what is rightfully hers, and in the mix is the Precipe's nineteen-year-old chambermaid Charley Kelley: smart, resilient, older than her years, and in desperate straits.

The arrival of the Bishop sisters could spell disaster for Charley. Will they close the hotel? Fire her? Discover her habit of pilfering from guests? Or even worse, learn that she's using a guest room to hide a woman on the run.

With razor-sharp wit, heart, thrills, and twists, Jamie Day delivers a unique brand of SUMMERTIME SUSPENSE.

MY REVIEW:

One Big Happy Family by Jamie Day
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The owner of a family hotel passes away and hs 3 daughters are on the way for the reading of the will. He was not a nice person and there is a few mysteries that are uncovered along the way. The Bishop sisters are not nice people either. A storm is brewing with a hurricane on the way and no one wants to be stranded at the hotel.
Charley is the chambermaid who has been working at the hotel for a while now and gets caught up in the family drama and she is trying to solve some of the mysteries that are showing up.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's for the book to review.

View all my reviews

Book Review: On The Surface by Rachel McGuire

 

published July 9, 2024

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A YouTubing cruiser couple sails the world living their best life—until one of them goes missing and their whole world capsizes, in this captivating psychological thriller perfect for fans of Something in the Water and Saint X.

Sawyer Stone III and Dani Fox, a young couple who spends their time circumnavigating the globe aboard their 42' sailboat and documenting it for their fledgling YouTube channel Sailing with the Foxes, have anchored in Exuma, in the Bahamas.

As they wait for the price of crypto to rebound so they can provision and continue their journey, they’re partying and exploring with their fellow cruisers off shore. On the surface, everything looks perfect. But one night, Dani vanishes after a boat party, and Sawyer has no memory of her disappearance.

The search for Dani is initially fueled by concerns that she drowned during one of her daily ocean swims, but Dani's pre-scheduled video posts, recorded before she went missing, soon reveal a darker side to her relationship with Sawyer.

Meanwhile, Royal Bahamas Police Force Inspector Veronique Knowles has her hands full trying to keep the investigation on course as the story of the American woman missing in the Bahamas goes viral and the internet sleuths unearth secrets from Sawyer’s past. Sawyer Stone is far from perfect, but is he a murderer?

This twisty, edge-of-your-seat thriller will keep readers gripped all the way through the final satisfying turn.

MY REVIEW:

On the Surface by Rachel McGuire
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A You Tube couple cruise on their sailboat and make videos of their time sailing. Sawyer and Dani are a couple.
The book starts out with a woman scuba diving and her equipment failing. Next thing we are on this sailboat cruising and learning about Sawyer and Dani. I didn't like Dani from the start. She is a slob and is very selfish and everything is about her. They meet up with other boaters and they party. One night after a party Dani disappears and looks like Sawyer had something to do with it. Detectives find out some things about Sawyer's past that makes it look like he is not a nice person. I didn't mind Sawyer but Dani got on my nerves. Sailing sounds like a lot of fun if you have the money to support that lifestyle.
Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for the ARC to read.

View all my reviews

Rachel McGuire

Website

https://www.rachelmcguirebooks.com/

Genre

Thriller, Crime, Mystery

Rachel McGuire is the pen name for the collaboration between Rachel Graham and Lee-Ann McGuire Whitlock.

Rachel Graham has worked as a firefighter, paramedic, clinical researcher, and health consultant. She lives in San Diego, California with her family.

Lee-Ann McGuire Whitlock is a former lawyer, serial entrepreneur, and national pub trivia champion several times over. She and her husband, two children, two Cavalier King Charles spaniels split their time between Arkansas and Vancouver, Canada.

ON THE SURFACE has been selected by the Amazon Editors as a Best of the Month pick for July in Mystery, Thriller & Suspense!

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/rachelmcgui...

Book Review: The Night Ends With Fire by K.X. Song

 

published July 2, 2024

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Infused with magic and romance, this sweeping fantasy adventure inspired by the legend of Mulan follows a young woman determined to choose her own destiny—even if that means going against everyone she loves.

The Three Kingdoms are at war, but Meilin’s father refuses to answer the imperial draft. Trapped by his opium addiction, he plans to sell Meilin for her dowry. But when Meilin discovers her husband-to-be is another violent, ill-tempered man, she realizes that nothing will change for her unless she takes matters into her own hands.

The very next day, she disguises herself as a boy and enlists in her father’s place.

In the army, Meilin's relentless hard work brings her recognition, friendship—and a growing closeness with Sky, a prince turned training partner. But has she simply exchanged one prison for another? As her kingdom barrels toward destruction, Meilin begins to have visions of a sea dragon spirit that offers her true power and freedom, but with a deadly price.

With the future of the Three Kingdoms hanging in the balance, Meilin will need to decide whom to trust—Sky, who inspires her loyalty and love; the sea dragon spirit, who has his own murky agenda; or an infuriating enemy prince who makes her question everything she once knew—about her kingdom and about her own heart.

MY REVIEW:

The Night Ends with Fire by K.X. Song
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This story is inspired from Mulan and follows a woman who does not want to marry the man chosen to her so she decides to dress like a man and join the army.
Meilin starts having visions of a sea dragon spirit and she thinks she is crazy at first.
She starts forming relationships with some of the men. Friendships and has romantic feelings for one.
I enjoyed getting to know her and why she does what she did and this dragon spirit.
Thank you to NetGalley and Berkey for the book to revew.

View all my reviews

K.X. Song

Website

https://kxsong.com/

K. X. Song is a diaspora writer with roots in Hong Kong and Shanghai. An Echo in the City is her debut novel. Visit her online at kxsong.com.

Book Review: Dishonestly Yours by Krista and Becca Ritche

 

published July 2, 2024

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Starting fresh is the only way Phoebe can escape a life of crime, but her best friend's older brother complicates honest dreams in this gripping new series from the authors of the Addicted series.

Phoebe Graves grew up in a family where deception and seduction are as commonplace as breathing. The Graves and her best friend Hailey’s family have been on the run their whole lives, but after a high-stakes con job goes south, Phoebe and Hailey decide to run away and start over. The small Connecticut town they settle in seems too good to be true.

The biggest flaw in their plan is Hailey’s frustratingly handsome brother, Rocky, who insists on coming with them. Living honestly isn’t in his DNA, and his past with Phoebe is downright messy. He’s everything she wants, but nothing she can have.

Phoebe worries that Rocky will tempt them back into their old ways, where lying is second nature. She doesn’t want Rocky to mess up the new life she’s begun for herself. The longer she stays in town, the more she realizes what it means to have a reputation—and what a normal life with the man she loves could look like.

MY REVIEW:

Dishonestly Yours by Krista Ritchie
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

2 families who are scam artists and they work together. Phoebe is best friends with Hailey and has a thing for Hailey's brother which their moms would love them to be together.
Hailey wants to have a normal life so her and Phoebe go to a small town and get an apartment and real jobs.
I have never read a book by these 2 before but I plan on reading more.
Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley for the book to review.

View all my reviews

                                                                   Krista Ritchie


Website
http://kbritchie.com/

Genre
New Adult Romance, Contemporary, Science Fiction / Fantasy


NYT & USA Today Bestselling Authors Krista & Becca Ritchie are identical twins—one a science nerd, the other a comic book geek—but with their shared passion for writing, they combined their mental powers as kids and have never stopped telling stories. They love superheroes, flawed characters, and soul mate love.

To stay up to date on new releases, bonus content, and more, sign up for Krista & Becca's Newsletter: www.kbritchie.com/newsletter

Quick note: We don't check Goodreads, so we don't respond to messages here. But if you want to connect with Becca or me, you can reach out to us on our social medias or at our website: www.kbritchie.com

Book Review: Breaker by A.K. Nevermore

 

Published July 11, 2024

Buy on Amazon

Self-exiled to the Outside, Flynn Scot is oath-bound to a life of strict penance.

Cursed with a vicious temper and haunted by the blood-stained debauchery of his past, Flynn’s sworn off women, whiskey, and violence, and doesn’t give a damn about whispers of the coming war. He sure as hell isn’t in the mood to make good on a debt when it’s called in, especially when playing white knight outs him as a Talent, and the damsel in distress as his soulmate.

On the run from her future as a broodmare for the Source, escaped Talent Kara Jester is no distressed damsel.

And the last thing she wants is to be trapped in a blizzard with a surly—and frustratingly captivating—thug. Without the suppression meds holding her libido in check, her biology’s primed to procreate, and Flynn’s growled assurances that he won’t touch her doesn’t match the hunger in his eyes.

It doesn’t align with what fate has in store for them, either.

With elite troops hot on their heels and the border set to close, it’s a race to the North, away from Kara’s horrific future and towards the dark past Flynn wants to keep buried. Clinging to the shreds of his oath, he’s forced to choose between protecting the woman he’s afraid to love and letting out the animal he swore he’d never be again. Either may destroy him, if Kara’s secrets don’t get them killed first.

MY REVIEW:

Breaker by A.K. Nevermore
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Flynn has a short temper and on his way to his grandfather's. He has sworn off Women, whiskey, and violence. He ends up finding Kara and they are traveling together. Things of course heat up with them and they end up as soulmates. This was so interesting to keep reading and her Talent gets them out of a lot of sticky situations along with his Talent. But when they get together or even n close proximity and the lust comes out then everyone around them can feel the intensity. I had to laugh at his family when this happened.
I received this ARC from the author.

View all my reviews

A.K. Nevermore

Website

https://aknevermore.com

Twitter

AkNevermore

Genre

Science Fiction, Paranormal, Romance

AK Nevermore enjoys operating heavy machinery, freebases coffee, and gives up sarcasm for Lent every year.

A Jane-of-all-trades, she’s a certified chef, restores antiques, and dabbles in beekeeping when she’s not reading voraciously or running down the dream in her beat-up camo Chucks.

Unable to ignore the voices in her head, and unwilling to become medicated, she writes full time around a nest full of ravens. Her books explore dark worlds, perversely irreverent and profound, and always entertaining.

AK belongs to a bunch of industry associations, volunteers for far too many committees, teaches creative writing, and on the rare occasion, sleeps.

Book Review: Breeder by A.K. Nevermore

 

 Published January 1, 2024

What you don't know can kill you...

Before Kara met Flynn, she was property of the Source.

The genetic research facility owned by a powerful international conglomerate dominates the Northern Hemisphere. Valued solely for her DNA and her talent to bind matter together, when she receives her summons to breed, she panics.

Rescued from the brink of death, she’s offered the chance to escape and find her own destiny.

But the journey through the desolation of the Outside is fraught with peril, and the golden halos marking her as a Talent also paint her as a target. Kept ignorant of everything beyond the facility’s walls, Kara grapples to survive in the hostile wasteland. Humanity purists and roving gangs are only a fraction of her problems, because the Source, and Riegel, her contracted mate, aren’t just going to let her walk away…

MY REVIEW:

Breeder by A.K. Nevermore
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Kara was property of the Source, a genetic research facility.She is being used for her DNA and being able to bind matter together. Someone helps her to escape and she goes on the run. Meets up with a man who she does not trust and goes back to running again when she meets Finn.Kara is finding it hard to survive before Finn but he will help her.
I really liked this world and it is a dystopian sci fi dark romance.
I received the arc from the author.

View all my reviews

                                                                   A.K. Nevermore


Website
https://aknevermore.com

Twitter
AkNevermore

Genre
Science Fiction, Paranormal, Romance


AK Nevermore enjoys operating heavy machinery, freebases coffee, and gives up sarcasm for Lent every year.

A Jane-of-all-trades, she’s a certified chef, restores antiques, and dabbles in beekeeping when she’s not reading voraciously or running down the dream in her beat-up camo Chucks.

Unable to ignore the voices in her head, and unwilling to become medicated, she writes full time around a nest full of ravens. Her books explore dark worlds, perversely irreverent and profound, and always entertaining.

AK belongs to a bunch of industry associations, volunteers for far too many committees, teaches creative writing, and on the rare occasion, sleeps.