Category: New Release

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The Secret Hotel in Berlin-Hokin-Historical Fiction-Available Now

I am a huge fan of Catherine Hokin. Her books are always well-researched, intriguing, thought-provoking, and heartfelt. The Secret Hotel in Berlin is no exception.

The dual timeline nature of the story gives readers a bonus—it’s almost like two historical novels woven into one. The intricacies required to give both timelines their due are handled beautifully, and each is equally engaging. The transitions between time periods are never clunky.

Ms. Hokin also creates realistic characters who are relatable, even as they are in positions that are completely unrelatable to a reader. The characteristics and personalities jump off the page.

It may seem like a small thing, but Lili’s original profession was quite telling. As a florist, she knew how to make things beautiful, creating bouquets with the perfect flowers for the right occasion.

I choose to believe that she used that knowledge and adapted it as her situation changed. I think she still believed in finding beauty (good) in chaos and creating/supporting methods that helped others survive.  

Even though the whole book was fascinating, the last third felt accelerated if only because the reader gets answers to questions that are built throughout the rest of the book.

Yes, reading about WWII Germany and 1990s East Berlin is difficult, given the pain and suffering experienced by millions of people. But Ms. Hokin reminds us that strength and resilience are imperative amid tumultuous times.

The Secret Hotel in Berlin is a must-read book.

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Mrs. England-Halls-Historical Fiction-Available Now

I’ve decided to change it up a little this year. Every once in a while, I’ll be scattering promo posts into the blog tours and reviews. Maybe you will find a new author or a new genre to try.

This will give you, the reader, a chance to see a book that you might not have been aware of, but without my opinions influencing your choices or mindsets.

So, without further ado, here is the first one of the year.

Cover

Buy Links:  BookShop.org Harlequin  Barnes & Noble
Amazon Books-A-Million Powell’s

Mrs. England Summary:

Simmering with slow-burning menace, Mrs. England is a portrait of an Edwardian marriage. It’s an enthralling tale of men and women, power and control, courage, truth, and the darkest deception.

West Yorkshire, 1904. Recently graduated Ruby May takes a nanny position looking after the children of Charles and Lilian England, a wealthy couple from a powerful dynasty of mill owners. At first, she hopes it will be the fresh start she needs. But as she adapts to life at the isolated Hardcastle House, it becomes clear something is not quite right about the beautiful, mysterious Mrs. England.

Distant and withdrawn, Lilian shows little interest in her children or charming husband. She is also far from the angel of the house Ruby was expecting.

As the warm, vivacious Charles welcomes Ruby into the family, a series of strange events forces her to question everything she thought she knew. Ostracized by the servants and increasingly uneasy, Ruby must face her own demons in order to prevent history from repeating itself. After all, there’s no such thing as the perfect family—she should know.

This captivating new feminist novel from Sunday Times bestselling author Stacey Halls is her third work of fiction and proves her one of the most exciting and compelling new storytellers of our time.

A Sunday Times bestseller!

Author Bio: 

Social Links:
Author Website
Twitter: @stacey_halls 
Instagram:@staceyhallsauthor
Goodreads

Stacey Halls grew up in Rossendale, Lancashire. She studied journalism at the University of Central Lancashire and has written for publications including the Guardian, Stylist, Psychologies, the Independent, the Sun and Fabulous. Both of her first two novels, The Familiars and The Lost Orphan, were Sunday Times bestsellers, Mrs England is her third novel.

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Southern Bombshell-Review-2nd Chance Romance-Available Now

Southern Bombshell by Jessica Peterson

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I have a serious love/hate reaction to Southern Bombshell. I love it because I love the family and the world they inhabit. Blue Mountain Farm, and the universe the author has created around it, is a place I want to visit (I think I have said that in past reviews, but it still holds true). More importantly, though, is that she has built a family so strong and resilient that they almost leap off the page in their realism. I also love that the stories sometimes run simultaneously with others from the series. For example, we know from past books that Millie and Nate had something going and it ended badly. Now we get to find out why. I have to get nitpicky to figure out what I didn’t like about the book – and I come up with Nate’s family not being as fleshed out as I would have liked. A bit more of his dad’s nastiness would have been good if only to savor the deliciousness of his downfall. But as I said, that’s being picky, because the whole book is just awesome. I especially liked the focus on June at the end.

Oh, and the hate part? Millie is the last of the Beauregard siblings, so it seems like this might be the end. Unless a few of the characters introduced in this story manage to get their own stories? Maybe a whole book for June? (Hint, hint).
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The Sorority Murder-Promo-Fiction-Available Now

Today, I have a promo for The Sorority Murder, the first in a new crime thriller series!

ABOUT THE BOOK:

New York Times bestselling author Allison Brennan’s suspenseful new mass-market original! It’s about a college senior’s podcast that delves into an unsolved campus murder of a girl three years earlier. But individual callers explode every fact previously thought to be true.

Lucas Vega is obsessed with the death of Candace Swain. Candace left a sorority party one night and never came back. Her body was found two weeks later. Sadly, the case has grown cold. Three years later, Lucas discovers new information while interning at the Medical Examiner’s Office. But the police have no interest.

Lucas knows he has several credible pieces of the puzzle. He just isn’t sure how they fit together. So, he creates a podcast to revisit Candace’s last hours. He asks listeners to crowdsource what they remember. Then he invites guest lecturer, former US Marshal Regan Merritt, to come on and share her expertise.

New tips come in that convince Lucas and Regan they are onto something. Another one hints at Candace’s secret life. It paints a much darker picture than Lucas imagined. Yet another one implicates other sorority sisters.

Then, shockingly, one of the podcast callers turns up dead.

Regan uses her own resources to bolster their theory. But she learns that Lucas is hiding his own dark secret. Obviously, the pressure is on to solve the murder. First, Lucas must come clean about his real motives in pursuing this podcast – before the killer silences him forever.

Look good? Here is where to buy it! Remember, it’s the first in a new series.

The Sorority Murder book cover
The Sor

Buy Links:

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Suspense-Nanny Dearest-Available Now

Today is informational. So, read on for details of a new suspense book releasing at the end of November.

COVER

SUSPENSE NOVEL COVER
Buy links under Author information

ABOUT THE SUSPENSE BOOK:

This is a novel of domestic suspense. Fans of THE TURN OF THE KEY and THE PERFECT NANNY should read on.

NANNY DEAREST is the story of 25-year-old Sue Keller, a young woman reeling from the recent death of her father. This is a particularly painful loss given that Sue’s mother died of cancer when she was only three.

At this time of vulnerability, Anneliese Whitaker reappears. She is Sue’s former nanny from her childhood days in upstate New York.

Sue is craving connection and mothering. Therefore, she is only too eager to welcome Annie back into her life. However, as they become inseparable once again, Sue begins to uncover the truth about Annie’s unsettling time in the Keller house.

Why is that important? Of particular concern is the manner of Annie’s departure. Or was it a dismissal? At the same time, Sue grows increasingly worried about the safety of the two children currently in Annie’s care.

Told in alternating points of view and switching eras, this is a taut novel of suspense with a shocking ending.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Flora Collins was born and raised in New York City and has never left, except for a four-year stint at Vassar College. When she’s not writing, she can be found watching reality shows that were canceled after one season. Or maybe attempting to eat soft-serve ice cream in bed. Sometimes simultaneously. Nanny Dearest is her first novel and draws upon personal experiences from her own family history.

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New Thriller Series Reveal! Available Now!

Today, it is something a little different. There’s a thriller series I think you should see.

First, check out the covers.

George McKenzie series

Now, how about some descriptions and buy links? Just click on the title if the description of the book moves you!

The George McKenzie series follows George, criminologist, and the most kickass heroine you’ll find since The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Over the course of five books, she faces some of the worst killers around… but doesn’t hesitate to pursue justice and help save the innocent.

  • The Girl Who Wouldn’t Die: after a bomb goes off in a university campus, George McKenzie, criminology student, is recruited to help Detective Paul van den Bergen work the case. But is it terrorism… or something even worse?
  • The Girl Who Broke the Rules: women are dying on the streets of Amsterdam. And to get answers, George McKenzie will have to face jailed serial killer Dr. Silas Holm. But is she walking into his trap?
  • The Girl Who Walked in the Shadows: a killer called Jack Frost is stalking the shadows, leaving no trace behind… Only George McKenzie and Detective Paul van den Bergen can crack the case… and its strange link to the tragic disappearance of two children.
  • The Girl Who Had No Fear: when George McKenzie receives a plea for help from the father she’s not seen since she was a small child, she’ll stop at nothing to find him and get answers after years of silence. No matter the risks…
  • The Girl Who Got Revenge: someone is killing Amsterdam’s war heroes. As George and Detective Van den Bergen investigate, they realize that the sins of the past cast long shadows…

So, what do you think? Here’s a bit about the author – just so you know you’re getting a good thing in this series!

Facebook: MarnieRichesAuthor
Instagram: marnie_riches
Twitter: Marnie_Riches

Author Bio:

Marnie Riches grew up on a rough estate in north Manchester. Exchanging the spires of nearby Strangeways prison for those of Cambridge University, she gained a Masters in German & Dutch. She has been a punk, a trainee rock star, a pretend artist and professional fundraiser.

Her best-selling, award-winning George McKenzie crime thrillers were inspired by her own time spent in The Netherlands. Dubbed the Martina Cole of the North, she has also authored a series about Manchester’s notorious gangland as well as two books in a mini-series featuring quirky northern PI Bev Saunders.

Detective Jackson Cooke is Marnie’s latest heroine to root for, as she hunts down one of the most brutal killers the north west has ever seen at devastating personal cost.

When she isn’t writing gritty, twisty crime thrillers, Marnie also regularly appears on BBC Radio Manchester, commenting on social media trends and discussing the world of crime fiction. She is a Royal Literary Fund Fellow at Salford University’s Doctoral School and a tutor for the Faber Novel Writing Course.

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The Winter Girls-Books On Tour (Review)-Crime Thriller-Available Now

Agent Tori Hunter is back, and I’m so very glad that Braddock is back with her.

This is one series where I almost like the secondary characters more than the main character herself. But more on that in a minute.

I love the way this author writes. The scenes are so descriptive that I feel like I am watching a movie in my head as I read. Even the sound effects of tires squealing or guns blazing have a place in the writing.

I appreciate that because it doesn’t seem forced or overdone. It simply becomes part of the action.

And oh, what action there is. Starting with the opening scene and carrying through to the very last pages, this one is a page-turner for sure. It’s even complete with one of the most thrilling car chases I’ve ever read.

(Yeah, that was an odd sentence to write – but it’s true).

Amazon: https://geni.us/B08P7T31KDSocial
Apple: http://ow.ly/C7f750CxXZZ
Kobo: http://ow.ly/LYvC50CxXUo
Google: http://ow.ly/883I50CxYcL
 UK: zpr.io/RGsiB
US: zpr.io/RGsiW

I also thought that the balance between Tori’s personal and professional lives was good. In her case, they tend to meld together though, because her beau also ends up being a partner during investigations.

Which leads me back to Braddock.

I don’t want to get too personal, but he reminds me so much of my husband, that I drink in every word about him. Even down to his experiences with 9/11, it’s like the author interviewed my husband and built Braddock based on him.

It’s one thing to relate to a character, it’s another to feel like you personally know them. The latter is the case with Braddock for me.

In that regard, I guess I like Tori because she likes Braddock? I wish I related to her a little more – although I do have some of the same thoughts as her. As I read, I found myself thinking something and then she would say it a few lines later. That was kinda cool too.

Regardless of the personal feelings I have, this is just really a good story. I don’t want to give away any major plot points, but the author gives a very honest look at a crime that is widespread, but sadly often flies under the radar

There is also an accurate portrayal of a very touchy, personal, and complicated subject. It was obvious (to someone who has been through the process described in the book) that the author did copious amounts of homework to get the details right.

I guess that’s why I’ll keep coming back to Tori and Braddock. They’re the most personally relatable team of any of them out there. I can’t wait to see what they tackle next!

FACEBOOK: rogerstelljesbooks
TWITTER: @RogerStelljes

Author Bio:

Roger Stelljes is the acclaimed New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of pulse-pounding murder mystery and suspense novels, including the Tori Hunter and McRyan Mystery Series. Roger’s crime thrillers are noted for their fast-paced, yet intricate plots filled with layered and complex characters.

Roger started his first novel in July 2002 while on vacation in Minnesota’s Brainerd Lakes area and has been writing ever since. His debut book, The St. Paul Conspiracy, was nominated in genre fiction for the Minnesota Book Awards along with finalists Brian Freeman and William Kent Krueger. With his follow-up, Deadly Stillwater, where Vince Flynn hailed Roger as a “powerful new thriller voice”, he won the Midwest Independent Book Publishers award for commercial fiction.

Born and raised in Minnesota, Roger still lives there with his family. In addition to his work as an author, Roger is a partner in his law firm. Roger is an avid sports enthusiast and enjoys spending time outdoors boating, attending hockey games, and honing his golf game.

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Book Review: The Vacation by T. M. Logan

My first introduction to this author was Lies.

Loved it.

Then came 29 seconds.

Another winner.

Now we have The Vacation, and I think it might be his best yet.

Logan is the King of Misdirection. Just when you think you know what’s going on, you don’t.

I absolutely love how he relates his stories. In this book, there is a slow build that follows one main character, with sporadic chapters from other characters’ points of view. There is no set “back and forth” switching; instead, the action moves seamlessly between the different perspectives.

The story belongs to Kate, who is vacationing with three college friends (and their families) at a villa in France. But secrets abound, and not even the youngest (5-year-old Odette) is immune. By the way, she’s also one of the brattiest kids I’ve ever read in a book. A lot is going on, but the author handles it all deftly. I felt Kate’s uncertainty, Rowan’s stress, and Jennifer’s worry (she’s quite the helicopter parent).

As with his other books, everything is laid out nicely, like place settings.  But then, like a magician, he pulls the tablecloth out from under them. Everything is still standing, but maybe slightly moved or altered. The last quarter of this book flew by. All of the revelations started to come to light, and the truth emerged shockingly. I honestly gasped a few times.

Do yourself a favor and grab this one as soon as it’s released (July 21). It’s the perfect summer thriller.    

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Blog Tour w/Review: The Zodiac Queen Part I- Aries

I can tell from the first book, Aries, that the new series by Gemma Jones, The Zodiac Queen, is going to be a keeper. It was a quick read, which was both good and bad. It was good because I was able to read it quickly, but bad because it left me wanting more.

I thought that the author did a good job of establishing the concept without it seeming too farfetched. I did have a hard time determining the setting because it is one of those books that has both contemporary references (such as a clothing line) but also some more archaic or historical aspects (the virgin bride, a fictional island). None of this distracted me from the story.

The author was also careful to keep the Zodiac theme throughout, which I appreciated. A few were that there were 12 members of the Zodiac Brotherhood; she had to stay with each of them for one month; there were 12 stories in the building on the island, and so on. That attention to detail made the story more interesting.

The relationship between Liam (Aries) and Novalee was unique. As the Chancellor, Liam had a little more power over decisions, but there were some things that he couldn’t change. Novalee was in a difficult situation and will have to find her way when her protector (which he essentially became) isn’t able to help her. She is also strangely attracted to one of the brothers who seems to despise her, which will cause some political intrigue between the members of the Brotherhood.

All of this made for a great start to the series, which (assumedly ) will have 12 installments. If they are all this short, they should come rather quickly, which makes for happy readers.

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Blog Tour w/Review: Crazy Rich Cajuns

I have loved this series from the very beginning, from the introduction of Josh and Tori, through Maddie’s return to the Bayou (and Owen), and Sawyer’s rediscovery of life (with the help of Juliet). The Autre universe and its inhabitants, the crazy Landry clan, is one of my favorite places in all of the books I have read. I have patiently waited for Kennedy’s story, and I am happy to say that I was not disappointed.

Crazy Rich Cajuns is hands down my favorite of the series.  But I do have a love/hate relationship with it (more on that later).

First up, all of the good stuff. I know I am going to forget some because there was so much to love about this book. The chemistry between Bennett and Kennedy has grown throughout the series, and it bursts into flame in this book. The balancing act they do as they explore each other and come to individual realizations is both hot and touching.

(Yeah, that’s a fine line to walk, and the author does it masterfully).

Kennedy has been a spitfire all along, but she has another side that Bennett (and his family) bring out, and it is beautiful to see. Her scenes at Bennett’s house are some of my favorites I have ever read. It’s easy to say that something was funny, but the Flip Cup episode (dude, vanilla vodka) had tears running down my face. And Kennedy’s tales of treasure hunting were simply fantastic.

I loved the exploration of relationship roles. Kennedy’s interpretation of Leo and Ellie’s relationship and the recognition that both she and Bennett come to puts the convention of the Bayou on its ear, and it totally works for the story. The scene where Leo guides Bennett is priceless because it happens in typical Landry style.

I mentioned the chemistry was explosive, and that is mainly due to the juxtaposition of Bennett’s outer and inner character. On the surface, he seems very straightlaced and proper (at least in Kennedy’s eyes). But once he gets her alone and opens his mouth? Holy hell is it hot – and totally unexpected!

I know I am missing some parts, but honestly, I just loved the entire book. I devoured it in one sitting because I didn’t want to leave them, which brings me to the “hate” part of the love/hate relationship.

I hate that it’s pretty much the end of the Boys of the Bayou series. I like that we will be getting another installment with Chase (Juliet’s brother), so we will still get to visit Autre and the Landry clan, but I am so disappointed that the Landry family will no longer be central (as far as I can tell).

Oh well, I guess that’s what re-reads are for, right? And this is definitely a series that I will return to again and again. Do yourself a huge favor and pick up this entire series right now. You’ll find yourself wanting to book a trip to the Bayou.

Crazy Rich Cajuns (Boys of the Bayou, #4)Crazy Rich Cajuns by Erin Nicholas
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

No point in beating around the bush: this is by far my favorite book in the Boys of the Bayou series. Not only does it feature Kennedy, whose story I have been waiting for since her introduction, but the author turns convention on its head and takes the story out of the Bayou. One would think it would be a fish-out-of-water, but that’s not necessarily the case. The journey that both Kennedy and Bennett undertake as they explore their feelings is typical Erin Nicholas but with a hint of something else (no spoilers). This is one of the first books in a while that I was sad to see end because I wanted more of their chemistry. For a more detailed review, please visit my blog at Fireflies and Free Kicks Fiction Reviews. This review was written based on a complimentary, digital, pre-release ARC of the book.

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