Category: Romance

Book Tour/Feature Post and Book Review: Fatal Pattern by Kate Angelo

FATAL PATTERN

by Kate Angelo

September 14 – 25, 2026 Virtual Book Tour

Hi, everyone!

Today I am sharing my Feature Post and Book Review for FATAL PATTERN (The King Legacy Book #2) by Kate Angelo on this Partners In Crime Virtual Book Tour.

Below you will find a book description, my book review, and excerpt from the book, the author’s bio and social media links, and a PICT giveaway. Enjoy!

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Book Description

A COVERT INVESTIGATION

A stalker attacks behavioral analyst Dr. Tori Crew at knifepoint, shattering the fierce independence she’s built since her parents’ unsolved murder. Forced into an off-the-books criminal investigation, Tori must push her expertise–and her fiercely guarded heart–to the breaking point as a killer’s pattern emerges.

A LOOMING THREAT

Homicide detective Blade St. James has been Tori’s friend and protector since childhood. Haunted by his own past of parental abandonment, Blade is determined to build a stable life and find the peace that always seems just out of reach. But when Tori’s life is threatened, his guardian reflexes collide with everything he’s been trying to build.

A HIDDEN MENACE

As the conspiracy rooted in Tori’s past pulls them deeper, the boundaries of their friendship blur, and the truth neither can deny becomes impossible to ignore. Can they unmask the sophisticated serial killer before they become the final, fatal piece in the pattern?

In this gripping romantic suspense thriller, Kate Angelo delivers pulse-pounding psychological suspense and forensic investigations threaded with slow-burn romance and a heart-stopping cold case.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/249031857-fatal-pattern?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=2DSXG553wU&rank=1

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My Book Review

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

FATAL PATTERN (The King Legacy Book #2) by Kate Angelo is a fast-paced, emotional roller coaster of a Christian romantic suspense that delivers more answers tied to the over-arching criminal conspiracy plot from The King Legacy book #1, Girl Lost, and a new romance between two members of the previously introduced group of friends. I recommend reading book one first because of the large amount of crossover between the two books.

Dr, Tori Crew has a stalker. Detective Blade St. James has been Tori’s protector since childhood when they were taken into Stryker’s Warriors program for troubled and or delinquent children. As the stalker escalates, Tori and Blade receive information that this may all tie back to Tori’s childhood and the murder of her parents.

The conspiracy is even deeper than they imagined. Her parent’s deaths are leading them to clues that grow into a serial killer investigation and conspiracy in local law enforcement agencies that tie into organ harvesting which almost got their friends killed previously. But who can they trust, and will their discoveries lead them to the killer or their own deaths?

This second book in The King Legacy series is full of surprises and twists. The characters and the over-arching suspense plot from book one around a criminal conspiracy involved in organ harvesting keeps the plot moving with an ever-increasing sense of dread and peril. The killer’s fascination with fractals made an interesting, and to me, unique plot point. Both Tori and Blade had not only a serious investigation to solve but also had to face many of their childhood traumas to move forward and move from friendship to couple. The romance is a slow-burn romance with no sex scenes due to this being a Christian romantic suspense. The author ties the scripture verse in the preface of the story to the denouement perfectly and does not make the reader feel as if they are being preached at throughout the story. There are still more questions to be answered, and I look forward to reading more books in this series.

I highly recommend this thrilling Christian romantic suspense addition to The King Legacy series.

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Excerpt

1 

THE COLD EDGE OF THE BLADE kissed Tori Crew’s throat, drawing a rivulet of blood that began its descent down her neck. “Don’t move.” The whisper brushed against her ear. Tori tasted bile at the back of her throat, and for one horrifying  moment, she thought she might throw up. Her pulse thumped  against the knife pressed to her carotid. Each beat reverberated  through the steel and deep into her bones. 

The parking lot at the Kingdom MMA Gym stretched dark and  empty around her. It was her stupid idea to meet at 4:30 a.m., and  now here she was all alone. No witnesses. No help. 

Stryker should be here. Setting up folding chairs in a circle near  the boxing ring, brewing that industrial- strength coffee that could  wake the dead, preparing for morning Bible study with the kids  who lived in the residential program. 

But Stryker wasn’t coming. 

Stryker lay unconscious in a hospital bed, his salt-and-pepper  hair loose around his pale face instead of tied back the way he  always wore it. Some lunatic had tried to kill her mentor. One of  the greatest men she’d ever known, and now— 

The blade pressed deeper. “I said don’t move.” 

Her knees wanted to buckle, but she locked them straight.  Stryker had taught her that. Stay strong. Stay focused. The fighter in her knew what to do. Elbow to solar plexus. Heel  to instep. Grab the wrist. Twist. Three seconds and he’d be on the  ground. But he had the knife pressed just right. She couldn’t make  a move without him slicing through a major artery. One wrong  angle, and she’d bleed out before she hit the pavement. She forced her breathing to slow. Fought the adrenaline that  wanted to flood her system and make her do something stupid. Assess. Analyze. Act. 

The mantra from Krav Maga training steadied her racing  thoughts. Observe first. Plan the attack. Strike when the odds  shifted. 

“You’re bleeding.” His breath was hot against her neck. “I’ve  always liked the color of blood.” 

She cataloged details. Male. Less than six feet tall, based on the  angle of the knife. Maybe 5′9″. Right-handed. Gloves. No discern able accent. No alcohol on his breath. Not impulsive. Calculated.  Educated. 

He drew in a breath. “Such a pretty shade of red, don’t you  think?” 

“Who . . . who are you?” She worked to keep her voice steady  despite the tremors threatening to overtake her body. “I’m the one who watches. I’m your . . . shadow. A part of you.”  His free hand clamped around her chest, crushing her arms against  her ribs. The blade pressed deeper, stealing her breath. “You’ve  been busy. Two new cases, six trips to the gym, and you changed  your coffee order to vanilla instead of caramel.” 

Her stalker. The one who’d been leaving notes on her car.  The one who’d been calling and hanging up. The one the police  wouldn’t pursue because the “non- violent harassment” apparently didn’t meet the threshold for a credible threat. 

He’d been watching everything. 

Her stomach twisted, not with fear— she could handle fear—

but with fury. “You think that makes you powerful? It makes you  pathetic.” 

The knife pressed deeper. Not enough to do serious damage, but  enough to elicit another drop of blood. His gloved finger caught the droplet sliding down her neck, then traced it back up to the  wound. 

“Ah. We mustn’t lose too much. Not yet.” 

She analyzed his posture. The way he held the knife. How his  chest rose and fell against her back. “What do you want?” “To show you that I can kill you anytime I want.” His laugh was  soft, almost tender. “This is just the beginning, Dr. Crew. I’m not  done toying with you yet.” 

Fight instinct coiled through her muscles, but her mind weighed  the odds again and overrode them. Information. Get information. Every criminal had a pattern, a motivation. Understanding him  meant catching him. And catching him meant ending this night mare. 

She strained her eyes to the right, trying to catch even a sliver  of his face in her peripheral vision. “Why me?” 

“Because you think you understand the darkness,” he said. “But  you don’t. Not like I do.” 

A pair of headlights sliced through the blackness, white light  stabbing her retinas. The blade lifted from her throat. She spun, fist cocked for a power jab at his face, but she only  struck air. Gone. The coward had melted into the shadows along  the wall, black clothing swallowed by the darkness as he disap peared into the alley beyond. Her chance—blown. She could have  ended this right here, right now. Could have put him down and  dragged answers out of him. Instead, she was standing here bleeding while he slipped away like the roach he was. 

A car screeched to a halt beside her. The driver’s door flew open.  Detective Blade St. James erupted from his unmarked Charger  with his hand on his holstered weapon. “Tori? You okay?” Her fingers went to her throat and came away sticky with blood. She stared at the crimson smear. A savage anger bubbled  up inside her chest. He’d touched her. Cut her. And vanished  like smoke. 

“What the—” Blade’s eyes widened at her blood- slick fingertips.  “You’re bleeding.” 

“It’s just a scratch.” Her knees felt shaky. She’d had every skill  and training to handle situations exactly like this, and she’d let the  stalker get the drop on her. 

“What happened? Who was that?” 

“My stalker.” She pressed the cut to stem the bleeding. “Stalker?” His voice rose in disbelief. “What stalker? Since  when do you have a stalker?” 

“Three weeks, give or take.” A crimson droplet had dropped on  her knuckle. Perfect. Round. Like a bead of glass. “I’ve always liked the color of blood.” 

Ice slid through her veins. 

“And you didn’t think to mention this?” Blade had his phone  out. “We need to call this in. Get you to a hospital.” “No.” She caught his wrist. “The locals are aware, but you know  stalker cases. Nothing they can do.” 

“Tori, he had a knife to your throat.” His voice ticked up. “That’s  attempted murder.” 

“It’s not that simple.” 

“It is that simple. Let’s do this right. Get an officer out here.  Take your statement, photos, dust for prints, canvass witnesses—” “There are no witnesses at four thirty in the morning!” She  swept her arm toward the deserted street and empty parking lot.  “And he wore gloves, so no prints. We’ve got nothing.” “All the more reason to report it. You say this guy’s been watch ing you for weeks, and now he’s crossed the line to physical assault.  He’s escalating.” 

“You think I don’t know that?” She dropped her hand from the  cut and stormed over to Blade’s car.

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Author Bio

Kate Angelo is the Publishers Weekly bestselling author of Hunting the Witness, Selah Award winner of Deadly Holiday Hijack, and Amazon Top 100 bestseller of Driving Force. Kate works alongside her husband championing stronger marriages and families. Her journey from foster care to bestselling author fuels her fast-paced romantic suspense, where flawed characters discover hope and healing through life’s fiercest trials and relationships. When she’s not putting fictional people through the wringer, she’s out creating real-life happily-ever-afters at conferences and events nationwide.

Social Media Links

KateAngelo.com
Amazon Author Profile
Goodreads – @kateangeloauthor
BookBub – @kateangeloauthor
Instagram – @kateangeloauthor
Facebook – Kate Angelo- Author

Purchase Links

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PICT GIVEAWAY

https://pictbooks.tours/gcp3A3wQ

Friday Feature Author Interview with Elise Cooper: Covert Security, Colton’s Private Security & Twins for the Cowboy Dad by Lisa Childs

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Book Description – Covert Security

His past came with a reputation

Saving her would redefine his future

Hell has frozen over! Because Viktor Lagransky, the son of a former mafia assassin, is the only person who believes officer Sheila Carlson’s ambush was orchestrated by one of her police colleagues. Viktor is trying to be the best bodyguard the Payne Protection Agency has ever seen—even if the stubborn cop doubts his true motives. But when her questions about her dad’s unsolved murder lead to a new string of attacks against her, she has no choice but to trust the former bad boy she’s always been attracted to. If only her attacker—and Viktor’s own family secrets—didn’t threaten their unexpected partnership.

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Elise’s Thoughts

Covert Security has Viktor Lagransky, the son of a former mafia assassin, as the only person who believes officer Sheila Carlson’s ambush was orchestrated by one of her police colleagues. Viktor is trying to be the best bodyguard the Payne Protection Agency has ever seen—even if the stubborn cop doubts his true motives. But when her questions about her dad’s unsolved murder leads to a new string of attacks against her, she has no choice but to trust the former bad boy she’s always been attracted to.

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Book Description – Colton’s Private Security

He let her go once.

He won’t lose her now.

Since he left the military, Mark Colton’s work as a bodyguard has satisfied his need for travel and adventure. He’s on a rare visit back home when a dangerous criminal takes a nurse hostage. That nurse is Cassidy Garner, his high school sweetheart, and seeing her in the grasp of an armed villain makes his well-honed instincts kick in. After this close call, he’s determined to keep her safe—even if that means ignoring the once-in-a-lifetime attraction they both still feel. But what if it’s his past that’s putting her in danger?

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Elise’s Thoughts

Colton’s Private Security has military veteran Mark Colton working as a body guard, which has satisfied his need for travel and adventure. He’s on a rare visit back home when a dangerous criminal takes a nurse hostage. That nurse is Cassidy Garner, his high school sweetheart, and seeing her in the grasp of an armed villain makes his well-honed instincts kick in. After this close call, he’s determined to keep her safe—even if that means ignoring the once-in-a-lifetime attraction they both still feel. But what if it’s his past that’s putting her in danger?

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Book Description – Twins for the Cowboy Dad

Cowboy bachelor today…

Father of two tomorrow?

Pregnant with twins, newly single Trish Dempsey hopes for a fresh start at her late father’s ranch. Trish wants to turn Four Corners into a home for her and her children, as well as a new business. There’s just one catch—Brett Lemmon and his brothers already live there, and she’ll have to convince them to go along with her plan. Rugged and hardworking, Brett is the most stubborn—and the most attractive. He put everything he had into making Four Corners a working ranch. Now he must compromise with the frustrating and beautiful Trish. The more time they spend together, the more he realizes that the real threat she poses is to his bachelor status!

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Elise’s Thoughts

Twins For the Cowboy Dad has Trish coming back to the ranch after her father’s passing, having just gone through a messy divorce. Not only did Trish come back to the ranch, she came back pregnant with twins. She had a lot of ideas on how things should be done at the ranch. Brett Lemmon and his brothers already live there, and she’ll have to convince them to go along with her plan. This was not only a romance, but there’s a mystery involved.

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Author Interview

Elise Cooper: How did you get the idea for the book, Covert Security?

Lisa Childs: I loved writing the main characters banter. I thought of the movie “Moonlighting” with Bruce Willis and Sybil Shepherd, where they had that kind of quick, quick, witty banter. I loved that dynamic which was from the other books, and it was just like they needed their own story. The male lead, Viktor, whose dad was a hit man. He was just this terrible person. So, yeah, I wanted Viktor to get his happily ever after, for sure.

EC: How would you describe Sheila?

LC: Ambitious, tough, vulnerable, intimidating, fearless, snarky, funny, sexy, and stubborn. She has a rap as being ambitious, but she’s also on a mission to find out what happened to her dad, with people saying he was corrupt. She isn’t necessarily on a mission to prove his innocence, but to find out who killed him and the truth about his career. This has been what’s driving her more than any advancement of her career. 

EC: How would you describe Viktor?

LC: Protective, charming, and funny. 

EC: What about their relationship?

LC: There’s just that attraction between them. They’re the misfit toys, and so, they just have that cute attraction yet, he’s everything she doesn’t trust. He comes from this horrible upbringing. She’s accepted that these people have had these horrible upbringings, and wonders if they want to change, or are they capable of change.  They’re very good people but just had horrible circumstances.

EC: Colton’s Private Security, how did you get the idea for this book?

LC: There are a bunch of authors who write stories. We’re given what’s called the Bible, we’re getting called the Bible, which is a plot outline. I was given to write about a bodyguard, because I’ve written a few of them. You have points in the story that you must know about the other stories that you have to put in there.

EC: How would you describe Mark?

LC: He’s former military, so, he’s got that rigid military upbringing. He’s always kind of had the wanderlust. That’s why he didn’t want to stay in the hometown. He wanted to travel. He likes traveling and wanderers. To a certain extent he has PTSD but I think he’s aware of it, and he’s found ways to cope.

EC: How would you describe Cassidy?

LC: Very nurturing, very solid, and dependable, but unyielding and stubborn. She just wants to help her sister and raise her nephews and take care of her patients. Just a very good person.

EC: What about their relationship?

LC: We know that he broke her heart in high school, and she’s resentful of that. I don’t think she trusts him with her heart. And she doesn’t want to wind up like her sister, who lost her husband and has been struggling.

EC:  How did you get the idea for Twins for the Cowboy Dad?

LC: I loved that Brett was as the oldest brother, one of my favorite characters, because he always took on so much responsibility, even when he didn’t want to. I loved that about him. I loved his personality from the other stories. Regarding Trish, I always had an idea in my head of who she was and how much family meant to her. My dad’s a twin, so that’s why I do twins so often in my stories.

EC: How would you describe Trish?

LC: She’s just a very sweet person. She kind of reminds me of my mom’s personality where family meant everything to her. She had that nurturing personality, and she wanted the family she never really got to have.

EC: How would you describe Brett?

LC: He was also a nurturer like Trish and family meant everything to him.

EC: What about the relationship?

LC: He was very forgiving when she wasn’t there. He was best friends with her dad. So, losing her dad was hard for him. Once he met her and understood her reasons, they were able to overcome that conflict. And suddenly, she’s got twins on the way. So that was quite a leap for him to be able to take on that responsibility, but he fell for her, and he fell for them.

EC: Next books?

LC: Next April, my first cozy mystery comes out. I used to have rental properties that we rented out in Michigan. The female lead has a bookstore in this big building, and she has rental units in it, and one of her guests is found dead. So that’s the whole setup of that book. Its titled Lake Michigan Murder Mystery. I have done thrillers and intrigues, but this is the first cozy, so I’m super excited about it.

In “The Covert Security series,” the next book will be Sylvie’s story and comes out in February. It is titled, Her Secret Security.

THANK YOU!!

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BIO: Elise Cooper has written book reviews and interviewed best-selling authors since 2009. Her reviews have covered several different genres, including thrillers, mysteries, women’s fiction, romance and cozy mysteries. An avid reader, she engages authors to discuss their works, and to focus on the descriptions of their characters and the plot. While not writing reviews, Elise loves to watch baseball and visit the ocean in Southern California, with her dog and husband.

Friday Feature Author Interview with Elise Cooper: The Unexpected Caller by Shelley Shepard Gray

Book Description

She finds sisterhood in the Amish Widows Club–but will she risk loving again?

Leanna Mast never imagined she’d be a widow at forty-one, but it seems God had other plans. After mourning her husband for a year, she realizes it’s time to start living again. But her community expects her to remarry, and after living on her own, she’s not eager to start cooking and cleaning in another man’s home.

When she’s invited to join the Amish Widows Club, she discovers a place of belonging she didn’t even know she needed. In this group of women who support one another through sharing books, stories, and companionship, Leanna immediately feels welcome. She’s sure her life as a widow will bring her the fulfillment she craves . . . until handsome, kind Evan Keim comes calling. As their relationship deepens, her heart becomes involved. But how could she possibly leave the widows club for a dream that might be too good to be true?

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Elise’s Thoughts

The Unexpected Caller by Shelley Shepard Gray is like all the other books she writes; they never disappoint. The story is filled with patience, loneliness, heartbreak, and love. 

Leanna Mast never imagined she’d be a widow at forty-one, but it seems God had other plans. After mourning her husband for a year, she realizes it’s time to start living again. But her community expects her to remarry, and after living on her own, she’s not eager to start cooking and cleaning in another man’s home. 

When she’s invited to join the Amish Widows Club, she discovers a place of belonging she didn’t even know she needed. In this group of women who support one another through sharing books, stories, and companionship, Leanna immediately feels welcome. She’s sure her life as a widow will bring her the fulfillment she craves until handsome, kind Evan Keim comes calling. As their relationship deepens, her heart becomes involved. She is conflicted about leaving the club or getting into a relationship with Evan. 

The story is engaging and readers will have a hard time putting this book down. It is a story that will make readers forget their troubles as they take a journey with the characters. 

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Author Interview

Elise Cooper: Idea for the series? 

Shelley Shepard Gray: I wrote all three books back-to-back to back with the three finished. I was in the whole world for about a year, and then, it was done. I am friends with a lady, who became a widow, maybe five years ago, and her husband had been in hospice for a long time. After he passed away, she felt like she had her life back, because she had been nursing him, and always needed to put his needs first, which is, of course, what you do with someone you love. After a year or so, it was a delight to see her, be excited to go out to eat, or to go with her girlfriends, or someone would say, ‘Well, let’s go do this little tour for the weekend.’ She could do things, and she had said something to me once about, ‘I think I almost took my friends for granted. I just really appreciate what I have with these other ladies that have been in the same position I’ve been in.’ So that just always kind of stuck with me. People think the Amish rules are, if you’re a widow, you must remarry right away, or you’re going to be mourning and sitting alone and wearing black nonstop. I have a feeling, if I was an Amish widow, and under the right circumstances, maybe I would want to go do stuff too. I thought it would be kind of a fun thing just to focus on friendships as much as a romance. 

EC: What do you want to say about the Amish Widows Club? 

SSG: Just because someone is driving a buggy and doesn’t have electricity, they don’t want the same thing that every other woman does, which is camaraderie, friendship, sisterhood. To have people that have your back. That is why I made up this lady, Doreen, who appears at the people’s houses at the beginning of every novel. At first, I wanted it to be completely secret. Like, nobody knew about it unless you’re a widow, and my editors didn’t like it being completely secret. And they are of different ages and are from different classes. These widows have a lot in common. They’ve gone through either a husband’s sudden death, or a long illness, or they’re suddenly alone. They don’t know how to go through life just by themselves.  

EC: It was tough for the main character, Leanna, who had to choose between Evan or the club? 

SSG: If you are married, or in a serious relationship, then maybe you don’t have that need as much as these widows do. And so, I like that idea, too, that it’s kind of you’re invited in, and if you decide to leave, or if you decide to get married, then you’re invited to leave. Leanna had a tough time deciding between the comradery of Evan or the one with this group. 

EC: What do you want to say about her late husband, Willis? 

SSG: He made her feel isolated, empty, depressed, and vulnerable. And she felt helpless, overwhelmed, and dejected around him. She felt like she had to get married and thought it was going to be better than it was. She had no choice, and she kind of was like, ‘This is my bed, and I’m resigned.’ 

EC: How would you describe Leanna? 

SSG: The Unexpected Caller, has one of my favorite lines I’ve ever written to start a book, and I thought it summed it up, because the first line is, ‘she was so tired of being nice.’ And I really liked that about her. I thought she had a secret spunk, with a backbone in there somewhere. She just had to find it. And as she found her strength, she had to come to terms with it. I found a lot of value in her growth. 

EC: What role did Doreen, the head of the Widows Club, play? 

SSG: She was a force of nature. She was just a woman with a goal. She decided this is something that’s needed, and I’m going to form it. I liked that about her. And I saw, in a way, a little bit of me, and because I love books. Well, I’m kind of timid by nature, but I was a teacher for a long time, and I love a good schedule, and I love rules. I’m the best rule follower I know. I guess I channeled a little bit of her, a little bit of me into her, that, you know, she wanted to do this club, and she was going do this club her way. And she was the captain of it who handpicked people that she thought would be good in it. She didn’t ask every woman who was widowed to be part of it. I liked how spunky she was. And opinionated, and she didn’t really apologize. I even have her living so far out. She is not in a church district, so she goes to all different kinds of church districts. I mean, there’s just nothing about her in the norm. But she got along with everyone. 

EC: What about the male lead, Evan? 

SSG: He was kind, suave, debonair, and attentive. I loved all the scenes with his boys. I love the interaction with them. I liked how all the boys were so different, and he accepted who they were. 

EC: What about the relationship between Evan and Leanna? 

SSG: The main issue was she wanted to have a child, and he felt like, ‘no, I’ve been there, done that.’ I tried to have multiple conflicts. After his wife passed away, he’s kind of lonely. As for her, once she started falling in love with him and his family, she started learning more about herself, that it was okay to want things, ‘Well, I’m young enough to still have a baby. What if I have a baby? I would like this to happen one day.’ Then I wanted her to be able to voice that, and I didn’t want her to be afraid to say, ‘Oh, well, you don’t want this. Well, okay,’ because that would be right back where she was before, where she didn’t feel like she had a voice in the marriage. They both were smitten with each other, but there was this tension, and problems that they didn’t want to overlook for a while. I thought it was partly because of their ages, too. 

EC: Do you think Jeremy helped to influence that relationship? 

SSG: Jeremy helped his father see the light, in a sense, out of all the brothers. I like that the youngest son was blunt, and he wasn’t afraid. He wasn’t afraid to just say, ‘Dad, you’re being ridiculous, or what are you thinking?’ Evan seemed almost too nice, so I kind of wanted to have Jeremy realize that Evan’s got some flaws, too. 

EC: What about the role of the relationship between Jeremy, Evan’s son, and Becca, the English woman? 

SSG: I liked Jeremy and his dad a lot together. Jeremy kind of cracked me up, and I thought, ‘Well, Jeremy isn’t sure what he wants to be.’ It was fun just having him interested in this girl. She had her own needs, and I thought they were just a good foil, because he really liked her. She liked him. She had a difficult family life. There was also, she was English. He isn’t sure what he wants to do. And so, there was a nice little conflict, I hadn’t planned on. I wanted Jeremy’s point of view, just so we had an observer. The reader had an observer. 

EC: Next book?  

SSG: I say this series is a little dipping into women’s fiction and maybe just thinking about some other things that women must deal with besides just falling in love and being in a romantic relationship. I like that some of these books has some things for a reader to think about besides just the main romance going on. 

In the next book, The Forbidden Caller, the widow, is only 24. It comes out next month. She wasn’t too keen on joining the Widow’s Club, because she thought, ‘I don’t really want to be with a bunch of old ladies.’ The third book is called The Persistent Caller.  There is a prologue; the next widow was in an awful marriage, and she’s been in the widow’s club a long time. Somebody comes along, and changes her mind, where it becomes a tough decision for her, and she questions, does she want to leave? I believe it comes out in March 

I also have coming out in November, E is for Englisher. It’s a Christmas book, which is my favorite type to write, with baby doll sheep. So, very cute. They’re all named after states. The heroine happens to be a widow, having a hard time of trying to move on. She meets this guy and they kind of bond over the six sheep on Christmas Eve.  

THANK YOU!!

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BIO: Elise Cooper has written book reviews and interviewed best-selling authors since 2009. Her reviews have covered several different genres, including thrillers, mysteries, women’s fiction, romance and cozy mysteries. An avid reader, she engages authors to discuss their works, and to focus on the descriptions of their characters and the plot. While not writing reviews, Elise loves to watch baseball and visit the ocean in Southern California, with her dog and husband.

Book Review: The Old Girls’ Network by Judy Leigh

My Book Review

RATING: 4 out of 5 Stars

THE OLD GIRLS’ NETWORK by Judy Leigh is an emotional roller coaster of a women’s fiction story with romantic elements featuring a trio of septuagenarians; two very different sisters and the man they befriend after hitting him with their car. I enjoy reading these small village British stories to compare and contrast with small town American stories.

Barbara and Pauline are sisters in their seventies who have never been close in location or attitude. Barbara is strait-laced, opinionated, and bossy, while Pauline is a friendly, open-minded, and homey. After a health scare, Barbara tells her sister she is coming to convalesce at her home in the small village of Winsleigh Green. The two soon begin to have trouble with each other.

When Pauline accidentally knocks down an apparent vagrant, Bisto, with her car, she invites him into her home to recuperate. Now as the three get to know each other they learn to embrace each other, let go of the past, and possibly make the changes they need to embrace fresh starts and new loves.

This is a charming story with three protagonists that will make you laugh, cry, and want to hug them all. And while I loved the main characters, the village members were just as eclectic and fun to follow. To read the changes brought on by both pain and/or love in all the characters’ interactions made this heart wrenching, heartwarming and ultimately very satisfying. It was also nice to see these characters in their 70’s find their HEAs and demonstrate that is never too late to change and find happiness and love.

I recommend this delightful women’s fiction.

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About the Author

I’m Judy Leigh. I’ve lived all over the UK from Liverpool to Cornwall, but currently I live in Somerset. After teaching theatre, writing lyrics for a punk band and setting up Shakespeare Festivals, I completed an MA in Professional Writing. Since then, I have been writing novels and having the time of my life doing it.

I write ‘golden’ stories that feature characters of all ages, but focus on the lives of older people.

These novels celebrate communities, fun and friendship, love and the power of laughter, the belief that everyone should have another chance at happiness.

I also write under the name of Elena Collins, who was my grandmother. These are dual timeline historical stories, slightly spooky. Writing in this genre gives me the opportunity to focus on history and the lives of women then and now. Please take a look at my Elena Collins author page. I love writing in this genre and I know you’ll enjoy the stories.

I also write cozy crime under the name of JR Leigh. The Morwenna Mutton ‘Seal Bay’ series is set in a beautiful coastal town in Cornwall, and Morwenna is a sixty-something sleuth who gets into mischief solving local crimes.

In my second series, set in beautiful rural France, DI Archie Darling and his trusty Dalmatian companion Juno set off in their camper van to explore the surrounings, but uncover more than they expect.

.Please check out these books – I know you’ll love them.

When I’m not writing, I’m often on the beach or on the moors, walking, doing yoga or travelling. I’m a Reiki healer, a vegan, an interpreter of dreams and an animal lover. I have three black cats and I enjoy sunshine, conversation, laughter, travelling, live music, theatre and football.

Social Media Links

Website: https://judyleigh.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/judyleighuk/

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

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/the-old-girls-network-by-judy-leigh

Feature Post and Book Review: Love on Beach Avenue by Jennifer Probst

Book Description

Avery Sunshine might not have a soul mate of her own, but she still believes in happily ever after—for her clients. Making dreams come true is her business at Sunshine Bridal, which she runs with her two sisters. When her best friend announces her engagement, Avery is thrilled to take charge of the giddy bride-to-be’s big day. Less thrilling? Her best friend’s arrogant and demanding brother, who just so happens to be the man of honor.

Carter Ross’s first instinct: call 911. He promised to always take care of his impulsive little sister, and he honors that vow. Even if it means taking over her wedding, where he is sure Avery will fail. At best, Avery is unpredictable. At worst, if she’s anything like the spitfire of a college girl he remembers, the main event could run wild.

With Avery and Carter wrestling for control, tempers heat up. So does the spark of attraction they’re fighting with every kiss. As the wedding draws near, it’s time to reconcile a rocky past and make a decision that could change everyone’s lives. Because what they’re rebelling against looks a lot like love.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/50160315-love-on-beach-avenue?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=7nkK8ZCahV&rank=1

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My Book Review

RATING: 4 out of 5 Stars

LOVE ON BEACH AVENUE (The Sunshine Sisters Book #1) by Jennifer Probst is the first contemporary romance in a trilogy featuring the Sunshine sisters who own and run the top Jersey Shore bridal planning business located in Cape May. This first book is an enemies-to-lovers romance with the eldest workaholic Avery always believing her forever love is out there somewhere. An emotional, fun, and sexy start to the trilogy.

Avery Sunshine is excited when her college BFF, Ally, calls with the news she is getting married and she and her fiancée hope Avery can fit them in with little notice for her dream beach wedding. Avery is constantly busy, but she is determined to give Ally the wedding of her dreams. What she does not plan on is Ally’s staid older brother being her man of honor.

Carter Ross has been Ally’s guardian since the death of their parents. He has always put her first and wants her to have the best wedding ever, but he believes hiring Avery is a mistake. Avery and Carter butted heads during her and Ally’s college years and he still sees her as an impulsive and unpredictable influence.

As Avery and Carter battle over every decision and control of the wedding, sparks begin to fly and they discover they want more than just Ally’s happiness.

This is a wonderful introduction to the very different Sunshine sisters. Avery steers the company with an optimistic personality, but her life has become more work than play. Carter knows just how to get her ire up and he becomes just what she needs, for a while, but he has an emotional wall that is difficult to bring down. It is a great back and forth over Ally’s wedding and all the emotional baggage in-between. The secondary characters are funny, supportive, and are a bit of a peek into what I hope are the future sister matchups. I absolutely adored Lucy, Carter’s pampered dog. The dialogue, especially the intense banter between Avery and Carter, is great. The sex scenes are explicit and smokin’ hot while believable to the romance.

I really enjoyed this enemies-to-lovers romance and am looking forward to following the other Sunshine sisters to their HEAs.

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About the Author

Jennifer Probst wrote her first book at twelve years old. She bound it in a folder, read it to her classmates, and hasn’t stopped writing since. She holds a masters in English Literature and lives in the beautiful Hudson Valley in upstate New York. Her family keeps her active, stressed, joyous, and sad her house will never be truly clean. Her passions include horse racing, Scrabble, rescue dogs, Italian food, and wine—not necessarily in that order.

She is the New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of contemporary romance fiction. She was thrilled her book, The Marriage Bargain, spent 26 weeks on the New York Times. Her work has been translated in over a dozen countries, sold over a million copies, and was dubbed a “romance phenom” by Kirkus Reviews. She has over fifty books published.

Sign up for her newsletter at www.jenniferprobst.com/newsletter to receive exclusive material and giveaways.

Social Media Links

Website: https://jenniferprobst.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jenniferprobst.authorpage/

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

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/love-on-beach-avenue-by-jennifer-probst

Friday Feature Author Interview with Elise Cooper: The Cowboy’s Accidental Bride and Winning the Bull Rider’s Heart by Melinda Curtis

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The Cowboy’s Accidental Bride by Melinda Curtis not a single but a home run. All of Melinda’s books blends romance, humor, and relationship issues.

Book Description

Hayden Bennett is done with love. After being left at the altar, the Montana rancher returned home determined to protect his heart and honor his grandfather’s final wishes. But dividing the family ranch five ways, managing a wandering grandmother, and holding everything together alone is more than even a stubborn cowboy can handle.

Single mom Eve Atkinsonis done with marriage, too. Recently divorced and rebuilding her life in Bentwood Creek, the licensed vocational nurse is juggling long shifts, a spirited toddler, and an ex-husband who uses custody threats to control her future. Becoming a registered nurse feels like a dream she may never reach.

When childhood friends Hayden and Eve strike a marriage-of-convenience bargain, it solves more than one problem. She gains stability and protection. He gains the help he desperately needs.

But sharing a home brings buried feelings to the surface. What begins as a practical arrangement soon tests their guarded hearts.

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Elise’s Thoughts

In The Cowboy’s Accidental Bride, Hayden Bennett has returned home after years away to settle his grandfather’s estate. Along with that chore comes the very real concern for his grandmother’s fading memory, especially when she manages to wander off and needs closer supervision. Then he is stunned when Eve Fisher, desperately said that Hayden was her fiancé and that she and Katie would be living on his ranch. She did it to escape her controlling ex-husband who wants her and Katie to return home. Yet, it soon becomes apparent that a marriage of convenience would benefit them both, and she would help him with his grandmother and he would help her deal with her selfish ex-husband. There is also the problem that he was jilted by Evie’s sister at the alter and she had a huge crush on him that she is trying to hide.  

The Cowboy’s Accidental Bride is one of those special books where readers will be disappointed when it is over. These characters leap off the page and face real-life situations that need answers as they struggle with their emotions about each other. Katie stole every scene she was in, and Hayden’s grandmother’s situation felt realistic. In all, this is an excellent start to the new series.

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Winning The Bull Rider’s Heart is a fun, second chance romance story. It is a sweet, uplifting romance full of banter, humor, and drama.

Book Description

Bull rider Noel Emerson left Clementine, Oklahoma—and the girl he loved—to chase his rodeo dreams. When his foster mom’s birthday brings him home four years later, he’s stunned to find that his beautiful ex Sophie Jean is a bigger part of his family than he is. His jealousy chafes worse than a new pair of chaps. But what starts off as a fierce rivalry turns into a sweet reunion. Beautician Sophie Jean Shearer has turned into a fine cowgirl thanks to her ex’s family. And she’s found her own dreams, but will she saddle up for a second chance at forever with her unpredictable cowboy?

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Elise’s Thoughts

Winning The Bull Rider’s Heart story is emotional, full of laughter and tears, assumptions and revelations as they rebuild their relationship. The plot begins with bull rider Noel Emerson coming home to Clementine, Oklahoma, four years later, for his foster mother’s birthday but he is really coming home because of a bad concussion. He tries to keep it a secret but there is no hiding it from his former girlfriend Sophie Jean. They thought their past romance would go the distance, but their opposing views on his career pulled them apart. He struggles with how to fit Sophie Jean and his bull riding career into the same orbit, while Sophie Jean has other ideas. Although she too still loves Noel, she wants him to commit to settling down in Clementine, TX before the bulls he loves to ride end not just his career but his life. Now he must decide which is more important to him, Sophie or his career as a bull rider.

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Author Interview

Elise Cooper: How did you get the idea for The Cowboy’s Accidental Bride?

Melinda Curtis: I hadn’t written a marriage of convenience in a long time, and I like them. I was trying to figure out how I could get a marriage of convenience, and I thought, ‘Oh, well, it would be fun if she had a crush on him, a taboo crush, so how could I do a taboo crush?’ Then I thought, ‘he needs to date her sister, her older sister, and what if they didn’t get married?’ This is the way it kind of started. I enjoy that trope, and I really wanted to do another one. 

EC: How would you describe Hayden?

MC: He felt jilted. He has grudges. He’s organized. He broods. He’s cool. Um, He’s a teaser and guarded. He let that one event define him, for 10 years, what happened with his grandfather. 

EC: How would you describe Evie?

MC: Evie, is a chatterbox, brazen, naive, impulsive, determined, brave, compassionate, and lonely. She comes home to start over and kind of lay that foundation where this is going to be the one place I can put a stake in the ground against her ex. 

EC: Speaking of Evie’s ex, Steven, how would you describe him?

MC: Steven is a workaholic. He seems indifferent to his wife and daughter, selfish. He is sharp tongued, never really gave compliments to Evie, and was possessive. I did not like him although he was unhappy with his choices. But he was a jerk. I wanted to show how managing divorces and child custody, all that stuff is messy, and I didn’t want to gloss over it too much.

EC: What was the role of Katie, Evie’s daughter, and Hayden’s grandmother, Irene, in the story?

MC: Katie kind of worshipped Hayden and she appeared sometimes like she was the boss. Katie is such a girly girl pistol as the boss being an only child. And then the grandmother, she kind of pushed Hayden. The grandmother had a stroke and was trying to recover.  It was sort of based on my mother-in-law, who had a stroke and then dementia, but she has not come back. I wanted to write a character where she came back from dementia because it’s been so draining on all of us with my mother-in-law. The doctor kept saying, ‘You know, we’re going to give it another six months.’ Well, it’s been a year now. And I just needed, for myself, to write a character that has hope, and I find that Irene was so plucky, with this love of her chickens. It’s been fun to write a continuing character that has dementia that is managing it with drugs. You know how I love my humor. And so, I do like to have an older character that says unexpected things. She is my outlet, because of the thing in real life that I can’t fix, and then, my, my need to have humor.

EC: What about the relationship between Evie and Hayden?

MC: Hayden and Evie were soulmates who maybe got along better now than when Hayden was dating her sister. They just needed to come back together at the right time, and now were forced into it. He doesn’t believe in love, and that upsets her, because she had a crush on him and realizes when they had to get married, it was based supposedly on friendship. He did not want to get too close because he was afraid of a broken heart again after what happened with Evie’s sister.

EC: In Winning the Bull Riders’ heart, how did you get the idea for the story?

MC: Well, funny enough, I was talking with my editor about what the next series would be. And we talked about the bull riding teams, which are getting more popular. The Bull Riding Association decided to be like other professional sports and find a way to train their athletes along with having them make money. So, they’ve created these bull riding teams that had a draft. And it’s kind of fascinating., Winning the Bull Riders Heart, had these coaches of these bull riding teams that were retired bull riders. So, this book is kind of the prequel to the new series, and I did stay in Clementine. This allowed me to have a bridge between the two series, even though I have two more books that are coming out in the series.

EC: How would you describe Noel?

MC: Family oriented, cool, has composure, a perfectionist, competitive, cutthroat, witty, and humorous.

EC:  How would you describe Sophie?

MC: Fearful of opening her own business, and scared to make choices.

EC: What about the relationship between Sophie and Noel?

MC: They would probably still have been together if she hadn’t put her foot down and said, ‘I need I need you to commit’, and that ended things. And I think they had lots of unresolved issues. There was a lot of time spent on kind of feeling their way back to each other.

EC: Next books?

MC: The next book in “The Bennetts of Brentwood Creek Series” will have Irene, the grandmother, playing a key part in book two, and a key part in book three. Book two will be Cult’s story because I’m doing them in order of their age. So, Cult is the next oldest brother, and he’s a Bronx rider that’s injured, so he comes back to town, and he’s going to discover that he has some kids that he didn’t know about, having made promises to come back, that he didn’t keep. And then I’m just finishing up Rhett’s book now. Colt’s book comes out in October, and Rhett’s book comes out next April.

The next book in the bull riding series is Cowboys Christmas Twins that comes out in October. In December, I have Snowed in with the Cowboy. 

THANK YOU!!

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BIO: Elise Cooper has written book reviews and interviewed best-selling authors since 2009. Her reviews have covered several different genres, including thrillers, mysteries, women’s fiction, romance and cozy mysteries. An avid reader, she engages authors to discuss their works, and to focus on the descriptions of their characters and the plot. While not writing reviews, Elise loves to watch baseball and visit the ocean in Southern California, with her dog and husband.