It is my turn to share my Feature Post and Book Review on the Blog Tour for Terri Blackstock’s new Christian contemporary second chance romance SMOKE SCREEN. Realistic characters with a mystery subplot made this an entertaining and intriguing read.
Below you will find a book synopsis, an excerpt from the book, my book review and the author’s bio and social media links. Enjoy!
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Book Synopsis
One father was murdered, and another convicted of his death. All because their children fell in love.
Nate Beckett has spent his life fighting wildfires instead of the lies and rumors that drove him from his Colorado home town. His mother begs him to come to Carlisle now that his father has been released from prison, but it isn’t until he’s sidelined by an injury that he’s forced to return and face his past. But that means facing Brenna too.
Fourteen years ago, Nate was in love with the preacher’s daughter. When Pastor Strickland discovered Brenna had defied him to sneak out with Nate, the fight between Strickland and Nate’s drunken dad was loud—and very public. Strickland was found murdered later that night, and everyone accused Roy Beckett. When the church burned down, people assumed it was Nate getting even for his father’s conviction. He let the rumors fly and left Carlisle without looking back.
Now, Brenna is stunned to learn that the man convicted of murdering her father has been pardoned. The events of that night set her life on a bad course, and she’s dealing with a brutal custody battle with her ex and his new wife where he’s using lies and his family’s money to sway the judge. She’s barely hanging on, and she’s turned to alcohol to cope. Shame and fear consume her.
As they deal with the present—including new information about that fateful night and a wildfire that’s threatening their town—their past keeps igniting. Nate is the steady force Brenna has so desperately needed. But she’ll have to learn to trust him again first.
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Excerpt
I woke up in a blinding bright room, my clothes off and something clamped to my face. I tried to reach it, but I couldn’t bend my right arm, and my hand stung. An IV was taped to my other hand, but I moved carefully and touched the thing over my face.
An oxygen mask. I tried to sit up. “What happened?”
T-bird came to my bedside, a sheen of smoky sweat still soiling his face. “Nate, lie back, man.”
“The fire,” I said. “Need to get back. My men.”
“They’re still there. Making progress. But you’re not going anywhere near a fire for a month or so.”
I took the mask off and coughed a little, but managed to catch my breath. “A month?”
“Yep. Second degree burns on 20 percent of your body. Some of the burns are deep.”
It came back to me, the event that had gotten me here.
“The family. Were they injured?”
“Not a scratch or burn. Turns out it was a U.S. Senator from Kansas. He says you’re a hero.”
“You know I had no choice. They were in the path—”
“Take the praise where you can get it, man. We don’t get that much.”
I looked at my right side. My right arm was bandaged, and so was my side and down my right leg to the point where my boots had stopped the flames. Second degree wasn’t so bad, I told myself. Third degree would have been brutal. I’d be able to leave the hospital soon. I’d heal.
“I won’t need a month,” I said.
“Yes, you will. They can’t let you go back. Doctor’s orders. You’re grounded until he releases you.”
I managed to sit up, but it was a bad idea. The burns pulling on my skin reminded me why I shouldn’t. “I can’t be grounded during fire season. Are you crazy? I need to be there. You don’t have enough men as it is.”
“Sorry, Nate. It is what it is. Why don’t you go home to Carlisle for a while? Take it easy.”
Go home? Pop had just been pardoned, and he and my mom were trying to navigate the reunion. Though she would love to have me home, I didn’t know if I was up to it. My father could be challenging, and fourteen years of prison hadn’t done him any favors.
SMOKE SCREEN by Terri Blackstock is her new standalone Christian second chance romance. This is an entertaining and intriguing easy-to-read romance with realistic characters and a mystery subplot.
Fourteen years ago, while in high school, Brenna Strickland, the pastor’s daughter and Nate Beckett, the son of the town drunk fell in love. When Brenna was found to be defying her father and sneaking out to meet Nate, Pastor Strickland confronted Nate’s father in the local bar. It was very loud and very public. The pastor was later found killed in this car and Nate’s father was accused and sent to prison. When the church burned down, not long after, Nate was rumored to have set it because he left town the next day, but he was never charged.
Nate has spent his life as a hotshot fighting wildfires. After being burned while rescuing a family from a wildfire, Nate is put on leave just as his father is coming home after being pardoned by the governor. His mother asks him to come home and he decides to return to face his father and his past.
Brenna is now divorced with two children and living across the street from Nate’s brother. Brenna is in the middle of a brutal custody battle and has lost her faith. She uses alcohol to cope when her children are with their father and his new wife. She is shocked to learn of Nate’s father’s pardon and does not know what to do with her feelings of guilt and anger.
Nate reconnects with Brenna and they easily fall back into their old feelings. Nate wants to help Brenna get over her need for alcohol, fight for her children and find her faith again. When new information on the pastor’s murder surfaces and an arsonist sets wildfires that threaten their town, Nate and Brenna must rely on each other, fight for the truth and be willing to believe in a future together.
I loved Nate and how he turned his life around. He is definitely BBF material and his life as a hotshot was interesting. I felt terrible and frustrated with Brenna. She was a great mother, but her alcohol abuse, while realistic, left me so frustrated. She was giving up and not fighting for her children until Nate showed her how. I was also not aware of the author’s previous books and that this book was a Christian romance, which I would not have read if I had known and I would have missed out on a good story.
The mystery from the past of the pastor’s murder and the church arson where both written and integrated well into the story and tied to the present day wildfire and Brenna’s custody battle. The solution was easy to figure out, but still satisfying.
Overall, I recommend this second chance romance.
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Author’s Bio
Terri Blackstock has sold over seven million books worldwide and is a New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author. She is the award-winning author of Intervention, Vicious Cycle, and Downfall, as well as such series as Cape Refuge, Newpointe 911, the SunCoast Chronicles, and the Restoration Series.
I am very happy to share my Feature Post and Book Review for Lori Foster’s new contemporary romance ALL FIRED UP (Road to Love #3). Even though this is the third book in the series, it is easily read as a standalone.
Below you will find a summary of the book, an excerpt from the book, my book review and the author’s bio and social media links. Enjoy!
Charlotte Parrish has always wanted a certain kind of man: someone responsible, settled, boring. Bad boys need not apply. But when her car leaves her stranded and a mysterious stranger with brooding eyes and a protective streak comes to her rescue, she can’t deny how drawn she is to him. In town searching for family he’s never met, Mitch is everything she never thought she wanted—and suddenly everything she craves.
Finding his half brothers after all these years is more than Mitch Crews has allowed himself to wish for. Finding love never even crossed his mind…until he meets Charlotte. She’s sweet, warmhearted, sexier than she knows—and too damn good for an ex-con like him. But when his past comes back to haunt him, putting Charlotte—and the family he’s come to care for—in danger, Mitch isn’t playing by the rules. He’s already surrendered his heart, but now he’ll risk his life.
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Excerpt
From CHAPTER ONE
The warm, muggy night closed around him, leaving his shirt damp in places. Sweat prickled the back of his neck. Inside Freddie’s he’d find air-conditioning, but he’d never again take fresh air for granted. He valued every single breath of humid air that filled his lungs.
The moon climbed the black sky as time slipped by. How much time, he didn’t know: he’d stopped keeping track the second he saw her.
Headlights from the occasional passing car came near him but didn’t intrude on the shadows where he stood.
Transfixed by her.
Damn, he wanted that mouth.
In the short time he’d locked eyes on her, a dozen fantasies had formed—most of them based on her naked lips, the way she occasionally pursed them, how she twisted her lips to the side in frustration, even how she blew out a breath. The whole package was nice…but it was her mouth that kept him unmoving, staring. Imagining.
Slight of build, she served as a bright spot in the dark gloom. Understated and yet something struck him as undeniably sexy.
Once he’d noticed her, he couldn’t look away.
After speaking softly into a phone, she bit her plump bottom lip, and her expression showed frustrated defeat.
The lady had made several consecutive calls. Was she in need of assistance? Given the way she’d circled a car, occasionally glaring at it, he thought she did. Judging by her frown, there wouldn’t be any help on the way.
Since getting out of prison a year ago, Mitch had spent an excess of time with women. Hell, next to fresh air, freedom and steak, sex topped his list. He’d immersed himself in human contact, the gentleness, the carnality.
He’d taken satisfaction in pleasing someone else while abating a base need. Hell, watching a woman come gave him as much pleasure as his own release.
So he’d gotten his fill and then some—all while making plans to change the course of his life. To make it better. To carve out a meaningful future.
Here he was, where he needed to be, determined, resolute… and sidetracked by a gorgeous woman.
That in itself left him edgy with curiosity. No other woman had snagged his attention this way. He knew zip about her, and yet seeing her had heat building beneath his skin.
He tried to look away, but his attention kept zeroing back.
Freaking bizarre.
It was like seeing something you hadn’t known you wanted, but immediately recognizing it as necessary.
Even dressed in jeans, a T-shirt and flip-flops, he knew the lady had nothing in common with him. Innocence all but screamed from her slender body and reserved manner. To someone with his jaded background, that put her in the “do not touch” category.
His fingers curled and his palms burned. Yeah, he wanted to touch her despite that.
And he didn’t look away.
From the shadowed corner just outside the bar, he watched her thumb dial another number into her phone. While holding the phone to her ear, she paced. The overhead glow of the security light touched her in select places, alternately highlighting and then shadowing her understated curves.
High cheekbones framed a slender, straight nose. She tucked a few drifting curls behind a small ear. Though rounded, he saw the mulish determination in her stubborn little chin.
And that mouth…thoughts of it under his mouth—and on his body—tightened his jaw until his molars ached.
For the first time in years, he wondered if he could put off his agenda for a bit, say something to her, see if there was something between them despite the seemingly obvious roadblocks.
Opposites attract, and all that.
He’d made this trip a center point for a new future.
In this Podunk town he’d subtly uncovered what he could about Brodie and Jack Crews. That was the priority after all. Moving forward, leaving the past behind. It started with the Crews brothers. Hitting the bar tonight might have gained him more insight into them.
But would a slight detour—the type with long curly brown hair and a sweet little body—matter so much?
If he listened to his dick, the answer was no. His balls were giving a resounding “go for it” as well.
His head though… Hell, his head claimed he could afford a delay. In the grand scheme of things, it wouldn’t matter.
Since arriving in town, he’d discovered that the men were well liked, each of them married, and they had an odd but interesting business called Mustang Transport. Locals claimed they dealt with mundane shit as well as serial killers and psychopaths. Somewhere in the middle, the truth lurked.
He’d also heard about their mother. He’d been hearing about her for as long as he could remember. For very different reasons she interested him almost as much as Brodie and Jack.
He had no connection to Rosalyn Crews, but meeting the men felt important in a way nothing else ever had. He couldn’t explain it, even to himself. He’d gone through life making damn sure he needed no one, and that he wanted only for things he could get for himself.
Now, much as it chapped his ass, he wanted something else— and it depended on Brodie and Jack Crews.
It didn’t have to happen right away, though. He wouldn’t mind burning off some energy before making that initial contact—especially if he could convince this woman to give him a few hours of her time.
He noted every small movement as she spoke into her phone. He couldn’t catch every word, but the low murmur of her voice stroked over him. He was pretty sure she left a message.
Suddenly she held the phone back and stared at it. Hot annoyance tightened her mouth and brought down her brows.
“Perfect. Just freaking perfect.”
He heard that loud and clear.
Jamming the phone into a back pocket—a tight fit over that sweetly rounded backside—she dropped her head with a throaty groan that traveled along his spine like a sensual stroke. Her eyes closed, her mouth flattened, and the damp night drew her long, light brown hair into coiling curls.
He’d love to tangle his fingers in her unruly hair.
As if spurred by her innate energy, the curls moved, bouncing a little, drifting with the breeze. Judging people had kept him alive. With this woman, he sensed she didn’t indulge in downtime very often. Even standing still, she seemed to…spark with energy.
Curiosity cut into him, mingling with the carnal interest.
Had she been stood up? Walked out on a date?
Just then she growled, “Dead. Stupid phone.” The thump of her hand to a metal lamppost sent a dull clang ringing over the area. “Now what?”
Ah, well that answered his question.
White teeth nibbled her bottom lip in consideration. Considering, she glanced at the bar, shook her head once, and returned to pacing.
Clouds covered the moon, amplifying the darkness. She was far too petite to be stranded alone.
Doesn’t mean she wants a quick fuck, he argued with himself.
The young woman stewing in front of him might be more likely to sell brownies at a local bake sale, but engage in a hot one-night stand? Probably not.
Sure, she was standing outside a rowdy bar all alone on a late night—but then, so was he.
So what should he do? Be smart and turn away, or see if she needed help? He remained undecided when two men exited the bar with a lot of noisy fanfare.
Drunken asses.
The woman glanced up, then quickly away with a roll of her eyes—but not quickly enough to avoid notice.
“Charlotte, hey! Whatssup?” With a leer, a mop-headed man added, “You waitin’ for me, sugar?”
Mitch caught the way his unshaven bud snickered, proving the irony in the question.
“Definitely not,” she replied, her tone crisp and clear.
Mitch liked the sound of her voice. Not all girly or too sweet, but firm and no-nonsense.
He did not like how the two dunces eyeballed her anyway, stumbling in her direction despite her preferences.
“Ah, c’mon now, don’t be like that,” the talkative one said.
His idiot friend guffawed, stumbled and heckled some more.
Charlotte—nice name—propped her hands on slim hips and issued a dire warning. “You’d be smart to keep walking, Bernie.”
“How come you’re here alone?” He tried a teasing voice that Mitch suspected did the opposite of entice. “You know where to find me this time of night.”
“Drunk, as usual. Yes, I know.” Annoyance squared her narrow shoulders. “Not that it’s any of your business, but I finished a late delivery and was heading home, then had car trouble.”
She didn’t exactly look afraid, but more like fed up. Before Mitch gave it enough thought, his feet carried him out of the shadows and immediately drew her attention.
Soft blue. Now that he saw her eyes more clearly, he found them every bit as compelling as her mouth.
Alert, maybe a little wary, she zeroed in on him. Her lips parted and she blinked twice.
You’re sealing your fate, sugar. He tried a smile of part interest, part reassurance.
Her gaze went beyond him, searching the darkness, and then snapped back again. “Where did you come from?”
With his attention only on her, Mitch held up his hands and avoided a direct answer. “Just seeing if you need any help.”
Emboldened by liquid courage, the two men blustered at him. “G’lost, asshole. She don’t need nothin’ from you.”
As if Bernie and his bad grammar didn’t hover there beside her, Charlotte asked, “You’re new around here?”
Mitch gave her a long look. What, did she know everyone in Red Oak, Ohio? Probably. He could jog the main street, one end to the other, without breaking a sweat. “I’ve been here a few days.” Whether he was passing through, or sticking around, wasn’t her business. Besides, for now, he wasn’t sure.
Brazen stupidity urged Bernie to step up in front of him. “You ain’t listening. I told you to—”
Disgust curved Mitch’s mouth into a mean smile meant to intimidate. “You’re right. I’m not listening to you.” Insulting disregard took his gaze over the smaller man before he dismissed him. “I’m talking only to her.”
By size difference alone, it was beyond ludicrous for Bernie to issue a challenge.
And yet, he did. “Are you fuckin’ stupid?”
Charlotte’s voice, now edged with anger, interrupted anything Mitch might have replied or done. “You’ve been warned, Bernie. If you don’t knock it off right now, you are not going to like the consequences.”
Still, the fool didn’t listen. “I said,” Bernie blasted, his breath putrid, “for you to get lost.” A scrawny fist, aiming for Mitch’s face, swatted through the air.
Bad move, asshole.
Instincts could be a son of a bitch. Mitch leaned away from the weak hit…and at the same time automatically jabbed with his right.
His fist landed right on Bernie’s chin.
Eyes rolling back, the smaller man started to drop.
Infuriated that he’d lost his grip in front of Charlotte, Mitch caught the front of Bernie’s shirt and held him on his tiptoes. “You,” he whispered between barely moving lips, “need to learn when to quit.” Familiar anger surfaced despite his efforts to tamp it down…
And a small, cool hand touched him.
Struck clean down to his toes, Mitch peered first at those pale, tapered fingers with short, neat nails resting lightly against the roped muscles of his sun-darkened forearm.
Fucking sexy, that’s what it was, highlighting all their differences, especially those of strength and capability.
Her face drew him next, the delicate lines, smooth skin…that mouth and those eyes.
That wild hair.
“I think,” she said softly, a smile teasing her mouth, “if you let Bernie go now, he’ll make a hasty retreat.” Slanting those mesmerizing eyes toward old Bernie, she added with silky menace, “At least, he better.”
Keen awareness nudged out anger.
Everything about her appealed to him.
She stood to his left, and the heady scent of her skin and hair—like baby powder and flowers—teased his nose.
He drew a deeper, fuller breath, filling his lungs with her and knew he could happily drown on that scent.
Slowly, wanting to keep her close, Mitch unclenched his fingers and allowed Bernie to stumble back to where his buddy helped to prop him up.
Unconcerned with that, Charlotte’s fingers shifted in the lightest of explorations before she snatched her hand away.
Interesting—especially that splash of color on her cheeks.
She looked up at him, gave a wan smile, and whispered, “Thank you.”
“For popping him?”
Curls bounced as she gave a quick shake of her head. “For not doing him more damage.” She wrinkled her nose, leaning closer to confide, “You could have, I know.”
ALL FIRED UP (Road to Love #3) by Lori Foster is a
new contemporary romance with a suspense element in the Road to Love series.
Even though this is the third book in the series, it is easily read as a
standalone.
Charlotte Parrish was taken in and unofficially adopted by
the Crews family when her mother passed away. The brothers have always treated
her like their little sister. She gives as good as she gets while managing
their office for them. Charlotte loves her job and the all the Crews, but when
it comes to her dream man, she would prefer someone not attracted to danger,
but someone she would not have to worry about on the job and wanting to settle
down.
On the way home from a job delivering a dog to the shelter,
Charlotte’s car gets a flat and leaves her stranded outside the local bar. When
a drunken regular starts bothering her, a stranger appears out of the shadows
and rescues her.
Mitch Crews has come to town to meet the half brothers he
has never known. When he helps the stranded Charlotte, he has no idea his
brothers are about to show up. He is immediately drawn to Charlotte’s kindness,
sass and vulnerability and he knows she is too good for an ex-con like him.
When Mitch’s past comes looking for him, Charlotte and his
new found family are in danger. Mitch will learn he is no longer alone and
family fights together.
Charlotte and Mitch are wonderful characters that worked out
to be perfect for each other. I do not feel they were exactly opposites,
because in the end they really were looking for the same thing for their
futures. This is a slow building romance even with the instant attraction. The
sex scenes appear towards the end of the book and are explicit, but not
gratuitous. Ms. Foster could not have made me happier with Mitch’s dog. I love
my pitties and Brute was a great addition to the story.
This romance has a hero who really deserves a HEA, a heroine
who is sweet and strong, a family that sticks together even as secrets are revealed
and danger stalks them and lovable rescue dogs. I highly recommend this romance
even without reading the first two in the series.
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AUTHOR BIO
Lori Foster is a New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author with books from a variety of publishers, including Berkley/Jove, Kensington, St. Martin’s, Harlequin and Silhouette. Lori has been a recipient of the prestigious RT Book Reviews Career Achievement Award for Series Romantic Fantasy, and for Contemporary Romance. For more about Lori, visit her Web site at www.lorifoster.com.
Today I am sharing the Feature Post and Book Review for Julia London’s first book in her new A Royal Wedding series – THE PRINCESS PLAN.
Below you will find a book summary, an excerpt from the book, my book review and the author’s bio and social media links.
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The Princess Plan
London, Julia
FICTION/Romance/Historical/Victorian
Mass Market | HQN Books | A Royal Wedding
On Sale: 11/19/2019
9781335041531
$7.99
$10.99 CAN
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Book Summary
Princes have pomp and glory—not murdered secretaries and crushes on commoners
Nothing gets London’s high society’s tongues wagging like a good scandal. And when the personal secretary of the visiting Prince Sebastian of Alucia is found murdered, it’s all anyone can talk about, including Eliza Tricklebank. Her unapologetic gossip gazette has benefitted from an anonymous tip about the crime, prompting Sebastian to take an interest in playing detective—and an even greater one in Eliza.
With a trade deal on the line and mounting pressure to secure a noble bride, there’s nothing more salacious than a prince dallying with a commoner. Sebastian finds Eliza’s contrary manner as frustrating as it is seductive, but they’ll have to work together if they’re going to catch the culprit. And when things heat up behind closed doors, it’s the prince who’ll have to decide what comes first—his country or his heart.
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Excerpt
CHAPTER ONE
London 1845
All of London has been on tenterhooks, desperate for a glimpse of Crown Prince Sebastian of Alucia during his highly anticipated visit. Windsor Castle was the scene of Her Majesty’s banquet to welcome him. Sixty-and-one-hundred guests were on hand, feted in St. George’s Hall beneath the various crests of the Order of the Garter. Two thousand pieces of silver cutlery were used, one thousand crystal glasses and goblets. The first course and main dish of lamb and potatoes were served on silver-gilded plates, followed by delicate fruits on French porcelain.
Prince Sebastian presented a large urn fashioned of green Alucian malachite to our Queen Victoria as a gift from his father the King of Alucia. The urn was festooned with delicate ropes of gold around the mouth and the neck.
The Alucian women were attired in dresses of heavy silk worn close to the body, the trains quite long and brought up and fastened with buttons to facilitate walking. Their hair was fashioned into elaborate knots worn at the nape. The Alucian gentlemen wore formal frock coats of black superfine wool that came to midcalf, as well as heavily embroidered waistcoats worn to the hip. It was reported that Crown Prince Sebastian is “rather tall and broad, with a square face and neatly trimmed beard, a full head of hair the color of tea, and eyes the color of moss,” which the discerning reader might think of as a softer shade of green. It is said he possesses a regal air owing chiefly to the many medallions and ribbons he wore befitting his rank.
Honeycutt’s Gazette of Fashion and Domesticity for Ladies
The Right Honorable Justice William Tricklebank, a widower and justice of the Queen’s Bench in Her Majesty’s service, was very nearly blind, his eyesight having steadily eroded into varying and fuzzy shades of gray with age. He could no longer see so much as his hand, which was why his eldest daughter, Miss Eliza Tricklebank, read his papers to him.
Eliza had enlisted the help of Poppy, their housemaid, who was more family than servant, having come to them as an orphaned girl more than twenty years ago. Together, the two of them had anchored strings and ribbons halfway up the walls of his London townhome, and all the judge had to do was follow them with his hand to move from room to room. Among the hazards he faced was a pair of dogs that were far too enthusiastic in their wish to be of some use to him, and a cat who apparently wished him dead, judging by the number of times he put himself in the judge’s path, or leapt into his lap as he sat, or walked across the knitting the judge liked to do while his daughter read to him, or unravelled his ball of yarn without the judge’s notice.
The only other potential impediments to his health were his daughters—Eliza, a spinster, and her younger sister, Hollis, otherwise known as the Widow Honeycutt. They were often together in his home, and when they were, it seemed to him there was quite a lot of laughing at this and shrieking at that. His daughters disputed that they shrieked, and accused him of being old and easily startled. But the judge’s hearing, unlike his eyesight, was quite acute, and those two shrieked with laughter. Often.
At eight-and-twenty, Eliza was unmarried, a fact that had long baffled the judge. There had been an unfortunate and rather infamous misunderstanding with one Mr. Asher Daughton-Cress, who the judge believed was despicable, but that had been ten years ago. Eliza had once been demure and a politely deferential young lady, but she’d shed any pretense of deference when her heart was broken. In the last few years she had emerged vibrant and carefree. He would think such demeanour would recommend her to gentlemen far and wide, but apparently it did not. She’d had only one suitor since her very public scandal, a gentleman some fifteen years older than Eliza. Mr. Norris had faithfully called every day until one day he did not. When the judge had inquired, Eliza had said, “It was not love that compelled him, Pappa. I prefer my life here with you—the work is more agreeable, and I suspect not as many hours as marriage to him would require.”
His youngest, Hollis, had been tragically widowed after only two years of a marriage without issue. While she maintained her own home, she and her delightful wit were a faithful caller to his house at least once a day without fail, and sometimes as much as two or three times per day. He should like to see her remarried, but Hollis insisted she was in no rush to do so. The judge thought she rather preferred her sister’s company to that of a man.
His daughters were thick as thieves, as the saying went, and were coconspirators in something that the judge did not altogether approve of. But he was blind, and they were determined to do what they pleased no matter what he said, so he’d given up trying to talk any practical sense into them.
That questionable activity was the publication of a ladies’ gazette. Tricklebank didn’t think ladies needed a gazette, much less one having to do with frivolous subjects such as fashion, gossip and beauty. But say what he might, his daughters turned a deaf ear to him. They were unfettered in their enthusiasm for this endeavour, and if the two of them could be believed, so was all of London.
The gazette had been established by Hollis’s husband, Sir Percival Honeycutt. Except that Sir Percival had published an entirely different sort of gazette, obviously— one devoted to the latest political and financial news. Now that was a useful publication to the judge’s way of thinking.
Sir Percival’s death was the most tragic of accidents, the result of his carriage sliding off the road into a swollen river during a rain, which also saw the loss of a fine pair of grays. It was a great shock to them all, and the judge had worried about Hollis and her ability to cope with such a loss. But Hollis proved herself an indomitable spirit, and she had turned her grief into efforts to preserve her husband’s name. But as she was a young woman without a man’s education, and could not possibly comprehend the intricacies of politics or financial matters, she had turned the gazette on its head and dedicated it solely to topics that interested women, which naturally would be limited to the latest fashions and the most tantalizing on dits swirling about London’s high society. It was the judge’s impression that women had very little interest in the important matters of the world.
And yet, interestingly, the judge could not deny that Hollis’s version of the gazette was more actively sought than her husband’s had ever been. So much so that Eliza had been pressed into the service of helping her sister prepare her gazette each week. It was curious to Tricklebank that so many members of the Quality were rather desperate to be mentioned among the gazette’s pages.
Today, his daughters were in an unusually high state of excitement, for they had secured the highly sought-after invitations to the Duke of Marlborough’s masquerade ball in honor of the crown prince of Alucia. One would think the world had stopped spinning on its axis and that the heavens had parted and the seas had receded and this veritable God of All Royal Princes had shined his countenance upon London and blessed them all with his presence.
Hogwash.
Everyone knew the prince was here to strike an important trade deal with the English government in the name of King Karl. Alucia was a small European nation with impressive wealth for her size. It was perhaps best known for an ongoing dispute with the neighboring country of Wesloria—the two had a history of war and distrust as fraught as that between England and France.
The judge had read that it was the crown prince who was pushing for modernization in Alucia, and who was the impetus behind the proposed trade agreement. Prince Sebastian envisioned increasing the prosperity of Alucia by trading cotton and iron ore for manufactured goods. But according to the judge’s daughters, that was not the most important part of the trade negotiations. The important part was that the prince was also in search of a marriage bargain.
“It’s what everyone says,” Hollis had insisted to her father over supper recently “And how is it, my dear, that everyone knows what the prince intends?” the judge asked as he stroked the cat, Pris, on his lap. The cat had been named Princess when the family believed it a female. When the houseman Ben discovered that Princess was, in fact, a male, Eliza said it was too late to change the name. So they’d shortened it to Pris. “Did the prince send a letter? Announce it in the Times?”
“Caro says,” Hollis countered, as if that were quite obvious to anyone with half a brain where she got her information. “She knows everything about everyone, Pappa.”
“Aha. If Caro says it, then by all means, it must be true.”
“You must yourself admit she is rarely wrong,” Hollis had said with an indignant sniff.
Caro, or Lady Caroline Hawke, had been a lifelong friend to his daughters, and had been so often underfoot in the Tricklebank house that for many years, it seemed to the judge that he had three daughters.
Caroline was the only sibling of Lord Beckett Hawke and was also his ward. Long ago, a cholera outbreak had swept through London, and both Caro’s mother and his children’s mother had succumbed. Amelia, his wife, and Lady Hawke had been dear friends. They’d sent their children to the Hawke summer estate when Amelia had taken ill. Lady Hawke had insisted on caring for her friend and, well, in the end, they were both lost.
Lord Hawke was an up-and-coming young lord and politician, known for his progressive ideas in the House of Lords. He was rather handsome, Hollis said, a popular figure, and socially in high demand. Which meant that, by association, so was his sister. She, too, was quite comely, which made her presence all the easier to her brother’s many friends, the judge suspected.
But Caroline did seem to know everyone in London, and was constantly calling on the Tricklebank household to spout the gossip she’d gleaned in homes across Mayfair. Here was an industrious young lady—she called on three salons a day if she called on one. The judge supposed her brother scarcely need worry about putting food in their cupboards, for the two of them were dining with this four-and-twenty or that ten-and-six almost every night. It was a wonder Caroline wasn’t a plump little peach.
Perhaps she was. In truth, she was merely another shadow to the judge these days.
“And she was at Windsor and dined with the queen,” Hollis added with superiority.
“You mean Caro was in the same room but one hundred persons away from the queen,” the judge suggested. He knew how these fancy suppers went.
“Well, she was there, Pappa, and she met the Alucians, and she knows a great deal about them now. I am quite determined to discover who the prince intends to offer for and announce it in the gazette before anyone else. Can you imagine? I shall be the talk of London!”
This was precisely what Mr. Tricklebank didn’t like about the gazette. He did not want his daughters to be the talk of London.
But it was not the day for him to make this point, for his daughters were restless, moving about the house with an urgency he was not accustomed to. Today was the day of the Royal Masquerade Ball, and the sound of crisp petticoats and silk rustled around him, and the scent of perfume wafted into his nose when they passed. His daughters were waiting impatiently for Lord Hawke’s brougham to come round and fetch them. Their masks, he was given to understand, had already arrived at the Hawke House, commissioned, Eliza had breathlessly reported, from “Mrs. Cubison herself.”
He did not know who Mrs. Cubison was.
And frankly, he didn’t know how Caro had managed to finagle the invitations to a ball at Kensington Palace for his two daughters—for the good Lord knew the Tricklebanks did not have the necessary connections to achieve such a feat.
He could feel their eagerness, their anxiety in the nervous pitch of their giggling when they spoke to each other. Even Poppy seemed nervous. He supposed this was to be the ball by which all other balls in the history of mankind would forever be judged, but he was quite thankful he was too blind to attend.
When the knock at the door came, he was startled by such squealing and furious activity rushing by him that he could only surmise that the brougham had arrived and the time had come to go to the ball.
THE PRINCESS PLAN (A Royal Wedding #1) by Julia
London is the first book in a new historical romance series. A Cinderella
styled romance with a mystery subplot.
Prince Sebastian of Alucia is in London to officially close
a trade deal with England as well as secure a noble bride. The morning after a
masked ball, the personal secretary and most trusted friend of the Prince is
found murdered in his bed.
Every tongue in London is wagging, but no one seems to know who
is responsible. Prince Sebastian is told that a ladies’ gossip and fashion
gazette has printed a rumor implicating a member of his entourage. He and his
brother seek out the author.
Eliza Tricklebank is a spinster firmly on the shelf after a
scandal in her youth. She lives with and assists her blind father who is a
judge on the Queen’s bench. With her widowed sister, Hollis and their best
friend, Carolyn, the three produce the gazette the princes seek.
Prince Sebastian does not know what to make of this commoner
who has no regard to his status, but he is also intrigued. Sebastian finds
Eliza frustrating, but also helpful in his quest. As they work together to
uncover a killer, their attraction grows. As everything comes to a head, Sebastian
will have to choose between his country or his heart.
I enjoyed Sebastian and Eliza and their banter. I also
enjoyed Eliza with her sister and friend as the three always supported each
other. I did feel that this story had some problems with being in the
historical genre and would have been better suited in a more modern setting. No
matter how enlightened, I had to suspend historical belief on the way Eliza dealt
with the Prince, also at a ball when Eliza ran into the man who caused her young
scandal because he was with his pregnant wife, which in no way would happen; women
stayed at home when pregnant.
This is a fun, fluffy and fast read, but not my favorite by
this author.
***
Author Bio and Social Media Links
AUTHOR BIO
Julia London is a NYT, USA Today and Publishers Weekly bestselling author of historical and contemporary romance. She is a six-time finalist for the RITA Award of excellence in romantic fiction, and the recipient of RT Bookclub’s Best Historical Novel.
I am happy to share this Feature Post and Book Review for Karina Halle’s new release DISARM (The Dumonts Book 2).
Below, you will find a Q&A with the author, an excerpt, my book review, a book summary, the author’s bioand social media links and a Rafflecopter giveaway.
***
Q&A: Author Karina Halle
1. To start off, can you tell us a little about
your main characters from Disarm. Seraphine and Blaise have quite a
history (not to mention they share the same last name!)
Seraphine and Blaise Dumont are (gasp) cousins. But not to worry, they
aren’t blood-related. Seraphine is actually from India and was adopted by
Ludovic Dumont when she was a young girl. Even though she was brought into the
“nice” side of the family, she has always had trouble fitting in. Her
looks, her accent, the fact that she was born poor and discarded like trash,
gives her a very different perspective to life than her affluent family. This
POV has colored her into the very outspoken, vibrant and feisty woman she
is today – she is definitely one of my favorite female characters I’ve written.
Blaise, of course, belongs to the bad side of the family, though there were
hints in the first book, Discretion, that he’s not as bad as you would
think. In fact, he’s a lot like Seraphine, a bit of an outcast and the black
sheep of his family. As we read Disarm, we also discover the history
that Blaise and Seraphine have together which sets up for the angst, tension
and hate for each other that they have in the present day, especially as
Seraphine thinks Blaise has something to do with her father’s death.
2. They live in a world of privilege that most of us cannot fathom.
What are the biggest pluses and some minuses of living with fabulous wealth?
The biggest plus is the material things: houses, cars, clothes, jets,
vacations. You name it, they have it. You would also think a great deal of
freedom comes with money too and it does but with that sort of wealth, it makes
you go to great lengths to keep it. So that freedom still ties you to the
wealth, in maintaining it and getting more of it. Of course, it breeds some
pretty out of touch and unscrupulous characters, too, and you can never know who
to trust when your world (and family) revolves around money instead of love.
3. What about Blaise makes him totally unique and different from all other book
boyfriends?
The torch he has carried for Seraphine for so
many years. This man is the epitome of yearning and pining for someone you
can’t have, more so than most book boyfriends you’ve come across (and I won’t
spoil exactly how but you’ll find out in the book just how secretly devoted to
his cousin he is). He’s also an anti-hero, a man who has done some crooked
stuff but still tries to do the right thing, even if it comes at the expense of
his own family.
4. Seraphine has faced many difficulties during her life, but one of her
toughest challenges is thinking Blaise abandoned her. How does she deal with
this heartbreak?
She deals with it the
way that Seraphine deals with any hardship—she tucks it away deep down inside
and rises above it. She’ll force herself to be strong – her pride is very
powerful – and she’ll trick herself into thinking she never cared about him to
begin with. It’s much easier to paint Blaise with a villainous brush, that way
it doesn’t hurt so much.
5.
Extreme events are said to bring out a person’s true character. What harrowing
situations do Seraphine and Blaise get entangled in and what does this say
about them?
There isn’t anything more extreme than fighting
for your life, and the two of them have had to do that in this book. Literally.
But they willingly walked into those situations as a way to put an end to the
tangled web they’ve been caught in. It says they would rather face it and fight
than flee. This is especially true for Blaise, who, at the end of the book,
choses to confront his loved ones face to face, even if it potentially means
making some difficult choices.
6. What scene from the book do you think readers will enjoy the most and why?
Personally, I love the scene at the end, a nail-biting
showdown between Blaise and his brother Pascal (and his father, too). That was
a blast to write and read, I basically just watched it all unfold in my head
and it had my heart pumping as if I was watching a movie. It’s DELICIOUS.
Romance-wise, I think the flashbacks are pretty special, particularly their
first kiss in Italy. There was something about that scene that felt so real.
7. It is often said that writing is re-writing. What were some things that
didn’t make it into the book that you were hoping to add?
Nothing. It’s all in
there, baby! If anything, scenes were added during edits.
8.
What did you learn about yourself while writing this book?
I learned a lot about
Muay Thai fighting moves haha.
9.
What do you want readers to take away from reading this book?
That family isn’t just through blood, and that
sometimes in order to do the right thing and be your own person, you musn’t be
afraid to stand up to your family, even if it means tension or separation down
the line.
10. Who is the next Dumont on your list to receive their own story?
The infamous Pascal. And believe me when I say,
this villain’s story will both wow and win people over. His book is even more
thrilling and dramatic than Disarm and I can’t wait for everyone to read
it!
***
Excerpt
“We can never be together, Blaise,” Seraphine
says, like frustration is rolling through her. “I know you understand that.”
“But it doesn’t mean we can’t try.”
“No,” she says and suddenly gets up to her
feet, walking out of the room. “No. I can’t do this. I can’t handle this,” I
hear her cry out as she heads down the hall.
I get up and run after her, grabbing her by the
arm and pulling her right up against me, and she opens her mouth to protest and
then my mouth is on hers, swallowing her words.
I kiss her with everything I have, every bit of
anger and frustration and the years of lust and pining and wanting. I should be
more gentle after the night she’s had, but I can’t help myself; in fact, I
think I’m seconds from turning into an animal as I hold the back of her head
and press my hand at the small of her waist, keeping her pressed as close to me
as possible.
Her tongue slides across mine, hot and fevered
and—
She pulls back, gasping for breath, and slaps
me across the face.
Whack.
That hurt.
“What the hell is wrong with you?” she says.
“What are you doing? What am I doing?”
Her face is red with anger, perhaps even shame.
I mean, my cheek is stinging from her powerful wallop, but even so, I expected
it. She’s always been the type of woman to put you in your place. But I didn’t
expect her to slide so easily back into hating me.
“Don’t pretend you haven’t been dreaming about
that,” I tell her, trying to control myself. “Don’t pretend that you haven’t
wanted that, wanted me, all these years.”
“The only thing I’ve been dreaming about,
Blaise, is getting justice for my father. That’s it. That’s all that matters.
And as far as I’m concerned, you’re no better than the rest of them.”
Anger pokes at me, building up inside. “Hey,” I
say, my inflection razor sharp. “I risked my neck tonight for you. I saved you
from a bad situation. And more than that, I let you know the truth. I chose you
over my family.”
“And I’m choosing not to trust you,” she says.
“You’ve given me no sign over the years that I mean anything to you at all. Why
should I believe you now? Why do that when it might derail everything I’m
working on?” Something comes over her, a flash in her eyes, as she’s realizing
something. “This is all a setup, isn’t it? This is just something that Pascal
is having you do, just like you followed me. You’re supposed to tell me all
this nonsense about wanting me and staying celibate like some joke and waiting
for me, and it’s all a lie to get my guard down. If you’re telling me I’m in
danger, it’s because you’re putting me there.”
I knew she’d go this route at some point, but
even so, it stings. “That’s not it at all. Seraphine, please, I’m serious.”
“You just want me to back off because I’m close
to the truth,” she says, shaking her head wildly as the idea takes over. “For
all I know, every single thing this evening that’s come out of your mouth has
been a complete lie, all to throw me off.”
I run my hands down my face, trying to squash
my frustration. I knew this was coming, and yet that tiny coal of hope was
always burning inside. “That’s not true,” I mutter into my hands, but I know
when she gets like this that there’s no changing her mind.
“Get out,” she says.
I look up to see her opening the door and
gesturing for me to hurry up.
“You’re making a big mistake by not trusting
me,” I tell her.
“And I don’t take threats very well. Get out,
and if I see you around me again . . .”
I almost laugh. “You will see me again. At work
tomorrow.”
“Right. I almost forgot that you’re taking over
my job.” She runs her fingers under her eyes and sighs so defeatedly that
leaving her feels like a crime.
“It’s not like that,” I tell her.
“Just go,” she says quietly, holding open the
door and looking away, like she can’t be bothered to face me.
“You know where to reach me, if anything
happens,” I tell her as I walk past and out into the hall.
“If anything happens, you’ll be the first one
I’ll blame,” she says to me.
Before I can say anything in response, she
closes the door in my face.
***
My Book Review
RATING: 4 out of 5 Stars
DISARM (The Dumonts Book 2) by Karina Halle is the
new contemporary romance set in the privileged and ultrarich French family
dynasty of the Dumonts. This is the second book in the series, but it can
easily read as a standalone.
Seraphine Dumont was adopted by the Dumonts at the age of eight from an English orphanage. Of Indian decent, Seraphine has beautiful exotic features and has grown up with the love of her parents and two brothers. She has worked hard to get to the top of the beauty department of the Dumont dynasty.
Everything changes with her father’s suspicious and sudden
death at their annual masked ball.
Her uncle has taken over the company and placed his two sons
in positions of power. Seraphine’s position is now tenuous at best because not
only has she never gotten along with her uncle’s family, but she is working to
prove that he was responsible for her father’s death.
Blaise Dumont is Seraphine’s cousin, but not by birth. He
has always felt an outsider in his own family and been intrigued by Seraphine. As
the two have matured, they find that they can no longer ignore the passion that
is growing between them, but her quest to prove his father guilty of her father’s
death has placed her in danger that even Blaise may not be able to save her
from.
I enjoyed Seraphine and Blaise’s growing romance with the
author’s flashbacks to how it evolved. Seraphine was a believable character
with all the issues of an adoptive child. I liked Blaise and his continued avoidance
of the dark side of his family’s business, but I found it difficult to believe
he would stay celibate for years waiting for Seraphine. This was an enjoyable
and easy-to-read romance with an easily solved mystery and dark, manipulative
and secretive family members. For me, this was similar to reading/watching an
episode of Dallas or Dynasty. (Yes, I know I just dated myself.)
***
About The Book
Title: Disarm
Author: Karina Halle
Release Date: November 19,
2019
Publisher: Montlake
Summary
Seraphine Dumont seems to have it all: she’s gorgeous, brilliant, and part of one of France’s most illustrious dynasties. But underneath the facade, Seraphine struggles to hold it all together. Besides grieving her adoptive father’s suspicious and sudden death, she also shares a tenuous role in the family business with Blaise, her in-name-only cousin. As tumultuous as their history is, he may be the only member of the deceptive Dumont family she can trust.
Seraphine is a temptation Blaise can’t resist. The torch he’s carried for years still burns. It’s his secret—a quiet obsession just out of reach. Until his brother demands that he spy on the increasingly cagey Seraphine, whom their father considers a dispensable Dumont outlier. But the more Blaise watches her and the closer he gets, the more he sees Seraphine may have every right to be suspicious. And she could be the next one in danger—from his own family.
As blood runs hot and hearts give in, Seraphine and Blaise have only each other. But can their love survive the secrets they’re about to uncover?
***
Author Biography
Karina Halle, a former travel writer and music journalist, is
the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA
Today bestselling author of The Pact, A Nordic King, and Sins
& Needles, as well as fifty other wild and romantic reads. She, her
husband, and their adopted pit bull live in a rain forest on an island off
British Columbia, where they operate a B&B that’s perfect for writers’
retreats. In the winter, you can often find them in California or on their
beloved island of Kauai, soaking up as much sun (and getting as much
inspiration) as possible. For more information, visit www.authorkarinahalle.com/books.
Today I am very happy to share my Feature Post and Book Review for Carolyn Brown’s new release THE FAMILY JOURNAL. This is my favorite of Ms. Brown’s books to date. Being able to read about your female ancestors in their own words for generations and while doing so, rebuilding your bond with your own daughter leads to a story that is heartfelt and endearing.
Below I have included an interview with the author about her 100th book!, an excerpt from the title, my book review, the author’s bio and social media links and a Rafflecopter giveaway for a $25 Amazon gift card and a digital copy of the book. As always, good luck and enjoy!
***
Carolyn Brown Answers Questions About Writing a Hundred
Books
1.
Tell us about the first time you remember ever putting pen to paper. Was it a
slow evolution to becoming an author, or did you have an epiphany that this is
what you were supposed to be doing?
I really can’t remember when I didn’t write stories, but I got serious about
writing a book when my third child was born. She had her days and nights turned
around. Since I had to be up until the wee hours of the morning, I got out a
notebook, sharpened some pencils and started my first novel. I was twenty-four
that year. For the next twenty-five years I collected rejection slips. I do
believe I have enough to wallpaper the White House. I don’t mean that little
two holer down at the end of the path in Grammie’s back yard, but the one in
Washington, D.C. When I was forty-nine, I got “the call”. That was twenty-two
years and one hundred books ago, and I know in my heart and soul that this is
what I’m supposed to be doing.
2. Is there anyone in your family that writes? Did you have a mentor that
helped you push forward to become a full-time author?
My husband, Charles C. Brown, has written nine mysteries and is working on his
tenth. He’s been my biggest supporter through my whole career. He’s a retired
high school English teacher and he does the first edit on my books. Commas are
not my friend, but they are his buddies—thank goodness.
3. How have you evolved as an author? What are some things that have changed
since when you started writing up until now?
In the physical part of the business, lots has changed. I wrote most of my very
first book by hand. When Mr. B bought a used typewrite at a garage sale and
brought it in to me, I thought I’d died and gone to heaven. In those sent in
proposals with SASE (that’s self-addressed stamped envelopes) and if the editor
wanted to see more, we sent in the full manuscript by mail. Now everything is
sent over cyberspace. I will be donating the typewriter Mr. B bought me to the
Johnston County Chickasaw Bank Museum on November 16th. My display shares a
room there with Te Ata, Gene Autry and Blake Shelton. I’m signing copies of The
Family Journal there on that day from 2 to 4 p.m.
In
the evolution as a write, I hope that each book is better than the last and
that all my books resonate with readers, touch their emotions and make them
anxious to get the next one.
4. Do you have a set schedule for writing? Do you have any writing rituals
or things that get you in the mood to write?
I’m very disciplined. I write somewhere between three and five thousand words a
day. Sometimes it’s pure trash, but you can fix trash. You can’t fix nothing.
From the time I start a book, my characters are in my head. They eat with me,
sleep with me, talk to me…. shhhh…don’t tell anyone I hear voices!
5. Tell us about some turning points as a writer – some big things that
happened that really changed your career.
One of the biggest things that changed my career was when Amazon bought the
literary company, Avalon, and turned more than forty of my titles into
paperbacks and digital. That made them financially available for more people,
and my readership grew by leaps and bounds. Another was when I finally made the
New York Times and the USA Today bestseller lists. But I have to
say that hitting the number one spot on Amazon was a really the icing on the
cupcake.
6. What does your writing future look like?
My future will simply be to keep on doing what I’m doing, and hope my readers
continue to love my stories. There are five books on the docket for 2020, and
four or five novellas. And we’ve already got a few scheduled for 2021.
7. What made you want your book, The Family Journal, your hundredth
book? What makes this story and these characters special to you?
Family! Plain and simple. What better way to celebrate reaching one of my
goals—to publish one hundred books—than to write about family? This story is
about several generations of strong women in the past, a mother who’s at her
wit’s end in the present, and a young daughter who represents the future. It’s
family from the emotional first scene to the last.
***
Excerpt:
Lily
reached for her tea at the same time Mack was setting his glass back down.
Their hands touched again. Her breath caught in her chest, and her pulse jacked
up several notches.
“I’m
going to ask you a dumb question,” he drawled. “Do you feel chemistry between
us?”
Her
chest tightened. Of course she felt something between them, but she damn sure
didn’t want to talk about it like they were discussing the price of goat feed.
And yet . . . they were adults, not hormonal teenagers who jumped into the fire
with both feet when they felt something for another person. How many times had
she told her clients in therapy sessions to talk things out?
“Why
is that dumb?” she asked.
“It
kind of sounded dumb in my head, and even more so when I said it,” he
said.
“Yes,
I do feel something between us.” She nodded. “I’ve wondered if it’s because I
haven’t dated all that much. How about you?”
“No
dates in three years. Nothing serious since Natalie,” he admitted.
“Do
you think it’s because we hav-haven’t,” she stammered.
“No,
I think there’s definitely an attraction between us, and I’ll tell you right
now, up front, you deserve better than me,” he said.
Lily
frowned so hard that her eyes became mere slits. “Why would you say a stupid
thing like that?”
“I’m
a high school vo-ag teacher, and I’ll never be rich. Hell, I’m forty-one, and I
don’t even own a house. I’ve just got a pickup that’s paid for and a herd of
goats,” he said.
“Why,
Mack Cooper, are you thinkin’ marriage?” she joked. “You haven’t even kissed me
yet.”
“I’m
just thinking that we shouldn’t start anything without being completely honest,
and, honey, I can remedy that kissing part anytime.” His green eyes
twinkled.
Lily
felt heat rising to her cheeks when she thought of kissing him. How in the
devil would it even work if they did decide to go out, or got into a
relationship beyond friendship? They lived in the same house with Holly and
Braden underfoot all the time. “I’ve got two kids,” she blurted out.
“I’ve
got forty goats.” He grinned.
“Did
you say it’s time to go feed the goats?” Braden came across the room and leaned
his arms on the back of the sofa.
Point
proven, she
thought.
“Yep,
it is,” Mack answered. “I reckon we both need to get changed so we don’t ruin
our good clothes.”
“I’ll
be down in five minutes.” Braden ran up the stairs.
Mack
crossed the room and bent to brush a sweet kiss across her lips. The tenderness
of his mouth barely touching hers and his drawl combined to send a heat flash
through her whole body. If that brief contact created such an effect, a
relationship might burn down the house.
***
My Book Review:
RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars
THE FAMILY JOURNAL by Carolyn Brown is her 100th novel
and it is my favorite to date! This is a wonderful, heartfelt and endearing
story of a divorced mother who has decided to make a new start with her
children in her childhood home in rural Texas.
Lily Anderson has had enough. She caught her disrespectful
teenage daughter smoking a joint and has found out her preteen son is sneaking
out to drink beer and smoke cigarettes with his friends. Her ex-husband gave
Lily full custody in the divorce, so she has taken all their electronic devices
and is packing up and moving out of Austin to her rural childhood hometown of
Comfort, Texas. Lily is desperate to get her children back on the right path.
Mack Cooper has been renting Lily’s home since the death of
her mother and raising goats on the property while also teaching ag classes at the
high school. Lily is willing to share the house with Mack until she decides if
they will be staying or moving back to Austin when the school year is over.
Never married and having been cheated on not once, but twice Mack is happy with
the company, but wary with his heart.
As Lily and her children begin to find a new normal, friends
and reconnect, Mack plays an active part in their lives. Lily is also able to bond
with her daughter over an old journal found in her mother’s desk. Passed down
in her family for generations from mother to daughter, Lily and her daughter learn
of all the strong women in their family’s past in their own words.
Will Lily be able to make this move work for herself and her
children? And will she stay in Comfort to take a chance on a new man to make
her house a home?
I curled up on my couch to start this book after lunch and I
could not stop reading until the end. Having raised my son as a single mom, I
could easily empathize with the trials Lily was going through with her children.
Mack was a strong and steady hero for both Lily and her children and I feel the
cozy romance was written perfectly for their situation. All of Lily’s childhood
friends in Comfort added depth to the story. The most intriguing parts for me
were reading the journal entries. I had to keep turning the pages because I was
as interested in the women’s stories as Lily and her daughter.
This is an all around wonderful story of family love that I
can highly recommend!
***
About the Book:
Title: The Family Journal
Author: Carolyn Brown
Release Date: November 12, 2019
Publisher: Montlake Romance
Summary:
At the end of her rope, single mom Lily Anderson is
determined to move her rebellious children in the right direction. That means
taking away their cell phones, tablets, and computers—at least temporarily—and
moving to the house where Lily grew up in the rural town of Comfort, Texas. But
Lily has a bigger challenge than two sulking kids.
The house comes with Mack Cooper, high school teacher and handsome longtime
renter. The arrangement: just housemates. But Mack’s devoted attention to the
kids starts to warm Lily’s resistant heart. Then Lily finds an old
leather-bound book in which five generations of her female ancestors shared
their struggles and dreams. To Lily, it’s a bracing reminder about the
importance of family . . . and love.
Now it’s time for Lily to add an adventurous new chapter to the cherished family journal—by embracing a fresh start and taking a chance on a man who could make her house a home.
***
Author Biography:
Carolyn Brown is a RITA finalist and the New York Times,
USA Today, Publishers Weekly, and Wall Street Journal bestselling
author of one hundred books. Her genres include contemporary and historical
romances, cowboy and country music romances, and women’s fiction. She and her
husband live in the small town of Davis, Oklahoma, where everyone knows
everyone else, knows what they are doing and when . . . and reads the
local newspaper every Wednesday to see who got caught. They have three grown
children and enough grandchildren to keep them young. Visit Carolyn at www.carolynbrownbooks.com.
I am very excited to once again be a part of a Release Blitz for a new Freya Barker book! TRACKING TAHLULA (Police and Fire: Operation Alpha Series, On Call #3) is another GREAT romantic suspense addition to the series!
Below you will find a description of the book, my book review and the author’s info and social media links. Enjoy!
As author Tahlula Rae has discovered; success is a double-edged sword. Leading a quiet and anonymous life, she isn’t prepared for the hateful backlash when her latest book hit the lists, propelling her into the limelight. No longer feeling safe in Denver, she takes her laptop and dog, Luke, and moves to the mountains around Durango, where her peaceful solitude is disrupted when a red-bearded man knocks on her door.
While one of the fire department’s finest, Evan Biel, is relatively content with his life, he can’t escape the sense something’s missing. When on fire-safety housecalls, he finds himself staring into a pair of soulful, copper-colored eyes sparking a deep interest. Discovering the exotic-looking woman may be in more trouble than he can handle, he tries—yet fails—to keep his distance.
When Tahlula offers San Antonio firefighters, Moose and Penelope Jacobs, temporary lodging, as they help fight seasonal wildfires, Evan’s relieved she’s no longer alone on the mountain. Yet when her troubles become outright threats on her life, his focus has to be keeping Tahlula safe.
TRACKING TAHLULA (Police and Fire: Operation Alpha Series, On Call #3) by Freya Barker is a GREAT romantic suspense addition to this series! Ms. Barker always gives me realistic characters that I would love to be friends with out of her books. This book can be read as a standalone, but there are several crossover characters from previous books in this series and Susan Stoker’s Operation Alpha world.
Tahlula Rae is a successful romantic suspense author who is
finding herself in a real-life suspense plot. As soon as she hit the NY Times
bestseller list and had to do live publicity, she seems to be the target of a
stalker for an unknown reason. After a break-in, she moves to Durango from
Denver with her rescue dog, Luke to be closer to her brother and hopefully get
away from any danger.
Evan Biel, Durango firefighter and paramedic is out making fire-safety
house calls. As he rings the bell for a remote home in the hills, he is
surprised by the exotic beauty with the soulful copper eyes who answers the door.
Evan finds he cannot get the feisty, independent, pregnant woman off his mind.
As their relationship grows, Tahlula and Evan work to
balance her independent streak vs. his protective nature. At the same time, the
summer wildfire season threatens the city as the personal dangers to Tahlula
increase. Can Evan and his friends keep Tahlula safe?
I always LOVE Ms. Barker’s characters! They are mature,
realistic, smart and likable. The romantic suspense plots keep you turning the
pages, but it is always the characters that make Ms. Barker’s books a “must buy”
for me. I am happy when I find an author who writes about older characters
finding their HEAs and Ms. Barker does it so well.
I recommend this romantic suspense and the whole series for
great characters and stories. I highly recommend Freya Barker for realistic
mature HEAs.
***
About Freya:
Freya Barker loves writing about ordinary people with extraordinary stories.
Driven to make her books about ‘real’ people; with characters who are perhaps less than perfect, but just as deserving of romance, thrills and chills, and their own slice of happy.
A recipient of the RomCon “Reader’s Choice” Award for best first book, “Slim To None”, and Finalist for the Kindle Book Award with “From Dust”, Freya has not slowed down.
She continues to add to her rapidly growing collection of published novels as she spins story after story with an endless supply of bruised and dented characters, vying for attention!
