A MERCIFUL FATE (Mercy Kilpatrick #5) by Kendra Elliot is
the latest romantic suspense, mystery/suspense, FBI procedural, who cares what
you call it, cannot put it down read featuring one of my favorite main
characters! This is a series I recommend you read in order because each book
builds on all of the characters’ relationships and secrets besides giving you
new crimes and/or mysteries in each.
Special Agent Mercy Kilpatrick is thrown into a notorious,
decades old bank robbery when the skeleton of one of the robbers is found in a
decaying cabin. The mastermind of the team was captured and put in prison, but
the money and the rest of the gang seem to have disappeared into thin air. Just
as Mercy starts reinvestigating the robbery, a young tabloid reporter shows up
in Eagle’s Nest asking questions that are threatening long buried secrets.
Police Chief Truman Daly gets pulled into the investigation
when the reporter is found dead in her car. Some of the people have secrets and
are not who they appear in the Eagle’s Nest community. Whether they are related
to the old robbery or not, they want them kept secret. Mercy and Truman need to
reveal them all to find the threat to their community and family. Some long
held friends and neighbors are not who or what they seem.
This series just keeps getting better and better. The old,
unsolved robbery is an intriguing crime plot that builds the suspense and threat
level at a rapid rate throughout the story. I was very surprised throughout the
resolution. I love Mercy and Truman’s relationship and how Mercy is learning to
navigate their relationship while balancing everything with her long held prepper
lifestyle. All of the secondary characters are becoming fully fleshed out
characters that I look for now in each book.
My only slight criticism of this series is that I believe
Mercy’s father may have a point. Not his indifference or stubbornness, but the
people around Mercy seem to be injured or killed quite frequently. In most series
the main character is injured or almost killed so many times you wonder how
they can keep recovering and working, but it is those around Mercy who suffer
this author’s wrath.
That said, I highly recommend this series and Mercy! I
always look forward to reading these books and catching up with all of the
Eagle’s Nest community.
Today’s Feature Post and Book Review is for Tracy Brogan’s MY KIND OF FOREVER (Trillium Bay #2). This blog post includes a message from the author, an excerpt from the book, my book review, the author’s social media links and a Rafflecopter giveaway.
I know you are going to love Brooke and all of the entertaining and quirky characters of Trillium Bay. Enjoy this addition to the series, which can easily be read as a standalone and good luck on the Rafflecopter giveaway!
***
Guest Post:
The Risks (and Rewards) of Dating in A Small Town by Tracy Brogan
MY KIND OF
FOREVER is the second book in the Trillium Bay series set on a small island in
Northern Michigan, and tells the story of thirty-five year old Brooke Callaghan
who has just been elected as the youngest, and first female, mayor the town has
ever had. As the oldest of three sisters, Brooke is accustomed to taking charge
and bossing others around, but the stodgy, long-time members of the decisively
not-modern city council are determined to keep the status quo. In fact, the
only one who seems to take Brooke seriously is Leo Walker, the new bartender
whose reasons for being on the island are both short-term and known to him
alone.
Despite a
budding attraction to Leo, Brooke knows she needs to focus on mastering her new
job, especially when rumors of a jewel thief hiding out on the island begin to
circulate and the well-established rumor mills goes into overdrive. And
speaking of rumors, Brooke is more than a little concerned with what the
townspeople might say if they discover she and Leo are spending time alone.
Coming from such a small community, in this case a village with a winter
population of just six hundred people, people’s private lives rarely stay
private, and modest, pragmatic Brooke doesn’t like the extra attention.
Especially since a bad relationship from her past has left her overly cautious.
Although determined to prove to her neighbors and family she’s got what it takes to be a great mayor, with Leo’s encouragement, Brooke comes to realize she’s also entitled to address a few of the more personal aspects of her life, such as finding romance. But when things with Leo get rocky, she falls back into old patterns, believing that love is too elusive and not for women like her. Fortunately, the local community knows otherwise. They see the real Brooke, the one she thinks is hidden. They know her dedication and intelligence and worth, and they know she deserves to have it all. They know she deserves to have a forever kind of love. And so does Leo.
***
My Kind of
Forever Excerpt
“I didn’t mean to eavesdrop,” Leo said after everyone else had
left and I remained seated in the small meeting room holding my aching head in
my hands. “But it sounds like you have your work cut out for you.”
Wow. Did I ever. I’d just spent the past two hours listening to so-called adults
bickering about a litany of arbitrary topics. Should Polly’s Popcorn Shop be
allowed to sell day-old products? Could the street sweepers add five minutes to
their afternoon break? Who was going to play Santa during the Christmas Parade
if Harry didn’t come back in time? And the biggest topic of the day? Did
everyone see the awnings Tasty Pastries had put up, and who on earth had
approved that?
“It’s like they couldn’t even hear me talking,” I said, looking up
at him for a response, just to reassure myself that I was, in fact, speaking
out loud.
He picked up an empty glass with one hand while wiping a ring of
condensation off the table with a damp rag. “I’m not sure they could hear each
other talking. Seemed like a lot of monologuing without any listening.”
“But I had an agenda.” I shook my paper at him, now covered in
notes that I’d scribbled in the margins about all the other things I
wanted to discuss. Things I would have discussed if I could have gotten a word
in edgewise. The only one who didn’t interrupt me was my own father, but that’s
because he didn’t say anything the entire time. Not unusual for him, but I had
hoped to demonstrate a little more power over that cluster of clucking hens.
“They were worse than teenagers. I have so many great ideas, but all they care
about is the awnings.”
Leo wiped another spot off the table. “What ideas?” He gazed down
at me, and I noted how dark blue his eyes were. Depths-of-the-ocean kind of
blue. The kind of eyes that made every glance feel significant, even if it
meant nothing at all. A flutter of something long-forgotten tickled inside my
veins. Attraction. Followed by an immediate need to ignore it.
“Oh, all kinds of ideas.” I smiled tiredly and pushed myself up,
because it was nearly five thirty and the Palomino Pub would start filling up
with the evening crew pretty soon. “I’ll get out of the way now so you can have
the room for dinner guests.”
“Speaking of dinner,” he said, “I’m new around here, so I was
wondering, what restaurants do you like?”
“Oh, we have lots of great places to eat. All price ranges. The
Windemere Grill is right down on the corner. There’s the Imperial Hotel dining
room if you want something elegant. The Feast Well Bistro, Carmen’s Café, and
Tate’s Tavern on the Bluff are good, too. At the tavern, you can watch the sun
set behind Petoskey Bridge. It’s a great view. And for breakfast, I recommend
Link & Patty’s Breakfast Buffet. The pink piggy décor is a little much, but
the pancakes are the best.”
“Are you suggesting we have dinner and breakfast?”
His dark eyebrow arched just as the corner of his mouth quirked in a
ridiculously endearing fashion.
I pushed in my chair with an abrupt scrape. “Excuse me?”
“I was inviting you to dinner. You were inviting me to breakfast.”
That flutter of attraction multiplied even as my mouth fell open
for a second. I’m sure it was a great look on me. “I wasn’t. And you weren’t.
Were you?”
He laughed, and even though it might have been at my expense, the
sound of it sent a flush over my skin and a tingle to places that hadn’t
tingled for a very long time.
“I was inviting you to dinner, but not very well, apparently. I’ve
been on the island a few days, but I don’t know anyone here, so would you like
to have dinner with me?”
I was starving. And he was handsome. And new in town. And looked to be roughly my age. There was no history, no baggage, no reason to say no. But it had been so long since anyone had asked me out, it nearly felt improper. Everyone knew me around here. Everyone would know that we’d had dinner, and certainly everyone would have an opinion about it. And it’s not as if we could go someplace private because there was no place private on the entire island. And there was that issue of the flutter. I didn’t want to be fluttering. Fluttering led to heartbreak.
***
My Book Review
RATING: 4 out of 5 Stars
MY KIND OF FOREVER (Trillium Bay #2) by Tracy Brogan is a charming
contemporary romance. This cozy romance has an adult romance with no explicit
sex, an endearing and funny heroine, a handsome newcomer, a quirky island population
and a side mystery to be solved. This is the second book in this series, but it
can be easily read as a standalone.
Brooke Callaghan is the new mayor of Trillium Bay on Wenniway
Island. She is the first female and the youngest person to ever hold that
position. It is quite a change from her role as a school teacher on the island,
but she is excited about the challenge. Between her new job as mayor and dealing
with all the town’s characters and her own extended family, she does not want
to be attracted to this new, handsome stranger. Brooke wants forever, not just
a few weeks.
Leo Walker is a newcomer to the island and is hired as a bartender at the local pub. He is handsome, single and interested in Brooke. Leo says he is on the island for a break after the security company he worked for closed down and to write a book. There is definitely chemistry between Leo and Brooke, but he will not commit to staying on the island.
A strange private investigator shows up in Trillium Bay and
claims there is jewel thief hiding on the island, but Brooke knows of no new
islander except the new bartender. Rumors are all over town and everyone has a
different tale to tell. What will Brooke do when she discovers long held
secrets and the real reason Leo is on the island?
I loved Brooke and all of her family and friends. To have a friend that makes specialty pasties for dancers, a grandmother who wants to send the ashes of her exes up in fireworks and all the others island characters had me laughing several times throughout the story. This is a cozy romance with a mystery thrown in that surprised me with its resolution. I will definitely be looking for more to read from the entertaining Trillium Bay series.
***
About the Book
Title: My Kind of Forever
Author: Tracy Brogan
Release Date: January 22, 2019
Publisher: Montlake Romance
Summary
As the youngest mayor Trillium Bay has ever elected, Brooke Callaghan wants to prove she’s up to the challenge. She’s stepping out of her practical teacher flats and into her sister’s treacherously high heels…with disastrous results. But if she’s going to (literally) stumble her first day on the job, why not fall into the arms of a handsome stranger?
Leo Walker is a rarity on Wenniway Island. Not only handsome, he’s also single, funny, and—most importantly—interested in Brooke. Unfortunately, his reasons for being on the island are temporary, so in spite of the undeniable chemistry between them, he’s not a forever kind of guy.
When a private investigator arrives with news of a jewel thief hiding on the island, Brooke finds herself dealing with one kerfuffle after another, and Leo proves to be a delicious distraction. What does she really know about him, though? And the biggest question of all? Does this short-term romance hold the possibility of long-term love?
***
Author Biography
Amazon and Wall Street Journal bestselling
author Tracy Brogan is a three-time Romance Writers of America RITA finalist
for her Bell Harbor series. She writes fun, funny stories about ordinary people
finding extraordinary love, and she lives in Michigan with her two brilliant daughters
and their two intellectually challenged dogs. She loves to hear from readers,
so check out her website at www.tracybrogan.com.
You can also follow her on Facebook at www.facebook.com/tracybroganwriter.
Hopefully by now you have all checked out my Feature Post for Kendra Elliot’s new book “A Merciful Fate” and entered the Rafflecopter giveaway.
This Feature Post and Book Reviews are to entice you to read the whole series! I LOVE Mercy and I highly recommend this series. Below you will find my reviews of Mercy Kilpatrick Books 1-4 by Kendra Elliot and the author’s social media info.
Happy Reading!
***
RATING: 4 out of 5 Stars
A MERCIFUL DEATH (Mercy Kilpatrick #1) by Kendra Elliot is
the start of a new series that is a cross between romantic suspense and
mystery/suspense. This type of series is always difficult to categorize for me,
but it is similar to Melinda Leigh’s Morgan Dane series and/or Marie Force’s
Fatal series which are must reads for me. The balance between romance and
mystery/suspense varies depending on the plot in each book.
FBI Special Agent Mercy Kilpatrick grew up in rural Eagle’s
Nest, Oregon in the shadow of the Cascade Mountains. Until the age of eighteen,
Mercy was raised in a family of preppers. After a falling out with her father
that had him disowning her, Mercy left town to build her own life. Her lifetime
of being prepared for disaster has stayed with her though and is a necessary
part of her life even though she hides it from her colleagues.
When there are a series of elderly male preppers murdered in
Mercy’s hometown. What would normally be a local case catches the FBI’s
attention when the preppers large caches of weapons are also stolen. This
raises the possibility of domestic terrorism. Her FBI supervisor sends her and
her partner to work with the nearby Bend office and local law enforcement.
Eagle Nest Police Chief Truman Daly is the nephew of one of
the murdered men. Raised in the community only on summer breaks, he is just
starting to be accepted in a community that has its own ideas about the
government and police. As Truman works with Mercy on the murders, he learns of
her family ties to the community and begins to suspect, she did not completely
leave her prepper life behind.
Mercy discovers that these current murders are eerily
familiar to two unsolved murders in the town’s past. With her sister now
involved, Mercy and Truman must capture a killer who has been free in their
community for much too long before her sister suffers the same fate.
Mercy is a wonderfully unique and flawed character. I find her so interesting and want to know much more about her and her family. Truman has his own interesting history and I hope this budding romance continues. He has his work cut out for him with such an independent heroine who does not like to share her secrets. The plot was interesting and tied in well with the older cases, but this is also why I gave this book four stars instead of five. I found Mercy’s brother’s actions not believable. (No spoilers, so you will have to read it and see if you agree.) Overall, a good start to this series and I am looking forward to reading the next book.
***
RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars
A MERCIFUL TRUTH (Mercy Kilpatrick #2) by Kendra Elliot is
the newest book in this continuing romantic suspense/mystery/suspense series. I
have been looking forward to reading more about Mercy!
FBI Special Agent Mercy Kilpatrick and her partner, Eddie have
transferred to the Bend FBI field office. Eddie likes the wilderness of central
Oregon over Portland and Mercy wants to be closer to Truman and her family.
Mercy is getting closer to her sisters and mother, but her father and brother
blame her for the violence and change in her family from book #1.
Eagle’s Nest Police Chief Truman Daly is investigating a
series of small fires that he believes are being started by teenagers. When a
barn is set on fire, everything changes when two county sheriffs are shot and killed
when they respond. Arson has become murder. At the next fire the murdered body
of an unidentified man is found at the scene. No one is talking and Mercy and
Truman have no idea why these fires are being set or who is setting them.
As they investigate the unidentified dead man, Mercy’s niece
is learning that the teenagers her new boyfriend is hanging out with are
trouble and that her boyfriend is having second thoughts about working at his
job on a large secluded ranch outside of town. There are rumors of many outside
men coming to town and living on the ranch. Mercy’s brother is also somehow
tied to the ranch and reciting a lot of anti-government hate rhetoric.
The closer Mercy and Truman get to the truth, long buried
secrets are exposed and their personal danger escalates.
I loved Mercy in the first book and I am now hooked for good. Her character is so interesting. The balance between her life as an FBI agent and her hidden life as a prepper makes for very interesting reading. I love that Truman “gets” Mercy and her unique life and does not try to change her. Mercy’s family and all of the secondary characters are becoming more fleshed out and interesting. The plot builds in intensity and wraps everything up at the end. This book can be read as a standalone, but like so many other similar series, the relationships grow and change in each book as in real life, so I recommend reading them in order. This has become a must read series for me!
***
RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars
A MERCIFUL SECRET (Mercy Kilpatrick #3) by Kendra Elliot
returns you to Mercy Kilpatrick’s world of rural central Oregon. This series
gives you intriguing mystery/suspense plots and a view into the world of
preppers, survivalists and anti-government sovereign citizens.
FBI Special Agent Mercy Kilpatrick is surprised at night on
a rural road close to her hidden cabin by a young girl who flags her down from
the side of the road. Mercy is led through the woods to a cabin where the
girl’s grandmother is dying from multiple stab wounds. The Sabins, three
generations of women; grandmother, mother and daughter have lived isolated in
the woods and are rumored to be witches.
Mercy is later to learn a judge, hundreds of miles away is
found slain in the exact same way brings her friend and fellow FBI agent from
Portland to investigate both murders. Not one to be kept on the sidelines,
Mercy along with Chief of Police Truman Daly insert themselves into the
investigation. An old friend from Mercy’s high school days is implicated along
with the daughter of the slain woman.
Rumors and secrets keep hindering the investigation until
the explosive surprise climax.
This series just keeps getting better and better. The mystery plot in this third book is fast paced and the resolution was a surprise to me. This book also contains some flashback scenes from one of the suspects which add depth and understanding to her character and others. Mercy and Truman’s relationship takes a big leap after the climax of this story and I cannot wait to read more. I found it difficult to put this book down and I am anxiously awaiting the next book in the series!
***
RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars
A MERCIFUL SILENCE (Mercy Kilpatrick #4) by Kendra Elliot is
a cross between romantic suspense and mystery/suspense genres. Each book has a
standalone mystery/suspense plot, but it also has a building romance involving
the main characters of the series which may or may not be prominent in each
story. The current book leans more towards being a police procedural with
emotionally charged murders in the past and present with extremely high stakes
for Mercy and Truman.
FBI Special Agent Mercy Kilpartrick is called to the scene
of a washed out road which exposes human skeletal remains. As she works to
discover the identity of the remains, she remembers two families that were
murdered in the exact same manner 20 years ago. The killer has always
maintained his innocence and is still in prison. Copycat or has the wrong man
been in prison all these years?
When the sole survivor of one of the old murdered families
returns to town, Mercy is not sure what to make of the woman. She asks for
Mercy’s help because she believes she is being stalked. Mercy feels she knows
more than she is telling about that long ago murder. Is she somehow a part of
the current murders or is she a lose end that needs to be eliminated?
As Mercy works her case, Eagle’s Nest Chief of Police Truman
Daly has a unique traffic stop with a young man who shows illegal ID and claims
to be a sovereign citizen. While jailed, he sends Truman a letter claiming he
owns him 3 million dollars for an illegitimate arrest. Truman does not know
whether to take this seriously or as a joke. These sovereign citizens do not
want anyone interfering in their business. Truman and his police vehicle
disappear and there is blood on the driveway.
I could not put this book down!
Mercy and Truman both go through so much in this book. Even
as they are apart, it is the fight to get home to the other that gives them
their strength. Mercy realizes no amount of prep can prepare her for
everything. She learns it is OK to sometimes rely on family and friends. Truman’s
love for Mercy is his strength and reason to continue on even when he thinks he
cannot. This was definitely an edge-of-your-seat read with both cases having
such high stakes.
I believe you should read this series in order as the characters grow and change in each book as in real life. I highly recommend this series. Mercy is a memorable character.
***
Author Biography
Kendra
Elliot has landed on the Wall Street Journal bestseller list
multiple times and is the award-winning author of the Bone Secrets and Callahan
& McLane series, as well as the Mercy Kilpatrick novels: A Merciful
Death, A Merciful Truth, and A Merciful Secret. Kendra is
a three-time winner of the Daphne du Maurier Award, an International Thriller
Writers finalist, and an RT Award finalist. She has always been a voracious
reader, cutting her teeth on classic female heroines such as Nancy Drew, Trixie
Belden, and Laura Ingalls. She was born, raised, and still lives in the rainy
Pacific Northwest with her husband and three daughters, but she looks forward
to the day she can live in flip-flops. Visit her at www.kendraelliot.com.
HOW TO SEDUCE A BAD BOY by Traci Douglass is a contemporary romance with an entertaining heroine who wants major life changes by her 25th birthday and a bad boy hero home from the service.
Melody Bryant loves being a librarian in her hometown, but
she wants to break out of the stereotype. Her 25th birthday is in a
few weeks and she has decided it is time for a makeover, which also includes
her personal life. She has only every loved one bad boy who is her brother’s
best friend. Before he left for the Army eight years ago, she offered him her
virginity and was turned down. Now she has plans to get rid of her virginity
and seduce the bad boy.
Adam Foster has always had a bad reputation in his hometown.
He was abandoned by his mother and his father was a drunk. Lucky for him he
made a friend who saw past his family and befriended him as a brother. He was
entranced by his friend’s little sister and was always protective. After eight
years, he is home and building up the car repair shop he and his friends always
dreamed of owning. When Melody comes to him and asks for his help with men,
what else can he do but agree to date her himself to protect his friend’s little
sister once again.
Melody has five weeks before her birthday to lose her
virginity and get the bad boy she has always loved.
I really enjoyed Melody and her journey of change. I cheered for her to finally get her man. Adam was a not-so bad boy whose protectiveness of Melody made him endearing, but I would have preferred much less inner dialogue on how he was not good enough for Melody. The plot is not new and had no new twists, but it was fun to watch this relationship develop. The chemistry between these two was well written without explicit sex scenes. An entertaining romance read that has secondary characters with the potential for future spin-off books.
Written for and posted first on The Romance Reviews.
Below is the Feature Post for Kendra Elliot’s current release A MERCIFUL FATE (Mercy Kilpatrick #5). Included is an excerpt from the book, a book summary with info and social media links for the author . You will also see a Rafflecopter giveaway for a $25 Amazon gift card and a digital copy of the book.
As you know, I would normally include my Book Review with the Feature Post, but I am on book #4 and I just cannot read these books out of order. The suspense/mystery in each book can standalone, but I just cannot skip ahead in Mercy and Truman’s lives. I LOVE these two characters and just cannot miss a minute of their relationship. My books review will be posted soon for this book.
As always, good luck on the Rafflecopter giveaway and you really have to get to know Mercy! Good reading!
***
Excerpt: A Merciful Fate by
Kendra Elliot
“Sit.”
Mercy
sat on a stool that was too high for the makeshift table. She didn’t care. They
could sit on the ground and she’d be happy with Truman. Currently the home had
plywood subfloors and open framing, but part of Mercy loved the empty, bare
look; it promised that something fabulous was coming.
Fabulous
and practical.
Truman
leaned over and poured red wine in the plastic cup by her paper plate. She
sighed and buried her nose in her cup. The fragrance was deep and bold, with
hints of plum and smoke.
“Italy,”
she mumbled into the wine.
“What?”
asked Truman.
“I
want to visit Italy. How does a honeymoon in Italy sound?”
A
grin filled his face, and the sensation of butterflies fluttered up her spine.
Or maybe it’s the wine.
She
took a sip of her wine as she studied his face. So familiar and dear to her.
A
smile to stop traffic. Eyes that crinkled in happiness. Several scars that
testified to his love of law enforcement. Her attraction to him was more than
skin deep. She was in love with the person he was. He was a natural leader and
easily commanded respect. His people turned to him, followed him, admired him.
His natural sense of honor was a magnet for her.
No. It’s not the wine.
He gets me.
He
understood how her mind worked, and they fit together like a couple of
complicated puzzle pieces. She’d been painfully aware of her missing puzzle
piece when he’d been taken away, chained by men planning to kill him, and then
rescued thanks to Ollie. The two weeks when no one knew his fate had been the
worst of her life. When he’d been returned to her, she’d known she couldn’t
waste any more time.
He’d
been of the same mind-set and had proposed.
“I’ll
try Italy.” He dished spaghetti carbonara onto their plates.
“And
what’s on your agenda for tomorrow?” he asked over the rim of his plastic cup.
She perked up. “The bank confirmed the money bags are from the Gamble-Helmet
Heist. And I have the go-ahead to visit Shane Gamble at the Two Rivers prison
tomorrow.”
“What
are your thoughts on the remains?” Truman asked. “Did the medical examiner get
to them yet?”
“Yes.
They spent the afternoon removing the remains, and Dr. Lockhart was going to
start an examination tonight. The woman never takes time off.”
“Same
could be said for you.”
“Only
when I’m deep in a case.”
“I
guess this means your weekends are booked for a while?”
Mercy
sighed. “I know. The two of us are supposed to be working on the interior of
this place … We’ll get it done at some point. It’ll have to wait awhile.”
A
grin filled his face.
“What?”
she asked.
“You’re
not the same person I met last fall. Back then, if the cabin had been in the
half-completed state it is now, you’d be climbing the walls with anxiety
because your safety net wasn’t perfect.”
“You’re
right,” she agreed. “I had a similar thought earlier, but nearly all my
supplies are still intact, so it’d be rough living but doable. I can
temporarily live with that for now. Especially with this case to distract me.”
His
lips twisted.
“Jealous?”
she asked with a grin. “It’s an amazing case, isn’t it?”
“It
is. Considering there have been no leads for decades, and the robbery is
practically modern folklore. It’s like a buried treasure hunt, and Ollie found
the first clue.”
“Is
Ollie okay after his morning?” she asked with a small wince. She’d nearly
forgotten the teen had made the grisly discovery.
“He’s
okay. I spent some time with him and he was very quiet, but I could tell he was
processing it. He’s dealt with death before.”
“He’s
been through a lot,” sympathized Mercy.
They
silently ate for a few moments until he glanced up and caught her staring at
him. Longing shone in his eyes, an appetite and craving that had nothing to do
with food, and she struggled to find her breath.
How does he do that to me?
“You
know,” he said, his voice low and tempting, “this place hasn’t been christened
yet.”
Mercy
blinked. “People do that to homes?”
Patience
filled his features. “That’s not what I meant.” His brown gaze held hers.
“Ohhh,”
she breathed as heat flashed through her.
“Dessert.”
His smile was sinful, and energy pulsed between them.
She
melted. “Yes. Dessert.”
***
About the Book
Title: A Merciful Fate
Author: Kendra Elliot
Release Date: January 15, 2019
Publisher: Montlake Romance
Summary
Raised
by preppers, survivalist and FBI agent Mercy Kilpatrick has a deep-rooted need
for a safe place. Her getaway in the Cascade Foothills is her secret. But when
skeletal remains are unearthed—those of a murdered man linked to a notorious
heist—Mercy realizes she isn’t the only one with something to hide.
Thirty
years ago, an armored-car robbery turned deadly. The mastermind was captured.
Four conspirators vanished with a fortune. One of them, it appears, never made
it out of the woods alive. For Mercy and her fiancé, Police Chief Truman Daly,
their investigation opens old wounds in Eagle’s Nest that cut deeper than they
imagined. Especially when a reckless tabloid reporter draws fresh blood. It’s
clear to Mercy that somebody in this close-knit community is not who they seem
to be.
Some are still shattered by the heist. Some still have reason to be afraid. But which one will kill again and again to hide three decades of secrets? To land this case, it’s up to Mercy to unmask a familiar stranger before someone else dies.
***
Author Biography
Kendra
Elliot has landed on the Wall Street Journal bestseller list
multiple times and is the award-winning author of the Bone Secrets and Callahan
& McLane series, as well as the Mercy Kilpatrick novels: A Merciful
Death, A Merciful Truth, and A Merciful Secret. Kendra is
a three-time winner of the Daphne du Maurier Award, an International Thriller
Writers finalist, and an RT Award finalist. She has always been a voracious
reader, cutting her teeth on classic female heroines such as Nancy Drew, Trixie
Belden, and Laura Ingalls. She was born, raised, and still lives in the rainy
Pacific Northwest with her husband and three daughters, but she looks forward
to the day she can live in flip-flops. Visit her at www.kendraelliot.com.
Today’s Feature Post and Book Review is for Carolyn Brown’s upcoming release THE MAGNOLIA INN. Below you will find a message from a character from the book, an excerpt from the title, my book review and info about the author. At the end of the post, you will also see a Rafflecopter giveaway for a $25 Amazon gift card and a digital copy of the book.
Enjoy and as always good luck on the Rafflecopter giveaway!
***
Dotty Welcomes Readers to The Magnolia Inn
Good morning to all y’all. Thank you for inviting me to your
site today to tell you a little about The Magnolia Inn. I’m so
excited about this book. The characters became like family to me as I was
writing it. Today, I have Dotty with me. She’s one of the four ladies—Sugar,
Dotty, Lucy and Flossie—who’ve been fast friends since their youth. I’m going
to turn this microphone over to Dotty now, and leave the rest of the post to
her.
Hello, folks, I’m Dotty Beauchamp—half Texan, half
Louisianan and all sass. I own the Tipsy Gater bar that sets right on the Big
Cypress Bayou near Jefferson, Texas. When my good friend, Sugar, told me that
she was going to give half of The Magnolia Inn, the bed and breakfast that her
family had owned for generations, to her niece, Jolene, I thought she was bat
crap crazy. When she said that her husband, Jasper, was giving the other half
to his wimpy nephew, Reuben—well, I figured Reuben would sell his half the
minute the ink dried on the papers.
I was right! The little weasel sold out his part of the inn
to Tucker Malone. We—that would be Lucy and Flossie and me since Sugar was
already off in that big ass RV touring the United States—had heard that he was
a tortured soul. And dear hearts, we damn sure believed the rumor. He was the
best of the best when it came to carpentry work, and from what we heard he only
hit the bottle on weekends, but still we didn’t want our precious Jolene in
living in that inn with him.
I really didn’t want to hire Jolene when she came to the bar
looking for work, but I needed help and she sure enough needed a job. I figured
I’d take some flack for it from Sugar, Lucy and Flossie, and I did—believe me I
did. But Jolene and I both lived through it.
When we met Tucker for the first time, we were sure that the
rumors had been right. His wife had died in an automobile accident a few years
back. She’d gone to our church so we all knew her very well, and we’d met
Tucker a few times when he showed up at church with her. When she died, he
turned to the bottle and lost his important job on the police force over in
Dallas. It was rumored that he came to our part of the world to be near her
grave site. Poor man, he wore the guilt like a heavy shroud and just couldn’t
seem to get past it.
But I’m digressing. When we met him we found out that he was
also a Prince Charming. He didn’t have a white horse or a white cowboy hat, or
a crown, but he was so sweet and kind, and he had such a sweet nature, that
pretty soon, we fell in love with him as much as—well, she didn’t know it then,
being as how she had plenty of baggage of her own—but as much as Jolene could
it they’d could get past all the obstacles life kept throwing at them.
I see that my time is up. So let me thank you again for inviting me sit a spell and visit with all y’all. And if you’re ever in Jefferson, Texas, come on down to the Tipsy Gater and I’ll give you a free drink if you tell me that you’ve read The Magnolia Inn.
***
Excerpt: The Magnolia Inn by Carolyn Brown
“Why
is Tucker a tortured soul?”
“He lost his wife, Melanie, a couple of years
ago. She was his whole life,” Lucy whispered. She clucked like an old hen
gathering in her baby chickens. “I just can’t believe he bought half interest
in this place. It takes a people person to operate a B&B, and from what I
hear, Tucker is almost a hermit.”
“I guess we’ve all got our own emotional
baggage,” Jolene said.
“Wait until he hauls his damn sorry ass home
drunk and you’ve got guests in the place,” Lucy declared.
“She loves Jesus, but she still cusses a
little,” Dotty said with a wicked grin.
“He’s a fantastic carpenter. He’s got money to
put into the inn. And I’ll cross the drinkin’ bridge when it happens. And . .
.” She glanced over at Dotty, who shrugged and winked.
“And just so y’all know.” Jolene took a deep
breath. “I’ll be working at the Gator starting Friday night.”
“Lord have mercy,” Lucy groaned. “Have you
talked to Sugar about this?”
“Visited with her last night and was going to
tell her, but . . .”
Lucy threw a hand over her forehead in a
dramatic gesture and then shook a fist at Dotty. “You’re leading our sweet girl
down the path of unrighteousness. Jolene, I’ll give you a job in my place of
business. Full-time with benefits if you’ll quit the Gator right now.”
“I know bartending, and I can only handle
part-time work with the inn, but thank you,” Jolene said and tried to change
the subject. “Do I have the recipe for these cookies in Aunt Sugar’s files?”
“I’m sure you do, chère,” Dotty said. “But now let’s talk about the Easter Tour
of Homes. Surely Sugar mentioned it?”
“Oh, that.” Jolene was glad Dotty had changed
the subject. “She always wanted to be included in it but figured the Magnolia
was too far out of town.”
“It might be, but we want to add it this year,”
Lucy said.
“It’s, what, like three months from now?” Jolene
asked.
“Yes,” Tucker said from the doorway. “We’ll
have it ready by then.”
Jolene felt heat rising from her neck to her
cheeks. How much had he heard? She motioned to the coffeepot and then to the
cookies. “Come on in and meet my friends.”
“Always ready for cookies and coffee. I’m
Tucker Malone.” He stuck his hand out toward Lucy.
Her expression said that she’d rather be
sticking her hand in a rattlesnake pit, but she put her frail hand in his. “You
probably don’t remember us, but we remember you from when you used to come to
church with your wife. I’m Lucy Rogers. I own Attic Treasures, an antique store
in Jefferson.”
“Jolene told me that a couple of you ladies own
antique shops. That’s wonderful.” Tucker brought her hand to his lips and
kissed her knuckles. “I’m right glad to make your acquaintance, ma’am. I hope
to do some business with y’all as we work on this place. We’d like to keep the
antique ambience but use modern things like tubs and showers to make things
nice for our guests.”
From Lucy’s expression, Jolene could’ve sworn
she’d rather have been shaking hands with the devil. “Well, I’ll be sure to
give you a real good price on anything that you can use.”
He turned to settle his crystal-clear blue eyes
on Flossie.
“I’m Flossie Simmons, and I own Mama’s Place in
Jefferson. My antiques are better than Lucy’s.” She winked. “And since Jolene
is like a daughter to all of us, I can beat any deal Lucy would give you.”
“And I’m Dotty Beauchamp.” Dotty’s southern
accent thickened. “I’m a Louisiana girl from the other side of the Big Cypress
Bayou, and I own the Tipsy Gator. I’ve seen you a few times in my bar. You
always sit on the last stool in the shadows, right, chère?”
“Yes, ma’am, I sure do,” Tucker said.
Jolene was totally blown away. One minute they
were ready to crucify her for letting Tucker live there, and the next they were
flirting with him. Good glory! They had to be seventy or older, and he wasn’t a
day over thirty-seven.
“We should let you two get back to work,” Dotty
said with a broad wink toward Jolene. “And since you’re going to be out of
pocket on Friday night, then Sunday afternoon will be our meetin’ time.”
They pushed their chairs back and paraded
toward the foyer. Lucy stopped at the hall tree for her coat, and Tucker
hurried over to help her into it. “Thank
you for the cookies.”
“You’re welcome. Good luck with all this
remodeling.” Flossie gave Jolene a quick hug and whispered, “I hope you know
what you’re doin’.”
Tucker picked up the last coat from the hall
tree and held it out to Dotty. “It’s been a real pleasure to meet you ladies.”
Jolene sank down on the
bottom step of the stairs and sighed when Tucker shut the door behind the
ladies. Tucker sat down beside her
and propped his forearms on his knees. “So you work in a bar?”
“Ever since I was twenty-one. Until then I did
waitress work,” she answered. “How much did you hear?”
“I got there when Lucy was offering you a job
to quit working in a bar,” he answered.
“Sounds like you heard most of it, then. I’ll
be working at a bar on Friday and Saturday nights. I understand that you drink
a little on weekends.”
He got to his feet. “I’m going to get a couple
more cookies and another cup of coffee to take upstairs with me. And, honey, I
drink a lot on Saturday nights.”
“Just so long as we understand each other.”
Jolene stood up and headed toward the kitchen. “Right now we could take fifteen
minutes off and call it a midmorning snack.”
“Got chocolate syrup?” He followed her into the
kitchen. “For the cookies, the coffee, or the milk?”
“Milk, and then I dip my cookies in it,” he
answered.
The ladies had called him a tortured soul. Jolene stole glances at him as she got out the chocolate syrup. It was a shame that he’d lost his wife so suddenly. He might never get over it, but she sure wasn’t looking forward to dealing with another weekend drunk—like her mother or that last worthless boyfriend.
***
My Book Review
RATING 4 out of 5 Stars
THE MAGNOLIA INN by Carolyn Brown is her new contemporary
second chance romance. It is a sweet romance, which I call a cozy romance
because it is written about adults (not YA), any sex is behind closed doors,
some religion may be included and the focus is on the H/h’s emotional growth or
healing. These books also include a strong family, friends and/or community
support system.
Jolene Broussard grew up with a drug and alcohol addicted
mother. She could not get her mother to change or get help for herself, so she
left when she could. She is carrying a lot of guilt though because her mother committed
suicide after she left. The happy times she had growing up were with her mother’s
older half-sister and her husband at The Magnolia Inn B&B during summer
break from school.
Sugar and her husband are ready to retire and travel across
country, so they leave half of the B&B to Jolene and half to her cousin
Rueben. Sugar has big plans, but no money. Rueben hates his memories of the
B&B and decides to sell.
Tucker Malone lost his wife of 5 years in a tragic traffic accident. He hits the bottle hard. After losing his job as a police officer, he vows to only get drunk on the weekends and starts to build a name for himself as a carpenter. Tucker is informed about the sale of Rueben’s half of the Magnolia Inn and decides to buy in and partner with Jolene.
The partnership is rocky at first, but soon each begins to
understand that they each have deep emotional issues to deal with and dealing
with them together as they remodel the inn seems to work better than dealing
with them alone.
I enjoyed this cozy romance. Jolene is so strong and had to survive
so much. Tucker is rebuilding his life, but he is stuck emotionally until he
meets Jolene. I enjoyed how the changes in their lives and the remodel of The
Magnolia Inn seemed to intertwine. The secondary characters are almost show
stealers in this story. Sugar, Flossie, Dotty and Lucy are good for a laugh,
but also share their wisdom with Jolene. This is an emotional growth story with
a very slow build up to romance. Sex is behind closed doors and only in the
last portion of the story. An enjoyable read.
***
Author Biography
Carolyn Brown is a New York Times, USA
Today, Publishers Weekly, and Wall Street Journal bestselling
author and a RITA finalist with more than ninety published books, which include
women’s fiction and historical, contemporary, and cowboys-and-country-music
romance. She and her husband live in the small town of Davis, Oklahoma, where
everyone knows everyone else and knows what they’re doing and when. And they
read the local newspaper on Wednesday to see who got caught. They have three
grown children and enough grandchildren to keep them young. Visit Carolyn
at www.carolynbrownbooks.com.
