Tag: #aboutauthor

Book Tour/Feature Post and Book Review: The Little Island Flower Stall by Tilly Tennant

Hi, everyone!

Today I am sharing my Feature Post and Book Review for THE LITTLE ISLAND FLOWER STALL by Tilly Tennant on this Bookouture Books-On-Tour blog post.

Below you will find a book description, my book review, an about the author section, and the author’s social media links. Enjoy!

Book Description

When Bella’s heart is broken by her cheating husband, she packs a bag and escapes to the little island of Jersey, to help her beloved great-aunt Celestine run her seaside flower stall.

With the sun on her cheeks, watching white-haired Celestine in her elegant patterned trouser suit beam at customers and arrange flowers in vases, Bella realizes that life is too short to feel sad. And when handsome, brooding Rory arrives at the rose-covered flower stall, and their eyes meet, she feels a sudden spark…

Inspired by Celestine’s lust for life, Bella agrees to get to know Rory better. As the two of them walk together under vast blue skies, Rory tells her of the family secret that has brought him to the island.

Bella wonders if Celestine might be able to help Rory with his quest, but Celestine warns her to be careful. Bella knows she should listen to her wise aunt, but she can’t fight her feelings. Yet when she tries to track Rory down days later, she is shocked to discover the secrets he has been keeping.

Is her hope of an island romance with a mysterious, handsome man simply too good to be true? Or can this beautiful place still bring her the bright new beginning that she so desperately needs?

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/220705597-the-little-island-flower-stall?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=zX14gHFSx0&rank=1

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My Book Review

RATING: 4 out of 5 Stars

THE LITTLE ISLAND FLOWER STALL by Tilly Tennant is a heartfelt women’s fiction story of healing and moving on from your past to discover what the future may hold for you. Set on the Island of Jersey with beautiful beaches and coastal cliffs, but also a tragic history of occupation during WWII. This story has an emotional journey from divorce to a friendship that becomes a slow burn romance, personal growth and discovery, familial reconnection, and an island historical mystery not revealed since WWII.

Bella discovers her husband has cheated again and she is done with their marriage. She takes off to the Island of Jersey to help her great-aunt, Celestine, who has taken a fall, with her beach front promenade flower stall. She is excited to try something new and to reconnect with Celestine who she has not seen since childhood vacations on the island.

While working at the flower stall, Bella has a run in with a handsome customer who is only visiting the island like herself. Bella is weary of any romantic entanglement and lets Rory know her circumstances, but Bella is also intrigued by Rory’s reason for being on the island and wishes to help. Rory is trying to discover information about his ancestry on the island which seems to be wrapped up in a mystery that occurred during the Nazi occupation of the island. As she helps Rory, she discovers Celestine may know more than she is willing to share.

This is a women’s fiction story with a little bit of everything that all comes together into an enjoyable read. Bella’s betrayal leads to a reconnection with family and a place she loved as a child, a hint of a second chance at romance that is all intertwined with a WWII mystery. I did find the pace a little slow when Bella first comes to the island, but as more of the island is explored, her relationship with Celestine grows, and more of the mystery elements were included, it pulled me deeper into the story.

Overall, a cozy women’s fiction that left me satisfied with Bella’s journey.

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About the Author

Tilly Tennant was born in Dorset, the oldest of four children, but now lives in Staffordshire with a family of her own. After years of dismal and disastrous jobs, including paper plate stacking, shop assistant, newspaper promotions and waitressing (she never could carry a bowl of soup without spilling a bit), she decided to indulge her passion for the written word by embarking on a degree in English and creative writing. She wrote a novel in 2007 during her first summer break at university and hasn’t stopped writing since. She also works as a freelance fiction editor and part-time lecturer.

Hopelessly Devoted to Holden Finn was her debut novel; published in 2014 it was an Amazon bestseller in both the UK and Australia. In 2016 she signed to the hugely successful Bookouture and is currently working on her fifteenth Tilly Tennant novel. Christmas bestseller A Very Vintage Christmas has just been made into a movie for Lifetime Channel.

Social Media Links

Website: https://tillytennant.com/

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

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Little-Island-Flower-Stall-beautiful-ebook/dp/B0DKNZTLVR/ref=sr_1_1?crid=206QDSSRG9VNF&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.kgi3qHxRaaNA3Zi-oEwTqZb2VS

ARC Feature Post and Book Review: Head Cases by John McMahon

Book Description

FBI Agent Gardner Camden is an analytical genius with an affinity for puzzles. He also has a blind spot on the human side of investigations, a blindness that sometimes even includes people in his own life, like his beloved seven-year-old daughter Camila. Gardner and his squad of brilliant yet quirky agents make up the Patterns and Recognition (PAR) unit, the FBI’s hidden edge, brought in for cases that no one else can solve.

When DNA links a murder victim to a serial killer long presumed dead, the team springs into action. A second victim establishes a pattern, and the murderer begins leaving a trail of clues and riddles especially for Gardner. And while the PAR team is usually relegated to working cold cases from behind a desk, the investigation puts them on the road and into the public eye, following in the footsteps of a killer.

Along with Gardner, PAR consists of a mathematician, a weapons expert, a computer analyst, and their leader, a career agent. Each of them must use every skill they have to solve the riddle of the killer’s identity. But with the perpetrator somehow learning more and more about the team at PAR, can they protect themselves and their families…before it’s too late?

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/211004897-head-cases?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=j7HammCJbK&rank=1

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My Book Review

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

HEAD CASES (PAR Unit #1) by John McMahon is an engaging and exciting first book in a new series featuring a group of extremely talented and specialized FBI agents, who while brilliant in their specific areas, have had a serious misstep in their careers and are now grouped together for a last chance to keep their jobs. While the PAR (Patterns and Recognition) unit is quirky, the book’s crime plot is gripping, gritty and graphic as they chase a serial killer of serial killers.

FBI Agent Gardner Camden is an analytical genius with an eidetic memory who loves puzzles but is extremely socially awkward. The PAR unit is not deployed to the field but is used when all others have failed to solve a case by analyzing data from their office and finding that missing piece that helps solve the case.

But this case is different. The DNA of a murder victim has come back as a match to a serial killer who was presumed dead. Gardner’s supervisor and the head of the FBI have chosen him to lead this hunt in the field. While the Gardner and the team look forward to the field work, they also realize that if this case is not solved, the recriminations will blow back on them and they could be reassigned or terminated.

The killer has personal information on Gardner that could only come from his FBI file as he taunts and threatens him and his family after another kill. Can Gardner and his unit stop this killer before his endgame and final disappearance?

This is an exciting serial killer crime thriller that kept me reading from page one to the end. Gardner is such a great protagonist, and the author brings him to life as a fully developed and believable character. While not stated in the story, you realize he is somewhere on the spectrum, but his mother has taught him how to deal with his special intellect and social awkwardness from childhood. All his other teammates are brilliant and interesting in their own quirkiness and specialties and will probably be more in the limelight in future books.

The crime thriller plot in this story is perfectly paced with a God complex serial killer and the step-by-step hunt to capture him. Some of the surprises along the way come from more than just the antagonist and Gardner must make decisions that not only affect him, but his whole unit. There are graphic descriptions of blood and body parts throughout, but it is a serial killer thriller and to be expected.

I highly recommend this crime thriller police procedural with great new characters that I am looking forward to following in future books.

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About the Author

John McMahon studied Creative Writing at The University of Arizona. In his role as an ad agency creative director, his work has won a Gold Clio for Fiat, and he’s written a Superbowl spot for Alfa Romeo. He currently lives in Los Angeles with his family and two rescue animals. He’s hard at work on another P.T. Marsh book and dreams of splitting time between Cabo San Lucas and Lake Lanier.

Social Media Links

Website: https://www.johnmcmahonbooks.com/

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

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

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/head-cases-by-john-mcmahon

Feature Post and Book Review: The Grays of Truth by Sharon Virts

Book Description

In Reconstruction-era Baltimore, members of the city’s elite keep turning up dead. Below the polished surface of high society, there are illicit affairs, jilted lovers, financial hardships, and countless motives for murder. When Jane Gray Wharton’s husband, Ned, dies unexpectedly while overnighting at his brother’s home, Jane has no reason to question the circumstances of his death. But on a visit to the same house a few weeks later, both Jane and her daughter fall gravely ill, and Jane begins to suspect foul play. Though a trained chemist and former nurse, Jane is haunted by a history of delusion, loss, and institutionalization. As the unexpected and devastating deaths begin to multiply, Jane’s grip on reality starts to slip. When a respected army officer falls terribly ill after visiting the Wharton’s Baltimore home, Jane’s greatest fears become all too real. The time has come to act—but who will believe her? And can she even trust her own mind? Inspired by true events involving one of Baltimore’s most powerful families, The Grays of Truth is the story of one woman’s quest for answers in her fight for redemption—and to save the man she loves.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/206777703-the-grays-of-truth?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=jg4LnA5DxW&rank=1

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My Book Review

RATING: 4 out of 5 Stars

THE GRAYS OF TRUTH by Sharon Virts is an intriguing historical fiction murder mystery set in Reconstruction era Baltimore and centered around multiple deaths in the wealthy Wharton family between 1867 to 1872. I enjoyed another of this author’s books, Veil of Doubt, and was looking forward to reading this book.

Former Civil War nurse, Jane Gray Wharton is a highly intelligent woman who is confined by the laws and societal norms of her time. Her abusive husband dies unexpectedly while staying overnight in his brother’s home. When Jane and her daughter visit the home a few weeks later, both become ill. While Jane survives, her daughter dies. With Jane’s training, she begins to suspect her sister-in-law of murder but with her own history of delusion and institutionalization, and the wealth, power and social standing of her sister-in-law, no one believes her.

Several more deaths follow and when one is a respected Army officer, Jane is getting ready to marry. His superiors and friends finally listen to Jane’s suspicions. Jane is on a quest and determined to get answers, but it may not be the answers she expects.

This historical fiction is inspired by true events, but the author does state that liberties were taken with some of the facts and family members. Jane Gray is very intelligent and yet emotionally fragile. The period and marital laws were atrocious and the cause for many of Jane’s problems, but I still had a hard time connecting with her in this story. Some of the decisions she makes are emotionally immature and for me did not feel believable. I did like Jane more as the story progressed.

The murder mystery plot pulls you into this story and kept me turning the pages. The author does a great job of immersing the reader in the period and I loved the discussions of poisons and the beginning of medical investigations rather than medical guessing. The upper-class life of wealth and decadence is on full display with the corruption in politics and law enforcement enabling these deaths to occur.

I highly recommend this historical fiction murder mystery which delivers not only an intriguing murder mystery, but also a look at the darker side of upper class society in this period.

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About the Author

Sharon Virts is a successful entrepreneur and visionary who, after more than 25 years in business, followed her passion for storytelling into the world of historical fiction. She has received numerous awards for her work in historic preservation and has been recognized nationally for her business achievements and philanthropic contributions. She was recently included in Washington Life Magazine’s Philanthropic 50 of 2020 for her work with education, health, and cultural preservation.

Sharon’s passion truly lies in the creative. She is an accomplished visual artist and uses her gift for artistic expression along with her extraordinary storytelling to build complex characters and craft vivid images and sets that capture the heart and imagination. Sharon and her husband Scott live at Selma, a prominent historic residence that they saved from destruction and restored to its original stature. It is out of the love and preservation of Selma that the story of the life, times, and controversies of its original owner, Armistead Mason, has given root to her first novel Masque of Honor.

Social Media Links

Website: https://sharonvirts.com/

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

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/the-grays-of-truth-by-sharon-virts

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Grays-Truth-Sharon-Virts-ebook/dp/B0CTMSK8L6/ref=sr_1_1?dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.l98FQvJlzhAomSuz6hvNhqhbt7rWCDvuSXcoia

Book Review: The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon

My Book Review

RATING: 4 out of 5 Stars

THE FROZEN RIVER by Ariel Lawhon a historical fiction with murder mystery elements that invokes strong emotional responses to the treatment of women in post-revolutionary America featuring a protagonist inspired by the diary of a renowned midwife in 1789 Maine.

Midwife Martha Ballard not only delivers babies in the small town of Hallowell, Maine, but is also called upon for doctoring in the community. She delivers testimony when the local court is in session regarding deaths, newborn infants’ paternity, and illegitimacy for which fines may be levied. She is faithful in documenting everything daily in her personal journal.

When Martha’s friend, and wife of the local pastor is raped, she documents her injuries and her accusations against two local men. Before the court comes to session, Martha is called to the local tavern to determine the cause of death of a man cut out of the frozen river. She recognizes the man as one of the accused rapists. He was beaten and then hanged.

Martha is doubtful the courts will look for the truth, when the other accused rapist is a rich and powerful man in Hallowell, but she is determined to find the truth. The answers she seeks leaves a powerful man cornered and willing to destroy anyone who attempts to bring him to justice and thwart his plans.

This book thoroughly immerses the reader in post-revolutionary Maine and the life of both Martha and her family. Martha is strong, independent, and outspoken for the period, but her empathy and skills make her admired and sought after by many. This story is told in first person narrative by Martha which adds an intimacy to the character and her interactions. The murder mystery elements come together slowly but deliver a satisfying conclusion. I felt where this story shined was the integrated information regarding women’s health issues, their legal rights, and the legal stigmas and penalties of the period.

I recommend this historical fiction for an intriguing look into this post-revolutionary time period featuring a strong woman’s point of view.

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About the Author

Ariel Lawhon is a critically acclaimed, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of historical fiction. She is the author of THE WIFE THE MAID AND THE MISTRESS, FLIGHT OF DREAMS, I WAS ANASTASIA and CODE NAME HELENE. Her books have been translated into numerous languages and have been Good Morning America, Library Reads, Indie Next, One Book One County, Amazon Spotlight, Costco, and Book of the Month Club selections. She lives in the rolling hills outside Nashville, Tennessee, with her husband and four sons. She splits her time between the grocery store and the baseball field.

Social Media Links

Website: https://www.ariellawhon.com/

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

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/the-frozen-river-a-gma-book-club-pick-by-ariel-lawhon

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Frozen-River-Novel-Ariel-Lawhon-ebook/dp/B0BVTXZXZJ/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2721J74PMZNPR&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.C_WSC5iYe

Feature Post and Book Review: Shattering Dawn by Jayne Ann Krentz

Book Description

Amelia Rivers, a member of the Lost Night Files podcast team, hires private investigator Gideon Sweetwater to catch the stalker who has been watching her. Amelia suspects the stalker may be connected to the shadowy organization responsible for the night that she and her two friends lost to amnesia—a night that upended their lives and left them with paranormal talents.

Gideon suspects that Amelia is either paranoid or an outright con artist, but he can’t resist the chemistry between them. He takes the case despite his skepticism. For her part, Amelia has second thoughts about the wisdom of employing the mysterious Mr. Sweetwater. She is wary of the powerful attraction between them, and deeply uneasy about the nightmarish paintings on the walls of his home. She senses they were inspired by his own dreamscapes.

Amelia knows she doesn’t have time to find another investigator, and Gideon is forced to reckon with the truth when he disrupts what was intended to be Amelia’s kidnapping. Now the pair is on the run, with no choice but to return to the haunting ruins of the old hotel where Amelia’s lost night occurred. They are desperate to stop a killer and the people who are conducting illegal experiments with a dangerous drug that is designed to enhance psychic abilities. If they are to survive, they will have to trust each other and the passion that bonds them.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/211025506-shattering-dawn?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=LFjcghXyhG&rank=1

The Lost Night Files Trilogy

  1. Sleep No More
  2. The Night Island
  3. Shattering Dawn

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My Book Review

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

SHATTERING DAWN (The Lost Night Files Book #3) by Jayne Ann Krentz is the final paranormal romantic suspense book in The Lost Night Files trilogy. In this story, the third member of the Lost Night Files podcast members meets her HEA match, and all the dangling plotlines of the trilogy are resolved. While this can be read as a standalone romance, I feel it is much more enjoyable reading the trilogy in order.

Amelia Rivers wonders if she is going mad as her enhanced paranormal powers increase and are not under control. She has difficulty sleeping and has become terrified of the dark since her lost night with her two friends at Lucent Springs. She believes she is being stalked, and it may be tied to her lost night. She hires Private Investigator Gideon Sweetwater. Amelia is not sure if Gideon is right for the job, and Gideon has his own reservations, but he is intrigued. While both need to learn to trust the other, they are also wary of the chemistry between them.

Gideon Sweetwater feels an attraction to Amelia, but is skeptical of her story, until he disrupts a kidnapping at her apartment building. Amelia takes Gideon back to Lucent Springs, outside of San Diego to look for more clues and information, but there are people who will stop at nothing to get their hands on Amelia. What they did not count on was Gideon and his Sweetwater heritage.

Amelia and Gideon are so much fun as the H/h in this book of the trilogy. Amelia does not let the Gideon get away with his alpha tendencies as they learn to trust each other and their paranormal talents. I also enjoyed that Gideon was a Sweetwater and how he was a link between many of the other “Jayneverse” series and trilogies. The romance plot is fast paced with danger at their heels and both their physical and paranormal chemistry is explosive. The story’s suspense plotline is palpable throughout with many twists and surprises. All the intertwining subplots over the entire trilogy are tied together in this book and come together in a satisfying conclusion.

I highly recommend this entertaining and fast paced finale to The Lost Night Files trilogy!

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About the Author

Jayne Ann Krentz is the author of more than fifty New York Times bestsellers. She has written contemporary romantic suspense novels under that name and futuristic and historical romance novels under the pseudonyms Jayne Castle and Amanda Quick, respectively. Jayne currently lives in Seattle, WA.

Social Media Links

Website: https://jayneannkrentz.com

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

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

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/shattering-dawn-by-jayne-ann-krentz

Feature Post and Book Review: Face of Greed by James L’Etoile

Book Description

When a prominent Sacramento businessman is killed and his wife injured in a brutal home invasion, Detective Emily Hunter and her partner, Javier Medina, are called to investigate. At first glance, it seems like a crime of opportunity gone horribly wrong, but Emily soon finds there might be more to both the crime and the dead man.

The high-stakes investigation also comes at a time when Emily is caring for her mother, who has early-onset Alzheimer’s, and Emily struggles to balance her job with her personal life. The city’s political elite seem to want the case solved quickly, but darker forces want it buried.

Could there have been a motive behind the attack, making it more than a random home invasion? Emily uncovers clues that cause her to reconsider her understanding of the crime. A deadly game of greed and deception pulls Emily deeper into the shadowy world of gang violence and retribution. She has to walk the razor’s edge to identify the killer—without becoming the next victim.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/63277415-face-of-greed?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=ggiF1e3f50&rank=1

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My Book Review

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

FACE OF GREED (A Detective Emily Hunter Mystery Book #1) by James L’Etoile is a gritty, intricately plotted, and fast paced crime thriller/police procedural set in Sacramento, California. This is the first book in a new series by this author with a pair of detectives that I already know I am going to love to follow in future books.

Detective Emily Hunter and her partner, Detective Javier Medina are called to the scene of an apparent home invasion. They find the husband, a prominent Sacramento businessman, is brutally murdered and the wife injured, but alive. As they begin their investigation, they are hindered by political interference and the pressure for a quick resolution and a widow who seems to be not that upset by the murder of her husband.

With the death of the dead man’s lawyer, Emily and Javi soon find themselves embroiled in a case full of dirty money and cops, greed, gangs, and violence. Can Emily untangle the evidence before either herself or someone she loves wind up dead?

This story pulls you into the investigation and the lives of Emily and Javi to the point that I could not put it down. Emily is an intelligent and tough protagonist who doggedly follows the clues and walks a fine line at times, but while seeming to stretch it at times, there is always a reason, and she does not cross it. Emily is also dealing with a mother who has dementia and is no longer able to care for herself. Emily’s partnership with Javi feels realistically written and occasionally adds humor to the otherwise intense story.

Mr. L’Etoile’s writing is smart, realistic, gritty, and immersive. The crime plot is twisted and continued to surprise me. I always love this author’s books, and this one was no exception. I am looking forward to reading the next book in this series, River of Lies.

I highly recommend this crime thriller/police procedural!

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About the Author

James L’Etoile uses his twenty-nine years behind bars as an influence in his award-winning novels, short stories, and screenplays. He is a former associate warden in a maximum-security prison, a hostage negotiator, and director of California’s state parole system. His novels have been shortlisted or awarded the Lefty, Anthony, Silver Falchion, and the Public Safety Writers Award. Face of Greed and Served Cold are his most recent novel. Look for River of Lies and Sins of the Father, coming in 2025.

Major social themes weave through his work, including the world of human trafficking, black market organ transplants, homelessness, domestic terrorism, immigration policy, political corruption, and the pharmaceutical industry.

Social Media Links

Website: https://jamesletoile.com/

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

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

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Greed-Detective-Emily-Hunter-Mystery-ebook/dp/B0BP97PYXH/ref=sr_1_1?crid=L5QJZCJ69G14&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.gWQpAcoDhdm