As soon as Hannah bumps into her brother Rob’s best friend Nico in Stockholm, the two rekindle a fast friendship. But Hannah has a boyfriend – and Nico has two children to look after.
When Hannah loses her beloved shop in Stockholm, though, she is forced to move back to the little village of Middledip – only to find Nico has just moved in too. Under the same snowy sky, can the childhood friends make a romance work – or are there too many obstacles standing in their way?
CHRISTMAS WISHES by Sue Moorcroft is a cozy holiday romance set in Ms. Moorcroft’s familiar small-town setting of Middledip, England with the unique inclusion of Stockholm, Sweden and its holiday festivals. This is a book in a series that is mainly tied together by the town of Middledip and all the books are easily read as a standalone story.
Hannah is living in Stockholm running her own shop, when her relationship blows up, she loses everything and then moves back home to Middledip to help her grandmother after a fall that breaks her arm. Nico is a single divorced father dealing with a high-pressure job, childcare issues and then the added responsibility of caring for his daughter’s half-sister. Nico ends up moving to Middledip with the girls to slow down and decide on new career options. Nico is one of Hannah’s brother’s best friends and they are reunited at her brother’s wedding. Can these childhood friends have a romance with so many life changes and obstacles in their way?
This was a holiday themed romance that really dove into some serious topics. Nico was not only seriously stressed, but he had an eating disorder from his teens that is resurfacing. He also has the baby that broke up his marriage handed to him to care for while his ex is in rehab, or she will end up in care, and his daughter will be devastated. Even with all this, I truly loved Nico and his heart that wanted to do what was best for everyone. Hannah is the character I had problems with because she was immature and ran rather than communicate even though she was a successful entrepreneur? This was my only problem with this romance because I really do not like miscommunication or no communication at all as the only thing keeping a couple apart.
Both families of the main characters were fully developed and believable with everyday family problems. Hannah’s grandmother was wonderful, and Nico’s daughters were enchanting. I love the things I learned about a Stockholm holiday season and Ms. Moorcroft’s descriptions made me feel as though I was right there.
Nico and Hannah are a couple that must really work for their HEA, but the resolution makes this a heartwarming holiday read.
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About the Author
Sue Moorcroft is an award-winning Sunday Times and internationally published author of emotionally compelling, feel-good, page-turning fiction who has reached #1 on Amazon Kindle UK and Top 100 Amazon Kindle US, Canada and Italy. Her novels, short stories, serials, courses and columns have appeared around the world. An army child, Sue was born in Germany and then lived in Cyprus, Malta and the UK.
Today I am sharing my Feature Post and Mini Book Review for HUMMINGBIRDMOONRISE: A Witch Paranormal Murder Mystery (Murder, Tea & Crystals Book #3) by Sherri L. Dodd on this Black Tide Book Tour.
Below you will find a book summary, my mini book review, an about the author section, and the author’s social media links. Enjoy!
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Book Summary
The past two years have taken their toll on Arista Kelly. Once an eternal optimist, now she has faced the darkness and must recalibrate what true happiness means for her. Meanwhile, Shane, her ex-boyfriend, is pulling all the right moves to help keep her sane from her heightening paranoia. But it doesn’t help that Iris, her Great Aunt Bethie’s friend, has disappeared.
Still, one additional trial remains. While searching for Iris, Bethie and Arista stumble upon a grand revelation in the eccentric woman’s home. With the discovery, they realize their run of chaos and loss of kin may have roots in a curse that dates back to the 1940s-the time when their family patriarch first built Arista’s cottage in the redwoods and crafted his insightful Ouija table.
This pursuit will not follow their accustomed recipe of adrenalized action, but the high stakes remain. Will the mysterious slow burn of unfolding events finally level Arista’s entire world or be fully extinguished, once and for all?
HUMMINGBIRD MOONRISE: A Witch Paranormal Murder Mystery (Murder, Tea & Crystals Book #3) by Sherri L. Dodd is the final mystery/YA paranormal book of the trilogy. While I found this book the most captivating of the three, they are still best read in order due to Arista’s emotional growth as well as her increased paranormal powers.
Arista Kelly has changed over the last two years. While she has grown emotionally and into more of her powers, she is also not the eternal optimist she was before she faced the darkness of her uncle and all that he sends after her. Now, her great-aunt Bethie’s friend has disappeared and when they investigate her home, they discover a curse that involves both their families that go back to the 1940s. This is when the family patriarch built the infamous and insightful family Ouija table and Arista’s cabin among the redwoods. Now they have some insight into fateful family choices and a trail to follow to understand how this all has impacted Arista’s present.
Arista is the heart of all the books in the trilogy, but she truly is empowered in this story. Her endurance, grief, pain, forgiveness, and overall love demonstrate her strength and can be as transformative as any spell the young witch may use. While there is no shortage of drama in this third book, there is also a feeling of warmth and love as Arista’s and Shane’s relationship truly develops and the mystery plot comes to an emotional conclusion.
A strong and satisfying conclusion to the Murder, Tea & Crystals trilogy.
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About the Author
Sherri was raised in southeast Texas. Walking barefoot most days and catching crawdads as they swam the creek beds, she had a love for all things free and natural. Her childhood ran rampant with talk of ghosts, demons, and backcountry folklore. This inspired her first short story for sale about a poisonous flower that shot toxins onto children as they smelled it. Her classmate bought it for all the change in his pocket. It was not long after that her mother packed the two of them up and headed to the central coast of California. She has ping-ponged throughout the area ever since.
Her first real step into writing was the non-fiction fitness book, Mom Looks Great – The Fitness Program for Moms published in 2005, and maintaining its accompanying blog. Now, transmuting the grief of her father’s passing, she has branched into Fiction, specifically the genre of Paranormal Thriller with generous dashes of Magick Realism! Her Murder, Tea & Crystals Trilogy released book one – Murder Under Redwood Moon – in March 2024. Book two – Moonset on Desert Sands – released in March 2025, and the final book in the series will release October 2025!
Six years ago, Cinnamon Scott was a young writer on the rise in New York City. But since the sudden loss of her parents, she’s been stuck in place, retreating to a life of endless partying—made possible by the massive fortune she’s inherited. Despite their tragic loss, she and her older sister Rosemary have always had each other to lean on. But now, with Rosie living in London and about to give birth to twins, Cinnamon feels more lost than ever.
When Rosie is put on bedrest, Cinnamon flies to her sister’s side, where she’s temporarily living at The Savoy. Immediately swept away by the beauty and history of the legendary hotel and its famed American Bar, Cinnamon finds ample opportunity to distract herself. When the late shift bartender tells her the story of Ada Coleman, the woman who crafted the cocktail recipes The Savoy popularized in its famous handbook a century ago, Cinnamon is inspired by the bartender’s vivid stories of Ada’s fearlessness and can’t understand why Ada’s name is nowhere to be found.
After meeting a handsome historian researching the hotel and realizing that Ada is likely to be once again overlooked, Cinnamon must decide if she can overcome her demons and stand up for Ada’s story. And, along the way, she might just save her own story too.
LAST CALL AT THE SAVOY by Brisa Carleton is an engrossing story with two intertwined timelines. The women’s fiction timeline is set in the present featuring two sisters at an emotionally charged moment in their lives and the second timeline is historical fiction set in the early 1900’s featuring the first female bartender in The American Bar in the London Savoy.
Cinnamon Scott is taking a break from her rich New York girl’s party life to fly to London to help her sister, Rosemary, who is on bedrest with a twin pregnancy at the Savoy while her new flat is being renovated. While Rosemary is a successful attorney, Cinnamon has struggled since leaving college early due to a scandal and the death of their parents in a plane crash. While Cinnamon hoped to be a famous writer, the last ten years have been nothing but partying with no writing.
Bored just hanging in their Savoy suite, Cinnamon goes to The American Bar in the hotel. She meets Joe, the older nightshift bartender, who regales her each night with a new story of the glamorous past of the bar and its first female bartender, Ada “Coley” Coleman, who is responsible for the famous Savoy Cocktail Book. At the same time during her stay, she continues to run into a sexy celebrity historical writer who is researching the Savoy.
Cinnamon becomes entranced with Ada’s story, even as her personal struggles and past demons are coming to a head.
Both timelines were interesting and pulled me into the story to keep me reading and the ending was not what I was expecting but was very satisfying as well as a bit surprising. Cinnamon was a flawed character with terrible coping skills, and she was very immature, but there was also something compelling about her because her sister always believed the best of her. The sisters were forced to deal with many issues, and yet their love for each other always persisted. The historical fiction timeline about Ada’s life was extremely interesting. From famous and inventive mixologist to a not surprising ending, Ada, like most women of her time had her history written by men and that seems to never go well.
This is a compelling read with many interesting historical facts, historical people, and cocktail recipes interwoven throughout the story as well as being an emotional women’s fiction story of sisters.
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About the Author
Brisa grew up in the Pacific Northwest before moving to Midtown Manhattan to turn her passion for musicals and “flare for the dramatic” into an award-winning career as a Broadway producer. Three Tony’s later, she’s worked on numerous productions including Hamilton, Beautiful and Moulin Rouge. In 2019 at the request of HSH Prince Albert of Monaco Brisa joined his foundation to lead philanthropy efforts in theater, dance and film on behalf of his mother, Princess Grace Kelly. Most recently she turned her entrepreneurial spirit to actual “spirits,” launching Literati Spirits, a premium vodka created by book lovers for book lovers. She now spends her days traveling to literary destinations with a martini in one hand and a manuscript in the other, collecting stories with her husband Mark and her long-haired chihuahua, Mister Big.
Today I am featuring Books #1, Three to Ride, and #2, Two to Love, in a re-released and updated erotic romantic suspense series “Nights in Bliss, Colorado”. I did not read this series when originally released under the pen name Sophie Oak, but I was excited to try a “new” Lexi Blake series.
All the books in this series are centered around the small town of Bliss, Colorado which has a very open and nonjudgmental population. Bliss is the town you may end up in accidentally or run to to hide, but then you stay because you are excepted and cared for by the quirky population no matter what trouble may be following you, and you just may find the love or loves of your life.
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THREE TO RIDE (Nights in Bliss, Colorado Book #1)
Book Description
Rachel Swift is a woman on the run.
A stalker sent Rachel’s world reeling. Now she’s running for her life, and Bliss, CO, seems like the perfect place to hide. Bliss is a strange little town, filled with artists, nudists, and the occasional conspiracy nut. It’s a good place to start over.
Max and Rye are just the men to catch her.
Horse trainer Max and Sheriff Rye gave up on their dream of finding one perfect woman to share long ago. Rachel walks in, and they’re both in love and fighting their true natures.
A town like no other….
When Rachel’s past catches up with her, all of Bliss is in danger. Rachel knows she should run, but how can she leave behind the love she’s found with Max and Rye and the home she’s built in Bliss? With her whole town behind her, Rachel is ready to make her stand. It’s time for her to get back in the saddle and ride.
THREE TO RIDE (Nights in Bliss. Colorado Book #1) by Lexi Blake is a dangerous, sexy, and humorous erotic romantic suspense that has plenty of characters to fall in love with and quirky small-town characters to laugh with. This series has been reissued, and each book has updates and two extra chapters. I did not read the first issue under the name Sophie Oak, but when I saw a “new” Lexi Blake series, I had to give it a try.
Rachel Swift is on the run from a date who could not take the word “no”. Because he is a police officer, no one believes her life is in danger, so she runs. Her car dies in Bliss, Colorado, a small town she discovers is filled with artists, nudists, and a lovable alien conspiracy theorist besides the normal small-town gossiping, but caring neighbors. Alpha twins, Max and Rye have grown up in Bliss and have always shared their women. Max runs the family horse farm and Rye is the town sheriff. Max discovers Rachel working at the local diner and soon both brothers are vowing to protect and love her, while she is hesitant at first about their relationship, she quickly falls for both.
This book is a solid, well written romantic suspense with a heroine in peril. The change-up comes as the hero is two alpha male twin heroes. The sex is very steamy, hot, and explicit, but the scenes do not overtake the romance, suspense, and humor. While Rachel is on the run and afraid, she begins to become more confident as she is loved and cared for not just by Max and Rye, but by the whole town. The dialogue is realistic and had me laughing out loud at times along with the antics of many of the town folks.
This is a great group of characters, the main throuple, and the entire secondary cast of inhabitants of Bliss all make you want to return. I highly recommend this fun, extra steamy, and suspenseful erotic romantic suspense. Looking forward to book #2!
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TWO TO LOVE (Nights in Bliss, Colorado Book #2)
Book Description
Three lost souls
Growing up in the eclectic, small town of Bliss was wonderful for Callie Sheppard. She loved everything about it, except for the lack of potential romantic partners. She only went wild once in her life, sharing a perfect weekend in Dallas with two incredible men she never thought she would see again. When they parted, she was left with a hole in her heart she feared would never be filled.
One romantic weekend
DEA agents Nathan Wright and Zane Hollister were thrilled when Callie agreed to spend the weekend with them. Just days away from a long, undercover assignment, they considered this passionate affair to be an ideal way to spend their last days of freedom. They never expected to fall in love. Leaving her behind was the hardest decision of their lives.
An unexpected reunion
Six years later, Callie is preparing to break in a new sheriff after Rye Harper walked out on the job. Her heart skips a few beats when the man walking through the door is none other than Nate Wright. Nate and Zane have come to Bliss, but their time undercover has left them broken and scarred. The boys are determined to win back Callie’s heart. But when the criminals they took down come seeking revenge, Nate and Zane may have to save the strange little town of Bliss before they can reclaim the woman they love.
TWO TO LOVE (Nights in Bliss, Colorado Book #2) by Lexi Blake is a suspenseful, sexy, and humorous erotic romantic suspense with a great cast of characters that had me laughing out loud, turning the pages to make sure the good guys win, and sweatin’ to hot and sexy throuple sex. This is the second book in the series and can be read as a standalone, but I suggest you read book #1 first for more fun info and backstory on all the town folk of Bliss.
Callie Sheppard loves her hometown of Bliss, but the dating pool is limited. She finally decides to treat herself to a set up by one of her best friends with two men in Dallas. After a wonderful weekend, they leave her a note that leaves her heartbroken. Nate and Zane are DEA agents and agreed to the sexual set-up for a fun night before they have to go undercover. They did not expect to fall in love.
Six years later, Zane is almost killed in the DEA operation when he is outed to the motorcycle gang. He is having a hard time recovering with PTSD and a knife slashed face and body. Nate feels obligated to help his best friend and accepts the open sheriff position in Bliss, Colorado where he is shocked to find Callie as the sheriff department admin. As both men attempt to win back Callie’s love, they are still under threat when a hit is put out on Zane from the incarcerated motorcycle gang leader.
These books are so much fun, but they also are well written romantic suspense stories. The main characters go through all the angst of a one-on-one couple, there just happen to be two heroes and one heroine, or a throuple. The men have been friends their entire lives, but they are not bi-sexual, they share Callie and are a committed threesome. The romantic suspense kept me reading, the town folk kept me entertained, and the sex scenes are smokin’ hot and steamy. The town of Bliss is full of wonderful secondary characters that make me laugh out loud as well as cheer them on as they protect those, they consider their own.
I highly recommend this exciting erotic romantic suspense, and I cannot wait to get the next book in the series.
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About the Author
New York Times bestselling author Lexi Blake lives in North Texas with her husband and three kids. Since starting her publishing journey in 2010, she’s sold over three million copies of her books. She began writing at a young age, concentrating on plays and journalism. It wasn’t until she started writing romance that she found success. She likes to find humor in the strangest places and believes in happy endings.
For inn keeper Holly White, Christmas time in Mistletoe, Maine, is the ultimate holiday gift. Business at the Reindeer Games Inn is booming, her wedding to Sheriff Evan Gray is nearly here, and the annual parade is about to begin. The town is lucky to have another gift this year, with the state’s ballet company staying for several performances of The Nutcracker. But disaster strikes when Tiffany, the lead ballerina, shows up dead on a float during the parade, the Rat King’s mask nearby. Holly will have to spruce up her sleuthing skills if she wants to catch the killer before Christmas—and her wedding day.
Immediately, Holly discovers that Tiffany had more than a few secrets. She finds out that the star of the show had a super fan that no one knows anything about. And the show’s understudy slips some other intriguing information Holly’s way: not only was Tiffany secretly seeing someone romantically, but there seems to be more than one rat in this company. When Holly discovers a secret passage leading to Tiffany’s dressing room, with footprints leading out; she wonders if this is evidence of a secret lover—or a stalking killer.
With an impending snowstorm and the ballet company on the way out of town, Holly must act quickly if she wants to find the person responsible for this terrible murder. Will she be able to save Christmas—or will her investigation turn cold like the weather?
STALKING AROUND THE CHRISTMAS TREE (A Christmas Tree Farm Mystery Book #4) by Jacqueline Frost is another entertaining and wonderful addition to the Christmas Tree Farm Mystery series. Mistletoe, Maine is once again having the holiday season interrupted by murder and Holly White jumps right in to solve the case because she does not want anything delaying her Christmas Eve wedding to Sheriff Evan Grey. The cast of characters in this series continue to develop and others are added to this small group of friends, so I recommend reading this series in order of publication.
The cozy mystery plot develops into two mysteries, with Holly trying to find the person who poisoned the star ballerina in the Nutcracker which has come to town and helping her finance’s sister discover if she is being stalked or is she imagining it. Both plots have plenty of red herrings and twists that kept me guessing and both have satisfying resolutions.
I highly recommend this latest Christmas Tree mystery, and the entire series is well worth the read. This cast of characters keeps me coming back and the mysteries are seamlessly intertwined throughout.
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About the Author
Jacqueline Frost is a mystery-loving pet enthusiast who hopes to make readers smile. She lives in rural Ohio with her husband and three spunky children. Jacqueline is a member of the International Thriller Writers (ITW) and Sisters in Crime (SinC).
Today I am sharing my Feature Post and Book Review for THE LIFEBOAT ORPHANS (The Runaway Evacuees Book #2) by Ellie Curzon 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!
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Book Description
Fifteen-year-old Connie is leaving war-torn England for the safer shores of America, looking after a nine-year old orphan boy with sad blue eyes. But the ocean is rife with Nazi vessels. And when their boat is torpedoed, in the fear and chaos Connie can’t stop thinking about handsome Jack, who stayed behind in London. Will the orphans survive, and will Connie ever be reunited with her first love?
Back in London, sixteen-year-old Jack desperately misses Connie, his brave, kind friend, after their tearful goodbye when her ship set sail. As bombs set the skies ablaze, he listens to an old radio for any news about the dangerous Atlantic crossing. When he intercepts a secret message that could change everything, he races to the war office. Will they listen to a young lad like him, and can he save Connie and countless other lives?
THE LIFEBOAT ORPHANS (The Runaway Evacuees Book #2) by Ellie Curzon is an emotional roller coaster of a historical fiction novel featuring a young group of WWII orphans who form their own family and come to be known as “The Blitz Kids” to all of England. This is the second book featuring this group and I feel you should read the first book, The Lost Orphans, to fully enjoy and understand their exploits, character development, and the secondary cast of characters surrounding them in both books.
I cannot get enough of all the characters, the Blitz Kids, Lisette, Mr. Wyngate, and all their friends in both books. Ms. Curzon made me feel as though I was right there in London during the air raids and feeling the loss of friends and/or family. The kids pull at your heartstrings, and you want them to stay safe, but they all want to help their friends, neighbors, and even strangers.
When Connie, Ned, and Mr. Wyngate leave for America to get Ned the operation he needed, I was on the edge of my seat worrying about their safety from German U-boats. The tale of their crossing, the disaster, and devastating news not only has you pulling out the tissues but realizing how true this story was for many during the war.
I highly recommend both Runaway Evacuees books. They are gripping and poignant historical fiction stories of family, love, endurance, and faith during WWII.
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About the Author
Ellie Curzon is the pen name of Catherine Curzon and Helen Barrell. Catherine and Helen began writing together in the spring of 2017 and swiftly discovered a shared love of the past and a uniquely British sort of story. They drink gallons of tea, spend hours discussing the importance of good tailoring and are never at a loss for a bit of derring-do.
Catherine Curzon is an author and historian of old Hollywood and even older royalty. In addition to a series of eighteenth century biographies and a sell-out play, she has written extensively for a number of international publications, and has spoken at venues and events across the United Kingdom. Catherine lives in a haze of Dean Martin atop a steep Yorkshire hill, with a rakish gentleman and a very woolly dog.
Helen Barrell has written two books on Victorian crime, and has appeared on BBC1 and Radio 4. She loves researching family history and rummaging in libraries and archives. Originally from the south-east of England, Helen now lives somewhere in the Midlands with a large ginger cat, who resembles a Viking, and a well-stocked 1960’s cocktail bar.
