#bookdescription – Page 77 – Avonna Loves Genres

Blog Tour/Feature Post and Book Review: A Soldier Under Her Tree by Kathy Douglass

Hi, everyone!

Today is my turn on the Harlequin Series December 2020 Blog Tour. I am sharing my Feature Post and Book Review for A SOLDIER UNDER HER TREE (Sweet Briar Sweethearts Book #8) by Kathy Douglass.

Below you will find a book description, my book review an excerpt from the book and the author’s bio. Enjoy!

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Book Description:

Tis the season…for a second shot at love. Could a fake boyfriend be her real hero this Christmas?

When her ex-fiancé shows up at her shop—engaged to her sister!—dress designer Hannah Carpenter doesn’t know what to do. Especially when her former fling Russell Danielson sees her plight and rides to the rescue, offering a fake relationship to foil her rude relations. The thing is, there’s nothing fake about his kiss… But when things get real, will the sexy soldier once again stop short of commitment?

From Harlequin Special Edition: Believe in love. Overcome obstacles. Find happiness.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/55578809-a-soldier-under-her-tree

A SOLDIER UNDER HER TREE (Sweet Briar Sweethearts Book #8)

ISBN: 9781335894991

Price: $5.99

On Sale Date: December 1, 2020

***

My Book Review

RATING: 4 out of 5 Stars

A SOLDIER UNDER HER TREE (Sweet Briar Sweethearts Book #8) by Tracy Douglass is a cozy, second-chance, contemporary holiday romance. (I label all romances that do not have sex scenes as cozy romances.) This book is a part of the Sweet Briar Sweethearts series, but it can be easily read and enjoyed as a standalone story.

Hannah Carpenter has made Sweet Briar, North Carolina her home after catching her ex-fiance and sister in bed together just three days before what was to be her Christmas wedding day. While she has made of success of her personal design clothing boutique and has great new friends, she only participates in the holiday for show around her friends and customers. She refuses to celebrate in private and avoids anything Christmas as much as possible.

Russel Danielson is on leave in Sweet Briar for the holiday to see his family and try to decide what he is going to do for the rest of his life after having to take a medical discharge from the military after 20 years of service. He is also looking forward to once again seeing Hannah, who he met one day before returning to duty over the summer.

Russ walks into Hannah’s boutique and into a situation between Hannah, her mother, sister and ex-fiance. He pretends to be her boyfriend. When they leave, Russel and Hannah decide that being a fake couple over the Christmas holiday will solve both of their problems.

Can a fake couple help each other and become the real thing?

This is a fast and easy read with a lot of heart. Russel and Hannah both have personal obstacles to overcome and the author does a good job of emotionally moving them along to the HEA. This is a cozy romance, which is the term I use for a romance with no sex scenes. All of Hannah’s friends and Russel’s family are realistically portrayed and interesting secondary characters that make me want to go back and read about their stories in other books in the Sweet Briar series.

Entertaining, heartfelt and fun holiday contemporary romance read.

***

Excerpt

“Why do you have to be like that? I tried to resist. We both did, for your sake. That’s why we didn’t get married right away. We were considering your feelings. But Gerald and I are in love and want to be together.”

Hannah managed not to throw up the yogurt she’d grabbed for breakfast. Respect for her feelings wasn’t the reason Dinah and Gerald hadn’t gotten married three years ago. They hadn’t tied the knot because Dinah hadn’t been divorced yet. Her ex-husband hadn’t been in the mood to give her half of what he’d earned, so the proceedings had dragged on and on. Of course, had Dinah been as much in love with Gerald as she’d claimed, she would have just walked away from her then eight-month marriage and a huge settlement. But Dinah had absorbed their mother’s teaching quite well. Never leave a dollar behind.

“I’m not stopping you. Get married. Have the biggest wedding the state of Virginia has seen. Heck, all of America has seen. But leave me out of it.”

Gerald stepped forward then. Hannah had hoped to never see the weasel ever again. Yet here he was, standing right in front of her. He was average height with hair that was beginning to thin and cold, calculating eyes. Hannah wondered what she’d ever seen in him. When they’d worked together at his father’s architectural firm, she’d been impressed by what she’d interpreted as his drive and desire to make a name for himself. Now she realized that had just been a mirage.

“Hannah, we weren’t right for each other.” Was he trying to sound sympathetic? If so, he was failing miserably. But then, true feelings weren’t included in his limited repertoire. “I know you feel the same way.”

“You got that right.”

“I know you’re hurt and disappointed,” he said as if he hadn’t heard a word she’d said. Apparently he’d prepared this speech and intended to recite every word of it. “But don’t hold it against Dinah.”

“You’re unbelievable. Please, all of you, just leave.”

“Not until you agree to make my dress,” Dinah said. Clearly trying to make nice was putting a strain on her and she was reverting to type.

Hannah had a business to run. A customer could come in at any moment. She needed to put an end to this now.

“You know, I can always call the chief of police. He’s a friend, too.”

“You wouldn’t dare,” Eleanor said indignantly, pressing a manicured hand against her chest.

“Actually I would,” Hannah said, hoping her mother wouldn’t call her bluff. Hannah didn’t want anyone in town, especially her friends, to know about her messed up family. She’d never told a soul about them or how Gerald had betrayed her. And she never would. But Eleanor didn’t know that.

“There’s no need for that,” Eleanor said hastily, trying to get back on script. “Hannah, just consider what’s best for the family. And for you.”

“How would it look if you, a successful dress designer to the stars, refuse to design a wedding dress for your only sister? It could harm your reputation if anyone ever found out how petty you’re being,” Dinah added.

“Was that a threat? That’s an interesting strategy for someone asking a favor.”

“I’m just pointing out the obvious. You like to pretend that you’re the victim. Poor betrayed Hannah. The truth is Gerald dumped you because he didn’t want you. He wanted me.” Dinah preened as if she were some sort of prize. “You’ve always been jealous of my beauty. I would have thought you’d gotten over it by now. Maybe if you could find a man, you wouldn’t be so bitter. But then, maybe you haven’t met anyone desperate enough.”

Hannah gasped. That was low even for Dinah.

The sound of a throat being loudly cleared filled the uneasy silence. Hannah closed her eyes.

Just what she’d hoped to avoid—a witness to her family’s dysfunction and her personal humiliation.

She opened her eyes and turned to face her customer.

Russell Danielson. Her good friend’s brother. She’d met Russell this past summer when he’d been in Sweet Briar visiting his siblings and their families. They’d hit it off and spent a glorious evening together. He’d promised to contact her when he got back to his duty station. He hadn’t.

She’d been hurt when he’d ghosted her—disappointed even—but not surprised. She was still down on men. Besides, though they’d had a couple of good conversations, those talks hadn’t involved anything truly personal. Still, she’d thought they’d connected. Clearly she’d been wrong.

Russell looked around the room, taking in the scene, and then smiled. Did he find the way she was standing against the wall while they circled her like sharks amusing? “Sorry I’m late.”

“Uh.” Late for what? Until he’d stepped into her store, she hadn’t known he was in town.

He crossed the room, not stopping until he was standing an inch in front on her. Instinctively she inhaled and got a whiff of his delectable scent. He was wearing a woodsy cologne, which when mingled with his natural scent made her weak in the knees. Before she could utter a word, he put his arms around her waist and pulled her into a kiss.

His lips were warm, and the pressure was perfect. He lingered for a few seconds before pulling away. Though he’d ended the kiss, he kept his arm firmly around her waist, which was good since her knees had turned to Jell-O.

***

Author Bio

Kathy Douglass came by her love of reading naturally – both of her parents were readers. She would finish one book and pick up another. Then she attended law school and traded romances for legal opinions.

After the birth of her two children, her love of reading turned into a love of writing. Kathy now spends her days writing the small town contemporary novels she enjoys reading. Kathy loves to hear from her readers and can be found on Facebook.

Purchase Links

Harlequin: https://www.harlequin.com/shop/books/9781335894991_a-soldier-under-her-tree.html

B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-soldier-under-her-tree-kathy-douglass/1137123782?ean=9781335894991&st=AFF&2sid=HarperCollins%20Publishers%20LLC_7651142_NA&sourceId=AFFHarperCollins%20Publishers%20LLC

Booksamillion: https://www.booksamillion.com/p/9781335894991?AID=10747236&PID=7651142&cjevent=cd84ca9017ad11eb829e02870a240614

Amazon: https://www.amazon.ca/Soldier-Under-Sweet-Briar-Sweethearts-ebook/dp/B089MC97CK/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=A+Soldier+Under+Her+Tree+%28Sweet+Briar+Sweethearts%2C+8%29&linkCode=gs3&qid=1603732094&sr=8-1&tag=haperpublican-20

Indie bound: https://www.indiebound.org/book/9781335894991

Blog Tour/Feature Post and Book Review: Claiming the Rancher’s Heir by Maisey Yates

Hi, everyone!

Today is my turn once again on the Harlequin Series November 2020 Blog Tour. I am sharing my Feature Post and Book Review for CLAIMING THE RANCHER’S HEIR (Gold Valley Vineyards Book #2) by Maisey Yates.

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

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Book Description

Arrogant, infuriating, insufferable… And the sexiest man she’s ever met.

Wren Maxfield hates Creed Cooper, but now she’s working with the wealthy rancher over the holidays! Those strong feelings hide undeniable chemistry…and one wild night results in pregnancy. Now Creed vows to claim his heir. That means proposing a marriage in name only. But as desire takes over, is that a deal they can keep?

Includes Rancher’s Wild Secret, a bonus story!

Emerson Maxfield is a sheltered beauty who never steps out of line. Now she must marry her family’s enemy before desire spells downfall for them all…

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/52513416-claiming-the-rancher-s-heir

CLAIMING THE RANCHER’S HEIR (Gold Valley Vineyards Book #2)

ISBN: 9781335154002

Price: $7.99

On Sale Date: Nov 10, 2020

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My Book Review

RATING: 4 out of 5 Stars

CLAIMING THE RANCHER’S HEIR (Gold Valley Vineyards Book #2) by Maisey Yates is a new enemies-to-lovers contemporary romance featuring the second sister in the Maxfield winemaking family and the sexy cowboy/vineyard owner from the Cooper family. Although this is the second book in the Gold Valley Vineyards series is can be easily be read as a standalone.

Wren Maxfield cannot believe her sister, Emerson, wants to do joint events with their biggest winery rivals, the Cooper’s to increase tourism in the Gold Valley. For years, Wren has been butting heads with Creed Cooper and now they have to work together. Wren hates Creed and his laid-back cowboy persona, but she also cannot stop having very steamy dreams featuring the man she supposedly hates.

Creed Cooper runs his family’s winery and enjoys his sparring with the uppity Wren Maxfield. Creed has no interest in a relationship after being wounded in his past, but his dreams all feature the feisty Wren and now they are thrown together.

After an explosive sexual episode in a wine cellar, Wren is pregnant. Creed vows to marry Wren and take care of her and the baby, but it is a marriage in name only. But Wren has other plans.

I really enjoyed this Harlequin Desire quick read. I did read the first book, but it is not necessary to enjoy this one. I find enemies-to-lovers stories very entertaining and I believe Ms. Yates did an excellent job of bringing all the verbal tension to a head and turning it into believable sexual tension. Wren and Creed were both dealing with emotional baggage that I felt was handled realistically. The sex scenes are explicit, but not gratuitous.

I can recommend this contemporary romance for a quick, satisfying read and I am looking forward to Cricket’s story next.

***

Excerpt

Creed Cooper was a cowboy. A rich, successful cowboy from one of the most well-regarded families in Logan County. He also happened to be tall, muscular and in possession of the kind of good looks a lot of women liked.

As a result, nearly nothing—or no one—was off-limits to him.

No one except Wren Maxfield.

Maybe that was why every time he looked at her his hands itched.

To unwind that tight bun from her hair. To make that mouth, which was always flattened in disapproval—at least around him—get soft and sexy and get all over his body.

And he had that itch a lot, considering he and Wren were the representatives for their respective families’ vineyards. Rivals, in fact.

And she hated him.

She hated him so much that when she saw him her eyes flared with a particular kind of fire.

Fair enough, since he couldn’t really stand her either.

But somehow, years ago, a piece of that dislike inside him had twisted and caught hard in his gut and turned into an intensity of another kind entirely.

He was obsessed.

Obsessed with the idea he might be able to use that fire in her eyes to burn up the sheets between them.

Instead, he had to listen to her heels clicking on the floor as she paced around the showroom of Cowboy Wines, looking like a smug cat, making him wait to hear whatever plan it was she’d come to tell him about.

“Are you listening to me?” she asked suddenly, her green cat eyes getting sharp.

She was dressed in a tight-fitting red dress that fell to the top of her knees. It had a high, wide neck, and while it didn’t show a lot of skin, it hugged her full breasts so tight it didn’t leave a lot to the imagination.

Even if it had, his imagination was damn good. And it was willing to work for Wren. Overtime.

She had on those ridiculous spiked heels, too. Red, like the dress. He wanted to see her in only those heels.

He wasn’t into prissy women. Not generally. He liked a more practical girl. A cowgirl who would be at home on his ranch.

Wren looked like she never left her family showroom, all glass walls and wrought iron furniture. Maxfield Vineyards was the premier wine brand for people who were up their own asses.

And still, he wanted her.

That might be her greatest sin.

That she tested control he’d had firmly leashed for the last eighteen years and made him want to send it right to hell as he burned in her body.

Of all the reasons to hate Wren Maxfield, wanting her and not being able to do a damn thing to make himself stop was number one on the list.

He looked around the Cowboy Wines showroom, the barrels with glass tabletops on them, the heavy, distressed beams that ran the length of the room.

And then there was him: battered jeans and cowboy boots, a hat for good measure.

Everything a woman like Wren would hate.

A testament to just why there was no reason to carry a burning torch for her fine little body.

Too bad his own body was a dumbass.

“I wasn’t listening at all,” he said, making sure to drawl it. As slow as possible. He was rewarded with

a subtle flare of heat in those eyes. “Make it more interesting next time, Wren. Maybe do a dance.”

“The only dancing I’ll ever do is on your grave, Creed.”

The sparring sent a kick of lust through him. They did this every time they were in a room together. Every damn time. No matter that he knew he shouldn’t indulge it.

But hell, he was afraid the alternative was stripping her naked and screwing her against the nearest wall, and that wasn’t a real option.

So verbal sparring it was.

“What did I die of?” he asked. “Boredom?”

Those eyes shot sparks at him. “It was tragic. You were found with a high heel protruding out of your chest.” Her magic lips curved upward and he felt it like she’d pressed them against his neck.

“Any suspects so far?”

“Your own smart mouth. Are you going to listen to me or not?”

“You’re already here. So am I. Might as well.”

He leaned back in his chair and, for effect, put his boots up on the table.

Her top lip curled up into a sneer, and that thrilled him just as much as if she’d crossed the room to straddle his lap. Okay, maybe not just as much, but he loved that he got to her.

***

Author Bio

New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author Maisey Yates lives in rural Oregon with her three children and her husband, whose chiseled jaw and arresting features continue to make her swoon. She feels the epic trek she takes several times a day from her office to her coffee maker is a true example of her pioneer spirit.

In 2009, at the age of twenty-three Maisey sold her first book. Since then it’s been a whirlwind of sexy alpha males and happily ever afters, and she wouldn’t have it any other way. Maisey divides her writing time between dark, passionate category romances set just about everywhere on earth and light sexy contemporary romances set practically in her back yard. She believes that she clearly has the best job in the world.

Author links

Website: http://www.maiseyyates.com/

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

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MaiseyYates.Author/

Sales links

Harlequin: https://www.harlequin.com/shop/books/9781335154002_claiming-the-ranchers-heir-ranchers-wild-secret.html

B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/claiming-the-ranchers-heir-ranchers-wild-secret-maisey-yates/1135079360?ean=9781335154002&st=AFF&2sid=HarperCollins%20Publishers%20LLC_7651142_NA&sourceId=AFFHarperCollins%20Publishers%20LLC

Amazon: https://www.amazon.ca/Claiming-Ranchers-Heir-Wild-Secret-ebook/dp/B081X8L4YB/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=Claiming+the+Rancher%27s+Heir+by+maisey+yates&qid=1599748181&sr=8-2

Indie Bound: https://www.indiebound.org/book/9781335154002

Walmart: https://www.walmart.com/search/search-ng.do?search_query=9781335154002

Blog Tour/Feature Post and Book Review: A Sheriff’s Star by Makenna Lee

Hi, everyone!

Today is my turn on the Harlequin Series November 2020 Blog Tour. I am excited to be sharing my Feature Post and Book Review for A SHERIFF’S STAR (Home to Oak Hollow Book #1) by Makenna Lee.

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

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Book Description:

It was only supposed to be a temporary home… He interrupts her plans…

When police chief Anson Curry returns a lost little girl to her frantic mother, his only goal is to ease the single mom’s anxiety. But it doesn’t take long for Tess Harper’s amazing child to have Anson wrapped around her little finger—and for Tess to have him thinking about a possible relationship. As for Tess, she’s tempted—even though she had planned to be in Oak Hollow, Texas, only temporarily. But after losing her father and brother in the line of duty, Tess thinks Anson’s job poses too much of a risk to her heart. And Anson has no plans to get involved with someone who’s planning on leaving.

From Harlequin Special Edition: Believe in love. Overcome obstacles. Find happiness.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/55346072-a-sheriff-s-star

A SHERIFF’S STAR (Home To Oak Hollow Book #1)

Price: $5.99

ON-sale date: 10/27/2020

ISBN: 9781335894922

***

My Book Review

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

A SHERIFF’S STAR (Home to Oak Hollow Book #1) by Makenna Lee is the start of a new Harlequin Special Edition series contemporary romance set in the Texas Hill Country.

Single mother Tess Harper has arrived in Oak Hollow with her four-year-old daughter, Hannah to work a temporary job setting up exhibits for the new Historical Society. While shopping, before checking out their temporary rental home, Hannah walks away. Tess is frantic until a handsome lawman brings Hannah back to her mother.

Chief of Police Anson Curry is enchanted with the little girl he finds who calls him “Sheriff”. He is also interested in Tess, but she no pushover. Anson has had his heart broken in the past and is not sure about Tess. While Tess has been a single mother on her own even before the birth of her daughter and is not interested in a relationship. Anson is not willing to give up though and is willing to work to get Tess to give them a chance.

Tess has experienced several losses and is worried Anson’s job is too dangerous, but Anson wants to prove to Tess that he has no plans to leave her and Hannah.

I loved this single mother romance and the determination of Anson to make Tess understand that she had so many people who wanted to help her if she would just let them in, including him. Being a single mother myself, I know how difficult it can be and how protective I was of my child, so with Hannah having special needs with her Down syndrome and being rejected by her birth father and his family, I feel that Tess’s fight against letting anyone into their lives was very realistic. Hannah’s love and innocence will steal your heart and Nan, Anson’s grandmother, adds to the healing that occurs in all their lives.

I can recommend this heartfelt small-town romance and I am looking forward to the future stories in this series as well.

***

Excerpt

Where’s my baby?

Tess Harper’s rib cage rattled with the abrupt drumming of her heart. “Hannah Lynn! Where are you? Answer Momma!”

This can’t be happening! I only glanced away for a second.

Blood pounded in her head with such force her vision wavered, and a hot, prickly knot wedged in her throat. She grabbed a rack of clothes, knocked items to the floor and forced herself to focus. No one had been standing near them to snatch her little girl. Her precocious child must’ve slipped into one of the stuffed, round racks to play her favorite game of hide-and-seek.

Please, please let her be okay. “Hannah Lynn, answer me!”

A store employee stood nearby folding T-shirts, unaffected by Tess’s cries.

“My daughter is missing! Can you make an announcement?”

“What does she look like?” asked the blank-faced teen.

“She’s four, blonde, has Down syndrome.”

“Over here, ma’am,” a deep, male voice called from across the women’s department. “I think I have who you’re looking for.”

Tess spun to see her daughter in the arms of a tall police officer. She ran, dodging obstacles and other shoppers, and pulled Hannah into her arms. The slight weight of her child was an immediate relief. She cradled her head of silky curls and kissed her smooth, broad forehead. “Don’t you ever run off like that again. You scared the life out of me.”

Hannah’s bottom lip poked out and she placed both hands on her mother’s cheeks. “I sorry, Momma.”

The waning adrenaline rush left her trembling and dizzy. A strong arm wrapped around her shoulders and she stiffened. “I’m fine.”

“Let’s find a place to sit.”

Allowing a strange man to touch her wasn’t typical behavior, but he was a police officer like her father had been, and at the moment, she welcomed the support. “I could sit for a minute.”

He guided them to a bench near the dressing room and sat beside them. “Can I get you anything? Water?”

Tess shook her head, too intent on hugging her squirming daughter and savoring her baby shampoo scent. “I can’t believe I let this happen. I only turned my head, and when I looked back, she was gone. What if…” Her throat tightened and burned with repressed tears, cutting off her words. Terrible scenarios scrolled through her mind, each one more horrifying than the next.

“Play hide-see, Momma.”

“Sweet girl, you have to promise to tell me before we start playing hide-and-seek.”

“Something like this happens to every parent at some point,” said the officer. “Don’t be too hard on yourself.”

She cut him a hard look, ready to argue that her slipup was completely unacceptable. “Are you a parent?”

His jaw tightened and twitched. “No.”

“Then you don’t know what this feels like.” Tess didn’t miss the spark of sorrow in the man’s blue eyes. His expression almost matched the strained one that often stared back from her reflection. She took a deep breath. “Thank you, though. Where did you find my daughter?”

“She found me. I was looking through the ladies’ robes when a little hand reached out and tugged on my pant leg.”

“Ladies’ robes?” She bit her lip. It was none of her business what he shopped for.

Color bloomed high on his cheekbones. “For my grandmother.”

Hannah wiggled off her mother’s lap and onto the bench between them. “Sheriff safe?” Her blue-green eyes cut back and forth between them.

“Yes, baby.” Tess glanced at his badge that read Chief of Police. “She thinks you’re a sheriff like one of her favorite cartoon characters.”

He smiled at Hannah, showing dimples almost hidden beneath a short-cropped, blond beard. “You sure are a smart little girl. How old are you?”

“I four.” Hannah climbed onto her knees and traced around the border of his badge. “Circle.” Her tiny finger poked through each of the holes surrounding the center star. “Sheriff star.”

“It means I’ve promised to protect and keep you safe.” He reached into his pocket, pulled out a small plastic star and pinned it onto Hannah’s pink shirt. “You can be my honorary officer.”

Her daughter—normally shy around men—flung her arms around his neck. “Tank you.”

Tess once again caught a quick flash of distress before he schooled his features and returned the hug. Watching her child interact with a “father figure” set off a familiar swell of sadness that rolled in like a tidal wave. Hannah’s father didn’t want to be part of their lives, but he was the one missing out on the unconditional love of a precious child.

His loss. Idiot, selfish bastard.

She shook off the dark thoughts and took a good look at the man wearing a tan cowboy hat. His movie-star-worthy face topped powerful shoulders and a chest that filled his uniform shirt almost to the point of bursting buttons.

What’s the matter with me? How can I notice a man’s appearance at a time like this?

Eyes squeezed closed, she turned her head to hide her emotions from a man who was way too attractive, and no doubt knew it. He probably had women fawning all over him. She did not need another man who’d play with her heart like a chew toy. Especially one with a dangerous job.

I can, and will, raise my child on my own.

Oak Hollow, Texas, might be a small town, but she made up her mind to keep as much distance as possible between her and this tempting officer. It wouldn’t be that hard. They’d only be here a couple of months before moving on to Houston to prepare for Hannah’s heart surgery.

Hannah plopped onto her bottom, little legs swinging as she admired her prize.

“Thank you for your help. I need to find our shopping cart and get groceries. I’m moving into our new place today and I don’t want to be late meeting the landlord.”

He cocked his head and studied her with a set of stormy blue eyes. “Is your new place by any chance the Craftsman bungalow on Eighteenth Street?”

Hair lifted on the back of her neck. “How’d you know?”

He stuck out his hand. “Nice to meet you, Tess Harper. I’m your landlord, Anson Curry.”

You’ve got to be kidding me.

***

Author Bio

Makenna Lee is an award-winning romance author living in the Texas Hill Country with her real-life hero and their two children. Her oldest son has Down syndrome and taught her to appreciate the little things, and he inspired one of her novels. As a child, she played in the woods, looked for fairies under toadstools, and daydreamed. Her writing journey began when she mentioned all her story ideas, and her husband asked why she wasn’t writing them down. The next day she bought a laptop, started her first book, and knew she’d found her passion. Now, Makenna is often drinking coffee while writing, reading, or plotting a new story. Her wish is to write books that touch your heart, making you feel, think, and dream. She enjoys renaissance festivals, nature photography, studying herbal medicine, and usually listens to Celtic music while writing. She writes for Harlequin and Entangled Publishing and believes everyone deserves a happy ending.

Author Social Media Links

Website: https://makennalee.com/

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

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/MakennaLeeBooks

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/18822880.Makenna_Lee

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Makenna-Lee/e/B07N97GX3N/ref=dp_byline_cont_pop_ebooks_1

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.ca/makennaleewrite/

Purchase Links

Harlequin: https://www.harlequin.com/shop/books/9781335894922_a-sheriffs-star.html

B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-sheriffs-star-makenna-lee/1137123773ean=9781335894922&st=AFF&2sid=HarperCollins%20Publishers%20LLC_7651142_NA&sourceId=AFFHarperCollins%20Publishers%20LLC

Booksamillion: https://www.booksamillion.com/p/9781335894922?AID=10747236&PID=7651142&cjevent=11f7de82f37011ea805300af0a240614

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B089MB1HX8/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i1

Indie bound: https://www.indiebound.org/book/9781335894922

Walmart: https://www.walmart.com/search/search-ng.do?search_query=9781335894922

Feature Post and Book Review: Trial by Fire by Scott James

Hi, everyone!

Today I am sharing my Feature Post and Book Review for TRIAL BY FIRE: A Devastating Tragedy, 100 Lives Lost and A 15-Year Search for Truth by Scott James.

This is a nonfiction book about a horrific fire by an author who did exhaustive research for the truth which reads as smoothly as a work of fiction. I could not put it down!

Below you will find a book description, my book review and the author’s bio and social media links.

***

Book Description

In only 90 seconds, a fire in the Station nightclub killed 100 people and injured hundreds more. It would take nearly 20 years to find out why—and who was really at fault.

All it took for a hundred people to die during a show by the hair metal band Great White was a sudden burst from two giant sparklers that ignited the acoustical foam lining the Station nightclub. But who was at fault? And who would pay? This being Rhode Island, the two questions wouldn’t necessarily have the same answer.

Within 24 hours the governor of Rhode Island and the local police commissioner were calling for criminal charges, although the investigation had barely begun, no real evidence had been gathered, and many of the victims hadn’t been identified. Though many parties could be held responsible, fingers pointed quickly at the two brothers who owned the club. But were they really to blame? Bestselling author and three-time Emmy Award-winning reporter Scott James investigates all the central figures, including the band’s manager and lead singer, the fire inspector, the maker of the acoustical foam, as well as the brothers. Drawing on firsthand accounts, interviews with many involved, and court documents, James explores the rush to judgment about what happened that left the victims and their families, whose stories he also tells, desperate for justice.

Trial By Fire is the heart-wrenching story of the fire’s aftermath because while the fire, one of America’s deadliest, lasted fewer than two minutes, the search for the truth would take twenty years.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/53074800-trial-by-fire

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My Book Review

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

TRIAL BY FIRE: A Devastating Tragedy, 100 Lives Lost and a 15-Year Search for Truth by Scott James is a new nonfiction book about the horrific fire at The Station nightclub in 2003. The author uses exhaustive research and intersperses personal accounts into a work of nonfiction that reads as easily as a work of fiction. I could not put it down!

It was supposed to be a night of fun and partying watching the hair metal band Great White perform at The Station nightclub in Rhode Island. After local warm-up bands, the lights go out and suddenly the band’s road manager sets off four large pyrotechnics which catch the foam on the back wall on fire. The foam is on all of the walls and ceiling and is as effective as gasoline at spreading the fire and within seconds the inside is filled with a black fog of smoke and the entire building is engulfed in flames.

The author takes the reader through the entire tragedy and introduces the reader through family and friends accounts to some of the individuals who died that day, some of the survivor’s stories and the families of both. Then the story follows the investigations into who is responsible, while continuing to intersperse victim’s stories. The author points out the mistakes made and reported and the series of events and decisions that led to unintended consequences and the terrible number of deaths.

I was completely engrossed in this story. (I remember the terrible story when it was on the national news, but like all other news stories, unless you were personally affected it fades from your life.) Mr. James takes the reader to the very beginning and through his research and the passage of time which separates actual facts from the hype and rush to judgement immediately after an event like this, he writes a narrative that illuminates the cascade of errors made and continues to follow survivor’s stories. I believe the author does an excellent job of illuminating the truth about the good and bad of all the major players involved in this tragedy.

I highly recommend this book!

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Author Bio

A New England native, Scott James first came to prominence for exposing government waste and malfeasance by creating the long-running investigative series “You Paid for It” at WLNE-TV in Rhode Island. His work in television news received three Emmy awards and numerous journalism honors, including the prestigious Associated Press News Station of the Year, twice. He’s a graduate of the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.

Since 2009 Scott’s reporting has appeared in The New York Times. His eponymous weekly column about the San Francisco Bay Area ran from 2009 to 2012, and his stories received national and international coverage from other media, including The New Yorker, The Guardian, CNN, ABC News, CBS News, “The Colbert Report,” and “Chelsea Lately.”

In the world of fiction, writing under the pen name Kemble Scott, he’s the author of two San Francisco Chronicle bestselling novels, The Sower and SoMa, which was a finalist for the national Lambda Literary prize for debut fiction and the #1 bestseller in the Doubleday Book Club’s InSightOut division.

Scott lives in San Francisco. He’s a member of the board of directors of Litquake, the city’s literary festival, and co-founder of the Castro Writers’ Cooperative, a co-working community for writers.

Social Media Links

Website: http://www.scottjameswriter.com

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

Twitter: https://www.facebook.com/kemblescott

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/20273590.Scott_James

Book Tour/Feature Post and Book Review: The Christmas Eve Promise – A Time Travel Romance by Elyse Douglas

Hi, everyone!

Today is my turn on the Virtual Author Book Tour for the latest in the series of Christmas themed romance time travel books featuring Eve and Patrick Gantly. I am sharing my Feature Post and Book Review for THE CHRISTMAS EVE PROMISE – A Time Travel Romance (The Christmas Eve Series Book #4).

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

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Book Description

Eve and baby Colleen are traveling to Ohio for the Christmas holidays to spend time with Eve’s parents.

After a few days in Ohio, they all plan to fly to Florida in Eve’s father’s private airplane. Patrick will meet them there after he completes exams for his forensic psychology degree.

Nothing goes as planned. The day Patrick is to leave for Florida, he receives a shocking telephone call from one of Eve’s cousins. Sobbing, she tells him a terrible tragedy has occurred. It stuns him and shakes him to his heart’s core.

His life shattered, Patrick knows he has but one chance: he must use the time travel lantern to return to the past in order to prevent the current tragedy.

But once again, the time travel lantern has a mind of its own, and Patrick is hurled back to a time where he must confront a strange, unfamiliar world and learn why the lantern transported him there.

When Patrick comes face-to-face with a mysterious, beautiful woman who looks and acts like Eve, and whose name is Eve, Patrick is haunted.

He recalls the promise he and Eve had made to each other on Christmas Eve the previous year—no matter what happens; no matter if they’re separated; no matter what time or place they find themselves in; no matter what obstacles they must face, they will always find each other, help each other, and love each other for all time.

The Christmas Eve Promise is a journey about the enduring promise of hope and the infinite, unbreakable bonds of love.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/55183315-the-christmas-eve-promise—a-time-travel-romance

Publisher: Broadback (September, 2020)
Category: Time Travel, Historical Fiction, Romance, Christmas
Tour dates: September-November, 2020
ISBN:
Available in Print and ebook, 405 pages

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My Book Review

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

THE CHRISTMAS EVE PROMISE – A Time Travel Romance (The Christmas Eve Series Book #4) by Elyse Douglas is the latest in the series of Christmas themed romance time travel books featuring Eve and Patrick Gantly. While each book is complete with a HEA story, they are a continuing sequence of the main character’s adventures and journeys to find each other throughout time, so I feel they are best read in order.

It all began in book one with Eve discovering a time travel lantern which took her back in time to find her soulmate and true love, Patrick.

It is Christmas Eve, 2020. Eve, baby Colleen and Patrick are planning on a vacation in Florida for Christmas with Eve’s parents after Patrick finishes his exams in forensic psychology. First, Eve and Colleen travel to Ohio to visit relatives and then they will fly with her parents to Florida as Patrick takes the train from New York.

Then a tragedy occurs.

Patrick is devastated. He has one hope. He will once again use the time travel lantern to save his wife and child.

The time travel lantern has a mind of its own and Patrick in sent to 1925. Will Patrick find his soulmate, Eve and be able to save his family?

This is another wonderful addition to the series. The authors once again have Eve and Patrick not only searching for each other, but also changing the lives and sometimes the futures of others. Even as you need to suspend belief, it does not make the story less intriguing or heartwarming. The action is fast paced in this story and the emotional investment kept me turning the pages. I found all the details of the time-period, as in all the books, to be thoroughly researched.

I highly recommend this time travel romance and all the books in the series!

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Excerpt

Excerpt One

Eve held Patrick’s gaze, his champagne glass poised to touch hers “Patrick, before the new puppy comes crashing into our lives, I want us to toast to something else.”

“Now, there’s that mischievous gleam in your eyes again, Mrs. Eve Gantly. What are we about to toast to?

Eve worked to find the right words. “Okay, here it is. Do you believe in soulmates?”

“Soulmates?” he asked, testing the word. “Yes, you have used that word before. I know of it, but I haven’t thought about it. I assume you are about to educate me?” He sighed, playfully. “Thus, the second Christmas toast must wait.”

“I’ve done some research,” Eve said. “The term ‘soulmate’ first appeared in the English language in 1822, in a letter written by the English poet, Samuel Taylor Coleridge.”

“I haven’t read much poetry, Eve.”

“It doesn’t matter. Anyway, some psychologists believe that it’s an unrealistic expectation to think that a soulmate exists specifically for another person.”

“What are your thoughts?” Patrick asked, shifting his feet. “And, can we step away from the fireplace? I feel like I’m being roasted as a Christmas goose.”

Eve drifted over to check on Colleen, her mind at work. Patrick moved to the couch but didn’t sit. He was intrigued by Eve’s obvious interest in soulmates.

“So continue with your interesting discourse,” Patrick said.

Eve turned to him. “According to an esoteric religious movement called Theosophy, God created androgynous souls—equally male and female. A little later, there were theories that the souls split into separate genders, perhaps because of karma. Anyway, over a number of reincarnations, each half soul seeks the other soul. And then, after all the karmic debts are purged, the two fuse back together as one. They are connected by a kind of invisible thread.”

Patrick scratched his head and took another drink from his glass. “Eve, my love, I know nothing about soulmates, reincarnation or karma. I only believe in time travel because it has happened to me, against my will, I might add. But had it not happened to me, I would never, ever, under any circumstances, have believed in it. Maybe what you say is true, I don’t know, but it seems rather airy, the stuff of dreams and fertile imaginations.”

There was a long gap in the conversation as Eve wandered the room, finally returning to Patrick, who watched her with keen interest.

“Patrick… I met you because I time traveled. We have both time traveled back and forth several times. We could have easily lost each other or never found each other.”

Patrick nodded.

“But we found each other every time. We fell in love at first sight, didn’t we?”

He leaned and kissed her wet, champagne lips and felt the same electric charge he always felt when he kissed her. That first-time burst-of-love and desire for her.

“Yes, Eve. I fell in love with you at first sight as I followed you along the 1885 New York City streets. I fell in love with you when we were across the street from Zarcone’s Tea & Coffee House and when you boldly walked up to me and said, ‘Have you been following me?’”

Eve held up her glass and touched his. “Yes! And I fell head-over-heels in love with you—and it scared me how fast and how much I fell in love with you. But that love seemed timeless, didn’t it? As if love had been just waiting for us to come together on that street corner in 1885? As if I’d known you before and you’d known me before. As if we were soulmates just waiting to come together again, to merge again. Didn’t you feel that, Patrick? Don’t you feel that now?”

Patrick narrowed his eyes on her. “You are quite the romantic, aren’t you?”

“I wasn’t a romantic before I met you. I was married to a man for a little over two years, and I never felt the love I felt for you that very first time I looked into your face.”

Patrick kissed her again. “Yes, I’ll admit it. You seemed remarkably familiar the first time I stared into your lovely eyes.”

Eve smiled knowingly. “And that’s what I propose in this toast.”

She raised her glass to his. “I want both of us to promise that no matter what happens to us; no matter if we’re separated; no matter what time or place we find ourselves in; no matter what obstacles we face, we will always find each other, help each other and love each other, for all time. Will you make this Christmas Eve promise, Patrick?”

He gave her a warm smile. “All right, Eve. Yes, I promise. But I pray to the saints in heaven that we are not separated. I’ve had enough of that.”

They touched glasses.

Colleen cried out and a burst of wind rattled the windows, making the room suddenly chilly.

***

About the Authors

Elyse Douglas is the pen name for the married writing team Elyse Parmentier and Douglas Pennington. Elyse grew up near the sea, roaming the beaches, reading and writing stories and poetry, receiving a master’s degree in English Literature. She has enjoyed careers as an English teacher, an actress and a speech-language pathologist.

Douglas has worked as a graphic designer, a corporate manager and an equities trader. He attended the Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music and played the piano professionally for many years.

Authors’ Social Media Links

Website: www.elysedouglas.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/douglaselyse
Facebook: www.facebook.com/elyse.authorsdouglas

Buy Christmas Eve Promise: Time Travel Novel by Elyse Douglas

Amazon

Release Blitz/Feature Post and Book Review: Everything That Glitters by Emery Jacobs

Hi, everyone!

Today I am sharing my Feature Post and Book Review on the Release Blitz from Buoni Amici Press for the start of a new Rockstar contemporary romance series – EVERYTHING THAT GLITTERS (Velvet Thunder Book #1) by Emery Jacobs.

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

A decade of playing local bars and festivals with my band is over.

Just like that.

Big break? More like broke up. Broken Thunder– maybe the name was a sign.

Now I find myself at a crossroad, not ready to leave music behind.

An audition for the legendary band Reckless Fury, could change everything.

At least that’s what I hope until I see who’s calling the shots.

No names. One incredible night. It’s her!

I had no idea she was the Princess of Rock, when she was rocking my world.

All I need is a chance to prove myself.

With her.

With the band.

She thinks she knows why I’m here, she’s wrong.

Everything That Glitters is a steamy, sexy, full-length Rockstar Romance with a HEA

Everything That Glitters is the first novel in the Velvet Thunder series. All books in this series are interconnected standalones and can be read in any order.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/51047062-everything-that-glitters

Title: Everything That Glitters

Author: Emery Jacobs

Genre: Contemporary Romance/ Rockstar Romance/ Enemies-to-Lovers

Release Date: October 16, 2020Hosted by:Buoni Amici Press, LLC.

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My Book Review:

RATING: 3.5 out of 5 Stars

EVERYTHING THAT GLITTERS (Velvet Thunder Book #1) by Emery Jacobs is the first book in a new Rockstar contemporary romance series.

Gracie is the daughter of the famous lead singer from Reckless Fury. She may not have inherited his musical talent, but she is great at the business and management side of the business. Her mother walked away when she was an infant, but her father devoted his life to his band and raising her. But Gracie’s current project, an all female band has broken up and she is feels lost.

For ten years, Slade has been the lead singer for Broken Thunder. Now the members are all going their own ways and Slade has no idea what to do next. Then he sees a beautiful blonde in the bar and for some unknown reason he cannot take his eyes off of her.

A one-night stand with no names and no promises.

When Slade goes on an audition several weeks later, there she is, the girl he has not been able to forget. Gracie is just as shocked, but she is not ready to fall into his arms. Both have had emotionally difficult family problems growing up and there are still some problems that may be too big to conquer.

I felt for Gracie because she was such a strong person, but she would not fully face all her emotional issues and it messed with her current relationships. Slade was a hot rocker who had it more together and after a few false steps was able to be what Gracie needed. I felt that Gracie and Slade worked well together as a couple. They had a combustible chemical attraction, but I did not feel the deep, emotional, fully fleshed out connection that I was hoping for. The sex scenes were smokin’ hot, explicit and appropriate to the story. Even though each book is to stand on its own, I wish the other band members had been introduced more fully.

Overall, a good start to the series and I would check out each new book in the series to find out about the other band members.

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About the Author

Emery grew up in Southern Arkansas and has lived most of her adult life in Northern Louisiana. She spends her days working as a Nurse Practitioner in rural health and her nights reading, writing, and occasionally sleeping.

She loves real life romance…lots of angst and heartbreak, but always a happy ending.

Social Media Links

Website: https://www.emeryjacobs.com

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

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/ejacobswrites

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

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/emeryjacobsauthor

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/authorejacobs

Newsletter: https://www.subscribepage.com/updatesfromemery

Purchase Links

#KindleUnlimited

Amazon US: https://amzn.to/3mETezi