Tag: #bookreview

Feature Post and Book Review: A Christmas Miracle in the Little Irish Village by Michelle Vernal

Book Description

When twenty-four-year-old Ava Kelly and her adventurous twin Grace return home to The Shamrock Inn, their Ma’s favorite baubles bring back so many memories of Christmases past. They have always done everything together, even leaving their little Irish village for the excitement of London. But with the locket her handsome ex Shane gave her hanging just above her heart, Ava has just one wish this festive season…

After a year stuck in a job she can’t stand and going on dreadful dates, Ava longs to be back with Shane. Curling up in front of the fire with him, the brooding fisherman everyone else sees melts away as his blue eyes meet hers. But planning a future with Shane would mean telling Grace she’ll be moving back to the village for good. Ava knows it will break her sister’s heart for them to be parted.

But, before Ava can build up the courage to talk to her twin, terrible tidings about Shane hit The Shamrock Inn like a winter storm. With everyone but Grace rushing to the harbor, will Ava’s hopes for a future with both Shane and her sister in it be dashed? Or could a Christmas miracle bring them all together?

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/197776782-a-christmas-miracle-in-the-little-irish-village?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=7QqWN2eArh&rank=4

***

My Book Review

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

A CHRISTMAS MIRACLE IN THE LITTLE IRISH VILLAGE (The Little Irish Village Book #3) by Michelle Vernal is an emotional rollercoaster addition to The Little Irish Village series. This story features the youngest twin, Ava Kelly, but still involves the entire loving Kelly family and their small-town of Emerald Bay, Ireland during the Christmas season. While this women’s fiction/small-town romance can be read as a standalone, I feel they are better read in order as each sister finds her forever love and the relationships within the family and village continue to evolve.

Ava and her twin, Grace, head to London to work and live for the excitement of the big city and to travel while they are young and free. After a year, Ava believes she has made a terrible mistake. She is unhappy and lonely and regrets leaving Emerald Bay and her ex-boyfriend, Shane. She is torn between her twin and her love.

Before Ava can sit down with Grace to tell her how she feels and that she wants to leave, she gets a phone call from her mother telling her Shane has been swept off his family’s fishing boat during a storm. Ava rushes home and prays for a miracle and as she waits for news, Grace still believes nothing will change. Will Ava get her future with Shane and be able to make Grace understand her true feelings for her future?

I loved this return to the Kelly family and Emerald Bay. There are two parts to this story that both revolve around Ava, and both had my emotions all over the place. I cannot say a lot about the plot points because it would give too much away, but I can tell you to keep the tissues handy. This heartwarming story is full of family, love, hope, reconciliation, and second chances.

I highly recommend this joyful and heartwarming women’s fiction/romance and cannot wait for the next book in the series!

***

About the Author

Michelle Vernal is the Amazon UK top 100 bestselling author of Christmas in the Little Irish Village. In 2015 her debut novel, The Traveller’s Daughter, was shortlisted for the Love Stories award and in 2020, The The Letter won the Reader’s Favorite Gold Medal Award for Chick lit. In addition, The Autumn Posy, Book 1 in the Liverpool Brides timeslip series, was a finalist in the 2021 Page Turner Book awards. She also writes the popular Guesthouse on the Green series featuring the hilarious O’Mara family. Michelle’s books are full of laugh out loud moments and warmth. Her readers describe her novels as unputdownable, feel-good and funny. She lives in Christchurch, New Zealand, with her husband, two teenage sons and attention-seeking tabby cats, Humphrey and Savannah.

Social Media Links

Website: https://www.michellevernalbooks.com/

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/MichelleVernal

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/michelle-vernal

Feature Post and Book Review: The Wedding Dress Christmas by Rachel Hauck

Book Description

December comes to quaint Hearts Bend, Tennessee, with a blanket of white and the glitter of Christmas lights.

For JoJo Castle there is no place like home. Her onetime love of adventure ended when her life in the big city came crashing down. Now that she’s home, she never wants to leave again.

Country music sensation Buck Mathews has charmed the world with his smile and his music. However, news of his mother’s illness brought him home to Hearts Bend for the holiday season.

Working with her cousin Haley in The Wedding Shop, JoJo has no aspirations of love. But when her high school crush returns to town, her buried feelings surface.

Busy with his career, Buck hasn’t had time for family and friends, much less love. Seeing JoJo in The Wedding Shop reminds him there are things more important than his career.

But JoJo and Buck have opposing life goals, and there’s no middle ground. Can love, especially the kind that touches hearts at Christmas, overcome her fears and his quest for greatness?

With the help of a very special wedding dress, there just might be a Christmas miracle.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/52742020-the-wedding-dress-christmas?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=TT5Vx9xTR4&rank=1

***

My Book Review

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

THE WEDDING DRESS CHRISTMAS (The Wedding Collection Book #3.5) by Rachel Hauk is a heartwarming small town holiday romance novella. This story is a part of The Wedding Collection series which features a special magical wedding dress and while only novella length it packs an emotional punch. (Have the tissues ready.)

It is Christmas time in Hearts Bend, Tennessee.

JoJo Castle returned to the safety of her parents’ home after a horrific personal attack while working in Dallas. Her dreams of adventure and life in the big city are gone. While she is happy working with her cousin in The Wedding Shop and helping with projects around town, she has no interest in love or marriage for herself.

Buck Matthews left Hearts Bend with a dream of country music stardom. His dreams have come true, but he comes home for the holidays when he receives news of his mother’s illness. While his career is at its height, being home reminds him of the things that are missing from his life.

JoJo and Buck were close friends in high school, but life moved them in different directions. With opposing life goals and JoJo’s ever-present fear, can the magical wedding dress and the man in a purple shirt help these two realize a special holiday miracle?

For a quick novella read, this story has well developed characters, an emotional punch and a holiday HEA. Even though JoJo and Buck’s romance moves quickly, it is believable because of their previous friendship and the realistic adult discussion of feelings throughout. There are no sex scenes in this novella. The religious elements in this story are hinted at Christian values and not preachy.  I normally do not give novellas more than a 4-star rating, but this one deserves all 5. I am glad I gave it a try and now I want to go back and read the full-length novels in this series.

I highly recommend this beautiful holiday romance novella!

***

About the Author

Rachel Hauck is a New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal Bestselling author.

She is a Christy Award Winner and a double RITA finalist. Her book The Wedding Dress was named Inspirational Novel of the Year by Romantic Times Book Club. She is the recipient of RT’s Career Achievement Award.

Her book, Once Upon A Prince, was filmed for an original Hallmark movie.

Hauck has been acclaimed for her split time novels and royal romances.

A graduate of Ohio State University with a degree in Journalism, and a former sorority girl, Rachel and her husband live in central Florida. She is a huge Buckeyes football fan.

In other news, she’s recently learned how to hard boil an egg. She’s quite proud.

Social Media Links

Website: https://rachelhauck.com/about-rachel/

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

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

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/the-wedding-dress-christmas-by-rachel-hauck

Feature Post and Book Review: Bad Liar by Tami Hoag

Book Description

Small-town labels are hard to shake. Hometown hero. Fallen angel. Can anyone ever escape their past?
 
A murder victim dumped at the dead end of a lonely country road, face and hands obliterated by a shotgun blast, is not the way sheriff’s detective Nick Fourcade wants to start his week. His only lead takes him to the family of a hometown hero suddenly gone missing. Marc Mercier left his home for a weekend hunting trip and hasn’t been seen since.

Meanwhile, sheriff’s detective Annie Broussard begins her first day back on the job after suffering a brutal attack by taking on the case of B’Lynn Fontenot, a mother desperate to find her grown son, a recovering drug addict. Robbie Fontenot has been missing for eight days, but the local police have no interest in the case, telling B’Lynn that an adult has the right to disappear, and a missing addict is no big surprise. But B’Lynn swears her son was turning his life around. Sympathetic to a mother’s anguish, Annie agrees to help B’Lynn, knowing she’s about to start a turf war with the city police.

As Annie searches for Robbie Fontenot and Nick investigates the disappearance of Marc Mercier, it quickly becomes apparent that nothing is as it seems in the lives of either man. And it’s still not clear whether either—or neither—of them might be the unidentified murder victim. Old jealousies and fresh deceits, family loyalties gone wrong and love turned sour all lay a twisting trail that leads deep into the Louisiana swamp, endangering all who cross the path of a bad liar.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/205846882-bad-liar?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=6fxQITTDev&rank=2

***

My Book Review

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

BAD LIAR (Broussard and Fourcade Book #3) by Tami Hoag is a fast-paced, dark, and intricately plotted crime thriller/police procedural featuring a married couple, both Sheriff’s Detectives in Partout Parish in the French Triangle of Louisiana. This crime thriller is easily read as a standalone crime thriller, but it is based in a small-town and all the characters continue to grow and evolve in their everyday lives.

Sheriff’s Detective Nick Fourcade is called to the scene of a dumped murder victim in the tall grass off a country road. Identification is going to take time because the victim’s face and hands have been obliterated by a shotgun blast. As he begins to look for leads, he discovers a returned hometown hero has gone missing. Are his victim and the missing man one and the same?

Sheriff’s Detective Annie Broussard is on her first day back on the job after recovering from a brutal attack. She takes on the case of a mother, B’Lynn Fontenot, desperate to find her adult son. She has gone through ten years of drug addiction, but she truly believes this time he had finally turned his life around. Annie is willing to fight the city police detective to take over the case.

As Nick and Annie investigate their cases, they soon discover that there is much more to the lives of the missing men as they wait to discover if either is the unidentified corpse in the morgue. The investigation leads to surprising twists and turns that will endanger Nick and Annie until the pieces of all the lies fall into place.

This is another example of the strength of Ms. Hoag’s ability to produce an atmospheric crime thriller full of compelling, complicated characters, good and bad, and a twisted plot that keeps you guessing until all the pieces have been discovered. Nick and Annie are fascinating as a couple, while also being the ying and yang of investigative styles. This book realistically portrays many types of drug addiction, domestic abuse, family loyalties, good and bad, jealousy, and murder. It took me on a roller coaster ride of emotions throughout and left me guessing to the end.

I highly recommend this compelling crime thriller/police procedural!

***

About the Author

Tami Hoag is the #1 international bestselling author of more than thirty books published in more than thirty languages worldwide, including her latest thrillers–COLD COLD HEART and THE 9TH GIRL. Renowned for combining thrilling plots with character-driven suspense, Hoag first hit the New York Times Bestseller list with NIGHT SINS, and each of her books since has been a bestseller. She leads a double life in Palm Beach County, Florida where she is also known as a top competitive equestrian in the Olympic discipline of dressage. Other interests include the study of psychology, and mixed martial arts fighting. A woman of eclectic tastes, to say the least, Tami was recently asked to list seven things people may not know about about her: 1. I was once offered a job by a private investigator. 2. I have a license to carry concealed weapon, but never do. I took the course for research purposes. 3. My high school guidance counselor encouraged me to become an actress, but I thought that was too impractical (Of course, there’s nothing practical about being a writer, either, but at least I’m not obligated to look good on a daily basis.) 4. I used to sing at weddings. 5. While I have no intention of ever getting married again, I love watching Say Yes To The Dress 6. I have legitimate knockout power in my right hand, and I’m not afraid to use it. 7. When I’m stressed out, all tech devices around me go haywire. I’ve stopped watches, and fried hard drives. I once killed a television in a store display by merely touching it. I’m better off sticking to life’s simple pleasures–like books!

Social Media Links

Website: https://tamihoag.com/

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

Twitter: https://x.com/tamihoag

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/tami-hoag

Feature Post and Book Review: The Boy by Tami Hoag

Book Description

When Detective Nick Fourcade enters the home of Genevieve Gauthier outside the sleepy town of Bayou Breaux, Louisiana, the bloody crime scene that awaits him is both the most brutal and the most confusing he’s ever seen. Genevieve’s seven-year-old son, KJ, has been murdered by an alleged intruder, yet Genevieve is alive and well. Meanwhile, Nick’s wife, Detective Annie Broussard, sits with the grieving Genevieve. A mother herself, Annie understands the devastation this woman is going through, but as a detective she’s troubled: Who would murder a child and leave the only witness behind?
 
When KJ’s babysitter, twelve-year-old Nora Florette, is reported missing the very next day, the town fears a maniac is preying on their children. With pressure mounting from a tough, no-nonsense new sheriff, the media, and the parents of Bayou Breaux, Nick and Annie dig deep into the dual mysteries. Is someone from Genevieve’s past or present responsible for the death of her son? Is Nora a victim, or something worse? Then everything changes when Genevieve’s past as a convicted criminal comes to light. Could she have killed her own child to free herself from the burden of motherhood, or is the loss of her beloved boy pushing her to the edge of insanity? Could she have something to do with the disappearance of Nora, or is the troubled teen the key to the murder? How far will Nick and Annie have to go to uncover the dark truth of the boy?

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32716342-the-boy?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=0rAJN6GV2e&rank=1

***

My Book Review

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

THE BOY (Broussard and Fourcade Book #2) by Tami Hoag is a gritty, dark, and emotionally unsettling crime thriller featuring Sheriff’s Detectives Annie Broussard and Nick Fourcade in the French Triangle Partout Parish of Louisiana. While this is the second book in the series, it can easily be read as a standalone thriller.

Detective Nick Fourcade is called to the scene of a bloody home invasion. The mother is hospitalized, and her seven-year-old son, KJ, is dead. Nick finds it confusing that the young child is killed but the mother is still alive. Why did the killer leave a witness? Detective Annie Broussard is with the emotionally traumatized mother at the hospital and is troubled by her story.

As Annie begins to investigate the child’s movement from the previous day, she discovers his thirteen-year-old babysitter is missing. Who is preying on the children of Bayou Breaux?

This is an incredibly twisted tale that at times is difficult to read and yet I could not put it down because it takes off on page one and does not stop. The plot is packed with questions, answers, twists, and secrets and I never figured out how it would end. Annie and Nick are once again opposites in their approach to their jobs and yet balance each other perfectly. All the characters in this story are well developed and realistically flawed, some much more than others. The story does contain depictions of neglect, child abuse, spousal abuse, and sexual exploitation. There are also explicit descriptions of scenes of violent crimes and suicide. I felt these were all handled without exploitation, just realism.

I highly recommend this intense crime thriller!

***

About the Author

Tami Hoag is the #1 international bestselling author of more than thirty books published in more than thirty languages worldwide, including her latest thrillers–COLD COLD HEART and THE 9TH GIRL. Renowned for combining thrilling plots with character-driven suspense, Hoag first hit the New York Times Bestseller list with NIGHT SINS, and each of her books since has been a bestseller. She leads a double life in Palm Beach County, Florida where she is also known as a top competitive equestrian in the Olympic discipline of dressage. Other interests include the study of psychology, and mixed martial arts fighting. A woman of eclectic tastes, to say the least, Tami was recently asked to list seven things people may not know about about her: 1. I was once offered a job by a private investigator. 2. I have a license to carry concealed weapon, but never do. I took the course for research purposes. 3. My high school guidance counselor encouraged me to become an actress, but I thought that was too impractical (Of course, there’s nothing practical about being a writer, either, but at least I’m not obligated to look good on a daily basis.) 4. I used to sing at weddings. 5. While I have no intention of ever getting married again, I love watching Say Yes To The Dress 6. I have legitimate knockout power in my right hand, and I’m not afraid to use it. 7. When I’m stressed out, all tech devices around me go haywire. I’ve stopped watches, and fried hard drives. I once killed a television in a store display by merely touching it. I’m better off sticking to life’s simple pleasures–like books!

Social Media Links

Website: https://tamihoag.com/

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

Twitter: https://x.com/tamihoag

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/tami-hoag

Feature Post and Book Review: High Intensity by Freya Barker

Book Description

Dog trainer and handler, Jillian Lederman, is moving with her pack to Libby, Montana, a place where she has made friends and hopes to find a fresh start. It’s time. For years, she’s just been keeping her wounds fresh by staying in Missoula—where there were regular reminders of all she’s lost—while the rest of the world has continued to move forward.
Perhaps the new house, the beautiful mountains, and a certain pair of clear, blue eyes hold the promise of new beginnings.

Since changing careers years ago, former FBI agent Lucas Wolff has found a much better work-life balance as a member of High Mountain Trackers. Still able to serve his community, he has also been carving out a comfortable existence for himself and is not looking to make any changes to it anytime soon. Not even for a particular bold and ballsy redhead he’s been trying to avoid.

That turns out to be an impossible feat when a plane crash during a blizzard sets both of them on the trail of a young girl, all alone in the mountains. But it soon becomes evident they are not the only ones looking, and staying safe means sticking close together.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/210196449-high-intensity?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=UnKWJUXKI5&rank=1

***

My Book Review

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

HIGH INTESITY (High Mountain Trackers 2nd Gen) by Freya Barker is an intense romantic suspense full of action and all the love and emotions I look for in a great read in this genre. This book can easily be read as a standalone story, but there are carryover characters from the other books in the series. I have read and loved them all, but this one is special.

After helping law enforcement and the HMT (High Mountain Trackers) on their last case, Jillian Lederman makes the move to Libby, Montana with her special pack of dogs to make a fresh start and hopefully leave some of her heartache behind. She hopes with her new connections and friends, she can begin to move forward with her life. When a plane goes down in the mountains, Jillian and her dogs are called in when the HMT team discovers an eleven-year-old girl is missing from the crash site and may still be alive.

Former FBI agent Lucas Wolff has found a more balanced life and contentment with the HMT team. He can still serve his community, and he is close to his aging mother. The first time Lucas saw the beautiful redhead with her trained dogs, he knew he was in trouble, but there was no avoiding their interactions in little Libby.

As they work together on this case, the chemistry is inescapable, but so is the danger.

I loved this story! Jillian is so strong, intelligent, and loving with a backstory that broke my heart. Lucas is her perfect other half, and they were definitely meant to be. Their love story is just beautifully real. There are explicit sex scenes, but they are not gratuitous and fit well into a growing adult relationship and romance. Jillian’s dogs are as lovable and important to me in this story as the human characters.  I enjoyed getting reacquainted once again with the other HMTs and their families. I felt the suspense plot of this book was much more complex than what you expect in a typical genre romantic suspense and yet it is in balance with the romance. This is an overall great romantic suspense!

I highly recommend this new addition to the series as well as the entire series.

***

About the Author

USA Today bestselling author Freya Barker loves writing about ordinary people with extraordinary stories.

Driven to make her books about ‘real’ people; she creates characters who are perhaps less than perfect, each struggling to find their own slice of happy, but just as deserving of romance, thrills, and chills in their lives.

Recipient of the ReadFREE.ly 2019 Best Book We’ve Read All Year Award for “Covering Ollie, the 2015 RomCon “Reader’s Choice” Award for Best First Book, “Slim To None”, and Finalist for the 2017 Kindle Book Award with “From Dust”, Freya continues to add to her rapidly growing collection of published novels as she spins story after story with an endless supply of bruised and dented characters, vying for attention!

For the latest news and updates on books and upcoming releases, you can subscribe to my newsletter: https://www.subscribepage.com/Freya_Newsletter

Social Media Links

Website: https://www.freyabarker.com/about/

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

Twitter: https://x.com/freya_barker

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/freya-barker

Book Tour/Feature Post and Book Review: Madness on the Island by Stewart Giles

Hi, everyone!

Today I am sharing my Feature Post and Book Review for MADNESS ON THE ISLAND (DI Liam O’Reilly Mysteries Book #14) by Stewart Giles on this Books ‘n’ All Promotions Blog Tour.

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

***

Book Blurb

Midsummer madness has hit the island of Guernsey with a vengeance.

The residents of the peaceful island are behaving irrationally.

It starts with an exclusive dinner party where two lifelong friends are hospitalised following a brutal fight, but things soon spiral out of control.

The first body is found, and Detective Inspector Liam O’Reilly is sent out to investigate.

A man has been maimed beyond recognition. The injuries he has sustained suggest that there is a maniac on the loose.

The killer is soon apprehended, and O’Reilly thinks that will be the end of it.

But when another mutilated corpse is found soon afterwards, O’Reilly realises he’s dealing with something very different to anything he’s come across before.

The killer of the first victim will be the one to shed light on the sudden madness that is spreading around the island, and O’Reilly will find himself in the middle of the most disturbing case of his career.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/217143024-madness-on-the-island?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=iQANKQKS9e&rank=1

***

My Book Review

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

MADNESS ON THE ISLAND (DI Liam O’Reilly Mysteries Book #14) by Stewart Giles is another intense, intricately plotted addition to this fantastic series. This can be read as a standalone for the crime mystery plot, but the characters evolve over each new book, and I have enjoyed reading them all in order.

The madness begins at an annual summer dinner party on the island of Guernsey. After the wine is served, the fights begin. Several people were injured and some severely and need hospitalization. Before DI Liam O’Reilly can even begin to sort out what occurred and who is responsible, he is called out over the next two days on four murders that leave the killers claiming a complete loss of memory like the people from the dinner party. The only connection seems to be the brand of wine involved in all the scenes to cause this madness.

Another great addition to the DI Liam O’Reilly Mysteries series. I was once again surprised by all the twists and turns this book took. The crime plot kept me turning the pages from beginning to end and I did not figure out the solution until it was presented. Liam is on top of all the nuances of the clues and interrogations as usual. We also get to see his softer side when one of his cats is ill and he spends more time with his new wife. I enjoyed watching the interactions between Liam and his teammates, also. This is always a must-read series for me, and I always finish it in one day and must wait anxiously for the next.

I highly recommend this great addition to the series!

***

Author Bio

After reading English at 3 Universities and graduating from none of them, I set off travelling around the world with my wife, Ann, finally settling in South Africa, where we still live.

In 2014 Ann dropped a rather large speaker on my head and I came up with the idea for a detective series. DS Jason Smith was born. Smith, the first in the series was finished a few months later.

3 years and 8 DS Smith books later, Joffe Books wondered if I would be interested in working with them. As a self-published author, I agreed. However, we decided on a new series – the DC Harriet Taylor: Cornwall series.

The Beekeeper was published and soon hit the number one spot in Australia. The second in the series, The Perfect Murder did just as well.

I continued to self-publish the Smith series and Unworthy hit the shelves in 2018 with amazing results.  I therefore made the decision to self-publish The Backpacker which is book 3 in the Detective Harriet Taylor series which was published in July 2018.

After The Backpacker I had an idea for a totally new start to a series – a collaboration between the Smith and Harriet thrillers and The Enigma was born. It brought together the broody, enigmatic Jason Smith and the more level-headed Harriet Taylor.

The Miranda trilogy is something totally different. A psychological thriller trilogy. It is a real departure from anything else I’ve written before.

The Detective Jason Smith series continues to grow. I also have another series featuring an Irish detective who relocated to Guernsey, the Detective Liam O’Reilly series. There are also 3 stand alone novels.

Social Media Links

Website: www.stewartgiles.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stewart.giles.33

Twitter: @stewartgiles