Tag: #romance

Book Blast/Feature Post and Book Review: Shadow of Betrayal by Blaire Morgan

SHADOW OF BETRAYAL

by Blaire Morgan

June 8-12, 2026 Book Blast

Hi, everyone!

Today I am sharing my Feature Post and Book Review for SHADOW OF BETRAYAL (Kyndall Family Suspense Series Book #2) by Blaire Morgan on this Partners In Crime Virtual Book Blast.

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

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Book Description

In this chilling romantic suspense, U.S. Marshals investigator Heather York stumbles into danger at a Maine lakeside lodge, with Jordan Kyndall’s protective instincts as her only hope.

A woman hunted by corruption.

Heather York thought her life was ordinary—until a sudden threat pulls her into a deadly game. In Shadow of Betrayal, she’s forced to question whether she’s a target—or collateral damage.

A man who won’t walk away.

Jordan Kyndall planned a weekend celebrating his college roommate’s wedding. Instead, he finds a grisly scene in the woods—a woman’s lifeless body—and a surge of protective instinct binds him to Heather in ways he never expected.

A danger that could destroy them both.

As threats multiply and secrets surface, Heather and Jordan must navigate corruption, desire, and deadly stakes—trusting each other may be the only way to survive.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/249740217-shadow-of-betrayal?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=j2oSDInlix&rank=1

Shadow of Betrayal

Genre: Romantic Suspense
Published by: Blaire Morgan Books
Publication Date: June 8, 2026
Series: Kyndall Family Suspense Series, Book 2

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My Book Review

RATING: 4 out of 5 Stars

SHADOW OF BETRAYAL (Kyndall Family Suspense Series Book #2) by Blaire Morgan is an exciting second romantic suspense in the Kyndall Family Suspense series. I would suggest reading book one, Witness in the Shadows, first because while the romance plot and suspense plot are complete in each book, there are a lot of family character crossover and history from the first book in this second book.

U.S. Marshal investigator Heather York is to be the maid-of-honor in her best friend’s wedding in a beautiful Maine lodge in the woods. When she and another friend at the wedding go in search of their other friend who is going to miss the rehearsal, they are attacked.

Jordan Kyndall is in Maine for the wedding of his college roommate. He is instantly taken with the red-headed maid-of-honor and hopes to get to know her better. When he goes in search of the missing women, he discovers a horrific scene. One woman is near death and Heather is unconscious. Jordan’s protective instincts are awakened, and he refuses to leave her side until the danger is identified.

Jordan and Heather work together to discover if Heather is the target or just a part of a random crime. The threats multiply and they are being chased and attempting to stay ahead of the danger until they discover why Heather is being targeted. They need to learn to trust and rely on each other if they are going to survive.

This is a romantic suspense plot with plenty of action and many plot twists that leave you guessing throughout. Jordan is a great hero that you would want as your protector. His previous military service and wilderness training made him perfect for the job. I also love his love and connection to his family. I had a few problems though with Heather as the heroine. She is a U.S. Marshal investigator and she is intelligent, and while she works in the office only on warrants, she uses that as an excuse for no type of physical or police training. I believe she should have had more training to even have that job and make her character realistic.  I also did not like how she continued to go back and forth on trying to get rid of Jordan through almost the entire story, while she had no physical skills of her own, whether she was worried for his safety of not. Even with these small points, they work well together as a couple.

Overall, it is an enjoyable, action-packed addition to this series, and I look forward to hopefully reading the other brothers’ stories.

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Excerpt

Prologue

The drive to the dingy bar outside of the city had been rough when the directions led him down a series of dirt roads before reaching what managed to loosely be called civilization. The bell above the door chimed a dull sound, barely registering his presence. He shook his rain-soaked umbrella, drawing a few curious glances his way before the three men at the bar decided their cold beer and stale peanuts were more interesting than him. 

The bartender, a man in his late fifties with a marine tattoo on a bicep, asked him if he wanted anything. Though kind, if the bartender had offered him a bottle of the Alps’ finest water, he wouldn’t accept—not in a place like this—but he was trying to blend in. 

“Whatever is on tap,” he said, and found a table in a back corner. 

Although he had no intention of staying longer than necessary, the location offered him anonymity. The front door, with its surprisingly clean window, opened and brought with it a strong wind and his associate. The new arrival scanned the room, nodded at the others, and crossed the dark bar. 

“You’re late.” 

“I’m here now. You have something for me, Hewitt?” 

He’d made a mistake giving the man a name, even if it wouldn’t lead back to him. They’d agreed not to use names, not here, not ever. He removed a black, zippered deposit bag from the inside pocket of his rain slicker and slid it across the table. 

The man across from him chuckled and unzipped the bag. 

“What do you think you’re doing?” Hewitt asked, his whisper a low hiss. He quieted when the bartender set a beer in front of him. 

His associate raised an eyebrow and continued to wear his smile. “You’ve seen too many movies.” He closed the bag and leaned forward. “Do you honestly think anyone here cares who you are or what you’re doing? At least you dressed for the occasion—kind of.” 

Hewitt stared at the man across from him, confident that despite his off-balanced behavior at times, he’d get the job done. History had proven he was capable, if not entirely trustworthy, and willing to do anything—for a price. 

“You’re forgetting something,” he said. 

Hewitt hated this man. “It’s in the bag.” 

Another chuckle. “In the bag, I like that.” He pulled the colored photograph from the deposit bag and studied the image. “How’d you find me?” 

“Does it matter?” 

“I like to know what I’m getting into.” 

Hewitt studied him, unsure now of his idea but knowing he had to move forward. “All you need to know is I can make your other . . . inconvenience go away.” 

“And what might that be?” 

Hewitt pulled a folded sheet of paper from his inside breast pocket and slid it across the table. 

“I’m not sure I believe you.” 

“You know who I work for?” Hewitt asked.

“I checked it out.”

“Then you know I can do what I say,” Hewitt said, growing impatient. “Will it be a problem?”  

“No, no problem.” Instead of returning the picture to the bag, he slipped it into the pocket of his dark, denim shirt. “You going to drink this?” he asked before he lifted Hewitt’s beer and drank deeply. 

From Chapter One

Jordan eased the rented SUV into the graveled parking lot of the lakeside lodge. Nestled in the thick pine forest surrounding Moosehead Lake, the Highlands Lodge reminded him of the fishing camp his family frequented in Alaska. 

He stepped out and walked around to the back of the vehicle, breathing in the fresh northern air. Though nothing like his hometown of Stewart Crossing, which was tucked away on a remote Alaskan bay, Moose Creek, Maine, was a pleasant escape from the spring heat of North Carolina, where he operated the main branch of Eagle Wilderness Journeys. 

The parking lot was empty, but he heard voices coming from the back of the lodge, laughter carrying through the trees and echoing over the water. Adam, his college roommate and the reason Jordan trekked up north, ambled across the gravel and pulled Jordan into a big hug. Considering Adam stood four inches shorter than Jordan and weighed thirty pounds less, it wasn’t easy. 

“Dang, it’s good to see you.” 

Jordan returned the amiable smile. “You look happy.” 

“Wait till you meet her.” Adam opened the back of the SUV and lifted the duffel out before Jordan objected. “You’re going to love her. I mean, whoever thought I’d ever be monogamous.” 

Jordan laughed, closed the back door, and followed Adam to the lodge. “If I recall, you didn’t know the meaning of the word throughout our senior year.” 

“Well, yeah, but could you blame me?” Adam led him around the corner of the lodge and stopped. “Wait, there she is.” 

Adam had described her perfectly. Girl-next-door pretty and fresh off the cheerleading squad, Grace was only a year younger than his friend. Her pale, blond curls bounced as she walked on long legs across the lawn. “She’s something all right. I wouldn’t have expected—”

It wasn’t often when life’s unexpected moments stunned Jordan into silence or immobilized him, but none stopped his breath quite like his first glimpse of the woman standing next to Adam’s fiancée. 

“Who is she?” 

“It’s Grace, man, who do you think . . . Ah.” Adam nudged Jordan’s ribs with his elbow and laughed. “That’s Heather, Grace’s maid of honor.” 

Jordan didn’t want to use the word “dumbstruck,” but at the moment, he couldn’t formulate another. His sister would have called him “twitterpated” and normally he would put her in a headlock until she cried “mercy” and take it back, but it had been a long time since she’d had cause to tease him about a girl. 

“Hey, buddy, close your mouth before you drool.” 

Jordan wiped his mouth before he realized Adam was messing with him. “Don’t forget, I can still kick your golf-playing butt from here to next Tuesday.” 

“Why don’t I introduce you instead, and then you can owe me one.”

***

Social Media Links

www.blairemorgan.com
Amazon Author Profile
BookBub – @blairemorganbooks1
YouTube – @blairemorganbooks

Purchase Links

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PICT GIVEAWAY

https://pictbooks.tours/1TaaAePK

Friday Feature Author Interview with Elise Cooper: Love Comes in Small Packages by Lori Foster and Maisey Yates

Book Description

THAT SPECIAL SOMEONE * LORI FOSTER
Compared to her smart, responsible twin, Laylee has always been labeled the party girl sister. Now she’s really screwed up by finding herself possibly accidentally pregnant, and definitely not in love. With her sister away on her honeymoon, Laylee’s only confidant is her guy friend Knox. There’s mutual attraction there, yet they’ve been tiptoeing around it. But telling Knox everything may change . . . well, everything. Especially amid a comedy of pregnancy test errors, a robbery, a cat rescue mission—and the realization that Knox sees her as so much more than a pretty face . . . .

THE RANCHER’S UNEXPECTED FAMILY * MAISEY YATES
Ellie Parks helplessly watched her beloved sister, Melanie, spiral into addiction in high school, thanks to her toxic relationship with Ty Porter. Ellie, now a teacher, hasn’t seen Melanie in over a year when she gets a call from Child Protective Services that Melanie has a baby—and she’s surrendered her parental rights. Ellie races to the hospital, but someone’s beat her to it: rodeo champion Clark Porter, the baby’s uncle. Clark’s a good man and he’ll be damned if his niece grows up without him. Until they find a custody solution, Ellie will just have to move into his ranch house. Temporarily. Obviously. Except that they’re attracted to each other. Risking the unconventional family they’re creating is the last thing they need. Then again, if what they feel is deeper than attraction, it may be what they need most . . .

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Elise’s Thoughts

Love Comes in Small Packages is book 2 of the novella anthology by Lori Foster and Maisey Yates. These two short stories, one written by Lori and one written by Maisey, are wonderful reads by two very talented authors. That Special Someone by Lori Foster features characters readers first meet in “The Odd Couple” of the book The Two of Us.

Laylee and Knox are pet-sitting for his brother and her sister. Compared to her smart, responsible twin, Laylee has always been labeled the party girl sister. Now she’s a wreck believing that she is possibly accidentally pregnant, and not in love. With her sister away on her honeymoon, Laylee’s only confidant is her guy friend Knox. There’s mutual attraction there, yet they’ve been tiptoeing around it. Readers are once again delighted to have animals in the story
and to find intriguing characters.

A bonus is that this is one of Lori’s benefit books where all of Lori’s advance & royalties will go to the Animal Adoption Foundation, a no-kill animal shelter.

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Author Interview with Lori Foster

Elise Cooper: Idea for the story?

Lori Foster: My idea for the story was just to show the topsy-turvy trip a romance can take before it lands where it’s meant to be. Rarely is it smooth. Also, we can fall in love with someone because of things they’ve done for others. We see their heart in how they give to someone, the care they take with different relationships. 

EC: What is the theme of the book/story?

LF: “Love Comes in Small Packages,” meaning love isn’t always a tidal wave that knocks you over. Often, it’s finding common ground over things we love – like children, animals, and good friends.

EC: Did you write the story independently or consult Maisey?

LF: I write every story 100% independently. I’d be a terrible collaborator because I’d want everything my way. Plus, Maisey has her own unique, wonderful voice, and it’s different from mine. (That’s probably true for most authors!)

EC: How would you describe Laylee?

LF: Overall, Laylee uses bravado and a party-vibe to hide her insecurity. Her family often compared her to her studious, very serious twin sister, and she felt she had to live up to the role assigned to her. Yet, she’s also smart, just as her twin is also pretty and lively. Too often parents innocently say things without realizing how it might impact their children later in life.

EC: How would you describe Knox?

LF: Knox is a hard worker, a loyal friend, a family guy – he has a great family – and he wants to settle down. He wants home and hearth, with that one special woman. Finding her was the issue – until he met Laylee. Unfortunately, Laylee didn’t realize that, so she stuck him in the friend zone. Once he was there, she feared losing his friendship if she pushed for more.

EC: How is Laylee different from her twin sister Skye?

LF: She’s far more of a fashion icon, comfortable in crowds, and always ready to have a good time. She’s also a local model, doing well enough to live independently. 

EC: What role did Laylee being possibly pregnant play in the story?

LF: The pregnancy scare was the catalyst to their romance. Knowing a guy would stick with you, even if you were pregnant with someone else’s child, showed Laylee just how much he cared, and how reliable he was for the long term. It also drove home to Knox how important she is to him, no matter what. 

EC: What role did the dogs and cat play in the story?

LF: Pets are a great unifier! If you’re sharing responsibility as “pet sitters,” you’re naturally brought closer together. It also gives insight on how someone nurtures, and the level of their responsibility and reliability. 

EC: How would you describe Laylee and Knox’s relationship?

LF: They were very good friends – biding their time until they could declare their true feelings. The friendship was important to them both, and that alone is a great basis for a relationship. Of course, friendship will only do for so long when you’re in love with someone, and fortunately, they get to work that out in the book. 

EC: How about your next book(s)?

LF: THE LAKE HOUSE was just released May 26th.
It’s the 2nd book in the Firefly Summer series, though each book stands alone. Both Pixie and Brogan have wounds to heal; Pixie is already well on her way, thanks to a big-hearted but tiny town and the wonderful, quirky people who live there. She’s part of a “found family” now, and wants to concentrate on raising her toddler son. Brogan never had much family, until he joined the service, but then he loses his team, his brothers, and finds himself gravely wounded in a hospital. He had little reason to live – until an estranged sister made him guardian of her infant daughter. From the moment he meets Pixie, the young single mother gets a grasp on his heart. Now together, they deal with threats from his past, and the secrets he reveals. I recently finished writing book 3, THE RAINBOW CONNECTION, which will be out next year.

WHEN I FIRST MET YOU will be released July 14th.
It’s the 2nd book in the Family Ties series, and again, each book stands alone.
It shows how first impressions aren’t always accurate, something Kam figures out when Glory has a stalker threatening her life. He steps up to protect her, and as they grow closer, he realizes there are layers to Glory he never expected.
Also, he had a truly awful, abusive childhood before being adopted into a great family. In many ways, Glory helps him to really deal with his past, something he hadn’t yet been able to do.

THANK YOU!!

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BIO: Elise Cooper has written book reviews and interviewed best-selling authors since 2009. Her reviews have covered several different genres, including thrillers, mysteries, women’s fiction, romance and cozy mysteries. An avid reader, she engages authors to discuss their works, and to focus on the descriptions of their characters and the plot. While not writing reviews, Elise loves to watch baseball and visit the ocean in Southern California, with her dog and husband.

Release Blitz/Feature Post and Book Review: Cold Silence by Freya Barker

Hi, everyone!

Today I am sharing my Feature Post and Book Review for COLD SILENCE (Silence Series Book #4) by Freya Barker on this Buoni Amici Press Release Blitz.

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

Book Blurb

Single motherhood to two teenage boys turns out to be far more challenging for Tessa Androtti than her brand-new job as detective for the Edwards County Sheriff’s Department. Especially, when the younger of her sons is keeping her up at night. Not only was the move from the big city supposed to give her a chance to build a new life away from lingering memories, but she had hoped it would be a positive change for her youngest, Remi.

However, just when she’s up to her eyeballs working on a recent violent murder, Remi gets himself into trouble again.

Trouble that appears to be connected to her investigation.

Lifetime resident of Silence, Clem Tanek, couldn’t be more surprised to find one of the new, pretty detective’s sons trespassing and stealing property from behind his auto repair shop. Despite his social awkwardness when interacting with the boy’s mother a few months ago, Clem can handle her kid just fine. Remi’s skills and interest in vehicles provide an opportunity to try and get the kid back onto the right track, without involving law enforcement. It also offers Clem a second chance with the new detective, hoping to make up for that disastrous first encounter.

But their path isn’t an easy one. Both have significant baggage, as one would expect from lives already half lived, and adapting to change can be a challenge. Particularly, when dealing with teenagers which, in this case, means wading into dangerous waters for both Tessa and Clem.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/246846068-cold-silence?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=PtWPeIRmyA&rank=1

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My Book Review

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

COLD SILENCE (Silence Book #4) by Freya Barker is another wonderful addition to the small-town romantic suspense Silence book series. While there is some character crossover between the small-town characters, each book has a complete romance HEA and self-contained suspense/crime plot so they can be read as standalones. The entire series is excellent, and I enjoyed reading them in order of publication.

Tessa Androtti is the newest detective in Silence working for the county Sheriff Department. After a bad divorce, she is hoping to create a new and happier life for her two teenage boys. Her eldest, Linc, is heavily into sports and easy-going and adapts easily from large town to small town life. Remi is two years younger, moody, not happy about the move, and he is making sure his mother knows how he feels. When Tessa is drawn into a teen’s murder investigation, she does not realize how close to home the danger is lurking.

Clem Tanek owns the only car repair business in Silence. He has been into cars since working with his father and wants to do nothing else. He has both his repair shop and home in the old fire department building and is happy with his friends and uncomplicated life believing having a family has passed him by. When he hears a noise coming from behind his shop at night, he investigates and discovers Remi stealing catalytic converters from cars in the lot. Clem discovers Remi has a love of cars, too, and he reminds him of himself at that age, so he makes a deal to have him work part-time at the garage in exchange for not turning him in, but he knows Remi is keeping secrets. Clem knows he will have to deal with Tessa, but he does not consider that a hardship.

As the chemistry between Clem and Tessa heats up, so does the danger from the people Remi has gotten himself entangled with.

This is an endearing romance with two mature people; one who has endured an abusive relationship and one who believes that finding a partner has passed him by. They come together to form a great couple. The romance plot progresses at a believable rate while both also think of how it will affect the boys.  Tessa’s sons are fully developed in their differences, and I loved that even when Remi was being his moody self, he was still protective of his mother. The sex scenes are explicit and hot but also have the emotions that go with them. The suspense/crime plot felt realistic and builds with an ever-increasing sense of jeopardy to a conclusion with an unexpected twist.

I highly recommend this romantic suspense and all the books in this series.

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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/

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

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/freyabarker.writes/

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/cold-silence-by-freya-barker

Feature Post and Book Review: Not Actually Yours by Sophie L. Henderson

Book Description

Nix’s heart is on permanent lockdown after her mom walked out on her, but she needs a date to her cousin’s engagement party. Anything to put an end to the relentless single-shaming. Can she find someone—preferably smokin’—willing to spend Thanksgiving weekend with her meddling family in a tiny seaside town in the middle of nowhere?

Brock got burned falling for the wrong girl. But his potential promotion to captain hinges on him having a date for the annual firefighters’ gala. Can he convince the entire community that his short fuse is a thing of the past, that he’s ready for a serious new role as a fire hall leader?

They’ve agreed: falling in love is not an option. And soon, they’re fooling everyone. Even themselves. When Brock utterly charms Nix’s hard-to-impress aunt over a cozy breakfast of pancakes and maple syrup, and sparks fly at the fire department dance, the alarm bells start to ring…

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/248216922-not-actually-yours?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=VVX0fsQhGj&rank=1

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My Book Review

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

NOT ACTUALLY YOURS by Sophie L. Henderson is a contemporary romance with explosive sexual chemistry that returns the reader to Fire House 8 in Van City and this time it is elder Holt brother, Brock’s turn to fall, but it won’t be easy with the ever-evasive Nix. Each book in this connected series features one of three brothers and there is some overlapping of characters, but they are still easily read as standalone romances.

Elementary teacher Nix refuses to involve her heart in any relationship after being deserted by her mother as a small child. When her aunt, who helped raise her, tells her she needs to attend her cousin’s weekend long engagement party, she tells her she has a boyfriend to bring otherwise her aunt threatens to set her up. Now she must ask a favor of the man she is trying to be friends with since he is the brother of her best friend’s boyfriend. But after having had a hot sexual encounter with him three months ago and then ghosting him, she knows it is a big ask.

Firefighter Brock has had terrible luck in the romance department. He would like more than friendship with the hot Nix who he cannot seem to forget, even though she ghosted him. When she needs a date for an engagement party it coincides with his need for a date for an annual firefighters’ gala. They can fake this without involving their hearts, can’t they?

I enjoyed the first Van City book, Play with Fire, but I enjoyed this romance even more. Both Nix and Brock have emotional difficulties from their childhoods to deal with as they are trying to form a healthy relationship between them. Usually, I dislike romances with plots based on non-communication, but Ms. Henderson does a wonderful job of portraying both Nix and Brock as they get things wrong from fear or misunderstanding, have short intervals of running, but also how they decide it is better to talk and they have friends and family who also help. They both delve into their emotions honestly and have character growth throughout the story. This is a contemporary romance with several steamy and explicit sex scenes that I feel fit well with the characters’ personalities.

I highly recommend this steamy contemporary romance that pulled me right in and left me with a smile on my face and a satisfied romantic heart.

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About the Author

Author Sophie L. Henderson writes heartfelt small-town romance for readers who love slow-burn butterflies, blush-worthy heat, and characters you’ll fall for just as hard as they fall for each other. Her debut PLAY WITH FIRE is out now. NOT ACTUALLY YOURS is coming in May.

Originally from a tiny village in England, Sophie spent seventeen years wrangling jazz hands as a drama teacher before finally listening to the voice in her head (the one telling her to write, not the one asking for another snack). She now lives in Vancouver with her husband, where she’s embraced views of snowcapped mountains, has caught feelings for hockey, and talks to hummingbirds like they’re her best friends.

Social Media Links

Website: https://www.sophielouisehenderson.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61577919920777

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

ARC Feature Post and Book Review: Summer State of Mind by Kristy Woodson Harvey

Book Description

After the worst day in her professional life, burnt-out NICU nurse Daisy Stevens runs to Cape Carolina, North Carolina, looking for a new life—and possibly new romance. On her first day at her “simpler” job, high school baseball coach Mason Thaysden discovers an abandoned baby, sending ripples through the entire tight-knit town of Cape Carolina.

Mason is still struggling to reconcile the scars of the injury that kept him out of the big leagues, stuck in his hometown, and searching for a way out. This newcomer and the child they’ve saved together might be just the motivation he needs to stay put. Sparks fly as Mason acquaints Daisy with Cape Carolina, introducing her to his friends and family, including his batty Aunt Tilley, who is looking for relief from long-buried family secrets and her own fresh start.

But as Daisy becomes increasingly attached to this abandoned child, and begins facing her own demons in the process, a startling discovery is made that threatens to rip the entire town of Cape Carolina apart, placing Daisy, Mason, and Tilley in the center of the storm. In a novel that proves that “Kristy Woodson Harvey is (the) go-to for elevated beach reads” (People), they will each learn that with love, understanding—and a community theater production of Hello, Dolly!—sometimes life conspires to bring us just exactly where we belong.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/242986076-summer-state-of-mind?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=tSxMnaQZfv&rank=1

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My Book Review

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

SUMMER STATE OF MIND by Kristy Woodson Harvey is a Southern women’s fiction novel featuring a multi-generational small town southern coastal family, both by love and/or blood, a romance between two people damaged by previous trauma in their lives, and secrets, both past and present, that could destroy or free all involved. This is a book that you will not want to put down as you ride the waves of family and romantic drama.

Daisy Stevens is a burnt-out big city NICU nurse who decides after a personal traumatic experience to attempt a quieter life in a smaller hospital in Cape Carolina, North Carolina. On her first day on the job, the high school baseball coach and his star pitcher run into the ER with a newborn baby barely clinging to life that he found abandoned in a recycle bin behind the high school. Daisy feels an immediate connection to the baby.

Mason Thaysden is from a large multi-generational family in Cape Carolina. He was on the fast track to become an exceptional college baseball pitcher until a bar fight ended his prospects. After many years just surviving, he is now the local high school baseball coach with a team that could possibly win the state championship with the star pitcher Mason has mentored. While he is happy with the success he has nurtured, he still feels unsatisfied with his life.

Daisy and Mason hit it off immediately, but personal and family life decisions and secrets get in the way. Entangled in everything, past and present, is loveable Aunt Tilley, who lives in the past as much as the present. Will the revelation of the family secret from the past destroy this loving family? And can Mason and Daisy get through all their messy decisions and still be together?

This is such an engrossing story of family, love, secrets, and moral decisions. Aunt Tilley is a wonderfully lovable character that weaves between the past and present family dilemmas. I always enjoy Ms. Harvey’s complexity in her characters and the realism that makes them believable. Both Daisy and Mason have many unresolved issues and the author does not sugar coat them or even resolve them all. The entire multi-generational family is fascinating in its connections by blood and/or love, and I cannot imagine anyone not wanting to be a part of it. Sit down outside with a glass of sweet tea, maybe with a shot of bourbon mixed in, and travel to the North Carolina coast.

I highly recommend this engaging Southern women’s fiction novel.

***

About the Author

Kristy Woodson Harvey is the New York Times, USA Today, and Publishers Weekly bestselling author of a dozen novels including Beach House Rules and The Peachtree Bluff Series. A Happier Life is in development for film with MGM/Amazon, The Summer of Songbirds is in development for television with Hulu, and many of her other projects are in various stages of option or development for film and television. Her work has received numerous accolades, including Good Morning America’s Buzz Pick, Southern Living’s Most Anticipated Reads, Katie Couric’s Featured Books, and Joanna Garcia Swisher’s The Happy Place Reads. Kristy is the winner of the Lucy Bramlette Patterson Award for Excellence in Creative Writing and a finalist for the Southern Book Prize.

A Phi Beta Kappa, summa cum laude graduate with Honors of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s school of journalism, her writing has appeared in numerous publications, including Southern Living, Parade, Traditional Home, USA Today, and many more. She also holds a master’s in English from East Carolina University, with a concentration in multicultural and transnational literature.

Kristy is the cocreator and cohost of the hit weekly web show and podcast Friends & Fiction with fellow New York Times Bestselling authors Mary Kay Andrews, Kristin Harmel, and Patti Callahan Henry, which boasts more than three hundred thousand members. She is also the cofounder of the award-winning interiors site Design Chic, with her mom, Beth Woodson.

She lives on the North Carolina coast with her husband, son, and dog, Salt, where she is (always!) working on her next novel.

Social Media Links

Website: https://www.kristywoodsonharvey.com/kristy/

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

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

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/summer-state-of-mind-by-kristy-woodson-harvey

Friday Feature Author Interview with Elise Cooper: An Amish Marriage Agreement and The Amish Baker’s Redemption by Patrice Lewis

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Book Description and Elise’s Thoughts – An Amish Marriage Agreement

An Amish Marriage Agreement has Amish basket-maker Olivia Bontrager moving to Montana looking for a fresh start after her father dies. Unexpectedly, she finds her sister has abandoned her baby on Olivia’s doorstep. Wanting to give her niece a stable life, she accepts help from handyman Andrew Eicher, who offers a shocking proposal: a marriage of convenience because he wants to pull their finances to buy a farm. Now, after long resigning herself to spinsterhood, Olivia says yes knowing she will have the home and family she’s always yearned for. As they get closer Andrew realizes Olivia is everything he wanted in a wife, and she realizes she is falling in love with him. Everything seems to be going great until Olivia’s sister, Adele, reappears and jeopardizes the happiness they’ve found.

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Book Description and Elise’s Thoughts – The Amish Baker’s Redemption

The Amish Baker’s Redemption is Adele’s redemption story. After spending years in the English world, Adele Bontrager returns to her Amish community, desperate to redeem herself and reclaim her faith. Working in an Amish bakery, she feels like her life is finally moving in the right direction until Isaiah King arrives as the new head baker. Single father Isaiah has his hands full trying to raise his rebellious teenage daughter, Phoebe, and is grateful when Adele strikes up a friendship with his sullen child, despite her obvious reluctance toward him. But when he learns of her troubled history, he’ll need to decide if her past is worth risking their future and does he want her around Phoebe.

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Author Interview

Elise Cooper: How did you get the idea for An Amish Marriage Agreement?

Patrice Lewis: I liked the idea of a beautiful sister and a plain sister. The main character, Olivia, had a wonderful personality and a skill set, but lacks beauty.

EC: How would you describe Olivia?

PL: She is grief-filled after losing her dad. She considers herself a spinster. Olivia is stubborn, determined, responsible, self-deprecating, believes she is gangly looking, a risk-taker, kind, generous, hard-working, and clever.

EC: How would you describe the male lead, Andrew?

PL: He is bitter and angry about Sarah, his former girlfriend, who dumped him. He is orderly, level-headed, enthusiastic, and generous.

EC: What is the difference between Sarah and Olivia?

PL: They are opposites. Sarah has a shallow personality, while Olivia is a truly wonderful person inside and out. The only thing Sarah has going for her is beauty.

EC: What about the relationship between Olivia and Andrew?

PL: First, they were business partners, then friends who teased good-naturedly, shared chores, could make small talk, and both feel like outsiders. Andrew now believes he wants someone with beauty inside, not on the outside. He starts to recognize the value of Olivia.

EC: Why a marriage of convenience?

PL: They both wanted something very badly. The only way to get it was to join forces. Olivia had a baby placed on her doorstep, abandoned by her sister, so she felt the baby needed a father figure. Andrew knew he needed a financial partner in the farm. They decided to team up, both thinking they would not marry for love.

EC: What is the role of the baby, Helen?

PL: Olivia has no clue on how to raise the baby. I put in the scene on how they meet, and hope readers thought it was humorous. She literally yanked open the door and had a baby there. She panicked and motherhood did not come naturally for her. Andrew was on the doorstep because he was sent to repair the house. He knew what to do on how to handle a baby.

EC: Why did she keep Helen?

PL: She was Olivia’s father’s only grandchild and was named after her mother, both parents had died. She was motivation for Olivia to buy a farm with Andrew because he promised to be a father to Helen.

EC: What was the role of Adele?

PL: Flighty, selfish, self-centered, criticized Olivia’s looks, made her feel inferior, and yet was jealous of her. She was also shallow, insecure, and beautiful.

EC: Has Adele changed in The Amish Baker’s Redemption, the next book in the series?

PL: In the last story at the ending Adele had hit bottom. Before that she sought after wealthy, powerful men who were attracted to her because of her looks, but not her personality. She was rebellious, restless, and callous. In this book she changes because of the guilt she gave up her baby, men started dumping her, jealous of her sister’s life, and being financially destitute. Adele had to get redemption. She decided to now make the right choices. She became responsible, modest, has a good work ethic, devout, has humility,

and is avoiding men. Adele saw herself as a fallen women who wanted to redeem herself in the eyes of God, the community, Andrew, and Olivia.

EC: Idea for the story?

PL: I wanted to show how Olivia had to develop her personality because she did not have beauty, while Adele used her beauty to get what she wanted. Many beautiful women are as kind, loving, and caring as anybody else, but not Adele. She never developed her personality.

EC: How would you describe the male lead, Isiah?

PL: Stable, moralistic, hard-working, and scared his daughter is making the wrong choices.

EC: What about the relationship between Adele and Isiah?

PL: He admires her and he wants to court her. She feels she is not worthy of his affection, especially after he finds out about her past.

EC: What is the role of Isiah’s daughter, Phoebe?

PL: Adele realizes if Phoebe takes her path she will get into trouble because she does not have Adele’s good looks. Phoebe wants to travel the world, does not want to be baptized, and wants adventures. She is thinking of leaving the faith and at first does not realize she will lose the support of the Church and community, Adele is motivated to save Phoebe from herself. Phoebe hero worships Adele, while Adele sees herself as Phoebe’s mentor, to save Phoebe from herself so she will not make the same mistakes as Adele.

EC: How would you describe Phoebe?

PL: She is candid, rebellious, restless, impatient, and vulnerable. She is good hearted.

EC: Next book?

PL: The Amish Nanny’s Marriage Offer which will be released in May. The hero and heroine are widowed. He has a daughter and she has a son. During Church services since men and women are separated, they watch each other’s child. He gave her a job to babysit his daughter. The heroine left for Montana because she was being pressured by her family to marry a psychopath.

THANK YOU!!

BIO: Elise Cooper has written book reviews and interviewed best-selling authors since 2009. Her reviews have covered several different genres, including thrillers, mysteries, women’s fiction, romance and cozy mysteries. An avid reader, she engages authors to discuss their works, and to focus on the descriptions of their characters and the plot. While not writing reviews, Elise loves to watch baseball and visit the ocean in Southern California, with her dog and husband.