Taking over her late father’s company was never part of Alex Stone’s life plan.
But now, sitting in the CEO chair at Stone Enterprises, she’s resigned to living her life alone. Being a high-powered, billionaire woman tends to narrow one’s romantic prospects. As Alex works relentlessly to reshape her inherited hotel empire, she’s acquired a target on her back complete with death threats.
Alex turns to Hawk Bronson, a man who is equal parts bodyguard, sexy, and completely infuriating. Especially when it comes to protecting her.
As the danger escalates, Hawk comes to terms with the fact that their connection goes way beyond bodyguard and assignment. He knows he should keep his distance—his own dark past and nightmares put her at greater risk—but he can’t walk away. Protecting Alex means everything. Putting her life in someone else’s care isn’t an option once he’s tasted their passion and depth of his feelings.
As they navigate a minefield of family secrets, past pain, and unexpected hope, Alex and Hawk must face their deepest fears and fight for a future together. But first, they’ll need to unmask whoever is behind the threats—before Alex becomes their next victim.
NO MORE YESTERDAYS (The Heirs Book #3) by Catherine Bybee is a wonderful finale to The Heirs trilogy with this story featuring Alexandrea “Alex” Stone. These books can be read as standalone contemporary romances, but the overall story ARC of the siblings inheriting their father’s company and the problems it involves makes me feel the trilogy is best read in order.
With the death of their father, the Stone siblings have had to adapt to new lives with massive wealth. Alex has taken over as CEO at Stone Enterprises with her experience in the hotel business. Taking on the role has also left her feeling she is now limited in her romantic prospects. When Alex receives a death threat, she asks for the help of a security specialist who helped her out previously. He takes on the role of her private bodyguard.
Hawk Bronson is a security specialist who is determined to protect the independent and infuriating Alex. As the danger escalates, so does the personal heat between them.
As they try to discover where the threat against Alex is coming from, they uncover corporate secrets that are far from legal and could put Stone Enterprises at risk. Is this the source of the threat or is there another reason that Alex is in danger from someone close who wants her dead?
This is such an extremely emotionally satisfying ending to The Heirs contemporary romance trilogy! The romance has fun dialogue as Alex and Hawk butt heads, but it also gets serious with Hawk describing the threat and serious circumstances when Alex does not listen. The sexual chemistry builds believably, and the sex scenes are not gratuitous, but feel natural. The suspense subplot had me turning the pages and continually built to a surprise climax I did not see coming.
I highly recommend this book and the entire trilogy! Ms. Bybee always satisfies, and I look forward to every new book.
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About the Author
Catherine is a #1 Wall Street Journal, Amazon, and Indie Reader bestselling author. In addition, her books have also graced The New York Times and USA Today bestsellers lists. In total she has written thirty-six beloved books that have collectively sold more than 10 million copies and have been translated into more than twenty languages.
Raised in Washington State, Bybee moved to Southern California in the hope of becoming a movie star. After growing bored with waiting tables, she returned to school and became a registered nurse, spending most of her career in urban emergency rooms. She now writes full time and has penned the Not Quite series, The Weekday Brides series, the Most Likely To series, and the First Wives series. Learn more about Catherine and her books at www.catherinebybee.com
Today I am sharing my Feature Post and Book Review for THE SIDE PROJECT by Laurel Osterkamp on this Book Amplifier Tour.
Below you will find an author Q&A, introduction and synopsis, my book review, an excerpt from the book, and the author’s bio and social media links. Enjoy!
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Author Q&A
Writing Process & Creativity
How did you research your book?
There wasn’t a huge amount of research involved, but I did need to read up on the type of brain tumors teenagers are most likely to get. I’d already spent a lot of time in Bemidji, but I convinced my family that I should take a road trip up to Bemidji on my own, just for the night, so I could walk around taking pictures and imagining my characters’ lives there.
What’s the hardest scene or character you wrote—and why?
The last scene between Rylee and her mother, Summer, was difficult to write because finally, they were being honest with each other and dealing with their grief. It was a challenge to find the right level of emotion and to give each of them their own unique voice.
What’s your favorite compliment you’ve received as a writer?
That’s so hard, because I often forget the compliments I receive, unlike the criticism, which is always tattooed on my brain. But last night I received this message from a huge BookTok influencer, after she finished reading The Side Project: “I just finished! Man, I’m crying happy tears. This was so different… and it was SO good.” I can’t overstate how happy that compliment made me!
Your Writing Life
Do you write every day? What’s your schedule?
Sometimes, if there’s a lot of laundry or grocery shopping to do, I skip writing on Sundays. Otherwise, I write every day, in the afternoon and/or early evening.
Any quirky writing rituals or must-have snacks?
My favorite writing quirk is when my cat, Toffee, snuggles up next to me while I sit on the couch with my laptop. When I get stuck, I’ll pet her and ask for her advice. She always has great ideas!
Behind the Book
Why did you choose this setting/topic?
I’ve always felt that northern settings where they wear a lot of flannel are romantic. When I began writing The Side Project, I’d just finished an MFA program in Creative Writing. I liked the idea of exploring how writers can be sort of snobby toward each other when it comes to writing genre fiction, especially romance. And there’s definitely a stigma when it comes to self-publishing. The Side Project is not self-published, but Rylee is a secret self-published romance author and afraid to let the people in her life know this. So The Side Project is a combination of several topics and settings that are close to my heart.
If your book became a movie, who would star in it?
Winona Ryder (at 23) as Rylee
Andrew Garfield (at 27) as Carson
Jessica Chastain (at 27) as Dana
James Van Der Beek (at 27) as Jack
Which author(s) most inspired you?
This answer is specific to romance writing, but Emily Henry and Carley Fortune inspired me in a huge way. After reading their novels, I was ready to transition from writing women’s fiction to
contemporary romance. I love how they use the expected romance tropes that readers love, but they also write layered stories with complex characters and lyrical prose.
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Introductionand Synopsis
Some stories are never really over. Laurel Osterkamp’s The Side Project explores what happens when unfinished business from the past collides with the emotional messiness of the present—through the lens of two former lovers forced to collaborate creatively.
Ten years after their breakup, Rylee and Carson are thrown back into each other’s orbit—not by chance, but by enrollment in the same graduate fiction workshop. Rylee is still rooted in their hometown, juggling caretaking duties and trying to hold onto the memory of her late father, a novelist who left behind an incomplete manuscript. Carson, now a single dad, is determined to keep things tidy and focused. But when their class assignment turns into a writing partnership—and then a secret “side project”—long-buried feelings begin to surface. Their story becomes as tangled as the fiction they’re writing, and soon they’re forced to ask: is it possible to rewrite a past that never got its ending?
THE SIDE PROJECT by Laurel Osterkamp is a contemporary romance/rom-com that brings realistic characters to the page with all their imperfections and puts them through an emotional upheaval of twists, secrets, and lies interspersed with heartwarming moments of friendship and familial love. This new-to-me author kept me turning the pages.
Rylee dreams of writing a literary novel that her late father would have loved, but her secret is that she loves and writes Regency romances in secret. She was prepared to move to California, but her younger brother is diagnosed with cancer, and she stays to help her mother and brother in her small hometown of Bemidji, MN.
Carson’s plans to attend Harvard and become a doctor came to an end when his girlfriend told him she was pregnant. He has stayed in Bemidji and married, discovered he loves his son and being a father, but he dreams of more.
Rylee is surprised when she attends her first MFA course and Carson is in the classroom. They become writing partners even with Rylee and Carson’s unresolved high school past and start a no-strings fling side project. As their chemistry heats up, so do the complications. Secrets, lies, and hard truths will all come out and difficult decisions must be made.
Rylee and Carson have both lived through life-altering loss and disappointments and when they come together there are still so many secrets and lies between them which become exposed throughout the story and as each one drops, it causes emotional upheaval. I felt the characters in this story were fully developed and the story flowed well and was entertaining as a character driven romance. There are a few sex scenes, but they were not gratuitous, but believable to the story. This novel stretches a few romance genre rules but brings relatable characters to life and still delivers a romance lovers ending.
I recommend this mash-up for a heartwarming weekend read and am looking forward to checking other works by this author.
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Excerpt
I steel myself and step out of my car, determined to keep things businesslike today. The sight of Carson outside raking leaves, ruggedly adorable with Ferris running circles around his feet, does nothing to break my resolve. I tell myself: You’re here to work. Nothing more, nothing less.
“Hey, Rylee.” He grins, pushing up his sleeves. “You’re right in time to hold the leaf bag.”
I don’t have time to respond before a happy splash of black fur races past us, yipping and barking. I laugh, and Carson shakes his head, smiling as well.
“Ferris loves chasing leaves,” Carson says.
Ferris circles us. Running in the autumn wind, his mouth is full of fluttering colors and twigs.
I contemplate Carson’s leaf bag. “The hardest part is always getting in the first few handfuls of leaves. Did you know they have these cardboard insert thingies that keep the bag open?”
Carson holds his rake with one hand. “Oh, yeah?”
“Yeah. My dad was excited when he discovered them at the hardware store. It used to be our thing, my dad and I, bagging leaves together.”
“Oh.” Carson’s mouth goes slack, and his eyes pool with sympathy. It’s like he backed over a bunny rabbit by accident. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to bring up old memories.”
I wave off the awkwardness as if I’m shooing away bugs. “No worries. It won’t break me to hold the bag open, and I’ll even push down the leaves as you put them in.” My words come out in a rush. “Where should I put my computer?”
“I’ll put it inside. Do you also want me to take your purse?”
“Sure, thanks.” I hand him both.
He takes them through his front door as a gust of wind threatens to upend Carson’s carefully constructed leaf pile. I snatch up the rake, ready for battle. “You won’t escape me, bitches!” I yell at the flying leaves.
I look over to see Carson on his front stoop, watching my wild efforts like I’m a vaudeville spectacle he can’t quite believe. Embarrassed, I kick at the ground. “I didn’t want all your hard work ruined.”
His expression is serious. “Have you tried positive reinforcement? I’ve found that fallen leaves don’t respond well to punitive measures.”
“Right,” I reply, “because they have nothing to lose. Their fate is inside a garbage bag or being trapped by an uncaring tire. Snow will cover the lucky ones until after the thaw.” I run the rake through the grass at my feet. “Then they’ll get scooped up—along with all the dog poop and candy wrappers the trick-or-treaters leave behind.”
Using his index finger to rub his chin, Carson considers this. “Trick-or-treaters leave behind dog poop?”
“Some of the angry ones do.”
He laughs—and darn if he isn’t cute when he smiles—before saying, “Guess I’d better buy good candy this year.”
“No black licorice or breath mints.” I let out a low groan. “But the worst are those peanut butter-flavored taffies wrapped in orange or black wrappers.”
“Those are the worst. I never ate them.”
“Me neither.”
I hold open the bag, and Carson bends down, scoops up the leaves, and stands very close as he shoves them inside. I’m painfully aware of how his Levis-clad butt looks oh-so-good when he bends over. After the bag is full, he glances up at his tree and down at his yard, thanking me for my help. Then he sort of stands there, gazing at me, and I can’t help but ask. “What?”
“Nothing. Sorry. You’d lose all respect for me if I told you,” he mumbles.
“Now you have to tell me.”
He brushes a leaf from his sleeve. “No, really,” he stammers, “it’s ridiculous.”
I nudge his ankle with my sneaker’s rubber toe. “Try me.”
Rolling his eyes skyward, he asks, “Did you ever read The Majestic Seven? That fantasy about the seven heroes who must save their kingdom?”
“No,” I reply. “But I’ve heard of it. Why?”
Carson’s cheeks turn the slightest bit pink. “I was thinking how you’re like Lady Seraphina.”
My hands fly to either side of my face. “It’s because of my pointy ears, right?”
“What? No.” He blinks in confusion. “Why would you make that connection?”
“Because I saw the trailer for the movie adaptation, and the only female character is an elf. The tips of her ears are like razors.”
“No!” Carson swallows a laugh. “God, no, that’s not what I meant.”
I look him up and down. “Well, what did you mean?”
His voice sounds like a worn vinyl record, smooth in the center but scratched at the edges. “You’re the type of girl who could save the world.”
“You mean ‘woman’ and not ‘girl,’ right?”
“Of course. Sorry.” He releases a self-conscious chuckle. “You’re the kind of woman who could save the world. One hundred percent.”
“Thank you.” Then, feeling that magnetic pull, I drop my gaze to the ground.
He hits his forehead. “God. I’m such an idiot. I promised I’d be professional today, and I’ve already blown it, haven’t I?”
I search for a response. Thankfully, Ferris runs up to me, and I busy myself with petting him. “It’s fine. But I don’t understand. Why would I lose all respect for you?”
“Because you’ll realize I like fantasy novels.”
Kneeling down, I let Ferris nuzzle my shoulder. “Please. As if I didn’t already know? Remember how in high school, you’d check out The Prince of Saturn and slide it into your backpack before anyone could see?”
Carson raises an eyebrow. “Except for you.”
I notice a renegade leaf on my shoulder and brush it off. “That’s right. Because I was also always in the media center after lunch, most likely checking out some gothic romance, which is way more looked down upon than science fiction or fantasy.”
“Yeah, but you weren’t on the hockey team.” He smirks. “If the other players knew about my reading habits, they’d have kicked my ass.”
“So, you tried to pretend you weren’t smart? How’d that work out for you, college boy?”
He opens his mouth to respond but laughs instead. “Hey, you mentioned gothic romance, and that reminds me. I dug your story. A contemporary Charlotte Brontë! It was so original. I don’t have very many revision notes for you, because the story flowed. And I’m worried that if you rework it a lot, you’ll lose that.”
“Thanks, I’m glad you liked it. I liked your story too, and not just because you liked mine.” Shifting my weight, I say, “Should we go inside and get to work?”
He nods. “Yeah. Let’s do that. Follow me.”
At this moment, I’d be happy to follow him anywhere.
***
Author Bio
Laurel Osterkamp is a Minneapolis-based author whose work explores the emotional complexities of love, loss, and personal reinvention. With novels like Beautiful Little Furies (an Amazon #1 bestseller) and Favorite Daughters, she’s become known for creating characters who are flawed, thoughtful, and deeply human. Osterkamp writes contemporary romance and women’s fiction that blends wit with wisdom, heart with humor. Outside of writing, she teaches adult ESL and middle school enrichment, re-watches iconic ’90s television, and contends with a household full of opinionated pets.
Reopening the investigation of her mother’s disappearance puts chief of police Diana Fisher in someone’s lethal sights. As she delves deeper into the mystery, a murderer resurfaces, targeting the Amish community. Detective Micah Nissley, whose fiancée went missing a decade ago, joins forces with Diana to stop the threats and bring the killer to justice. But can they uncover the connection between Diana and the culprit before she becomes the next victim?
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Elise’s Thoughts
Amish Country Killer by Mary Alford features a police chief dealing with an Amish cold case where Amish girls have disappeared. Readers will try to solve the case along with the characters as they second guess the clues.
The plot opens when Diana Fisher decides to return to her childhood town in Rachel’s Crossing Kentucky, to become police chief. She is following in her father William’s footsteps who once was police chief there. Fifteen years ago, Diana’s mother disappeared, and William decided they needed a fresh start, so he moved them to Louisville.
Even though her dad is dead set against it, Diana decides to move there and accept the police chief job. She is determined to try to find out why her mother left them. But once there, she finds trouble is waiting for her. Shortly after arriving she hears a young Amish girl screaming and when trying to rescue her she gets hit over the head and her dog Kit also gets injured. They are rescued by Micah Nissley, once Amish and now living in the English world. He has been coming back to his family’s old home whenever he could to do repairs in thoughts of using it as vacation home. He was shunned by his family, friends and community who blamed him for the disappearance of his fiancé, Tessa, the girl he loved.
He is now working as a detective for the Kentucky Department of Criminal Investigations. He offers to help but before Diana will accept it, she investigates why he was considered a person of interest. After he comes clean and tells her she accepts his help and realizes that he also wants to solve the case to overcome the stigma of being falsely accused of killing the missing Amish girls. The investigation leads them to a serial killer who is elusive and extremely intelligent, since he has been killing women for many years without being caught.
If readers enjoy the Linda Castillo series with Police Chief Kate Burkholder they will enjoy this story. It is an intense read that is intriguing, captivating, powerful and full of suspense with a twist of an ending that is shocking.
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Author Interview
Elise Cooper: How did you get the idea for the story?
Mary Alford: I have been fascinated by the simple life of the Amish. I thought about what would happen in this quiet setting if there was still danger lurking and secrets hidden. I took an old cold case and have a new police chief who must face her own dark past.
EC: Were you influenced by Kate Burkholder from the Linda Castillo series?
MA: I had not thought of it. Maybe in a way. Diana does have a quest and wants to find out what happened to her mother, which is why she took the job as police chief. She wants to do some research as to why her mom disappeared. This police department needs rebuilding after the corruption within it.
EC: How would you describe Diana?
MA: She is strong, resilient, and faces danger head on. She is always on the front line and refuses to let fear stop her. I think she is also guarded and cautious.
EC: How would you describe the hero, Micah?
MA: He has ties to the cold case since his fiancé, Tessa, disappeared and he was the last to see her alive. He is former Amish and is bitter because he was a person of interest a long time ago during the Amish girl’s disappearance. He also feels guilty. When he saw Tessa with this other guy, he left her and felt guilty for making the choice to leave.
EC: What role does Kit the canine dog play?
MA: Diana considers her a friend, protector, and loyal. She is trained in search and rescue plus police work. She stands between Diana and danger. She loves to play with her favorite stuffed animal.
EC: What about the relationship?
MA: It was hampered by suspicion, and she is not trusting. He did have ties to the past case of the disappearance of Amish women. He wants it to have resolution and to come to light about what happened to Tessa. He is stuck with the past hanging over him.
EC: What about the corrupt cops?
MA: They stole, bribed, blackmailed, and harassed. People do not trust the police department.
EC: Why Kentucky?
MA: There are a few Amish communities in Kentucky. I like having a remote mountain setting that creates its own danger and suspense.
EC: Next books?
MA: In July a book will be published, Framed in Amish Country. It is about a DA who is being framed for murdering her best friend. An Amish man helps her find evidence to prove her innocence. In October Shattered Amish Identity comes out. The heroine has a buggy accident where she does not remember her past. Someone is trying to kill her, and a CIA Agent comes to help her.
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.
Today I am sharing my Feature Post and Book Review for THE IRISH DAUGHTER (Emerald Isles Book #4) by Daisy O’Shea on this Bookoututre Books-On-Tour blog tour.
Below you will find a book description, my book review, and the author’s bio and social media links. Enjoy!
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Book Description
Standing on the cliff above the wild Irish sea, Hannah wipes a tear from her eye and thinks about the man she called ‘Da’. She was never his daughter. Hannah has been lied to her whole life by everyone she loved. Will she ever find where she truly belongs?
When warm-hearted Hannah Barry’s father passes away, her life is turned upside down when she discovers he wasn’t her biological father, and the only family she’s ever known are not related to her at all. Now their tiny farmhouse overlooking Roone Bay feels unfamiliar and cold. So when a handsome, dark-haired stranger turns up on her doorstep, his kind eyes and shy smile are a welcome escape.
Justin Sanders is searching for clues about his long-lost grandfather, whose last letter home came addressed from the area. Justin is certain Hannah’s own grandfather is connected to the story somehow, and that the men knew each other years ago. Hannah can’t help but be drawn to Justin and his mystery – they both have a painful past to solve. Will helping Justin lead to the answers about her real family that she desperately longs for?
But Hannah is shocked when nobody in the village will speak of Justin’s grandad. What secret could be so terrible that a whole community turns their back?
Justin’s caring nature makes Hannah feel so safe, and she can’t ignore the way he makes her stomach flip. But when they discover the truth about the events of a tragic evening decades ago, it threatens to tear them apart for good… Can Hannah and Justin find a way to forgive and move forward together? Or will Hannah lose the only real love she’s ever known for good?
THE IRISH DAUGHTER (Emerald Isles Book #4) by Daisy O’Shea is an emotional dual timeline mash-up of romance, mystery, and history that pulled me into the story and kept me turning the pages. This book is easily read as a standalone with a few carryover secondary characters, but the real connection between the stories is that they are all set in Roone Bay, Ireland on the southern coast.
Hannah Barry has dutifully taken care of her alcoholic and dismissive father until his death as she promised her mam on her death bed believing she would inherit their hard-scrabble farm. While the home and farm are not worth much it has been her home since she returned from the hospital at three years of age after recovering from polio. Then her brother returns from America with a will to claim it all.
Justin Sanders is an English doctor who has come to Roone Bay to find where his granddad, Jack, who was stationed there as a Black and Tan in 1920, was buried during the Troubles. Hannah is surprised that no one is willing to talk, so she offers to help.
They work together as both have family secrets and history to be uncovered.
This is an enchanting story of family, love, forgiveness, and discovery. The tissues came out at a time or two. Hannah was such a strong protagonist and Justin was the perfect hero for her. The historical dual timeline tells Jack, Justin’s granddad’s story, in 1920 while he was in Roone Bay and the present-day timeline with Hannah and Justin is set in their present day, but our late 1960’s. The author’s story telling and descriptions made me feel as if I was experiencing each timeline right along with each character.
I have read all the Emerald Isles books, and they are all moving and engrossing. I highly recommend this one, also!
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Author Bio
Sue Lewando was a teacher for several years before migrating to the office environment, where she was PA to the Treasurer of Clarks Shoes, a multi-national company, then, briefly, PA to Susan George, the actress best known for Straw Dogs. Sue had many genre books published (M&B and Virgin), under pseudonyms, and self-publishes her crime thrillers. She was on the committee of the Romantic Novelists’ Association in England, for whom she assessed typescripts. She has been a fiction tutor for the London School of Journalism for twenty years. She has two grown-up children, a happy second marriage, and a bundle of cats and dogs. She moved to West Cork with her husband to undertake a farmhouse refurbishment project, foster their joint passion for playing Irish traditional music, and to invest time in their individual academic projects. She recently completed a Masters in Creative Writing at UCC, taking the opportunity to explore diverse writing genres. She works with the Jeremy Murphy Literary Consultancy in the capacity of typescript analyst, ghostwriter, editor, and online publishing advisor. She loves good commercial fiction, and is a devotee of the Oxford comma.
A missing woman. Two hit men. When every second counts, who will survive?
In the stark but beautiful wilds of northern New Mexico, a couples’ retreat at a luxury resort turns into a chilling nightmare when a woman vanishes. Skip tracer Riley MacLeod and private investigator Greyson Chadwick pose as a couple to hunt for clues that might reveal the missing woman’s location. Those leads uncover a harrowing truth: They’re not the only ones looking for her. What begins as a normal tracking case turns into a deadly chase when they, too, become the hunted.
As Riley and Greyson work together, their partnership ignites a tumultuous attraction, but Greyson’s secrets prevent him from acting on his feelings for her, and Riley can’t bring herself to fully trust him. Delving deeper into the case, they find themselves fighting not only for justice and the chance at a loving relationship . . . but also for their very survival.
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Elise’s Thoughts
Two Seconds Too Late by Dani Pettrey is a romantic suspense novel. In this story the suspense drives the romance between the two main characters that is carefully plotted within the storyline.
The plot starts off with the main female lead, Riley MacLeod, struggling after shooting dead someone who was trying to kill her. Throughout the story readers see her trying to handle the PTSD that includes vivid nightmares.
After one of those nightmares, she finds a mysterious package on her doorstep. Then, a friend of hers calls and asks Riley to investigate the disappearance of someone she knew at a luxury resort. To see what happened, she along with one of her partners, Greyson Chadwick, decide to pose as a couple. They find that others are looking for the disappearing woman that includes some nefarious figures. Each clue pulls them deeper into a mystery that puts them in more danger. As they work together the attraction between Riley and Greyson becomes intense. But Greyson feels that the demons he is battling will be too much for the relationship to survive. He has depression and sees it as a reason to never get involved with anyone.
The book is full of mystery, mayhem, and murder, providing readers with a sense of intrigue.
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Author Interview
Elise Cooper: Rumor has it when you wrote this you also had to deal with the aftereffects of Hurricane Helene. True?
Dani Pettrey: The hurricane took out most of our house and our belongings. We just got back in two weeks ago. It was a little bit crazy in writing this story because there was so much going on and we had to move out. My family felt like nomads since we had to move around to four different B & Bs because of availability dates. This was very distracting as I was writing, and it was a struggle to get the book done.
EC: The idea for the story?
DP: I had an idea for a fancy resort that had yoga and dancing. I thought about having someone go missing from there with two of my characters going undercover. The woman was tracking my main character who was her friend; my main character was tracking others; so, it took on a cat and mouse story.
EC: How would you describe Riley?
DP: She has guilt feelings after killing someone, stubborn, competitive, a risk-taker, someone who goes with her gut feelings, fearful, has PTSD, free-spirit, compassionate, and curious. She can be a little bit humorous and playful.
EC: How would you describe Greyson?
DP: Methodical, a planner, tender, former military, confident, logical, guarded, and witty.
EC: Why the military angle?
DP: When I thought of his background and struggles with life, I thought of those in the military, particularly as he tried, but failed, to help a friend who had gone through PTSD after the war. In my family there is a huge military history, six generations and my husband was military. I do enjoy putting in the military aspect. We had relatives in every war except Korea. They explained how there was those moments that they had to be killed, or they would be killed, which is why the quote in the book. They have some guilt even though they had no choice.
EC: What about the relationship between Greyson and Riley?
DP: She had a teenage crush on him. They like to tease each other. He thinks of her as a light in the darkness. He makes her feel safe. They are passionate. They had to overcome the boundaries since she was his friend’s kid sister. He thinks he is not really the right person for her since he has some baggage. They had to climb some walls to get together.
EC: What about the role of poker in the story?
DP: I have played but not in years. I watched a lot of poker on TV and went into a casino where they answered my questions. Originally it was going to be a heavier role. I had one of the characters winning a lot of money playing poker and suspects grew out of that.
EC: What about the role of cults?
DP: It explained why Riley’s friend was doing what she did. I set it in Las Vegas that has several cults. As I was doing research about Vegas I found out about some underground tunnels. I put that in the story.
EC: Why make Greyson having depression?
DP: I have depression. I wanted to show how he was getting help in a positive light. He was scared to put himself out there with Riley who was very supportive. I wanted to shed light how people with depression feel and how people can work through it together. I showed depression can be overcome. For me, now it is very level.
EC: Next books?
DP: The third book in the series will be coming out next June. The working title is Three Steps Behind. It will feature Riley’s brother Derek and someone he likes, Harper. They worked together in the first book.
I am also writing a novella collection with Lynette Easton out in February.
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.
Today I am sharing my Feature Post and Book Review for THE DRESSMAKER’S WAR by Michelle Vernal on this Bookouture Books-On-Tour blog tour.
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
She gazes at her mother’s face in the black and white photograph, her vision blurring as tears build. Could this wartime wedding portrait be the key to finding out why her mother went missing, all those years ago?
Brides of Bold Street is filled with beautiful, brand-new ivory gowns. But dressmaker Sabrina loves it when brides-to-be wear vintage, family heirloom dresses. Seeing wedding day photographs of future mothers and grandmothers beaming – as if knowing the happiness they feel will be passed down to their daughters – is a bittersweet reminder of the mother she’s never known.
And as she and her handsome beau, Adam Taylor, start talking about marriage, not having her mother by her side weighs on Sabrina’s heart more and more each day.
But when a bride walks into the store with a family dress made of rare parachute silk from World War Two, Sabrina feels hope rise again in her chest. Because the bride also has a photograph. A photo Sabrina is sure shows her mother’s face…
With the answers to what happened all those years ago almost within reach, Sabrina decides to risk another journey through the past – and this time, with Adam by her side. He’d never let her travel alone, to a time when air raid sirens broke the silence of the night and bombs fell on Liverpool.
Together, will they finally solve the mystery of Sabrina’s real family? Or will the dangers of the darkest days of World War Two prevent Adam and Sabrina from returning to their own time?
THE DRESSMAKER’S WAR (Brides of Bold Street Book #3) by Michelle Vernal is another captivating dual timeline adventure featuring wedding dress maker, Sabrina in 1982 Liverpool, England who is able to time slip into the past. While each book has Sabrina helping a different couple in different years and could be read as standalone stories, I preferred reading them in order as those around Sabrina continue to evolve in their relationships to Sabrina in her present.
In 1982, Sabrina’s work at Brides of Bold Street and her relationship with Adam are going well and right now she has no plans to attempt a time slip to find the mother she was separated from. When a bride-to-be walks into the shop to have her grandmother’s dress altered for her own wedding, she shows Sabrina a wedding photo from her grandmother’s wedding. Sabrina is shocked to see not only herself and her boyfriend, Adam, in the photo, but she is sure she sees her mother’s face also.
Now in 1945, Sabrina and Max have slipped to the day before the celebrations for VE Day and to meet Lily, whom readers have been following in the other of the dual timelines in this story. Before the time slip, we follow Lilly’s young life during the war up to the time she meets Sabrina.
A night around the celebratory VE DAY bonfires changes everything for Sabrina.
Every book just gets better and better. I love this series and all the characters; both the main group that appear in every book and the new couple we are introduced to in each past story. This book once again had me completely engrossed as I turned the pages. Ms. Vernal’s descriptions of each time period pulled me right into the era’s history and clothing and it is especially fun and brings back good memories when she lists what music Sabrina and her friends are listening to in 1982. This is a beautiful story that is full of emotional ups and downs, love, family, and surprising revelations.
I highly recommend this mash-up of time travel, romance. and mystery!
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About the Author
Michelle Vernal is a New Zealand author who writes stories that will take you onto the page with her characters and make you feel part of their lives. She writes with humor and warmth, and her readers describe her books as unputdownable, feel good and funny. Her writing has been likened to Maeve Binchy but with a modern-day vernacular. In 2015 she was shortlisted for the Love Stories Award. In 2020 she won the Reader’s Favorite Gold Medal Award for Chick lit, and in 2021 was shortlisted for the Page Turner Book Awards.
