With a death squad in pursuit… A fugitive needs the help of a wounded warrior.
An elite CIA kill squad has located hacker Zenobia Hanley’s Alaska wilderness hideout. With commandos hot on Zee’s heels, she’s saved from capture by her neighbor John Lowry. Zee has kept her yearning for the SEAL, who has a disability, in check to shield him. But, despite her secrets, John’s determined to protect Zee regardless of the risks. Because there’s more at stake this Christmas than just their lives.
ALASKAN CHRISTMAS ESCAPE (Fugitive Heroes: Topaz Unit Book #2) by Juno Rushdan is the second fast-paced romantic suspense in this series and it is another edge-of-your-seat read. I start these books and I cannot put them down. Even though this book is set during the Christmas holiday season, it could be set in any time of the year.
Zenobia “Zee” Hanley was the tech/hacker wizard for the elite CIA Topaz Unit and has been trying to find information on the mission that went bad and scattered the unit into hiding as she hides in the Alaskan frontier. Even with her amazing skills, she has been detected and a kill squad is on the way. One of Zoe’s darkest secrets is about to show up as the leader of the kill squad.
John Lowry is a medically retired SEAL with shrapnel in his leg and PTSD living in the Alaskan wild when a beautiful and mysterious neighbor moves into the closest cabin in the area. Regardless of Zee’s secrets, when the kill squad arrives, John is determined to protect Zee at all costs.
Will Zee put her trust in John with not only her life, but all her secrets?
I love this book, the H/h and this whole Fugitive Heroes world. Ms. Rushdan knows how to keep me turning the pages and keep me invested in the characters. Zee is an intelligent. kick-butt heroine with a huge secret besides the Topaz Unit secrets. John is the alpha SEAL with physical and mental disabilities that he refuses to let stop him from helping Zee. As Zee tries to protect John by pushing him away, I loved how he brought in the SEAL philosophy of two always being better/stronger than one. When they finally come together it is smokin’ hot. The sex scenes are explicit, but not gratuitous. This is a fast-paced suspense plot with a villain leading the kill squad with a personal interest in taking out Zee which was a surprise, and he is relentless. This is an excellent Harlequin Intrigue series!
I highly recommend this romantic suspense, this series and this author. Ms. Rushdan knows how to write exciting romantic suspense with great characters, and I cannot wait for the next Topaz Unit book!
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About the Author
Juno Rushdan draws from real-life inspiration as a former U.S. Air Force Intelligence Officer to craft sizzling romantic thrillers. However, you won’t find any classified leaks here. Her stories are pure fiction about kick-ass heroes and strong heroines fighting for their lives as well as their happily-ever-after.
Although Juno is a native New Yorker, wanderlust has taken her across the globe. Fortunately, she is blessed with a husband who shares her passion for travel, movies, and fantastic food. She’s visited more than twenty different countries and has lived in England and Germany. Her favorite destination for relaxation is the Amalfi Coast, Italy for its stunning seascape, cliffside lemon groves, terraced vineyards, amazing pasta, and to-die-for vino.
When she’s not writing, Juno loves spending time with her family. Exercise is not her favorite thing to do, but she squeezes some in since chocolate and red wine aren’t calorie-free.
She currently resides in Virginia with her supportive hubby, two dynamic children, and spoiled rescue dogs. Check her out on Instagram, Facebookor follow her on Twitter or BookBub. She loves to connect with readers!
Family secrets and fresh romance collide in this heart-pounding Richter series installment by New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Catherine Bybee.
Jacqueline “Jax” Simon knows how to expose secrets: she’s a skilled operative with MacBain Security and Solutions. When Jax hears her parents are divorcing, she races to London to find out why. She’s determined to learn the truth, especially when her investigation uncovers why her parents sent her to Richter, the German military school that made her a fighter.
Andrew Craig collects Jax at Heathrow Airport as a favor. He’s heard she’s a handful, but he didn’t know she’s dangerously gorgeous too. His instant attraction could change his life…or end it.
Jax doesn’t want to fall for Andrew, but soon he’s worming his way into her life. Together, they infiltrate Richter to discover if it has returned to its covert purpose: training children to be spies and assassins and blackmailing parents to look the other way. As the attraction between the two intensifies, so do the secrets exploding all around them. How deadly are those secrets—and who will survive?
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Elise’s Thoughts
An Unexpected Distraction by Catherine Bybee shows why she is a master storyteller who writes formidable characters. Readers get to catch up with her past heroes and heroines: Claire, Cooper, Sasha, Neil, and Gwen. But anyone who has not read her should considering the great mix of suspenseful drama, action, and romance. With each new installment the series gets better and better.
As with the other heroines in the series, Jacqueline (Jax) Simon is a badass woman. They all are put in dangerous undercover situations by the private investigation security company they work for. Having overcome the corrupt boarding school that basically raised them these women, Sasha, Olivia, Claire, and Jax have skills that would make James Bond jealous.
In this story, Jax returns to her native England after receiving a call from her brother. He needs help figuring out why their parents split up and their dad has moved in with him. The parents are being very secretive about their marital problems. Through her own investigation, Jax discovers that her being sent off to the German military school, Richter, has something to do with her parents’ marital problems. With the help of her current boyfriend, Andrew Craig, Jax’s brother’s best friend, they infiltrate Richter hoping to find if it’s returned to its bad ways, training the children there to be spies and assassins while blackmailing the parents to look the other way.
Along with the action are relationship stories. Jax must overcome her feelings of abandonment by her parents. Because she has never had a close relationship with her mother, they both must have heart-to-heart chats about their feelings. In fact, many times throughout the book Jax says to her mother, “you did not know, because you never asked.” Jax also has come to realize she has feelings and is attracted to Andrew. He is not intimated by her skills with guns and spy technology and is very supportive.
When finished, readers will be disappointed because the gripping story has ended and at this time there is not another book in the making. Anyone who enjoyed this book should contact Catherine to continue the storyline, especially since it appears that the ending was a bit of a cliffhanger. Let Catherine know if there should be more books in the series by contacting her at https://catherinebybee.com/contact/.
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Elise’s Author Interview
Elise Cooper: How did you go about finding the idea for this story?
Catherine Bybee: Overall, the previous books, “The Bride Series” prompted the espionage writing for this series. Neil, the head of McBain Security and Solutions is a character I kept alive in all the books. The challenge of any series is making sure each character has a different focus; although, there are similarities between them. My heroine, Jax, highlights the other side of what happened at the Richter School. She was not being groomed to be an assassin and was there because her parents wanted to keep some secrets. They wanted to keep her isolated. By the way, sending children off to a boarding school happens a lot in Europe even though it is a foreign concept to Americans. Jax seemed to avoid the controversy and focused on receiving an exceptional education.
EC: In the beginning this book highlighted Claire versus Sasha?
CB: Claire is Sasha’s “Mini-Me.” She is not as hard, jaded, and worldly as Sasha. To find out about Sasha’s life people might want to read the whole “First Wives Series.” It explains the reason Sasha turned out the way she did. She is more reserved and more of a loner than Claire. She cannot sit still and even in this book works solo. Both Claire and Sasha are very competitive, which is seen in the books when they participate in obstacle courses.
EC: You are speaking about the Camp Pendleton Mud Run and skydiving out of an airplane?
CB: Yes. The Mud Run used to be open to the public, before Covid. I did dive out of an airplane when I was in Hawaii a couple of years back. My friend and I did it tandemly with a professional. I checked it off my bucket list so it is not something I will do again.
EC: Are Neil and Sasha co-equals?
CB: Even though it is Neil’s team he never treats anyone as an employee. Claire becomes a daughter to him with Jax as his stepdaughter. Throughout this series, as well as all my series, the family is those chosen not the ones born into. For example, Jax and Claire are sisters of choice and are close.
EC: How would you describe Jax?
CB: She did not have a very good actual family life although she does redeem her relationship with her mother. She is wounded and feels neglected. She is the epitome of the poor little rich girl, very aware of how privileged she is. She was never a troublemaker but made sure while at school the skills were learned. She is sassy, loyal, daring, witty, traditionally English, and resourceful.
EC: How would you describe Andrew?
CB: He is a different type of hero than the others in the series. Andrew is a pencil pusher. Upper crust British, determined, traditionalist, thoughtful, and a good listener.
EC: How about the relationship between Andrew and Jax?
CB: He is the perfect man who her parents would have picked for her, but the opposite of what she thinks she needs. I made sure he did not have a life in her world. I wanted to show how men can be supportive of women who are like Jax. He never felt emasculated and was willing to be a part of her life. At first, Jax is standoffish because her parents wanted someone like him for her. Sometimes children need to come to grips that their parents are not always wrong. As they get to know each other she is surprised that she is attracted to him. The challenge for me was to have them fall in love without it feeling forced. He is good at making her think it is her idea and then gets what he wants from her.
EC: What role do Jax’s parents play?
CB: They are the type that had children because that is what was expected. They are reserved, uppity, and never appreciated or understood her. They always underestimated her. I based it on a personal level for me because my parents underestimated me my whole life.
EC: The ending was up in the air?
CB: I did not look at it as a cliff hanger but that the series came full circle. If there is a next book, I could explore how the school groomed these children and taught them to be assassins. Because most of my readers thought the ending was a cliff hanger, I guess I will have to write another book. I do not want to reinvent the wheel with a new espionage series when I have so many rich characters to play with. I would love to hear from people as to what they think about a fourth book in this series, https://catherinebybee.com/contact/.
EC: What about your next book?
CB: In June 2022, will be a kind of a women’s fiction book. The new series is called “The D’Angelo’s” and is titled When It Falls Apart. It takes place in Little Italy, San Diego. It is based on my real life where I had to deal with an aging father, while at the same time piecemealing my life back together because of my own tragedies and issues. The heroine, Brooke Turner, has always had a complicated relationship with her father. But when his health takes a turn for the worse, she drops everything to care for him. What Brooke doesn’t anticipate is the unraveling of her long-term relationship and a cross-country move to San Diego’s Little Italy. She will have a romance with Luca, a single father.
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 on the HTP Holiday Romance Blog Tour for CHRISTMAS AT COLTS CREEK (Last Ride, Texas Book #2) by Dolores Fossen.
Below you will find a book summary, my book review, an excerpt from the book and the author’s bio and social media links. Enjoy!
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Book Summary
An unexpected inheritance rekindles a red-hot romance just in time for Christmas…
Janessa Parkman spent one long-ago summer in Last Ride, Texas, trying to bond with her estranged father, Abe. Turns out that was plenty of time to fall hard—and crash badly—for Brody Harrell, who managed Abe’s ranch. Everyone believed Brody would inherit Colts Creek one day, but now, fifteen years on, Abe’s will reveals the shocking truth—Janessa gets everything, and she must agree to stay in town for three months…through Christmas.
Brody’s attraction to Janessa burns hotter than ever. Though he refuses Janessa’s offer to give him the ranch, refusing her is impossible. Misunderstanding drove them apart once before, and secrets and betrayals run through both families. But what starts as a temporary Christmas fling might turn into a love strong enough to last every holiday season yet to come.
Last Ride, Texas
Book 1: Spring at Saddle Run Book 2: Christmas at Colts Creek
CHRISTMAS AT COLTS CREEK (Last Ride, Texas Book #2) by Delores Fossen is a Western small town fiction story with a second chance romance, sort of, intertwined throughout the story. This story is set from just before Thanksgiving through Christmas. This is the second book in the series, but it is easily read as a standalone novel with very little crossover of characters from the first book.
Janessa Parkman arrives back in Last Ride, Texas just in time for her estranged father, Abe’s funeral. Her father has left instructions that his will be read at his graveside with his second ex-wife, his ranch manager, Brody, and Janessa present. Abe has left Janessa everything and she and her mother, Abe’s first wife, must stay in Last Ride for three straight months or everything will go to charity.
Janessa wants to give Brody the ranch and return to her life in Dallas, but he refuses even as the two find they are still as attracted to each other as they were as 18-year-olds. As they begin to work at unravelling the lies and secrets that have influenced both families for years, will the truth allow them to heal and come together again?
This is a novel with not only complicated characters, but several different plot threads weaving throughout the story. Janessa and Brody have a lot going on with their personal lives and around them with their families. Janessa’s life in Dallas working with troubled teens leaves her with a newborn. Abe’s exes are not only left with nothing in his will but have many reasons to hate him and keep Janessa and Brody apart. All the subplots slowly reveal secrets and disfunction throughout this extended family and are tied up by the end, but I feel the number of problems and secrets take time away from the romantic development of Janessa and Brody and left them with only an assumption of a HEA. The sex scenes in this story are explicit. While this story is set during the holidays, I felt it could have been set at any time; the holidays did not really affect the story or romance itself.
I enjoyed this story as a Western family drama with romantic elements.
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Excerpt
1
THIS IS LIKE one of those stupid posts that people put on social media,” the woman snarled. “You know the ones I’m talking about. For a million dollars, would you stay in this really amazing house for a year with no internet, no phone and some panty-sniffing poltergeists?”
Frowning at that, Janessa Parkman blinked away the raindrops that’d blown onto her eyelashes and glanced at the grumbler, Margo Tolley, who was standing on her right. Margo had hurled some profanity and that weird comment at the black granite headstone that stretched five feet across and five feet high. A huge etched image of Margo’s ex, Abraham Lincoln Parkman IV, was in the center, and it was flanked by a pair of gold-leaf etchings of the ornate Parkman family crest.
“Abe was a miserable coot, and this proves it,” Margo added, spitting out the words the way the chilly late October rain was spitting at them. She kicked the side of the headstone.
Janessa really wanted to disagree with that insult, and the kick, especially since Margo had aimed both of them at Janessa’s father. Or rather her father because he had that particular title in name only. However, it was hard to disagree or be insulted after what she’d just heard from Abe’s lawyer. Hard not to feel the bubbling anger over what her father had done, either.
Good grief. Talk about a goat rope the man had set up.
“Do you understand the conditions of Abe’s will?” Asher Parkman, the lawyer, asked, directing the question at Janessa.
“Yeah, do you understand that the miserable coot is trying to ruin our lives?” Margo blurted out before she could answer.
Yes, Janessa got that, and unlike the stupid social media posts, there was nothing amusing about this. The miserable coot had just screwed them all six ways to Sunday.
Twenty Minutes Earlier
“SOMEBODY OUGHT TO put a Texas-sized warning label on Abe Parkman’s tombstone,” Margo Tolley grumbled. “A warning label,” she repeated. “Because Abe’s meanness will surely make everything within thirty feet toxic for years to come. He could beat out Ebenezer Scrooge for meanness. The man was a flamin’ bunghole.”
Janessa figured the woman had a right to voice an opinion, even if the voicing was happening at Abe Parkman’s graveside funeral service. Janessa’s father clearly hadn’t left behind a legacy of affection and kindness.
Margo, who’d been Abe’s second wife, probably had a right to be bitter. So did plenty of others, and Janessa suspected most people in Abe’s hometown of Last Ride, Texas, had come to this funeral just so they could make sure he was truly dead.
Or to glean any tidbits about Abe’s will.
Rich people usually left lots of money and property when they died. Mean rich people could do mean, unexpected things with that money and property. It was the juiciest kind of gossip fodder for a small town.
Janessa didn’t care one wet eyelash what Abe did with whatever he’d accumulated during his misery-causing life. Her reason for coming had nothing to do with wills or assets. No. She needed the answer to two very big questions.
Why had Abe wanted her here?
And what had he wanted her to help him fix?
Janessa gave that plenty of thought while she listened to the minister, Vernon Kerr, giving the eulogy. He chirped on about Abe’s achievements, peppering in things like pillar of the community, astute businessman and a legacy that will live on for generations. But there were also phrases like his sometimes rigid approach to life and an often firm hand in dealing with others.
Perhaps those were the polite ways of saying flamin’ bunghole.
The sound of the minister’s voice blended with the drizzle that pinged on the sea of mourners’ umbrellas. Gripes and mutters rippled through the group of about a hundred people who’d braved the unpredictable October 30th weather to come to Parkmans’ Cemetery.
Or Snooty Hill as Janessa had heard some call it.
The Parkmans might be the most prominent and richest family in Last Ride, and their ancestor might have founded the town, but obviously some in her gene pool weren’t revered.
Margo continued to gripe and mutter as well, but her comments were harsher than the rest of the onlookers because she’d likely gotten plenty of fallout from Abe’s firm hand. It was possibly true of anyone whose life Abe had touched. Janessa certainly hadn’t been spared from it.
Still, Abe had managed to attract and convince two women to marry him, including Janessa’s own mother—who’d been his first wife. Janessa figured the convincing was in large part because he’d been remarkably good-looking along with having mountains of money. But it puzzled her as to why the women would tie themselves, even temporarily, to a man with a mile-wide mean streak.
A jagged vein of lightning streaked out from a fast approaching cloud that was the color of a nasty bruise. It sent some of the mourners gasping, squealing and scurrying toward their vehicles. They parted like the proverbial sea, giving Janessa a clear line of sight of someone else.
Brody Harrell.
Oh, for so many reasons, it was impossible for Janessa not to notice him. For an equal number of reasons, it was impossible not to remember him.
Long and lean, Brody stood out in plenty of ways. No umbrella, for one. The rain was splatting onto his gray Stetson and shoulders. No funeral clothes for him, either. He was wearing boots, jeans and a long-sleeved blue shirt that was already clinging to his body because of the drizzle.
Once, years ago on a hot July night, she’d run her tongue over some of the very places where that shirt was now clinging.
Yes, impossible not to remember that.
Brody was standing back from the grave. Far back. Ironic since according to the snippets Janessa had heard over the years about her father, Brody was the person who’d been closest to Abe, along with also running Abe’s sprawling ranch, Colts Creek.
If those updates—aka gossip through social media and the occasional letter from Abe’s head housekeeper—were right, then Brody was the son that Abe had always wanted but never had. It was highly likely that he was the only one here who was truly mourning Abe’s death.
Though he wasn’t especially showing any signs of grief.
It probably wasn’t the best time for her to notice that Brody’s looks had only gotten a whole boatload better since her days of tongue-kissing his chest. They’d been seventeen, and while he’d been go-ahead-drown-in-me hot even back then, he was a ten-ton avalanche of hotness now with his black hair and dreamy brown eyes.
His body had filled out in all the right places, and his face, that face, had a nice edge to it. A mix of reckless rock star and a really naughty fallen angel who knew how to do many, many naughty things.
A loud burst of thunder sent even more people hurrying off. “Sorry for your loss,” one of them shouted to Brody. Several more added pats on his back. Two women hugged him, and one of the men tried to give Brody his umbrella, which Brody refused. You didn’t have to be a lip-reader to know that one of those women, an attractive busty brunette, whispered, “Call me,” in his ear.
Brody didn’t acknowledge that obvious and poorly timed booty-call offer. He just stood there, his gaze sliding from Abe’s tombstone to Janessa. Unlike her, he definitely didn’t appear to be admiring anything about her or remembering that he’d been the one to rid her of her virginity.
Just the opposite.
His expression seemed to be questioning why she was there. That was understandable. It’d been fifteen years since Janessa had been to Last Ride. Fifteen years since her de-virgining. That’d happened at the tail end of her one and only visit to Colts Creek when she’d spent that summer trying, and failing, to figure Abe out. She was still trying, still failing.
Brody was likely thinking that since she hadn’t recently come to see the man who’d fathered her when he was alive, then there was no good reason to see him now that he was dead.
Heck, Brody might be right.
So what if Abe had sent her that letter? So what if he’d said please? That didn’t undo the past. She’d spent plenty of time and tears trying to work out what place in her mind and heart to put Abe. As for her mind—she reserved Abe a space in a tiny mental back corner that only surfaced when she saw Father’s Day cards in the store. And as for her heart—she’d given him no space whatsoever.
Well, not until that blasted letter anyway.
She silently cursed herself, mentally repeating some of Margo’s mutters. She’d thought she had buried her daddy issues years ago. It turned out, though, that some things just didn’t stay buried. They just lurked and lingered, waiting for a chance to resurface and bite you in the butt. Which wasn’t a comforting thought, considering she was standing next to a grave.
Reverend Kerr nervously eyed the next zagging bolt of lightning, and he gave what had to be the fastest closing prayer in the history of prayers. The moment he said “Amen,” he clutched his tattered Bible to his chest and hurried toward his vehicle, all the while calling out condolences to no one in particular.
Most of the others fled with the minister, leaving Janessa with Brody, Margo and Abe’s attorney, Asher Parkman, who was also Abe’s cousin. It’d been Asher who’d called her four days ago to tell her of Abe’s death, and to inform her that Abe had insisted that she and her mother, Sophia, come to today’s graveside funeral. Both had refused. Janessa had politely done that. Her mother had declined with an “if and when hell freezes over.” That was it, the end of the discussion.
USA Today bestselling author, Delores Fossen, has sold over 70 novels with millions of copies of her books in print worldwide. She’s received the Booksellers’ Best Award, the Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice Award and was a finalist for the prestigious Rita ®. In addition, she’s had nearly a hundred short stories and articles published in national magazines.
Today I am sharing my Feature Post and Book Review for a new addition to the Richter Series AN UNEXPECTED DISTRACTION (Richter Book #3) by Catherine Bybee.
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
Family secrets and fresh romance collide in this heart-pounding Richter series installment by New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Catherine Bybee.
Jacqueline “Jax” Simon knows how to expose secrets: she’s a skilled operative with MacBain Security and Solutions. When Jax hears her parents are divorcing, she races to London to find out why. She’s determined to learn the truth, especially when her investigation uncovers why her parents sent her to Richter, the German military school that made her a fighter.
Andrew Craig collects Jax at Heathrow Airport as a favor. He’s heard she’s a handful, but he didn’t know she’s dangerously gorgeous too. His instant attraction could change his life…or end it.
Jax doesn’t want to fall for Andrew, but soon he’s worming his way into her life. Together, they infiltrate Richter to discover if it has returned to its covert purpose: training children to be spies and assassins and blackmailing parents to look the other way. As the attraction between the two intensifies, so do the secrets exploding all around them. How deadly are those secrets—and who will survive?
AN UNEXPECTED DISTRACTION (Richter Series Book #3) by Catherine Bybee is an exciting, fast-paced romantic suspense featuring another of the elite, highly trained women from Richter Academy who now works for McBain Security. While each book has a unique romance and subplot at that point in time, I feel it is better to read these books in order for maximum understanding.
Jacqueline “Jax” Simon’s world is changing. Her best friend through Richter Academy, Claire is getting married. As they begin their wedding plans, Jax receives a mysterious call from her brother to return home to London. Her parents have separated and since neither will talk about why, Jax begins to investigate. What she may discover as she investigates their separation and pasts may also be the reason why they sent her to Richter.
Andrew Craig is doing Jax’s brother a favor by picking her up at Heathrow Airport. He is instantly taken with this blonde beauty who is frank about her family and who believes Andrew is just her driver and not a family friend. He knows Jax wants to return to California, but he is on a mission to make her want to stay in England. This man of finance does not know the full extent of Jax’s life, but he is about to learn some truths quickly.
As the attraction between Jax and Andrew grows, so does the threat of secrets unknown.
I really love this series. It is fun to read all the suspense and intrigue involved in the McBain Security investigations. Unlimited money and gadgets, world travel and always a kick-butt female Richter graduate right in in the middle of the action. Jax’s world on the surface is familiar to Andrew, but as he learns more, he realizes that there is much more to discover and when he does, he does not run the other way. There are sex scenes, but they are not explicit. I was glad Jax was able to connect with her family on a more personal level. I also enjoy catching up with all the other characters in this series from previous books. The men and women of McBain Security are always there for each other. I am very happy there will be at least one more book in this series foreshadowed by the slight cliff-hanger ending regarding Richter.
I highly recommend this third Richter book and the entire series!
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Author Bio
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.
Today I am sharing my Feature Post and Book Review on the HTP Holiday Romance Blog Tour for THE CHRISTMAS WEDDING GUEST by Susan Mallory.
Below you will find a book summary, my book review and the author’s bio and social media links. Enjoy!
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Book Summary
The last thing Reggie Sommerville wants is to come back home for Christmas. It’s only been a year and a half since her boyfriend, Jake, proposed and then broke up with her, all in one weekend, and the prospect of facing the entire town is humiliating. But when her parents reveal that they’re renewing their vows in the lavish wedding they always wanted and her mother asks her to be a bridesmaid, Reggie knows she can’t say no. No matter how much she wants to. She expected the town would be gossiping about her relationship with Jake, but she never expected to run into Toby, her first love that broke her heart all those years ago, living in town and raising his son. She always thought things between them were long over…but this Christmas is full of surprises.
Dena Sommerville has only ever wanted one thing: to have a child. But motherhood has been alluding her because she never met the right man…until she took the bull by the horns and decided to have a baby as a single mom. She knew it would be difficult and the morning sickness alone is knocking her down for the count, but she’s determined to do this on her own. So when a handsome musician checks into the inn where she works, Dena is surprised when a friendship develops. He has his own issues to work through—that much is clear. But she can’t deny there’s something between them
This Christmas, guilted into being bridesmaids at their parents’ vow renewal ceremony, Reggie and Dena Sommerville just might find the most unexpected gift of all—love.
THE CHRISTMAS WEDDING GUEST (Wishing Tree Book #1) by Susan Mallery is an enchanting small town Christmas contemporary romance story times two featuring two sisters and their very different paths to HEA. I am very excited that this is going to be a series and I cannot wait for more from Wishing Tree.
The Somerville sisters are excited about their parents wedding to renew their vows.
Dena Somerville is a teacher at the local Wishing Tree elementary school besides owning the small town’s B&B. Being financially secure and never having been lucky in love, Dena decides to have a baby on her own. Micah Ruiz has come to town for the holidays to visit his ex-band mate and try to get inspiration for his song writing. When he meets Dena, he is intrigued by this woman’s strength to have a baby on her own and he is falls for her with their first kiss, but Dena is afraid to believe that a rock star could fall for a small-town girl.
Regina “Reggie” Somerville has returned after a year away to help her mother with her wedding. Being her own boss and having a job she can do from anywhere she moves back to her parents’ home for the holidays with her rescued Great Dane, Belle. She is surprised to learn her first love and high school sweetheart is back in Wishing Tree with an eight-year-old son. Toby finds he is just as attracted to Reggie as he was before he left town as an eighteen-year-old. Reggie wants to give their relationship a second try, but Toby has been hurt in the past and has difficulty trusting. Can Reggie and the holidays work their special magic to get Toby to love again?
Ms. Mallery’s writing wraps you up in the story like a cozy blanket that you do not want to leave until “The End”. I feel like I should be able to find Wishing Tree on the map and become friends with all the town’s occupants. I appreciate that the sisters are very forth right and honest. They were each dealing with different relationship paths and men, but their stories were believable with the help of family and their circle of friends. These are mature relationships with realistic problems and dialogue. There are no sex scenes in either storyline, but there is plenty of caring, love and romance. I am looking forward to reading about more romances in Wishing Tree and checking in with these two couples again.
I highly recommend this Christmas contemporary HEA times two and this author!
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Author Bio
Susan Mallery is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of novels about the relationships that define women’s lives—family, friendship, romance. Library Journal says, “Mallery is the master of blending emotionally believable characters in realistic situations,” and readers seem to agree—40 million copies of her books have sold worldwide. Her warm, humorous stories make the world a happier place to live.
Susan grew up in California and now lives in Seattle with her husband. She’s passionate about animal welfare, especially that of the two ragdoll cats and adorable poodle who think of her as mom.
Criminal psychologist Erin Larson’s dreams of a successful career come to a screeching halt when she nearly loses her own life in a boating accident on Puget Sound and then learns that her mother tried to commit suicide. She leaves her job as a criminal psychologist to care for her mother in Montana. At least she is able to produce her podcast, which focuses on solving missing persons cold cases.
Nathan Campbell’s father was investigating such a case when he was shot, and now Nathan needs to enlist Erin’s help to solve the case. She’s good at what she does. The only problem? She’s his ex.
As the two dig deeper, it becomes clear that they, too, are being targeted–and that the answers to their questions are buried deep within the past Erin struggles to explain and longs to forget.
The race is on for the truth in this gripping and complex tale of suspense, intrigue, and murder from USA Today bestselling author Elizabeth Goddard.
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Elise’s Thoughts
Deadly Target by Elizabeth Goddard has a suspenseful mystery with a sweet romance. This is the second book in the Rocky Mountain Courage Series. Each book highlights the life of three childhood friends with this one featuring criminal psychologist Erin Larson.
After barely surviving a kayaking incident Erin Larson receives a call from her former boyfriend that her mother attempted suicide. Dropping everything, she travels to Montana to take care of her mother, bringing her current career to a halt. She comes face to face with Nathan Campbell, a search and rescue climber and diver, who feels betrayed by her after she walks out the relationship. He is also feeling betrayed by his estranged father who has also come back into his life.
Unfortunately, their reunion is short lived. Trying to bond on a fishing expedition, Nathan’s father tells him about a cold case investigation he is working on his own. As he is talking someone shoots him in the head, rendering him unconscious. Because Nathan wants answers, he begins his own investigation into the shooting and cold case. Knowing that Erin has a podcast dealing with cold cases of missing children Nathan turns to her for help. She and Nathan begin to work together to fit all the pieces of the puzzle together, and soon they find themselves caught in the target sights of someone who is trying to kill them. They also must come to grips with secrets of their past, feelings that the old flame is burning again.
This plot is fast paced with many twists and turns. There are a wide range of suspicious characters who could be the culprit. The story highlights hope, faith, and trust.
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Elise’s Author Interview
Elise Cooper: Why the different settings of Washington, Montana, and Boston?
Elizabeth Goddard: I grew up In Texas and have traveled extensively with my husband. We currently reside in Washington State. My husband is a Montanan, so I have knowledge of that area. I have ben to other locations including Boston and I do live near Puget Sound Washington.
EC: How would you describe Nathan?
EG: He is a good guy but has many disappointments in his life. He tries to take a bad situation and look for a silver lining. Because he was estranged from his father, he has daddy issues he is trying to work through. Overall, he is supportive, caring, and protection.
EC: How would you describe Erin?
EG: She is a dark character with a dark cloud hanging over her. She went into criminal psychology to understand the criminal mind. She has suffered from loss and pain and wants answers. Erin is broken with inner demons but is also a survivor, determined, and analytical. Another layer to her personality is being supportive of the police which is why she said, “Cops. They protect the rest of us from the ugliest crimes, the evil we don’t want to know exists.”
EC: What about the relationship?
EG: They have trust issues but also feel something strong between them.
EC: What would you say is the theme?
EG: The importance of family. An important part of my life is family, which is everything.
EC: What role does the Cold Case podcast play in the story?
EG: It adds a whole new layer. I listened to crime podcasts to get a feel. One brought me to tears and it took me days to get over it. I wanted to have an accurate portrayal of crime and the evils in this world. I hope readers feel what the family is going through. In her own life, Erin wants answers and to provide closure for herself and others. She is trying to understand why people commit crimes.
EC: What about your next book?
EG: It is titled Critical Alliance and comes out next July. It will feature Alex’s story. There will be suspicious deaths, lethal threats, and whispers of espionage that all have one thing in common, a beautiful cybersecurity expert with a dark past.
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.
