Tag: #standalone

Book Tour/Feature Post and Book Review: The Little Island Flower Stall by Tilly Tennant

Hi, everyone!

Today I am sharing my Feature Post and Book Review for THE LITTLE ISLAND FLOWER STALL by Tilly Tennant on this Bookouture Books-On-Tour blog post.

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

Book Description

When Bella’s heart is broken by her cheating husband, she packs a bag and escapes to the little island of Jersey, to help her beloved great-aunt Celestine run her seaside flower stall.

With the sun on her cheeks, watching white-haired Celestine in her elegant patterned trouser suit beam at customers and arrange flowers in vases, Bella realizes that life is too short to feel sad. And when handsome, brooding Rory arrives at the rose-covered flower stall, and their eyes meet, she feels a sudden spark…

Inspired by Celestine’s lust for life, Bella agrees to get to know Rory better. As the two of them walk together under vast blue skies, Rory tells her of the family secret that has brought him to the island.

Bella wonders if Celestine might be able to help Rory with his quest, but Celestine warns her to be careful. Bella knows she should listen to her wise aunt, but she can’t fight her feelings. Yet when she tries to track Rory down days later, she is shocked to discover the secrets he has been keeping.

Is her hope of an island romance with a mysterious, handsome man simply too good to be true? Or can this beautiful place still bring her the bright new beginning that she so desperately needs?

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/220705597-the-little-island-flower-stall?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=zX14gHFSx0&rank=1

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My Book Review

RATING: 4 out of 5 Stars

THE LITTLE ISLAND FLOWER STALL by Tilly Tennant is a heartfelt women’s fiction story of healing and moving on from your past to discover what the future may hold for you. Set on the Island of Jersey with beautiful beaches and coastal cliffs, but also a tragic history of occupation during WWII. This story has an emotional journey from divorce to a friendship that becomes a slow burn romance, personal growth and discovery, familial reconnection, and an island historical mystery not revealed since WWII.

Bella discovers her husband has cheated again and she is done with their marriage. She takes off to the Island of Jersey to help her great-aunt, Celestine, who has taken a fall, with her beach front promenade flower stall. She is excited to try something new and to reconnect with Celestine who she has not seen since childhood vacations on the island.

While working at the flower stall, Bella has a run in with a handsome customer who is only visiting the island like herself. Bella is weary of any romantic entanglement and lets Rory know her circumstances, but Bella is also intrigued by Rory’s reason for being on the island and wishes to help. Rory is trying to discover information about his ancestry on the island which seems to be wrapped up in a mystery that occurred during the Nazi occupation of the island. As she helps Rory, she discovers Celestine may know more than she is willing to share.

This is a women’s fiction story with a little bit of everything that all comes together into an enjoyable read. Bella’s betrayal leads to a reconnection with family and a place she loved as a child, a hint of a second chance at romance that is all intertwined with a WWII mystery. I did find the pace a little slow when Bella first comes to the island, but as more of the island is explored, her relationship with Celestine grows, and more of the mystery elements were included, it pulled me deeper into the story.

Overall, a cozy women’s fiction that left me satisfied with Bella’s journey.

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About the Author

Tilly Tennant was born in Dorset, the oldest of four children, but now lives in Staffordshire with a family of her own. After years of dismal and disastrous jobs, including paper plate stacking, shop assistant, newspaper promotions and waitressing (she never could carry a bowl of soup without spilling a bit), she decided to indulge her passion for the written word by embarking on a degree in English and creative writing. She wrote a novel in 2007 during her first summer break at university and hasn’t stopped writing since. She also works as a freelance fiction editor and part-time lecturer.

Hopelessly Devoted to Holden Finn was her debut novel; published in 2014 it was an Amazon bestseller in both the UK and Australia. In 2016 she signed to the hugely successful Bookouture and is currently working on her fifteenth Tilly Tennant novel. Christmas bestseller A Very Vintage Christmas has just been made into a movie for Lifetime Channel.

Social Media Links

Website: https://tillytennant.com/

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

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Little-Island-Flower-Stall-beautiful-ebook/dp/B0DKNZTLVR/ref=sr_1_1?crid=206QDSSRG9VNF&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.kgi3qHxRaaNA3Zi-oEwTqZb2VS

Feature Post and Book Review: The Grays of Truth by Sharon Virts

Book Description

In Reconstruction-era Baltimore, members of the city’s elite keep turning up dead. Below the polished surface of high society, there are illicit affairs, jilted lovers, financial hardships, and countless motives for murder. When Jane Gray Wharton’s husband, Ned, dies unexpectedly while overnighting at his brother’s home, Jane has no reason to question the circumstances of his death. But on a visit to the same house a few weeks later, both Jane and her daughter fall gravely ill, and Jane begins to suspect foul play. Though a trained chemist and former nurse, Jane is haunted by a history of delusion, loss, and institutionalization. As the unexpected and devastating deaths begin to multiply, Jane’s grip on reality starts to slip. When a respected army officer falls terribly ill after visiting the Wharton’s Baltimore home, Jane’s greatest fears become all too real. The time has come to act—but who will believe her? And can she even trust her own mind? Inspired by true events involving one of Baltimore’s most powerful families, The Grays of Truth is the story of one woman’s quest for answers in her fight for redemption—and to save the man she loves.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/206777703-the-grays-of-truth?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=jg4LnA5DxW&rank=1

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My Book Review

RATING: 4 out of 5 Stars

THE GRAYS OF TRUTH by Sharon Virts is an intriguing historical fiction murder mystery set in Reconstruction era Baltimore and centered around multiple deaths in the wealthy Wharton family between 1867 to 1872. I enjoyed another of this author’s books, Veil of Doubt, and was looking forward to reading this book.

Former Civil War nurse, Jane Gray Wharton is a highly intelligent woman who is confined by the laws and societal norms of her time. Her abusive husband dies unexpectedly while staying overnight in his brother’s home. When Jane and her daughter visit the home a few weeks later, both become ill. While Jane survives, her daughter dies. With Jane’s training, she begins to suspect her sister-in-law of murder but with her own history of delusion and institutionalization, and the wealth, power and social standing of her sister-in-law, no one believes her.

Several more deaths follow and when one is a respected Army officer, Jane is getting ready to marry. His superiors and friends finally listen to Jane’s suspicions. Jane is on a quest and determined to get answers, but it may not be the answers she expects.

This historical fiction is inspired by true events, but the author does state that liberties were taken with some of the facts and family members. Jane Gray is very intelligent and yet emotionally fragile. The period and marital laws were atrocious and the cause for many of Jane’s problems, but I still had a hard time connecting with her in this story. Some of the decisions she makes are emotionally immature and for me did not feel believable. I did like Jane more as the story progressed.

The murder mystery plot pulls you into this story and kept me turning the pages. The author does a great job of immersing the reader in the period and I loved the discussions of poisons and the beginning of medical investigations rather than medical guessing. The upper-class life of wealth and decadence is on full display with the corruption in politics and law enforcement enabling these deaths to occur.

I highly recommend this historical fiction murder mystery which delivers not only an intriguing murder mystery, but also a look at the darker side of upper class society in this period.

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About the Author

Sharon Virts is a successful entrepreneur and visionary who, after more than 25 years in business, followed her passion for storytelling into the world of historical fiction. She has received numerous awards for her work in historic preservation and has been recognized nationally for her business achievements and philanthropic contributions. She was recently included in Washington Life Magazine’s Philanthropic 50 of 2020 for her work with education, health, and cultural preservation.

Sharon’s passion truly lies in the creative. She is an accomplished visual artist and uses her gift for artistic expression along with her extraordinary storytelling to build complex characters and craft vivid images and sets that capture the heart and imagination. Sharon and her husband Scott live at Selma, a prominent historic residence that they saved from destruction and restored to its original stature. It is out of the love and preservation of Selma that the story of the life, times, and controversies of its original owner, Armistead Mason, has given root to her first novel Masque of Honor.

Social Media Links

Website: https://sharonvirts.com/

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

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/the-grays-of-truth-by-sharon-virts

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Grays-Truth-Sharon-Virts-ebook/dp/B0CTMSK8L6/ref=sr_1_1?dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.l98FQvJlzhAomSuz6hvNhqhbt7rWCDvuSXcoia

Book Review: The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon

My Book Review

RATING: 4 out of 5 Stars

THE FROZEN RIVER by Ariel Lawhon a historical fiction with murder mystery elements that invokes strong emotional responses to the treatment of women in post-revolutionary America featuring a protagonist inspired by the diary of a renowned midwife in 1789 Maine.

Midwife Martha Ballard not only delivers babies in the small town of Hallowell, Maine, but is also called upon for doctoring in the community. She delivers testimony when the local court is in session regarding deaths, newborn infants’ paternity, and illegitimacy for which fines may be levied. She is faithful in documenting everything daily in her personal journal.

When Martha’s friend, and wife of the local pastor is raped, she documents her injuries and her accusations against two local men. Before the court comes to session, Martha is called to the local tavern to determine the cause of death of a man cut out of the frozen river. She recognizes the man as one of the accused rapists. He was beaten and then hanged.

Martha is doubtful the courts will look for the truth, when the other accused rapist is a rich and powerful man in Hallowell, but she is determined to find the truth. The answers she seeks leaves a powerful man cornered and willing to destroy anyone who attempts to bring him to justice and thwart his plans.

This book thoroughly immerses the reader in post-revolutionary Maine and the life of both Martha and her family. Martha is strong, independent, and outspoken for the period, but her empathy and skills make her admired and sought after by many. This story is told in first person narrative by Martha which adds an intimacy to the character and her interactions. The murder mystery elements come together slowly but deliver a satisfying conclusion. I felt where this story shined was the integrated information regarding women’s health issues, their legal rights, and the legal stigmas and penalties of the period.

I recommend this historical fiction for an intriguing look into this post-revolutionary time period featuring a strong woman’s point of view.

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About the Author

Ariel Lawhon is a critically acclaimed, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of historical fiction. She is the author of THE WIFE THE MAID AND THE MISTRESS, FLIGHT OF DREAMS, I WAS ANASTASIA and CODE NAME HELENE. Her books have been translated into numerous languages and have been Good Morning America, Library Reads, Indie Next, One Book One County, Amazon Spotlight, Costco, and Book of the Month Club selections. She lives in the rolling hills outside Nashville, Tennessee, with her husband and four sons. She splits her time between the grocery store and the baseball field.

Social Media Links

Website: https://www.ariellawhon.com/

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

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/the-frozen-river-a-gma-book-club-pick-by-ariel-lawhon

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Frozen-River-Novel-Ariel-Lawhon-ebook/dp/B0BVTXZXZJ/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2721J74PMZNPR&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.C_WSC5iYe

Friday Feature Author Interview with Elise Cooper: Watch Your Back by Terri Parlato

Book Description

Accidents happen, no matter how careful or well-intentioned you are. Psychiatrist Eve Thayer frequently reassures her patients of that fact. There are even times when accidents have good consequences—like when Eve met her now-husband, Nathan, at his collision shop after another car ran her off the road.
 
After a whirlwind courtship, Nathan and Eve have settled into domestic life. They have a lovely home on a quiet street, a beautiful baby girl, and even the perfect babysitter to care for her. And yet, something isn’t quite right.
 
The stress in Eva’s life is mounting, both professionally and personally. Though the clinic where she works has been remodeled since its notorious days as an institution for the criminally insane, she feels increasingly uneasy there. And in her own neighborhood, a break-in at a nearby empty house hasn’t helped, either.
 
Detective Rita Myers hasn’t yet figured out whether Eve is a target or a suspect, but every disturbing discovery in this usually peaceful neighborhood seems to revolve around her. Only as a deadly ice storm crashes through does it become clear just how far from perfect Eve and Nathan’s lives really are. And as the cracks in the surface come to light, so do the sinister secrets that lie beneath.

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Elise’s Thoughts

Watch Your Back by Terri Parlato intertwines suspense, romance, retribution, and redemption in a compelling measure. It realistically shows how young couples handle stress and trying to make ends meet, which can affect their relationship. The main characters’ professions and personal lives play a significant role in the unfolding of the plot.

The two main characters, Nathan Liddle and Eve Thayer, have settled into domestic life after a whirlwind romance. Shortly thereafter they become the parents of a baby girl, Rosewyn. Due to the stresses of her job, they do not have much time together for their marriage with Nathan spending a lot of time taking care of the baby. As a psychiatrist, Eve Thayer has been tapped to lead the medical staff at a new psychiatric center in the Boston suburb of Graybridge, leaving her little time to help her husband with their infant daughter. He decides to seek companionship elsewhere by having an extramarital affair.  The cracks in their relationship become huge after their baby girl is kidnapped from the babysitter’s home and their secrets are revealed. There is a multitude of suspects including Eve, her best friend Rachel, some of Eve’s psychiatric patients, and the babysitter. The detective on the case, Rita Myers, must unravel the secrets and find out who is responsible.

The narrative is told in multiple points of view of Eve, Nathan, and Rita. This helps to make the plot fast paced and intense as well as weaving together the family’s turmoil, the detective’s ability to connect the clues, and the hunt for the culprit.

This plot will have readers guessing all the way through.  The prologue starts the story out with a bang, and it does not let up from there. The author writes very multidimensional characters, and the effective red herrings add to the twisty plotline.

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Author Interview

Elise Cooper: How did you get the idea for the story?

Terri Parlato: I often start out with writing the characters.  I thought of my children and the young adults who seem to be working very hard with long hours.  They have a hard time balancing home, career, and family. This gave me the idea for Eve and Nathan.  Because I write thrillers, I had terrible things happen beyond the difficulties of life. The villain is out for vengeance.

EC: How would you describe Eve?

TP: She is a psychiatrist who feels overwhelmed.  She is steely, workaholic, quiet, introspective, and wants to control her emotions and keeps them in check.  Growing up she did not get a lot of warmth and nurturing, especially with her father cheating.

EC: How would you describe Nathan?

TP: Protective, attentive, down to earth, personable, and puts his child ahead of his own desires.

EC:  Do you think the relationship between Eve and Nathan has gone downhill?

TP: After Eve finds out Nathan cheated on her she becomes very distant, and he takes to drinking and smoking.  He feels very guilty, and she withdraws, becoming angry. Nathan was seeking companionship because he felt so ignored by Eve.  I wanted readers to think about this moral dilemma.  Both had a responsibility to talk it out but neither did, but because of having parents MIA, communicating was harder for them. Being from the social media generation they were not good communicators.

EC:  What kind of parents are they to their young daughter, especially after the child went missing?

TP: Nathan is very indulgent.  For Eve, she loves her daughter but is not sure how to be a mother. She struggles with ‘Am I doing this correctly?’  Then when the child goes missing both worry that the kidnapper has evil intentions. Once the child went missing it magnified the type of parents they had become.  Plus, having a child kidnapped is one of the worst things a parent can go through. It brings out their doubts as a parent and tests them to their limits.

EC: What about Eve’s best friend Rachel?

TP: I wanted her to exemplify how the relationship shifted between Rachel who was single and Eve who is now married. Eve is not as dependent on her. Relationships are difficult and tricky. They used to have good old times as single women.

EC: Was Rita, the police detective, also in other books?

TP: She is in all three books set in this fictional town. Rita is the common thread with her own narrative arc.  She is growing as a character and has her own demons that shows from book 1 to this book, 3. In this novel, Rita’s drawing plays a role in solving the crime.  The first book explained why she draws.  In elementary school, the teacher had her draw something to distract her.  This really worked and helped her to handle her life.  Being the youngest of nine children she lost her brother to leukemia and an older brother to the Vietnam War.  Drawing taught her to deal with her feelings. Now it works with her profession because as a detective she can see clues visually.  It is a coping mechanism that turned into a tool for her detective work.

EC: Is Rita a lot like Eve?

TP: Yes.  Both are lonely, workaholics, and tenacious. I wanted Eve to be a different female lead than in the first two books.  She parallels Rita’s personality in that both have demons and are not sure how to handle them.

EC: Next book?
TP: It will be out March 2026 and is a domestic thriller.  Rita will not be in it.  There will be family drama with a villain who will be causing havoc as well as a murder.

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.

Book Review: The Christmas Dress by Courtney Cole

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

THE CHRISTMAS DRESS by Courtney Cole is an enchanting contemporary holiday romance that is perfect to curl up with on the couch and get lost in the magic of the season. Can a magical Christmas dress, a crumbling apartment building of seniors, and a handsome handyman turn a young woman’s holiday season from despair to happily ever after?

Meg Julliard has been trying to work her way up in the NYC fashion industry when she must return home to Chicago after the death of her father. Not only does she believe her future in fashion is over, but the Parkview West apartment building in which she grew up holds many sad family memories she has been avoiding. On day one, she discovers the apartment building has been limping along and needs major renovations that there is no money for and has become dangerous for the elderly tenants.

Ellie Wade befriends Meg, even as she prepares to move because her daughter no longer feels Ellie is safe at the Parkview West. As she packs, she shares a beautiful green Christmas dress with Meg that represents the worst and the best Christmas night of her life. Meg falls in love with the dress and as Ellie and her share their personal stories a friendship grows.

With Ellie’s dress as inspiration, some help from the seniors in the building, and a certain handyman, Meg begins to believe in herself and love once again. Can she find a way to continue to follow her dream in fashion and bring the crumbling Parkview West back to its past glory?

This is a perfect holiday romance read with everything I am looking for to warm my heart with just that little touch of magic. This is a sweet story that delivers all the warm fuzzy feelings, wonderful characters, and second chance at love subplots. Meg is a memorable protagonist who wants to do what is best and learns throughout the story that it is alright to accept help from friends. The romance plotline is sweet and quite frankly, I do not know how anyone could not fall for Logan. I loved all the seniors who not only helped Meg find her way to her HEA, but their personal stories brought even more emotion and realism to the story. I fell right into this story and could not put the book down until the end.

I highly recommend this beautiful holiday contemporary romance!

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About the Author

Courtney Cole is a New York Times Bestselling author who loves eating your emotions for breakfast. She also loves witty banter, cashmere socks, and walking the beach at midnight.

Speaking of midnight, she also loves decorating for Christmas at 12:01 a.m. on November 1st. Christmas is a time for love and magic- two of Courtney’s favorite things. 

Courtney is a native Kansan who now lives in Florida and writes beneath palm trees, but she retains her farm girl heart, and her midwestern kindness. She believes that blonde hair dye and red lipstick can change your life, and a well-timed smile can change the world.

Social Media Links

Website: https://www.courtneycolecreates.com/

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

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

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/courtney-cole

Feature Post and Book Review: Anywhen by Beth Duke

Book Description

Baezy is born in 2069, the centennial of the legendary Woodstock Music and Art Fair. Everything peace, love, and flower power is celebrated that year in a wave of nostalgia that takes over fashion, music, and the public’s imagination. She grows up listening to and loving the artists of that time, dreaming of witnessing everyone from Joan Baez to Santana in person. When presented with the opportunity to time-travel, Baezy immediately chooses Woodstock as her destination. She plans to enjoy a glorious weekend of vibrant sights and sounds; her bell bottoms and a peasant blouse are packed for the adventure and she’s excited to surprise her great-great-great-grandmother, Kelly Adams.

While Baezy’s certainly not a typical Woodstock attendee, Kelly isn’t either. She is at the very beginning of a stellar career researching artificial intelligence in the 1960s, and will later develop much of what will lead to the utopian society Baezy lives in. Kelly’s future family is immensely proud of her historic accomplishments.

The contrast between Baezy’s 2101 and 1969 is stunning from her first moment. Woodstock exceeds her wildest expectations, but holds far more than an introduction to her distant grandmother. Baezy quickly finds herself in life-altering situations she could never have anticipated.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/220605667-anywhen?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=J1xDbP33VR&rank=1

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My Book Review

RATING: 4 out of 5 Stars

ANYWHEN by Beth Duke is a mash-up of genres; time travel, historical fiction, romance, and sci-fi all centered around time traveler, Baezy, who assumes the name and identity of Sarah while in the past.

Baezy was born in 2069, which is the centennial of the legendary Woodstock Music Festival and is named after the singer Joan Baez. Baezy is excited that for her birthday in 2101, her mother has arranged a three day TIP (Time Insertion Protocol) for her to travel back to Woodstock in the year 1969 not only for the live performances she has studied and loves, but to also meet her three times over grandmother on her maternal side, Kelly Adams, who was a brilliant mathematician at MIT and an originator of AI.

While Baezy’s time insertion does not go exactly as planned, she is able to find the group of six that have gone to Woodstock together including Kelly. Baezy is very excited to meet Kelly, but their interactions lead to problems. Her naivety, beauty, and lack of complete understanding of 1969 slang and sayings leads her into conflict with Kelly’s group except for Jack, who is a teacher and sympathetic to Baezy’s differences. Baezy hopes to avoid the others and just enjoy the rest of the Woodstock performances with Jack, but every decision she makes could lead to future changes she could never anticipate.

I enjoyed the mixed genre plot throughout this story very much. The time travel, the futuristic Unity and the historic Woodstock, also with discussions of the Vietnam war were all well written. Unity may have no war or hunger, but it is still not a future I would hope for. The scenes of Woodstock are entertaining and nostalgic. I loved Baezy and her emotional awakening and evolution throughout the story, it was Kelly and the females in the travel group that I found immature for their ages and off-putting, so much so that I almost put the book down for good. I am glad I carried on though for the remainder of Baizy’s storyline.

This is a story that will capture many differing types of genre readers and satisfy them all.

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About the Author

Beth Duke is an Amazon #1 Best Selling Author and the recipient of numerous honors for her fiction on two continents.

She is eyeing the other five.

Her book TAPESTRY was the Bronze Medal Winner in Southern Fiction in Publishers’ Weekly’s 2020 Readers’ Choice Awards, an Award-Winning Finalist in the 2020 International Book Awards, and a Five Star Readers’ Favorite Award Winner.

Beth lives in the mountains of her native Alabama with her husband, Jay, and an assortment of dogs—including a recently-rescued coonhound named Daisy who has stolen her heart. Beth is the adoring and proud mother of Jason and Savannah. She is a constant reader, travel aficionado, and likes to pretend she’s in baking competitions.

She also finds great joy in joining book clubs for discussion (usually via Zoom). If your group would like to schedule a date, please email beth@bethduke.com.

Her books DELANEY’S PEOPLE, DON’T SHOOT YOUR MULE, IT ALL COMES BACK TO YOU, TAPESTRY, and DARK ENOUGH TO SEE THE STARS are all love letters to her home state.

Social Media Links

Website: https://www.bethduke.com/

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

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

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/beth-duke