New Release Book Review: Christmas With The Firefighter by Clare Connelly

This is my latest read of Clare Connelly’s and I thoroughly enjoyed it. A sweet romance set in a small town. I really liked the main characters; Ally (Amy) who is searching for her long lost dad, Luke our firefighter who is also the town handyman and single dad to Stella who is just delightful.

Ally has trust issues, which is understandable due to her dad leaving when she was a kid, but her trust issues cause problems with Luke when he discovers she’s been keeping things from him. She changes her name whilst in town looking for her dad and I didn’t really understand why as no one there would have known who she was. But people do crazy things when they are acting emotionally.

I thought Luke was a great dad, and I liked the way he was willing to take a chance on Ally despite knowing it probably wasn’t a good idea. Luke’s brother-in-law wasn’t a favourite character, I kind of understood where he was coming from in his initial dislike of Ally, but I’d have thought being Luke’s best friend as well he’d have wanted his mate to be happy after being along for 6 years.

I thought Clare handled the meeting between Clare and her dad well and really got how a person would feel after being deserted by someone she loved so much when she was young; I know these feelings certainly resonated with my own.

I really enjoyed the dynamics between Ally and Luke and the way the relationship developed despite both of them having issues and doubts.

A lovely romance read

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Cover Reveal: Aria’s Travelling Bookshop by Rebecca Raisin

Blurb:

With her merry band of Van Lifers, Aria heads to France in her travelling bookshop, best friend Rosie by her side for a summer they’ll never forget!

Hopeless romantic Aria vowed never to love again after losing her husband, TJ, but fate has other ideas and keeps throwing the bespectacled, booklover Jonathan in her path. When a memento from TJ turns up it brings Aria’s past back to the fore.

Nomadic by nature, Aria can’t see how love could work anyway when home is always at the end of a new patch of road…

A long, hot summer travelling off the beaten track, surrounded by newly loved up couples reminds Aria of what she’s missing.

Will she bookmark her love life at the point her husband left, or she will begin a new chapter under the sizzling sun of the Cote d’azure…?

Releasing April 8th 2020

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Book Links:

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Author Info:

Rebecca Raisin is a true bibliophile. This love of books morphed into the desire to write them. She’s been widely published in short story anthologies, and in fiction magazines. And now she is focusing on writing romance.

Rebecca aims to write characters you can see yourself being friends with. People with big hearts who care about relationships and believe in true love.

Author Links:

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Book Review: Making Her Mark by Renee Dahlia

I read Merindah Park (Book 1 Merindah Park) back in April and really enjoyed it, so I was keen to revisit the Bassett family and the world of horseracing. Book 2 Making Her Mark is Rachel’s story, Rachel is a female jockey who has to fight for every ride due to ongoing sexism within the racing industry. This is an industry where things are improving and as Renee explains, one of the few where male and female riders are considered equal on the field, just not always with owners and trainers.

Rachel has many emotional issues to deal with throughout this novel, some present issues and some from when she was 16 back in her hometown that she’s never really dealt with, but to move forward, she will have to do just that. Rachel’s sexuality is part of the issue she has never dealt with, and while she completely accepts who she is now, there’s part of her that can’t get over the way she was treated as a teenager by small-town minds.

Rachel reconnects with an old school friend Allira and her brother Jacob, and the sparks fly between Rachel and Jacob immediately. Jacob is an AFL player who is hot, strong and stubborn. Both fight the connection they feel towards each other until they can’t fight it anymore. It is definitely not a smooth journey to happiness for these two and there are plenty of ups, downs, misunderstandings, and changing of minds (especially on Rachel’s part). The journey may not be smooth, but it is most definitely hot and steamy.

There is an element of intrigue in this storyline with a potential punting scheme that Jacob asks Rachel to look into on behalf of his teammates. Once again Renee Dahlia does a great job of educating me about the ins and outs of the horse racing industry and I have great respect for the work that jockey’s put into their career.

Thanks to NetGalley and Escape Publishing for providing me with a digital copy of this novel in return for an honest review.

New Release Book Review, Excerpt & Blog Tour: Closer by Kylie Scott

This was a really enjoyable read, I’m a big fan of Kylie’s novels and this one’s no exception. I enjoyed visiting with the Stage Dive crew in this novella and meeting sexy curvy model Mae Cooper. She’s a great character, I love that she’s got some nervous idiosyncrasies and a great sense of humour.

Mae is forced to have a bodyguard when she receives a threatening package, she’s not impressed with either. I’d happily have her sexy bodyguard Ziggy, oh yes please, and Mae comes around to my way of thinking.

I really enjoyed the interactions between these two characters, there was plenty of humour and I could feel the chemistry between them even though Ziggy could be decidedly stoic. I kept waiting for him to break, and he didn’t disappoint.

For a novella, this was a fast paced read and obviously a fast paced falling in love/lust.

Another great read by Kylie Scott.

Thanks to Social Butterfly PR for a digital copy of this book in return for an honest review.

About the book:

When a stalker gets too close to plus-size model Mae Cooper, it’s time to hire some muscle.

Closer, an all-new standalone novella in the fan favorite Stage Dive Series from New York Times bestselling author Kylie Scott and 1001 Dark Nights, is available now!

Enter former military man turned executive protection officer Ziggy Thayer. Having spent years guarding billionaires, royalty, and rock n roll greats, he’s seen it all. From lavish parties through to every kind of excess.

There’s no reason some Instagram stylista should throw him off his game. Even if she does have the most dangerous curves he’s ever seen…

**Every 1001 Dark Nights novella is a standalone story. For new readers, it’s an introduction to an author’s world. And for fans, it’s a bonus book in the author’s series. We hope you’ll enjoy each one as much as we do.**

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Excerpt:

“Your keys and security alarm code please, miss?” he asked, hand held out waiting.

It might have just been me, but we seemed to be standing awfully close together. It almost seemed weirdly intimate. Almost. No, my bad. Ziggy wore his usual professional façade with nary a hint of emotion on display. His gaze was shuttered, his bearing military rigid. It was definitely just me and my overactive imagination. Being vaguely attracted to your bodyguard was kind of a pain in the ass. Not that I couldn’t use the distraction right now.

Ziggy continued to stand there patiently waiting.

“Keys. Right.” I rummaged inside my Balenciaga City bag. Designer goodies were not only a weakness of mine, but a happy perk of being in the industry and achieving some small fame. “Ah, just a minute. They’re in here somewhere.”

I pushed aside my purse, a cashmere shawl, tampons, a candy bar, some loose change, my small Chanel cosmetics case, a power bank, hair ties, pepper spray, a copy of the latest Sarah MacLean book, mints, a spare charging cable for my cell phone, the cell phone itself, Chapstick, Prada sunglasses case, my grandma’s rosary, dental floss, deodorant, a couple of pens, Kleenex, ear buds, water bottle, a USB stick, reusable straw, condoms, nail file, some old receipts, a travel size umbrella, hand sanitizer, lotion, a pair of pearl earrings, tweezers, Advil, a hair band, and some bobby pins.

“Sorry about this,” I murmured. “I know I put them in here when we left.”
He said nothing. A whole lot of nothing.
“Huh.” With a great sense of victory, I held up a bottle of nail polish. “I thought I’d lost this.”

One of his dark brows crept upwards.

“I’ll have you know this color was limited edition. Little Death at Midnight by Oxley. You can’t buy it anymore.”

His lips did not move, but that damn eyebrow arched even higher as he leaned forward a little and took in the contents of my bag. I swear his eyes widened.

“Don’t you judge me. All of these things are necessary for my ongoing existence.”

“Of course they are, miss.” The man was so judging me. Bastard. “You carry a koozie around with you, I see.”

“It pays to be ready to party, Mr. Thayer.”

About Kylie Scott

Kylie is a New York Times and USA Today best-selling author. She was voted Australian Romance Writer of the year, 2013, 2014 & 2018, by the Australian Romance Writer’s Association and her books have been translated into eleven different languages. She is a long time fan of romance, rock music, and B-grade horror films. Based in Queensland, Australia with her two children and husband, she reads, writes and never dithers around on the internet.

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Book Bingo Round 18 & Book Review – Spoilt For Love by Monique Mulligan

Book Bingo time came round too fast for me this fortnight, I’m halfway through a nonfiction book I was reading for the Themes of culture square, but I’ve managed to find one for a different square on short notice. Last night I read a novelette by Australian author Monique Mulligan called Spoilt For Love. So I’m using this to mark off a really easy square, since the majority of my reading is indeed Written by an Australian Woman, this square has been waiting for me to use as my wildcard.

This was a very short and sweet read, with characters I really enjoyed meeting. In the town of Heart Springs, Maggie, the owner of a travel agency, sees a guy she missed her chance with 6 years previously in Glasgow, everywhere she turns, until one day she turns around and there he really is. Rafe was a delightful leading man and I was rooting for him and Maggie from the sidelines during this short read. It only took about 45 minutes to read, so it’s bite-sized, but Monique Mulligan has still managed to pack in plenty to make this an enjoyable love story. For those who don’t believe in destiny, this story shows perhaps it really is a thing.

Release Day Book Review: Lone Star Defender by Jennie Jones

The last book in the Calamity Valley series sees the third sister Pepper have her chance at finding Mr Right and breaking the family curse for good. Except Pepper isn’t interested in finding Mr Right. Along with Mr Right and breaking a curse, Pepper has to save her town from completely dying out.

I enjoyed this final book in the trilogy, it can be read alone, I’ve only read books two and three, book one is still waiting quietly in the Kindle vault and I was able to grasp what was going on, I think it would flow better if you did read the series as it is written though and it’s such an enjoyable series, romance with a touch of Paranormal, that why wouldn’t you want to read them all.

Pepper is a headstrong character who doesn’t always think before she speaks, with so many things placed on her shoulders, she seems to do it a lot, getting herself into strife more than once.

Her old friend Jack, and the person who has been tasked with keeping her safe, is a lovely guy, who has mixed emotions about Pepper.

Both are in denial of the things they really want, there’s some unspoken secrets and conversations from the past that should have been worked out years ago, but are now continuing to cause issues for Pepper, Jack and some family members.

Once again the bad developer guys are back and causing plenty of trouble for Pepper and the townsfolk.

There was plenty of humour in this novel and I enjoyed once again the paranormal tilt to the story.

It seems a shame to say goodbye to Calamity Valley, but at least all three towns are in good hands.

Thanks to NetGalley and Tule Publishing for a digital copy of this book in return for an honest review.

Purchase:

Contact Jennie Jones to order a paperback copy on Facebook

New Release Book Review: Fast Lane by Juanita Kees

I really enjoyed Overdrive: book 1 in Calhoun Customs Garage series when I read it last year, but I loved Fast Lane: book 2 even more.

There’s plenty of adrenaline-packed action and chemistry to be had in this book as well as some more serious issues.

Trinity Calhoun is a world-class race car driver and she’s just about to retire and return to Bigfork to be with her dad who is struggling with Parkinson’s. A freak accident in her last race has her meeting gorgeous paramedic Reece, better known as Angel.

Racing is a dangerous sport and a tragedy has touched Reece and he is now guardian for 9-year-old Tyler. This tragedy has also brought him to Bigfork.

I really enjoyed returning to the town and to the Calhoun family.

Trinity’s love of speed and Reece’s dislike of the dangers of speed and cars mean that these two getting together have them needing to overcome some obstacles. I really enjoyed the growing relationship between these two, something that started out as a fun kiss turns into so much more. I liked the way they discussed things and tried to work out what they both wanted.

One character I hope we get to hear more from was Tyler, he has survived a tragic accident, but has definitely not come out of it unscathed and it will take a lot to make him feel whole again. Having Reece and Trinity in his corner will definitely help his healing and I really want to know how he goes after this book.

I also look forward to seeing how the other Calhoun siblings go with finding their HEAs, it was great to see how Chase and Charlie were going from book 1.

I hope I don’t have to wait 12 months for the next instalment of the Calhoun Customs Garage.

Thanks to NetGalley and Tule Publishing for a digital copy of this novel in return for an honest review.

New Release Book Review: Lies by Kylie Scott

I enjoy Kylie Scott’s novels, one of my favourite reads last year was her book It Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time which kept me up all night. When given the opportunity to read her new novel Lies, I jumped at the chance and am so glad I did, it was an awesome read!

Kylie has given us something new with Lies and I enjoyed it so much. Betty is leaving her fiance Thom because he is boring and their relationship just isn’t what she wants or needs. But as she is leaving things take an out of control turn for the worst and she finds herself in constant danger whilst at the same time finding out Thom isn’t who he says he is, not by a long shot.

He’s an operative and people are out to kill him, and now Betty is in their line of fire too.

I just loved Betty’s character, she was pissed at finding out all the Lies Thom had fed her, pissed at being taken hostage, at being in danger and on the run. But she takes it in her stride, her attitude is great and she doesn’t let Thom feed her any more lies. She has a great sense of humour as well as a sense of self-preservation, she turns into a bit of a badass over the course of her experience.

Thom is also many things, and as Betty starts to see the real Thom she realises that maybe she doesn’t want to leave after all. Thom is sexy and a definite badass, he’s also socially awkward at times with Betty, but I absolutely loved the dynamics between him and Betty. The chemistry between them is there too and I loved seeing them try and work out what their relationship actually was.

Thom’s crew, or the Zoo as Betty calls them are a mixed bunch and some aren’t on his side after all. The bad guys are full-on and dangerous and you wonder if these two and the Zoo crew can survive.

This book is action-packed, exciting, fast, with some laughs along the way as well as some serious stuff.

Thanks to Social Butterfly PR for a digital copy of this book in return for an honest review.

Pre-release Book Review: The Kissing Contract by Amy Andrews

This was such a fun read, with plenty of sexual tension, a couple of hot scenes, tons of banter and nearly 200 bunnies.

I had a fun time catching Bunnies with Gus and sexy Marshall. When Marshall is ordered by the court to help Gus and the ABL (American Bunny League), you can tell straight away there’s going to be plenty of back and forth between these two characters.

I found Gus and her adamance on following the contract they signed saying no kissing to be amusing considering the sexual tension between the two of them. Also it wasn’t just Marshall who was suffering, I’m not sure I could have held out like she did. But she has her reasons for holding out, past hurts can be nasty things to get over.

I enjoyed Marshall’s teasing of Gus and his frustration with the situation as well as his adamance that he would eventually get that kiss.

I liked the way Marshall started to appreciate the island on a different level over the month he spent there with Gus catching Bunnies, he had a lot of healing to do himself.

This was a fun escapist read, that put a smile on my face and gave me plenty of giggles along the way.

The authors note at the back of the book is definitely worth reading for an extra smile.

Thanks to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing: Amara for providing me with a digital copy of this book in return for an honest review.

Pre-order your copy today, released on the 15th July 2019

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Cover Reveal: Ash by J. O Mantel

I was lucky enough to meet J. O a couple of months ago at a romance readers convention, so it’s exciting to be able to share the cover of their new book with you.

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Can a tragic accident bring together the two souls who were always meant to be?

Ashford Tanner.

Handsome and with a burgeoning career in law, Ash has the world at his feet. His relentless drive and ambition are finally coming to fruition.

Dealing with an overbearing and demanding employer is challenging, even for Ash.

When a multi-million dollar case forces Ash and his boss to Paris, relationships are tested and his life is turned upside down.

Gabriela Devereaux.

In Paris, Ash finally meets his match. Gabriela is the epitome of grace and femininity and he is instantly awed by her unparalleled beauty.

A tragic accident and an unexpected encounter will bring shockwaves to Ash and his new love.