BLOG TOUR - Shadow on Her Grave

  

DESCRIPTION:

The beads of saltwater caught on her cracked lips glitter in the moonlight, her long brown hair floating in the tide. But this beautiful girl is lost forever. And Casey’s biggest fears are realised. Someone is copying the worst of her previous cases: following her like a shadow. And they’ll stop at nothing to make sure she pays for her own mistakes…

As her soon-to-be-husband, Jericho Flynn, goes back to work as town sheriff, Detective Casey White is left juggling her work alongside her growing family. And when a spate of troubling murders hit the Outer Banks, the happy couple are stopped in their tracks…

Casey is called to a crime scene with eerie echoes to a killing she solved years ago. A young woman has been anchored to a boulder and drowned, just like in the Saltwater Graves murders.

Then a handwritten poem is delivered to Casey at the station. She immediately recognises the writing as that of a previous victim she couldn’t save. The killer is pointing them to yet another crime scene from Casey’s past. Only someone with knowledge of the original cases could recreate these murders with terrible accuracy. And the only link is Casey herself.

The team chase the lead to a now-derelict beach house, way out on an abandoned island. Casey is totally devastated when they discover the lifeless body of Jericho’s late wife, Jessie Flynn, posed in one of the upstairs rooms.

This is her most personal challenge yet. As they chase down a killer that could be closer than they ever imagined, will Casey and Jericho both make it out alive?

Shadow on Her Grave is a gripping and addictive mystery thriller that fans of Kendra Elliot, Lisa Regan and A.J. Rivers won’t be able to put down!

Buy link: 

https://geni.us/B0F1VBZPRVsocial

Title:   Shadow on Her Grave

Author:  B. R. Spangler

Series:  Detective Casey White #13
Publisher:  Bookouture 

Genre:   Mystery & Thrillers 

Format:  Kindle ARC 

No. of Pages:  271

Date of Publication:  July 18, 2025

My Rating:   5 Stars

MY THOUGHTS:

With a heart-stopping start to the next book in the Detective Casey Duncan series, another gruesome murder occurs, leaving Detective Casey Duncan questioning whether this will be her final case. As she prepares to marry Sheriff Jericho Flynn and embark on a new life with their two adopted children, Casey feels the urge to step away from her demanding career. Both Casey and Jericho believe that her retirement is important, but her desire for a quieter life seems like an unattainable dream, especially as the latest murder and other crime scenes bear striking resemblances to her past cases.

Will this be Casey’s last case? As a diehard fan of this series, I certainly hope not. I am completely enthralled with Casey, her work ethic, her relationship with Jericho and her team, and her role as mother to the two children she and Jericho adopted.

This book is a thrilling one-sitting read that kept me on the edge of my seat. The intensity beyond Casey’s current case is filled with both drama and danger, and then when you factor in the real and often raw emotions of both Casey and Jericho, this book is thoroughly engaging. As is sometimes the case with some ongoing series, the stories would do well as standalone novels. However, for anyone who loves continuity, especially when it comes to character growth and backstory, this series would be well worth reading from the very beginning.

It’s hard to not wax poetic about this wonderful book. B. R. Spangler has written a marvelous series, with each successive book just as good or better than the one before. In fact, coming up with a favorite from the 13 books in the series so far would be a very hard challenge because they were all excellent reads. I particularly enjoyed the conclusion of this novel, and I’m eager to see where the series goes from here.

Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

By day, B.R. Spangler pushes pixels, typing lines of code. When he's not developing software, or elbows deep in hardware, he is writing stories, plotting thrillers, or reading.

B.R. Spangler lives in Virginia with his wife and kids, as well as five cats, a parrot, a finch, a lizard.

 

Author Social Media Links:

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TWITTER: https://twitter.com/BR_Spangler

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Review - The Love Haters

Title:   The Love Haters

Author:  Katherine Center

Publisher:  St. Martin’s Press

Genre:   Romance

Format:  Kindle ARC 

No. of Pages:   320

Date of Publication:  May 20, 2025

My Rating:   4 Stars

DESCRIPTION:

It’s a thin line between love and love-hating.

Katie Vaughn has been burned by love in the past—now she may be lighting her career on fire. She has two choices: wait to get laid off from her job as a video producer or, at her coworker Cole’s request, take a career-making gig profiling Tom “Hutch” Hutcheson, a Coast Guard rescue swimmer in Key West. 

The catch? Katie’s not exactly qualified. She can’t swim—but fakes it that she can. 

Plus: Cole is Hutch’s brother. And they don’t get along. Next stop paradise!

But paradise is messier than it seems. As Katie gets entangled with Hutch (the most scientifically good looking man she has ever seen . . . but also a bit of a love hater), along with his colorful Aunt Rue and his rescue Great Dane, she gets trapped in a lie. Or two.

Swim lessons, helicopter flights, conga lines, drinking contests, hurricanes, and stolen kisses ensue—along with chances to tell the truth, to face old fears, and to be truly brave at last.

Link to purchase the book

MY THOUGHTS:

Katherine Center’s latest romantic comedy revolves around a troubling romance and sibling rivalry. Katie Vaughn, with a less-than-stellar romantic history, is skeptical about finding a worthy partner. However, her life takes an unexpected turn when she becomes inexplicably drawn to a new client. 

With Coast Guard rescue swimmer Tom “Hutch” Hutcheson as the client that could make or break her career, Katie finds herself in the middle of the issues between Hutch and his brother Cole, who is actually her coworker. Could it be true that Hutch is truly a “love hater”, thus making it very unlikely that Katie’s instant attraction to him could go anywhere? Before she can even think of romance, Katie must play her role as someone who can swim. Between her pretending that she knows even the slightest thing about handling her herself in the water, Katie finds herself living another lie while around Hutch, and she has a lot at stake. 

This one-sitting read was easy to enjoy as I loved Katie and her resonant attitude. Hutch was the ideal hero, and was just the sweetest when it came to the devotion that he had for his rescue dog, a very fortunate Great Dane he named George Bailey. Then we have Hutch’s sweet Aunt Rue, who really made a wonderful impression on Katie. 

Many thanks to St. Martin's Press and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

NEW YORK TIMES Bestselling Author Katherine Center wrote her first novel in the sixth grade (fan fiction about Duran Duran) and got hooked. From then on, she was doomed to want to be a writer—obsessively working on poems, essays, and stories, as well as memorizing lyrics, keeping countless journals, and reading constantly.

She won a creative writing scholarship in high school, and then went on to major in creative writing at Vassar College, where she won the Vassar College Fiction Prize. At 22, she won a fellowship to the University of Houston’s Creative Writing Program and moved home to Texas with plans to become Jane Austen ASAP.

Didn’t happen quite that way. Of course. Instead, she began a decade of struggling, agonizing, and questioning the meaning of life before finally finding a fairy-godmother-like agent and getting a dream-come-true book deal for her debut novel, The Bright Side of Disaster.

 

A total happy ending. And also, just the beginning. 

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Review - Writing Mr. Wrong

Title:    Writing Mr. Wrong

Author:  Kelley Armstrong

Genre:   Romance

Publisher:   Forever

Format:  Kindle ARC; Audiobook 

Narrators:  Patricia Santomasso; 

   Sean Patrick Hopkins

Length:  9 hrs 4 mins
No. of Pages:  336

Date of Publication: 

My Rating:  4 Stars

DESCRIPTION:

The #1 New York Times bestselling author delivers a fun romantic comedy about a woman reconnecting with her high school ex after writing him into her latest romance book. 

Gemma hasn’t written in years, but post-divorce, she dove back into writing romance. When her proposal didn’t sell, she became convinced it was because no one wanted her nice-guy heroes and decided to write and absolute Mr. Wrong…based on her first crush, Mason Moretti, now a star hockey player. She’s sure no one will make the connection between her highland laird and an NHL enforcer. Of course, someone does, and her secret is out. 

Mason is going through some drama of his own as an aging hockey player, and when his “reunion-cute” with Gemma goes viral, he proposes some media-worthy fake dating to help her book. Which is so sweet and not at all to help solve his own image problem. Gemma reluctantly agrees. Mason convinces Gemma to go away with him so she can finish her overdue second book while giving him anti-asshole lessons. And if he really just wants to get time away with her, that’s not an bad move, right? Or is it? 

Link to purchase the book

MY THOUGHTS:

Gemma Stanton and Mason Moretti share a history, though not a pleasant one. Could a passionate kiss they shared twenty years ago be the reason for their limited contact? Mason, a seasoned hockey player known for his role as an enforcer on the ice rink, is aging. Gemma returns into his life when she publishes her debut romance novel, after years of giving up writing. The book clearly mirrors Mason as the male lead.

The publicity surrounding their reunion could significantly boost Gemma’s book’s success. Mason doesn’t need stardom; he already has it in spades. However, knowing that the publicity could skyrocket the book’s popularity gives him the perfect idea for a series of pretend dates with Gemma.

Things don’t go smoothly for Gemma and Mason, especially since Gemma is still grappling with the hurt from that kiss they shared years ago. Moreover, Mason’s stardom has given him a reputation that Gemma finds annoying. Mason himself is not pleased with the reputation he’s earned. With his time on the ice quickly dwindling away, he can’t help but contemplate his future. Having Gemma be a part of that future would be wonderful for him.

For fans of second-chance romances, Writing Mr. Wrong is a must-read. As a strong fan of Kelley Armstrong’s Rockton and Haven’s Rock series, I thoroughly enjoyed seeing another side of this talented author. Her previous book, Finding Mr. Write, was equally enjoyable.

Many thanks to Forever and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Kelley Armstrong has been telling stories since before she could write. Her earliest written efforts were disastrous. If asked for a story about girls and dolls, hers would invariably feature undead girls and evil dolls, much to her teachers' dismay. All efforts to make her produce "normal" stories failed.

Today, she continues to spin tales of ghosts and demons and werewolves, while safely locked away in her basement writing dungeon. She's the author of the NYT-bestselling "Women of the Otherworld" paranormal suspense series and "Darkest Powers" young adult urban fantasy trilogy, as well as the Nadia Stafford crime series. Armstrong lives in southwestern Ontario with her husband, kids and far too many pets. 

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Review - The Page Turner

Title:   The Page Turner 

Author:  Viola Shipman

Publisher: Graydon House

Genre:   Women’s Fiction

Format:  Kindle ARC

No. of Pages:  336

Date of Publication:  April 8, 2025

My Rating:   5 Stars

DESCRIPTION:

A young romance writer makes a discovery that throws her elitist family into chaos.

Emma Page grew up the black sheep in a bookish household, raised to believe fine literature is the only worthy type of fiction. Her parents, self-proclaimed “serious” authors who run their own vanity press, The Mighty Pages, mingle in highbrow social circles that look down on anything too popular or mainstream, while her sister, Jess, is a powerful social-media influencer whose stylish reviews can make or break a novel.

Hiding her own romance manuscript from her disapproving parents, Emma finds inspiration at the family cottage among the “fluff” they despise: the juicy summer romances that belonged to her late grandmother. But a chance discovery unearthed from her Gigi’s belongings reveals a secret that has the power to ruin her parents’ business and destroy their reputation in the industry—a secret that has already fallen into the hands of an unscrupulous publishing insider with a grudge to settle. Now Emma must decide: As much as she’s dreamed of the day her parents are forced to confront their own egos, can she really just sit back and watch The Mighty Pages be exposed and their legacy destroyed?

MY THOUGHTS:

Emma Page appreciates fine literature, especially as she has come from a literary family. Not following her parents’ tradition, Emma has a love for romance, and penning a romance novel would not be in line with her parents’ vanity press. In fact, the family is known as the Mighty Pages, and to refer to them as literary snobs would be right on target. Emma stands out from her family, even her sister Jess, a well respected book reviewer. 

But there was a much deeper story to be told other than Emma hoping that her publisher will buy her story. Viola Shipman (Wade Rouse) touches on deep issues in this book. One of those serious issues is that of the Bechdel Test. As much as I read, this term was new to me. I didn’t realize that the simple way for this test to be passed is having two named female characters who talk to each other about something other than a man. In this book, there are Emma and her sister Jess, and their conversations. Not only is this one of the issue explored, I love how the author gave great substance to their conversations.

 Not only will the reader gain so much by reading this book, there is also his personal letter to his readers at the end of the story. There is also an excellent discussion guide included with this book. One discussion point that really stood out to me was this one: “Books written for, by or about women are often categorized as “beach reads” or “chick lit” which can diminish their value in many readers’ eyes before they even read the book. In addition, hopeful stories with happy endings are often deemed “less than” by literary critics who tend to prefer books with heavier or darker themes.” Serious food for thought. 

Emma’s journey to publication also offers insights into the publishing industry, including submissions and acquisitions. The bad, as well as the good. I was thoroughly engaged in the story of Emma Page and her family, as I have been with every Viola Shipman book I’ve read. 

Many thanks to Graydon House and to NetGalley for this book for review. This is my honest opinion.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

VIOLA SHIPMAN is the pen name for internationally bestselling LGBTQIA author Wade Rouse. Wade is the author of fifteen books, which have been translated into 21 languages and sold over a million copies around the world. Wade chose his grandmother’s name, Viola Shipman, as a pen name to honor the working poor Ozarks seamstress whose sacrifices changed his family’s life and whose memory inspires his fiction. 

Wade’s books have been selected multiple times as Must-Reads by NBC’s Today Show, Michigan Notable Books of the Year and Indie Next Picks. He lives in Michigan and California, and hosts Wine & Words with Wade, A Literary Happy Hour, every Thursday.

Social Links:

Author Website

Twitter: @Viola_Shipman

Facebook: Author Viola Shipman

Instagram: @Viola_Shipman

Goodreads

Review - Blood Moon

Title:  Blood Moon
Author:  Sandra Brown

Genre:   Mystery/Thrillers

Publisher:   Grand Central Publishing

Format:  Trade Paperback ARC
No. of Pages:  448

Date of Publication:  March 4, 2025

My Rating: 5 Stars

DESCRIPTION:

#1 New York Times bestselling author Sandra Brown returns with a sexy thriller where an unruly detective and an ­­­­ambitious tv show producer work against the clock to prevent another young woman from disappearing before the next blood moon—while trying to resist the attraction between them.

Detective John Bowie is one misstep away from being fired from the Auclair Police Department in coastal Louisiana. Recently divorced and slightly heavy-handed with his liquor, Bowie does all that he can to cope with the actions taken (or not taken) during the investigation of Crissy Mellin, a teenage girl who disappeared more than three years prior. But now, Crisis Point, a long-running true crime television series, is soon to air an episode documenting the unsolved Mellin case. Bowie has been instructed by his unscrupulous boss to keep to himself his grievances and criticisms over the mishandling of the investigation.

Beth Collins, a senior producer on Crisis Point, knows what classifies as a great story and when there’s something more to be told. After working on the show for seven years researching, fact checking, and editing dozens of episodes, Collins is convinced that Crissy Mellin’s disappearance was not an isolated incident. A string of disappearances of teenage girls in nearby areas have only one thing in common: They took place on the night of a blood moon. In a last-ditch effort to find out the truth, Beth leaves New York City for Louisiana to enlist Detective Bowie in helping her figure out what happened to Crissy and find the true culprit before he acts on the next blood moon—in four days’ time.

At the risk of their jobs and lives, Bowie and Collins band together to identify and capture a canny perpetrator, while fighting an irresistible spark between them that threatens to upend everything.

Link to purchase the book

MY THOUGHTS:

Beth Collins, a television producer, is juggling multiple projects, including a true crime series. Her latest endeavor involves securing an interview with Detective John Bowie. However, John is reluctant to participate, especially since he’s struggling with alcoholism and his supervisor wants the case to remain hidden.

John’s supervisor has a secret that could be exposed if John collaborates with Beth. He believes that John’s involvement could reveal his own hidden truth. Despite his supervisor’s wishes, John continues to investigate the case, convinced that the wrong person was convicted.

One crucial piece of evidence that stymies John is the fact that several women went missing around the same time of the year—the Blood Moon. Both John and Beth believe that the Blood Moon holds the key to solving the case and work tirelessly to prevent another woman from disappearing.

While this is a mystery thriller, it also incorporates elements of romantic suspense, reminiscent of Sandra Brown’s style. Brown’s writing is known for its compelling stories and relatable characters having read dozens of her books, I was confident that I would enjoy this book. I definitely was not disappointed. 

I want to express my gratitude to Grand Central Publishing for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Sandra Brown is the author of more than sixty New York Times bestsellers, including STING (2016), FRICTION (2015), MEAN STREAK (2014), DEADLINE (2013), & LOW PRESSURE (2012), LETHAL (2011).

Brown began her writing career in 1981 and since then has published over seventy novels, bringing the number of copies of her books in print worldwide to upwards of eighty million. Her work has been translated into over thirty languages.

In 2009 Brown detoured from romantic suspense to write, Rainwater, a much acclaimed, powerfully moving historical fiction story about honor and sacrifice during the Great Depression.

Brown was given an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from Texas Christian University. She was named Thriller Master for 2008, the top award given by the International Thriller Writer’s Association. Other awards and commendations include the 2007 Texas Medal of Arts Award for Literature and the Romance Writers of America’s Lifetime Achievement Award. 

Review - An Amateur Sleuth’s Guide to Murder

Title:  An Amateur Sleuth’s Guide to Murder

Author:  Lynn Cahoon

Series:   Bainbridge Island Mystery #1

Publisher:  Kensington Cozies

Genre:   Cozy Mystery

Format:  Kindle ARC

No. of Pages:   256

Date of Publication:   June 24, 2025

My Rating:   4 Stars

DESCRIPTION:

New York Times bestselling author Lynn Cahoon makes her hardcover debut with an irresistible new meta-mystery series about an amateur sleuth who doesn’t just solve crimes, she writes about how to do it . . .

TIP #1: WHAT DOESN’T KILL YOU COUNTS AS WORK EXPERIENCE
Meg Gates could use a guidebook for life. Indeed, she’s faced some challenges. She dropped out of college to work for a tech startup that failed—and her fiancé just took her bridesmaid to Italy on what was supposed to be Meg’s honeymoon.

Now, at twenty-six, Meg has taken the ferry ride of shame from Seattle back to Bainbridge Island to live with her family. At least she has her rescue cocker spaniel, Watson, by her side. But it’s Meg who could use a rescue—and she’s hoping it will come in the form of a part-time gig doing research for a bestselling mystery writer.

TIP #2: WRITE WHAT YOU KNOW – OR WHAT YOU WANT TO KNOW
That’s when the lightbulb goes Meg will write her own guidebook—a manual on criminal investigation. But before she can impress her new boss with her pet project, the author’s manager is found dead on the rocks beneath the author’s Gothic mansion.

Now it’s time to put her guide to the test, as Meg sets out to clear her employer of suspicion and solve the crime. But there’s one important caveat she’ll have to add to her guide—

TIP #3:  BEWARE OF UNKNOWN DANGERS

Link to purchase the book

MY THOUGHTS:

Each chapter in Lynn Cahoon’s delightful first book in her cozy mystery series begins with one of the tips that Meg Gates plans to use in her own mystery novel. Meg is currently unhappy with her life. Single after a broken engagement, she works only a part-time job at her mother’s bookstore. However, her life takes a positive turn when she is offered a job as an assistant to mystery writer Lily Aster. Although it’s just another part-time job, it encourages Meg’s desire to become a mystery writer herself.

When a dead body is discovered at her new job, Meg and her lifelong best friends decide to investigate the murder. This gives Meg real-time experience as a mystery writer. Unfortunately, it soon seems that the prime suspect in the murder is Lily, her new boss.

This intriguing cozy mystery is rich with a slow-burn romance and delightful characters (let’s not forget her adorable rescue dog, Watson). It’s a great start to a new series. 

Many thanks to Kensington Cozies and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

I'm a storyteller. I started thinking about writing during a long (school) bus ride home. A high schooler taught me how to tell stories and then cut out pictures from Teen Beat to illustrate them. I was hooked. 

But when I looked at the college catalog, there was no writer track or degree. So I went practical with a Poli-Sci degree. Many years later, I finally started writing and taking craft classes. Then I put it off again. 

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Finally, God sent me a gift - breast cancer. That made me really consider my life choices.  I started writing seriously, again, in between work, appointments, and life. 

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Five short years later, I had my first book published. The next year, I release the first Tourist Trap novel. And the next year, I hit my first bestseller list. 

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I've been working hard ever since, bringing stories to you. I hope you enjoy my cozy mysteries and hold on for the ride. 

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I think my first teacher on that bus would be proud of where I've landed. 

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