BLOG TOUR - Masquerade at Middlecrest Abbey

In this new Regency romance, Elizabeth knows she must protect her heart from the charm of her new husband, Lord Torrington. She is not, however, prepared to protect her life.

When the widowed Lord Torrington agreed to spy for the crown, he never planned to impersonate a highwayman, let alone rob the wrong carriage. Stranded on the road with an unconscious young woman, he is forced to propose marriage to protect his identity and her reputation, as well as his dangerous mission.

Trapped not only by her duty to her country but also by her limited options as an unwed mother, Miss Elizabeth Cantrell and her infant son are whisked away to Middlecrest Abbey by none other than the elder brother of her son’s absent father. There she is met by Torrington’s beautiful grown daughters, a vicious murderer, and an urgent hunt for the missing intelligence that could turn the war with France. Meanwhile she must convince everyone that her marriage is a genuine love match if her new husband has any hope of uncovering the enemy.

Determined to keep her son’s true identity a secret, Elizabeth will need to remain one step ahead of her fragile heart, her uncertain future, and the relentless fiend bent on her new family’s ruin.

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MY THOUGHTS:

Title:   Masquerade at Middlecrest Abbey

Author:  Abigail Wilson

Publisher:  Thomas Nelson

Genre:   Historical Fiction; Romance

Format:  Kindle ARC

No. of Pages:   336

Date of Publication:   May 26, 2020

My Rating:   4 Stars

Lord Adrian Torrington has good intentions, but make a mistake that brings him to a warm and promising future, but not before more than one problem along the way. Adrian set out to spy for the crown, but instead posed as a highwayman, which resulted in a very serious carriage accident that nearly cost three lives, including that of Elizabeth Cantrell and toddler son Isaac. On the one hand, Adrian seeks to prove it was all a misunderstanding, but on the other hand, he cannot reveal the real reason he was on the road in the first place.

Just before Elizabeth fades into unconsciousness, all she cares about is her son. For a brief second she thinks she recognizes the highwayman, but that just can't be so. When she awakens, she is certain she knows who is is, it is the brother of her son's father. As her son is illegitimate, she could not be more panicked. Before long she meets Adrian , and cannot wonder why in the world would the impressive, quiet man would be a highwayman! The last thing she feels can happen is that he discover who she is and of her former relationship with his brother.

Adrian not only reluctantly begins to explain to Elizabeth why he was playing the role that he did, his secret work for the crown, and his solution to their present circumstances, and his solution that protects his prior purpose - he has told  his staff at Middlecrest Abbey that she is his wife. Elizabeth can hardly believe the man! Even more, Adrian strongly suggests that the ruse continue, because his work for the crown is critical and must remain secret at all costs.

How will they keep this ruse up? How will they act madly in love as he further suggests? And what of Adrian's grown daughters? Won't they know that something is amiss with their father and the sudden appearance of a woman and a baby?

What a great premise for this story! I definitely appreciate how this book is categorized - historical fiction first, then romance. This is quite appropriate because this story is much more a mystery than romance. Adrian and Elizabeth must find a way to work together to identify the dangers surrounding his family, even as those dangers get closer and closer. At the same time, Elizabeth finds it necessary to keep mum about the fact that Adrian's brother is actual the father of her son. That itself is a very good layer to this excellent story.

I truly enjoyed this book. I loved all of the characters and the excellent pacing. I also loved watching the evolution of the relationship between Adrian and Elizabeth, and loved the drama that I knew would ensue when it came to him discovering her former relationship with his brother. The story was exciting at times, especially the thrilling conclusion. Abigail Wilson is a new name for me, and I am pleased that I got to read this book.

Many thanks to Thomas Nelson, HF Virtual Book Tours and to NetGalley for this ARC for review/ This is my honest opinion.

Blog Tour Schedule

Tuesday, May 26
Review at Bitch Bookshelf
Review at The Green Mockingbird

Wednesday, May 27
Review at Historical Fiction with Spirit

Thursday, May 28
Review at Gwendalyn's Books

Friday, May 29
Review at Heidi Reads
Review at Amy's Booket List

Saturday, May 30
Feature at Journey in Bookland
Feature at What Is That Book About

Sunday, May 31
Review & Excerpt at Robin Loves Reading

Monday, June 1
Review at Probably at the Library
Interview at Jorie Loves A Story

Tuesday, June 2
Feature at I'm All About Books
Feature at Just One More Chapter       

                                                                              
Wednesday, June 3
Review at Rhodie Girl Reads
Review at Rejoice in Reading

Thursday, June 4
Review at Jessica Belmont
Review at A Chick Who Reads

Friday, June 5
Review at View from the Birdhouse
Review at Foals, Fiction and Filigree

Giveaway

 During the Blog Tour, we are giving away 5 paperback copies of Masquerade at Middlecrest Abbey! To enter, please use the Gleam form below.

 Giveaway Rules
 – Giveaway ends at 11:59 pm EST on June 5th. You must be 18 or older to enter.
– Paperback giveaway is open to the US only.
– Only one entry per household.
– All giveaway entrants agree to be honest and not cheat the systems; any suspicion of fraud will be decided upon by blog/site owner and the sponsor, and entrants may be disqualified at our discretion.
– The winner has 48 hours to claim prize or a new winner is chosen.

Middlecrest Abbey

  Direct Link: https://gleam.io/competitions/d0CbF-middlecrest-abbey


About the Author:

Abigail Wilson combines her passion for Regency England with intrigue and adventure to pen historical mysteries with a heart. A registered nurse, chai tea addict, and mother of two crazy kids, Abigail fills her spare time hiking the national parks, attending her daughter’s gymnastic meets, and curling up with a great book. In 2017, Abigail won WisRWA’s Fab Five contest and in 2016, ACFW’s First Impressions contest as well as placing as a 2017 finalist in the Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Mystery/Suspense. She is a cum laude graduate of the University of Texas at Austin and currently lives in Dripping Springs, Texas, with her husband and children.

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BLOG TOUR - Why She Died

Today is my stop on the Blog Tour for Why She Died by J. G. Roberts.

DESCRIPTION:

It was a person after all, but she was suspended in mid-air. Abi’s heart began to thump against her ribcage as the full horror of what she was seeing became apparent. Her shrill scream pierced the silence, startling birds into taking flight. ‘Help me!’ she cried. ‘Somebody please help!’

When beautiful and bright Hannah is late for their morning run, her best friend Abi thinks nothing of it. Hannah isn’t always that reliable – she’s probably just overslept.

But as Abi runs through the woods, following the same route she always does, she is greeted by a horrifying sight: Hannah’s body, swaying in the breeze.

Detective Rachel Hart is called to the scene. Something seems wrong from the start. Hannah’s friends and family insist that she had everything to live for, and no one has a bad word to say about her. But when murder is confirmed, and Rachel starts digging, she soon realises that there were plenty of people with reasons to want Hannah dead.

Then a second woman is found strangled in the same woods, and everything Rachel thought is thrown into doubt. Is there a serial killer at work?

Rachel is determined to find answers before another life is lost – all the time unaware that the killer’s sights are focussed firmly on her.

Can Rachel unravel the deadly game before she walks into a trap?

A breathtakingly twisty thriller for fans of Rachel Abbott, Cara Hunter and Angela Marsons.

BUY LINKS:

Amazon: https://bit.ly/2z8Hph1

Apple: https://apple.co/2LOHYze

Kobo: https://bit.ly/2TrLeVl

Google: https://bit.ly/3cSCkYL

MY THOUGHTS:

Title:   Why She Died

Author:  J. G. Roberts

Series:  Detective Rachel Hart #3

Genre:   Mystery/Thrillers

Publisher:  Bookouture

Format:  Kindle ARC
No. of Pages:   271

Date of Publication:  May 29, 2020
My Rating:  4 Stars

Hannah wakes up late for her morning run with her best friend Abi. As she starts to get ready, she asks herself why she even bothers. But, friends are friends, and Abi is training for a mountain climb, and Hannah as agreed to help her. When Abi doesn't answer Hannah's knock on her door, Hannah decides to head out anyway, figuring she'd run into Abi somewhere along their regular path in the woods. What Hannah finds is the most shocking, the most devastating thing she can imagine - Abi hanging from a tree.

Detective Rachel Hart is assigned the case and it takes her very little time to realize that the crime scene is more than a bit off. As Rachel begins her investigation, she interviews all of the students that are sharing the same house while at university. Once the cause of death is officially ruled a murder, Rachel really hones in on her investigation, and soon realizes that she has the scope of her investigate.

Meanwhile, Rachel is finally happy in her relationship with lawyer Tim. She had a tragic past and lost her twin sister when they were very young, so it took her quite some time to come close to trusting and opening her heart. The story shifts from time to time to Tim, especially when he visits someone at a prison.  Her relationship with Tim and his actions make me appreciate having read the first two books in this series, Little Girl Missing and What He Did, as I was able to feel a connection to Rachel as a person, as well as a cop.

Why She Died is a gripping story that weaves tension and drama in at breaknet speed that garnered my attention from beginning to end. I love that the book left readers wondering what is next for Rachel. Kudos to J. G. Roberts for writing another thrilling book.

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

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Having signed with Bookouture in late 2018, my first book with them, Little Girl Missing, was published in June 2019 followed by the second in the Detective Rachel Hart series in October of the same year. The third book in the series, my seventh novel overall, is called Why She Died and is on pre-order prior to publication in May 2020.

I'm originally from Nottingham, where I have based a couple of my novels, but I am now resident in Berkshire and have used Reading and the surrounding area as the location for the DCI Rachel Hart series.

From the age of ten I had wanted to write fiction but left it until I was fifty-seven before self-publishing my first novel, Life's a Beach and Then, proving it's never too late to start something new.

When I'm not writing, I am a full-time presenter on QVC, the UK's most successful shopping channel where I have worked for over twenty-six years. I also enjoy cooking, watching football, in particular my team Crystal Palace, gardening, and Pilates which is helping with my rehabilitation following recent ankle surgery. I'm an animal lover and a committed vegetarian for the past thirty-five years. 

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COVER REVEAL - An Eye for an Eye

AN EYE FOR AN EYE by 

Carol Wyer

A killer running rings around the police. A detective spiralling out of control.

DI Kate Young is on leave. She’s the force’s best detective, but her bosses know she’s under pressure, on medication and overcoming trauma. So after her bad judgement call leads to a narrowly averted public disaster, they’re sure all she needs is a rest.

But when Staffordshire Police summon her back to work on a murder case, it’s a harder, more suspicious Kate Young who returns. With a new ruthlessness, she sets about tracking down a clinical, calculating serial killer who is torturing victims and leaving clues to taunt the police. Spurred on by her reporter husband, Young begins to suspect that the murderer might be closer than she ever imagined.

As she works to uncover the truth, Young unravels a network of secrets and lies, with even those closest to her having something to hide. But with her own competence—and her grip on reality—called into question, can she unmask the killer before they strike again?

Out February 4th 2021 but available to pre order now

Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/2XeuuDv

Amazon US: shorturl.at/yFHRS

BLOG TOUR - Flatline

Today we have the blog tour for Flatline by Linda Bond! Check it out and be sure to grab your copy today!!

About Flatline:

People are dying in Dr. Joshua Salvador’s ER. His medical assistant, only weeks from delivering her baby, hangs on to life by a thread. The symptoms seem horrifyingly familiar, and he begins to suspect the deaths are targeted at him. But, before he can figure things out, top TV investigator Rachel Wright is standing in the middle of his ER, convinced an outbreak, an epidemic, or even a botched flu vaccine could be the cause, and she’s going to tell the world.

Get Your Copy Now!

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Catch up on the Series!

Alive at 5:

Amazon | B&N | Kobo | Apple Books

CUBA UNDERCOVER

Amazon | B&N | Kobo | Apple Books

MY THOUGHTS:

Title:   Flatline

Author:  Linda Bond

Series:  The Investigators #3
Publisher:  Entangled; Amara

Genre:   Romantic Suspense

Format:  Kindle ARC

No. of Pages:   238

Date of Publication:   May 25, 2020

My Rating:   3 Stars

Rachel Wright is frantic when she rushes her friend Jackie and producer to the hospital. This hospital brings back terrible memories to Rachel because that was where and brother died - which led to an exposé she wrote. As a reporter, Rachel always dug deep for facts, but it was her brother's death and that particular story that pretty much took her very high in her field.

The last doctor she hopes to attend to Jackie is Doctor Joshua Salvador. Not only was he the doctor on scene when Rachel's brother died, but he was also the man she was desperately in love with for awhile. Suddenly, with more than one death at the hospital, Rachel is clued into the fact that there is a connection.

Rachel begins to dig, and it looks like there is a fatal contagious disease affecting patients at the hospital. Can Rachel, and now Joshua, discover what is really going on before another patient dies? Furthermore, what of the past, and the story Rachel wrote? Is the damage that was done to her relationship with Joshua something that can be revived? 

In this fast-paced book by Linda Bond, different avenues are taken - investigation, romance and even family. It would be odd for me not to say that with what is going on in the world today, a horrible disease that is killing people, to not feel a bit of discomfort while reading this book. Fortunately, not only is this book fiction, but due to the genre being that of romantic suspense, the reader won't be surprised that "things work out in the end" for all involved. The tension factor was high throughout the book and the conclusion was riveting. Although this is the third book in the series, it did quite well as a standalone. 

Many thanks to Entangled: Amara and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

About Linda Bond:

 Author Linda Bond was born in San Francisco, California but spent most of her life in the south, attending middle and high school in Greenville, South Carolina and college at the University of Georgia in Athens, Georgia. She’s worked as a television news reporter and anchor in Fort Myers, Orlando and Tampa, Florida. For more than twenty years, she’s been a reporter, sharing important information with viewers on the latest medical breakthroughs and writing emotional, human-interest stories on those who have the courage and spirit to fight for their lives. She writes every day, under deadline, but has always loved losing herself in a good fiction story. 

Entangled Publishing released Bond’s two romantic thrillers Alive at 5 and Cuba Undercover. Flatline her newest medical thriller, releases in May 2020. Bond has received numerous writing awards in Romance Writer’s of America chapter contests. She has also won 13 Emmy awards, numerous Society of Professional Journalist, and Associated Press awards, as well as a Florida Bar award and Edward R. Murrow award. This former baton-twirling beauty queen from the deep south, now lives in Tampa Florida with her husband, two daughters and two stubborn Bulldogs named Sanford and Athens..

Connect with Linda Bond:

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Review - Summer on Honeysuckle Ridge

Title:   Summer on Honeysuckle Ridge

Author:  Debbie Mason

Series:  Highland Falls #1
Publisher:  Forever

Genre:   Romance

Format:  Print ARC

No. of Pages:   400

Date of Publication:   May 26, 2020

My Rating:   4 Stars

DESCRIPTION:

Sparks fly between an L.A. career woman and a former Army Ranger in this delightful enemies-to-lovers romance from the USA Today bestselling queen of small-town love stories.

Welcome to Highland Falls, a small town where love is always in the air.

In just a few months Abby Everhart has gone from being a top LA media influencer to an unemployed divorcée living out of her car. So inheriting her great-aunt's homestead comes at the perfect time. Abby heads to Highland Falls, North Carolina, to spruce up Honeysuckle Farm before putting it on the market for some much-needed cash. But instead of finding a charming getaway, she discovers a serious fixer-upper, complete with a leaky roof, overgrown yard, and a reclusive -- albeit sexy -- man living on the property.

Ex-Delta Force soldier Hunter MacKenzie has faced war and loss, but nothing has quite prepared him for an outgoing redhead who's determined to turn his life upside down. Hunter doesn't want to get involved with anyone, especially a city girl who plans to sell the only place he's ever felt at home. But the sparks between them are undeniable. Spending time with Abby is easy. Convincing her to stay for good is another matter entirely.

Link to purchase the book

MY THOUGHTS:

Debbie Mason has created another delightful series for her readers, with Summer on Honeysuckle Ridge. In this story we meet Abby Everhart, a woman who has lost just about everything and has just discovered that she has inherited her great-aunt's homestead. Newly divorced and unemployed, so this could not have come at a better time for her. She certainly doesn't want to live in the quaint little town. All Abby plans on doing is to fix up the house, put it on the market, and return to L.A. and get her life and career back on track.

Enter one ex-Delta Force soldier - Hunter MacKenzie. The very homestead Abby has inherited and plans to sell is his home. Having suffered much during his time at war, Hunter at least needs to have his home. When he discovers who Abby is and what her plans are, his irritation shines through time and again. Meanwhile, he is rather drawn to Abby on a visceral level and she herself has similar feelings towards him. 

As I read this story, I felt two words fit Hunter - broody hero. Cranky as could be, but his transformation was handled well. Abby had a different effect on me as a reader. She was clumsy, had a very difficult past and this endeared me to her. As I read this book it was interesting to see the dynamic between Abby and Hunter. It was almost a hate to love story, so to read through the pages of the book enabled me to watch the relationship evolve.

Meanwhile, other characters were a part of this story, and I love that! Knowing that some of them will be around in future books in this series - Abby's stepsisters, Mason's brother and cousins - the possibilities are endless, and so this makes this book the start of what is sure to be an excellent series.Therefore, I am eager to read the next book in this series, Christmas on Reindeer Road, due for release in September.

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

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Debbie Mason is the USA Today and Publishers Weekly bestselling author of the Christmas, Colorado series and the Harmony Harbor series. The first book in her Christmas, Colorado series, “The Trouble with Christmas,” was the inspiration for Hallmark’s “Welcome to Christmas.” Her books have been praised by RT Book Reviews for their "likable characters, clever dialogue, and juicy plots.” Debbie also writes historical paranormal as Debbie Mazzuca. Her MacLeod series has received several nominations for best paranormal as well as a Holt Medallion Award of Merit. When Debbie isn’t writing, she enjoys spending time with her family in Ottawa, Canada.

Visit debbiemazzuca.com for Debbie’s Scottish Romances.

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