BLOG BLITZ - Paws and Prejudice

In today's blog tour I have Paws and Prejudice. As it is the second book in a trilogy, I read the first book, Heart on a Leash, and the third book, Love and Let Bark. Since the third title comes out in November, in this post I will be reviewing the first two titles.

Title:   Heart on a Leash

Author:  Alanna Martin

Series:  Hearts of Alaska #1
Publisher:  Berkley

Genre:   Romance

Format:  Kindle

No. of Pages:   346

Date of Publication:   April 27, 2021

My Rating:   4 Stars

DESCRIPTION:

Young pups teach frozen hearts new tricks when a pack of rescue huskies inspire love and romance in a coastal Alaskan town fractured by feuding families.

Taylor Lipin has made it her life's mission to leave her hometown and its ridiculous, century-old feud with the Porters behind. But when her sister needs help running the family inn, Taylor agrees to return to Helen, Alaska on a temporary, definitely not longer than two weeks, basis. Or so she thinks—until she's quite literally swept off her feet and into enemy territory by three happy huskies and their drool-worthy owner, Dr. Josh Krane.

Though Josh didn't grow up in Helen with the rest of his Porter cousins, he's heard the stories: Porters rescue huskies. The Lipins are cat people. Keep to your pack. But Taylor is too tempting to give up—plus, his dogs love her.

As Taylor and Josh grow closer, tensions in the town escalate and the need for secrecy starts taking a toll. Soon they'll need to decide whether their newfound love is just a summer fling or if they've found their forever home. 

Link to purchase the book

MY THOUGHTS:

 

The Lipins and the Porters have been feuding over 100 years. Taylor Lipin had left the town of Helen, Alaska years previously and has returned home temporarily to help her sister with their family's inn. It should only be for a couple of weeks, but Dr. Josh Krane, part of the Porter family, just might change things for Taylor.

Whether it is Josh, or his gorgeous huskies, Taylor begins to wonder if her stay in Helen just might be extended. However, considering the long feud that most people would rather keep going, it hardly seems likely that Taylor and Josh have any chance at a future, no mater how powerful their attraction is made apparent right from the moment they meet.

Josh is a Porter cousin, so he feels he is removed from the feud. Unfortunately, that is not the case so he and Taylor are forced to keep their newfound romance secret.  While the gorgeous dogs on this book's cover drew me to the story, it is watching Taylor and Josh grow closer together despite the troubles they know will be facing them at every turn.

What an enjoyable story and a great start to a trilogy I have had the pleasure of reading. The next book, Paws and Prejudice, is available now and Love and Let Bark will be released in November.

- - - - -

Title:   Paws and Prejudice

Author:  Alanna Martin

Series:   Hearts of Alaska #2
Publisher:  Berkley

Genre:   Romance

Format:  Kindle ARC

No. of Pages:   336

Date of Publication:   Jun3 29, 2021

My Rating:   4 Stars

DESCRIPTION:

It's up to a trio of adorable rescue huskies to make two lonely hearts in a coastal Alaskan town realize that true love is worth too much to turn tail and run.

Glaciers have nothing on Kelsey Porter when she decides to freeze someone out. After getting burned once, she's not about to let it happen again. And right now all that icy contempt is focused on one annoyingly attractive and entitled interloper: Ian Roth. Not only is he looking to take advantage of her quaint, coastal community, tainting the small-town charm of Helen, Alaska, but he has committed the one crime she can never forgive--he doesn't like her dogs.

Unlike what Kelsey believes, Ian loves Helen's charms as much as she does. That's partly why he's determined to open a brewery there, and he's not about to let anything or anyone stop his dream from coming true. But he didn't count on the beautiful, prickly woman getting under his skin. Or having to be within hand-biting proximity of her three huge huskies.

When Kelsey's family conscripts her into helping Ian get his brewery off the ground, she finds herself caught between a rock and a hard . . . muscular . . . man who has a fear of dogs. But the longer they work together, the more she can feel herself begin to thaw. Now she'll have to choose: let sleeping dogs lie to protect her heart, or mush head-on toward love.

Link to purchase the book

MY THOUGHTS:

Kelsey Porter is undeniably attracted to someone new in the small town of Helen, Alaska, and that is Ian Roth. However, there is a deal breaker right from the moment they meet - he does not like her dogs and he makes that apparently clear. Kelsey will not even deal with a man who doesn't see how special her adorable huskies are and how they are very important in her life.

Ian has his reasons for wanting to keep his distance from Kelsey's dogs, but that is certainly not easy since he wants her from the moment he sets eyes on her. Ian may be new in town, but he is there for the long haul as he and his business partner are in the process of opening a brewery. 

Kelsey is nonplussed when she finds herself working with Ian as he is getting his brewery running. Oh how attractive he is. Can she help Ian to accept her dogs, all while seeing where their attraction goes?

What's not to love in this second book in a delightful series? I loved the first book, Heart on a Leash, as well as the third book in this series, set for release in November, Love and Let Bark. Although I am unrepently a cat person, I have never been able to resist a book with dogs on the cover. This book, Paws and Prejudice, was a wonderful read.

One thing I'd love to mention about this book is Kelsey's "secret" job. As an avid reader I love when a character has a career that matches one of my interests. This part of Kelsey's life as it was written into the story made this book all that more enjoyable. 

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

Please enjoy the following excerpt:

PAWS AND PREJUDICE by Alanna Martin Berkley | On Sale June 29, 2021 Excerpt Kelsey Porter had always feared that the lies she told would one day come back to bite her in the ass. She'd just never expected the bite would come in the form of work she had no business doing for a man she wanted nothing to do with. But lies were cruel. They built on themselves-words turning into sentences and sentences into paragraphs, until Kelsey had written a novel of falsehoods about who she was and what she did for a living. So when her father volunteered her labor to Ian Roth, Kelsey was triply screwed. One, she wasn't about to confess that her alleged work experience was a lie. Two, she was already extremely busy. Three, and perhaps most important, Ian was a jerk who didn't deserve what little free time she had. Despite never having spoken to Ian, Kelsey was absolutely positive of number three. The man had shown zero interest in her dogs, and that spoke of a cold, unfeeling heart. Kelsey had tried convincing her father she was too busy to help Ian, but her reasoning had been brushed off as easily as the death glare she'd given him. That was no surprise. Kelsey's glare had a tendency to make people, particularly male people, want to pat her on the head and tell her how cute she was. Cherubic, even. Being taken seriously was hard when you were short. Add in her blond curls and blue eyes and it was damn near impossible. Her twin brother, Kevin, who shared her general appearance, at least had the advantage of being male. No one thought Kevin was cute when he scowled at them. And no question, her father wouldn't have volunteered Kevin to do unpaid labor. That was the sort of BS demanded only of women. Her father hadn't cared one bit that Kelsey had deadlines to meet and a house she was renovating. Making Ian happy had been more important to him. "You know I'm right," Kelsey said as she pointed out this last incontrovertible fact. Josh had the good sense not to argue, which was why he was her favorite cousin. "You're probably right, yes. But try not to be so negative. Ian doesn't know your situation. It's not his fault." So that was who the nagging Be nice voice in her head sounded like. She'd been telling it to shut up since her father had dropped this bomb on her yesterday, and Kelsey turned the full force of her glare on her cousin. It was a combination of displeased, dismissive, and disgusted that on another face might have been lethal. "Excuse me?" Like her father had, Josh ignored the glare. Freaking men. They had embarked on their semi-regular afternoon ritual, walking their combined six huskies around the park in downtown Helen. Kelsey had given Josh his three dogs when he moved here a couple of years ago, and they mingled with hers-Romeo, Juliet, and Puck-as they made a circuit around the park's perimeter. What a difference a few weeks made. Helen hadn't entirely shut down for the winter yet, but the number of tourists had so rapidly declined, it was like someone had shut off a spigot. The park, just a couple of weeks ago, had been a maze to navigate with six dogs, but now it was an easy stroll. That was good, because the chillier weather made Kelsey want to keep a faster pace even as she delighted in the scent of the wet grass and salty bay water. Anything smelled better than the drywall compound she'd been inhaling all morning. Well, almost anything. She was supposed to meet with Ian at his brewery in an hour, and Kelsey assumed the place would smell like beer. She hated beer. Even if she did have experience writing marketing materials, which she most certainly did not, she still would be the worst person in the world to help Ian. "I'm not saying it was cool of your father to volunteer you," Josh said as he attempted to detangle a couple of leashes. "But how long can it take you to write some stuff for the brewery's website?" "It's not only the website. It's also press releases, and a puff piece for the local paper. Maybe even a longer article to submit to some travel zines." "And that." Josh winced, and Kelsey hoped it was dawning on him why she was being so negative. Lies-spinning them for a living was called fiction. Living them was turning out to be a pain in the ass. Everyone in town, including Josh, believed Kelsey was a freelance writer, and they all had their own ideas as to what that meant. She'd never bothered to correct them, since it hadn't mattered. Until now. Kelsey hadn't the faintest clue what the website work might entail, but she did have an idea how much time it took to write for the Helen Weekly Herald, because she did it on occasion. It helped keep her cover and paid for the occasional new doggie toy, but she hated it. The only thing Kelsey enjoyed writing was novels. Steamy paranormal romance novels about a pack of husky shifters living in the Alaskan bush, to be 100 percent precise, because romance readers knew exactly what sort of stories they wanted, and Kelsey aimed to provide them for the ones who liked hers. It wasn't what she'd planned to do with her life, but she enjoyed it, was apparently good at it, and had gotten extremely lucky to be able to support herself with it. And there was no way in hell she could tell anyone in Helen about it. Thank goodness for pen names.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Growing up, Alanna Martin wanted to be an astronaut, a doctor, and an actor--possibly all at once. After nine years of studying psychology, she somehow became a writer instead. This turned out to be the best career choice of all because she can work in her pajamas while drinking wine. She firmly believes in the power of fluffy books, long walks in the woods, and that there's no such thing as too much coffee. Alanna Martin is available for interviews.

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BLOG TOUR - Pug Actually

Title:   Pug Actually

Author:  Matt Dunn

Publisher:  MIRA

Genre:   Romance

Format:  Kindle ARC

No. of Pages:   320

Date of Publication:   June 29, 2021

My Rating:   5 Stars

DESCRIPTION:

Doug’s human, Julie, has been adrift since she lost her mom (which is strange, because she’s usually pretty good with directions). Doug just wants Julie to be happy, and he doesn’t think she’s going to get there while she’s seeing her married boss, Luke. What’s worse, she’s saying if things don’t work out with Luke, she might end up like her lonely cat-lady neighbor. Horrified by the prospect of a sad Julie and untrustworthy feline companion, Doug decides it’s time for an intervention.

Despite his short legs and some communication roadblocks, Doug sets out on a quirky, sweet, and hilarious mission to find his rescuer the love she deserves. Though he doesn’t totally understand the strangeness of human relationships, he knows he can’t give up on Julie - after all, being a rescue dog works both ways…

BUY LINKS:

BookShop.org | Harlequin | Barnes & Noble
Amazon | Books-A-Million | Powell’s

MY THOUGHTS:

 

In this delighfully unusual story, Doug plans on Julie finding love. The thing is, Doug is a pug and Julie is his rescuer. Doug will do whatever possible to direct Julie to true love. In this story that is entirely told from Doug's point of view, he decides that her current relationship is doomed and Doug is about to change that. Enter Tom. Newly divorced, and as far as Doug is concerned, absolutely perfect for Julie. 

I am a diehard cat person, but the cover for this book was completely irresistible. I am so glad that I did read it because I fell in love with Doug. What is more is I loved the concept behind this story. Also, I love reading romance but generally read them from women. To read such a wonderful story written by a man really made my heart sing.

With Doug being our primary protoganist how could I not fall in love - with Doug and with this story? Doug was happy that Julie rescued him and he is determined to return the favor. What a fun journey that made me smile and warmed my heart.

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

Please enjoy the following excerpt:

According to Luke, he’s “about to leave the office.” Despite what he just said to whoever is on the receiving end of the furtive cell phone call he’s making, Luke’s actually sitting in his car right outside the house I share with my best friend Julie. Which proves he’s lying. It wouldn’t be the first time. Julie hasn’t heard his latest lie, of course. Her hearing isn’t as good as mine. She has heard the car pull up, waved to him, acknowledged his “on the phone” mime through the window, and left her front door ajar so she can return to the particularly gripping part of EastEnders we’ve been watching, where a mean-looking bald gentleman has just instructed the pasty-looking character he’s been threatening to beat up that he “ain’t worth it.” An appraisal that—if it referred to Luke—Julie and I would have wildly differing opinions about. I take the opportunity to sneak out through the open door, trot along the path, and sit just the other side of the garden gate, where I can eavesdrop on what’s sure to be the latest twist in a saga way more complicated than the television shenanigans in Albert Square. “Sure,” Luke says, after a moment, “Chinese or pizza?” which makes my mouth water, especially when he adds, “Chinese and pizza it is.” Then I’m brought sharply back to reality, because at his, “Love you, too, sweetie,” I realize he’s talking to his wife, and remember that not only is he a liar, but he’s a philanderer as well. Luke finishes the call and checks his hair in that reflective device stuck to the car windscreen that Julie only ever uses to help her apply her makeup when she’s driving, smells his breath in his cupped hand and peers up and down the street as if looking for someone. Then he climbs out of his car, walks a pace or two away from the curb, and swivels around quickly to click the vehicle shut with the remote, as if he’s firing a gun in the opening credits of a James Bond film. With a frown, he walks back up to the driver’s door and wipes a barely-visible smudge from the paintwork, then he takes a step backward and admires the vehicle—one of those sporty-looking coupes that, mechanically, is the same as the “family” model. Style over substance, as Julie’s dad would no doubt point out. Therefore pretty much the kind of car you’d expect Luke to drive. With a last check of his cell phone, he switches it off, slips it into his pocket, and strides confidently toward Julie’s gate, hesitating when he spots me waiting for him in the garden. “Doug,” he says. It’s an observation rather than a greeting, so I give him a look, reluctantly step to one side so he can get past, then tail him back toward the house, nipping in through the front door before him, just in case he tries to shut me outside. “Sweetie?” he shouts, as he regards me warily, and it occurs to me I rarely hear him call her “Julie”—a sensible tactic if you’re seeing multiple women, I imagine. “In here,” replies Julie, from the living room, and Luke strides along the hall, peering around the house like a potential burglar, though if I know him, there’s only one thing he’s interested in getting his hands on. I follow him into where Julie’s sitting expectantly on the sofa, taking up a defensive position at her feet as she switches off the TV. This is worrying: EastEnders isn’t over yet, and under normal circumstances, even if the house were falling down, she’d probably try and hang around, dodging falling masonry, until the end credits were rolling. Then again, as Luke’s all-too-regular off-hours presence here often reminds me, he and Julie aren’t exactly “normal” circumstances. “This is a pleasant surprise!” “Couldn’t stay away.” Luke collapse-sits onto the sofa next to her, then hoists his feet up onto the coffee table as if he owns the place. “You know me.” I exhale loudly as I take up a guard position beneath his legs: If she really knew Luke, I doubt she’d let him in the house, let alone on the sofa. It took me long enough before I was allowed to sit there. “Can I get you anything?” “Just this,” says Luke, leaning across to plant a wet one (as Julie’s dad describes the way I do it whenever anyone raises me to face level) on Julie’s lips, and I have to look away. I don’t know why, but I find this “kissing” thing Luke and Julie insist on doing unsettling—possibly because of the weird hum of pleasure he makes every time. “I was just passing. Realized how much I missed you.” “Passing?” says Julie, dejectedly, then she does a double take, and a look flashes across Luke’s face, and Julie’s expression mirrors it. Then I realize why he’s come round, and it shocks me so much it’s all I can do not to let out a disgusted bark. From what I can work out given his earlier phone call, he’s going to have a “quickie” with Julie, then calmly pick up takeout and bring it home to his wife. “Yeah.” Luke licks his lips, an action which makes me shudder. “I’m not interrupting any plans, am I?” he asks, though I’m pretty sure he already knows the answer to that question. Julie rarely has any plans. Mainly because—given Luke’s situation—she can’t make any. “No, just…” Julie nods at the TV. “Priya’s going to be here in a bit. Game of Thrones is on.” “Oh yes. The Dragon Lady.” He rolls his eyes, and I’m not sure whether he’s referring to a character from the program or Priya. Luke’s not her biggest fan. And the feeling is definitely mutual. “I can call her,” says Julie, already reaching for her phone. “Tell her to come later. We can watch it on DVR.” “Don’t worry. I can’t stay.” “Oh.” The disappointment in Julie’s voice is so obvious, Luke can’t help but give a little victory smile. “For long,” he adds, looking pointedly at his watch. “Oh,” says Julie, again, followed by another, but this time, an I-get-it one, which makes me suspect she’s “up for it,” as I’m sure Luke would probably describe her. It’s at that moment I decide I can’t just stand idly by and let him get away with this. So as Julie shimmies across the sofa to straddle him, and Luke reaches up and starts unbuttoning her blouse, I squeeze myself out from underneath his still-outstretched legs, leap up onto the sofa, and force my way between the two of them. “Doug!” Julie gives me a stern look. “Down!” I’m wishing I could say the same thing to Luke, but before I can decide what my next move’s going to be, he picks me up—rather ungently, it has to be said—and sets me back on the floor. “Yes Doug, down!” Luke sniffs his fingers, makes a face, then surreptitiously wipes his hands on a cushion, which irks me even more, particularly since I’ve already had my bath this month. “Now, where were we?” he says, reaching for Julie’s buttons a second time. As he busies himself with the contents of her blouse, he simultaneously blocks my route back up onto the sofa with his legs, and I fear I might be stymied, until I remember a tactic that Eddie, the Jack Russell star of the reruns of Frasier Julie and I love watching, often uses. I dart under the coffee table, leap up onto the armchair opposite the sofa, position myself in Luke’s direct eye line, and fix him with my most disapproving stare. After a moment my strategy works, because he opens his eyes midkiss (which is even creepier than the noises he makes), catches sight of me over Julie’s shoulder, and breaks away from her. “Something the matter?” asks Julie. Luke glares back at me. “It’s Doug.” “What about him?” “He’s staring at me.” “What?” Julie turns to look at me, so I hurriedly put on my best, most irresistible pug eyes, wrinkle my forehead to the maximum, then angle my head for good measure. “He’s not staring. He’s a pug. That’s just how it appears.” “It’s disconcerting.” “Well, just shut your eyes.” Julie leans down to kiss him again, and Luke does as instructed. But sure enough, a few seconds later, he half opens one of them, to find I’ve resumed my visual assault. “He’s doing it again.” “Luke…” Luke wriggles out from underneath her, sits upright, and places a cushion in his lap. “I’m sorry. I just can’t. Not with him…” Julie sighs, then she gets up from the sofa, picks me up and carries me through to the kitchen. “Sorry, Doug,” she says, depositing me on the floor by my bowl, before tipping some food into it, hurrying back into the living room, and shutting the door behind her. “Now, where were we?” I hear her say, perhaps a little impatiently, then everything goes quiet, so I pad over toward the door. It’s one of those opaque-paneled ones, so all I can see is the outline of the two of them cavorting. I sit down and fix my gaze on my best guess of where Luke’s face is, and stare as hard as I can at him through the frosted glass. And it seems to work, as it’s only around thirty seconds before Julie says, “What now?” “He’s still doing it.” “Pardon?” “Doug. Staring at me. Through the kitchen door.” “What, with his X-ray vision?” “You know what I mean.” Julie sighs in a way that demonstrates that it’s evident she doesn’t. “What do you want me to do. Put him outside?” “Would you?” I whimper at the prospect so plaintively that it’s only a matter of seconds before Julie opens the kitchen door, picks me up, and carries me over to the armchair. Though my victory is fleeting, as she heads straight back to the sofa, and resumes her straddling of a somewhat disgruntled-looking Luke. “Tell you what.” Julie walks her fingertips suggestively along the arm of the sofa. “Why don’t we take this into the bedroom?” Luke frowns, perhaps wondering whether Julie’s suggesting some light furniture removal, then the penny evidently drops. “Good idea,” he says. “Right. I’ll just nip into the bathroom, and you…” Julie nods in the general direction of the bedroom. I sit there innocently as she jumps up from the sofa and heads off along the hall. But the moment she shuts the bathroom door behind her, I leap down from the chair, sprint out of the living room, and—almost losing it on the sharp corner thanks to the combination of my short legs and Julie’s polished wooden laminate flooring—get to the bedroom ahead of him. And I’m already sitting defiantly on Julie’s bed by the time Luke appears in the doorway. “For fu…!” He narrows his eyes at me, then glances at his watch again, perhaps working out just how late he can get away with arriving home by blaming it on the length of the wait for the takeout. Then—and admittedly it’s the one flaw in my plan—he raises both eyebrows in a gotcha way, and shuts the bedroom door, trapping me inside. Hurriedly, I jump back down from the bed, run to the door, and place an ear against it. From what I can work out, Julie’s finished in the bathroom, and I hear Luke tell her that, actually, the sofa’s just fine with him. There’s a giggle (Julie), then the sound of a belt being undone, then silence, followed by some sounds that I’d rather not report. Aware that I’ve run out of options—and I’m not proud of myself—I begin to whine. And whine. Then I start to bark insistently, upping the volume every third-or-so bark, until finally there’s a frustrated-sounding “For crying out loud!” from Luke, quickly followed by footsteps, and a slightly-flushed-looking Julie opening the door. “What’s the matter, Doug?” she says, as she picks me up and carries me back into the living room. “How did you get yourself shut in there?” I glance pointedly over to where Luke is sitting on the sofa, adjusting his clothes while giving me what I believe is known as “the evil eye,” but Julie misses the inference. Luke sighs resignedly, in the manner of someone who’s realized he’s not going to get what he wants. “Right. Well…” He glances at his watch a third time, then hauls himself reluctantly up from the sofa. “I ought to…” “Don’t go.” Julie sets me gently back down on the floor, then takes a pace toward him. “We haven’t even…” “Yes. Well. Whose fault is that?” huffs Luke. He’s meant that it’s mine, but judging by the look on her face, Julie appears to have taken his last comment personally. “Sorry. No. You’re right,” she says, sulkily. “You get off home to your wife like a good boy!” As Luke swallows loudly, I snort as incredulously as I can. There’s only one good boy here, and (spoiler alert) it’s me. “Sweetie, don’t be like…” Julie shrugs off his attempt at a hug, and I brace myself for the inevitable. They’ve had this conversation—or rather, argument—several times before, and each time Luke tells Julie he just can’t leave his wife yet, I sense a little something die inside her. True to form, she’s got tears in her eyes, and though I’d like to rush over and comfort her, I stop myself. She needs to feel bad about Luke, and sometimes you have to be cruel to be kind. “Don’t ‘sweetie’ me!” she snaps. “You promised!” “And I will.” Luke perches on the arm of the sofa. “I told you, now’s not the right time. I just need to get all my ducks in a row, and…” He fires off finger pistols in rapid succession, and I can’t help but snort again. “But I understand,” he continues. “If you can’t wait, then perhaps we ought to…” “No, I didn’t mean…” Hurriedly, Julie takes his hand, as if she’s the one who should be apologizing. “I get that this is hard for you. Really, I do. But you can’t blame me for wanting us to be together?” She smiles down at him, a pleading expression on her face, and Luke kisses the back of her hand, as if bestowing some kind of papal blessing. Then he stands up and sighs dramatically as he takes her in his arms. “It’s what I want too,” he says. “But try and look at things from my point of view. I just want to do right by everyone, you know? You, me, and Sarah…” At the sound of Luke’s wife’s name, Julie winces, then she nods, though if you ask me, the only person Luke has ever intended to do right by is himself. “Okay,” she says, reluctantly. “So I’ll see you on Monday?” Luke looks shocked for a moment, as if there’s some important date he’s forgotten, then he lets out a short laugh. “You mean at work?” Julie nods again, and Luke grins like someone who knows he’s still in the driving seat—and not just of the showy coupe parked outside. “Right,” he says, patting his pockets to locate his car keys, his mind probably already on which pizza topping he’s going to choose. “Well, say hi to Priya for me.” “Sure,” says Julie, though all three of us know she won’t, unless she wants a lecture. “I’ll see myself out,” Luke says, and even though that’s probably directed at me, I still make sure to escort him off the premises. I wouldn’t want him to take anything. Especially advantage of Julie. Though my fear is, that’s exactly what he’s doing. Excerpted from Pug Actually by Matt Dunn, Copyright © 2021 by Matthew Dunn. Published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Matt Dunn's romantic comedy novels include Th     e Ex-Boyfriend's Handbook (shortlisted for the Romantic Novel of the Year Award and the Melissa Nathan Award for Comedy Romance), A Day at the Office (an Amazon #1 bestseller across several categories), Thirteen Dates (shortlisted for the Romantic Comedy of the Year Award), and Kindle #1 Bestseller At The Wedding. He's also written about life and love for The Times, Guardian, Glamour, Cosmopolitan, Company, Elle, and The Sun.

Social Links:
Author Website
Twitter: @MattDunnWrites
Goodreads

BLOG TOUR - The Guilty Wife

DESCRIPTION:

At a luxury resort in the Maldives, two newlywed couples are on honeymoon. On the surface, they seem to have it all. But behind the filtered photos and fake smiles is the truth…

Tansy isn’t really in love. Daniel is trying to escape the biggest mistake of his life. Nikki’s past is catching up with her. Arne’s heart is about to be broken.

They all have secrets. And before the honeymoon is over, their happiness will be shattered.

Because one of them is going to die…

This dark, addictive thriller will have you gripped until the final, shocking twist. Fans of Behind Closed Doors, The Guest List and The Wife Between Us will be hooked by the latest page-turner from US top five bestseller Alison James.

(*Previously titled: Happily Ever After)

BUY LINKS:
Amazon: https://geni.us/B091J994DRsocial
Apple: http://ow.ly/pDB150EhI0M
Kobo: http://ow.ly/CFL950EhHUM
Google: http://ow.ly/5kzA50EjsVg

MY THOUGHTS:

 

Title:   The Guilty Wife

Author:  Alison James

Publisher:  Bookoture

Genre:   Psychological Thriller

Format:  Kindle ARC

No. of Pages:   331

Date of Publication:   June 22, 2021

My Rating:   4 Stars

Pippa Bryant's wedding is about to take place. Howevere, she decides that she does not want to go through with it. She turns to Alastair and calls the entire thing off. Howevere, they have put thousands of pounds into a gorgeous honeymoon and she is not about to let that go to waste. When she gets to the Maldives, she meets a few people. They include two honeymooning couples - one unabashedly in love and the other couple who are clearly not on the same page. Pippa also meets James Cardle and he is at the resort alone.

Someone is about to die. Which honeymooner is found dead? Why? And how does what happened ultimately affect Pippa? When screams let out, Pippa and Cardle are among the people who rush to the source of something that is certainly very wrong. Pippa and Cardle had been having a drink and at some point earlier Pippa discovered that Cardle is a private investigator.

So, Pippa heads back home. However, she soon runs into Cardle and before long, she begins working for him, especially as they both seem tied to the murder that occurred, although for veery different reasons. 

While this psychological thriller reminded me at times of a cozy mystery, I loved the fact that Pippa and Cardle worked well together and all of the various locations they traveled to during their investigation. There were some interesting side stories that moved at an excellent pace. This thrilling story was utterly captivating and surprising at times, making it impossible for me to even come close to guessing who the murderer was. I loved this exciting story by Alison James and cannot wait to see what she next has to offer. 

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

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Born in the Cotswolds, Alison spent most of her formative years abroad. She studied languages at Oxford, then became a journalist and author, returning to university after her two children to take a law degree. After a three-year stint as a criminal paralegal, Alison worked as a commercial copywriter and then a TV storyliner, before coming full circle to write fiction again.

Author Social Media Links:
Website: n/a
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alison.james.90226628
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AlisonJbooks

BLOG TOUR - A Mother's Lie

DESCRIPTION:

My darling child… all I’ve ever yearned for. But how do I keep you safe?

When Ali retreats to her seaside cottage, all she wants is to be alone. To reconnect with a place that has always felt like home until her baby is born.

But then her life collides with the people living in the house next door, Michael and Meg, and she is immediately welcomed into their perfect life with their beautiful baby Jem. As they help her prepare for her own arrival, Ali knows she has made the right choice for her baby in returning to Seashine Cottage.

When Michael leaves suddenly for a work trip, and Meg impulsively invites Ali to move in, it becomes clear things aren’t as perfect as they first seemed.

Meg is holding on to a dark secret. And as her behaviour becomes ever more erratic – leaning on Ali for increasing amounts of help – while Michael shows no signs of returning, Ali begins to worry.

Does she need to protect herself and her unborn child from the new friend she thought would help keep her safe? And what about her own devastating secret… the one she’s been running from?

From the bestselling author of Who We Were Before comes an unputdownable and heartbreaking read about how far we will go to protect those we love the most. Perfect for fans of The Silent Daughter, Diane Chamberlain and Kerry Lonsdale.

BUY LINKS:
Amazon: https://geni.us/B093QCQ75Gcover
Apple: http://ow.ly/TE5n50EABLj
Kobo: http://ow.ly/LucL50EABJK
Google: http://ow.ly/BvTl50EAD9p

Audible:
UK: zpr.io/R2Ak9
US: zpr.io/R2Ak8

https://soundcloud.com/bookouture/safe-from-harm-by-leah-mercer-narrated-by-karen-cass

MY THOUGHTS:

Title:  A Mother's Lie

Author:  Leah Mercer

Publisher:  Bookouture

Genre:   Women's Fiction

Format:  Kindle ARC

No. of Pages:   253

Date of Publication:  June 24, 2021 

My Rating:   5 Stars

Ali knew love. She knew joy. She knew contentment. However, Ali's life fell completely apart when her husband Jon coldly told her that he did not want their baby. Ali felt like she was drowning. Being washed away at sea. She feels to keep herself and her baby safe that she must leave, to go to her grandmother's cottage. Maybe after some time apart Jon will change his mind. If not, Ali will make it on her own. 

It is a difficult move to be sure. The cottage is falling apart. It has been at least ten years since Ali set foot in the cottage. But, she has time and she will use the time to make the place as livable, as beautiful, as possible. Her time is made a bit easier when she befriends new neighbors Meg and Michael, especially Meg. They have a beautiful baby girl named Jem and from Ali's point of view they are living an idyllic life.

In a parallel story from a short time before, the story is told from Violet's point of view. Violet was Ali's grandmother and passed away a year ago. Violet lived at the cottage alone and the reasons she has chosen to live at the broken down cottage are those of grief and sadness.

A Mother's Lie is the touching story of three women - Ali, Violet and Meg. Each of them is holding a secret close to their hearts and how these women become tied together is for the reader to see as this story is developed. 

This is a story of friendship and courage. However, it is far more than that. In fact, it touches of a few subjects that are rather deep, but since they are explored later in the story, I don't want to give spoilers. I was fully immersed in this story as the drama each woman was living played out. For an amazing story that will grab the reader and not let go, whether it is due to heartache, pain and sadness that shift to bonds of friendship, strength, courage and hope, then A Mother's Lie  is the perfect book to read. 

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

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Leah Mercer was born in Halifax, Nova Scotia, on the east coast of Canada. Her first ambition was to be a journalist, but after completing a master's in journalism, she soon realised she preferred anything other than reporting the news. After trying her hand at public relations, teaching and recruitment in various countries around the world, she finally settled in London and returned to writing... fiction, this time. Her first two novels, Who We Were Before and The Man I Thought You Were, were shortlisted at the UK's Romantic Novelists' Association Awards. Leah loves books, running and visiting historic houses with her husband and their son.

Social Media

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/LeahMercerBooks

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

Website: www.leahmercer.com

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15251225.Leah_Mercer

BLOG TOUR - Lady Sunshine

DESCRIPTION:

ONE ICONIC FAMILY. ONE SUMMER OF SECRETS. THE DAZZLING SPIRIT OF 1970S CALIFORNIA.

For Jackie Pierce, everything changed the summer of 1979, when she spent three months of infinite freedom at her bohemian uncle’s sprawling estate on the California coast. As musicians, artists, and free spirits gathered at The Sandcastle for the season in pursuit of inspiration and communal living, Jackie and her cousin Willa fell into a fast friendship, testing their limits along the rocky beach and in the wild woods... until the summer abruptly ended in tragedy, and Willa silently slipped away into the night.

Twenty years later, Jackie unexpectedly inherits The Sandcastle and returns to the iconic estate for a short visit to ready it for sale. But she reluctantly extends her stay when she learns that, before her death, her estranged aunt had promised an up-and-coming producer he could record a tribute album to her late uncle at the property’s studio. As her musical guests bring the place to life again with their sun-drenched beach days and late-night bonfires, Jackie begins to notice startling parallels to that summer long ago. And when a piece of the past resurfaces and sparks new questions about Willa’s disappearance, Jackie must discover if the dark secret she’s kept ever since is even the truth at all.


BUY LINKS:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop Powell’s
Broadway Books | Libro.fm Books-A-Million | Target

Walmart | Indigo | Kobo AppleBooks | Google Play

MY THOUGHTS:

 

Title:   Lady Sunshine

Author:  Amy Mason Doan

Publisher:  Graydon House

Genre:   Women's Fiction

Format:  Kindle ARC

No. of Pages:   368

Date of Publication:   June 29, 2021

My Rating:   5 Stars

Compelling drama, love of music and literary license all complement one another in this touching story that will stay with me for a long while. Two cousins, together for the first time one summer in 1979 soon become inseperable. Willow's father is a musician and Jackie is spending the summer with their family. Something changed all of that.

It is now twenty years later and Jackie has inherited her uncle's secluded estate in California, called The Sandcastle. It is her intent to pack it up and sell it. That idyllic summer Jackie enjoyed was met with tragedy and she now hopes to deal with this situation as soon as possible. However, her aunt had one request before she recently died. Shane is a music producer who Jackie's aunt instructed to make a tribute album of Jackie's uncle's music.

Jackie just wants to get back home to Boston, her boyfriend and her students. However, her stay becomes extended as events of the past begin to collide with what is going on in 1999. The story shifts and is partly narrated during that long ago summer and readers are treated to the wonderful and freeing relationship the girls had, and slowly, it is revealed as to what split them apart. 

Lady Sunshine started off a bit slow for me. However, I soon became engrossed in the story as there were multiple layers as well as sentimentality when it came to the lifestyle and music back in the 70s. As I was a 60s baby, I really was not swept up in the scene and music that was portrayed in this story. However, it was told so well that I felt like I was there - whether it was during the time the two girls were close, or decades later with the various musicians contributing to the album, or seeing how and why Jackie's life changed back then and, more significantly, how it began to change even more after her return to California. 

There was an ethereal vibe to this story which culminated in a surprising and satisfyiing conclusion. Please note the acknowledgements and story behind Lady Sunshine at the back of the book. More about 70s music is noted as well as a Spotify playlist I am eager to listen to.

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

Please enjoy the following excerpt:

1 A Girl, Her Cousin, and a Waterfall 1999 I rattle the padlock on the gate, strum my fingers along the cold chain-link fence. I own this place. Maybe if I repeat it often enough I’ll believe it. All along the base of the fence are tributes: shells, notes, sketches, bunches of flowers. Some still fresh, some so old the petals are crisp as parchment. I follow the fence uphill, along the coast side, and stop at a wooden, waist-high sign marking the path up to the waterfall. It wasn’t here the summer I visited. The sign is covered in words and drawings, so tattooed-over by fan messages that you can barely read the official one. I run my fingertips over the engravings: initials, peace symbols, Thank you’s, I Love You’s. Fragments of favorite lyrics. After coming so far to visit the legendary estate, people need to do something, leave their mark, if only with a rock on fog-softened wood. Song titles from my uncle’s final album, Three, are carved everywhere. “Heart, Home, Hope.” “Leaf, Shell, Raindrop.” “Angel, Lion, Willow.” Someone has etched that last one in symbols instead of words. The angel refers to Angela, my aunt. The lion is my uncle Graham. And the willow tree. Willa, my cousin. I have a pointy metal travel nail file in my suitcase; I could add my message to the rest, my own tribute to this place, to the Kingstons. To try to explain what happened the summer I spent here. I could tell it like one of the campfire tales I used to spin for Willa. This is the story of a girl, her cousin, and a waterfall… But there’s no time for that, not with only seven days to clear the house for sale. Back at the gate, where Toby’s asleep in his cat carrier in the shade, I dig in my overnight bag for the keys. They came in a FedEx with a fat stack of documents I must’ve read on the plane from Boston a dozen times—thousands of words, all dressed up in legal jargon. When it’s so simple, really. Everything inside that fence is mine now, whether I want it or not. I unlock the gate, lift the metal shackle, and walk uphill to the highest point, where the gravel widens into a parking lot, then fades away into grass. The field opens out below me just like I remember. We called it “the bowl,” because of the way the edges curve up all around it. A golden bowl scooped into the hills, rimmed on three sides by dark green woods. The house, a quarter mile ahead of me at the top of the far slope, is a pale smudge in the fir trees. I stop to take it in, this piece of land I now own. The Sandcastle, everyone called it. Without the neighbors’ goats and Graham’s guests to keep the grass down, the field has grown wild, many of the yellow weeds high as my belly button. Willa stood here with me once and showed me how from this angle the estate resembled a sun. The kind a child would draw, with a happy face inside. Once I saw it, it was impossible to un-see: The round, straw-colored field, trails squiggling off to the woods in every direction, like rays. The left eye—the campfire circle. The right eye—the blue aboveground pool. The nose was the vertical line of picnic benches in the middle of the circle that served as our communal outdoor dining table. The smile was the curving line of parked cars and motorcycles and campers. All that’s gone now, save for the pool, which is squinting, collapsed, moldy green instead of its old bright blue. I should go back for my bag and Toby but I can’t resist—I move on, down to the center of the field. Far to my right in the woods, the brown roofline of the biggest A-frame cabin, Kingfisher, pokes through the firs. But no other cabins are visible, the foliage is so thick now. Good. Each alteration from the place of my memories gives me confidence. I can handle this for a week. One peaceful, private week to box things up and send them away. “Sure you don’t want me to come help?” Paul had asked when he dropped me at the airport this morning. “We could squeeze in a romantic weekend somewhere. I’ve always wanted to go to San Francisco.” “You have summer school classes, remember? Anyway, it’ll be totally boring, believe me.” I’d told him—earnest, sweet Paul, who all the sixth-graders at the elementary school where we work hope they get as their teacher and who wants to marry me—that the trip was no big deal. That I’d be away for a week because my aunt in California passed away. That I barely knew her and just had to help pack up her old place to get it ready for sale. He believed me. I didn’t tell him that the “old place” is a stunning, sprawling property perched over the Pacific, studded with cabins and outbuildings and a legendary basement recording studio. That the land bubbles with natural hot springs and creeks and waterfalls. Or that I’ve inherited it. All of it. The fields, the woods, the house, the studio. And my uncle’s music catalog. I didn’t tell him that I visited here once as a teenager, or that for a little while, a long time ago, I was sure I’d stay forever. Excerpted from Lady Sunshine @ 2021 by Amy Mason Doan, used with permission by Graydon House.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

AMY MASON DOAN is the author of The Summer List and Summer Hours. She earned a BA in English from UC Berkeley and an MA in journalism from Stanford University, and has written for The Oregonian, San Francisco Chronicle, and Forbes, among other publications. She grew up in Danville, California, and now lives in Portland, Oregon, with her husband and daughter.

Social Links:
Website: https://amymasondoan.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amymasondoanauthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AmyLDoan
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amymasondoan
Pintrest: https://www.pinterest.com/amydoanla/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16722065.Amy_Mason_Doan
Mailing List: https://amymasondoan.com/contact/

Review - The Marriage

Title:  The Marriage

Author:  K. L. Slater

Publisher:  Bookouture

Genre:   Psychological Thriller

Format:  Kindle ARC

No. of Pages:   356

Date of Publication:   May 20, 2021

My Rating:   5 Stars

DESCRIPTION:

Ten years ago he killed my son. Today I married him.

Ten years ago my darling son Jesse was murdered and our perfect family was destroyed. My strong, handsome boy, so full of life, became a memory, a photo I carried with me everywhere.

But today I’m finally close to finding happiness again. My ash-blonde hair has been curled into ringlets. Carefully placed white flowers frame my delicate features. The small, drab chapel has been prettied up with white satin, and there are tiny red hearts scattered on the small table where I will soon sign the register with my new husband.

The man who killed my son.

My friends and family can’t understand it. My neighbours whisper in the street whenever I walk past. How can I love a man like Tom?

They don’t really know me at all…

The most unputdownable psychological thriller you’ll read this year from the bestselling author K.L. Slater. If you love The Wife Between Us or Gone Girl, you’ll be totally hooked on The Marriage.

Link to purchase the book

MY THOUGHTS:

He killed her son. She is definitely old enough to be his mother. She is about to marry him. Yeah, an irresistibly shocking premise. Tom was Bridget's son Jesse's best friend. While the boys were growing up, Bridget was like a second mother to Tom. Why did Tom kill Jesse? And what could possibly lead to Bridget and Tom marrying?

During the years that Tom served his prison sentence certain things were in play. For one thing he began writing letters to Bridget begging her forgiveness - letters she never read. What is more is that the prison offered a restorative justice program that both Tom and Bridget joined. The program gave Tom and Bridget a chance to talk frequently. The pair fell in love and married when the opportunity presented itself.

Not only was this shocking - and unbelievable - as far as the two people that mattered most - Tom and Bridget - their love was real. However, as suspected, there were people who despised this situation and it is the actions of these people that turned this domestic drama into a true psychological thriller. Who were the other players in this story and how did they have an impact on Tom and Bridget's new life as a married couple?

I loved this book by K. L. Slater! I just HAD to see whether Bridget and Tom's love was real, who was behind the drama in the story and how the other characters played into the shocking twists. The Marriage was another fabulous book that I most definitely recommend.

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

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

For many years, Kim sent her work out to literary agents but never made it off the slush pile. At the age of 40 she went back to Nottingham Trent University and now has an MA in Creative Writing.

Before graduating, she received five offers of representation from London literary agents which was, as Kim says, ‘a fairytale … at the end of a very long road!’

Kim is a full-time writer and lives in Nottingham with her husband, Mac.

https://klslaterauthor.com/
https://www.facebook.com/KimLSlaterAuthor/
https://twitter.com/KimLSlater