* Review * BEATING THE WRAP by Julie Anne Lindsey

November 15, 2021 Leave a Comment

I voluntarily read an early copy of this book.

* Review * BEATING THE WRAP by Julie Anne LindseyBeating the Wrap by Julie Anne Lindsey
Series: Bonnie & Clyde Mysteries #3
Published by Cozy Queen Publishing LLC on November 15, 2021
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four-half-stars

Bonnie Balfour adores the changing seasons, fabulous fall activities and holiday hoopla, but will a corpse on the porch squash her holiday plans?

Thanksgiving is right around the corner in historic Bliss, Georgia, and Bonnie is trimming display tables at Bless Her Heart, especially for the occasion. A Gift of Gratitude display, beside the front door of her second chance dress shop, encourages shoppers to leave messages of good tidings for neighbors and friends. Unfortunately, someone has left a cornucopia of complaints instead.

And they’re all about Bonnie!

When the scrooge turns out to be a neighbor, fed up with Clyde’s habitual petty theft and trespassing, Bonnie’s claws come out in defense of her kitty. The heated exchange leaves a bad taste in Bonnie’s mouth, but the man turns up dead before she can dish out a proper apology.

Determined to see justice served, Bonnie and Clyde dig into the case with gusto, only to land in hot water with the handsome Sheriff Wright. A series of anonymous attacks soon have the town wondering if Bonnie can find the killer before it’s time to cut the turkey. Or if she’ll be the next one on his carving board.

 

This cozy and quaint small town is chock full of mystery and mayhem once again when another murderer strikes too close for comfort to Bonnie and her adorable sidekick Clyde. Luck doesn’t seem to be on Bonnie’s side as time and again she’s neck deep into a murder investigation … the only good thing is that it brings the sexy new sheriff knocking more often.

I highly recommend this book as well as the entire series to anyone who enjoys a sassy mystery in a small town setting with lots of laughs and adorableness along the way.

four-half-stars
Filed Under: Book Reviews

* Review * MASTER CHEF by Golden Angel

November 15, 2021 Leave a Comment

I voluntarily read an early copy of this book.

* Review * MASTER CHEF by Golden AngelMaster Chef by Golden Angel
Series: Masters of Marquis #2
Published by Golden Angel LLC on November 11, 2021
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four-stars

Nick has mastered the kitchen, but not Avery's heart. Can he throw out his preconceptions and find a new recipe to earn her sweet submission?

Sous chef Avery Kzmarscki is the hottest thing in Nick Davis's kitchen, and she's playing hard-to-get. As Executive Chef of Marquis, Nick is confident in his cooking skills and his working relationship with Avery, but when it comes to being a Dom and earning Avery's trust outside of the restaurant, he's got some interesting ideas and a lot to figure out.

While Nick is learning the ropes in a Dominants class, Avery is making some plans of her own. And once Nick discovers that Avery's dream will cost him their sizzling kitchen partnership, will it matter to either of them if he's finally worthy to master her experienced submission in the club?

 

Unbridled passion is interfering with the workplace! In the second book in Golden Angel’s Masters of Marquis series we are heating things up between chef Nick and sous chef Avery in MASTER CHEF. The characters are fun to get to know and the sexual tension is off the charts. I enjoyed their story.

Nick is fulfilled in his job as executive chef at Marquis, but he’s having trouble keeping his attraction for his sous chef under wraps. When he finds out her sexual preferences, he lets him be talked into taking a beginner dominant class … and finds out he enjoys it more than he expected!

Avery is a sweetheart, but she’s not so sure about mixing business with pleasure … but Nick is too much temptation to resist.

I recommend this book as well as the entire series to anyone who enjoys their romance mixed with some exciting BDSM as various couples settle into life together surrounded by Marquis.

four-stars
Filed Under: Book Reviews

* Review * THE SILENT DOLLS by Rita Herron

November 15, 2021 Leave a Comment
* Review * THE SILENT DOLLS by Rita HerronThe Silent Dolls Series: Detective Ellie Reeves #1
Published by Bookouture on July 17, 2020
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five-stars

Silent tears trickle down her cheeks as she curls inside the tiny cave-like space. She lies on her side, darkness all around her, rubbing her fingers over the little wooden doll he’d carved. He told her to be quiet, not to cry or scream. Not to be a baby. Her throat was raw, her eyes swollen shut. She wanted her mommy and daddy. She wanted to go home.

When Penny Matthews, a seven-year-old girl with blonde curls and a gap-toothed smile, goes missing in the Appalachian mountains, Detective Ellie Reeves is called straight to the scene. All that’s left behind is a pink friendship bracelet etched with “Penny”.

Thanks to her own childhood––which keeps her up at night, tossing and turning––Ellie knows all too well that the endless miles of dark forest and winding rivers are the perfect place for a criminal to hide, and a little girl doesn’t stand a chance. Racing against a brutal winter storm on the horizon, she searches desperately for Penny.

But when she discovers the remains of a small body, hidden by fallen leaves and wildflowers, the breath is knocked out of her. The old bones, and the carved wooden doll they’re buried with, have clearly been there for years. Ellie fears she’s up against a serial killer who has been stalking the mountains for decades, preying on children.

When Ellie spots tiny footprints near the unearthed grave, she’s certain they belong to Penny. As she begins to untangle the truth, she realizes the monster they’re looking for is connected to her own dark past. To save the little girl she needs to confront her own demons. Can she face her greatest fear before the twisted killer claims another helpless victim?

 

Heart racing suspense filled with small town connections, dangerous liaisons and life changing secrets. I did not want to put it down from start to finish!

Detective Ellie Reeves is an intriguing character who at first simply seems like a small town cop looking to solve a missing girl case but quickly turns into so much more as the depth of her characterization takes a turn when secrets from her past are revealed and the support system she has always relied on around her begins to take on a tainted view.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a serial killer story with a lot of mystery as well as a current storyline playing out at the same time that the hunt for a killer is on. I’m looking forward to more in the series for sure.

five-stars
Filed Under: Book Reviews

* Review * BLAME IT ON THE EGGNOG by Jami Davenport

November 15, 2021 Leave a Comment
* Review * BLAME IT ON THE EGGNOG by Jami DavenportBlame It on the Eggnog by Jami Davenport
Series: Romancing the Rink #3
Published by Cedrona Enterprises on November 9, 2021
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four-half-stars

Jacques:
I'm a single father, and I've had all the change I can handle: Retirement from the sport I love, a crazy ex-wife in prison, and five kids who need me more than ever. I don't have time for a relationship, let alone one with the interfering mother of the best player on the hockey team I'm coaching. She’s annoying as hell, but she’s also equally on my mind.

Serenity:
I'm a hockey mom and proud of it. I'm also the oveprotective mother of a talented daughter hell-bent on playing with the boys. I'm determined that my daughter gets a shot at her dream despite her gender, even if it means butting heads with the team's rigid and hot AF coach. I have no intention in falling for this brooding man with a houseful of children, but sometimes life doesn't stick to the plan.

We wanted to blame it on the eggnog, but there's no denying our chemistry. Can two single parents find love and healing in the magic of a Garland Grove Christmas, or will our complicated lives ruin the best thing that's ever happened to us?

 

This sexy connection is sure to please! Jami Davenport delivers the story her Seattle Sockeye fans have been looking forward to as the third book in the Romancing the Rink series. BLAME IT ON THE EGGNOG brings love to retired hockey goalie Jock Frontier and it’s delightful. I would have liked the relationship to have been developed more, but I enjoyed seeing them kick off time together.

I recommend this series to anyone who enjoys a small town romance with a strong town connection, a hint of skating magic around an ice rink at Christmas and a happily ever after with lots of sizzle.

four-half-stars
Filed Under: Book Reviews

* Release Blitz/Review * THE TRAILBLAZER by Gina Azzi

November 11, 2021 Leave a Comment

I voluntarily read an early copy of this book.

* Release Blitz/Review * THE TRAILBLAZER by Gina AzziThe Trailblazer by Gina Azzi
Series: Boston Hawks Hockey #7
Published by Three Cities Publishing LLC on November 11, 2021
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four-half-stars

I always knew I’d marry my first everything, Declan Yaeger, the Southern boy with Irish roots. That was before he became my first heartbreak, a NHL superstar with a playboy reputation I no longer recognize.

The summer he left our small, Tennessee town, to pursue his hockey dream is the summer my life changed. That was seven years ago, before he became a defenseman for the Boston Hawks. Before I became a hardened, desperate woman, trying to survive.

To protect my grandfather's legacy, I agree to marry my oldest childhood friend, Henry. But when I enter the Church on my wedding day, the grey eyes piercing mine aren’t my fiancé’s.

They’re Declan’s, the last person I expect to show up with an offer of his own. One I can’t refuse even though my heart should know better than to accept.

Will my marriage to Declan heal the broken between us? Or are we destined to repeat the mistakes of our past?

 

A high intensity, emotional reunion! Gina Azzi is knocking it out of the park time and time again with her Boston Hawks Hockey series and I just can’t get enough. The seventh book in the series THE TRAILBLAZER brings a reunion of first loves when Declan sweeps in to save the day for Vivi and all of those old feelings for his first love come flooding back.

Declan is successful and accomplished in his hockey world and doesn’t even realize he’s missing a defining part of his life until he reconnects with the one that got away.

Genevieve never expects the love of her life to come roaring back in just when she needs him most. She still holds a grudge for the way things ended, but there are aspects that Dec doesn’t even know about.

I highly recommend this book as well as the entire series to anyone who enjoys a close knit hockey team who are there to support each other as each guy finds “the one”.

 

 

 

 

Title: The Trailblazer
Series: Boston Hawks Hockey #7
Author: Gina Azzi
Genre: Contemporary Sports Romance
Release Date: November 11, 2021

 

BLURB

 

I always knew I’d marry my first everything, Declan Yaeger, the Southern boy with Irish roots. That was before he became my first heartbreak, a NHL superstar with a playboy reputation I no longer recognize.

 

The summer he left our small, Tennessee town, to pursue his hockey dream is the summer my life changed. That was seven years ago, before he became a defenseman for the Boston Hawks. Before I became fixated on my career, losing pieces of myself along the way.
To protect my grandfather’s legacy, I agree to marry my oldest childhood friend, Henry. But when I enter the Church on my wedding day, the grey eyes piercing mine aren’t my fiancé’s.
They’re Declan’s, the last person I expect to show up with an offer of his own. One I can’t refuse even though my heart should know better than to accept.

 

Will my marriage to Declan heal the broken between us? Or are we destined to repeat the mistakes of our past?

 

 

PURCHASE LINKS
AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU
B&N / KOBO / APPLE BOOKS
GOOGLE PLAY

 

EXCERPT

 

“You may kiss the bride,” Father Ward announces after Declan and I exchange the rings that Mrs. Cleary delivered to the church upon hearing the news.

 

Declan’s hands find my waist and I suck in a breath, already dizzy from the rows of people staring at us, straining to catch a glimpse of our union, one built on past hurts and future hopes.
The corner of Declan’s mouth quirks up. His eyes blaze, not with the confusion of earlier, but with a yearning I feel bone-deep. His lips part, my chin tips upward, and so slowly I can hear the pounding of my heart, we move. We lean toward each other, pulled by an invisible tug that always existed between us.
“Vivi,” he breathes out, his words feathering over my lips. Then, his mouth is on mine, and I’m transported to the past.
I kiss Declan to secure our marriage in front of our town. But his lips won’t caress mine after this. His kiss is too dangerous, too potent. It has the power to make me believe in things I know aren’t true. Like love and futures, like white houses on hills and baby giggles. Like all the plans we once dreamed up, when we were young and in love and so sweetly naïve.
But for right now, this one moment…
I close my eyes, I part my mouth, and I kiss Declan Yaeger the same way I did when I was twelve. With hope and heart and heat.

 

 

ALSO AVAILABLE

 

AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU
B&N / KOBO / APPLE BOOKS
GOOGLE PLAY

 

COMING SOON
Releasing January 6
AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU
B&N / KOBO / APPLE BOOKS
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Releasing March 3
AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU
B&N / KOBO / APPLE BOOKS
GOOGLE PLAY

 

AUTHOR BIO

 

Gina Azzi writes emotional and captivating contemporary romance novels with heart-warming happily-ever-afters. She is the author of Boston Hawks Hockey, Second Chance Chicago Series, The Kane Brothers Series, Finding Love in Scotland Series, The College Pact Series, and Corner of Ocean and Bay. All of her books can be read as stand-alones.

 

A Jersey girl at heart, Gina has spent her twenties traveling the world, living and working abroad, before settling down in Ontario, Canada with her husband and three children. She’s a voracious reader, daydreamer, and coffee enthusiast who loves meeting new people. Say hey to her on social media or through www.ginaazzi.com.

 

AUTHOR LINKS
four-half-stars
Filed Under: Blog Tour, Book Reviews

* Review * SHAKEDOWN by Lani Lynn Vale

November 10, 2021 Leave a Comment

I voluntarily read an early copy of this book.

* Review * SHAKEDOWN by Lani Lynn ValeShakedown by Lani Lynn Vale
Series: Souls Chapel Revenants MC #8
on November 9, 2021
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four-half-stars

Wanted: someone to hand feed me Doritos so my hands don’t get orange. No weirdos.

Belle Pena was an editor. Not a writer.

When her brothers challenge her to create a dating profile, she makes up the most random biography she can think of. She never, not ever, thought she’d find anybody to respond. But she was sorely mistaken.

Sadly, she finds that she has way more interest than she ever could’ve imagined.

But only one profile catches her eye.

Bruno never meant to take the dating app seriously. Being the last single man in his band of misfits, he’s happy being the odd man out. Women spelled trouble, and he had enough trouble in his life to last him through the next decade.

Only his newfound family doesn’t feel the same. One innocent ‘sure’ has the women of the Souls Chapel Revenants MC creating him a dating profile that is too spot on to be comfortable. And just when he decides to delete the app entirely, a particular face catches his eye.

One innocent question of ‘Belle is that you? Do you remember punching me in the throat in high school?’ has him stepping into trouble neck deep, and he doesn’t even realize it until it’s too late.

 

Bruno is all we ever wanted and more! With the final book in Lani Lynn Vale’s highly addictive Souls Chapel Revenants MC series SHAKEDOWN brings love to Bruno and rounds out the circle of misfits that became a family throughout the series.

Belle is sweet, snarky and the best friend type you never knew you wanted. She fits right in with that crazy fun family of hers and it was so satisfying to see them all again.

Bruno hasn’t had an easy life, but he knows a good thing when he sees it and is happy to sweet Belle off her feet and become her man.

I highly recommend this book and the entire series to anyone who enjoys a close knit group of unlikely friends who come together and make pure magic in everything they do to make the world a better place. I enjoyed the series a lot.

four-half-stars
Filed Under: Book Reviews

* Review * MAYBE WE SHOULD by Melissa Foster

November 10, 2021 Leave a Comment
* Review * MAYBE WE SHOULD by Melissa FosterMaybe We Should by Melissa Foster
Series: Silver Harbor #2
Published by Montlake on November 2, 2021
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five-stars

After spending years wondering who she was, tattoo artist Cait Weatherby finally found her answers on the sandy shores of Silver Island. With two half sisters she never knew existed, a group of friends she adores, and a devastatingly charming admirer who flirts with her at every turn, she’s ready to figure out her next steps. The trouble is, Cait lives in the shadows of a dark past, and she can’t afford complications that might cause her to lose the family she’s only just found—complications like blue-eyed boatbuilder Brant Remington, who is as open as she is guarded. If only the sexy charmer would take the hint…

Brant is Cait’s opposite in every way, but he’s drawn to everything about the sexy newcomer—from the quiet strength that rivals the caution in her mossy-green eyes to her tough facade that he can’t wait to strip away.

As Brant works his magic, Cait’s walls come down. But as sweet as that feels, Cait knows how quickly good things can turn bad. It’s going to take more than a little trust to beat the ghosts of her past and claim the future they both deserve.

 

Sassy, sweet and sexily addicting! Melissa Foster is a sure thing if you are looking for a close knit group of family and friends who love hard and live life fully. With the second book in the Silver Harbor series MAYBE WE SHOULD brings Cait Weatherby’s story to life and delivers an emotional journey towards healing and love. I couldn’t have loved a couple more than Cait and Brant.

I was quickly hooked on Cait’s story as we learn about her newly found family and the life she left behind so many years ago. She’s wounded yet strong and a delight to see fall in love and open her heart to all the joys that life has to offer.

Brant is simply a doll. He saw her, he knew she was his one true love and he adorably made his infatuation known. I love the warmth of his family.

I highly recommend this book as well as the series to anyone who enjoys a little family drama mixed in with your sweet and sexy romance. The characters are close knit, the town is supportive and the love stories are divine!

five-stars
Filed Under: Book Reviews

* Review * THE WEDDING CRASHER AND THE COWBOY by Robin Bielman

October 30, 2021 Leave a Comment

I voluntarily read an early copy of this book.

* Review * THE WEDDING CRASHER AND THE COWBOY by Robin BielmanThe Wedding Crasher and the Cowboy by Robin Bielman
Published by Entangled: Amara on October 26, 2021
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four-stars

Kennedy Martin is shocked when her ex calls days before his wedding, expressing serious second thoughts. Doesn’t he see his fiancée's actually the glaze to his doughnut? Now she’s got no choice but to crash his wedding and convince the man he’s with the right woman.

Instead, she crashes into the absolute last man she ever wanted to see: Maverick Owens, her old college nemesis. Maverick is still as awful, infuriating, and just The Worst as ever—even if he looks way too sexy in his cowboy hat. And of course he’s convinced she’s actually at the seaside ranch to ruin the wedding.

Now the only way to get some face time with the groom and save this marriage is to participate in all sorts of pre-wedding events…with Maverick. Stuck on a canoe, making small-talk at cocktail hour, and even a hoedown with her worst enemy? This just might be the longest week of her life…

 

A highly entertaining wedding debacle! THE WEDDING CRASHER AND THE COWBOY by Robin Bielman revolves around Kennedy and Maverick as she shows up at his family ranch to sneak some time with her ex who just so happens to be there for his wedding weekend. Hijinks and laughter steal the show as emotional connections and happily ever afters win it all.

Kennedy is kind and always taking care of someone, so it’s not surprising to see her going out of her way to try to convince her ex that his cold feet are normal and his bride to be is a delight. I felt like there was some meaty drama left on the table by not pulling her family in more to resolve their adversity, but I enjoyed her none-the-less.

Maverick is delightful! He’s sweet and sexy and just about the kindest guy you can meet. I enjoyed watching him complete the goals he set out for himself while on the road to his forever.

I recommend this book to anyone who loves a little drama and a fun dose of humor with their romance.

four-stars
Filed Under: Book Reviews

* Review * RODEO CHRISTMAS AT EVERGREEN RANCH by Maisey Yates

October 30, 2021 Leave a Comment

I voluntarily read an early copy of this book.

* Review * RODEO CHRISTMAS AT EVERGREEN RANCH by Maisey YatesRodeo Christmas at Evergreen Ranch by Maisey Yates
Series: Gold Valley #13
Published by HQN Books on October 26, 2021
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four-half-stars

Gold Valley’s rodeo champion is facing the toughest challenge of his life—a Christmas wedding!

Legendary bull rider Jake Daniels has only one plan this Christmas—to ignore the pain the season always brings. Until his best friend, Callie Carson, shows up on his ranch with a marriage proposal. Jake has lived so close to the edge it’s a miracle he’s still alive—he knows all about risk. But marrying the woman he craves more than anything feels like the biggest risk of all.

Callie Carson may be rodeo royalty, but to fulfill her dreams of riding saddle bronc, she needs her inheritance. And to access that, she needs a husband. But Jake the husband is deliciously different from Jake the friend, especially after the wild heat of their wedding night. He was only supposed to be her cowboy for Christmas, but Jake’s every heart-stopping touch has Callie questioning how she’ll ever be able to walk away.

 

Reconnecting with this Gold Valley fam is always a delight! Jack Daniels is attention grabbing enough to have me hooked from the start, but once his feisty BFF Callie shows up, all bets are off and I’m rooting for her to get her man! Great characters, heartfelt emotional healing and a sweet happily ever after.

Jake has always been one of the quieter ones of the bunch when we got together with the gang at Hope Springs Ranch, but he’s settling in and doing things on his term now that he’s leaving the rodeo and seeing him with Cal just shows the torch he’s carrying.

Callie adores Jake and knows he will help her continue her rodeo career … even if it means something as crazy as marrying her so she can get access to her trust fund!

I highly recommend this book as well as the entire series to anyone who enjoys a small town romance with a sexy cowboy surrounding by a rambunctious family who stand by each other through thick and thin.

four-half-stars
Filed Under: Book Reviews

* Review * THE CHRISTMAS ESCAPE by Sarah Morgan

October 30, 2021 Leave a Comment

I voluntarily read an early copy of this book.

* Review * THE CHRISTMAS ESCAPE by Sarah MorganThe Christmas Escape by Sarah Morgan
Published by HQN Books on October 26, 2021
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four-stars

It was supposed to be Christy Sullivan’s perfect Christmas getaway—a trip to Lapland with her family and best friend, Alix. But facing a make-or-break marriage crisis, Christy desperately needs time alone with her husband. Her solution? Alix can take Christy’s little daughter to Lapland, and they will reunite there for Christmas Day. It’s a big ask, but what else are friends for?

There’s nothing Alix won’t do for Christy. But Christy’s request to save Christmas is giving Alix sleepless nights. She knows something is wrong, but for the first time ever, Christy isn’t talking. And even the Arctic temperatures in Lapland aren’t enough to dampen the seriously inconvenient sizzle Alix is developing for Zac, a fellow guest and nemesis from her past.

As secrets unravel and unexpected romance shines under the northern lights, can Christy and Alix’s Christmas escape give them the courage to fight for the relationships they really want, and save the precious gift of each other’s friendship?

 

A perfectly whimsical Christmas vacation turns into so much more in Sarah Morgan’s THE CHRISTMAS ESCAPE. The story revolves around a holiday trip that Christy planned to go on with her husband and young daughter as well as her best friend Alix . Throw her husband’s best friend into the mix who Alix has a bit of a history with just as things are spinning out of control at home and drama, romance and reconnections are surely guaranteed! I enjoyed this magical Christmas reunion.

Christy is overly tedious about planning out life’s every movement, but she has a heart of gold and wants to delight her 4 year old with a memorable Christmas while reconnecting with family and friends.

Alix is a real go-getter who buries herself in work in order to fill the empty space that family left inside her years ago. She adores Christy who has been like a sister to her since she was just a child and will do anything for her.

I recommend this book to anyone who wants an emotional story mixed with holiday ambiance and a sweet happily ever after.

four-stars
Filed Under: Book Reviews

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