COVER REVEAL: Canary by Tijan

“Canaries sing to save lives.
I sing and people die.”

Canary, an all-new unforgettable mafia romance from New York Times bestselling author Tijan is releasing October 4th, and we have the stunning cover!

We were on the front lines in that world, the mafia world.
There was nothing soft or glamorous about it.
Who you were before no longer mattered. Names didn’t exist.

I joined anyway. I had no other choice because they took my sister.
Join. Find her. Try and make it out alive.

Then he won me in a poker game.
I hated him instantly, thinking he was like my other bosses before him.
He wasn’t. He was worse.

He wasn’t just cold. He was dead inside.
It didn’t matter that he was gorgeous.
He was the most lethal thing I’d ever met.

He was also the only person who could keep me alive, if he didn’t kill me himself.

A/N This is a 102k mafia/cartel standalone.
This is the most violent book Tijan has ever written.
Trigger warning: references to sexual violence

“Canaries sing to save lives. I sing and people die.”

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About Tijan
Tijan is a New York Times Bestselling author that writes suspenseful and unpredictable novels. Her characters are strong, intense, and gut-wrenchingly real with a little bit of sass on the side. Tijan began writing later in life and once she started, she was hooked. She’s written multi-bestsellers including the Carter Reed Series, the Fallen Crest Series, and the Broken and Screwed Series among others. She is currently writing a new series from north Minnesota where she lives with an English Cocker she adores.

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RELEASE BLITZ: There With You by Samantha Young

There With You by Samantha Young is now live!

For Regan Penhaligon, there's no better place to run to than the exclusive Ardnoch Estate in the remote Scottish Highlands. Her impulsive behavior has finally caught up with her and Regan's visit with her sister, Robyn, is an opportunity to hide from someone who has grown dangerously obsessed with her.

Determined to make amends for her mistakes, Regan plans to repair her relationship with Robyn by staying close. And when an offer of help comes from Thane Adair, Regan gratefully accepts.

Widower, Thane, needs a new nanny housekeeper for his two young children and when they bond with Regan Penhaligon, he offers her the job. But as the weeks pass and the complex American reveals who she really is, Thane struggles with his growing attraction to her.

Regan never expected to feel so intensely for Thane, but she can't deny her passion for him or her love for his children. When someone from Thane's past threatens his family, Regan wants to be his pillar of support. However, his continued inability to trust her might just destroy their chance at future happiness... and the person who drove Regan to Ardnoch might snuff out her chance for any future at all.

 

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Meet Samantha

Samantha is the New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of over forty books, several of which have been nominated for Goodreads Choice Awards. She writes adult contemporary and paranormal romance, YA urban fantasy and YA contemporary fiction. Her books have been published in 28 languages in 30 countries. She resides in Scotland.

For more information visit http://authorsamanthayoung.com

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Review: There with You by Samantha Young

There with You by Samantha Young
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

 I was provided an ARC via the author, all opinions expressed are my own.

You are not prepared for the emotional rollercoaster that this book is going to take you on. If you read book 1 in the series, our main character Regan did not leave you with a great first impression. This book basically picks up were book 1 leaves off with Regan showing up to see her big sister Robyn, unannounced in Scottland after not seeing her for over a year through some trying times. The sisters have quite alot to discuss and emotions are high as Regan has had some pretty tough things to deal with of her own while she was away. She is finally ready to face her sister and make amends for the way she dealt with Robyn's situation, so here she is in Scottland. While the sisters mend their relationship, Regan finds herself a job as a nanny to Robyn's soon to be brother in law Thane, who happens to have the most adorable children. They take instantly to Regan, and the family falls into a comfortable routine with her around. Thane and Regan quickly come to a realization that they are attracted to one another and they begin a secret affair with no strings attached. As things heat up in the bedroom, things from the past threaten to upset Thane's family and their blissful bubble.

I thought the character development was excellent in this. Regan had quite alot of emotional trauma to deal with as did Thane. She was running from several different things that happened and kept running until she came to Scottland to face Robyn. Slowly as she became settled did she feel more comfortable to talk about them and was finally able to talk about things and face the things that happened. I really liked that the author mentioned that going to therapy doesn't make you weak. Mental health is so important and sometimes you need a little help especially if you have experienced a traumatic event such as the characters in the book did. There were some really great emotional scenes in this book that had me tearing up several different times. This was the perfect mix of romance, emotion, family, friendship, and a little suspense. I loved it!

I highly recommend that you read Here With Me first, but this does stand nicely on it's own as a standalone. The author gives you plenty of backstory from the first book that you don't need to read it first to fully enjoy this book. If you want to know more about Robyn and Lachlan's relationship, that's where you'll find them, but you are given enough information here that you don't feel confused or lost if you started with this book first. I'm really excited to see which of the Adair siblings will be featured in book 3. This series is so well executed.

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Review: The Family Plot by Megan Collins

The Family Plot by Megan Collins
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I was provided an ARC via Edelweiss, all opinions are my own.  This book comes out today August 17, 2021.  If you are looking for a light thriller without tons of twists, lacking gore and violence, check this out.  It doesn't have that ominous scare factor that many thrillers have, so if you are looking for a thriller that isn't scary check this one out.  I personally like something a much more atmospheric and with a lot more tension.  What thrillers have you been loving lately?  Leave me suggestions.

Dahlia has returned home to put her father to rest.  She left home at 19 and hasn't been back since.  You see Dahlia and her siblings were raised a bit unconventionally.  Their mother homeschooled them, but where most of us learned history the Lighthouse children learned everything about crime - murder to be specific.  Their mother made them learn every detail about specific murder cases, that coupled with living in a mansion on a secluded island made for an interesting upbringing.  Her twin brother and best friend Andy disappeared when they were 16, and everyone assumed he ran away to get away from the weirdness of their family.  Dahlia was heartbroken but she hoped he would come back, especially for their father's funeral.  Everything is thrown upside down when Andy's body is found in the plot reserved for the elder Lighthouse.  The story kind of takes off from here with each of the members of the family coping with the two death's in their own weird way.  Dahlia raised on how to solve a murder, is determined to figure out who killed her  beloved brother.  Being that this is a thriller/mystery I won't give you anymore than that because it will spoil the reveals.  

As far as the mystery/thriller part goes this wasn't particularly gruesome or scary.  I also wasn't really surprised by any of the reveals.  There were only so many suspects that could have been the killer despite the author trying to throw you off track here and there.  For me it wasn't filled with the twists and turns that I expect leading up to the "ah ha" moment.  

This was an interesting read for me.  I was engaged the entire time, but none of the characters are likeable and they are all so over the top.  I often found myself rolling my eyes at the interaction between characters because they were so unrealistic, then again I think the family was meant to be kind of ridiculous.  I am struggling with how to rate and review this book.  It lacked some of the key things I'm looking for in a thriller.  There is really not much character development and it lacked that ominous atmosphere that is usually present in a mystery/thriller.  The house was creepy and the actions of the siblings were over the top weird, but they lacked the depth of description needed to really build something haunting.  This felt almost more comedic than thrilling.  I didn't dislike this book, but it wasn't what I was expecting and doesn't check the boxes for things I look for in a thriller/mystery.

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Release Blitz and Review: The Introvert's Guide to Blind Dating by Emma Hart

THE INTROVERT’S GUIDE TO BLIND DATING

By Emma Hart

Blind dating: the act in which you date a stranger and hope it’s not the kid you once babysat. And try not to freak out when it’s your one-night stand from two weeks ago.

As the last woman standing, I, Piper Carter, am officially a loner.
Apparently, that means it’s time for me to get out there and find myself a man. My protestations that I have no time for it falls on deaf ears and the next thing I know, I’m on a blind date with someone my best friends assure me will be perfect for me.
Maverick Donovan, the guy I, uh, know very, very well…
After one conversation that makes my disdain for this setup very clear, the superstar playboy author asks me for only one thing: my help with his research for his next novel.
Turns out, the heroine in his next hot romance is the owner of a bakery, but all his ill-fated efforts are baking is the batteries in his fire alarm.
I agree. I’ll create some recipes for his leading lady, and he’ll credit me and my store, giving me the recognition I need to help me on my way to franchising.
If only we didn’t have to spend almost every free waking moment together to make it happen.
I don’t want to give my heart to the guy with a trail of broken ones behind him, but there’s a fundamental problem with that plan.
I’m pretty sure I’m doing just that…

NOW LIVE!

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Review

The Introvert's Guide to Blind Dating by Emma Hart

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was provided an ARC via the author, all opinions expressed are my own.

This is the final book of all of interconnected books set in the world of White Peak, Montana. This follows Piper, the last of the zany friend group that is single and owner of the local bakery.

This is similar to The Introvert's Guide to Speed Dating as it is slow burn and lacks the steamy scenes we've seen from Emma in past books. The Introvert series has been fairly tame in that area, so if you are looking for something a bit spicy, this book is really clean. This is a sweet, angst free romance between two people who may or may not have met prior to their blind date. This does have a nice hefty dose of the grandparents that I sorely missed in the last book, the grandparents bring a certain level of comedy to this series that I really enjoy, and I'm so glad that Emma included them in this book.

Piper's well meaning friends are determined to pair her up with someone, so when her bookstore owning buddies have an author friend in town they decide to set Piper up one last time. Piper is focused on her bakery and doesn't have time for dating. She has a crazy schedule at the bakery and is currently happy being single with the occasional one night stand. Maverick Donovan is a successful romance writer who happens to be in town to write his next book, he happened to meet Piper prior to Holley setting them up on a date and never expected to see her again. It's good that they met because he's got a wicked case of writer's block and needs help with research on his book. It is set in a bakery and his heroine is a baker. He asks Piper to help him out, and she reluctantly agrees especially when he mentions how good it would be for the bakery to be credited in the book. As Mav spends time with Piper learning how she runs the bakery, taste tests new recipes for the book, and works on his book because the bakery is quieter than his rented apartment it quickly becomes apparent that there is more than just a business agreement between the two of them. Piper comes to the same realization that she is developing feelings for him despite the fact that she doesn't want to date or be in a relationship.

Just like all of the other books, you can read this as a standalone. I recommend reading them all because I love the characters so much. This like the other books was light hearted and fun with a sweet romance at the center. I really enjoyed Piper and Mav, and while this isn't steamy like some of Hart's previous books, I found it refreshing and fun. It has her signature comedy, banter, and snarky comebacks and is a great summer read! This was also the perfect ending to the set of companion novels and a great send off to White Peak!

ABOUT EMMA

Emma Hart is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of over forty novels and has been translated into several different languages.

​

She is a mother, wife, lover of wine, Pink Goddess, and valiant rescuer of wild baby hedgehogs.

​

Emma prides herself on her realistic, snarky smut, with comebacks that would make a PMS-ing teenage girl proud.

​Yes, really. She's that sarcastic.

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Review: Shallow Waters: A Novel by Anita Kopacz

Shallow Waters: A Novel by Anita Kopacz
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I was provided an ARC via Edelweiss+, all opinions are my own.  This book was published on August 3, 2021.

I love retellings and stories based on myth and folklore.  This is is based on Yemaya, who is a Nigeria deity of the Ocean, and like many tales of gods and goddesses her tales were passed down via word of mouth so they are all a bit different.  I've read several other stories where Yemaya was present but she is always associated with water and the sea.  Kopacz's tale is no different, but this version of Yemaya spends much of her time on dry land during a very real time in history discovering her powers and trying to protect those around her.  

While I enjoyed this I felt it was a bit underdeveloped.  I felt there were far to many coincidences that led to Yemaya ending up where she needed to be at the right time with all of the right people to help her.  I also felt that the character development could have been a tad stronger.  If you read the author's note this is supposed to be a story of healing, so perhaps that is by design.  I think I was expecting something more along the lines of [book:Kindred|60931] or [book:Beloved|6149], and this is significantly lighter.  While Yemaya is a goddess with power, she uses her power for healing not for violence and retribution.  The author's note explains exactly what you are getting in this book, so I should have checked my expectations at page 1.  She wrote exactly the story she wanted to tell, and I commend her for that.

I do feel that the author did a wonderful job with historical aspect of this book by bringing real people and events into the story.   I did a little bit of reading about Yemaya and the lore associated with her, and several things that were mentioned or that happened in the story make a lot more sense.  For example, there was a heightened importance given to the pregnant women present and watermelon.  Yemaya is not only goddess of the sea, but associated with children and pregnant women and watermelon was mentioned as a common offering in ceremonies associated with Yemaya.  

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Review: Forestborn by Elayne Audrey Becker

Forestborn by Elayne Audrey Becker
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was provided an ARC via the publisher. All opinions expressed are my own.

If you are looking for a new and creative YA fantasy check this out. This is centered around a pair of siblings who are able to shift forms. They were orphaned as children and taken in by a gracious king after surviving in the wild and magical forest on their own. A vague prophecy leads to the general populace distrusting Rora and her brother Helos despite the king giving them his protection. When a magical plague begins attacking non-magical people, specifically the king's younger son, Rora, Helos and the king's elder son Weslyn take off on a quest to barter with giants for a cure. This quest will take them back to the forest of Rora's nightmares, where her mother abandoned her, and her father and village were slaughtered. On top of their quest to save the prince and the people from the plague, they must find the cure before war breaks out. There are 3 rulers in the land and King Jol has decided to eradicate magic land completely, and he has given the other rulers an ultimatum to join him or go to war. Rora and her group must avoid Jol’s men on their quest or face their wrath.

This has everything you want from a fantasy. It has great world building as the cast of characters traverses through the forest which is as much a characters as Rora, Helos, and Wes are. You never know what the forest is going to throw at them next. The beasts of the forest were so creative and perfect for a fantasy like this. We get a lot of character development on Rora, she goes through quite a lot on this book and has to deal with not only the current situation but trauma from her past as well. I expect we will see her continue to grow as the series progresses. I also expect to see more development from Wes and Helos as well, we see a bit of development as we get to know Wes, but as Rora is the main character the focus of development is on her.

There is a mild romance forming between two of the main characters, but it isn't really relevant to the plot. I could have done without it, but I'm anxious to see if and how it progresses in the next book. I’m kind of on the fence with it right now. I went into this book thinking it was a standalone, but as I approached the last 100 pages or so I realized there was no way it could wrap up without being rushed. Turns out it is atleast a duology. I’m very much looking forward to book two as Rora, Helos, and Wes all have their own burdens to bear and battles to fight. I look forward to seeing how they tackle the political issues with Jol and the fantasy issues with magic trying to find a place to take root as Jol tries to destroy it. For a debut this was fantastic and I only expect the storyline to get stronger!

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Review: The Castle School by Alyssa B. Sheinmel

The Castle School by Alyssa B. Sheinmel
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I was provided an ARC via Netgalley, all opinions are my own.

This book wasn't what I was expecting. Based on the description I was expecting something darker and more of a thriller, however this is a hard hitting YA contemporary. As someone who reads alot of thrillers, this is not a thriller at all. While there are secrets that main character Moira uncovers, they aren't dark, sinister, mysterious, or fantastical. This book deals with grief, mental health, friendship, and recovery. I probably would have never read this had I not been mislead by the description. This isn't normally the type of book I gravitate towards, but I still enjoyed it.

The main character Moira is shipped off to The Castle School after her parents decide they can't deal with her troublesome behavior any longer. Moira feels like she is being sent away as a punishment for not living up to her mother's expectations. Moira finds herself surrounded by 11 other girls who each have their own story and their own path to recovery at the Castle. We do get a few pages about each of the girls and how they ended up at the Castle School, but for the most part the character development is focused mainly on Moira and not on the other 11 girls in the book. I did feel it was a nice touch that we got their backstories so we understood them each a bit better.

Moira is determined that Dr. Prince can't help her, and she thinks his methods and rules are all stupid. After all she is being punished right? So when she hears music coming from somewhere and finds the lock on her window broken she of course has to investigate. This is the part where you expect the thriller/mystery aspect to take off, but what she finds is an identical school full of boys, they don't have the same rules as the girls so of course Moira thinks they have it better. It is a "the grass is always greener" kind of situation. As Moira progresses through her therapy, she also learns that the grass isn't always greener as she gets to know more about the boys at "fun castle" and the girls at her own castle.

Overall, I thought this book was well written and I did enjoy it. I do feel that the synopsis could have been more clearly written and this should have been clearly marketed as a heavy hitting contemporary.

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Blog Tour: Totally Folked by Penny Reid

Totally Folked, the all-new folking delightful and bestselling small town contemporary romance from New York Times bestselling author Penny Reid, is available now!

One unforgettable night leads to an unlikely shared connection, and unlikely connections never go unnoticed by the good folks in Green Valley, Tennessee. . .

Jackson James follows the rules. He has to. He’s a sheriff’s deputy in a super small town with a super big personality. However, strict adherence to the law during the day has been enjoyably balanced by rakish rules at night. Jackson, typically happy to protect and serve (and serve, and serve), starts questioning the value of wayward evenings when they begin to feel more like being waylaid rather than getting laid. Could it be that Green Valley's most eligible—and notorious—bachelor longs for something (and someone) real?

Mega movie star Raquel Ezra follows only one rule: always leave them wanting more. Strict adherence to this single rule has served her well. Studio execs, reporters, audiences, fans, lovers—no one can get enough of the smart, savvy, and sexy bombshell. But when “generous offers” begin to feel more like excessive demands, years of always leaving has the elusive starlet longing for something (and perhaps someone) lasting.

When Raquel abruptly returns to the quirky Tennessee hamlet, her path crosses with the delectable deputy with whom she spent one unforgettable night. Unfortunately, scandal and intrigue soon follow. Raquel and Jackson must decide which is more important: following their rules? Or, at long last, finding something real.

TOTALLY FOLKED is a standalone, contemporary romantic comedy novel and book #1 in the Good Folk: Modern Folktales series.

To see what I thought you can check out my review here

Fall in love today!
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Excerpt

“Rae. It’s late.”

“I know, but—”

“Rae,” he ground out, using my hold on his hand to bring us back to a stop. I faced him, my stomach erupting in uncertainty butterflies as I encountered the stern line of his jaw and the glittering, frustrated spark behind his eyes. “We need everyone to believe we’re just friends, right? And if we go inside the house, I don’t think I’m a good enough actor to pull that off.”

My mouth formed an O, and I released him, folding my arms over my chest while I wrestled with a strange combination of disappointment and pleasure at his words. I wanted to spend time with him, talk to him, get to know this mystery of a man so I could understand my feelings better.

But . . . I conceded his point.

We couldn’t seem to be around each other without kissing. Bringing him inside a dark, empty house in the middle of the night was something better left to my fantasies.

For now.

Oh really, inner voice? Now you’re impudent? Now?

He exhaled a short breath, it also sounded frustrated, but his tone was soft as he said, “Hey.”

I placed a tight smile on my face, it was the best I could manage. “Hey.”

Jackson seemed to be considering me, debating what to do next. He didn’t take too long. “Do you want to go for a drive?”

“Yes,” I said immediately. “Yes, I do. Let me grab a jacket.”

“Okay. I’ll wait here.” He shifted his weight to his back foot and hooked his thumbs in his jeans pockets.

I wanted to take a picture of him like this, all handsome reluctance and sexy self-control. This man, he just did something to me. I couldn’t explain it.

But maybe if we took this drive and spent some time together talking—just talking—I’d start to figure it out.

Meet Penny Reid
Penny Reid is the New York Times, Wall Street Journal and USA Today Best Selling Author of the Winston Brothers, Knitting in the City, Rugby, and Hypothesis series. She used to spend her days writing federal grant proposals as a biomedical researcher, but now she just writes books. She’s also a full time mom to three diminutive adults, wife, daughter, knitter, crocheter, sewer, general crafter, and thought ninja.

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Review: Totally Folked by Penny Reid

Totally Folked by Penny Reid
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was the Jackson James story long time fans of The Winston Brothers series have been waiting for! We’ve gotten to know Jackson through out Penny’s previous books and he has always been an enigma. We’ve hated him, not hated him, and now we finally understand him and get a chance to love him along with all of the other heroes of Green Valley. If you’ve read the Winston books you will understand what I mean and have probably gone on the same emotional roller coaster. If this is your first foray into the Green Valley world have no fear, this book reads as a complete standalone. The author gives the reader all of the relevant background information needed from any previous books for this to make sense. It is one of the things I love most about her writing, her books may all be connected but they stand on their own. You don’t need to read the previous books, but you will want to because they are awesome!

Rae and Jackson were great together. She is a Hollywood starlet who loves making movies but is tired of acting all day long and Jackson is trying to clean up his image and make everyone happy. What they find in each other is the comfort of each other’s company and the ease of being themselves. They are completely comfortable just being themselves and don’t have to put on a show to please one another, but they do have to learn to trust each other and themselves. Their romance was unexpectedly slow burn, but it was 100% worth every second. There was so much development between the characters and when they finally got together it was explosive!

I loved that we finally got a Jackson story and that we got to revisit with some favorite characters from previous books. This was a fantastic book with fantastic characters!

I was provided an arc via the author, all opinion are my own.

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