#Review ~ The Wicked Truth: Madigan Wicked (The Wickeds: Dark Knights at Bayside, Book 4) by Melissa Foster #MCRomance #DarkKnights

The Wicked Truth by Melissa Foster

About the Book:

What happens when you’re not looking for love, but it walks in the door?

Madigan Wicked’s heart is not up for grabs. She’s been there, done that, and she’s not going back for seconds. She pours her heart and soul into her family, her greeting card line, puppetry, and storytelling performances. But she’s not opposed to having a night of fun, and the gruff, sinfully hot, definitely-not-looking-for-love mysterious stranger she runs into at a bar might be just the right man to enjoy it with.

Ex-con Tobias Riggs has lost enough for one lifetime. The only family member in his corner doesn’t remember him, and the people who he thought would always be in his life, walked away. He’s just trying to make it through each day, and the last thing he’s looking for is any sort of connection. When chemistry ignites with the snarky, sexy storyteller, with lips he can’t stop thinking about, he gives in to a night of passion.

Though neither is open to love, it’s been known to bully its way into even the most resisting hearts. But can it survive the wicked truth of Tobias’s dark past?

My Review:

I devoured The Wicked Truth by Melissa Foster. Madigan and Tobias are spectacular characters separately and together. I was pulled into their romance from the second I read what the book was about.

I was completely engaged in Mads and Tobias's story. I loved Mads's spunk and sassiness and Tobias's grumpiness and his protector vibe. Their personalities intersected and I enjoyed how they interacted and the chemistry that popped off the book's pages. Mads and Tobias just fit together.

Melissa Foster wove a realistic and steamy romance in with drama, humor, and so much emotion. The emotions, chemistry, and steam explode around this couple. Melissa Foster has become my go-to for new/adult contemporary romance. I read everything I can get my hands on by this author.

I was provided a copy of this book to read.

My Rating:

Purchase Link:

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#Review ~ The Duke’s Secret Cinderella by Eva Devon ~ @EntangledPub #HistoricalRomance #NeverAWallflower #thedukessecretcinderella

The Duke’s Secret Cinderella

Eva Devon

Entangled – Amara

February 21, 2023

Adult Romance, Retelling

Purchase from Amazon:

https://amzn.to/3ZmSh0Z

About the Book:

Charlotte Browne could just kick herself. What on earth possessed her to tell the Duke of Rockford that she is a lady? But something about the duke's handsomeness and kind intelligence makes Charlotte blurt out the teeniest, tiniest falsehood. Now it's too late to admit she's just plain Charlotte of no particular importance—with cinder-stained hands, a wretched stepfather, and no prospects for marriage...

Rafe Dorchester, Duke of Rockford, has done what every self-respecting duke must do—avoid marriage at all costs. But the only thing stronger than the duke is his mother. When she lays down the highest ultimatum, he'll need to find a duchess. Immediately. Only, when he calls on a potential bride, he instead finds the pert, fresh-faced Lady Charlotte. Rafe was warned to never mix the business of marriage with pleasure, but when it comes to her...oh, business would be a splendid pleasure.

One passionate, illicit kiss sends Charlotte fleeing, leaving only a delicate blue ribbon behind. For Rafe can never discover her secret, or it will ruin her beloved sister's chance at marriage. But the duke knows that when you've found the one person that ignites you, body and soul, nothing can keep you away.

My Review:

The Duke's Secret Cinderella was a fascinating fairytale retelling. The story has a twist in that their isn't a wicked stepmother. Charlotte has a wicket stepfather. He's actually more than just wicked. He's cruel, heartless, and power- and money-hungry. As such, he's pulled Charlotte out of polite society and banished her to the servant's quarters, all while his children maintain their stations within the ton.

When Charlotte is downtown trying to free one of the servant's from horrific conditions in the debtors' prison, she is accosted by a street person. A handsome gentleman intervenes and even assists Charlotte in securing the release of the servant. Upon the rescue, Charlotte learns she's been aided by none other than the Duke of Rockford. What ensues is a tale of deceit, maltreatment, and unspeakable behavior. This is also a tale, however, of love, chemistry, and revelations. 

The path Charlotte and Rafe travel is a bumpy one. Charlotte tells Rafe a small white lie which, throughout the book, escalates. The lie, and its snowball effect, opens the door for Charlotte's stepfather to twist and misconstrue her tales into something more beneficial to him rather than her or others involved. The ending, while epic, is also sad and maddening. Justice is served but, as in real life, it doesn't take away the pain and loss.

The Duke's Secret Cinderella was fun, eye-opening, and a fantastic retelling. I enjoyed the characters, even the bad ones, because they had a part to play in making this story so good. The twists, turns, and ending were surprising and I didn't see them coming. The author wrote a wonderful historical romance as the Cinderella fairytale re-imagined. I really enjoyed this book.

I was provided a paperback of this book to read.

My Rating:

#Review ~ Because You Loved Me by Beth Moran @bethcmoran @rararesources @BoldwoodBooks

Because You Loved Me

About the Book:

Marion Miller needs a fresh start.

Her childhood in Northern Ireland wasn’t easy, with a father who passed away when she was young and a mother who got lost in grief. Now grown-up and with family relations as tense as ever, Marion heads to England, to find out the truth about her father’s mysterious past – and hopefully an extended family who will love her as much as he did.

Scarlett Obermann runs a holiday park in Sherwood Forest with her daughter Grace, but what’s she’s best at is making people feel like they belong. With her merry band of waifs and strays, Scarlett welcomes Marion with open arms, and it isn’t long before Marion finally understands what it means to find a home.

As she tries to uncover her father’s story, Marion slowly blossoms, even daring to indulge in her crush on Reuben, the son of the Lord of the Manor, but she hasn’t quite out-run her past. And as Scarlett faces her own tragedy, it’s Marion’s turn to take care of everyone.

Because you can’t choose your family, but you can make your friends the family you choose.

This novel was first published as Making Marion.

My Review:

Because You Loved Me started off slow and I wasn't quite sure what to think. The heroine, Marion, had low-functioning anxiety. While others go through daily tasks smoothly and effortlessly, those with this type of anxiety shut down and have difficulty performing even easy, mundane tasks. I have high-functioning anxiety but I'm still affected by some of the same things as one does with low-functioning anxiety. Some of Marion's actions baffled me (not calling the police during specific events, among other things) and I found myself becoming detached. However, the story finally sunk its claws into and captivated me at about the 20% mark. 

I loved watching Marion blossom during her days at the holiday park. Scarlett took Marion in with open, unquestioning arms. She slowly encouraged Marion to engage in social settings that would normally send her running. In fact, Marion does that quite a few times. Marion is finally able to let people into her heart and make friends. This slow transformation makes it easier for Marion to talk to people, paving the way to her real reason for landing in Sherwood Forest. She lost her dad at a young age and wants to learn more about him and his family.

The setting and world-building were cleverly written and I (eventually) found myself immersed in Marion's tale. She gained a wonderful family in the secondary characters. I enjoyed the writing style of the author. The author wrote a very realistic book with plenty of emotion, passion, and realism. The characters were complex and fully developed. I enjoyed watching Marion grow and shed her childhood trauma. The trauma will never fully go away but her new life paves the way through the pain and opens her eyes to the life she deserves. 

I was provided a copy of this book to read.

My Rating:

Purchase Link:

https://amzn.to/3CQ0iTo

Exclusive Excerpt from The Harajuku Crevasse ~ From Here to There, Volume 2 @MirrorWorldPub ~ Journeys, space travel, time travel, quests, spaces in between, portals… #SciFi #Fantasy #TimeTravel #Excerpt

 

Mirror World Publishing and Sapphyria's Book Promotions present the

~ Virtual Book Tour for ~

From Here to There, Volume 2

About From Here to There, Volume 2:

Seven journeys across time, space, and the imagination.

Journeys, space travel, time travel, quests, spaces in between, portals…

In this second volume in the Far, Far Away series, we’ve gathered together the words of seven authors who’ve had the courage to explore the furthest reaches of reality.

Slip between the layers of space and time to discover what lives in the pockets. Find love in the most unexpected of ways and watch it thrive across the tapestry of history. March with the soldiers of a forgotten kingdom as they travel on foot and question the value of life and the hereafter. Then meet the gods and journey with them to correct the timeline of the mortal realm.

In this collection, you’ll get stuck in a time loop you won’t want to leave, experience the revival of an impossible connection between man and machine, and meet the aliens who will make portal-hopping possible in the near future.

So pack your bags for an epic journey and enjoy the trip… From Here to There

Included in the Anthology:

“Embedding” by Elana Gomel

“The Impossible Man” by Kelly D. Holmes

“The Repositioning March” by Buddy Young

“Industrial Honey” by Rhiannon Lotze

“Night Music” by Jane Lupino

“From Above” by Roy Sarkar

“The Harajuku Crevasse” by Taylor Calder.

Read an Excerpt from The Harajuku Crevasse:

It was easy to portal hop to the Harajuku Crevasse, Natalia had told her. The real one, not the shit-ass digital diorama where she and Noa killed time. You hopped until you got to Atlanta. Then you hopped Atlanta to Nairobi, Nairobi to Neo Toronto, Neo Toronto back to Atlanta. “Why back?” Noa had asked. Natalia had smiled. Natalia liked when Noa said something she thought was stupid. The second hop was to the secure Atlanta sub-terminal, which you could only get to from Neo Toronto. From there you could hop a portal to Hokkaido. Hokkaido was the only place where the portal networks of the Greater Pacific Republic and the poisoned rest of the world touched. From there you took a transit portal to Harajuku Station and slid down to the Crevasse. Easy.

Noa’s avatar swiped a pair of neon leggings. They broke into a splash of symbols, rolling cats and hearts – the leggings had been successfully added to her basket. “Sounds intense,” she said. “Sounds hard, I mean.” At fifteen she didn’t have a lot to compare to, but it seemed harder than laying around a mouldy farm house, finding ways to make her life go by faster, which was all that she knew. She was a few years too young to remember the invasion.

Natalia frowned. You could barely see her actual person past her sunglasses, her platinum odango, and her swirling green and pink dress like cotton candy being spun, but she was there and she was frowning. “You don’t want to come visit me here?”

“I do, it just doesn’t seem feasible, is all.” The digital crowd was thick. She had heard that the real Crevasse was a lot shallower, and not nearly as long – the Others’ beam had hit it at an oblique angle. “Sides, this one’s better.”

“This one’s fake as shit. Didn’t expect you to be fake too.”

Follow the Tour:

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#Review ~ From Here to There, Volume 2 @MirrorWorldPub ~ Journeys, space travel, time travel, quests, spaces in between, portals… #SciFi #Fantasy #TimeTravel

 

Mirror World Publishing and Sapphyria's Book Promotions present the

~ Virtual Book Tour for ~

From Here to There, Volume 2

About From Here to There, Volume 2:

Seven journeys across time, space, and the imagination.

Journeys, space travel, time travel, quests, spaces in between, portals…

In this second volume in the Far, Far Away series, we’ve gathered together the words of seven authors who’ve had the courage to explore the furthest reaches of reality.

Slip between the layers of space and time to discover what lives in the pockets. Find love in the most unexpected of ways and watch it thrive across the tapestry of history. March with the soldiers of a forgotten kingdom as they travel on foot and question the value of life and the hereafter. Then meet the gods and journey with them to correct the timeline of the mortal realm.

In this collection, you’ll get stuck in a time loop you won’t want to leave, experience the revival of an impossible connection between man and machine, and meet the aliens who will make portal-hopping possible in the near future.

So pack your bags for an epic journey and enjoy the trip… From Here to There

Included in the Anthology:

“Embedding” by Elana Gomel

“The Impossible Man” by Kelly D. Holmes

“The Repositioning March” by Buddy Young

“Industrial Honey” by Rhiannon Lotze

“Night Music” by Jane Lupino

“From Above” by Roy Sarkar

“The Harajuku Crevasse” by Taylor Calder.

My Review of the Anthology:

This Anthology is a fantastic collection of alternate reality stories. Each story is unique, engaging, and original. I found myself immersed each author's world, enjoying the characters, time loops, time travel, and otherworldly locations. 

All seven stories are remarkable and earned a full five stars each. The story that really stuck out to me is Night Music. I loved the gothic undertones, mysterious characters, and twists the author takes the reader on throughout the pages. 

Grab your copy today and travel From Here to There. Enjoy the journeys you'll take!

I was provided a copy of this book to read.

My Rating:

Follow the Tour:

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Mirror World Publishing

ebook:

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paperback: 

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Amazon

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Connect with the Publisher:

Facebook: 

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Twitter: 

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Goodreads Author Page: 

https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/28439132-mirror-world 

Blog: http://www.mirrorworldpublishing.wordpress.com

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#Review ~ Over My Brother's Dead Body, Chase Andrews by Piper Rayne ~ #SportsRomance #Romance @PiperRayneRocks

Over My Brother's Dead Body, Chase Andrews by Piper Rayne

About the Book:

Chase Andrews.

The Kingsmen's top tight end.
My brother's friend and teammate.
My new neighbor.
The grumpy to my sunshine.

But underneath that grumpy exterior, there's so much more.

Chase likes to pretend nothing affects him, but I've seen glimpses of his other side in the time we've spent together.

And the more we get to know each other, the more I'm falling for him.

Under normal circumstances, this would be great. Except my hyper-protective big brother thinks no man is good enough for me, and my ex-fiancé is trying to win me back.

One charming, seemingly good man already broke my heart. Am I stupid to give a self-confessed relationship-adverse football player a chance to break it a second time?

My Review:

Chase Andrews is a private person, a grumpy football player, and also Twyla's new neighbor. After a heartbreaking broken engagement, Twyla seeks solace in leaving Connecticut and spending some time in California, where her brother Miles plays football for the Kingsmen. Little did she know that her escape would land her across the hall from Chase.

I love the grumpy sunshine and the brother's friend/teammate forbidden romance trope. The chemistry between Twyla and Chase is there but neither wants to act on it, drawing out their dance. Their proximity to one another aids in their coming together, and Zeus just clinches it with his cuteness.

I loved the interactions between Twyla and Chase. This book is emotionally rich with well-written characters. I loved everything about the story, the characters, the setting, and the romance. I love how the authors are able to create a story that flows well, pulls you in, and keeps you engaged until the very end. The writing style and story took my breath away. I couldn't put the book down.

I was provided a copy of this book.

My Rating:

Add to Goodreads: 

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#Novella #Review ~ A Moment in Eternity from award-winning author Stephen Zimmer @sgzimmer ~ #Fantasy #Adventure #FantasyAdventure

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My Review:

A Moment in Eternity captured my attention from the very beginning and kept me engaged. The author did a great job writing an interesting, action-packed, and intense novella. The story is well-paced; not too fast or too slow. The dialogue is smooth and understandable. The world building is descriptive and played out like a movie. I enjoyed meeting Hongvi. The author wrote a Hongvi in a wonderful and relatable way. I loved how he was a strong, compassionate, and fearless character.  

I was provided a copy of this book to read.

My Rating:

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About A Moment In Eternity:

The people of his tribe call Hongvi the Shadow Walker.

A great warrior and hunter with a traumatic past, his courage is unrivaled among the Shinumu people.

When tales arrive of giants roving the plains to the east of the great canyons, where his tribe dwells in villages built into the facings of cliffs, Hongvi does not hesitate to undertake a journey alone to investigate.

Yet the threat of giants is not the only peril facing the tribe…

A great darkness is coalescing to the south, in the lands of the Dinay, the enemy of the Shinumu. Rumors abound of sorcerous priests steeped in blood sacrifice who have come from foreign lands to rule.

A Moment in Eternity is a stand-alone novella that is part of the Hongvi Shadow Walker Tales!

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Purchase A Moment In Eternity:

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3iWn4Ci

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Book #Review ~ Mermaid Beach (Moonlight Harbor Novel, Book 7) by Sheila Roberts ~ #HarlequinMira @HarlequinBooks

Title: Mermaid Beach

Author: Sheila Roberts

Publisher: Harlequin Mira

Page Count: 360

Genre: Women's Fiction/Romance

About the Book:

Bonnie Brinks and her all-woman band, The Mermaids, are the pride of Moonlight Harbor. They’re the house band at The Drunken Sailor, and that’s just the right amount of fame for Bonnie. A lifetime ago, she went to Nashville to make it big, but she returned home with a broken heart and broken dreams. Now she’s got a comfortable life and a brilliant daughter, Avril, who plays for The Mermaids alongside Bonnie and Bonnie’s mother, Loretta.

Avril has big dreams of her own. Her life in Moonlight Harbor is good–she loves singing and playing guitar with The Mermaids, and she has the sweetest, most loyal boyfriend a girl could ask for–but it all feels so…small. She can’t help wondering if there’s something more out there for her. And she doesn’t understand why her mom won’t support her going to Nashville to find out.

Meanwhile, Bonnie threw in the towel on her love life long ago, but Loretta sure hasn’t. She’s determined to be swept off her feet, and she wants the same for her daughter. When the hunky new owner of The Drunken Sailor turns the tables on the band and Avril announces she’s leaving Moonlight Harbor, Bonnie’s comfortable life seems to be drifting away. Will these three generations of Mermaids find their happy endings on the Washington coast? Or will the change in the winds leave them all shipwrecked?

My Review:

Mermaid Beach is a wonderful, magical story about three generations of strong women who encounter real-life conflict, heartache, passion, and romance. I was immersed in Moonlight Harbor and had a hard time coming up for air. This book is spectacular and I read the book in less than a day. Once it got ahold of me, there was no letting go.

Bonnie, Loretta, and Avril are likable characters, each with unique characteristics. Bonny and Loretta have colorful pasts that aren't all wine and roses. The author did a fantastic job with the characters, plot, and world-building. This is my first Moonlight Harbor book but it can be read as a standalone. I will, however, be going back and starting this series from the beginning.

If you are looking for a captivating women's fiction novel, Mermaid Beach hits all the marks.

I was provided a copy of this book to read.

My Rating:

Release Date: April 25, 2023

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3n32Ad6

Add to Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61214883-mermaid-beach

#Book #Review ~ You Can't Kiss the Nanny, Brady Banks by Piper Rayne ~ @PiperRayneRocks #SportsRomance #Romance #ContemporaryRomance

You Can't Kiss the Nanny, Brady Banks by Piper Rayne 

About the Book:

Brady Banks.

The Kingsmen’s best wide receiver.

Rich AF.

Hot as hell.

A stallion in the sack.

How do I know that last fact? I may have shared a one-night stand with him six months ago when I was rebounding from a broken heart.

I didn’t forget him, but I was done with him, until I discovered he’s the single dad of the boy I’ve been hired to nanny.

It’s near impossible to ignore my attraction to him now that we’re living under the same roof—but I have no choice.

First, this job pays well, and I need the money to move out of my parents’ spare room.

Second, he’s a public figure and there’s no room for me to get caught up in a scandal with him—I can’t disappoint my parents again.

Third, men like Brady were built to break hearts. I barely managed to piece mine back together after my failed engagement and Brady would do irreparable damage if I gave him the chance.

Let the longest three months of my life begin…

My Review:

Brady Banks is a notorious playboy but he just met his match in a one-night-stand. She has Brady feeling things he's never felt before. When she up and leaves without an exchange of names or numbers Brady is shocked - 1) how can she resist his charm? 2) who is she? 3) what are these feelings this woman stirred up? Six months later, Brady is still reeling and trying to figure out how he's going to find her. What he doesn't expect is for her to show up on his doorstep, introducing herself as the new nanny.

Violet, fresh off a breakup, finds herself in the bed of a one-night-stand. She does one of the hardest things at the end. She walks away - no name, no phone number, nothing. Sure, she still thinks about him and how he rocked her world, but he's a distant memory. Until she discovers he's her new high profile client, and she'll be taking care of his son. 

An awkward reunion is an understatement.

I loved the interactions between Brady and Violet. This book is emotionally rich with well-written characters. I loved everything about the story, the characters, the setting, and the romance. I love how the authors are able to create a story that flows well, pulls you in, and keeps you engaged until the very end. The writing style and story took my breath away. I couldn't put the book down.

I was provided a copy of this book to read.

My Rating:

Purchase from Amazon: 

https://amzn.to/3Xx5nax

Add to Goodreads:

https://bit.ly/3Bsywu8