From the author of The Widows of Champagne, and inspired by true events, comes a gripping and heartwrenching story of two very different women united to bring light to the darkest days of World War II.
London, 1933
At first glance, Austrian opera singer Elsa Mayer-Braun has little in common with the young English typist she encounters on tour. Yet she and Hattie Featherstone forge an instant connection—and strike a dangerous alliance. Using their friendship as a cover, they form a secret society with a daring goal: to rescue as many Jews as possible from Nazi persecution.
Though the war’s outbreak threatens Elsa and Hattie’s network, their efforts attract the covert attention of the British government, offering more opportunities to thwart the Germans. But Elsa’s growing fame as Hitler’s favorite opera singer, coupled with her secret Jewish ancestry, make her both a weapon and a target—until her future, too, hangs in the balance.
From the glamorous stages of Covent Garden and Salzburg to the horrors of Bergen-Belsen, two ordinary women swept up by the tide of war discover an extraordinary friendship—and the courage to save countless lives.
Review
Elsa is a renowned Austrian opera singer. Hattie is an up and coming artist. These two become great friends because Hattie admires Elsa so very much and Elsa is a kind person who sort of takes Hattie under her wing. But, these two have a big secret. They are doing everything they can to smuggle Jews out of Nazi occupied territories.
Elsa is one of the strongest characters I have ever had the pleasure of knowing! And there are quite a few places where this shows up front and center. Then there is Hattie. She can be a bit “holier than thou” in places but she truly ignores the danger to save as many as she can.
Y’all! This book is AMAZING! I know this sounds cliché…but I was hooked from start to finish! And to be honest, I was on the edge of my seat for most of it! This is tagged by Harlequin as “Love Inspired”. But this is more of a love of all people not romance.
Need a novel which will have you reading faster and faster…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today
I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.
The Lipstick Bureau : A Novel Inspired by a Real-Life Female Spy Michelle Gable On Sale Date: December 27, 2022 9781525811470 Trade Paperback $16.99 USD
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Inspired by one of the OSS’s few female operatives, Barbara Lauwers, a WWII novel set at OSS’s Morale Office in Rome, which was responsible for creating black propaganda and distributing it behind enemy lines. From the New York Times bestselling author of The Bookseller’s Secret. Inspired by a real-life female spy, a WWII-set novel about a woman challenging convention and boundaries to help win a war, no matter the cost.
“A gripping, fascinating read.” —Kelly Rimmer, New York Times bestselling author of The Warsaw Orphan
1944, Rome. Newlywed Niki Novotná is recruited by a new American spy agency to establish a secret branch in Italy’s capital. One of the OSS’s few female operatives abroad and multilingual, she’s tasked with crafting fake stories and distributing propaganda to lower the morale of enemy soldiers. Despite limited resources, Niki and a scrappy team of artists, forgers and others—now nicknamed The Lipstick Bureau—find success, forming a bond amid the cobblestoned streets and storied villas of the newly liberated city. But her work is also a way to escape devastating truths about the family she left behind in Czechoslovakia and a future with her controlling American husband. As the war drags on and the pressure intensifies, Niki begins to question the rules she’s been instructed to follow, and a colleague unexpectedly captures her heart. But one step out of line, one mistake, could mean life or death…
Review
Niki finds herself working for the OSS, the new American spy agency. She is multilingual and she is assigned to the propaganda division. They are in charge of crafting stories to lower the morale of enemy soldiers. She is hoping this unique job will help her find out more about the family she left behind in Czechoslovakia. But the war just keeps dragging on and she continues to find herself in unique and dangerous situations.
This story started strong but it is very fragmented. There are lots of characters with a viewpoint and it is hard to tell who is doing the actual narrating in places. I did enjoy the aspect that it is based on facts. This did have me researching. And I love a story which has me learning. But, it is just too disjointed to keep me as captivated as I like to be.
Need a good story based on facts in WWII…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.
I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
MICHELLE GABLE is the New York Times bestselling author of A Paris Apartment, I’ll See You in Paris, The Book of Summer, and The Summer I Met Jack. She attended the College of William & Mary and spent twenty years working in finance before becoming a full-time writer. She grew up in San Diego and lives in Cardiff-by-the-Sea, California. Find her on Instagram, Twitter, or Pinterest, @mgablewriter.
A twisting novel of psychological suspense about a young woman whose life is torn apart when her wealthy ex-lover is found dead, along with his wife.
Vera is ruthlessly ambitious, beautiful by her own account, and knows how to get exactly what she wants–no matter who stands in the way. When she starts a relationship with a wealthy older man who tells her he’s separated from his wife, she thinks litte of it. After only a few dates, she ends things, but that’s only the beginning. Days later, the man and his wife are found dead in their home, leaving behind a note saying Vera’s rejection had driven him to the horrible act of violence.
Vera is immediately blamed for the couple’s deaths, demonized by the press, fired from her job, and when stalkers and paparazzi begin to haunt her apartment, she flees to her mother’s house upstate. A year later, emerging from a cocoon of self-pity, she tries to re-enter the world, to get her job back—or any job—but the specter of scandal still clings to her. Then she’s invited to a memorial for the wife of the man she had an affair with. As she learns more about the family, and about the couple and their friends, she begins to suspect there was much more to the story than a simple affair gone wrong. In a quest for redemption, Vera soon begins uncovering layers of lies and close-kept secrets held by an inner-circle of filthy rich tech millionaires who will go to any lengths to protect their reputations.
Review
Vera is rocking the fashion world. She is working for an up and coming fashion designer when she meets this wonderful man…well sort of. He has a few warning signs but Vera ignores them. Then the murders happen and the world finds out about his other woman, VERA! She is drug through the internet mud and loses everything. She hides out at her mom’s for over a year. And when she decides to come back, life has left her behind. Then she is invited to a memorial service and suddenly the lies start to unravel.
This is not my usual style of writing. I am not a fan of a slow burn. And this book is definitely a slow burn. But, for some reason, I kept reading. Something about the characters pulled me in. Take for instance, Vera. I really did not like her. She is conniving and a bit ruthless. There was just something about her situation which had me intrigued.
And then there is the reason the slow burn works…the ending! Oh boy, this ending! The more Vera digs, the more lies and manipulation she finds and then the truth comes out and it is not at all what is expected!
Need a story which will keep you slowly building up to a knock out finish…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today!
I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Flora Collins was born and raised in New York City and has never left, except for a four-year stint at Vassar College. When she’s not writing, she can be found watching reality shows that were canceled after one season or attempting to eat soft-serve ice cream in bed (sometimes simultaneously). Nanny Dearest was her first novel.
Acclaimed children’s book author Cornelia Maude Spelman’s memoir of her family springs from a meeting and subsequent friendship with the late, legendary New Yorker editor William Maxwell in the 1920s. When Spelman hints at what she thinks of as the failure of her parents’ lives, he counters that “in a good novel one doesn’t look for a success story, but for a story that moves one with its human drama and richness of experience.” Maxwell encourages her to tell her mother’s story at their final meeting. Missing is Spelman’s response to Maxwell’s wisdom. With the pacing of the mystery novels her mother loved and using everything from letters and interviews to the family’s quotidian paper trail-medical records, telegrams, and other oft-overlooked clues to a family’s history-Spelman reconstructs her mother’s life and untimely death. Along the way, she unravels mysteries of her family, including the fate of her long-lost older brother. Spelman skillfully draws the reader into the elation and sorrow that accompanies the discovery of a family’s past. A profoundly loving yet honest elegy, Missing is complex and beautiful like the mother it memorializes.
About the Author
My memoir, MISSING, is now out in paperback from JackLeg Press. It is about my search to understand the “emotional legacies” in my family, and to find out what happened in my mother’s past. You can see a one-minute video about the book on this site. Author Alex Kotlowitz (THERE ARE NO CHILDREN HERE) wrote of MISSING: “Spelman’s gentle, lyrical prose belies the haunting nature of her story, a searing, honest search for the lost pieces of her family’s story…It’s memoir writing at its absolute finest.”
I wrote “The Way I Feel” picture books to help children name, understand, and manage their feelings—and to help their parents and caregivers, who, perhaps, like many of us, were not offered much help, themselves, with their emotions. I felt sure that such books would be of use, but even my experiences when I was a therapist and worked with young children and families, and my own mothering and grandmothering times, had not prepared me for the touching responses of relief and comfort that these books have elicited. It seems that having their adults read with them about a feeling, turning the pages and looking at the illustrations of animal charcters who are experiencing feelings that the children, too, experience, places upsetting and confusing emotions into the safe world of a book, a safe world where feelings have names and where there are methods to manage them.
Cornelia Spelman’s gentle, lyrical prose belies the haunting nature of her story, a searing, honest search for the lost pieces of her family’s story. Missing is a book that both comforts and astounds. It’s memoir writing at its absolute finest. ─Alex Kotlowitz
A long, intimate journey; the very honest accounting of the way old pain works its way through the generations. One of the fascinations of the whole story comes from the vicarious satisfaction of seeing someone who actually does discover every bit of what is still discoverable, and then who dares to speculate with candor about how it all fits together, not to mention how it’s affected her. ─Rosellen Brown
Cornelia Spelman | Cornelia Maude Spelman M.S.W., is a writer, an artist, and former therapist. She is the author of picture books for children, including a series called “The Way I Feel.” Her work has been translated into ten languages and sold over two million copies worldwide.
JackLeg Press | JackLeg employs an environmentally sustainable publishing model and a rigorous editorial process to bring the best new and familiar voices into the literary world.
The blockbuster conclusion to the bestselling Sunshine Vicram trilogy
“Laugh-out-loud funny, intensely suspenseful, page-turning fun.” —New York Times bestselling author Allison Brennan
Some people greet the day with open arms. Sheriff Sunshine Vicram would rather give it a hearty shove and get back into bed, because there’s just too much going on right now. There’s a series of women going missing, and Sunny feels powerless to stop it. There’s her persistent and awesomely-rebellious daughter Auri, who’s out to singlehandedly become Del Sol’s youngest and fiercest investigator. And then there’s drama with Levi Ravinder—the guy she’s loved and lusted after for years. The guy who might just be her one and only. The guy who comes from a family of disingenuous vipers looking to oust him—and Sunshine—for good.
Like we said, the new day can take a hike.
Compulsively readable, laugh-out-loud funny, and brimming with big-hearted characters, A Hard Day for a Hangover will have readers cheering to the very last page.
Review
Sheriff Sunshine Vicram has a terrible hangover. She knew better but that certainly did not stop her. As she is struggling through her morning, she has been alerted to a possible dead body of a young girl. This leads her to discover quite a few young ladies missing from her area.
I adore this series! Now, this is not my favorite book out of the 3. I felt it was a tad bit too long. But it is still delicious! It is a perfect ending. I found myself laughing out loud (as I always do in these books!) and, once again, loving Sunshine! I will surely miss this character! I hope the author uses her as a cameo in some of her future books.
Sunshine has some of the best one liners and quips. She is also very intelligent and it is very difficult to pull one over in her. But don’t worry…her daughter does!
This whole series is one enjoyable set of mysteries. The characters and their interactions will keep you guessing and keep you laughing!
Need a fabulously funny and just an all around good book…AND SERIES…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today!
I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.
Reminiscent of Maggie Shipstead’s Astonish Me and Julia Phillips’s Disappearing Earth, Winterland tells the story of a previous era, shockingly pertinent today, shaped by glory and loss and finding light where none exists.
In the Soviet Union in 1973, there is perhaps no greater honor for a young girl than to be chosen to be part of the famed USSR gymnastics program. So when eight-year-old Anya is tapped, her family is thrilled. What is left of her family, that is. Years ago her mother disappeared. Anya’s only confidant is her neighbor, an older woman who survived unspeakable horrors during her ten years in a Gulag camp—and who, unbeknownst to Anya, was also her mother’s confidant and might hold the key to her disappearance. As Anya moves up the ranks of competitive gymnastics, and as other girls move down, Anya soon comes to realize that there is very little margin of error for anyone.
A Macmillan Audio production from Henry Holt and Company.
Review
Anya has been chosen to be a gymnast for the USSR. This is one of the greatest honors for her family. Since her mother’s disappearance, her family has been on the government’s radar. Anya hopes to improve the family name with her talent. But, it is more of a struggle than anyone ever imagined.
I remember watching Olga Korbut (yes I am that old!) and Nadia Comaneci when I was a young girl. I knew they struggled but really had no idea exactly what they may have gone through. This book brought all of this to light. I had a childhood full of gymnastics, twirling, dancing, singing and anything else my mother wanted to put me in. And yes, a lot of it was a struggle, but not to this extent.
This story made a huge impression on me. Being an over achiever, I can feel for Anya. But, THE PRESSURE! Then there is her neighbor (her name escapes me🤷🏻♀️), with her past in the Gulag camp for just living her life.
Y’all! This book is a must read! There are very few books that I want to read again…THIS IS ONE OF THEM!
Need a story which will open your eyes…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today!
I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.
On the one-year anniversary of her wedding, Colbie Moore’s life looks nothing like it should. Still grieving the loss of the man she meant to spend her life with, she prepares for a weekend away to take her mind off her heartache, but the simple plan results in much more than she bargained for.
A box of letters, meant for the bride and groom to open on their anniversary, is instead opened by Colbie and her three best friends—Miles, James, and Eric—and what it holds could ruin everything.
A mysterious note from a surprising sender is shocking, propelling Colbie down a dark path to discover the truth about the man she loved—his life and his death—before it’s too late. As the mystery unravels, she begins to question everyone around her. What was Phil hiding from her when he died? What secrets are still hidden?
The closer she gets to answers the clearer it becomes that someone has gone to great lengths to protect their lies. And if she pushes any more, everything she has left could be exactly what she stands to lose. Is it worth risking everything to truly know the man she’s already lost? After all, she’s been warned…she might not be able to handle what she finds.
Review
Colbie’s one year wedding anniversary is right around the corner. It is the anniversary of a wedding that didn’t actually happen. Her groom-to-be collapsed and died right before the ceremony. But, Colbie has always had questions about that day. When she decides to read the letters meant for the bride and groom for their first anniversary, she finds one that sends her whole world into a complete tailspin.
Well, when this story began, I had no idea this would happen! Talk about lies and deceptions from just about everyone! And to be honest, I think that Colbie is just way to naive to go through life. I think she missed a lot of clues! And some of her decisions are just a bit questionable and selfish. But you will have to read this to find out. It is definitely a story which will have you guessing and then cussing because of a character’s lie!
The narrator, Subhadra Newton, did a great job, especially with all the voices. And there are quite a few friends and family in this tale!
Need a good “what the heck is going on!” book…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today!
I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.
A funny, heartwarming story about a feisty group of women who shake, spice, and heat things up with a “recipe” book for romance, from the bestselling author of Angry Housewives Eating Bon Bons.
Newly installed at All Souls Lutheran, Mallory “Pastor Pete” Peterson soon realizes that her church isn’t merely going through turbulent waters, but is a sinking ship. With the help of five loyal members of the Naomi Circle, the young, bold minister brainstorms fundraising ideas. They all agree that the usual recipe book won’t add much to the parish coffers, but maybe one with all the ingredients on how to heat up relationships rather than casseroles will…
Pastor Pete has her doubts about the project, but it turns out the group of postmenopausal women has a lot to say on the subject of romance. While Charlene, the youngest member at fifty-two, struggles with the assignment, baker-extraordinaire Marlys, elegantly bohemian Bunny, I’m-always-right Velda, and ebullient Edie take up their contributions enthusiastically. After all, their book is really about cooking up love in all its forms.
But not everyone in the congregation is on board with this “scandalous” project. As the voices of opposition grow louder, Pastor Pete and these intrepid women will have to decide how hard they’re willing to fight for this book and the powerful stories within—stories of discovery, softened hearts, and changed lives.
Review
Mallory Peterson is the new Pastor if the local Lutheran church. Her church is in need of money and all the previous fundraising attempts have not achieved the desired results. So, some of the ladies of the church have decided on a new fundraising idea, a guidebook to heat up your love life!
I have loved several books by this author. It has been years since I have read her. So, I am not sure if I have grown or if she has changed her writing style. But, this book was just a bit too simple and predictable.
That being said…I did love the characters and the premise of these church ladies writing erotica. But, the conversations were as clean and wholesome as you can imagine. It is more about growing in love and friendship. This had a chance to be much cuter than it was. I guess this book has its place but it is just not with me.
Need a quick story about love…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today!
I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.
My Dark Vanessa meets The Queen’s Gambit in this new novel of suspense about the bonds of family, the limits of talent, the risks of ambition, and the rewards of revenge.
When former piano prodigy Saskia Kreis returns home to Milwaukee after her mother’s unexpected death, she expects to inherit the family estate, the Elf House. But with the discovery that her mother’s will bequeathed the Elf House to a man that Saskia shares a complicated history with, she is forced to reexamine her own past–and the romantic relationship that changed the course of her life–for answers. Can she find a way to claim her heritage while keeping her secrets buried, or will the fallout from digging too deep destroy her?
Set against a post #MeToo landscape, Rachel Kapelke-Dale’s The Ingenue delves into mother-daughter relationships, the expectations of talent, the stories we tell ourselves, and what happens when the things that once made you special are taken from you. Moving between Saskia’s childhood and the present day, this dark, contemporary fairy tale pulses with desire, longing, and uncertainty, as it builds to its spectacular, shocking climax.
A Macmillan Audio production from St. Martin’s Press.
Review
Saskia is a former piano prodigy turned boxer. She has returned home to Milwaukee and the Elf House after her mother’s unexpected death. But, the bad memories are outweighing the good. Then she discovers her mother left the house to someone else. Saskia was supposed to get this house…so what happened?!?
Saskia is unsure where to turn after this shocking revelation. So, she goes straight to the source. The man she had an affair with at a VERY young age!
This story started strong and I was totally giving it 5 stars. Then the main character, Saskia does something completely out of character. And to be honest, it made me mad. I expected something, just not exactly that. I changed my rating to a 4. So you need to read this to find out! Then you need to find me somewhere online and let me know what you think.
The narrator, Stephanie Willis, did a good job. There were places in which her voice was too low. Not sure if this is a production problem or a narrator problem. Now, don’t get me wrong…I just kept turning the volume up. Because I HAD TO KNOW WHAT WAS HAPPENING!
There is so much more I want to say…but I just do not write long reviews. No one has time to read that. But this novel really hit the emotions from all directions! So, I am changing my rating back to a 5…mid review mind you! Any book which keeps the emotions rolling as you are writing the review…FIVE STARS IT IS!
Need a good novel with dark undertones and a freaking twist…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today!
I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.
The perfect romcom for dog lovers! Pets of Park Avenue is the story of a self-confessed hot mess who learns that life is more fun when things don’t go according to plan.
What do you do when The One is also the one who broke your heart?
Self-proclaimed hot mess Scout Myers is determined to prove she’s finally got her act together. Raised by grandparents who saw her as her wayward mother’s wayward daughter, Scout’s used to being written off. So when the opportunity for a promotion arises at Paws in the City, the talent agency where she works, Scout is desperate to rise to the occasion. With shared custody of her little sister also on the line, Scout can’t afford a single mistake…like suddenly needing a canine stand-in for an important photoshoot. Luckily (or not) she knows the owner of the perfect pup replacement: the estranged husband she walked out on years ago.
On the surface, it appears Lane Halliday’s life has been blissfully drama free without Scout, but she suspects her handsome-as-ever not-quite-ex-husband doth protest too much. Working together even feels like old times—except for all that lingering, unresolved tension. But Scout’s not sure she’s ready to confront the reasons she left Lane, and when their plans to finalize the divorce become very real, Scout starts to wonder whether second chances might be worth a little hot mess.
Paws in the City – standalone Book 1 – The Dachshund Wears Prada
Author Bio
Stefanie London is a USA Today Bestselling author of contemporary romance. Her books have been called “genuinely entertaining and memorable” by Booklist, and her writing praised as “elegant, descriptive and delectable” by RT Magazine.
Originally from Australia, she now lives in Toronto with her very own hero and is doing her best to travel the world. She frequently indulges her passions for lipstick, good coffee, books and anything zombie related.
Scout Myers could think of several good reasons to be on all fours with her ass in the air, but pandering to the world’s most disagreeable cat was not one of them. Isaac Mewton—and yes, that was his real name—was a Scottish fold with the sweetest face you’d ever see. Unfortunately, despite the adorable camera-ready mug, the cat had the same disposition as those grumpy old Muppets who liked to sit on a balcony and heckle people for sport.
And Scout loved animals. One of the best things about her job at Paws in the City, New York’s premiere pet social media and talent agency, was getting to be around furry critters all day long.
Isaac Mewton, however, was officially on her shit list.
“I can see something shiny back there.” His owner pointed. “We can’t carry on without his favorite toy. He won’t sit still.”
Scout gritted her teeth and wedged her hand between the wall and a white IKEA bookcase. Cringing, she prayed none of New York’s finest creepy crawlies were hiding back there and wriggled her fingers.
“Come on,” she muttered. “Where are you?”
Eventually her fingertips brushed something hard and plastic. That had to be it. How the cat had managed to bat his toy so hard it lodged itself into such a small space was incomprehensible. Almost as incomprehensible as this client’s expectations. Seriously, how were they supposed to turn her precious kitty into a star if it wouldn’t even sit still for a headshot?
“Got it!” Her hand—and the toy—popped mercifully free.
“Great, now can we get on with it?” The client looked at Scout like this was all her fault. “I have an appointment to get to.”
Paws in the City wasn’t only Scout’s workplace; it was the brainchild of her best friend and the lifeline Scout had needed when her life couldn’t sink any lower. She came into work every day striving to do the best job possible, both for herself and her boss.
That meant pasting on a can-do smile, even when she wanted to launch a cat toy at someone’s head.
“Why don’t you get him to play with it?” Scout said, handing over the hard plastic ring, which was clear and suspended with glitter. “He might be more receptive if it comes from you.”
The woman crouched in front of the cat and attempted to engage him with the toy. But he immediately batted it across the room, where it slammed into the wall and bounced onto the floor.
The photographer, who had shown a level of patience that should make her a shoo-in for sainthood, raised an eyebrow. This was going nowhere. Isaac Mewton sat on a velvet pouf with an artfully arranged bookshelf behind him that Scout and the photographer had prepared for his portrait, staring down everyone in the room like an angry king.
It was time to try something new. Scout retrieved a feather toy from their stash in the office. She needed to get these photos done now. Isla was due back in less than five minutes and they hadn’t gotten a single decent shot of the cat.
Let’s be real, what client would want to work with such a demanding, fussy model anyway?
Still, Scout didn’t want it to look like she didn’t have things under control.
“He doesn’t like those.” The cat’s owner shook her head and pointed at the feather toy. “It won’t work.”
“Well, we’ve tried all the toys you brought with you, so maybe a Hail Mary is exactly what we need,” Scout replied tightly, her smile turning brittle. Lord give her strength to deal with this woman! The cat was a pain, sure, but animals were animals. They couldn’t be blamed for their behavior. Their human counterparts on the other hand…
Click!
Isaac Mewton had gone still, his eyes on the new toy, and the photographer seized the moment to start snapping. Scout moved the feather in gentle sweeping motions, and the cat’s eyes followed with intense focus. He raised one paw and batted at it, ignoring the steady click, click, click of the camera.
So much for him not liking it.
Scout shoved the snarky inner comment to one side and focused on getting the cat to engage so they could wrap up the meeting as quickly as possible. Next to her, the owner huffed in annoyance as though she couldn’t believe her darling Isaac had proven her wrong.
When they were done and the woman and her cat had left the Paws in the City office, Scout’s shoulders sagged in relief. She was a people—and an animal—person at heart, but she had a pet peeve, no pun intended, about entitlement. Call it a leftover from her childhood. Her mother’s legacy was little more than a collection of emotional scars and personal quirks, but she had taught Scout one very important lesson.
Nobody owed her anything. Whatever she wanted in life, she would have to earn it.
“Are all your clients like that?” the photographer asked as she packed up her equipment. “The woman seemed to think her cat was royalty.”
Scout shook her head. “Most clients are lovely and happy to have our assistance. But there’s always the rare few who think they’re superstar material, without being willing to put in the work.”
“How long have you been open now? Only a few months, right?”
“Six months.” Scout couldn’t help her beaming smile. It might not be her business, but she was damn proud to be part of it. “And we’ve already signed over twenty clients.”
“Including Miss Pain in the Rear and her angry feline overlord?”
“We’ve had several requests for cats lately, and he was by far the cutest we’ve seen.” Scout sighed. “Let’s hope he’s in a better mood when it comes time to front up for a paying job.”
Paws in the City represented clients with four (and six) legs. They provided social media coaching to the humans running the accounts, worked on brand strategy and generally acted as a go-between in brokering sponsorship deals and other types of opportunities. They also booked animal talent for commercial shoots, both of the print and television variety. Every day was different. Scout managed the operational parts of the
job, like booking appointments, supervising headshots, fielding media enquiries and consulting with the freelancers, such as photographers and grooming specialists. Plus any other random bits and bobs, like making sure they hadn’t run out of dog treats or pods for their coffee machine.
Isla always said their mission was to make the internet a happier, furrier place, and Scout loved that sentiment.
A few minutes after Scout bid the photographer farewell, the front door swung open. Though cute, their office wasn’t much bigger than a postage stamp, so Scout’s desk was situated in the waiting area and therefore doubled as their reception desk.
Isla breezed in, a wool coat slung over one arm and her long dark hair bouncing around her shoulders in soft curls. She was dressed in a pale blue blouse, fitted black pants and a killer pair of silver stilettos—a much fancier outfit than what she usually wore in the office. Black, though it was one of Scout’s favorite colors, was not the best when working with their furry clients.
But Isla had been at an important networking event today, so there was no need to worry about dog fur.
“Those shoes,” Scout gasped. “Wow!”
“They’re gorgeous, but they’ve been killing me all day.” She dropped onto one of the pink velvet seats lining the far wall and kicked off the shoes, groaning in relief.
“That’s a rookie move,” Scout replied. “Now your feet are going to puff up and you won’t be able to get them back on.”
“I don’t care if I have to meet Theo barefoot tonight, there’s no way I was keeping them on a second longer than necessary.”
“Hmm, barefoot to a white-tablecloth restaurant. Classy.”
Isla grinned. “Theo loves me as I am, blisters and all.”
It was true. Scout wasn’t sure she’d ever seen a man so in love.
Not even on your own wedding day?
Scout shoved the unpleasant reminder to one side. The last thing she needed right now was for her mood to take a dive, thinking about inconvenient things like the fact that she was still married.
Or that she hadn’t seen her husband in five years.
