The Stepsisters by Susan Mallery @harperbooks @susanmallery #book #fiction #review

Posted on June 18, 2021 by fredreeca

The Stepsisters

Susan Mallery

On Sale Date: May 25, 2021

978-0778331803, 0778331806

Trade Paperback

$16.99 USD, $21.99 CAD

Fiction / Family Life / Siblings

416 pages

About the Book:

#1 New York Times bestselling author Susan Mallery pens a love story of a different sort…a heartfelt tale of friendship between two women who used to be sisters.


Once upon a time, when her dad married Sage’s mom, Daisy was thrilled to get a bright and shiny new sister. But Sage was beautiful and popular, everything Daisy was not, and she made sure Daisy knew it.
Sage didn’t have Daisy’s smarts—she had to go back a grade to enroll in the fancy rich-kid school. So she used her popularity as a weapon, putting Daisy down to elevate herself.

After the divorce, the stepsisters’ rivalry continued until the final, improbable straw: Daisy married Sage’s first love, and Sage fled California.


Eighteen years, two kids and one troubled marriage later, Daisy never expects—or wants—to see Sage again. But when the little sister they have in common needs them both, they put aside their differences to care for Cassidy. As long-buried truths are revealed, no one is more surprised than they when friendship blossoms.


Their fragile truce is threatened by one careless act that could have devastating consequences. They could turn their backs on each other again…or they could learn to forgive once and for all and finally become true sisters of the heart.

Review

Daisy’s marriage is falling apart. She is struggling to keep it together when her dad calls and wants her to take in her injured half sister. Cassidy has fallen off a mountain and has multiple injuries and needs constant care. But, along with Cassidy comes Sage. Sage is Daisy’s ex-stepsister. They didn’t get along years ago and it looks like they are falling back into the old pattern.

There is so much about this story that I loved. Each character has good and bad qualities. This makes them so real and adorable. I enjoyed reading about their growth and when they begin to trust each other, their interactions had me laughing out loud!

Now, Daisy’s husband, Jordan, is not someone I enjoyed at all. I found him whiny and down right selfish. But the way the sisters come together to support Daisy just made my day!

Need a good book about over coming the past and learning to love and trust…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today!

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.

About the Author

#1 NYT bestselling author Susan Mallery writes heartwarming, humorous novels about the relationships that define our lives―family, friendship, romance. She’s known for putting nuanced characters in emotional situations that surprise readers to laughter. Beloved by millions, her books have been translated into 28 languages. Susan lives in Washington with her husband, two cats, and a small poodle with delusions of grandeur. Visit her at SusanMallery.com.

Website: https://susanmallery.com/ 

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/susanmallery 

Instagram: https://instagram.com/susanmallery 

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/susanmallery/ 

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/susanmallery 

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/susan-mallery 

Mailing List: https://susanmallery.com/join-mailing-list.php 

Buy Links:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0778331806

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-stepsisters-susan-mallery/1137495093?ean=9780778331803  

Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/books/the-stepsisters-9780778312031/9780778331803 

IndieBound: https://www.indiebound.org/book/9780778331803 

Libro.fm: https://libro.fm/audiobooks/9781488211577-the-stepsisters 

Books-A-Million: https://www.booksamillion.com/p/Stepsisters/Susan-Mallery/9780778331803?id=7843731390040 

Target: https://www.target.com/p/the-stepsisters-by-susan-mallery-paperback/-/A-81262171# 

Walmart: https://www.walmart.com/ip/The-Stepsisters-Paperback-9780778331803/194267274 

Indigo: https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/the-stepsisters/9780778331803-item.html 

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-stepsisters 

AppleBooks: https://books.apple.com/us/book/the-stepsisters/id1527864349 

Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Susan_Mallery_The_Stepsisters?id=8bn3DwAAQBAJ

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The Book Of Longings by Sue Monk Kidd @suemonkkidd @penquinaudio #bookreview #5starreview #historicalfictio

Posted on June 17, 2021 by fredreeca

Overview

An extraordinary story set in the first century about a woman who finds her voice and her destiny, from the celebrated number one New York Times bestselling author of The Secret Life of Bees and The Invention of Wings

In her mesmerizing fourth work of fiction, Sue Monk Kidd takes an audacious approach to history and brings her acclaimed narrative gifts to imagine the story of a young woman named Ana. Raised in a wealthy family with ties to the ruler of Galilee, she is rebellious and ambitious, with a brilliant mind and a daring spirit. She engages in furtive scholarly pursuits and writes narratives about neglected and silenced women. Ana is expected to marry an older widower, a prospect that horrifies her. An encounter with eighteen-year-old Jesus changes everything. 

Their marriage evolves with love and conflict, humor and pathos in Nazareth, where Ana makes a home with Jesus, his brothers, and their mother, Mary. Ana’s pent-up longings intensify amid the turbulent resistance to Rome’s occupation of Israel, partially led by her brother, Judas. She is sustained by her fearless aunt Yaltha, who harbors a compelling secret. When Ana commits a brazen act that puts her in peril, she flees to Alexandria, where startling revelations and greater dangers unfold, and she finds refuge in unexpected surroundings. Ana determines her fate during a stunning convergence of events considered among the most impactful in human history. 

Grounded in meticulous research and written with a reverential approach to Jesus’s life that focuses on his humanity, The Book of Longings is an inspiring, unforgettable account of one woman’s bold struggle to realize the passion and potential inside her, while living in a time, place and culture devised to silence her. It is a triumph of storytelling both timely and timeless, from a masterful writer at the height of her powers.

Review

Ana is a young woman engaged to be married to an older widower. She is horrified at the prospect. She wants to be a scholar. However, this is not an option for her. She meets Jesus one day and is captivated by his charm and kindness. This changes her stars but it is a process with some damage along the way.

There is so much encompassed in this novel. What captured my attention more than most was Ana’s plight. The struggle women went through just to survive and not be considered cattle.

Talk about a fabulous historical fiction tale! Sometimes authors try too hard when it comes to the subject of Jesus. Most authors try to make it about religion and beliefs. Not this author! She captured the love of Jesus. She also nailed the time period and the landscape as well. I felt like I was right there in the story!

Since I was behind in my reviews, I decided to get this with one of my audible credits. The narrator, Mozhan Marno is fantastic. The perfect inflection and right amount of attitude when needed!

Need a good story which will take you away….THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today!

Purchase Here

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Spin by Peter Zheutlin @Pegasus_books @rescueroadbook #book #historicalfiction #bookreview

Posted on June 16, 2021 by fredreeca

Overview

On June 25th, 1894, Annie Cohen Kopchovsky, a young Jewish mother of three small children set out on a fifteen-month ‘round-the-world bicycle trip that the New York World declared, “the most extraordinary journey ever undertaken by a woman.” In SPIN, Peter Zheutlin takes inspiration from her real-life story to present a rollicking account of her bicycle trip and explore the personal costs of forging ahead as an ambitious New Woman in the 1890s.

Reportedly set in motion by a wager between two wealthy Boston merchants, the bet required Annie not only to circle the earth by bicycle in 15 months, but to earn $5,000 en route, as well. This was no mere test of a woman’s physical endurance and mental fortitude; it was a test of a woman’s ability to fend for herself in the world.

Traveling with only a change of clothes and a pearl-handled revolver, Annie was outlandish, brash, and charismatic – a master of public relations, a consummate self-promoter, and a skillful creator of her own myth. In SPIN, this remarkable heroine and her marvelous, stranger-than-fiction story is vividly brought to life for a new generation.

Review

Because of a wager between two men, Annie Cohen Kopchovsky headed out in June 1894 for a 15 month bicycle tour around the world. Not only did she have to complete the tour…she had to raise $5000 during the tour. Annie and her Pearl handled revolver created quite a stir in every place and town!

This is definitely a different read. I have never heard of Annie Cohen Kopchovsky before. Nor have I ever heard of her bicycle trip ‘round the world!’ I admire Annie, her tenacity and her ingenuity. But, I felt sorry for her family. She left her young children at home for 15 months to accomplish this feat. I will be honest…this is something I had trouble with.

However, I enjoyed reading about Annie and her experiences on this magical trip. Nothing hindered her, including falls and pneumonia. She was truly unstoppable.

Need a unique tale…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today!

I received this novel from the author for a honest review.

About the Author

Peter Zheutlin is the author of the New York Times bestseller Rescue Road: One Man, Thirty Thousand Dogs and a Million Miles on the Lost Hope Highway; Rescued: What Second-Chance Dogs Teach Us About Living with Purpose, Loving with Abandon, and Finding Joy in the Little Things; and The Dog Went Over the Mountain: Travels With Albie—An American Journey (also available from Pegasus Books), a Lowell Thomas/Society of American Travel Writers Award winner. Peter lives in Massachusetts with his wife, author Judy Gelman.

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The Maidens by Alex Michaelides @macmillanaudio @alexmichaelides #thriller #5starread #review #fiction

Posted on June 15, 2021 by fredreeca

Overview

Stunning…. The intelligent, cerebral plot finds contemporary parallels in Euripides’s tragedies, Jacobean dramas such as The Duchess of Malfi, and Tennyson’s poetry. The devastating ending shows just how little the troubled Mariana knows about the human psyche or herself. Michaelides is on a roll.” (Publishers Weekly, starred review)

“A deliciously dark, elegant, utterly compulsive read – with a twist that blew my mind. I loved this even more than I loved The Silent Patient and that’s saying something!” (Lucy Foley, New York Times best-selling author of The Guest List)

From the number-one New York Times best-selling author of The Silent Patient comes a spellbinding tale of psychological suspense, weaving together Greek mythology, murder, and obsession, that further cements “Michaelides as a major player in the field” (Publishers Weekly).

Edward Fosca is a murderer. Of this Mariana is certain. But Fosca is untouchable. A handsome and charismatic Greek tragedy professor at Cambridge University, Fosca is adored by staff and students alike – particularly by the members of a secret society of female students known as The Maidens.

Mariana Andros is a brilliant but troubled group therapist who becomes fixated on The Maidens when one member, a friend of Mariana’s niece, Zoe, is found murdered in Cambridge.

Mariana, who was once herself a student at the university, quickly suspects that behind the idyllic beauty of the spires and turrets, and beneath the ancient traditions, lies something sinister. And she becomes convinced that, despite his alibi, Edward Fosca is guilty of the murder. But why would the professor target one of his students? And why does he keep returning to the rites of Persephone, the maiden, and her journey to the underworld?

When another body is found, Mariana’s obsession with proving Fosca’s guilt spirals out of control, threatening to destroy her credibility as well as her closest relationships. But Mariana is determined to stop this killer, even if it costs her everything – including her own life.

A Macmillan Audio production from Celadon Books

Review

Mariana is a group therapist. When her niece calls her about a death at her college, Mariana leaves at once to help Zoe. Mariana immediately focuses on a brilliant Greek mythology professor, Fosca. She knows he is the killer but can she prove it!

Mariana is a unique character. I was drawn to her inhibitions and her strengths. Throw in the Greek mythology and the tragic murders and you have an enthralling tale. I was glued from start to finish.

This is narrated by two different voices, Kobna Holbrook-Smith and Louise Brealey. These two narrators are some of the best in the business. They are the right amount of excitement and emotion!

Alex Michaelides has done it again! This story is captivating, intriguing and unstoppable! It twists and turns until all your suspects are cleared…then what?!? You will have to read this to find out!

Need a good dark thriller….THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today!

I received this audiobook from the publisher for a honest review.

Purchase Here

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Primordial by David L. Sobel #medicalthriller #fiction #bookreview @dsobelmd

Posted on June 14, 2021 by fredreeca

Overview

PRIMORDIAL is a Crichton-like thriller that centers on the plights of two scientists separated by decades and borders but united in their obsessive quests for the physical location of the soul. Jonas, a hospital attorney, begins to suspect that someone is targeting patients in his hospital. With the help of two residents, his search for answers will bring him face to face with a killer.

Review

Jonas is an attorney for a hospital in NYC. Some one on the staff randomly shows up in his office with a strange list. It is a list of patients which have been targeted and died in the hospital. Well, of course, no one believes this and Jonas throws the list away. But then…someone else is murdered!

I enjoyed the characters in this read. Jonas, Early and Rachel just enhance each other with their intellect. I especially loved Early. He is a resident which is not very popular with his peers. But, there is just something about him that is absolutely adorable.

I have not read a medical thriller in quite a while and this book hit the spot! It is a bit far fetched in places….but there is a reason for that. The author ties it all together at the end with a huge twist! A twist I did not see coming!

Need a good chilling read…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today!

I received this novel from the author for a honest review.

Purchase Here

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A Song For The Road by Kathleen Basi @suzyapbooktours @kathleenmbasi

Posted on June 11, 2021 by fredreeca

Release Date: May 11, 2021

About The Book:

Cheryl Strayed’s Wild meets Katherine Center’s How to Walk Away in Kathleen Basi’s debut novel about an unconventional road trip and what it means to honor the ones we love.

It’s one year after the death of her husband and twin teenagers. Miriam Tedesco has lost faith in humanity and herself. When a bouquet of flowers that her husband usually sends her on their anniversary shows up at her work place, she completely unravels. With the help of her best friend, she realizes that it’s time to move past these deaths. Step one is not even cleaning out her family’s possessions, but just to take inventory starting with her daughter’s room. But when she opens up her daughter’s computer, she stumbles across a program written by her daughter to embark on an automated cross country road trip, for her and her husband to take when they would have begun their empty-nesting in a few more months.

Seeing and hearing the video clips of her kids embedded in the program, Miriam is determined to take this trip for her children. Armed with her husband’s guitar, her daughter’s cello, and her son’s unfinished piano sonata, she embarks on a musical pilgrimage to grieve the family she fears she never loved enough. Along the way she meets a young, pregnant hitchhiker Dicey whose boisterous and spunky attitude reminds Miriam of her own daughter and forces her to look harder at what she had rather than what she’s lost.

Tornadoes, impromptu concerts, and an unlikely friendship… whether she’s prepared for it or not, Miriam’s world is coming back to life. But as she struggles to keep her focus on the reason she initially set out on this journey, she has to confront the possibility that the best way to honor her family may be to accept the truths she never wanted to face.

Hopeful, honest, and tender, A Song for the Road is about courage, vulnerability, and forgiveness, even of yourself, when it really matters.

Review

Miriam is still grieving for her family. Her husband and her teenage twins were killed over a year ago. But, she has yet to face it, let alone move on with her life. Then one day she nearly loses her job and she knows must come to terms with her grief.

Miriam starts to clean out her daughter’s room and she comes across a trip her children had planned for her and her husband. It is a cross country road trip. Miriam thinks this is just the thing to help her with her grief and her past.

I was so heartbroken and grief-stricken for Miriam. She is a character which pulls you into a story and keeps you there. She is flawed and has made some huge mistakes but her heart is in the right place.

Then there is a hitchhiker named Dicey which Miriam picks up at her first stop on the trip. Dicey is very much pregnant and she is hiding a secret. Dicey is feisty but she is just what Miriam needs at the perfect time.

This is a story about past regrets and about self renewal. It is about living with the loss life and overcoming grief.

Need a book about life and love….THIS IS IT!

I received this novel from the author for a honest review.

About The Author:

Author and liturgical composer Kathleen M. Basi is mother to three active boys (read that: always breaking something) and one chromosomally-gifted daughter. A proud native of flyover country and an honest-to-goodness farm girl (as in cattle, hogs, chickens, grain bins and a combine), she spent her childhood climbing trees, jumping off hay bales and chasing cattle back into their pasture when they broke through fences. (But she never once tipped a cow.)

Road trips are familiar territory for her, as she took several 3-week RV trips with her grandparents. She saw more national parks in her first 10 years than many people see in their entire childhood, and she loves exploring new places. (Especially the food.)

Her degrees are in flute performance, and she has been involved in music for Catholic worship since she was ten years old. She’s been writing stories even longer than that. (School bus. First grade. Orphan Annie fanfic.) She believes the written word and the sung note should make the world a better place. That doesn’t mean pretending ugliness doesn’t exist. The world is messy, and pretending otherwise just makes it harder for everyone. She aspires to acknowledge the reality of the world while pointing toward what makes it most beautiful.

Her nonfiction has appeared in a number of magazines, Chicken Soup for the Soul and on NPR’s All Things Considered. Her fiction is represented by Sonali Chanchani and Claudia Cross, and her novel, A SONG FOR THE ROAD, is scheduled for debut in May 2021 with Alcove Press. https://kathleenbasi.com/novels/

Social Media and Other Links:

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

Instagram: https://instagram.com/kathleenbasi?igshid=ot84rc4j343r 

Twitter: @kathleenmbasi

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4270863.Kathleen_M_Basi

Book Blurbs:

“An emotionally complex story about reconciling love with loss, and the healing power of music…I loved every scene from the first to the last.” —Barbara Claypole White, bestselling author of The Perfect Son and The Promise Between Us

“A nuanced grief journey whose final moments will push [our heroine] to face the depths of her shame and loss—and, scarier, the love that may help her emerge stronger on the other side. A truly panoramic view of human frailty and resilience.”—Kathryn Craft, award-winning author of The Far End of Happy and The Art of Falling

“A heart achingly beautiful book about grief and guilt, family and friendship, love and loss. Readers will be swept away with the lyrical descriptions and charmed by the characters. I wanted to race through the book to see what happened at the same time that I wanted to savor every page.”—Orly Konig, author of The Distance Home and Carousel Beach

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Under The Cover Of Night by Constance Gillam @suzyapbooktours #bookreview #suspense #fiction

Posted on June 10, 2021 by fredreeca

Release Date: March 30, 2021

About The Book:

A courageous law officer fighting corruption. Can he hunt down an assassin on the reservation… or will he be permanently silenced?

Little River Reservation. Police Captain John Iron Hawk serves his people with pride. With a crucial election on the horizon, the strong and silent commander refuses to let criminals undermine his community’s leadership. But when his sister discovers his rival has been murdered, Iron Hawk is determined to catch the killer before he loses his job.

After his sibling quickly becomes the prime suspect, Iron Hawk is outraged when the FBI pulls him off the case. Working unofficially on the case, he uncovers conspiracies that reach far beyond the homicide. Protecting his homeland from ruthless enemies could cost this police chief his life.

Can Iron Hawk expose the deadly secrets before he’s buried in an unmarked grave?

Under Cover of Night is the third book in the thrilling Lakota romantic suspense series. If you like rich portrayals of Native American society, daring heroes, and edge-of-your-seat tension, then you’ll love Constance Gillam’s evocative tale.

Review

John Iron Hawk is police captain on Little River Reservation. He has held this job unopposed for quite a few years. However, now he has an opponent. And that opponent is now murdered and John is the prime suspect.

Talk about stressful! I was gripped by this whodunit! John is a character which I was rooting for all the way till the end. When his sister is arrested for the murder, John knows he must take matters into his own hands. He uncovers quite a few bits of information which puts his life at risk!

I enjoyed reading about the Indian reservation. I learned a great deal about the laws and the rituals. Very unique for me!

This book is part of a series. I have not read the other ones in this series and I did not feel lost at all. I will definitely go back and pick up the others. I want to know more!

Need a good suspense with a kick! This is it! Grab your copy today!

I received this novel from the author for a honest review.

About The Author:

Constance Gillam is an award-winning author of young adult fiction as well as a 2008 Romance Writers of America Golden Heart finalist for adult fiction. She writes the award-nominated Lakota crime suspense series, featuring John Iron Hawk, an Oglala Sioux tribal police captain, and his lover, Zora Hughes.

Constance loves writing about diverse characters and cultures and has a soon-to-be-released #ownvoices book— The Hookup Dilemma from Entangled Publishing.

A former scientist, Constance traded in her lab coat to write fiction—a long-time dream. She lives in Atlanta with a husband who doesn’t mind taking up the household slack as she creates stories about crime, intrigue, and love.

They have three adult children and a part-time dog (long story). You can find her at:

 www.constancegillam.com

Social Media:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/authorconstancegillam

Instagram : https://instagram.com/authorlady514

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High Country Justice by Nik James @sourcebookscasa #bookgiveaway #giveaway #excerpt

Posted on June 9, 2021 by fredreeca

Overview

High Country Justice

by Nik James

Publication Date: 5/25/2021

Fans of William Johnstone will love this unique and riveting historical western series. A perfect gift for Father’s Day, birthdays, and holidays for the men in your life.  

It will take all this lone frontiersman’s skills to save his only friend from murderous outlaws.

Caleb Marlowe carved out his own legend as a frontier scout and lawman before arriving in the Colorado boomtown of Elkhorn. Famous for a lightning-quick draw and nerves of steel, he is mysterious, guarded, and unpredictable. Now, he wants to leave the past behind. But the past has a way of dogging a man…

When Doc Burnett, Caleb’s only friend in town, goes missing, his daughter Sheila comes seeking Caleb’s help. Newly arrived from the East, she hotly condemns the bloody frontier justice of the rifle and the six-gun. But this is outlaw country.

Murderous road agents have Doc trapped in their mountain hideaway. To free Doc, Marlowe tracks his kidnappers through wild, uncharted territory, battling animals and bushwhackers. But when Sheila is captured by the ruthless gunhawks with a score to settle, Marlowe will have to take them down one by one, until no outlaw remains standing.

Nik James is a pseudonym for award-winning, USA Today bestselling authors Nikoo and Jim McGoldrick. They are the writing team behind over four dozen conflict-filled historical and contemporary novels and two works of nonfiction under various pseudonyms. They make their home in California.

Purchase Links:

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3gn2lC7

B&N: http://bit.ly/3mZqBNa

Apple: http://apple.co/2VLkakK

Kobo: https://bit.ly/3q7fbYr

Bookshop: http://bit.ly/2VSfqJS

BAM: http://bit.ly/36Qr8uY

Link to giveaway: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/54ca7af71080/?

Excerpt:

Elkhorn, Colorado, May 1878 

Caleb Marlowe watched the embers of the fire throw flickering shadows on his new cabin walls. Outside, a muffled sound drew his attention, and Caleb focused on the door at the same time Bear lifted his great head. The thick, golden fur on the neck of the dog rose, and the low growl told Caleb that his own instincts were not wrong. 

In an instant, both man and dog were on their feet. 

Caleb signaled for the big, yellow animal to stay and reached for his Winchester ’73. The .44-caliber rifle was leaning, dark and deadly, against the new pine boards he’d nailed up not two hours before. If he’d had time to hang the door, whoever was out there might have gotten the drop on him. 

Moving with the stealth of a cougar, Caleb crossed quickly to one side of the door and looked out, holding his gun. The broad fields gleamed like undulating waves of silver under the May moon between the wooded ridges that formed the east and west boundaries of his property. Down the slope from the cabin, by a bend in the shallow river, he could see the newly purchased cattle settled for the night. From this distance, the herd looked black as a pool of dried blood in the wide meadow. 

He could see nothing amiss there. Nice and quiet. No wolves or mountain lions harrying the herd and stirring them up. The only sound was a pair of hunting owls hooting at each other in the distant pines. Still, something was wrong. His instincts were rarely off, and he had a prickling feeling on the back of his neck. He levered a cartridge into the chamber. 

Caleb slipped outside into the cool, mountain air and moved silently along the wall of the nearly finished cabin. Bear moved ahead of him and disappeared into the shadow cast by the building blocking moonlight. The crisp breeze was light and coming out of the north, from the direction of Elkhorn, three miles away as the crow flies. 

When Caleb peered around the corner, he was aware of the large, yellow smudge of dog standing alert at his feet. Bear was focused on the dark edge of the woods a couple hundred yards beyond Caleb’s wagon and the staked areas where the barn, corral, and Henry’s house would eventually set. Bear growled low again. 

Caleb smelled them before he saw them. Six riders came out of the tall pines, moving slowly along the eastern edge of the meadow, and he felt six pairs of eyes fixed on the cabin. 

He had no doubt as to their intentions. They were rustlers, and they were after his cattle. But this was his property—his and Henry’s—and that included those steers. 

If they’d been smart enough to come down from Elkhorn on the southwestern road, these dolts could have forded the river far below here and had a damn good chance of making off with the herd. It must have surprised the shit out of them, seeing the cabin. 

“Bad luck, fellas,” Caleb murmured, assessing the situation. 

He needed to get a little closer to these snakes. Standing a couple of inches over six feet, with broad shoulders and solid muscles, he was hardly an insignificant target, even at night. His wagon was fifty yards nearer to them, but with this moon, they’d spot him and come at him before he got halfway there. It’d take a damn good shot on horseback from a hundred and fifty yards, but they could close that distance in a hurry. And Caleb would have no cover at all. Beyond the wagon, there were half a dozen stone outcroppings, but nothing else to stop a bullet. 

Just then, the cattle must have smelled them too, because they started grunting and moving restlessly. That was all the distraction he needed. 

Staying low, Caleb ran hard, angling his path to get the wagon between him and the rustlers as quickly as he could. 

He nearly made it. 

The flash from the lead rider’s rifle was accompanied by the crack of wood and an explosion of splinters above the sideboard of the wagon. A second shot thudded dead into the ground a few yards to Caleb’s right. Immediately, with shouts and guns blazing, they were all coming hard.

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Undercover Wolf by Paige Tyler #excerpt #giveaway #bookgiveaway @sourcebookscasa

Posted on June 8, 2021 by fredreeca

Overview

Undercover Wolf

by Paige Tyler

Publication Date: 5/25/2021

When these two agents are under fire, they’ll have to reconsider everything they know…

Werewolf Harley Grant isn’t exactly comfortable with her inner wolf. Even though she’s on a STAT team where she can use her abilities openly, she refuses to do so, putting herself—and sometimes her teammates—at risk.

Alpha werewolf Sawyer Bishop would give anything for his MI6 team to know about his inner wolf, but his teammates are mistrustful of anyone or anything with inhuman abilities. When he meets Harley on an overlapping case and realizes she’s a fellow wolf, he’s more than a little intrigued.

Now that STAT and MI6 have to team up to stop a crew of supernatural bad guys intent on causing a nuclear meltdown, Harley can no longer deny her wolf and Sawyer can no longer hide his. As they grow closer to resolving the case and grow closer to each other, they discover things aren’t what they seem and revenge could cost them their lives.

Paige Tyler is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of sexy, romantic fiction. Paige writes books about hunky alpha males and the kick-butt heroines they fall in love with. She lives with her very own military hero (a.k.a. her husband) and their adorable dog on the beautiful Florida coast.

Purchase Links:

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Excerpt:

Harley caught a glimpse of someone out of the corner of her eye that made her snap her head around, but she didn’t see anyone. Sure she’d seen something, she skirted the outside of the dance floor in that direction. She was starting to question herself again when she spotted a tall, attractive guy with broad shoulders, casually disheveled brown hair, and scruff on his square jaw. He was circling the dancers on the floor in much the same way Harley was but in the opposite direction, keeping pace with her so they stayed exactly opposite each other. 

Yeah, like that’s a coincidence. 

A little voice in the back of her head told her to get on the radio and call Caleb and the rest of her teammates, but she ignored it, too mesmerized by the handsome man across the room from her. Every few seconds, piercing blue eyes locked with hers, making something inside her—maybe her inner wolf—feel a sensation she didn’t recognize. 

Even if she hadn’t picked up on the scent, Harley would have known he was a werewolf from the graceful, animalistic way he moved. 

He was a predator, no doubt about it. 

Was he a kidnapper as well? 

She wanted to say he’d never do anything like that, which was an asinine thing to consider about a man she’d never met. 

Tired of stalking in circles, Harley stopped, turning carefully to keep her eyes on the big werewolf as he moved closer. She wasn’t sure, but for a brief moment, she thought she caught sight of what might have been a smile tugging at his sensuous mouth. The other werewolf—an 
alpha most definitely—strode past the last few people separating them and came to a halt a few feet away. Harley couldn’t ignore that the man in front of her was possibly the most gorgeous guy she’d ever seen. 

Which pretty much guaranteed he was one of the bad guys. 

Because that was how her luck worked out when it came to the  opposite sex. 

Harley took a single step forward and felt a tingle in her stomach 
when he did the same, that dangerous smile showing up again. She took another few steps toward him when his head whipped to the side. She looked that way, too, trying to see what had attracted his attention, and caught sight of two men slipping behind a black velvet curtain covering a section of the far wall. The second guy cast a furtive glance over his shoulder before disappearing. 

That isn’t suspicious at all. 

She turned back to the alpha werewolf, but he was already striding 
in that direction. She quickly followed, knowing she should call the rest of the team, but once again, her instincts insisted she hold off. By the time she slipped behind the curtain, all she saw was another set of stairs. The mysterious werewolf was nowhere to be found. 

She paused long enough to slide a hand under her dress and pull the small frame Glock 9mm from the tiny holster strapped to her upper thigh, chambering a round as she started down the steps, rather proud of how comfortably she handled a loaded weapon. Considering that before joining STAT she’d never even held a gun, she thought she was doing rather well. 

From down below, she heard the rhythmic sound of rapid footsteps along with the soft murmur of voices but no music or partying people or anything else to make her think this was a part of the dance club open to the public. Whatever the hell those two guys had come down here for, it probably wasn’t on the up-and-up. 

Lit only by three low-watt bulbs mounted in cobweb-covered fixtures hanging from the rough stone ceiling, the room at the bottom of the steps was filled with crates, racks of empty bottles, and bags of trash. The dim glow was barely enough to throw shadows, but Harley didn’tneed a lot of light to see the werewolf standing a few feet away, his broad back to her, a pistol down at his side. 

“You always bring a gun when you go to a nightclub?” he asked without looking at her. 

His voice was as deep as she’d imagined it would be, a little rough with a hint of a British accent, like he’d traveled extensively for much of his life and lost a bit of the distinctive sound over time. 

“A girl has to be careful these days,” Harley said, smiling even though she was standing in the middle of a filthy storage room twenty feet underground with an alpha werewolf who’dprobably lured her down here with kidnapping in mind—or worse. “I’ve heard big cities can be dangerous.” 

The man turned to look at her, blue eyes piercing even in the dimness as they slid up and down her body. “If you think it might be dangerous, why come to Paris? And all the way from America, if I’m not mistaking the accent.” 

The Brit’s perfectly sculpted nose lifted a little, his nostrils flaring 
the slightest bit, like he was trying to take in a scent he found tantalizing. Harley knew he was picking up her pheromones and couldn’t help wondering what she smelled like to him. 

Did he like her scent? 

Did she care if he did? 

“You know the song ‘Girls Just Want to Have Fun,’ right?” She approached him slowly, glancing around and trying to figure out where the other two men had gone. “Maybe visiting potentially dangerous places is how I have fun.” 

“Strange hobby,” he said, his voice dropping down an octave to practically make her tummy vibrate…as well as regions a bit farther south. “I prefer reading, but whatever. You do you.” 

Harley lifted a brow, lowering her gun to a safe position. “Is that what you’re doing down in this dank, dark room?” She stepped to the side a little, making him circle to the right as they resumed the little dance they’d done upstairs. “Looking for a good book?” 

He snorted, coming to a stop again a few feet away. “We both know that’s not what I’m doing down here any more than you’re here looking for some fun. So, as entertaining as this banter is, I think it’s time we get on with what really brought us here.” 

Harley was almost disappointed but knew the man was right. While she’d enjoyed their verbal jousting, she was here for more important things. 

 

***

Excerpted from Undercover Wolf by Paige Tyler. © 2021 by Paige Tyler. Used with permission of the publisher, Sourcebooks Casablanca, an imprint of Sourcebooks, Inc. All rights reserved.

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Love for Beginners by Jill Shalvis @wmmorrowbooks #fiction #review

Posted on June 8, 2021 by fredreeca

Overview

What would you change if you had to start your life—and love life—over again?

When Emma Harris wakes up from a coma she learns that her fiancé and her BFF have fallen in love, she’s lost her job, and the life she knew is gone. Overwhelmed but grateful to be alive she starts over from scratch. Not as easy as it sounds, of course. But she’s never been a quitter, even if she wishes she could quit rehab, where her hot but evil physical therapist, Simon, puts her through the wringer.  

Eager for a new beginning, Emma opens a doggy day care. Unfortunately, the only space she can afford is owned by her childhood nemesis Ali Pratt. But hey, she’s been through worse, right? She tries to roll with the punches, but a friend drops his grandpa off at the doggy day care in desperation then on top of that, she and Ali bring the term ‘frenemies’ to a whole new level. And then another grandparent shows up. And another. 

In the midst of all that, Emma realizes she’s accidentally fallen for Evil PT. But the most horrifying thing of all is that Ali just might have turned into the best friend she’s ever had. And as Emma grows from the pain of her past and takes on her new path, she comes to realize that life isn’t what you’re given, it’s what you make of it.

Review

Emma has suffered a terrible injury. She has been in a coma and has struggled through rehab and is still struggling to get her body and her life back on track. While she was in a coma her fiancé and her best friend fell in love. So, on top of everything else, she has to find a new place to live and a new job. She moves into a place owned by Simon. Simon is her evil physical therapist. But, there is something there…could these two make a go after all Emma has been through.

Jill Shalvis has become one of my “go to” authors. She has some of the best one liners and quips, great animals and her characters are so relatable.

In this story, my favorite character is Dale. Dale is Simon’s Dad. And he is a character and a half. He doesn’t like pants and he will say anything that comes to his mind. Needless to say, any scene with Dale in it, had me laughing out loud. Plus there is Hog, a St Bernard/Chewbacca mix and Killer, a 6 pound Yorkshire terrier. These two have some of the funniest interactions.

And finally there is Simon, Emma and Alison. These three all have different issues to overcome. I was reeled in by this story surrounding their lives.

Not only did this story have me laughing at the antics of Dale, it also brought to life the strength of body and mind needed to overcome a horrific injury.

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.

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