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

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:

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2RUSCdZ

B&N: https://bit.ly/3dHT3kt

Apple: https://apple.co/2QNP3FG

Kobo: https://bit.ly/3gpptBX

Bookshop: https://bit.ly/2RHWkaD

BAM: https://bit.ly/2QGXpz2

Books2Read: https://bit.ly/3ehKL1K

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

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

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.

Purchase Here

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Haven Point by Virginia Hume @Macmillanaudio @stmartinspress #audible #audiobook #audiobookreview #fiction

Overview

A sweeping debut novel about the generations of a family that spends summers in a seaside enclave on Maine’s rocky coastline, for fans of Elin Hilderbrand, Beatriz Williams, and Sarah Blake. 

1944: Maren Larsen is a blonde beauty from a small Minnesota farming town, determined to do her part to help the war effort – and to see the world beyond her family’s cornfields. As a cadet nurse at Walter Reed Medical Center, she’s swept off her feet by Dr. Oliver Demarest, a handsome Boston Brahmin whose family spends summers in an insular community on the rocky coast of Maine. 

1970: As the nation grapples with the ongoing conflict in Vietnam, Oliver and Maren are grappling with their fiercely independent seventeen-year-old daughter, Annie, who has fallen for a young man they don’t approve of. Before the summer is over a terrible tragedy will strike the Demarests – and in the aftermath, Annie vows never to return to Haven Point. 

2008: Annie’s daughter, Skye, has arrived in Maine to help scatter her mother’s ashes. Maren knows that her granddaughter inherited Annie’s view of Haven Point: despite the wild beauty and quaint customs, the regattas and clambakes and sing-alongs, she finds the place – and the people – snobbish and petty. But Maren also knows that Annie never told Skye the whole truth about what happened during that fateful summer. 

Over seven decades of a changing America, through wars and storms, betrayals and reconciliations, Virginia Hume’s Haven Point explores what it means to belong to a place, and to a family, which holds as tightly to its traditions as it does its secrets. 

A Macmillan Audio production from St. Martin’s Press

Review

Maren and Oliver meet during the war. Oliver is high society and Maren is a good ole country girl. But, these two fall in love and have a family. But, there are secrets and deceptions.

Maren struggles to be who her husband needs. Annie, their daughter, struggles to be what her father expects her to be. And Skye struggles to find out what went wrong with her mother’s past. Talk about a family saga with different timelines…however, the author did a great job with the different eras and characters.

There are a few places the story slowed down and just did not move very fast. But, there was something about the characters that kept me listening. Plus the secrets…when they start to unfold…well, you will just have to read it to find out!

The narrator, Cassandra Campbell, is wonderful. She handles all the voices and drama very well! I feel like if I had read this book, I would not have liked it as well. But, because I listened to it and the narrator did such a great job, it made the book more interesting.

Need a good family saga with a great setting…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today!

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

Purchase Here

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Chirp

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The Warsaw Orphan by Kelly Rimmer @kelrimmerwrites @harlequinbooks #historicalfiction #bookreview

The Warsaw Orphan : A WWII Novel 

Kelly Rimmer

On Sale Date: June 1, 2021

9781525895999

Trade Paperback

$17.99 USD

Fiction / Historical / World War II 

416 pages

Overview

With the thrilling pace and historical drama of Pam Jenoff and Kristin Hannah, New York Times bestselling author Kelly Rimmer’s newest novel is an epic WWII saga and love story, based on the real-life efforts of two young people taking extraordinary risks to save their countrymen, as they try to find their way back to each other and the life they once knew.

Following on the success of The Things We Cannot Say, this is Kelly Rimmer’s return to the WWII category with a brand new novel inspired by Irena Sendler, the real-life Polish nurse who used her access to the Warsaw ghetto to smuggle Jewish children and babies to safety.

Spanning the tumultuous years between 1942 and 1945 in Poland, The Warsaw Orphan follows Emilia over the course of the war, her involvement with the Resistance, and her love for Sergiusz, a young man imprisoned in the Jewish ghetto who’s passion leads him to fight in the Warsaw Uprising. From the Warsaw ghetto to the Ravensbruck concentration camp, through Nazi occupation to the threat of a communist regime, Kelly Rimmer has penned her most meticulously researched and emotionally compelling novel to date.

Review

Roman and his family are barely surviving in the Jewish ghetto in Warsaw. There are so many things that have to fall into place every day just for them to stay alive. And when the round ups start, so do the agonizing decisions on whether to stay together or separate as a family.

Then there is Emilia. She is a very young polish girl. She is determined to help the poor children in the ghetto. She puts her life at risk many times to get these young children out. She meets Roman because of his family decisions and it sets these two on a course that will change their whole lives.

Kelly Rimmer brought to life the tragedy surrounding the Jewish ghetto. The starvation and the struggle to survive is all too real in this story. But, how these people made such agonizing decisions just astounds me. This read will stay with me for quite a while.

Now, the ONLY reason this is not getting a 5 star rating, is the beginning was just a tad too slow for me. But that ending…it was SPOT ON!

Need a heart wrenching, well researched WWII read with strong characters…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today!

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

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Kelly Rimmer is the worldwide, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of Before I Let You Go, The Things We Cannot Say, and Truths I Never Told You. She lives in rural Australia with her husband, two children and fantastically naughty dogs, Sully and Basil. Her novels have been translated into more than twenty languages. Please visit her at https://www.kellyrimmer.com/

SOCIAL LINKS:
Author website: https://www.kellyrimmer.com/

Facebook: @Kellymrimmer

Twitter: @KelRimmerWrites

Instagram: @kelrimmerwrites

BUY LINKS:

Bookshop.org: https://bookshop.org/books/the-warsaw-orphan-a-wwii-novel-9781525811531/9781525895999 

IndieBound: https://www.indiebound.org/book/9781525895999 

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-warsaw-orphan-kelly-rimmer/1137474902?ean=9781525895999 

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Warsaw-Orphan-WWII-Novel/dp/1525895990/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=8-1 

Indigo: https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/the-warsaw-orphan-a-novel/9781525895999-item.html?ikwid=the%20warsaw%20orphan&ikwidx=0&ikwsec=Home#algoliaQueryId=54f840b83a6263bd9392639af45a4d19 

Apple Books: https://books.apple.com/us/book/the-warsaw-orphan/id1527559308

Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=Jkj3DwAAQBAJ

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/ca/en/ebook/the-warsaw-orphan

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May Escapes and Escapades #wrapup #escapesandescapades #maywrapup

The escapades for May!

We had an exciting and STRESSFUL May! My daughter got married and the reception was at OUR HOUSE! Talk about stressful but dang…IT WAS FUN!

And what a relief it was when it was over!

Peanut melted with relief!

Now on to the

Escapes

Crescent City Moon
Indelible
The Summer of Lost and Found
Leaving Coy’s Hill
Local Woman Missing
The Woman with the Blue Star
The Clover Girls
Talk Bookish to Me
Strange Love
When in Vanuatu
Musical Chairs
The Sound Between the Notes

I had a fabulous reading month! What did you read and enjoy? Inquiring minds want to know!

Thanks for stopping by!

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Audible Reads for May! #wrapup #audible #audiobooks #audiblebooks

After a slow month of audible books for April. I picked it up in May! I had 4 this month and all were GREAT!

First up!

The Newcomer

Next…

Mother May I

Stay Tuned!

What did you listen to in May! Inquiring minds want to know!

Thanks for stopping by!

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You Will Remember Me by Hannah Mary McKinnon – Book Spotlight and Excerpt @HarperCollins #bookspotlight #excerpt

Overview

He wakes up on a deserted beach in Maryland, wearing only swim trunks and a gash on his head. He can’t remember who he is. Everything—his identity, his life, his loved ones—has been replaced by a dizzying fog of uncertainty. But returning to his Maine hometown in search of the truth raises more questions than answers.

Lily Reid thinks she knows her boyfriend, Jack. Until he goes missing one night, and her frantic search reveals that he’s been lying to her since they met, desperate to escape a dark past he’d purposely left behind.

Maya Scott has been trying to find her estranged stepbrother, Asher, since he disappeared without a trace. Having him back, missing memory and all, feels like a miracle. But with a mutual history full of devastating secrets, how far will Maya go to ensure she alone takes them to the grave?

Author Bio

Hannah Mary McKinnon was born in the UK, grew up in Switzerland and moved to Canada in 2010. After a successful career in recruitment, she quit the corporate world in favor of writing, and is now the author of The Neighbors, Her Secret Son, and Sister Dear. She lives in Oakville, Ontario, with her husband and three sons, and is delighted by her twenty-second commute.

Buy Links

BookShop.org

Harlequin 

Barnes & Noble

Amazon

Books-A-Million

Powell’s 

Social Links:

Author Website

Twitter: @HannahMMcKinnon

Instagram: @hannahmarymckinnon

Facebook: @HannahMaryMcKinnon

Goodreads

Excerpt

Chapter 1—The Man from the Beach
Cold. Cold was the first word that came to mind. The first thing I noticed when I woke up. Not a slight, uncomfortable chill to give me the shivers, but a cramp-inducing, iced-to-the-bone kind of frozen. I lay flat on my stomach, my left ear and cheek pressed into the rough, grainy wet ground beneath me, my entire body shaking. As my thoughts attempted to assemble themselves into some form of understandable order, a wave of icy water nipped at my bare toes and ankles, my instincts pulling my feet out of reach.
I had a sudden urge to get up, a primal need to take in my surroundings and assess the danger—was I in danger?—but the throbbing pain deep in my head made the slightest effort to shift anything seem impossible. Lifting a finger would be too much effort, and I acquiesced, allowing myself to lie still for another few freezing seconds as the frigid water crept over the balls of my feet again. When I blinked my eyes open, I was met by a thick, fuzzy darkness enveloping me like a cloak. Where the hell was I? And wherever it was, what was I doing here?
When I lifted my head a fraction of an inch, I could barely make out anything in front of me. There was hardly a noise either, nothing but a gentle, steady rumble in the background, and the cry of a bird somewhere in the distance. I made my brain work its way backward—bird, rumble, sand, water—and the quartet formed the vaguely cohesive image of a beach.
Searching for confirmation, I inhaled the salty, humid air deep into my lungs as another slosh of water took aim at my calves. This time the discomfort was enough to push me to my feet, and I wrapped my arms around my naked torso, my sopping board shorts clinging to my goose-bump-covered thighs. An explosion of pain in my head threatened to send me back to my knees, and I swayed gently, wishing I had something to steady myself with, willing my body to stay upright. As I pressed a hand to the side of my skull, I let out a quiet yelp, and felt along a two-inch gash in my scalp. My eyes had adjusted somewhat to the lack of light, and my fingertips were covered in something dark that smelled of rust. Blood. How had I…?
Another low rumble made me turn around, shuffling slowly in a semicircle. The behemoth effort was rewarded by the sight of a thousand glistening waves dancing under the moonlight like diamonds, the water stretching out and disappearing into the darkness beyond. As my ears tuned in to the rhythmic whoosh of the waves, my mind worked hard to process each scrap of information it took in.
I’m definitely on a beach. It’s nighttime. I’m alone. What am I doing here?
Before I could answer the single question, a thousand others crowded my brain, an incessant string of chatter I couldn’t stop or get away from.
Where is everyone? Never mind them, where am I? Have I been here long? How did I get here? Where was I before? Where are my clothes? What day is it?
My legs buckled. Not because of the unfamiliar surroundings, the cold burrowing its way deeper into my core, or the pain in my head, which had increased tenfold. No. My knees hit the sand with a dull crunch when I realized I couldn’t answer any of the questions because I couldn’t recall anything. Nothing. Not the tiniest of details.
Including my name.

Chapter 2—Lily
A frown settled over my face as I put my phone on the table, pushed the bowl of unfinished berry oatmeal away and stretched out my legs. It was Saturday morning, and I’d been up for ages, too eager—too hopeful—to spend a day at the beach with Jack, but those plans had been a literal wash-out. The start to the summer felt capricious, with this second storm in the last week of June poised to be much worse than the first. I’d convinced myself the weatherwoman had exaggerated or got her forecast completely wrong, but clouds had rolled in overnight anyway. As a result, I’d been unceremoniously woken up at two thirty by a trio of bright lightning, deafening thunderclaps and heavy raindrops pelting against my bedroom window.
At first, I’d pulled my pillow over my head to deafen the noise, and when that didn’t work, I rolled over and stretched out an arm. The spot next to me was empty and cold, and I groaned. Jack hadn’t come over to my place as I’d hoped he would, slipping into bed and pressing his naked body against mine. I’d buried my face back into my pillow and tried to ignore the tinge of disappointment. We hadn’t seen much of each other this past week, both of us too busy with our jobs to spend more than a night together, and I missed him. Jack had called the day before to tell me he’d be working late, finishing the stain on the cabinets he’d labored on for weeks before his boss had to let him go. Apparently expensive custom kitchens weren’t in as high demand in Brookmount, Maryland as originally thought.
“But you got laid off,” I’d said. “It’s your last day. Why do you care?”
“Because I made a commitment. Besides, it’ll help when I need a reference.”
Typical Jack, always keeping his word. He’d bought a lottery ticket once, and the clerk
had jokingly asked if he’d give him half of any winnings. Jack had laughed and shaken the man’s hand, and when he won ten bucks on the ticket, had promptly returned to the store, and paid over the share as promised. His loyalty was one of the many things I loved about Jack, although part of me wished he weren’t quite as dedicated to his soon-to-be ex-boss.
“You could come over to my place when you’re done,” I said, smiling slowly. “I’ll leave the key under the umbrella stand. I don’t mind you waking me up gently in the middle of the night…or not so gently.”
Jack laughed softly. The sound was something I’d fallen in love with eighteen months ago after our eyes had met across a crowded bar, the mother of all uninspired first-encounter clichés, except in this case I’d been forced to admit clichés weren’t always a bad thing.
“It’ll be really late, Lily,” he said, his voice deep. His English accent was something of a rarity in our small coastal town, and still capable of making my legs wobble in anticipation of his next words. “I’ll go for a quick swim now, then finish up work. How about I come over in the morning? Around nine? I’ll bring you breakfast in bed.”
“Blueberry pancakes from Patti’s? With extra maple syrup?”
“This time I’ll order three stacks to make sure I get some.”
“Pancakes or sex?” I said, before telling him how much I loved him, and whispering
exactly how I’d thank him for waking me with sweet weekend treats. I’d hoped it might change his mind and he’d come over earlier, except it was ten now, and he still hadn’t showed. It was odd. Jack detested being late as much as he loved being early. He often joked they set

Greenwich Mean Time by his father’s old watch, which Jack had worn since his dad passed a little over a decade before we’d met, when Jack was only twenty.
I checked my phone again. Jack hadn’t answered either of my calls, another anomaly, but I tried to talk myself into believing he’d worked late into the night to make the final good impression he wanted, and overslept. Maybe there was a line at Patti’s—the restaurant was slammed every weekend—and perhaps his phone was set to silent.
I picked up my bowl and wandered to the kitchen. My place was the smallest of six apartments, a tiny but well-maintained one-bedroom in a building a few miles from the beach, farther than I’d planned, but the closest I could afford. I’d lived there for almost five years, had furnished it with an eclectic assortment of third-hand furniture, my favorite piece a royal blue microfiber sofa I’d bought for fifty bucks, and which Jack swore was the most comfortable thing he’d ever sat on. Whenever he sank down into it and pulled me on top of him with a contented sigh, I’d tease him about what made him happier; the squishy, well-worn cushions, or me.
The image made my frown deepen. Where was he?
Excerpted from You Will Remember Me by Hannah Mary McKinnon, Copyright © 2021 by Hannah McKinnon. Published by MIRA Books

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The Sound Between the Notes by Barbara Linn Probst @Suzyapbooktours #bookreview #fiction

About The Book: 

What if you had a second chance at the very thing you thought you’d renounced forever? How steep a price would you be willing to pay?

Susannah’s career as a pianist has been on hold for nearly sixteen years, ever since her son was born. An adoptee who’s never forgiven her birth mother for not putting her first, Susannah vowed to put her own child first, no matter what. And she did.

But now, suddenly, she has a chance to vault into that elite tier of “chosen” musicians. There’s just one problem: somewhere along the way, she lost the power and the magic that used to be hers at the keyboard. She needs to get them back. Now.

Her quest―what her husband calls her obsession―turns out to have a cost Susannah couldn’t have anticipated. Even her hand betrays her, as Susannah learns that she has a progressive hereditary disease that’s making her fingers cramp and curl―a curse waiting in her genes, legacy of a birth family that gave her little else. As her now-or-never concert draws near, Susannah is catapulted back to memories she’s never been able to purge―and forward, to choices she never thought she would have to make.

Told through the unique perspective of a musician, The Sound Between the Notes draws the reader deeper and deeper into the question Susannah can no longer silence: Who am I, and where do I belong?

Review

Susannah has given up her musical career to have her son. Her son is now 16 years old and she is ready to get back to her obsession. But, as you can guess, it is not as easy as one would think. Susannah has lost her magic. And to top it all off…she has been diagnosed with a hereditary disease in her hands. It is progressive and life changing.

I enjoyed the pace of this book. It moves quickly and does not slow down for one second. I think that is because Susannah is such a wonderful character. Life has thrown her some curve balls and she is determined to find out who she is and where she belongs!

Need a book about strength and resilience…this is it! Grab your copy today!

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

Purchase Here

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About The Author:

Barbara Linn Probst is a writer of both fiction and non-fiction, living on an historic dirt road in New York’s Hudson Valley. Her debut novel Queen of the Owls (April 2020) is the powerful story of a woman’s search for wholeness, framed around the art and life of iconic American painter Georgia O’Keeffe. Endorsed by best-selling authors such as Christina Baker Kline and Caroline Leavitt, Queen of the Owls was selected as one of the 20 most anticipated books of 2020 by Working Mother, one of the best Spring fiction books by Parade Magazine, and a debut novel “too good to ignore” by Bustle. It was also featured in lists compiled by Pop Sugar and Entertainment Weekly, among others, and in Ms. Magazine. It won the bronze medal for popular fiction from the Independent Publishers Association, placed first runner-up in general fiction for the Eric Hoffer Award, and was short-listed for both the First Horizon and the

$2500 Grand Prize. Like Queen of the Owls, The Sound Between the Notes (April 2021) shows how art can help us to be more fully human. Barbara has also published numerous blogs on the craft of writing on award-winning sites such as Jane Friedman and Writer Unboxed. She resides in New York.

Social Media and Other Links:

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100011410511548

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/barbara_linn_probst/

Amazon:  https://www.amazon.com/Sound-Between-Notes-Novel/dp/1647420121

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/56223298-the-sound-between-the-notes?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=VfigC6e9LS&rank=3

Book Blurbs: 

The climax, on the night of her performance, is a tour de force steeped in suspense, and Susannah’s subsequent revelations are satisfying and authentic. A sensitive, astute exploration of artistic passion, family, and perseverance.”

—Kirkus Reviews

“The Sound Between the Notes is so beautiful, so lyrical, so musical that it was hard to put down. . . . This is a wonderful story from a skillful writer, one that appeals strongly to the heart. It features awesome characters, a twisty plot, and gorgeous writing.”—Readers’ Favorite 5-star review

“In her second novel, Barbara Linn Probst delivers yet another powerful story, balancing lyrical language with a skillfully paced plot to build a sensory-rich world that will delight those who loved Queen of the Owls and win countless new readers. Offering a deep exploration of the search for identity and connection, The Sound Between Notes reminds us to embrace everything we are—and everything that’s made us who we are.”—Julie Cantrell, New York Times and USA TODAY best-selling author of Perennials

“Family ties can bind or blind us—even with relatives we’ve never met. In The Sound Between the Notes, trails of music connect generations separated by adoption—while the same notes threaten a family believed sewn with steel threads.In this spellbinding novel, Barbara Linn Probst examines how the truth of love transcends genetics, even as strands of biology grip us. Once you begin this story, suffused with the majesty of music and the reveries of creation, the ‘gotta know’ will carry you all the way to the final note.”—Randy Susan Meyers, international best-selling author of Waisted and The Comfort of Lies

“Beautifully told, The Sound Between the Notes, is the story of tragedy and triumph, of the push and pull of family, of the responsibility we feel to ourselves and those we love. Once I started the book, I couldn’t put it down until I reached the last, gorgeously written note.”—Loretta Nyhan, author of The Other Family and Amazon best-seller Digging In

“As soaring as the music it so lovingly describes, poignantly human, and relatable to anyone who’s ever wondered if it’s too late for their dream, The Sound Between the Notes is an exploration of our vulnerability to life’s timing and chance occurrences that influence our decisions, for better or worse. Probst creates her trademark intelligent suspense as Susannah, an adoptee trying for a mid-life resurrection of an abandoned music career, confronts lifelong questions of who she is. A story that speaks to our universal need to have someone who believes in us unequivocally, and how that person had better be ourselves.”

—Ellen Notbohm, award-winning author of The River by Starlight

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Musical Chairs by Amy Poeppel @amypoeppel @suzyapbooktours #review #fiction @atriabooks

About The Book:

“Poeppel has created a story that is well thought out, well plotted, well written, and fully developed. A delightful novel that celebrates the messiness and joy to be found in real life.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review) ⭐️

Bridget and Will have the kind of relationship that people envy: they’re loving, compatible, and completely devoted to each other. The fact that they’re strictly friends seems to get lost on nearly everyone. For three decades, they’ve nurtured their baby, the Forsyth Trio—a chamber group they created as students with their Juilliard classmate Gavin Glantz. In the intervening years, Gavin has gone on to become one of the classical music world’s reigning stars, while Bridget and Will have learned to embrace the warm reviews and smaller venues that accompany modest success.

Bridget has been dreaming of spending the summer at her well-worn Connecticut country home with her boyfriend Sterling. But her plans are upended when Sterling breaks up with her over email, her twin twenty-somethings arrive unexpectedly, and her elderly father announces he’s getting married. She concocts a plan to host her dad’s wedding on her ramshackle property, while putting the Forsyth Trio back into the spotlight. But to catch the attention of the music world, she and Will place their bets on luring back Gavin, whom they’ve both avoided ever since their stormy parting.

“In this funny, profound, and brilliantly alive novel about all the messy, wise, and wonderful chords that love can strike in our lives, Poeppel gathers together fathers and daughters, old flames and new sparks, music, writing and gardening, to explore what it really means to feel at home, and how life can open you up in ways you never saw coming” (Caroline Leavitt, New York Times bestselling author).

Review

Bridget is excited to spend her summer at her Connecticut summer home. She is hoping for a romantic season with her new boyfriend, Sterling. But, Sterling breaks up with her, her twins decide to come home, and then her dad decides to get married. Needless to say, her summer is not going as planned.

The characters in this novel are just plain wonderful. I love Bridget. She is no nonsense, charming and downright adorable. She handles all life throws at her with ease. (She is wealthy and that helps!) Then there is Will. Will is Bridget’s best friend and he tends to ride on her coat tails.

There are also quite a few secrets floating around. And when these secrets start to come out…better watch out!

Need a good, cute, all around read…This is it! Grab your copy today.

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

Purchase Here

Barnes and Noble

Amazon

About The Author:

Amy Poeppel is the author of the novels Small Admissions and Limelight. Her writing has appeared in The New York Times, The Rumpus, Literary Hub, Working Mother, and The Belladonna. She and her husband have three sons and split their time between New York City, Germany, and the wilds of Connecticut. https://www.amypoeppel.com/musical-chairs

Social Media:

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

Instagram: https://instagram.com/amypoeppel

Twitter: @amypoeppel

Book Blurbs: 

A fiercely funny tale of family, friendship, and later-in-life love.” ― People

“What kind of writer is Amy Poeppel? Warm, generous, funny, and full of surprises. In her third novel, a large, musical family (and their many friends, lovers, and groundskeepers) assemble in the shabby chicest corner of rural Connecticut over the course of one long, hot summer. What ensues is part classical French farce, part touching family comedy, and 100% page-turning delight. Cue up some chamber music, pull out a lawn chair, and prepare to binge read this gleefully entertaining novel.” — Stephen McCauley, author of MY EX-LIFE

“Full of Poeppel’s signature charm and wit, MUSICAL CHAIRS is a romantic-comedy-of-errors with a smart, edgy twist on the possibilities that might be revealed in life’s third act. Touching, full of humanity, and the absolute definition of ‘compulsively readable’!” — Suzanne Rindell, author of THE OTHER TYPIST

“Amy Poeppel’s charming MUSICAL CHAIRS made me laugh out loud. Poeppel has a remarkable talent for creating the very best kind of mayhem. Drunken dinner parties, a runaway cat, brilliant musicians, a tattooed florist, drop dead gorgeous twins, crumbling old houses, beautiful Connecticut, secrets and lies–and finally–a wedding, the true hallmark of any delicious comedy. Reading this book was such a pleasure.” — Marcy Dermansky, critically acclaimed author of VERY NICE and THE RED CAR

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When in Vanuatu by Nicki Chen @nickichenauthor @suzyapbooktours #review #fiction

Release Date: April 27, 2021

About The Book:

When Diana quit her job and followed her husband to Manila, she believed the move would work for both of them: Jay would finally have his dream job, and she would take time off from her accounting career to start a family.

Four years later, however, she’s still not pregnant. Her fertility doctor advises her to relax―an undertaking that is easier said than done in one of the noisiest, most crowded cities in the world. Nevertheless, Diana tries. She takes up yoga and meditation. She buys goldfish. Then one day, while Jay is away on business, a violent coup d’etat erupts. The rebels bomb the presidential palace and occupy parts of the city.

Clearly, Diana decides, something needs to change. Determined to have a baby while she’s still young enough, she convinces Jay to transfer to the small South Pacific nation of Vanuatu, said to be “the most relaxing place on earth.” It isn’t long before she realizes that the island’s tropical beauty hides dangers and disappointments that will test her courage, her marriage, and her ability to open herself up to new possibilities. www.nickichenwrites.com

Review

Diana has quit her job and followed her husband, Jay, to the Philippines. Jay has landed his dream job. These two build a unique life in this island paradise. However, Diana is obsessed with having a baby, so much so, it creates stress and anxiety for everyone. Will their marriage survive?

I loved the setting of this read! The author did an amazing job! I felt like I was right there seeing the views and smelling all the different aromas. The Philippines are now on my bucket list.

I did find Diana’s obsession and attitude a bit high-handed and overbearing. But, the story just keeps changing and the reader just can’t help but be captivated.

Need a good escape read….this is it! Grab your copy today!

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

Purchase Here

Barnes and Noble

Amazon

About The Author:

Nicki Chen is the author of two novels, Tiger Tail Soup and When in Vanuatu, the latter of which grew out of her experiences during the twenty years she lived with her husband and their three daughters in the Philippines and the South Pacific. She currently lives in Edmonds, WA, a sometimes rainy, always beautiful little city overlooking Puget Sound.

Social Media:

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/NickiChenAuthor

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nicolechen3138/

Book Blurbs:

When in Vanuatu is a compassionate and moving portrayal of a trailing spouse that challenges the notion of an idyllic and carefree married life abroad, and proves that paradise lies in the healing ties that bind us together.”–Jocelyn Eikenburg, editor with China Daily, writer, and popular expat blogger

“Chen’s novel is set in the Philippines and in beautiful Vanuatu, the tropical island where James Michener wrote his classic Tales of the South Pacific. Think swaying palms, pristine beaches and the turquoise waters of the Pacific. I highly recommend When in Vanuatu for those who love to travel, and for those who enjoy reading stories that fascinate.” –Bo Kearns, author of Ashes in a Coconut

“A piercing insider’s view into the expat life in far-flung locations. This quiet novel exposes the pain of infertility, following Diana on a turbulent journey of personal transformation.”–Jennifer J. Chow, award-winning author of The 228 Legacy

“Deftly created. . . . In When in Vanuatu, you will meet a fascinating international community of men and women intent on contributing to global development despite significant obstacles, both at work and in the homes they endeavor to create in a distant land. Enlightening and captivating.” –Sally Stiles, author of Plunge! and Like a Mask Dancing

“It’s never easy to be a trailing spouse, as Nicki Chen so lovingly shows in When in Vanuatu. Whether in the Philippines or the South Pacific island of Vanuatu, both in times of political upheaval, Chen tells of the often unspoken hardships and heartbreaks of finding home and family in a new land.”–Susan Blumberg-Kason, author of Good Chinese Wife

“Once again, author Nicki Chen demonstrates her mastery of writing place and characterization. Having been an expat living in foreign countries as a young wife, I resonated with many of the opportunities and challenges Chen portrays. Give yourself the gift of peeking into not only the life of the protagonist, Diana, but also her community of friends, and the unique cultures of the Philippines and Vanuatu!”–Kizzie Jones, co-project manager and contributor to Writing In Place: Prose & Poetry from the Pacific Northwest

“In When in Vanuatu, Nicki Chen explores exotic locales and universal struggles. In this moving, fast-flowing novel, Diana’s experiences in the Philippines and Vanuatu illuminate challenges of friendship, marriage, identity, and family that so many women, at home and abroad, face. It’s ideal for book clubs or anyone who would want to read a modern, feminist Graham Greene.”–Tegan Tigani, Queene Anne Book Company

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