🍷🍷🍷🍷🍷 #Review of Always Practice Safe Hex by Juliette Cross

Title:  Always Practice Safe Hex

Series:  Stay A Spell #4
Author:  Juliette Cross
Format:  Kindle (377 pages)
Published:  May 24, 2022 
ISBN:  ASIN‎ B09FGYNWQB
Links: Goodreads | Amazon | B&N
Reviewer:  Linda
Source:  Author
Rating:  5 out of 5 Wine Glasses
🍷🍷🍷🍷🍷

Livvy Savoie is a people person. Not only does she have the magical gift of persuasion, but her natural charisma charms everyone she meets. She hasn’t met a person she didn’t like. Until her annoyingly brilliant competitor walks through the door. No matter how hard she denies it, loathing isn’t the only emotion she feels for him.

Grim reaper Gareth Blackwater is rarely, if ever, moved beyond his broody, stoic state. But the witch he’s partnered with in the public relations contest is destroying his peace of mind. He’s convinced that the flesh-melting attraction he feels for her is merely her witchy magic at work.

But forced proximity proves there is more than magic sparking between them. Livvy learns this enigmatic grim’s abilities are beyond any supernatural she has ever known. And when Livvy becomes the obsessive target of a dangerous warlock, Gareth proves just how powerful he truly is. Because no one is going to hurt his Lavinia.

WARNING: SEXUAL HARASSMENT AND ATTEMPTED SEXUAL ASSAULT.

Linda's Thoughts:

Always Practice Safe Hex is the panty-melting hot fourth book in Juliette Cross’ Stay a Spell series. Each installment has focused on one of the witchy Savoie sisters. This go-around, it’s Lavinia “Livvy” Savoie’s and Grim Reaper Gareth Blackwater’s time to shine. They were “prequeled” in the anthology Walking in a Witchy Wonderland but you do not need to have read the anthology to fully enjoy Always Practice Safe Hex.

#Giveaway of Thank You for Listening by Julia Whelan

About the Book

Thank You for Listening
by Julia Whelan
Paperback, 432 pages
Published August 2nd 2022 by Avon Books
ISBN0063095564 

From the author of My Oxford Year, Julia Whelan’s uplifting novel tells the story of a former actress turned successful audiobook narrator—who has lost sight of her dreams after a tragic accident—and her journey of self-discovery, love, and acceptance when she agrees to narrate one last romance novel.

For Sewanee Chester, being an audiobook narrator is a long way from her old dreams, but the days of being a star on film sets are long behind her. She’s found success and satisfaction from the inside of a sound booth and it allows her to care for her beloved, ailing grandmother. When she arrives in Las Vegas last-minute for a book convention, Sewanee unexpectedly spends a whirlwind night with a charming stranger.

On her return home, Sewanee discovers one of the world’s most beloved romance novelists wanted her to perform her last book—with Brock McNight, the industry’s hottest, most secretive voice. Sewanee doesn’t buy what romance novels are selling—not after her own dreams were tragically cut short—and she stopped narrating them years ago. But her admiration of the late author, and the opportunity to get her grandmother more help, makes her decision for her.

As Sewanee begins work on the book, resurrecting her old romance pseudonym, she and Brock forge a real connection, hidden behind the comfort of anonymity. Soon, she is dreaming again, but secrets are revealed, and the realities of life come crashing down around her once more.

If she can learn to risk everything for desires she has long buried, she will discover a world of intimacy and acceptance she never believed would be hers.

AMAZON | B&N 

#Giveaway of Alliana, Girl of Dragons by Julie Abe

About the Book

Alliana, Girl of Dragons
(Eva Evergreen)
by Julie Abe 
Hardcover, 336 pages
Published August 2nd 2022 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
ISBN0316300357

Once upon a time, Alliana believed in dreams and fairy tales as sweet as spun-sugar clouds. Alliana wished on shooting stars, sure that someday she and her grandmother would be able to travel to the capital city to see the queen. Then her grandmother passed away—and those dreams disappeared in a disenchanted puff.

Now Alliana’s forced to attend to the whims of her wicked stepmother—with long days of cleaning her stepfamily’s inn as her skin burns raw or staying up until the crack of dawn to embroider her stepsister’s ball gowns. Until she meets two beings who change her life forever—the first is a young nightdragon who Alliana discovers she can magically talk to. And the second is Nela, a young witch.

Nela needs Alliana’s help navigating the mysterious abyss, filled with dangerous beasts, a place Alliana knows by heart. Alliana sees Nela’s request as a chance to break free of her stepmother’s shadow and to seize a chance at a life she’s barely dared to hope for—but there’s a risk. If caught, Alliana will be stuck working for her stepmother for the rest of her life. Can Alliana truly make wisps of dreams into her own, better-than-a-fairy-tale happily ever after?

Inspired by the Japanese Cinderella story and set in the same world as the Eva Evergreen series, this story can be read as a standalone.

AMAZON| B&N 

Read an #Excerpt from The Rake's Daughter by Anne Gracie

 

About the Book

The Rake's Daughter
(The Brides of Bellaire Gardens #2)
by Anne Gracie 
Kindle Edition, 363 pages
Published July 26th 2022 by Berkley
ASINB09KGTRWB1

An earl is forced to play matchmaker for the daughters of a rake in a smart and witty new Regency romance from the national bestselling author of The Scoundrel’s Daughter.

Recently returned to England, Leo, the new Earl of Salcott, discovers he's been thrust into the role of guardian to an heiress, the daughter of a notorious rake. Even worse, his wealthy ward has brought her half-sister, the beautiful but penniless Isobel, with her. Leo must introduce Clarissa to London society and find her a suitable husband, but her illegitimate half sister, Izzy, is quite another matter. Her lowly birth makes her quite unacceptable in aristocratic circles.

However, the girls are determined to enter society together. They’re devoted to each other and despite the risk of scandal and ruin if Izzy’s parentage is discovered, they refuse to be separated. Much to Leo’s frustration, nothing he says or does will convince them otherwise. To further complicate matters, sparks fly every time Leo and Izzy interact.

Called away for a quick visit to his country estate, Leo instructs the young ladies to stay quietly at home and consider their position. But when he returns, he's infuriated to discover that Clarissa and Izzy have launched themselves into society—and with tremendous success! There's no going back. Now Leo must enter society himself, protect Clarissa from fortune hunters, and try not to be driven mad by the sharp-witted, rebellious Izzy, and the rich, unworthy men drawn to her beauty.

AMAZON | B&N 

#Interview with Nan Fischer of Some of It Was Real

Lexi: Tragedy can bring two people together, but what happens when they’re hiding their pasts and searching for each other's secrets to expose them? That’s what you get in SOME OF IT WAS REAL and you do not want to miss it! And here to talk about it today is the author—welcome, Nan Fischer!

 
Nan: Thanks so much for reading SOME OF IT WAS REAL and interviewing me Lexi! I’m thrilled you loved the story and so happy to answer your questions.
 

Lexi: Reading the blurb for this book makes me want to shove money at my bookstore and immediately receive a copy! You set up two characters who have deep, emotional scars against one another—and nothing is black and white! Do we get both Sylvie and Thomas’ POVs throughout the book?
 

#Giveaway of Eclipse the Moon by Jessie Mihalik

 

About the Book 

Eclipse the Moon
(Starlight's Shadow #2)
by Jessie Mihalik 
Paperback, 400 pages
Published July 12th 2022 by Harper Voyager
ISBN0063051060

Kee Ildez has been many things: hacker, soldier, bounty hunter. She never expected to be a hero, but when a shadowy group of traitors starts trying to goad the galaxy’s two superpowers into instigating an interstellar war, Kee throws herself into the search to find out who is responsible—and stop them.

Digging up hidden information is her job, so hunting traitors should be a piece of cake, but the primary suspect spent years in the military, and someone powerful is still covering his tracks. Disrupting their plans will require the help of her entire team, including Varro Runkow, a Valovian weapons expert who makes her pulse race.

Quiet, grumpy, and incredibly handsome, Varro watches her with hot eyes but ignores all of her flirting, so Kee silently vows to keep her feelings strictly platonic. But that vow will be put to the test when she and Varro are forced to leave the safety of their ship and venture into enemy territory alone.

Cut off from the rest of their team, they must figure out how to work together—and fast—because a single misstep will cost thousands of lives.

AMAZON | B&N