Wednesday, July 27, 2022

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.


Tuesday, July 26, 2022

#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?
 

Monday, July 25, 2022

#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 

Wednesday, July 20, 2022

Read an #Excerpt from Dog Friendly by Victoria Schade

 



About the Book


Dog Friendly
by Victoria Schade 

Paperback, 352 pages
Published June 28th 2022 by Berkley Books
ISBN059343739X
A burned-out veterinarian takes a much-needed beach vacation, where a charming surfer makes waves in her love life, and a unique foster pup renews her passion for her work.

Exhausted veterinarian Morgan Pearce is feeling overworked and under-thanked, so when two favorite clients ask her to watch their special needs senior dog in their Nantucket home, she jumps at the chance for a summer break. She hopes her time on the island will be a reset from the stress of her everyday life, but her chill vacation vibe takes a hit when she gets roped into fostering a challenging, anxious dog and helping plan the local rescue group's glittery annual fundraiser.

Her trip starts to feel more like a vacation when Morgan begins falling for Nathan Keating, an irresistible entrepreneur who thinks every problem can be solved on a surfboard. Just as the summer is shaping up to be the magical refresh she needs, thanks to a fling that feels like the beginning of something real and Hudson, the foster dog who reminds her how much she loves her job, a visit from her estranged brother and the discovery of who Nathan really is changes everything. Morgan finds herself at a crossroads, trying to determine if mistakes from the past must define the future, or if she should forgive, forget, and grab hold of a chance to finally rescue herself.


Tuesday, July 19, 2022

#Giveaway of A Lady's Guide to Fortune-Hunting by Sophie Irwin




About the Book


A Lady's Guide to Fortune-Hunting
by Sophie Irwin

Kindle Edition, 352 pages
Published July 12th 2022 by Pamela Dorman Books (first published May 12th 2022)
ASINB09JB7L18C
A whip-smart debut that follows the adventures of an entirely unconventional heroine who throws herself into the London Season to find a wealthy husband. But the last thing she expects is to find love...

Kitty Talbot needs a fortune. Or rather, she needs a husband who has a fortune. Left with her father’s massive debts, she has only twelve weeks to save her family from ruin.

Kitty has never been one to back down from a challenge, so she leaves home and heads toward the most dangerous battleground in all of England: the London season.

Kitty may be neither accomplished nor especially genteel—but she is utterly single-minded; imbued with cunning and ingenuity, she knows that risk is just part of the game.

The only thing she doesn’t anticipate is Lord Radcliffe. The worldly Radcliffe sees Kitty for the mercenary fortune-hunter that she really is and is determined to scotch her plans at all costs, until their parrying takes a completely different turn...

This is a frothy pleasure, full of brilliant repartee and enticing wit—one that readers will find an irresistible delight.

Monday, July 18, 2022

Read an #Excerpt from Harmony of Fire by Brian Feehan




About the Book


Harmony of Fire
by Brian Feehan

Paperback, 416 pages
Published June 28th 2022 by Berkley Books
ISBN0593440536
The We walk among us--beings who existed long before humans ever did, filled with powerful magic. Owen and Alice are both Etherealist, rare humans born with magic and a target for those We that wish to take it from them. At nine years old and against her will, Alice's soul was tied to one such powerful and evil We. She escaped and was trained as a weapon so she might one day break the bond and safely return home. Owen is a musician who is trying to outrun his past while keeping those around him safe in an increasingly dangerous world. Only through finding each other do either Alice or Owen have a chance of survival. 


Wednesday, July 13, 2022

Read an #Excerpt from Red on the River by Christine Feehan





About the Book


Red on the River
by Christine Feehan

Hardcover, 448 pages
Published June 28th 2022 by Berkley Books
ISBN0593439139
#1 New York Times bestselling author Christine Feehan goes all in with this sexy romantic thriller set among the dangers--both man-made and natural--of Nevada's breathtaking landscape.

Vienna Mortenson isn't your typical gambler. She prefers to stay under the radar, using her poker winnings to support her family and her community, including the local search and rescue team, which she heads up. Out in the backcountry there's no time for hesitation when lives are on the line. Vienna prides herself on being tough and decisive. She's not the sort to make a fool of herself over a guy, especially one who left her high and dry without a backward glance.

Zale Vizzini's job constantly puts him in harm's way. Working undercover and disappearing for months at a time isn't exactly a recipe for a stable relationship. Despite the challenges and the risks, Zale wants something real with Vienna. He just needed time to figure out how to be in her life without putting her in danger. Now, he's determined to win her back, and he's ready to lay all his cards on the table.

As their friends' wedding approaches, Zale takes advantage of the festivities to make a play for Vienna's heart. But there are more deadly forces waiting to strike in the rugged terrain of Nevada and the western Sierras. Soon both of their lives are threatened, and the odds are stacked against them.... 

Tuesday, July 12, 2022

Read an #Excerpt from Remember Love by Mary Balogh





About the Book


Remember Love
(Ravenswood #1)
by Mary Balogh

Hardcover, 400 pages
Published July 12th 2022 by Berkley
ISBN0593438124 
The undisputed queen of Regency romance is back with a brand-new story perfect for fans of Bridgerton.

The handsome and charismatic Earl of Stratton, Caleb Ware, has been exposed to the ton for his clandestine affairs—by his own son.

As a child, Devlin Ware thought his family stood for all that was right and good in the world. They were kind, gracious, and shared the beauty of Ravenwood, their grand country estate, by hosting lavish parties for the entire countryside. But at twenty-two, he discovered his whole world was an elaborate illusion, and when Devlin publicly called his family to account for it, he was exiled as a traitor.
So be it. He enlisted in the fight against Napoleon and didn’t look back for six years. But now his father is dead, the Ware family is broken, and as the heir he is being called home. It’s only when Gwyneth Rhys—the woman he loved and then lost after his family banished him—holds out her hand to help him that he is able make the difficult journey and try to piece together his fractured family.

It is Gwyneth’s loyalty, patience, and love that he needs. But is Devlin’s war-hardened heart even capable of offering her love in return?

Monday, July 11, 2022

#Interview with Author Jessie Mihalik of ECLIPSE THE MOON




Lexi: We are over the moon about a new sci-fi series: Starlight’s Shadow! It’s got enemies to lovers, alien pets, and bounty hunters! Join us in welcoming the author of the Starlight’s Shadow series: Jessie Mihalik!

Thank you so much for having me!! I’m Jessie Mihalik, and I write space opera romance, which may sound daunting if you’re not already a sci-fi fan, but basically, if you like the action and adventure of STAR WARS but wish it had more romance, you might like my books!

Lexi: Cantankerous meets sunshine. Some readers might call your newest release, ECLIPSE THE MOON, forced proximity, but we’re loving cantankerous meets sunshine! Do you have a favorite Kee and Varro scene? 

I love Kee and Varro because Kee is such a chaotic rainbow and Varro is so stoic while also being a secret cinnamon roll, especially for Kee.

Thursday, July 7, 2022

🍷🍷🍷🍷 Wine Glass #Review of Parks and Provocation by Juliette Cross





Title: Parks and Provocation: An Enemies to Lovers Small Town Romance
Series: Green Valley Heroes #2 
Author: Juliette Cross
Format: Kindle edition; 343 pages
Published: 7 April 2022 by Smartypants Romance
ISBN: ASIN ‎ B09H63F33W
LinksGoodreads Amazon B&N
Reviewer: Linda
Source: Author
Rating: 4 out of 5 Wine Glasses
🍷🍷🍷🍷
Lola Landry stares through the window of her locked car with the keys in the ignition and the radio blaring Beck’s “Loser.” While standing there and sweltering in the soupy Tennessee humidity, she wonders how her orderly life had crashed and burned so badly. Then her high school nemesis saunters up in all of his tall, strapping, fireman-to-the-rescue glory, slapping her with the humiliating proof that it can always get worse.

When the uber-confident Jedediah Lawson requests a date in return for popping her lock, a lightbulb goes off. Revenge is sweet. He would make the perfect victim—guest, that is—for her next podcast episode on Kiss and Tell. What shocks her is the casual way he not only agrees to the post-date interview on air, but ends up hijacking her audience and wooing them with his swoony, southern charm. Not even a low score on the date-o-meter can dissuade the man or keep her fans from demanding more of the charismatic Jed.

What’s worse, she secretly wants a second date with this man who is so different from his teenage self. His unwavering patience and dimpled smile erodes her will, until she breaks the Kiss and Tell rules by agreeing to a second…and a third date. It’s a disaster. Not the date. They’re wonderful. The disaster is that she is falling for a man she once dubbed Jockstrap Jed.



Linda's Thoughts:


Parks and Provocation is Juliette Cross’ first contemporary romance and the second book in the Green Valley Heroes collaborative series. Each book in this series are stand-alone reads by a different author. Juliette’s entry tells the story of Jedediah “Jed” Lawson, a big-hearted, strapping fireman, and Lola Landry, the girl he crushed on in school. This tale is told from the point-of-view of both main characters and I can verify that being in Jed’s head is a yummy experience!

Wednesday, July 6, 2022

Q&A with Catherine Bybee of When It Falls Apart + #Giveaway




 For anyone wondering the plot of your newest release, you give a great sneak peek with the title—When it Falls Apart. What is “falling apart” in this novel?
 
All the threads that hold my heroine, Brooke, together are crumbling down around her. When it Falls Apart begins with Brooke’s romantic relationship crashing and burning. At the same time, in a different state, her father is circling the drain in the ICU. And for the cherry on the top of her “falling apart life”, Brooke has found herself demoted at work. In short, everything in Brooke’s life is dissolving around her.
 
Like all of your books, When it Falls Apart has a beautiful romance, however, there is a rawness about Brooke’s story. How was writing this novel different from your others?
 
If you read my notes both in the front and the back of this novel, you’ll soon realize that the story was very personal to me. Rawness comes from experience. The relationship Brooke has with her father is hauntingly familiar to me and my dad. The emotions that the heroine experienced when taking care of him were easy for me to grasp onto and write about. Sadly, the love story with Luca was completely made up and I didn’t have the support of a strong Italian family to help deal with the struggles, but I digress. 

Relationships with a parent who wasn’t there for you growing up are messy. When that parent ages and needs their child, sometimes that help comes with a bucketload of resentment, even if the child wishes they could stop those ugly feelings from creeping up on them. And THAT is the rawness you speak of.
 
Books, TV shows, and movies oftentimes glamorize what it means to care for a loved one. However, in When it Falls Apart you don’t sugar-coat anything about caregiving and the toll it takes on a person. How do you think readers who have been in similar situations will be affected by this story?
 
Justified. Validated. Accepted.

It’s a hard job taking care of an elderly family member. And if there aren’t other siblings to help, or won’t help, it’s made even more difficult. It’s difficult, gritty, dirty work that only has a bad ending…eventually. What I do hope my readers take away is that they’re not alone. That the struggle is very real and that if they don’t find balance (which is almost impossible at times) they will burn out completely and not be fit to help at all. I hope my readers are empowered to set boundaries and balance, so they come out on the other side of caring for an elderly loved one whole themselves.
 
Brooke gets virtually no support from her significant other, which has her reevaluating their relationship. She realizes she has settled and has to make some hard decisions. Do you think this happens too many times to women in real life?
 
100% Yes! There is a song by Taylor Swift with a line that says, and I’m paraphrasing here, I can be what you want for the weekend. But often that weekend ends up being a relationship that women hold on to or are convinced they can’t live without. Often it takes a huge shake-up to remove yourself from that situation. But once you’re away from the day to day dysfunctional relationship, the easier it is to see the dysfunction.
 
After her breakup and move, Brooke is not looking for a relationship. In fact, she tells her best friend: “I haven’t wiped off my smeared mascara from Marshall yet, the last thing I want is to jump into anything else.” Her crying over a man lasts all about two minutes when she meets Luca. Tell us about him.
 
Hmmm, Luca… he is the kind of man who doesn’t want a place on Brooke’s dance card…he wants to rip it up.

Luca is wired to help the people in his life. Brooke becomes a part of his inner circle simply by moving into the family building where he sees her every day.

Now, if Luca had flat out asked Brooke on a date, she would have run the other way…so no, he doesn’t go about it that way. He simply shows up and does not leave. Not when things get tough, or messy…or when his own past peeks its head in. Luca is a man who is right there at Brooke’s side without question or censor on why she does the things she does. His support and validation of her feelings is the part she was missing. Add in the hunky Italian single father and “Mamma Mia!”
 
At first, Luca is not thrilled that Brooke is renting a room in his family’s building. What changes his mind about her?
 
Her strength and vulnerability. I know that sounds contradicting, but some of the strongest women I know have a big vulnerable spot in their life that if you know them well enough, you see. The biggest smiles often hide the deepest pain. Luca sees her struggle and dedication to helping her elderly father and since family is first on Luca’s list, she passes his unconscious test.
 
Luca’s family, the D’Angelo’s, are incredibly close and share everything from ownership of the family restaurant to helping care for Luca’s daughter Franny. How is this different from Brooke’s relationship with her family?
 
Brooke doesn’t have that family. She has a father who abandoned her as a little girl that she carved out a relationship as an adult, and now she’s charged with caring for. Even her previous romantic relationship didn’t support her unconditionally the way the D’Angelo’s do for each other. She’s rather dumbfounded when they start treating her like family. It’s a wonderful thing to watch happen.
 
San Diego’s Little Italy plays a huge part in the story. The community, language, and food are in full display. Tell us about your own experiences in your adopted city.
 
I love Little Italy, the food, the pace... the people. There are many places in San Diego that are overrun with the college scene, San Diego is a college town. But Little Italy is more family friendly. Very touristy, but there isn’t a day you don’t see locals hanging out. I go to the farmer’s market often. Pick up authentic Italian ingredients for my own home cooking. I try new restaurants and take all my friends there when they are visiting from out of town. Not to mention it was the closest thing to the “real Italy” that I could go during the travel restrictions. So why not write about it and tell the world of this small island within San Diego that shouldn’t be missed?
 
There are two more siblings in the D’Angelo family. Where will you be taking readers next with the series?
 
Chloe is a yogi. Think Bali!

And Giovanni loves wine… think Tuscany, Italy.
 
I cannot wait to show you what I have in store for these two!



Tuesday, July 5, 2022

#Interview with Louise Hare of Miss Aldridge Regrets



Readers, do we have a bookish treat for you! Today we’re talking about a historical fiction meets whodunnit mystery that you won’t be able to put down: Miss Aldridge Regrets! And to join the conversation is the lovely author, Louise Hare! Welcome to the blog!




Lexi: The combination of elements that make up Miss Aldridge Regrets is so fantastic. There’s the fierce world of Broadway, racial and class tensions, adultery, betrayal, and the murder! What aspect is your favorite?

Louise: How do I choose just one?! I do love a good betrayal though, and there are several to enjoy in this novel. I loved writing Lena’s relationship with her best friend Maggie. They have a strong bond but they’re also keeping quite huge secrets from one another and watching those little white lies unravel is quite fun. 


Lexi: Mysteries, by default, pull at our imaginations and beg for answers. Did you know the ending when you started out writing this book?

Monday, July 4, 2022

Read an #Excerpt from A Dress of Violet Taffeta by Tessa Arlen




About the Book


A Dress of Violet Taffeta
by Tessa Arlen

Paperback, 352 pages
Published July 5th 2022 by Berkley Books
ISBN0593436857 
A sumptuous novel based on the fascinating true story of Belle Epoque icon Lucy, Lady Duff Gordon, a woman determined to shatter the boundaries of the fashion world and support herself and her young daughter with her magnificent designs.

Lucy Duff Gordon knows she is talented. She sees color, light, fabric, and texture in ways few other people do. But is the world ready for her? A world dominated by men who would try to control her and use her art for their own gain?

After being deserted by her wealthy husband, Lucy is desperate to survive. She turns to her one true talent to make a living. As a little girl, the dresses she made for her dolls were the envy of her group of playmates. Now, she uses her courageous innovations in Belle Époque fashion to support her own little girl. Lucile knows it is an uphill battle, and a single woman is not supposed to succeed on her own, but she refuses to give up. She will claim her place in the fashion world; failure simply is not an option.
Then, on a frigid night in 1912, Lucy’s life changes once more, when she becomes one of 706 people to survive the sinking of the Titanic. She could never have imagined the effects the disaster would have on her career, her marriage to her second husband, and her legacy. But no matter what life throws at her, Lucile will live on as a trailblazing and fearless fashion icon, never letting go of what she worked so hard to earn. This is her story.