Sunday, 10 December 2017

Another Saturday Night and I Ain't Got Nobody (A Page Turners Novel #1) by Jennie Marts, Narrated by Stacey Glemboski



Publisher's Summary

Sunny's not sure she's even looking for Mr. Maybe, when her friends decide to find her Mr. Right.
Sunny Vale considers herself a dog-loving, romance novel-loving homebody. But her life goes from dull to deadly when her book club fires her from her own love life and sets her up on six blind dates - one of whom might be with a murderer. More trouble arrives in the dead of night, in the form of Jake Landon, a mysterious stranger, who breaks into her neighbor's house and possibly her heart. But Jake is packing more than a loaded gun in his well-fitting Levi's. He brings an arsenal of secrets and plenty of heat to Sunny's ho-hum summer.
Jake Landon finds himself caught up in the capers of the sexy blonde in the house next door. But he has his own agenda, which doesn't involve playing hero to a curvy second-grade teacher and babysitting her panty-puking puppy. He's got other problems like fiery explosions, a missing person...and a parade of jerks Sunny insists on dating.
Could Sunny's Mr. Right be right under her nose? Even though Jake is gorgeous, likes her dog, and has abs she can crack an egg on, can she really go out with him if he's just murdered her next door neighbour?
©2012 Jennie Marts (P)2017 Jennie Marts
 Review

A fun romantic-comedy mystery with a wonderful cast of characters and plenty of laugh out loud moments.

Sunny is cute, hilarious and goofy. Her disastrous series of first dates had me in stitches! 
Jake was adorable as the hunky, helpful next door neighbour. I loved how Sunny debriefed him at the end of each of her dates. They had a cute relationship starting from how they first met which was really funny. I loved this couple so much.

The mystery aspect of the story was much lighter in plot; a missing person case which resolved pretty quick at the end of the story. 


I liked Sunny's group of friends and I will enjoy reading their stories in the rest of the series.

The narration was brilliant. The narrator performed the variety of characters so well I forgot that I was listening to just one voice. I would definitely choose to continue this series in audio format.


Buy Links Audible           Amazon Kindle 99p

Thursday, 30 November 2017

Return to the Regency - A Regency Time Travel Romance by Audrey Harrison (2017)


She has a broken heart. He has a secret. Could their love story be bigger than time itself?

Catherine wishes the last year never happened. After losing her mother and her marriage in quick succession, each day is a brand new struggle. When her ex-husband drags her kids halfway across the world, she visits the Bath Christmas Market, just hoping to put something good in her life. She never expected find a gateway to the past…
Chris still can't believe his eyes. After traveling back in time 200 years to Regency Bath, he's captivated by a world where men are gallant and manners mean something. Amidst the fun and games of a time past, a future with Catherine may be just the thing he's looking for…
Catherine is drawn to Chris too, but when a Regency fortune hunter attempts to woo her heart, everything is called into question. Will their relationship stand the test of time when the magic of the Christmas market eventually fades away?
Return to the Regency is a time travel Regency romance topped with a generous dose of humour, action, and tears. If you like simmering chemistry, fast-paced adventures, and trips back in time, then you'll love Audrey Harrison's Christmas tale.

Review 

I really love time travel romances set in the Regency period so I was thrilled to see one of my favourite authors dipping into this sub-genre.

I thought it was fantastic that she put a twist in her time travel story. Where this book differs from other Regency time travel stories is the possibility for her characters to freely travel back and forth between the Regency period and the present day. I liked that Catherine didn't have to leave her friends and family behind permanently in order to have a grand, romantic adventure in Regency Bath. 

There is plenty of excitement and drama as Catherine soon finds herself caught up in the affairs of new friends and the target of a fortune hunter. I loved the characters that populated Regency Bath. 
I thought Catherine and Chris made a lovely couple and I really felt for them when things took a dramatic and emotional turn when their time in the Regency period came to an end. The conclusion to their story was very romantic and it left me with a smile on my face.

A very enjoyable and highly recommended read.

Buy Links Amazon  Only 99p for Kindle or Free with Kindle Unlimited.

Wednesday, 29 November 2017

The Bride Who Got Lucky (The Cavensham Heiresses #2) By Janna MacGregor






He would do anything to protect her. Even marry her… 

The son of a cold-hearted duke, Nicholas St. Mauer isn’t one to involve himself in society…or open his own heart to anyone. But driven by honour, the reclusive Earl of Somerton feels obliged to keep a watchful eye on Lady Emma Cavensham. She possesses a penchant for passions unbecoming a woman that finds Nick in constant peril of losing his well-structured solitude. She even dared kiss Nick once―an utterly unladylike, and delightful, lapse...

Emma can’t deny the appeal of the earl’s attention, and occasional affection, but she has no need for a man. There are worse fates than spinsterhood, as Emma knows too well. She still mourns the loss of her dear friend Lena, and is determined to prove Lena’s husband responsible for her death before he lures another innocent woman into a brutal marriage. But as Emma pursues her prey, a compromising moment upends all her plans. Now, with gossip swirling and her reputation in tatters, Nick may be the only man brave enough to join in Emma’s cause.. and fight for her heart.


Review 





A charming friends to lovers historical romance. Emma and Nicholas make an adorable couple. I love how feisty and independent Emma is and how Nicholas doesn't hesitate in interfering with her plans and joining in her schemes in his attempt to keep her from harm. there was no end of drama which I found greatly entertaining.

Buy Links  Amazon     Book Depository   

Monday, 27 November 2017

The Break by Marian Keyes (2017)


Amy's husband Hugh isn't really leaving her.

At least, that's what he promises. He is just taking a break - from their marriage, their children and, most of all, from their life together. For six-months Hugh will lose himself in south-east Asia, and there is nothing Amy can say or do about it.

Yes, it's a mid-life crisis, but let's be clear: a break isn't a break up - yet . . .

It's been a long time since Amy held a briefcase in one hand and a baby in the other. She never believed she'd have to go it alone again. She just has to hold the family together until Hugh comes back.

But a lot can happen in six-months. When Hugh returns, if he returns, will he be the same man she married? And will Amy be the same woman?

Because falling in love is easy. The hard part - the painful, joyous, maddening, beautiful part - is staying in love.


'A born storyteller' Independent on Sunday


'When it comes to writing page-turners that put a smile on your face and make you think, Keyes is in a class of her own' Daily Express


Review 


A wonderfully funny and feel good romantic story. 
At 568 pages it is quite a hefty tome but the story rollicks along pretty quick and I found myself pulled into the story from the very first line. Thereafter I spent every waking moment possible reading until it was finished.
I'm not a fan of contemporary chick lit and this was my first Marian Keyes novel but I can say now that I've dipped my toes in I wouldn't hesitate in picking up another title by the author.

A good escapist read by a gifted storyteller.

Buy Links Amazon


Sunday, 26 November 2017

Operation Trumpsformation, Ross O'Carroll-Kelly (2017)



'Our nation's great satirist ... the most sustained feat of comic writing in Irish literature' Irish Times
It's the end of the world as Ross knows it ... this time, there's no way of escaping another monumental fock-up!
Sorcha had thrown me out of the family home - this time apparently for good. And yet that was the least of my worries ...
My old dear was in prison, accused of murdering her second husband. My sons were showing an unhealthy interest in - someone call social services - soccer! And my daughter wanted everyone to call her Eddie. But don't even go there!
On top of all that, a blond wig discovered in a dusty attic, had given my old man delusions of power. Suddenly, he was running for election, promising to tear up the bailout deal and take Ireland out of Europe. And that's to say nothing of his secret plan for Ireland's second city ...
But shush! Don't mention the wall!

Review 

If you want to give the gift of fun and laughter this Christmas then you go won't go wrong with the latest Ross O Carroll Kelly book. 
Thoroughly entertaining, hilarious, witty and sharp. The series has lost none of its edge.

Buy Links Amazon 

 Kennys   An independent Irish bookshop offering Free Worldwide delivery.

Romancing the Scot by May McGoldrick (2017)

Description

Sunday, 19 November 2017

Winter's Return: Guy Winter Mysteries #4 by James Philip (2015) Narrated by Melanie Fraser (2017)


Publisher's Information

Winter's Return is the fourth full-length Guy Winter mystery. It is set in England in the Second World War in the third month of the devastating night Blitz which followed the defeat of the Luftwaffe in the Battle of Britain. 
In Winter's Return Guy Winter returns to London, a city at once reeling under the relentless nightly bombardment, yet oddly growing ever more accustomed to the ongoing nightmare. 
Shunned and unwanted by Scotland Yard, the Mystery Man - a sobriquet earned long before the war because he was the man the Yard turned to solve the mysteries no other man could resolve - is assigned to S Division in Hampstead. However, his exile is short-lived. 
Within days he and his faithful sergeant, George Ransom, are heading for the English Midlands, where on a country estate a few miles south of Coventry, Helen Chase, the nation's most famous actress, has been grievously wounded in an apparent orgy of mindless violence that has claimed several other lives in the most bizarre and gruesome of circumstances. 
Little does Guy Winter suspect that no matter how far he travels from London, the ghostly echo of the Whitechapel Murders of 1888, the machinations of his former MI5 associates, and the extraordinary revelations of an exotic German spy captured six weeks before in Scotland, will eventually catch up with him. 
But before he must confront one fate, he must confront other demons in the fires consuming Coventry, the "city of spires". 
Please be aware - cliff-hanger ending!




Review rating 

This fourth instalment of the Guy Winter series is certainly full of mystery and suspense. Murder and mayhem abound which makes for thrilling reading. The cliffhanger ending came quite abruptly but the high drama ensures that I will be reading the concluding episode, Winter's Spy, as soon as possible.

There is quite a bit of historical information at the beginning of the book regarding the origins of New Scotland Yard which I found very interesting. The detail surrounding the blitz was also well done and I liked how the author brought the social impact of the bombings into the story line. We get a real sense of the hardships faced by people who lost their homes and the community spirit that developed as people banded together to help one another out.

Again, Melanie Fraser gives a flawless performance. There is such quality and clarity to her voice I really feel like I have stepped back in time as I listen to this series.


Buy Links    Audible      Amazon

Monday, 30 October 2017

The Right Kind of Rogue : Playful Brides #8 by Valerie Bowman (2017)



Author Bio:
VALERIE BOWMAN grew up in Illinois with six sisters (she’s number seven) and a huge supply of historical romance novels. After a cold and snowy stint earning a degree in English with a minor in history at Smith College, she moved to Florida the first chance she got. Valerie now lives in Jacksonville with her family including her mini-schnauzer, Huckleberry. When she’s not writing, she keeps busy reading, traveling, or vacillating between watching crazy reality TV and PBS. She is the author of the Secret Brides and Playful Brides series.



Summary:
Can two star-crossed lovers come together—until death do they part?

Viscount Hart Highgate has decided to put his rakish ways behind him and finally get married. He may adore a good brandy or a high-speed carriage race, but he takes his duties as heir to the earldom seriously. Now all he has to do is find the right kind of woman to be his bride—ideally, one who’s also well-connected and well-funded. . .

Meg Timmons has loved Hart, the brother of her best friend, ever since she was an awkward, blushing schoolgirl. If only she had a large dowry—or anything to her name at all. Instead, she’s from a family that’s been locked in a bitter feud with Hart’s for years. And now she’s approaching her third London season, Meg’s chances with him are slim to none. Unless a surprise encounter on a deep, dark night could be enough to spark a rebellious romance. . .for all time?

Valerie Bowman’s Playful Brides novels are:

“Wholly satisfying.”—USA Today
“Smart and sensual…readers will be captivated.”—RT Book Reviews “Smoldering.” —Booklist

Review Rating

A delightful and fun Regency romance, full of humour and angst. I got swept away with the antics of the ladies in their matchmaking attempts. The heroine who is in love with her friend's older brother and gets a makeover in an attempt to attract his attention, is an old plot line but a good one when well executed.
I didn't particularly like the duchess, Lucy Hunt, as some of her matchmaking attempts bordered on cruel and humiliating. I was rooting for Meg and Hart though and I trusted that they would eventually find their way to one another by themselves.
This story is thoroughly entertaining. I loved the humour and I laughed at the 'Dirty Dancing' reference 'No-one allows Meg to sit in the corner,' before sweeping her out to dance.
Great fun!



Buy Links:


Social Links:
Twitter: @Valeriegbowman
Facebook @ValerieBowmanAuthor

Exclusive Excerpt      Chapter 2

“How in Hades’s name can you drink at this hour of the morning, Highgate?”
Hart tossed back his brandy, swallowed, and laughed at his brother-in-law’s words. The two sat across from each other at Brooks’s gentlemen’s club. It was decidedly before noon. The only reason Hart was up at this hour was because he’d promised to meet Lord Christian Berkeley. His brother-in-law rarely asked for favors and Hart suspected this meeting was his sister Sarah’s doing, but he would humor the viscount just the same.
“Berkeley, old chap, you don’t know the half of it.” Hart clapped the viscount on the back. “Helps with the devil of a head left over from last night, don’t ya know?”
Berkeley lifted his teacup to his lips. “No. I don’t. But I’ll take your word for it.”
That reply only made Hart laugh harder, which made his head hurt more. Hart liked his brother-in-law a great deal, but the man was decidedly humdrum when it came to amusements. Berkeley rarely drank, rarely smoked, and preferred to spend his time at his estate in the north of England or his hunting lodge in Scotland. Berkeley enjoyed quiet pursuits like reading or carving things out of wood much more than the amusements London had to offer. But Viscount Berkeley was a good man and one who clearly adored Hart’s sister, and that was what mattered.
The viscount had gone so far as to dramatically interrupt Sarah’s wedding to a pompous marquess and claim her for himself, thereby not only proving his commitment to Sarah but also saving Hart from having the self-involved Marquess of Branford as a brother-in-law. Overall it had been quite a fortunate turn of events for everyone. Everyone except Hart and Sarah’s enraged, thwarted parents, that is.
Berkeley tugged at his cravat. “How are your—ahem— parents getting on?”
Hart cracked a smile. “Still angry, of course, even after all these months. You and Sarah made a good decision, staying up north for the winter. Gave Father and Mother time to calm down.” His father’s anger at having a scandal mar his family name and his daughter marry a mere viscount as opposed to a marquess who had the ear of the Prince Regent had barely abated over the winter, but no need to tell Berkeley as much.
Berkeley leaned back in his chair and crossed one silk-stockinged ankle over an immaculately creased knee, his hands lightly clutching the arms of his chair. He shook his head. “They’re not calmed down, are they?”
“A bit.” Hart stopped a footman and ordered another brandy. “Don’t worry. They’ll be civil when they see you. For Sarah’s sake.”
“Well, that’s something. Are you seriously ordering another drink?”
“Are you seriously surprised?” Hart scratched his rough cheek. He’d been running late and hadn’t bothered to ask his usually drunken valet to shave him this morning. For Christ’s sake, that man drank more than he did. Not exactly someone he wanted near his throat with a straight razor. “Besides I have quite a good reason to drink today.”
“Really?” Berkeley tugged at his cuff. Ever since Sarah had taught him how to dress properly, the viscount was much more attentive to his clothing. He was downright dapper these days. “Why is that?”
“I’m getting married.” Hart emitted a groan to accompany those incomprehensible words.
Berkeley’s brows shot up. He set down his cup and placed a hand behind his ear. “Pardon? I must have heard you incorrectly. I thought you said married.”
The footman returned with the drink and Hart snatched it from the man’s gloved hand and downed nearly half of it in a single gulp. “I did,” he muttered through clenched teeth, wincing.
“You? Married?” Berkeley’s brow remained steadfastly furrowed, and he blinked as if the word were foreign.
“Me. Married.” Hart gave a firm nod before taking another fortifying gulp of brandy.
“Ahem, who is the, uh, fortunate lady?” Berkeley lifted his cup back to his lips and took a long gulp, as if needing the hot drink to banish his astonishment.
“I haven’t the first idea.” Hart shook his head. He was giving serious thought to the notion of ordering a third brandy. Would that be bad form? Probably.
“Now you’re simply confusing me,” Berkeley said with an unmistakable smile on his face. With his free hand, he pulled the morning’s copy of the Times from the tabletop next to him and scanned the headlines.
Hart took another sip of brandy and savored it this time. “I haven’t made any decisions as to the chit yet. I’ve merely announced to Father that this is the year I intend to find a bride. The idea of marriage has always made my stomach turn. After all, if my parents’ imperfect union is anything by which to gauge the institution, it’s a bloody nightmare.”
“Why the change of heart?” Berkeley asked.
Hart scrubbed a hand through his hair. The truth was, he wasn’t less sickened by the prospect of marriage these days, but he couldn’t avoid the institution forever. At some point he’d have to put the parson’s noose firmly around his own throat and pull. Wives were fickle, and marriages meant little other than the exchange of money and property. His own father had announced that fact on more than one occasion. His parents treated each other like unhappy strangers, and his father had made it clear that they were anything but in love. That, Hart supposed, was his fate. To live a life as his parents had in the pursuit of procreating and producing the next future Earl of Highfield. So be it, but was it any wonder he’d been putting it off?
“Seeing Sarah marry had more of an effect on me than I expected,” Hart admitted, frowning at his notquite-empty glass. “And if you ever tell anyone I said that, I’ll call you out.” He looked at Berkeley and grinned again.
“You have my word,” Berkeley replied with a nod. “But may I ask how it affected you?”
Hart pushed himself back in the large leather chair and crossed his booted feet at the ankles. “I started thinking about it all, you know? Life, marriage, children, family. I expect you and Sarah will be having a child soon, and by God I’d like my children to grow up knowing their kin. My cousin Nicole was quite close to Sarah and me when we were children. Nicole’s marriage isn’t one to emulate, either. She hasn’t even seen her husband in years. Last I heard, she’s living somewhere in France, childless. By God, perhaps I should rethink this.” Hart pulled at his cravat. The bloody thing was nearly choking him what with all of this talk of marriage.
Berkeley leaned back in his seat, mirroring Hart. “Perhaps you should focus on the positive aspects of marriage. I assure you, there are many.”
“Believe me, I’m trying,” Hart continued, reminding himself for the hundredth time of the reasons why he’d finally come to this decision. God knew it hadn’t been an easy one. “Whether I like it or not, it’s time for me to choose a bride. Sarah is my younger sister. While she wasn’t married, it all seemed like fun and games, but now, well, seems everyone is tying the proverbial knot these days what with Owen Monroe and Rafe Cavendish marrying. Even Rafe’s twin, Cade, has fallen to the parson’s noose.”
Just this morning when Hart had woken with a splitting head for the dozenth time in as many days, he’d thought yet again how he needed to stop being so reckless. He wasn’t able to bounce back from a night of debauchery nearly as quickly as he used to when he was at university. Seeing Sarah marry had made him consider his duties, his responsibilities, and his . . . age. For the love of God, he was nearly thirty. That thought alone was enough to make him want another brandy. It was his duty to sire the next Earl of Highfield, and duty meant something to him. What else mattered if he didn’t respect his duty? Hadn’t that been hammered into his head since birth by his father, along with all the dire warnings not to choose the wrong wife?
“It’s true that several marriages have taken place lately in our set of friends,” Berkeley replied, still leisurely perusing the paper while sipping tea. “But I thought you were immune to all of that, Highgate.”
“I have been.” Hart sighed again. “But I’ve finally decided it’s time to get to it.”
Berkeley raised his teacup in salute. “Here’s to the future Lady Highfield. May she be healthy, beautiful, and wise.
“Thank you,” Hart replied. He tugged at his pythonlike cravat again.
Berkeley regarded Hart down the length of his nose. “Any ladies catch your fancy?”
Hart shook his head. He braced an elbow on the table beside them and set his chin on his fist. “No. That’s the problem. I’m uncertain where to begin.”
Berkeley let the paper drop to his lap. “What sort of lady are you looking for?”
Hart considered the question for a moment. What sort of lady, indeed? “She’ll need to be reasonable, well connected, clever, witty, a happy soul. Someone who is honest, and forthright, and who isn’t marrying me only for my title. Someone who doesn’t nag and has an indecently large dowry, of course. Father puts great stock in such things. Not to mention if I’m going to be legshackled, I might as well get a new set of horses out of the bargain. I’m thinking a set of matching grays and a new coach.”
“Oh, that’s not much of a list,” Berkeley said with a snort. “
I don’t expect the search to be a simple one, or a quick one.” The truth was Hart had no earthly idea who he was looking for. He only knew who he wasn’t looking for . . . someone like his mother. Or the treacherous Annabelle Cardiff. He wanted the exact opposite.
Berkeley tossed the paper back onto the tabletop. “Knowing your father’s decided opinions on such matters, I’m surprised he hasn’t provided you with a list of eligible females from which you may choose.”  
Hart rolled his eyes. “He has. He’s named half a dozen ladies he would gladly accept.”
Berkeley inclined his head to the side. “Why don’t you choose one of them then?”
Hart gave his brother-in-law an are-you-quite-serious look, chin tucked down, head tilted to the side. “I’m bloody well not about to allow my father to choose a bride for me. Besides, after seeing you and Sarah, I hold out some hope of finding a lady with whom I’m actually compatible.”
“Why, Highgate, do you mean . . . love?” Berkeley grinned and leaned forward in mock astonishment.
“Let’s not go that far.” Hart took another sip of his quickly dwindling brandy. That’s precisely what confused him so much. He knew love matches existed. He’d witnessed one in his sister’s marriage. On the other hand, her choice had so enraged his parents, they still hadn’t forgiven her. Hart didn’t intend to go about the business of finding a wife in quite so dramatic a fashion. Love matches attracted drama. However, his parents’ unhappy union was nothing to aspire to, and he’d nearly made the mistake of marrying a woman who wanted nothing more than title and fortune before. It was a tricky business, the marriage mart, but he’d rather take advice from Sarah and Berkeley than his father. The proof of the pudding was in the eating, after all.
Berkeley laughed. “What if you fall madly in love and become a devoted husband? Jealous even. Now, that would be a sight.”
“Jealous? That’s not possible.” Hart grinned back at Berkeley. “I’ve never been jealous. Don’t have it in me. My friends at university used to tease me about it. No ties to any particular lady. No regrets.” He settled back in his chair and straightened his cravat, which was tighter than ever.
“We’ll see.” Berkeley took another sip of tea. His eyes danced with amusement.
“I was hoping you and Sarah might help me this Season.
Sarah knows most of the young ladies. She also knows me as well as anyone does. Not to mention, the two of you seem to have got the thing right.”
Berkeley glanced up. “Why, Highgate, is that a compliment on our marriage?”
“Take it as you will.” Hart waved a noncommittal hand in the air. He avoided meeting Berkeley’s eyes.
Berkeley settled further into his chair. “I shall take it as a compliment, then. I have a feeling Sarah would like nothing more than to help you with such an endeavor. She fancies herself a matchmaker these days.”  
“Will you two be staying in London for the Season?”
“Yes. Sarah wants to stay and I, of course, will support her, at least as long as I can remain in the same town as your father without him calling me out.” A smirk settled on Berkeley’s face.
Hart eyed the remaining liquid in his glass. “I’ll be happy to play the role of peacemaker to the best of my ability.”
“I’m glad to hear that.” Berkeley inclined his head toward his brother-in-law.
“Who else is Sarah matchmaking for?” Hart sloshed the brandy in the bottom of the glass.
“She’s not merely matchmaking. No. To hear her tell it, she has an important mission this Season.”
Hart set down the glass and pulled another section of the Times off the table and began scanning it. He’d talked enough about marriage for one day. Odious topic. “A mission? What mission?” he asked, merely to be polite.
“To find Meg Timmons a husband.”
Hart startled in surprise, grasping the paper so tightly it tore in the middle. Tossing it aside, he reached for his glass and gulped the last of his brandy.
Meg Timmons. He knew Meg Timmons. She was Sarah’s closest friend, the daughter of his father’s mortal enemy, and a woman with whom Hart had experienced an incident last summer that he’d been seriously trying to forget.
Copyright © 2017 by Valerie Bowman and reprinted by permission of St. Martin’s Paperbacks.