Thursday 21 December 2023

Penance for the Dead: A Bow Street Duchess Mystery (A Romantic Regency Historical Mystery) (Bow Street Duchess Mystery Series Book 4)

 


Old scandals and destructive truths are exposed when a woman from Hugh Marsden’s past is murdered in cold blood.

Principal Bow Street Officer Hugh Marsden is used to living in the shadow of disgrace. First, as the illegitimate son of the late Viscount Neatham, and second, as the man who permanently maimed his half-brother in a duel six years ago. Reviled by the posh
 ton, Hugh happily severed ties to polite society—until the enigmatic Duchess of Fournier, Audrey Sinclair entered his world and turned it upside down.

Now, Hugh’s half-sister Eloisa has done the same. Just days after returning to London and hiring him to find a missing person—someone Eloisa claims holds a destructive family secret—she is murdered in cold blood on a ballroom floor. The prime suspect? Hugh Marsden.

When Audrey learns the Bow Street officer she’s come to cherish is on the run and being hunted for the crime, she vows to clear his name, no matter what it takes. Restricted to clandestine meetings, Audrey and Hugh’s investigation to find Eloisa’s true killer peels back years of Neatham family secrecy, and with it, a diabolical scheme to conceal the circumstances surrounding Hugh’s birth.

The desperate killer will stop at nothing to prevent Audrey and Hugh from unearthing the rest of the wicked truth—even if it means sending them both to an early grave.

Penance for the Dead, the fourth riveting installment in the Bow Street Duchess Mystery series is perfect for fans of the Lady Sherlock, Veronica Speedwell, and PBS Masterpiece’s Miss Scarlet & the Duke.

                                            ðŸŒŸðŸŒŸðŸŒŸðŸŒŸðŸŒŸ

Another brilliant instalment in the series. 

The story kicks off with a bang when Hugh's half-sister is murdered and he is named number one suspect. Audrey investigates to clear his name leading to family secrets being exposed and life-changing consequences for Hugh that I didn't see coming. Audrey's husband has also made some shocking plans for their future and I couldn't help but feel sorry for Audrey although I suspect things will somehow, work out alright in the end.

Audrey and Hugh's relationship moves forward a little bit in this book. They can't be together because she is married but at the same time, neither of the two can stay away from the other for very long. 

I thoroughly enjoyed this mystery. It is fast-paced, and angsty, with plenty of twists and no end of suspects. I liked the surprising nature of the first crime when the killer used smoke as a distraction technique at the ball. It was unusual and unique which made the scene that bit more intriguing and dramatic.


Monday 18 December 2023

Second Grave on the Left by Darynda Jones


Description


Second Grave on the Left

Darynda Jones

If you hang around with dead people, life can deliver a whole world of trouble.


Take it from Charley Davidson, part-time P.I. and full-time Grim Reaper. The deceased find her very sparkly. Demons find her irresistible. And one entity in particular wants to seduce her in every way possible…

When Charley and Cookie, her best friend slash receptionist, have to track down a missing woman, the case is not quite as open and shut as they anticipate. Meanwhile, Reyes Alexander Farrow (otherwise known as the Son of Satan. Yes. Literally.) has left his corporeal body because he's being tortured by demons who want to lure Charley closer. But Reyes can't let that happen. Because if the demons get to Charley, they'll have a portal to heaven. And if they have a portal to heaven…well, let's just say it wouldn't be pretty.

Can Charley handle hot nights with Reyes and even hotter days tracking down a missing woman? Can she keep those she loves out of harm's way? And is there enough coffee and chocolate in the world to fuel her as she does?

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

The second book in the series is just as much fun as the first. 

The dialogue is sharp and witty. Charley always has a witty comeback no matter how dire the situation. I loved the light humour mixed with the suspense and supernatural elements. 

The characters all develop a little bit more in this instalment. Charley confides in more people about Reyes and her own abilities. We see her bond a little bit more with her sister and the light and friendly flirtation between her and Garrett is still hilarious especially as it riles up Reyes to no end.

I sped through this book in no time and I am looking forward to diving into book 3 soon.

Buy links

 Amazon UK

Waterstones


Sunday 17 December 2023

The Hotel Room Mix-Up by Kathy Jay (2023)

 


The Hotel Room Mix-Up

Two weddings, three hotel reservations gone awry…and one weekend in Cornwall they’ll never forget!

When the similarities between Ella Swift and Callum Smith’s last names lead to a hotel room mix-up, they find themselves sharing a cramped cottage in Porthkara rather than the private luxury hotel suites they expected.

Each in town for a different wedding – and carrying more baggage than just the suitcases in their hands – the reluctant roommates are forced to share a shelter from the storm surge that sweeps in off the Atlantic. But as the rain crashes down there’s a shift in more than just the atmosphere, and by the time the sun rises on a new day, Ella and Callum’s futures have already been forever changed…

🌟🌟🌟🌟

The Hotel Room Mix-Up is a heartwarming romance that touches on heavier themes such as bereavement and childhood trauma.

Ella and Callum have chemistry right from their first meeting, but both are too afraid to take the step from lighthearted flirtation to serious romantic entanglement. Despite their best efforts otherwise true love wins out.

Ella and Callum's family and friends find little ways of encouraging them along however it is not plain sailing at all. 

I enjoyed Ella's backstory of having a famous dad and her time as a young actress in TV shows and the toll it took on her mental health.

 Callum's past is more tragic. He endured a difficult childhood and suffered the loss of his wife in an accident. It is understandable that he would be wary of putting himself through more heartache.

I loved how things resolved in the end for the couple.

Purchase Links

Amazon UK

Amazon US

Author Bio

I live in Cambridgeshire with my family which includes a large dog and a cute cat. I love the changing seasons. I like pyjama days and cosy log fires in winter. In summer, my top things are strawberries and walking on beautiful beaches in North Wales. I started writing my first romance on a vintage typewriter. Writing got put on hold while I studied for a degree in Drama and French. I've been an office temp and a bilingual PA in London. Now I'm a member of the Romantic Novelists' Association, and thrilled to write fun, flirty romance for One More Chapter. My website is www.kathyjay.com


Social Media Links

Website: 

http://www.kathyjay.com/

Instagram

TikTok

Twitter

Facebook

Wednesday 13 December 2023

BBNYA Spotlight - Wings of the Storm by Aaron Bunce and Christopher Guhl


This year, the Book Bloggers’ Novel of the Year Award (BBNYA) is celebrating the books that made it into Round Two with a mini spotlight blitz tour for each title. BBNYA is a yearly competition where book bloggers from all over the world read and score books written by indie authors, ending with 15 finalists and one overall winner.

If you want some more information about BBNYA, check out the BBNYA Website https://www.bbnya.com/ or take a peek over on Twitter @BBNYA_Official. BBNYA is brought to you in association with the @Foliosociety (if you love beautiful books, you NEED to check out their website!) and the book blogger support group @The_WriteReads.




Book Details



Length: 462 pages

Genre: Fantasy

Age Category: Young Adult

Date Published: 29 August 2022

Amazon Link: https://amzn.eu/d/byZ6TJf (UK)

https://a.co/d/05eEqnf (Canada)

https://a.co/d/78qb0Bm (USA)

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61408398-wings-of-the-storm

TheStoryGraph Link: https://app.thestorygraph.com/books/4a6b2132-9527-4edc-98bb-9729cbedfb92 



Blurb


My name is Vayo, and I am a slave.


My people lived in Argia, the City of Light, before Nabonidus the Defiler swept across the land. He conquered, murdering and enslaving the other tribes. I was born after the fall, in a crumbling pit of despair and sadness.

Nabonidus crowned himself ruler of the land, building his new kingdom from the rubble of our fallen world. I live and serve them now, my head bowed, and my eyes down. That is, until a master servant chose me.


My new duty? Attending the King himself, serving the man that ruined my people. Desperate for blessings, I placed an offering to the Mother Goddess on my roof. Afterwards, I fell into a strange dream. One where I soared over the dunes on wings of radiant feathers. Shouts and screams startled me awake, and I watched as the King’s men carried my friend away. I followed, deep into dark tunnels beneath my fallen city.


Fleeing the horrors I witnessed below, I hid in the one place they would not think to look. Inside that forbidden temple and buried beneath the rubble of our broken past I stumbled upon a peculiar sight. A beautiful warrior, with her arms wrapped around a shimmering, blue egg.


Life as I know it will never be the same.


Author Bio


Around every turn, Christopher Guhl expects to be dazzled by something unexpected, amazing, and fantastical. Though still waiting for the day when a wizard shows up on his doorstep, he now creates the worlds he dreams of on his own, plucking them from his mind like seeds and allowing them to grow after proper nourishing. He fell in love with writing while attending school at the University of Iowa. Then took those skills and began writing multiple science fiction and fantasy novels. After molding his own stories, he is ready to tackle his next adventure, joining forces with a strange, cloaked man that showed up on his doorstep…


A devoted scribbler and award winning author, Aaron Bunce has been seeking a portal to another world since childhood. Once he finally gave up on finding a magical wardrobe or teleporting phonebooth, he decided to write about new worlds instead. A graduate of Southern New Hampshire’s English program, Aaron has been a writer, editor, publisher, and audiobook producer. His passion is stories, but more so, characters, as they drive the experience. He started writing in fantasy, bounced to science fiction horror, veered into LitRPG territory, and has touched many other genres in between.


Aaron and Christopher are excited to bring their newest offering to readers, as they launch an all-new fantasy saga—THE DUNES OF AELARON. Featuring wind-swept dunes, dark, meddlesome gods, and massive stormbirds, the electric first offering, WINGS OF THE STORM, will blow readers away.



Tuesday 12 December 2023

BBNYA Spotlight - Wings and Wounds: The Dragon Doc Tales Book 1 by Dr. S.K. Burkman


This year, the Book Bloggers’ Novel of the Year Award (BBNYA) is celebrating the books that made it into Round Two with a mini spotlight blitz tour for each title. BBNYA is a yearly competition where book bloggers from all over the world read and score books written by indie authors, ending with 15 finalists and one overall winner.

If you want some more information about BBNYA, check out the BBNYA Website https://www.bbnya.com/ or take a peek over on Twitter @BBNYA_Official. BBNYA is brought to you in association with the @Foliosociety (if you love beautiful books, you NEED to check out their website!) and the book blogger support group @The_WriteReads.




Book Details



Length: 278 pages

Genre: Fantasy

Age Category: Adult

Date Published: 11 November 2022

Amazon Link: https://amzn.eu/d/4i54qnH (UK)

https://a.co/d/5dtBD0M (USA)

https://a.co/d/a1NKGZm (Canada)

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/63338334-wings-and-wounds

TheStoryGraph Link: https://app.thestorygraph.com/books/7de9391b-1ab4-402e-af66-68b80d14c677 




Blurb


An injured dragon. An ordinary veterinarian. Will their chance encounter lead to salvation or death? Doc only ever wanted to be a “normal” veterinarian for typical dog and cat patients, but her life turns upside down when she discovers that dragons exist… and they need her help.

Doc learns dragon medicine on her own, in secret, terrified that discovery will spell disaster for her incredible, endangered patients, not to mention her career. If that

isn’t daunting enough, dragons challenge Doc far more than dogs and cats ever could. Not only are the unpredictable creatures considerably larger than livestock, they have sharp teeth, huge claws, horrid stinky breath weapons, and sometimes belch or sneeze fire. What could possibly go wrong?

Can Doc save the dragons? Will she lose her life in the attempt, or at least her eyebrows? Join the Dragon Doc in Wings and Wounds as she tells of her many frightening, dangerous, and yet hilarious misadventures in the world of dragon medicine.


Author Bio


On a summer day long ago, Dr. S. K. Burkman climbed a mountain, got sick, and hallucinated a dragon. Thus began a lifelong fascination with dragons, and many, many exhaustion-fueled musings on what they might be like as patients.


Originally from Colorado and British Columbia, Dr. Burkman earned her doctorate in veterinary medicine at Colorado State University. As a busy veterinarian, Dr. Burkman keeps her sanity by writing about dragons. Many of her own adventures and misadventures are woven into her novels. Outside of work and writing, she enjoys hiking, backpacking, kayaking, travel, cake baking and decorating, power tools, DIY projects, and looking for dragons. She has been married to Joshua for over twenty years, and they have one child. Dr. Burkman and her family reside in Idaho with their motley assortment of pets, and maybe, just maybe, a dragon or two.

Find out more on Dr. Burkman’s website, thedragondoc.com. Also, follow Dr. Burkman on social media: Facebook IAmTheDragonDoc, Twitter @iamthedragondoc, and Instagram iamthedragondoc.


Monday 11 December 2023

BBNYA Spotlight - Where Fate Whispers by E.G. Tudor


This year, the Book Bloggers’ Novel of the Year Award (BBNYA) is celebrating the books that made it into Round Two with a mini spotlight blitz tour for each title. BBNYA is a yearly competition where book bloggers from all over the world read and score books written by indie authors, ending with 15 finalists and one overall winner.

If you want some more information about BBNYA, check out the BBNYA Website https://www.bbnya.com/ or take a peek over on Twitter @BBNYA_Official. BBNYA is brought to you in association with the @Foliosociety (if you love beautiful books, you NEED to check out their website!) and the book blogger support group @The_WriteReads.



Book Details



Length: 302 pages

Genre: Fantasy, Romance

Age Category: Young Adult

Date Published: 30 June 2022

Amazon Link: https://amzn.eu/d/h0y3Cai (UK)

https://a.co/d/4wqpqDm (Canada)

https://a.co/d/eaDKwYR (USA)

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61147315-where-fate-whispers

TheStoryGraph Link: https://app.thestorygraph.com/books/447f1f25-70bc-4ee4-aaac-49c23f9d0d8a 



Blurb


BOOK ONE IN THE FATED PARTNERS TRILOGY


In the Twin Realms of Nos and Sol, Ceridwen Moonshade anxiously awaits the Fated Pair Choosing; she hopes to be partnered with her best friend, Malakai Ostara.


But the Fates have other plans.


Something insidious lurks amongst the shadows, and Ceridwen’s whole life will turn on its head, when an ominous prophecy is foretold. In order to save the realms and stave back the horrors of the lower realm of Fog, she must put aside her own growing feelings for Malakai and do what is right.


But in the process of discovering who she really is, and what she is capable of… will she realise that Fate isn’t always set in stone?


Author Bio



E.G. Tudor is an award-winning multi-genre author from the original land of myth and legend; Wales. She lives on the beautiful coast with her husband, four children and crazy dog. She loves to connect with her readers and can be found on Twitter: @E_G_Tudor or on Instagram: @from_the_shelf_of_e_g_tudor 

Sunday 10 December 2023

BBNYA Spotlight - What I Hid From You by Heleen Kist


This year, the Book Bloggers’ Novel of the Year Award (BBNYA) is celebrating the books that made it into Round Two with a mini spotlight blitz tour for each title. BBNYA is a yearly competition where book bloggers from all over the world read and score books written by indie authors, ending with 15 finalists and one overall winner.

If you want some more information about BBNYA, check out the BBNYA Website https://www.bbnya.com/ or take a peek over on Twitter @BBNYA_Official. BBNYA is brought to you in association with the @Foliosociety (if you love beautiful books, you NEED to check out their website!) and the book blogger support group @The_WriteReads.



Book Details



Length: 368 pages

Genre: Thriller

Age Category: Adult

Date Published: 23 June 2022

Amazon Link: https://amzn.eu/d/gftDeCB (UK)

https://a.co/d/93tIkjt (USA)

https://a.co/d/aA3hsEk (Canada)

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60886319-what-i-hid-from-you

TheStoryGraph Link: https://app.thestorygraph.com/books/23874d7c-0809-4f08-8d55-c9f6ea6c5905



Blurb


SHE THOUGHT SHE WAS HER OWN WORST ENEMY ... UNTIL THEY CAME ALONG


Following the death of a patient in her care, Radha begins taking Valium to control her anxiety.


She tells herself she’s fine, but as the pressures of being a perfect wife, mother and daughter mount, her little habit spirals into addiction.


When she’s forced to find a new source of pills, she stumbles into the blackmailing clutches of Glasgow’s underworld.


A mistake that could cost her everything.


They give her an impossible choice: face personal and professional ruin or have blood on her hands by helping them deal.


As she fights to protect all she holds dear, can she protect herself?



A gripping and emotional suspense novel about a woman who risks it all to juggle it all.


Author Bio


Heleen Kist is a Dutch, formerly globetrotting career woman who fell in love with a Scotsman and his country, and now writes about its (sometimes scary) people from her garden office in Glasgow. 'What I Hid From You' is her third novel, inspired by many an overworked dentist friend. Her fourth, 'KIller Bodies' is out now.