New Series from Darynda Jones!!!

I told y’all I’d keep you updated, so here it is!!!

Say hello to A Bad Day for Sunshine!!!

Newly sworn-in sheriff Sunshine Vicram finds her cup o’ joe more than half full when her hometown becomes the center of not only a national manhunt, but a missing persons case as well. When both the FBI and the US Marshalls descend on the small town of Del Sol, New Mexico—a tourist town that up until that point could boast only one crime wave on record, and that involved an elderly flasher named Doug—both the established citizens of Del Sol and the new, rich elite are questioning Sunshine’s skills. Add to that trouble at her daughter’s new school and a kidnapped prized rooster named Puff Daddy, and Sunshine’s cup truly runneth over.

Enter a sexy FBI agent named Carter and a sultry US Marshal named Vincent, both of whom find Sunshine an eleven on a scale of one to blazing inferno, and the normally savvy sheriff is quickly in over her head. But can their attention erase the feelings she still has for her childhood crush, the dark and elusive Levi Ravinder? If she were to judge based on the one scalding kiss they shared as teenagers, the answer to that would be a resounding no.

Doesn’t this sound amazing??!! This is coming out in April of 2020, and I can not wait for some more Darynda magic!!

I’ll spill more details when I have some!!

Here There Are Monsters

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Author: Amelinda Berube

Genre: YA Fantasy/Thriller

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire

Pages: 352

Skye has grown up being the protector to her younger sister, Deirdre. Deirdre was always caught up in her games of queens, castles, and knights, and drug Skye in to them with her. She named Skye the Queen of Swords, the one that would protect her against everything, and that’s what she became. She also became an outcast because of it, the weird girl’s weird sister. When they moved to their new home, far away from their previous residence, Skye felt it was time for a new start. When they arrive, Deirdre is delighted that their new home is surrounded by woods and swamps to explore and create new kingdoms in. Skye, however, is done playing Deirdre’s games and makes a new circle of friends to call her own. Left to care for Deirdre while their parents are out one evening, Skye falls asleep and is awoken by her mother frantically looking for Deirdre. Deirdre is gone. Rescue crews continue searching to no avail, until Skye knows that she is the one who must go and find her. She must become her sister’s protector and play the games once again. 

Let’s start with the cover of this book. How creepy and beautiful is that?! It’s very fitting with the tone and story, and I just love it. Now that I got that out of the way, on to the book itself. It started out a bit slow for me, so I was a bit anxious that I wasn’t going to like it and I was not happy about that, as I went in to this very hopeful (this is definitely my kind of read!). Fortunately, it did pick up after a bit and I got in to it. The story is told in alternating time periods, as it flashes back between earlier in the girls’ childhood and present day. I did enjoy that as it gives a clearer picture as to what may have led up to the present day situation. The characters, especially the main characters, were well developed. The two main characters, Deirdre and Skye, however, were not particularly likeable characters in my opinion. This is not necessarily a bad thing, as the main characters do not have to be likable for a book to read well. I do know that some readers are put off by this, so I wanted to throw it in in case this is a sticking point for you. There are some supernatural elements that come in to play as the book moves on, and this was a fun element. It is a very atmospheric book, which I believe may have been my favorite thing about the writing of this book. The author did a wonderful job of building the world/atmosphere and making it fit the story well. Where the beginning of the book suffered from a bit of a slow start, the end could have used a bit of a slow down. It felt a bit rushed to tie everything up, and left me feeling like a may have missed something. Overall, though, it was a solid read and if the author were to write something else in the same genre, I’d pick it up. 

This book will be released on August 1.

Many thanks to Sourcebooks Fire for the opportunity to review this.

Black Wolf (Natalya Ivanova, Book 2)

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Author: G.D. Abson

Genre: Crime Fiction/Thriller/Noir

Publisher: Mirror Books

Pages: 336

A woman is found dead outside of St. Petersburg. After investigating, Captain Natalya Ivanova links her to an anti-Putin activist group. A government group that has been looking in to this group steps in and shuts down her investigation before it gets anywhere. After another activist disappears, Natalya is forced to go undercover in an attempt to discover what is really going on and find the murderer. This decision could put not only her career, but her family and personal life at risk. 

I was hoping for something a bit different than my “normal” thriller when I received this copy of Black Wolf, and boy did I get it with this wonderfully written crime fiction noir. This novel grabbed me and pulled me in to the story from the very beginning, and I did not want to put it down. The writing is beautifully atmospheric, and although I’ve never been to Russia, I could picture everything vividly. The story is very much character driven, so thankfully the author does a wonderful job of writing complex and multifaceted characters. I enjoyed getting to know each of them and their stories, especially Natalya, who presented a wonderful strong female lead. This was exactly the gritty crime drama that I was looking for, and I enjoyed it immensely! This is the first of Abson’s books that I have read, but it is the second in this series. The first is Motherland, and you can bet that I will be picking that one up! 

This title releases on May 16. 

Many thanks to Mirror Books for the ARC! 

Small Kingdoms and Other Stories

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Author: Charlaine Harris

Genre: Thriller/Suspense

Publisher: JABerwocky

Pages: 176

Anne DeWitt is not the kind of principal that one wants to cross. Before coming to Travis High she had quite a different job at a very different type of school, and a different name. That was before the incident, of course. She now has her new name, new job, new town, and new life- unless her old one catches up with her. Anne likes her new life, a lot in fact, and she’s willing to do anything to protect it… anything. She may have to put that resolve to the test when her past makes an appearance in her present. 

As a long time fan of Charlaine Harris’ work, I was very excited to receive her latest work for review, and I was not disappointed! This is a book of four short stories centered around Anne and another character (introduced in the first story) Holt, and their exploits under new identities and new lives. Both of the main characters are well developed the first story and continue to become more fleshed out as the stories continue on. The secondary characters that are introduced in each story are also interesting and well developed. These stories were very different from my favorite series’ of Harris’ (Midnight, Texas is one of my favorite trilogies!), but it is definitely written with her voice and style. While I certainly wouldn’t say that it is laugh out loud funny, there is some great snark and sass combined with a bit of dark humor from these characters that I found quite enjoyable. I truly didn’t want these stories to end, and hope that there are more to come from this world! 

Many thanks to JABerwocky for the ARC! 

This is out May 28! 

 

Here With You (Well Paired, Book 4)

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Author: Marianne Rice

Series: Well Paired

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Publisher: Indie

Pages: 350

Grace has always been the wild one in the LeBlanc family. She lived in Europe, but has returned to Crystal Cove to try and escape the scandal she created there. She and her sister have not had the best relationship, but Grace is hoping that she can keep her mistakes and string of poor decisions from her. Brady has lived his life on his family’s blueberry farm, and took over running it when his father passed away. He never thought much of Grace LeBlanc and her wild ways, until his mother becomes ill and she comes to help. Will he still think that she is worth falling for when he discovers her secrets? 

This is the fourth installment in the Well Paired series by Marianne Rice, and I think that this may be my favorite on in this series so far. I love these two characters so much! Grace is beautifully flawed in a way that I think that most of us can understand and relate to, at least on some level. She’s trying to figure out who she is and who she wants to be. Brady is the stable, steady guy, who is trying to do all of the things that he needs to do in order to keep his family and his family’s business running. As they have been in all of Rice’s books that I have read thus far, the characters are well rounded and full. I went through the full range of emotions while reading this book, but in the end I was left feeling full and happy. I can’t wait to read what comes next from this author! 

Gilded Wolves Sequel!!!

Y’all!!! Roshani Chokshi just dropped the name and cover of the sequel to Gilded Wolves, and both are beautiful!!! Are you ready??!!

Squee!!! Isn’t it lovely??!!

In her tweet, Chokshi describes it as having “…ice peacocks and angst, mythological based murder and found family dynamics…”. I can’t wait to read this second book in this trilogy! This date is definitely marked in my calendar (unless I manage to get my hands on an early copy again- fingers crossed!)!

Angry Betty (Kate Darby, Book 1)

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Author: Jamie Lee Scott

Series: Kate Darby

Genre: Mystery/Crime

Publisher: Indie

Pages: 270

Kate Darby grew up in foster care, as her mother was a drug addict and alcoholic. Although she grew up not trusting the police, she is now an officer in the small town of Peculiar, TX doing her best to keep her town safe. As she’s heading in to the end of what has, up until this point, been an uneventful shift, Kate attempts to stop a care for a minor traffic violation. Instead of stopping, the Mercedes takes off on her, leads her on a chase, flips, and the driver runs for it. If that weren’t bad enough, there’s a dead body in the trunk. Now Kate has to go to the reading of the will of a grandfather that she never knew existed before working this case with her rookie partner and her ex-husband (who’s also her Sergeant). No big deal, right? 

This is the first in a new series from Jamie Lee Scott, author of the Gotcha Detective Agency Mystery and Willa Friday Food & Wine Mystery series’. I always enjoy Jamie’s books, but this one was very different from her other works in a wonderful way. It was much darker and grittier, but definitely still has her voice. The characters are all incredibly well developed and fleshed out, including all of the secondary characters. They all had a great foundational story built in this first book, and the ending just left me wanting more! I can’t wait for the second book in the series, Bang Switch, which is coming this month!

Torch

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Torch

Author: Lisa Carlisle

Series: Underground Encounters

Genre: PNR

Publisher: Indie

Pages: 206

Mattias is one of the three gargoyle brothers that were cursed to stay in stone form and stand guard at Vamps, the underground night club where all of the supernatural beings hang out. His brothers have found their mates and settled down, but Mattias has other plans; to travel and see the world. That is until she walks in…

Rachel had an unfortunate run in with a werewolf, and now feels that she is cursed. She has come to Vamps to meet with the witch that brews her an elixir to control her monthly urges. While at the bar she meets Mattias and decides that she may as well inject some fun in to her lonely existence. It was only supposed to be a fling…

They both have secrets that they are hiding. Neither one is looking for a long term relationship. Will they put all of this aside to see where this goes? 

Welcome back to Vamps, everyone!! I’m so happy to be back in the Underground Encounters world! I love this series. These books are always a great escape, and this one was no exception. These two characters (two of my favorite supes- gargoyles and weres?! All I needed was a dragon!) were just as fleshed out and well rounded as the characters that came before them. I have come to expect this in Carlisle’s writing, and I was not disappointed. The world building was mostly complete by this point in the series, but it is still great. I love that we get to see and check in on some main characters from the previous books as secondary characters in this one, and see how their stories are progressing. One of my favorite couples from a previous book had a really fun update! This book gave me a little more of a slow burn feel than the previous books in the series, but it was just what these characters needed. Overall, this is another Carlisle PNR success! This book is part of a series, but can be read as a standalone. (I, personally, recommend them all!) 

This is out now! Go, read, enjoy! 

The Last Dance

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Author: Aimee Brown

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Publisher: Aria

Pages: 352

Ambri and Henry were the best of friends throughout their high school years. They were always like family, and became family when Henry married Ambri’s sister, Rory. Tragedy struck and shook them both to their core when Rory died. The two later felt more for one another, and after one night of everything coming together, everything fell apart. Can the heartbreak that was caused be mended when these two finally reunite? 

This was quite the emotional roller coaster ride of a romance read, and I was all in! I absolutely adored Ambri, and immediately wanted her as a friend. It took me a bit longer to warm up to Henry, but I did understand him and what he was dealing with. All of the characters throughout the book were very well fleshed out, including all of the secondary characters. The story was so well rounded and full of everything that I needed it to be. Overall, this was a beautifully written romance story that will make you feel all the feels, but will ultimately leave you smiling in the end. 

The Last Dance by Aimee Brown Blog Tour

Hi Guys!!

The fabulous Aimee Brown, author of The Lucky Dress aka Little Gray Dress, recently released her latest romance: The Last Dance. It’s a bit different from her previous release, but just as wonderful! Look at this beautiful cover!!!

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Here’s a little sneak peak for you: 

I glance over at him as Jenna makes his coffee. He’s standing near a table staring at the phone in his hands.‘He’s gorgeous, smart, successful, and he buys old ladies’ coffee for no reason other than that he’s genuinely nice. He’s the perfect catch,’ Jenna says as she works.He is all those things and right now I really wish she were wrong about that. I know I said I’ve never had a romantic feeling for Henry and that is mostlytrue. But, there are times where my mind wanders and I wonder what he and I might be like. I mean, come on, I’m not blind, I see how gorgeous he is. Sometimes I daydream and from time to time. Sometimes he even pops into those daydreams when I least expect it. Never have I asked him to leave. Judge me if you must.He isn’t the kind of guy I normally date, apparently because he has a solid job and isn’t addicted to his PlayStation and if I’m going by my history in men those two things don’t seem to be deal-breakers, but there is something about him that sometimes does it for me. Most of my daydreaming moments usually start with something dumb like seeing him do something incredibly nice for someone, like a random act of kindness that he insists he doesn’t want people to know he does because that defeats the purpose.He’s got a good heart. AlwaysDoTheRightThingHenry. That was the nickname I came up with for him at school that day we met. He did the right thing, standing up for a girl he didn’t know, even though I was perfectly capable of taking care of myself. Even back then he was the voice of reason between him and his not so female best friend, Ben. Always making sure they were doing the right thing. He’s lived up to it ever since.‘I’ll bring this out to Florence.’ I walk around the counter, carrying her black strong coffee in a to-go cup.Then there’s me, AlwaysDatesTheWrongGuyAmbri. It’s not my official title but it fits. I can’t say the men I date have ever done what Henry just did that I know of. In fact, sometimes it’s a challenge to even get them to buy my coffee. The guys I date lately seem to think a meal at one of the food trucks I’m obsessed with is enough to woo me right out of my panties. If I’m honest, my romance bar seems to be set pretty low sothe whole food-truck thing works more often than I’d like to admit.I walk back to the counter as Florence waves goodbye to Henry.‘Here ya go… one tall, blond, tanned, sweet, sexy, and mesmerizingly handsome coffee for the guy who’s justyour friend.’ Jenna scribbles a couple hearts under his name before handing me the cup. ‘Look at him…’ She stares across the room at him. His back is still to us and he’s still standing near the table we normally sit at when he comes in. Yes, we’re completely juvenile andhave a preferred table, as we did in the cafeteria while we were in high school. ‘He’s just so cute! That ass too… Yum.I wanna bite it.’ She chomps her teeth together.I stifle back a laugh. ‘You’re killing me.’ I turn away from her with a roll of my eyes. She can be a little over the top, but she does make a long day more fun.I walk the coffee over to Henry, setting it on the table as I sit down. He waits to finally sit until I do. Another moment to add to the daydream list. Chivalry isn’t dead when he’s around, that’s for sure.‘Thanks,’ he says, suddenly noticing the hearts under his name as he picks up the cup off the table. ‘That’s new…’ He raises a single eyebrow, staring across the table at me as if I did it.
Meet Aimee:
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About the book:
Can you truly forgive and forget?Ambri and Henry have been best friends forever. They’ve been through the highs and lows of life with each other by their sides. The worst? When Henry’s wife, and Ambri’ssister, died. Together, they can face it all. Until one night destroys everything.Two years after he stepped out of it Henry walks back into Ambri’s life and she’s more than a little shocked. But as old friends fall into even older habits they need to decide whether they can forget the past and embrace their future.Perfect for fans of Nicholas Sparks, Jodi Picoult and Anna Bell.
About the author:
Aimee Brown is a writer of romantic comedies set in Portland, Oregon, and an avid reader. She spends much of her time writing, raising three teenagers, binge-watching shows on Netflix and obsessively cleaning and redecorating her house. She’s fluent in sarcasm and has been known to utter profanities like she’s competing for a medal. Aimee grew up in Oregon, but is now a transplant living in cold Montana with her husband of twenty years, three teenage children, and far too many pets. She is a lot older than she looks and yes, that is a tattoo across her chest. (In the Portlandia spirit, yes, I lived many years in PDX and I do indeed have a bird tattooed on me (2!)) Aimee is very active on social media. You can find her at any of the networks below. Stop by and say hello!
Follow Aimee:
Facebook: @authoraimeebrown
Twitter: @AimeeBWrites
Buy links:
Follow Aria:
Twitter: @aria_fiction
Facebook: @ariafiction
Instagram: @ariafiction

You can follow the rest of the blog tour here! 

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