Book Review: Promise Her

Title: Promise Her

Author: Andrea Johnston

Series: Military Men of Lexington

Release: 4/28/19

Genre: Contemporary, Slow burn, Friends to Lovers

Goodreads Link: http://bit.ly/PromiseHer_GR

Buy Links:

Amazon US: http://bit.ly/PH_US

Amazon UK: http://bit.ly/PH_UK

Amazon CA: http://bit.ly/PH_CA

Amazon AU: http://bit.ly/PH_AU

Blurb:

No one knows the secret I’ve buried inside.

When the unimaginable happens, the past doesn’t matter. Only the future. Only this baby.

The grief and guilt are overwhelming, especially when I find comfort in my late husband’s best friend. Taylor Cain isn’t known for letting others in, but he’s here for me in a way no one else is.

Even though I’m playing with fire, his arms are the only place I feel safe.

***

Life can change in the blink of an eye.

When I lose my best friend, I bury my own grief to be there for his pregnant widow.

Somehow between vowing to protect Scarlett Gilbert and her baby to holding her in my arms, I developed feelings for her. Feelings I question are within my right. Having her in my life makes me feel alive for the first time.

Between her commitment to his memory and respect for my best friend, we fear judgment for the love we share.

Some say promises are made to be broken, but when I promise her my heart, I intend to keep it.

Review:  I have to preface this review by saying, Andrea Johnston is one of my absolute favorite authors. Her books speak to me in a way that many, especially in the romance genre can not, because her characters always feel so real.

Promise Her is a little bit different. There are a lot of "feels" in Taylor and Scarlett's story. From the beginning when Scarlett is left a widow and pregnant, to the drama that unfolds at the end.

This is a slow burn type story too, as the two of them work to figure out their feelings and how things will look as Scarlett's hubby was Taylor's best friend.

To add another trope to the mix, its a military romance as well, as Henry and Taylor all served together. I have to admit, I'm not usually a fan of military romances, but I've read a few recently and they've all been stellar, and really, in my eyes Andrea Johnston can do no wrong.

What makes this story so real and so darned good is how Scarlett, Taylor and all of the support group that surround her after Henry's death, become more than characters on the page. There life plays out just as though you were standing in the room with them.

This story takes you through the ups and downs of her pregnancy, while she sorts out her feelings for Taylor and deals with a bit of intrigue in her life as well.

I loved that the romance was slow although the chemistry was there from the start and that includes the sex.

This story was just superb. It tugs at your heartstrings in all the right places. It makes you cry. It makes you cheer. It makes you have hope for happy endings for everyone.

Rating: 5 flowers

Author Bio:

Andrea Johnston spent her childhood with her nose in a book and a pen to paper.

An avid people watcher, her mind is full of stories that yearn to be told.

A fan of angsty romance with a happy ending, super sexy erotica and a good mystery, Andrea can always be found with her Kindle nearby fully charged.

Andrea lives in Idaho with her family and two dogs. When she isn’t spending time with her partner in crime aka her husband, she can be found binge watching all things Bravo and enjoying a cocktail. Nothing makes her happier than the laughter of her children, a good book, her feet in the water, and cocktail in hand all at the same time.

Follow Andrea:

Facebook | Website | Sassy Romantics | Nerd Herd | Instagram | Twitter | Amazon

Actual Links:

https://www.facebook.com/AndreaJohnstonAuthor/

http://www.andreajohnstonauthor.com/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/SassyRomantics/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/NerdyLittleBookHerd/

https://www.instagram.com/andrea_johnston15/

https://twitter.com/AndreaJ1313

https://www.amazon.com/Andrea-Johnston/e/B013UB9FJM/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1502729266&sr=8-2-ent

Pump Up Your Book Book Review: Josephine Baker's Last Dance

JOSEPHINE BAKER'S LAST DANCE by Sherry Jones, Biography/Historical, 304 pp., $11.00 (paperback) $11.99 (Kindle)

Title: JOSEPHINE BAKER’S LAST DANCE
Author: Sherry Jones
Publisher: Gallery Books
Pages: 304
Genre: Biography/Historical

From the author of The Jewel of Medina, a moving and insightful novel based on the life of legendary performer and activist Josephine Baker, perfect for fans of The Paris Wife and Hidden Figures.

Discover the fascinating and singular life story of Josephine Baker—actress, singer, dancer, Civil Rights activist, member of the French Resistance during WWII, and a woman dedicated to erasing prejudice and creating a more equitable world—in Josephine Baker’s Last Dance.

In this illuminating biographical novel, Sherry Jones brings to life Josephine’s early years in servitude and poverty in America, her rise to fame as a showgirl in her famous banana skirt, her activism against discrimination, and her many loves and losses. From 1920s Paris to 1960s Washington, to her final, triumphant performance, one of the most extraordinary lives of the twentieth century comes to stunning life on the page.

With intimate prose and comprehensive research, Sherry Jones brings this remarkable and compelling public figure into focus for the first time in a joyous celebration of a life lived in technicolor, a powerful woman who continues to inspire today.

Purchase Josephine Baker’s Last Dance in paperback,  ebook,  and  audiobook  formats on  Simon and Schuster’s website (available on Amazon,  Barnes and Noble,  BooksAMillion,  Indiebound,  Kobo,  and  other sites). Learn more about Sherry’s books  at  www.authorsherryjones.com

Just before she entered the stage door, a drop of rain hit her on the head. No, that was not a bad omen, only a reminder to do her best, to shine like the star she was, or would be. Wilsie came running up—Mr. Sissle was there, but Mr. Blake had yet to arrive. “You’ll knock ’em dead, Tumpy. Just do your dancing and forget the rest.” Josephine didn’t need to be told that. She was ready.

She flexed and stretched her arms as she walked with Wilsie across the stage, past the musicians gathering, trumpets and saxophones and drums and a clarinet, down into the auditorium, where a slender man spoke to a white-haired man at his side. He turned his head very slightly and looked her up and down from the corners of his shrewd, hard eyes. His mouth pursed.

“How old are you?” he’d said before Wilsie had even introduced them. The stage door opened, and a very dark-skinned man with a bald head hurried in, talking about “the damned rain,” scampering down the steps, striding up the aisle, shaking water from his clothes.

“Eubie Blake,” he said, smiling, holding out his hand to her.

“This is Tumpy, Mr. Blake, the one I told you about,” Wilsie said. “She’s here to audition for Clara’s spot in the chorus.”

The man with Mr. Sissle—the stage manager—motioned to her and she followed him up the stage steps. Did she know the songs? Could she dance to “I’m Just Wild about Harry”? Josephine wanted to jump for joy. She pretended to watch as Wilsie showed her the steps, which she already knew as if she’d made them up herself. Josephine stripped down to her dingy leotard, tossed her clothes on a chair, then ran and leaped to the center of the stage. This was it. She bent over to grasp her ankles, stretching her legs, then stood and pulled her arms over her head.

“Ready?” Mr. Sissle barked. The music started, and she began the dance, so simple she could have done it in her sleep. Practicing in the Standard, she’d gotten bored with it and had made up her own steps, throwing in a little Black Bottom, wiggling her ass and kicking her legs twice as high as they wanted to go, taken by the music, played by it, the instruments’ instrument, flapping her hands, step and kick and spin and spin and squat and jump and down in a split, up and jump and kick and spin—oops, the steps, she didn’t need no damn steps, she had better ones—and kick and jump and wiggle and spin. She looked out into the auditorium—a big mistake: Mr. Blake’s mouth was open and Mr. Sissle’s eyes had narrowed to slits. Don’t be nervous, just dance. Only the music remained now, her feet and the stage.

When she’d finished, panting, and pulled on her dress and shoes, Wilsie came running over, her eyes shining. “You made their heads spin, you better believe it,” she whispered, but when they went down into the aisle Josephine heard Mr. Sissle muttering.

“Too young, too dark, too ugly,” he said. The world stopped turning, then, the sun frozen in its arc, every clock still, every breath caught in every throat. Mr. Blake turned to her, smiling as if everything were normal, and congratulated her on “a remarkable dance.”

“I can see that you are well qualified for our chorus, Tumpy,” he said, and on his lips, the name sounded like a little child’s.

“You have real talent, and spark, besides. How did you learn to do that at such a young age? You are—how old?”

“Fifteen,” she said.

Mr. Sissle snorted, and cut Wilsie a look. “Wasting my time,” he said. Mr. Blake looked at her as if she’d just wandered in from the orphanage.

“I’m very sorry, there’s been a mix-up,” he said. “You must be sixteen to dance professionally in New York State.”

“I’ll be sixteen in June,” Josephine said. Her voice sounded plaintive and faraway.

“We need someone now.” Mr. Sissle folded his arms as if she were underage on purpose. Mr. Blake led her toward the stage door, an apologetic Wilsie saying she hadn’t known. Mr. Sissle followed, talking to Mr. Blake about adding some steps to “I’m Just Wild about Harry,” saying they should put in some kicks, that he’d been thinking about it for a while. Uh-huh.

“Come and see us in New York after your birthday, doll,” Mr. Blake said. “You never know when we might have an opening.” He opened the door and let the rain pour in before shutting it again. He looked at Josephine’s thin, optimistic dress. Where was her umbrella? She hung her head. He stepped over to retrieve a black umbrella propped against the wall and handed it to her. She took it without even knowing, her thoughts colliding like too many birds in a cage. She would have to stay in Philadelphia, she had failed—too young, too dark, too ugly—she should have lied about her age, what had gotten into her? Showing off, that was what.

And now Mr. Sissle disliked her, and she would never get into their show; it didn’t matter how many times she went back. As she stepped out into the rain with that big umbrella in her hands unopened and felt the rain pour down her face; she was glad, for now they would think it was water instead of tears, but when she looked back, Wilsie was crying, too, in the open doorway.

Seeing the men watching from a window, she stopped. They wouldn’t forget her; she’d make them remember. She walked slowly, her silk dress dripping, while Mr. Sissle gesticulated with excitement as he stole her ideas—authentic Negro dancing were the last words she’d heard—and Mr. Blake looking as if he wanted to run out there, scoop her up, and carry her back inside.

( Continued… )

© 2018 All rights reserved. Book excerpt reprinted by permission of the author, Sherry Jones. Do not reproduce, copy or use without the author’s written permission. This excerpt is used for promotional purposes only.

Review: If you love historical fiction, look no further than this book about Josephine Baker. I did't know much about her life until I read this book, even though I had heard of her.

Her life is absolutely amazing and once you start reading you won't want to stop. Sherry brings Josephine to life for everyone.  You get to see her ups and downs and everything in between.

I was truly fascinated by this story.

rating: 4 flowers

Author and journalist Sherry Jones is best known for her international bestseller The Jewel of Medina. She is also the author of The Sword of Medina, Four Sisters, All Queens, The Sharp Hook of Love, and the novella White Heart.  Sherry lives in Spokane, WA, where, like Josephine Baker, she enjoys dancing, singing, eating, advocating for equality, and drinking champagne.

Her latest novel is Josephine Baker’s Last Dance.

Website: http://authorsherryjones.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/sherryjones
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/sherryjones
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/sherry-jones
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sherryjonesfanpage
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/josephinebakerslastdance
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cybersecuritytechnologywriter
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1219600.Sherry_Jones

TLC Book Tours Book Review: The Austen Playbook

About The Austen Playbook (London Celebrities)

Series: London Celebrities (Book 4)

Mass Market Paperback: 400 pages

Publisher: Carina Press; Original edition (April 30, 2019)

In which experienced West End actress Freddy Carlton takes on an Austen-inspired play, a scandal at a country estate, an enthusiastic search for a passion outside of acting…and the (some people might say icy*) heart of London’s most feared theater critic.

*if those people were being nice

Freddy Carlton knows she should be focusing on her lines for The Austen Playbook, a live-action TV event where viewers choose the outcome of each scene, but her concentration’s been blown. The palatial estate housing the endeavor is now run by the rude (brilliant) critic who’s consistently slammed her performances of late. James “Griff” Ford-Griffin has a penchant for sarcasm, a majestic nose and all the sensitivity of a sledgehammer.

She can’t take her eyes off him.

Griff can hardly focus with a contagious joy fairy flitting about near him, especially when Freddy looks at him like that. His only concern right now should be on shutting down his younger brother’s well-intentioned (disastrous) schemes—or at the very least on the production (not this one) that might save his family home from the banks.

Instead all he can think of is soft skin and vibrant curls.

As he’s reluctantly dragged into her quest to rediscover her passion for the stage and Freddy is drawn into his research on a legendary theater star, the adage about appearances being deceiving proves abundantly true. It’s the unlikely start of something enormous…but a single revelation about the past could derail it all.

“There’s more drama offstage than on, the writing is outstanding, and the bit of mystery blends well into the romance. Theater fans will devour this lovely contemporary romance.”-Publisher’s Weekly, starred review, on The Austen Playbook

“The London Celebrities series-some of the wittiest, smartest dialogue to come down the romance pike in years.”-Kirkus ReviewS of London Celebrities series

Purchase Links

Amazon | Books-A-Million | Barnes & Noble

About Lucy Parker

Lucy Parker lives in the gorgeous Central Otago region of New Zealand, where she feels lucky every day to look out at mountains, lakes and vineyards. She has a degree in Art History, loves museums and galleries, and doodles unrecognisable flowers when she has writer’s block.

Her interest in romantic fiction began with a pre-teen viewing of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice (Firth-style), which prompted her to read the book as well, and the rest was history.

Connect with Lucy

Website | Twitter | Instagram

Review: The Austen Playbook filled me with such joy. This book was an absolute joy to read. See how much "Joy" I'm already using here? Freddy was such a great character and she was so easy to love. She was hilarious and well...a character I can't stop gushing about.

I grew up reading books like Hollywood Wives etc, so when I read about actors and actresses, I expect a lot of glamour, but that isn't always the same way in Britain. Oh not to worry there's intrigue and some backstabbing, but in a much different manner from the books I gobbled up in my high school days.

This novel was so fun and funny. I loved Freddy and Griff. OMG at Griff, especially in his reviews. And his family!!

There is so much quirky going on in Griff's family ...his brother and well, his parents have the market cornered on quirky.

I don't think I've ever read a book that made me so happy when I was reading it. It gave me all the right "feels." If you can read about Griff's aunt Violet and the whole drama around "The Velvet Room" and not get "the feels" well I'm sure you don't have any feelings at all.

I loved the idea of The Austen Playbook too. I think something done that way would be absolutely amazing to watch and loved the behind the scenes goings on with all the actors and actresses.

Lucy Parker is definitely a new favorite author of mine!  This book was a treat to read!

Rating: 5 flowers

Book Review: Unbroken Cowboy

Author: Maisey Yates
Title: Unbroken Cowboy
Publisher: HQN
Publish Date: April 23, 2019
Buy: Amazon
Book Blurb: In Gold Valley, Oregon, forbidden love just might be the sweetest…

Dane Parker traded in his trailer-park roots for glory as a bull rider. But when a serious injury sidelines him for months, it’s the first time he can’t just pull himself up by his bootstraps. The last thing he wants to deal with is sweet family friend Bea treating him like one of her wounded animals—or the unexpected attraction that suddenly flares between them.

Beatrix Leighton has loved Dane for years, while he’s always seen her as another sister. When she enlists his help to start her animal sanctuary, she thinks it will give him purpose. Instead, it brings all the desire she feels for him to the boiling point. Bea’s father taught her early on that love means loss. But could her forbidden crush turn into a love that will last a lifetime?

Review:  I have mixed feelings about this book. For the most part, even with the sex between Beatrix and Dane that doesn't happen until halfway through the book, this is a sweet read. Bea is adorable, until she has sex with Dane.

Allow me to explain. She's a poor little rich girl with a lot of issues because of family stuff. (To say anymore would be a spoiler) She's crushed on Dane and is a 24 year old virgin as a result.

REALLY! WTF!

This is a trope I'm getting sick of.

Pine....pine...pine over one guy...never knowing or getting involved with anyone...because that one crush has just spoiled you for the whole world.

Uh...NO!

I can deal with the virginity thing if this were a Christian based novel..but nope..not that.

And Dane is a rodeo rider who got pretty messed up..and Bea is taking care of him because he's quasi- family. Her brother was married to his sister.....

Is your head spinning yet?

Dane has spent his life working to be something and to make something to prove that he's important to his dad, who he hasn't seen since he was 13.

There's a lot of Daddy issues in this book, did I mention that?

Dane is also pretty grumpy, but his situation warrants it really. He's in pain and he's fighting with himself over what he can actually do now that his career may be over.

But the two get together and things should be happy happy joy joy. Right?

No that's not how romance works..there must be conflict.

Only the conflict made me want to beat Bea with a stick or a crowbar or drop an anvil on her head.

These two characters both had a pity party theme about them that drove me a little bit nuts at times.  Bea was sweet though, and I loved that she was a caring animal lover. I adored Evan, the panty thieving, Cheerio eating raccoon. Even Dane, grumpy though he was, wasn't as bad boy as he might seem.

It was a good enough read, but definitely not something that stood out for me.

Rating: 3 flowers

Book Review: Miss Julia Takes The Wheel

Author: Ann B. Ross
Title: Miss Julia Takes The Wheel
Publisher: Viking
Publish Date: April 2, 2019
Buy: Amazon
Book Blurb: When Miss Julia's regular doctor goes on vacation with his wife, leaving a replacement in his stead, Miss Julia is immediately concerned. Never one to miss an opportunity to entertain--or size up--a newcomer, she invites the charming Dr. Don Crawford, and his painfully shy wife, Lauren, to dinner. While Miss Julia and Sam both note Lauren's obvious lack of social skills, it's her friends Hazel Marie and Binkie that pick up on some of Dr. Crawford's less palatable qualities.

Meanwhile, Lloyd has gotten his first car, and LuAnne, fresh off her divorce, has started a job at the local funeral home and is in urgent need of an occupation-appropriate makeover--Miss Julia has enough on her plate. Yet there is just something she can't place about the Crawfords, and she won't rest until she gets to the bottom of it.

As always, hijinks ensue as Ann B. Ross delivers this delightful and entertaining installment, Miss Julia Takes the Wheel, in her bestselling Miss Julia series.

Review:Miss Julia Takes The Wheel is the 21st installment of this fun, kind of cozy mystery series. Actually, I'm not sure how to categorize this book. It was easy to jump right in to this series, though I definitely want to go back and read the earlier books.

Its fun and funny and sometimes even frustrating with the octogenarian heroine, Miss Julia. Miss Julia is a wealthy, busybody, that mostly has a heart of gold.

This book reads like a day in the life, a clean soap opera of sorts, with Miss Julia's husband, friends, neighbors, their children and in particular the new fill in doctor and his wife, who the story centers around in a very round about way.

The Crawfords are taking over for the local doctor for the few months he's away in Europe. Miss Julia is unsure of them, especially the wife, from the very start.

We get a lot of snippets about Miss Julia's views on healthcare, on the news she watchs (Fox...dear god!) and on how to keep poor 15 year old Lloyd from becoming girl crazy. (You know, like most 15 year old boys do). Her solution certainly doesn't seem like something the average teenage boy would want to do, but Lloyd doesn't come across as average either.

It was a light, entertaining read, with a small touch of mystery. Julia sort of falls into solving it without any sleuthing.

The book plods along, but that kind of pacing is mostly the norm for a lady in her 80s.

There was only one issue I had and that was with how Mildren's husband Horace's heart attack was dealt with. He was in the hospital an extraordinarily long time without mention of surgery etc and Mildred didn't seem to understand anything in regards to his condition.

I can easily see this series being adapted for television. All of the characters are so vivid fun to get to know. I look forward to reading more of Miss Julia's adventures.

Rating: 4 flowers

Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours Book Review: Song Of Songs

Song of Songs: A Novel of the Queen of Sheba

by Marc Graham

Publication Date: April 16, 2019

Blank Slate Press

Paperback; 400 Pages

Genre: Historical Fiction

Lift the veil of legend for the untold story of Makeda, the Queen of Sheba, and Bathsheba, wife and mother of Israel’s first kings. When Makeda, the slave-born daughter of the chieftain of Saba, comes of age, she wins her freedom and inherits her father's titles along with a crumbling earthwork dam that threatens her people's survival. When she learns of a great stone temple being built in a land far to the north, Makeda leads a caravan to the capital of Yisrael to learn how to build a permanent dam and secure her people's prosperity. On her arrival, Makeda discovers that her half-sister Bilkis (also known as Bathsheba) who was thought to have died in a long-ago flash flood, not only survived, but has become Queen of Yisrael. Not content with her own wealth, Bilkis intends to claim the riches of Saba for herself by forcing Makeda to marry her son. But Bilkis’s designs are threatened by the growing attraction between Makeda and Yetzer abi-Huram, master builder of Urusalim’s famed temple. Will Bilkis’s plan succeed or will Makeda and Yetzer outsmart her and find happiness far from her plots and intrigue?

Amazon | Barnes and Noble

About the Author

Marc Graham studied mechanical engineering at Rice University in Texas, but has been writing since his first attempt at science fiction penned when he was ten. From there, he graduated to knock-off political thrillers, all safely locked away to protect the public, before settling on historical fiction. His first novel, Of Ashes and Dust, was published in March 2017. He has won numerous writing contests including, the National Writers Assocation Manuscript Contest (Of Ashes and Dust), the Paul Gillette Memorial Writing Contest - Historical (Of Ashes and Dust, Song of Songs), and the Colorado Gold Writing Contest - Mainstream (Prince of the West, coming from Blank Slate Press in Fall 2019). He lives in Colorado on the front range of the Rocky Mountains, and in addition to writing, he is an actor, narrator, speaker, story coach, shamanic practitioner, and whisky afficianado (Macallan 18, one ice cube). When not on stage or studio, in a pub, or bound to his computer, he can be found hiking with his wife and their Greater Swiss Mountain Dog.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Review:  I've slowly been getting into biblical fiction and this story really intrigued me. This is the story of Bilkis and Makeda.

I was totally amazed and really taken with the story. I was immediately drawn in to the times and I felt like I was there, and having watched many biblical shows on History channel and the old In Search Of shows, that's no easy task. My mother was really into biblical stories when she was able to read, so I learned through her. This is a book that she would have loved.

The characters were well developed and you definitely became more and more attached to them as the story progressed.

It is definitely a strong story and a unique setting for a novel.

Rating: 5 flowers

Blog Tour Schedule

Tuesday, April 16 Review & Interview at Passages to the Past
 
Wednesday, April 17 Review at Pursuing Stacie Feature at The Caffeinated Bibliophile Thursday, April 18 Review at Bookfever Excerpt at Maiden of the Pages Friday, April 19 Feature at What Is That Book About Guest Post & Excerpt at To Read, Or Not to Read Saturday, April 20 Excerpt at Spellbound by History Monday, April 22 Review at Historical Fiction with Spirit Tuesday, April 23 Review at 100 Pages a Day Wednesday, April 24 Review at A Chick Who Reads Thursday, April 25 Feature at Let Them Read Books Guest Post at Myths, Legends, Books & Coffee Pots Friday, April 26 Review at Red Headed Book Lady Tuesday, April 30 Review & Excerpt at Clarissa Reads it All Wednesday, May 1 Review at Library of Clean Reads Friday, May 3 Review at Historical Fiction Reviews Monday, May 6 Review at Just One More Chapter Tuesday, May 7 Feature at CelticLady's Reviews Thursday, May 9 Excerpt at Kimber Li Friday, May 10 Review at History from a Woman’s Perspective Monday, May 13 Review at Curling up by the Fire Tuesday, May 14 Review at Amy's Booket List Wednesday, May 15 Feature at Donna's Book Blog Friday, May 17 Review at Coffee and Ink Interview at Myths, Legends, Books & Coffee Pots

Giveaway

During the Blog Tour, we will be giving away two paperback copies of Song of Songs! To enter, please use the Gleam form below. Giveaway Rules – Giveaway ends at 11:59 pm EST on May 17th. You must be 18 or older to enter. – Giveaway is open to the US & Canada only. – Only one entry per household. – All giveaway entrants agree to be honest and not cheat the systems; any suspicion of fraud is decided upon by blog/site owner and the sponsor, and entrants may be disqualified at our discretion. – The winner has 48 hours to claim prize or new winner is chosen. Song of Songs

Goddess Fish Book Tours Book Tour Book Blast: Vivi's Leading Man

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Emily will be awarding two prizes each containing ebooks Mist and Smoke, the first two books in the Smoky Blues series, to randomly drawn winners via Rafflecopter. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

EXES AND OHS

The marriage was one of convenience. She had status and he had money. But... there was something there, and both of them felt it. After three years of him working long hours and her spending too much time at the Durango Street Theatre, Miguel Abonce and Vivienne Heiser called it quits. One year later, they are forced to work together to save or sell the theater. In the process they discover things they never knew about each other and they learn there's more between them than burning up the sheets. They might really love each other after all.

Read an Excerpt

For a moment, he looked like she’d shot him through the heart with a sawed-off shotgun. Then he straightened. “You don’t love me, either, Vivi. Marriage is like any other business arrangement. It’s all about assets, querida. Who is bringing what to the table.”

“You know what? I just lost the thing in this life that I love with all my heart and you’re standing here giving me a Wharton Business School lecture. I don’t want a business deal. I want a husband I love who loves me back. I deserve that much out of life and I’m going to get it.” She pulled the ring off her finger and pushed it into his hand.

He turned away and walked to his car. Her hands trembled as she beeped open her car. She heard him pull out of the parking lot as she slid into her seat. As she started the engine and got the air conditioner going, fat, sloppy tears ran down her cheeks.

About the Author:

The author of over thirty romance novels, Emily Mims combined her writing career with a career in public education until leaving the classroom to write full time. The mother of two sons, she and her husband split their time between central Texas, eastern Tennessee, and Georgia visiting their kids and grandchildren. For relaxation Emily plays the piano, organ, dulcimer, and ukulele for two different performing groups, and even sings a little. She says, “I love to write romances because I believe in them. Romance happened to me and it can happen to any woman—if she’ll just let it.”

website: http://www.emilymims.com
facebook: http://www.facebook.com/emily.mims.756
twitter: http://twitter.com/emilymimsauthor
instagram: http://www.instagram.com/mims_emily
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Emily-Mims/e/B00FQQ247K/ref=sr_tc_2_0

Buy link: http://boroughspublishinggroup.com/books/vivis-leading-man

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Great Escapes Book Tours Book Review: Sifting Through Clues

Sifting Through Clues (A Cookbook Nook) by Daryl Wood Gerber

 

About the Book

Sifting Through Clues (A Cookbook Nook Mystery) 

Cozy Mystery 8th in Series Beyond the Page 

(April 23, 2019) Print Length: 235 pages 

ASIN: B07NQNFC45

The Agatha Award–winning author of Wreath Between the Lines returns to the Cookbook Nook, where culinary mysteries are giving everyone food for thought . . .

Book clubs from all over have descended on Crystal Cove to celebrate the library’s Book Club Bonanza week, and Jenna Hart has packed the Cookbook Nook with juicy reads and tasty cookbooks. But she’s most excited about spending an evening with the Mystery Mavens and their moveable feast, when they will go from house to house to share different culinary treats and discuss the whodunit they’re all reading. It’s all good food and fun for the savvy armchair detectives, until one of the members of the group is found murdered at the last stop on the tour.

As if that weren’t enough to spoil her appetite, Jenna discovers that all the evidence points to her friend Pepper as being the guilty party. And with Pepper’s chief-of-police daughter too close to the case to be impartial, Jenna knows she’ll have to step in to help clear her friend’s name before a bitter injustice sends her to jail. Sifting through the clues, Jenna unearths any number of possible culprits, but she’ll have to cook up a new way to catch the killer before Pepper’s goose is cooked . . .

Includes tasty sweet and savory recipes!

Review: I love the Cookbook Nook book series. Coming back to Crystal Cove is like taking a vacation at your favorite spot.

In this book Crystal Cove is celebrating book clubs and the Nook is hosting some of the discussions. When one of the Mystery Mavens ends up dead, it looks like one of Jenna's friends is a prime suspect! Let the sleuthing commence!

This book was full of everything I love in a cozy mystery; a great setting, quirky characters and RECIPES!

It is the 8th in a series, but don't worry about that, it can be read as a standalone.

The mystery was strong and fun and this was a great addition to the series.

Rating: 5 flowers

About the Author

Agatha Award-winning Daryl Wood Gerber writes the nationally bestselling Cookbook Nook Mysteries as well as the French Bistro Mysteries.  As Avery Aames, she pens the popular Cheese Shop Mysteries. Daryl also writes stand-alone suspense. Fun tidbit: as an actress, Daryl appeared in “Murder, She Wrote.” She loves to cook, and she has a frisky Goldendoodle named Sparky who keeps her in line!

Author Links VISIT MY WEBSITE: www.darylwoodgerber.com SIGN UP FOR MY Newsletter, which comes out once a month and with a new release http://www.darylwoodgerber.com/contact.php#mailing-list http://facebook.com/darylwoodgerber http://twitter.com/darylwoodgerber http://bookbub.com/authors/daryl-wood-gerber http://youtube.com/woodgerb1 http://instagram.com/darylwoodgerber http://pinterest.com/darylwoodgerber http://goodreads.com/darylwoodgerber http://www.darylwoodgerber.com/contact.php#mailing-list Amazon: http://bit.ly/Daryl_Wood_Gerber_page Purchase Links - Amazon - B&N  - Kobo  - Google Play a Rafflecopter giveaway TOUR PARTICIPANTS April 15 – Reading Is My SuperPower - REVIEW

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TLC Book Tours Book Review: A Perfect Amish Match

About A Perfect Amish Match (Indiana Amish Brides)

Print Length: 224 pages

Publisher: Love Inspired; Original edition (May 1, 2019)

Every courting disaster has led him to her.

After three failed relationships, Amish bachelor Noah Graber would rather disappoint his parents than try again. But when matchmaker Olivia Mae Miller agrees to provide courting lessons, Noah’s perfect match becomes clear–it’s Olivia Mae herself! With ailing grandparents at home, she hadn’t planned on love or marriage. Might a future with Noah be everything she’s been missing?

Purchase Links

Amazon | Books-A-Million | Barnes & Noble

Review: I read my first book by Vannetta Chapmen about the time I started book blogging. It was a holiday Amish romance and from then on , she was one of my favorite authors of this genre. She's written many books since then but A Perfect Amish Match is just as beautiful as the one I read all those years ago.

This book is perfect because of the two characters, Olivia Mae and Noah. There story is full of laughter and tears, well, really, life. They both feel so very real. Olivia is a matchmaker, who has had issues with relationships herself but can make them for others and Noah is just about done with trying to find a woman, which is why he needs Olivia to help him learn how to court, except he finds himself  needing Olivia.

I identified with Olivia Mae so very much. In fact, at times it was painful. She was taking care of her grandparents who had health issues, and I was remembering taking care of my grandmother and parents, with trouble with finances and a house that seems to want to crumble and a sibling that thought they might be better elsewhere.

I loved her dedication to her family and to her friends in finding love for them.

Then there is Noah. He's precious in his fumbling in the dating world. His missteps are heartbreaking at times and the will endear him more to each reader.

I love how they evolve from friends to something more, even though life seems to be conspiring against them.

This was a sweet and wonderful love story. Vannetta Chapman is one of the best when it comes to Amish fiction.

Rating: 5 flowers