#Book Blitz #What Lies Beyond the Veil (Of Flesh&Bone, 1) by Harper L.Woods @Xpresso Book Tours22/2/2022
What Lies Beyond the Veil
Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo -- EXCERPT: I lifted the first bite of cake to my mouth, flavors of vanilla and cinnamon on my tongue as I chewed. There was nothing hidden within it, just the sweetness of the cake itself as I watched the others around me chew theirs. I was through my second bite before something struck my tooth and I raised a hand to my mouth to pull it out. The ring glimmered in bronze against my palm, a sign of the shackle I’d spent my entire life knowing was coming. Death or prostitution were the only escapes from marriage in the Kingdom of Nothrek. Still, the clear symbol in my palm felt like a noose around my neck, like a death all its own. “Congratulations are in order; I see?” Adelphia said, her voice tentative. There was no joy on my face at the prospect of my pending nuptials. It didn’t matter that I had no knowledge of who my husband might be. Men were almost all the same, in the end. Looking for a warm place to stick their cock and a trophy to sow their seed. “It would seem so,” I said, smiling and trying to shrug off the dread coursing through my veins. I’d never believed in the fortune tellers who worked at the market every week, predicting which of the thirteen lives a person found themselves on in the cycle of reincarnation before the true death. I’d never put any stock in the magical items a person could purchase if they spoke the right words at the right stands. I wouldn’t start believing in prophecy just because it predicted something I’d always known was coming anyway. There was a soft thump behind us, the group going still as they looked over my shoulder at the circle. I turned slowly, following their gazes to where a single candle had fallen off its stone and extinguished the moment it touched the grass, as if by an unseen force. I swallowed, working out the placement for a moment before I turned back to the group with a shaky breath. The silence between them as they watched me rise to my feet spoke volumes about their belief in their Samhain traditions and the clairvoyance they brought. “I should get home,” I said, looking at the sun just cresting the horizon through the trees. Adelphia nodded, not even bothering to argue with me. There was nothing left to say. The only candle that had fallen was mine.
GIVEAWAY! Colliding With Fate
-- EXCERPT: My eyes roam over the way her shimmering gold dress is clinging to her curves. Quinn is art. Her skin is a smooth, copper brown with chocolate colored curls pulled into a tight ponytail on top of her head and bright brown, almond-shaped eyes that could probably see through the depths of all my bullshit. Quinn may be besties with Harlow, but that hasn’t stopped me from wondering what she’d look like bent over without that dress. I try not to fuck around with Harlow’s friends, but the way she is looking tonight… I’m willing to risk it all. Even though Harlow is our mutual friend, Quinn and I know little about each other, other than the basics. From the time I’ve spent with Quinn, I’ve noticed she is about her business. Part of the reason I didn’t shoot my shot in the past is because she didn’t seem interested in the hook up shit. You can tell she’s the type who has a five-year plan and knows what she wants. Everything about her is meticulous. I prefer to live life in the moment and see where that takes me. I’d fuck up her life in a heartbeat if she’d let me though. Tonight, she just might. We reach the bar and she leans against it, giving me a better view of her ass. “You look thirsty.” She says to me with a smirk over her shoulder. “Parched.” I say, standing next to her. She’s trying to play me and I’ll let her think that it’s working. I order a beer, despite me swearing off drinking a couple of weeks ago, and she orders wine. Once we both have our drinks, we head to the table. “Why did you cut your hair?” “Why? Do I look better with locs?” I ask, avoiding the question. She laughs and looks at me over her wine glass as she takes a sip. “I already told you once tonight that you look good. How often do you like to have your ego stroked?” “As often as possible.” I say with a smirk. “Are you still in Texas?”
GIVEAWAY! Butterfly Sisters
Goodreads / Amazon / iBooks / Kobo / Google Play -- EXCERPT: Her phone pressed to her ear, Leigh strained to hear through the buzz of morning commuters who bustled into New York City’s Financial District every weekday and gathered at the café on the corner of Wall Street and Pearl, while they waited impatiently for their morning coffee. Her younger sister’s voice came through the end of her phone—happy, bouncy. “It’s Meredith! You’ve reached my voicemail, so I’m obviously off doing something incredible. Leave a message.” She wedged the phone against her shoulder while she paid the cashier for her double-shot caramel latte on her way to work. Leigh had resorted to calling after both she and her mother had tried to text Meredith several times with no response, and apparently that wasn’t working either. “Mom wants us to go to the lake house,” she said after the beep, feeling strangled when she uttered the words, knowing the resentful look that would show in her sister’s eyes when she heard the message. Meredith hadn’t given the family or the cabin any thought since she’d left home, something Leigh had never understood. “It’s… important. Text me or call me back.” She ended the call, guessing she’d have to leave a few messages with something more dramatic for Meredith to actually respond. Her family had never been that close group of four who went to the movies together or laughed with each other over games of charades or family dinners. It was something Leigh had always longed for, but never seemed to be able to catch hold of. Her sister hadn’t been home for any length of time in the last eight years, other than their father’s funeral, which had happened three years after Nan died, when she’d actually stayed a night, before claiming she needed to go. The last time Leigh and Meredith had been in the same place for more than twenty-four hours had been in high school, for Leigh’s graduation. When, a few weeks later, everyone had gathered in the driveway to see her off to college, Meredith hadn’t appeared with their mother, father, Nan, and their neighbors to wave and cheer as Leigh left home for four years at Northwestern University, her old Ford Escort filled to the brim with all her belongings. Leigh had seethed over it for the first hour of the trip, wondering what she’d ever done to make her sister hate her so much. Leigh had always been frustrated with Meredith; her behavior put a strain on them. It had seemed as if Meredith would do anything to set herself apart from everyone in their family. And while her sister had appeared as though she’d had no direction her whole life, she had a kind of contempt for them all, as if they were criminals for having their lives together. All her sister had to do was apply herself, but she never did. She took odd jobs and lazily gathered the bare minimum to live on, spending nights on her friends’ sofas and living out of her car at times. But even though her sister was a disaster, Leigh was always a little envious at the way she never had to stay in one place or have anything special to be happy—she’d gotten that from Nan. Meredith could pack a tent and a loaf of bread and leave for a week, coming back looking vibrant and rested. Leigh wished she could have just a little of her free spirit.
GIVEAWAY! #Book Blitz #Dead Ahead (Grave Talker 5) by Annie Anderson #Urban Fantasy @Xpresso Book Tours22/2/2022
Dead Ahead
-- EXCERPT: I was going to punch a god right in the face. Sure, he was the actual God of Torment. Okay, so he probably didn’t deserve it. But I would sock him right in the mouth… Just as soon as I got the nerve. “Now, that’s just rude,” Deimos muttered, straightening the tie of his impossibly crisp suit as he stared me down. “I came here to have a civil discussion,” he tutted, as if I were a naughty puppy that had just piddled on his rug, “and all you can think of is violence.” Yep. Definitely going to punch a god in the face. It was one thing to come here—after the absolute catastrophe of the last twenty-four hours, I could get that—but to imply he was here for anything other than to beg my forgiveness for what his son had done to me, well… “A civil discussion? A civil discussion?” The laugh that came out of my mouth made me sound cracked even to my own ears. “Maybe the reason all I want to do is hit something is because your son wormed his way inside my skull,” I seethed, roughly tapping my temple as I stepped forward, “and killed two people with my hands. Maybe it’s because he didn’t exactly ask permission first before he wore me like a skin suit while he got himself free. Maybe it’s because I have been violated beyond measure after losing half my damn family. Really, the possibilities are endless as to why violence is on the menu.” Another unhinged giggle popped free of my mouth which had Deimos shuffling backward a pace or two. Or five. “You freed my son—” “I didn’t free shit,” I spat, following him down the steps and across the ribbon of pavement that bisected the front yard. “Did you miss the part where he wore me without consent? Add to that, Azrael locked me inside my own mind, so I couldn’t even shove your son out either. Oh, no. You aren’t pinning this shit on me.” And if it was possible that I may have yelled that at a god while slowly stalking him across the grass, well then, so be it.
GIVEAWAY! From the Blurb: From the USA Today bestselling author of The Wedding Game comes a new romantic comedy about the antics that ensue when three siblings come together for their parents’ fiftieth-anniversary party. Martin and Peggy Chance believe love should last a lifetime. With their fiftieth wedding anniversary on the horizon, they’ve modeled a beautiful relationship for their three grown children. But to their dismay, that lesson hasn’t quite caught on—the three siblings just can’t seem to take a chance and find love in their own lives. There’s Ford, the eldest, devoted to his work and resistant to romance…or so he claims. Cooper, the middle child, can’t get past his divorce—until he reconnects with a feisty baker from his past. And Palmer, the baby of the family, is the free-spirited world traveler who always pictured herself with someone other than a handsome small-town family doctor. When the Chance siblings come together to plan the ultimate anniversary party for their parents, they’ll have to navigate romantic entanglements, sibling rivalries, and the definitive end of their childhood. Whatever happens, The Reunion promises to be a fun, flirty, wild ride. Publication Date: February 22, 2022 Publisher: Montlake FREE in Kindle Unlimited Purchase My thoughts: This family story of three siblings who needed to rebuild their relationship was so much fun! Yes, there was a lot of bickering, finger-pointing, and we-take-no-hostages attitude-drama, but also lots of banter, and romance…and three kinds of cakes. The book hit the ground running- the emails between Ford, Cooper, and the baby of the family, free-spirited Palmer were really funny. All they had to do was organise a wedding anniversary party for their parents Peggy and Martin and be there for them to show their love and appreciation for these hard-working, affectionate people. But Ford is too busy crunching numbers and obsessively going over every business detail to notice his brother and sister would love to help him with the family business (outdoor equipment stores). He is also too busy to notice his wonderful assistant Larkin who knows him better than he knows himself. Cooper is struggling with people’s pre-conceived ideas of him- ever since his divorce he has done a lot to turn his life around and he is the only child who is there for his parents to rely on in their daily life. Palmer– okay, I didn’t particularly like Palmer (there’s a thin line between being feisty and being obnoxious), she has her own reasons for feeling lost. 3 siblings and 3 love interests- 6 POVs sound a bit intimidating, but it works in this book. Partly, because the love interests are sweet and decent people who often act as a voice of reason. Larkin isn’t just smart and efficient, she’s also emotionally mature and responsible. Oh dear, she will have her hands full with Ford! I wasn’t so sure about her brother’s relationship with Palmer- he didn’t manage to convince me Palmer’s sparkling spontaneity was the best kind of match for him and things between them moved a bit too fast for me. Nora (Cooper’s love interest) was the most self-assured out of all the protagonists, and I could relate to her point of view a lot. It’s just that she sounded a bit too much like a therapist at times. The writing was absolutely compelling and I found myself reading until the small hours, unable to put the book down. The humour also helped! All three relationships have an element of forbidden or rather a certain kind of dilemma in them, so it was interesting to see if the couples were going to stick together in the end or not. Above all, what I wanted to see was whether the Chances were going to find their way back to being a happy, close, and caring family again. I’m glad to have discovered this new-to-me author. Can’t wait to read her next book! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced review copy. All opinions are my own and were not influenced in any way. About the Author:
USA Today Bestselling Author, wife, adoptive mother, and peanut butter lover. Author of romantic comedies and contemporary romance, Meghan Quinn brings readers the perfect combination of heart, humor, and heat in every book. Facebook / Goodreads / Instagram /Twitter / Website /Bookbub / Amazon Vibes & Feels
Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo -- EXCERPT: Morgan I’m rummaging in my bag for the valet ticket and not watching where I’m going as I approach the podium, which is why I crash into a brick wall dressed in a white dress shirt and paisley tie. We bounce off each other with a collective “oomph.” The broad-chested guy reaches out to steady me. He cuts off my muttered apologies with, “No, my fault, I was—” Nothing else follows that statement. When I blink up at him, I find him looking at me with a kind of sick horror in his eyes. I don’t think my essential oil is so potent as to be offensive. Why is he looking at me like I’m his worst nightmare? Why am I getting dread vibes? And why does he seem so familiar? I know him… No, no way… He’s too scruffy and raw to be-- The maître d’ clears his throat. “Can I help either of you?” “Yes, um, well. I need my car brought around, but, um, you go first, Morgan.” My head whips back to the guy as my suspicions confirm themselves. “Marco.” He cringes at the way I whisper-puke his name, but the sour taste in my mouth is too much to suppress. Marco Woodruff is standing beside me. My best friend’s dickweed ex-boyfriend. Hey, creep, how’s it going? I hurry to slide the valet ticket onto the podium. “Um, it’s a red Mini Cooper,” I say as if he needs to know this, then spin on my heel and race out the door to the front curb. Heavy footfalls behind me tell me Marco, too, has come outside to wait. We stand side by side in total silence. “Where did they park them, the North Pole?” I mutter when an eternity has passed. He breathes out a chuckle that I don’t want to hear. It’s commiseration, and we are not people who have anything to bond over. I pucker my lips as headlights blaze from our left. A Mercedes glides up. I roll my eyes. “Of course.” The valet pops out, and Marco frowns. “She was first.” The annoyance in his voice stops the valet, who was already jogging back toward the parking lot. “Sorry, boss, your car was blocking hers in.” We trade a look. “Do you need me to wait with you?” His voice is thin. Clothing aside, he’s nothing like I remember him. The scruffy beard is definitely new. He isn’t cocky, either. If anything, I sense deep fatigue in him. It’s in his eyes. It’s in his slumped shoulders. It’s in his whole damn aura. But the question has only one right answer. I jut my chin out and sneer. “If I ever need a chaperon, Marco, I’ll find one who’s at least a modicum of trustworthy, thanks so much.” He flinches like I’ve delivered the blow he’s been waiting for since we ran into each other. Maybe I have. “I expected that answer. Goodnight.” And with that, he drops into his car and is gone.
GIVEAWAY! Lake Taimana
-- EXCERPT: Adele walloped James a few times between the shoulder blades, concerned. He was hunched forward in the armchair, still coughing as if his life depended on it. “Steady on,” James choked the words out amidst bouts of hacking. “I might need my spine later in the week.” “You’re alright now?” She stopped hitting and rubbed the spot with her palm instead, up and down. Turning back to the sofa, she refocused on what she’d been thinking before she’d been rudely interrupted. “I’m imagining red through to yellow. Sunshine colours, you know? Or maybe cooler tones—green and leafy. Yes! Tropical. Fiji-style would look great in here.” “Adele?” “Mmm?” “Stop.” “Stop what?” She turned to James in surprise, and realised she still had her hand on him, stroking the contours of his shoulders and back. Gently up, then massaging down in that valley between his blades that alluded to the power of his back; the strength and breadth of it. “Oh!” She withdrew immediately, red-faced and flustered. “Shit! Sorry.” It’d felt so natural, so normal. For a moment she’d totally forgotten… James leaned back against the cushions and slid his hands behind his head, lacing his fingers there as he closed his eyes. “Let’s get something straight.” “Um, okay.” “You don’t want me to touch you, right?” Was that right? Why was she no longer sure if that was right? She should be positive. Right? “Right. Yes.” Adele bit down on her lower lip, staring at the tanned skin of James’ exposed neck, and marvelling at how the new beard petered out to give way to corded muscle. “I mean, I guess so.”
GIVEAWAY! Cruel Knight
-- SNEAK PEEK: “Are you stalking me? Let me remind you again, Ryder, that I am your boss. You should act professionally around me,” I spoke clearly. Ryder chuckled as he ran a hand through his dark hair. “You keep reminding me that you are my boss. That you are in charge,” he said, closing the space between us. He now stood in front of me again, towering over me. “I think you get off on being in charge. You love the power; it turns you on,” he said slowly. I drank in his words. Too shocked to speak, my mouth fell open as I glared back at this man.
GIVEAWAY! #Blog Tour #Book Review of Under One Roof by Samantha Tonge #Boldwood Books @rararesources20/2/2022
Thank you to Rachel from Rachel’s Random Resources for inviting me to participate in Under One Roof by Samantha Tonge. Under One Roof One forgotten discovery will change three women’s lives for ever… Robin hasn’t been home for decades. After running away to London, she never expected to see her cantankerous mother, Faye, again. But when Faye has a fall, the two women are thrown together once more. The years apart have not made their hearts grow fonder and the ground between them is unsteady. Then Robin finds an unopened scroll – the last of the treasure hunts her much-missed father used to take them on every Sunday. A hunt he believed might change everything. Yet, not even this gift from her beloved father can smooth the way until Robin’s daughter, Amber, arrives to meet her grandmother for the first time. Amber is determined that the decades-old mystery be solved. Can a 30-year-old treasure hunt really ‘change everything’? Purchase Link My thoughts: I have come to expect well-written and entertaining books from Samantha Tonge, but this one is special and is probably my favourite so far. There is unexpected depth in this very easy-to-read, seemingly simple story of three women, representing three generations of one family. Robin ran away from home when she was 16 and although she did see her mother Faye once when her own daughter Amber was born, it wan’t enough to heal the animosity and bridge the gap between then. Now, 48-year-old, divorced and recently made redundant Robin is asked by her Uncle Ralph to go back to her home village in greater Manchester to take care of Faye who has had a nasty fall. You’d think Robin’s mother would be grateful for having someone to look after her for a few weeks until her cast comes off and her bruises fade, but no, Faye doesn’t want any help or support, especially not from her estanged daughter who left her in the summer when Faye’s husband/Robin’s dad passed away. But Robin isn’t the same firey teenager with little life experience- she has matured and learned how to deal with challenging situations and a lot of this experience has come from being a mother herself. When her sweet, independent, eighteen-year-old daughter has a bit of a crisis with student accomodation, the simplest solution is to move into her grandmother’s house and get to know Faye and the secrets her family holds. I loved the way the story focused on the three main characters (a bit more on Robin and Faye) which allowed the author to really develop them and dig deep into their feelings and their motivations. All of this without becoming too long and boring. There is a wonderful treasure hunt with its enigmatic clues- the last gift left by Robin’s father to the two people he considered most precious in the world. Of course, Faye and Robin do need Amber’s help to not only with the mysterious anagram, but also with their own uneasy mother-daughter relationship. There are also great references to 80s (including some fashion gems a lot of readers are going to sigh over nostalgically). And there are Dear Debbie! letters written by teenage Robin that bring a bit of levity and show how difficult it is (some say impossible) to give life advice to a teenage girl. The secondary characters are memorable in their own way- e.g. Tara, Yul, Blanche, even absolutely adorable Hoover…They do not take away from the protagonists, but rather add and enhance their stories by providing valuable details that let us understand what happened and empathise. While my own family is nothing like Robin’s, reading this book brought back a lot of memories from when my grandmother was still alive and I could observe her relationship with my mother and realise for the first time in my life why my mother behaved in certain ways. A well-written, thought-provoking, compelling and entertaining read from a very talented author who keeps delighting her fans with every new release. Highly recommended to anyone who likes stories about families in general and mother-daughter relationships in particular, life, time, second chances, forgiveness and understanding. Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the review copy, provided in exchange for an honest opinion. Author Bio –
Samantha Tonge lives in Manchester UK and studied German and French at university. She has worked abroad, including a stint at Disneyland Paris as part of the Opening Crew, and has travelled widely. She enjoys family time, baking and walking and always knew that one day she would write. Samantha finally took the plunge seriously in her late thirties, and hasn’t stopped since. Under One Roof will be her sixteenth book and she has also sold many dozens of short stories to women’s magazines. Samantha’s uplifting stories are about identity and self-discovery, about friendships and communities. She enjoys creating diverse characters and writing about relatable issues that make the reader feel it’s not just me. Her books have hit the AmazonUK overall chart Top Ten position twice and she has won two awards. Facebook / Twitter / Instagram Fall Guy
-- EXCERPT: With a six-pack in hand, I turned the corner and came upon that small group of protesters Isaac and I had seen the other night; only this time, they had a man surrounded. Though he was tall and muscular, his eyes were wild with fear, his face panic-stricken. My instincts kicked in, and I ran toward the mob. “We want all our money! We want justice!” The swell of voices grew louder as I drew closer, and I heard his voice rise above the crowd. “Please, let me go.” Suddenly he was knocked to the pavement, and glass shattered at my feet. I ducked my head to the side to prevent the shards from getting in my eyes. The group scattered and grew quiet, and then people started running. “What the fuck are you people doing?” I called out to the crowd, kneeling at his side. “Are you all right?” I gazed into the deep blue eyes of a man with jet-black hair and dark stubble that shadowed a hard jaw and high cheekbones. And…damn. He was gorgeous. “I-I think so.” His slightly raspy voice washed over me like a caress. I blinked and noticed the blood trickling down the side of his scalp. “You’re bleeding. Is this your building? Do you want me to help you inside?” At the mention of blood, he grew even paler and closed his eyes. “Uh…give me a sec. I’ve always hated the sight of blood.” He put his head between his knees, and I stayed with him on the ground until he glanced up at me, a little smile tipping the corner of his mouth. It made his stunning face even more attractive, highlighting dimples along with a tiny scar running into the top of his lip. It did nothing to mar the perfection of his face. “Who are you? Aside from my guardian angel.” I grinned. “I’m no angel, although my name is Gabriel. I was taking a walk and saw the commotion. Looked like you needed help.” “Well, Angel Gabriel, should I break the cardinal rule of a New Yorker and trust a stranger?” “You’re Ronan Michaels, so I guess we’re not really strangers.” Hell, was I flirting with him? I couldn’t help it. Something about this man made me reckless. He didn’t reciprocate, his smile fading at my words, and he brushed me off. “I’m fine.” Without another word, he rose to his feet and left me crouching on the pavement with my beer, feeling like a fool.
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