The Perfect Holiday Would you kill to be here? Olivia and Julian are enjoying lazy days in their Spanish villa, a well deserved break from their busy lives. Especially for Julian, who after a lifetime as a carer was thrust into the public eye following the tragic murder of his first wife. The languid heat and peace of the villa is broken only by clifftop walks, sun drenched lunches and cooling swims. Until a chance encounter with Gabriel - an attractive man, many years their junior - changes everything. Soon their idyllic break turns into a dangerous, high-stakes game of cat-and-mouse. Will any of them get out alive? Publisher: Boldwood Books Publication Date: April20th, 2022 Purchase Link My thoughts:
Almost there...Summer is just round the corner...It's time to plan our perfect holidays! And what would they be like without lighthearted romcoms and dark and twisty thrillers? No need to say which category T.J.Emerson's newest release falls into-just look at the seemingly peaceful swimming pool on the cover.... Oh, yes, that yellow chair was just killing me with suspense. I love thrillers with a limited number of characters stuck in a liminal space- a hotel, a villa, a snowed -in cabin, you name it... The protagonists are bound to have sinister secrets. Julian's first marriage wasn't an easy one- he was a carer for his wife Helen who tragically was murdered. All these events seem far away while Julian and his second wife Olivia are enjoying their well-deserved holiday... until they bump into Gabriel, a proverbial blast from the past, someone who knew Julian from his marriage with Helen. Tension grows and a twisty game of cat and mouse begins... While I didn't find any of the protagonists particularly likeable, I liked the unpredictability of the twists- the author definitely kept me guessing throughout the book until the ending. The pace could have been a bit faster, especially in the middle, but it did pick up towards the end. Overall, this book didn't turn out to be a perfect holiday read for me, but I would like to read more from the author who definitely knows how to craft a dark and suspenseful thriller. Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the review copy provided in exchange for an honest opinion. #Book Blitz #Virtual Reality Bites by Ava Wilxx #SciFi #Contemporary Romance @Xpresso Book Tours19/4/2022
Virtual Reality Bites
Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo -- EXCERPT: “What the hell is going on?” I danced from foot to foot as if I could keep my private bits blurry by not remaining still. In theory, it could work, but I was pretty sure I’d have to do my little embarrassed jig a lot faster. Xander cupped the back of his neck, his eyes darting everywhere but on me. “I was getting to this part. To simplify it for you, this is like the setup part of a video game where you get to pick your main outfit for your avatar, gear up, and—” “I don’t play video games! I’m not you and Adam! Just tell me how to not be naked right now, Xander!” It might have been virtual reality, but I didn’t want to be standing around sans clothes regardless. It simply felt too real, which meant the accompanying mortification was as well. “Picture yourself in clothes.” Squeezing my eyes shut, I imagined my favorite comfy jeans and a soft, navy-blue T-shirt. “Are you doing it?” “Yes.” I glanced down the length of my still very naked body. “Why isn’t it working, Xander? Are you … you’re punking me, aren’t you? This is like that time you walked in on me when I was getting out of the shower when I was seventeen.” Anger surged through my veins, heating my blood, scorching away all traces of embarrassment. Balling my fists at my sides, I marched toward Xander. “This is not funny. At all. Asshole. And I swear on all that is holy that if you don’t—” “It’s not my fault!” Xander stumbled back a few steps. “You have full control of this!” “Then why am I still naked? Huh?” “I-I don’t … hold on a second.” He pixelized briefly before vanishing. I spun in a circle. “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.” I stood there naked and alone, not exactly sure if the alone part was an improvement. “I should have at least gotten a towel,” I grumbled. “Not even romance heroines drip dry straight out of the shower. There’s no way I did this to myself.” I wrung out my hair, the simple act miraculously evaporating all moisture from my tresses. Huh.
GIVEAWAY! Under the Stars
Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo / iBooks -- EXCERPT: “You ready to do this?” he asks. “Do what?” “Take the picture.” He heads out of the store and I follow behind him. “Right now?” “No, next May. Yes, right now.” “I thought maybe I’d have time to settle into the idea of me in a two-piece plastered all over the Internet.” He leads us through the open-air mall, past some kids playing in the sprinklers while their parents sip coffee in wrought-iron chairs. “Are we doing this thing or not?” “We are,” I say. “Then either you trust me or you don’t.” “I definitely don’t.” He comes to a halt and faces me. “Turn around.” “What? Why?” “Just turn around.” I huff, but I do it. “Now fall backwards.” I turn back around and face him. “You are crazy.” “Don’t look at me. Look straight forward.” I let out a sigh and then turn away from him again. “Fall backwards.” “And you’re going to catch me?” I ask in a very doubtful tone. “Of course I’m gonna catch you. I’m not going to let you fall to the ground and bust your head open.” “What happens if some pretty girl walks by and you turn your head right when I’m getting ready to fall?” “I don’t need to look at some pretty girl. I’m looking at you . . . your ass to be specific.” “See, right away I don’t trust you. My ass isn’t what’s going to fall backward first. It’s my shoulders.” “I’m watching your whole body.” Two girls sipping iced coffees pause, watching us. I smile at them and they smile back. “We’re gathering a crowd,” I say through clenched teeth. “If you would just hurry up and get this over with, we wouldn’t garner so much attention.” I imagine myself falling backwards and my stomach goes for a loop. “Are you sure you can catch me?” “Are you kidding? Have you seen me?” “I know, but I’m a big girl.” “This is insulting, Taylor. I work out every day. Have you seen me without a shirt on?” I try to remember if I have, but I’m pretty sure I only have dreamed of his bare chest. “All right, I concede that you can probably catch me.” “Probably? Come on. Just fall backwards.” “But why?” “Because this will do wonders for our relationship. If you can trust me to prevent a brain injury, surely you can trust me with your dating profile.” “Okay,” I say, fiddling with the bag. “Give me that,” he says. I pass it back to him and hear it drop on the ground. “Hold your arms out so I can get my arms around you.” The idea of his arms on my body sends a flock of butterflies through my chest. Now I’m more invested. Because as much as I need to not think about these things, I want to know what his touch feels like. I turn my head. “How far back are you?” “I’m the perfect amount.” There are several groups of people watching us now. I cover my eyes. “I can’t believe I’m going to do this.” “Do you want me to count off?” “No, I’m going to do it . . . unless you need to count off because you’re looking away or something.” “He hasn’t looked away from you this whole time,” one of the iced coffee girls says. “Really?” I ask her. “Oh yeah,” the other one says. “He is laser-focused on you. I think you can trust him.” I purse my lips. “If you only knew him you wouldn’t say that.” “I’d like to get to know him,” her friend says, and then they giggle together. “Taylor,” Chapman says, and the sound of my name coming from his mouth sends a quiver through my belly. “Hmm?” “I’ve got you,” he says, his voice steady and serious. I close my eyes, my stomach in knots. I let out a breath and I say, “Okay.” I allow myself to fall, and just when I think I’ve made a huge mistake and I’m going to have a concussion or end up in the hospital, he catches me as those big, capable arms wrap around me. The groups around us whoop with applause. He sets me up on my feet, and I turn around to face him. He’s smiling at me, genuinely—not one of those cocky smiles like he’s gotten something over on me or that he knows I’m dying for his hot body in my bed and he’s just tempting me with it, but a real smile like we’re friends. “You caught me,” I say, sounding more surprised than I should. “Of course I caught you.”
GIVEAWAY! Out of the Ashes
-- EXCERPT: By the time pizza got here, I was painfully aware of Lee’s presence. I’d heard his low chuckle a couple times from where he sat on Lucian and KC’s porch. The cabins were maybe twenty or thirty feet away from the edge of the patio, yet it felt like Lee was standing right behind me. It was a good thing I had my back to them. Otherwise, I would’ve glued my stare to him. The one glimpse I’d gotten wasn’t nearly enough. Shay had been right. Lee did look as bad as me, which gave me conflicting emotions. It hurt me to see him hurt, at the same time as I found comfort in that he was struggling too. Did that make me a bad person? I wanted to see him again. Unlike me, he’d never given much thought to what he wore; he was a jeans and T-shirt guy. Or a hoodie now that the weather was turning for the colder. And I kinda loved that about him. His style, or lack of it, represented comfort and familiarity to me. I didn’t know how many times I’d put on one of his hoodies when I had to spend an evening without him, if he was on call or something. He was wearing one of his old Navy hoodies right now, one of my favorites. I could just picture him sitting over there, casually, one foot resting on his knee, the foot always bouncing a little, probably a smoke between his fingers… And he often ran a hand through his hair. Hair that tended to fall into his eyes. Hair that I’d always liked to tuck behind his ear. Which sometimes annoyed him in a cute way. Like, “Get your paws outta my face, pet.” And he’d narrow his eyes at me before he nipped at my cheek and-- Oh my God. I couldn’t go on like this. I couldn’t keep playing these scenarios in my head; I got so swept away by them, to the point where I could almost smell his hoodie, feel his lips on my neck, hear his warm voice… A rushing sound invaded my ears. My heart started pounding, and my vision blurred and became unfocused. The grief gripped me so tightly that I didn’t know what to do with myself, but a second later, my flight instincts kicked in. I shot up from my seat and sent the chair flying backward, and then I was running inside. Jesus fuck, my chest hurt. It felt like it was about to cave in. I heard both Ivy and Shay call my name, but I kept running. Through the club area, out into the lobby, where I took the stairs. I was just fucking done. Done with the depression, done with the pain, done with feeling like my future had just been stolen from me. I made it to the third floor, and I was a goddamn mess. Fingers trembling, breathing erratic, I unlocked the door to my guest room and all but stumbled inside. A beat later, panic swallowed me whole. Shit. I couldn’t breathe. I bent over and planted my hands on my knees, and I choked for air. My skin prickled and went numb in waves, my heart wouldn’t stop slamming against my ribcage, and then dizziness washed over me. I can’t deal anymore. I give up. Send me to the fucking psych ward. I heard a strangled groan, or maybe a gasp, and knew it came from within. Black spots filled my vision. “Tate.”
GIVEAWAY! #Book Blitz #The Reluctant Bride by Monica Murphy #Contemporary Romance @Xpresso Book Tours19/4/2022
The Reluctant Bride
Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo / iBooks / Google Play -- EXCERPT: “Good morning,” I say as I take a step back from my mother’s embrace. Can’t linger too long or Winny will say something snide and rude. He doesn’t say a word beyond a nod of acknowledgement at my arrival. His expression is stern, yet impassive. I never know what he’s thinking, and it’s disconcerting. I’ve learned from that though, and do my damnedest to wear the same expression when I’m dealing with Halcyon business for Win. Or when I’m trying to get out of a sticky situation with a woman. That happens more often than I care to admit. “Have a seat, darling,” Mother says, indicating the chair on the other side of Winston. I do as she says, settling into the leather chair that’s more comfortable than the one I sit in at my desk every damn day. “How was your weekend?” I can’t tell her it was full of debauchery that included too much alcohol and too many women, but I avoid the paparazzi at the more popular clubs to keep it under wraps. Instead I smile at her and say, “It was fine.” Winston snorts. I’m sure he knows what I was up to. Wonder if he misses it. If I had his hot wife to come home to every evening, I wouldn’t miss that lifestyle at all. “That’s nice.” Mother smiles, revealing straight white teeth that nearly blind me. Looks like someone just visited the dentist. “I hear you’ve been given new projects at Halcyon.” I chance a look at Winston but he’s not paying attention to us. Too busy tapping away on his phone. “I have.” I try to tamp down my excitement before my brother calls me out for behaving like a hyperactive puppy. “I’m handling all the angry calls that come into the office.” Mother frowns. “Angry calls?” I nod. “We piss off a lot of people in this city. There’s a lot of damage control going on. And not always of the—violent variety.” The knowing look on her face is obvious. She’s just as ruthless as Winston. Swear to God that’s where he got it from, not Dad. Clearing his throat, Winston sits up straight, resting his arms on top of the table. “Enough with the pleasantries. Let’s get down to business.” “Winston,” Mother murmurs. I frown at the both of them. “What exactly is this business we’re discussing this early in the morning anyway?” Mother clears her throat as well, glancing over at Winston before she turns her attention on me. “It has to do with…you.” I frown. “What about me?” “Perry, darling. You’re not getting any younger.” Her expression is dour, as if she’s discussing something that displeases her. “It’s time for you to settle down.” I snort. So does Winston. “I’m only twenty-four,” I remind her. “Winston didn’t marry until he was forty.” “Thirty-nine,” he corrects. “Whatever,” I say to him, returning my attention to our mother. “There’s no one I want to settle down with anyway, so I can’t.” “Ah, but you can.” Her smile is serene. “I’ve found someone for you, Perry. And you’re going to absolutely adore her.” Wait a minute. Back the fuck up
GIVEAWAY! Busting His Brat
-- EXCERPT: With how nicely she asked, how can I argue with her request? I drive back into her mouth, kissing her as if she’s my last meal. It’s so easy to enjoy the slick slide of our tongues together with her perfectly large breasts pressed against my chest. I’m in heaven. Her pulse continues to strum under my fingertips as my hand stays on her throat. That spanking really has her juices flowing. I can’t get enough of my little kitten as she tugs at my hair, moaning into my mouth, pleading for more, begging without words for me not to stop. “Say it again,” I growl into her mouth and pull away for a moment. She sags into me until our foreheads touch and our breaths mingle. “More please, Daddy. I need you.” She gasps as I crush her lips in another heated kiss. I lean in close to her ear after the last kiss, both of us breathing heavily, and whisper in her ear, “I want you, now.” With a low growl, I pick her up and carry her to my king-size bed. The air between us is thick with anticipation as I set her down and cup her face. She is all mine. Our lips crash together again, tongues melding until we’re lost in each other. My hands run up and down her sides, moving down to cup her ass over her skirt. She whimpers into my mouth when I give her a little squeeze. Paradise.
GIVEAWAY! From the book blurb: The Mersey Mothers Liverpool 1953 January sees the dawn of the Queen Elizabeth’s Coronation year as the mothers of Reckoners Row unite in preparation for the celebration of the new Queen. Meanwhile Evie Kilgaren is dreaming of her summer wedding to Danny Harris, but trouble looms for Skinner & Sons with a new rival trying to put them out of business, but no-one knows why.... Ada Harris is summoned to the bedside of her estranged husband, who, in his dying moment confesses to a deadly secret - he knows who really murdered Evie’s mam Rene all those years ago and the consequences are far reaching. Has an innocent man been jailed and is there still a murderer walking carefree? Will Evie get the happy-ever-after she so longs for with Danny? And will The Mersey Mothers unite and still be friends? Publisher: Boldwood Books Publication Date: April 19th, 2022 Purchase Link My thoughts:
This was my first book by Sheila Riley and I can see now why her novels are so popular. The book is so engaging and easy to read that it's impossible not to fall in love with its fabulous characters! It starts with a grim prologue. If you've read the previous books in the Reckoner's Row series, you already know that Evie Kilgaren's mother was murdered in 1947. Here we get a brief glimpse of what happened and know the case wasn't as clear-cut as it appeared to the investigating authorities. Is it possible that Rene's husband, Frank Kilgaren, was wrongly convicted and sent away to the Asylum for Criminally Insane? The main events take place in 1953. Evie is preparing for her summer wedding with Danny Harris (Skinner). They are doing their best to keep Danny's delivery business afloat, but the company is in trouble. Ada Harris, the woman who the woman who raised Danny is called to the deathbed of her estranged husband Bert and finds out he knew who really killed Evie's mother Rene. It is very easy to follow the story even if you haven't read the previous parts. Having said this, I wish I'd started from the beginning of this family saga- the writing style is extremely enjoyable and I loved all the historical detail that put the story into a wider context and brought it to life for me. Heartwarming, family and community-oriented, full of likeable, strong characters, The Mersey Mothers has a lot going for it and will be much appreciated by the readers who enjoy the historical fiction genre! Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the review copy provided in exchange for an honest opinion. Head Over Feet
-- EXCERPT: As Lu gets up to welcome another guest—one I didn’t know was coming—I pull the window sheer to the side and watch as none other than Grady Basset strolls up the front path. He’s carrying a bouquet of yellow tulips. What in the world is he doing here? I’m torn between running out the back door and confronting the man who’s been a thorn in my side since, well, forever. Leaving would be the nicest thing I could do for everyone, but suddenly I’m not feeling very generous. I stride toward the entryway like a general marching onto a battlefield. My shoulders are squared, and my jaw is sticking out so far it leaves the living room well ahead of the rest of me. Lu yanks the front door open. “Grady! We’re so glad you could make it.” He’s about to hand her the flowers when he sees me. “What are you doing here?” His tone suggests that he’s as happy to see me as I am to see him. “Why am I here?” I put my hands on my hips in fury. “What are you doing here?” “I was invited.” He dismisses me and turns to Lu, offering her the bouquet. “I was invited, too.” Then I tell my soon-to-be sister-in-law, “You didn’t mention that Grady would be here. Why is that?” Before she can answer, Alistair comes out of the back room. He immediately takes in the scene but doesn’t seem eager to explain himself. I should have known this was his doing. “Grady, Bree, we’re so glad you could join us.” “Yes, well, I’m thinking about leaving,” I blurt out. “Please, let me do the honors.” Grady turns and is nearly out the door when my brother says, “Children, is there any chance you two can act like adults long enough to enjoy lunch? There is a perfectly sound reason we asked you both here. It has to do with this petty feud you have going on.” “Petty feud?” I sputter. “The man picked me up and threw me off a boat. Off a boat! That’s not petty, that’s … that’s …” Words escape me. Barbaric? Contemptuous? Illegal? Apparently, words don’t escape me, after all. “It’s the only sensible thing to do when you’re being harassed by an annoying child who refuses to grow up.” He has no right to be mad at me. I’m the injured party here. I square off and face him, my hands firmly on my hips. “I’m sorry, Grady.” I’m not and nothing in my tone suggests I am. “Are you, or are you not, the ship’s captain?” Before he can answer, I tell him, “You shouldn’t be entertaining women on my family’s boat while you’re on duty.” “I had your brother’s permission. I did not need yours.” His face turns an unnatural shade of red. Instead of commenting, I abruptly turn toward my brother. “Let’s get this over with. I have a million things I’d rather be doing than wasting my time here.” Like tending to a den of vipers. I was not raised to be so rude, but Grady Basset brings it out in me. Lu leads the way into the dining room. I follow begrudgingly, wishing custom and courtesy didn’t dictate that I walk in front of Grady. I can’t stick my tongue out at him when I’m in front of him. Once we’re all seated and the champagne is poured, Lu raises her glass. “Alistair and I were hoping the two of you would…”
GIVEAWAY! Bonds We Break
Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo -- EXCERPT: “I don’t care. I’ve always only wanted you, Mia. I love you so much I would burn down the fucking world just to have you.” I try not to focus on the tremble of his lips against my skin. It’s torture standing so close to him, feeling him, breathing him in… but that’s what he’s counting on. “That’s the problem,” I explain. Tears stream down my cheeks like rain against a windowpane. My lower lip trembles as I rest my nose against his, breathing him in for one last time. I want to memorize every line on his face. “Tell me you don’t love me,” he demands. This is too much for one person to handle. “I can’t.” I grip the collar of his jacket so tight I think I might tear it away from him. “Why does it have to be so complicated?” Those ocean blue eyes of his swim with emotion as they gaze at me. We were always complicated. From the moment he first wrote in my journal and kept it secret from everyone else, we sealed our fate. “I need you to let me go,” I beg, the words coming out stronger than I thought I was capable of. “You know I can’t do that,” he growls. “Then I will walk away for the both of us.” I muster every last bit of strength I have in me to say it. Jack grips the back of my head, his fingers fisting my hair, and I know he doesn’t want to let me go just as much as I don’t want him to either, but it’s the way it has to be. “I can’t let you go,” he whispers into my hair, placing a kiss on top of my head. “I won’t ever let you go.” “I know.” I let my lips brush against his, the feeling causing me to sag against him as every nerve ending lights up in my body. For a few seconds we are at an impasse, unable to move, a hairs breadth between our lips, until we finally touch. The kiss is so achingly slow and devastatingly beautiful that a piece of me is lost to him forever. I can taste the salt of his tears, and I swallow them with a kiss. He takes my face in his hands and I place my hands over his, holding us together as if I were to let go, we would fall apart. That is what will happen. Once I let go, we will fall apart. I have to let go. “I love you,” I admit but he already knows this. “If you didn’t love me, this would be easier,” he says against my lips. “I don’t like the person I am with you,” I tell him as I let my hands fall away from his, breaking the spell, and we peel apart like the water being pulled away from the sand. “It doesn’t have to be that way. I can be a better person. I can try. Just don’t give up on me.” The desperation clings in the air like humidity before a storm. I want to believe him, but he’s not capable, not now anyway. Timing is everything. “I don’t make you a better person.” That’s the real problem. For me, he will give up anything, do anything, be anything, even if it destroys everything around us. That’s not the kind of muse I want to be. I pull back to get a good look at him. “It’s not our time.” Maybe someday it will be, but that day is not today. “I need to learn how to be me without you.” My eyes swim with tears. He is all I have ever known since I left home, and I fear he is a crutch I lean on far too much. “That’s the difference between me and you,” Jack says as he strokes my cheek with a callused finger. “I don’t want to know what it’s like to live without you.” I can’t bear to look at him now and cast my eyes down to his chest. It rises and falls to the rhythm of my own heart. “If it’s meant to be, we will find each other again.”
GIVEAWAY! First Comes Love
-- EXCERPT: Flipping my light on, I lift my window and slide out onto the roof of the porch. Looking over the edge, my eyes meet Wyatt’s and realize how real his fear is. His eyes are wide, and his hands are shaking as he grips the sides of the ladder, his foot poised on the bottom rung. “I’m right here. You can do this. I promise,” I say with confidence. Nodding, Wyatt slowly climbs the ladder, his eyes never leaving mine. Once he’s safely on the roof, he scrambles through my window, sitting on the floor inside my window. Climbing in behind him, I find him panting heavily, a panic attack on the horizon. Holding him in my arms until he calms down, I rub my hand up and down his back and kiss the top of his head. I’ve had one panic attack in my life, and it wasn’t pleasant. If I had known that this would send him spiraling into one, I never would have asked him to do it. I would have found another way. “I’m sorry,” I say when his breathing finally returns to normal. “There’s nothing to be sorry about.” “Um, yes there is. I pushed you to climb that ladder. If I had known—” “It’s not something I’m proud of, but heights scare the shit out of me. They always have. I don’t know why but there was going to come a time I was going to have to face that fear, and tonight turned out to be the night. At least it was for a good reason,” he replies, tucking a piece of hair behind my ear. “Oh yeah? I’m a good reason.” “The best reason. You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me, Chloe. You have to know that by now. I love you.” And just like that, my world turned upside down. All it took were three little words. He’d never said them before, but I knew how he felt. I felt the same. Falling in love with Wyatt had been easy. We’d been together for four months and I’d fallen for him a little more each day. It was the little things like the way he looked at me or how he showed me he cared. Tonight, on the floor of my bedroom, I fell the rest of the way. I knew he was the one. We were meant to meet, to find each other. One night changed everything for both of us. “I love you too,” I reply, pressing my lips to his.
GIVEAWAY! |
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