Thank you to Rachel from Rachel's Random Resources for my spot on the book tour for Heart and the City written by Cecilia Fyre.
It is my honour and pleasure to introduce a guest post written this talented author:

Writing about New York City

Everyone who’s ever been to New York has their own version of the city. I’ve been to New York many times, and I fall in love with it more on every visit. So it was only a matter of time before the city would become an inspiration for my writing.
When I first started on the novella series, my favourite part of the city were Chinatown, the Bowery and the Lower East Side. I’d always go up to the theatre district, of course, and frequently to Central Park. But I got really familiar with the lower part of Manhattan. I love walking the streets there, it’s so diverse and never boring. And shopping is great on Broadway. 

For this guest post I want to do a little tour of the New York that inspired the setting of the novellas. I feel that New York deserves a tribute at this juncture in history and a little virtual tour might help tide us over until we’re able to travel again!
Where to stay?
 
Hotels in Manhattan can be really expensive, so when I first investigated accommodation I was delighted to discover the Bowery House . It’s a hostel and quite basic, but the history of the building is really interesting. The cabins were first set up to house homeless soldiers coming back from the war.

Home is…Chinatown
 
Ricco, the love interest in the novellas, lives in a penthouse in Chinatown, and when Lea first moves to the city that’s where she happens to end up as well.
 
Chinatown might seem an odd choice for a famous actor. When you walk the streets you’d never imagine that anyone with money would want to live there. But it’s quirky and different, and it’s Ricco’s kind of place. His penthouse is in a fairly nondescript street that’s otherwise home to Chinese restaurants and printing businesses.
 
A lot of famous cast-iron dwellings are dotted around the neighbourhood. Stop at a street corner and look up. You can see the penthouse terraces on the roofs of many of those buildings.
 
I tried to capture a little of the strange vibe of the area in the novellas. It’s popular with tourists who shop in the souvenir shops, take photos with the weird window displays, eat in the restaurants and sit outside cafés where Chinatown becomes Little Italy. But go down into one of the streets without garlands and lanterns strung across, where all the signs are in Chinese, and suddenly the atmosphere is residential and you can sense what it was like when the tenements were full of immigrant families, and garment sweatshops, laundries and butchers provided employment for the local community.

A little bit of real history
 
There’s one Lower East Side institution that didn’t make it into the novellas, even though I would’ve loved to mention it – the Tenement Museum. If you’re interested in the New York of the 19th and early 20th century, then this is where you have to go. The apartments in the building are made up to reflect different times. You learn about the actual families that lived there until the law changed and the tenement was closed in 1935. It is the place to go to learn about immigration to the United States. I really recommend taking part in the Tastings at the Tenement event, too. You find out what the various immigrant communities would eat and then you can try food sourced from shops and restaurants still operating in the neighbourhood.

What about Queens?
 
When you fly into JFK airport and travel to the Bowery, you take the sky train from the airport through Queens to Jamaica Station where it connects to the A and the F subway trains. I had the idea for Lea’s more permanent home from those journeys. I’ve never walked through Queens, but you get quite a nice bird’s eye view as the train rattles towards Manhattan. It’s a pretty long journey, and you see a much more residential and middle-class part of New York that way. I think that now the novellas are coming out, for my next trip to New York (which I honestly can’t wait for) I’ll make it a special mission to discover Queens!

Heart and the City (Book 1 in the Love Medicine series)

British doctor Lea Holm has come to New York to work in her chosen field of emergency medicine. She loves her new life in this exciting city and can’t wait to get started with her research project. The last thing she needs are distractions.
But then she meets famous actor Ricco Como in her building – a distraction if ever there was one. He’s gorgeous and sweet, and there’s an immediate connection between them. Lea tries to resist temptation, but when he comes to her for help dealing with his steadily worsening migraine she can’t turn away from his plight.
As Ricco’s health takes a turn for the worse, their lives become more and more entwined. But can their growing attraction withstand the strain of his ill health, and can he let Lea be more than just his doctor?

**This novella series contains detailed descriptions of long-term health conditions, cheating and a bereavement.**
 
The series is set in New York City and was written before COVID-19. It makes no reference to recent events.

Publication Date: 26th May

Purchase Link

About Cecilia Fyre

Cecilia Fyre is the pen name of a romance author trying out something new.
 
She likes sunny, crisp autumn days. Cups of hot cocoa with little marshmallows floating on top. The roaring of the sea. Laughing until your face hurts. The silence when you curl up with a good book. 

Her stories are about people. Some of them are strange, some think they're boring. They all have secrets, they're all scared sometimes. Cecilia writes about life, about love. About how hard it is to do it right. Usually, there's a happy ending, or at least there might be one, someday.

​But life's not all sunshine and roses, and that's why Cecilia tells her stories.
 
In the real world, Cecilia lives in England.

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Giveaway
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Win 2 x A Complete set of all 5 novellas in the Love Medicine series, in an ebook format (Open INT)
The five novellas are:
Book 1 – Heart and the City
Book 2 – Unexpected Truth
Book 3 – Been There Before
Book 4 – Wish The Pain Away
Book 5 – A Thousand Little Pieces

*Terms and Conditions –Worldwide entries welcome.  Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below.  The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s Random Resources reserves the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over.  Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data.  I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.

A showrunner and her assistant give the world something to talk about when they accidentally fuel a ridiculous rumor in this debut romance.

Hollywood powerhouse Jo is photographed making her assistant Emma laugh on the red carpet, and just like that, the tabloids declare them a couple. The so-called scandal couldn't come at a worse time--threatening Emma's promotion and Jo's new movie.

As the gossip spreads, it starts to affect all areas of their lives. Paparazzi are following them outside the office, coworkers are treating them differently, and a "source" is feeding information to the media. But their only comment is "no comment".

With the launch of Jo's film project fast approaching, the two women begin to spend even more time together, getting along famously. Emma seems to have a sixth sense for knowing what Jo needs. And Jo, known for being aloof and outwardly cold, opens up to Emma in a way neither of them expects. They begin to realize the rumor might not be so off base after all...but is acting on the spark between them worth fanning the gossip flames?
(From the book blurb)

My thoughts:
Sweet and very romantic. I'm all for slow-burn romance. It takes time to get to know the person you are interested in and it takes time to build a common story and let it change both of you.
Jo, a wealthy and successful Hollywood star, and Emma, her patient and supportive assistant, have wonderful chemistry. I really enjoyed the diversity in this book: Jo is a 40 year old Chinese-American lesbian and Emma is Jewish, bisexual, in her mid-twenties. It isn't easy to write about a couple with an age gap, plus there is an added aspect of boss/assistant power dynamics, but Meryl Wilsner does a great job. The book also touches upon #meToo movement and the issue of sexual harrassment in Hollywood, which I found very  timely and relevant.
The book is well-written and easy to read. There is a lot of internal monologue, but for once I didn't mind, as I found it somehow very realistic in a situation with a lot of romantic uncertainty and high stakes.
A great debut that will be appreciated by all readers who like diversity and slow-burn romance. I will definitely be looking forward to Meril Wilsner's next book.
Thank you to Edelweiss and Berkley for the ARC provided in exchange for an honest opinion.

Thank you to Rachel from Rachel's Random Resources for my spot on this cover reveal!

 Heart and the City  (Book 1 in the Love Medicine series)

British doctor Lea Holm has come to New York to work in her chosen field of emergency medicine. She loves her new life in this exciting city and can’t wait to get started with her research project. The last thing she needs are distractions.
But then she meets famous actor Ricco Como in her building – a distraction if ever there was one. He’s gorgeous and sweet, and there’s an immediate connection between them. Lea tries to resist temptation, but when he comes to her for help dealing with his steadily worsening migraine she can’t turn away from his plight.
As Ricco’s health takes a turn for the worse, their lives become more and more entwined. But can their growing attraction withstand the strain of his ill health, and can he let Lea be more than just his doctor?

**This novella series contains detailed descriptions of long-term health conditions, cheating and a bereavement.**
 
The series is set in New York City and was written before COVID-19. It makes no reference to recent events.



Publication Date: 26th May

Pre-Order Link

About the Author:

Cecilia Fyre is the pen name of a romance author trying out something new.
 
She likes sunny, crisp autumn days. Cups of hot cocoa with little marshmallows floating on top. The roaring of the sea. Laughing until your face hurts. The silence when you curl up with a good book. 

Her stories are about people. Some of them are strange, some think they're boring. They all have secrets, they're all scared sometimes. Cecilia writes about life, about love. About how hard it is to do it right. Usually, there's a happy ending, or at least there might be one, someday.

​But life's not all sunshine and roses, and that's why Cecilia tells her stories.
 
In the real world, Cecilia lives in England.

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...AND FINALLY HERE IT IS:

Title: Planning for Love (Aisle Bound #1)
Author: Christi Barth
Publication date: May 11th 2020
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance






Synopsis:

In the harsh spotlight of reality television, a romance-a-holic wedding planner tries to snare the anti-Cupid.

Chicago wedding planner Ivy Rhodes lives and breathes romance. She won’t let anything burst the perfect bubble of happiness she creates for her clients. So she’s immediately on guard when a reality television crew appears to tape one of her weddings. Tall, blonde and sexy, the cameraman’s a relentless flirt, and Ivy follows his easygoing charm straight into the bedroom.

Ever since a scandal ended his career as a news videographer, Bennett Westcott is relegated to filming reality catfights and bridezillas. His latest assignment comes with the bonus of a gorgeous wedding planner. But Ivy ruins their one-night stand by turning too serious too quickly. Although a big fan of lust, Ben’s allergic to love. He rejects her and everything she holds dear, leaving her brokenhearted.

The network builds a reality show around Ivy, Planning for Love. She signs the contract before learning the man who shredded her heart into confetti will spend the next three months filming her. Suddenly Ben has to spend every day with the woman he knows he shouldn’t be with, but can’t resist. And Ivy’s stuck wondering, how do you plan for happily ever after when the guy you want doesn’t believe in it?

More about the Author:

USA TODAY bestselling author Christi Barth earned a Masters degree in vocal performance and embarked upon a career on the stage. A love of romance then drew her to wedding planning. Ultimately she succumbed to her lifelong love of books and now writes award-winning contemporary romance, including the Naked Men and Aisle Bound series. 

Christi can always be found either whipping up gourmet meals (for fun, honest!) or with her nose in a book. She lives in Maryland with the best husband in the world.

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It had seemed so simple. Get in, get the information, get out. But now they were getting inside her mind and she didn’t know how to stop them…

When Detective Kim Stone is called to the home of Samantha Brown, she finds the young woman lying in bed with her throat cut and a knife in her hand. With no sign of forced entry or struggle, Kim rules her death a tragic suicide.

But a visit to Samantha’s parents rings alarm bells for Kim – there’s something they’re not telling her. And, when she spots a clue in a photograph, Kim realises she’s made a huge mistake. Samantha didn’t take her own life, she was murdered.

Then a young man’s body is found in a local lake with his throat cut and Kim makes a link between the victim and Samantha. They both spent time at Unity Farm, a retreat for people seeking an alternative way of life.

Beneath the retreat’s cosy façade, Kim and her team uncover a sinister community preying on the emotionally vulnerable.

Sending one of her own undercover into Unity Farm is high risk but it’s Kim’s only hope if she is to catch a killer – someone Kim is convinced the victims knew and trusted.

With Bryant distracted by the emergence of a harrowing case close to his heart, and an undercover officer in way over her head, Kim’s neck is on the line like never before. Can she protect those closest to her before another life is taken?
(From the blurb)

My thoughts:
After reading Book #11 Child's Play I really thought it couldn't get better. And, of course, I was mistaken! Angela Marsons comes up with another impressive plot and a new series of questions to ponder.
When the body of 21 year old Samantha Brown is found, everyone, including DI Kim Stone and forensic pathologist Keats, is convinced it's a clear case of suicide. No signs of struggle, no forced entry, the flat was locked from inside. The method may be unusual -the victim cut her own throat with a knife and bled to death, but not impossible. Kim breaks the news to Samantha's parents and here it is ...a fleeting phrase that suggests that they were not particularly sure Samantha was ready to live on her own. Something keeps bothering Kim about the crime scene, something she understnds only by looking at the photos and doing a little forensic experiment. Samantha's case gets reclassified as murder. Kims' team discover that Samantha stopped using social media three years ago after a particularly bad relationship break-up. Her parents give evasive answers and it quickly becomes apparent they are hiding something.
When a second body is discovered in a nearby park lake, Kim's team start looking for connections which lead them to the Unity Farm, an incospicuous spiritual commune. Samantha's parents are convinced it is a cult disguised as a spiritual retreat and wellness centre, but Kim is not convinced. After all, Samantha was an adult free to make her own life choices and capable of making independent decisions. Kim visits meets Jack Black, the man who founded the Farm. jack tells her a bit about their activities designed to provide shelter and help to vulnerable people in need of emotional support. In his opinion, Samantha didn't want to leave, she got snatched by force. Who did it? and is there really more to the Unity Farm than meets the eye? Kim decides to send of her own, an undercover police officer to get an insider view. The only problem is that undercover operations usually take a lot more preparation and special training.
As usual in Kim Stone novels, we also have another subplot. This time it is Bryant, Kim's right hand. He is haunted by one of his first cases, a brutal rape and murder of a 15-year old teenager Wendy Harrison. The perpetrator has served 26 years and has been given parole. He is about to leave the prison, but Bryant and Wendy's father are convinced Drake is going to kill again.
Every member of Kim's team is unique and contrubutes to the investigation in their way. As this case isn't as close to home for Kim as the previous one was, we get to see a much calmer, more detached version of her. She notices everything and is there for every member of her team, as a true leader.
It is obvious that a great deal of research has gone into this book which taps into our universal fear of being manipulated, especially whan we are vulnerable due to grief or emotional turmoil. Bryant's subplot comes with its own ethical dilemma: is it possible to find approach to and rehabilitate every criminal or some minds are bound to remain evil forever?   I just loved the title which reflects brilliantly both storylines with their big questions which get merged seamlessly in the end.
Finally, can it be read as a standalone? Yes. I enjoyed meeting the team and seeing the developments in their lives, but the book has an engaging plot, clear focus, and flawless writing style that can be enjoyed without having read the previous instalments.
Highly recommended.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC provided in exchange for an honest opinion.

My thoughts:
Fans of contemporary sports romance in general and Helena Hunting in particular will be delighted with this new instalment of All In series that deals with romantic lives of Seattle NHL team... and in my humble opinion, this one is the best so far.

Romance books are full of bad boys who swear, drink too much, treat their parents with no respect and cheat on their partners. And yet, countless readers continue justifying their behaviour and find excuses for them. And there are very few (too few) books where the protagonist is a good man, caring and thoughtful, has principles and lives according to them. I don't know about you, but I find this kind of guy irresistible.

Ryan Kingston (AKA King) is a the goalkeeper. His job is to save and protect. He is also as good of a guy as it gets. No lying, drunken one-night stands with strangers, or anything impulsive or chaotic. Partly this can be explained by his family story. He just recently found out that his older sister Hanna is really his mother, and his caring and sometimes interfering Mother is ....his grandmother. His brother (Uncle) who has been in and out of prison a few times is one of the reasons why his parents (grandparents) were very strict with him and instilled a healthy respect for rules and acting sensibly at all times. Ryan lets his guard just once: the night when he finds out that he's been lied to all his life, shocked, upset, and confused about what this discovery will mean for all of them, he gets drunk with Queenie, a beautiful and lonely girl who has had her own share of trouble. They trade secrets and do shots, and have a wild night with no expectation to see each other again. Until Ryan finds out that Queenie is going to work as the new assistant for the team general manager. Not only that- she is also the manager's daughter and is strictly off limits for any player on the team.

There is great chemistry and undeniable attraction between Queenie, who might have made a few serious mistakes in her life, and King, who does everything by the book and needs somebody to show him that there is a lot in life he's been missing out on. Ryan is sweet and tender, but it also takes a special kind of girl to appreciate and love him for himself, not his money or his success or even his family. Queenie is smart, artistic, kind and generous, but it takes a special kind of guy who is going to be there for her, and will help her lose her insecurities and start to believe in herself. Save and protect.

Sweet, sexy (there are a few hot and steamy scenes in this book- this is Helena Hunting, after all) and surprisingly romantic, A Secret for a Secret is a light and enjoyable read for all the fans of sports romance.

Thank you to NetGalley and Montlake Romance for the ARC provided in exchange for an honest opinion.

The Hopes and Dreams of Libby Quinn

A gorgeous new romantic comedy about taking chances and realising your dreams.

Libby Quinn is sick and tired of being sensible.

After years of slogging her guts out for nothing at a PR company, she finds herself redundant and about to plough every last penny of her savings into refurbishing a ramshackle shop and making her dream of owning her own bookshop become a reality.

She hopes opening 'Once Upon A Book' on Ivy Lane will be the perfect tribute to her beloved grandfather who instilled a love of reading and books in her from an early age.

When her love life and friendships become even more complicated – will Libby have the courage to follow her dreams? Or has she bitten off more than she can chew?

Thank you to Rachel from Rachel's Random Resources for my place on the blog tour for this sweet and heartwarming book.


The Hopes and Dreams of Libby Quinn is a lovely story about family and friendships, following your dreams and building a community of like-minded people who care about each other and help when there is need.

Libby's love of everything bookish was instilled in her by her grandfather Ernie who was a wonderful storyteller and used to buy a book for Libby every month to start her own very special library. When Libby loses her dead-end job at a PR agency, she decides it's a sign to do something different with her life. At the same time an old draper's shop is put on an auction at a reasonable price and Libby knows the best tribute to her late grandfather will be using her redundancy money and her inheritance to open a bookshop. Never mind the terrible state in which she found the place which had been abandoned for ten years, Libby isn't scared of hard work as long as she can open her dream shop by Grandfather Ernie's birthday date.

 Libby is so determined to realise her ambition that she neglects her best friend Jess. She also  needs to think hard why spending time with her boyfriend Ant doesn't seem to make her happy and fulfiled any more. Or maybe it never did and Libby just needs to redefine what she wants from and hopes for in a romantic realtionship. It might not be the right time for it or Ant might not be the right man for her.

On the plus side, her charming neighbours from Ivy Lane Jo, Noah, Harry, Mrs Doherty, and countless other people are helping her shop turn into a cozy and creative space for book lovers and aspiring writers. Libby is working hard to build a business, but also new important relationships in life, without forgetting and ever grateful for her old support network.

There is romance in this book and it's my favourite slow-slow-burn. I liked the way you feel that it takes time to build (re-build) a shop and it takes time to get to know somebody if you want a lasting relationship and a happily ever after. Libby doesn't run away from the problems in her life, she works on them, and this takes courage and good solid character.

The book is very easy to read and leaves you with a warm feeling of having met somebody who is an optimist by choice.  I really liked this one and can't wait to see what Freya Kennedy is going to write about next time.

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About the author:
Freya Kennedy lives in Derry, Northern Ireland, with her husband, two children, two cats and a mad dog called Izzy. She worked as a journalist for eighteen years before deciding to write full time. When not writing, she can be found reading, hanging out with her nieces and nephews, cleaning up after her children (a lot) and telling her dog that she loves her.

She has met Michael Buble and even kissed him. It was one of her best ever moments.


She believes in happy ever afters.


Freya Kennedy is a pen name for Claire Allan, who also writes psychological thrillers.

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oung chef might bite off more than she can chew when she returns to her Alaskan hometown to take over her parents' diner in this charming first installment in a new cozy mystery series set in an Alaskan tourist town.

When Chef Charlie Cooke is offered the chance to leave San Francisco and return home to Elkview, Alaska, to take over her mother's diner, she doesn't even consider saying no. After all--her love life has recently become a Love Life Crumble, and a chance to reconnect with her roots may be just what she needs.

Determined to bring fresh life and flavors to the Bear Claw Diner, Charlie starts planning changes to the menu, which has grown stale over the years. But her plans are fried when her head cook Oliver turns up dead after a bitter and public fight over Charlie's ideas--leaving Charlie as the only suspect in the case.

With her career, freedom, and life all on thin ice, Charlie must find out who the real killer is, before it's too late.
(From the book blurb)

My thoughts:
An enjoyable first instalment in a new series of culinary cozies set in a little town of Elkview near Anchorage, Alaska. The protagonist of the series Charlotte (Charlie) Cooke grew up in her parents' diner The Bear Claw. Charlie went to a culinary school in San Francisco and worked for one of the best restaurants there. Unfortunately, her love life took a nose dive and Charlie came back to her home town and took over running the Bear Claw. Charlie is smart, friendly, and curious. She gets on well with everyone, if you don't count an occasional argument with Oliver, the diner chef, who is opposed to any changes and who seems to have a rather short temper. After Charlie decides to add a bit of chocolate to one of the diner's specialities, Oliver storms off.. and is murdered at the same time as Charlie stepped out of the diner for half an hour to go home and feed her cat, Eggs Benedict, AKA Benny. Obviously, Charlie needs to solve the murder mystery.

As any good first instalment, Mousse and Murder sets the scene for the series. I love the small-town setting in general (Isn't it ideal for cozies?), and I love reading about Alaska, so this was a match made in heaven for me. We get to know our protagonist, her best friend Annie Jensen who also runs a family business, a small inn which appears to be always full of tourists, Charlie's budding love interest, local journalist Chris Doucette, Charlie's family, and lots of other local people. It is not unusual for the first book to seem a bit overcrowded with characters, even if you take into account the necessity for red herrings. I'm sure some of these characters will become more prominent in future instalments.
As far as the mystery itself is concerned, although you might guess the culprit quite early in the book, the reason why Oliver was murdered doesn't become clear until the very end.
The pace could have been a bit faster, but I liked Charlie's sense of humour, and the whole atmosphere of the Bear Claw. I don't think I'll be trying to make moose meat loaf in the nearest future, but it was great to know I have a recipe for it, should an opportunity present itself.
I will definitely be looking forward to the next book in the series.

Thank to Edelweiss and Berkley for the ARC provided in exchange for an honest opinion.