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From the blurb: Socialite Bella Carmichael's perfect life was shattered when she was jilted at the altar. But a fated encounter with three perfect strangers at an airport is the beginning of an exhilarating and empowering sisterhood; The Karma Club. Bella doesn’t need a man, she just needs to get even! But instead of her ex-fiancé, Bella’s target is the man who betrayed her new best friend, Chase Miller; artist, charmer, cheater! Bella’s strategy is simple; get a job at Chase’s soon-to-be-opening New York art gallery. Make herself indispensable, while subtly chipping away at his reputation and sanity. (She’s so good at her job, he won’t suspect a thing!). And at all costs, ignore the sizzling and very mutual electricity with her off-limits boss! Going head-to-head with the arrogant artist unleashes a side of Bella she’d long since forgotten. The fiery, imperfect, naughty Bella revels in every challenge he delights in setting her. But when her sabotage goes too far, Bella discovers that there’s more to Chase than The Karma Club thought. Now she must turn her plan from vengeance into redemption and undo all her devious acts, before she falls for him… or is it too late? • Workplace romance (he's the boss) • Revenge pact • New York setting • Off-limits romance • Fiery female lead • Spicy! Published: May 25, 2025 Purchase links: UK /US  My thoughts:
Wellcome back to the Karma Club! If you read (and loved) the Payback Plan by Amy Andrews, I'm sure you've been waiting for the next story of sweet revenge and the best laid payback plans that...tend to backfire. Four women get stranded at O'Hare airport during a snowstorm and out of their shared break-up stories the Karma Club is born. This time it's Bella's turn to mastermind and execute the four friends' revenge on Chase, Astrid's ex. Our perfect Bella gets a job of a communications director in Chase's soon-to be-opened art gallery and gets down to work on her plan of bringing Chase down. I'm a big fan of the enemies-to-lovers trope with its inherent tension, especially when it is as engaging and well-written as in Pippa Roscoe's How to get even. The slow-burn allowed us to fall in love with Bella and see how much she changes and matures through the book. Chase isn't the most likeable character at the beginning (If he was, would he have ended up as a target of the Karma Club?), but not everything is as it seems and slowly, but surely our story transforms into something much more emotional and heartwarming. I really enjoyed the way Pippa Roscoe took me on this rollercoaster of jokes, sweet moments and hot, spicy scenes and will be looking forward to reading more books from this author. Now I can't wait to find out what is going to happen in Astrid's story (The Puck Stops Here by Rachael Stewart, out on June 17, 2025). Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood books for the review copy. All opinions are my own and were not influenced in any way.
Sarah
-- EXCERPT: “You have feathers for brains,” Sarah berated herself as Brett closed the distance between them. She accepted the hug he gave her as the impact of how deeply Ben—and inadvertently she—had betrayed him abruptly hit her. The realization of what she’d done made her head begin to pound. “I’m so glad you came, Sarah. I stopped by to see you earlier, but your mother said you were out, although she didn’t seem to know where. I looked around town and in our usual spots but couldn’t find you,” Brett said, pulling back and giving her a curious glance. “I’m sorry. I had a busy day,” she said. It had been busy. Sneaking around, being deceived, and making the biggest mistake of her life had taken the entire day. Brett offered her a smile of such tender warmth, she wanted to burst into tears and confess what had happened. Only she couldn’t. It would ruin the trip, if not cancel it, and Brett had been excited about spending the summer with his grandparents. There would be time enough to sort out all the complicated details when the twins returned in August. Three months away from Ben might be long enough for her raging wrath to reach a simmering point instead of teetering on the edge of it boiling over at any second. “I couldn’t let you leave without saying goodbye. I hope you,” she emphasized the word and cast a withering glare at Ben before looking back at Brett, “enjoy your time with your grandparents this summer.” A shadow passed over Brett’s face, but it was there and gone so quickly, she began to wonder if she’d simply imagined it. “I’m sure we will. I hope you have a wonderful summer, Sarah Beth.” Brett was the only one who called her that, and every time he said it, her insides felt warm. He leaned down and placed his lips close to Sarah’s ear, making her heart pound in her chest. “No matter what happens, don’t ever forget how much I love you.” “I won’t. Remember I love you, Brett,” she said, speaking around the sudden tightness in her throat. How could she profess her love to him after what she’d done with Ben? If a bolt of lightning shot out of the sky to strike her down where she stood, she knew she deserved it. 
GIVEAWAY! --
Exiles on Earth
-- EXCERPT: “I promise we will not harm you. You have my word, our word, whatever assurances you need.” Ilia glances at the manacles, heaped in a pile in front of him. “We would never hurt any female.” His breath catches, scales flashing red, like a ruby. “Not deliberately.” There’s something there, I know it. “And yet, you blew up Ellen’s barn,” Laura says sternly. “My deepest apologies. I steered as well as I could,” Arture, the pilot, explains. “Nevare told us there was life in the way,” one of the triplets adds. “We avoided all loss of it.” “And I saved you,” Ilia adds quietly, eyes sparking with challenge as he locks gazes with me, but then dropping his eyes again like he’s not allowed to look at me. I’m grateful for him saving me from the explosion, same as he’s hopefully thankful I helped him subdue the robot. But looking at the scattered remains of my barn, hot flames burn in my chest. “I wouldn’t have needed saving if you hadn’t literally dropped into my life and broken what remained of it. You might be happy as Larry once you fix your ship, but what am I going to do? I can’t raise money for a business, let alone repairs! You’ve really ruined everything, you know.” He weathers my anger, an immoveable rock kneeling in the mud. “We’ll fix it,” he says, a rumble in his voice. “We’ll devote our labor to restoring your building before our ship. In order to do that, I ask you not to turn us in, unless the work isn’t to your satisfaction.” I barely stop my jaw from dropping, the angry fire inside doused with cold. Wow. “You’ll rebuild the barn to my specifications,” Arabella chimes in. “What?” I hiss to her. Arabella pulls me down close to her, and Laura and Nicole lean in. “Ellen, this is literally the answer to your prayers. Six guys straight from planet hot who will build the bed and breakfast just as you need it to be.” Arabella grins widely. Her smile wavers a little, but she’s always saying to take advantage of what the universe delivers, riding the waves and learning to surf what comes our way. Is this it? “They could be dangerous,” Laura whispers, glaring at the men beyond our huddle. “This play-nice attitude could switch at any time.” I nod, taking that into account. “They could have started aggressively, they didn’t. And Floss likes him. They can’t leave the farm, or they’ll get caught. We can turn them in at any time.” But my gut lurches at the idea of turning the big guys over to the police or the army. They’d lock them away, or use them for target practice. My gaze strays over to their hopeful faces, all awaiting what I’ll say. Ilia raises his head. “If I may, I have a suggestion. A hostage, to guarantee our behavior.” “A hostage?” My mouth goes dry. “Yes.” He offers up his wrists, holding up the chains he’d been bound with. “Take me prisoner when we’re not working and, if my crew frighten you, kill me.” “Drok na,” one of the triplets mutters, but while the other men’s nostrils flare, they stay quiet, eyes on the ground. 
GIVEAWAY! -- From the blurb: A witch and a shifter get a second chance at love in this new paranormal romantic comedy from USA Today Bestselling author April Asher.At the bright-eyed age of eighteen, witch Harlow “Harry” Pierce attended her first Fates Haven Finding Ceremony certain the Blue Willow Wisp would lead her to her Fated match, her cougar shifter boyfriend, Jaxon Atwood. But Fate had other plans, guiding her best friend to him instead. With a broken heart, all her belongings, and a vow to never return, Harry did the only thing a broken-hearted witch could do. Run. Thirteen years later, she returns to her magical hometown—with her half-human, half-shifter goddaughter in tow—hoping that not only would the town work its magic on the troubled teenager, but that the local Alpha of the Rocky Mountain Pack could help Grace identify—and control—her fiery abilities. Jaxon Atwood was a shifter of few words and even less patience… until his mother retired as Alpha of the Rocky Mountain Pack and left the running of things to him. It’s a headache he didn’t need, and one that brought the witch who’d ripped his heart from his chest knocking on his door. Ever since the disappearance of the town’s Fate Witch over a decade ago, Fates Haven’s magic has been slowly going haywire. There hasn’t been a Fated Match made in thirteen years, putting the town in serious jeopardy of losing its title of Most Fated Mates Per Population. But now, something is stirring in Fates Haven, Colorado, and it smells like the past, tastes like change, and looks like A SIMPLE TWIST OF FATE.  My thoughts: Are you up for a new paranormal series from April Asher! Yesssss! Cute, fast-paced, and very, very readable, a book to curl up on the sofa and devour in a day. I love a good second chance story in all genres, but give me a romcom with an author whose sense of humour I can rely on...and I'm hooked from chapter one. The setting - a magic town with Most Fated Mates per Population- is really promising April Asher's faithful fans lots of fantastic new stories and I'll be there for all of them! There was something about Harry (Harlow), the protagonist of A Simple Twist of Fate, that immediately made me relate to her and root for her to reclaim her perfect match and her magic legacy. Fabulous characters, witty banter, sizzling chemistry between the protagonists with a few hot, spicy scenes, and some sweet, emotional moments that made the book even more enjoyable for me. After all, we all hope that this way or another it's possible to clear up past misunderstandings and heartbreaks and get a happy future with our loved ones. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced review copy. All opinions are my own and were not influenced by anyone.  About the author:
USA Today Bestselling Author APRIL ASHER was hooked on romantic stories from the time she first snuck a romance book from her mom's bedside table. By day, April dons nursing scrubs and drinks way too much caffeine. By night, she still consumes too much caffeine, but with a laptop in hand, and conjuring rom-coms with a supernatural twist. She lives out her own happily-ever-after with her college-sweetheart husband, their two kids, and a cat who doesn't realize she's not human.
Same Place Same Stars
Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo -- CHAPTER 1: No sharp objects. Pack light. My instinct is to run, but I don’t know how far my sore limbs will carry me. Apathy is my last line of defense. I reach for a baggy sweatshirt and leggings. This has become my uniform when I go away, not for any fashion statement but its functionality—it can be easily taken off before my body is searched by a nurse’s gloved hands. The pressure from the fabric causes me to hiss in pain. I carefully step each leg in to cover the tender scrapes and deep purple bruises along my pale white shins and thighs. The bruises are a reminder that I’ve messed up again. I drag my worn leather suitcase that’s on its last leg away from our cottage and into the trunk of Olga’s station wagon. She doesn’t say a word as we head out of our driveway and onto the tree-dense highway. The branches are grayer than normal, though it could be my mood filtering the world in a cloud of indifference. Olga rolls every window down even though it’s a brisk fifty-two degrees. Long drives make her sweat. I think she would never leave our small town if it were up to her, but I remain her forcing agent. My eyes wander from the pastures filled with cows and horses to Olga and her wild blowing hair that is unusually more silver than black for someone in their thirties. “So, what’s this ward like?” I ask, trying to break the tense silence. “Don’t call it that. That’s not what it’s called. This is a treatment center.” She turns up her classical piano playlist, the one she plays to calm her nerves, then hands me a folded piece of stock paper filled with smiling faces of young adults—those who, like me, are not teenagers anymore but not quite what I would consider adults either. Much like our mental state, we’re something in between. The brochure states this center isn’t government funded. By the looks of it, it seems far out of the budget of Olga’s ballet studio salary and my unemployed status, but it claims as part of their philosophy that they take on special cases free of charge. Just my luck, they happened to have room for a last-minute drop-in. After the stunt I pulled last night, I’m sure Olga would be willing to pay any price. 
GIVEAWAY! -- #Book Blitz #Legend of the Forest by Raquel Gabrielle #Fantasy #Romance @Xpresso Book Tours13/5/2025
Legend of the Forest
-- EXCERPT: Mia’s POV Mia scrunched up the paper in her fist. She stared at the beige wall. She could not believe what she had read. Thoughts raced through her mind, and her throat tightened with emotion. The urge to scream was so strong she took a huge bite of bread, stuffing her face. The bread tasted like burned ash. As she swallowed the bread, her stomach turned sour at the thought of taking another bite. She then turned the light down low, making it more difficult to read the letter. The letters on the paper blurred together as tears filled her eyes. “She will never accept me. Never accept anything I try or do. She will force my hand into the pictures she has chosen for me.” Tears fell down her cheeks, stifling her cry with her hands over her mouth. A scratch at the back door caught her attention, stopping her hot tears and sniffles. Everything froze and was quiet for a moment before another scratch. The letter fell from her fingers as she went to the door. Giving the door a curious look, she loosened the tie to move the cloth and look out the window. The darkness made it hard to see what was out there. Cracking it open, icy rain pelted her bare hand. The water was cool against the heat that radiated from her. A snout pushed hard against the opening. A body wriggled in and slid through before she could close it. Mia jumped back, surprised that the creature from earlier came barreling in, sniffing the ground. Electric blue fur with black stripes streak across the kitchen, heading back to her. Powerful limbs scrambled across the wood as his eyes feast on the hand still holding the bread. Pulling a chair out, she blocked the beast, guarding herself from being attacked. “You hungry?” she questioned. Wanting to calm the creature long enough to settle down. Jumping up, its hindquarters remained on the ground; its front paws landed on the chair seat. It used its front two paws to lift itself closer, reaching for the bread that was just out of grasp. Lifting her hand up, she kept it away. “Food, you want?” She broke off a small piece, placing it right through the back bars of the chair furthest from its teeth. She pulled her hand back through the bars quickly, not wanting to get her fingers bitten off. With a sniff of the food, a long tongue came out, licked it, and then gobbled it up. Its eyes were dark as it waited there patiently for more. “Food?” It croaked out when neither one moved for a while. Dropping the bread all together, Mia’s eyes go wide. “Did you just talk?” “Food!” it said louder, giving a happy howl of excitement as it jumped down, attacking the food that had rolled. The bread disappeared in a matter of minutes. “More?” The creature cocked its head to the side and gave sad eyes. “Oh, umm. You want more?” Her eyes searched the kitchen. She had not seen any more bread. “Are you a boy or a girl?” “Boy.” He shuffled, coming up behind her. “Do you have a name?” “Bloo.” He hopped up and down, his nails clicking on the floor. “Blue, oh, because of your coloring?” Shaking his head. “Bloooo,” he enunciated. “Bloo?” She shrugged her shoulders, going along with it. Opening a cabinet, she took out some plain cereal and grabbed a handful. She kneeled on the ground, holding her palm out to him. “Can I pet you? Don’t eat me, okay?” “Food?” “No, I’m not food. But yes, food is here.” She placed it on the ground beside her. Bloo’s steps were unsure and wary of her movements. 
GIVEAWAY! --
Head Over Heels In Love
Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo -- EXCERPT: “Millie!” Her shouted name came from beyond the swinging door. Irritation rose, winning the war over guilt as she quickened her pace. “Ugh, coming!” She pushed through the door into the back, muttering to herself. “Get your boxers out of a bunch you grumpy asshole. It was five damn seconds.” “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Ace demanded the second the door stopped swinging. “Well, I was working, until you pulled me back here to yell at me like an angry schoolmarm.” Confusion drew his brow down. “What the…never mind. How is pulling some dangerous stunt and almost breaking your fool neck working? Last time I checked this was a bar, not some ridiculous stunt show.” That was it. She knew the guy was her boss, but he was being a giant dick. No one talked to her that way. “First of all, I wasn’t about to break anything. Before you rushed in and grabbed me—” “Saved you.” She arched one eyebrow in disbelief. “Is that what you thought you were doing? Saving the helpless damsel in distress? I got news for you buddy. I have been bottle-walking for years. I know how to fall from the bottles safely. Provided some jackass doesn’t grab me off them and tweak my back.” His angry demeanor disappeared in an instant. Ace took a step forward, eyes scanning her body as his voice softened. “Are you okay? Did I hurt you?” Shocked by the sudden switch—and his concern—she shook her head. “No. I’m fine.” The sudden grab had surprised her and put her off kilter, but he hadn’t injured her back. He glanced into her eyes, stealing her breath as she saw the unmasked worry filling them. Wow. Who knew Mr. Ice had feelings? “Really, Ace,” she said gently, placing a hand on his arm. “I’m okay.” He glanced down at her hand on his arm. The air in the room thickened. A rush of heat filled her. A bolt of electricity shot through her body, her fingers tingling against his warm skin. She quickly pulled her hand back, clenching it into a fist and placing it behind her. What the hell was that? Pushing the moment away, Millie cleared her throat. “I know how to fall safely off the bottles. I promise you I would have been fine.” Ace shook his head, blinking a few times before the angry scowl returned to his face. “Why the hell were you on top of those bottles in the first place? We pay you to work, Millie. Not goof around.” And there went all her warm fuzzy feelings for this man. Jeeze, it was like Jekyll and Hyde with him. “I was working.” She lifted onto her toes, still not high enough to be eye to eye with the Grumpy Green Giant. Lifting a finger, she poked him in the chest. “If you take a peek out that door you will see.” Ace glanced down at her finger, raising a brow when he looked back up at her. Maybe poking her boss wasn’t the best idea, but he was being a jerk, and she didn’t like to be pushed around. Especially not when she was making him a ton of money. “Look,” she huffed, flopping back onto flat feet and pushing the door open a crack. “See all those people rushing to get the new drink special? I did that. It’s called creative marketing.” Ace leaned over her. His chest pressing against her back, the heat radiating off his body nearly suffocating her with its warm, intoxicating scent. Dammit! Why did he have to be so hot? Normally it didn’t matter how attractive a person was, if they were an ass, she wasn’t attracted to them. Her body didn’t get that memo with Ace. Didn’t matter. Wasn’t like she was going to do anything about it. 
GIVEAWAY! --
Her Darkest Hour
-- The Witches Who Went to War: The Real History Behind Her Darkest Hour When I started writing Her Darkest Hour, I wasn’t just inspired by the idea of witches in wartime—I was captivated by the real, historical belief that magic could be used to defend Britain. In researching the book, I discovered a lineage of magical resistance stretching back centuries. In 1588, when the Spanish Armada threatened England, tales emerged of magical circles cast to summon storms. During the Napoleonic Wars, rural communities quietly turned to cunning folk—herbalists, charmers, and wise women—to protect them from invasion. But perhaps most fascinating of all is the rumour that during WWII, a group of witches gathered in the New Forest to perform a ritual known as the Cone of Power. Their aim? To stop Hitler from setting foot on British soil. It sounds like folklore—but it’s part of Britain’s strange, often forgotten magical undercurrent. The war wasn’t just fought on beaches and battlefields. It was fought, too, in glades and gardens, by those who believed the spiritual realm had a part to play. That hidden history became the beating heart of Her Darkest Hour. Eliza Maclean, a young Scottish witch, is drawn from her quiet life on the Isle of Mull into a war she never expected to fight. Recruited by MI5, she finds herself hunting a German spy in Cambridge—but with magic, not guns. I wanted to honour both the women who stepped into wartime roles and the lesser-known stories of those who used ancient knowledge to protect what they loved. Eliza’s magic is not flashy or cinematic—it’s rooted in emotion, empathy, and intuition. And that, perhaps, is what made it so powerful. In the end, this book is a tribute to the quiet guardians of our past—those who lit candles, traced symbols, whispered prayers to old gods, and believed, fiercely, in their country’s protection. What if those rituals worked? Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoy discovering Eliza’s journey in Her Darkest Hour. Suzy Henderson 
GIVEAWAY! --
Finding Charlie
-- EXCERPT: For the rest of her life, whenever she closed her eyes, she’d see Liam’s face at that moment. Hurt and fury blended into anguish, his face twisted and eyes cold. Eyebrows narrowed in disdain. “Hey there,” Jack said from behind her. He stuck his hand out to Liam. “I’m Jack, and you are?” Liam didn’t acknowledge him or his offer of a handshake. Instead, he turned and walked away from Charlie. She watched as he got into his car and peeled out of the parking lot, disappearing from sight. She watched the space where he stood, as if watching would bring him back. “Charlie, you look like you saw a ghost.” Jack moved in front of her, putting his hands on her shoulders. “You all right? Who was that?” Her face fell, the weight of what she’d done bearing down on her. She wanted to crash to her knees and let the heaviness blanket her until she couldn’t feel it anymore. “Hey, let’s get home,” Jack pleaded gently. “Go ahead,” she said, her voice barely a whisper. “I’ll meet you there. I just …I need a minute.” Questions plagued Jack’s face, but he didn’t object. The stars kept shining; the crickets continued to chirp. Families hugged their kids for a job well done and piled into cars to go home. Time passed, crowds dispersed. She waved off the coach when he told her he was shutting down the lights. The world moved on unaffected while Charlie’s carefully built life crashed and burned around her. She found herself on the pitcher’s mound, her bare legs covered in goosebumps despite the late summer heat. She screamed into the night sky. She stomped and kicked at the dirt. Dust billowed around her like a tornado. She flailed her arms and pounded her feet while ugly tears slid down her cheeks. Why? What will happen now? Bile rose in her throat, and her heart pounded so hard she thought it might burst. Impossible questions throttled her, which only made her cry harder. What-ifs circled her like vultures. She thought of Matty and their wonderful life with Ada and Sam. What would she tell them? She plopped to the ground and pulled her knees to her chest. She wanted to curl into a ball and sleep. Every muscle in her body ached with exhaustion. The emotional turmoil of the evening finally catching up to her. She longed to be held, to smell Rachel’s lavender perfume as she held her close. Tires in the gravel lot startled her out of her misery, and she watched as Liam climbed out of the driver’s seat and strode toward her. 
GIVEAWAY! --
Intimate Secret
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GIVEAWAY! -- |
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