 Thank you to Rachel from Rachel's Random Resources for my place on the tour for this wonderfully entertaining romantic comedy.  Synopsis: What if wishes really could come true? When Jinnie Cooper is dumped by her fiancé, and exiled to a job in an antiques shop in a sleepy Scottish village, little does she know a battered old lamp is about to shake up her life. Genie Dhassim grants wishes. But he also wants a few of his own to come true. Letting him explore the outside world proves nerve-wracking as Dhassim has an uncanny knack of putting his pointy-slippered foot in it. As Jinnie grows closer to her employer Sam, Dhassim discovers his time on earth is running out. Can both Jinnie and Dhassim find true happiness? Or are those wishes that cannot be granted? Purchase Links Amazon UK / Amazon US My thoughts: This was such a great modern retelling of the old genie fairy-tale: funny, magical, and wonderfully romantic! First of all, let me say, this was my first book written by Audrey Davis, and definitely won't be the last. She has a great sense of humour and we all need a bit of that these days. We meet Jinnie Cooper, the kind and selfless protagonist of the book, as she moves in her new shoe-box flat in Cranley, a little village just outside Edinburgh. Jinnie's fiance Mark decided to break off their engagement, saying he isn't attracted to her any more, so now Jinnie is jobless and in dire need of a new start in her life. Cranley is all she can afford, but little does Jinnie know how welcoming the inhabitants of Cranley are going to be and how many great friendships she is going to make. Very soon Audrey finds herself doing not one, but two part-time jobs. One of which is in an old antiques shop where she picks an old oil lamp in desperate need of a bit of loving care. Yes, the inevitable happens and Jinnie's life complicates immensely by the appearance of a feisty genie called Dhassim. I loved the fabulous character cast Audrey Davies created in this book. Your heart will go to Jinnie who needs to understand herself and her own wishes a bit better. I loved the descriptions of her family, but my favourite character in the book is definitely Wilma, Audrey's eighty-six year old grandmother, and her quirky mix of interests that include tea leaf reading and Twitter. Then there is a whole lot of the village inhabitants: lonely baker Jo with a heart of gold, the local pub owner Ken whose wife of thirty odd years has the early onset Alzheimer's disease, Angela, a single mother and a recovering alcoholic and Sam, a divorcee with a very complicated relationship with his ex-wife. In short, there are plenty of serious issues the characters have to deal with. There's a great sense of community that permeates this lighthearted modern take on the genie story. I was impressed by the kindness the people of Cranley show to each other in this magical story. All characters are likeable (with the exception of Jinnie's ex, of course!). There might be space for a sequel (or two) set in this friendly little village. A Wish for Jinnie is light-hearted, humorous story that will entertain you and make you think about showing kindness to people around you. Thank you to the author and Rachel from Rachel's Random resources for the review copy provided in exchange for an honest and unbiased opinion.  About the author: Audrey Davis is a Scottish-born former journalist, now resident in Switzerland. Her newspaper career saw her cover events in Northern Ireland and the Falkland Islands, as well as working for a London-based movie magazine writing reviews and carrying out interviews. She self-published her debut romantic comedy novel A Clean Sweep in June 2017, following an online Open University course in Writing Fiction. Audrey followed up with a short, darker prequel A Clean Break before beginning work on a rom-com novella trilogy with a ghostly twist – The Haunting of Hattie Hastings. Again, reviews across the board were excellent, and it was combined into a standalone novel in November 2018. A Wish For Jinnie is her third standalone novel. Apart from writing, Audrey enjoys travel and spends a lot of time in Edinburgh. She is an avid cook, watcher of scary movies and reluctant gym-goer. twitter / facebook / instagram / website Thank you for stopping by! I hope you pick your copy of this great rom-com and enjoy reading it. If you would like to check out other bloggers' reviews, here is the full schedule of the book tour:    Book & Author Details: Crude by Sloan Storm Publication date: June 26th 2020 Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance Synopsis: Hunky oil billionaire Colt Kincade demands I sell him my ranch. But I refuse, and he’s not happy about it. Pfft. Whatever. Mr. Tall, Dark and Country thinks he can get whatever he wants, huh? Well, I’m not some social-climbing, gold-digging, moon-eyed-orbiter lusting after him just because he’s hotter than a two-dollar pistol. He may have tongues wagging all across the Lone Star state, but his charms won’t work on me. I hate everything about him – his tantalizing Texas drawl, his swaggering God’s gift attitude, his soul-searing, come-and-get-it-girls stare. And no. I don’t care that he loves dogs, his momma or his daddy’s dusty old pickup. He’s trouble. Trouble I do not need. Besides, I’ve got problems of my own. Broke? Yep. Single? Sadly. Desperate? Getting there. The truth is, I’m running out of time, out of options, and out of hope. I need the money he’s offering. But even worse, my heart thinks it needs Colt, too. Goodreads Purchase Amazon  AUTHOR BIO: Sloan Storm pens imaginative yarns based on dominant men and the women who challenge them. As such, power plays and passion are the heart of each and every story. The writer's creative tendencies may drift as the mood strikes, but the essence of all tales told wind up back at the same place... the polarizing difference between the sexes. After all, what else is there in life? When not glued to a keyboard creating tales of whimsy, Sloan loves to talk to fans! If you want to connect, you can do it in any number of ways: website / facebook / twitter / instagram / bookbub / goodreads 
 Synopsis:
Junior-high school nurse Rebecca Newsome was an experienced hiker, until she plummeted to her death to the bottom of a ravine in a Columbus metro park. Her daughter, Maggie, doesn't believe it was an accident, and Rebecca's ex-husband is her prime suspect. But he's a well-connected ex-cop and Maggie is certain that's the reason no one will listen to her. Roxane quickly uncovers that the dead woman's ex is definitely a jerk, but is he a murderer? As she pieces together the days before Rebecca died, Roxane finds a series of trips to Detroit and across the border into Windsor, Canada, major withdrawals from her checking account, and more contacts with a casino manager than a middle-aged school nurse from Toledo should reasonably have. When the investigation leads to Leila Hassan, the cunning con artist who got away in What You Want to See, Roxane is determined not to make the same mistake twice by falling for Leila's lies--except she might actually be telling the truth this time. Roxane needs to figure out the connection between Leila, a secretive church group, a women's health organization, and Rebecca's fall in the woods...before a dangerous secret gets someone else killed. My thoughts: This is the fourth book in the series featuring PI Roxane Weary. Fans of Kristen Lepionka will be delighted with this newest instalment. The mystery part was tightly-plotted and well-written. Rebecca Newsome had years of experience as a hiker. Not surprisingly, her 'accidental' fall shocks and leaves many people perplexed. Rebecca's daughter suspects her mother's death might have been due to a foul play and would like Roxane to investigate Rebecca's ex-cop/ ex-husband. As soon as Rebecca starts investigating, she discovers plenty of other people might have got a motive to wish Rebecca dead. There are endless twists and turns, but the investigation part is solid and never ventures into implausible area. The best part about the series is characters and here Kristen Lepionka never fails to deliver. Roxane herself is a fantastic protagonist - complex, flawed, and determined. If you are thinking of starting this series, it might be a good idea to start from the beginning to get a better idea of the characters' development and Roxane's private life. As in all previous istalments so far, the pace is great and the book never feels boring or too twisty to get your head around, I can only hope Kristen Lepionka continues adding to this excellent series of mysteries. Thank you to Edelweiss and Minotaur Books for the ARC provided in exchange for an honest opinion.  Synopsis:
A novel of haunting metaphysical suspense about an elderly widow whose life is upturned when she finds a cryptic note on a walk in the woods that ultimately makes her question everything about her new home. While on her normal daily walk with her dog in the forest woods, our protagonist comes across a note, handwritten and carefully pinned to the ground with a frame of stones. "Her name was Magda. Nobody will ever know who killed her. It wasn't me. Here is her dead body". Our narrator is deeply shaken; she has no idea what to make of this. She is new to area, having moved her from her longtime home after the death of her husband, and she knows very few people. And she's a little shaky even on best days. Her brooding about this note quickly grows into a full-blown obsession, and she begins to devote herself to exploring the possibilities of her conjectures about who this woman was and how she met her fate. Her suppositions begin to find echoes in the real world, and with mounting excitement and dread, the fog of mystery starts to form into a concrete and menacing shape. But as we follow her in her investigation, strange dissonances start to accrue, and our faith in her grip on reality weakens, until finally, just as she seems be facing some of the darkness in her own past with her late husband, we are forced to face the prospect that there is either a more innocent explanation for all this or a much more sinister one - one that strikes closer to home. A triumphant blend of horror, suspense, and pitch-black comedy, 'Death in Her Hands' asks us to consider how the stories we tell ourselves both guide us closer to the truth and keep us at bay from it. Once again, we are in the hands of a narrator whose unreliability is well earned, only this time the stakes have never been higher. My thoughts: Dark, atmospheric, genre-bending, Death in her Hands is one of the best books Ottessa Moshfegh has written so far. 72 year old Vesta Gul is a lonely widow who moved into an isolated cabin in woods. The only company she cherishes is that of her dog Charlie. Vesta finds a mysterious handwritten note about a murdered woman called Magda. Vesta's wild imagination spurs her into trying to solve the mystery, although there is no body and no trace of anybody who went by the name of Magda. The writing is simply superb. However hard the topic of contemplating death and reliving bitter memories is, I found the book utterly compelling. The ending was just mesmerizing- it is open to interpretation, but it will definitely make you appreciate what the author was trying to achieve in the book. Highly recommended to anybody who is interested in quirky haunting stories with unreliable narrators. Thank you to Edelweiss and Penguin Press for the ARC provided in exchange for an honest opinion.  A chance meeting with a handsome stranger turns into a whirlwind affair that gets everyone talking.
Dating is the last thing on Olivia Monroe's mind when she moves to LA to start her own law firm. But when she meets a gorgeous man at a hotel bar and they spend the entire night flirting, she discovers too late that he is none other than hotshot junior senator Max Powell. Olivia has zero interest in dating a politician, but when a cake arrives at her office with the cutest message, she can't resist--it is chocolate cake, after all. Olivia is surprised to find that Max is sweet, funny, and noble--not just some privileged white politician she assumed him to be. Because of Max's high-profile job, they start seeing each other secretly, which leads to clandestine dates and silly disguises. But when they finally go public, the intense media scrutiny means people are now digging up her rocky past and criticizing her job, even her suitability as a trophy girlfriend. Olivia knows what she has with Max is something special, but is it strong enough to survive the heat of the spotlight. (From the book blurb) My thoughts: Party of Two was such an adorable book! This is my fourth by Jasmine Guillory and by now I know I can rely on her impeccable style and ability to create strong female characters. Olivia Monroe leaves a big shot law firm in New York to start her own practice together with her friend Ellie back home in LA. Olivia is smart and hard-working, but moving across the country and starting a new life isn't easy. You need to find a house, buy a car, go to endless networking events to get new clients and so on. There is absolutely no time for dating and it is fine for Olivia at the moment. When she meets handsome Max in a hotel bar, Olivia doesn't even tell him she is a lawyer. Who needs another stupid lawyer joke? Much better kill all future questions pretending to be an accountant.After all, she isn't going to see Max ever again, so she can talk about anything she wants and that is desserts and infinite superiority of three-layered chocolate cakes. Olivia discovers later that Max is a rising political star and a junior senator. Max knows that he met someone special in Olivia, and he would like to take things slowly and build a proper relationship, but his job comes with its own challenges, not least of which is being in constant media spotlight. Can Max and Olivia's romance survive this intense pressure? I loved both protagonists. Olivia isn't perfect, she has her own doubts and insecurities, but most importantly she is a planner. She likes to check all the details and analyse all aspects before committing herself to a decision. Max, on the other hand, is quite impulsive. Opposites may attract, but making this kind of relationship work requires special attention and willingness to communicate and compromise. Another charming entertaining addition to Wedding Date series which already has numerous fans. Thank you to Edelweiss and Berkley forthe ARC provided in exchange for an honest opinion.   Title: The Dream (The Creek Water Series #4) Author: Whitney Dineen Publication date: June 21st 2020 Genres: Adult, Comedy, Contemporary, Romance Synopsis: Ashley has loved the same boy since high school. She knew Davis Frothingham was special even before he championed her at her senior prom. She also knew he was completely out of her league. Years later, her attraction for him is still there, but Davis? He doesn’t even remember her. When Ashley is tasked with being the nurse for Davis’ terminally ill grandmother, she’s thrown back into his world. More than anything, she wants him to remember her, but that recollection could come at a price of its own. Can Ashley accept that she’s good enough for Davis? And can Davis learn to love a girl from the wrong side of the tracks? Find out in this delightfully fun romcom about love and life in Creek Water, Missouri! Goodreads / Amazon  ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Whitney loves to laugh, play with her kids, bake, and eat french fries -- not always in that order. Whitney is a multi-award-winning author of romcoms, non-fiction humor, and middle reader fiction. Basically, she writes whatever the voices in her head tell her to. She lives in the beautiful Pacific Northwest with her husband, Jimmy, where they raise children, chickens, and organic vegetables. Gold Medal winner at the International Readers' Favorite Awards, 2017. Silver medal winner at the International Readers' Favorite Awards, 2015, 2016. Finalist RONE Awards, 2016. Finalist at the IRFA 2016, 2017. Finalist at the Book Excellence Awards, 2017 Finalist Top Shelf Indie Book Awards, 2017 Website / Twitter / Goodreads / Instagram / Facebook  
 Thank you to Rachel from Rachel's Random resources for my place on the book tour for this uplifting novel. Book Synopsis One Day In Summer Coming soon from #1 bestseller Shari Low, an emotional roller-coaster, that keeps you guessing... One day in summer, three lives are about to change forever. After two decades of looking after others, this is the day that Agnetha McMaster is reclaiming her life. It's her turn, her time but will she have the courage to start again? Ten years ago, Mitchell McMaster divorced Agnetha and married her best friend, Celeste. Now he suspects his second wife is having an affair. This is the day he’ll discover if karma has come back to bite him. Thanks to a DNA test, this is the day that Hope McTeer will finally meet her biological father. But will the reunion bring Hope the answers that she’s looking for? Three people. Twenty-four hours. A lifetime of secrets to unravel. Review: One Day in Summer was such an enjoyable and uplifting read! This is my first book written by Shari Low, but definitely won't be the last. Our protagonist Agnetha McMaster (yes, her Mum was a big fan of Abba, and, no, this isn't a common Scottish name) wakes up on her 45th birthday and thinks back to the last twenty something years of her life. They were full of caring after her ailing parents and full of grief after they passed away, full of looking after Agnetha's lovely twin daughters Isla and Skye, who are now fully grown-up, and full of work at her family business. Agnetha used to be a joyful, spontaneous girl who travelled, partied, fell in love and lived her life to full. Can she recapture the feeling and reclaim life she has been putting on hold for such long time? Has she truly forgiven her ex-husband Mitchell who had an affair with Agnetha's former best friend? The events of the story unfold over 24 hours and it really drives it home how many things can change over the course of one day. When I first saw the large cast of primary and secondary characters listed at the beginning I was afraid I'd find it all very confusing, but Shari Low is a master story-teller and she chose a very clear narrative structure. There are 3 POVs: Agnetha who is cautiously optimistic about the possibility of a new relationship in her life and whose birthday we all crash in, Mitchell who is having doubts about his second marriage, and Hope McTeer, a medical student who is looking for her biological parents and whose connection to McMasters we need to work out. There is present (Agnetha's birthday) and there are regular flashbacks to summer of 1997 when Agnetha and Celeste had a holiday in the USA. All characters are well-developed and likeable with one notable exception. Interaction after interaction, present or past, friend or foe, Agnetha proves to be such a lovely, thoughtful and generous soul. She made sure her daughters had a loving relationship with their father, she is a loyal and supportive friend (loved her Wednesday bereavement group- Val, Yvie, Will and all the rest), but where it really shone through was her conversation with Hope. Not surprisingly, Mitchell's story is full of realising past mistakes and regretting them. Shari Low's book, despite its lovely flow and entertaining nature, also deals with some very serious issues and marriage breakdown with its inevitable aftermath is one of them. I absolutely adored the secondary characters in this novel! Agnetha and Mitchell's daughters Isla and Skye, then Hope and her adoptive sister Maisie are so witty and so much fun! One Day in Summer touches upon serious issues: bereavement and grief, trust and betrayal, sharing custody after divorce, making new friends, adoption and looking for biological parents. Following the characters' stories will take you on a roller-coaster of emotions: love, depression, hurt, hope and joy. You will understand the reasons for their behaviour and see how they have changed over life and what they learnt from their mistakes. Hope you pick up a copy of One Day in summer and enjoy this captivating read. Thank you to the author, Boldwood Books and Rachel for letting me participate in this book tour. About the author: Shari Low is the #1 bestselling author of over 20 novels, including One Day In Winter and My One Month Marriage and a collection of parenthood memories called Because Mummy Said So. She lives near Glasgow.    I was Told It Would Get Easier is a sweet, heartwarming and extremely entertaining story of what it's like to be a teenager in the modern world and what it's like to be that teenager's mother.
Jessica Burnstein is a 45year-old high-powered lawyer and a single mum by choice. It is impossible not to love this character. Jessica is smart, witty (actually, the beginning of the book reminded me of stand-up comedy), kind, supportive, humble, and strong. She stands up for two of her female colleagues who are about to miss being made partners in her law firm on the absurd pretext that people would think it was a token gesture due to unsavoury behaviour by one of the former partners. Jessica threatens to quit unless her boss makes the board see how wrong this sexist decision would be. She has one week to consider possible consequences during a college tour trip with her sixteen year old daughter Emily. Emily is also keen to keep a low profile for a few days due to mysterious trouble at school. Jessica knows their relationship isn't as straightforward as it used to be before her sweet kid became a moody sulky teenager. However hard she tries to communicate, more often than not their conversations turn into arguments. This is a character-driven story. The plot is just based around Emily and Jessica's college tour and their interactions with other college-obsessed parents and children and meeting a few of Jessica's old friends, but the characters... I absolutely adored them. The story is told in alternating POVs and this dual mother-daughter perspective gives you a great insight into how similar their reactions to various events are and what is happening in their relationship. Jessica reflects on the fact that her job as parent seems to be almost done- Emily is about to leave the nest and start living her adult life- and how for all parents on this trip their obsession with colleges may be their last chance to protect and ensure a better future for their children. She also thinks a lot about her own parents who helped her a lot when Emily was a baby which allowed Jessica to build her professional career by doing something she loved. I would of course recommend this story to parents of teenagers or young adults who would strongly identify with the pressures and dilemmas the main characters are grappling with. The pressure to be a perfect parent whether you are a stay at home full time mum who is afraid that she hasn't taught her children to be independent because she was too available, or a working mother whose daughter is jealous of her co-workers because they get to see her more often. Or the pressure of being a teenager who has to fit in and stand out in the right way to be interesting, not weird, with perfect grades and perfect online image. All of this while trying to figure out what to do in future. I am a big fan of Abbi Waxman's sense of humour. The banter is fabulous. I really couldn't help laughing out loud. The whole book is just sweet, light-hearted and enjoyable, a perfect summer read. Thank you to Edelweiss and Berkley for the ARC provided in exchange for an honest opinion. From the Book Blurb: Squashed among a bus full of strangers, mother-daughter duo Jessica and Emily Burnstein watch their carefully mapped-out college tour devolve into a series of off-roading misadventures, from the USA Today bestselling author of The Bookish Life of Nina Hill. Jessica and Emily Burnstein have very different ideas of how this college tour should go. For Emily, it’s a preview of freedom, exploring the possibility of her new and more exciting future. Not that she’s sure she even wants to go to college, but let’s ignore that for now. And maybe the other kids on the tour will like her more than the ones at school. . . . They have to, right? For Jessica, it’s a chance to bond with the daughter she seems to have lost. They used to be so close, but then Goldfish crackers and Play-Doh were no longer enough of a draw. She isn’t even sure if Emily likes her anymore. To be honest, Jessica isn’t sure she likes herself. Together with a dozen strangers–and two familiar enemies–Jessica and Emily travel the East Coast, meeting up with family and old friends along the way. Surprises and secrets threaten their relationship and, in the end, change it forever.  Book & Author Details: Title: Summer in Bliss (A Bliss Cay Novella) Author: Freda Ann Publication date: June 5th 2020 Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance Synopsis: Mia Everly is an independent, driven woman happily married to her career. She has everything—loving parents, a brother who’s her best friend, and the perfect companion any woman could ask for…her canine pal, Hope. When her traumatic past resurfaces, rocking her to the core, Mia questions her future. Dash Stevens, a Lieutenant with the county fire department, is a widowed father to his daughter, Allie. After three long years, he’s come to terms with single fatherhood. He insists that Allie is the only girl he wants in his life. Newly-neighbored on Bliss Cay, Dash and Mia’s worlds intertwine changing their lives forever. Will Mia get the answers she so desperately needs? Will Dash’s ambitious personality push her away or is his compassionate heart exactly what she needs to help her find them? In Summer in Bliss, wit and drive meets tragedy. Can the hunky fire lieutenant help Mia face her past and put her life back together?  About the Author : Freda was born in southern New Jersey but grew up in Florida. She has loved writing her entire life. After retiring from a career in law enforcement, she knew it was time to fulfill her lifelong dream of being a published author. She's the author of The Hawaii Series, proudly named from her love of the beautiful Hawaiian Islands. It's a three-book series with all of them written as standalone books. Freda loves her large family, horses, dogs, cat, and close friends. She hosts monthly family dinners at her home in the country, which she shares with her husband. She loves baking (she owned and operated a cupcake business for years), cooking, yoga, crocheting, nature and traveling with the love of her life. What helps her write? Music makes her happy! If music doesn't give her the right motivation, she puts on a romantic movie, usually from the Hallmark Channel, which she can't get enough of! Freda speaks her mind and pushes perfection to its limit. She strives to be her best, most positive self she can be in life. With time, determination, and practice, she believes anything is possible website / instagram / facebook / pinterest / goodreads  GIVEAWAY Blitz-wide giveaway (INT)
 It all started with just one little lie. But we all know that it never ends there. Because, of course, one lie leads to another… Growing up, Jane and Marnie shared everything. They knew the other’s deep-est secrets. They wouldn’t have had it any other way. But when Marnie falls in love, things begin to change. Because Jane has a secret: she loathes Marnie’s wealthy, priggish husband. So when Marnie asks if she likes him, Jane tells her first lie. After all, even best friends keep some things to themselves. If she had been honest, then perhaps her best friend’s husband might still be alive today… For, of course, it’s not the last lie. In fact, it’s only the beginning… Seven Lies is Jane’s confession of the truth—her truth. Compelling, sophisticated, chilling, it’s a seductive, hypnotic page-turner about the tangled, toxic friendships between women, the dark underbelly of obsession and what we stand to lose in the name of love. (From the book blurb) My thoughts: Elizabeth Kay's debut novel is a compelling tale of a toxic friendship turned into an obsession. Jane and Marnie have been best friends since the age of eleven. As you can imagine how important they are for each other. When Marnie gets involved with Charles and seeks Jane's approval, Jane doesn't tell her how much she hates her boyfriend. Now Jane is confessing her deepest secrets, the complicated web she has woven with that first lie. It becomes apparent fairly quickly that Jane is an unreliable narrator or if you prefer mentally unstable psychopathic narrator. The story is dark and twisty and full of tragic circumstances. There is a lot of tension building and seemingly unnecessary 'asides' that in time become vital clues when all the details come together. Despite the slow burn, the story is compelling and whatever your feelings towards the main characters are, you will want to know who Jane is making her confession to. The ending...well, personally I found it dark and sinister. Who would I recommend this book to? Fans of dark psychological thriller who enjoyed Gone Girl and love exploring dysfunctional relationship dynamics. Thank you to Edelweiss and Pamela Dorman Books for the ARC provided in exchange for an honest opinion. |
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