Happy Birthday to Emily Harvale's Summer at my Sister's, the first book in her brand new series.
Read an update from Emily who's been busy working hard to bring this exciting project to her readers. I also have a map of the Seahorse Harbour where the stories are set and an extract from the first book. Hope you enjoy reading the post and will wish Summer at my Sister's lots of success!


Synopsis:

Summer at my Sister’s
Twin sisters. One scorching summer.
A bucketful of secrets.
Diana’s life is perfect. Her twin sister, Josie’s – not so much. 

Diana has a rich and successful husband, two talented youngsters and an adorable dog. She always looks as if she’s stepped from the cover of a magazine. Her immaculate second home by the sea, for idyllic summers with her perfect family, was actually featured in one.
 
Josie has a messy, compact flat, dates, but not relationships, and she can’t even keep a houseplant alive. She moves from job to job, goes clubbing with her friends and often looks as if she’s fallen through a hedge.
 
Although Josie loves Diana deeply, each year she declines the invitation to spend the summer with her sister. Or any other family holiday. Because Josie has a secret.
 
But is Diana’s life so perfect? Or is she also hiding something? When secrets are revealed this summer, everything will change. Josie could finally have the life she’s always wanted … if she’s brave enough to take a chance.

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An exciting update from Emily Harvale
 
I apologise if you haven’t seen me on social media very much recently but I've been exceptionally busy working on lots of exciting stuff (technical term) 😂🤩 for my new book, my website ... and a map for my new series of standalone stories set in the tiny village of Seahorse Harbour.
The map will 'go live' on July 31st, publication day for the first in the series, which is ... yep, you guessed it, Summer at my sister's. Let me explain a bit more.

Summer at my sister's was originally a standalone, but then I had an idea for a Christmas book, so it became a two-book series, with Book 2 featuring a couple of new characters and most of the characters from Summer at my sister's (with me so far?) ......
Then .... I had an idea for another completely separate story set in the same village (which I'm writing at the mo.) This one has new characters.
So now, each story in this series will be a standalone with new characters ... but as each book is set in Seahorse Harbour, you'll be able to 'see' what's going on with the characters from the previous books, because you can't help but bump into people in a tiny village, can you?

I have to say, I LOVE THIS SERIES!!!!😍🤩💖🥰 I've got so many story ideas, although I've only written 2 of the books so far, Summer at my sister's and the Christmas book, which is called .....

Wait for it......(no, that's not the title)


Christmas at Aunt Elsie's
This Christmas book will be available for pre-order from early August. 💖🤩🥰😍


Did I mention that I love this series? And yes - I'm just a little bit over-excited. I can't wait to share these fabulously feel-good stories with you. I hope you're a little bit excited too. 🤩💖 xxx

An extract from  Summer at my Sister's
This is from Chapter Three. Josie Parnell asked her taxi driver called Jonno, to drop her at The Seahorse Inn. Jonno is friends with the deliciously handsome owner, Mikkel Meloy, and they’ve just leaned into one another and slapped each other on the back. Now Mikkel turns to Josie.
 
‘Hi. I’m Mikkel. Mikkel Meloy. My friends call me Mik.’
He held out his hand to me and I eyed it nervously, unsure whether or not to take it.
‘You’re not going to pull me into a hug and slap me on the back, are you?’
His dark blond brows shot up and then he gave a roar of laughter as he shook his mane of golden blond hair.
‘I promise not to slap you on the back.’ His voice was strong and gravelly with just a slight trace of a Nordic accent. ‘And if you’d rather I didn’t hug you, I understand. But we’re very friendly people.’
‘Norwegians?’
The gorgeous smile lit up the deepest blue eyes I’ve ever seen.
‘I meant in Seahorse Harbour, but yes, I’m originally from Norway and we’re very friendly there also.’
‘I’m from London, and lately, New York. We carry pepper spray in our handbags.’
He must’ve seen I was joking because he laughed and raised both hands in the air.
‘I’ll wait until you’re ready to hug me then. Do you want a drink?’
‘No. I’d like a pound of sausages.’
A crease formed between his brows but he soon laughed again.
‘Ah. Pretty and funny. I like that in a woman.’
‘I’m off then,’ Jonno said, grinning. ‘If you decide you want a lift to your sister’s give me a call.’ He handed me a card. ‘It’s almost lunchtime so I’m popping home for a sarnie. I’ll be out and about again by the time you’ve had your wine.’
‘Thanks, Jonno, but I’ll be fine. I will give you a call if I need a taxi while I’m here though.’
He waved goodbye to me, gave Mikkel a friendly slap on the arm and was gone in a matter of seconds. Mikkel slung one of my bags on his shoulder and grabbed my cases, wheeling them into the pub.
‘They’re not mine,’ I said.
He stopped for a second, tutted and shook his head.
‘You like to play games,’ he said. ‘I like to play games too.’
From the look he was giving me I had a pretty good idea of the sort of games Mikkel Meloy liked to play. And most of them would involve getting naked, I suspected.
I coughed to clear the images popping into my head and followed him inside. The change from bright sunlight to the dark interior soothed my eyes and meant I had to remove my sunglasses. He deposited my cases right in front of the bar and was behind it in three strides. Long, well-defined, tanned legs, gorgeous-looking bottom hidden beneath khaki shorts, manly waist and a black T-shirt stretched tight across those broad shoulders, kissed at his neck by the curled tips of that golden blond hair, made me drop onto the nearest stool, feeling a little overcome.
‘Wow!’ I said out loud, not realising I had done so.
‘Like it?’ he asked, beaming at me.
For a moment I wondered how to respond and then I realised he thought I was commenting on the inside of the pub as he glanced around and held out his hands as if offering me the entire room.
I quickly took in the white-washed walls, the ropes and nets and other fishing paraphernalia hanging from the black beams and the low, white-washed ceiling. The walls bore photographs of Seahorse Harbour through the ages, some sepia, some in colour, together with paintings of the sea, seahorses, or ships. And there were several ceramic seahorses on the large window sills. I’m not sure what effect he was going for but it somehow worked.
‘Very nice,’ I said, nodding my approval.
The only things that hadn’t changed since I was last in The Seahorse Inn were the name, the black beams and the large fireplace in the far wall. I sat in front of that during a very cold October, many years ago with the man I loved and he told me his decision. A decision that would change my life.
 

 

About Emily Harvale:

Emily writes novels, novellas and short stories about friendship, family and falling in love. She loves a happy ending but knows that life doesn't always go to plan. Her stories are sure to bring a smile to your face and a warmth to your heart.

Emily loves to connect with her readers and has a readers' group in which many have become good friends. To catch up with Emily, find out about the group, or connect with her on social media, go to her website at www.emilyharvale.com.

Having lived and worked in London for several years, Emily returned to her home town of Hastings where she now writes full-time. She’s a member of the SoA, an Amazon bestseller and a Kindle All Star. When not writing, she can be found enjoying the stunning East Sussex coast and countryside, or in a wine bar with friends, discussing life, love and the latest TV shows. Chocolate cake is often eaten. She dislikes housework almost as much as she dislikes anchovies - and will do anything to avoid both. Emily has two mischievous rescue cats that like to sprawl across her keyboard, regardless of whether Emily is typing on it, or not.

Social Media Links

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Thank you to Rachel from Rachel's Random Resources for my place on this tour!
Summer is here and it is getting more and more difficult to resist reading romance, especially when it it is as light and easy-flowing as Camilla Isley's series First Comes Love.

Synopsis:

Archibald Hill is handsome, single, and he’s going to his best friend’s wedding ready to make a conquest or two. After all, everyone knows weddings are the perfect setting to get lucky.

Summer Knowles used to have a life—friends, family, a sister who’d do anything for her—until she blew it all away with a terrible mistake. Now, attending her twin’s wedding as the party’s undesirable number one seems like more than she can handle. So, when a tall stranger with smoldering ice-blue eyes offers her a therapy of seven nights of no-strings-attached fun, she might even ignore that he has a beard and accept.

Problem is, Summer has never been good at keeping sex and feelings separate.
 
Purchase Links
Amazon  /   Apple Books  /  B& N  /  Kobo  /  Google Play

My thoughts:

What do you do if you've made a horrible mistake and in one swift motion ruined your best friend's  relationship, got practically disowned by your own twin sister and lost all your social life. Your former friends can't stand the sight of you, your mother keeps asking 'Why???' and, with your sister getting married, so you have to face them all.

Summer Knowles had a secret relationship with her best friend's Lana's cheating boyfriend and broke Lana's heart. It all worked out in the end with Lana meeting somebody decent (and handsome) who loves and cares for her. Generous and kind-hearted Lana forgave Summer, but not everybody did. She has been practically hiding for months, but now she needs to pluck her courage and face the consequences. Her twin sister Winter is getting married and there is no way Summer would cause her sister further pain by not being there. One thing is clear in her mind: she needs to own her mistake and make sure that she makes better choices in future. For the time being it means staying away from men. Winter's future husband's best man Archie should be no exception. He is clearly a player and all he can offer is uncomplicated fun. Seven nights (they can pretend there is nothing going on between them during the day) and then it's over and they go their very separate ways with their hearts completely intact.

I liked the premise of telling the story of the shunned one, the one who broke one of the most fundamental rules of any friendship. Summer isn't evil. Misguided, confused, lost, ashamed, embarrassed, Summer needs to forgive herself and move on with her life. Archie is really open-minded. He is Summer's new leaf. He knows what happened, but he also sees a smart and beautiful girl who is clearly suffering. I also liked the way Winter was protective of her sister's feelings. She knows Summer better than anybody else. Despite whatever the whole world may think now, Summer's heart can be easily broken and no-strings-casual-sex is a recipe for disaster.

There is something special about hotels. they are a liminal space where anything can happen and the events can change the course of your life forever. The same can be said about weddings: they are this special liminal time that separates two very distinct (and hopefully happy) phases of  life and makes everybody look closer at their own relationships. We want to believe in love, romance, bright future and happy ever after. Having said this, the realistic (read 'grumpy and old') side of me agrees more with Winter. Some things were happening a bit too fast.

Camilla Isley has a lovely writing style and there was a lot of easy-going banter, so I really enjoyed this quick read. This is book six, but I think they can be read as standalones. Lovely characters, sizzling chemistry and attraction, fun, fun, fun. I would love to read the next book and get a glimpse of how Summer and Archie's relationship works out in future.

Thank you to Rachel and the author for the review copy provided for free. All opinions are my own and were not influenced in any way.

About the author:

Camilla is an engineer turned writer after she quit her job to follow her husband on an adventure abroad.
She’s a cat lover, coffee addict, and shoe hoarder. Besides writing, she loves reading—duh!—cooking, watching bad TV, and going to the movies—popcorn, please. She’s a bit of a foodie, nothing too serious. A keen traveler, Camilla knows mosquitoes play a role in the ecosystem, and she doesn’t want to starve all those frog princes out there, but she could really live without them.

Social media links
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Thank you for stopping by and reading the post!

Book & Author Details:

Hasty
by Julia Kent
(Do-Over Series, #4)
Publication date: July 28th 2020
Genres: Adult, Comedy, Romance

Synopsis:

AN ALL-NEW STANDALONE FROM NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR JULIA KENT
I never thought my perp walk would lead to true love.Then again, I never thought I’d be arrested on RICO charges and hauled away in zip ties on camera for the world to see, minutes after closing the most amazing deal of my career.And all of it in front of my biggest viral, billionaire wunderkind Ian McRory.

I am broke. I am disgraced. I am alone. I am a sucker.

But the worst part? I have to go back to my hometown and live in my bedroom filled with relics from my childhood.


Lisa Frank never made me so mad before.

Just when I needed a rescue, I got one — in the form of help from my biggest rival. He can’t bring back my money.  He certainly can’t bring back my reputation or my pride. But there’s one thing he can bring back to me. A sense of hope. Maybe even love.

Ian sees something in me no one else does, and he’s relentless about making me see it, too. As we grow closer, I’m starting to see that while my entire life used to be a lie, the truth is staring me in the present — and it’s a truth I like very, very much, hot eyes and gorgeous smile and all. But I have to be careful. I can’t be too --

That’s right.
Hasty.
The final book in the USA Today bestselling Do-Over Series (Fluffy, Perky, Feisty), as Mallory’s sister, Hastings “Hasty” Monahan gets her turn at a happily ever after that starts off with an arrest.
Hers.

Goodreads

Purchase:

Amazon  / B&N / iBooks   / Kobo / Google Play

 About the author:

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Julia Kent writes romantic comedy with an edge. Since 2013, she has sold more than 2 million books, with 4 New York Times bestsellers and more than 19 appearances on the USA Today bestseller list. Her books have been translated into French and German, with more titles releasing in 2020 and beyond.

From billionaires to BBWs to new adult rock stars, Julia finds a sensual, goofy joy in every contemporary romance she writes. Unlike Shannon from Shopping for a Billionaire, she did not meet her husband after dropping her phone in a men's room toilet (and he isn't a billionaire she met in a romantic comedy).

She lives in New England with her husband and three children where she is the only person in the household with the gene required to change empty toilet paper rolls.



Social Media Links:
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Synopsis:
There are two sides to every story: yours and mine, ours and theirs, His & Hers. Which means someone is always lying.

Anna Andrews finally has what she wants. Almost. She's worked hard to become the main TV presenter of the BBC's lunchtime news, putting work before friends, family, and her now ex-husband. So, when someone threatens to take her dream job away, she'll do almost anything to keep it.

When asked to cover a murder in Blackdown--the sleepy countryside village where she grew up--Anna is reluctant to go. But when the victim turns out to be one of her childhood friends, she can't leave. It soon becomes clear that Anna isn't just covering the story, she's at the heart of it.

DCI Jack Harper left London for a reason, but never thought he'd end up working in a place like Blackdown. When the body of a young woman is discovered, Jack decides not to tell anyone that he knew the victim, until he begins to realise he is a suspect in his own murder investigation.

One of them knows more than they are letting on. Someone isn't telling the truth. Alternating between Anna's and Jack's points of view, His & Hers is a fast-paced, complex, and dark puzzle that will keep listeners guessing until the very end.


My thoughts:
I really enjoyed listening to the audiobook version of His &Hers by Alice Feeney. Once I listen to the first couple of chapters, I was totally compelled by the story masterfully delivered by the narrators Richard Armitage and Stephanie Racine.
There are three points of view: Anna Andrews, a BBC presenter who has just lost her dream position of a news presenter and has to go back to being a reporter, her ex-husband DCI Jack Harper, and a distorted voice of a murderer who goes on a killing spree in a little village Annna and Jack grew up in. Anna is sent to cover the story of a female body/ possibly murder victim being discovered in the woods. Jack is the police officer investigating the case. As the events keep unfolding and bodies start piling up, we see more and more links to both Anna and Jack and their past. There seem to be plenty of clues in the chapters told from the murderer's point of view to keep the listener guessing, thinking they have it all figured out only to hear another clue in the following chapter that would seem to point in the direction of another suspect.
The two narrators did a wonderful job of rendering the emotions the characters were going through and made sure the secondary characters also sounded unique.
I would definitely recommend this audiobook to all lovers of psychological thrillers who enjoy a dark suspenseful read.

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

Synopsis:
In upstate New York, Stephanie and Patrick are adjusting to life with their colicky twin babies. The girls are a handful, but Stephanie doesn't mind being a stay-at-home mom, taking care of them while Patrick does the nine to five to pay the bills.

When a woman from Patrick's past drops in on them unexpectedly, raising questions about his late first wife, Stephanie supports her husband wholeheartedly. She knows the car accident all those many years ago was just that--an accident. But Erica is persistent, and now she's threatening to go to the police.

Patrick is afraid his job--and his reputation--will be at risk if he doesn't put an end to Erica's questioning immediately. And when the police start digging, Stephanie's trust in her husband begins to falter and Patrick is primed to lose everything he loves. As their marriage crumbles, Stephanie feels herself coming unglued, and soon she isn't sure what--or who--to believe. Now the most important thing is to protect her girls, but at what cost?

My thoughts:

Shari Lapena's new thriller focuses on an old, timeless, and unfailingly relevant question. Is it possible to really know the person you marry? or might they have different sides (faces): caring and tender because they love and adore you and your children, calculating and selfish or even worse, once you start doubting their intentions....

Stephanie and Patrick are extremely exhausted. People always underestimate how hard it is to cope with a new born baby, let alone twins. Add a never-ending colic and endless crying and you get barely functioning sleep deprived parents who are losing their mind. They don't know what is causing the colic or when it will stop or whether the industrial quantities of coffee they are consuming are helping or just making them even more tired. Patrick is a successful architect, but he's been unable to focus and give his full attention to his clients' projects, so understandably his work is suffering. Stephanie's lost all contact with her colleagues and acquantainces, apart from seeing their neighbour Hanna who has a baby of her own. It is Hanna who notices a young woman checking out properties in the area and looking curiously at Stephanie and Patrick's house. She is young and pretty, but something is off about her. Then the same woman appears in Patrick's office and interviews for a vacancy there.

And just like this Patrick's former lover Erica Voss is back in his life. Incidentally she is also Patrick's first wife Lindsey's best friend. Now Erica wants money in exchange for her silence about what happened to Lindsey. Patrick always maintained it was a tragic car accident, although Stephanie never knew the details. As he refuses to pay Erica, it is time to come clean and talk about his past with his unsuspecting second wife.

There are also two other couples who also feature in Erica's opportunistic schemes: Patrick's partner and his wife, and the couple who adopted Erica's child nine years ago and have been lovingly raising him. Erica is manipulative, greedy and ruthless. Still, is there a chance that she might be telling the truth and some people just set themselves to get blackmailed by somebody who is confident, observant, smart about human nature and motivations, and totally devoid of scruples?

What I like about Shari Lapena's novels is that they have a limited number of characters, but every single of them is shown to have their own agenda, motive and opportunity. She just keeps you guessing until the last chapter and sometimes even until the last paragraph. Nobody is entirely innocent (apart from the babies, colic isn't a crime, whatever the effects of prolonged sleep deprivation on their long-suffering parents might be), so there is a sense of urgency to solve the secrets before another disaster or another crime is committed. We don't really get the background story or an explanation why the villains behave the way they are, although we do get a glimpse into what was really happening and their cold detached feelings.

If you are a fan of domestic thrillers, this is a book for you. It is quick, tense, and dark. A perfect marriage turns into a crime scene, a friend turns into somebody who is only watching out for and trying to protect themselves, ordinary family life turns into a series of narrow escapes (did she leave that frying pan on fire or did she not?), even a much beloved childhood story takes on a very sinister meaning.

Shari Lapena is my auto-buy author and I know I can rely on her to write a compelling story with a complex plot. She knows how to tap into very common fears, exaggerate and turn them into a real page-turner. Her endings are spectacular and his one is just a point in case. It is quiet, almost too quiet after all the tension and relentless pace, but it does leave you with surprise.

Recommended? of course! It's Shari Lapena.

Thank you to Edelweiss and Pamela Dorman Books for the ARC provided in exchange for an honest opinion.

Book & Author Details:

Title: Falling for the Innkeeper
Author: Meghann Whistler
Published by: Harlequin Love Inspired
Publication date: July 21st 2020
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Synopsis:

She’s the home he never expected to find.
A battle for a charming Cape Cod inn…
But what happens when romance checks in?
Single mom Laura Lessoway won’t accept her mother’s plan of selling her late grandmother’s inn without a fight. But when big-city attorney Jonathan Masters arrives to arrange an offer from his client, she’s drawn to him. And working together as he helps with repairs only brings them closer. With his career and her home on the line, can they ever find common ground?



Goodreads

Purchase Links:
Amazon   /  B&N  / iBooks   /   Kobo

About the author:

Meghann Whistler writes sweet Christian romance novels that WON'T make your grandmother blush.

A hopeless romantic who met her husband on a blind date, Meghann recently left her marketing career to pursue her lifelong passion of writing sweet, inspirational stories that demonstrate the power of love and grace.

Before settling down with her rocket scientist husband and raising three rambunctious boys, Meghann earned a B.A. in English from Amherst College and an M.F.A. in creative writing from Emerson College.

She loves to hear from her readers, who can reach her at www.meghannwhistler.com.

instagram /  twitter  /  facebook  /  goodreads

From the book blurb:

Beth, Portia, and Eddie Morgan haven't all been together in years. And for very good reasons—we'll get to those later. But when their wealthy grandfather dies and leaves a cryptic final message in his wake, the siblings and their respective partners must come together for a cross-country road trip to fulfill his final wish and—more importantly—secure their inheritance.

But time with your family can be tough. It is for everyone.

It's even harder when you're all keeping secrets and trying to forget a memory—a missing person, an act of revenge, the man in the black truck who won't stop following your car—and especially when at least one of you is a killer and there's a body in the trunk. Just to name a few reasons.

But money is a powerful motivator. It is for everyone.

My thoughts:

'There's nothing like an old-fashioned road trip to make or break a relationship'. It might be true for all sorts of families. It is undoubtfully true for Eddie, Beth and Portia Morgan. Especially since they've done it twice.
When Eddie, Beth and Portia's rich grandfather died, he left them millions of dollars in inheritance on one condition: they have to re-create the road trip they took as a family in 1999. The story is told from the point of view of Beth, but we know from page one whatever she says or sees has to be taken with a pinch of salt. If you love an unreliable narrator, this book is definitely one for you.
Eddie and Beth are joined by their prospective spouses Krysta and Felix, so the Morgan siblings can't say much in the open. All of them have their own secrets, some of which are shared and go long way back in time.
Now they zig-zag through the states, visiting creepy sights and re-living their childhood memories until it becomes apparent they are not on their own. A black truck seems to follow their car and a song , a blast from the past, appears from seemingly nowhere and plays games with their minds.
As Beth's Mom used to say 'nothing is what it seems at first' and we know that. We get plenty of foreshadowing, and yet, twists come left, right and centre, which by the way makes it extremely hard to keep this review spoiler-free.
Needless to say, the characters are well-written and well-developed. We know what they look like, what they like to eat and what their bad habits are. The weird thing is that we know only what they let us know and there is an awful lot of things they choose to keep to themselves. Morgans' favourite childhood game was Risk and they did learn a lot about setting goals, making alliances and annihilating their enemies from that strategy game. They learnt how to risk everything and how sometimes nobody wins.
The book is wonderfully addictive. Once you go on this road trip, you want to see it through. I am often tempted to have a glimpse of the last chapter or even the just the last page. With this one, I wanted to experience the events as they unfolded and didn't want to miss a single thing. The ending? oh, it didn't disappoint, but I won't give anything away, you just have to be there and make up your own mind.
One of the most compelling and atmospheric books I've read this year, He Started it is definitely to be recommended to anybody who loves psychological thrillers with dark family secrets and doesn't mind a bit of madness on the way.

Thank you to Edelweiss and Berkley for the review copy provided in exchange for an honest opinion.

 Synopsis:

Seven days. Three families. One killer.

It was supposed to be the perfect holiday - a group of families enjoying a week together in the sun. Four women who have been best friends for as long as they can remember making the most of a luxurious villa in the south of France.

But Kate has a secret: her husband is having an affair. And a week away might just be the perfect opportunity to get the proof she needs - to catch him in the act once and for all. Because she suspects the other woman is one of her two best friends.

One of them is working against her, willing to sacrifice years of friendship to destroy her family. But which one? As Kate closes in on the truth in the stifling Mediterranean heat, she realises too late that the stakes are far higher than she ever imagined . . .

Because someone in the villa may be prepared to kill to keep their secret hidden.

My thoughts:

If you are looking for your next sumer read with a few twists and turns, look no further. The Vacation has the perfect blend of domesticity and suspense to keep you fully engaged throughout the story.

 Four friends that go back to their university days, but now have families of their own. One of the characters, Kate, finds secret messages on her husband Sean's phone and suspects he's been having an affair behind her back. Gradually, we are introduced to the other vacationers and begin to see how each of them is hiding something. If you are like me, you will suspect everybody and try to weed out the bad apple in this tight group of friends and their children. There are several POVs, a narrative device that allows the reader to see more of the inner motivations of the characters. There is a lot of masterful misdirection with the writer keeping you on the edge of your seat until the end of the book.

I really enjoyed the pace of this thriller. The chapters are long enough to add a twist or two to your understanding of the characters (all of whom are undoubtfully flawed) and the plot and short enough to never let it drag.
 Without giving you any spoilers, the ending was satisfying with the justice being served, although the lives of all characters are never going to be the same as before the French vacation.

I would definitely recommend this well-written thriller and would love to read T.M.Logan's previous and future books.

Thank you to NetGalley and St.Martin's Press for the ARC provided in exchange for an honest opinion.

Thank you to Rachel from Rachel's Random Resources for my place on this tour!

New Rules

Synopsis:

Kate Miller has it all; a glittering career, a wonderful home life and a promotion in the bag. She knows the rules for success, and nothing will stop her from getting to where she wants to be.

Ellie Stephens, on the other hand, can’t catch a break; she’s trapped in a vicious circle of dead-end jobs and red-flag relationships until she’s paired with Kate in their company’s brand-new mentoring scheme.

Ellie just can’t seem to get to grips with Kate’s ruthless recipe for success no matter how hard she tries, leaving her wondering if she’s the problem. Two new men in her life, affable-but-mysterious Freddie and Kate’s drop-dead gorgeous ex Liam try to help her muddle through and figure out how to get ahead.

Meanwhile, Kate’s perfect life is unravelling and where once everything she touched turned to gold, it’s suddenly falling apart. Her work nemesis is throwing obstacles in her way at every turn, her home life is in tatters and her first love is suddenly back in her life. Kate is more confused than ever;
is it time to break the rules?

Purchase Links

Amazon UK /  Amazon US

 My thoughts:

Kate Miller is a bit of a workaholic. She has a beautiful house, handsome husband, two wonderful children and a job where she has to prove herself every single day. Just because she is a woman. Lily Hayden perfectly captures the double standards all too familar to working women. Worrying that if you stay too long at home during your maternity leave, your clients will forget you and you will have to start winning them from the scratch. Do lots of overtime working hard to finish a project and people judge you for not being a good mother and wife.  Well, Kate is a fighter and she has a set of rules that have helped her to get on in life. Having said this, she might be losing sight of something very important - personal relationships.

Ellie Stephens is smart and creative, but perhaps a bit disorganised and lacking focus Kate has in abundance. She has an on and off-relationship with Josh who clearly doesn't respect her at all. at work, she is given a series of mindless tasks and completely overlooked otherwise.
When an important client would like to see how inclusive and socially responsible Kate and Ellie's company is, Kate and her Garth (her main competitor for an upcoming promotion) come up with a mentoring scheme for junior staff. While Garth has his pick of the brightest and most promising, Kate is stuck with Ellie.

I found both characters relatable. Yes, Kate comes across as very unlikeable and manipulative at times. Some of the things she said to Ellie and about Ellie were appalling. But then she goes through a personal crisis and realises how wrong her behaviour was. My heart was going to her when she was trying to juggle so many things and failing on all fronts, with nobody to turn to for help. Both protagonists go through a lot of development. Ellie understands she doesn't need to change herself or conform to other people's ideas to be liked or respected.

There are quite a few secondary characters (Kate's husband, Ellie's flatmates, an important client, Ellie's ex and her new love interest), but the writing is very focused and they all serve to reveal something about the protagonists and move the plot forward.

I also loved the story being set in London. One of Ellie's most important chance meetings happens on the Tube, while she is busy complaining about her train delay, praying she can still get to work on time.

The story kept my attention all way through and I found many parts of it very realistic. It is classified as chick-lit (the protagonist finds out more about herself, grows and eventually gets her Mr Right), but there are also some elements, mainly related to Kate's story, which take it beyond the classic parameters of the genre. At any rate, it is entertaining, easy to read and has a happy ending.

I really enjoyed New Rules and now will be looking forward to reading more books by Lily Hayden.

Thank you to Rachel and Lily Hayden for the review copy provided in exchange for an honest and unbiased opinion.

Author Bio

Lily Hayden writes chick lit with a kick.

Modern day women want modern day heroines and Lily's characters want sizzling romance, rewarding careers and equal partnerships, but like all of us, they face many challenges and it isn't always easy.

A mother to four children, Lily graduated with a degree in Business in her hometown in South Wales and enjoyed a successful career in Financial Services before fulfilling a lifelong ambition to write books.

Her debut novel Butterflies, a heartwarming alternative to the traditional boy-meets-girl story, was released in 2018, reaching readers all over the world and she is the author of five books, including a Young Adult Dystopian novel Project Terra under the alias SJ Woods (because who doesn't love a bit of action and defeating bad guys every now and again).

Follow Lily on social media for the latest releases, promotions and occasional photos of her dogs.

Social Media Links
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Thank you for stopping by and I hope you read and enjoy the book!
If you would like to check what other bloggers thought of 'New Rules', you can see the full tour schedule here:

Thank you to Giselle fromXpresso Book Tours for my place on this blog tour.

Guest Post by Jennifer Honeybourn:

I think most people would agree that 2020 has been a strange, unsettling year, one that, if given the opportunity, many people would “do-over” (see what I did there? 😊).
In times of stress, I’ve always relied on books to distract me from the world — and certainly, I had plenty of time to read during quarantine — but for the first time in my life, I’ve found it really difficult to concentrate. I haven’t read nearly as much as I normally would, but I have picked up a few books and I thought I would share some of my favorites, for those of you who are able to concentrate. So here, in no particular order, are some of my recent five-star book recommendations:

We Used to Be Friends – Amy Spalding. This friendship breakup story is told in an interesting way, through dual timelines, one character’s timeline moving forward and one moving backward. I don’t think there are enough stories about the heartache of growing apart from a friend.

The Life (and Medieval) Times of Kit Sweetly – Jamie Pacton. Joust like a girl! Kit is a waitress at a cheesy medieval restaurant who wants to work as a knight, against the company’s lame policy that only guys can be knights. Funny and well-written.


Maybe in Another Life – Taylor Jenkins Reid. I am a big fan of this author (Daisy Jones and the Six is also one of the best books I’ve read lately, she is an instant buy for me). This is sort of a take on the movie Sliding Doors, in which the main character Hannah has two separate storylines, each telling what could have happened if she’d made a different decision.

Big Little Lies – Liane Moriarty. Okay, I’m late to the party on this one. I did watch the series first and that is what led me to the book, which I loved. And I appreciated that the series was faithful to the story.

Lucky Caller – Emma Mills. Emma Mills is one of my favorite authors of all time and I shout about how amazing she is to everyone I know. I love all her books and her latest, about a girl taking a radio broadcasting class and working on a project with her former friend/secret crush, is so great.

Book details:

Title: The Do-Over
Author: Jennifer Honeybourn
Published by: Swoon Reads
Publication date: July 14th 2020
Genres: Contemporary, Romance, Young Adult

Synopsis:

In The Do-Over, a teenage girl gets the chance to redo her past in this smart and charming YA novel by the author of When Life Gives You Demons, Jennifer Honeybourn.
Emelia has always wanted to fit in with the A crowd. So, when Ben, the hottest guy in school, asks her out, she chooses him over Alistair, her best friend—even after he confesses his feelings to her.
Six months later, Emilia wonders how her life would have been different if she’d chosen Alistair instead. Haunted by her mistake, she finds a magical solution that promises to rectify the past. As a result, everything in her life is different.
Different, but not better.
What happens if her second chance is her only chance to make things right?


Goodreads:

Purchase:
Amazon /   B&N   /   iBooks   /  Kobo

AUTHOR BIO:
Jennifer Honeybourn works in corporate communications in Vancouver, British Columbia. She’s a fan of British accents, Broadway musicals, and epic, happily-ever-after love stories. If she could have dinner with anyone, dead or alive, she’d have high tea with Walt Disney, JK Rowling, and her nana. She lives with her husband, daughter and cat in a house filled with books. Wesley James Ruined My Life is her first novel.


Author links:

website  /  goodreads  /  facebook  /  twitter /  instagram 

Thank you to Jennifer for her guest post! I hope you enjoyed reading about her book favourites this year and will get a copy of her wonderful novel!