#Book Review #When Sparks Fly by Helena Hunting #Contemporary Romance @St.Martin's Griffin20/9/2021
Synopsis: Running the Spark House, a hotel/event space that has been in her family for years, has been Avery Spark’s lifelong dream. After years of working hard and making personal sacrifices, Avery and her two younger sisters have turned the Spark House into the premier destination in Colorado Springs. Avery is living her best life—she works with her sisters and loves every minute of it, she has a great group of friends, and she lives in a fantastic condo with her best friend Declan. She might not have any love in her life, but she's happy. But everything comes to a screeching halt when Avery is in a car accident, leaving her immobile for weeks. After nearly losing Avery, Declan insists that he will be the one to take care of her while she recovers. However, as Declan becomes Avery’s caretaker, lines begin to blur. Avery and Declan have been best friends since college and always had an attraction to one another, but when she ended up dating his best friend, Sam, they successfully stamped down any feelings they may have ever had for one another. Now, as Declan and Avery spend more time together, they each begin to wonder what would’ve happened if she'd dated him instead of Sam. What starts as a friend helping out another friend turns into foreplay and, before they realize it, they recognize how deeply they care for one another. But when things get serious their past threatens to destroy everything they have built. Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin Publication Date: September 21, 2021 ISBN 9781250624703, 1250624703 My thoughts: Friends/Best friends-to-lovers is one of my favourite tropes, but I do appreciate it isn't easy to do it well. You have to show the emotional connection and the development of the relationship. Helena Hunting does a great job of doing this as well as creating likeable characters and an entertaining storyline. Avery Spark lost her parents in a car accident when she and her sisters London and Harley were teenagers. Now all three of them run Spark House (a hotel/an events centre) together. They have a very close relationship and complement each other. Avery enjoys organising events and dealing with customer relations and tries to expand the business by bringing in new contracts. She is on her way to a business meeting at her former university when she gets into a bad car accident. Her best friend/roommate Declan was supposed to be with her driving his SUV to the meeting (Avery's car wasn't suitable for the weather conditions), but he really messed up. Feeling guilty for what happened and eager to earn Avery's forgiveness, he promises to take care of Avery and all her needs. There is a good reason why these two are best friends-they really understand each other and care. There's also a good reason why neither of them has had a serious romantic relationship for a long time.Avery had her heart broken by Declan's friend and is happier spending her time at work or doing sports rather than dating, and Declan... Declan has a lot of emotional baggage. If you like the trope of close proximity, you can guess that sparks will fly (and bring in lots of heat), but will Avery and Declan find it easy to navigate the new dynamics of their relationship? The book is told from two alternating perspectives -Avery's and Declan's, so we get a pretty good insight into their feelings. I really liked Avery and her sisters. It was interesting to read about the way they ran the business together dividing roles according to their strengths and how they all had to pull their weight to make sure the company stayed successful. They had very different personalities, but it was clear that they cared for each other. Avery also has a very supportive group of friends. There is clearly a potential for a series-hooray! I love a good catch-up to see what happens after the HEA . Overall, I enjoyed the story and the characters. If you are a fan of Helena Hunting's writing style, you know her books are very easy to read and have an addictive quality. Looking forward to reading London and Harley's stories! Thank you to NetGalley and St.Martin's Press for the review copy, provided in exchange for an honest opinion. New York Times and USA Today bestselling author HELENA HUNTING lives outside of Toronto with her amazing family and her two awesome cats, who think the best place to sleep is her keyboard. She writes all things romance -- contemporary, romantic comedy, sports and angsty new adult. Helena loves to bake cupcakes, has been known to listen to a song on repeat 1512 times while writing a book, and if she has to be away from her family, prefers to be in warm weather with her friends.
A Man Called Ove meets The Good Place in this delightful new queer love story from TJ Klune, author of the New York Times and USA Today bestseller The House in the Cerulean Sea. Welcome to Charon's Crossing. The tea is hot, the scones are fresh, and the dead are just passing through. When a reaper comes to collect Wallace from his own funeral, Wallace begins to suspect he might be dead. And when Hugo, the owner of a peculiar tea shop, promises to help him cross over, Wallace decides he’s definitely dead. But even in death he’s not ready to abandon the life he barely lived, so when Wallace is given one week to cross over, he sets about living a lifetime in seven days. Hilarious, haunting, and kind, Under the Whispering Door is an uplifting story about a life spent at the office and a death spent building a home. My thoughts: Heartwarming...I know this word has become a commonplace in commercial fiction reviews, but never have I felt this description has been more accurate. If you loved The House at the Cerulean Sea, don't worry-T.J.Klune's trademark writing style is as beautiful as ever. If this is your first book by this amazing author, welcome to this world of quirky characters, original storylines, tender moments, drama and optimism. This time T.J.Klune tackles the topic that rarely gets discussed, although it is the only certainty in our lives- we are all born and we all die, and sooner or later we all have to face this inevitaility and come to terms with it. Well, the protagonist of the book Wallace Price may have a bit of a problem accepting the fact that he died of a heart attack in his office at the ripe age of forty. His funeral is a sad,but eye-opening affaire with only four colleagues and a bitter ex-wife in attendance. Then a Reaper appears and takes him to a waystation between Life and Death, a quaint tea-shop run by the Ferryman Hugo,the Reaper Mei, Hugo's dead grandfather and Hugo's dog. The purpose is to make sure Wallace has enough time to get ready to move on to the next stage, and he is the only one who decides when he is. This is a beautiful story of second chances, even in the most hopeless situation ever,and Wallace does get his chance to change from a heartless corporate lawyer who doesn't take no for an answer into a much better person. When Yesha (check out her review on http://booksteacupreviews.com ) and I started our buddy read we both expected the story to be more solemn. Not that there aren't any poignant or even heart-breaking moments- T.J.Klune doesn't shy away from more difficult aspects- violent death, death of a child from a terminal disease, death by suicide...Yet, there is also kindness and humour and lots of tea...Which is unique for every person who comes to the Charon's Crossing Tea shop, which is a great reminder that like everybody's life and what we make of it is different, everyone's death is different too. The supporting characters are absolutely wonderful. Hugo, the Ferryman, is the embodiment of empathy and love. He carries the weight of his mistakes on his shoulders, because in a way he is the last frontier of humanity in this setting. His mistakes are all about finding a delicate balance of showing your love and care and letting the other person exercise their free will, trusting them to do what is the best. The Reaper Mei, the one with the best hugs in the world, knows too well what it's like not to be accepted because you're different. Nelson, apart from being deliciously mischievious, throws light on the issue of being there for the person when and until they need you and then letting go when they truly get on their feet. All of the characters in the book help each other to correct their mistakes,to heal, to become stronger, to find love or peace of mind. This is a love story in a way, although romance is of a slow-burn kind- where there is life, there is love, and this is T.J.Klune's unique point of view on afterlife. The romance gradually, slowly develops, and it's impossible not to wish well to this adorable couple. The Manager and the ending have surprised me...I thought I knew where the story was going and then there was a twist (should have expected given what we were told about Wallace's character) and things have taken a new, hopeful turn. I loved this beautiful and unpredictable book and cannot recommend it highly enough. Heartfelt, original, philosophical at times, humorous at other times, Under the Whispering Door is one of the best books I've read this year. TJ KLUNE is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling, Lambda Literary Award-winning author of The House in the Cerulean Sea, The Extraordinaries, and more. Being queer himself, Klune believes it's important—now more than ever—to have accurate, positive queer representation in stories.
#Book Review of Saved by the Spell (House of Magic#2) by Susanna Shore @Crimson House Books19/9/2021
Synopsis: Magic and I hadn’t exactly had a good start, but thanks to a spell that made me repulsive to men, I was seriously considering becoming a witch hunter. A chance encounter with a charming stranger makes Phoebe dream of a happily-ever-after, until she learns that there’s a spell on her that makes her repulsive to men. Luckily her boss, Archibald Kane, and her new landladies are experts on magic. Only this one seems to confound them all. Who has spelled her and why? Is it a challenge on Kane’s leadership of the mages? Or is there a more sinister game afoot? Phoebe doesn’t mind the space men give her in the tube, but her cousin’s engagement party is coming up. How is she to celebrate, if she makes half the guests nauseous? And how is she to charm the man of her dreams when she suspects he’s part of the problem? It might take the Archmage to break the spell—if only they could find him. A spell may be needed to save them both. Publisher: Crimson House Books Publication Date: August 15th 2021 Amazon UK / Amazon US My thoughts: Saved by the Spell is the second book in Susanna Shore's new series of paranormal cozy myteries set in London. Earlier this year I reviewed the first book Hexing the Ex (this has got to be one of the most popular titles in the genre-hmm, I wonder what it says about the human nature...). We got introduced to the protagonist, Phoebe Thorpe, a recent graduate in History of arts who is working in an antiques shop. When her hapless flatmate floods their tiny flat, they get evicted and Phoebe has to look for a new place, which miraculously she finds on the same day. Even more miraculously, despite its premium location, this room to let above 'a magic shop' is something Phoebe can afford. Stranger things happened, you can say, but surely not in Central London...The landladies are very sweet, meals are included in the rent (you see what I mean?) and the flatmates all seem very friendly. Of course, our naive Phoebe has no idea she is about to enter the world of witches/mages/dangerous warlocks, vampires and werewolves- well, all the usual suspects are there, plus a hellhound or two. I don't want to give away the mystery at the heart of Book 1 in case you want to start from the beginning of the series, but Phoebe does find out that somebody very close to her isn't exactly what she thought they were and although there's no romance as such in the book, there is plenty of potential for it. I enjoyed reading Book 2 even more than the first one. Just when Phoebe starts thinking she might have had her own very special 'meet cute', she discovers a strange thing- she has become extremely repulsive to all men. This magic spell is making her work quite difficult - not only with clients of the antique shop, but also with her boss Archibald Kane. Convenient as it is for giving her extraodinaty amounts of physical space during her morning commute in public transport, the spell, which as it turns out is usually cast by super-protective magical fathers (and a few jealous husbands as well), has to be broken. It soon becomes clear that the mystery goes beyond the romantic life (or lack of it) of one non-magical human, and what is at stake is a political leadership of London magical community. Light, uncomplicated, clean, Saved by the Spell is great for anyone who loves paranormal mysteries and is looking for a quick read. Can't wait for the next story in the series! Thank you to NetGalley and Crimson House Books for the review copy provided in exchange for an honest opinion. About the Author:
Susanna Shore is an independent author of more than twenty books. She writes the Two-Natured London paranormal romance series, P.I. Tracy Hayes series of light mysteries set in Brooklyn, and House of Magic paranormal mystery series. She is also an author of some contemporary romances and thrillers. You can find her on Twitter @SusannaShore and more about her books on her webpage susannashore.com, where you can also find short stories and a sign-up page to her newsletter. Synopsis: I didn’t expect to be evicted the first thing I returned from my holiday, but thanks to my roommate Nick, that’s what I was facing. It’s not exactly easy to find a new place to live in London, so when Phoebe Thorpe spots a room-to-let sign at the window of a magic shop, she doesn’t hesitate. The room is perfect, even if chores are part of the rent. There is only one thing odd about her new landladies. They seem to believe magic exists. Phoebe doesn’t believe in magic, but unfortunately magic believes in her. A mysterious statuette is sent to her boss, Archibald Kane, and she accidentally triggers a curse meant for him. Naturally, the first person she curses is her ex-boyfriend. But why would anyone want to curse her boss, a perfectly ordinary antiques dealer? Or is he? Phoebe sets out to break the curse with the help of her new housemates. But it isn’t easy trying to solve a mystery she doesn’t even believe is real. Then again, that hellhound chasing her seemed pretty solid… Maybe there’s more to magic than hexing one’s ex. This is the first book in House of Magic, a new series by Susanna Shore blending mystery and magic, with a resourceful heroine and plenty of action. Publisher: Crimson House Books Publication Date: June 6th 2021 My thoughts: I love paranormal and this is the season to celebrate this love! Hexing the Ex is the first book in Susanna Shore's new series of paranormal cozy mysteries set in London. The protagonist of the book Phoebe Thorpe needs a new place to live- all thanks to her rather irresponsible flatmate. Only it isn't so easy to find one in Central London if you have to rely on your salary of a shop assistant. Phoebe has a degree in History of Arts and loves her job in an antiques shop, but she can't afford anything too fancy. When she sees a notice about a room to let in a magic shop, she jumps at the chance. The landladies are very sweet, the meals are included and the flatmates seem nice. Then she happens to touch 'a cursed' statuette delivered to her boss Archibald Kane and her life becomes very interesting- just like she wished her ex's would be! This was a really quick and enjoyable read. There are all the usual suspects- witches /mages/warlocks- good and bad, vampires, werewolves, and even a hellhound. Phoebe comes across as a bit naive, but charming and determined to act when the need arises. Loved her landladies, especially motherly Giselle, the firefighter Ashley and cheeky computer geek Luca. The mystery that appeared to be very simple at the beginning had a few twists and turned out to be more complex than I'd thought. There's a bit of romantic tension, but since this is book one, I guess we'll have to wait until later in the series. An easy and relaxing read you can get through in a couple hours to help you unwind after a stressful day. Looking forward to the next book! Thank you to NetGalley and Crimson House Books for the review copy provided in exchange for an honest opinion. About the author:
Susanna Shore is an independent author of more than twenty books. She writes the Two-Natured London paranormal romance series, P.I. Tracy Hayes series of light mysteries set in Brooklyn, and House of Magic paranormal mystery series. She is also an author of some contemporary romances and thrillers. You can find her on Twitter @SusannaShore and more about her books on her webpage susannashore.com, where you can also find short stories and a sign-up page to her newsletter. Synopsis
If the Mafia Don finds out her secret, nothing can save her. Have you ever played that game where you must choose between impossible, unthinkable scenarios? Imagine that is your reality. It’s Mia’s wedding day, but she is in love with another man. Can she keep up the farce for a lifetime? Or will the day come when all is revealed, and she must make a deadly choice. Both men are in line to take over their respective families as Dons. Alberto and Gino want Mia as their own. The rivalry is real. Mia has no control over her destiny. Her true love is in danger if she gives in to her desire for him. After graduation, she chooses to marry the other to please her father and save her man. That choice puts her own life at risk. Find out what happens when your life is not your own. And death is the price you pay for the disrespect. Full Disclosure: This story ends in a cliffhanger tied up in a sweet little bow at the end of The Connected Series. See how it all ends up for Mia and download today! Beneath the Destiny Stone
Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo -- **10% of book sale profits and 100% book merchandise profits go to The Three Penny Project, Sarah’s charity working to plant food-bearing, perennial plants throughout Toledo! -- EXCERPT: My granda once met the devil himself. At least, that was the story he was telling his friends. They sat at their usual corner table of the Caledonia Club—Old John, William, Robert, and Granda. Above them, an olive-green lamp illuminated a haze of cigar smoke and dust motes. A Scottish flag hung behind their heads, and on a pedestal in the corner sat a bust of Robert Burns, there to remind them what becomes of the best laid schemes o’ mice an’ men. His voice carried across the club to my spot behind the bar, and I smiled to myself. Of all Granda’s stories, I loved this one most. “There I was, storming the shores of Normandy, gunfire blazing on all sides.” He paused for dramatic effect. “But it wasna the bullets I feared. Nay. It was the man standing before me with fire in his eyes.” He stared each of his friends in the eye. “Auld Clootie.” Jones, the Caledonia Club’s shift manager and sometimes cook, laughed beside me as he counted out cash for the till. “What the fuck is a clootie?” I gave the bar a final wipe and tossed the rag into sanitizing solution. “It’s a Scottish thing. They don’t like to say devil, so they’ve got a bunch of nicknames for him.” Jones smirked. “You sure they’re not talking about their Depends? I bet John’s wearing an old clootie right now.” I laughed despite myself. “Don’t start. It’s already bad enough I have to deal with that lot.” As if to punctuate my point, William knocked over his drink, and the rest of the table hooted and hollered. Jones jotted down the register balance in an old-fashioned paper ledger and bumped the drawer closed with his hip. He raised an eyebrow. “You sure you want to do this now?” I glanced at the old men and sighed. “Better now than after they’ve cashed that bottle of Glen Livet.” He put a hand to my shoulder. “I have complete and utter faith in you. You’ve got this!” He yanked his phone from his pocket. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m just going to check out some job sites for completely unrelated reasons…” I flicked him in the forehead and snickered. “Dick.” He handed me the ledger, and I headed from the bar to join the old men. “…so, I shot off his horns and shamed him back to hell,” Granda finished with a grin. The old men laughed and nodded in approval. “It takes bigger stones than Auld Clootie’s to take on a Highlander,” said Old John. “Aye. Aye. True enough.” William nodded. I pulled a chair from a neighboring table and squeezed in next to Granda. He flashed me a wide grin. “Ah, Fiona, love. I was just tellin’ the lads about the time—” I gave him a quick peck on the forehead. “I heard you, Granda.” He patted my cheek. “Such a bonnie lass.” He beamed at his friends. “Isna my granddaughter the bonniest lass ye’ve ever seen?” Robert raised his glass in salute. “Stunning.” William winked. “Like a young Audrey Hepburn.” I rolled my eyes. Sure, I looked exactly like Audrey Hepburn, except for my face full of freckles and head full of curls. I supposed we were both brunettes, though, so there was that. “Oi, Poof.” Old John waved an empty whisky bottle at Jones. “We need another.” I grimaced at John’s words snatched the bottle from his hand. “What did I tell you?” His brows crinkled. “What? I just said—” I glared down the bridge of my nose at him. “Do I have to call your wife and make her come get your old homophobic ass?” Jones sauntered to the table with a fresh bottle. “It’s all right. We all know why he likes to suck on them cigars all day.” He winked at Old John and set the bottle in front of him. Everybody burst out laughing, except for Old John who flushed purple. I slid the ledger in front of Granda. He held it at arm’s length and squinted at the numbers. “What am I lookin’ at?” I gnawed on my cheek. “We didn’t break even this month.” He gave a half-hearted shrug. “Aye, well…business’ll pick up.” I took a deep breath. “No, it won’t. We have three customers, and they’re all at this table.” William lit a cigar. “Aye, but Robert drinks as much as five men.” “Used to say the same o’ your mum,” Robert shot back, and the old men cackled. I looked Granda in the eye. “We need to bring in a younger crowd.” “How should we do that? Turn the place into a disco?” Granda gestured around the empty bar. “Bring in a few go-go dancers?” The old men laughed. I narrowed my eyes. “Be serious.”
GIVEAWAY! Monster Hunter for Hire: Super Beast
-- Grab the first story of this series, -- EXCERPT: “Someone in your pack is rabid?” Henry asks, his face and Amos’s both equally horrified. “Yes,” I answer for Calvin when he turns away to wipe his damp face with the collar of his tee. “Is the pack going to put him down?” Amos questions Calvin, who shakes his head. “Why the hell not?” he grumbles. “We voted on it, and almost everyone said no, to leave it up to someone else. Right or wrong, whoever ends his life will be shunned in the pack by the rest of the wolves. They may as well put the gun to their head when it’s over!” Henry is already shaking his head when he gets to his feet. “No, Lena!” I take a step back as he comes closer. Frowning after I retreated from him, he stops advancing. “You have to let someone else go after the wolf!” “I didn’t take the job,” I assure him. “His parents came to me tonight. They want me to track him down so they can see if the vaccine is working.” “Nothing will save him now, not even a vaccine,” Amos says gravely. “Sorry, Calvin, but a quick death is the best the wolves can hope for now. That’s the only option before he infects other shifters and starts killing humans.” “You’re sure?” I ask him. “Yes!” Henry and Amos both adamantly agree. “Well, who is going to be able to handle taking on something like this?” I ask the shifters. “The police sure as hell can’t.” “I honestly don’t know,” Henry replies, hands on his hips in thought, drawing my attention to the scratches again. “Maybe I can talk to my dad about getting a bounty hunter from out of town to come in and track him. It’ll need to be a sniper, though, someone who doesn’t have to get close to kill him.” I wince as I glance over at the still-pale Calvin, who walks out of the locker room without another word. “You guys could be a little more sympathetic around him,” I tell the alphas as I start to back away. “What if it was someone in your pride, Henry, or your sleuth, Amos?” “Sorry, Helena,” Amos mutters. “Yeah, I’m sorry too, Lena,” Henry agrees. “But this isn’t your problem. The shifters will handle it. A rabid wolf would tear you into pieces, sweetheart.”
GIVEAWAY! #Book Blitz #Time-Lapse (Moments, Book1) by JB Heller#Contemporary Romance @Xpresso Book Tours17/9/2021
Time-Lapse
-- EXCERPT: The uncertainty in Eliza’s gaze made me feel like a fucking asshole. I’d done that. I’d dimmed the sparkle in her eyes that was there this morning as she sang into her hairbrush. I had to fix it, and I had to keep my distance. But I didn’t know how to do both. I’d grinned and sent her a wink, and thanked God when her smile emerged. Her real smile. Seeing it lifted the weight that had settled on my shoulders the moment I realized I had to keep a distance between us. I want her—there’s no doubt about that in my mind. But I also know if I let myself get too much closer, it will only make it that much harder for me to leave. If anyone had asked me a few weeks ago if anything could keep me here, I’d have said hell no. But I’m beginning to doubt that. And I can’t. This has always been my plan, I can’t deviate now. No matter how much she makes me want to. I’m walking down the embankment to my tree when something shoves into my back, making me stumble forward and almost lose my footing. I swing around, ready to give the person a piece of my mind, but I come face-to-face with a head of messy brown waves. My fingers instantly itch to push her hair away from her pretty face. A coy smile lifts her lips. “Oh my God, I’m so sorry! I tripped over my own feet.” I haven’t got a clue what she’s doing, but I play along. “Yeah, well, watch it next time,” I smirk. Her eyes sparkle with mischief. “Trust me, I wouldn’t touch you by choice.” My brows jump, and I close in on her. “Oh, really?” I watch her chest rise and fall with her excited breaths. “You should be so lucky.” Eliza licks her lips quickly. “Oh, honey, you actually think a girl like me would be lucky to have you? That’s cute.” I narrow my eyes on her. “Any girl would be lucky to get with me. If only you knew what I could do to you. To that prim-and-proper exterior you parade around with.” I step so close our chests are nearly touching. I drop my mouth and whisper in her ear, “I’d love to mess up that queen bee persona you’ve got going on, but you couldn’t handle me, princess.” Then I leave her standing there, glaring, panting, and looking so damn hot I want to drag her back to her car so I can fuck that look right off her face. She is clearly turned on right now, and knowing that I got her so worked up with nothing but my words … I shake my head and blow out a big breath, I’m in so much fucking trouble with this girl.
GIVEAWAY! Synopsis: An uplifting and feel-good read perfect for fans of Mhairi McFarlane and Beth O’Leary! ‘A heart-warming, life-affirming gem . . . full of wry humour’ Pernille Hughes Palliative care doctor, Tess Carter, is no starry-eyed heroine. After all, if your dad left without a backward glance and you found your last boyfriend in bed with another guy, you wouldn’t believe in romance either. And the voices in Tess’s head – you know, the ones that tell you you’re not good enough, not pretty enough, not clever enough – well, these voices are very loud. Very loud indeed. Especially when the disagreeable son of one of her patients starts challenging her every decision. Edward Russell might have a big job and a posh voice, but Tess is determined not to let him get to her, especially if she can get her inner monologue to stop with the endless self-sabotage. And Edward, it turns out, may be less of a prat than he first appears… In the real world, where gentlemanlike manners and out-of-the-blue declarations of love are a story-book fantasy, it’s up to Tess to decide whose voice to listen to … and how to make her own heard. TW: Cancer, death of a loved one, detailed scenes during hospice care My thoughts: One of those books that is very difficult to classify in terms of its genre. Romance?-the title would make you think so, but there's so much more going on in the book. Rom-com? If you've read the blurb and the list of Trigger Warnings, you know Tess is doing her Palliative Care placement in a hospice, and this is probably the last place where you would expect a romcom to be set. Women's fiction? the protagonist of the book Dr Tess Carter is still finishing her medical training before she can start working as a GP, so she has less life experience than what we usually expect from the main characters in women's fiction. Chick-lit? there are some features- Tess is suffering from self-esteem issues following her boyfriend's betrayal. She also needs to silence her inner saboteur, an imaginary daytime TV presenter, who takes a great pleasure in attacking every step Tess makes. On the bright side, Tess is constantly defended by another imaginary figure-Miss Jane Austen herself! Tess has a wonderful best friend/flatmate Kath, a chubby ginger cat Morris, a very supportive mum and brother, and a job she loves. She just needs to figure out what to do with her love interest Edward who vanished from her life five years ago and now suddenly re-appeared - this time as an angry, mistrustful son of one of her patients. I decided to leave aside all of my expectations and genre stereotypes and just went with the flow of the story. It turned out to be very engaging book which touches on a variety of real-life topics ranging from absent fathers, eating disorders, double standards in raising boys and girls to general avoidance of talking about death, the only certainty in our lives. I was surprised how many of them hit close to home! What I liked the most about this book were the more serious parts- Tess's work with her patients, Dr Fielding's talk with Tess's patient and her family, the general atmosphere of calm, support and mutual respect. Favourite supporting character? Mary Russell, Tess's patient and Edward's mother. I also liked seeing Tess grow into herself. If you find the TV host's voice unbearably irritating, you will appreciate how he gradually fades out as the book progresses. I didn't like some of the things Tess did- I can understand her feelings, though, and her desire to re-affirm life. I think it was important to raise the thought-provoking issues of trust, vulnerability, professional distance, boundaries and the emotional toll this job takes and make the readers react in the most visceral way. I would have prefered a different kind of ending (although Kath's reaction to seeing Edward was priceless), a less uplifting, but more realistic one? I'm probably going to be in minority :-) Overall, I'm glad I picked up this book. It wasn't exactly light-hearted, but it was engaging and I would love to read the next book Nancy Peach writes. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher (Harper Collins UK, OneMore Chapter) for the review copy, provided in exchange for an honest opinion. About the author: Nancy is a writer of commercial women’s fiction, a mother of three and an owner of various ridiculous looking pets including a dog who unexpectedly grew to be the size of a small horse. She is also a practicing doctor working for both the NHS and a national cancer charity. Over the years her medical job has provided her with an insight into many aspects of human behaviour, across all walks of life, and she is endlessly fascinated by the people she meets. She has always loved to write and finds the process incredibly therapeutic as well as being a welcome diversion from some of the less glamourous aspects of her other roles. Being a medical doctor, her sense of humour is already quite dark; she prides herself on being able to find comedy in challenging scenarios and has found this to be an essential skill in both her domestic and working life. Love and laughter are the best of medicines and she tries to channel as much of them as possible into her blogs www.mumhasdementia.com and www.nancy-peach.com as well as her books – casting a wry and discerning eye over the human condition and tackling heavyweight issues with a light comedic touch. Nancy’s work has been longlisted for the Comedy Women in Print Prize and shortlisted for a Harper Collins / Gransnet competition. She is a member of the Romantic Novelists Association and is represented by Tanera Simons at Darley Anderson Literary Agency. Her debut novel Love Life is published by One More Chapter at Harper Collins. Website: https://nancy-peach.com/ Facebook: Nancy Peach Writer Twitter: @Mumhasdementia Instagram: @nancy.peach Demon Huntress: Love Me To Hell And Back
-- EXCERPT: (Maeve) “According to an ancient scroll discovered a few hundred years ago, there will come a human with god-like powers— an Eda.” I yawned. “Excuse me,” I muttered. “How does a human become an Eda?” “We only know what the scroll tells us, and according to the scroll, when the sacrifice is made, the Eda is born.” He paused a moment and stared at me, seemingly deep in thought. Finally, slowly shaking his head, he spoke again. “This world is full of mysteries.” Leaning back, I crossed my arms over my chest. “What were you thinking?” “When?” “Just now.” “I only hope this prophesied Eda is good. If you give a human ‘God-like’ powers,” he shook his head, “Well, let’s just say, I’ve never met a man who used power for good.” I scoffed at him. “What makes you think it’ll be a man?” He laughed as if what I had said was a joke. It was far from a joke. “Because women are too selfish to sacrifice themselves for someone else.” I heard the pure distrust he had for women in each word he spoke. It made my heart hurt. We stayed quiet, staring at each other. I moved my eyes over his face. His eyes were sad, his lips turned down, and his jaw muscles were tense. “Maybe you’re right,” I said. Ezra lowered his brows, looking at me curiously. “But I’m pretty sure you’re wrong.” Ezra folded his arms over his chest. “You disagree?” I shrugged my shoulders. “I don’t know, Ezra. I have faith in mankind. After all, you and I are going to Hell without greedy intentions.” He made a steeple with his hands and touched his lips. I tilted my head, unsure again what he was thinking. “Are you sure about that?” he asked. I shifted in my seat, unsure where this conversation was going. “What do you mean?” He leaned forward, and a few gold strands fell over his strong cheekbones. “I sense a bit of regret in you.” I jerked my head back as I was caught off guard. I didn’t think he’d say that. “Regret?” “You’re going to Hell to save a friend.” I nodded. “Or are you going to Hell to ease your guilt?” I narrowed my eyes, glaring at him. Yup, I totally wasn’t expecting that. “And what guilt do I have, Ezra?” His lips turned up into a cocky smile. “You tell me.” Was he right? Sure, I regret not listening to Emerich when he said not to go on this last hunt, but who would go to Hell just to ease their guilt? That’s a bit excessive. But I do believe someone would go to Hell to save a friend. Right? I held up a hand to ward off the truth behind his words. “You don’t know me, Ezra. Not well enough to judge me like that, anyway.” “You’re a strong fighter and damned skilled at throwing knives, but that isn’t enough to survive Hell.” What was he saying? I’m a trained jinn hunter. “I fear you’re weak here.” He pointed to his right temple. “That can make you weak here.” He brought his finger to his heart. I stood up and pushed a pile of boxes at him. “If I’m so damn weak, then find someone else.” I was tired of everybody pointing at my weakness, telling me to hold back. Damn it. I need people to point out my strengths! He caught the boxes before they slid off the table. Then, lightning-fast, he was on his feet and in front of me. I formed fists and turned my head away from his prying eyes. I was breathing heavily, my chest rising and falling to the fast rhythm of my heartbeat. Ezra was close— too close. He had a clean, dangerous scent. I felt my knees tremble as his body heat seeped into me, and when he placed his finger under my chin, the shared heat and sensation thrilled me. He gently turned my head, but I kept my eyes down. “Maeve,” he whispered, getting me to look at him. I allowed my eyes to wander, taking in his beauty. His sheer maleness overwhelmed me, and every instinct I had said he was different. I couldn’t put my finger on it. Still, there was something about him that was…. contrasting. I couldn’t quite figure him out. It was a feeling of lust mixed with a feeling of fear. Like a jinn, he was beautiful yet scary. There was something dangerous simmering under his cool façade. I wasn’t sure what it was, but I was captivated by that mysterious side of him. His eyes penetrated mine as if he were seeing into my soul. “I don’t want someone else,” he said.
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