 From the blurb: From the author of The Orphan Witch and The Lost Witch comes a new tale about a witch, a book of magic and a beguiling and powerful creature whom she must free, even if it puts her life and soul at stake. Aline Weir, a witch who can talk to ghosts, has kept her talents hidden ever since a disastrous middle school slumber party, choosing to be invisible and use her powers in secret to help lost souls reunite with the keys to send them home. All the while, she finds solace in a bookstore and the three mysterious women who run it… until Aline discovers the book of Mischief, and her powers are enhanced. Living a solitary life until the age of thirty, Aline’s life takes an unexpected turn when the wrong (or perhaps right) person witnesses her using her powers and she is invited to a town that doesn’t exist on any map. Arriving in Matchstick, Aline learns of a lost magic that desperately needs to be found and only her unique powers can do it. But what she’s not told is that Magic is a person. One that is dangerous and seductive and has been waiting for a witch with a power like hers for centuries. Publication Date: September 26, 2023 Publisher:St. Martin's Griffin Purchase Link  My thoughts: What a sweet and charming story! I loved everything about this book straight from the beginning of the story- a young girl who is desperately trying to fit in with her classmates, her selfish, oblivious parents who simply don't see her, three sisters bookstore owners who give her unconditional love and acceptance...and magic that helps lost souls find their way home- how can you not fall in love with the story? Paige Crutcher's simple and elegant writing style draws you in and makes you care about Aline's lonely, solitary life and the comfort she finds in making a new friend called Dragon. But years pass and when our Alin is thirty, it seems once again that everyone is leaving her- her parents move abroad, the Moirai sisters go on longer and longer trips, and Dragon hasn't been seen for a long time. When a suspicious looking stranger invites Aline to visit a hidden magic town Matchstick and find out where Dragon is, Aline doesn't have to think long before embarking on this new, enchanting adventure. If you are a fan of witchy stories with slow-burn romance and lots of riddles, here is a perfect book for you. Paige Crutcher's writing left me spellbound and I know I'll be looking forward to reading her next book. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the review copy provided in exchange for an honest opinion.  PAIGE CRUTCHER is the author of The Orphan Witch and The Lost Witch. She is a former journalist, and her work appears in multiple anthologies and online publications. She is an artist and yogi, and when not writing, she prefers to spend her time trekking through the forest with her children, hunting for portals to new worlds.
Pity Party
-- EXCERPT: “Your total is two thousand forty-eight dollars,” I tell the beaming bride-to-be who’s nearly blinding me with her over-the-top white teeth. She’s like Ross Geller from that one episode of Friends. I used to dream of being just like her—hopeful, excited, no visible baby bump while planning my impending nuptials. Unfortunately, life has kicked me in the teeth often enough that I’m slowly stepping away from that fantasy. Instead, I’m focusing on the fact that women like her are probably more stressed out than your average sky diver during a tornado. Will he say yes? Does his mother hate me as much as I think she does? Should we really be spending this kind of money on one party? And the most important—Does he know I was serious when I said I don’t clean toilets? The list goes on and on. “You’re the best, Melissa!” the petite blonde with the unnatural orange tan gushes. She says this like I just brought her bail money at two in the morning. As she hands me her credit card, she adds, “You must love owning a bridal shop! I mean, could there be a better job?” I didn’t think so ten years ago when I became my mom’s partner at Bride’s Paradise. I had recently graduated from college and was so full of hope and anticipation about my own wedding I couldn’t imagine anything better. Not that I was engaged or even dating anyone at the time, but I was raised on television shows like Say Yes to the Dress, Bridezilla, and David Tutera’s My Fair Wedding. I’d fantasized about my big day for over a decade at that point. For a generation that is meant to believe there’s more to life than marriage, we sure spend a lot of time dreaming about it. Being fed a constant visual diet of what our big day is supposed to look like wreaks havoc with expectations. Somehow a wedding has become more about the show and what we wear than about true love. Had I only gotten hooked on Law and Order or Dr. Who, I might have become a lawyer or even a Time Lord. Note to self: investigate the kind of credentials needed to become a Time Lord. I hand the credit card back to Brooklyn as her wedding party circles around her. Her maid of honor squeals—loudly—“Oh, my GOD, Brook! This is it!! You said yes to the dress!” We’ve already taken pictures with the requisite signage and hashtags to ensure that everyone the bride has ever met will know where she bought her gown. Hashtags are the backbone of my business. #BridesParadise #ElkLakeWisconsinWeddings #LoveIsInTheAir #ImSoSickOfMyJobICouldSpit
GIVEAWAY! -- #Book Review #The Witches of Bone Hill by Ava Morgyn #Paranormal #Fantasy @St. Martin's Griffin25/9/2023
 From the blurb: A story about family secrets and two young women who discover they're Nordic witches.Cordelia Bone's meticulously crafted life and career in Dallas are crashing down around her thanks to a philandering husband with criminal debts. When her older, carefree sister, Eustace - a cannabis grower in Boulder, calls to inform her the great aunt they never met has died and they must travel to a small town in Connecticut to deal with the estate, she sees an opportunity to unload the house and save herself. But once there, the sisters learn they are getting much more than they bargained for. The Victorian mansion they stand to inherit is bound in a dynasty trust controlled by their late aunt's aging attorney who insists they inhabit the house and retain it but keeps them in the dark about the peculiar rituals of their ancestors. Not to mention a sexy, tattooed groundskeeper with a shrouded past who refuses to leave the carriage house and a crypt full of dead relatives looming at the property line. As both women grapple with their current predicament, they come face to face with a haunting family secret, the truth of what happened to their mother, and the enemy that's been stalking them from the shadows for generations. In a twisting torrent of terror and blood, the sisters must uncover the power within them to heal their fractured relationship, reverse their mysteriously declining health, and claim the lineage they wanted to escape but now must embrace if they are to survive at Bone Hill. Publication date: September 26, 2023 Publisher: St.Martin's Griffin Purchase Link  My thoughts: The spooky, witchy season is upon us once again, so it's time to stuff our shelves and kindles with new magic reads! Ava Morgyn's third book has all the usual mix of elements you will find in a good paranormal fantasy- magic, a bit of romance, and some horror scenes. Above all, it's a story of family secrets, self-growth, self-acceptance and sister love. I was immediately drawn into reading about Cordelia Bone's woes with her impeding divorce from her good-for-nothing, greedy, philandering husband who racked up huge debts and ruined Cordelia's business. Ava Morgyn's writing is so vivid that it's impossible not to empathise with Cordelia and feel her desperation at this point. But then Cordelia's sister Eustace informs her that their great aunt Augusta passed away and they stand to inherit the house which has been in their family possession for centuries. First, Cordelia sees this as an opportunity to get a reprieve from her troubles as much as the sisters' only chance to find out why their mother chose to flee her home town and stay away from her family. As Cordy and Eustace learn more about the secrets and dark powers of their own ancestors, the atmosphere grows more and more tense. It turns out that despite all the differences in the sisters' magic gifts, their love and devotion to each other will help them get to the root of the dark tragedies that have been haunting the house and the family. Cordelia's character is extremely well-written-you know where she's coming from and what made her into a strong, loving woman she is. Eustace remains a bit in her shadow throughout the book. I already mentioned that although there is romance, it stays in the background, as Cordelia needs to process why she ended up falling for her philandering husband in the first place. I liked the way the ending ties up loose ends and leaves us with a hope that future generations of the Bone family will leead a happy life. Overall, the book didn't strike me as warm and fuzzy, so a happy ending was more than welcome. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the review copy. All opinions are my own and were not influenced in any way.  AVA MORGYN grew up falling in love with all the wrong characters in all the wrong stories, then studied English Writing & Rhetoric at St. Edward’s University. She is a lover of witchcraft, tarot, and powerful women with bad reputations, and she currently resides in Houston with her family, surrounded by antiques and dog hair. When not at her laptop spinning darkly hypnotic tales, she writes for her blog on child loss, hunts for vintage treasures, and reads the darkest books she can find. She is the author of YA novels Resurrection Girls and The Salt in Our Blood.
One Bossy Disaster
-- EXCERPT: “Um, a little help? I can’t get out.” I make another half-hearted attempt to stand up in my kayak and fail comically. Shepherd stares at me for a second before he laughs. He laughs--a real belly laugh—and it’s a happy sound that vibrates through me. Not cruel, either, but warm and understanding. There goes my heart again as he strides over to where the waves meet the beach. He grabs the front of my kayak effortlessly and hauls it out of the water. No sweat. No big deal. No small favor with bigger muscle. Damn, I’ll admit it. Right now, I am thirsty as hell. I’ve been ogling him all day and he still hasn’t stopped getting hotter. “There,” he says when I’m safely on the sand. “Can you get out now?” I try. I really do. But my body simply won’t cooperate. I guess my legs forgot they’re supposed to be a flesh and bone team, and my arms feel totally disconnected from my shoulders. “This is so embarrassing,” I say, but he just releases the end of the kayak and steps closer. “Save it, Destiny. You worked your ass off today and there’s no point in feeling shamed. Even if I’m going to carry you.” What? He bends down, and before I can register what’s happening, he does it. Picks. Me. Up. As in, I am in his arms right now, damsel in distress style, legs hooked over one arm while his other arm lends back support. The world spins as I weakly wrap my arms around his neck. And oh. Oh. He’s almost superheated with exertion through his wet suit. The shelter of his arms makes me aware just how massive he really is. I’m so used to being the same height as most of the men around me—often taller—but this guy makes me feel small. That’s a miracle in itself. And he’s breathing harder now. I’m pretty sure he wasn’t when he dragged my kayak up onto the shore. His arms tighten around me, drawing me closer. I’m not sure I’m breathing. Scratch that, definitely not. There’s a wild look in his eyes. My arms are locked around his neck and we’re so close, I can feel his heart beating so, so fast. He isn’t alone. Mine strums like a guitar plucked by a rock star belting out a nasty breakup ballad. What is even happening? “It’s normal for first-timers,” he says softly, and I blink up at him in confusion. Shepherd Foster is never soft. …and first-timers? How do I explain that although I’m way younger, I’m not inexperienced. I’ve had my fair share of male attention, though none of the boys I’ve dated have ever swept me up like a storm. “Kayaking,” he clarifies, eyeing my blank face. Oh, crap.
GIVEAWAY! --
I’ve Watched You Die
-- EXCERPT: The creature’s eyes dart back and forth between me and Ryker, as if taking its time, contemplating who to kill first. Ryker takes advantage of its hesitation, shoving me away. “Dani, go! Run!” The command is raw and guttural, impossible to ignore. I take off, running as fast as I can toward the school. Adrenaline rushes through my bloodstream like a bomb went off inside me. There is no thinking. I have tunnel vision. All I see is the grass in front of my feet. The door that leads to sanctuary inside the school building. All I hear is blood pounding inside my skull and the rush of air as it bursts in and out of my lungs. It’s as if I’m breathing fire. I’m halfway there. He said he’d be right behind me. I can’t hear him. Where is he? I risk a glance back, over my shoulder. I expected him to follow. When I look behind me, I see he’s still staring the creature down. He has a dagger in one hand and he is slowly circling the monster, waiting for it to strike. Shit. What is he thinking? Is he trying to buy me time? I don’t need more time. I’m almost there. Worse, that thing huge, easily the size of four large men. Maybe it is, because I count eight legs sticking out of the goo. I slow to a jog, then stop, turning completely to watch him and the creature pace one another. As Ryker did with me, with each step he’s moving just enough not to incite an immediate attack, but positioning himself for a straight shot away, toward the school’s garden. No. Oh, God. Shit. I know how this ends. I just saw it. There are more of them, in the garden. Waiting. An ambush. They are here to kill him. Why? Why? Why? I sprint toward him, away from the school. Away from safety. I can’t allow him to run for the garden. More of those things are waiting. They’ll gut him. Cut him open. He’ll bleed out, blood soaking the gravel path. Just like my vision. No. No. No. “Ryker! Run! They’re in the garden! It’s a trap! It’s a trap!” I scream at him, my legs pumping as fast as I can make them go, faster than any track meet or workout I’ve ever run. A terrified part of me knows it’s not fast enough. I push my muscles to their limit, trying to reach him in time. I don’t know what I can possibly do to help him against that thing, but two is better than one. It has to be. We’ll run for the woods. Anywhere but that fucking garden. Literally anywhere. “Dani, no! Get back!” “The garden! It’s a trap!” I sprint, my gaze dropping to the abandoned high heels shoes on the grass. The four inch points aren’t exactly one of my grandad’s shotguns, but they’re better than nothing. That thing has eyes, doesn’t it? I’m forty meters away when the creature lunges at Ryker. He is looking at me, yelling at me to run. My heart stops dead in my chest. I yell out a warning, but it’s too late.
GIVEAWAY! --
Dragon Storm
Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo / Google Play -- Only 99c for a limited time! -- EXCERPT: “Among other things. I also am not unmindful that the choice to become drakaina was not Aria’s and that she also feels forced into a pair bonding with me.” Basil shrugged. “That has been the way for drakaina for thousands of years. Over the millennia, dragons have discovered that while the best way to our hearts might be through our stomachs, the best way to a drakaina’s heart is often found between her legs.” Darius chuckled. “I don’t know if that’s true or not, but I’m willing to believe.” “Take it from an old dragon who still finds his mate to be a handful, a well-sated drakaina is a happy drakaina.”
GIVEAWAY! --
Redeeming Rabbit
Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo / Google Play -- EXCERPT: Rabbit Elenore hadn’t flipped out on me for invading her privacy. Nor had she asked me to leave. If she dropped her towel and started dressing right there in front of me, I’d likely cream the inside of my jeans. She was perfect. And not just because she was brainy, beautiful, and had her shit together, but because she was fucking weird. I’d been through her entire apartment, and nothing was out of place. Her closet was arranged by color with pictures of her goddamn outfits to keep them straight. Nobody was naturally this clean, organized, and meticulous. Elenore had a screw loose. Which meant I might actually have a chance with her. “You left the door open,” I blurted out, sounding like a fucking idiot. “To my apartment. Not my bedroom.” “It wasn’t locked.” She added pants to the pile of clothes in her arms and turned to face me. “I need to get dressed.” I wanted to tell her to go right ahead but decided not to push my luck. Still clutching the sexy photos I’d filched, I said, “These are mine.”
GIVEAWAY! --
Hott Shot
-- EXCERPT: The person behind the desk is a stranger. It’s a man with long, wild reddish-brown hair, a beard that hasn’t seen a trim in probably months, and thick, assertively male eyebrows with a whole zip code of their own. He’s sprawled out, wide legged, in the receptionist’s chair, dwarfing it. He’s also vaguely familiar, which means he’s probably the groom Hanna said she’d send my way, a guy whose bride put her foot down at the eleventh hour and demanded he spend a day getting “the works.” Lily must have left the door open when she came in, and he helped himself to a warmer place to wait, even though it’s not yet ten. “There are plenty of chairs in the waiting area if you need a place to sit!” I call out cheerily, gesturing at the comfy armchairs on one side of the room. “That one’s mine.” I approach the desk. “Let me block some time out for you. You’re in luck because we’ve got plenty of room for walk-ins this morning. I’ve got someone who can do the hair and beard, and I can do your eyebrows if you want that, too.” His eyes widen. “What’s wrong with the hair, beard, and eyebrows?” Yikes. I definitely got the wrong end of that one. “I’m so sorry! I was expecting a client with a beard this morning, and I totally assumed you were him. But you’re…obviously not. You must be here for something else. Massage? Or a dip in the springs?” Ugh—it’s never good to start the day off insulting a potential client, even if he’s sitting in my chair. “There’s a ten-percent-off coupon here with your name on it, an apology for my making assumptions about who you were—” “No.” He scowls. “I’m not here for any of that. I’m here because due to circumstances beyond my control and yours and probably even God’s, I’m your new receptionist.” I laugh, reflexively. And then I realize I’m the only one laughing and my laughter sort of…falls off a cliff. “Yeah,” the bearded stranger says. “It’s not even remotely funny. Although I think my grandfather would have disagreed. I’m pretty sure he’s laughing all the way to hell.” “Your grandfather,” I repeat. I’m so lost, I couldn’t find my best self with a compass and map. He stands and holds out a hand. And I realize he actually wasn’t manspreading. He was taking up all that space in the chair because he’s legitimately huge—at least six-two and built like a warrior god. He wears worn jeans and a T-shirt that reads, I’m a chemist. To save time, let’s assume I’m never wrong. “Quinn Hott,” he says. “Hanna’s brother, Fox Hott’s second-youngest grandkid. And your new receptionist.”
GIVEAWAY! --
Wolf’s Keep
-- EXCERPT: “Why did you run from me?” She jerked her wrist, attempting to pull away, but he wouldn’t release her, instead stepping closer. Her heart thumped against her rib cage, threatening to bust out and desert ship. It wouldn’t surprise her if he could feel her pulse pounding away at her wrist. She retreated further, but he followed, backing her into the wall. “It is a simple question.” Erin’s breath stalled, the hard stone wall at her back, an equally daunting wall of muscle in front of her. A big, dark chevalier, he loomed over her. Her legs trembled, the consistency of putty rather than flesh and bone. “Last night, you seemed angry that I had the amulet. And then you came at me so fast… Look, I’m… I’m… I don’t follow the old religions. I’m not a witch.” Her bottom lip trembled despite her efforts to control it. “Let’s clear that up now. I found the amulet. It’s not mine. I don’t know who it belongs to.” Liar, liar, pants on fire. It belonged to him. It had to. “And this?” He tugged at her left wrist, her watch a glaring presence not so easily dismissed. “Jewelry.” She gave a small shrug of her shoulders. “It’s the new fashion.” “Mmm-hmm.” He smiled, but didn’t loosen his grip, nor did he back away. He leaned toward her, his mouth bare inches from hers, dark eyes staring deep into hers, strange shadows flitting behind the irises. She couldn’t look away. Any fear of him had fled, replaced by something far more dangerous. It had her quivering inside her skin, superseding everything. It terrified her beyond imagining she’d not only be unable to resist him, but she wouldn’t want to. “Never run from me,” he said, his breath warm across her lips and they parted in expectation, traitors to her mind’s will. “I will always catch you.” In one swift move, he captured her other wrist and pinned her against the wall with his body. Her mind screamed a protest. Her body rejoiced. His knee nudged her legs apart, slipping between them, pressing his muscular thigh against the very center of her. And damn if she didn’t let him. Where had her moral outrage gone, her hard-earned determination to never put herself in the arms of such a man? They’d deserted her—overpowered by a rapacious libido she never knew she possessed. It threw common sense to the wind and laughed in the face of her resolution to remain unaffected. Her body burned for him and happily broadcast that fact loud and clear. It couldn’t have been more obvious if she’d a neon sign flashing ‘all systems are go’. With a lick of his lips, he captured her mouth. No soft kiss, no gentle seduction. She’d run. He’d caught her. To the victor went the spoils. He was taking what he wanted. Dredging up some belated form of courage, she tore her mouth from his, refusing to give him what he demanded—an all-access pass to her mouth, her body. Not so easily dissuaded, he leaned into her neck, the tickle of his beard and his lips whisper soft on the sensitive skin of her throat and inhaled deeply. Her whole body vibrated in response, rolling out the welcome mat. Shifting her wrists into one large hand, he ran the other down her cheek to her chin. A gentle press of his fingers and she was facing him, eye to eye, breath to breath. “You desire this as much as I,” he murmured. She gave a strained shake of her head, denying his words, but when he rubbed his thumb across her bottom lip, she couldn’t keep up the pretense. Her eyelids fluttered closed, her lips parted on a sigh, her body providing him all the permission he needed. He recaptured her mouth in his, slipping his tongue between her lips. With delicious hot thrusts, he demanded she respond in kind. Erin’s resistance melted faster than summer hail after a storm. Her body softening against his, she responded with a fierce need of her own.
GIVEAWAY! -- #Book Review #Every Duke Has His Day by Suzanne Enoch #Regency Romance #Romcom @St.Martin's18/9/2023
About the book: Brain meets Beauty in this sparkling, fresh take on the classic Bringing Up Baby – if Jane Austen had written it! A romantic comedy with a dash of chaos featuring the most ill-behaved poodle in Regency London, by NYT bestseller Suzanne Enoch. Michael Bromley, Duke of Woriton, has a passion, but it’s not for chasing ladies or gambling till dawn. No, his is the far more dangerous pursuit of the science of chemistry. He may be a tad eccentric, but he can navigate a society ballroom, and manage a polite conversation—if he must. He’s certainly capable of taking care of his aunt’s perfectly behaved poodle, Lancelot, while she’s on holiday. Elizabeth “Bitsy” Dockering, third daughter of a viscount, is enjoying her second, spectacular Season in London. She is a Diamond of the Season and is adored by all—and especially by her precious black poodle, Galahad. To everyone else, however, Galahad is a demon dog. So much so that Bitsy’s most insistent beau and particular victim of Galahad’s bad manners, has hired a thief to steal the dog, clearing the way for his suit. But none of them can plan for a chaotic encounter in the park, resulting in lost notes, a soaking in the Serpentine and an accidental dog swap…and Lancelot being kidnapped instead of Galahad! Determined to locate the dog, Michael isn’t thrilled to be saddled with a flighty female insisting on helping—except that Bitsy has a great deal more sense than he expected. And a sharp tongue to match. Still, what’s a scientist to do but continue to pursue an outcome, however unexpected it may be? But chemistry is all about attraction, and this is one formula with some hilariously romantic results. Publication Date: September 19, 2023 Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin 320 pages Fiction / Romance / Historical ISBN 9781250842541, 1250842549 Pre-order/Purchase link  This is my second book by Suzanne Enoch and I just can't get enough of her witty and entertaining writing style! I love this cover that sums up the basic premise pretty well- a popular socialite, a 'diamond' of the Season and a burly, eccentric scientist who would much rather stay at home than be forced to endure social engagements people of his rank and standing seem to be so unnecessarily fond of. And two poodles, of course, who happen to look almost exactly the same. Michael Bromely, Duke of Woriton, is such a lovely male lead- he's kind, thoughtful, and knows his mind. When his Aunt Mary asks him to take her of her black poodle Lancelot, his life is about to get turned upside down by a delightful Miss Elizabeth Dockering and her menace of a dog Galahad. The poodles get mistakenly swapped and taken to wrong homes and Lancelot in his turn becomes a victim of dognapping by a rather hapless thief hired by Mis Elizabeth's wily suitor. A thrilling adventure and a once in a lifetime chance to meet and fall madly in love with someone witty, intelligent, and open-minded, despite being one's direct opposite in disposition and interests. As in Suzanne Enoch's previous book There's Something in the Heir, there is a lot of comedy, but here we also have sweet, tender, slow-burn romance...actually two of them, as there is an unexpected second couple and I was almost as invested in their progress as in our main leads' story. The pace was perfect- steady enough to show the characters' development and allow for all the plot twists and turns to, but fast enough to keep me absorbed in the story and thoroughly entertained. I rarely say this, but I wanted the story to continue. Hope the author gives us a glimpse into the main couple's future in her later books. Definitely recommended to anyone who loves the genre of regency romance and enjoys a good romcom. Thank you to NetGalley and St.Martin’s Griffin for the review copy provided in exchange for an honest opinion.  |
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