Review – On Wahoo Reef by Tim W Jackson @TimWJax

On Wahoo Reef is the third book in A Blacktip Island series. You can get the entire three book series at a cost of $3.98. Each book can stand alone, but I feel you will be hooked on these Caribbean adventures.

Amazon / Goodreads

This is my fourth book by Tim W Jackson and my third visit to the Caribbean and Blacktip Island, and I have enjoyed each and every trip.

The characters are quirky and lovable, each offering their special something to the story. I loved them all; the good, the bad, and the ugly. They have fun names, like Wally Breight, Smackie Bottoms, Noddy Bolin, Peachy…

as do the locations, Noboddie’s Inne, Sandy Bottoms Beach Resort, Club Scuba Doo, Going Under Divers.

The details brought the dive experience to life. I am not a diver myself, but I have enjoyed snorkeling and watching TV shows where I can spend time with those who do.

Wally Breight gives up his nine to five job and buys into a dive shop. Have you ever thought of throwing caution to the wind and creating a new life for yourself? Well, it’s not all sunshine and rainbows for Wally.

There is a mystery involved, but mostly it’s Wally struggling to keep his business alive, struggling to keep up with a party girl that caught his eye, and learning some valuable business and life lessons. I laughed as I read along. I smelt the salt air, felt the balmy tropical breeze, dipped my feet in the sand and felt as if I was immersed in the Caribbean life, because of Tim’s ability to paint such a vivid picture I feel as if I am there with Wally.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of On Wahoo Reef by Tim W Jackson.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
4 Stars

Northern Exposure meets Margaritaville in this comic Caribbean romp.

Wally Breight’s a miserable-in-his-job P.R. executive who dreams of escaping to happily-ever-after in the Caribbean. When he stumbles across a run-down scuba diving operation for sale on Blacktip Island, he snaps it up and settles into paradise. But paradise has other ideas. His dive boat’s a lemon. His business partner proves the age of piracy isn’t dead. Scuba guests are scarce. And a free-spirited dive mistress might party him into an early grave. If Wally can’t get a handle on paradise, pronto, he’ll be leaving Blacktip Island faster than a coconut in a hurricane.

  • Genre: Action and Adventure, Comedy and Humor, Fiction, Mystery
  • 249 pages, Kindle Edition
  • Published May 17, 2024 by Devonshire House Press
  • Series: On Wahoo Reef: A Blacktip Island Novel, Book III
Tim W. Jackson

Armed with a newly-minted master’s degree in creative writing, former journalist Tim W. Jackson knew he was qualified to be a bartender, a waiter, or to apply to a PhD program. Instead he chose Secret Option D: run off to the Caribbean to work as a scuba instructor by day and write fiction at night. More than a decade later, he still wishes that was half as interesting as it sounds. Or even a quarter . . .

Jackson is the award-winning author of the literary novel Mangrove Underground and The Blacktip Times humor blog. His second novel, Blacktip Island, is a comic misadventure set in the Caribbean. His “Tales From Blacktip Island” short stories have been published in literary journals worldwide. He is currently concocting his next Blacktip Island novel, The Secret of Rosalita Flats.

For more insider info, visit his website, www.timwjackson.com, the Blacktip Times (www.blacktipisland.com) or follow him on Facebook (Tim W. Jackson) and Twitter (@timwjax).

A portion of the proceeds from his stories goes to the Nature Conservancy’s Coral Reef Preservation Fund.

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$25 GC and Signed Copy of Love Signals by Melanie Summers @Xpressotours

Love Signals
Melanie Summers
(Love Struck Romantic Comedy, #2)
Publication date: June 6th 2024
Genres: Adult, Comedy, Contemporary, Romance

A loud-out-loud, opposites-attract, only-one-bed, revenge romantic comedy from Amazon All-Star Melanie Summers…

Allie Cammareri is about to get her revenge. It’s been twelve years coming, but she’s finally going to defeat the ex who stole her research then dumped her.

She’s in a race against him to finish the same big project, and there can only be one winner. All she needs is a few more weeks of working around the clock, and victory will be hers.

So when her boss announces she’s being pulled off the project to mentor a Hollywood A-lister who’s preparing for an upcoming movie role, Allie is devastated. She doesn’t care that it’s People’s Sexiest Man, Hudson Finch.

Allie refuses to let him get in her way, even if Hudson is the most distracting (and delicious-smelling) man on the planet. But between the close confines of her tiny office and a night stranded together in a secluded mountain cabin, her feelings for Hudson turn into something she never could’ve predicted.

She may be falling hard for him, but can Allie really find her happily ever after in his muscley arms?

*** Love Signals is an irresistibly charming, deliciously dishy, banter-filled tale about an ordinary woman and the superstar who falls for her. With a crazy cast—including a father who’s sure no one will ever be good enough for his little girl—there’s sure to be plenty of cringe-worthy moments, lots of laughs, and even a few tears. It’s a standalone rom-com with a few tablespoons of extra spice than a regular Melanie Summers book.***

Goodreads / Amazon

EXCERPT:

I stare at myself in the mirror. I’m brushing my teeth with some sort of magical brush that feels like it’s a thousand tiny hands massaging my gums. The toothpaste is a ginger mint flavor that comes from an old-timey-looking silver tube that is probably made from actual silver. I’m wearing the softest, coziest striped men’s flannel p.j.’s of all time (seriously, they feel like getting a big, warm hug). The slippers are too big but the fleece lining is so incredibly soft, I want to live in them forever.

What is happening? Seriously? What? How?

I’m getting a glimpse into what it’s like to be rich and famous. Well, rich, anyway. Or someone with generous rich friends. But it’s not real. This isn’t my life, it’s his. It’ll never be my life. I’m Allegra Cammareri, nerd, scientist, loving daughter, and pushover auntie. I’m not some sexy sex goddess who men like Hudson Finch fall for. They fall for voluptuous hotties from Brazil or icy blondes with perfect skin from Sweden. Not girls like me. I wasn’t even interesting enough to keep Lando’s attention, and he’s a fellow nerd.

But it doesn’t matter because that’s not what this is, and I know it. But whatever it is, it’s incredibly fun. And a little flirty, and totally exciting, even though it’s under the world’s weirdest circumstances. I’m here to hang out with a man who I don’t want around (or so I thought) while he recovers from a poisonous spider bite.

And he’s sweet and funny and thoughtful and sexy as hell, and … and I’m going to get so badly hurt if I don’t hit the brakes on my feelings. But maybe, just for tonight, since I’m here anyway, I could just let myself enjoy being with him. As a friend.

Yes, that’s what we are. Friends. New ones. Who flirt with each other while one of us is drugged. And really, I’m only flirting with him to distract him from his situation, which, when you think about it, is an act of service. So, in a way, I have to keep flirting with him. It’s what Jesus would do. But as soon as we’re back at the office however, it’ll be all business. But for now … fun.

Author Bio:

Melanie Summers also writes steamy romance as MJ Summers.

Melanie made a name for herself with her debut novel, Break in Two, a contemporary romance that cracked the Top 10 Paid on Amazon in both the UK and Canada, and the top 50 Paid in the USA. Her highly acclaimed Full Hearts Series was picked up by both Piatkus Entice (a division of Hachette UK) and HarperCollins Canada. Her first three books have been translated into Czech and Slovak by EuroMedia. Since 2013, she has written and published three novellas, and eight novels (of which seven have been published). She has sold over a quarter of a million books around the globe.

In her previous life (i.e. before having children), Melanie got her Bachelor of Science from the University of Alberta, then went on to work in the soul-sucking customer service industry for a large cellular network provider that shall remain nameless (unless you write her personally – then she’ll dish). On her days off, she took courses and studied to become a Chartered Mediator. That designation landed her a job at the R.C.M.P. as the Alternative Dispute Resolution Coordinator for ‘K’ Division. Having had enough of mediating arguments between gun-toting police officers, she decided it was much safer to have children so she could continue her study of conflict in a weapon-free environment (and one which doesn’t require makeup and/or nylons).

Melanie resides in Edmonton with her husband, three young children, and their adorable but neurotic one-eyed dog. When she’s not writing novels, Melanie loves reading (obviously), snuggling up on the couch with her family for movie night (which would not be complete without lots of popcorn and milkshakes), and long walks in the woods near her house. She also spends a lot more time thinking about doing yoga than actually doing yoga, which is why most of her photos are taken ‘from above’. She also loves shutting down restaurants with her girlfriends. Well, not literally shutting them down, like calling the health inspector or something–more like just staying until they turn the lights off.

She is represented by Suzanne Brandreth of The Cooke Agency International.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram


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Giveaway – Need You Now by Maria K Alexander @xpressotours

Need You Now
Maria K. Alexander
(A Pelican Bay Novella)
Publication date: June 2nd 2024
Genres: Adult, Comedy, Contemporary, Romance

Can two lost souls reunite in time to save her shop and their hearts?

Abby O’Connell returned to Pelican Bay to start a new chapter of her life. With the revitalization of the hurricane-ravaged beach town, it’s a perfect time to open the bath and body product shop she’s always dreamed of. But with her place looking more like a construction zone, the risk of not being ready for opening day is high. Just when she thinks things can’t get worse, she takes a fall on the beach, only to be rescued by her sexy surfer ex.

Connor Maguire was always the party guy. In recovery from a substance abuse disorder, he’s gotten his act together and now is a partner in a home improvement business and co-host of a reality TV show. Surfing has always been a way to escape his worries while becoming one with the waves. When he witnesses a woman fall on the beach, the last person he expects is the girl whose heart he broke ten years ago.

With a week until the grand opening of her shop, can he use his renovation skills to bring her shop and their hearts to life without risking his hard-earned recovery?

Goodreads / Amazon

EXCERPT:

She quickly dressed in running shorts, a tank top, and sneakers. After grabbing a bottle of water, she went downstairs and let herself out the rear entrance, refusing to walk through the store and the reminder of all that needed to be done.

There’d be time to freak about work later. Now she needed to clear her head.

The benefit of living above her storefront was its prime location along the boardwalk, only a few steps away from the beach. Abby veered left and jogged along the water, pacing herself. She did a circuit around the lighthouse before turning and heading past where she started and the newly renovated amusement pier.

The sun had peeked past the horizon and was slowly making its way into a new day. Watching the sun rise over the Atlantic was one thing she’d missed most after leaving Pelican Bay nine years ago, a year after Hurricane Samantha hit and wrecked the small New Jersey barrier island. In the months since she’d returned, Abby had made a point of watching it rise every day. Each sunrise looked different and brought her a joy she’d experienced nowhere else.

Usually, she had this part of the beach to herself, but she caught the outline of someone in the water.

A surfer.

Her heart lurched as she got closer.

Could it be…

It was hard to be sure from the distance, but once he rose on the board and got into position, Abby recognized the form…the body…the man.

Connor Maguire.

After riding the wave in, he grabbed the board and paddled out even further. He straddled the board with his back to the shoreline, like a god calling to the waves. Then, with the ease and swiftness of the boy she remembered, he turned and paddled toward shore, rising at the perfect moment to get the lift and rush he needed to propel him forward.

Abby continued to run, mesmerized by his form, by the way his hair and body looked against the backdrop of the rising sun. The damn man was as beautiful as ever.

Despite the magnetic pull, she had every intention of running past him.

If only she had been watching where she was going.

When she stepped on something in the sand that caused her ankle to turn, all she could do was cry out as her knee buckled, and she started to fall.

Author Bio:

Maria K. Alexander is an award-winning contemporary romance author. She writes about strong women, who are fearless in pursuit of their ambitions. Her stories have strong connections with family and friends, both important parts of her life. When not writing, she loves to read, bake, crochet, bike, visit the beach, and watch romantic comedies. She has two adult children and is a semi-empty nester. She lives in New Jersey with her husband and juggles a full-time job, while dreaming of writing full time by the Jersey shore.
You can keep in touch with Maria at: http://mariakalexander.com and https://linktr.ee/mariakalexander

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Giveaway – Pity Parade by Whitney Dineen @xpressotours @WhitneyDineen

Pity Parade
Whitney Dineen
(Pity Series, #4)
Publication date: May 23rd 2024
Genres: Adult, Comedy, Contemporary, Romance

Trina Rockwell here. You know, your favorite TV host from Midwestern Matchmaker?I have a I am without a doubt, the unluckiest dater in the history of the entire world. I’m not even embellishing. I’ve inadvertently dated a mobster, a dead-beat dad, and a guy who puts salt on watermelon. What’s next, pineapple on pizza?As my past relationships reads like the who’s who of court jesters, it’s no wonder I’ve refused my producers desire to spotlight me as one of the singles on a new show they’re putting together.

The problem is that Midwestern Matchmaker just got canceled and unless I agree to their terms, I’m out of a job.

In order to keep doing what I love doing—matching midwestern singles, I either need to suck it up and parade my dating life on national television or I need to get married—STAT.

Guess which one I’m putting my money on?

Goodreads / Amazon

EXCERPT:

I sit down on the deck and take my shoes off. The warm boards feel wonderful on my bare feet. I can visualize myself drinking my morning coffee here every day at sunrise and sitting out and enjoying a glass of wine at the end of the day. If I weren’t so desperate to get out of doing another show with Tom, I’d forget everything to do with men and simply enjoy the summer for myself.

I’m suddenly eager to put my feet into the water, so I stand up and walk down to the end of the pier. Within moments, I’m lost in my reverie and I don’t hear anyone approach before a deeply masculine voice announces, “Hi there, you must be my neighbor.”

I spin around so quickly I almost tip over. Oh. My. Heavens. I’m staring at the glorious-looking Heath Fox. My mouth suddenly goes so dry I can barely ask, “You’re my neighbor?”

His green eyes pop open in recognition as he answers, “Trina Rockwell. Imagine meeting you here.”

Heath and I met at a charity event last year. He was one of the bachelors being auctioned off for the cause—childhood diabetes. One look at him kicked my libido into overdrive and I bid more on him than the next three men received combined—for charity, of course.

“What are you doing here?” I ask this as though inquiring why he’s sunbathing on the moon or why he has fourteen toes on each foot.

“I’m taking the summer off to enjoy myself. How about you?”

“Me? Oh … um … same.” Heath’s and my charity date went spectacularly well, or so I thought, until he kissed me goodnight. After that, he assured me in no uncertain terms that he wasn’t looking to get involved with anyone.

I was offended to the extreme. It’s not like I thought I was buying a relationship with the man, but to end the night by giving me the kiss off—literally—was a bit much.

“Dating anyone?” he wants to know.

“I’m not exactly sure why would you care?” Yeah, I’m still mad, but better keep it passive-aggressive. I’m not a shrew or anything.

He shrugs nonchalantly. “I don’t know. I thought I might have heard from you again after our evening out, but I didn’t.”

You thought you’d hear from me?”

“I thought we had a nice time,” he says.

“Then maybe you should have called.” So I could tell him to take a long walk off a short pier.

“According to the paperwork we signed for the auction, I wasn’t allowed to make first contact after our date. They didn’t want any of the ladies to feel unsafe.” I don’t remember reading that, but it sounds plausible.

“Huh.” I mean, what else can I say? Oh wait, I know. “You made it perfectly clear you weren’t looking for a relationship. I can’t imagine you thought I was clueless enough not to take the hint.”

“I wasn’t looking for a relationship,” he confirms. Then with a smirk that nearly melts my butter, he adds, “Nothing long lasting, anyway.”

Author Bio:

Whitney loves to laugh, play with her kids, bake, and eat french fries — not always in that order.

Whitney is a multi-award-winning author of romcoms, non-fiction humor, and middle reader fiction. Basically, she writes whatever the voices in her head tell her to.

She lives in the beautiful Pacific Northwest with her husband, Jimmy, where they raise children, chickens, and organic vegetables.

Gold Medal winner at the International Readers’ Favorite Awards, 2017.

Silver medal winner at the International Readers’ Favorite Awards, 2015, 2016.

Finalist RONE Awards, 2016.

Finalist at the IRFA 2016, 2017.

Finalist at the Book Excellence Awards, 2017

Finalist Top Shelf Indie Book Awards, 2017

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram


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The Innocence of Children – Island Santa by Owen Thomas @OTFiction

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

Island Santa by Owen Thomas is a cute, coming of age, holiday story about a child’s wishes, dreams and the innocence of her belief, at twelve years old, that Santa is real and how will he find them on vacation in Hawaii.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
3 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

The Nelson family is spending Christmas in Hawaii, a dubious proposition for Peter and his ten-year old sister, Katie.

Katie still believes in Santa Clause. Embarrassing, but true. Having finally come to grips with the tragic “extinction” of unicorns and the senseless exile of the Tooth Fairy, little Katie now clings to Santa with a tenacity so grim and so combative that her older brother and her parents can only exchange worried looks across the dinner table. Someone should talk to her about the real world.

But no one quite seems to have the courage.

Needless to say, the idea of running off to Hawaii just as Santa is loading up his sleigh is met with more than just a little resistance. After all, how is it reasonable to expect that the red-suited fat man will know to look for them in the middle of the Pacific Ocean? What will he think when he parks his reindeer atop their dark and empty home?

Peter, fourteen, has his own concerns, less about Santa than the sacrifice of holiday tradition. What about the snow and stringing the house with Christmas lights? What about the first-person-shooter zombie video games at the neighbors’ Christmas Eve party? More importantly, how can a Christmas away from home not have a devastating impact on the volume of Christmas-morning loot?

Not that the Nelson kids have any real say in the matter. The tickets have been purchased. The bags have been packed. Peter will have to console himself with the belief that his friend Cody is right: that the Islands are teeming with topless women. Katie, meanwhile, will just have to trust that Santa is capable of adapting to rapidly changing circumstances.

Neither of them is prepared to understand why their father seems to have forgotten his true age, or why their mother is calling him a sex pony, or even why he pushed for the trip to Hawaii in the first place.

In the end, everyone is going to believe what he or she wants to believe about the world.

It’s going to be an interesting Christmas.

  • Genre: Christmas, Comedy and Humor, Coming of Age, Fiction, Holiday, Novellas and Short Stories
  • Format: 69 Pages, Kindle
  • Published: November 25, 2014 by BookBaby

ABOUT OWEN THOMAS

Owen Thomas is a life-long Alaskan living on Maui because life is too short for long winters. He has written six books: “The Lion Trees” (which has garnered over sixteen international book awards, including the Amazon Kindle Book Award, the Eric Hoffer Book Award, the Book and Author Book of the Year, the Beverly Hills International Book Award and, most recently, a finalist in the Book Excellence Awards); “Mother Blues,” (a novel of music and mystery set in post-Hurricane Harvey Texas); “Message in a Bullet: A Raymond Mackey Mystery,” (the first in a series of detective novels); “The Russian Doll” (the second installment in that series); “Signs of Passing” (a book of interconnected short stories, and winner of fourteen book awards, including the Pacific Book Awards for Short Fiction, also named one of the 100 Most Notable Books of the Year by Shelf Unbound Magazine); and “This is the Dream,” (a collection of stories and novellas that explore that perplexing liminal distance between who we are and what we want). Owen maintains an active fiction and photography blog on Facebook, Tumblr and on his author website at www.owenthomasliterary.com.

For the ninth consecutive year since he has been measuring his commercial success as an author, Owen has not won the Orange Prize for Fiction. Also, to great acclaim, he has not won the Man Booker Prize. Most recently, in April of 2020, Owen was not nominated for a Pulitzer.

Owen makes his home in Alaska and Hawaii. When he is not writing, Owen can be found recreating and taking photographs in the grandeur of these wonderfully picturesque locations. Some of these photos are posted on Owen’s photo blog, 1000 Words per Frame.

Website / Twitter / Facebook / Instagram / TikTok / Tumblr / Pinterest / LinkedIn / YouTube

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Giveaway – Good Elf Gone Wrong by Alina Jacobs @XpressoTours @AlinaJWrites

Good Elf Gone Wrong
Alina Jacobs
Publication date: November 14th 2023
Genres: Adult, Comedy, Contemporary, Romance

When you catch your fiancé cheating on you with your sister on Christmas Eve, the elf hat comes off.
I’ve always been the good girl—the anti Scrooge—the one who sacrifices for her guests, bakes cookies for her neighbors, and stays late after a party to clean up.
I don’t mind. I like being on the nice list.

I kept smiling when I caught my fiancé coming down my sister’s chimney on Christmas Eve.
I gave polite congratulations when they got engaged on Christmas morning.
And I even offered to help decorate for their holiday wedding despite the fact that was supposed to be my dream wedding.

But when my sister cuts up our great-grandmother’s one-hundred-year-old wedding dress and turns it into a skank show, even though that was the dress I was going to wear on my wedding day?
Well, this elf is torching down the North Pole.

And what better way to get revenge than giving those cheaters a taste of their own medicine?
This good elf is bringing the bad boy home for Christmas.
Hudson is a six-foot-five, coldhearted, tattooed bad elf with a perpetual sneer and washboard abs.
He’s exactly my sister’s type.
And he’s going to help me nuke her wedding from orbit on the night before Christmas.

What he is not supposed to do is grab my ass in the kitchen while I bake gingerbread.
Or crawl in my bed half naked.
And he’s definitely not supposed to smirk and tell me to commit to our fake relationship right before he goes down on me.

Guess there’s a reason the good elves stay far away from the bad.

Good elves of Christmas unite! We’re ogling the tattooed chests of shirtless bad boys, baking massive amounts of cookies, drinking all the wine, and trying to survive recently divorced grandmothers who have a pathological obsession with our love lives. This standalone holiday romantic comedy has all the Christmas cheer you can fit in your stocking and a happily ever after, guaranteed!

Goodreads / Amazon

EXCERPT:

Knitting clutched in my hands, I turned to the bad boy sitting next to me.

“Do … um …” I cleared my throat. “Do you have a girlfriend?”

His finger paused on the page he was turning. He fixed those pale-silver eyes on me, a dusty gray like the winter sky.

“No. Why? Are you offering?”

“Sort of. See, I kind of need to break up my sister and her boyfriend. She’s dating my ex. He’s a jerk. It’s complicated. But I need you to be my boyfriend so I can ruin her wedding. I don’t know if you do that type of work?”

I smiled hopefully.

The book closed with a loud thud.

He looked angry.

“Er, never mind,” I squeaked and held up my knitting. “I’ll get started on those baby socks. Forget I said anything.”

But he didn’t go back to his book.

“So you want a fake boyfriend.”

“Um, yeah. I mean that was the plan. But plans change …”

Those ghostly eyes still locked on mine, he leaned over, his huge body crowding my space.

I scrunched against the window.

“You sure you can handle it?” he asked in a deep, gravelly voice. He smelled like leather and the winter wind.

No. No, I don’t think I can.

I swallowed. The empty Advent calendar was digging into my side.

“Yes,” I squawked.

“Prove it,” he said, his breath cool on my cheek.

He twisted out of his jacket, the ridges of muscle under the tight gray T-shirt flexing and rippling as he shrugged off the garment.

“Give me a hand job.” The baritone voice deepened. “I have my jacket on my lap. No one will know. Just go for it.”

My eyes were about as big and round as Pugnog’s and ready to pop out of my head.

“Unzip my fly,” he breathed against my mouth, “and stroke my cock.”

My stomach was flip-flopping. The air between us was supercharged, and my skin felt tight and prickly.

“I-I can’t,” I stammered.

He huffed out a laugh, smirked, and pulled his jacket back on, the leather creaking.

“Thought so.” He sat back in his seat and opened up his book. “You’re weak. You have an elaborate revenge plan all mapped out, yet you clearly can’t handle having a fake boyfriend.”


Author Bio:

If you like steamy romantic comedies with a creative streak, then I’m your girl!

Architect by day, writer by night, I love matcha green tea, chocolate, and books! So many books…

Sign up for my mailing list to get the free novella, AFTER HIS PEONIES, along with special bonus content, giveaways, and more!

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / Bookbub


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Giveaway – Babies In Twinkle Falls by Freda Ann @XpressoTours

Babies in Twinkle Falls
Freda Ann
(Twinkle Falls, #4)
Publication date: November 28th 2023
Genres: Adult, Comedy, Contemporary, Romance

Kylee Croft finds herself pregnant and alone as an only child of her deceased parents. Her father died soon after her birth, and her mother recently passed. With her grandparents also deceased, all that’s left of the family she’d known were photos…or so she thought.

Uncovering the biggest secret of her mother’s life, Kylee leaves the idyllic town of Chantilly, France for Twinkle Falls, Vermont in hopes of finding the family she never knew existed.

Soon after arriving, she becomes friends with her handsome co-worker, Trace Holberg, a single dad raising twin boys by himself.

As Kylee and Trace’s relationship grows, she forges a friendship with Bridgette Dupont, the woman who gave her a job when she desperately needed one. She’s the same woman Kylee believes to be the sister she never knew about, and the daughter of a father who’s very much alive.

Will Bridgette and her father accept the news Kylee believes to be the truth, or will her hopes and dreams of a new family be shattered?

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo

EXCERPT:

(Kylee and Bridgette)

“I think all of this could be a product of your imagination working overtime.”

“It’s not made up, Bridgette, I swear. Mummy gave me the first photo years ago, and it’s the only one I had of my father until—”

“Quit saying that!” She huffs, “I don’t even know for sure if the man in that picture is my father. Though, let’s say it is. There’s no possible way you could be his daughter.”

“Why? Am I not good enough to be a Dupont?”

“That’s not what I meant, and you know it.”

“Do I? We’re total opposites, Bridgette. You’re a successful baker who went to some prestigious culinary school, and I’m a struggling, knocked-up girl who takes any job she can to make ends meet.”

“Stop that. It sounds like you’re trying to play on my sympathy so I’ll change my mind about that photo.”

“Believe what you want.” I wince when my lower abdomen tightens. Reflexively rubbing it, I continue, “Like I said, she never talked about him. Mummy said they were only together a short time; however, he was in the Navy, and he died when I was just a baby.”

“There you go…that proves my father cannot be yours, because mine is very much alive.”

Still massaging my aching belly, I propose, “Well, maybe she lied about that part for some reason, I don’t know. Was your father ever in the Navy?”

“That means nothing—a lot of men have been in the Navy.”

“That sounds like a yes if you ask me.”

“Well, I didn’t ask you.” Her eyes flutter when she turns and takes a few steps.

“You’re avoiding the question.”

She turns back around. “He was, though only for a short time. I’ll have you know, my parents have been happily married for thirty-nine years, so there’s no way anything like you’re insinuating ever could’ve happened.”


Author Bio:

Freda was born in southern New Jersey but grew up in Florida. She has loved writing her entire life. After retiring from a career in law enforcement, she knew it was time to fulfill her lifelong dream of being a published author.

She’s the author of The Hawaii Series, proudly named from her love of the beautiful Hawaiian Islands. It’s a three-book series with all of them written as standalone books.

Freda loves her large family, horses, dogs, cat, and close friends. She hosts monthly family dinners at her home in the country, which she shares with her husband.

She loves baking (she owned and operated a cupcake business for years), cooking, yoga, crocheting, nature and traveling with the love of her life.

What helps her write? Music makes her happy! If music doesn’t give her the right motivation, she puts on a romantic movie, usually from the Hallmark Channel, which she can’t get enough of!

Freda speaks her mind and pushes perfection to its limit. She strives to be her best, most positive self she can be in life. With time, determination, and practice, she believes anything is possible.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Instagram / Pinterest


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The Spotlight Is On Dirty Plans by Carissa Knight @XpressoTours

Dirty Plans
Carissa Knight
(The One Night Stand Club)
Publication date: January 5th 2024
Genres: Adult, Comedy, Contemporary, Romance

Who knew finding true love would mean juggling a secret club’s rules, rethinking marital boundaries, and a best friend you suddenly want to kiss?

Lily’s life was predictably pedestrian: side-step her husband’s aloofness, indulge in racy novels with her audacious book club, and dream about feeling that kind of passion in her own life. But a surprise run-in at a cheeky adult toy shop flings her back into the orbit of London, her endearingly rogue-ish childhood best friend, now the manager of Club Nocté—a nightclub synonymous with whispered secrets and sexy encounters.

Dazzled by the nocturnal allure of Nocté and the undeniable chemistry with London, Lily’s once-staid world gets a titillating shake-up. He’s not the boy she once built forts with, but a man with seductive depths that pull her in. And the kicker? London’s not-so-subtle feelings have the urgency of a flash sale—tempting, fleeting, and impossible to resist.

But in a world of impromptu one-night stands, it’s the long-standing emotions that prove the most scandalous. London fell first, and hard. Lily, still tethered to her crumbling marriage, finds herself torn between the nostalgic sweetness of the past and the thrilling promise of a passionate future.

Brace yourself for a joyride of giggles, gasps, and ‘oh-my-god’ moments, as Lily and London navigate a dance of friendship and flirtation, underpinned by the most tantalizing question: Will they dare to cross the line between friendship’s safety for a chance at true love?

Add to Goodreads / Pre-order


Author Bio:

Carissa is all about bringing the heat in every romance she writes… but she also enjoys making the journey as angsty and awkward as possible. (Because come on! What could be more fun than making the characters squirm?)

While she’s a new kid around the rom-com block, Carissa’s actually been kicking out books for over a decade as Carissa Andrews.

So, hold onto your panties, ladies. They’re about to light on fire with her brand new titillating series, “The One Night Stand Club!”



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The Spotlight Is On Catnip Plushie Balls And Q-Tips by M G Rorai @pumpupyourbook

Catnip, Plushie Balls, and Q-Tips

Virtual Book Tour

Media Kit

🙤 · ┈┈┈┈┈┈ · ꕥ · ┈┈┈┈┈┈ · 🙦

  About the Book:

 Title: Catnip, Plushie Balls, and Q-Tips

Author: M.G. Rorai

Publisher: Independent

Publication Date: September 30, 2023

Pages: 178

Genre: Poetry/Pets

Ever wonder why there are “mews” in “amewzing”?

This collection of cat poems will tickle your whiskers and your funny bone. They’re the purr-fect way to brighten your day and celebrate the furry friends in your life.

Prepare to laugh out loud as you read about cat adventures with magnets, candles, strawberry milkshakes, and plush balls—but don’t let me ruin the surprise, you’ll have to read to find out!

Get ready to laugh your tail off!

Buy Links:

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Apple | Scribd | Smashwords

 Book Excerpt:

The magnets are so cute

that I must knock them off

but get yelled at for this,

so the new approach is soft.

I sit by the fridge

staring at those squares

and when Human isn’t looking

I lick with tongue hairs.

All was going good

until one was quite sticky

leaving a bad taste,

and I’m not so picky.

I bite at the air

to get rid of the taste

then knock down that magnet;

good riddance, post-haste.** 

About the Author

 M.G. Rorai enjoys hanging with her cats and annoying her husband. Her latest book is Catnip, Plushie Balls, and Q-Tips.

Author Links  

Website | Facebook

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Not For Me – The Eight Reindeer Of The Apocalypse by Tom Holt #TheEightReindeeroftheApocalypse #NetGalley

I want to thank NetGalley and Orbit Books for the opportunity to read and review The Eight Reindeer of the Apocalypse by Tom Holt. I mean look at that cover…and the title?

https://amzn.to/3EJeheh

Amazon / Audiobook / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

Everything about The Eight Reindeer Of The Apocalypse by Tom Holt appealed to me. The great cover, the fun title and the intriguing blurb. BUT…

I had a couple of moments when I smiled but I kept trying too hard to make it work for me.

It depends what ereader I look at but I got to 1/4 to 1/3 of the way through and gave up.

Tom Holt is a prolific writer that has a lot of readers who enjoy his work, but I don’t think I am one of them. Was it the writing style? Is satire not for me? Either way, just because it didn’t work for me doesn’t mean it won’t work for you.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
1 Star (DNF)

AMAZON SYNOPSIS

Tom Holt’s brilliantly funny new novel set in the world of The Portable Door (now a delightful movie starring Patrick Gibson, Sophie Wilde, and Christoph Waltz).

The team of commercial sorcerers at Dawson, Ahriman & Dawson can help with any metaphysical engineering project, large or small (though by definition they all tend to be pretty large).
 
They can also create massive great puddles of chaos that might one day swallow up the entire universe.
 
Take, for example, the decision to recruit a certain bearded fellow whose previous work experience mainly involves reindeer and jingle bells. It might have seemed like a good idea at the time, but is he really the best person to save the world from Tiamat the Destroyer, who has literally gone ballistic? 

ABOUT TOM HOLT

Tom Holt (Thomas Charles Louis Holt) is a British novelist.
He was born in London, the son of novelist Hazel Holt, and was educated at Westminster School, Wadham College, Oxford, and The College of Law, London.
Holt’s works include mythopoeic novels which parody or take as their theme various aspects of mythology, history or literature and develop them in new and often humorous ways. He has also produced a number of “straight” historical novels writing as Thomas Holt and fantasy novels writing as K.J. Parker. You can find him at http://www.tom-holt.com

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