The Whirlpools of Time Blog Tour & Giveaway

 

The Whirlpools of Time by Anna Belfrage

Publication Date: June 11, 2021

Timelight Press

Series: The Locket, Book One

Genre: Historical Romance/Scottish/Time Travel

He hoped for a wife. He found a companion through time and beyond.

It is 1715 and for Duncan Melville something fundamental is missing from his life. Despite a flourishing legal practice and several close friends, he is lonely, even more so after the recent death of his father. He needs a wife—a companion through life, someone to hold and be held by. What he wasn’t expecting was to be torn away from everything he knew and find said woman in 2016…

Erin Barnes has a lot of stuff going on in her life. She doesn’t need the additional twist of a stranger in weird outdated clothes, but when he risks his life to save hers, she feels obligated to return the favour. Besides, whoever Duncan may be, she can’t exactly deny the immediate attraction.

The complications in Erin’s life explode. Events are set in motion and to Erin’s horror she and Duncan are thrown back to 1715. Not only does Erin have to cope with a different and intimidating world, soon enough she and Duncan are embroiled in a dangerous quest for Duncan’s uncle, a quest that may very well cost them their lives as they travel through a Scotland poised on the brink of rebellion.

Will they find Duncan’s uncle in time? And is the door to the future permanently closed, or will Erin find a way back?

Amazon

About the Author

Had Anna been allowed to choose, she’d have become a time-traveller. As this was impossible, she became a financial professional with two absorbing interests: history and writing. Anna has authored the acclaimed time travelling series The Graham Saga, set in 17th century Scotland and Maryland, as well as the equally acclaimed medieval series The King’s Greatest Enemy which is set in 14th century England.

More recently, Anna has published The Wanderer, a fast-paced contemporary romantic suspense trilogy with paranormal and time-slip ingredients. While she loved stepping out of her comfort zone (and will likely do so again ) she is delighted to be back in medieval times in her September 2020 release, His Castilian Hawk. Set against the complications of Edward I’s invasion of Wales, His Castilian Hawk is a story of loyalty, integrity—and love.

Find out more about Anna on her website or on her Amazon page. You can also follow her on Facebook or Twitter.

Be sure to scroll to the bottom to enter Giveaway!

Excerpt:

Erin Barnes leaned forward to crank up the volume, squinting at the road before her. Her wipers swished back and forth like a couple of high-speed metronomes, but with the rain coming down in torrents they did little to improve visibility.

She took a right and lowered her speed as she approached the old crossroads. In weather such as this, the old gravel roads became water-logged, and she definitely didn’t need the complication of an accident. Not after this shitty day. Her hands tightened on the steering wheel. She threw a look at the rear-view mirror: no headlights following her. Idiot, she told herself, they wouldn’t dare.

“No, of course they wouldn’t,” she said out loud but the knot of tension that lived in her stomach remained where it was, an uncomfortable weight that had her glancing back the way she’d come over and over again. Steve might. He’d looked ready to throttle her earlier and he had a damned short temper.

Had her grandmother Emily been alive, she’d have told Erin that some crusades were best left alone—unless one was willing to pay the price. Crusade? Erin snorted. This was no crusade, this was her sinking her teeth into a story that would make her career as a journalist and avenge Emily’s death. Well, unless the story got her killed first.

She’d spent months getting an in on it, swallowing down the desire to throw up that afflicted her whenever Steve kissed her or pawed at her body. And now…She tightened her hold on the wheel, recalling just how quickly Josephine Wilkes’ expression had changed, from mildly interested to icy rage when she studied the pics in Erin’s phone. Okay, so she’d done a lot of illegal snooping to take those pics, using the hot romance between Steve and herself as a cover to access his family home on several occasions. Too bad Mama Josephine wasn’t as dense as her youngest son—but then, if she’d been that dumb she would not be heading the racketeering business she’d inherited from her husband years ago.

So here she was, driving madly for the safety of her home, south of the air field. Safety? Please! But now that they had her phone, now that they’d slapped her around a bit, maybe they thought she’d do the smart thing and just keep her head down. Huh. When she’d squeezed out of the narrow bathroom window and sprinted for her car, Erin had been as determined as ever to bring the Wilkes family down. Even more, actually, given that now it was personal, her face swollen and puffy after the repeated “love pats” from dear ex-boyfriend Steve.

Thunder crackled through the night and Erin jumped, the car swerving slightly. Shit! More thunder, and if anything the rain intensified, a veritable deluge that had her slowing her speed to a crawl. A flash of lightning illuminated the landscape and a huge bundle lying right in the middle of the crossroads. Was that a man? An outflung arm? Erin stepped on the brake. Too late. There was a dull thump when her fender connected with the object. For some moments, she just sat there, her hands clenched so tight round the steering wheel they hurt. On the radio, someone was singing about perfection.

From outside came a loud howl. It made her jump. Definitely a human voice and with a deep sigh Erin concluded her day had just gone from bad to worse. She’d just hit some poor idiot, although to be fair, it was just as much his fault as hers. What sort of moron would just lie on the middle of the road? An injured one, her brain told her, one that is even more injured now that you’ve run him over.

There was a gun in the glove compartment, and she tucked it into the waist of her jeans before getting out. One never knew, this could be one of Steve’s more subtle attempts at getting his hands on her, but the moment she thought it she dismissed it as ridiculous. Steve had little finesse, was way more into brutal intimidation. She shivered, uncertain if it was the rain or the thought of Steve that chilled her to the bone. The pile on the road groaned.

A man, she concluded some moments later. Dark hair plastered to his forehead, something that resembled a linen shirt stuck to his torso and long legs encased in weird pants and knee-high boots. Erin rolled her eyes. One of those Renaissance Fair types, she thought, placing a careful hand on his back to make sure he was still breathing.

“Hey,” she said, wiping at her face. “Are you okay?” Stupid, stupid question. The man’s eyes fluttered open.

“Hi,” she said, trying out a little smile.

“Hi?” He scooted out of reach and sat up, groaning loudly. He looked at her. His eyes widened. He blinked and looked again.

“Can you stand?” she asked him, wondering if it would be totally uncharitable to help him to the side and then drive off.

“Aye.”

Aye? And what an odd accent. He sounded British, somehow.

The man lurched to his feet, took a step and promptly fell to his knees.

“Are you drunk?” she demanded. He clutched at his left leg and she was suffused with guilt. She’d broken his leg or something, and here she was accusing him of being drunk.

He looked at her. “I wish I was,” he said. “It would explain my hallucinations.”

“Hallucinations?”

“Aye.” His eyes narrowed. “Or are you real?” Once again, he stood, favouring his left leg. He was tall, well over six feet, and that shirt of his displayed an impressively broad chest. He was also bleeding from a gash on his forehead, his right sleeve was badly burned as was the forearm and hand, and he grimaced when he put weight on his left foot.

“Of course I’m real.” She grabbed hold of him when he swayed. He yelped and shied away, landing yet again on the ground.

“God’s fish!” he exclaimed. “You are real!”

What was the matter with him? She took a couple of steps away from him, uncomfortable by how he stared at her, as if she were some sort of apparition. Sort of rich, seeing as he was the one wearing weird clothes, not her.

“Where’s Lewis?” He filled his lungs. “Lewis!” he yelled. “Damn it man, where are you?”

“Not here,” Erin told him.

“But he was right behind me when…” He broke off, stared down at the crossroads and shuffled hastily to the side. “Where’s my horse?”

Erin shook her head. No horse. And who in their right mind would go riding in this weather? Some people took all that re-enactment stuff way too far.

“Who…” he began, but whatever he was about to say drowned in the sound of a large, revving engine. A huge van skidded to a stop and Erin hurled herself towards her car. Too late,  and here came Steve, with that oaf Johnny and his dear cousin Marco. Johnny had hold of her before she reached the car. A twist, and he had her arm high up on her back, making her scream with pain.

“Let me go!” She kicked and fought.

Johnny just laughed. “Don’t think so. You’re coming with us.” He pulled her in the direction of the van.

“What, you thought we were done?” Steve asked. He glanced at the stranger, who was swaying on his feet. “Who’s he?”

“No idea. Let me go, you bastard!”

“Now, now: you know what we want. You give it to us and we’ll let you go. You don’t, and…” Whatever else Steve had planned on saying she’d never know—not that it took that much imagination to fill in the blanks. Instead, Steve was staggering back, staring at the stranger. An arm flew out, a fist connected with Steve’s face and he toppled backwards. The stranger turned her way.

“The lady said to let her go,” this oddly dressed apparition said. He pulled his sword as he advanced on Johnny.

“Seriously?” Johnny said with a sneer, pulling his gun. Erin took the opportunity offered, stomped down on his toes and pulled free, fumbling for her gun. Steve was back on his feet, stalking towards them.

“Watch out!” she yelled. The stranger swirled. His blade sliced through the air, Steve yelped. He wheeled again and his blade rapped down sharply on Johnny’s hand, sending the gun flying.

And then there was Marco, bringing down a cudgel on the stranger’s head. The stranger stumbled, regained his balance, ducked the next blow and punched Marco in the gut. With a growl, Johnny threw himself forward. Steve joined the fray.  The stranger disappeared in a flurry of arms. Three against one was impossible odds—especially against someone like Johnny. But the stranger held his own for a while, giving as good as he got. At one point Steve screeched. The cudgel came whistling through the air and the stranger collapsed.

“Bastard!” Steve snarled, kicking at the poor man. “Who do you think you are, some sort of fucking Zorro?”

A number of dull thuds, booted feet lifted to stomp and Erin raised her gun and shot. Once. “Get away,” she yelled. “Back off or I’ll shoot you.”

Johnny laughed. “I’d like to see you try.”

“What? You don’t believe me?” She squeezed the trigger. Johnny collapsed, clutching at his thigh. She aimed at Steve. “You’re next,” she warned. “But this time I’ll aim for the head.”

“Let’s go, man.” Marco had hold of Johnny, was dragging him backwards. “We can always come and find her later.”

Erin shifted her aim and squeezed the trigger again. The bullet whizzed by Steve, close enough to make him yelp, nowhere close to actually hitting him.

“I see you anywhere close to me again and I’ll shoot first, ask questions later,” she said, trying to sound cool and unconcerned. She slid the stranger a look. He was lying very still on the ground. Was he dead?

“You’ll pay,” Steve said, retreating towards the van. “For Johnny, for fucking spying on us!”

“Yeah? Maybe I should tell dear Mama Josephine just how sloppy you are, leaving all sorts of information lying around.”

Even in the dark she could see him stumble. “Bitch!” he hissed. “You’ll regret this. And you’ll definitely regret not killing me when you had the chance.” He hauled himself into the van. The engine roared, gravel spitting every which way as the van sped off.

Blog Tour Schedule

Monday, August 23
Guest Post at Novels Alive

Tuesday, August 24
Review at Pursuing Stacie
Review + Excerpt at Books & Benches

Thursday, August 26
Review at Reader_ceygo

Friday, August 27
Review at Novels Alive

Monday, August 30
Review at With A Book In Our Hands

Wednesday, September 1
Review at The Book Review Crew

Friday, September 3
Excerpt at Historical Fiction with Spirit

Monday, September 6
Review at Chicks, Rogues, and Scandals

Wednesday, September 8
Review at 100 Pages a Day

Friday, September 10
Review at Rajiv's Reviews

Monday, September 13
Guest Post at Hoover Book Reviews

Wednesday, September 15
Review at Books, Writings, and More

Friday, September 17
Excerpt at Reading is My Remedy

Monday, September 20
Review at Amy's Booket List

Tuesday, September 21
Review at Anna’s Book Blog

Wednesday, September 22
Excerpt at The Cozy Book Blog

Friday, September 24
Review at Passages to the Past

Monday, September 27
Excerpt at Cross My Heart Writing & Reviews

Wednesday, September 29
Review at Coffee and Ink

Giveaway

Enter to win a copy of The Whirlpools of Time by Anna Belfrage! Two copies are up for grabs!

The giveaway is open internationally and ends on September 29th. You must be 18 or older to enter.

Whirlpools of Time

The Patient's Secret Review

Author: Loreth Anne White

Genre: Mystery Suspense

Publish: Montlake

Release Date: March 8, 2022

Order Link: Amazon

My Rating: 500 Thought Provoking Hearts

Reviewed published in Mystery & Suspense Magazine

Special thanks to the author for an arc of this book.

Secrets worth dying―and killing―for, in a novel of suspense inspired by a horrific true crime by Washington Post and Amazon Charts bestselling author Loreth Anne White.

Review:

At the heart of Loreth Anne White's newest thriller, The Patient's Secret, is a true crime that occurred several years ago.  One that was so horrific, so mind-boggling that it defies the wildest imagination.  To this day, the crime continues to be debated in terms of the odds for or against lasting rehabilitation to the point a patient can return to society as a functioning, law-abiding citizen.  Keep that in mind as you turn the pages of The Patient's Secret and get lost in a profoundly thought-provoking story that I believe is White's finest work to date.  Just beware . . . once you learn the patient's secret, you'll never be the same again.

There are three key players in The Patient's Secret whose lives become hopelessly entwined during a murder investigation - Lily Bradley, a highly revered psychotherapist, beloved wife and mother of two, respected member of the coastal town of Story Cove . . . and woman with a dark secret; Detective Rue Duval, a respected member of the town's police force, skilled investigator, beloved wife and mother . . . and woman with a life-altering secret; and finally, new to the community is Arwen Harper, a flamboyant, gypsy-like bar waitress and artist, seductress, mother . . . and woman with a deeply buried secret.  When the battered body of an early morning jogger is found lying on the beach at the base of the cliffs, these women's lives clash in ways they couldn't have imagined, and a blanket of unease settles over the idyllic town of Story Cove.  The victim's face is beyond recognition.  Who is it?  Was it a terrible accident?  Did they jump from the cliff top or were they pushed?  Det. Duval is called to the death scene by Lily's husband, a distinguished professor, who discovers the body while on his morning run.  Questions and suspicions escalate when critical evidence is recovered, and the body is officially identified.  It appears several people have motive for wanting this person silenced  . . . including Lily's husband.  As the story unfolds, the past collides with the present, skeletons are rattled and despite their efforts to slap a Band-Aid over them, dark secrets begin oozing out.  The stakes are high for several prominent people with everything they hold dear at risk so the question is:  Which of these upstanding citizens would kill to keep their secret?

The Patient's Secret is an intensely moving reading experience.  White's uncanny ability to continuously gift reader's thought-provoking stories like this is nothing short of amazing.  As a reader, I'm loving her current trend of writing fiction based on true crimes with ramifications reaching far into the future.  Her work not only entertains readers, it challenges them to think and consider what if?  The Patient's Secret is highly atmospheric with a setting that enhances the story line, helping accelerate an escalating pace as the story progresses.  White's brilliant manipulation of each character leaves readers frantically scrambling to discover which of these seemingly ordinary, everyday people would kill to protect loved ones from their dark secrets.  

Loreth Anne White is a writer at the top of her game, and it's never been more evident than with this piece of work.  As a reviewer, I struggle to find the right words to review her work without spoilers and as a reader, I'm just thankful for the opportunity to read it.  Fans of mystery, suspense, thrillers and true crime fiction, mark your calendars for the release of The Patient's Secret on March 1, 2022.  It's one you don't want to miss.  Highly recommended!

Synopsis:

When the battered body of a female jogger is found beneath the cliffs of an idyllic coastal community, these perfect neighbors suddenly don’t seem so perfect…

Lily Bradley is a respected psychotherapist married to a distinguished professor. They live in a dream house with their two children in close-knit Story Cove. Lily lives a well-ordered life. Or so it seems. As a therapist, she knows everyone keeps things hidden. Even her.

Then sensual and free-spirited Arwen Harper rolls into town in her hand-painted VW van, her sixteen-year-old son riding shotgun. Overnight, Story Cove’s secrets are no longer safe. Because Arwen might know her new neighbors better than they know themselves.

Now someone is dead, and it looks like murder. Brutal and personal. The death invites the shrewd eye of Detective Rue Duval. Rue’s job is to expose secrets. But she’s also an expert at keeping them.

As the lives of three women become inexorably entwined, one thing is clear: when it comes to survival, ordinary people can do the most terrible things. 

Loreth Anne White is an Amazon Charts and Washington Post bestselling author of thrillers, mysteries, and suspense. With well over 2 million books sold around the world, she is a three-time RITA finalist, an overall Daphne du Maurier Award winner, Arthur Ellis finalist, and winner of multiple industry awards.

A recovering journalist who has worked in both South Africa and Canada, she now calls Canada home. She resides in the Pacific Northwest, dividing time between Victoria on Vancouver Island, the ski resort of Whistler in the Coast Mountains, and a rustic lakeside cabin in the Cariboo. When she’s not writing or dreaming up plots, you will find her on the lakes, in the ocean, or on the trails with her dog where she tries—unsuccessfully—to avoid bears. For more information on her books please visit her website at lorethannewhite.com

Connect with her on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Loreth.Anne....
On Twitter: https://twitter.com/Loreth
Or via Instagram: lorethannewhite

Visit her at www.lorethannewhite.com 

Hello Transcriber Review

Author: Hannah Morrissey

Genre: Suspense Thriller

Publisher: Minotaur Books

Release Date: Nov. 30, 2021

Order Link: Amazon 

My Rating: 4 Complex Hearts

Special thanks to Minotaur Bks. for an arc of this book.

Hannah Morrissey's Hello, Transcriber is a captivating mystery suspense debut featuring a female police transcriber who goes beyond the limits to solve a harrowing case.

Review:

Hello Transcriber is the dark, highly atmospheric story of one woman's introspective scrutiny of her life at a time when she's at a crossroads, facing a monumental decision about the direction she will choose.  It's an unsettling story featuring tormented souls treading water, fighting an undercurrent of darkness threatening to pull them under.  It's the story of one woman's journey from her lowest point to taking charge of and owning her own life.

Black Harbor, Wisconsin is a seedy, crime infested town with dark alleys and shadowy streets where nothing good ever happens.  Hazel Greenlee and husband Tommy moved there in search of work - he as an Aquatic Ecologist and she as an aspiring writer who finds work as the night shift Police Transcriber.  Hazel sees her job as an escape from a troubled marriage and as fodder for her unwritten stories.  Two major events occur during one of her earliest night shifts - she hears a hypnotic police officer's voice coming through her transcription headphones stirring long forgotten feelings within her, and a man writes a mysterious message on her frosted office window . . . with someone else's frozen finger.  Hazel recognizes the man as one of two residing in the rundown duplex beside her and her husband, and she soon learns the hypnotic voice coming through her headphones is the mysterious Det. Nikolai Kole who recorded his case notes from the overdose death of a nine year old boy.  Nik suspects the drugs were purchased from a drug dealer aka The Candyman who continues eluding police.  Hazel is intrigued with both the man and the case and soon becomes swept up in the murder investigation . . .  and eventually in the complicated life of Det. Kole.  Both prove to have profound effects on her life as she joins the detective in morally and ethically questionable actions.  And by holding back one vital piece of information, Hazel may have signed her own death warrant.

Hello Transcriber is a dark and somber edge-of-your-seat thriller.  The story unfolds through Hazel's unreliable point of view allowing readers inside her scrambled brain as she deals with feelings of entrapment.  The murder investigation she becomes enthralled with becomes a bright spot in her otherwise dreary life.  Hazel's a depressed and dysfunctional character on her best days . . . and on bad days?  She's borderline suicidal often finding herself standing on Forge Bridge, the site of several local suicides, staring into the murky water.  She hears the roar of the river demanding little tributes - a bracelet, scarf or better yet . . . a lost soul, and Hazel knows it's summoning her as she sinks deeper into depression, deeper into the investigation and deeper into the life of Det. Kole.  

Hello Transcriber is a story strongly driven by place with fallible characters  trying to fight their way out of the darkness.  The author's vivid descriptions are vital in maintaining the dark, ominous tone throughout the story as the grimy, drug-ridden city becomes a character that permeates odors as rancid as it looks.  As the story unfolds, the pace escalates in time with the rising paranoia in Hazel along with the rhythm of the water rushing under the bridge demanding more sacrifices.  Readers are charged with following a twisted, convoluted plot line and unreliable characters all the way to the shocking conclusion.  Dismal and somber from beginning to end, Hello Transcriber will feed the need for fans of dark suspense thrillers.  Highly recommended.

Synopsis: 

Every night, while the street lamps shed the only light on Wisconsin's most crime-ridden city, police transcriber Hazel Greenlee listens as detectives divulge Black Harbor's gruesome secrets. As an aspiring writer, Hazel believes that writing a novel could be her only ticket out of this frozen hellscape. And then her neighbor confesses to hiding the body of an overdose victim in a dumpster.

The suspicious death is linked to Candy Man, a notorious drug dealer. Now Hazel has a first row seat to the investigation and becomes captivated by the lead detective, Nikolai Kole. Intrigued by the prospects of gathering eyewitness intel for her book, Hazel joins Kole in exploring Black Harbor's darkest side. As the investigation unfolds, Hazel will learn just how far she'll go for a good story―even if it means destroying her marriage and luring the killer to her as she plunges deeper into the city she's desperate to claw her way out of. 

The Suite Spot Review

Author: Trish Doller

Series: Beck Sisters, #2

Genre: Romance

Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin

Release Date: March 8, 2022

Order Link: Amazon 

My Rating: 4 Delightful Hearts

A special thank you to the publisher for an arc of this book.

Trish Doller’s The Suite Spot is a charming romance novel about taking a chance on a new life and a new love.

Review:

Rachel Beck is a woman on her way to the top in hotel management until a wealthy tenant of the swanky Miami hotel where she works tries to trap her in his hotel room and force himself on her.  When she rebuffs his advances and escapes his room, he files false charges against her and this single mother finds herself out of a job and blackballed by other hotels in the area.  Rachel's dreams of owning her own hotel one day are down the drain, but her immediate problem is supporting herself and her child.  When a friend forwards her a job opportunity at a brewery hotel in Ohio, she packs her things and moves.  What she finds when she and her daughter Maisie arrives is not what was advertised.  The brewery master Mason conned her into accepting the job indicating the rental cabins were ready to go . . . what she finds is that they're barely off the ground.  But when he offers her full control of the design, building, decorating and management of the cabins/hotel, she decides to accept.  And the funny feelings stirred in her tummy and lady-parts every time she's near Mason doesn't hurt any either.

I love a sweet, second chance love story and that's what The Suite Spot is.  Rachel is a strong woman with a mind of her own in spite of some body image issues and disappointing failed relationship with Maisie's father.  She soon discovers that Mason has issues of his own including an ex-wife and a past tragedy that left him living alone in seclusion - a real grumpy island recluse.  As the two get to know one another, it becomes obvious that Mason's issues worsen when he's around Rachel's adorable daughter Maisie.  As these two characters work side by side day after day, their emotional connection begins to gel and past history shared.  I found these characters to be authentic and believable.  I adored Maisie as her childlike innocence starts to win Mason over giving readers some of my favorite scenes.  While there are a few twists to this story for the most part it's low angst romance - just a couple of opposites learning to live, love and grow together after past disappointments.  The author does a fantastic job incorporating the beautiful scenery of the area around Lake Erie into the story.  My only minor issue with this book is a rather abrupt ending to an issue that Rachel faces concerning her daughter.  Since the issue was introduced, I thought it should have been explored more instead of quickly glazed over with obvious answers.  And I would have loved a more in-depth epilogue looking into the future.  Perhaps we'll get that in the next book.  The Suite Spot is a story of people overcoming their past tragedies and weaknesses, lowering their defenses and accepting all the wonderful possibilities life has to offer . . . including love.  I highly recommend this book to fans of contemporary romance, especially opposites attract and second chances.

Synopsis:

Rachel Beck has hit a brick wall. She’s a single mom, still living at home and trying to keep a dying relationship alive. Aside from her daughter, the one bright light in Rachel’s life is her job as the night reservations manager at a luxury hotel in Miami Beach—until the night she is fired for something she didn’t do.

On impulse, Rachel inquires about a management position at a brewery hotel on an island in Lake Erie called Kelleys Island. When she’s offered the job, Rachel packs up her daughter and makes the cross country move.

What she finds on Kelleys Island is Mason, a handsome, moody man who knows everything about brewing beer and nothing about running a hotel. Especially one that’s barely more than foundation and studs. It’s not the job Rachel was looking for, but Mason offers her a chance to help build a hotel—and rebuild her own life—from the ground up. 

Hi, I'm Trish! I don't really visit goodreads too often, but you can find me on both Instagram and Twitter as @trishdoller. Instagram is my favorite, so look there first. I don't bite, so come say hello!

http://trishdoller.com

Girls Before Earls Review

Author: Anna Bennett

Series: Rogues to Lovers#1

Publisher: St. Martins Press

Release Date: Dec. 28, 2021

Order Link: Amazon

My Rating: 4 Sweet Hearts

Special thanks to St. Martins Press for an arc of this book.

Review:

Having grown up alone in a school for girls, Miss Hazel Lively knows how beneficial the experience can be for young girls - especially those with no where else to turn.  She has finally found the means to open Bellehaven Academy, a school for girls, a place where the wealthy are willing to pay dearly for their daughters to learn the necessary skills for their coming out season . . . and a place where Hazel plans to take in less fortunate girls and offer them a safe haven like she received.  Admittedly, she's off to a slow start with only five girls, but Hazel's ever hopeful business will pick up as her school's flawless reputation builds and word spreads.  She needs wealthy students - so why does she turn down the Earl of Bladenton's request to enroll his orphaned, belligerent niece Kittie when he drags her into Hazel's office . . . mostly in an effort to get the girl out of his hair?

Hazel Lively is a strong woman surrounded by a protective shell about as hard as the Earl's head. While she's puzzled by the strange feelings stirred within her by Earl Gabriel Beckett aka Blade, she brushes them aside having learned long ago that love, lust and other such non-sense wasn't for her.  Why at twenty-eight years of age, she's practically a spinster, the respected headmistress of a school for girls.  Blade is a man at wit's end left to raise an orphaned niece he'd never met before her parents deaths - a girl who's been kicked out of at least three other finishing schools for her foolish pranks.  In other words, he's desperate to park his niece at Bellehaven and return to his bachelor life in London including his soon-to-be fiance.  He's dumbfounded when Hazel turns him down cold.  How dare she refuse him! Let the games begin.

Girls Before Earls is a delightfully sweet, funny and touching historical romance story.  Hazel was everything I love in an heroine - strong, sassy, smart and fighting her attraction to a man tooth and nail.  Blade is damaged goods and knows it.  Having been devastated by a woman who loved another, he's closed his heart to love, vowing he'll never let another woman close enough to hurt him again.  Blade's willing to play, but he'll never stay.  The author does a great job presenting characters that are authentic and well-fleshed out.  I loved Hazel's interactions with her girls.  The plot line is original and well-written with a few twists thrown in to keep characters and readers off-kilter.  I read this book from cover to cover mostly in one sitting.  Fans of historical romance will love this one.  Highly recommended.

Synopsis:

WHAT A GIRL WANTS

To survive her difficult childhood, Miss Hazel Lively relied on two things:a tough outer shell and a love of books. Now, at the age of twenty-eight, she’s finally realized her life-long dream of opening a school for girls. She’s hoping that the wealthy families who flock to the shore for the summer will entrust their daughters to Bellehaven Academy―and help pay the way for less fortunate students. All Hazel must do is maintain a flawless reputation and raise a good deal of money. It’s a foolproof plan…till a sinfully handsome earl strides into her office.

WHAT AN EARL NEEDS

Gabriel Beckett, Earl of Bladenton, has had a monstrous headache since the day his teenaged niece became his ward. She’s been expelled from two London boarding schools and is doing her damnedest to scare off his potential fiancée. But Blade has a plan of his own―enroll his niece at Bellehaven Academy, where she’ll be out of town and out of his hair. He just needs to convince the buttoned-up headmistress with the soulful brown eyes to take on his niece.

LEAD TO AN IRRESISTIBLE DEAL

When Blade makes a generous offer to the school, it’s impossible for Hazel to refuse. But she has one non-negotiable condition: the earl must visit his niece every other week. Soon, Blade discovers there’s much more to Hazel than meticulous lesson plans. In moonlit seaside coves and candlelit ballrooms, their sparring leads to flirtation…and something altogether deeper. But the passion that flares between them poses a threat to Hazel’s school and Blade’s battered heart. They say a good thing can’t last forever, but true love? Well, it just might… 

Anna Bennett started swiping romances from her mom’s bookshelf as a teenager and decided historicals (with their balls, dukes, and gowns) were the best. So, when she had the chance to spend a semester in London she packed her bags—and promptly fell in love with the city, its history, and its pubs. She dreamed of writing romance, but somehow ended up a software analyst instead.

Fortunately, a few years and a few careers later, Anna found her way back to writing the stories she loves and won the Romance Writers of America’s Golden Heart® for Regency Historical Romance. She lives in Maryland with her husband and three children, who try valiantly not to roll their eyes whenever she quotes Jane Austen. Her weaknesses include reality TV, cute shoes, and coffee. Lots and lots of coffee.

Sign up for Anna's newsletter here! http://bit.ly/2dFW5bv 

http://annabennettauthor.com/

Forgotten In Death Review

Author: J.D. Robb

Genre: Mystery Suspense

Publisher: St. Martins Press

Release Date: Sept. 7, 2021

Order Link: Amazon

My Rating: 4 Unforgotten Hearts

Special thanks to St. Martins press for an arc of this book.

In the latest novel in the #1 New York Times bestselling series, homicide detective Eve Dallas sifts through the wreckage of the past to find a killer.

Review:

Lt. Eve Dallas is called to the scene of a murder - a homeless woman's battered body tossed in the dumpster like yesterday's trash.  While working the scene, she gets a call to another scene - walls torn down in an old building under renovation reveals the skeletal remains of a woman and her fetus.  Two cases, at least thirty years apart with unknown victims - one homeless and desolate, the other with items that indicate wealth.  As always, Eve treats both cases and victims the same.  She stands for them both working tirelessly until she identifies and then reaps justice for them equally.  Questions arise about the murders close proximity to each other and as Eve digs in, it becomes clear they may share a connection.  

Forgotten In Death lives up to its name . . . Eve will leave no victim forgotten.  The cases take center stage in this book, and I enjoyed being privy to Eve's complex thought process as she and her team work both cases.  

As always, one of my favorite parts of any case is in the interview room where Eve excels in breaking down villains.  And I'm a huge fan of the character relationship development and while there may be slightly less in this book, it's still a pleasure to spend time with all the support characters.  I was especially surprised and delighted by the interchange between DeWinter and Eve and loved the introduction of DeWinter's exceptionally bright daughter who I look forward to seeing more of.  Peabody and the IHP driving Eve crazy and tender moments with Eve and her Irishman Roarke made for a well-rounded story that has something for everyone.  Highly Recommended.

Synopsis:

The body was left in a dumpster like so much trash, the victim a woman of no fixed address, known for offering paper flowers in return for spare change—and for keeping the cops informed of any infractions she witnessed on the street. But the notebook where she scribbled her intel on litterers and other such offenders is nowhere to be found.

Then Eve is summoned away to a nearby building site to view more remains—in this case decades old, adorned with gold jewelry and fine clothing—unearthed by recent construction work. She isn’t happy when she realizes that the scene of the crime belongs to her husband, Roarke—not that it should surprise her, since the Irish billionaire owns a good chunk of New York. Now Eve must enter a complex world of real estate development, family history, shady deals, and shocking secrets to find justice for two women whose lives were thrown away…

The Stowaway Review

Author: James S. Murray &

              Darren Wearmouth

Genre: Suspense Thriller

Publisher: St. Martins Press

Release Date: Sept. 21, 2021

Order Link: Amazon

My Rating: 4.5 Chilling Hearts

Special thank to St. Martins Press for an arc of this book.

From internationally bestselling authors James Murray and Darren Wearmouth comes The Stowaway, a suspenseful masterpiece that leaves a cruise ship stranded at sea with a serial killer hiding aboard…

Review:

Luxury trans-ocean cruises are everyone's fantasy of the perfect holiday, right?  But what if you were trapped, stuck in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, with a serial killer on board?  And you know you and your children are his ultimate goal?  That's the predicament Maria Fontana finds herself in when she and her fiance Steve and her two young children go on a much needed cruise in an effort to close the chapter on a horrific ordeal in their lives.  Maria was the deciding vote on the jury that set notorious killer Butler free two years ago.  During the outrage that followed the trial, Maria stepped up and admitted casting the one not guilty vote in an effort to take the focus off the other jurors.  As a result, she was chastised my friends, coworkers and on social media.  Now two years later, she's trying to put the nightmare behind her and enjoy a vacation with her family.  Imagine her horror when the mutilated bodies of young children are discovered on the ship . . . chopped into pieces exactly like Butler's signature killings.  When ship authorities don't believe her when she tells them it must be Butler, she begins an investigation of her own . . . and becomes the hunted.  She will protect her children even if it means giving her own life and so she sets a trap for the killer.  

The Stowaway was chilling from beginning to end.  I literally read this book in one setting, and yes, I read it with all the lights on.  The threatening tone drives an escalating pace as Maria's desperation rises to the point of hysteria.    The authors have penned a dark, intense thriller that gave me goosebumps.  Before it was over, I suspected everyone of being Butler as he's a master of disguise.  I also suspected others of being a copycat killer as a few well developed red herrings muddy the waters in this case.  I highly recommend jumping into this one blind, and let this thriller carry you away as it did me.  Fans of mystery, suspense and thrillers are going to devour this one!

Synopsis:

Two years ago, Maria Fontana was the deciding vote on a jury that set alleged serial killer Wyatt Butler free. Now, she and her family are enjoying vacation on a two week long transatlantic cruise. But when passengers are discovered brutally murdered in a similar way to Butler’s ritualistic MO, the ship goes on lockdown. Maria, one of only twelve people in the world with intimate knowledge of the case, faces a perilous ticking clock. Is it a copycat? Or is she trapped on board with the bloodthirsty maniac she chose to set free?

The Falling Girls Review

Author: Hayley Krischer

Genre: YA Thriller

Publisher: Penquin Group, Razorbill

Release Date: Oct. 5, 2021

Order Link: Amazon

My Rating: 4.5 Obsessive Hearts

First published at Mystery & Suspense Magazine

Special thanks to Razorbill for an arc of this book.

From the author of Something Happened to Ali Greenleaf comes another searing, affecting novel that follows one girl caught between two toxic worlds, perfect for fans of Kathleen Glasgow and Nina LaCour.

Review:

The Falling Girls scrutinizes the powerful, all-consuming, ever-evolving relationship between teenage girls, aka best friends - how far they'll go for each other and how dark they'll go when they feel betrayed. While these relationships can be healthy, there's a fine line between close friendship and obsession. This is the story of what can happen when that line is crossed.

Shade and Jadis have been best friends forever - a pair of outsiders against the world. Their relationship is intricate as they feed off each other's energy - mimicking clothes, tats, moods, opinions, actions. When Shade admits to secretly trying out and becoming a member of the elite cheerleader team at school, a cult-like group led by three pompous girls all named Chloe, Jadis is stunned. Shade is forsaking her to be a silly cheerleader? Jadis perceives the betrayal as infidelity and vows that no one, not even the queen cheerleader, will come between them. Meantime, Shade is reveling with her new friends while attempting to maintain her friendship with a sullen Jadis. Intoxicated from becoming one of the cheer leader flyers and new intimate friend to captain cheerleader Chloe - much to the chagrin of Chloe's troubled best friend Chloe #2 - Shade hopes to have it all. Like Jadis, Chloe #2 is livid at Shade's position on the team and has no intention of relinquishing her spot as best friend to Chloe #1 without a fight. As the saying goes, "Don't get mad, get even". And so the treacherous games begin . . . and a cheerleader mysteriously dies. Was it a tragic accident . . . or murder?

The Falling Girls is the story of the dark, obsessive, often toxic, love/hate relationship that occurs between teenage girls when a line is crossed. A breakup between best friends is equivalent to a married couple divorcing with all the hurt, spitefulness and ugliness that follows. Krischer has brilliantly captured the raw, emotional turmoil suffered in these relationships while rendering a gutsy, disturbing tale of what happens when the balance of power between girls shifts and one is left grieving on the outside looking in while plotting her revenge. She explores the depth of teenage girls' possessiveness and beliefs that a person belongs with them with emphasis on how far they'll go to reclaim what they believe is rightfully theirs. Some may call it pettiness, but when it crosses the line from childish acts to obsessive, malicious endangerment, it's a disturbing, psychotic state of mind where anything is possible.

From the first few pages to The End, I devoured The Falling Girls. The dark undertone of malevolent intent emits creepy vibes and after the death of one of the girls, the mystery of who, why and how drives the story forward at a brisk pace as accusations are hurled and denied. The author nails the dark side of human nature along with the vicious attacks that occur between teenage girls when they feel betrayed and the resulting devastation occurring when they dole out retaliation. The Falling Girls is the dark, raw story of what happens when a friendship falls apart and love turns to hate. Of what happens when obsession is fueled by jealousy burning out of control until rage takes over body and mind. It's the story of one girl's journey from being a codependent in a toxic relationship to finding the strength and determination to stand on her own two feet and claim her own future. Highly recommended to fans of Young Adult Thrillers.

Synopsis:

Shade and Jadis are everything to each other. They share clothes, toothbrushes, and even matching stick-and-poke tattoos. So when Shade unexpectedly joins the cheerleading team, Jadis can hardly recognize who her best friend is becoming.

Shade loves the idea of falling into a group of girls; she loves the discipline it takes to push her body to the limits alongside these athletes . Most of all, Shade finds herself drawn to The Three Chloes--the insufferable trio that rules the squad--including the enigmatic cheer captain whose dark side is as compelling as it is alarming.

Jadis won't give Shade up so easily, though, and the pull between her old best friend and her new teammates takes a toll on Shade as she tries to forge her own path. So when one of the cheerleaders dies under mysterious circumstances, Shade is determined to get to the bottom of her death. Because she knows Jadis--and if her friend is responsible, doesn't that mean she is, too?

In this compelling, nuanced exploration of the layered, intoxicating relationships between teen girls, and all the darkness and light that exists between them, novelist Hayley Krischer weaves a story of loss and betrayal, and the deep reverberations felt at a friendship's breaking point.

Hayley Krischer has been an award-winning journalist for over 20+ years.

She is a contributing writer for the New York Times, where she has covered feminist roller skaters, Instagram obsessed moms, profiled Gabrielle Union, Tatum O'Neal, and S.E. Hinton.

She has also written for many publications about women and teenage girls including Marie Claire, The New York Times Magazine, The Atlantic, Lenny Letter, and the Hairpin.

Her YA debut, SOMETHING HAPPENED TO ALI GREENLEAF will be released in fall 2020 from Razorbill.

Hayley received her MFA in creative writing from Lesley University. Her first newspaper job was as an editorial assistant at the Boston Globe. She reads tarot cards.

http://hayleykrischer.net

Twitter - hayleykrischer