Tuesday, August 31, 2021

Cover Reveal for Trace of Darkness by RB Hilliard

 

Title: Trace of Darkness
Author: RB Hilliard
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Release Date: September 28, 2021
Photographer: JW Photography and Covers
Cover Model: Amanda Joan
Cover Designer: Just write. Creations and Services



She’s not who they think she is. . .

Diana Duvail is an officer with the Charleston Police Department. Her reputation as a hard-working, by the book, team player is well known. But Diana’s got a secret.

While on patrol, the unimaginable happens; her secret is revealed, and she finds herself reassigned to the paranormal unit. Little does she know, but her world is about to be turned upside down.

When bodies start showing up all over the city, Diana is forced to liaise with the Southern Vampire Organization. Zacharias Wylde is a powerful, sexy Vampire Lord who not only shakes her existence but shows her a new and exciting reality.

Can Zack help Diana figure out what’s turned Charleston into a hunting ground, or is Diana destined to become one of the hunted?




RB Hilliard lives in Charlotte, North Carolina with her husband, two teenagers, and crazy dog, Oscar. She loves music, a good book, red wine, chocolate, and to write twistedly suspenseful stories. Alpha men, rock stars, and sexy bikers are among her favorites, but don’t worry, if suspense isn’t your bag, she also writes funny tales about exceptionally hot men who are in desperate need of taming. In 2014, Hilliard published her first novel. She has since published multiple novels across several genres.



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Review for The Last Chance Library by Freya Sampson

 The Last Chance Library by  Freya Sampson 

Paperback, 336 pages

Publication: August 31st 2021 by Berkley Books

Genre:  Chick Lit, Books About Books, Contemporary Romance, Women’s Fiction

 


From Goodreads:  June Jones emerges from her shell to fight for her beloved local library, and through the efforts and support of an eclectic group of library patrons, she discovers life-changing friendships along the way.


Lonely librarian June Jones has never left the sleepy English village where she grew up. Shy and reclusive, the thirty-year-old would rather spend her time buried in books than venture out into the world. But when her library is threatened with closure, June is forced to emerge from behind the shelves to save the heart of her community and the place that holds the dearest memories of her mother.

Joining a band of eccentric yet dedicated locals in a campaign to keep the library, June opens herself up to other people for the first time since her mother died. It just so happens that her old school friend Alex Chen is back in town and willing to lend a helping hand. The kindhearted lawyer's feelings for her are obvious to everyone but June, who won't believe that anyone could ever care for her in that way.

To save the place and the books that mean so much to her, June must finally make some changes to her life. For once, she's determined not to go down without a fight. And maybe, in fighting for her cherished library, June can save herself, too.

 

My Thoughts:  Imagine that your whole world is being threatened to be taken from you.   That is exactly what June Jones is feeling.   The library that her mother worked at and that she now works at is possibly being closed.    She tries to stay out of it but her heart steps in and she knows that she must step up and do what she can to help.  

I liked most seeing June step up.   She was a mousy librarian when the story started.  As the story continues, she finds her voice, her strength, and uses them for the good of the library and the community.    She finds that the visitors of the library see her as more than just a librarian, but as their friend also.    The library has multiple meanings for each visitor and as the fight to save the library goes on each person shares their story.   I loved hearing about the visitors, their need for the library, and how it affects their lives.   It is true that a library is not just a place to get books to read, it is a place to make friends, a place to find warmth, a place to escape from their homes, and a place to be safe.    

Freya Sampson did a great job of taking a diverse set of characters and pulling their lives together.   Weaving their stories to make one larger picture that was beautiful.   I loved seeing each character come into their own, seeing them come together for each other, and seeing a wonderful library become the center of a community.  


**Thank you Tara O'Connor at Penguin Random House for a copy of the book via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. 

 

Add to your MUST-READ list on Goodreads

Purchase your own copy on Amazon or Barnes and Noble

 


Meet Freya Sampson
:  Freya Sampson works in TV as an executive producer. Her credits include two documentary series for the BBC about the British Royal Family, and a number of factual and entertainment series.

She studied History at Cambridge University and in 2018 was shortlisted for the Exeter Novel Prize.

She lives in London with her husband, two young children and an antisocial cat. The Last Library is her debut novel.

 

 

 

Monday, August 30, 2021

Cover Reveal for #Fraser by Even Monroe

 

Title: #Fraser
Series: Rich City Boys Book One
Author: Even Monroe
Genre: Contemporary Romance Standalone
Release Date: September 10, 2021
Cover Design: Designs By Dana



It’s not true what they say about all work and no play. It doesn’t make you dull, it makes you successful.

But I’m not sure how much longer I can endure the daily grind. Work, workout, rinse, repeat.

How the hell do I get myself out of this endless cycle?

Fraser is brilliant and dedicated to his job, which has fast become his biggest downfall—focused and brilliant but lonely. His success has come at the cost of his happiness. Covering up the failings of others as well as being at their beck and call is slowly destroying him. His opinion of those working in Adele’s office, who are entwined in his success, is plummeting by the day.

Adele has always had her eye on the prize—study, work experience, and now, finally, a prestigious job she’s spent years chasing. What she didn’t expect was to find a toxic workplace and a sinking feeling that she’s made a big mistake.

When the two meet, their worlds quickly become entwined. Can Fraser find a way to use his renowned charm to win over the beautiful woman who constantly surprises him with her wit, kindness, and impressive lingerie collection? Can the two of them find a way out of their workplace prisons, or will Fraser’s fears and insecurities put an end to their smoldering hot romance before it has a fighting chance?

Rich City Boys – Fraser is the first standalone novel in the steamy Rich City Boys contemporary romance series. If you like sexy men, fast cars, and weekends out of the city, start reading now.





PROLOGUE

I look like hell.

There’s no denying it.

The mirror reflects tired gray eyes and bone-deep weariness. The last few days, there’s been a gritty feeling I can’t quite blink away. Shadows below tell the tale of long days and nights chained to the desk. The bathroom light is stark and unforgiving, and my weary face stares back at me, joyless. Shaking my head, I pick up the razor. I don’t have all day to brood.

Carefully maneuvering the sharp blades along my jawline, it deftly cuts through yesterday’s growth. Every individual hair cut to skin level, the precision of these German-made blades is ruthless. I admire an instrument that carries out its job to perfection.

The parallel of this razor with my life isn’t lost on me. So much of my time is spent deployed by others to gracefully deliver the death blow and cut my opponents off at the knees. My battlefield is the courtroom, and there’s no break from the relentless pressure and the switch from being on the attack to being on the defensive in the blink of an eye.

It’s stress and argument and persuasion.

All.

Day.

Long.

Toweling off the last of the lather from my face, I try a grin on for size, really giving it a good hard go. I get halfway before I admit defeat. My shoulders slump. How is it that I can muster up so little inner joy? The face in the reflection falls back into neutral, the emotionless mask that comes so easily these days.

Determined not to dwell, I roll my shoulders, stand tall, and run my hands through my hair with some product to keep it in place. Feeling a twinge in my bicep, I remind myself that I need to slow down on the arm work at the gym. I’ve been training too hard, punishing the punching bag.

Despite my sun-deprived face, I do keep myself in fighting shape. Not that anyone sees me naked. God knows why, it’s been embarrassingly long since my sex life was anything to boast about.

For years now, it’s been work, work, work—all my attention has been on my career. But for me, work is more than just a job. It’s a calling, and for the longest time, it has been everything. My work is important, not only to me but for its wide-reaching impact, and I feel the weight of responsibility that goes along with it. I mentally note to get outside for some fresh air today and maybe speak to someone about something other than one of my cases.

The problem is, I have no idea where I’d even find someone to speak to about something normal. I have a close group of friends, but the four of us are all separated right now, and our jobs have taken us in strange directions. All of us working our asses off with no time for anything else.

And where the hell do you think you’re ever going to find a girlfriend? I groan, tightening the towel around my hips and turning to leave the bathroom. Somehow, I’ve ended up in a routine that has me a slave to the office, and honestly, I can’t remember the last time I looked at a woman and felt even a stir of interest.

Fuck, I need to get out more.



Author of steamy romance, right to the last word.



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New Release from Ivy Fox, Author of Fearless

 

Title: Fearless
Series: The Privileged of Pembroke High
Author: Ivy Fox
Genre: Bully/Enemies-to-lovers, New Adult Contemporary Romance
Release Date: August 27, 2021






Whoever said when life hands you lemons you should make lemonade can suck it!
Everything is falling apart.
Rome is in jail for murdering our father.
Holland is in the hospital fighting for her life.
And I haven’t spoken to my best friend in God knows how long.
Oh, but it gets worse.
I’ve fallen in love with my nemesis, too.
It might not seem like a big deal to most, but it sure is to me.
Especially since my heart still longs for the green-eyed boy I vowed to love for eternity.
But I’m not the only one suffering.
Saint is too.
I feel his misery in every kiss he gives me, in every caress and embrace.
We’re not whole.
Not as long as we don’t have him.
If I want to heal all three broken hearts, there is only one way to go about it.
And that is to be fearless enough to fight for our happy ending.
They’re both mine, and I won’t let either of them go without a fight.


Fearless is the last book in the duet focusing on Elle Grayson’s love triangle in The Privileged of Pembroke High series.
This is a bully/enemy-to-lovers, new adult contemporary romance, full-length novel.
*Recommended 18+ due to mature language, sensitive content, and adult situations featuring m/f, m/m, m/f/m.















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