Tuesday, February 18, 2025

Release Blitz for Love Me Gently by Stacey Lynn

 


Love Me Gently by Stacey Lynn is now live! 


A swoony first love, single dad, returning to hometown romance from bestselling author Stacey Lynn

At eighteen years old, Katrina “Trina” Mills had dreams far larger than her small mountain town in North Carolina. She was bound and determined to become the next world-famous model, and was willing to risk leaving everything she knew, and everyone she loved, behind to get it.

Turns out, her dreams took her on a path toward a nightmare. She might have achieved all the success and stardom she’s always wanted but she’d sold her soul for them and was still paying the painful price.

The regrets she has now are much larger than the zeros in her bank account. 

When a chance encounter occurs with her first love and high school boyfriend, now single father, Cole Paxton, she doesn’t expect the disaster that happens next. Forced to confront her past, her present, and all the decisions she made in between, returning home may end up being the safe solace she needed all along.

With the help of family, old friends, and an old flame who never gave up on her, Trina starts to believe she can heal and move on…

Until her husband shows up in town and threatens to tear it all away….

Trigger warnings: Implications and descriptions of both sexual and physical assault are included in Love Me Gently. In an effort to be as compassionate as possible, the instances are brief and minimal, but sensitive readers should take care.


  Download today on Amazon, Apple Books, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, and Google Play!


Amazon: https://bit.ly/3VyefP0

Apple Books: https://bit.ly/40O9ELN

Nook: https://bit.ly/40MkmT8

Kobo: https://bit.ly/3Wzk2oj

Google Play: https://bit.ly/3E8SEa6


Add to Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3BmHihP


Meet Stacey 



A long-time dreamer, Stacey Lynn has always loved the emotional journey of two different and complex individuals finding their way to a happily-ever-after.


The author of over fifty romance novels, many of which have been best-selling titles on Amazon, AppleBooks, and Barnes & Noble, she loves being able to turn her vivid imagination into a career that brings entertainment and joy to her readers. Focused on emotional, small-town romance, she happily admits her books might require keeping tissues nearby.


Born in Texas and raised in the Midwest, she now makes her home in North Carolina and loves all things Southern. Blessed with her ultimate tall, dark, and handsome hero, and four children, she loves every minute of her wild and wonderful life.

 

Connect with Stacey


Website: www.staceylynnbooks.com

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6995826.Stacey_Lynn

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Stacey-Lynn/e/B00CD6VVQG/

Facebook: www.facebook.com/staceylynnbooks

Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/staceyssultryreaders/

Instagram: www.instagram.com/staceylynn.author

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/staceylynnbooks

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@staceylynnbooks

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/stacey-lynn

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/staceylynnbooks/_created/


Book Review for Better Than Friends by Jill Shalvis

Sunrise Cove #7

Better Than Friends by Jill Shalvis

Published: January 21, 2025 by Avon

Genre:  Contemporary Romance

Taken from Goodreads:  Old flames reignite in Sunrise Cove in this charming enemies-to-lovers, second-chance, small-town, forced-proximity love story about family, friendships, and true love from New York Times bestselling author Jill Shalvis.

When Olive Porter’s off-the-grid parents go missing, she reluctantly seeks out Noah Turner, her ex and the only person she both trusts implicitly and not at all.

As a special investigative agent for the National Park Service, Noah’s used to living under intense pressure. Or he was until he got injured on the job. Now unhappily recuperating at home while being smothered by his loving but nosy family, he’d love nothing more than a good distraction.

So when Olive shows up looking like a million bucks, he has to do a gut and heart check. Because nope, no matter what, he can’t fall for her again, the woman who once blew up his entire life and never looked back. How ironic then that his own personal hell (Olive) is also his ticket out of town. The question is, will the risk be worth the reward?

 

My Thoughts: Jill Shalvis is a must-read author who delivers HEA, sweet romances, sexy scenes, wonderful friendships, and interesting families. Better Than Friends has all of this, plus a compelling relationship between Noah and Olive. Despite their efforts, they can't escape their past or each other.  

Better Than Friends is an easy book to read.  I relaxed and just let the story flow as I got to know the characters and see how they would find the HEA.  I love the secondary characters; Joey was my favorite by far.   I am not sure what I thought of Olive’s parents, I feel like that storyline could have been left out and I would not have missed it.  Noah’s family was a must-have part of the family, and I liked that they all lived close together so they were overly involved in each other’s lives, maybe too involved. 

I recommend this book to anyone looking for an easy read with fun characters and a sweet storyline.  

Thank you Avon for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

Add to your MUST-READ list on Goodreads

Purchase your own copy on Amazon

About Jill Shalvis (taken from her website):  New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Jill Shalvis writes contemporary romance and romantic comedies filled with madcap adventures and shenanigans and sexy times. (just don’t tell her mom). She’s sold 20 million plus copies worldwide to date and lives with her family in a small mountain town near Lake Tahoe full of quirky characters (Any resemblance to the quirky characters in her books is mostly coincidental). 

 

 

Book Review for Veronica Ruiz Breaks the Bank by Elle Cosimano

 

Finlay Donovan #3.5

Veronica Ruiz Breaks the Bank by Elle Cosimano

Published: November 7, 2023 by Minotaur Books

Genre:  Novella, Mystery FIction

Taken from Goodreads:  A hilarious short story diving into Finlay Donovan's partner-in-crime Vero's past.

Anyone can spot a window of opportunity, but not everyone can manage to fall straight through one.

Veronica Ruiz is on the run for the first time in her life—though certainly not the last. After being falsely accused of stealing money from her college sorority, she packs up and heads to her cousin Ramón's apartment, planning to change her name and rebuild start over away from backstabbing girls and university drama (and far, far away from her arrest warrant in Maryland).

At the local bank on the first morning of her new life, it occurs to Vero that she'd be a better bank teller than most of the current employees: she may not have much money, but what little she does have, she knows how to manage. Unfortunately, the only available position is a cleaning job and so, desperate for a fresh start, she takes the bank manager’s offer.

But nothing in Vero's world has ever been simple, so of course shortly after she begins work, she overhears a conversation between her new boss and a security guard: someone who works there has been stealing. Seeing a window of opportunity, Vero sets out to find the identity of the thief, present the evidence, and then push for the perfect job. All of which would be easier if her irresistibly infuriating childhood crush Javi wasn’t living in the same damn town.

Offering the insight that listeners have been craving into fan-favorite Vero's past and a closer look at the moment Finlay and Vero first meet, Veronica Ruiz Breaks the Bank is a can't-miss addition to the Finlay Donovan series.

My Thoughts:   You know when you are reading a series and just know that there is more to a secondary character than meets the eye?   That is what I thought of Vero.  I knew she had a backstory that I really wanted to know.   This book tells that story, it tells why she is who she is, where she got her skills, and how she got into Finlay’s life.   

I know that there is more to come of her.   Her life is only going to get more complicated, more interesting, and more intriguing.   

Thank you Minotaur Books for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

Add to your MUST-READ list on Goodreads

Purchase your own copy on Amazon


Meet theAuthor (taken from her website):  Elle Cosimano is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, an International Thriller Award winner, a Bram Stoker Award finalist, and an Edgar® Award nominee. Her acclaimed young adult novels include Nearly GoneHolding SmokeThe Suffering Tree, and Seasons of the Storm. Elle’s debut novel for adults, Finlay Donovan Is Killing It, kicked off a witty, fast-paced contemporary mystery series, which was a PEOPLE Magazine Pick and was named one of New York Public Library’s Best Books of 2021. In addition to writing novels for teens and adults, her essays have appeared in The Huffington Post and Time. Elle lives with her husband and two sons in Virginia.

Friday, February 14, 2025

Children's Book Review for Around the Garden We GROW by Florence Ogunlesi, Sarah Ganginis, Aurelio Del Pino (illustrator)

Around the Garden We GROW by Florence Ogunlesi, Sarah Ganginis, Aurelio Del Pino (illustrator)

Published:  February 4, 2025 by Blue Balloon Books

Taken from Amazon:  Respect means that we value and accept others. It is important to respect the food choices and traditions of all humans.

Come explore community gardens, farmers’ markets, grocery stores, and more to discover what it means to be part of a community that thrives on growth! Around the Garden We GROW is perfect for curious young readers with an appetite for making sense of the world around them. With empathy and inclusivity, it opens up a conversation for kids to learn about food, growth, and respect. Its emphasis on encouraging curiosity, respecting food choices and cultures, understanding access to food, and embracing size diversity will follow readers far beyond their backyard for years to come. Whether you explore Around the Garden We GROW in parts or as a whole, it’s a great resource for parents, caregivers, teachers, and young readers themselves.

 

My Thoughts: *Around the Garden We GROW* is an excellent resource for teaching children about gardening and fruits and vegetables. The story is clear, and it vividly describes the colors, tastes, and textures of various produce. The book's four sections provide great stopping points for discussion. Don't miss section four with its recipes.

The illustrations showcased a diverse array of characters, ensuring that each child could identify with someone. The artwork was vibrant and visually engaging, characterized by its striking colors and layouts.  

Thank you Blue Balloon Publishing for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

 

Author Bios:

Florence Ogunlesi MA, RD, LDN, is a food and nutrition expert. Her years of experience have taken her through various areas in the nutrition field, from working with patients of all ages in acute care hospitals to working in home care providing nutrition education to individuals under the Ryan White grant in Brooklyn, New York. Florence shares her passion for nutrition and culinary arts with clients eager to optimize their nutrition intake.


Sarah Ganginis MS, RD, LDN, is an anti-diet dietitian and advocate for respecting size diversity. She has advocated, volunteered, and made changes to the health curriculum in Maryland, where she lives and where she has a private practice. Sarah’s passion is to change the landscape of health and nutrition education, a change that embraces size diversity and promotes curiosity and respect—rather than shame, guilt, and judgment—when it comes to food and nutrition.

Florence and Sarah have been friends and colleagues for over ten years. Both mothers and dietitians, they are experts in nutrition education with experience in eating disorder treatment, feeding kids, selective eating, and big picture health for all ages.

Illustrator Bio:

Aurelio Del Pino is the nephew and godson of Sarah Ganginis and was fourteen years old at the time the initial illustrations were created. Aurelio loves playing basketball, making music, and skiing.

 

Book Blitz for Perfectly Polished by Lynne Hancock Pearson with a GIVEAWAY

 

Perfectly Polished
Lynne Hancock Pearson
(Keeney Builds, #2)
Publication date: February 10th 2025
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

He made good on his promise to call. She refused to answer.

Facing an embarrassing divorce and fighting against her controlling mother, Fiona doesn’t have time for the broody ex-con, despite toe-curling kisses that still star in her dreams.

Surprise doesn’t begin to describe her reaction when he appears in her company’s boardroom months later. And ignores her.

Tomas tells himself he’s no longer interested in the tightly wound executive. But he can’t stop wondering if she’s all right. Can’t stop wanting to pick up the pieces. Can’t stop thinking about how perfect she felt in his arms.

Defying her mother, Fiona gives Tomas a chance, and they connect over their shared dream of building affordable housing. The community rallies around them, but not everyone is on board, and roadblocks are thrown up to challenge their plan and their relationship.

Can they build something solid despite threats to their foundation? Is permanent even possible when family differences turn ugly?

Perfectly Polished is a small-town, opposites-attract romance between a burly builder who grunts more than he speaks and a polished professional who has never known love.

Goodreads / Amazon

EXCERPT:

Forty-five minutes.

Fiona Han discreetly turned off the alarm on her smart watch. It wasn’t that she was having a bad time, these were nice people. But they were people who knew far too much about her, and she was ready for this day to be over. With a small smile, she said, “I called an uber. Hilary, thanks for inviting me. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”

“I’ll drive you home.”

Fiona blinked and stared at Tomas Alvarado. “Umm… Thanks, but I’m fine.” She waved her phone at him and put it into her purse.

He stood and looked down at her. “I’ll drive you home.”

Eep!

She did not want to make a scene. He didn’t give off the axe-murderer vibe, and her friends were grinning at her like he was perfectly safe, but the man unnerved her.

Marcia Ortiz, a woman in her mid-fifties, and best friend to Fiona’s mother in law Iris, touched her hand. “You’ll be fine,” she murmured.

Fiona rose, tucked her purse under her arm and followed Tomas to the stairs leading from Hilary’s deck to the driveway. She glanced back at Marcia, who winked at her.

Eep!

Descending the stairs, she was aware of the man behind her. It seemed that for the past two weeks, Tomas had been at her back, without saying a word. Reaching the driveway, she faced three white pick-up trucks bearing the logo for Keeney Building Supplies, the company Iris owned. With a hand to her elbow, Tomas guided her to the one in the middle, distinguishable from the others by the rosary hanging from the rearview mirror, and opened the passenger door. Fiona eyed the distance up to the seat of the truck, then down at her pencil skirt and heels. Then she was up. Tomas placed her gently on the seat and reached around to buckle the seat belt.

“I’m not a child!” She glared up at him.

He met her eyes fully for the very first time. “I know you’re not.” He closed the door and walked around the hood of the truck.

Walk was the wrong word. Tomas prowled like a predator. Did that make her his prey?

He climbed behind the wheel, his presence taking up all the air in the truck. Fiona wanted to open the window, to breathe, perhaps to crawl out.

Placing a large hand on the back of her seat, he ignored her as he turned to back out of the driveway. She could smell him. If she turned her head, ever so slightly, she could brush up against his hand and rub his scent all over her. Where had that thought come from? Fiona shook her head and stared forward.

“I live on Dunlop Street,” she told him.

“I know.” Tomas met her eyes in the rearview mirror. “I changed the locks on your doors last week.”

“Right,” she said in a small voice. To keep the douche canoe of her soon to be ex-husband out. Her eyes got big. “I haven’t paid you yet! I’m so sorry, I forgot all about it. I can write you a cheque when we get to the house. It’s just –”

“It’s taken care of.”

“Oh.” Tomas worked for her mother-in-law. Iris must have had him do it. “Thank you.”

He drove in silence.

Not knowing how to converse with someone who clearly didn’t like to talk, she leaned her head back, and closed her eyes.

She awoke to see Tomas scouring the word ‘cunt’ off her garage door.

Fiona threw herself from the truck, stumbling as she hit the ground. She righted herself and flew around the hood of the truck. Tomas whirled and grimaced.

“Ohmygod. Ohmygod. Ohmygod,” she chanted, pacing back and forth in front of the garage. Scrawled in dripping red paint, each capital letter was at least two feet high.

Eddie.

He’d chosen a public and humiliating way to get back at her.

Author Bio:

Lynne Hancock Pearson writes fun, flirty, feel-good fiction that simmers at low heat. Set in the Pacific Northwest, they are stories of people finding their way, even if it takes a while to get there.

She lives near Seattle with two and a half finicky felines and one long-suffering husband. She is a left-handed middle child who grew up in the Great White North and is a proud member of the Métis Nation of Canada.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Instagram



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Thursday, February 13, 2025

Release Blitz for Lucky Shot by K. Bromberg

 


Lucky Shot by K. Bromberg is now live! 


𝐀 𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐲 𝐛𝐚𝐝 𝐛𝐨𝐲/𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐠𝐢𝐫𝐥, 𝐜𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐱𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐲, 𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐬 𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐘𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫, 𝐊. 𝐁𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐠

Our first meeting? He stood me up.
Our second chance encounter? I told him exactly what I thought of him.
Our third? It came with a bet (he lost) and an understanding that we’re stuck with one another.

It doesn’t matter that he’s Alexander Hardy—British soccer star extraordinaire, world-famous in every way, and a certified sex symbol. We come from two different worlds and live in two different realities. But all we need is one month.

The bet: Help him rehab his reputation to the media and the masses, and in exchange, he’ll help my soccer academy and the underprivileged kids who idolize him.

That doesn’t mean I have to like him. Not his delicious accent, his sexy smirk or those storm cloud gray eyes. Not his incredibly fit body or his sinfully dirty mouth. Not even the way he shows up day after day for the kids or the way he looks at me like he wants to devour me.

He looks at time spent in my world as a penance, while I look at it as a way to leverage his star power to help my academy survive.

But as the days turn to weeks, it seems we’re not as different as I once thought. The man who cares about no one, has fixed his sights on me. With his time at my academy up and his obligations back home calling, do we have a lucky shot of working out?



Download today or read FREE on Kindle Unlimited


https://geni.us/LuckyAmz


Audible: Coming Soon!

Audio Interest Form:  https://bit.ly/40vShOA


Add to Goodreads: https://bit.ly/4j9BGZe



Meet Kristy



New York Times Bestselling author K. Bromberg writes contemporary romance novels that make you work to get your happily ever after. She likes to write strong heroines and damaged heroes, who we love to hate but can’t help but love.


Since publishing her first book on a whim in 2013, Kristy has sold over two million copies of her books across twenty different countries and has landed on the New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal Bestsellers lists over thirty times. (She still wakes up and asks herself how she got so lucky for all this to happen.)


A mom of three, Kristy finds the only thing harder than finishing the book she’s writing is navigating parenthood during the teenage years (send more wine!). She loves dogs, sports, a good book, and is an expert procrastinator. She lives in Southern California with her family.

 

Connect with Kristy


Website: www.kbromberg.com

Goodreads: http://smarturl.it/Kbromberg_GR

Amazon: http://smarturl.it/KBrombergAmz

Facebook: http://smarturl.it/KBrombergFB

Facebook Group: http://smarturl.it/DrivenFB

Instagram: http://smarturl.it/KBrombergIG

Twitter: http://smarturl.it/KBrombergTwitter

Bookbub: http://smarturl.it/KBrombergBB

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@kbromberg

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/kbrombergwrites/

Other: http://smarturl.it/DrivenMoviesFB

Release Blitz for Captivating by Bella Matthews

 



Captivating by Bella Matthews is now live! 


From USA Today and #1 Amazon Bestselling Author Bella Matthews comes an Enemies to Lovers, Fake Dating, Sports Romance.

Killian St. James was the boy I loved. Now he’s the man I love to hate.  

To the world, I’m America’s sweetheart. A brand built on fairy tales and love songs that sell millions. But the truth? I’m not sure I believe in happily ever afters . . . At least not for me. 

Burned-out and desperate for a break, I return to my hometown, craving quiet and a tiny taste of freedom. But instead of peace, I find a stalker in the shadows, paparazzi on my heels, and a meddling family with their own ideas about my life. 

Everyone insists I need protection, and having my new bodyguard pose as my fake boyfriend makes total sense . . . Not that they asked me. If that’s not enough, did I mention that Killian is all too happy to volunteer for the job?  

This MMA champion is brooding, relentless, and inconveniently perfect at keeping me safe. He’s also unimaginably gorgeous, with a quiet confidence that’s even sexier than the ink tattooed on his golden skin.  

But as lines blur and sparks fly, I’m left wondering if the boy I once loved could be the man I can trust with my life . . . and my heart. 


  Download today or read for FREE with Kindle Unlimited

Amazon: https://a.co/d/jgwBaMK


Goodreads: https://bit.ly/4iwL3C6


Meet Bella



Bella Matthews is a USA Today & #1 Amazon Bestselling author. She is married to her very own Alpha Male and raising three little ones. You can typically find her running from one sporting event to another. When she is home, she is usually hiding in her home office with the only other female in her house, her rescue dog Tinker Bell by her side. She likes to write swoon-worthy heroes and sassy, smart heroines. Sarcasm is her love language and big family dynamics are her favorite thing to add to each story.

 

Connect with Bella

Website: www.authorbellamatthews.com  

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/20795160.Bella_Matthews 

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B08NFK9K4M?ingress=0&visitId=8b4845c0-1ab8-467b-ac2a-4ddf36d673fd   

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Bella.Matthews.Author   

Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/bellamatthewsgamechangers   

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bellamatthews.author/   

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@bellamatthewsauthor  

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/bella-matthews   

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/bellamatthewsauthor/