Review for Exile Music by Jennifer Steil

Exile Music

by 

Jennifer Steil 

publication: May 5th 2020 by Viking

Based on an unexplored slice of World War II history, Exile Music is the captivating story of a young Jewish girl whose family flees refined and urbane Vienna for safe harbor in the mountains of Bolivia

As a young girl growing up in Vienna in the 1930s, Orly has an idyllic childhood filled with music. Her father plays the viola in the Philharmonic, her mother is a well-regarded opera singer, her beloved and charismatic older brother holds the neighborhood in his thrall, and most of her eccentric and wonderful extended family live nearby. Only vaguely aware of Hitler's rise or how her Jewish heritage will define her family's identity, Orly spends her days immersed in play with her best friend and upstairs neighbor, Anneliese. Together they dream up vivid and elaborate worlds, where they can escape the growing tensions around them.

My Thoughts…

World War II was such a horrific time to live through.  The war was going on, you never knew where you were safe, and you had to rely on other people for everything from food to shelter to clothing.   Now imagine that as a young girl.   Orly is that girl.   She is young, she lives an ideal life with her parents and brother with her best friend living in the apartment above her.  Until it all changes.   

Orly’s story was so interesting.   I was invested in the world she was living in.  The story told not only of what was happening around her but also what was happening directly in her house and her emotions to those happenings.    I could feel her joy in writing the stories of the make believe world with Anneliese, the fear of seeing the Nazi’s invade her neighborhood, the sadness at losing the things that were most familiar to her, and mostly her strength in not knowing what her future held but having to keep her head up, staying strong.      She experienced a life that many did not survive, and she knew how lucky she was that she and her parents were able to be together through it all.   

I am a World War II fan, it is my favorite era to read about.   Jennifer Steil has written an amazing book telling the story of a time where everything was different and the world was a scary place to live.  Yet, with the scariness, there is hope, love, and music.  

Add Exile Music to your MUST-READ list on Goodreads

Purchase your own copy on Amazon or Barnes and Noble

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jennifer Steil is the author of two previous books, The Woman Who Fell from the Sky, a memoir of her experience as a journalist in Yemen, and The Ambassador's Wife, a novel about a hostage crisis that was also inspired by Steil's own experience. She currently lives in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, with her husband and daughter.  Visit her website. 

Now Available, Wrong Turn by Samantha Chase

Looking for the perfect escape? New York Times bestselling author Samantha Chase is back with another crazy RoadTripping story. Grab your copy of WRONG TURN today and see what happens when two people who hate each other are stuck together in a car!

About WRONG TURN

Chelsea Cooper thinks her best friend’s fiancé is the world’s biggest jerk.

She’s never really been one to make waves, but when it comes to that guy, Chelsea’s willing to make an exception. There’s just no way she can let her best friend make the biggest mistake of her life by marrying him. She’ll do anything to stop the wedding, even if it means teaming up with the one person who’s an even bigger jerk—the groom-to-be’s best friend.

Drew Russo thinks his best friend’s fiancée’s best friend is the prickliest woman alive.

Everything about Chelsea aggravates him. She’s too structured, too uptight, and too opinionated—especially when it comes to her thoughts on his best friend. When he’s tasked with keeping her away from their best friends’ secret wedding, Drew knows he’s in for one hell of a challenge. Never mind the days he’ll have to spend trapped in a car with the world’s most annoying woman.

The plan is simple enough—keep Chelsea from interfering with the wedding. But between distractions, delays and detours, they discover they aren’t the enemies they thought they were. And sometimes a wrong turn can lead you in the right direction.

Warning—This sweet, sexy, and laugh out loud funny romance is filled with all the most ridiculous road trip stories you can imagine and will make you realize sometimes being wrong can be a lot more fun than being right.

Add WRONG TURN to your TBR!

Get your copy of WRONG TURN today! Amazon | Apple | B&N | Kobo | Google Play

   

About SAMANTHA CHASE

Samantha Chase is a New York Times and USA Today bestseller of contemporary romance. She released her debut novel in 2011 and currently has more than forty titles under her belt! When she’s not working on a new story, she spends her time reading romances, playing way too many games of Scrabble or Solitaire on Facebook, wearing a tiara while playing with her sassy pug Maylene…oh, and spending time with her husband of 25 years and their two sons in North Carolina. Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Newsletter | BookBub

Review of Hello, Summer by Mary Kay Andrews

Hello, Summer

by 

Mary Kay Andrews

publication: May 5th 2020 by St. Martin's Press

New York Times bestselling author and Queen of the Beach Reads Mary Kay Andrews delivers her next blockbuster, Hello Summer.

It’s a new season...

Conley Hawkins left her family’s small town newspaper, The Silver Bay Beacon, in the rearview mirror years ago. Now a star reporter for a big-city paper, Conley is exactly where she wants to be and is about to take a fancy new position in Washington, D.C. Or so she thinks.

For small town scandals...

When the new job goes up in smoke, Conley finds herself right back where she started, working for her sister, who is trying to keep The Silver Bay Beacon afloat—and she doesn’t exactly have warm feelings for Conley. Soon she is given the unenviable task of overseeing the local gossip column, “Hello, Summer.”

And big-time secrets.

Then Conley witnesses an accident that ends in the death of a local congressman—a beloved war hero with a shady past. The more she digs into the story, the more dangerous it gets. As an old heartbreaker causes trouble and a new flame ignites, it soon looks like their sleepy beach town is the most scandalous hotspot of the summer. 

My Thoughts…

I am a Mary Kay Andrews fan.   I love the beach settings, the realistic characters, and the plots that keep me turning page after page.   Hello, Summer is exactly what I was hoping it would be.    I was looking for a fun and easy to read book that would keep me entertained during a time when I am stuck at home more than I’d like to be.  

The length of the book had my second guessing reading it.  I am struggling right now to keep my attention on anything for long, but my attention was help for all 450 pages of Hello, Summer.  I was invested in Conley and Gray’s sister relationship, in Skelly’s and Conley’s romance, in Lorraine and Winnie’s friendships, and most of all in the mystery behind the death of a beloved local congressman. Hello, Summer has everything.   There is romance, mystery, drama, and family.   What more can you ask for?

Whether on a beach or cuddle up on a cold winter night this book will have you dreaming of putting your toes in the sand.  

** Thank you Jason Beatrice at St. Martin’s Press  for a copy of Hello, Summer in exchange for my honest review.

Add Hello, Summer to your MUST-READ list on Goodreads

Purchase your own copy on Amazon or Barnes and Noble

Meet Mary Kay Andrews

Mary Kay Andrews is the pen name of American writer Kathy Hogan Trocheck, based in Atlanta, who has authored a number of best-selling books under the Andrews pen name since 2002.

Trochek graduated from the University of Georgia with a journalism degree in 1976. She worked as a reporter at a number of papers, and spent 11 years as a reporter for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution before leaving to write fiction full-time in 1991. She published ten mystery novels under her own name between 1992 and 2000, and switched to the Andrews pen name in 2002 to author Savannah Blues, which marked a change in her style to more Southern-flavored themes.

Check out her website

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Excerpt Reveal for All Because of You by Theresa Paolo with a Giveaway

Today we have the excerpt reveal for ALL BECAUSE OF YOU by Theresa Paolo! Check it out and be sure to grab your copy today!

Title: All Because of You

Title: Theresa Paolo

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Release Date: May 13^th

About All Because of You:

Sometimes you have to lose everything to find your happy ending. Olivia Green had the picture-perfect life. Dating one of the most successful businessmen in New York City, living in a penthouse over Manhattan and a budding career, until one dreadful night when it was all ripped out from under her. If only she'd gone home like she was supposed to, she wouldn't have known her future fiancé was a two-timing jerk. Now with no choice she is leaving the city to move back in with her parents in the small town of Morgan's Bay. Shane McConnell believed he had no family other than his mother, but on her death bed, she revealed the father who died before he was born, came from a large wealthy family. With nothing to lose he sets out to the east end of Long Island to spend a summer with his newly discovered family. What he doesn’t expect is the secrets and lies dating back to long before his father’s death. Nor could he predict the beautiful hot mess he met on the train would find a way into his closed off heart. Both struggling with the realities of their new lives they unintentionally lean on each other. As their attraction builds and their undeniable chemistry explodes into passion, Shane holds onto his own secret that threatens his chance at love.

Pre-Order Your Copy

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Exclusive Excerpt:

“Kissing me out in the open on Main Street? Do you know what that means?” He stepped closer, heat coming off him in delicious waves that surrounded her in a fiery blanket of desire. “What does it mean?” His voice dipped to a sultry whisper that had her desperate to throw her inhibitions to the curb. “Next thing you know, the whole town is planning our relationship down to the wedding day and how many kids we’ll have. Probably twins. A boy and a girl.” “Kids?” Olivia snickered at the squeak in his voice. “Don’t worry. You won’t impregnate me by kissing me.” “But the town will think you’re carrying twins.” “You’re learning.” She tapped his chest, and an electric current jolted through her veins. Shane wrapped his hand around her wrist and yanked her into the alley between Pie in the Sky and Book Nook. He backed her into the wall, strong male consuming her. His arms caged her in, and she arched toward him, desperate for his touch. In one fell swoop, he captured her lips, and lava exploded in her chest and dispersed in heated waves. His mouth moved against hers with a carnal lust so passionate and demanding, she lost sight of everything else. All she could focus on was the hard press of Shane’s lips and the hard bulge in his pants meeting the apex of her thighs. A moan escaped her throat as his hands cupped her face and tilted her head. His tongue swiped lovingly at the crease between her lips, and she parted, welcoming the slick feel. It was a sensual dance of tongue and teeth, licking and nipping, giving and taking. He tasted of sweet coconut and confidence, kissing her with a potency she would never forget. The way he kissed her, ravenous and precise, it was as if he’d been doing it for years. She melted in to his lips, letting him take control, and not because she felt he needed to dominate, but because she wanted him to. His body pressed into her, her back melding to the cool brick wall. It was fire and ice, heaven and hell, and she didn’t want it to end. She grabbed his t-shirt, holding him close, absorbing every sensation flooding her body. He kissed a trail from the corner of her mouth down her neck and back. The stubble on his face left tracks of passion. She didn’t care. Tonight, when she was in her bed, all she would be thinking about was this kiss. A giggle broke the cloud that surrounded them. “Don’t mind me. Continue just as you were.” Olivia didn’t need to turn to know whose voice that was—Jean Kelly, owner of Book Nook. Olivia dropped her head to Shane’s shoulder, embarrassed heat prickling her neck and cheeks. Shane held her, and Olivia felt his arm raise in a wave. “Have a good day, you love birds,” Jean said, and Olivia covered her face with her hands. “Is she gone?” Olivia asked a few seconds later. “She’s gone.” Shane’s warm breath caressed her ear. “So… what do you want to name our twins?”  

About Theresa Paolo:

Theresa Paolo lives on Long Island, NY with her fiancé and their fish. She is the author of NA and Adult contemporary romances. Her debut novel (NEVER) AGAIN, released in Fall 2013 with Berkley (Penguin) and the companion novel (ONCE) AGAIN released Summer 2014. Mad About Matt, the first book in her new Red Maple Falls series, released March 2017. She loves to write heartfelt romances with a dash of fun and a side of spice. When she’s not writing, she’s reading, brewery hopping, daydreaming, wasting time on Pinterest, trying to get 10k steps on her FitBit or can be found chatting away on Twitter and Facebook. She also writes YA romance under Tessa Marie and has no idea how to smile for a picture.

Connect with Theresa:

Facebook | Facebook Reader Group | Bookbub | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest | Books And Main | Goodreads | Website

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Audiobook Review for Haunted Souls by Kathryn Knight

Haunted Souls

By: Kathryn Knight

Narrated by: Kristin James

Length: 9 hrs and 43 mins

Unabridged Audiobook

Release date: 04-23-18

Language: English

Publisher: The Wild Rose Press

Publisher's Summary

Four years ago, Emily Shea and Staff Sergeant Brett Leeds agreed to part with no strings attached. Sparks flew during their brief affair, but fate intervened, sending Brett overseas. When an unexpected pregnancy derailed Emily's own plans, her attempts to locate Brett were soon overwhelmed by the challenges of single motherhood. Now, Brett has returned home, and Emily is forced to share her secret.

Despite feeling betrayed, Brett is determined to forge a relationship with their son, Tyler. As the former lovers battle both their inner demons and their mutual desire, another presence enters their lives - Tyler's imaginary friend. Soon, however, the chilling evidence points to a different conclusion: A ghost has formed a dangerous connection with their son.

Emily's attempts to help both a lost soul and a friend in need spiral toward a deadly confrontation, and Brett must race to save Emily before he loses her again forever.

My Thoughts…

Audiobook Review…Kristin James is a new to me narrator who I will now look for more from.   She took a story I was familiar with, since I had read the book first, and brought it to life.    The characters emotions were real, the happenings in the book seemed to be real, and the story was real.   Kristin’s voice was easy to listen to and she has a real talent in changing her tone to match what the story was needing.   Kathryn Knight wrote an amazing book and Kristin did an amazing job narrating the book.

eBook Review…I am a fan of Kathryn Knight’s other books.   Each one I have read, devoured, and loved.    Haunted Souls is the same way.   I received the book, started it, and could not put it down.    I felt like there was a bonus story in this book.     The story of Tyler and his ghost friend, Josiah, was the main story with the bonus of Emily and Brett’s love story.    

The ghost story gave me goose bumps so many times.     I could not imagine being in Emily’s shoes watching her 4 year old son interact with a person only he could see.    Yet, Emily never doubted Josiah’s existence.    Josiah did not directly interact with Emily but he did let her know he was there, many times.    With each of these times I reacted in fear for Tyler and awe of how calm Emily managed to stay.     I believe I would have acted more like Brett.    The disbelief of what his son was saying and being unsure how to react.    I am thankful that Tyler had his mom to protect him, believe him, and help him get Josiah back to his mother.  

Emily and Brett’s story was not unique in that a soldier comes home on break.   Girl gets pregnant and soldier goes back to war.    The difference is how Emily handled it.   Instead of freaking out, she did what she had to do to keep her baby safe.    The choices she made were not easy.   I admired how she became a single mom, struggling, yet never giving up.    I also admired how she handled Brett’s coming home and finding out about Tyler.    She didn’t place blame, in fact she shouldered more blame that she should have.   She trusted that Brett would be able to step into their life and put Tyler’s happiness first.    Brett did not disappoint either.    He became the man that both Emily and Tyler needed.    Kathryn Knight wrote their love story in very real terms.    It was not instant fall back into a relationship.   There were trust issues to deal with, histories to come to terms with, and a friendship to reestablish.    The attraction was still there, but both knew they needed more to become a family.  

I certainly recommend checking out Haunted Souls. 

Book Links

Audible   |   Amazon   |   Barnes and Noble   |    Goodreads

Cover Reveal for Closing Night by Brianna Stark

Title: Closing Night

Series: A Driven Dance Theater Series Romance

Author: Brianna Stark

Genre: Contemporary/NA Romance,       Women's Fiction

Release Date: May 15, 2020
Cover Design: Sarah Hansen 

Patrick Moss was one of us. More importantly, he was mine.

Until he became famous.

He traded our love in for his career, and it paid off.

So how can I blame him?

Me, I live to work. 

I’m the resident costume designer at Driven Dance Theater, and I have everything I need: dancers who need me, a steady supply of Americanos, and a healthy obsession with designer clothes.

Who needs love?

I have a reputation to uphold.

At Driven, we’re family.

But now he’s back with those killer green eyes, and the company isn’t big enough for the both of us.

Especially after closing night—and one delicious moment of weakness.

His music may be the best.

Our director may need all the help he can get.

This company may be in serious trouble.

But we had a deal.

That’s why I’m quitting. 

Unless Patrick quits first.

Brianna Stark writes romance with an edge. She spends her summers with her BF in a log cabin in the Pacific Northwest, where she is happiest writing. In her spare time she practices yoga, craves coffee more than she would like, and goes for walks with her three-pound Pomchi, who stops to kiss everyone. She is the author of the Driven Dance Theater series.

LIGHTS UP is available now. CURTAIN CALL is coming soon!

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Writing Q&A with Ruby Walker author of Advice I Ignored

Let me introduce you to Ruby Walker author of 

Advice I Ignored.

What is your educational background?

I had to explain my school situation so often while I was in community college, I think it’s a little boring at this point, haha.

Basically: I dropped out of high school when I was about to turn 15, at the beginning of the spring semester. I was supposed to be homeschooled, but for the next 6 months I really just spent a lot of time alone. Then the next fall, I started taking classes at Austin Community College under ACC’s Early College High School program. Legally I was homeschooled, and I was allowed to take college classes full-time for credit. Sometimes I’d just take 2 or 3 classes though, especially when I started working on the book. Now I’m a freshman at Trinity University in San Antonio.

When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer? Or what first inspired you to write?

I was always more interested in drawing than writing, really. But when I started my process of recovery, writing became really important to me. I think things get a lot easier to deal with once they’re down on paper. Keeping a journal helped me learn how to turn my experiences into something beautiful, or at least easier to process.

Do you have any interesting writing habits or superstitions?

I wrote the whole first draft of Advice I Ignored in composition books and legal pads, with a pen.  My favorite kind of pen is a blue Pilot G2, .7mm. I swear by writing in pen because it limits your ability to edit as you write. For a first draft, I think the best thing to do is to just get it all out, and then think about backspacing later.

Is there an overall message or theme in your book that you want readers to grasp?

Change is possible. From moment to moment, the little choices we make about how to live our lives can add up to a total overhaul. Nothing stays the same forever.

What was your greatest challenge in writing this book?

Just doing the work! I think sometimes I procrastinated working on the book because writing something autobiographical about the worst part of my life thus-far involves an uncomfortable amount of vulnerability. But also, sometimes I just wanted to go swimming with my friends or watch the X-files instead.

What do you like to do when you are not writing?

I spend way too much time on the internet, but I’m actively trying to cut back on that.  I’m trying to read more books. I always tell my friends, “Just because I wrote a book doesn’t mean you can assume I know how to read.” I also like running, movies, gardening, drawing, dancing, and getting involved with local politics. I was on the school Ultimate Frisbee team for a few months, but I sprained my ankle at our first tournament and ended up quitting (oops).

What’s the best writing advice you have ever received?

“If you’re bored writing it, people are probably gonna be bored reading it.”

What was your favorite book as a child?

I was absolutely obsessed with Percy Jackson and the Olympians. I used to sit up in a tree and listen to the audiobook on my little mp3 player for hours and hours. I must’ve read the whole series at least 9 times over. I had the prophecies memorized!

What does literary success look like to you?

I mean, hopefully I’d like to eventually make back the money I’ve spent on marketing and stuff. Other than that, my hope is that my book gets into the hands of someone who needs it, and that it helps. I have modest dreams.

But I also really, really, really want to get on Fresh Air with Terry Gross!

Do you view writing as a kind of spiritual practice?

Not always, but sometimes it’s very emotionally important to me. By the time I started writing Advice I Ignored, I had already recovered from the worst of the depression, but writing it helped me work through a lot of other things. There’s something really wonderful about being able to hold the things you believe in in your hands.

What was your hardest scene to write?

The whole chapter on trauma was hard for me to write. At the time, I still hadn’t even told my mom. I hadn’t told any of my best friends. Even in my head, I wouldn’t use the words “sexual abuse” to describe what happened. Writing it was really cathartic in some ways, but in others it wreaked havoc on me. It re-opened things. I remember waking up crying from some really bad nightmares that week. I thought about it every second of the day.

I think I go through cycles though, of thinking about it and not thinking about it. Every time I go into another “crisis” period, I learn things, and it gets a little easier. Writing that chapter forced me to acknowledge my pain and stop minimizing it so much, and even thought that was hard, it was ultimately very useful.

 Author website: https://rubywalker.com/

 Advice I Ignored: Stories and Wisdom from a Formerly Depressed Teen 

When Ruby Walker was 15 going on 16, she went from a numb, silent, miserable high school dropout to a joyous loudmouth in one year flat. Advice I Ignored answers the question everyone's been asking her since: What happened? Full of stories, honest advice, fierce hope, and over 100 hand-inked illustrations, Advice I Ignored is an important resource for teens suffering from depression (which has reached epidemic proportions), parents who have one, and educators who want to help. Applicable for adults suffering too!

Buy links:

Amazon or B&N

Review for Stories We Never Told by Sonja Yoerg

Stories We Never Told

by 

Sonja Yoerg 

publication: May 1st 2020 by Lake Union Publishing

Psychology professor Jackie Strelitz thought she was over her ex-lover and colleague, Harlan Crispin. Why should she care if Harlan springs a new “friend” on her? After all, Jackie has everything she ever wanted: a loving husband and a thriving career. Still, she can’t help but be curious about Harlan’s latest.

Nasira Amari is graceful, smart, and young. Worse, she’s the new member of Jackie’s research team. For five years, Harlan enforced rules limiting his relationship with Jackie. With Nasira he’s breaking every single one. Why her?

Fixated by the couple, Jackie’s curiosity becomes obsession. But she soon learns that nothing is quite what it seems, and that to her surprise—and peril—she may not be the only one who can’t let go. 

My Thoughts…

Sonja Yoerg has taken her writing in a different direction with Stories We Never Told.    This book is a suspense novel.    Jackie is married but her ex-boyfriend works at the same university as her.   When she finds out that Harlen, the ex, is dating on of the research team working on the same program as Jackie the jealousy comes through.   She stalks Harlen, she questions Nasira, and she questions the life she is living.    As things start happening to Jackie at work and at home, she starts to question what was really going on. 

I devoured Stories We Never Told.  I couldn’t put the book down and was curious to see where the story would head next.   The mystery of what was happening to Jackie, who was messing with her, who could she trust kept me turning pages, trying to figure out the who-dun-it aspect of the story, and hoping that I was heading in the wrong direction. 

I can’t say enough for the ending, it was phenomenal.  I didn’t see it all coming, I had some ideas and wasn’t entirely wrong, but the last part of the book was the absolute best.  

Add the Stories We Told to your MUST-READ list on Goodreads

Purchase your own copy on Amazon or Barnes and Noble

Meet Sonja Yoerg

Sonja Yoerg grew up in Stowe, Vermont, where she financed her college education by waitressing at the Trapp Family Lodge. She earned a Ph.D. in biological psychology from the University of California, Berkeley and wrote a nonfiction book about animal intelligence, Clever as a Fox (Bloomsbury USA, 2001) and four novels: House Broken, Middle of Somewhere, All the Best People, and the upcoming True Places. Sonja lives with her husband in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia.  Follow on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter.   Visit her website.