Month: July 2017

US Giveaway: The Matchmakers of Minnow Bay by Kelly Harms

Mary Giveaway, Kelly Harms, Thomas Dunne Books

Description:

A young painter, Lily has reached a crossroads in her life. Her career hasn’t taken off, her best friend may no longer be the trusted friend she thought, her boyfriend is a disappointment, and now she can’t keep up with the rising cost of living in the city. With no one to turn to, Lily is forced to move from her beloved apartment, but while packing she comes across a piece of mail that had slipped to the back of her junk drawer: a letter detailing further action needed to finalize the annulment of a quickie Vegas wedding. Ten years ago!

Lily decides it’s time to turn over a new leaf and the first item on her list of things to fix is getting the annulment… but you can’t just send a reply ten years later, “Hey by the way we are still married.” This is something that must be addressed in person. Lily takes to the road to track down her husband – the charming, fun, and sexy man she connected with all those years ago – Ben Hutchinson.

Ben Hutchinson left a wealthy dot-com lifestyle behind to return home to his family and the small town he loves, Minnow Bay. He’s been living off the grid and the last thing he expects is a wife he didn’t know he had to show up on his doorstep.

By chance, Lily arrives at the magical Minnow Bay Inn, and there she will discover not just a place to lay her head, but new friends, a thriving art community, and maybe even the love of her life.

About the author:

Kelly Harms is a former editor and literary agent who has worked with a wide array of bestselling and award-winning authors of commercial fiction. She lives in Madison, Wisconsin with her son, Griffin, and puppy, Scout. She is the author of The Good Luck Girls of Shipwreck Lane.

Having already read The Matchmakers of Minnow Bay last year, I’m giving away the finished paperback edition sent by the publisher to a US reader.

Please click here and fill out the form

GIVEAWAY HAS ENDED

Giveaway ends on August 7, 2017

Sunday Post

Mary Book arrivals, Mailbox Monday, Sunday Post

Book arrivals:  (linked to Mailbox Monday)

    

Last week on Bookfan:

 

  

  

Reading plan for this week:

Spotlight on: Say No More by Liliana Hart plus a Gravediggers US Giveaway

Mary Giveaway, Liliana Hart, Pocket Books

SAY NO MORE

Liliana Hart

Book 3 in The Gravediggers Series

Pocket Books

July 25, 2017

9781501150074

$7.99

About the book:

Return to New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author Liliana Hart’s romantic suspense series, the Gravediggers, with SAY NO MORE, the thrilling game of cat and mouse between a member of the Gravediggers and the brilliant woman hot on his heels.

The Gravediggers aren’t exactly what they seem. They’re the most elite of the world’s fighting forces—and all they have in common is that they’ve been betrayed by the countries they’ve died for. Because they are dead. To their country, their military, and their families. Sometimes the dead do rise…

Dante Malcolm is a man of refined tastes. He was once a part of Britain’s elite intelligence force, but his double life eventually caught up with him. There was a reason he’d never been able to capture Simon Locke, a notorious thief who always seemed to be one step ahead. Dante was Simon, and eventually his extracurricular activities cost him his life, and he now belongs to the Gravediggers.

Liv Rothschild is a detective inspector with Interpol and the woman responsible for catching M16’s most notorious agent in his final heist—the heist that killed him. But something about his death has never sat right with her, and she’s been haunted by it for months. It was too easy, and Dante Malcolm was too smart to go down that way.

Dante might belong to the Gravediggers, but his heart and soul will always belong to the next job—each one with a bigger payout and more dangerous than the last. The rest of the team doesn’t know about his alter ego, because he made sure the information went missing from his file. So when the job he’s waited his whole life for seems like a possibility, he sneaks out of the country like a thief in the night, only to run into the one woman who’s ever been able to match him in brilliance—and passion—for the job. The problem is they’re standing on opposite sides of the law—and only one of them can walk away with the prize.

About the author:

Liliana Hart is a New York Times, USA Today, and Publishers Weekly bestselling author of more than forty titles, including the Addison Holmes Whiskey and J.J. Graves Mystery series. Since self-publishing in June 2011, Liliana has sold more than four million ebooks. She’s hit the #1 spot on lists all over the world, and all three of her series have appeared on the New York Times bestseller list. Liliana is a sought-after speaker who’s given keynote speeches and self-publishing workshops to standing-room-only crowds from CA to NYC to London. Visit LilianaHart.com, facebook.com/lilianahartauthor, twitter.com/Liliana_Hart.

Interview September 25:

Authors on the Air Global Radio Network – Gravediggers Series interview with Liliana Hart!

Gravedigger Giveaway:

From the publisher:  For the Gravedigger Giveaway, we are giving away two books to one lucky winner: One review copy of Book 1, The Darkest Corner, and a review copy of Book 2, Gone to Dust! U.S. only, please.

Click here and fill out the form.

GIVEAWAY HAS ENDED

   

US Giveaway ends on August 4, 2017

 

 

Spotlight/US Giveaway: The Lucky Ones by Mark Edwards

Mary Giveaway, Mark Edwards, Spotlight, Thomas & Mercer, Thriller, Wunderkind PR
The Lucky Ones
A Novel
by Mark Edwards
Thomas & Mercer • June 15, 2017 • Price: $15.95 Trade Paperback Original
 380 pages
ISBN: 978-1477848272
*
ABOUT THE LUCKY ONES
When a woman’s body is found in the grounds of a ruined priory, Detective Imogen Evans realizes she is dealing with a serial killer—a killer whose victims appear to die in a state of bliss, eyes open, smiles forever frozen on their faces.
A few miles away, single dad Ben Hofland believes his fortunes are changing at last. Forced to move back to the sleepy village where he grew up following the breakdown of his marriage, Ben finally finds work. What’s more, the bullies who have been terrorizing his son, Ollie, disappear. For the first time in months, Ben feels lucky.
But he is unaware that someone is watching him and Ollie. Someone who wants nothing but happiness for Ben.
Happiness…and death.
Photo Mark Earthy
http://www.earthyphotography.co.uk
This image is protected by Copyright

MARK EDWARDS writes psychological thrillers in which scary things happen to ordinary people and is inspired by writers such as Stephen King, Ira Levin, Ruth Rendell and Linwood Barclay.
His first solo novel, The Magpies (2013), reached the No.1 spot on Amazon UK and has sold 300,000 copies to date.
Mark grew up on the south coast of England and starting writing in his twenties while working in a number of dead-end jobs. He lived in Tokyo for a year before returning to the UK and starting a career in marketing. He now writes full-time and lives in the West Midlands, England, with his wife, their three children and a ginger cat, Billie, who was named after an actress from Doctor Who.

Praise for The Lucky Ones:

“Chilling, fast-paced, and unpredictable. I couldn’t put it down!” —Robert Bryndza, author of THE GIRL IN THE ICE
“Another gripping read from Mark Edwards.” —Howard Linskey, author of NO NAME LANE
“Tight plot, engaging characters, beautifully drawn setting.…Another compulsive domestic noir from the British Linwood Barclay.” —Ed James, author of THE HOPE THAT KILLS
“Another compellingly twisty read from Mark Edwards. They just get better and better.” —Sibel Hodge, author of DUPLICITY

“A terrific, tense read with a great twist.”  —Sarah Lotz, author of THE THREE

An Excerpt from The Lucky Ones
Even though it was a secluded spot and rain seemed unlikely, a tent had been erected over the corpse. Treading carefully on the stepping plates put down to preserve any important evidence, Imogen entered the tent, with just Emma behind her.
The woman was lying on her back, arms by her side, legs together, as if she were already in her coffin. As Pete had said, her eyes gazed sightlessly at the canvas overhead.
Scene of Crime Officers moved around the victim, taking pictures.
Imogen crouched beside the body. As with the others, there was no blood, no marks on the throat, no obvious signs of violence. The woman was in her late forties or early fifties, white, with mid-length brown hair that looked like it had been recently highlighted. Average weight, about five foot seven. Lightly made up, though the mascara around her eyes had smeared. She was a good-looking woman, well-groomed and wearing casual but expensive clothes: a pair of designer jeans and a light cashmere sweater. She wore white pumps on her feet. And Pete was right: she appeared to be smiling, her lips curled upwards at each corner.
Just like the others.
She wished she could roll up the woman’s sleeve to check for what she was sure would be there, but she didn’t want to risk incurring the wrath of Karen Lamb or do anything that would jeopardise this investigation.
She got to her feet, taking another look at the body and the grass around her.
‘No drag marks,’ she said. ‘She was carried here. And no sign of a syringe of any other drugs paraphernalia. Just like the others.’
She left the tent, Emma at her heels, and turned slowly in a circle, scanning the perimeter. To the west and north, open countryside stretched as far as the eye could see. To the east, Imogen could see the town, and to the south, the streets where most of Much Wenlock’s inhabitants lived, the houses a mix of new and old. Could the killer live there, within spitting distance of this place? It seemed unlikely. The three victims had been found at spots spread out across the country. There was nothing to suggest he was leaving them in his own backyard.
‘He can’t have carried her too far, not unless he’s incredibly strong,’ Imogen said. ‘He must have parked somewhere nearby before entering the site.’
She closed her eyes and tried to picture it: the man she’d spent so many hours thinking about over the past few months, carrying this woman – like a groom carrying his bride over the threshold? Or over his shoulder? So far, they hadn’t found signs of entry at any of the three scenes. It was as if he’d swooped down from the sky and placed his victims gently on the ground before taking off again.
Her phone rang. She took the call, then turned back to Emma.
‘That was the station. A guy in Ludlow’s reported his wife missing. Five seven, brown hair with blonde highlights. He described her jewelry, too. It matches. Her name’s Fiona Redbridge.’
She stepped back through the opening of the tent, hoping Karen would get here quickly so they could at least close the poor woman’s eyes. Once more, she crouched beside the body, wishing again that she could roll up the sleeve of that blouse and check for the needle mark she was certain would be there.
Rising and leaving the tent, Imogen stopped as a movement in the middle distance caught her eye. Someone was standing in the field, just beyond the perimeter of the Priory. A man, dressed in black, too far away to make out his features. When she took a few steps towards him, he turned and began hurriedly walking away. Imogen approached one of the younger officers with orders to pursue him, but before she’d even finished speaking the man had vanished, as if he’d melted into thin air.
US Giveaway
Please click here and fill out the form
GIVEAWAY HAS ENDED

Giveaway ends on August 3, 2017

Bittersweet by Shirlee McCoy

Mary Contemporary Romance, NetGalley, Shirlee McCoy, Zebra
  • Title:  Bittersweet
  • Series:  Home Sweet Home #3
  • Author:  Shirlee McCoy
  • Pages:  352
  • Published:  July 2017 – Zebra
  • Source:  Publisher; NetGalley

Description:  In Benevolence, Washington, the Lamont family’s luscious handmade chocolates are a beloved tradition—and the sweetest of comforts. And for the most reserved of the three Lamont sisters, they’re a much-needed way to challenge the past, rekindle hope—and make happiness for a lifetime.
 
Caring family and friends, tranquil streets—ex-prosecutor Willow Lamont wishes these could make her feel truly at home. She’s back to help her grandfather manage Chocolate Haven, a long-held dream come true. But she’s struggling to make their unique fudge—and to cope with a secret trauma that haunts her. Yet when she finds an abandoned baby who breaks her heart wide open, she wonders how long she can hide her emotions—especially from warm, handsome, and way too nosey Deputy Sheriff Jax Gordon.
 
Always an outsider, Jax knows more than he should about loss. But he didn’t expect his difficult search for baby “Miracle’s” mother would reveal such a vulnerable side to the accomplished, beautiful woman he’s always admired. Earning Willow’s trust is the hardest thing he’s ever had to do. Yet between her honesty and courage, he’s longing to fill her life with rekindled joy—and a forever of irresistible love.  (publisher)

My take:  Bittersweet is the story of Willow Lamont and Jax Gordon – two people who survived horrific events when they were young. Both dealt with their traumas in their own way and grew to be upstanding adults who only hoped to outrun their bad memories. When Willow returns to the small town where she grew up to help at her family’s chocolate shop she runs into Jax, a school friend from when they both lived in Benevolence. Neither has a problem with being friends but can they deal with what could happen if the underlying attraction they feel becomes more? Fate has plans of her own when a baby comes on the scene late one night. No spoilers here! This is the first of author Shirlee McCoy’s books I’ve had a chance to read. I thought it was a sweet and heart warming story about learning to trust and move forward. I’d definitely read another book by McCoy. Recommended to fans of the author and contemporary romance.

Praise for Shirlee McCoy’s Sweet Haven

“Fans of Debbie Macomber will appreciate McCoy’s sweet, funny, heartwarming romance with its friendly, small-town setting.” —Booklist (starred review)

“A delicious small‑town treat.” —Library Journal

*

Praise for Home Sweet Home

“The latest in McCoy’s Home Sweet Home series is a heartfelt story that will touch your heart. With her engaging storytelling, McCoy brings us characters with substance who are clear, distinctive, and endearing. Willow is a strong, courageous, and vulnerable heroine and Jax is a compassionate, reassuring hero who compliments her. A well-crafted plot filled with raw emotion and conflict is the highlight of this tender story of love, loss, and healing.”- RT Book Reviews, 4 Stars

“McCoy has created two wounded souls and sent them on an unforgettable journey of healing. Readers will find this emotional roller-coaster ride of a story as compelling as it is heartwarming.”– Booklist 

 

Secrets of the Tulip Sisters by Susan Mallery

Mary Contemporary Fiction, Harlequin HQN, Susan Mallery
  • Title:  Secrets of the Tulip Sisters
  • Author:  Susan Mallery
  • Genre:  Contemporary Romance
  • Pages:  416
  • Published:  July 2017 – Harlequin Books
  • Source:  Publisher

Description:  Kelly Murphy’s life as a tulip farmer is pretty routine—up at dawn, off to work, lather, rinse, repeat. But everything changes one sun-washed summer with two dramatic homecomings: Griffith Burnett—Tulpen Crossing’s prodigal son, who’s set his sights on Kelly—and Olivia, her beautiful, wayward and, as far as Kelly is concerned, unwelcome sister. Tempted by Griffith, annoyed by Olivia, Kelly is overwhelmed by the secrets that were so easy to keep when she was alone. 

But Olivia’s return isn’t as triumphant as she pretends. Her job has no future, and ever since her dad sent her away from the bad boy she loved, she has felt cut off from her past. She’s determined to reclaim her man and her place in the family…whether her sister likes it or not. For ten years, she and Kelly have been strangers. Olivia will get by without her approval now. 

While Kelly and Olivia butt heads, their secrets tumble out in a big hot mess, revealing some truths that will change everything they thought they knew. Can they forgive each other—and themselves—and redefine what it means to be sisters?  (publisher)

My take:  Susan Mallery’s newest contemporary romance is a stand-alone novel about the relationships of two sisters, one best friend, and the men in their lives. And they all carry big secrets that threaten to change their relationships when revealed or discovered. Told in her usual entertaining and heartfelt style, Mallery’s story pulled me in with the lovely small-town Washington state setting and the intriguing dynamics of all characters involved. Could they survive when times get messy? You’ll have to read to find out. I enjoyed this novel about learning to trust oneself and the important people in one’s life. It’s a breezy read – perfect for the beach, poolside or anywhere you care to spend a few relaxing hours.

About the author:

#1 New York Times bestselling author Susan Mallery has entertained millions of readers with her witty and emotional stories about women. Publishers Weekly calls Susan’s prose “luscious and provocative,” and Booklist says, “Novels don’t get much better than Mallery’s expert blend of emotional nuance, humor, and superb storytelling.” Susan lives in Seattle with her husband and her tiny but intrepid toy poodle.

 

Everything We Left Behind by Kerry Lonsdale; US Giveaway: Everything We Keep

Mary Contemporary Fiction, Giveaway, Kerry Lonsdale, Lake Union Publishing, Suspense
  • Title:  Everything We Left Behind
  • Series:  Everything We Keep #2
  • Author:  Kerry Lonsdale
  • Genre:  Contemporary Fiction; Suspense
  • Pages:  348
  • Published:  July 2017 – Lake Union Publishing

Description:  Two months before his wedding, financial executive James Donato chased his trade-laundering brother Phil to Mexico, only to be lost at sea and presumed dead. Six and a half years later, he emerges from a dissociative fugue state to find he’s been living in Oaxaca as artist Carlos Dominguez, widower and father of two sons, with his sister-in-law Natalya Hayes, a retired professional surfer, helping to keep his life afloat. But his fiancée, Aimee Tierney, the love of his life, has moved on. She’s married and has a child of her own.

Devastated, James and his sons return to California. But Phil is scheduled for release from prison, and he’s determined to find James, who witnessed something in Mexico that could land Phil back in confinement. Under mounting family pressure, James flees with his sons to Kauai, seeking refuge with Natalya. As James begins to unravel the mystery of his fractured identity, danger is never far behind, and Natalya may be the only person he can trust.

My take:  I enjoyed Everything We Keep – book 1 in the series so I was excited to read  Everything We Left Behind. Book 2 picks up where the first left off so I recommend reading in order. In the new book Kerry Lonsdale gives readers James’ perspective of the events that changed his life. It’s an intriguing story that involves family dysfunction, criminal activities, and the unimaginable fall-out one man will be forced to confront. The chapters alternate between present day and several years earlier which allows James’ story to develop fully. I liked this novel a lot and look forward to Everything We Give – in summer 2018.

About the author:

Kerry Lonsdale is the Wall Street Journal and #1 Amazon Kindle bestselling author of Everything We Keep and All the Breaking Waves. She resides in Northern California with her husband and two children. Learn more about Kerry at http://www.kerrylonsdale.com.

US Giveaway of Book 1: Everything We Keep

Please click here and fill out the form

GIVEAWAY HAS ENDED

Giveaway ends on July 31, 2017

Sunday Post

Mary Book arrivals, Mailbox Monday, Sunday Post

Book arrivals:  (linked to Mailbox Monday)

   

Last week on Bookfan:

      

Reading plan for this week:

   

Beach House For Rent by Mary Alice Monroe

Mary Contemporary Fiction, Gallery Books, Mary Alice Monroe, Tandem Literary
  • Title:  Beach House For Rent
  • Series:  Beach House #4
  • Author:  Mary Alice Monroe
  • Genre:  Contemporary Fiction
  • Pages:  416
  • Published:  June 2017 – Gallery Books
  • Source:  Publisher; Tandem Literary

Description:  New York Times bestselling author Mary Alice Monroe returns to her beloved Isle of Palms to tell the poignant, charming story of two women, one summer, and one very special beach house.

When Cara Rutledge rents out her quaint beach house on Isle of Palms to Heather Fordham for the entire summer, it’s a win-win by any standard: Cara’s generating income necessary to keep husband Brett’s ecotourism boat business afloat, and anxiety-prone Heather, a young artist who’s been given a commission to paint birds on postage stamps, has a quiet space in which to work and tend to her pet canaries uninterrupted.

It isn’t long, however, before both women’s idyllic summers are altered irrevocably: the alluring shorebirds—and the man who rescues them—begin to draw Heather out of the shell she’s cultivated toward a world of adventure, and maybe even love; at the same time, Cara’s life reels with sudden tragedy, and she wishes only to return to the beach house that had once been her port amidst life’s storms. When Heather refuses to budge from her newfound sanctuary, so begins the unlikeliest of rooming situations. While they start out as strangers, as everything around the women falls apart they learn that the only thing they can really rely on is each other.

And, like the migrating shorebirds that come to the island for the summer, these two women of different generations must rediscover their unique strengths so by summer’s end they, too, can take flight in ways they never imagined possible.  (publisher)

My take:  Beach House For Rent is the story of two women who find themselves at an unexpected crossroads in their respective lives. Heather is a gifted artist who also lives with an undercurrent of guilt and anxiety.  Cara has been knocked hard by a loss she didn’t see coming. Her calming, lovely beach cottage will play a part in the future of both women as each figures out a path to take. I love how Mary Alice Monroe weaves an environmental theme through her novels. In this book the shore birds take center stage, as well as the loggerhead turtle. The parallels drawn between the wildlife and the women drew me through the story to the promising conclusion. I’m hoping there will be another book to follow in the Beach House series. Recommended to fans of the author and novels with a gorgeous shore setting with a sweet romance.

Note:  Even though this is the fourth book in the Beach House series it’s the first book I’ve read. No worries – it can stand alone. That said, I’ll be sure to read the previous three books soon because the first book is now being adapted to a Hallmark Hall of Fame movie by the Hallmark Channel, starring three-time Golden Globe nominee Andie MacDowell, who is also an executive producer.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

MARY ALICE MONROE is the award-winning, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of twenty novels (A Lowcountry Wedding, A Lowcountry Christmas, The Summer Girls, The Summer Wind, The Summer’s End, The Beach House, Beach House Memories), and was recently named a 2018 inductee into the South Carolina Academy of Writers Literary Hall of Fame. She is an active conservationist and lives in the lowcountry of South Carolina. Learn more at maryalicemonroe.com.

Praise for BEACH HOUSE FOR RENT & Mary Alice Monroe 

“Mary Alice Monroe writes gorgeously, with authority and tenderness, about the natural world and its power to inspire, transport, and to heal. Readers will love this story of two unforgettable women—one reeling from an unexpected tragedy, the other drawn into a daring and passionate new love.”
—Susan Wiggs, #1 New York Times bestselling author

*
“Readers interested in environmental fiction highlighting endangered birds, turtles, and lands will delight in this latest novel featuring women who need the healing power of nature.” —Library Journal, starred review
*
“Mary Alice Monroe understands that a house is never just a house. As we revisit The Beach House, we  are immersed in the heartbeat and pulse of her South Carolina Lowcountry as never before. Monroe’s singular ability to blend the natural world with the emotional world allows for a gorgeous novel, wondrously bittersweet and life-affirming. No one else tells an insightful and powerful story quite like Mary Alice Monroe—and in BEACH HOUSE FOR RENT, you won’t be able to stop reading—for even that glass of sweet tea.” —New York Times bestselling author Patti Callahan Henry
*
“There is no way to describe Monroe’s writing style other than to say it is uniquely wonderful. She has a heart for the lowcountry and the talent to bring it to life.” —Huffington Post
*

“Every book Mary Alice Monroe has written has felt like a homecoming to me.” —New York Times bestselling author Pat Conroy

SUMMER 2017 TOUR DATES:

Thursday, June 15 — Spartanburg, SC
Friday, June 16-18 — Nantucket, MA
Monday, June 19 — Charleston, SC
Tuesday, June 20 — Charleston, SC
Tuesday, June 20 — Kiawah Island, SC
Wednesday, June 21 — St. Simon’s Island, GA
Wednesday, June 21 — Savannah, GA
Thursday, June 22 — Bluffton, SC
Thursday, June 22 — Florence, SC
Friday, June 23 — Pawleys Island, SC
Friday, June 23 — Ocean Isle Beach, NC
Saturday, June 24 — Mt. Pleasant, SC
Saturday, June 24 — Isle of Palms, SC
Sunday, June 25 — Summerville, SC
Tuesday, June 27 — Augusta, GA
Tuesday, June 27 — Decatur, GA
Wednesday, June 28 — Peachtree City, GA
Wednesday, June 28 — Woodstock, GA
Thursday, June 29 — Kingsport, TN
Thursday, June 29 — Knoxville, TN
Friday, June 30 — Chattanooga, TN
Saturday, July 1 — Vero Beach, FL
Sunday, July 2 — Wellington, FL
Tuesday, July 4 — Rehoboth Beach, DE
Wednesday, July 5 — Collegeville, PA
Thursday, July 6 — Brielle, NJ
Saturday, July 8 — Strongsville, OH
Thursday, July 13 — Westerville, OH
Saturday, July 15 — Mt. Pleasant, SC
Thursday, July 27 — Santa Clarita, CA
Friday, July 28 — Signal Hill, CA
Saturday, July 29 — Palos Verde, CA
Tuesday, August 1 — Huntington Beach, CA

The Cafe by the Sea by Jenny Colgan

Mary Contemporary Fiction, Jenny Colgan, William Morrow Paperbacks
  • Title:  The Cafe by the Sea
  • Author:  Jenny Colgan
  • Genre:  Contemporary Fiction
  • Pages:  416
  • Published:  June 2017 – William Morrow Paperbacks
  • Source:  Publisher

Description:  Years ago, Flora fled the quiet Scottish island where she grew up — and she hasn’t looked back. What would she have done on Mure? It’s a place where everyone has known her all her life, where no one will let her forget the past. In bright, bustling London, she can be anonymous, ambitious… and hopelessly in love with her boss.

Yet when fate brings Flora back to the island, she’s suddenly swept once more into life with her brothers (all strapping, loud, and seemingly incapable of basic housework) and her father. Yet even amid the chaos of their reunion, Flora discovers a passion for cooking — and find herself restoring a dusty little pink-fronted shop on the harbor: a café by the sea.

But with the seasons changing, Flora must come to terms with past mistakes… and work out exactly where her future lies…

My take:  Flora might enjoy living in London, a place where no one knows her as anything but the young, bright paralegal. She likes her friends, her work is ok, and she has an enormous crush on her boss. But when she’s sent back to her island home (that’s as far north as one can get before the north pole) for work she feels the walls of everything that happened before closing in. Will she be able to mend some fences in her family that she’d torn down when she last left? Can she look at the island with new eyes while showing her boss around the place? Jenny Colgan’s story, as usual, is full of heart, lovely characters, and the possibilities that are within reach if they just take a chance. I loved Flora’s family, the island itself, and how everything played out. Recommended to fans of the author and breezy contemporary fiction.

 

Review: Indigo Lake – plus author guest post by Jodi Thomas

Mary Blog Tour, HQN Books, Jodi Thomas, NetGalley
  • Title:  Indigo Lake
  • Series:  Ransom Canyon #6
  • Author:  Jodi Thomas
  • Pages:  432
  • Genre:  Contemporary Romance
  • Published:  July 2017 – HQN Books
  • Source:  Publisher; NetGalley

Description:  Two families long divided by an ancient feud. Can a powerful love finally unite them? 

Blade Hamilton is the last of his line. He’s never even heard of Crossroads, Texas, until he inherits land there. Riding in on his vintage Harley-Davidson, Blade finds a weathered ranch house, an empty prairie and a dark river that cuts a decisive path between the Hamilton’s land and that of their estranged neighbors. 

When Dakota helps a stranger on the roadside, she isn’t prepared for the charisma of the man on the motorbike—or for the last name he bears: Hamilton, of her family’s sworn enemies, representing all she’s been raised to loathe. The problem is, it looks like Blade is in town to stay, and there’s something about his wolf-gray eyes she just can’t ignore. 

Lauren Brigman feels adrift. Unhappy in work and unlucky in love, she knows she ought to be striving for more, but she’s never truly at peace unless she’s at home in Crossroads. If the wider world can’t satisfy her, is home truly where her heart is?  (publisher)

My take:  I love going back to Crossroads, Texas and seeing what’s new with the people we’ve met in previous Ransom Canyon series books and meeting new ones. Indigo Lake introduces readers to Blade and Dakota – two people who don’t think love will ever find them. Blade is a man whose job takes him in every direction so he’s never put down roots. He plans to sell the ancestral home (he didn’t know about until recently) he’s inherited and move on. Dakota’s life revolves around her job, studying, and taking care of her older sister and grandmother. She doesn’t have time for a relationship. And besides, their families are in a feud! It was fun watching these two become important to each other. It was also fun seeing Lauren Brigman’s life progress in a way she didn’t dare hope. I thought it was very sweet (in a good way) how Jodi Thomas made that happen. Of course, there are the usual quirky characters and inept criminals who added the element of suspense as well as humor to the novel. I enjoyed it all and wonder if there will be more to come in the Ransom Canyon series. I hope so!

Note:  Included at the end of this book is the Ransom Canyon series introductory novella Winter’s Camp.

Author post:

When I started INDIGO LAKE, I wanted to write a love story happening in the middle of an old feud.

Blade Hamilton is a man who has no family ties. Since he turned 18, he’s been on his own. When he find out he’s inherited a little farm from a father he never knew, he rides down to Texas from Denver on his Harley to take a look. (Fun note and photo: I had to learn a little about Harleys.)

Sell the place and ride away is his plan, until he meets Dakota Davis and falls into the middle of a hundred-year-old feud. Legends and curses seem to keep them apart, but an attraction neither can deny keeps pulling them together.

Blade  finds himself surrounded by legends and a deep family history as he falls in love with a woman who is afraid to step on his land and has a grandmother who regularly threatens to kill him.

As Blade is drawn into an investigation in town, he truly finds home for the first time in his life. I know you will love Blade and Dakota’s story.

Good news for Ransom Canyon fans, WINTER’S CAMP  is included in the back of INDIGO LAKE!

Hope you enjoy both,

Jodi Thomas 

INDIGO LAKE is available wherever books are sold and at http://www.HQNBooks.com

INDIGO LAKE JODI THOMAS $7.99 U.S. ISBN-13: 978-0-373-79936-7

Praise for the Ransom Canyon series:

“Thomas sketches a slow, sweet surrender.” –Publishers Weekly on the RANSOM CANYON series

“A pure joy to read.” –RT Book Reviews on the RANSOM CANYON series

“Western romance legend Thomas’s Ransom Canyon will warm readers with its huge heart and gentle souls.” –Library Journal

A fifth-generation Texan, New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author Jodi Thomas chooses to set the majority of her novels in her home state, where her grandmother was born in a covered wagon. A former teacher, Thomas traces the beginning of her storytelling career to the days when her twin sisters were young and impressionable.

With a degree in family studies, Thomas is a marriage and family counselor by education, a background that enables her to write about family dynamics. Honored in 2002 as a Distinguished Alumni by Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Thomas enjoys interacting with students on the West Texas A&M University campus, where she currently serves as Writer in Residence.

Commenting on her contribution to the arts, Thomas said, “When I was teaching classes full- time, I thought I was making the world a better place. Now I think of a teacher or nurse or mother settling back and relaxing with one of my books. I want to take her away on an adventure that will entertain her. Maybe, in a small way, I’m still making the world a better place.”

When not working on a novel or inspiring students to pursue a writing career, Thomas enjoys traveling with her husband, renovating a historic home they bought in Amarillo and “checking up” on their two grown sons.

For more information, please visit Jodi’s website at http://www.jodithomas.com

 

The Bookshop At Water’s End by Patti Callahan Henry

Mary Berkley, Contemporary Fiction, Patti Callahan Henry, Tandem Literary
  • Title:  The Bookshop At Water’s End
  • Author:  Patti Callahan Henry
  • Genre:  Contemporary Fiction
  • Pages:  352
  • Published:  July 2017 – Berkley
  • Source:  Publisher; Tandem Literary

My take:  When Bonny and Lainey were girls their families were summer friends in the small coastal town of Water’s End. They did everything together and were even called the “Summer Sisters” by some of the locals. The summer they were 13 something horrible happened and their families never returned to Water’s End. Bonny’s family owned the house where both families stayed and now Bonny was the owner. She’d fixed it up and rented it out over the years but now she was going to prepare to sell it. That was the plan but one night changed everything. Bonny, an ER doctor, makes an error that has devastating consequences. She decided to retreat to Water’s End and take her 19-year-old daughter Piper with her. Piper just flunked out of her first year of college and finds solace in a bottle of Jack Daniels. Mother and daughter need a change and Bonny hopes the river house will help. She also calls Lainey who promised to be there any time Bonny needed her. They’d both made that promise. The thing is, Lainey never wants to see Water’s End again. It holds so many bad memories. Like the true friend she is though she packs up her two young children and heads back to Bonny.

The three women will support and maybe even help each other find answers to large and small questions. I love novels like this – a lovely, lush setting, positive women, and relatable challenges. Patti Callahan Henry’s story pulled me in and I enjoyed every minute spent with her characters. I loved the words of wisdom shared by Mimi, the bookstore owner. “The soul needs story and meaning to help us endure this life… Books can be medicine for the heart...”  I know this to be true.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Patti Callahan Henry is a New York Times bestselling author whose novels include The Idea of Love, Driftwood Summer, and The Art of Keeping Secrets. She lives with her husband and three children in Mountain Brook, Alabama.

TOUR DATES:

Visit http://www.patticallahanhenry.com/events/ for the full tour details.

Birmingham, AL • July 10
Decatur, GA • July 11
Woodstock, GA • July 12
Charleston, SC • July 13
Florence, SC • July 13
Pawley’s Island, SC • July 14
Beaufort, SC • July 14
Bluffton, SC • July 15
Savannah, GA • July 15
Columbia, SC • July 16
Maryville, TN • July 17
Lake Lure, NC • July 18
Laurens, SC • July 18
Hochston, GA • July 19
Marietta, GA • July 19
Dothan, AL • July 20
Apalachicola, FL • July 20
Panama City, FL • July 21
Spartanburg, SC • July 22
Greenville, SC • July 23
Nashville, TN • July 27
Macon, GA • July 31
Fair Haven, NJ • August 2
Manasquan, NJ • August 3

PRAISE FOR THE BOOKSHOP AT WATER’S END

“With an eloquent and effective narrative, a realistic continuing theme of unbreakable relationship bonds, and a fantastic multilayered story line of secrets, regrets, and a good dose of teenage drama, this is a solid summer read.” —Library Journal

“The Bookshop at Water’s End carries us along the graceful curves and outwardly serene storyline of two childhood friends returning to their summer riverside home. But like the river she writes about, Patti’s plot roils with strong undercurrents of murky secrets, tragedy and the pulsing tides of self-discovery. No one writes about the power of family and friends like Patti Callahan Henry. The Bookshop at Water’s End is a must-read for your summer!” —Mary Alice Monroe, New York Times bestselling author of Beach House for Rent

“Patti Callahan Henry’s stories are always woven with magic and mystery, and The Bookshop at Water’s End knots these elements into a deeply satisfying and heartfelt tale of loss and betrayal, friendship and forgiveness. The sun is shining, the tide is turning, summer and Patti Henry’s latest masterpiece beckon. Resistance is futile!” —Mary Kay Andrews, New York Times bestselling author of The Weekenders

“Patti Callahan Henry has written the best novel of her career with The Bookshop at Water’s End. I absolutely adored it and predict it will be one of the most loved books of the year.  In fact, it’s so good I wish I’d written it myself!” —Dorothea Benton Frank, New York Times bestselling author of Same Beach, Next Year

“I adore Patti Callahan Henry’s new novel. The Bookshop at Water’s End is a juicy summer read about family secrets, forgotten friendships, and the power of books to change our lives.” —Jane Green, New York Times bestselling author of The Sunshine Sisters

“From the very first page, Patti Callahan Henry draws you in like the tide, revealing long simmering secrets that will test family and friendships and explores the question: do we tell our stories or do our stories tell us? In lush, lyrical prose, Henry explores the power of forgiveness, especially in ourselves. Every page was a treat.” —Laura Lane McNeal, bestselling author of Dollbaby

 

Single-Minded by Lisa Daily

Mary Contemporary Fiction, Lisa Daily, Thomas Dunne Books
  • Title:  Single-Minded
  • Author:  Lisa Daily
  • Pages:  288
  • Genre:  Contemporary Fiction
  • Published:  June 2017 – Thomas Dunne Books
  • Source:  Publisher

Description:  Alex has planned and executed her life with laser focus since she first met her future husband at the play-doh table on the first day of kindergarten. They have a terrific life, a gorgeous house on the bay, and fantastic careers they love. There’s only one problem: Alex’s husband Michael is gay, a fact he neglected to mention in the 23 years since they first met.

Now, Alex’s perfectly planned life has completely fallen apart, her biological clock is starting to feel like the timer on a nuclear device, and she finds herself drooling over her completely-dreamy-but-definitely-off-limits client, a star chef opening a hot new restaurant. Armed with dating guidance from her oddball collection of advisers—including her gay ex-husband, a foul-mouthed political consultant, a perkily masochistic yogi, and a pot-smoking octogenarian—Alex navigates the booby-trapped world of modern dating, in her search for a second chance at love.  (publisher)

My take:  Lisa Daily’s novel had me from the first page as Alex found out something about her husband that everyone else seemed to know or suspect. She moves through the expected emotions that someone in her position would experience in amazingly good humor – but she must because she has to continue to live, work, and hopefully move forward in her personal life. To that end, Alex’s friends encourage her to jump back into the dating pool which produces some very funny and some cringe-worthy results. I loved Alex and loved getting back to the novel each time I picked it up. With its short chapters, endearing main character, and a beach town setting I’ll just say if you’re looking for a light and entertaining novel to read you should pick up a copy of Single-Minded.

About the author:

Lisa Daily can tell you why he didn’t call, the color you should never wear on a first date, and even where to snoop for evidence if you think your guy’s been fooling around. She’s the love and relationships expert on Daytime, a nationally syndicated morning TV show, and a popular media guest who has appeared everywhere from MTV Live to Entertainment Tonight, and been quoted everywhere from the New York Times, Washington Post and Chicago Tribune to Cosmopolitan, Glamour, Men’s Health, Christian Science Monitor and US Weekly Magazine. She’s the bestselling author of Stop Getting Dumped!, Fifteen Minutes of Shame, How to Date Like a Grown-Up, and Beauty.

 

The Captain’s Daughter by Meg Mitchell Moore

Mary Contemporary Fiction, Doubleday, Meg Mitchell Moore, NetGalley
  • Title:  The Captain’s Daughter
  • Author:  Meg Mitchell Moore
  • Genre:  Contemporary Fiction
  • Pages:  320
  • Pub. Date:  July 18, 2017 – Doubleday
  • Source:  Publisher; NetGalley

Description:  Growing up in Little Harbor, Maine, the daughter of a widowed lobsterman, Eliza Barnes could haul a trap and row a skiff with the best of them. But she always knew she’d leave that life behind. Now that she’s married, with two kids and a cushy front-row seat to suburban country club gossip in an affluent Massachusetts town, she feels adrift.

When her father injures himself in a boating accident, Eliza pushes the pause button on her own life to come to his aid. But when she arrives in Maine, she discovers her father’s situation is more dire than he let on. Eliza’s homecoming is further complicated by the reemergence of her first love–and memories of their shared secret. Then Eliza meets Mary Brown, a seventeen-year-old local who is at her own crossroad, and Eliza can’t help but wonder what her life would have been like if she’d stayed.

Filled with humor, insight, summer cocktails, and gorgeous sunsets, THE CAPTAIN’S DAUGHTER is a compassionate novel about the life-changing choices we make and the consequences we face in their aftermath. (publisher)

My take:  The loss of her mother when Eliza was young was instrumental in shaping her life. Raised by her lobsterman father in a small coastal Maine village, Eliza couldn’t wait to leave for college. Now she lives in an affluent Massachusetts community with her husband and two daughters where her life revolves around her children and their activities and her friends. Life changes when Eliza receives a phone call with the news that her dad was injured while working on his boat. She heads up to Maine to take care of him. That’s where she comes in contact with people from her past who make her wonder what might have been if her life had gone in a different direction. This was a rather quiet novel that kept me turning the pages. I had to know what would happen with a few of the characters. There’s a young woman, a girl really, who reminds Eliza of herself when she lived in Little Harbor. I thought Eliza’s husband was interesting in his changing professional life. I enjoyed Eliza’s daughters and even came to appreciate her mother-in-law. Perspective will help a reader and a character do that. I’d recommend this book to fans of Meg Mitchell Moore, a coastal setting, and contemporary fiction about families.

 

Sunday Post

Mary Book arrivals, Mailbox Monday, Sunday Post

Book arrivals:  (linked to Mailbox Monday)

Last week on Bookfan:

      

Reading plan for this week:

      

Wishing my US readers a safe and fun Independence Day!

I’ll be on staycation this week and will be back with more posts in a week –

there will be a giveaway winner announced on Wednesday 🙂

Books read in June:

I enjoyed them all but would have to say my favorite of the month was: