Being stymied by a murder investigation that’s going nowhere is bad enough. Now, Sam and Ski, L.A. Detectives, are being hounded by Kate Newberry, who wants the two investigators to get to the bottom of her grandfather’s seemingly unrelated murder. Reluctantly, this unlikely trio follows an expanding, bi-coastal trail that leads to dozens of potentially related murders with a common how. Eventually, the why becomes clear. Frantic, can they connect all of the dots in time to determine who’s next?
This is my first read by this author and there were things I liked and disliked about the book. I thought the book was on pace. It kept my attention and had me guessing if the connections were there in the developing case. Well developed characters that kept me turning pages . I liked the pacing of the story with the police detectives working the murders. As they make headway on the case these L.A. detectives are working against the clock before their main suspect strikes again. I thought the ending fell flat though, it felt rushed and incomplete. Maybe a second book will wrap up this story. I liked the author’s writing style and would read more of this author’s works.
Published April 20th 2021 I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
About the Author
Over years of involvement in finance and the launching of start-ups, Allen Huffstutter’s career has been one of “doing deals.” That background, combined with his MBA from the University of Southern California and his BS in Finance from San Diego State University, provides Allen with the basis for weaving together a nuanced financial plot line involving a cast of memorable characters … and murder.
Other Work
Liz Estrada, A Contemporary Adaptation of Aristophanes’ Lysistrata
Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.
There are so many wonderful places to visit around the world so I’ll list a few here.
We’ve just returned from traveling on a week long anniversary trip last month and the urge to travel has hit again. So many exciting and wonderful things to see.Let me know in the comments if you’d like to read any of these books and where you’d enjoy traveling even if just through books which I do a lot.
An enchanted Christmas dress brings two generations of women together for the magic of the season in this delightful holiday story from New York Times bestselling author Courtney Cole.
One Dress. Two Women. The Magic of the Holiday Season.
When hopeful fashionista Meg Julliard must return to her hometown of Chicago to manage her late father’s apartment building, she thinks her dreams of making it in the fashion business are over. Add in her father’s eclectic roster of tenants who all need Meg’s attention (ASAP!), a host of building related disasters, and a handsome handyman she keeps embarrassing herself in front of, and this has all the makings for the worst Christmas she’s ever had.
Ellie Wade, one of the building’s longtime residents, is also not feeling the Christmas Joy this year. She is preparing to move into a nursing home (reluctantly), and is in the process of sorting through her belongings to downsize. Every corner of her apartment holds memories, some good, some bad. But there’s one dress she hesitates to pack up as it represents both the best and worst night of her life.
Ellie and Meg strike up an unlikely friendship and the story of Ellie’s dress comes out. Ellie gifts the gorgeous dress to Meg, hoping that it will bring her more luck, on the condition that she wear it to the building’s Christmas party.
The dress magically fits, and while it eventually leads to the best night of Meg’s life, it also acts as inspiration for Meg to follow a life-long dream of her own, a dream that will help save the crumbling Parkview West, and restore it to its former glory, and keep it as a safe home for all of the current tenants.
The dress and the magic of the holiday season helps both Meg and Ellie find their own happy endings.
My Review
One Dress. Two Women. The Magic of the Holiday Season. What an absolutely delightful and heartwarming Christmas story! It makes you feel good deep down inside. After the death of her father, whom she didn’t get a chance to visit nearly enough in recent times Meg is in for an eye opening experience. She inherits her father’s Chicago based senior citizen apartment building. This is the last thing she wants to do is take responsibility for this building with it’s many financial needs. All of the seniors speak so highly of her father though and so does his assistant. Meeting apartment dweller Ellie Wade, Meg quickly sees this woman for the gem she is. Ellie is sad this holiday season though as she’s moving into a nursing home soon and her memories are all tied up in her apartment and her belongings. A gorgeous Christmas dress from many years ago that she’s unearthed with sorting her belongings represents both the best and worst night of her life. Now Meg is in the fashion design business and realizes the dress for the quality it is. So many emotions are brought to the forefront in this book as we see the highs of lows of it’s characters. We see Meg competing in a fashion show with her fashionable timeless designs. The women have a dream to restore the apartment building to it’s former historic glory and the inspiration from this special Christmas dress may be just what they need to do it. Lively and uplifting. I recommend this book.
Pub Date 09 Nov 2021 I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
Courtney Cole is a New York Times and USA Today Bestselling novelist who would rather write than eat chocolate. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business, but no amount of working in the corporate world could quell her urge to write.
Courtney was born and raised in Kansas, home of incredibly friendly people and the most horrendous weather on the planet. Because summer days were so hot, she grew up reading stacks of books… and when she didn’t like the ending, she wrote her own.
Courtney has relocated to Florida where she writes beneath palm trees. To learn more about her, please visit her website, http://www.courtneycolewrites.com To sign up for her newsletter and receive exclusive sneak peeks and super-fan perks, go here: http://smarturl.it/CourtneyColeEmail
Aidyn Kelley is talented, ambitious, and ready for a more serious assignment than the fluff pieces she’s been getting as a cub reporter for the Kansas City Star. In her eagerness, she pushes too hard, earning herself the menial task of writing an obituary for an unremarkable woman who’s just entered hospice care.
But there’s more to Clara Kip than meets the eye. The spirited septuagenarian may be dying, but she’s not quite ready to cash it in yet. Never one to shy away from an assignment herself, she can see that God brought the young reporter into her life for a reason. And if it’s a story Aidyn Kelley wants, that’s just what Mrs. Kip will give her–but she’s going to have to work for it.
Debut author Sara Brunsvold delights with this emotional multigenerational story that shows that the very best life is made up of thousands of little deaths to self. You’ll want to be just like Mrs. Kip when you grow up!
My Review
This book is hard to describe, I’ve not seen one quite like it before. But different is good in this case. The book is unique,unusual,extraordinary. Yes, It’s a given I loved Mrs. Kip, she is the grandmother type we all want. There are some wonderfully joyful parts to the book but some incredibly sad ones as well. Mrs Kip is a very unique woman,a trooper,a woman who will not be left behind. Though she has entered hospice care she gives of herself and makes everyone’s life better there . We also meet a young woman named Aidyn Kelley, a cub reporter with the Kansas City Star. She’s out to prove herself that she can write an obituary about Mrs Kip, an “ordinary woman”. After this gets approved she can then go on to write bigger and more important things. I will admit to not overly liking the girl when I first read about her, she seemed to be just humoring the older woman as she spoke just to quickly get this assignment over and done. As the story progresses it touches my heart to see the relationship between Mrs Kip and Aidyn. She becomes a more mature,self assured and religious woman who is also more empathetic . Going through boxes of Mrs Kip’s news clippings that contained stories of her life and by interviewing her and listening to her speak we hear what an extraordinary life Mrs Kip has lived. She is a most exemplary person to model your life after. If she were a real person I would have loved to have spent time with her. Loved this book and look forward to seeing what this debut author has out next.
Pub Date 05 Jul 2022 I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
Sara Brunsvold creates stories that speak hope, truth, and life. Influenced by humble women of God who find his fingerprints in the everyday, she does the same in her life and her storytelling. Sara’s recognitions include the 2020 ACFW Genesis Award for Contemporary Fiction. She lives with her family near Kansas City, Missouri, where she can often be spotted writing at a park or library. Learn more at http://www.sarabrunsvold.com.
Thank you for stopping by today. may your day be blessed with goodness.
Have you read this book? What were your thoughts on it?
“FBI negotiator Julianna James has never lost a hostage-until now. As the death toll rises and the killer’s motive becomes clear, Julianna knows anyone she loves will caught in the crossfire. It will take all her courage, and the help of Former Army Ranger Clay Fox, to bring this negotiation to an end”
My Review
Lynette Eason has once again done it with ease, dropped us right into an explosive situation. It’s fascinating to read about the different branches of law enforcement. and the main character law enforcement officers in this series are women as well which makes it so we get a women’s perspective of the problems. This one is a FBI special agent top-notch negotiator. I’ve never read one where a negotiator was the lead. My son is a LEO so these types of books fascinate me. There is so much to learn. The book was pretty intense with so much going on, nonstop action. In this one, it got personal the suspect wants to take what they believe is well deserved revenge for a past incident. Former sniper with the 75th Ranger Regiment, Clay Fox can’t get FBI negotiator Julianna off his mind but is there a chance a romance will happen with so much action happening? When a hostage situation that hits too close for comfort ,these two are racing against the clock to try to make it right. Kept me reading late into the night. I had to see how it ended. Highly recommended!
Pub Date: 02 Aug 2022 I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
Award-winning, best-selling author, Lynette Eason writes for Harlequin’s Love Inspired Suspense line and for Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group. Her books have hit the Publisher’s Weekly, CBA and ECPA bestseller lists and have won numerous awards such as the prestigious Carol Award, the Selah, the Daphne, the IRCC award and more. Lynette is married, has two children, and lives in Greenville, SC.
Do you have a favorite book by this author? Let me know in the comments.
Happy Friday & welcome to the First Line Friday hosted by Reading Is My Superpower! It’s time to grab the book nearest to you and leave a comment with the first line. Today, I’m featuring the first line of A Cat Cafe Christmas by Codi Gary. This is a new to me author but cats,cafes,romance and Christmas, what’s not to like? Let me know what the first line is in the book closest to you in the comments.
A laugh-out-loud, opposites attract romance about three of the world’s most beloved C’s: Christmas, Coffee, and Cats.
Veterinarian and animal lover Kara Ingalls needs a Christmas miracle. Opening the Meow and Furrever Cat Café to find loving homes for adorable, adoptable cats was a dream come true—but with more cats than customers, it’s quickly turning into a nightmare. If Kara can’t figure out some way to get the café out of the red, it won’t last past the holidays.
Marketing guru Ben Reese may be annoyingly smart and frustratingly bossy, but when he hatches a plan to put the café in the “green” by Christmas, Kara realizes that she’d be a fool to turn down his help. And so what if he turns out to be an excellent problem solver and nerdy-hot—he can’t even handle fostering one little kitten. She needs to keep their relationship professional and focus on saving the cafe.
But if Ben and Kara can set aside their differences—and find homes for all the cats by Christmas—they might discover that, by risking their hearts, they’ll have their own purr-fect holiday . . . together.
Publisher Forever Publish Date Oct 4,22 Print 384 pages
I am so excited to tell you today about the book, Home to Brambleberry Creek. This is my first read by this author and once I picked it up, that was it, I simply couldn’t put it down. I now need to read the rest of the books by this author!
About The Book
Home to Brambleberry Creek: An absolutely gorgeous page-turner, filled with family secrets
Everyone has one moment that will change their life forever…
A completely heart-warming, emotional page-turner about finding your place in the world, the importance of family and the joy of discovering love when you least expect it. Perfect for fans of RaeAnne Thayne, Elin Hilderbrand and Susan Mallery.
Morgan Jo Coyle has been trying to escape her past for the last five years. She’s built a successful career for herself in the city but she still longs for the open fields and beautiful skies of Brambleberry Creek, the small town in Kentucky where she grew up. So when she receives a heart-breaking call from her mother, telling her that her Memaw Essie is on her deathbed, Morgan drops everything to go home and face her family—before it’s too late.
Stepping through the door of her memaw’s charming old farmhouse, Morgan is reminded of all the happy times she spent baking with Essie. And it’s not long before her childhood sweetheart, Emmett Dawson, with his sparkling blue eyes and teasing smile, comes to find her. It almost starts to feel like old times as Morgan and Emmett spend long summer evenings together eating berries by the water. But a lot has happened since they last saw each other. Can their relationship really be reignited after all this time?
The sprawling Kentucky countryside also brings memories of the fateful accident that Essie was responsible for: the day that changed Morgan’s world forever and drove her away from her family, Emmett and everything she loved…
With Essie in the hospital, Morgan tries to forgive her. It’s only when she discovers an ink-stained letter written in her memaw’s distinctive hand that she finally starts to understand the truth behind the moment that tore the two women apart.
Will the unraveling of a shocking family secret help Morgan to reunite her family and find a future with Emmett in Brambleberry Creek? Or will she leave the rolling hills of Kentucky for good?
My Review
This book is a sure fire winner. I read it in a few hours. Captivating, I had a hard time putting it down. The characters are so well written and realistic, Brambleberry Creek, Kentucky is so warm and comforting you’re going to want to move here. A perfect relaxation , all your troubles will melt away as you read this. While reading you’ll swear you’re on a vacation with a cool breeze flowing over you with the scent of fresh flowers and your favorite drink in hand. Full of friendships,romance,family secrets,trust,love,guidance a little bit of drama and a whole lot of fun. Now I NEED to read the rest of the books in this amazing series and I can’t wait to read the next one in this series. I loved this book. I haven’t felt this good after reading a book in a long time.
Pub Date 26 Jul 2022 I received a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
Elizabeth Bromke writes small-town women’s fiction and sweet romance. In her stories, she weaves multi-generational family dynamics with the triumphs and trials of modern relationships.
Elizabeth and her husband and son live in the mountains of Arizona. There, they spend time together reading, taking walks with their sweet pup, Winnie, and working on puzzles.
Stay in touch with the author by joining her newsletter at elizabethbromke.com or searching for her on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest.
Can’t-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted at Wishful Endings, to spotlight and discuss the books we’re excited about that we have yet to read. Generally they’re books that have yet to be released. It’s based on Waiting on Wednesday, hosted by the fabulous Jill at Breaking the Spine.
This is a new to me author but when I saw it the book looks really good. Available on Netgalley if you’re interested.
Description
New Hampshire, 1796. “My name is Ona Judge,and I escaped from the household of the President of the United States. I was the favored maid of George and Martha Washington, but they deemed me a slave and thought me property, and I hear ten dollars is offered as reward for my capture. Now I must write the truth that I have lived, and tell my story…”
Chincoteague, Virginia, present day. Rain soaks Tessa Scott as she runs from her car to the old, vine-covered property she has been called to survey. She’s too busy to accept a new job, but doing this favor for the grandmother of her childhood sweetheart delays a painful decision she must make about a future with her controlling boyfriend.
But when Tessa finds a tattered journal carefully hidden inside the house’s ancient fireplace, the tragic story of how Ona was ripped from her mother’s arms to live and work in the palatial Mount Vernon, and the heart-shattering betrayal that led her to risk her life and run, has Tessa spellbound. Could discovering this forgotten scandal at the heart of her nation’s history force her to confront her own story? As she races to reach the final page, will anything prepare her for the desperate moment when Ona’s captors find her again? Will it inspire Tessa to take ownership of her own life and set herself free?
A completely heartbreaking tale of love, loss and redemption, based on an astonishing true story from the founding of America. Perfect for fans of Before We Were Yours, Marie Benedict and America’s First Daughter.
310 pages Bookouture Publisher Pub date 06 Sep 22 Grab A Copy Here
I hope your week is going well. What are you looking forward to reading ? Let me know in the comments.
Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by Jana over at That Artsy Reader Girl Today’s topic is all about those seasonal TBR lists I still haven’t had a chance to read yet. My TBR list is from NetGalley and I have quite a few I haven’t gotten to yet. If only they’d stop putting such great books on there maybe I’d stop requesting them.
Thank you for stopping by today. Would you like to see a review soon for any of these? Have you read any of these titles? What are some back titles on your list?
The New York Times bestselling author of The Lost and Found Bookstore returns to Perdita Street with a can’t-miss tale of friendship, hardship, redemption, and love between a San Francisco baker and a barbecue master from Texas.
Jerome “Sugar” Barnes learned the art of baking in his grandma’s bakery, also called Sugar, on historic Perdita Street in San Francisco. He supplies baked goods to the Lost and Found Bookshop across the street.
When the restaurant that shares his commercial kitchen loses its longtime tenant, a newcomer moves in: Margot Salton, a barbecue master from Texas.
Margot isn’t exactly on the run, but she needs a fresh start. She’s taken care of herself her whole life, pulling herself up by her fingernails to recover from trauma, and her dream has been to open a restaurant somewhere far, far from Texas. The shared kitchen with Jerome Sugar’s bakery is the perfect setup: a state-of-the-art kitchen and a vibrant neighborhood popular with tourists and locals.
Margot instantly takes to Jerome’s grandmother, the lively, opinionated Ida, and the older woman proves to be a good mentor. Margot thinks Jerome is gorgeous, and despite their different backgrounds their attraction is powerful–even though Jerome worries that Margot will simply move on from him once she’s found some peace and stability. But just as she starts to relax into a happy new future, Margot’s past in Texas comes back to haunt her…
This is my first Susan Wiggs read. Based on the cover I expected it to be a light summery bakery and romance read. Now I know it’s unfair to judge a book by it’s cover and that’s what I did. What I got when I read this is a whole lot more. The book is pretty intense,emotional and dramatic if you were to ask me. It starts off with what we assume is a well to do woman who has worked towards opening her own restaurant her whole life. She is a master chef who was taught the skills years ago as a child by her mother. She was poor growing up but her mother always did her best by her. She worked hard and it’s opening night at her fancy restaurant, the critics are there and she’s nervous but she’s got this. Until she doesn’t. It takes us through an emotional back story of the woman. There are many characters and we finally see how they all mesh together. She has a chance at real love for the first time but she’s so afraid to share her past experiences with him. Will he give her a chance if her past is told? There are some very intense parts that may cause some to stop reading. I am wondering if all her books are like this? Overall in the face of adversity our main character had to make some very hard and life changing decisions. Very much an eye opening book. The characters are very well written and realistic. Tasty recipes also included.
Expected publication: July 26th 2022 I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
About The Author
I like to believe I am the person my dogs think I am.
Untold eons later, I still read and write everyday and I’ve gotten very good at it. I live in a ridiculously gorgeous place in the world–an island in Puget Sound, Washington where we have a lot of the same flowers you grow in the UK. But bigger slugs. Much bigger slugs.
I have lots more to tell you, so please join me on Facebook and check out pictures of my dogs and tell me what’s on your mind. https://www.facebook.com/susanwiggs
Does this sound like a book you’d read? Do you have a favorite by this author?
Thank you for stopping by. Have a day filled with sunshine.
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