blog tour, books, reviews

Blog Tour: The Novel Detective – Teresa Dovalpage

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A metafictional mystery set in Cuba past and present about a writer returning to her long-lost hometown, seeking the truth about two suspicious deaths

2020: Teresa, a Cuban-born mystery writer now living in America, gets an unexpected call from her childhood best friend, Estrella, inviting her to Havana. Estrella is determined to get answers about a case that has haunted them both for decades: the purported murder-suicide of a teacher and a student at their high school. Though Teresa doesn’t quite understand why Estrella is taking the story so personally, she’s along for the ride—as she always wanted to write a novel about this case.

1980: Fourteen-year-old Teresita, bespectacled, awkward and mystery novel–obsessed, is “nosy, but not a tattletale.” She knows who’s been skimming off the top of the amphetamine stash in her mother’s pharmacy, which teacher keeps cyanide in his cabinet at school and that their classmate Yoyi is sleeping with their English teacher. Over the course of one fateful day, Teresita gets closer than ever to learning the “Truth of Life”—her catchall term for the intricacies of adult existence— even if it means coming face to face with death.

Directly inspired by the author’s own childhood in Cuba and adult life in the United States, drawing upon the tradition of Latin American magical realism, this is a resonant tale at once personal and
universal, full of nostalgia, candor and danger.

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Win 2 x hardback copies of the book (US only) **


Teresa Dovalpage is the author of fourteen novels, four collections of short stories in English and Spanish, and four theatre plays. Her Havana Mystery series, published by Soho Crime, began with
Death Comes in through the Kitchen (2018).

Subsequent novels include Queen of Bones (2019) named by NBC News as one of the ten best books by and about Latinos of the year; Death of a Telenovela Star (2020); Death under the Perseids (2021), and Last Seen in Havana (2024) which Sarah Weinman praised in The New York Times for exploring “how familial bonds can fray, yet manage to hold steady, across the decades.” Last Seen in Havana was also an Amazon Editor’s Pick for Best
Mystery, Thriller, and Suspense.

The Novel Detective is a metafictional mystery inspired by the author’s own childhood in Cuba and adult life in the United States.

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My thoughts: This was a really interesting way of exploring the author’s own past and a tragic case that had haunted her for years.

Going back to Cuba years after she left, Teresa finds a completely different place to the one she left, but her ghosts wait around every corner. Her childhood friend Estrella wants her help to try to find out who killed their classmate Yoyi and English teacher, who may well have been involved with her.

The two women never really believed that the victims had committed suicide, it didn’t add up, but they weren’t sure who could have been angry enough with both to kill them.

As they explore the new Old Havana and revisit their past, they also piece together the events around the shocking double murder and work out who might have been holding onto a grudge intense enough to kill.

A fascinating and enjoyable read set in a country that I don’t know a lot about but clearly has many stories still waiting to be told.

*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in this blog tour, but all opinions remain my own.

**Terms and Conditions –USA entries welcome. Please enter using the Gleam box below. The winner will be selected at random via Gleam from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or
email. If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s Random Resources reserves the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over. Any personal data given as part of
the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for
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books

Book Blitz: Body Language/Heartless – Brian Fitzgerald

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BODY LANGUAGE

Alan Wright never expected his ex-wife’s final request to change the course of his life. After Andrea’s death, he receives her ashes along with instructions to scatter them on a remote lake in the Congo. Determined to honor her last wish, Alan embarks on a journey that quickly becomes far more dangerous than he ever imagined. As he retraces Andrea’s final steps, he is drawn into a deadly struggle involving governments, scientists, and a discovery with the power to reshape humanity itself. The deeper Alan ventures into the mystery, the more he realizes Andrea knew exactly where this journey would lead—and that her final request was never simply about saying goodbye. It was about entrusting him to finish what she started.

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HEARTLESS

For ten years, Rick and Mary Morrow have lived with the painful reality that their son’s survival depends on a donor heart. When the long-awaited call finally comes, it feels like the miracle their family has been hoping for. But what should have marked the beginning of a new chapter instead raises unsettling questions that refuse to disappear. As hope gives way to uncertainty, the Morrows find themselves confronting difficult truths about family, trust, and the decisions that determine who receives a second chance at life. Heartless is an intelligent medical thriller that pairs emotional stakes with gripping suspense, inviting readers to wrestle with the impossible choices surrounding life, loss, and the people entrusted with making those decisions.

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Author Bio:

Brian Fitzgerald writes intelligent thrillers that explore the human consequences of advances in technology, medicine, and the systems we trust most.

Over a career spanning marketing, technology, and national broadcast media, Brian built his reputation as a storyteller and communicator. As head of communications for a billion-dollar information security firm, he found himself at the center of some of the most significant cybersecurity breaches and global privacy events of the modern era, working alongside, and at times at odds with, the media, academia, and America’s intelligence and law enforcement communities.

Those experiences continue to shape his fiction, where scientific innovation, medical breakthroughs, and emerging technologies collide with deeply human questions that have no easy answers.

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blog tour, books, reviews

Blog Tour: Crime in the Gym – Catherine Moloney

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Bromgrove folk are dying to join Fitness for All. A friendly little gym where everyone’s welcome. And everyone’s a suspect.

Paralympian Jack Donahue has always been the gym’s devastatingly handsome poster boy. Until now.

Jack is found dead in the weights room. Bludgeoned with the same dumbbell that helped sculpt his world-class biceps!

Detective Gil Markham is called to investigate, with his loyal — and gloriously tactless — sidekick George Noakes never far behind.

But the deeper they dig into Jack’s secrets, the more suspects they find.
Behind his spotless public image, Jack wasn’t short of enemies. A spurned student with a grudge. A bitter ex-trainer. A girlfriend hiding secrets of her own.
Markham fears it all links back to a spate of attacks on the ladies of the Silver Swans barre group.

Before long, a second body falls. Then a third . . . both paid-up members of the gym.
Whoever’s behind these killings, they’re only just getting warmed up. Can Markham solve the case before they return to make it a personal best?

A wonderfully witty and twist-packed British crime mystery you won’t be able to put down. Perfect for fans of Elly Griffiths, Faith Martin, Clare Chase, P.F. Ford and LJ
Ross.

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Catherine Moloney is a Liverpool writer of Irish-American heritage. After graduating
in Jurisprudence from Jesus College (University of Oxford), she was called to the Bar at Gray’s Inn. Despite qualifying as a barrister, her first love was English; this led to a PhD in English Literature at Birkbeck College (University of London).
In her academic career, she lectured and published widely on the subject of
tuberculosis and nineteenth-century literature, but somehow managed to avoid
contracting galloping hypochondria and turned her attention to crime fiction.

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My thoughts: The Fitness For All gym is the centre of the crimes in this book – Paralympian Jack Donahue is murdered in the weight room, and several members of the Silver Swans dance class have been attacked around town. The only thing that connects the victims is the gym. But are the crimes being committed by the same person and why?

As Markham and his team investigate, they find Donahue wasn’t the golden boy he appeared to be and there were plenty of people who disliked him – but did that lead to his death?

There’s some people at the university too, where Donahue was supposed to be doing a PhD, some of whom seem very keen on him and others, like his girlfriend’s ex, who really don’t. That ex, a rather strange guy anyway – obsessed with eugenics and claiming Donahue was abusive, certainly seems to have motive.

But while he might have plenty to say, does he really seem like a killer? When another body is found, it seems less likely. Can the team crack the case?

Clever, funny (Noakes is rather entertaining if a bit of a dinosaur) and with a twisted killer at the centre, this is another excellent case for the Bromgrove CID.

*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in this blog tour, but all opinions remain my own.

books

Cover Reveal: Graffiti – Lauren Hammond

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Blending the emotion of Romeo & Juliet with the raw impact of American History X, Graffiti delivers a fearless story about love, identity, & breaking cycles – Available Spring 2027!

Graffiti contains mature and disturbing themes and topics. Please read through the content warnings carefully!

Graffiti

Expected Release Date: April 2027

Genre: Dark Contemporary Romance

Cover Artist: @kjaspersendesigns

  • Secret Romance
  • Forbidden Romance
  • She Stalks Him
  • Family Drama
  • Dangerous Family
  • Touch Her and D**

Hate is heavy, but love is louder

To hate.

To be hated.

To commit heinous acts in the name of hate.

There is one thing everyone knows about hatred. It is like a disease—the kind that works its way into your system slowly before it takes over your entire body.

Cyril Jergen has had enough of the hatred he’s been forced to live with for most of his life. With white supremacists as parents, Cyril knows they expect him to follow their hateful regime. Despite believing in equality, he also knows that if he doesn’t make a move soon, he won’t have a future. He’ll end up in prison—or even worse, dead.

Cyril uses painting as an escape. Painting murals and graffiti on the old, abandoned buildings in his town is the one thing that allows him to release his pent-up frustrations. More than that, it allows him to express himself. Through his art, he shows the world what he envisions: a world full of love, beauty, and truth.

Bedelia Steinberg has been fascinated with the street artist Cyril Jergen for months. His work is emotional and brilliant, and she is determined to seek him out. She is determined to help him realize his potential greatness. After all, everyone deserves to have someone who believes in them.

Together, Cyril and Bedelia begin to indulge in a secret, forbidden romance. They have never felt such a strong connection to anyone else in their entire lives, and Cyril is hell-bent on keeping Delia safe from his parents and brother.

Cyril knows the time to bring down the hateful organization destroying so many lives is now. He enlists the help of Delia, determined to make the world see, that love always outshines the hate.

 

Note from Author:

Dear Reader,

Sometimes in life, we have to face uncomfortable truths in order to educate ourselves. That’s what this book is. One, big, uncomfortable truth.

While I was writing this novel, I decided that I did not want to sugarcoat things. I asked myself: would a white supremacist care about hurting people of a different ethnic background? They would not. Would a white supremacist care about their feelings? They would not. Because of this, there are some things in this novel that might disturb you. I urge you to read the content warnings, and read them carefully. If any of the warnings listed below would trigger you, your mental health is important so please do not proceed with the reading of this novel.

I think the most important thing to remember here is that we can all do our part to combat hate. And if you’re in an envirOnment that condones that kind of hate and supports it, there are many resources out there that can help you get out of it. Always remember that love always outshines the hate, and change starts with you. Gandhi said: Be the change you want to see in the world. The rest is up to you.

Love Always,

Lauren

 

Trigger Warning:

  • Racism
  • Homophobia
  • Gun violence
  • Inherited hate
  • Racial slurs
  • Drinking
  • Antisemitism

 

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blog tour, books, reviews

Blog Tour: The Campervan Detectives – Maeve Haran

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Fearless, feisty and at the wheel of her bright orange campervan, newly-single Sadie is about to enter a new era… as a detective?!

It’s never too late for a second chance, and when Sadie Sutton’s marriage implodes spectacularly, she jumps into her vintage VW campervan and heads for the twisty cobbled streets and sea views of her childhood in the little seaside town of Winching. But her fresh start comes to an abrupt stop when she trips over a dead body, turning an ordinary walk with her faithful dog Sam Spade into a murder investigation!

Having failed to stop a balaclava-wearing suspect disappearing from the scene into the night, Sadie can’t help but take matters into her own hands. The victim, retired headmistress Charlotte Woolf, was well known around Winching for her sharp tongue – rumours suggest she was particularly disliked by her own husband! But he swears he doesn’t even like killing snails by mistake…

With the enthusiastic help of three women at the campsite who have all embraced Van Life, Sadie starts sleuthing. Who was sending Charlotte anonymous bunches of flowers that had her rattled? Do the members of the local sea swimming club hold a vital clue? Sadie and her friends are on the right track… until their prime suspect ends up dead in his garden shed!

Can Sadie get to the root of the problem and stop the killer before the next person is buried? Or will her fresh new chapter end with her driving her campervan back the way she came?

First in a brilliant new series from bestselling author Maeve Haran, this warm, witty and absolutely unputdownable cosy crime novel is perfect for fans of Agatha Christie, The Thursday Murder Club and Robert Thorogood.

Amazon

Maeve Haran is an Oxford law graduate who had a successful career in television before writing her worldwide bestseller Having It All , which was translated into twenty-six languages. She has written twenty contemporary novels, two historical novels, and a work of non-fiction in praise of life’s small pleasures. She has three grown up children and four grandchildren. She lives mainly in North London but escapes when she can to a much-loved cottage in the beautiful Cuckmere Valley near the sea in East Sussex. Her hobby is ignoring age and having a good time!

Mailing List Website

My thoughts: Discovering her husband in bed with her best friend, Sadie scoops her little dog Sam Spade up, buys a campervan and heads off to the beach where she had a great time as a child, hoping to start again.

Out for a walk, she comes across the body of retired headteacher Charlotte Woolf. Teaming up with the other Vintage Vanettes, while the police inspector is fixated on the victim’s husband, she needs to solve this herself.

This was really fun, funny and enjoyable start to a new series, I liked Sadie and little Sam, as well as her new friends. They’re smart and capable and solved the case ahead of the local police, proving they’ve got great instincts. Can’t wait for book two!

*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in this blog tour, but all opinions remain my own.

books, reviews

Book Review: Maid of Heart – Emily Owen

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1871

The final book in the Abernathy series.

When Nancy Sullivan accepts a situation as under housemaid to the famous inventors, George and Douglas Abernathy, she is resigned to a life of domestic drudgery as the price for escaping past mistakes. Naturally bright and curious, she intends to exist quietly amongst the house’s other occupants and hide her intelligence. But fate has other ideas… 

Nancy unwittingly ignites a passion in the heart of one of her masters, and becomes the inspiration for their latest project: a mechanical maid for the mass market. Matters are only further complicated when Douglas remodels the prototype maid to create Jezelle, an electric-powered girl capable of feeling every human emotion – including love.

The ensuing chain of events sends shockwaves across England and beyond, threatening to destroy everything the Abernathy family hold dear.

Amazon

About the Author

Emily Owen studied English Language and Literature at the University of Leeds, and completed her Masters by Research in 2018. Her debut novel The Mechanical Maestro was released in 2020, the first book in her series following the adventures of the Abernathy family and their clockwork creations. The second book in the series, The Copper Chevalier was released in 2022, followed by Mr Gearhart in 2023. She lives in Wakefield, West Yorkshire.

My thoughts: This is the last book in the Abernathy series and it brings change to the whole family, human and android.

I have really enjoyed this series, it’s a steampunk/historical/adventure and a lot of fun, the characters felt very real and I especially liked the Colonel (the Copper Chevalier himself) and Pirouette’s relationship, proving that perhaps these androids are pretty close to human.

In this final installment, Nancy accepts a position as a housemaid, despite it being a step down for her, but she needs a job, and unlike their previous maids, is made of sterner stuff, in the eccentric Abernathy household. She takes the unusual family in her stride, accepting the Colonel, Pirouette and the other mechanical members as naturally as the human ones. 

Her duties aren’t too heavy and she soon finds herself assisting George in his work, her mathematical brain quickly working through the calculations he needs to develop his newest invention. 

Meanwhile Douglas is harbouring a secret in his rooms and Molly might finally start planning her wedding to the ever patient Arthur. 

But unfortunately for the Abernathys, anti-android sentiment is growing and as things reach a terrible head, the family may all be in danger, not least from one of George’s creations gone horribly wrong. Can they weather the storm?

There are some heart-wrenching moments as the androids and the human family members (including the staff) have to make decisions about their futures and literally fight for their lives. And as the book ends the brothers must decide whether to continue their business or go their separate ways and find new avenues.

However, the epilogue gives me hope that somewhere, in the alternate universe where the Abernathys live, they find a way to go on creating and come together as a family, a rather unusual one, but mechanical or flesh, always together.

The book is out now which means you can buy the entire series and start from the beginning or simply complete your collection.

*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review, all opinions remain my own.

events, reviews

The Conversation: Professor Janina Ramirez

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I was back in St-Martin’s-in-the-Field last Tuesday for another interesting and inspiring conversation – this time with historian Professor Janina Ramirez, who is an absolutely delightful person too.

She’s a medievalist and across her three books The Private Lives of the Saints, Femina and Legenda, she explores the women who populated that world, some of whom you will definitely have heard of.

From the St Martin’s website

She’s also very funny, incredibly engaging and knows so many incredibly interesting things, I could have just sat there and listened to her talk for hours. It’s always so nice when someone really loves what they do and is so passionate about it. Her books are engaging and full of things I am delighted to now know. The medieval period is in itself a time of huge change, some of which still resonate today so it was certainly fascinating to listen to her talk about Joan of Arc, Lady Godiva, the Bayeux Tapestry (cannot wait to go and see it, 900 odd years old and still so much of it not fully interpreted) and other historical figures who have been misconstrued, misunderstood and their stories mis-told by generations of chroniclers and historians until the truth about them is almost lost.

The Conversation 2026 summer season has now ended and I really enjoyed all the sessions I attended, I got to listen to some truly incredible people talk about their lives, work and passions. Sign up to the St-Martin’s-in-the-Field newsletter to find out about the next season and book tickets when it’s been announced, you won’t be sorry. Promise.

blog tour, books, reviews

Book Blitz: A Painkiller to Die For – Dr Martyn Pritchard

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It was difficult for Will Jeavons to imagine just how his life could possibly get any better. Having overcome a traumatic childhood, he had gone on to study molecular pharmacology and win tenure
as a lecturer at his beloved Cambridge University.

But his life was soon to become better still, the CEO of a biotech company. Will’s unique research led to the discovery of a non-addictive drug for chronic pain. A remarkable solution for the opioid epidemic which had claimed the life of his mother.

Will’s flourishing company was subsequently acquired, and this was when he first met Celeste Simmonds. The beguiling Celeste would steer Will away from his earlier hedonistic, womanising
lifestyle. However, the only way he could ensure the success of his drug was to bury key safety data which could have led to the clinical trials being terminated.

Clinical trials which resulted in the husband of Lydia Goldberg falling into a deep coma. It was Lydia’s scientific training which led her to discover Will’s fraudulent cover-up. She was determined to seek vengeance and concocted an elaborate honeytrap and a decision for Will to make. A career ending confession or being submitted to a life-threatening game of Russian roulette.

Amazon UK Amazon US


Dr Martyn Pritchard is currently moving towards retirement following on from a 35-year long career in drug discovery research focusing on neuroscience as well as novel medicines to treat pain. He is
the author of over 50 scientific papers and book chapters along with one novel written under a nom de plume: A Practical Arrangement.

Instagram: martyn.pritchard1 (Instagram)
Facebook: (20+) Facebook

My thoughts: Drawing on the author’s years in the field, this is a clever and thought provoking thriller that feels very timely. The search for a non-addictive but highly effective painkiller is real, the opioid crisis, particularly in the US, has serious consequences.

Dr Will Jeavons watched his mother, crippled by pain, die of an overdose, he’s dedicated his life to finding an alternative and saving others from her fate. He’s also an arrogant, obnoxious man who sees nothing wrong in the kind of short term, transactional relationships that are hollow and mostly physical. Until he meets Celeste.

She works for the company keen to buy his work, his company, him, but not his employees. And soon Will is enjoying the chase. Celeste is embroiled in an ugly divorce from her serial cheater husband. And she lives in the States. But Will doesn’t see the issue. 

In order to sell his tiny start-up, he hides some important and potentially damaging information about his potential wonder drug. This will prove to have serious repercussions for Will later on, when his life intersects with a furious and vengeful Lydia. 

Will he ever do the right thing? 

Intelligent, with interesting and flawed characters, a fast paced and engaging plot, this is a highly enjoyable thriller for our turbulent times.

*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in this blog tour, but all opinions remain my own.

blog tour, books, reviews

Blog Tour: Copperopolis – Carolyn Morgan 

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1860s Swansea, where copper can make your fortune – at a price.

John runs away to sea to escape rural poverty. The ocean fuels his wanderlust and he becomes a master mariner.

Margaret, a fiery Gower farmer’s daughter, falls in love with his adventurous spirit. A pioneering woman of her era, she learns to navigate, and they sail together, sharing a passion for the ocean.

When John’s ship is wrecked, rumours that it was scuttled jeopardise his reputation. Short of options, John gambles on the copper trade with Chile, skippering a ship round Cape Horn – the ultimate test of seamanship but a graveyard for crews.

Meanwhile, Margaret uncovers the damage copper inflicts on Swansea’s community, causing destitution and deadly pollution, as smelter Vernon grows rich.
Horrified, she collaborates with shipowners conspiring to wrest control from Vernon. But when Vernon discovers the plot, the family’s reputation and livelihood is at stake…

Goodreads Purchase

A keen amateur sailor and navigator, Carolyn Morgan has always been fascinated by her great-great grandfather John Clement, who skippered ships around Cape Horn to Chile for the 1880s copper trade in Swansea. Following a career in magazines, she studied writing with Curtis Brown Creative.

Her debut novel, Copperopolis, was highly commended in the Irish Writers Centre
Novel Fair 2024.

BlueSky Instagram Website

My thoughts: Inspired by the lives of the author’s great-great-grandparents, this is a fascinating story of a time when Swansea was a wealthy industrial town, where copper imports from South America made some men wealthy and cost others their lives, either at sea or in the smelting works.

John’s wanderlust is fulfilled by his life on the high seas, but Margaret is frustrated by her life as wife and mother, she dreams of the wide oceans too.

As their family grows and grows up, John takes greater risks, the most dangerous being the route around Cape Horn to Chile, there are bigger rewards, but is it worth it?

As Margaret discovers the damage the copper trade wrecks closer to home, and tries to find a way to resolve it, or at least to better support the workers not the owners.

An interesting and evocative slice of history combining the story of the author’s ancestors with the imagining of a life at sea and among the families praying their loved ones make it safely home again. Having worked with modern seafarers, that’s something that never truly changes, the world’s oceans remain far from entirely predictable.

*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in this blog tour, but all opinions remain my own.

blog tour, books

Blog Tour: Iced Out! – Jayme Hunt

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We’re touring the newly released hockey romance by Jayme Hunt, Iced Out! Be sure to follow along and grab a copy today!

Iced Out (Lakewood Leopards Book 1)

Release Date: June 20, 2026

Genre: Sports Romance

  • Annoyances to lover
  • Slow burn
  • On the run
  • Hidden identity
  • He falls first
  • Rescue romance (except she saves herself)
  • Found family

She’s running from the truth. He’s chasing a fresh start. Their meeting wasn’t part of the game plan.

Lisa is not stalking Benjamin Estes, and frankly, she doesn’t have the time or energy to deal with whatever male ego makes him think she is.

She fled to Minnesota to reinvent herself, wanting nothing more than to keep a low profile. What she didn’t count on was Benjamin Estes, rising star of the American Hockey League, running into her at every turn. He’s got a past he’s trying to escape as well: his brother, who was also his teammate and captain, died in a car crash caused by a fan-turned-stalker.

Their run-ins lead to confrontation, then an uneasy truce, and finally, romance…but Benji’s fame is a time bomb, and Lisa will be forced to choose between their relationship and the final secret she’s kept from everyone.

Iced Out is the first book in a planned series of interconnected hockey romance standalones. It’s perfect for fans of contemporary romances with humorous banter, slow-burn romance, and more serious storylines. This book will appeal to readers who enjoy spicy sports romances such as Mile High, Consider Me, Long Shot, and Pucking Around.

AVAILABLE ON AMAZON

 

TRIGGER WARNINGS:

Offensive adult language, explicit sexual scenes, PTSD/flashbacks, discussions of grief and trauma, and graphic discussion of domestic violence (physical and mental, involving an ex-partner)

 

 

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