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books

Audiobook Blitz: Summer at Pine Lake – Alyssa Delle Palme

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We’re thrilled to announce that this gorgeous summer read by Alyssa Delle Palme, is now available in audiobook format!

Summer at Pine Lake-Audiobook

π‘Ίπ’–π’Žπ’Žπ’†π’“ 𝒂𝒕 π‘·π’Šπ’π’† π‘³π’‚π’Œπ’† π’ƒπ’š π‘¨π’π’šπ’”π’”π’‚ 𝑫𝒆𝒍𝒍𝒆 π‘·π’‚π’π’Žπ’†

Published: May 16, 2024

Genre: YA Romance

Narrator: @starring_alyssa_as_herself

Comp: The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han

After the death of her beloved grandmother, Sarah Williams, an 18-year-old aspiring writer and recent high school graduate, goes to her grandma’s cottage on Pine Lake. Sarah spent many happy childhood years in their cozy cabin nestled in the ancient pine trees, but she is plagued by her lifelong crush on Scott Roberts, her summer neighbour. They have a long history of summers together. Tired of her unrequited love, Sarah bravely pursues the gorgeous Swiss exchange student who is staying with the Roberts family for the summer.

Sarah’s summer begins to unravel when her family is rocked by a scandalous secret. Before the dust begins to settle, an unexpected tragedy sends Sarah into a tailspin. In her despair, she pushes everyone she loves away, even Scott. In order to find the path to healing and love, Sarah must rely on her grandmother’s lessons from the past.

AVAILABLE AT AUDIBLE

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Blog Tour: The Plot Twist – Victoria Walters

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One new boss, one ex-boyfriend, one big dilemma…

Stevie Phillips has just landed her dream job working for a publishing company and it seems like this is page one of her new, improved life.

But her first day throws more curveballs than she thinks she can handle: there’s been a takeover and the whole publicity team has been fired. And her new boss is the last face she expected to see.
Because Noah Anderson also happens to be her ex-boyfriend.

Thrown together on a campaign for a book the rest of the staff don’t want to touch with a barge-pole, Stevie resolves to make the best of a bad situation. This is her chance to prove herself, and she’s not going to let the man who broke her heart ruin it for her.

When Noah starts hinting that there was more to their break up than him just not loving her, Stevie’s resolution starts to wobble. Getting back with your ex is never a good idea, is it? Especially not when
your ex is also your boss…

Purchase


Victoria Walters is the author of both cosy crime and romantic novels, including the bestselling Glendale Hall series. She has been chosen for WHSmith Fresh Talent, shortlisted for two RNA novels and was picked as an Amazon Rising Star. Previously published by Hera, she is now writing romantic comedies for Boldwood.

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My thoughts: I really liked Stevie and her friends, she’s so enthusiastic about her new job, despite the nightmare that is having her ex as her new boss. She’s really excited about the new book she has to promote and even though her grand-boss doesn’t support them, she knows she can make it happen.

As she and Noah work together and finally start talking about what happened to them, the real reason he’d run off to New York, things start to improve. And get steamy as they both realise they still have feelings for one another.

This was a fun and enjoyable book, it made me laugh and smile and as a reader, it was excellently bookish.

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

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Blogathon: Home Coming – Isabel Ashdown

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Welcome to The Starlings… sun, sea and neighbours to die for.

Security, a sparkling sea view and the best kind of neighbours – The Starlings gated community has it all. Here, doors are left open, children run free, and at the heart of it all is the entrepreneurial Gold Family, who first dreamed up this aspirational vision of ‘Dorset’s Safest Community’. To the outside world the popular family appears glitteringly blessed… until an idyllic party takes a dark turn and one of their number is found slumped at the foot of the clocktower. Who knows what really happened? And what answers are harboured within the old building, the former Highcap Mother and Baby Home?’

PREORDER ONE GIRL, ONE SUMMER NOW – A BRAND NEW EMOTIONAL PAGETURNER SET IN THE BEAUTIFUL COASTAL TOWN OF HIGHCAP, DORSET.

My thoughts: The Starlings was built as a workhouse, the became a mother and baby home and finally an asylum before finally being abandoned. Purchased by the Golds and developed into a beautiful new complex of homes, but it’s ghosts still haunt the buildings and the residents.

Katrin Gold was probably the last baby born in the mother and baby home, and despite a childhood in care, she isn’t interested in finding her birth parents. But other residents, like Anne, also born in the home, feel differently. Digging into The Starlings’ past brings up tensions among the new neighbours.

Katrin is also dealing with family issues, her husband is cheating on her, her sister-in-law is a mess, her young niece needs her support. Things seem to have deteriorated since they all moved in.

Frida, Katrin’s teenage niece, needs her mother, but she’s permanently out for the count, she’s been suspended from her boarding school, and no one seems to care what happened to her.

When a terrible accident happens at The Starlings, the police start to dig in to the tangled lives of its residents and find all sorts of secrets. Clever and gripping, this is a really enjoyable thriller about secrets and family.

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

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Blog Tour: Boys Who Hurt – Eva BjΓΆrg Γ†gisdottir, translated by Victoria Cribb

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Fresh from maternity leave, Detective Elma finds herself confronted with a complex case, when a man is found murdered in a holiday cottage in the depths of the Icelandic countryside – the victim of a frenzied knife attack, with a shocking message scrawled on the wall above him.

At home with their baby daughter, SΓ¦var is finding it hard to let go of work, until the chance discovery in a discarded box provides him with a distraction. Could the diary of a young boy, detailing the events of a long-ago summer have a bearing on Elma’s case?

Once again, the team at West Iceland CID have to contend with local secrets in the small town of Akranes, where someone has a vested interest in preventing the truth from coming to light. And SΓ¦var has secrets of his own that threaten to destroy his and Elma’s newfound happiness.

Tense, twisty and shocking, Boys Who Hurt is the next, addictive installment in the award-winning Forbidden Iceland series, as dark events from the past endanger everything…

Born in Akranes in 1988, Eva moved to Trondheim, Norway to study for an MSc in Globalisation when she was 25. After moving back home having completed her MSc, she knew it was time to start working on her novel. Eva has wanted to write books since she was 15 years old, having won a short story contest in Iceland.

Eva worked as a stewardess to make ends meet while she wrote her first novel. The book went on to win the Blackbird Award and became an Icelandic bestseller. Eva now lives with her husband and three children in ReykjavÍk.

Victoria Cribb studied and worked in Iceland for many years. She has translated more than 25 novels from the Icelandic and, in 2017, she received the OrðstÍr honourary translation award for services to Icelandic literature.

My thoughts: returning to Iceland’s dark side as Elma returns to work after maternity leave, with a man’s body in a holiday cottage, a violent murder that at first seems to make no sense. The victim doesn’t have any enemies, or close friends. His mother happens to be Elma’s rather odd neighbour, and stuck on paternity leave SΓ¦var has been watching her, curious about her behaviour.

A box found in the attic of Elma’s old place, that has moved with them, contains a diary from the 90s, and possibly an answer to Elma’s case.

I really like this series, the cases have been so clever and twisty  – and this is no different. Elma’s case is all about secrets and a terrible tragedy from years before, some people never forget and never forgive. The writing is so good, I was totally gripped and couldn’t put it down.

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

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Cover Reveal: Reawakening – Alethea Lyons

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After centuries of suppression, the magic of England is

Reawakening

Return to the world of The Seer of York

with this collection of new tales set in the aftermath of The Hiding.

Harper, Grace, Saqib, Heresy, and AJ bond as a team and as a family to save innocents, supernatural and human, despite hunters pursuing them.

Introducing Zero, a starlight cat with a bleak and painful past.

Demonic-possession

Faery circles

PΕ«cas

And more…

 

Alethea (she/ze) writes various forms of SFF, with a particular love for science-fantasy, dark fantasy, dystopias, and folklore. Many of her works take place at the intersection between technology and magic. She enjoys writing stories with subtle political and philosophical messages, but primarily wants her stories to be great tales with characters readers will love. She also has soft spots for found family, hopeless romances, and non-human characters. Her short stories can be found in a variety of publications and links for these are on her website.

Β Alethea lives in Manchester, UK with her husband, little Sprite, a cacophony of stringed instruments, and more tea than she can drink in a lifetime.

Β Bonus content for The Hiding & other works can be found on her website

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Blog Tour: The Secret Life of a Lady – Darcy McGuire

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Never Underestimate a wallflower!

Lady Hannah Simmons is a quintessential wallflower, unassuming, dowdy yet ignored by most. But underneath her plain exterior, Hannah is hiding a thrilling secret!

Unbeknownst to the rest of the
ton, she is Queen Victoria’s leading femme fatale, slipping unnoticed through the streets of London and listening to scandalous whispers from lords and ladies. But with daggers in her stockings and pistols in her pockets, Hannah’s mission is to apprehend a deadly killer.

Private Investigator to the Prime Minister, damaged, yet devastatingly handsome ex-war hero Duke Robert Killian always puts duty first. However, when he finds himself competing with the intriguing
Lady Hannah on the same daring task, his blood boils with frustration – and desire! Is it possible to seduce this vexing woman whose not afraid to put herself in danger and achieve the upper hand?

Hannah enjoys Killian’s attempts to distract and tempt her, but she has never faced an adversary she couldn’t overthrow. And Killian has never met a challenge he couldn’t conquer…until now. The gauntlet has been thrown. Can they finish their jobs and resist the temptation?

Keep your friends close…and your enemies even closer!

PurchaseΒ 


Darcy McGuire is an award-winning New Zealand-born writer now living in the Pacific Northwest. She will write a five-part Victorian romance series for Boldwood, focused on a group of β€˜Deadly Damsels’.

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My thoughts: I really liked Hannah, she’s a pretty kickass Victorian heroine, with her sensible boots hidden under her skirts, along with several knives and at least one gun.

Duke Killian, former Lieutenant General, turned Government agent, is on the same case as Hannah – that of a murdered maid, who was buried alive. But he’s distracted by Hannah, and then some.

It goes from a bit flirty to very spicy as they agree to trade secrets for “favours” and start falling for one another. But they don’t forget the case, and getting justice for Sarah Bright. But there’s more to the case than one death – and hopefully there’s more stories to come with Hannah and Killian.

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

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Blog Post: A Body in the Henhouse – Kate Wells

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The time for celebrations is over…

Jude Gray’s farm is going from strength to strength, and even though her grumpy neighbour has concerns about the new campsite in the lower field, she is undeterred.

When a hen party arrives for a weekend away, she does her best to cater for their celebrations. But with a sheep needing urgent care – an accidental mishap or something more nefarious? – she finds
herself consulting the group, which coincidentally contains four vets.
When one of the hens goes missing, it becomes clear there are more sinister forces at play, and someone is targeting her farm. With the help of close friend Detective Inspector Binnie Khatri, Jude
once again dons her amateur sleuthing hat.

They uncover a web of deceit, affairs and rivalries, but will they find the perpetrator before events turn murderous?

Purchase


Kate Wells is the author of a number of well-reviewed books for children, and is now writing a new cosy crime series set in the Malvern hills, inspired by the farm where she grew up.

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My thoughts: this series goes from strength to strength, with another clever crime for Jude and police pal Binnie to unravel. Jude has set up a campsite in one of her fields and is hosting a hen party of vets for a long weekend of walks and barbecues.

One of the hens goes missing and has left her phone and purse behind, the other women suspect foul play as there’s no sign of her and her car’s still parked in front of the field.Β 

Is Jude’s grumpy neighbour involved? Especially after some of her sheep are poisoned, he’s always complaining about her business and interfering. Or is something more sinister going on?

It’s also Sebbie’s fourth birthday and Jude is adding more animals to the farm, thinking that she can turn a paddock into a petting zoo to encourage more customers. Or just because animals are super cute and Sebbie gives them all excellent names.

It’s another enjoyable and clever read, with twists and turns. I didn’t see the truth about the missing hen coming at all, it’s so well done and shocking. Can’t wait for the next one.

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

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Blog Tour: Dirty Spirit – Sawney Hatton

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DirtySpirit copy

Experience the offbeat occult/paranormal novel from the twisted mind of Sawney Hatton.

Final DiRTY SPiRiTS ebook cover

Dirty Spirits

Publication Date: March 15, 2024

Genre: Horror/ Supernatural Horror

SOME VOWS ARE FOREVER.

They say you can’t choose who you fall in love with, and Doug believed it.

He didn’t expect to fall in love with an addict. Once he did, he knew the relationship would be challenging. But there are some things you can never imagine happening, crazy stuff you can never prepare for no matter how hard you try. All Doug can do now is hang on and hope the love of his life isn’t dragged back into hell by her ex-fiancΓ© who can’t move on.

Because while Liam Fowlington may be dead… he’s far from departed.

“The tension is tight, the pacing is amazing, and I was kept on edge the entire time. The book is very reminiscent of Jordan Peele’s GET OUT, but with more of the paranormal mixed in.” -The Writing Werewolf

Content Warnings:

Drug & alcohol addiction plays a large part in the story. R-rated sex and violence.

GET IT ON AMAZON

About the Author

Sawney Hatton is an author, editor, and screenwriter who has long loved taking trips to the dark side. Weaned on a steady diet of paranormal horror and creature features, he quickly developed an appetite for all things macabre and monstrous. With early literary influences as tonally disparate as Stephen King’s Pet Sematary, Evelyn Waugh’s The Loved One, and Marquis de Sade’s The 120 Days of Sodom, he enjoys fusing the sinister with the satirical, the abominable with the absurd. Other incarnations of Sawney have produced marketing videos, attended all-night film fests, and played the banjo and sousaphone (not at the same time). As of this writing he is still very much alive.

SAWNEY HATTON

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Blog Tour: A Dream of Blood – Olivia Boothe

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A DreamofBlood copy

We’re celebrating the release of A Dream of Blood and Magic, a gothic fantasy romance by Olivia Boothe! Pre-order now or get you copy on June 12th!

ebook

A Dream of Blood and Magic (Spirit Marked Book 1)

Publication Date: June 12, 2024

Genre: Gothic Fantasy Romance

Underworld meets Kingdom of the Wicked in this forbidden love, rivals to lovers, high stakes, slow-burn gothic contemporary fantasy romance.

Series Tropes:

  • Vampires, witches, and other supernatural creatures
  • Chosen One
  • Forbidden Love
  • Rivals to Lovers (Meant to be rivals who become lovers)
  • Forced Proximity
  • A bargain that leads to more
  • Spirit-Bonded (fated mates)
  • Slow Burn (couple doesn’t become an item until book 2, but the tension is built in book 1)
  • Found Family
  • High Stakes quest
  • Portal Magic
  • Elemental Magic
  • Time Travel
  • Spirit Guardians (familiars)
  • Good vs evil

A SINISTER DARKNESS BREWS, SOWING THE SEEDS OF WAR. AND AT THE CENTER OF IT ALL IS A YOUNG WITCH WILLING TO RISK IT ALL TO SAVE THOSE SHE LOVES.

When a mysterious crow crash-lands through Avery Jaxon’s Brooklyn apartment window, awakening the elemental magic dormant in her veins, Avery soon discovers her entire life has been a skillfully woven lie, and that even her new avian friend holds secrets of its own, including the answers to her shrouded past.

But pulling back the veil is only the beginning. An ancient prophecy has been set in motion, thrusting Avery into a centuries-old supernatural war between witches and vampires.

Seeking to harness Avery’s rare and ancient power, the most notorious dark arts witch hive in the world is on the hunt to find Avery before she’s captured by Kane, a vampire sworn to protect humankind from the next Spirit Markedβ€”a foretold witch with such immense, raw magic, it will threaten to destroy all life on Earth.

Now, to save humanity and protect her friends, Avery must learn to control her potent magic, all while building an alliance with the warrior vampire sent to seize her. Their destinies are more entwined than either could have ever foreseen. But despite the magic that binds their paths and the enigmatic attraction growing between them, Avery struggles to trust the man born to be her enemy.

However, Kane’s not the only vampire thirsting for the honeyed taste of Avery’s blood…someone else also seeks to wage a war against her heart.

In the end, Avery must not only grapple with the painful truth behind her family’s past, but she’ll need to accept the journey laid out before her. For not only do the lives of those she loves depend on it, but so do the lives of every mortal and immortal creature alike.

Intended for audiences 18 years+

Triggers:

  • Blood and gore
  • Death and violence
  • Explicit language
  • Some sexually explicit content
  • Stalking
  • Abductions
  • Mention of young girls being trafficked for blood
  • Animal death (vampire killing a boar and drinking its blood)
  • Commentary on childhood trauma due to losing parents at a young age and having a bad experience being in the foster care system
  • Commentary on mental health due to childhood trauma, such as feelings of abandonment, betrayal, and issues with authority

GET IT ON AMAZON

About the Author

REAL LOVE AS IT IS. MESSY. COMPLICATED. AND SINFULLY ADDICTIVE.

Olivia Boothe is a contemporary romance and fantasy author.
Born in Colombia and raised in New Jersey since the age of eight, Olivia always dreamed of becoming a storyteller. Now, she enjoys crafting novels with deep, layered plots because romance is not just about the first kiss and the happily ever after, it’s about everything in between.

In addition to writing, Olivia loves reading across all genres, binge watching her favorite TV shows, and hanging out on Tuesday nights with her girlfriends for wine, snacks, and junk-TV therapy. Olivia lives in Northern New Jersey with her hubby, three boys, and a mini Aussie named Rosie.

OLIVIA BOOTHE

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Blog Tour: Vengeance – Saima Mir

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For two years, Jia Khan has been running her late father’s organised crime business in the north of England. So far, her authority has remained unchallenged, but now things are beginning to unravel.

When she finds her father’s notebook recounting his arrival from Pakistan in the 1970s, it awakes an old family feud that could have devastating repercussions for Jia. And worst of all, one of her staff lies brutally slain, his corpse displayed provocatively in her garden despite her sophisticated security.

Someone is getting dangerously close. Could there be a traitor in Jia Khan’s trusted inner circle?

Saima Mir has written forΒ The Times,Β GuardianΒ andΒ Independent.Β Her debut novel,Β The Khan,Β was aΒ TimesΒ Bestseller, aΒ GuardianΒ best crime and thriller and a Waterstones Thriller of the Month. Her essay forΒ It’s Not About The BurqaΒ (Picador) appeared inΒ Guardian WeekendΒ and received over 250,000 hits online in two days. She contributed to the anthologyΒ The Best, Most Awful Job: Twenty Writers Talk Honestly About Motherhood.Β Saima grew up in Bradford and now lives in London.

My thoughts: Jia Khan has cemented her role at the top of her father’s criminal organisation but she’s also inherited his enemies. Finding her dad’s 1970s diary she learns how he started his empire building, and who he crossed to do so.Β 

When her enemies strike directly at her and her family, Jia knows she has to hit back hard, and make it clear that she is the Khan and no one can topple her. She also makes some changes to her organisation that will bring it up to date and strengthen her position.Β 

This was another gripping instalment of Saima Mir’s crime series, Jia is a really interesting character and this book really develops more of her, the way she manages her organisation and the complicated relationships she has with her family and employees.

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