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Book Blitz: If I Had a Heart – Ariella Isabella

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If you like you romance on the dark side, then you are going to want to read If I had a Heart by Ariella Isabella! Read the content warnings carefully before diving in!

Visit our Instagram page for a chance to win a signed copy of the book!

If I Had a Heart (Hawthorne Duology #1)

Publication Date: August 13, 2024

Genre: Dark Romance

“For fans of Haunting Adeline, Silence of the Lambs and Dexter”

  • Age-Gap
  • Serial Unaliver
  • Stalker
  • Terminal Illness
  • City Life in Boston
  • Guaranteed HEA at End of Duology

“How long have you been running, little rabbit?”

Ever Knight had been racing towards death her entire life, her feet pounding against the floors of psychiatric institutes and hospitals across Boston. From a very young age, she was haunted by depression, and despite numerous attempts to escape its grip, it always pulled her back. When her doctor delivers the news that she has less than a year to live, the allure of death begins to fade. To make matters worse, her history of substance abuse and depression disqualifies her from the transplant list for a new heart. Poetic, in a darkly ironic way, but Ever preferred thrillers to tragedies. She never expected to be cornered by a dark-eyed doctor on a cold Boston night, offering her a chance at life, but at what cost?

Doctor Theron Hawthorne, a renowned surgeon by day and a black-market organ harvester by night, leads a double life. As a member of a lineage of hunters, he takes criminals off the streets and gives their organs to patients denied transplants, free of charge. Why? It satiates his bloodlust, for one. When Theron finds Ever outside the hospital, consumed by self-grief, he sees something he has been searching for his entire life—a voice to call back to him in the void.

If I Had a Heart is the first book in the Hawthorne Duology, a Harvester novel. Fans of Haunting Adeline, Silence of the Lambs and Dexter might also enjoy this dark stalker romance.

AVAILABLE ON AMAZON

CWs:
  • Assault
  • Binding
  • Self-Harm
  • Attempted Suicide
  • Substance Abuse
  • Psychiatric Institutes / Institutionalization
  • Somnophilia (Nonconsensual)
  • Spreading of Bodily Fluids
  • Dubious Consent
  • Alluding to Past Sexual Assault while underaged
  • Description of Past Domestic Violence
  • Mentions of Past Child Abuse and Assault
  • Attempted Sexual Assault (Not between FMC & MMC)
  • Improper Use of Medical Equipment
  • Stalking
  • Chronic Illness
  • Terminal Illness
  • Abuse of a Cadaver
  • Forced Self-Cannibalization
  • Drugging
  • Prey Play
  • Kidnapping
  • Organ Harvesting
  • Knife Play
  • Blood Play
  • Tasting Blood
  • Breeding Kink
  • Masturbation
  • Consensual Marking with a Knife

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Book Review: The Two Masks of Vendetta – Tony Lee Moral

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Set in New York City, Catriona Benedict is a down on her luck theatre actress, with an Italian immigrant boyfriend Mario Montefiore, a cramped apartment on the Lower East Side and a theatre show off Broadway that is cancelled after a week because of poor ticket sales. She is approached by the charismatic Miles Kingston, a wealthy Park Avenue business. He offers her ten thousand dollars to pose as his wife. Miles will only gain his full inheritance if he abandons his playboy lifestyle and marries by the age of forty. Catriona disenchanted with her life Off Broadway and eager to pay off Mario’s debts to a violent loan shark, accepts Miles’ offer.

At a party at the Stork Club to welcome her into the Kingston family, Catriona meets Grace, Mile’s hostile cousin with links to the art world; Freddie Swann, a society photographer being sued by Miles; Rupert Ward, Miles’ valet who nurses a terrible grudge against the Kingston family; Louis Ferrero, an Italian casino boss with links to the mafia. All of them, including Catriona herself, become suspects in a murder investigation, when Miles is suddenly poisoned by cyanide during a champagne midnight toast to the bride and groom.

To make matters worse, Catriona finds that the mafia is after her to pay Miles’ gambling debts and someone is trying to kill her. This is a stylish murder mystery thriller with surprising twists and revelations, featuring a host of memorable characters.

Published 21st September 2024

Pre-order on Amazon (UK)

My thoughts: This is the first adventure of Catriona Benedict and boyfriend Mario Montefiore, I reviewed book two recently and the author very kindly sent me this book to read as well.

This is where it all starts, where Catriona gets involved with dodgy Italian gangsters, missing masterpieces, murder and conspiracy. She’s asked to pose as a wealthy man’s wife, he says to claim an inheritance that has a codicil that he must be married.

Her boyfriend Mario, a musician, isn’t very happy about this arrangement, especially when things go sideways and suddenly people are being murdered. He’s worried she isn’t safe, and he might just be right. Then there’s the missing Caravaggio painting.

Drawn into the criminal world and the art world at their intersection – Catriona and new pal Freddie, a society photographer, are digging into the mystery of the forged paintings, but it puts them in the firing line, literally. Luckily Catriona keeps a cool head and starts to slot it all together.

Intelligent and enjoyable, this was a great read and I was really pleased to learn all about what happened in New York that sent Catriona and Mario to Italy and more adventures.

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Cover Reveal: A Modern Midlife Christmas Carol – Alana Oxford

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Christmas cheer was dead, to begin with.

The world rests on Eliza’s shoulders. The kids, her husband, work, her elderly mother and don’t forget her newest friend, perimenopause. It’s too much to carry, but she’s been doing it for years. It’s just what a good wife and mother does, isn’t it? 

When another Christmas rolls around, Eliza is drained by all the expectations and logistics of the holiday season. She’s fast approaching her breaking point, only no one around her notices she’s on the edge.

After an incident at her in-law’s on Christmas Eve brings things to a boiling point, she finds herself with three unexpected visitors. The spirits of the past, present, and future take her on a journey through her life to shake her out of the rut she’s gotten into. Their messages leave her with new possibilities: reconnect with her past, reclaim her present, or forge a new future, and you, the reader, decide which option is best! 

Books2Read Amazon UK

Publication Date: 15th October 2024


Alana Oxford is a Michigan author of romcoms, sweet romance, and humorous women’s fiction. She wants her stories to bring sunshine and smiles to her readers. She enjoys improv comedy, moody music, everything book related, and has an ongoing love affair with the United Kingdom.

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@alanaoxford
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Blog Tour: Death Plunge – Michael K. Foster

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Somebody wants her dead. But there’s a problem. She’s Jack Mason’s partner. 

DCI Mason’s peaceful existence is about to be shattered by a notorious gangster’s release from prison. But that’s not the only problem. His partner, a successful physiotherapist, is now the target of a violent stalker.

The perpetrator might be a name from his past. Might be.

What could be more dangerous than a serial killer seeking revenge? Increased brutality. Excess.

With time slipping away, Mason must confront his nemesis head-on if he is to save the woman he cherishes more than anything. If not…

Death Plunge is the seventh book in the Jack Mason crime series. 

If you enjoy dark, action-packed crime novels with complex characters and unexpected psychological turns, then Michael’s latest instalment will captivate you. 

Goodreads

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Michael K Foster has been writing bestseller crime thrillers since 2006, all of them based in and around the North East of England. He released his bestselling debut novel, ‘The Wharf Butcher,’ in 2015, offering a unique insight into this rugged landscape. Since then, he has written seven full-length novels featuring the hard-hitting DCI Jack Mason and has garnished an army of loyal readers.

Michael was born in Plymouth, England. After ten years’ service in the British Army, he moved to Newcastle, where he earned his master’s degree. A former magistrate and lifelong fan of the mystery and crime thriller genres, he now lives in County Durham where he enjoys travelling, walking, and two Siamese cats.

Readers can find out more about Michael via his website or find him on Facebook, Goodreads, and Bookbub.

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My thoughts: With the local gangsters making moves and a serial killer in town, DCI Mason is pretty busy. He’s setting up a new unit to deal with priority cases, and the arson of a night club and a missing young man are two that fall under the rapid response team’s purview so the team are busy. Then there’s the risk to Mason’s partner, Barbara, who he sends to stay with her sister, and keep her safe till he’s found out who’s behind it and stopped them. 

The cases Mason and his team are working on are complex and tricky, with lots of twists and turns along the way. The serial killer is particularly unhinged, and the local villains’ way of doing business is causing trouble for the police, with them forcing out rivals and starting fires.

A clever and gripping police procedural, with well drawn characters and an enjoyable, tense plot.

*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: Scandalous Women – Gill Paul

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1966: In London, Jackie Collins’s racy The World is Full of Married Men hits bookshops and launches her career.

In New York, Jacqueline Susann’s debut novel Valley of the Dolls is published, and she’s desperate for it to be a bestseller. But neither author is prepared for the price they will pay for begin women who dare to write about sex.

In Manhattan, college graduate Nancy White is excited to take up her dream job at a Manhattan publishing house. But Nancy could never be prepared for the rampant sexism she will encounter on the job.

But when Nancy introduces the two Jackies, she never could have predicted what was about to happen next. As she strives to achieve her ambition of becoming an editor, can all three women succeed despite the men determined to hold them back?

Gill Paul is an author of historical fiction, specialising in the twentieth century and often writing about the lives of real women. Her novels have topped bestseller lists in the US and Canada as well as the UK and have been translated into twenty languages. The Secret Wife has sold over half a million copies and is a bookclub favourite worldwide. She is also the author of several non-fiction books on historical subjects. She lives in London and swims year-round in a wild pond.

My thoughts: I love Valley of the Dolls, I think it’s an incredible novel and I’m fascinated by the Collins sisters – but I know more about Joan than Jackie.

So this, which creates a friendship between Jacqueline Susann and Jackie Collins (my leopard print loving role model) during the 60’s and 70’s when they were both writing their bestsellers is a truly fascinating and fantastic read.

Gill Paul writes about extraordinary women like the two Jackies and her created character, Nancy, a woman fighting for her place in the sexist world of publishing. I loved Nancy, part of me wants to be Nancy as she bonds with the two brilliant authors and edits their books, dismissed by the men at the publishing houses as not worthy enough. The fact that both women’s books are still published today and enjoyed by millions of readers definitely proves Nancy (and the real life women who inspired her) right.

The book is lots of fun, and both Jackies are brilliantly brought back to life, vivid and funny, clever and acerbic. Hardworking and determined to provide the best possible lives for their children, writing at a time even more dismissive of women’s writing than now. It’s glamorous at times, yes, but also shows the sheer hard slog of working to become something.

*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: A Conduit of Light – Chelsey Ann Tompkins

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To prepare for the December release of A Blightress of Wrath, we’re touring A Conduit of Light this week!

A Conduit of Light (A Conduit of Light Series Book 1)

Genre: Romantic Fantasy

✨He falls first
🌲Powerful women
✨Forced proximity
🌲Secrets & lies
✨Enchanted library
🌲Magic forest
✨Haunting betrayal
🌲Enduring love

“You cannot go through your life thinking no one has loved you. Thinking no one has seen your soul because I have. I see it. And I love you for it.”

As a deadly disease courses through her city, twenty-year-old Ash’Arah is selected as the magic wielder who will be taken as payment for the cure. Chosen by the Baron of Felgren to come train her power in the forest which fuels it, Ash attempts to return to her former life by proving herself both weak and useless.

She is neither.

And as she finds friendship, a home, and love, the dark truth about what consumes the forest comes to light, leaving her with the inescapable destiny to save it or fall to a darker fate.

This is book one of three in a multiple POV romantic fantasy with enchanting magic and very little violence. With some adult language and light spice, you will find themes of self-discovery, feminine rage, and the endurance of love. The slow suspense and intrigue will grip you with twists that will keep you guessing until the very end.

GET IT HERE

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Blog Tour: A Midnight So Deadly – Wren Handman

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Fans of Kelley Armstrong’s Cainsville series and Leigh Bardugo’s Alex Stern books will love this cozy thriller about the unexplored realms within each of us.

A Midnight So Deadly (The Lumin Archives Book 1)

Publication Date: August 28, 2024

Genre: Thriller/Urban Fantasy

When dreams infect the waking world, what threats—and promises—do they bring?

Maeve and Peri are ‘dreamers,’ creators who record their dreams and publish them to the delight of their fans. When Maeve dreams of the murder of her friend’s abusive ex—and then he’s killed in the real world—her ‘dream’ job becomes terrifying. At the same time, Peri is losing their grip on reality as they search for a woman who keeps appearing in their dreams. Who is this enticing stranger? How does she keep finding Peri, night after night? And what will it cost to hunt her down?

To find the answers to their questions, Maeve and Peri will first have to find each other. As their dreams begin to bleed into the real world, and the borders between reality and illusion come unstuck, reality itself faces deadly collapse.

GET IT HERE

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Blog Tour: One Midnight With You – Shari Low

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What would you do if you had just twenty-four hours to change your life?

Ailish Ryan has been in hiding since her husband’s affair ended their marriage. But when a friend forces her to face her new reality, will she choose to revisit the past or embrace a brand new future?

Ailish’s daughter, Emmy, thought her boyfriend was nothing like her cheating father, but now she’s not so sure. As the hours pass, she turns detective to find out if she picked the right man, or if history
is repeating itself.

Grandmother, Minnie Ryan is on a mission to deliver a very special gift to a lifelong friend. But will grit and a touch of divine intervention be enough to overcome the obstacles that fate is putting in her way?

Dario Moretti has spent his whole life working in the family business, but now it’s in trouble and he’s all out of options. Will he have the strength to let it go, even if it means hurting the people he loves?

The clock is ticking… but will twenty-four hours be long enough to heal four broken hearts?

Purchase


Shari Low is the #1 bestselling author of over 30 novels, including My One Month Marriage and One Summer Sunrise and a collection of parenthood memories called Because Mummy Said So. She lives near Glasgow.

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My thoughts: It’s New Year’s Eve and a group of people – family members, friends, old acquaintances (who will not be forgot!) are getting ready for a night out but there’s plenty of life and love to sort out first.

Ailish doesn’t feel like celebrating as her divorce has just been finalised, and two years ago to the day she found out her husband was a cheat, so NYE doesn’t hold much joy for her. But best friend Gwen is getting out of the hospital today, and so, with the final corner of their friendship triangle Rhonda, she’s off to get glammed up and party.

Emmy is at work at the hospital, she’s a nurse in geriatrics and her boyfriend is a firefighter – but something’s been a bit off with him recently. Could Cormac be lying to her? Is he a cheat like her dad?

Minnie is running a few last minute errands before putting on her glad rags and heading out on her longtime traditional night out at Gino’s restaurant. She and husband Henry have gone there every year, this one won’t be any different, or will it.

Then there’s Gino’s own family – his son Dario now runs the family business, but things aren’t looking good. Can he save the restaurant or is it time to admit that it’s over?

As all of these people gather together, before the clock strikes twelve, some life changing decisions must be made.

I freaking loved this book – I adore Shari’s stories, her characters always feel like real people, not fantasy figures – teachers, nurses, hairdressers, chefs – I know people just like them. And their problems are familiar too. But of course, things work out in the best possible ways for everyone – even if at first it doesn’t look like they will. This is a lovely festive read to put on your tbr or even your Christmas list so Santa can drop it off for you to read!

*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: Fate of Water and Wind – Lashell Rain

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To celebrate the release of Wrath of Suns and Shadows this week, we are going to back to the start! Check out Fate of Water and Wind by Lashell Rain!

Fate Of Water And Wind: The Osparia Series Book One

Publication Date: February 2023

Genre: NA Fae Fantasy Romance

  • Multiple POV
  • Fantasy Creatures
  • Fated Mates
  • Morally Gray Males
  • Chosen One
  • Enemies to Lovers

How do I bring peace when I’ve never known it?

For over a century, as war waged, Emelyn and Ace have been in hiding and constantly moving, knowing that Ember’s emperor is searching for them with the suspicion that Ace is more than a Sky Elf. But the truth has been revealed and now Emelyn has to save a world she doesn’t have a place in. When a mysterious man of shadows saves her, claiming to be with the rebellion against Ember, Emelyn can’t deny the draw she has to him—in particular the way his shadows touch the deepest parts of her soul.

Fate of Water and Wind is a sexy, action-packed and captivating new adult fae fantasy romance story and is the first installment of The Osparia Series.

AVAILABLE ON AMAZON

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Blog Tour: My Pucking Mate – Izzy Elliott

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We’re celebrating the release of My Pucking Mate with a tour this week! You are going to want to grab this one!

My Pucking Mate: A Paranormal Hockey Romance (Pucking Werewolves Book 1)

Publication Date: August 23, 2024

Tropes:

– werewolf
– fated mates
– hockey romance
– 1st person multiple POV
– grumpy sunshine
– innocent FMC
– immortal MMC
– mental health rep
– found family
– banter

When Leera Adams loses her parents months before starting college, the excitement of beginning the next chapter of her life is now shadowed with grief. Having grown up traveling the world with her photographer & journalist parents homeschooling her, she’s a little awkward and anxious to settle down in one place but vows to do her best to have a normal college experience. She never planned for him.

Roman Razboinic has lived through his father’s darkness, rebuilding the king’s werewolf army, and learning to play professional hockey. When in reality he feels like he died the day he lost his mate and their unborn pup. Every day, he’s just going through the mundane motions of taking care of his pack, his closest men, and playing hockey, until the time comes for him to fulfill his duty to his people. That is until an incredibly short and spunky woman throws his entire world off its axis.

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