blog tour, books, reviews

Blog Tour: The Bookshop by the Loch – Julie Shackman

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Lexie Dunbar is a book lover. And her favourite place in the world is her local bookstore, Book Ends. So when she hears that it’s going to be sold, Lexie decides she needs to do something to help.Lexie’s plan to save th eailing shop is fully underway until gorgeous-but-grouchy artist Tobias Blackarrives on the scene determined to turn the bookstore into an art gallery. Lexie is horrified; the last thing the quaint town of Bracken Way needs is a pretentious artist, even if he does seem to charm everyone but her.Tensions continue to rise until Tobias discovers a shocking secret that shows they might have more incommon than they realise. As sparks fly, can Lexie and Tobias work together, or will opposing ideas get in the way of them finding their very own happy ever after…

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Julie Shackman is a former journalist from Scotland who has always wanted to writefeel-good romance. As well as being an author, Julie also writes verses and captions for greetings card companies. Julie admits to having an obsession with stationery and handbags.She is married, has two sons and a Romanian rescue pup, Cooper. The Bookshop by the Loch is Julie’s tenth novel.

Julie Shackman Author

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My thoughts: running a bookshop, like Lexie does, is a bit of a dream of mine, although I don’t think it’ll ever happen. Lexie is back in her home town, after her career goes sideways, and saving Book Ends becomes her aim, giving it a face lift, getting online and bringing in new customers.

Unfortunately the owner’s grumpy artist nephew has other ideas, he wants the shop to turn it into an art gallery. Somehow they reach a consensus and do both, and as they work alongside one another, they bond, over family dramas and their work.

When Lexie’s absentee father returns after twenty-three years, wanting to make amends, and Tobias learns his own family secret, they support each other.

By helping a dying woman fulfil her bucket list, they find themselves getting closer and closer. Unravelling her past helps them both deal with their present, while also setting then up for the future. A charming, sweet story about love and what can happen if you don’t stick to your life plan.

*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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Book Blitz: Awoke – K.T. Conte

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AWOKE copy

Happy publication day and congratulations to K.T. Conte on the release of Awoke! Read on for more details!

Awoke The Unseen War (6.68 x 9.5 in)

Awoke (The Unseen War Book 1)

Publication Date: February 1, 2024

Genre: NA Paranormal Fantasy

🖤Grim Reaper Forbidden Romance

🖤Black Bad-A%$ FMC

🖤Black, Scottish MMC

🖤Dystopian World Building

🖤Malcontent Spirits

🖤Anime Vibes

When the Veil between the Living and the Dead Shifts…

Turning eighteen is more than just a rite of passage for Katya Stevens; it’s a chilling awakening. Suddenly thrust into a world she’d believed was a mere figment of childhood nightmares, she finds herself where the dead refuse to rest, and the balance of life teeters perilously.

Her once-hidden ability to see the departed reveals not only the world’s deadly mysteries but also the depths of her soul. Gregor, an enigmatic Grim Reaper, isn’t just a harbinger of death but a symbol of the battling forces at play—especially The Want, spirits distorted by their defiance against the natural transition to the beyond.

But Katya’s destiny is larger than she ever imagined. A beacon in legends, she stands between hope and havoc. As she delves deeper into the ethereal realm of Ager, she confronts not just the malevolent Wanters but the shadows of her own heart and the complexities of early adulthood.

If the spiritual battles of ‘Bleach’ and the transformative journeys of ‘Sailor Moon’ captivated you, and if you’ve been enthralled by novels like ‘City of Bones’, ‘Daughter of Smoke and Bone’, and the dark supernatural realms of ‘Angelfall’, then ‘Awoke’ is your next adventure. Explore a universe where Grim Reapers serve as the staunch defenders against malevolent spirits, and where a profound forbidden romance unfolds between a mortal with unparalleled power and a Reaper. ‘Awoke’ weaves a tale inspired by the depth and drama of beloved fantasy tales and the intricate story lines of notable anime series, promising a world where every decision echoes with universe-altering consequences.

Get it on Amazon!

About the Author

K.T. Conte, a devotee of the written word and all things wild and fascinating, first discovered her passion for books at the tender age of two. Even then, as an avid reader, her journey to becoming an author was already on the horizon. An African-American author with a flair for breathing life into stories, K.T. holds a B.A. in English from Boston College and a law degree from Suffolk University Law School.

While she is a licensed and practicing attorney, K.T.’s first love has always remained books. The enchanting dance of words across a page and the powerful narratives they weave continues to captivate and inspire her every day. Over the years, she has shared her Massachusetts home with a delightful blend of characters – the enchanting specters in the closet, her loving husband Everett, a couple of mischievous building fairies, and her beloved daughter, Ella.

K.T. Conte

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Cover Reveal: The Fate of Elysian – Theresa Sherron

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How gorgeous is this cover?!

We’re thrilled to present the the brand-new cover for The Fate of Elysian by Theresa Sherron. Available now!

Book_Cover_Final

The Fate of Elysian

Publication Date: May 2023

Genre: Dystopian Fantasy

Will you live a life that is predestined and controlled from your first breath of air? A life full of darkness, destruction, and pain, where your existence is owed to the survival of humanity.

Faye’s eighteenth birthday turns her life upside down, just like the rest of the teens who walked this planet before her. She must travel to the city; she knows she would never return the same…if she ever returns!

In a futuristic world founded to cope with the effects of a famine that altered the course of humanity, there are certain commandments to follow to live a prosperous life. Faye steps into the city of dreams with several unanswered questions. All she has is a mysterious symbol to find her soulmate, who was predestined at birth. Not knowing who her symbol will light up for, she must trust her judgment – or destiny. Will her judgments be right?

Her rebelliousness leads her to uncover a disturbing truth about the city, which is known as their Elysian. But is it just that? Along with others, Faye is determined to find the missing pieces and bring justice to herself, her family, and her friends. She is fearless; she’s not afraid to challenge those who are in power.

Has her entire life been a lie? Does she want to fight to be with the love of her life or settle with the ‘soulmate’ chosen by the city at the time of her birth?
Faye must decide.

Available on Amazon

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Blog Tour: In Our Hands – Larissa C. Moyer

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inourhands copy

Welcome to the tour for In Our Hands by Larissa C. Moyer! Read on for more details!

IMG_6086

In Our Hands

Publication Date: April 2023

Genre: New Adult Romance

🖤Friends-to-Lovers

🖤Brother’s Ex

🖤ASL/ Deaf Rep

🖤Emotional Read

“E-V-E-L-Y-N.” She spelled her name with her hand.

Otis was immediately intrigued by the beautiful girl who seemed to know at least enough sign language to introduce herself to him. Little did he know, shortly after that night, that the beautiful girl would end up in a relationship with his brother, Dean.

Until Dean left.

Left Chicago, left Evelyn and left Otis to clean up the mess.

Seven years later, Evelyn owns a coffee shop where Otis, a writer, spends his days writing fluff articles for a local paper. They have a steady, dependable friendship and they’ve come to rely on each other like family.

But after one harrowing night, their comfortable, easy relationship is catapulted into new territory. And for as close as they’ve always been, they’ve also shielded each other from the heaviest pieces of their pasts.

This is a story about two people finding a way to let go and believe that even when we feel like the things we want are beyond our reach—the power to change our path is always in our hands.

Get it on Amazon!

About the Author

Larissa C. Moyer spent her early adult life bouncing around different cities as a musical theater actor and making lattes behind too many espresso bars to count. When she isn’t snuggling with her dog or driving her sweet husband completely bananas, she can usually be found reading a romance novel with some sort of beverage or snack close by. Amazingly, though, sometimes she can do all of those things at the same time! Her plan is write epic love stories in each of the cities she lived and loved. You can find her on Instagram @sincerely_lovelarissa or on TikTok @larissacmoyerauthor

Larissa C. Moyer

My thoughts: this is a sweet, tender friends to lover romance, between coffee shop owner Evelyn and her best friend, journalist Otis. Otis is the younger brother of Evelyn’s college ex-boyfriend, Dean, and is also deaf. Evelyn knows a little ASL, but learns more so she can talk to Otis.

Even after his brother brutally breaks up with her and abruptly leaves town, Evelyn and Otis stay friends, if anything, their bond strengthens. But it isn’t until they’re the victims of a horrible assault that things begin to shift between them.

Both Evelyn and Otis are people who deserve happiness, they’re kind and sweet, and their friendship is very wholesome, complete with in jokes and their own language.

It’s heartwarming and I really liked how the sign language is integrated into the text, like speech, because for Otis, it is. ASL is the language he communicates in, and his friends, not just Evelyn, do at least try to use it, not expecting him to always lip read or use written communication. It gives it a different perspective and as someone with partial hearing loss, it’s quite refreshing to see.

Book Tour Schedule

January 29th

http://rrbooktours.com Landing Page

https://www.instagram.com/bookish_lady_night/?igshid=OGQ5ZDc2ODk2ZA%3D%3D – Review

https://lillysbookworld.com – Review

https://www.instagram.com/bookloversamantha?igshid=NzZlODBkYWE4Ng%3D%3D – Review

https://www.instagram.com/jgonyer09/?igshid=MjEwN2IyYWYwYw%3D%3D – Feature

https://www.instagram.com/smut_hussie/ – Feature

https://www.instagram.com/heathersbookreviews/?utm_source=qr&igshid=NGExMmI2YTkyZg – Review

January 30th

https://www.instagram.com/mommyandherbooks/ – Review

https://www.instagram.com/nelli_lakatos/ – Review

http://ramblingmads.com – Review

https://www.instagram.com/crooks_book_nook/ – Feature

January 31st

https://www.instagram.com/betterthantherapy? – Review

https://www.instagram.com/littleredpandareader/ – Review

https://instagram.com/bookishbaddie?igshid=MDM4ZDc5MmU= – Review

https://www.instagram.com/darkfantasyreviews/ – Review

https://www.instagram.com/ilovebooksandstuffblog/ – Feature

February 1st

https://instagram.com/aprilsbooknook_?igshid=NTA5ZTk1NTc= – Review

https://www.instagram.com/junebug_reads/?igshid=OGQ5ZDc2ODk2ZA – Review

https://www.instagram.com/juliejayreads?igshid=OGQ5ZDc2ODk2ZA%3D%3D – Review

https://www.instagram.com/tkeyahreads?igshid=OGQ5ZDc2ODk2ZA%3D%3D – Review

https://www.instagram.com/authorjanny_janmarie_c/ – Feature

https://freelancewriterjannyc.com/

February 2nd

https://www.instagram.com/_books.in.wonderland_/ – Review

https://www.instagram.com/gothgirlonthetrain/ – Review

https://www.instagram.com/hannah_oac/ – Review

https://www.instagram.com/isbn_reading/ – Review

https://www.instagram.com/bookgrlobsessed/ – Review

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*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: My Heart is in Venice – Helen Jensen

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Venice was where it all began…

Libby and Will spent a glorious honeymoon in this magical city. They didn’t have much money, butthey had a whole lot of love and a bright future ahead of them. And Venice was where it all went wrong…

Two kids and twenty-five years later, they are struggling with money problems, but somehow, Will manages to fulfil his promise to Libby to take her back to Venice for their anniversary. This time, they are doing it in style, and a masked ball awaits. But among the beautiful buildings and romantic canals, Libby learns that her husband has a secret that breaks her heart.The trust is broken and the marriage is over. But there are decades of love and two grown sons between them. Can they ever find their way back to each other or have they missed their chance forever?

A funny and heartwarming second-chance romance, perfect for fans of Milly Johnson and Julie Caplin.

Purchase Link

Helga Jensen is an award-winning British/Danish best-selling author and journalist. Helga holds a BA Hons in English Literature and Creative Writing, along with a Creative Writing MA from Bath Spa University. She is currently working on a PhD.

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My thoughts: marriage can be difficult, and once trust is lost, it’s very hard to get back, as Libby and Will learn in this book. After their honeymoon in Venice, Will promises to bring his wife back to the city for their 25th anniversary.

Twenty-five years later things are very different, they have two children, and a struggling business inherited from Will’s dad. Venice might not be possible. But Will insists he can make it happen, and does something that will send shockwaves through his life.

As Libby struggles to come to terms with what he’s done, and tries to rebuild her life, she wonders if she might have lost everything. Another trip to Venice, this time alone, might yield some clarity.

A fascinating and charming look at marriage and its many ups and downs with a cast of characters that feel like you know them.

*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: Driven to Murder – Debbie Young

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A perfect cosy crime for fans of M C Beaton’s Agatha Raisin and Hamish Macbeth series.

Change is coming to Wendlebury Barrow–and not everyone is happy about it…

When the local bus company announces it will be stopping its route through their quaint Cotswold village,the people of Wendlebury Barrow are up in arms. Not least Sophie Sayers, whose driving lessons with her boyfriend Hector get off to a bumpy start. But the locals’ peaceful protests against the decision turn deadly when a body is discovered on the Number 27. No one can work out how Janice Boggins met her demise, let alone how the driver didn’t notice. While the police wait for the post mortem results, Sophie immediately suspects foul play and launches her own investigation. Can she solve the murder before another passenger is hurt?

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Debbie Young is the much-loved author of the Sophie Sayers and St Brides cosy crimemysteries. She lives in a Cotswold village where she runs the local literary festival and has worked at Westonbirt School, both of which provide inspiration for her writing. She is bringing both her series to Boldwood in a 13-book contract. They will be publishing several new titles in each series and republishing the backlist, starting in September 2022.

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My thoughts: I love Debbie Young’s books, they’re funny and clever and a little bit silly. In this case it’s all about buses – and murder.

After the local bus firm suggests it might have to suspend the route through Wendlebury Barrow, people are up in arms, until miserable village resident (and bus picnicker) Mrs Boggles dies on the bus. That cools a lot of the enthusiasm about saving the route.

Sophie Sayers, amateur detective and newly in possession of a driving licence, is determined to find out what happened and why. There’s something a bit off about all the recent sabotage of the buses be connected?

As Sophie investigates and she and Hector are planning on expanding the bookshop, it might also be time to make some changes to their relationship.

I really enjoyed this outing with Sophie and Co, the case is a bit more convoluted than it might sound and Sophie is a good protagonist and has a nose for the truth.

*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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Book Blitz: The Fey Hotel – Vermilion H Baine

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We’re celebrating the release of The Fey Hotel this week! Read on for more details and grab yourself a copy today!

The Fey Hotel

Publication Date: January 14, 2024

Genre: Fantasy Romance

Portal Fantasy
Low Spice
Forced Proximity
Witty Banter
Slow Burn
Hurt/Comfort
Magical Inn

A mysterious inn, hidden away on the western coast of Washington, has asked for help.

Avalon, sent to restore the failing reputation of the Refuge on the Moor, carries a secret that could lead to her own destruction. A secret she’s kept since birth, and one that the grumpy, short-tempered innkeeper becomes the first to discover.

Elden is the unwilling manager of a once great, and magical, hotel—that is failing under his inexperienced hand. When he reluctantly requests the help of a hotel management company, he’s introduced to Avalon—someone that has more in common with him than either of them knows.

They fight their past, and one another, but the pair must learn to work together—not only to save the inn, but to save everyone they love.

The Fey Hotel is a slow-burn, light enemies to lovers, portal fantasy romance.
Perfect for Gilmore Girls fans and lovers of fairy tales and mythology.

This is the first book in a series of standalone fantasy romances, Enchanted with the Enemy.

Each book features new characters, but their stories exist in the same world and around the same time.

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Get it Here!

About the Author

Vermilion H Baine is an indie fantasy author based in the American Southwest. After a tour as a nuclear electrician’s mate in the US Navy, she now works as a field service engineer in the semiconductor industry. She writes fantasy, low and high, and tries to sprinkle in humor between the extreme bouts of angst. If she isn’t hyper-focusing on writing, she is hiking, reading, or replaying Morrowind. She lives with two very codependent rescue dogs, her grumpy, can-fix-anything husband, and her Viking-sized son.

The Fey Hotel is her debut novel and the first book in the Enchanted with the Enemy standalone series.

Vermilion H. Baine

 

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Blog Tour: The Secrets of Crestwell Hall – Alexandra Walsh

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‘A king adorns the throne…He has no subtlety, no grace but he does not deserve to die in the waythat has been planned and this is why we shall stop them, our men, our kin and save us all.’

1605; Bess Throckmorton is well used to cunning plots and intrigues. With her husband Sir Walter Raleigh imprisoned in the Tower of London, and she and her family in a constant battle to outwit Robert Cecil, the most powerful man in the country who is determined to ruin her, Bess decides to retreat to her beloved home, Crestwell Hall. But there she is shocked to hear talk of a new plot to murder the king. So, unbeknownst to their menfolk, the wives of the plotters begin to work together to try to stop the impending disaster.

Present Day; Isabella Lacey and her daughter, Emily, are excited to be starting a new life at her aunt’s home,Crestwell Hall in Wiltshire. During renovations, Isabella discovers an ancient bible that once belonged to Bess Throckmorton, and to her astonishment finds that it doubled as a diary. As Isabella reads Bess’s story, a new version of the Gunpowder Plot begins to emerge-told by the women.When Emily’s life is suddenly in terrible danger, Isabella understands the relentless fear felt by Bess, hundreds of years ago. And as the fateful date of 5th November draws ever closer, Bess and the plotters’ wives beg their husbands to stop before a chain of events is set into action that can only end one way…

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Alexandra Walsh is the bestselling author of dual timeline historical mysteries, previously published by Sapere. Her books range from the fifteenth century to the Victorian era and are inspired by the hidden voices of women that have been lost over the centuries. Formerly a journalist, writing for national newspapers, magazines, and TV, her first book for Boldwood was published in Spring 2023.

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My thoughts: this was a really interesting time slip book blending the history of the Gunpowder Plot with the lives of Issy and Emily, who have moved into Crestwell Hall, the home of Issy’s Great-uncle Philip, who has recently died.

Bess Throckmorton was a real person, wife of Sir Walter Raleigh, lady-in-waiting to Elizabeth I and linked by birth and marriage to many of the most important families of the day. Including all of the Gunpowder Plot schemers.

While Crestwell Hall isn’t real, the author drew inspiration from the belief of Robert Cecil, spy master, that the Raleighs had a secret home he couldn’t find.

I really liked how the story of the wives’ plan to save their husbands from execution for treason unfolded as Issy explored the house and unravelled its history. Bess is an impressive woman, even if this attempt to stop the plot isn’t true, and I loved her determination to guard her family from themselves. Issy was a great protagonist, too. She, her aunt, and daughter are part of a new generation of incredible women living in Crestwell Hall.

*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: Shadows in the Ashes – Christina Courtenay

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Brimming with romance, adventure, and vivid historical detail, Christina Courtenay’s gripping dual-time novel travels from the present day to the fires of ancient Pompeii.

The sunlight caught her gold bracelet, sending a flash that almost blinded her.
She closed her eyes but jumped when the earth started shaking, and there was an almighty boom behind her.

Present Day
Finally escaping an abusive marriage, Caterina Rossi takes her three-year-old daughter and flees to Italy. There, she’s drawn to research scientist Connor, who needs her translation help for his work on
volcanology. Together they visit the ruins of Pompeii and, standing where Mount Vesuvius
unleashed its fire on the city centuries before, Cat begins to see startling visions. Visions that appear to come from the antique bracelet handed down through her family’s generations…

AD 79
Sold by his half-brother and enslaved as a gladiator in Roman Pompeii, Raedwald dreams only of
surviving each fight, making the coin needed to return to his homeland and taking his revenge. That is, until he is hired to guard beautiful Aemilia. As their forbidden love grows, Raedwald’s dreams shift like the ever more violent tremors of the earth beneath his feet.
The present starts eerily to mirror the past as Cat must fight to protect her safety, and to forge a new path from the ashes of her old life…

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Christina Courtenay writes historical romance, time slip and time travel stories, and lives in Herefordshire (near the Welsh border) in the UK. Although born in England, she has a Swedish mother and was brought up in Sweden – hence her abiding interest in the Vikings. Christina is a former chairman of the UK’s Romantic Novelists’ Association, now a Vice President, and has won several awards, including the RoNA for Best Historical Romantic Novel twice with Highland Storms (2012) and The Gilded Fan (2014) and the RNA Fantasy Romantic Novel of the year 2021 with Echoes of the Runes. SHADOWS IN THE ASHES (dual time/timeslip romance published by Headline Review 18th January 2024) is her latest novel. Christina is a keen amateur genealogist and loves history and archaeology (the armchair variety).

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My thoughts: I do enjoy Christina Courtenay’s time slip romances, and this time she’s exploring the world of the Ancient Roman empire – specifically Pompeii before the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD.

In the modern world, Cat has finally fled her abusive husband to the safety of her mother’s family in Naples, where she meets PhD student Connor and realises that not all stories end in tragedy.

Centuries before Aemilia is also married to a rotten husband and miserable, she meets enslaved gladiator Raedwald, originally from Frisia (in modern day Germany) who is planning an escape and a trip home to take revenge on those who sold him into slavery. But falling in love wasn’t part of the plan, although if Aemilia will come with him, then that would be wonderful.

As both women make their escapes from their awful marriages, and fall for kinder, loving men, the eruption of Vesuvius looms closer and Cat starts to see glimpses of the past before the eruption. Can these brave women find happiness both then and now?

Slightly different to the Runes series, no one actually travels through time, although Cat and Connor seem to be seeing parts of it, but the two women seem to be living lives that mirror one another, leaving one awful man for a much better, redheaded, one. There’s another link suggested in the closing chapter, which I really liked. I hope Christina writes more books set in different parts of the past and fascinating women.

*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: Stand Up Guy – Nina Kaye

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Dumped by Instagram post. Not a whiff of a social life. Can it get any worse?

After a string of failed relationships – romantic and platonic – Lea’s had enough of watching life happen without her. When she bumps into Shep, a comedian at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in need of accommodation, it feels like destiny. And voilá – Lea now has a lodger and some company.
The two get on like a flat on fire, and Lea can’t resist falling for outgoing Shep. But she knows it’s a mistake that will cost her heart – he’s just another guy passing through, after all. And with Shep’s
stand-up routine edging him closer to his big break, there’s no way he’ll stick around.
Love is no laughing matter as the Fringe draws to a close. Can Lea find the confidence to step up and confess her feelings to Shep? Will he want to stay?
A feel-good, heartwarming romance for anyone desperate to break out of their shell and find their true self.

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Nina Kaye is a contemporary romance author living in Edinburgh. She is author of three other books for Canelo – Take a Moment, One Night in Edinburgh, and Just Like That. She has previously been a contender for the RNA Joan Hessayson Award.

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My thoughts: a fun, and funny, rom com set around the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, with research scientist Lea and Northern Irish comic Shep brought together by happy accident. Lea makes a spontaneous offer to help out a stranger (Shep) and before they know it, they’re getting along like old friends. And then some.

Lea needs a little encouragement to step out of her shell and find some pals, Shep needs someone to believe in his comedy career, as he’s decided this is make or break time. There’s a cringey lunch with Lea’s parents, some new friends, lots of nights out and sleeping in late, and it’s both charming and entertaining.

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