Tag: romance

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Blog Tour: Token – Beverley Kendall

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Kennedy Mitchell is brilliant, beautiful and tired of being the only Black woman in the room.

Two years ago, she was plucked from reception for a seat at the boardroom table in the name of “representation”. Rather than play along, she and her best friend founded Token, a boutique PR agency that helps diversity-challenged companies and celebrities. With famous people getting into reputation-damaging controversies, Token is in high demand and business is booming, but when her ex shows up needing help repairing his reputation, things get even more complicated and soon Kennedy finds herself drawn into a PR scandal of her own.

My thoughts: this was a really interesting, thought provoking and enjoyable read. It’s part romance, part looking at issues in modern life, specifically around race and gender.

Kennedy is hastily thrust into a job in order to secure some diversity points and instead of just letting herself be steam-rollered, she siezes the opportunity to take being the token woman, the token black person, and turn it into a business that helps companies recruit a more diverse and proportional workforce, educating the dinosaurs as best she can along the way.

She’s also falling hard for her best friend/business partner’s brother Nate. They had a very brief thing years before, and despite starting out sniping at each other, it’s pretty clear that they’re meant to be. And Aurora (the bestie) is thrilled.

However an email hack of several companies, including some of Kennedy’s clients, threatens to ruin it all when Kennedy gets dragged into a scandal and has to find a way to salvage her business and her sanity. Navigating the mess left behind by her two-faced clients takes a lot of energy and it causes some stress with Nate. Can Kennedy save her business and her relationship?

I found it really interesting to read a book that blends discussion of these serious issues – racism, sexism, in a romance novel, mixing serious issues with something light and frothy. Readers can be both – a lot of writers have inserted serious things into their books, but not necessarily as explicitly as this. Putting it front and centre in the form of Kennedy’s experiences.

Kennedy is a strong and smart woman, she’s fully aware that she’s exploiting the stupidity and full on ignorance of the white executives of these companies, and why not. Turn the tables on them, show them what they’re missing by being close minded and plain wrong.

This is intended to be the first in a series starring these characters, and it will be interesting to see what Beverley Kendall does next.

*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: Unless It’s You – Chrissy Hopewell

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How adorable is this cover?! Unless It’s You comes out this spring! Pre-order your copy now!

Unless It's You cover

Unless It’s You: An Enemies-to-Lovers London Romance (The Hart Sisters Book 2)

Genre: Sports Romance/ Enemies-to-Lovers/ Interconnected Standalone

Expected Publication Date: April 15, 2024

💮Enemies to Lovers

💮Second Chance

💮Bucket List

💮English Ex-Pro Rugby Player

💮American FMC in Her 30s

💮Hot Man w/ a Kitten

💮Light Sports Romance

💮Open door/ Medium Spice

ONE MONTH. TWO ENEMIES. SOMEONE ELSE’S BUCKET LIST.

Stella Hart, an American advertising executive living in London, is reeling from the death of her beloved aunt. But Stella learns her aunt included a stipulation in the will: a bucket list Stella must complete within a month, or the estate—meant for her and her sisters—goes to charity. The entire list is unreasonable, especially the final item, where she needs to Find the One that Got Away. The last thing she wants to do is face her ex.

Ethan Fraser is not Stella’s ex-boyfriend—that title belongs to his best friend, who got him through a traumatizing childhood. Ethan’s a grumpy, bearded, ex-professional rugby player who can’t bring himself to enter the flat of his late troubled mother.

When they’re forced to collaborate on a work project, both find themselves remembering the night they kissed, days before she started dating his best friend. Ethan wants to hate her for choosing someone else, just like his mother always did, but he can’t fight his attraction to Stella. So when she needs an advisor for the list, he offers to help, and the time spent together re-ignites their chemistry. But Ethan’s fierce loyalty to his best friend stands between them.

With a looming deadline for their project and the bucket list, soon everything bringing Stella and Ethan together will disappear… unless Stella figures out what that final item—and the whole list—really means.

Unless It’s You is an interconnected standalone romance novel for fans of Meghan Quinn, Tessa Bailey, and Christina Lauren. It’s the second book in the Hart Sisters trilogy, which can be read in any order.

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About the Author

Chrissy Hopewell author photo

Chrissy Hopewell started sneaking her mom’s spicy romance novels in middle school. She has spent varying amounts of time overseas, including working at a pub in Dublin, waitressing at a hotel in the Scottish Borders, and studying and living in London for five years. Because of these experiences, international flair and accents often show up in her stories. Chrissy now lives in the suburbs of Cincinnati, Ohio with her family, where she quite openly reads delightful contemporary romances.

Find Chrissy on TikTok (@chrissyhopewellbooks), Instagram (@chrissyhopewell), or Facebook (facebook.com/chrissyhopewellauthor). Sign up for her newsletter for a free novella at www.ChrissyHopewell.com.

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BBNYA Blog Tour: Sorrow’s Forest – Kaitlin Corvus

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BBNYA is a yearly competition where book bloggers from all over the world read and score books written by indie authors, ending with 15 finalists and one overall winner.

If you want some more information about BBNYA, check out the BBNYA Website https://www.bbnya.com/ or take a peek over on Twitter @BBNYA_Official. BBNYA is brought to you in association with the @Foliosociety (if you love beautiful books, you NEED to check out their website!) and the book blogger support group @The_WriteReads.

Sorrow’s Forest teems with beasts, some ugly, some beautiful, all unnatural. A ban restricts travel beneath her branches, existing for as long as Lakeview Township has, and most who disobey do not return.

To win a bet, twelve-year-old Mackie King enters the forest, and in its depths, he discovers a boy-like devil. Then he steals him from the trees.

In as little as an hour, the devil names himself Blue and fits seamlessly into the Kings’ life. No one seems to remember he wasn’t always there. Only Mackie knows the truth.

Now, Mackie and Blue are grown, Queen Sorrow has awakened, and she wants her devil back. She’s willing to tear the town apart to reclaim him. Mackie has always been resourceful, but it will take every bit of ingenuity he and Blue possess to thwart Queen Sorrow and her minions, save the town, and free themselves from the shadow of the bittering forest.

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Kaitlin Corvus is from Ontario, Canada. The north holds the best part of her. She writes about nobodies, monsters, and gutter glitter, loves the stars, the deep dark sea, and a good horror mystery.

My thoughts: when Mackie steals a forest devil, Blue, from Sorrow’s Forest, she doesn’t forget and eventually she wants to claim back what’s hers. The forest consumes the missing, and never gives them back.

But Mackie is afraid, afraid of the forest and increasingly of Blue. He is exhibiting strange power over people and events, and keeps spending time with his school bully, in what Mackie thinks is an abusive situation. Blue has always been openly gay, and the relationship between him and Mackie is shifting into something different, something more.

As the forest attempts to assert its power and draw Blue back to it, Mackie fights harder to keep his brother/friend/lover with him. Meanwhile his father is dying and more people are being swallowed up by the forest.

An intense bond and a story that draws you into it, as the forest does the two young men. What will become of them if the forest succeeds or indeed, if it doesn’t?

*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: The Rise and Ruin of Everwood – Alicia Morgan

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We are thrilled to present the cover of The Rise and Ruin of Everwood by Alicia Morgan!

EBOOK COVER PNG 3

The Rise and Ruin of Everwood

Expected Publication Date: May 14, 2024

Genre: Dystopian Romance/ Low Fantasy

In a merciless world, deep in the Adirondacks, where Mother Nature rules the land–Eva vowed two things: to protect the people of Everwood and never fall in love. Love in these dangerous times is a liability, one she can’t afford to risk.

When fate intervenes, and she meets a mysterious man who has lost his memory and his way, her heart slowly begins to betray her promise. As tensions rise and secrets are revealed, Evangeline Wolf is faced with a decision. One that could not only affect her settlement but the rest of her life.

In this post-apocalyptic era, where perils are hidden around every corner, this handsome stranger may be Eva’s only hope to save Everwood—forcing her to reevaluate who the true enemy is and what lengths she is willing to go to establish peace.

PRE-ORDER HERE

About the Author

IMG_7355

Alicia Morgan grew up in a small town not far from the Adirondack Park— where she lives with her husband and three fur babies. When she’s not writing, she is spending time in the outdoors with her dogs, or snuggling up with a good book. Being an avid reader of all things fantasy, paranormal and dystopian, she is excited to bring her own flavor to the genre.

Alicia Morgan

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Blog Tour: The Philosophy of Love – Rebecca Ryan

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What is love? Is it something spiritual or wholly physical? Can our feelings be explained and quantified? Or are we all actually two halves of a whole?

Ask Alice and Luke and you’d receive vastly different answers.

Despite her world having been recently dismantled by a messy break-up, Alice would tell you that love is the most important – albeit ineffable – human experiences. But when she once again crosses paths with her old school nemesis, Luke, he challenges this. Luke is a scientist and he’s certain love can be measured and explained – just like everything else.

So the two decide to make a bet: they’ll each venture back into dating and if one of them falls in love, Alice wins, if not, then Luke does.

But can anyone win when you’re playing with emotions?

My thoughts: Like Alice, I studied philosophy at A Level, but unlike her, I abandoned it for my love of books. Now she’s putting her belief in love to the test, having made a bet with old friend Luke, a biologist who believes love is merely biology.

As the two get closer and attempt to win their bet, Alice rebuilds her life after a disastrous break up that’s sent her home to the northeast, working in a Chinese restaurant and making new friends. She’s also hoping to go back to uni and finish her philosophy degree.

As Alice’s life starts to get better, and she reconnects with her home town and community, she starts to find purpose and happiness in the little things (bingo, coffee at soft play with her friend) and the big ones (arguing with Luke, saving the community centre) and slowly falling in love.

A bittersweet rom com about going home, finding yourself and realising that love shouldn’t hurt (literally and metaphorically).

*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: 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

Julie Shackman (@G13Julie) / Twitter

Julie Georgina Shackman (@juliegeorginashackman)•Instagram photos and videos(2)

Julie Georgina Shackman | Facebook

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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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

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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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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.

Add to Goodreads

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: 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.