Book Blitz & Giveaway - Sarah by Shanna Hatfield

Sarah

Author: Shanna Hatfield

Publication Date: May 22nd, 2025

Genre: Adult Historical Romance

Book Description:

She desires his heart.

He longs for her love.

Can they find common ground when he returns forever altered by the war.

In a world turned upside down by World War I, all Sarah Richards desires is to love Brett Rawlings and build a future together. After graduating high school a year early, she’s ready to dive into her dreams of college and a home filled with laughter and love. But one impulsive decision threatens all her aspirations—as well as her relationship with Brett.

As the war rages on and men head off to fight, sixteen-year-old Brett reluctantly follows his twin brother, Ben, sneaking off to France to join the American Expeditionary Forces. As the months pass, Ben thrives amidst the chaos of battle, while Brett finds himself haunted by the girl he left behind and the uncertainty of his own heart. When Ben reveals a life-altering secret, the bond between the brothers is shattered, forcing Brett to grapple with betrayal as he faces the brutal realities of war.

Brett returns home a changed man, burdened with memories too heavy to bear, yet yearning to mend the fractures of the past. Will Sarah still be waiting for him, or have time and truth forged an unbridgeable chasm between them?

Find out in this heartfelt historical romance that weaves a tale of hope, grace, forgiveness, and sweet, enduring love.

Buy Links:

Amazon US | UK

Book Blitz & Giveaway - Exiles on Earth by Bea Tama

Exiles on Earth

Author: Bea Tama

Publication Date: May 16th, 2025

Genre: Adult Paranormal Romance

Book Description:

Stranded alien. Fierce farmer. One blown-up barn.

Ellen’s barely keeping her family farm afloat, clinging to dreams of what it could be—with a little luck and a lot of hard work. What she doesn’t need is a spaceship crashing onto her land, or the massive scaled alien who steps out of the wreckage. Now the barn she wanted to convert to a bed and breakfast is shattered all over the lawn, and this huge scaly dude is to blame.

Elia is a space-faring clone, bred for loyalty and survival. He fought for the chance to enter the prestigious Mating Games, only to be exiled for a crime he didn’t commit. Now, stranded on an uncharted world, he and his crew are at the mercy of an infuriated human female with fire in her eyes and no warriors of her own to protect her.

She is not fragile. But she is vulnerable. And something deep in Elia wants her. All he has to do is rebuild what he destroyed and guard her land and her dreams as fiercely as if they were his own.

But Ellen isn’t looking for a mate. And Elia is running out of time to prove that she should.

🔥 A sizzling sci-fi romance featuring a caring, exiled alien, a determined human heroine, and slow-burn tension that will leave you breathless. Perfect for fans of aliens on earth, forced proximity, and fierce heroines who refuse to back down. 🔥

Buy Links:

Amazon US | UK

Book Blitz & Giveaway - Her Darkest Hour by Suzy Henderson

Her Darkest Hour

Author: Suzy Henderson

Publication Date: May 8th, 2025

Genre: Adult Historical Fantasy

Book Description:

In the shadow of war, a young woman must choose: deny her magic or wield it to stop a traitor before Britain falls.

England, 1939. A young witch. A nation at war. A spy hiding in plain sight.

As war looms over Britain, Eliza MacLean wants nothing more than an ordinary life. Raised on the Isle of Mull, she’s spent years denying her gifts—just as her mother insisted. But her grandmother taught her differently, whispering ancient knowledge of herbs, charms, and spells.

When her grandmother dies, Eliza seeks refuge in Cambridge with her cousin and the women of the WVS. But beneath its spires and blacked-out streets, Cambridge hides more than just scholars and soldiers. A secret network of witches is working to protect Britain from an enemy who knows magic is real—and seeks to weaponise it.

Drawn into the fight, Eliza is thrust into a world of espionage, deception, and occult warfare. Her rare abilities catch the attention of MI5 agent Alex Fletcher, who needs her help to unmask a deadly spy before it’s too late.

As she learns to harness her power, Eliza finds herself torn between duty and love, risking everything for Jim, a fighter pilot whose fate seems written in the stars. But war is ruthless, and magic has a price.

With the spy closing in and the war reaching new heights of peril, Eliza’s only hope of saving those she loves is to embrace the very magic she’s spent a lifetime hiding—no matter the cost.

But some powers were never meant to be used.

Perfect for fans of A Discovery of Witches and The Rose Code, Her Darkest Hour blends historical fiction with supernatural intrigue in a gripping tale of war, witchcraft, and sacrifice.

Buy LinksL

Amazon US | UK

BOOK REVIEW - A Curse for the Homesick: A Novel by Laura Brooke Robson

A Curse for the Homesick

Author: Laura Brooke Robson
Publication Date: 18 February 2025
Genre: Adut Romance / Magical Realism

Book Description:

On Stenland, there comes a time known as skeld season: when a woman can wake with three black lines on her forehead, the mark of a skeld, and turn anyone she sees to stone. Skeld season comes around without warning, and while each only lasts three months, the people skelds turn to stone are very much dead.

That’s how Tess’s mother killed Soren’s parents. Maybe for this reason alone, Tess and Soren should not have fallen in love. Since the time her mother was a skeld, Tess has wanted to leave Stenland, to run from the windswept island, from her family and friends. She is unwilling to bear the responsibility of one day killing anyone, let alone someone she loves. Soren, though, has always been determined to stay, to live out his life in the only place he’s ever known as home, even if that life could be cut short. They cannot see eye to eye—and yet, they cannot stay apart. She tries to come back for him. He tries to leave for her. But can your love for one person outweigh everything else? And how do you decide how much you’re willing to risk, if it might mean destroying someone else in the process?

Laura Brooke Robson has crafted a fascinating story about the choices we make, the responsibilities we carry, and the ambiguities of regret.

Buy Links:

Amazon US | UK

SUMMARY

Laura Brooke Robson's A Curse for the Homesick takes readers to the windswept island of Stenland, where women live under the shadow of a peculiar curse. During unpredictable periods known as "skeld season", women can wake with three black lines across their foreheads - a mark that gives them the unwanted power to turn anyone they make eye contact with into stone.

This curse forms the backdrop for a complicated love story between Tess Eriksson and Soren Fell. Their lives are inextricably linked by tragedy: when Tess was twelve, her mother became a skeld and accidentally turned Soren's parents to stone, killing them instantly. Despite this devastating connection, the two find themselves drawn to each other, developing feelings that neither can fully escape.

The novel follows Tess's journey through different periods of her life-from her youth in Stenland to her adult life in San Francisco, California, where she tries to build a new existence far from the curse. But when she returns to attend her childhood friend Linnea's wedding, she confronts both her unresolved feelings for Soren and her complicated relationship with her homeland.

At its heart, the story explores two people who want fundamentally different things: Tess longs to escape the island and the possibility that she might one day become a skeld, while Soren remains determined to stay in the only place he's ever called home, despite the risks. Their love is a constant push and pull - she tries to come back for him, he tries to leave for her - but their conflicting desires create seemingly insurmountable barriers.

MY THOUGHTS

A Curse for the Homesick sits comfortably within the literary fantasy genre, blending magical realism with deeply personal exploration of identity and belonging. Robson has created a fascinating premise that serves as a powerful metaphor - the curse effectively symbolises the burdens placed specifically on women and the sometimes suffocating expectations of conforming to societal roles.

The strength of this novel lies in its atmospheric quality. Stenland feels properly lived-in and real, with its distinctive customs and collective trauma creating a setting that's both haunting and oddly cosy. Robson's prose is notably lyrical. The narrative structure, which moves through different periods of Tess's life, effectively captures how our relationships with home evolve as we grow and change.

However, I found myself never quite connecting with the characters as deeply as I would have liked. While the tragic link between Tess and Soren provides a compelling foundation for their relationship, their emotional dance becomes somewhat repetitive over time. The "will-they-won't-they" aspect dragged on longer than necessary, making portions of the narrative feel stagnant rather than developing.

The novel's examination of friendship - particularly between Tess, Linnea and Kitty - adds welcome complexity. These relationships aren't portrayed as straightforward but rather as complicated bonds that evolve and sometimes strain with time and distance. This nuanced approach to female friendship felt refreshingly honest.

What I found most engaging was the book's central question: how much should we sacrifice for love, and is it worth risking everything for someone when the consequences could be devastating? The ambiguity of these questions, and the characters' struggles with them, elevates the story beyond a simple romance.

Whilst I appreciated the concept and Robson's talent for creating a distinctive atmosphere, I ultimately found myself wishing for a bit more momentum in the narrative. The premise promised more emotional impact than the execution delivered, leaving me feeling that this was a good book that could have been truly exceptional with tighter pacing.

Overall, this book offers a thoughtful exploration of home, love and responsibility wrapped in an intriguing magical premise, even if it doesn't quite reach the emotional heights it aims for.

VERDICT

Rating: 3 Stars

Source: Netgalley

Book Blitz & Giveaway - Intimate Secret by D.C. Stone

Intimate Secret

(Empire Blue, #6)

Author: D.C. Stone

Publication Date: April 17th, 2025

Genre: Adult Contemporary Romance / Suspense

Book Description:

A murder was captured on satellite and multiple law enforcement agencies are trying to solve it. One of the detectives on the case, Jake Gonzalez, is led right to the front door of a local author, Francesca Conti. Sparks fly as Jake realizes he’s insanely attracted to his primary suspect, and her father is one of the most ruthless mafia bosses in the city, and someone he’s been investigating for years.

Francesca wants to escape this life her father has set for her and has been putting money away, looking for her opportunity to disappear. And much to her dismay, lately her father has been pushing her toward marrying his right-hand man, someone no woman has ever been able to say no to.

Just when she thinks she’s getting closer to escaping, Detective Gonzalez lands on her doorstep asking alarming questions, and making her heart race unlike ever before.

Buy Links:

Amazon US | UK | Barnes & Noble | Smashwords