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Sunday 24 January 2021

BOOK REVIEW: The Hidden Key by Sheldon Peart

The Hidden Key
Author: Sheldon Peart
Genre: Crime / Thriller / Suspense
Publication Date: 14th December 2020

Book Description:
Karine Woodbine scrambles out of bed, upset that her husband has left the bedroom without waking her. Fuming, she storms out of the house to catch her flight to Atlanta.

Four hours later, Valerie Samuels turns up for work, only to find that her key to the Woodbine's house is missing from where she hid it. A stroke of luck backfires when she stumbles upon the mutilated body of Allan Woodbine. Panic-stricken, how does Valerie react?

Detective Inspector Jack Lilly receives the nod to lead the investigation into the murder of his best friend. But why is he getting the jitters about Valerie? And is Karine as innocent as she insists?

As the search intensifies, a slew of criminality threatens to divert the focus. However, Inspector Lilly is determined that nothing will stand in his way... be it friendship, blackmail, kidnapping or more murders.

The race is on in earnest and the stakes are very high. Fasten your seatbelts, you're in for a shocking ride.

Buy Links:

MY REVIEW

I could tell from the get-go that this was going to be my type of read. Just the right amount of chaos and adventure to satisfy my appetite. After the death of his best-friend and fellow law enforcement officer, Allen Woodbine, Detective Inspector Jack Lilly faces a race against time to unravel the identity of the person who killed his childhood friend. His investigation leads him down a path that makes him question the people closest to him, including the wife of his best-friend, Karen Woodbine, who claims she was none the wiser of her husband's murder even though she was asleep in their bedroom at the time of his death. Could the answer Jack seeks be right in front of him?

This book has everything one requires from a crime thriller and more. I thought the characters were well portrayed and the interaction and dialogue between them felt authentic. I especially liked Valerie. She's a kick-ass mother who would do anything to protect her daughter. I liked the themes that run throughout the book and the consistency of the tone prevented any form of confusion and helped to keep me focused on the heart of the story. Sometimes bad things happen to good people and sometimes you push a good person hard enough and they'll push back even harder. Valerie is one of those people whose button should never be pushed, because once you set her off, there's no telling what she will do, and more importantly, there's no stopping her. As Jack digs deeper into the case, he learns there's a greater connection between Valerie and the Woodbine's than meets the eye, and the clue Allen left behind to help him solve the case appears to unravel more than just Allen's murder.

I really enjoyed the book. I liked the fact that the reader knew certain information that Jack had no clue about, yet we were still able to journey with him as he hunted Allen's killer. We felt his frustration and desperate need to get justice for his dear friend. Good characterisation and good plot that had you sitting on the edge of your seat the entire journey.

A good crime thriller set on the tropical island of Jamaica. It's a definite must read for all those who like a good murder mystery.

VERDICT


Award: Gold
Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars
Source: Author

Friday 22 January 2021

January Group Promo - FREE & Discounted eBooks

Welcome!

Congrats to the winner of the Christmas Giveaway:
Freda M.

The January Giveaway is ongoing, so enter now for a chance to win.

Check out all the free and discounted ebooks and giveaways on offer below. Sharing is caring. I truly appreciate your support. Have a great weekend!

Happy Reading!

FREE & DISCOUNTED EBOOKS


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ONGOING GIVEAWAY

Book Blitz & Giveaway - Trust Me by Candace Hutton

Trust Me
(A Manhattan Marriage Novella)
Author: Candace Hutton
Publication Date: January 22nd, 2021
Genre: Adult Contemporary Romance

Book Description:
Brooke Anderson never pictured herself as a divorcee at twenty-eight. But when she mentions getting a post-nup to her husband Garrett after one deliciously sex-filled year, he promptly serves her with divorce papers. Admittedly, she could’ve told him about how her father left her and her mother homeless when she was young, and how she’s never been wired to trust anyone. Especially those closest to her. Now, all she wants to do is avoid anywhere he might be so she won’t have to face him again.

But she’s not the only one who can’t seem to trust.

Garrett Call grew up with parents who married for money and wants no part of a life that puts material possessions above love. He reinvented himself in college, complete with a new last name so he couldn’t be tied to his family’s lucrative business. He never even told Brooke the truth. Admittedly, he could’ve handled the issue of a post-nup better with his ex-wife. Maybe he didn’t count on how much he was going to miss having her in his life.

When their best friends’ wedding forces the exes to see each other again, a dangerous man from Garrett’s world threatens Brooke’s life. And they realize the only way to save themselves is to finally learn to trust each other.

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Tuesday 19 January 2021

Blog Tour Review & Giveaway - Banewind by M.B. Chapman


I've kissed a boy.
I've been to another world.
I've seen death.

By M.B. Chapman

Banewind
Author: M.B. Chapman
Publisher: Light Messages / Torchflame Books
Pages: 268
Genre: YA Fantasy / Fiction

Book Description:
Almost two weeks ago I was just a normal girl getting ready to start my senior year of high school, deciding where I wanted my life to go. And now?
 
I’ve kissed a boy. I’ve been to another world. I’ve seen death.
 
And I don’t know what my life’s become.

Banewind tells the spellbinding story of 18-year-old Genevieve DeWinter, a typical high school girl who finds herself entangled in the throes of adventure, romance, and survival after discovering the existence of a group of magical beings known as Formulists and their co-existing world, Banewind.

With the arrival of several mages in her hometown of Parma, Ohio, Genevieve soon learns that these extraordinary secrets are rooted deep within her family’s history when it is revealed her deceased mother was a heroic warrior in a long lineage of female protectors called the Holy Guardian. Now, a vengeful group of Formulists known as the Voidweavers have returned and set their sights on Genevieve, believing she might be the next Holy Guardian and the key to awakening their fallen leader, the Void King, who had been destroyed by Genevieve’s mother when she sacrificed herself a decade earlier to save Banewind and all of humanity from an unthinkable evil.

With the help of new allies, Genevieve must fight to stay alive as she unravels the mystery and danger that have shattered the stability of the life she once knew before the Voidweavers succeed in shadowing the world in chaos and darkness once again.

Buy Links:
Amazon US ¦ UK ¦ B&N ¦ Kobo

Monday 18 January 2021

Book Spotlight - New Yorkers: A Feisty People Who Will Unsettle, Madden, Amuse and Astonish You by Clifford Browder

A quirky memoir by a longtime resident with bits of history and travel lore thrown in...



By Clifford Browder


A quirky memoir by a longtime resident, with glances at his city’s history and bits of travel lore all rolled into one.

Readers will learn how the Statue of Liberty almost didn’t happen; how the author found the sacred in the city, and learned the Charleston on You Tube; how  mobsters shared the corridors of the legendary Waldorf Astoria hotel with the Duke and Dutchess of Windsor and an ex-president; and how the author had an affair with a Broadway chorus boy (if the Cardinal Archbishop of New York could do it, so could he).

Plus Mohawks, hustlers, scams and cons, wigmakers and crematory managers, racoons in Central Park, Trump Tower, cholera, and the Beatles.  A fun book, but with some serious moments.

New York is the most exciting city in the world.  The author wants to share it with everyone.

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Saturday 16 January 2021

Cover Reveal - The Worlds That Separated Us by Megan Jayne


The Worlds That Separated Us
Author: Megan Jayne
Publication Date: May 1st, 2021
Genre: YA Fantasy

Book Description:
University graduate Rosie is from Earth. At least she’s never had cause to question that before now. After a car accident and an oddly familiar stranger turn her world upside down, she is forced to question everything she thought she once knew. Thrust into a world of betrayal, loss, and love. Rosie faces an impossible choice between the two worlds she’s grown to love, or risk losing everything she’s ever cared about. All while an impending war is on the horizon.


About the Author
Megan Jayne is a debut author with her first YA Fantasy novel ‘The Worlds That Separated Us,’ due for release in Spring 2021. She was born in Northern Ireland and still resides there in a small picturesque village with her husband, two young children, and beagle Holly.

When Megan isn’t writing you can usually find her; playing with her two children, in the kitchen baking delicious cakes, deep into a novel, or settling down to a good movie with her husband.

Author Links:
Website ¦ Goodreads ¦ Instagram ¦ Newsletter



Cover Reveal Organised by:
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Friday 15 January 2021

Book Blitz & Giveaway - Dirty Deeds: An Urban Fantasy Collection

Dirty Deeds: An Urban Fantasy Collection
Authors: Devon Monk, Diana Pharaoh Francis, Faith Hunter, R.J. Blain
Publication Date: January 12th, 2021
Genre: Adult Urban Fantasy

Book Description:
When the going gets tough, the tough get their hands dirty. Join NY Times Bestselling author Faith Hunter, USA Today Bestselling author R.J. Blain, and National Bestselling authors Diana Pharaoh Francis and Devon Monk on a wild romp where the damsels bring the distress and what can go wrong will go wrong.

Venture into a thrilling spinoff tale from the world of Jane Yellowrock; join vacationing gods in what appears to be a quiet, ordinary town; visit a supernatural hotel where the bedbugs could very well eat you; and dive into the zany, deadly world of the Magical Romantic Comedy (with a body count) series.

In this collection of all-new urban fantasy novellas and other stories, no job is too big or too small — if the price is right.

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Cover Reveal - Immortals by Carissa Andrews


Immortals
(A Diana Hawthorne Supernatural Mystery, #3)
Author: Carissa Andrews
Publication date: TBD
Genre: Adult Mystery / Urban Fantasy

Book Description:
The World of Windhaven Crashes into the World of Diana Hawthorne!

Diana Hawthorne has practically been a one-woman show for more than two-thousand years. 

That all ended the day a set of supernatural Gemini Twins disrupted the sleepy town of Windhaven. With both of them on the verge of self-destructing, Diana has decided to take in the Twins, in hopes of giving them the kind of guidance she knows they won’t find anywhere else.  

You see, she’s immortal. 

And now, so are they. 

But controlling the growing power inside them both proves to be more than she anticipated. Plus, there are forces at work behind the scenes that would like nothing more than to tip the scales in their own personal favor. 

Having never had children of her own, can Diana learn how to get through to them? 

Or will the draw to the dark side prove more compelling than the world’s most powerful psychic?



About the Author
“An author emerges from the depths of Minnesotan waters. Sci-fi/Fantasy is my pen of choice.”

Carissa Andrews is a Minnesota-based genre-bending author who writes a combination of science fiction, fantasy, and dystopia. When not writing her own books, she’s busy reading them.

Carissa’s internationally bestselling trilogy, The Pendomus Chronicles, is now in digital, print, and audiobook formats. She has hit the scene as an up and coming speculative fiction author who uses a mix of scifi and fantasy, twisted in modern mythology and alternative history. Check out The Final Five, Oracle, Awakening, and Love is a Merciless God!

Carissa has big plans for 2020. Check out her upcoming series, The Windhaven Witches.

For more information on their release, visit Carissa Andrews’ author website: www.carissaandrews.com and sign up for her newsletter notifications.

She lives in central Minnesota with her husband and brood of five kids. Not to mention, her insane husky puppies, Aztec and Pharaoh.

Carissa is also a freelance graphic designer, writer and content creator, social media manager, and marketing professional. She writes consistently on topics of science, technology, art, writing, photography, graphic design, health, self-improvement, and more. Her articles can be found published across the interwebs. Carissa is also a Top-Rated Freelancer on Upwork, and can be contacted for freelancing opportunities: http://bit.ly/UpworkCarissaAndrews

Author Links:
Website ¦ Goodreads ¦ Facebook ¦ Twitter ¦ Instagram ¦ Pinterest


Cover Reveal Organised by:
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Tuesday 12 January 2021

Book Blitz & Giveway - The Winter Heals by Marie McGrath

The Winter Heals
(Honey Cove, #2)
Author: Marie McGrath
Publication Date: January 12th, 2021
Genre: YA Contemporary Romance

Book Description:
It was almost impossible to heal when everyone was out to get you.

Shelby Rowe was stuck between two worlds—the one she wanted and the one everyone else wanted for her. As the daughter of a prominent family in Honey Cove, Shelby’s life was out of her control. Her friends, interests, and even her love life was controlled by others.

When a new girl moves to town, Shelby’s life was turned upside down as she gets a glimpse of what life could be like—no obligations, no pressure. As the Christmas break begins, Shelby is left stuck between what is expected and what she feels is right. Split in half, Shelby has to make decisions to correct her life and heal her spirit.

Will she allow others to control who she is? Or will she finally go out on her own?

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Sunday 10 January 2021

BOOK REVIEW: Christmas, Mistletoe and You by Maggie Anderson

Christmas, Mistletoe and You
Author: Maggie Anderson
Genre: Holiday Romance Novella
Publication Date: 29th November 2017

Book Description:
Casey Munroe is certain Peter Taylor has no Christmas spirit... With Christmas right around the corner, Casey is in search of that special tree and just when she thinks she's found it, a very handsome man buys it right out from under her nose and drives away with it on the roof of his sleek, black BMW. ONE YEAR LATER On the way home to spend the holidays with her family, Casey is forced to make an unexpected detour and runs into the same man who stole her Christmas tree the year before. After spending time together, Casey realizes he has stolen her heart as well. But nothing is ever smooth sailing when it comes to love.

Buy Links:



MY REVIEW

A very quick and simple story about fate with a little twinkle of Christmas joy. Although the book didn’t have me jumping out of my seat, I did find it to be an enjoyable read with likeable characters.

Peter and Casey are two singletons whose fate keep intertwining ever since they ran into each other while shopping for the perfect Christmas Tree, but something just keeps getting in the way of them getting together. Where romance is involved, Peter has let a bad breakup get in the way of him meeting other people, but that hasn’t stopped him from constantly thinking about Casey, who thinks Peter is out of her league and isn’t sure he feels the same way about her as she does about him. The problem is that both Peter and Casey are afraid to take the leap in fear of having their hearts broken.

I hadn't expected the book to end the way it did due to the numerous missed opportunities of getting these characters together, but I did like how it ended. I did feel as though Casey was portrayed a little younger than she is. Sometimes, she came across as a teenager in her mannerism when she and Peter would interact. It wasn't a problem, it was just something that was very noticeable to me.

It was a good holiday romance novel with a simple storyline.

VERDICT


Award: Silver
Rating: 3 Stars
Source: Own copy

BOOK REVIEW - B is for Breathe: The ABCs of Coping with Fussy and Frustrating Feelings by

B is for Breathe: The ABCs of Coping with Fussy and Frustrating Feelings
Author: Melissa Boyd
Genre: Children's Picture Book
Publication Date: 28th February 2019

Book Description:
From the letter A to the letter Z, B is for Breathe celebrates the many ways children can express their feelings and develop coping skills at an early age. Fun, cute, and exciting illustrations, this colorful book teaches kids simple ways to cope with fussy and frustrating emotions. This book will inspire kids to discuss their feelings, show positive behaviors, and practice calm down strategies.

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MY REVIEW

A simple ABC book garnered at teaching children how to express their feelings through the use of the alphabet. I loved the colourful illustrations. The book didn't captivate my attention as much as I would have liked, which made me wonder how well it would be received by those with a short attention span, especially as I found the delivery of the message was somewhat passive as it didn't have much explanation for anything. I did like the diversity in the illustrations even though we don't engage with any of the characters on a personal level.

It was a good read.

VERDICT


Award: Silver
Rating: 3 Stars
Source: Own copy

BOOK REVIEW: Share A Little Kindness by Colleen Brunetti

Share A Little Kindness
Author: Colleen Brunetti
Genre: Children's Picture Book
Publication Date: 9th July 2020

Book Description:
If you could teach your child to be anything in this world, what would it be?

Brave? Bold? Kind? Compassionate? Full of imagination? This book sets the stage, and begins...

Share a little kindness, Love. Be the good that others see.
Look inside and you will find everything that you can be.

This book is a wish. A wish for every child. A wish for the world. 

Using gentle poetry and charming illustrations, snuggle up and bring your child through these choices with soft guidance, and sweet words to live by. 

Children will delight in the whimsical and colorful animal pictures. Parents will appreciate the solid life lessons woven throughout. With themes such as tolerance, diversity, active listening, and owning your own truth woven in, this is truly a book of life lessons and empowerment for children of all ages... and adults too! 

Special features include illustrated animals from each continent, and a final page of diverse and multi-cultural children. Perfect for classrooms, teachers, curriculum development around building character. 

THEMES COVERED:
Kindness
Generosity
Perseverence
Mending friendships after a fight
Apologizing
Forgivenness
Spending time in nature
Using your imagination
Getting lost in a great book
Listening to others
Standing up for yourself
Finding the light in dark times
Using your voice to make a difference

This book will be a favorite for boys and girls, teachers, librarians, and parents. Perfect for all children ages 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and up. Most suitable for Pre-K, grade 1, grade, 2, grade 3, and parents and teachers who appreciate a well written and beautifully illustrated book to enhance a child's world.

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MY REVIEW

This was a cute book with many different themes surrounding kindness, forgiveness and many other messages. It was a good read but for some reason the words didn't incite much inspiration and didn't paint any mental images to help build a connection to the messages expressed throughout.

The illustrations were just okay for me. I was expecting a little more in the way of the book evoking emotions, but I felt disconnected from the story, which was a shame as I liked the themes. Nonetheless, it was still a good read.

VERDICT


Award: Silver
Rating: 3 Stars
Source: Own copy

Saturday 9 January 2021

Book Blitz & Giveaway - Witch Unexpected by Debbie Cassidy

Witch Unexpected
(The Thirteenth Sign #1)
Author: Debbie Cassidy
Publication Date: December 29th, 2020
Genre: Adult Romance / Urban Fantasy

Book Description:
An ancient war, a tenuous truce, a delicate balance.

Sounds ominous right?

It is.

The tri-pack collective has existed for centuries—three dire wolf packs bound to the most powerful coven in the world through a single witch born under the thirteenth sign of the zodiac.

Through this covenant they keep an ancient threat unlike any other at bay.

At the next blood moon, I’ll be that witch—bound to the three leaders of the dire wolf packs. Responsible for keeping the peace.

That is If I make it to the blood moon alive, because someone is trying to kill me.

Now the hot-headed wolves are going to have to work together to make sure our inventive little murderer doesn’t succeed.

And me?

Well, I don’t take kindly to being targeted, so whoever’s gunning for me better watch out, because they just became the hunted.

An Urban Fantasy Romance filled with witches, shifters, warlocks, Gargoyles, Ghosts and Vampires.

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