May | 2023 | Stacy Alesi's BookBitch.com™

FALLING HARD FOR THE ROYAL GUARD by Megan Clawson

May 5, 2023

A new and royally good debut rom com for Spring 2023, perfect for anyone who likes London, laughing out loud and love

From the publisher:

Love is in the heir in this royally good rom com – perfect for anyone who likes relatable heroines (with great hair), hot and aloof book boyfriends (with great hats), near misses, almost kisses and a corgi or two.

Despite living in an actual castle, happily ever after is evading Margaret ‘Maggie’ Moore.

From her bedroom in the Tower of London, twenty-six-year-old Maggie has always dreamed of her own fairy-tale ending.

Yet this is twenty-first century London, so instead of knights on white horses, she has catfish on Tinder. And with her last relationship ending in spectacular fashion, she swears off men for good.

And then a chance encounter with Royal Guard Freddie forces Maggie to admit that she isn’t ready to give up on love just yet… But how do you catch the attention of someone who is trained to ignore all distractions?

Can she snare that true love’s first kiss… or is she royally screwed?

A right royal rom com, perfect for fans of Red, White and Royal Blue and The Royal We.
https://amzn.to/3Ll3udk

This was such an interesting and fun read! The author, an influencer, actually lives in the Tower of London, as does our heroine. I have never been to the UK, and I have always assumed the Tower of London is just that; a tower. Turns out it is a castle with various buildings and tons of history.

Maggie’s father is a beefeater, and since her mother’s passing they live together in the Tower. Maggie works at the ticket counter selling entry to interested tourists. Her boss is a bit of a dick, and her co-workers are all mean girls, and her boyfriend of seven years was cheating on her. They’ve called it quits but he keeps sniffing around.

There are rotating teams of Royal guards at the castle and Maggie meets Freddie and their chemistry just lights up on the page. Except he comes and goes and can be a bit standoffish. Even when he invites her around, he lets his friends entertain her. Eventually, they spend a bit of time together and Maggie finds herself falling for him. She isn’t sure about his feelings though – all that British stiff upper lip makes it hard to get a read on him.

His friends help her set up a profile on a dating app, and she promises them she will try five dates. One is more horrible than the next, and anyway, no one really compares to Freddie. Except it turns out he may not be as available as she would like.

This is a laugh-out-loud funny British romcom with enough details about the Tower to make me want to visit. A super fun read – don’t miss it.

5/2023 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

FALLING HARD FOR THE ROYAL GUARD by Megan Clawson. Avon (May 2, 2023). ISBN:‎ 978-0008554415. 384p.

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PLAYING IT TOUGH by Amy Andrews

May 5, 2023

Sydney Smoke Rugby Series, Book 8

From the publisher:

Cosmetic tattoo artist Orla Stewart doesn’t do anything in half measures. She went from being the ultimate party animal to living a life that’s ridiculously straight and narrow. Turns out, cancer can change a girl. A lot. Adios to delicious cheeses, boozy dance parties and easy men. Hel-lo to celibacy and a sweet house-sitting gig with a massive pool. Until one very hot, very unwelcome intruder turns things upside down.

American rugby import Ronan Dempsey’s partying is trashing both his reputation and his game—and risking his chances for making the US Olympic team. He needs to clean up, and the pool house belonging to a family friend is the perfect place to hideaway. No. More. distractions. Which is exactly when a gorgeous, pink-haired hellion knocks Ronan on his ass…

The chemistry is instantaneous, charged, and absolutely, completely, totally off-limits. Proximity makes temptation nearly impossible to resist. Now it’s a deliciously torturous game of pushing boundaries and holding out. It’s just a matter of time before someone breaks…

Each book in the Sydney Smoke Rugby series is a STANDALONE:
* Playing By Her Rules
* Playing It Cool
* Playing the Player
* Playing With Forever
* Playing House
* Playing Dirty
* Playing It Safe
* Playing It Tough
https://amzn.to/3UzBZk8

I’ve read a few of Andrews’ books and enjoyed them all, but she is so prolific I can’t keep up! This is the eighth book in this series, but the first one I’ve read; I’ll be looking for the earlier books for sure.

Orla is housesitting when a strange man shows up and looks like he is trying to break into the pool house. Orla is one tough cookie and she doesn’t play. Before he knows what hit him, Ronan, a profession rugby player, is flat on his ass. Turns out his mom is friends with the property owner, and offered him the pool house for a while.

Ronan has been enjoying the spoils of professional athletes – one night stands, one after another. But his game is suffering for it, and he really wants to go home and make the American Olympic rugby team, which means he has to get his act together. He is being scouted and he can’t afford to mess up.

Orla is not thrilled with her new houseguest, even though they are in separate buildings as it were. But beggars can’t be choosers, and she loves where she is staying and he is awfully cute. Ronan has made a bet of celibacy with his teammates, and even though he is madly attracted to Orla, he is determined to keep his game strong and his libido in check. If you’ve read any forced proximity romances, you know how this is going to end, but who cares? It is so much fun to get there.

5/2023 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

PLAYING IT TOUGH by Amy Andrews. Entangled: Brazen (April 17, 2023). ASIN:‎ B0BYX1YSMY. 260p.

Comments Off on PLAYING IT TOUGH by Amy Andrews | Book Reviews, Fiction, Romance | Tagged: Contemporary, romcom, Sports | Permalink
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TWO NIGHTS IN LISBON by Chris Pavone

May 5, 2023

From the publisher:

AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES AND NATIONAL BESTSELLER.

Tautly wound and expertly crafted, Two Nights in Lisbon is a riveting thriller about a woman under pressure, and how far she will go when everything is on the line.

You think you know a person . . .

Ariel Pryce wakes up in Lisbon, alone. Her husband is gone―no warning, no note, not answering his phone. Something is wrong.

She starts with hotel security, then the police, then the American embassy, at each confronting questions she can’t fully answer: What exactly is John doing in Lisbon? Why would he drag her along on his business trip? Who would want to harm him? And why does Ariel know so little about her new―much younger―husband?

The clock is ticking. Ariel is increasingly frustrated and desperate, running out of time, and the one person in the world who can help is the one person she least wants to ask.

With sparkling prose and razor-sharp insights, bestselling author Chris Pavone delivers a stunning and sophisticated international thriller that will linger long after the surprising final page.

“This smart, calculating author remains many notches above others in his field” ―The New York Times

“Devilishly clever . . . Wait until you read the ending that Pavone springs on you.” ―St. Louis Post-Dispatch

“Nothing is quite as it seems in this energetic thriller that calls into question marriage, loyalty, and truth.” ―The Washington Post

Nominated as best hardcover novel, 2023 ITW Thriller Awards!
https://amzn.to/3L7O5Nc

I haven’t read Pavone in a while, but since I was heading to Lisbon I queued this book up on my Kindle and started reading as soon as the plane left the ground. We were flying to Lisbon from Miami via Air France, so a stop in Paris (always a hardship!) and then a short hop to Lisbon. I finished this book before Paris – it was unputdownable and the twists never stopped coming.

This book came out last year, and the paperback just came out this week. Fortuitous timing! This thriller features an unreliable narrator, an intriguing foreign setting, and a cast of sketchy characters, none of whom is quite what they appear to be. It starts off with a kidnapping – the main character, Ariel, wakes up to find her husband gone. And he’s not answering his phone. Nothing else seems to be missing, so she heads down to the front desk of the hotel but no one remembers seeing him. She then reports it to the local police, but since he’s only been gone a few hours, they are none too interested. Either is the American Embassy. At least they are not interested until she receives a ransom note.

Ariel has connections with someone pretty high up in the American political arena, and has enough dirt on the man to gain his cooperation in raising the ransom money. But nothing is as it appears, and as the layers unfold in this twisty story, things seem to get more and more complicated, instead of the other way around.

I never saw the ending coming, but to be fair I don’t really try and figure out books like this. I just enjoy the ride and this was a terrific ride indeed!

5/2023 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

TWO NIGHTS IN LISBON by Chris Pavone.‎ Picador; Reprint edition (May 2, 2023). ISBN:‎ 978-1250872302. 448 p.

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Spotlight Review: THE HALF MOON by Mary Beth Keane

May 2, 2023

From the publisher:

From the beloved author of the triumphant New York Times bestseller Ask Again, Yes comes a magnificently told novel about the complexities of marriage, family, longing, and desire.

Malcolm Gephardt, the handsome and gregarious longtime bartender at the Half Moon, has always dreamed of owning a bar. When his boss is finally ready to retire, Malcolm is inspired to buy the place. He sees unquantifiable magic and potential in the Half Moon and hopes to make it a bigger success—but quickly realizes that his customers don’t like change and that making a profit won’t be easy.

Malcolm’s wife Jess is smart, confident, and has dedicated herself to her law career. But after years of trying to have a baby, she’s struggling to accept the idea that motherhood may not be in the cards for her. Like Malcolm, she feels her youth beginning to slip away, and while her hopes and expectations fall short of the current reality, she wonders how to reshape her life.

Taking place over the course of one tumultuous week—when Malcolm learns shocking news about Jess, a patron of the bar goes missing, and their town gets hit by a massive blizzard—award-winning author Mary Beth Keane’s skilled storytelling and generous spirit are on full display as she carefully explores a marriage in crisis, what it takes to make a life with another person, and the true meaning of family.
https://amzn.to/3XpjOyn

Mary Beth Keane (Ask Again, Yes) takes us into a marriage that is struggling. Jess and Malcolm married when she got pregnant, but she lost that baby. That turns into years of infertility treatments and IVF, which is immensely frustrating and expensive. Jess is an attorney but doesn’t love her job, only the paycheck that comes with it. Malcolm recently purchased the bar where he’s worked for over twenty years, but he neglects to tell Jess that he also bought the building on a handshake deal with his old boss, which proves to be a problem. Everything comes to a head one week in this small town when a blizzard hits and everyone loses power, one of the bar’s regulars goes missing, Malcolm is feeling overwhelmed with money problems, and worst of all, Jess has left him for another man, begging the question: can this marriage be saved?

Verdict: This deep dive into the complexities of marriage makes this perfect fodder for book discussions. Should appeal to readers who enjoy Elizabeth Berg, Eleanor Lipman, or Meg Wolitzer.

©Library Journal, 2023

5/2023 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

THE HALF MOON by Mary Beth Keane. Scribner (May 2, 2023). ISBN: 978-1982172602. 304p.

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BookBitch Diary: May 1, 2023

May 1, 2023

Portugal!

The bad news: my husband came down with Covid two days after we got home. Then 5 days later, I tested positive. I’ll be stepping back from this blog until things are controlled and we are on the mend. I hope you understand.

As I mentioned in my last diary entry, my husband and I planned this trip to Portugal because we were thinking about retiring there. After this trip, we are firmly decided. We loved the country and the people and the lifestyle and the food! And the wine – An American in Portugal: I live where wine is cheaper than water.

Now the planning begins in earnest.

I have always been a proud American, until 2016 when this country started straying from its democratic roots into the wannabe autocracy Trump promoted. The death of democracy seems almost inevitable, which I find incredibly sad. I always identified with that opening scene of The Godfather, that first line – “I believe in America.” No more.

My husband’s main reason for wanting to retire to Portugal is that the cost of living is so much lower than it is here. Honestly, we could not afford to retire in this country. at least not if we want to have any sort of fun in retirement. We could probably survive, but that would be it, and frankly, surviving is not how I want to spend my remaining years.

I am also inclined to move for the cost of living, but for so much more. I am sick of the politics in this country. I cannot stomach all the mass shootings and the complete takeover by the NRA in regard to our gun laws – or lack thereof. I am sick of Republicans’ “thoughts and prayers” while the governor of the state I live in just signed a truly reprehensible gun law. It goes into effect on July 1 and means anyone who can legally own a gun in Florida can carry a concealed gun in public without any training or background check.

Portugal is ranked as the 6th safest country in the world, according to the Global Peace Index. There were 35 homicides in Portugal in 2021. Yes, you read that correctly. And that includes all kinds of homicide, not just guns. This is a great piece about retiring to Portugal: In my new home, Portugal, gun violence is not a constant worry. If you didn’t know, I live only a few miles away from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, home to one of the worst mass shootings in American history.

Portugal ranks 22nd worldwide in health care, with a hybrid public-private health insurance system, according to the Legatum Centre for National Prosperity and clearly illustrated in this data chart from Statista. The U.S. excels in research rather than actual health care.

The weather is fairly temperate all year round, especially in the south but even in the north, the winters are quite mild which works for me. Most people speak English, especially in the bigger cities, but I will learn Portuguese. It only seems right. Americans are welcome there, and there are about 10,000 already living there – retirees and digital nomads. There are beautiful beaches along the entire west coast of the country, plus river beaches more inland, with lots of beautiful parks and all sorts of terrain for hiking. Plus thousands of years of history! It is about a six hour flight to New York, and with the lower cost of living, I am hopeful that we will be able to travel more than we can afford to here. Not to mention all of Europe is easily traversed!

These are just some of my reasons for wanting to retire to Portugal – and U.S. News & World Report ranks Portugal as the 4th best country for Americans to retire to: Best Countries for a Comfortable Retirement

Book News

Let’s file this under “Should this be happening?”

And on a lighter note…

Food News

7 Myths About Cooking With Salt

by Becky Krystal April 6. 2023

“Salt has been essential to cooking — and the human existence — for thousands of years. Our bodies can’t function without it. Our food is often tastier with it.”

Interesting article that may allay some fears people have about salt, while also explaining why it is so important in the various ways we use it in cooking.

I made this Chocolate Hazelnut Macaroon Torte for Passover, a recipe from Smitten Kitchen. It was so good I took half of it to work so I wouldn’t be tempted to eat it all!

Other News

A really smart friend of mine started a new business called Rise & Hedge, a twice-monthly financial literacy email newsletter. I think it is perfect for the young adults in your life, high school and college students, even middle-schoolers, not to mention anyone else who struggles with what to do with their money, how to grow it, and how to protect it. This is from their “About Us” page:

Rise & Hedge was created for one simple purpose:

To provide FREE financial literacy and investment education, with actionable ideas, to those who need it the most.

Financial literacy education is mandated in fewer than half of America’s states, and innumerable people either don’t have an online brokerage account or don’t know what to do with it if they do. We’re here to change that.

Our team is comprised of educators, instructional designers, investment publishing professionals and digital marketing experts who aim to create best-in-class content and get it in front of your eyes, so you can make informed investment decisions that benefit the wellbeing of your personal finances.

Learn more about how we achieve this by signing up for our FREE newsletters, which deliver how-to lessons and investment ideas to your inbox twice a month.

As always, thanks for reading, and stay safe.

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Posted by Stacy Alesi