BLACKTHORNE’S BRIDE by Joan Johnston

August 4, 2017

Click to purchase

A Bitter Creek Novel, Book 15

Marcus Wharton, the Duke of Blackthorne is visiting America with his best friend when he witnesses a horrifying sight. The Sioux have a young American girl, Josie Wentworth, tied to a post and are whipping her within an inch of her life. The Duke approaches and offers his knife and a gold watch for the girl, and manages to get her away. He takes her with him on a ship back to England and nurses her as best as he can. When he gets home, he asks his friend to take care of her and make sure she gets home to America once she is healed. The Duke is about to be married.

Unbeknownst to the Duke, his orders are not followed and she ends up as a maid at his property far from London. The Duke’s wife dies in childbirth and a few years later, the Duke realizes that unless he marries an heiress, he will lose all his property. He advertises for a wife but can’t find anyone suitable and the clock is ticking.

One day a Pinkerton detective shows up at Josie’s residence to tell her that she is an heiress. He helps her to London where she answers the Duke’s ad for a wife. He doesn’t recognize her, but falls for her anyway.

There are a lot of twists and turns in this romance and I really enjoyed it. It is easy to see why Johnston has so many fans! I haven’t read any of the books in this series and I don’t think it mattered one iota. Johnston offers an unusual story (at least to me) and it was a good one.

8/17 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

BLACKTHORNE’S BRIDE by Joan Johnston. Dell (July 25, 2017). ISBN 978-0399177743. 432p.

Kindle

Comments Off on BLACKTHORNE’S BRIDE by Joan Johnston | Book Reviews, Fiction, Romance | Tagged: | Permalink
Posted by Stacy Alesi

THE CURIOUS CHARMS OF ARTHUR PEPPER by Phaedra Patrick

July 29, 2017

Click to purchase

This has been the year for charming, quirky books; at least, I’m finding them on a somewhat regular basis.

Arthur Pepper is a 69-year-old curmudgeon. He lost Miriam, his wife of forty years, just a year earlier, and has decided it is time to go through her belongings and send them off to charity. He pulls out a pair of boots and finds a charm bracelet hidden in the toe of the boot. Arthur is perplexed; he’s didn’t give her the bracelet and in fact, he’s never even seen it.

Arthur is a man of simple needs, as was his wife. They have two children, a daughter who lives nearby and a son who lives in Australia, but they are not close. In fact, neither of the children attended Miriam’s funeral. He has neighbors that he hides from, but the fact is that Arthur is lonely.

Although they were married, and happily, for all those years, Arthur realizes he really didn’t know anything about her life prior to their relationship. One of the charms has a phone number engraved on it, and that sets him off on an adventure into Miriam’s past. And she has quite a past – a stint working as a nanny in India, working as a nude model for artists, living in Paris and London for a while, and she even has a former fiance.

If you enjoy quirky family stories, then this is the book for you. I did this book with my book group and it made for a most enjoyable discussion. Arthur Pepper has the same sort of appeal as A Man Called Ove by Frederik Backman.

7/17 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

THE CURIOUS CHARMS OF ARTHUR PEPPER by Phaedra Patrick. MIRA; Reprint edition (January 31, 2017).  ISBN 978-0778319801.  336p.

Kindle

 

Comments Off on THE CURIOUS CHARMS OF ARTHUR PEPPER by Phaedra Patrick | Book Reviews, Fiction | Tagged: | Permalink
Posted by Stacy Alesi

DANIEL’S TRUE DESIRE by Grace Burrowes

July 27, 2017

Click to purchase

True Gentlemen, Book 2

I loved the first book in this series, the second one not quite as much, but it’s still a really good read. I just had a harder time getting into it for some reason.

Daniel Banks has just started his new position as vicar in the small town of Haddondale, where the Earl of Bellefonte rules. Daniel has had some complications in his life – his sister had a baby, Danny, out of wedlock, who Daniel has been raising. She’s recently married a man of title, and they want to raise her son. But Danny is not happy without his papa, AKA Uncle Daniel.

Daniel is also married, to Olivia, who is a conniving bitch of the highest order. She wants nothing to do with sweet little Danny save for what she can use him for – blackmail, for a starter. Daniel and Olivia separate, he to his new post, her supposedly to family in the north. In reality, she is having an affair with a cousin and plotting and scheming against her husband.

While settling in to his new job, Daniel meets Lady Kirsten who runs the household. There is an immediate attraction and she is saddened to learn that he is married, and he is too ‘good’ to pursue anything while he is.

Eventually things conspire their way, but not without lots of hurdles and some behind closed doors sex. A happy ending is reached, and I am looking forward to the next book in the series.

5/17 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

DANIEL’S TRUE DESIRE by Grace Burrowes. Sourcebooks Casablanca (November 3, 2015). ISBN: 978-1492621027. 448p.

Kindle

Comments Off on DANIEL’S TRUE DESIRE by Grace Burrowes | Book Reviews, Fiction, Romance | Tagged: | Permalink
Posted by Stacy Alesi

ALL OR NOTHING AT ALL by Jennifer Probst

July 26, 2017

Click to purchase

The Billionaire Builders, Book 3

I am so sad to say that this is the final book, I really loved this HGTV style romance series.

The Pierce brothers are the stars of the series. In the first book, Everywhere and Every Way,  the eldest brother, Caleb Pierce, meets his match. The second book, Any Time, Any Place, features Dalton Pierce, and he, too, finds his soulmate. Now it’s Tristan’s turn.

Sydney Greene pretty much grew up in the Pierce household. Raised by her grandparents, the boys mom, Diana, is as close to a mother as Sydney has. And even though she was only eight years old the first time she set eyes on Tristan, she knew she would always love him.

Tristan is a few years older than Sydney and for most of his childhood, he thinks of her as a baby sister, someone to protect when needed. Eventually she grows up into a beautiful young woman, and she makes her desire for him apparent. He can’t resist and they have a secretive affair for quite a while before the family finds out. But by that point, Tristan is having some major issues with his family and wants to move to New York City to pursue a real estate career. On their last night together, Sydney tries to get up the courage to tell him she’s pregnant, but she never gets the chance. He leaves her, and she quickly rebounds and marries a man who is willing to take on a pregnant wife.

Fast forward several years and Sydney is long divorced after her brief marriage, and an essential employee in the family business that Tristan has returned to. He tries to ignore her, and she him, but their connection is too strong. Whether it is strong enough to survive him finding out her daughter is also his, is the biggest hurdle they will have to face. Sydney’s daughter is a wonderful addition to the story and often steals her scenes.

Probst writes really great stories with well-developed characters and lots of hot, explicit sex. Although it seems like there is a bit of repetition with some of the descriptions – his snowy white shirt, his whiskey eyes, and so forth, this was still a one night read for me and I really enjoyed it. I can’t wait to see what Probst has coming up next.

7/17 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

ALL OR NOTHING AT ALL by Jennifer Probst. Gallery Books (July 25, 2017). ISBN 978-1501124297. 384p.

Kindle

Comments Off on ALL OR NOTHING AT ALL by Jennifer Probst | Book Reviews, Fiction, Romance | Permalink
Posted by Stacy Alesi

BEACH HOUSE FOR RENT by Mary Alice Monroe

July 22, 2017

Click to purchase

The Beach House, Book 4

Take a vacation to the Lowcountry of South Carolina with this delightful summer read.

Cara Rutledge inherited her Isle of Palm beach house, Primrose Cottage, when her mother passed away several years earlier. She and her husband rent out the cottage every summer, and this time she got lucky and found one tenant for the whole summer, instead of the usual week by week rentals. Her tenant is Heather, a young woman with some serious mental health issues.

Heather lost her mother in a car accident when she was very young, and she bears the scars of that loss. She has severe anxiety disorder, is extremely shy and nonconfrontational. Her father has recently remarried, and decided he needs to spend time alone with his new wife so arranges for the rental. Heather is an artist and has won a prestigious commission to paint shorebirds for stamps for the U.S. Post Office. Staying on the beach is sure to inspire her art. While moving someplace new is stressful, she draws comfort from her canaries.

Bo Stanton is a local carpenter who is building a deck onto the beach house. He is entranced with Heather and her canaries, and she quickly falls for the very patient young man. Together they explore the area, and Heather learns about sea turtles and shore birds and life.

When tragedy befalls Cara, she begs to move back into the cottage, as she has always found solace in her mother’s place. Heather can’t say no to her, and Cara moves in with Heather. The women both work through their troubles, finding strength in one another.

This is a beautiful story that deals with love, grief, and especially friendship, all within the confines of the beach community. The descriptions of the area made me feel like I was there, so this was a nice little getaway of a read for me.

7/17 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

BEACH HOUSE FOR RENT by Mary Alice Monroe. Gallery Books (June 20, 2017).  ISBN 978-1501125461.  416p.

Kindle

Comments Off on BEACH HOUSE FOR RENT by Mary Alice Monroe | Book Reviews, Fiction, Women's Fiction | Tagged: | Permalink
Posted by Stacy Alesi

THE LATE SHOW by Michael Connelly

July 19, 2017

Click to purchase

Detective Renée Ballard works the “late show”, the overnight shift, in Hollywood, California. It is considered a punishment shift, and it’s where she was moved after filing a complaint about Olivas, her boss in Homicide. He tried to kiss her at a party in front of her partner, but her partner wouldn’t back up her claim so Olivas got away with it and her partner got a promotion. Yes, workplace politics are alive and well on the Los Angeles police force.

Her partner on the late show is Jenkins, who has a sick wife at home and volunteered to work the shift so he could be home with his wife during the day. He has no interest in overtime, just wants to put in his time and go home. The night shift doesn’t usually handle cases, they just gather information and turn it over to the day shift detectives, but Ballard finagles her time management to keep the cases she wants – like the transgender prostitute that was beaten and tortured and left for dead, and an old lady’s stolen credit card. She gets a real thrill out of solving cases and is willing work her butt off to get the job done.

The big case at the center of the story is a shootout at a strip club. Four men are killed, as well as a waitress. When Ballard’s ex-partner is killed, she decides to do a little investigating on the side, as Olivas won’t allow her anywhere near his investigation. She soon figures out that the killer was probably a cop, which doesn’t play well with her brethren. All the storylines are tied up at the end, with one surprise after another.

This is the start of a new series for Connelly, and his first with a woman as the lead. Ballard is a terrific character, with enough backstory and trauma to make her really interesting, and enough guts and ingenuity to make her a terrific cop. The supporting cast is also well developed, and the multiple story lines are handled with Connelly’s usual finesse. And I loved the reference to the Amazon Prime series, Bosch – a nice Easter egg.

I was shocked to realize this book was over 400 pages, it was a very fast read for me. Connelly has a way of drawing me into his stories that make it almost impossible to put down the book. If you’re a Harry Bosch and/or Lincoln Lawyer fan, you will love this new one, too. This is an excellent series debut from the finest crime fiction writer out there. Don’t miss it.

7/17 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

THE LATE SHOW by Michael Connelly. Little, Brown and Company (July 18, 2017).  ISBN 978-0316225984. 448p.

Kindle

Comments Off on THE LATE SHOW by Michael Connelly | Book Reviews, Crime Fiction, Fiction | Tagged: | Permalink
Posted by Stacy Alesi

KISS MY BOOTS by Harper Sloan

July 18, 2017

Click to purchase

Coming Home Series, Book 2

I loved the first book in this series, Lost Rider, so I am super excited to be kicking off the blog tour for this new book! Plus, one lucky reader will win a copy of Lost Rider!

This book centers on Quinn Davis. The first book was a romance between Quinn’s brother and her best friend. This romance is between Quinn and Tate, the boy she loved as a teenager. Tate spent every summer in this small Texas town where his grandparents lived. But he left for Emory University and never came back. He finished medical school, practiced in Atlanta and spent time with a woman who he thought was also only interested in a physical relationship.

Eventually, circumstances changed. His grandparents died and he bought their house, including his grandfather’s medical offices, and he moved back, hoping to find the girl he left behind.

Quinn has some serious abandonment issues, between her mother leaving her as a very young child, and Tate leaving, too. But even those she’s dated, she’s never felt about anyone the way she feels about Tate. So when he comes home, they decide to start over.

There are some sweet moments, especially with her family, and some sexy moments with Tate, and a really funny scene with one of Tate’s exes. While it didn’t have the depth of the first book in the series with all that back story and drama, it was a fast, fun read.

7/17 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

KISS MY BOOTS by Harper Sloan. Pocket Books (July 18, 2017). ISBN 978-1501155215. 368p.

Kindle

To win a copy of the new paperback of LOST RIDER by Harper Sloan, please send an email to contest@gmail.com with “LOST RIDER” as the subject.

You must include your U.S. street address in your email.

All entries must be received by August 5, 2017. One (1) name will be drawn from all qualified entries and notified via email. This contest is open to all adults over 18 years of age in the United States only. Your books will be sent by SIMON & SCHUSTER|POCKET BOOKS.

One entry per email address. Subscribers to the monthly newsletter earn an extra entry into every contest. Follow this blog to earn another entry into every contest. Winners may win only one time per year (365 days) for contests with prizes of more than one book. Your email address will not be shared or sold to anyone.

Praise for Lost Rider, Book 1:

“Sloan hits it out of the park with her first Coming Home contemporary western romance…Maverick is a perfect hero: multilayered, complicated, deeply damaged, yet blooming with the new promise of love. Leighton is appealing and real, as are a strong supporting cast of characters whom readers will be glad to follow into sequels. Sloan enhances the gripping story with country songs that open each chapter. This absolutely spectacular effort catapults Sloan to the top of her genre.” —Publishers Weekly (STARRED REVIEW)

About the author:

Harper Sloan is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Corps Security and Hope Town series. She started writing as a way to unwind when the house went to sleep at night. Harper lives in Georgia with her family. Visit her at AuthorHarperSloan.com or Facebook.com/HarperSloanBooks.

1 Comment | Book Reviews, Fiction, Romance | Permalink
Posted by Stacy Alesi

SECRETS OF THE TULIP SISTERS by Susan Mallery

July 14, 2017

Click to purchase

Kelly and her sister Olivia have been estranged for many years. Their mother was the town whore and eventually walked out on the family. Kelly thought that Olivia was just like their mom and convinced their father to send her to boarding school before she ended up a teenage mother. They haven’t seen each other since, so Kelly and her dad, Jeff, are surprised when Olivia shows up.

Kelly and Jeff, run the family business, a tulip farm. They live in a small town about an hour outside of Seattle. Olivia has been living in Phoenix, doing staging for a real estate company. Things are really slow in hot, hot Phoenix in the summer so she decides to spend some time reuniting with her family.

Both girls have serious relationship issues, with each other, their mother, and with men. Kelly was in a five year long relationship and when the guy broke up with her, she really didn’t care. When the boy she had a crush on in high school starts pursuing her, she’s interested. He manufactures tiny homes, like the ones on HGTV, so that was a fun subplot.

Olivia has been following in her mother’s footsteps, happily seducing men but never really having a relationship. And Kelly’s best friend Helen is secretly in love with Jeff, the sisters’ father. All three women have big secrets, but eventually find happiness with each other and the men in their lives. It is a joyful and occasionally painful road to get there.

I learned a bit about tulips, which was nice. I grew up in New York and when I was a kid, I planted tulips every year, then dug the bulbs up again after they finished blooming and stored them in a Barbie doll lunchbox in the garage. Tulips don’t grow in Florida, although I guess you could refrigerate them and fool them into thinking it’s winter but I haven’t tried that. I live in a tropical paradise and while tulips are lovely, I don’t mind not growing any.

I liked the characters a lot and enjoyed spending time with them, even for just one night. There were three romances here and everyone had their happy ending. Another fun read from a terrific storyteller.

7/17 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

SECRETS OF THE TULIP SISTERS by Susan Mallery. HQN Books (July 11, 2017).  ISBN 978-0373802760.  448p.

Kindle

Comments Off on SECRETS OF THE TULIP SISTERS by Susan Mallery | Book Reviews, Fiction, Romance, Women's Fiction | Tagged: , | Permalink
Posted by Stacy Alesi

HELLO, SUNSHINE by Laura Dave

July 12, 2017

Click to purchase

Sunshine Mackenzie is an Internet cooking sensation with cookbooks, an upcoming Food Network show and millions of fans. Until the night of her surprise birthday party, when someone hacks her social media accounts and accuses her of being a fraud. Since she can’t really cook, and her recipes are created by her producer’s wife, who she’s slept with, fraud seems an apt description. And her life implodes. Danny, her husband, leaves her and returns her cookbook advance, wiping out all their cash. Then he sells the apartment out from under her, leaving her penniless, homeless and pretty much friendless.

Since she can’t really cook, and her recipes are created by her producer’s wife, who she’s slept with, fraud seems an apt description. And her life implodes. Danny, her husband, leaves her and returns her cookbook advance to the publisher, wiping out all their cash. Then he sells the apartment out from under her, leaving her penniless, homeless and pretty much friendless. So Sunny decides to go home to the Hamptons.

Most people think of the Hamptons as a summer enclave for the rich and famous, and that is true. But there are people who live there all year round, and Sunny grew up there. Her sister still lives there but they are estranged, haven’t spoken in years. So when Sunny shows up, her welcome is a cop ticketing her for trespassing. Eventually, her sister lets her in and a strained relationship resumes.

Sunny finagles a job as the “trash” consultant at a high end restaurant using her niece’s name instead of her own. A few of the staff recognize her but don’t bother her. She has a plan to get the chef to teach her to cook and re-start her career, but he’s not interested. Then she finds out she’s pregnant and things get even more complicated.

This is a redemption story, but to get to that Sunny has to hit rock bottom. I was tempted to put down the book more than once as her life went on the skids as she was a completely unsympathetic character. Kudos to Laura Dave who somehow kept me turning pages anyway, and I was very glad I did. I liked how the story moved and turned, but the ending felt a bit rushed and incomplete. A few more pages would have been nice. In spite of all that, ultimately I did enjoy the book.

7/17 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

HELLO, SUNSHINE by Laura Dave. Simon & Schuster (July 11, 2017).  ISBN 978-1476789323.  256p.

Kindle

Comments Off on HELLO, SUNSHINE by Laura Dave | Book Reviews, Fiction, Women's Fiction | Tagged: | Permalink
Posted by Stacy Alesi

CAMINO ISLAND by John Grisham

July 7, 2017

Click to purchase

A library, a bookstore, and a Florida setting – count me in! I couldn’t resist and I’m happy to say this was a really good read. I tend to run hot and cold with Grisham’s books, sometimes I love his books, other times, not so much. I put this one in the love column for sure. And interestingly enough, it’s not a legal thriller.

The premise starts with a heist. Princeton University is home to the only original manuscripts of all of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novels as well as his notes, letters and papers. The manuscripts are priceless, to say the least, so when they are stolen, all sorts of agencies get involved in trying to find them.

The insurance company investigator needs help. They think that the owner of a small but very successful bookstore owner may have the manuscripts. The bookstore is on Camino Island outside of Jacksonville, Florida, (which bears a strong resemblance to Amelia Island, where Grisham has a home.)

The investigator zeroes in a Mercer, a novelist who grew up on the island. Mercer has just been let go from her teaching job, has mountains of student debt to pay off, and is three years late on her contracted next book.  The investigator offers to pay off her student loans and pay her a ton of money besides. All she has to do is stay in her former summer home for a six month period, befriend the bookseller, and see what she can learn. She learns a lot about rare books, so I did as well, and it was completely fascinating.

I loved the premise of the book and Grisham really brought it home for me. Luckily, the library at Princeton is apparently nothing like the one described in the novel, lest someone get the bright idea to make fiction a reality. Grisham is quite a diverse writer, and he once again goes off in a different direction from his legal thrillers. This is a thriller, just no lawyering involved here. There are some reviews who cast this with a chick lit light, but I really didn’t see it. I will say that some of my favorite Grisham books, besides his first few legal thrillers, are his non-thrillers like Playing for Pizza and Skipping Christmas. Camino Island is just another really good read.

7/17 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

CAMINO ISLAND by John Grisham. Doubleday; First Edition edition (June 6, 2017).  ISBN 978-0385543026. 304p.

Kindle

3 Comments | Book Reviews, Crime Fiction, Fiction | Tagged: | Permalink
Posted by Stacy Alesi

« Previous Entries
Next Entries »