WEDDING GIRL by Stacey Ballis

May 5, 2016

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Sophie Bernstein is an up and coming pastry chef in Chicago. Her fiance works at the same restaurant as the sommelier. Sophie is planning her dream wedding, and maxing out every credit card she owns, figuring her wealthy husband-to-be will take care of the debt after they are married.

If that sent up some red flags for you, pat yourself on the back. Theirs may be a match made in a restaurant, but like many restaurants, it is headed for disaster. Sophie is left at the alter when the news of fiance’s elopement hits social media practically during the wedding march.

Humiliated and deep in debt, Sophie moves in with her beloved grandmother, Bubbles. She finds a job at the neighborhood bakery, way beneath her skills but no one she knows will find her there and she can hide out and lick her wounds.

The bakery is barely breaking even. The menu hasn’t been updated in decades, and neither has the decor. So when word that a food TV star (think Martha Stewart) is opening a bakery a few blocks away, Sophie knows her days are numbered there.

Unbeknownst to her, the owner of the bake shop enters them in a city wide bake off, figuring with her skills they can win and that will help his business. But when he can’t compete, his son steps up. Sophie is none too fond of the businessman, but it turns out he has mad baking skills.

Meanwhile, Sophie helps out a bride with some wedding advice and that bride turns into her new best friend. To thank Sophie for all her good advice, she sets up a wedding advice website for her, WeddingGirl.com. Sophie gets emails and charges a few dollars for her advice. It’s a good way to earn some extra money to pay off her debt, but things get even more interesting when a best man planning a bachelor party takes her advice and starts an online flirtation with her.

Sophie is falling for this online romance, but also for her boss’s son and she is torn. If this sounds a bit like You’ve Got Mail, it should, and I enjoyed this book almost as much as that movie. This is a really fun read – just don’t read it while you’re hungry! Recipes included.

5/16 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

WEDDING GIRL by Stacey Ballis. Berkley (May 3, 2016). ISBN 978-0425276617. 416p.

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FINDING FRASER by kc dyer

May 4, 2016

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I’m going to start off by assuming you don’t know who Jamie Fraser is, that you haven’t read all the Outlander books or watched the series on Starz. But if you have, read on anyway.

In the simplest possible explanation of a series of 8 books (so far) that clock in somewhere in the neighborhood of 6500 pages (not a typo,) Jamie Fraser is a Scottish Highland warrior from the 18th century who is honorable, good looking and madly in love with his 20th century wife.

The Outlander series is superb and probably tops the list of books I would take to a desert island. They encompass action, adventure, time travel, history and one of the greatest romances of all time (see my review of the audio version of Outlander, and my review of the Outlandish Companions.)

Finding Fraser is a contemporary romance based on the premise that Emma Sheridan, a reader and fan of the series, has gotten the idea in her head to go to Scotland and find her own Jamie Fraser. A 21st century edition, if you will. This is not as far fetched as it may sound. You can book yourself on an Outlander tour of Scotland and see all the places from the book. Seriously.

Emma doesn’t know about those tours though. She has lost her barista job, but saved up enough money to go the hostel route for a few months and hopefully find her Fraser. She plans on blogging about her adventure as she goes. Her sister thinks she’s lost her mind altogether but Emma ignores her and her parents and gets herself to Scotland.

Emma meets some interesting people, finds a guy who may her Fraser except for the fact he bleaches his hair and is obsessed with California, falls in love with Scotland, finds work in a coffee house, gets scammed out of almost everything she owns, helps a sheep give birth, has all sorts of adventures and finally finds her Fraser. Hey, it’s a romance, it has to have the happy ending.

This is a must read for Outlander fans, but also for anyone who has ever had an itch to travel and find romance as well. And it’s a fun read – if you’d like to win a copy, read on!

AUTHOR BIO:

kc dyer resides in the wilds of British Columbia in the company of an assortment of mammals, some of them human. She likes to walk in the woods and write books.

To win FINDING FRASER by KC Dyer, please send an email to contest@gmail.com with “FINDING FRASER” as the subject. You must include your U.S. street address in your email.

All entries must be received by May 15, 2016. 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 prize will be sent by Berkley & NAL, Penguin Random House.

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.

FINDING FRASER by KC Dyer. Berkley (May 3, 2016). ISBN: 978-0399584367. 368p.

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THE ASSISTANTS by Camille Perri

May 3, 2016

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Chick lit is back, and in a good way.

Tina Fontana has a great job, at least to those looking in on the outside. She is the executive assistant to Robert Barlow, the head of a multinational media conglomerate. My thought immediately went to Rupert Murdoch, but who knows.

While Tina seems to be in a rather powerful position, and in theory she is, having the ear of the big boss, the truth of the matter is that she doesn’t make much more than a bank teller or a teacher. She loves her job but wishes for more.

After a confusing mix up, Tina ends up having to put several thousand dollars of her boss’s travel expenses on her few credit cards, maxing them out. The charges get reversed, but Tina had already put in the expense seeking reimbursement. When the check arrives, she is torn; she knows she should return it, but it just so happens to be the same amount as the balance of her student loans. In a frazzled moment, she deposits the check and pays off her debt.

Of course she gets caught, but instead of getting fired, she is blackmailed into paying off someone else’s student loans. Then, as it always does with blackmail, it just gets worse. Eventually, things comes to a head, with unexpected and unbelievable results.

It’s always fun to root for the underdog, and Perri did a good job turning a criminal act into a cause célèbre. This is a fast, fun read, sure to appeal to any woman who feels stuck in a job that doesn’t utilize her education, skills and ambition.

5/16 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

THE ASSISTANTS by Camille Perri. G.P. Putnam’s Sons (May 3, 2016). ISBN 978-0399172540. 288p.

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REDEMPTION ROAD by John Hart

May 2, 2016

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I’ve often said that I think Michael Connelly is the finest crime fiction writing working today. John Hart is a close second, if not on par with Connelly. Connelly writes series, and Hart writes stand alones, but both write truly excellent books with well plotted stories, tension that keeps the pages turning, and protagonists that we can’t help rooting for. But most importantly, they write antagonists that are never one dimensional but rather fully realized individuals, and despite how depraved or heinous their acts, we are still able to see them as human beings, a most difficult feat.

Hart has written a compelling page turner, yet somehow manages to find the balance between rocketing suspense and creative imagery.

Adrian Wall is a cop superstar – great looking, charismatic and caring. Until he’s convicted of murder. A cop in prison is never a good thing, but Wall’s experience is grimmer than most. Thirteen years later, he is released early for good behavior but as he stops at a bar outside the prison to phone for a cab, the young teenage son of his alleged murder victim appears in the bar, gun in hand. The bartender manages to shoot the kid before he can kill Wall, but that’s just the beginning of Wall’s problems. The next day, a woman is murdered in an eerily similar manner to his convicted crime.

Detective Elizabeth Black is a woman with a lot of baggage. She’s had a major crush on Wall since she was 17 years old and he saved her life. In fact, it was because of Wall that she became a cop, disappointing her minister father. Black is the only one who never thought him guilty of the murder, so when he’s the chief suspect in this new murder, she wants to help.

Meanwhile, Black answers a call about a young woman screaming. She answers the call by herself, and finds Channing tied to the bed. She manages to free her, and kills both of the men who had kidnapped and raped the young woman. This turns into a racially charged killing as the men are both black, and were shot 18 times. Black soon finds herself suspended from the force and under suspicion of torturing and killing these men.

Than another body is found at the same location as Wall’s supposed other victims.

This is a multi-layered novel, and all of the characters have difficult choices to make as they try and find their own redemption.

I stayed up late into the night to finish this truly excellent, profoundly moving book. It is sure to be on my best books of 2016 list. Don’t miss it.

5/16 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

REDEMPTION ROAD by John Hart. Thomas Dunne Books (May 3, 2016). ISBN 978-0312380366. 432p.

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A LEAF ON THE WIND OF ALL HALLOWS by Diana Gabaldon

April 30, 2016

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An Outlander Novella

This is the second Outlander Novella I’m reviewing. The first was Virgins, so please see that review for some background: VIRGINS

If you are not familiar with the series, I’m not sure how much you would get out of reading this novella. For reviewing purposes, I have to assume you are an Outlander fan and hopefully you will be as excited about this as I was.

Roger lost his parents when he was a young child, believing his father, a pilot for the RAF, was shot down during WWII and his mother died in the London Blitz. I don’t want to give too much away…

SPOILER ALERT! SPOILER ALERT! SPOILER ALERT!

Go away and come back and read this after you read WRITTEN IN MY OWN HEART’S BLOOD!

Roger starts to learn what really happened to his father in that book, and the story he and his mother were told turns out to be much more complicated than they knew. This novella delves into his parent’s relationship, the London bombings, how his father knew Frank Randall, and how he really died.

It was really wonderful getting to know Roger’s parents a bit. I loved this novella.

If you’re an Outlander fan, this is a fun, albeit super short read. Then again, Kindle Singles only cost $1.99! And do check your library’s ebook collection, that’s where I got my copy.

4/16 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

A LEAF ON THE WIND OF ALL HALLOWS by Diana Gabaldon. Dell (December 3, 2012). ASIN: B00A5MREAM. Print Length: 58 pages

2 Comments | Book Reviews, Fiction, Romance | Tagged: Adventure, Historical | Permalink
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VIRGINS by Diana Gabaldon

April 29, 2016

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An Outlander Novella

I love the Outlander series. I’ve read all the books and watch the Starz TV series. I’ve also listened to all the books.

I’ve always heard that with a truly great reader, listening to an audio book can bring a great deal more to the story. I enjoy a lot of audio books, but never really felt that something was added until I read the Harry Potter books, read by the great Jim Dale. He makes listening to those books an immersive experience, and the same goes for the Outlander books. Davina Porter is the narrator, and she is simply transcendent. She takes me away on these amazing adventures – plus I learned the correct pronunciations for all the characters’ names, the various places and even the Gaelic.

But now that I’ve read all the Outlander books (and yes, some of them several times!) I was bereft. I know, I have more books on my shelves and my Kindle than I’ll probably ever read, but still, I love Claire & Jamie and I’m watching the Starz show and I want more! And we all know how long it takes for a new book to come out. But Gabaldon has been releasing novellas as ebook only, Kindle singles, and my library has them!

This is the first one I’ve read. If you’ve ever visited Gabaldon’s website or seen an interview with her or seen her speak at an event, you know she writes her books in chunks, then pieces them together to form a cohesive story. Some of the chunks end up in other books than the one she started them for, and I suspect these Kindle singles are chunks that just didn’t make it into her already super long books.

If you haven’t read the Outlander books, I’m not sure I would recommend you start here. It’s not a bad way to get a feel for the author, the way she writes and a few of her characters, but it is so much more meaningful when you already know these characters and their history.

Virgins is a prequel of sorts to Outlander. Jamie’s father has just died, his back is a mess thanks to Black Jack Randall, when he meets up with Ian Murray (who still has all his limbs) and a band of French mercenaries. Ian and Jamie end up taking a job to protect a young Jewish woman and transport her, her dowry, and an extremely valuable Torah to meet her husband-to-be. But things go awry almost immediately, and hints of the canny Lord Broch Tuarach emerge. I loved the Jewish history, the way the French and the Scots saw the Jews, something that has not come up in any of the books (at least that I can remember!)

If you’re an Outlander fan, this is a fun, albeit super short read. Then again, Kindle Singles only cost $1.99! And do check your library’s ebook collection.

Virgins is also available in an anthology if you prefer print: Dangerous Women, edited by George R.R. Martin.

4/16 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

VIRGINS: An Outlander Novella by Diana Gabaldon. Dell (April 8, 2016). ASIN: B01BRFMCWU. Print Length: 86 pages

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THAT DARKNESS by Lisa Black

April 27, 2016

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This is the first book of a new series featuring Cleveland forensic investigator Maggie Gardiner and homicide detective Jack Renner, but this is not your typical detective story.

Gardiner is a complete forensic nerd with no real personal life outside of her job. She has become obsessed with the victims of several murders, all of whom were shot point blank in the back of the head, yet are seemingly unrelated. By using tapings – pieces of tape pressed against victim’s clothing that pick up threads, dust and fibers – she has literally picked up enough clues to find the place where all the murders took place.

And just in case you think that sounds far fetched, Black has worked as a forensic scientist at the Cuyahoga County Coroner’s Office, where she analyzed gunshot residue on hands and clothing, hairs, fibers, paint, glass, DNA, blood and many other forms of trace evidence, as well as crime scenes. Now she is a latent print examiner and CSI for the Cape Coral Police Department in Florida, working mostly with fingerprints and crime scenes. In other words, she knows her stuff.

Renner is a vigilante cop turned serial killer, but he only kills people who need killing, somewhat reminiscent of the Dexter books by Jeff Lindsay. But Renner is no sadist; he kills quickly and cleanly in his quest for the justice often denied by the legal system.

While Gardiner is not a cop, she works hand in hand with the police as she narrows in on the killer. The surprising ending is sure to keep readers coming back for more.

4/16 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

THAT DARKNESS by Lisa Black. Kensington (April 26, 2016). ISBN 978-1496701886. 336p.

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IT TAKES ONE by Kate Kessler

April 26, 2016

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Audrey Harte is a successful Los Angeles criminal psychologist working with children and appearing on a television series called “When Kids Kill.” She hasn’t returned to Edgeport, Maine in several years, moving as far away from her past as possible.

Growing up in the small town left some serious scars – Audrey’s best friend Maggie was sexually abused by her father, and no one would help. The teenage girls took matters into their own hands and killed him. Maggie was sent for psychiatric help and Audrey was sent to a girl’s juvenile facility, where she was mentored by the psychologist in charge, who led Audrey to her career.

Returning home to her alcoholic father, her bitter sister, her estrangement with Maggie, not to mention Jake, the heartbreak of her life, is extremely stressful. A day later, Maggie is dead, Audrey is the prime suspect, and the tension really starts building.

Jake has become extremely successful and owns a good chunk of the town, but is still single. He and Audrey are wary of one another, but after Maggie’s death, they work together to try and clear Audrey’s name and more importantly, find the killer. Along the way, Audrey mends fences with the town and Jake.

An intriguing mystery and terrific characters make this a compelling read, sure to appeal to Nancy Pickard or Lisa Unger fans. First book of a series.

4/16 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

IT TAKES ONE by Kate Kessler. Redhook (April 26, 2016). ISBN 978-0316302500. 416p.

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SWEETEST SCOUNDREL by Elizabeth Hoyt

April 24, 2016

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Maiden Lane, Book 9

Way back in 2010, I read a couple of Hoyt books in The Legend of the Four Soldiers series and I liked them a lot. But I haven’t read her since; why, I’m not sure. After reading Sweetest Scoundrel, she is definitely back on my radar.

As my regular readers know, I work with a woman who is a huge romance reader and she often recommends books for me, which is how I found Hoyt originally. I picked up this book because it was short listed for the Romantic Times “Historical Romance of the Year for 2015. I’d actually read most of the other books on that list so now I’m trying to hunt down the few I missed. If you like historical romances, it’s a great way to find new books to try.

Sweetest Scoundrel is a very fitting title. This book was a bit different than the usual because the main characters weren’t titled. Our hero is Asa Makepeace, AKA Mr. Harte, owner of Harte’s Folly, a theater and garden of entertainment. He is in the process of rebuilding, using funds from his backer, a Duke, although we never actually meet him. Instead, we meet his man of business, who in this case happens to be his half-sister, Eve Dunwoody.

Eve’s father was a Duke, but Eve is a by-blow, but her half brother takes care of her. Eve suffers from a traumatic event that happened earlier in her life, rendering her terrified of dogs and men. Her brother has provided her with a bodyguard who has been with her for ten years.

When Eve approaches Harte about how he’s spending his money, she is quaking in her shoes. He is a big, virile man, just the type to terrify her. But she is resolute and determined to go about her business. She moves a small desk into his office and begins her accounting of his books – or lack thereof.

Eventually they come to depend on one another, and Harte teaches Eve about her body and sex. There are some very erotic scenes in this book and yes, Harte is the sweetest scoundrel who helps Eve find her happily ever after – and she, his. A wonderful read and I will be looking for more books in this series.

04/16 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

SWEETEST SCOUNDREL by Elizabeth Hoyt. Grand Central Publishing (November 24, 2015). ISBN 978-1455586363. 368p.

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LOVE OF THE GAME by Lori Wilde

April 22, 2016

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Stardust, Texas Series, Book 3

Wilde writes a lot of different series and I have yet to read all the books in one of them. This isn’t a personal choice, but if the publisher doesn’t send me the books, I find them at my library and we rarely have all the books in a series. As they age, or get read multiple times, they tend to get ugly and we weed them (send them to the great big bookstore in the sky.)

Case in point, this third Stardust, Texas novel is my first in the series. Stardust is a fictional small town a couple of hours outside of Dallas. Axel Richmond is a pitcher for the Dallas Gunslingers, and dreams of pitching for the Yankees, which I can sort of understand at the baseball level but have a harder time understanding any Texan wanting to move to New York. I lived in the Dallas area for a few years and never met anyone who had anything good to say about New York. But I digress.

Our hero, Axel, has a serious shoulder injury that so far has not responded to physical therapy. His team of coaches, doctors, and PTs are trying to talk him into an experimental surgery that has no guarantees. The Gunslingers have a new PT on staff, the beautiful but mysterious Kasha Carlyle and she disagrees. They acquiesce and allow her a week of therapy but if there is no improvement, bye bye job and hello surgery.

Axel moves to Stardust and stays at his coach’s house and he is putting the moves on Kasha, but she is determined to maintain her professional distance despite her attraction. Meanwhile, Kasha finds out she has a half sister with Down’s syndrome living in a group home, and she wants to take guardianship of the orphaned young woman.

Lots of challenges in this romance but also some really sweet moments. Both Axel and Kasha have a lot of baggage, and as the physical therapy starts to work, they form a real attachment to one another. Plus the magic hope chest that the Carlyle sisters have been passing down to one another as they marry says that Axel and Kasha belong together, and who can fight magic?

4/16 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

LOVE OF THE GAME by Lori Wilde. Avon (April 26, 2016). ISBN 978-0062311436. 384p.

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