This year the first night of Hanukkah falls on Christmas day, so thanks to The O.C., we have a word for that!

Wishing all my readers a very Merry Christmas, Happy Kwanza, and Happy Hanukkah! Whatever you celebrate, I hope you get to share the holidays with family and friends, some good food, and all the joys of the season.

See you next year!

I’m taking the week off from reviews, but I’m still reading!

See you next week!

From the publisher:

A woman discovers the father of the child she is nannying may be her biggest (Only)Fan in this steamy contemporary romance by Lana Ferguson.
 
Suddenly unemployed and on the brink of eviction, Cassie Evans is left with two choices: get a new job (and fast) or fire up her long-untouched OnlyFans account. But the job market is terrible, and as for OnlyFans. . . . Well, there are reasons she can’t go back. Just when all hope seems lost, an ad for a live-in nanny position seems like the solution to all her problems. It’s almost too perfect—until she meets her would-be employer.
 
Aiden Reid, executive chef and DILF extraordinaire, is far from the stuffy single dad Cassie was imagining. He shocks her when he tells her she’s the most qualified applicant he’s met in weeks, practically begging her to take the job. With hands that make her hindbrain howl and eyes that scream sex, the idea of living under the same roof as Aiden feels dangerous, but with no other option, she decides to stay with him and his adorably tenacious daughter, Sophie.
 
Cassie soon discovers that Aiden is not a stranger at all, but instead someone who is very familiar with her—or at least, her body. Given that he doesn’t remember her, Cassie is faced with what feels like an impossible situation. As their relationship heats to temperatures hotter than any kitchen Aiden has ever worked in, Cassie struggles with telling Aiden the truth, and the more terrifying possibility—losing the best chance at happiness she’s ever had.

“Ferguson makes the will-they-won’t-they sing with complex emotional shading and a strong sense of inevitability to her protagonists’ connection…Rosie Danan fans should snap this up.”—Publishers Weekly, starred review

“This steamy, romantic comedy puts a modern spin on traditional tropes, bringing the falling-for-the-nanny and secret-past storylines into the 21st century…Readers who enjoyed Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone’s A Merry Little Meet Cute will adore this positive, upbeat, sex-filled romp.”—Library Journal

https://amzn.to/45ojT9e

Cassie had a successful career on OnlyFans until one of her clients became way too important to her. When he suggested they meet, then ghosts her, she deletes her account. She is working her way through occupational therapy school, and when she loses her job, panic sets in. She could start up her OnlyFans account again, but she really doesn’t want to. Instead, the perfect job materializes – a live-in nanny for a single father with a precocious young daughter.

Aidan is a chef, and his hours are terrible. He hasn’t been able to keep a nanny as his daughter keeps scaring them off. But she’s met her match with Cassie, and before you know it, they are thick as thieves. Meanwhile, Cassie has a huge crush on Aidan, a definite no-no. No dating the boss, plus she thinks he is way out of her league anyhow. Aidan thinks she’s hot but way out of his league. Their chemistry is combustible, and when they finally get together, the sex is off-the-charts hot.

Cassie quickly realizes that Aidan is her mystery man from OnlyFans. As they grow closer, she fears telling him because she thinks it will ruin what they have. Eventually, he finds out anyway, and to her surprise, he is over the moon about it. When she deleted her account, he thought she was lost to him forever, but Cassie and Aidan find their happily ever after.

This is one of the steamiest romances I’ve read in a while, and it’s very well done. The nanny-boss thing is as old as the hills, but it works here. My only complaint was that this chef could not cook pancakes, a running gag throughout. That struck me as silly and unbelievable, but that is a minor quibble. This was a fast-paced, steamy story and a very entertaining read.

8/2023 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

THE NANNY by Lana Ferguson. Berkley (April 11, 2023). ISBN: 978-0593549353. 432p.

Kindle

Audible

Letting my flag fly today! What a difference a year makes. This year, celebrate the holiday with all the vaccinated people you love. Hit the beach. Fire up the grill. Have fun!

Listen to music…

4th of July Playlist

From the New York Times: Our Best Fourth of July Recipes including this (hello, heatwave!)

NO BAKE Flag Cake

Whatever you do,

have a safe and happy holiday!

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Hello, my lovely readers! 

I am so happy to be back with another contest! August brings some great reads, and twice the thrills from one of my favorite authors, Allison Brennan! Is there anything better to help you escape the nightmare we are living in than spending some time in someone else’s nightmare? It will make your life seem positively idyllic!

Please check back, you never know when more titles might show up…

TOO FAR GONE by Allison Brennan: Lucy Kincaid Novels, Book 14. Lucy Kincaid is assigned to investigate the death of a mentally unstable man during a hostage situation who used to be an upstanding citizen, and whose story proves more complicated and dangerous than she initially imagines.

ABANDONED by Allison Brennan: Max Revere Novels, Book 5. Max Revere investigates the disappearance of her own mother several years earlier, tracing her activities in a small Chesapeake Bay community where witnesses are keeping dark secrets.

CREDIBLE THREAT by J.A. Jance: Ali Reynolds Series, Book 15. Ali Reynolds and her team at High Noon Enterprises must race against the clock to save an archbishop who faces mysterious death threats in yet another &;incredible&; (Suspense Magazine) installment of J.A. Jance&;s New York Times bestselling series.

RIVIERA GOLD by Laurie R. King: Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes, Book 16. Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes turn the Riviera upside down to crack their most captivating case yet in the New York Times bestselling series that Lee Child called “the most sustained feat of imagination in mystery fiction today.”

ONE LAST LIE by Paul Doiron: Mike Bowditch Mysteries, Book 11. When his beloved mentor disappears amid the discovery of an antique badge, Mike Bowditch investigates the presumed death of an undercover warden before the cold case is upended by dangerous secrets and a daughter’s return.

THE GIRL FROM WIDOW HILLS by Megan Miranda: From the New York Times bestselling author of “The Last House Guest”-a Reese’s Book Club pick-comes a riveting new novel of psychological suspense about a young woman plagued by night terrors after a childhood trauma who wakes one evening to find a corpse at her feet.

HOME BEFORE DARK by Riley Sager: Twenty-five years after her father published a wildly popular nonfiction book based on her family’s rushed exit from a haunted Victorian estate, naysayer Maggie inherits the house and begins renovations, only to make a number of disturbing discoveries.

You can win autographed copies of these books! If you are new to the site, each month I run a contest in conjunction with the International Thriller Writers organization. We put together a list of books from debut authors to bestsellers, so you can win some of your favorites and find some new favorites.

What makes this contest really special is that all of the books (except eBooks) are signed by the author! Books with multiple authors will be signed by at least one of the authors.

Penguin Random House books for giveaway were provided by the publisher. #PRHpartner

Game the system – just a bit. All subscribers to the newsletter get an extra entry into every contest. All followers of this blog get an extra entry into every contest. Why not do both and get TWO extra entries into every contest!

Check out the Win Books page for more information on all these books and authors, and how you can enter this month’s contest.

Thanks for reading, and good luck!

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Hello, my lovely readers! 

I am so happy to be able to offer you a new contest for June with some terrific thrillers, sure to help you escape the nightmare we are living in. Spend some time in someone else’s nightmare, it will make your life seem positively idyllic!

Please check back, I have a feeling more titles might show up…

RIVIERA GOLD by Laurie R. King: Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes, Book 16. Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes turn the Riviera upside down to crack their most captivating case yet in the New York Times bestselling series that Lee Child called “the most sustained feat of imagination in mystery fiction today.”

ONE LAST LIE by Paul Doiron: Mike Bowditch Mysteries, Book 11. When his beloved mentor disappears amid the discovery of an antique badge, Mike Bowditch investigates the presumed death of an undercover warden before the cold case is upended by dangerous secrets and a daughter’s return.

THE GIRL FROM WIDOW HILLS by Megan Miranda: From the New York Times bestselling author of “The Last House Guest”-a Reese’s Book Club pick-comes a riveting new novel of psychological suspense about a young woman plagued by night terrors after a childhood trauma who wakes one evening to find a corpse at her feet.

HOME BEFORE DARK by Riley Sager: Twenty-five years after her father published a wildly popular nonfiction book based on her family’s rushed exit from a haunted Victorian estate, naysayer Maggie inherits the house and begins renovations, only to make a number of disturbing discoveries.

You can win autographed copies of these books! If you are new to the site, each month I run a contest in conjunction with the International Thriller Writers organization. We put together a list of books from debut authors to bestsellers, so you can win some of your favorites and find some new favorites.

What makes this contest really special is that all of the books (except eBooks) are signed by the author! Books with multiple authors will be signed by at least one of the authors.

Penguin Random House books for giveaway were provided by the publisher. #PRHpartner

Don’t forget, if you subscribe to the newsletter or follow this blog, you get an extra entry into every contest you enter. Check out the Win Books page for more information on all these books and authors, and how you can enter this month’s contest.

Thanks for reading, and good luck!

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Hello, my lovely readers! 

I am so happy to be able to offer you a new contest for May with some terrific thrillers, sure to help you escape the nightmare we are living in. Spend some time in someone else’s nightmare, it will make your life seem positively idyllic!

FAIR WARNING by Michael Connelly: The hero of The Poet and The Scarecrow is back in the new thriller from #1 New York Times bestselling author (and my favorite!) Michael Connelly. Jack McEvoy, the journalist who never backs down, tracks a serial killer who has been operating completely under the radar–until now.

DEAD LAND by Sara Paretsky: V.I. Warshawski Novels, Book 20. Chicago’s legendary detective, V.I. Warshawski, knows her city’s rotten underbelly better than most, but she’s unable to avoid it when her goddaughter drags her into a fight over lakefront land use in this propulsive novel.

SEEING DARKNESS by Heather Graham: Krewe of Hunters, Book 30. When a terrifying past-life regression during a girls’ weekend in Salem reveals a local politician’s sinister nature, FBI Krewe of Hunters special agent Jon Dickson teams up with an apprehensive witness to stop a twisted serial killer.

THESE WOMEN by Ivy Pochoda: From the award-winning author of Wonder Valley and  Visitation Street comes a serial killer story like you’ve never seen before—a literary thriller of female empowerment and social change.

THREE HOURS IN PARIS by Cara Black: In June of 1940, when Paris fell to the Nazis, Hitler spent a total of three hours in the City of Light—abruptly leaving, never to return. To this day, no one knows why. The New York Times bestselling author of the Aimée Leduc investigations reimagines history in her masterful, pulse-pounding spy thriller.

A BAD DAY FOR SUNSHINE by Darynda Jones: Sunshine Vicram Series, Book 1. New York Times bestselling author Darynda Jones is back with the first novel in the brand-new snarky, sassy, wickedly fun thriller, and the forecast looks anything but sunny.

THIS IS HOW I LIED by Heather Gudenkauf: A pregnant detective, still haunted by the cold case murder of her best friend decades earlier is forced to relive the past and finally understand what happened when new evidence comes to light and the case is reopened.

BLACK FLAG by David Ricciardi: Jake Keller Series, Book 3. CIA officer Jake Keller faces stakes that are very high and very personal in the latest electrifying thriller from the author of Rogue Strike. After years of relative calm, piracy has returned to the high sea. As the threats close in from all sides, Jake finds himself faced with a familiar choice: back off, or go on the offensive.

TAKE ME APART by Sara Sligar: A seductive, twisting tale of psychological suspense, Take Me Apart draws readers into the lives of two darkly magnetic young women pinned down by secrets and lies. Sara Sligar’s electrifying debut is a chilling, thought-provoking take on art, illness, and power, from a spellbinding new voice in literary suspense.

CROSS OF FIRE by David Gilman: Master of War, Book 6. Winter, 1362. After years of successful campaigning in France, Thomas Blackstone, a common archer knighted at Crécy, has rised to become Edward III’s Master of War. But the title is as much a curse as a blessing; a group of trained killers, burning with vengeance, draw ever-closer.

You can win autographed copies of these books! If you are new to the site, each month I run a contest in conjunction with the International Thriller Writers organization. We put together a list of books from debut authors to bestsellers, so you can win some of your favorites and find some new favorites.

What makes this contest really special is that all of the books (except eBooks) are signed by the author! Books with multiple authors will be signed by at least one of the authors.

Penguin Random House books for giveaway were provided by the publisher. #PRHpartner

Don’t forget, if you subscribe to the newsletter or follow this blog, you get an extra entry into every contest you enter. Check out the Win Books page for more information on all these books and authors, and how you can enter this month’s contest.

Thanks for reading, and good luck!

So many books to win, it’s absolute madness! Like March Madness, minus the basketball. There is definitely something for everyone. One of my favorite authors, Allison Brennan, is kicking off a fantastic new series. There are a couple of debuts; Stephanie Wrobel’s Darling Rose Gold, which is a Library Reads top ten books for March, and Don Bentley’s Without Sanction, that none other than Lee Child is raving about! I am super excited about Peter Swanson’s Eight Perfect Murders, which is so in my wheelhouse, not to mention several other fantastic new books from some of the best thriller writers out there.

Don’t forget to check back, additional titles may be added. To enter: Win Books

Best of luck!

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THE THIRD TO DIE by Allison Brennan: A disgraced detective teams up with an ambitious FBI special agent to prevent a cycle of murders by a killer who ended the life of a colleague’s sister. First book of a new series (yay!) by the author of the Lucy Kincaid series.

EIGHT PERFECT MURDERS by Peter Swanson:  Years after establishing a literary career through his compilation of the mystery genre’s most unsolvable classics, an unsuspecting bookseller is tapped by the FBI for help solving murders that eerily mimic the books on his list.

DARLING ROSE GOLD by Stephanie Wrobel: Enduring decades of serious illness as a victim of Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy before exposing her mother’s behavior, Rose Gold invites her unrepentant mother back into her life to secretly settle the score. A first novel.

THE LAST TOURIST by Olen Steinhauer: Retired agent Milo Weaver has his hideout in the Western Sahara invaded by a young CIA analyst who questions him about suspicious deaths and the possible return of the Tourists, in the fourth novel of the series following An American Spy.

LAVENDER BLUE MURDER by Laura Childs: Attending a traditional English bird hunt, tea-maven Theodosia Browning and her sommelier, Drayton Conneley, stumble on the wounded body of their host before suspicious accidents prompt the organization of a séance to expose the culprit.

THE GOOD KILLER by Harry Dolan:  In the newest thriller from best-selling author Harry Dolan, former soldier Sean Tennant stops a deadly mass shooting, and captures the attentions of two dangerous men from the past, including one who blames him for a brother’s death.

THE DEEP by Alma Katsu: Surviving the sinking of the Titanic, Annie takes a job as a nurse on the Britannic before encountering a fellow survivor who forces her to reckon with past demons. By the award-winning author of The Hunger.

A REASONABLE DOUBT by Phillip Margolin: When a magician linked to suspicious deaths goes missing in the middle of performing a new trick, criminal defense attorney Robin Lockwood untangles dangerous clues to identify a killer among numerous suspects.

CROSS HER HEART by Melinda Leigh: When her sister Erin is murdered and Erin’s husband goes missing, Philadelphia homicide detective Bree Taggert vows to uncover the secrets of her sister’s life and death but when the danger hits close to home, her own family is caught in a death grip.

WITHOUT SANCTION by Don Bentley: An operative struggling with PTSD in the aftermath of a mission gone wrong is forced to confront his biggest failure to prevent an ISIS splinter cell from creating a weapon of mass destruction. A first novel.

You can win autographed copies of these books! If you are new to the site, each month I run a contest in conjunction with the International Thriller Writers organization. We put together a list of books from debut authors to bestsellers, so you can win some of your favorites and find some new favorites.

What makes this contest really special is that all of the books (except eBooks) are signed by the author! Books with multiple authors will be signed by at least one of the authors.

Penguin Random House books for giveaway were provided by the publisher. #PRHpartner

Don’t forget, if you subscribe to the newsletter or follow this blog, you get an extra entry into every contest you enter. Check out the Win Books page for more information on all these books and how you can enter this month’s contest.

Thanks for reading, and good luck!

Happy Leap Year! Check out these thrillers that you can win this extra-long-shortest month. Don’t forget to check back, additional titles may be added. To enter: Win Books

Best of luck!

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ROBERT LUDLUM’S THE TREADSTONE RESURRECTION by Joshua Hood: The first novel in an explosive new series inspired by Robert Ludlum’s Bourne universe, The Treadstone Resurrection introduces an unforgettable hero and the shadowy world that forged him…

LAST DAY by Luanne Rice:  From celebrated New York Times bestselling author Luanne Rice comes a riveting story of a seaside community shaken by a violent crime and a tragic loss. When her sister is murdered amid the theft of a valuable painting, an eerie echo of their mother’s murder 20 years earlier, pilot Beth teams up with the case’s original detective and childhood friends to identify a killer.

ABOVE THE BAY OF ANGELS by Rhys Bowen: When a twist of fate lands her in Queen Victoria’s kitchen, a talented young chef is selected to accompany a royal retinue, only to be wrongly implicated in a murder. By the award-winning author of In Farleigh Field.

DEAD TO HER by Sarah Pinborough: For fans of Liane Moriarty, Liv Constantine and Lisa Jewell, a twisty psychological thriller about a savvy second wife who will do almost anything to come out on top, from the New York Times bestselling author of Behind Her Eyes.

THE KING’S JUSTICE by Susan Elia MacNeal: A Maggie Hope Mystery, Book 9: Can a stolen violin lead secret agent and spy Maggie Hope to a new serial killer terrorizing London? Find out as the acclaimed World War II mystery series from New York Times bestselling author Susan Elia MacNeal continues.

You can win autographed copies of these books! If you are new to the site, each month I run a contest in conjunction with the International Thriller Writers organization. We put together a list of books from debut authors to bestsellers, so you can win some of your favorites and find some new favorites.

What makes this contest really special is that all of the books (except eBooks) are signed by the author! Books with multiple authors will be signed by at least one of the authors.

Penguin Random House books for giveaway were provided by the publisher. #PRHpartner

Don’t forget, if you subscribe to the newsletter or follow this blog, you get an extra entry into every contest you enter. Check out the Win Books page for more information on all these books and how you can enter this month’s contest.

Thanks for reading, and good luck!

CLICK TO PURCHASE

About the Book

A fast-paced, highly topical conspiracy thriller involving the Apollo moon landings.

In 1969, Apollo 11 landed on the moon . . . didn’t it?

After China announce a space mission to place their own flag next to the one US astronauts planted during the Apollo 11 mission, few people bat an eyelid. Shortly after this statement Charlie Stephens, a 74-year-old former filmmaker, is murdered. The incident is made to look like an accident, but why?

Going through his father’s effects, Gary Stephens discovers reels of 35mm celluloid showing the Apollo mission was faked – there’s no US flag on the moon, and only a handful of people know it.

For his own safety Gary is brought into Mission Dark Side, a government-sanctioned cover-up to send a crew to the moon to plant the flag before the Chinese reach it . . . but there are those out to sabotage the mission who will go to any lengths to achieve their aims.

Praise for Mitch Silver: “Readers will be impressed by Silver’s finesse in juggling endless time frames and counterplots and rewarded with an elaborate set of assassinations and double-crosses” Kirkus Reviews on The Apollo Deception

“A great thriller, worthy of Ian Fleming himself” Lee Child on In Secret Service

“A smart and breezy reprise of the spy stories of the 20th century” Library Journal Reviews on In Secret Service

“The pace is agreeably fast; and the intelligent, capable Klimt makes an engaging lead character” Booklist on The Bookworm

“Silver’s high spirits are so contagious that readers will happily go along for the ride” Publishers Weekly on In Secret Service

“Winner of the beach-read sweepstakes, it will have us teasing facts from fiction. For all popular collections, in multiple copies” Library Journal  on In Secret Service

“ The Bookworm is that very rare, almost extinct thriller: well plotted, intelligent as hell” James Patterson

About the Author

Mitch Silver studied History at Yale and attended Harvard Law School before becoming a writer for several of the big New York ad agencies. He is the author of In Secret Service and The Book Worm, and lives with his wife Ellen in Greenwich, Connecticut.

To win a copy of THE APOLLO DECEPTION by Mitch Silver, please send an email to contest@gmail.com with “APOLLO DECEPTION” as the subject.

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

All entries must be received by February 13, 2020. 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 or Canada only. Your book will be sent by the publisher.

More Rules:

• 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. All entries, including names, email addresses, and mailing addresses, will be purged after the winner is notified.