#BookBirthdayBlitz Only When It's Love by Olivia Spring

It's the Book Birthday Blitz for Only When it's Love by Olivia Spring. 

About the Author

Olivia Spring is a British, London-based writer of contemporary women’s fiction, sexy chick lit and romantic comedy. Her uplifting debut novel The Middle-Aged Virgin, which was released in July 2018, deals with being newly single in your thirties and beyond, dating, relationships, love, sex and living life to the full.

In addition to The Middle-Aged Virgin, Olivia has published four novels: The Middle-Aged Virgin in Italy, Love Offline, Losing My Inhibitions and Only When It’s Love. When’s The Wedding?, the hotly anticipated sequel to Only When It’s Love and Olivia’s sixth novel, will be published in March 2021.

When she’s not writing, Olivia can be found travelling to Italy to indulge in pasta, pizza and gelato and of course, seeking inspiration for her next book!

Follow @ospringauthor on Twitter, on Facebook, on Instagram, on Goodreads, on BookBub, Visit oliviaspring.com, Buy Only When it's Love

About the book

Alex is tired of being single. After years of disastrous hook-ups and relationships that lead to the bedroom but nowhere else, Alex is convinced she’ll never find her Mr Right. Then her newly married friend Stacey recommends what worked for her: a self-help book that guarantees Alex will find true love in just seven steps. Sounds simple, right? 

Except Alex soon discovers that each step is more difficult than the last, and one of the rules involves dating, but not sleeping with a guy for six months. Absolutely no intimate contact whatsoever. Zero. Nada. Rien. A big challenge for Alex, who has never been one to hold back from jumping straight into the sack, hoping it will help a man fall for her. 

Will any guys be willing to wait? Will Alex find her Mr Right? And if she does, will she be strong enough to resist temptation and hold out for true love?

Join Alex on her roller coaster romantic journey as she tries to cope with the emotional and physical ups and downs of dating whilst following a lengthy list of rigid rules.

Review

Alex is a little fed-up of being an afterthought  and not being able to find Mr Right, as opposed to Mr Right Now and not for much longer than that either. It's time for a new approach to dating and luckily her friend has just the thing.

Unfortunately one of the many rules is that she isn't allowed to have any kind of sexual contact with a potential date. Not exactly an easy thing to follow. Alex does like a bit of rompy-pompy, a wee exchange of hot moments and breathless situations.

I can imagine quite a few sniggers and laughs while people are reading this. It is funny and sometimes just outrageous, which again is hilarious at times. 'Coming before Commitment - no what after dinner?, seriously a good laugh.

This is the kind of escapist read everyone needs at the moment. The author isn't afraid to just write what she thinks, which is probably what a real life manual on dating and finding Mr Right would say. At least one with a no holds barred attitude and a healthy zest for life.

It's a bit of a bonkbuster, but with more of a light lively romcom feel, and less bonk due to the strict rules. There is a clear open approach to the topic of sensuality, sexuality and good ol' romps in the hay and any other place you could possibly do the horizontal tango or indeed vertical one too.

Buy Only When it's Love at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher : Hartley Publishing pub date 7 Feb. 2019. Buy at Amazon com. 

#BookBirthdayBlitz Love Offline: Looking For Romance In Real Life by Olivia Spring

Today it's the Book Birthday Blitz for Love Offline: Looking For Romance In Real Life by Olivia Spring.

Love Offline is available to read for FREE in Kindle Unlimited. It is also available to read for FREE in Prime Reading until late November. 

About the Author

Olivia Spring is a British, London-based writer of contemporary women's fiction, sexy chick lit and romantic comedy. Her uplifting debut novel 'The Middle-Aged Virgin', which was released in July 2018, deals with being newly single in your thirties and beyond, dating, relationships, love, sex and living life to the full.

Olivia published three novels in 2019: 'Only When It's Love', 'Losing My Inhibitions' and 'Love Offline'. ‘The Middle-Aged Virgin in Italy’, the hotly anticipated sequel to ‘The Middle-Aged Virgin’ and Olivia’s fifth novel, was published in July 2020. 

When she's not writing, Olivia can be found making regular trips to Italy to indulge in pasta, pizza and gelato and of course, seeking inspiration for her next book!

Follow Olivia on Amazon, on Goodreads, Buy Love Offline

About the book

Emily’s Struggling To Find Romance Online. Will Ditching The Dating Apps Lead To True Love? 

Online dating isn’t working for introvert Emily. Although she’s comfortable swiping right at home in her PJs, the idea of going out to meet a guy in person fills her with dread. 

So when her best friend challenges her to ditch the apps, attend a load of awkward singles’ events and find love in real life, Emily wants to run for the hills. 

Then she meets Josh. He’s handsome, kind and funny, but Emily’s had her heart crushed before and knows he's hiding something… 

Is Josh too good to be true? Can Emily learn to trust again and if she does, will it lead to love or more heartache? 

Review

Emily has a choice to make - hide away from the world or accept that the world is going to move on with or without her, so she might as well make sure it is with her. Breaking up with her boyfriend was hard, but seeing him happy with someone else has taken her to a breaking point.

Her best friend decides to help get Emily out of her rut by forcing her to engage with the world outside via events for singles. A daunting thought for anyone in her position.

In a way this is a coming-of-age story, albeit a young adult who starts to discover their own strength and confidence. Finding a way out of the mind-set of living in a world where online acceptance carries more weight for some than actual real interactions.

I think Spring makes an interesting point about the way people are consumed by the online lives, photos and storylines made specifically for viewers - for an audience. You have to acknowledge the fakery or be able to differentiate between the real and the fake. And you don't have to play happy families with your ex. You are entitled to put them far behind you in the past.

Although it is a story of hope, as a reader I couldn't help but feel sympathy for the plight of women and men having to navigate the world of meeting a partner when everything is online and takes place in a throwaway society.

Buy Love Offline at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher - Paperback: Hartley Publishing pub date 28 Oct. 2019. Buy at Amazon com. 

#BookBirthdayBlitz Lady in Red by Tessa Buckley

 

Today it's the Book Birthday Blitz Lady in Red by Tessa Buckley.

About the Author

Tessa Buckley was an inveterate scribbler as a child, and spent much of her time writing and illustrating stories. After studying Interior Design, she spent fifteen years working for architects and designers. She took up writing again after her young daughter complained that she couldn’t find enough adventure stories to read. This led, in 2016, to the publication of  Eye Spy, the first in a series for 9-12 year olds about two teen detectives. There are now two more books in the series: Haunted, which was a finalist in the Wishing Shelf Book Awards 2017,, and Lady in Red. She lives by the sea in Essex and recently completed an Open University arts degree.

Follow Tessa on Amazon, on Goodreads, Visit tessabuckley.com, Buy Lady in Red

About the book

Pursuing the truth can be a dangerous game…School’s out for the summer, and Eye Spy Investigations have a new case - looking for Lady in Red, a lost masterpiece by Victorian painter, Gabriel Pascoe.

The clock is ticking for Alex and Donna, because the artist’s house, Acacia Villa, where their friend Jake lives, is due to be demolished, and vital clues may be destroyed. And Alex has an additional problem: he is terrified of snakes, and Jake has a pet snake called Queenie…

As the twins pursue their enquiries, they come up against the man who wants to demolish Acacia Villa. But Mr Mortimer is the godfather of their baby half-sister, Sophie, and criticising him could open up family rifts, which have only just healed.

Then Queenie goes missing, setting in motion a disastrous train of events that will turn the search for Lady in Red into the twins’ most dangerous case yet.

Review

This is the third book in the Eye Spy series. It can absolutely be read as a standalone novel. It's in the YA category, but I wouldn't hesitate to give it to a younger reader - the category it is perhaps better suited for.

Alex and Donna accidentally fall into their next case when they befriend a young man and his pet snake. It turns out he is living with the descendant of a famous artist. The house of his ancestor is under threat by a local bigwig developer, which means they have to try and get to the bottom of his own personal mystery really quickly - the hunt for a missing painting is on.

Buckley gives readers the kind of cosy mystery vibe you get from Nancy Drew, the Hardy Boys, but with a more modern take on the subject. The detectives are nosy, dominant and think they can barge in anywhere and demand change in a heartbeat. One has to admire the tenacity of the young who are willing to take on the criminals of the world and still be of an age where they need permission to stay out late.

Buy The Lady in Red at Amazon Uk (eBook) Publisher: Matador pub date 10 Nov. 2019 or Paperback, Publisher: Troubador pub date 16 Oct. 2019 or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Buy at Amazon com. Buy at Troubadour. At IBooks.

#BookBirthdayBlitz Warbringer by Aaron Hodges

Today it's the Book Birthday Blitz for Warbringer by Aaron Hodges.

About the Author
Aaron Hodges was born in 1989 in the small town of Whakatane, New Zealand. He studied for five years at the University of Auckland, completing a Bachelor’s of Science in Biology and Geography, and a Masters of Environmental Engineering. After working as an environmental consultant for two years, he grew tired of office work and decided to quit his job and explore the world. During his travels he picked up an old draft of a novel he once wrote in High School (titled The Sword of Light) and began to rewrite the story. Six months later he published his first novel, Stormwielder, and hasn't looked back since.

Follow on Goodreads, on Facebook, on Amazon, Visit aaronhodges.co.nz/, Buy Warbringer

About the book
Centuries ago, the world fell. From the ashes rose a terrible new species—the Tangata. Now they wage war against the kingdoms of man. And humanity is losing.

Recruited straight from his academy, twenty-year-old Lukys hopes the frontier will make a soldier out of him. But Tangata are massing in the south, and the allied armies are desperate. They will do anything to halt the enemy advance—including sending untrained men and women into battle. Determined to survive, Lukys seeks aid from the only man who seems to care: Romaine, the last warrior of an extinct kingdom.

Meanwhile, the Queen’s Archivist leads an expedition deep beneath the earth. She seeks to uncover the secrets of the Gods. Their magic has been lost to the ages, yet artifacts remain, objects of power that could turn the tide of the war. But salvation is not all that waits beneath the surface. Something else slumbers in the darkness. Something old. Something evil.

Review
I enjoyed the idea of the fall of man being caused by greed, the need for endless power and a general lack of control. Isn't that a story as old as time? Then that greed separates man from beast, which changes the landscape of the world this story is set in.

Romaine is a warrior who knows he can show no mercy to the ruthless beasts that are slowly taking over the world he once knew. He rescues a woman from the Tangata, which leads him to becoming the only chance a bunch of fresh meat recruits, including Lukys, have against the vicious forces of evil coming their way. The three of them reluctantly connect with someone called the Archivist - a person determined to mine the past for treasures which will lead to the destruction of her enemies, but who are her enemies really?

I like a good cliffhanger, especially when the last few chapters sort of challenge the entirety of the story and the way we as readers have come to perceive the characters. Let's throw a nice little existential grenade into the midst of it all and leave them hanging with the possible repercussions.  Question everything, perception and frame of reference are everything. In a way it's quite clever how the author maintains a certain status quo throughout the read and yet the last chapter made me go right back to the beginning to reassess the story with this new information in mind.

Hodges needs to tighten the reins a wee bit when it comes to the plot. Less procrastination on sub-plots such as the training - more depth when it comes to the world-building and characters.

Aside from that it's an intriguing premise that combines fantasy, in a parallel dystopian world kind of way, with mythology and the supernatural. I wouldn't mind wandering in his creative worlds again.

Buy Warbringer (Descendants of the Fall Book 1) on Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Buy at Amazon com.

#BookBirthdayBlitz Perfect Match by Zoe May

It's a pleasure to take part in the Book Birthday Blitz for Perfect Match by Zoe May.

About the Author
Zoe May lives in southeast London and writes romantic comedies. Zoe has dreamt of being a novelist since she was a teenager. She worked in journalism and copywriting before writing her debut novel, Perfect Match. Having experienced the London dating scene first hand, Zoe could not resist writing a novel about dating, since it seems to supply endless amounts of weird and wonderful material!

Perfect Match was one of Apple's top-selling books of 2018. It was also shortlisted for the Romantic Novelists' Association's Joan Hessayon Award, with judges describing it as 'a laugh out loud look at love and self-discovery - fresh and very funny'.

As well as writing, Zoe enjoys walking her dog, painting and, of course, reading! She adores animals and if she's not taking a photo of a vegan meal, she's probably tweeting about the dairy industry. She is half Greek and half Irish and can make a mean baklava. Zoe has a thing for horror films, India, swimming, hip hop and Radiohead. She has an encyclopaedic knowledge of handbags having spent several years working in fashion copywriting and could probably win Mastermind if this was her specialist subject!

Follow @zoe_writes and @HQDigitalUK on Twitter, on Facebook, on Instagram, Visit zoemayauthor.co.uk, Buy Perfect Match

About the book
Can you ever find true love online?
Sophia Jones is an expert in all things online dating: the best sites, how to write a decent bio, which questions to ask and the right type of photos to use. The only thing she’s not so great at? Picking the guys…

After sitting through yet another dreadful date with a man who isn’t quite what she expected, Sophia is just about ready to give up on the whole dating scene. But her flatmate, Kate, persuades her to give it one more chance, only this time she must create a profile describing her ‘perfect’ man.

Yes, he must look like Robert Pattinson and needs to own a multi-million pound business, but there are a couple of other deal breakers, too! So, when a guy comes along who ticks every box, surely there’s got to be a catch?

Review
There is a chapter in this book that had me in stitches, because it reminded me of a similar faux pas I once made, except mine was mistaking a small heated fluffy hand-towel for a dessert. I was crying tears of laughter when I read it.

What May hides really well in this humorous story is the serious question of our expectations vs reality when it comes to relationships and love, and if that wasn't enough the author also takes a subtle pop at online dating. It has become the 21st century approach to meeting a potential mate. It has opened up opportunities, but it also brings certain safety concerns with it. Connecting with other people is now as easy as breathing air thanks to app, smartphones and technology in general.

Sophia has used nearly every website she can think of to find the right man. So far she has only met duds, bores and freaks. Then again she is extremely finicky. No one is handsome enough, rich enough, smart enough and certainly not entertaining enough for her.

In an act of desperation she writes a profile for yet another website with what can only be described as fantastical requests. In return she gets a lot of weird replies, but one of them is different, one of them matches the profile perfectly.

The moral of the story is you should never judge a book by its cover. Nothing could be more true in this case. As is the saying that you don't want something or someone until somebody else has it and it is no longer available to you. Sophia definitely suffers from wanting what she can't have and not wanting what she can have.

Perfect Match is a light-hearted rom-com with a frank take on 21st century dating and our inability to appreciate what we have, and to see what is often right under our noses. May entertains without losing sight of the point she is trying to make, and brings the serious tone when the story requires it.

It isn't often that a scene in a book makes me laugh out loud, so kudos to May for that.

Buy Perfect Match at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher: HQ Digital, pub date 12 Jan. 2018. Buy at Amazon com.

#BookBirthdayBlitz Lure of Obsession by Lisa Kessler

Today it's the Book Birthday for Lure of Obsession by Lisa Kessler. It's paranormal romance with plenty of magic and action to boot.

Enter the Giveaway below to Win a $10 Amazon Gift Card (Open Internationally)

About the Author
Lisa Kessler is a Best Selling author of dark paranormal fiction. She's a two-time San Diego Book Award winner for Best Published Fantasy-Sci-fi-Horror and Best Published Romance. Her books have also won the PRISM award, the Award of Excellence, the National Excellence in Romantic Fiction Award, the Award of Merit from the Holt Medallion, and an International Digital Award for Best Paranormal.

Her short stories have been published in print anthologies and magazines, and her vampire story, Immortal Beloved, was a finalist for a Bram Stoker award.

When she's not writing, Lisa is a professional vocalist, and has performed with San Diego Opera as well as other musical theater companies in San Diego.

Stay up-to-date on new releases and giveaways by subscribing to Lisa's newsletter here: https://goo.gl/56lDla, You can learn more at http://Lisa-Kessler.com

Follow @LdyDisney on Twitter, on Facebook, on Instagram, on Pinterest, on Goodreads,
Buy Lure of Obsession

About the book
Fated Mates meets Clash of the Titans!

Melanie Jacoby is the human vessel for the Muse of Tragic Poetry, but she isn't prepared for the tragedy of finding her roommate dead at the bottom of the stairs.

Nate Malone is the detective assigned to the case, but as the evidence points to an accidental fall, the visions begin. He sees a killer in a gold Kronos mask.

Mel is the next target, but Nate's determination to protect her is almost as strong as his desire for her.

And tragedy isn't part of his plan.

The Prophecy - "Every generation the nine daughters of Zeus are reborn, and with their rebirth are also nine Guardians. They will be marked by the gods, and given gifts to protect his treasure. Their abilities will only be unlocked when they find their muse."

Review
This is the first book in the Muse Chronicles, which is a paranormal romance series with elements of Greek mythology. The nine muses have been given human vessels and live among the mere mortals. Each of them also has a guardian to protect and keep them from harm.

They are unaware of who their guardians are initially, so each book tells the story of each muse and guardian. Kessler steps the stories up a notch by adding a vicious and violent antagonist to the mix. It takes the story from romance, an instinctive connection to a more action driven read.

Whilst guardian and muse are connecting there are dark forces at work in the background. A group of fanatics determined to stop each muse in their tracks. Even if it means killing them off one by one.

It's paranormal romance with plenty of magic and action to boot. Kessler gives readers beautiful romantic relationships with sizzling moments of passion. The series will probably appeal to readers who like their romance with a little more spice and adventure.

I would have liked to have seen Kessler develop the whole mythology aspect more, mainly because the rebirth is such a brilliant idea with plenty of potential. Saying that, she gives readers exactly what they want from a paranormal romance.

Buy Lure of Obsession (The Muse Chronicles #1) at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher: Lisa's Lair; pub date 11 Dec. 2018. Buy at Amazon com.

Enter the Giveaway to Win a $10 Amazon Gift Card (Open Internationally)

a Rafflecopter giveaway *Terms and Conditions –Worldwide entries welcome.  Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below. The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s Random Resources reserves the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over.  Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data.  I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.*