#PublicationDayPush The Marquess Next Door by Virginia Heath

 It's the Publication Day Push for The Marquess Next Door by Virginia Heath.

About the Author

When Virginia Heath was a little girl it took her ages to fall asleep, so she made up stories in her head to help pass the time while she was staring at the ceiling. As she got older, the stories became more complicated, sometimes taking weeks to get to the happy ending. Then one day, she decided to embrace the insomnia and start writing them down. Despite that, it still takes her forever to fall asleep. 

Follow @VirginaHeath_ on Twitter, on Facebook, on Goodreads, on Amazon, Visit virginiaheathromance.com,

About the book

A dashing new neighbour… Temptation on her doorstep!  To avoid an unwanted suitor at a ball, Hope Brookes asks another gentleman to rescue her. He obliges – with a surprisingly passionate kiss! 

Revealed as her sinfully handsome new neighbour, Lucius, Marquess of Thundersley, they forge a friendship over their balconies. It’s refreshing that Lucius is more interested in her writer dreams than her looks, so why can’t she stop thinking about that kiss?

Review

There aren't enough sinfully handsome neighbours, who are genuinely invested in romance, raising heartbeats, and awakening passions. Luckily for Hope she has one willing to save her from suitors she would avoid. 

The distraction - a passionate kiss - is an unexpected catalyst for a chemical reaction, also known as omg the two have the hots for each other. An undeniable attraction neither of them can deny. The two forge an invigorating friendship, which helps to destroy the walls Hope has built up around her. 

I'd say it's exactly the right time to ride the new wave of love for historical romance, especially Regency romance, following the success of Bridgerton. I embrace the new wave, because it is the perfect escapism in such dire times and it's a sub-genre that has disappeared a little over the last few decades.

Having read quite a few of Heath's books, she definitely has a flair for the passion, love and turmoil that readers love when it comes to a romance read. This is no different. It is entertaining and gives readers just the right level of cat and mouse, and more importantly the titillating romance.

Buy The Marquess Next Door at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher ‏ : ‎ Mills & Boon Historical pub date 24 Jun. 2021. Buy at Amazon com. 

#PublicationDayPush Danny Mann Super Fan by Ian Slatter

It's the Publication Day Push for Danny Mann Super Fan by Ian Slatter.

About the Author

Ian published his debut novel, Eco Worrier, in 2020 - a middle grade adventure story with plenty of twists and turns and lots of laughs.

He has also written two non-fiction books for adults - Premier League Legends - the top 10 greatest Premier League players of all time and Incredible Moments in Sport.

Ian wrote for satirical website newsbiscuit.com for ten years, as well as writing for comedy sketch shows on ITV and BBC Radio. Follow @slatter_ian on Twitter, Visit ianslatter.com

About the book

Danny loves Chadmouth Town Football Club more than anything, but a run of defeats and terrible luck has left them bottom of the table and looking certain to be relegated with time running out.

But then, Danny and his best friend Nelson stumble across a bizarre pre-match ritual that seems to turn their luck around, and his beloved team starts winning again. Is it too little too late though, and can he keep doing everything right before each match, even when he starts finding more and more obstacles in his way and despite the relentless teasing from his classmates? It’s going to come down to the wire.

Does Danny have what it takes to save Chadmouth’s season?

Review

If you have a reluctant younger reader, which often tends to be boys, who likes football then this might just be the kind of story that creates a new reader.

It's for readers aged 9 to 12, which shows the world of competitive sports and the sometimes obsessive nature of fandom, and the ensuing overreactions, in the micro cosmos of school. The rivalry, the banter and of course when the banter goes beyond joking and veers into insulting. It's a whole mindset.

Danny's team, Chadmouth Town, is on a losing streak until Danny and his friend Nelson discover a way to help the win. A pre-match ritual that shifts the fortunes of said football team onto the side of Lady Luck. Can they change the future of Chadmouth Town?

From a child's perspective I can see this resonating, especially when it comes to the topic of bullying. When you exchange the topic of football team for any kind of difference at all that could make you a target in school, then the undertone of the story has a more serious note in the midst of all the amusing rituals.

I find any kind of reading material that will help children to engage with books and reading in general is always commendable. Taking a popular topic like football will definitely draw readers in.

Buy Danny Mann Super Fan at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Buy at Amazon com.

#BlogTour Preserved by Fiona Sherlock

 

It's a pleasure to take part in the Publication Day Push for Preserved by Fiona Sherlock.

About the Author

Fiona Sherlock is a crime writer from Bective, in Ireland. Her murder mystery games are played across the world.  She also writes poetry and prose but cannot stay away from a good murder.  After spending a decade in Dublin working in public relations and journalism, she moved to the country for mid-day fires and elderflower champagne.

Follow @fionasherlock on Twitter, on Instagram, on Facebook, on Amazon, on Goodreads, Buy Preserved

About the book

She's‌ ‌stuck‌ ‌in‌ ‌the‌ ‌past,‌ ‌the‌ ‌killer‌ ‌wants‌ ‌to‌ ‌immortalise‌ ‌his‌ ‌future.‌ ‌When‌ ‌a‌ ‌local‌ ‌farmer‌ ‌announces‌ ‌on‌ ‌ social‌ ‌media‌ ‌that‌ ‌he‌ ‌has‌ ‌discovered‌ ‌a‌ ‌bog‌ ‌body‌ ‌in‌ ‌Ardee,‌ ‌the‌ ‌world’s‌ ‌historians‌ ‌are‌ ‌keen‌ ‌to‌ ‌explore‌ ‌the‌ ‌secrets‌ ‌of‌ ‌the‌ ‌life‌ ‌and‌ ‌grisly‌ ‌death‌ ‌of‌ ‌the‌ ‌victim.‌ ‌Antique‌ ‌journalist‌ ‌January‌ ‌Quail‌ ‌is‌ ‌fighting‌ ‌to‌ ‌keep‌ ‌her‌ ‌newspaper‌ ‌job‌ ‌and‌ ‌uncovers‌ ‌far‌ ‌more‌ ‌than‌ ‌she‌ ‌bargained‌ ‌for.‌ ‌ ‌

The‌ ‌victim‌ ‌is‌ ‌actually‌ ‌a‌ ‌recent‌ ‌murder,‌ ‌and‌ ‌January‌ ‌uses‌ ‌her‌ ‌nose‌ ‌for‌ ‌the‌ ‌truth‌ ‌to‌ ‌investigate‌ ‌the‌ ‌County‌ ‌Louth‌ ‌town.‌ ‌From‌ ‌shopkeeper‌ ‌to‌ ‌the‌ ‌publican,‌ ‌everyone‌ ‌is‌ ‌a‌ ‌suspect,‌ ‌but‌ ‌when‌ ‌the‌ ‌Gardai‌ ‌can’t‌ ‌find‌ ‌the‌ ‌killer,‌ ‌can‌ ‌January?‌ ‌ ‌

Once‌ ‌she‌ ‌sets‌ ‌down‌ ‌the‌ ‌liqueur‌ ‌glass,‌ ‌January‌ ‌gains‌ ‌the‌ ‌confidence‌ ‌of‌ ‌the‌ ‌lead‌ ‌garda‌ ‌investigator.‌ ‌Within‌ ‌days,‌ ‌the‌ ‌case‌ ‌unravels‌ ‌into‌ ‌a‌ ‌much‌ ‌more‌ ‌dangerous‌ ‌situation‌ ‌with‌ ‌a‌ ‌killer‌ ‌on‌ ‌the‌ ‌loose.‌ ‌Despite‌ ‌the‌ ‌risk,‌ ‌January‌ ‌is‌ ‌electrified‌ ‌that‌ ‌this‌ ‌newest‌ ‌discovery‌ ‌has‌ ‌come‌ ‌at‌ ‌the‌ ‌perfect‌ ‌time‌ ‌to‌ ‌inject‌ ‌some‌ ‌colour‌ ‌into‌ ‌her‌ ‌flailing‌ ‌career.‌ ‌January‌ ‌relinquishes‌ ‌her‌ ‌old‌ ‌ways‌ ‌to‌ ‌fight‌ ‌for‌ ‌survival,‌ ‌ abandoning‌ ‌her‌ ‌antiques‌ ‌column‌ ‌and‌ ‌vintage‌ ‌corsets‌ ‌to‌ ‌solve‌ ‌a‌ ‌cryptic‌ ‌crime‌ ‌that‌ ‌has‌ ‌the‌ ‌experts‌ ‌puzzled.‌ ‌This‌ ‌woman‌ ‌who‌ ‌longs‌ ‌to‌ ‌lives‌ ‌in‌ ‌the‌ ‌past‌ ‌must‌ ‌now‌ ‌fight‌ ‌for‌ ‌her‌ ‌life‌ ‌in‌ ‌the‌ ‌present.‌ 

Review

January‌ ‌Quail‌ is a wee bit of an oddball or shall we say she endeavours to live up to her heritage as only those born to privilege can, especially when that coincides with pomposity, wealth and heirlooms in the form of large houses.

She is on the verge of losing her job as a journalist for the Irish Sunday Chronicle. Antiquities are her game, however they don't seem to be anybody else's, hence the need to find something more exciting to write about. Whilst on another assignment she hears the news about a bog body being found, which is right up her alley. A great story - tick. Old - tick, more or less antique - tick. Except its not, and that's where the trouble begins.

I must admit I wasn't sure what to do with January. She was a bit like Eeyore meets Miriam Margolyes with a hint of an Eton schoolboy. Not quite sure whether to be annoyed at her posh old marm eccentricity or to laugh at her for being a bit like a blinkered racehorse finding it's way to the finish line with extraordinary inaccuracy. Then again that is also the charm of the character and read.

It's a bit of bumbling cosy crime read. It will be interesting to see if January returns to fight another day.

Buy Preserved at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher : Poolbeg Press pub date 10 Feb. 2021. Buy at Amazon com.

#PublicationDayPush Sleepless by Louise Mumford

Today its the Publication Day Push for Sleepless by Louise Mumford.

About the Author

Louise was born and lives in South Wales. From a young age she loved books and dancing, but hated having to go to sleep, convinced that she might miss out on something interesting happening in the world whilst she dozed – much to her mother’s frustration! Insomnia has been a part of her life ever since.

She studied English Literature at university and graduated with first class honours. As a teacher she tried to pass on her love of reading to her students (and discovered that the secret to successful teaching is… stickers! She is aware that that is, essentially, bribery.) 

In the summer of 2019 Louise experienced a once-in-a-lifetime moment: she was discovered as a new writer by her publisher at the Primadonna Festival. Everything has been a bit of a whirlwind since then. 

Louise lives in Cardiff with her husband and spends her time trying to get down on paper all the marvellous and frightening things that happen in her head.

Her debut thriller, Sleepless, will be published by HQ on 11th Dec 2020.

Follow @louise_mumford on Twitter, on Facebook, on Goodreads, on Instagram, on Amazon, Buy Sleepless

About the book

Don’t close your eyes. Don’t fall asleep. Don’t let them in.

Thea is an insomniac; she hasn’t slept more than three hours a night for years. So when an ad for a sleep trial that promises to change her life pops up on her phone, Thea knows this is her last chance at finding any kind of normal life.

Soon Thea’s sleeping for longer than she has in a decade, and awakes feeling transformed. So much so that at first she’s willing to overlook the oddities of the trial – the lack of any phone signal; the way she can’t leave her bedroom without permission; the fact that all her personal possessions are locked away, even her shoes.

But it soon becomes clear that the trial doesn’t just want to help Thea sleep. It wants to control her sleep…

Review

Thea is coming to the end of her tether. Trying to survive on only an hour of sleep a day or none at all is taking its toll on her, so when an ad for sleep therapy turns up she can't wait to grasp the straw held out to her.

Shipped off to isolation, when she agrees to take part in a scientific sleep trial, to what appears to be a new age health resort, Thea starts to experience the advantages of the ideas this strange cult like company suggests. However something isn't quite right in the sleep lab or with the sleep community. Something rabid lurks just outside waiting for someone or something.

I can imagine it is quite hard for someone who has never had to endure insomnia to understand what it is like to be completely and utterly exhausted, and yet unable to sleep night after night. No warm milk, honey, soft music or lavender will help. Staring into darkness as others regenerate and enjoy their slumber.

Mumford uses the utter desperation insomniacs feel as they are willing to grasp at any possible remedy and turns it into a game of illusions, control and mind games.

Buy Sleepless at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher: HQ Digital; pub date 10 Dec. 2020. Buy at Amazon com. At Hive. At Bookshop.org. At Waterstones.

#PublicationDayPush The Tobacconist's Wife by AnneMarie Brear

Today it's the Publication Day Push for The Tobacconist's Wife by AnneMarie Brear.

About the Author

Award winning & Amazon UK Bestseller AnneMarie Brear has been a life-long reader and started writing in 1997 when her children were small. She has a love of history, of grand old English houses and a fascination of what might have happened beyond their walls. Her interests include reading, travelling, watching movies, spending time with family and eating chocolate - not always in that order! She is the author of historical family saga novels.

Follow @Annemariebrear on Twitter, on Goodreads, on Facebook, on Instagram, Visit annemariebrear.com, Buy The Tobacconist's Wife

About the book

Having lost her father, Thea Goodson is alone in the world.

It is true she has a husband, but Ernie is a brutal man, more inclined to use his fists to keep Thea in line than to build on their marriage. And besides, Ernie Goodson has secrets – secrets that even his wife cannot share.

But in Victorian Yorkshire, appearances must be kept up, so Thea goes on powdering her bruises and forcing a smile as she toils in Ernie’s home and tobacco shop. There seems to be no other option.

That is, until a handsome and well-bred stranger arrives to set up shop next door…

Can Thea escape her misery and break from the conventions of society? Or will the clutches of her abusive husband confine her forever?

Review

Thea is trapped in a repetitive cycle of violence and her fate being controlled by men, as was usually the case in this particular era. Every day she tries to prove her worth to a man, who is neither interested in her or in any profit he could make from her or in her as a wife. She is merely a burden. A favour to her, as he often reminds Thea, saving her from the streets.

Is a roof over her head, food and clothing worth the physical and verbal abuse and resentment she receives. When it comes down to making a choice Thea isn't brave enough to choose what is best for her personally.

She doesn't realise how much her life is going to change when a new neighbour takes over the shop next door. One can only hope it gets better than the humiliation and pain she already has to endure.

Brear writes a story of determination, survival, pain and endurance. The slim shiver of hope on the horizon of a bleak existence, and yet with it a blossoming friendship and love. Fighting against what society considers to be the norm and thereby ignored.

Buy The Tobacconist's Wife at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher: Lume Books; pub date 12 Nov. 2020. Buy at Amazon com. Buy at Hive. Buy at Bookshop.org.

#PublicationDayPush Unbroken Truth by Lukas Lundh

 It's a pleasure to take part in the Publication Day Push for Unbroken Truth by Lukas Lundh.

About the Author

Lukas Lundh grew up around books and started writing in early childhood. He speaks English, Swedish and Japanese from living in New Zealand as a teen and studying for a year in Japan in early 20s.

He is educated in philosophy, game design, creative writing and is currently working on a history degree. Between reading course books which inspire history flash-fictions, Lukas writes everything in between space opera, fantasy steelpunk, and post-ap war dystopias.

His debut novel, a steelpunk spy thriller, Unbroken Truth, is available for pre-order. He doesn’t blog, but he is active on twitter.

Follow @LundhLukas on Twitter, on Goodreads, on Amazon, Visit thefifthhorizon.com, Buy Unbroken Truth

About the book

Beneath the arcane Rustpeaks lies the city of Lansfyrd, where visibility is at an all-time low and airships rumble through the skies. Detective Lentsay “Len” Yoriya is a former homicide detective stuck at a burglary assignment as punishment for loving the wrong person. But when a xenophobic radio-shaman is murdered and the killers try to frame the city’s oppressed insectoids, Len sees a chance to prove her worth. Though high-profile murders are rarely uncomplicated.

In the city’s affluent quarters, Len’s partner Vli-Rana Talie works as a lector at the university, studying the history of a species that once ruled the world. As the temperature rises for her partner, Vli will soon realize that delving into history, that some would prefer was forgotten, will carry risks of its own. Especially when the ambitions of empires are affected.

Meanwhile, there is an election coming up, and the tension simmering in the city is reaching a boiling point. Vli and Len must find what allies they can and face the powers that threaten their home.

History never ends, and unless its lessons are heeded what was once the past might become the present.

Review

First and foremost this needs a glossary at the beginning of the story. It is so complex and intricate the readers who are new to the world-building of Lundh will need an imprint of his mind-map. Species, politics, evolvement of the dystopian world, ergo the pre-history. Heck I want pictures, maps and this could absolutely be a great graphic novel with the right illustrator - just saying. Insectoids - that just has to be a nightmare for some readers out there.

Len is a police detective stuck in a rut and unable to progress in her career, because her choice of personal partner absolutely works against her. When a nasty little shaman is murdered she sees her chance to finally pressure the upper echelon to let her back into the world of homicide.

At the same time her partner becomes involved in a dangerous game of secrets that need to remain buried as the political tensions in the city start to boil over as an election looms. An election that can really change the day-to-day lives of others and the oppressed if it goes a certain way.

Is Steelpunk the new Steampunk? Hmm, good question, but for me there is no comparison. I'm not even sure if I would put this Steelpunk Spy thriller into the genre of Steelpunk per se. It has such a fantastic dystopian feel that it needs its very own sub-genre, especially because of the very species specific premise.

Whilst I am thinking of it, I also thought Lundh drew some interesting tongue-in-cheek comparisons to political and real time realities we are living through and with right now. Simultaneously also for inserting the same kind of discrimination, racism and xenophobia we are still experiencing in the 21st century. Kudos for sneaking a few nice little daggers in there.

Lundh is absolutely an author I would return to and recommend. I do enjoy creative speculative fiction that endeavours to bend and break boundaries. This is the first book in the Gleam series and I am looking forward to seeing where Lundh takes it next.

Buy Unbroken Truth at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Buy at Amazon com. Buy Unbroken Truth from Kobo, Apple, Google, Kindle, !ndigo, Angus and Robertson, Vivlio, Scribd and 24 Symbols at books2read.

#PublicationDayPush Parasite? The Secret Diary of a Landlord by The Secret Landlord

Today it's the Publication Day Push for The Secret Diary of a Landlord by The Secret Landlord.

About the  Author

The Secret Landlord has been renting, refurbishing and selling properties across the UK for almost two decades. An award winning landlord, as judged by the National Landlords Association, The Secret Landlord has provided accommodation for hundreds of tenants from all walks of life. 

Follow @landlord_secret on Twitter, on Amazon, on Goodreads, Visit thesecretlandlord.com, Buy Parasite? The Secret Diary of a Landlord

About the book

Get ready to learn what really happens behind closed doors. 

Landlords have become one of the most hated groups in society. Parasites, they’re often called. And there’s a lot of them. The Treasury estimates there are almost 2.6 million landlords in the UK with around 5.45 million rental properties.

But the real life of a professional landlord is very different to what most people think. From burglaries and break-ins to drug raids, police warrants, crazy tenant antics, bailiffs, squatters, lawsuits, wrecked properties, interfering council officers, game-playing freeholders to moments of heartfelt joy and happiness, the life of a landlord is never dull. Especially when the government keeps moving the goalposts.

This explosive front line exposé blows the lid off what it’s really like to be a landlord and the shocking reality of renting out a property. Hovering close to a nervous breakdown and likely suffering PTSD, The Secret Landlord exposes truths rarely shared. Stories that will grip you, move you and smack you in the face. 

This is the truth, the other side of the door. 

Review

I can see this book being a bit of a controversial read. Possibly because those dabbling in the realms of being landlords, especially with multiple properties, are in the minority. The majority of people are renters, somewhere in the middle will be outright buyers. Saying that, it's becoming harder nowadays to pick up properties because there are so many landlords willing to add yet another place to their portfolio.

Let's be frank though, SL, as the Secret Landlord calls herself, very much has a right to her perspective on the situation and the problems which arise from being a landlord and responsible for multiple properties. They might not be pretty observations, and often seem to lack empathy, but then one has to remember that we are talking money and a business venture. When being a landlord is a job, a business then takes precedent over anything else. Money talks, as they say, especially when you are losing it.

Of course there is always another side to the story and each renter has their own story to tell. Having been on both renter and owner side of the story - not as a landlord however - it's easier to see both sides. Some landlords believe they own you, your lifestyle, your interior decorating style and habits in general, just because you pay them money to stay in their property. Landlords have to deal with the disrespect their properties are treated with, the constant emergencies and the money-pits some of these properties become because of bad tenants.

Either way, it's an interesting piece of non-fiction, which comes off now and again as harsh, but then reality the world of renting isn't an easy one to navigate.

Buy Parasite? The Secret Diary of a Landlord at Amazon UK or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher: Alethea; pub date 15 Oct. 2020. Buy at Amazon com.

#PublicationDayPush A Bachelor's Pledge by Penny Hampson

 

Today it's the Publication Day Push for A Bachelor's Pledge by Penny Hampson.

About the Author

Some time ago Penny Hampson decided to follow her passion for history by studying with the Open University. She graduated with honours and went on to complete a post-graduate degree.

Penny then landed her dream role, working in an environment where she was surrounded by rare books and historical manuscripts. Flash forward nineteen years, and the opportunity came along to indulge her other main passion – writing. Penny joined the New Writers’ Scheme of the Romantic Novelists’ Association and  three years later published her debut novel, A Gentleman’s Promise, a historical mystery/romance and the first in The Gentlemen Series. An Officer’s Vow soon followed and the latest in the series is A Bachelor’s Pledge.

But never happy in a rut, Penny also writes contemporary suspense with paranormal and romantic elements. Her first book in this genre is The Unquiet Spirit, published by Darkstroke.

Penny lives with her family in Oxfordshire, and when she is not writing, she enjoys reading, walking, swimming, and the odd gin and tonic (not all at the same time).

For more on Penny’s writing, visit her blog: https://pennyhampson.co.uk/blog/

Follow @penny_hampson on Twitter, on Facebook, on Amazon, on Goodreads, Visit pennyhampson.co.uk, Buy A Bachelor's Pledge

About the book

The woman who haunts his dreams - Secret agent Phil Cullen is upset when he discovers that the young woman he rescued from Mrs Newbody’s establishment has absconded from his housekeeper’s care without a word. Thinking he has been deceived, he resolves to forget about her… something easier said than done. The man she wants to forget

Sophia Turner is horrified when she is duped into entering a notorious house of ill-repute. Then a handsome stranger comes to her aid. Desperate that no one learns of this scandalous episode, Sophia flees to the one friend she knows she can trust. With luck, she will never see her mysterious rescuer again.

But fate has other plans…

Months later, Phil is on the trail of an elusive French agent and Sophia is a respectable lady’s companion when fate again intervenes, taking their lives on a collision course.

Traitors, spies, and shameful family secrets - will these bring Sophia and Phil together… or drive them apart?

Review

There seems to be much too much interest in a simple orphan, who was more or less sold off to a disreputable house, but her enemies want her back now. Seems like a bizarre reaction to a young woman with no prospects and little more than her clothing to her name, and there is also the case of her reputation being in tatters due to landing in a brothel.

Phil, a gentleman and a spy, happens upon her by chance and decides to rescue her, which leads to an intertwining of their lives in a way they never expected. Sophia is determined to be the driver of her own decisions and future, instead of being dictated to by a man, because that is the way the society is structured.

Hampson writes a delightful historical romance, a combination of suspense and relationship that builds slowly. Shame, confusion and the determination of a woman with a fierce sense of independence and a man who wants to protect the vulnerable woman. Two strong personalities clash, which could potentially be dangerous for both of them if they are unable to connect as a team against the forces against them.

It's an enjoyable read, escapism for those who like their potential couples to squabble before they realise the attraction they have for each, with the added element of the poor maiden in danger and in distress.

Buy A Bachelor's Pledge (Gentlemen Book ) at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher: PP&M Publishing; pub date 23 Sept. 2020. Buy at Amazon com.

#PublicationDayPush The Scoundrel's Bartered Bride by Virginia Heath

Today it's Publication Day for The Scoundrel's Bartered Bride by Virginia Heath.

Enter the Giveaway to Win 2 x e-copies of The Scoundrel’s Bartered Bride (Open INT)

About the Author
When Virginia Heath was a little girl it took her ages to fall asleep, so she made up stories in her head to help pass the time while she was staring at the ceiling. As she got older, the stories became more complicated, sometimes taking weeks to get to the happy ending. Then one day, she decided to embrace the insomnia and start writing them down. Despite that, it still takes her forever to fall asleep.

Follow @VirginaHeath_ on Twitter, on Facebook, on Goodreads, on Amazon, Visit virginiaheathromance.com, Buy The Scoundrel's Bartered Bride

About the book
Marriage…To the highest bidder
Lady Lydia Barton cannot seem to avoid Owen Wolfe since he returned after being wrongly transported for stealing her family’s jewels! But Lydia has more pressing problems―like her impending arranged marriage. Until Owen makes her father a counter-offer for her hand. Is Owen purely after her society connections? Or does Lydia dare hope that the charming stable boy she once loved is still within her ruthless, wealthy new husband?

Review
It has a wee bit of a Heathcliff and Cathy vibe to it. Owen, the lowly servant, is wronged and returns on a more equal standing to those who got rid of him in the first place. He returns with intention of getting revenge. He wants to know who betrayed him and the girl he once loved is one of his targets, although one could argue that he actually tries to save her.

Lydia isn't exactly lucky when it comes to family. They just consider her a valuable commodity. Something they can auction off to the highest bidder. She is disgusted by the thought they are willing to sell her off, but perhaps more so by the fact Owen is eager to buy her as if she were a valuable racehorse.

Heath excels at good old romance with the vibe of a bodice ripper, but with more emphasis on the emotional attraction, as opposed to pure physical gratification. The relationship and love story develops slowly and builds upon the nostalgia and bonds the two main characters have. Their relationship is combative and there is a fair amount of rejection. It's exactly what romance readers enjoy - the cat and mouse game of love.

Take a little, give a little and ultimately it becomes a battle of wits - of minds refusing to acknowledge what they both want the most.

Buy The Scoundrel's Bartered Bride at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer.  Publisher: Mills & Boon Historical;pub date 25 Jun. 2020. Buy at Amazon com.

Enter the Giveaway to Win 2 x e-copies of The Scoundrel’s Bartered Bride (Open INT)

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*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.*

#PublicationDayPush Little White Secrets by Carol Mason

It's Publication Day for Little White Secrets by Carol Mason.

About the Author
Carol Mason is the women's fiction author After You Left, a Kindle #1 and Amazon Charts Bestseller, The Secrets of Married Women, The Last Time We Met, Send Me A Lover and The Shadow Between Us. Her brand new novel, Little White Secrets, publishes May 1, 2020. She was born in the North East of England and moved to Canada when she was twenty-one and met her now husband. They live in British Columbia. Her novels are translated into more than 10 languages.

Follow @carolmasonbooks on Twitter, on Goodreads, on Amazon, on Facebook, Visit carolmasonbooks.com, Buy Little White Secrets

About the book
A daughter pushing the limits. A marriage ready to crack. A secret that can break them.

For Emily Rossi, life may not be perfect, but it’s pretty close. She has a great career, a house in the country, a solid marriage to Eric and two wonderful children—tennis superstar Daniel and quiet, sensitive Zara. But when her fourteen-year-old daughter brings home a toxic new best friend, Emily’s seemingly perfect family starts to spiral out of control.

Suddenly Zara is staying out late, taking drugs and keeping bad company. And just when Emily needs Eric to be an involved father, he seems too wrapped up with his job in London to care. What’s more, he’s started drinking again.

When a dark secret from the past emerges, Emily’s life is turned upside down. Struggling to protect the people she loves, can she save her damaged family? Doing so may mean keeping a secret of her own…

Review
Emily and Eric are happily married - white picket fence and two kids kind of thing, until the reader starts to encounter the scratches on the surface of perfection and harmony. Turns out the picture perfect family is just like any old dysfunctional unit with secrets, fights and troubled teenagers.

It's a toss up with teens and their formative years. You can't always control external influences or the way your kids will react or interact with them. If they do start to rebel it doesn't discharge the parent from the necessity to keep their child safe and out of harms way. The difficulty arises when you encounter complete and utter walls of silence, avoidance and aggression.

Zara is slowly being drawn in by the seduction of a new friendship. A peer who is willing to listen to her and giggle with her, but perhaps this new friend doesn't have the best intentions. Emily wants the new friend gone and her daughter to go back to being quiet, responsible and timid.

It's a dramatic domestic thriller - a seemingly functional family on the brink of a meltdown.

The decision that Emily makes towards the end of the story is actually one of the most interesting aspects of the book. Is there any accountability or should there be any? Given the same circumstances what would you do if it were your child? Do two wrongs make a right? I know what my answers to those questions would be. I wonder what yours will be.

In a way I am glad that Mason ends the story on that particular note and not just because it gives the entire read a more sinister cherry on top of the sundae of terrible turmoil and destruction.

Buy Little White Secrets at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher: Lake Union Publishing: pub date 1 May 2020. Buy at Amazon com.

#PublicationDayPush A Train from Penzance to Paris by Laura Briggs

Today it's the Publication Day Push  for A Train from Penzance to Paris by Laura Briggs.

About the Author
Laura Briggs is the author of several feel-good romance reads, including the Top 100 Amazon UK seller 'A Wedding in Cornwall'. She has a fondness for vintage style dresses (especially ones with polka dots), and reads everything from Jane Austen to modern day mysteries. When she's not writing, she enjoys spending time with family and friends, caring for her pets, gardening, and seeing the occasional movie or play.

Follow @PaperDollWrites on Twitter, on Facebook, on Goodreads, on Amazon, Visit paperdollwrites.blogspot.com, Buy A Train from Penzance to Paris

About the book
When Maisie accepts a celebrated author’s invitation to mentor her, she finds herself leaving Cornwall behind on train tracks bound for the glitter city of Paris. Instead of making beds and serving coffee at the Penmarrow hotel in Cornwall, she’s making notes on her manuscript while sitting in a French cafe, meeting famous writers at private dinner parties, and trying to ferret the secrets behind the author’s unfinished future novel. It’s glamorous, it’s breathtaking … but it’s also an ocean channel away from the place that she loves, and, more importantly, the person to whom she just recently confessed her deepest feelings. Separated from Sidney by distance and circumstances, Maisie fears that their connection will be lost despite her words to him – and maybe because of those words, and the ones she didn’t allow him to say in return.

Meanwhile, there are plenty of things in her new life trying to distract her – the professional editor hired to critique her novel, the eager young literary agent who sees pie-in-the-sky potential for Maisie’s talent, but Maisie finds solace in the eclectic group of amateur writers into whose midst she finds herself by accident. Their critique and advice is fast becoming as important as the editors – maybe even more important than the published author Maisie believed held the keys to refining her skill.

But it’s missing Sidney that fills Maisie’s thoughts the most, along with her life back in Port Hewer, and she can’t stop wondering whether his feelings are the same as her own. His unspoken answer has become one of the most important pieces of her life, even as she struggles to match the pace of her new life and keep her dreams in sight. And when she unwittingly becomes privy to a seeming literary conspiracy, she must decide what to do in light of its truth – and decide what’s most important in her quest to become a professional writer.

Review
In this book I think Maisie drifts away from the Maisie we met in the previous books. This is book five in the A Little Hotel in Cornwall series and can be read as a standalone novel, but I would recommend reading the others to get the full gist of the characters and their stories.

Maisie is living the life of luxury after meeting the famous author Allie, who opens the doors to many different worlds and opportunities to her. Travel, luxury and more importantly very good contacts in the publishing world. People who can help her get a foot on the ladder when it comes to publishing her first novel.

It's part five of a chick-lit series which wanders into a more serious tone.

This is more a trip of self discovery, whereas the earlier books are charming and more romcom in substance, perhaps even purely a story about publishing a book. I miss the Maisie who was up for a challenge and happy to get involved in everyone's business. Kind, quirky and looking for fulfillment. This Maisie is obsessed to the point of everyone else, especially everyone at home, having to take third place. We see a more driven character, but not always in a good way.  And the story takes on a one-dimensional feel.

I thought Briggs made an interesting point about editing and changing your written work based on expert opinions. When major points are being changed is it still the story you wrote? If, aside from structural and technical edits, so much is changed by others that you don't recognise your story or the entire gist of it is now the idea that has sprung forth from someone else - is it really still your work?

Interesting points to make in a world full of opportunities for both traditional and indie published authors.

Buy A Train from Penzance to Paris at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publication date 8 April 2020. Buy at Amazon com.

Read my review of The Cornish Secret of Summer's Promise and A Wedding in Cornwall by Laura Briggs.

#PublicationDayPush The Cornish Secret of Summer's Promise by Laura Briggs

It's the Publication  Day Push for The Cornish Secret of Summer's Promise by Laura Briggs. It's the fourth book in A Little Hotel in Cornwall series.

Enter the Giveaway below  - 3 Winners to win a 'surprise' three-dimensional pop-up card & receive a digital copy of Book One, A Little Hotel in Cornwall. (Open INT)

About the Author
Laura Briggs is the author of several feel-good romance reads, including the Top 100 Amazon UK seller 'A Wedding in Cornwall'. She has a fondness for vintage style dresses (especially ones with polka dots), and reads everything from Jane Austen to modern day mysteries. When she's not writing, she enjoys spending time with family and friends, caring for her pets, gardening, and seeing the occasional movie or play.

Follow @PaperDollWrites on Twitter, on Facebook, on Goodreads, Visit paperdollwrites.blogspot.com, Buy The Cornish Secret of Summer's Promise

About the book
As spring slips away from the hotel Penmarrow, excitement builds for an exclusive auction hosted at the hotel, featuring priceless possessions from a Hollywood actress turned lady of the manor, including her famous diamonds. Celebrities and collectors form a crowd that is keeping Maisie and the rest of staff busy, even as Maisie faces a crossroads for her manuscript.

But when the diamonds are stolen and Sidney is accused by the authorities, Maisie's dilemma as a writer is pushed aside out of fear that his future in Port Hewer is in jeopardy. Desperation to prove that someone else is behind the theft will lead Maisie to uncover a very different secret outside of jewel thieves and village rumors ... one that could change her life and her future forever.

Can Maisie deal with the latest secrets exposed — including those that paint Sidney's past in a questionable light? And as summer's dawn alters her idyllic life in Cornwall, will Maisie's feelings for Sidney change as well?

Review
Although this is the fourth book in the A Little Hotel in Cornwall series, it can absolutely be read as a standalone book. I would recommend reading the others just for the joy of it. It will be easier to understand the eccentricity of some of the characters and the endearing nature of others.

The most relevant and ongoing relationship is that of Maisie and Sydney. The couple destined to be friends, and want to be more, but somehow people, things and the police keep getting in the way.

It has a sweet charm to it, especially the mystery part of the story. You still get the romantic moments between the couple doomed to be kept apart by circumstance and suspicion. It's a nicely balanced read that ventures out in different directions, which also means it widens any potential audience.

It's the Thomas Crown Affair done Cornwall style, with plenty of misdirection and mystery. However it also includes the big finger of blame being pointed directly at Sydney. Maisie believes in his innocence and is determined to find the real culprit, whilst others are all too eager to believe he is a master jewel thief.

It's a contemporary read, a story about romance, fulfilling your dreams and it's also a mystery. Briggs is stepping up the ideas as the series continues to grow. The characters have greater depth and the storylines are broadening out. I wonder where book fifth will take us?

Buy The Cornish Secret of Summer's Promise at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Buy at Amazon com.

Read my review of A Wedding in Cornwall by Laura Briggs.

Enter the Giveaway  - 3 Winners to win a 'surprise' three-dimensional pop-up card & receive a digital copy of Book One, A Little Hotel in Cornwall. (Open INT)

Each winner will receive a 'surprise' three-dimensional pop-up card handcrafted by an Etsy artist and bearing a clue about the next book in Laura Briggs’ Cornish romance series. The winners will also receive a digital copy of Book One, A Little Hotel in Cornwall.

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.*

#PublicationDayPush Christmas at Ladywell by Nicola Slade

Today it's the Publication Day Push for Christmas at Ladywell by Nicola Slade.

Enter the Giveaway below to Win a .mobi or PDF of The Convalescent Corpse by Nicola Slade (Open INT)

About the Author
Nicola Slade is an award-winning, bestselling author of historical and contemporary mysteries and romantic fiction, all set in and around Winchester and Romsey in Hampshire – which is where she lives. The House at Ladywell – a contemporary romantic novel with historical echoes – won the Chatelaine Grand Prize for Romantic Fiction at the CIBA awards in April 2019.

She is the author of the mid-Victorian Charlotte Richmond mysteries and the contemporary Harriet Quigley mysteries and The Convalescent Corpse, published November 2018, is the first in a new series, The Fyttleton Mysteries, set in 1918.

Follow @nicolasladeuk on Twitter, on Facebook, on Pinterest, on Goodreads, on Amazon, nicolaslade.com, nicolaslade.wordpress.com, Buy Christmas at Ladywell

About the book
A time for spilling secrets…

Having refurbished her inherited house and upcycled her whole life in the process, Freya – now happily married to Patrick, and with a small child –  has to transform her tiny stone barn into a romantic hideaway for a mystery guest who is also looking for change. With Christmas only a week away, things don’t go according to plan…

In the past old uncertainties are resolved when an elderly woman seeks the truth of a legend on Christmas Eve and confesses to a deception; a Tudor wife listens to a story that must never be repeated and is given a precious relic that must never be displayed; and in the early nineteenth century an old woman tells a younger one the story of the hares at Ladywell.

Past and present are only a whisper apart when Freya learns of an astonishing discovery that will make Ladywell famous, but meanwhile her house is full of unexpected visitors, she has a turkey to cook – and a very special secret of her own that must be told.

Review

This is a novella length read. If you want to find out how the main character in the present, Freya, found her way to Lady's Well then I suggest reading The House at Ladywell by Slade. Both can absolutely be read as standalone books though.

Perhaps it is wrong to say Freya is the main character, because that isn't really correct. The main character will always be Ladywell or the Lady's Well. The stories take place here - just in different periods of time and history. They are told mainly by the women who are empowered by the strength and earthly magic of Lady's Well.

Each one of them, and often also the men of the Wellman family, have a story to tell about survival and belief. How their resilience and determination to keep their family and Ladywell safe is the main factor throughout time.

It's magical realism and historical fiction combined with the story in the present. What's really intriguing is the way each snippet of the past constitutes its own story and all within the same setting. Then each tale and the characters are strengthened by the essence of faith or belief in the power of an almost ritualistic pagan magic. Be kind to the earth and creatures and that kindness will returned to you and yours tenfold. It's an important message in our day and age.

Slade takes an interesting element of earth or natural magic and the power of women, which is cemented in the soul and base of Mother Earth. It gives the story an aura of magic, but without wandering into the realm of magic.

Buy Christmas at Ladywell at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher: Crooked Cat Books; pub date 4 Nov. 2019. Buy at Amazon com.

Enter the Giveaway to Win a .mobi or PDF of The Convalescent Corpse by Nicola Slade (Open INT)

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*

#PublicationDayPush The Sentinel's Alliance by Suzanne Rogerson

It's Happy Publication Day for the third part in the Silent Sea Chronicles, The Sentinel's Alliance by Suzanne Rogerson. It's fantasy with a compelling plot and intriguing characters.

To celebrate publication day, all three books of the Silent Sea Chronicles series are 99p today! 

Buy The Lost Sentinel #1 Silent Sea Chronicles
Buy The Sentinel's Reign #2 Silent Sea Chronicles

About the Author
Suzanne lives in Middlesex, England with her hugely encouraging husband and two children.

She wrote her first novel at the age of twelve. She discovered the fantasy genre in her late teens and has never looked back. Giving up work to raise a family gave her the impetus to take her attempts at novel writing beyond the first draft, and she is lucky enough to have a husband who supports her dream - even if he does occasionally hint that she might think about getting a proper job one day.

Suzanne loves gardening and has a Hebe (shrub) fetish. She enjoys cooking with ingredients from the garden, and regularly feeds unsuspecting guests vegetable-based cakes.

She collects books, loves going for walks and picnics with the children and sharing with them her love of nature and photography.

Suzanne is interested in history and enjoys wandering around castles. But most of all she likes to escape with a great film, or soak in a hot bubble bath with an ice cream and a book.

Follow @rogersonsm on Twitter, on Facebook, on Goodreads, on Amazon, on Bookbub,
Visit suzannerogersonfantasyauthor.com
Buy The Sentinel's Alliance

About the book
Can new alliances save the islands of the Silent Sea from the murderers stalking their shores?

As the island of Kalaya and its people recover from civil war, a new threat surfaces. Invaders from the island of Elkena hunt the seas, butchering those who possess magic. Their scar-faced captain seeks the Fire Mage who it has been foretold will kill him and Tei and her people are in his warpath.

Tei and a band of Kalayans travel to Stone Haven, the home of their new allies, planning to restore magic to the dead island. But the Stone Haven Council have abhorred magic since their people were massacred by Elkenan invaders twenty years before. Commander Farrell must persuade his people to accept magic again, but his plans expose them to their biggest fear and he risks leading Tei and her people into danger, and jeopardising the safety of both their islands.

Under Farrell’s guidance treaties are forged, but is the newly formed Silent Sea Alliance enough to defeat the invaders and stop their bloodthirsty quest to destroy magic forever?

The Sentinel’s Alliance is the final book in the Silent Sea Chronicles trilogy.

Review
This is the third and final book in the Silent Sea Chronicles series. I recommend reading the other two books in the series to get the full background of the characters and the storyline.

In the first book the search is on for the new sentinel. In the second book the new sentinel has to prove their worth and establish themselves, which isn't an easy thing to do, because the Elders like everything to stay the same. In this third book the users of magic have to trust they are making the right choice for their people. Hate seems to be everywhere and fear of magick threatens their lives once more.

It's ironic that after all of the trials, deaths and tribulations Tei and her people have been through, they still aren't safe. After bringing the hatred in Kalaya to a halt they now find they have become a target for the Stone Haven people. Their hatred, mistrust and fear of magick, makes them an even bigger threat to magick users.

Rogerson puts a focus on the relationships, especially the romantic ones and bonds of friendship. The problems Callisa and Tei have to deal with, whilst the adventure and battles continue all around them. Tei is finally able to allow her true feelings to flourish and Callisa realises it is quite lonely at the top.

At the heart of the series is a group of people who are trying to survive the oppression and annihilation of their people. Magick is considered dangerous and not trustworthy. The only thing the Sentinel and her people want is to live in peace and safety. The question is whether it is possible.

It's fantasy with a compelling plot and intriguing characters. Rogerson threads an undercurrent of romance throughout the fantasy, which then invites readers of other genres in for a read.

Buy The Sentinel's Alliance, book 3 of Silent Sea Chronicles at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Buy at Amazon com.

Buy The Lost Sentinel, book 1 of Silent Sea Chronicles
Buy The Sentinel's Reign, book 2 of Silent Sea Chronicles

Read my review of The Lost Sentinel and The Sentinel's Reign.