A Taste of Summer

 

The last few days we've enjoyed summer weather. It's been bittersweet knowing the sun and the warm temperatures aren't here to stay. Tonight we'll be getting storms and then we'll be back to traditional April weather, mid-50s (low 10s if you do Celsius) and more rainy days. The trees are blooming and in a few weeks it will be May and I can start planting outside. 

Tomorrow I head up North for the Chicago North Romance Writer's Spring Fling. I'm excited and look forward to learning lots from the presentations, doing my best as a volunteer, and hopefully I'll exceed my goal to sell three books at the book signing. Yes three does sound like a very low goal but it's my first signing, and I've only written one book. 

Life has been busy, I swear I spend several hours a day cooking and doing laundry! I've been reading Kelly Reynold's new baseball romance Hit It and Quit It. I'd have it finished by now if I had more time to read!  So far, it is a delightful book and about as sporty as I get. My jam isn't sports romances, but I enjoy Kelly's writing and I like baseball better than most sports. 

Here is the tag line for the book: Bull Durham meets Ted Lasso (with a hint of the Savannah Bananas) in this opposites attract, baseball romcom set in smalltown Oregon.

How about you? Do you read sport romance?  Do you follow any sports? 

Last Night By Luane Rice and My Brother's Restuarant

 Happy Monday! In my neck of the woods, we are enjoying some summer weather! Today, I'm sharing a quick review of the recent release Last Night by Luane Rice. I picked up this book when it was free to me as a Prime First Read.  I chose Last Night because it said it was a domestic thriller. 

When I was deciding on my First Read, I didn't have my glasses on and I mistakenly thought the hotel on the cover was a government building, I thought domestic thriller meant it was a political thriller about a domestic issue.  I greatly enjoy political thrillers. Domestic thrillers are typically about romantic relationships gone bad and are fine but not what I seek out to read.

If you enjoy domestic thrillers, this book works as a stand-alone book. If you read it and enjoy it there are other books in the series. The book has child kidnapping, it's handled well, but child kidnapping is something I don't really want to read. 

Overall it's well-written, and has a positive conclusion and I rate it four stars because of those factors. If you enjoy domestic thrillers this is likely going to be a five-star review for you. If anyone has any recommendations for a political thriller, please let me know because I'm in the mood for one of those!

Recently, Anne of  Books Are My Heart, commented that she'd like to know more about my brother's restaurant. It's located in a tiny town right over the border of Georgia in Hayesville, North Carolina. It's called Epic Catering and Eatery. As the name implies they do catering in the area. The restaurant is open Wednesday through Sunday from ten a.m. to two p.m. and they do dinner several nights a week. You can follow them on Instagram to see all the delicious food pictures. It's very vegetarian and vegan-friendly. They are located two hours south of Asheville. Most of their food is locally sourced, for example their beef comes from a local farm. They also have a bar where local musicians play on the weekend. Don't plan to be on your phone if you go there, they don't have wi-fi! 

Exciting Happenings This Week! The Sunday Post

The Sunday Post is a blog news meme hosted here @ Caffeinated Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog and showcase books and things we have received. Share news about what is coming up on your blog for the week ahead. Join in weekly, bi-weekly, or for a monthly wrap-up. See rules here: Sunday Post Meme 

Tonight I'm a guest host on the podcast Christmas Countdown! Exciting! I've been listening to the podcast since it started and now I get to be on an episode sharing my top five favorite (recent) Christmas movies!  Do you listen to podcasts?  If you like Christmas, you must check out the five-star goodness of Christmas Countdown! 

https://christmascountdownshow.com/

And then later this week I'll be attending the Chicago North Romance Writer's Spring Fling. I'm volunteering and I've been assigned to be a moderator for two different panels! I'm more nervous about that than the podcast. I don't want to mess up a panel! Fingers crossed that it goes smoothly! And then on Saturday, as I mentioned previously I'll be doing my first author signing. Amazing, it feels surreal! If you had told me a year ago I'd be writing a series of romance books, I wouldn't have believed you.

Speaking of books, I'm happy to share the cover for my second book in the Marley Creek Romance Series! 

Coming out 4//30/2024!  You can pre-order it now here: https://a.co/d/39I9z4x

Stay tuned for Tomorrow's blog where I will talk about my brother's North Carolina restaurant and the book Last Night by Luanne Rice. 

Is a Bunch of Brothers A Micro Trope?

 One thing it's safe to say about romance readers is that we demand a HEA (or HFN) and we love our tropes! I enjoy when the woman is grumpy and the man is full of sunshine. I love found family. And when it's a romantic fantasy AKA romantasy these days, then I love enemies to lovers.  

Recently I read Buttercup and the Beard a spicy small-town romance that takes place in the mountains and introduces a character (the Beard in the title) who has 5 handsome burly brothers. The book got me to thinking, is that a micro trope?  I say yes. What do you think?

Buttercup and the Beard  is a novella and is the first book in the Everette Series by Alina Lane. Here is a link to the book on Amazon: Buttercup and the Beard.  Alina Lane has a unique and fun voice to her writing, if you check out the series let me know what you think! The first book has our couple snowed in and...opps there's only one bed! 

I found this book to be a nice easy read, and I did keep turning the pages because even thought I knew, I knew our couple was going to have a HEA, I had to know how they were going to get there! 

4 Stars!

Next week I'm going to be at the Chicago North Romance Writers Spring Fling Conference. I'm very excited! My first conference! I'm volunteering, I've got a list of presentations I'm planning to attend, and I'm one of the signing authors! If you are in Chicagoland you can come to the free signing on Saturday!  Look at all the amazing authors whose company I'll be in! 

Neon Gods and Local Bookstores

 

Have you read this book? It's very spicy! I picked it up at my local bookstore, Love's Sweet Arrow. I'm very lucky not only to have a local bookstore but one that is a romance bookstore! This month one of the bookstore's book clubs is reading this book, and I am excited to go and be part of the discussion when the book club meets later this month! 

Neon Gods has over two hundred thousand reviews on Goodreads! Amazing, clearly this has been a very popular book. If you ask me, part of the reason why this is popular is not because there is a sex dungeon, but because it's a great update to the ancient story of Persephone and Hades. I read a physical copy of the book and it took me about four sittings to read it. I liked the world enough that I was ready to go straight from this book to the next book in the series. I loved that in this story, Hades isn't described as very handsome but not tall or particularly imposing, even though he is Hades. Most importantly for me, in this story, Persephone isn't kidnapped by Hades. I like this version better. 

Have you read this book? What did you think?

A Good Slow Burn and Lollapalooza

The kids were all home for Easter and we got to talking about concerts my daughter said she really wanted to go to Lollapalooza, and she specifically said she wanted to go on Thursday or Friday. I thought about it and I offered to get a couple tickets if she wanted to go with me. She picked Thursday! So I'll be going to Lollapalooza for one day this year! I love music and nothing beats an outdoor concert in Chicago on a summer day. 

Ten years ago I was at Lolla and I saw this one guy who was on a side stage first thing in the morning.  It was one of those shows where you know the musician is going to be huge. The kind of show where you get goosebumps. That musician was Hozier, and this year he's a headliner for Thursday night. Sure I'll be one of the oldest people in the crowd, but life is short!

Beneath The Lies by Sara Talley is a long slow burn featuring Violet and Colson who are two college-age kids from different backgrounds. This book reminded me of the TV show the OC.  If you like longer romance books, you are in for a treat this is a 400-plus page book, so lots of time for the embers to glow before the fire and lots of time to spend with the couple. This was a 4-star reading for me!

Below is the description of the book from Goodreads so you can check out the theme of the book and some of the content warnings.  

Colson

After my addict mother steals most of my savings, I move into my cousin’s college apartment, knowing it’ll keep everyone out of my business with Harrison Height’s most known drug dealer.

However, when I stumble into the wrong bathroom during a party, it doesn’t take me long to realize that Violet is all the good I’ve never had in my life. As much as wanting her consumes me, I can’t let myself have her. Not when I’m buried beneath a life that would show her just how much we don’t belong.

Violet

After the worst summer of my life, I return to Chatham U closed off. My focus is on my classes, my job at the daycare, and trying my best to ignore how my friends and I are growing apart.

Then there’s the new guy in our friend group who I’m drawn to despite our unconventional meeting. He’s gorgeous, mysterious, and…completely closed off.

Somehow he sees more than I want him to. It’s obvious he’s hiding something, but I also know that whatever it is, he needs me. Maybe more than I need him.

Beneath the Lies is a full-length new adult, college romance with hints of corruption, binge-worthy drama, and slow-burn angst. It is the first book in the Complicated Truths Duet. Recommended for 18+. TW: Corruption, drug use/addiction, sexually explicit scenes, strong language, violence (incl. body mutilation).

442 pages, Paperback

The Sunday Post! Problem Solved!

  

The Sunday Post is a blog news meme hosted here @ Caffeinated Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog and showcase books and things we have received. Share news about what is coming up on your blog for the week ahead. Join in weekly, bi-weekly, or for a monthly wrap-up. See rules here: Sunday Post Meme 

When I tried to check out my blog today, I got redirected to a spammy site. Fortunately, I was still able to access the back end of my blog. One of the widgets on my blog was causing a major problem.  I am glad I was able to delete most of the widgets and solve the problem. I've had this blog for so long, I'd be really sad if it just up and went away.

This week we get two days off of school for Eid, the celebration at the end of Ramadan. It's like getting Christmas Eve and Christmas Day off. I'm planning to use it to make a concerted effort to catch up on blog posts and reviews. Last week I was in North Georgia visiting my parents and unfortunately, the husband came down with a cold during the trip which took most of the fun out of it. At least it wasn't Covid or Strep, I would hate to have brought that to my parents!  

We are going back with the whole family in August for my dad's 80th birthday. To be on the safe side, I think Tom should take Emergen-C and a daily allergy pill since the last two times we've visited the mountains of Georgia, he's gotten sick! 

How was your week?  Read any good books lately? I'm currently finishing a new novella Buttercup and the Beard  by Alina Lane. On the TV I've been watching the new Shogun and last night started watching Sugar on Apple TV. Both shows are fantastic and I highly recommend you watch them! 

Here are a couple pictures from the mountains:

And a picture of the lunch I had at my brother's restaurant:

The Sunday Post--Happy St. Patrick's Day!

 

The Sunday Post is a blog news meme hosted here @ Caffeinated Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog and showcase books and things we have received. Share news about what is coming up on your blog for the week ahead. Join in weekly, bi-weekly, or for a monthly wrap-up. See rules here: Sunday Post Meme 

Here in Chicagoland, St. Patrick's Day is a big deal. There have been parades and celebrations since the first weekend in March. I'll be spending the day selling Tastefully Simple at a craft show. I hope people still come out to the craft show. You see, the South Side Irish Parade is always the Sunday closest to St. Patrick's Day, and this year that means the parade is on St. Patrick's Day.  It's a big deal around here. Last year me and the husband walked in the parade with our Congressman. 
How about you, do you have plans for St. Patrick's Day? 

*****

In book news,   Do you all want to see the new book cover for my book? What do you think? 

I'm excited to say I'm up to 16 reviews on Amazon! Want to check it out or add it to your wish list? Here is the link: https://a.co/d/7Usna3U

Have you been reading? I'm currenty reading these books:

Nikki Payne Writes the Best Contemporary Jane Austen Adaptations

 A nice chaser to this book is to treat yourself with an evening watching the new Hallmark Channel Sense & Sensibility.

If you enjoy Jane Austen's retellings, you can't go wrong with this book. I really like that the store focuses on Nora and Ennis.  They are the POV characters in this version. Personally, for reasons unknown, I always enjoy a book set in Maine, and this book is no exception! 

I listened to the audio version of this book and the readers are outstanding. If you like audiobooks, go ahead and get that version of this book! You won't be disappointed. I don't want to spoil this book for you, of course, can you really spoil a retelling? The major plot points are all there. In this book, there is a scene involving condoms and it is such a good scene. I won't forget it, and frankly, I forget so much of what I read! (like character names). 

For me, this was a 5-star book. The characters are well written,  Nikki Payne really puts them through the wringer and I really thought all hope was lost! 

Less than a week until our Illinois Primary! Here is a sunset photo from Monday's canvassing. The time change means it wasn't pitch black when I got done at seven p.m. 

Taken by Eveline Rose

 

Happy Monday! I have a jampacked week to kick off daylight savings time. This is the last week before our primary election in Illinois, and I'll be canvassing today, Thursday, and Friday. Tonight is the monthly Chicago North Romance Writer's group meeting. Wednesday, I'm the host for our local business group meeting. That means on Tuesday I need to cook for the meeting on Wednesday since I sell Tastefully Simple, I'm in charge of the eats. 

Saturday and Sunday I'm doing local craft fairs. We will see how Sunday goes, the craft fair might be empty because many people in my area go to the South Side Irish Parade. It's a big deal and this year it's on St. Patrick's Day. 

I just finished reading Eveline Rose's debut book Taken.  This is the first book in her new series, categorized by Amazon as police romance. If you want to get technical about things, it's a private security romance and is whole-heartedly romantic suspense. It deals with some heavy trauma, so check out the content warning. Taken is a romantic suspense that takes place in a small town.  If you like small-town romance, this might be a nice crossover if you are looking for a crossover book. 

I enjoyed the story and getting introduced to Sheppard & Sons Investigations. Here is the blurb for the book: 

Can their love be real if her name and background are fake?

Meg ~
… Released on parole… Those three words sent me looking for a new town, but I never expected Weatherford, Texas to feel like home. I was getting mom-vibes from my boss and sexy looks from my boss’s son. I was making friends and learning what it felt like to be in a real family, but with every step closer to love and happiness, I risked cracking my mask and revealing my secrets. I wouldn’t repay the Sheppard family’s kindness by endangering their lives.

Jack ~
The second my eyes connected with Meg’s, I knew she was meant to be mine. I also knew she was hiding something. Lucky for her, I spent my entire life being raised, trained, and conditioned to protect. Meg would share when she was ready, and I was patient enough to wait, but I didn't have to. Being a PI made it easy to find out the truth for myself. I was determined to uncover the threat against her and keep her safe.

When Meg learns about his snooping, the betrayal sends her running… right into the duct-tape wielding hands of her worst nightmare. Can Jack reach her in time, or will she have to save herself? More importantly, is their love strong enough to overcome the lies?

This standalone, first in series, slow burn, small town, romantic suspense features an overprotective man and a woman with a hidden identity. They'll get their HEA, but only after redefining what it means to love. The intense action, and Meg's horrifying past, may not be for everyone. Use Read Sample to check the copyright page for details.

Here is the Amazon Link for Taken