Canvassing and Under The Mask- A Superhero Romance!

I received an ARC of this new release in exchange for an honest review. Under The Mask by Lisabel Chretien is a nice twist on the romance subgenres of police romance and paranormal romance. In this book, Claire is a New York EMT who has dreamt of being a superhero. In this universe, superheroes came out of the shadows during the prohibition era to help fight crime. 

Claire doesn't have superpowers, but due to some events, she comes to the attention of a supervillain and needs protection. I don't want to say too much and spoil you. This is a second-chance romance. The heat level is low, basically on par with what you would see if this was a primetime TV show. 
I enjoyed the romance and the action of the book. If you typically read paranormal romance I think this book is a good fit. Plus this is a standalone book. So it's like Nalini Singh's Psy Changeling series, each book will have a different couple. Which is nice! 

Under The Mask has characters you'll enjoy spending time with, is a fast read, and for me, it was a five star read! 

You can get it here: https://a.co/d/fo7fEZQ

Tomorrow I'll be canvassing again for a local candidate who is running to be my state representative in Springfield, IL. Temps are supposed to be in the low 50s (12 degrees Celsius). This is great weather for February weather in Chicagoland so I will take it. I hope the time goes fast and that the people are friendly! 

We have 27 days until our Illinois primary--will it snow between now and then? Yes, I'm sure it will!

 

The Sunday Post Finally Turned a Corner

 

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 

On Tuesday, I was still feeling crummy and coughing way too much, but I did get some sleep. Wednesday my symptoms diminished by like eighty percent. I don't know why, but thank goodness!  By Thursday I was feeling so much better I could not believe it. I hope you had a nice Valentine's Day. We didn't do much of anything. 

This week I'll be sharing reviews for a couple of new releases and a book I read before I got sick. 

I'm also excited that on Tuesday,  Will Trent is back on TV. Yay! I've been waiting!  

I've been sick the whole month so far! Rude! #TheSundayPost

 

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  

I have spent this month with a miserable sinus infection. The worst is at night when I am coughing, coughing, coughing. It's still pretty bad but not as bad as last week, so I guess I'm getting better. I have done all the things you are supposed to do to alleviate symptoms. One problem I have is that I can't take any decongestant stuff because it causes me to have restless legs. 

The other day my No Gouda Without You author copies arrived and I've been exhausted and sick to do an unboxing video! A total bummer!

I didn't have the energy or attention span to read or blog. I did manage to work on writing my second book, that's about all I could manage. My manuscript is due to my editor on March 2nd, so that was my motivator. 

How are you doing? I hope you have not been sick!  My fingers and toes are crossed that I start feeling better each day this week. I've got books to share here and I'd like to have the energy to read! 

Wishing you a wonderful Valentine's Day! 

The Sunday Post Closing Out January

 

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  

This week our weather took a turn for the warmer and that caused me to have a terrible sinus headache that has turned into sinusitis. The turn for the worse happened Friday night so I guess the upside is I have the weekend to relax. However, my plan for the weekend was to work on writing my second book! Yesterday I was smart enough to recognize there was no point in trying to write and I laid in bed most of the day. 

Today, as you can see, I am feeling good enough to sit in bed and write. My goal for today is two thousand words. Wish me luck!

How are you doing? Any fun plans for the upcoming week?  

I'm currently finishing reading Cat Sloan Is Swirling. I'm planning to blog about that on Friday. Tomorrow I'll be blogging about Last Night by Luanne Rice. 

In The Depths of Winter, What You Need is a Cozy Fantasy Read!

 

Life got you down? Are you in a reading slump? Do you need cozy comfort in your life?  Buy or borrow this cozy sapphic fantasy book by Marissa Serrao. This book's vibe reminded me of Legends and Lattes. It may not be officially a category, but this book is a cozy fantasy. There is a unique and lovely world populated with a diverse group of Fae. The story is the hero's journey taken by a half-demon/half-satyr who finds her better half along the way. 

In my experience, most often a fantasy book means a cliffhanger and a second book. Between Mischief & Magic is a stand-alone. The baddies are vanquished and our couple gets their happily-ever-after. 

5 stars for all the cozy goodness!

*****

This week I officially became a published author. I really don't feel like one yet. My brain says, write book two then I'll consider you a real author. Aren't brains weird?  I hope you are having a nice week!  I just finished a domestic thriller and I started reading Cat Sloan is Swirling. I'm also listening to Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone.  

Small Town Romance from Donna R. Madden You Are Enough

He's a modern-day rake. Wealthy, owner of motorcycles, cars, and horses. He has his own place on the family's palatial estate. Women love him and he enjoys all they have to offer. 

Then he meets Leila, a young single mom who is living in her father's basement. She's trying to start a new life with her baby Skylar, the last thing she needs is a man like Adler.

Or does she???? 

Donna R. Madden's fourth book in this small-town romance series is out today! If you like small-town vibes and some of the feels of regency romance, check this book out. If you love reading single-parent romances, you have to check this out! As you read, you may want to know more about some of the couples mentioned and the good news is that there are 3 other books in the series ready for you to enjoy!

This is a stand-alone, guaranteed HEA story of two people who need to decide if they are enough for each other.  

5 stars for You Are Enough

 

Book Release Day! No Gouda Without You by Me!

No Gouda Without You is officially available! It's a Kindle unlimited book so you can download it and check it out via your subscription!  It's also available as a Kindle for under $4 and you can also get it as a paperback! I'm nervous and excited! 

My goal was a book that was filled with Hallmark Vibes and showed life after cancer for someone who had cancer young  (ish). It's the first book in my small town romance series and I am having fun working on book two right now! 

Here is the Amazon link and the book's description below! 

https://a.co/d/hjCZL2W

She survived cancer. Can she survive risking her heart?

Having survived cancer, Nicole Garrett is determined to take care of herself by eating well, exercising, and avoiding stress. She’s got a stable job, good friends, and her own house, and that’s enough for her. Most importantly, Nicole isn’t going to take any risks that could leave her heartbroken again. But when she meets a handsome chef with the cutest dimples she’s ever seen, she begins to question if playing it safe is still working for her.

Sean Harper is the optimistic chef and owner of Jesse’s Pub. After two years of constant devotion, his restaurant is hitting its stride. He’s put every dollar and every hour he’s had into making it a success. Beyond the now positive balance sheet, it’s a way for him to distance himself from his own broken family, who’ve never seen his worth. Then one Sunday, he meets the attractive woman who dismisses his omelet culinary masterpiece, and he can't get her out of his mind, so much so that he starts questioning if he can make room for her in his kitchen.

She’s got plenty of reasons to be grumpy, and, frankly, relationships with men never end well for her, especially given the wounds she’s still healing from. Even though sparks fly between Nicole and Sean, he only has time for his farm-to-table restaurant. If he’s willing to change his view of marriage, can he convince her to open her heart and trust him in return?

No Gouda Without You is a small-town, life after cancer, grumpy-sunshine, steamy romance, featuring a chef who loves a good food pun and a school secretary who’s just trying to survive. Part of the Marley Creek Romance Series, this standalone story includes adventures at a local brewery, Hallmark movie vibes, and a guaranteed HEA. 

The Sunday Post- Not Sure How That Happened

 

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  

I wrote and published a whole Sunday post yesterday and then today I made a post for Tuesday and then I somehow managed to overwrite that post and accidentally post my Tuesday post this afternoon. Whoopsy. 

How was your week?  It was cold here and we had some more snow but not a bunch. This coming week it's supposed to be above freezing and I'm happy about that because on Tuesday I'm medically cleared to run again. Obviously, I'll need there to be snow and ice-free sidewalks. 

I've got two of my posts for this week done, one is for my own book release, No Gouda Without You, and another new release You Are Enough that will be out on Thursday. I also finished reading Between Mischief and Magic and I'll review that either Friday or Saturday. 

Have a great week! 

What A Week! Happy Friday!

 

School was closed on Tuesday due to below zero temperatures and wind chills. This was very handy as I got to spend more time correcting typos and other errors in my book. I went through my manuscript four times this week! It was mentally exhausting, I much prefer drafting the story to looking for mistakes.

My stress level was also eleven on a scale of ten because I had a potential cancer recurrence scare and the appointment I had for Monday was rescheduled to Wednesday. I'm so happy to say I was able to have an ultrasound and nothing is wrong! I could have used a Xanax to get through Tuesday and Wednesday morning. I had some terrible sleep!  

I am almost done reading an ARC of  Donna R. Madden's upcoming release You Are Enough.  The book comes out next week and I'll be doing a blog post on its release day (January 25th). I am also over halfway through reading Between Mischief and Magic.  I'm really enjoying the mysterious world of the book and can't wait to see how it ends.  

Amazon First Read - Thriller with Magical Realism

 Today at my house we all have the day off.  My husband works from home and he is terrible about actually taking time off, so we will see if he goes ahead and logs a few hours of work. It's below zero here so I'm not going to be doing my but staying home today. My big excitement for today is to sign up for my local library's Winter Reading Challenge!  I want to win a fun prize!  A few years ago I won a Fitbit, which was an excellent reward for doing something I love to do. 

Do you have a local library? Do they do reading challenges?  

For January you can get two Amazon First books if you are a Prime member. I chose Almost Surely Dead as one of my choices.  In the book, we follow our unreliable narrator and try to figure out who is trying to kill her and why. There are supernatural elements that reveal themselves as it goes along. Dunia is the main character and her family is from Pakistan and they are Muslim. She isn't a practicing Muslim and is very disconnected from her heritage--but in the book, her heritage is key to the plot.

It's a fast-paced book and I enjoyed it.  I did have a few wait what? moments toward the end regarding a couple of developments in the story. Overall it was a decent read from a new author and I would consider reading another book from her.  Four Stars!