KT Book Reviews

The Necklace Triolgy by Lisa Renee Jones

Get it on Amazon

Receiving the wrong delivery has somehow landed Allison a new yet temporary position at Hawk Legal. I am one of the lucky few that have been able to binge-read the entire trilogy from start to finish. All within a 24 hour period. I was absolutely consumed with this. So many different love stories are crafted together to form a mystery. Many of the different interactions and outcomes I did not see coming. I found so many aspects of this trilogy highly fixating. I literally couldn’t put it down. I finally finished at 2 AM. It goes to show Lisa Renee Jones has a knack for compelling storytelling. Those of you who have been in it since book one can revel in this last and final part of the trilogy. And those of you who haven’t had the pleasure... well, you’re lucky in my opinion. You get to do what I did and binge your through till the end.

~Tanja

*Thank you to author Lisa Renee Jones for sharing this series with me.

Book #1 What If I Never?

A necklace delivered to the wrong Allison: me. I'm the wrong Allison.
That misplaced gift places in a man in my path. A man who instantly consumes me and leads me down a path of dark secrets and intense passion.

Dash Black is a famous, bestselling author, but also a man born into wealth and power. He owns everything around him, every room he enters. He owns me the moment I meet him. He seduces me oh so easily and reveals another side of myself I dared not expose. Until him. Until this intense, wonderful, tormented man shows me another way to live and love. I melt when he kisses me. I shiver when he touches me. And I like when he's in control, especially when I thought I'd never allow anyone that much power over me ever again.

We are two broken people who are somehow whole when we are together, but those secrets—his, and yes, I have mine as well—threaten to shatter all that is right and make it wrong.

Book #2 Because I Can

To the world, Dash Black is famous, wealthy, wildly good-looking, and intriguing. To say that he came into my life and shook my world is an understatement. He looked into my eyes and I swear our souls connected, but then, I saw what no one else was ever allowed to see. I saw a complicated man with secrets, a man who hides behind a persona that tells only part of his story. And ultimately, I felt his pain and he felt mine. He told me I belonged with him. I believed I did. But in the book of life, the pages don't turn with a simple flip of a sheet of paper. In life, sometimes the page won't turn. Sometimes we discover that what is right is more terrifying than what is wrong.

I love Dash Black, but he terrifies me.

I believe he feels the same about me.

And I'm not sure where that leaves us or what comes next.

Book #3 When I Say Yes

I believe that there is one person in this world that can both break us and make us whole. One person who can love us more than life can hurt us. With this comes deep, intense passion, and a burning connection. But in turn, that person can destroy us, cut us, make us bleed in ways no other ever could. They have power over us.

For me, that one person is Dash Black.

He walked into my life in a rush of sunshine, in the darkness of heartache and uncertainty. We were broken apart, and whole together. He healed me. I believed I did the same for him. Until the past became the present, and every moment of suffering in his life consumed him. Instead of seeking refuge in me, he pushed me away. As the famous quote from an unknown author says, “If you love something, set it free. If it comes back, it’s yours; if it doesn’t, it never was.”

I've set Dash Black free. Now, I wait.

The Department of Rare Books and Special Collections by Eva Jurczyk

Releases Jan 25th ~ Get it on Amazon

https://amzn.to/36cVLK6

Thoughts...

The department of Rare Books and Special Collections is a whodunit "slouthed" by a close to retirement librarian. When big issues arise Nora finds herself, for some unexplainable reason, needing to discover the who, what, when, where, and how of a missing coworker, as well as, the missing tomes from the rare books and special collections department. While trying to discover what has happened to all of these things we learned a bit about her relationships with the people she works with, her relationship with her husband, and an underlying thread of mental illness within the lives of the people she is connected to. I found the overall feel of this book to be a bit sad and melancholy. Having said that, I enjoyed following along as Liesl uncovers the truth. I was very surprised by the final twist of this whodunit. For those in a book club, you’ll be happy to know there's a reading group question guide at the end as well as a lovely Q&A with the author.

~Tanja

From the Cover...
Midnight at the Bright Idea Bookstore meets The Bookshop of Yesterdays in a stunning debut following a librarian whose quiet life is turned upside down when a priceless manuscript goes missing. Soon she has to ask: what holds more secrets in the library—the ancient books shelved in the stacks, or the people who preserve them?

Liesl Weiss long ago learned to be content working behind the scenes in the distinguished rare books department of a large university, managing details and working behind the scenes to make the head of the department look good. But when her boss has a stroke and she's left to run things, she discovers that the library's most prized manuscript is missing.

Liesl tries to sound the alarm and inform the police about the missing priceless book, but is told repeatedly to keep quiet, to keep the doors open and the donors happy. But then a librarian unexpectedly stops showing up to work. Liesl must investigate both disappearances, unspooling her colleagues' pasts like the threads of a rare book binding as it becomes clear that someone in the department must be responsible for the theft. What Liesl discovers about the dusty manuscripts she has worked among for so long—and about the people who care for and revere them—shakes the very foundation on which she has built her life.

The Department of Rare Books and Special Collections is a sparkling book-club read about a woman struggling to step out from behind the shadows of powerful and unreliable men, and reveals the dark edge of obsession running through the most devoted bookworms.

*Thank you so much to Poison Pen and Sourcebooks for sharing this read with me.

Aunt Ivy's Cottage by Kristin Harper

Get it on Amazon

https://amzn.to/3fQFS0y

Originally published in December 2020, Aunt Ivy's Cottage is book two in the Dune Island Series. This time around Forever Publishing has changed up the cover art and this rerelease should also garner a few readers that missed it the first time around. I do love this type of sweet and comforting read.

~Tanja

From the Cover...

Up in the attic, with views across the sparkling bay, she opens the lid of the carved trunk. Carefully moving aside the delicate linen wedding dress once worn by her great-aunt, she unpacks all the smaller boxes inside until she finds the leather-bound diary. She knows this will change everything…
All Zoey’s happiest childhood memories are of her great-aunt Ivy’s rickety cottage on Dune Island, being spoiled with cranberry ice cream and watching the tides change from the rooftop. Now, heartbroken from a recent breakup, Zoey can see her elderly aunt’s spark is fading, and decides to move to the island so they can care for each other.

When she arrives to find her cousin, Mark, sitting at the solid oak kitchen table, she knows why Aunt Ivy hasn’t been herself. Because Mark—next in line to inherit the house—is pushing Ivy to move into a nursing home.

With the cousins clashing over what’s best for Ivy, Zoey is surprised when the local carpenter who’s working on Ivy’s cottage takes her side. As he offers Zoey comfort, the two grow close. Together, they make a discovery in the attic that links the family to the mysterious and reclusive local lighthouse keeper, and throws doubt on Mark’s claim…

Now Zoey has a heartbreaking choice to make. The discovery could keep Ivy in the house she’s loved her whole life… but can Zoey trust that the carpenter really has Ivy’s best interests at heart? And will dredging up an old secret destroy the peace and happiness of Ivy’s final years—and tear this family apart for good?

Must Love Books by Shauna Robinson

Releases Jan 18th ~ Get it on Amazon

https://amzn.to/3jII2Tg

Thoughts...

After five years in a dead-end job, Nora feels trapped and desperate. This is also part of question number one in the reading group guide at the end of Must Love Books by Shauna Robinson. She’s absolutely miserable and it oozes off the page just how much she hates her current job. Nora emphatically needs a change. She is uncomfortably wrapped up in herself and how she feels about where she works, what she’s doing, and who she’s working with. Nora's conflicted emotions bleed all over the page. What ends up happening is a journey of self-discovery. She figures out what she’ll do to maintain a job, as well as what her feelings and morals are. For me, it feels like a book-long letter of resignation. Not only from a job she hates but her mental state as well. I wanted to give this character a hug.

~Tanja

From the Cover...
The Bookish Life of Nina Hill meets Younger in a heartfelt debut following a young woman who discovers she'll have to ditch the "dream job" and write her own story to find her happy ending.

Meet Nora Hughes―the overworked, underpaid, last bookish assistant standing. At least for now.

When Nora landed an editorial assistant position at Parsons Press, it was her first step towards The Dream Job. Because, honestly, is there anything dreamier than making books for a living? But after five years of lunch orders, finicky authors, and per my last emails, Nora has come to one grand conclusion: Dream Jobs do not exist.

With her life spiraling and the Parsons staff sinking, Nora gets hit with even worse news. Parson's is cutting her already unlivable salary. Unable to afford her rent and without even the novels she once loved as a comfort, Nora decides to moonlight for a rival publisher to make ends meet...and maybe poach some Parson's authors along the way.

But when Andrew Santos, a bestselling Parsons author no one can afford to lose is thrown into the mix, Nora has to decide where her loyalties lie. Her new Dream Job, ever-optimistic Andrew, or...herself and her future.

Your next book club read touching on mental health, happiness, and the peaks and perils of being a young woman just trying to figure it all out. Nora Hughes is the perfect heroine for anyone looking to get past their own chapter twenty-something and build their storybook life.

*Thank you to Sourcebooks Landmark for sharing this title with me.

The Lilac House byBarbara Josselsohn

Out Now ~ Get it on Amazon

https://amzn.to/3qqQeuq

The Lilac House is the story of personal revival for Anna Harris after the death of her husband. Getting back to her roots so she can grow new branches. It's a sweet yet melancholy read.

~Tanja

Summer brought Anna and Aidan together, but can she finally let go of the past for a chance at a new beginning?

Lilac House has always been a source of comfort for Anna Harris. Though things will never be the same since her husband’s death, she knows the cottage, nestled in Lake Summers in the heart of the Adirondack Mountains, will be the perfect place for her and her two children to build a new life.

The house is just as beautiful as Anna remembers, and soon she’s caught up in the rhythm of small-town life, helping her Aunt Hope run the little shop on Main Street and beginning to finally feel like herself again. Then she meets Aidan. Handsome, strong and quiet, he also knows what it’s like to lose someone. In each other they recognize something they’ve both been missing…and a spark of undeniable attraction.

But Aidan’s past holds a different set of complications. He’s hiding a secret about why he came to Lake Summers. And just as the Lilac House starts to feel like home, Anna learns something devastating about her husband’s death that will make her question everything she’s always known to be true.

*Thanks so much to Forever Publishing for sharing this title with me.

The Holiday Plan by Emma Lynden

From one of the freshest new voices in clean and wholesome romantic fiction, The Holiday Plan is the perfect escape for fans of Courtney Walsh, Annie Rains, and Debbie Mason.

Native New Yorker and author Verona Scott is battling heartbreak, both personally and professionally. Coming off a disastrous split with her ex, she’s struggling for inspiration to write her next book. And she’s lost without her favorite Aunt Theoni’s wisdom and guidance.

Hoping for a fresh start and to avoid the holiday completely, she’s planned a Valentine’s detox: a luxurious trip alone to the historic Courtington Castle hotel, near the adorably quaint town of Camelot Creek, tucked into a picturesque valley in the Adirondacks.

But escaping the heart-shaped balloons and red roses isn’t as easy as she thought.

This won’t be the restful retreat she’d imagined. Instead, she’s just walked into one of the biggest matchmaking events of the year. Not to mention, the incredibly attractive single dad and dating coach Troy Turner is heading the whole thing up, and he’s on a mission to include Verona in the festivities.

Troy is in the midst of a professional crisis of his own. After a bit of unfounded bad press, the very last thing he needs is a guest to cast doubt in the minds of his attendees.

Will Troy change Verona’s mind about the most romantic day of the year? Just when sparks begin to fly, an unexpected visitor checks into the castle, stirring up the past. No matter what, for Verona, Valentine’s Day is the day where everything changes.

A heartwarming, sweet romance that will whisk you away to a magical winter wonderland, and have you reaching for the hot cocoa and box of chocolates long after the holidays.

Author Bio

Growing up, you could always spot Emma Lynden with her nose in a book, drawn towards uplifting fiction full of hope and heart, and frequently imagining stories of her own. It was then that her dream of becoming a writer first took root.

But it wasn’t until years later, when a close friend chanced to remark, “I bet you could write a really nice romance,” that those long-tucked-away dreams finally found the direction they’d been destined for.

Our friends know us best, don’t they?

After a stretch of late nights, a whole lot of scribbling, and the spark of a holiday surprise, she penned “The End” on her debut novel… and so this adventure began.

When she’s not clicking away at her keyboard spinning heartwarming stories about family, friendship, and finding true love, you can usually catch Emma soaking up the sunshine (or snowfalls) outdoors, capturing the beauty of everyday life behind her camera lens, or cozily curled up with her first passion—reading—a hot mug of something sweet in one hand and the promise of a happily-ever-after in the other.

Always Practice Safe Hex ~ Cover Reveal

Hey All! you know what they say-- ALWAYS PRACTICE SAFE HEX, you never know what will happen when you don't!

Amazon link: https://amzn.to/3GQhms4

Livvy Savoie is a people person. Not only does she have the magical gift of persuasion, but her natural charisma charms everyone she meets. She hasn’t met a person she didn’t like. Until her annoyingly brilliant competitor walks through the door. No matter how hard she denies it, loathing isn’t the only emotion she feels for him.

Grim reaper Gareth Blackwater is rarely, if ever, moved beyond his broody, stoic state. But the witch he’s partnered with in the public relations contest is destroying his peace of mind. He’s convinced that the flesh-melting attraction he feels for her is merely her witchy magic at work.

But forced proximity proves there is more than magic sparking between them. Livvy learns this enigmatic grim’s abilities are beyond any supernatural she has ever known. And when Livvy becomes the obsessive target of a dangerous wizard, Gareth proves just how powerful he truly is. Because no one is going to hurt his Lavinia.

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