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Showing posts from April, 2023

Amazing Gracie by Laura Drake

I spent the last 20% of this book gripping the pages and emptying out my tissue box. One of the most thoughtful authors in women’s fiction today Laura Drake has created a beautiful story that not only represents but honors female veterans as well as their struggles with PTSD. As someone who grew up in the military, briefly served, and is a proud spouse to a veteran, who served over 20 years, I am well acquainted with the mental health struggles of our servicemen and women. What I can honestly tell you is women veterans tend to be overlooked by the general public. We’re conditioned to think only men serve, but that is 100% wrong. Not only is Amazing Gracie a story of a broken family and the struggles to get better, do better, and be better. It’s a story of loss, survivor's guilt, overcoming that guilt, and doing your best to remain on this planet and be present for those you love. Thank you, Laura, for the representation, and your commitment to the craft of telling a true and thou

Madam Alana by Audrey Carlan

  “You are Alana Toussaint. My wife. My heart.  My muse. I will accept no less.” Madam Alana, an all-new steamy and swoon-filled Marriage Auction novella from #1 New York Times bestselling author Audrey Carlan is available now! From New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Audrey Carlan comes a new story in her Marriage Auction series… I run the most elite auction in the world. Candidates and bidders come from all over the globe hoping to change their lives. And I deliver. I’m in the business of bringing couples together in a mutually beneficial and legally binding marriage. The terms are three years for no less than a million dollars a year, not including my commission. Once a pair signs on the dotted line, the contract ensures there is no going back. Most couples find over time they are a love match, but not all. Before I took over The Marriage Auction, there wasn’t an extensive vetting process. Some candidates were subjected to horrors that haunt my every waking moment. I

Deep Tide by Laura Griffin

A stunning example of suspense and romance. Laura Griffin has gifted us a stellar addition to her Texas Murder Files series. The art of the procedural is clearly defined by the magic, Griffin exhibits when putting pen to paper. What more can I say? It’s top-notch escapism. ~Tanja Releases April 25th ~ Get it on Amazon https://amzn.to/3BMre5P From the Cover... An undercover FBI agent and an independent coffee shop owner must team up when a local barista is found dead and danger circles their coastal Texas town in this new romantic thriller from New York Times bestselling author Laura Griffin. With two brothers on the police force, Leyla Breda is well aware of the rising crime in her small beach town, but she never expected it to show up on her doorstep. When Leyla finds one of her employees murdered in the alley behind her coffee shop, she’s deeply shaken, and as a new law enforcement officer in town begins to circle her place of business, her instincts only sharpen. Sean Moran is on

Juniper & Thorn by Ava Reid

  Out Now in Kindle -  https://amzn.to/3nVRua7 Releases in Paperback April 25th ~  https://amzn.to/3nYSudt From the Cover... A gruesome curse. A city in upheaval. A monster with unquenchable appetites. Marlinchen and her two sisters live with their wizard father in a city shifting from magic to industry. As Oblya’s last true witches, she and her sisters are little more than a tourist trap as they treat their clients with archaic remedies and beguile them with nostalgic charm. Marlinchen spends her days divining secrets in exchange for rubles and trying to placate her tyrannical, xenophobic father, who keeps his daughters sequestered from the outside world. But at night, Marlinchen and her sisters sneak out to enjoy the city’s amenities and revel in its thrills, particularly the recently established ballet theater, where Marlinchen meets a dancer who quickly captures her heart. As Marlinchen’s late-night trysts grow more fervent and frequent, so does the threat of her father’s rage and

Honey, Baby, Mine by Laura Dern and Diane Ladd

A beautiful conversation between a mother and daughter. I love this idea of interviewing your mother. Asking all the questions and being willing to listen and understand the answers given. Bold, brave, and honest. What a lovely tribute to family and the relationship of women. ~Tanja Buy it on Amazon https://amzn.to/3zUe2uz From the Cover... A collection of deeply personal conversations from award-winning actress and activist Laura Dern and the woman she admires most, her mother—legendary actress Diane Ladd. What happens when we are brave enough to speak our truths to the ones we love the most? Laura Dern and Diane Ladd always had a close relationship, but the stakes were raised when Diane developed a sudden life-threatening illness. Diane’s doctor prescribed long walks to build back her lung capacity. The exertion was challenging, and Laura soon learned the best way to distract her mom was to get her talking and telling stories. Their conversations along the way began to break down t

Lassiter by J.R. Ward

Stunned silence was my immediate reaction after closing the book, Lassiter. I've sat and pondered how I would write this review for days now. I don't think I've been this emotional reading a book from my beloved series in years. Not since Z's book. And I didn't think anything could be more heartwrenching than Darius, but boy oh boy was I wrong. The angst kept creeping in from chapter to chapter. A build-up of uncertainty that led to an ending I never saw coming. I'm left eviscerated by what has transpired and anticipating on bated breath for the next book in the series. GEEZUS, this is a good book! Make sure you have uninterrupted time for reading and an exceptionally large box of Kleenex. ~Tanja P.S. Those who attended ROR this past year are in for a treat IYKYK 😂    Releases April 11th ~ Get it on Amazon https://amzn.to/3K9dGov   From the Cover... Lassiter, the fallen angel, is too good at the savior business. In his new role overseeing the fates of all vampi

Mummy Darlings by Emily Hourican

Releases April 18th ~ Get it on Amazon https://amzn.to/3Sa5bgq An enigmatic discovery of life with the ever-maturing Guinness Girls. Now married and with children, life is much more complicated than the glorious past before "real life" took over. These women will see the world, their world, in a less glamorous light. When the curtain is pulled back, so to speak, it's not all sparkle and tinsel. It's hard, learned, and at times uncomfortable. I really enjoyed the Reading Group Guide and discussion questions provided at the end by the Club Car Reading Group as well. ~Tanja From the Cover... This stunning novel the from author of The Glorious Guinness Girls follows the three enigmatic Guinness sisters as they take on married life and motherhood at the beginning of the 1930s. It's the dawn of the 1930s and the three privileged Guinness sisters, Aileen, Maureen and Oonagh, settle into becoming wives and mothers: Aileen in Luttrellstown Castle outside Dublin, Maureen i

Simply Lies by David Baldacci

Compellingly complex and well thought out. David Baldacci is back with another intense thriller that will keep the pages turning well into the night. This time around we have a strong female lead and a storyline. Choices have been made now let's see if our heroin can survive them. ~Tanja Releases April 18th ~ Get it on Amazon https://amzn.to/41eLLKz From the Cover... Mickey Gibson, single mother and former detective, leads a hectic life similar to that of many moms: juggling the demands of her two small children with the tasks of her job working remotely for ProEye, a global investigation company that hunts down wealthy tax and credit cheats. When Mickey gets a call from a colleague named Arlene Robinson, she thinks nothing of Arlene’s unusual request for her to go inventory the vacant home of an arms dealer who cheated ProEye’s clients and fled. That is, until she arrives at the mansion to discover a dead body in a secret room—and that nothing is as it seems. Not only does the

Lost in Paris by Betty Webb

"The mystery of existence is the connection between our faults and misfortunes." ~Madame de Stael A southern girl now living in Paris during the roaring twenties. Kinda sound like perfection to me!  From the moment I opened Lost in Paris until the very end I was transported. Having a book begin with the reader already in the thick of things is one of my favorites. Stellar writing and prose that completely enthralls is what Betty Webb has produced. Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press for sharing this wonderful read with me. ~Tanja Out now ~ Get it on Amazon  https://amzn.to/3GtGXZQ From the Cover... NO ONE CAN HURT YOU LIKE FAMILY PARIS, 1922: Zoe Barlow knows the pain of loss. By the age of eighteen, she'd already lost her father to suicide, and her reputation to an ill-fated love affair—not to mention other losses, too devastating for words. Exiled from her home and her beloved younger sister by their stepmother, she was unceremoniously dumped in Paris without a friend to h

When Jasmine Blooms by Tif Marcelo

Releasing April 11th ~ Get it on Amazon https://amzn.to/3XG2y7s Grief is a crooked road that can sometimes lead you into the abyss. Celine is struggling. As a mother myself, I don't even want to imagine what she is going through. The people around Celine are worried and rightfully so.  When Jasmine Blooms  is a mentally captivating and heartwrenching read. A  tribute to perseverance and the mental exercise needed to carry on in the wake of the unthinkable. ~Tanja From the Cover... It’s been two years since Celine lost her daughter Libby. Desperate to escape her grief, Celine throws herself into her work, determined to be the strong, capable woman the world believes her to be. But there’s no fooling her family. A shocking intervention brings an impossible choice: confront her grief or risk losing the family she still has. Reeling, Celine wonders what her life would have been like if she’d chosen her first love instead of her husband and avoided this pain altogether. Celine wakes th

Yours Truly Abby Jimenez

OK friends, I don’t even know where to start. Abby Jimenez has yet again left me speechless. This is her fifth book release, and dare I say, this one touched me the most out of any of her previous works. As someone who suffers from social anxiety and spends the majority of her time at home, I felt this on a visceral level. As the kids say today I felt seen. A major part of this book deals with medical issues that I have intimate knowledge about within my immediate family. There is so much thought, love, and research put into every aspect of Yours Truly. I know this is gonna sound all over the place and it's not really telling you anything about the book as far as a synopsis, but honestly, you can read the blurb for that., For me, Yours Truly will go down as one of my all-time favorite books in romance. Simply because of the realness, openness, and honesty Jiménez has shared. TENS TENS, across-the-board. ~Tanja Releases April 11th ~ Get it on Amazon https://amzn.to/3YPiqp0 From the

The Secret Lives of Country Gentleman by K.J. Charles

Two very different people from very different stations of life. A truly beautiful historical fiction with heart and longing. I couldn't stop reading. Every time I put it down I would be thinking about it till I could pick it up again. A forbidden love that must be hidden, especially in the time they live, was doing its best to win. This was a fun and exhilarating read with thievery and a bit of swashbuckling thrown in for good measure. I loved every moment of it. ~Tanja Out Now ~ Get it on Amazon https://amzn.to/3KyhPUe From the Cover... Abandoned by his father as a small child, Sir Gareth Inglis has grown up prickly, cold, and well-used to disappointment. Even so, he longs for a connection, falling headfirst into a passionate anonymous affair that's over almost as quickly as it began. Bitter at the sudden rejection, Gareth has little time to lick his wounds: his father has died, leaving him the family title, a rambling manor on the remote Romney Marsh...and the den of cutthro

The Wise Women by Gina Sorell

What's that saying about housekeepers' houses always being messy and the plumber having leaky faucets?  Yeah, that's what it's like for advice columnist Wendy Wise. Her house is in disarray and leaking everywhere! The three Wise women have some work to do. Whether it be on themselves or the predicaments they find themselves in they will get to the bottom of things eventually.  Out now! Get it on Amazon https://amzn.to/3Kx510l From the Cover... Popular advice columnist Wendy Wise has been skillfully advising the women who write to her seeking help for four decades, so why are her own daughters’ lives such a mess? Clementine, the working mother of a six-year-old boy, has just discovered that she is actually renting the Queens home that she thought she owned, because her husband Steve secretly funneled their money into his flailing start-up. Meanwhile, her sister Barb has overextended herself at her architecture firm and reunited semi-unhappily with her cheating girlfrien

Every Bit a Cowboy and How to Handle a Cowboy from Sourcebooks Casablanca

Thank you so much to Sourcebooks Casablanca for sharing these Western Romances with me!  I am beyond excited to spend time with these rugged cowboys. ~Tanja How to Handle a Cowboy by Joanne Kennedy After a serious injury ends his career, rodeo cowboy Ridge Cooper needs something new to look forward to. Trapped at his family's Wyoming ranch and desperate to find a new outlet, Ridge offers to teach rodeo skills to the kids at Phoenix House, a local group home for foster children. When he meets Sierra Dunn, an inner-city social worker who's been assigned to the remote ranch for blowing the whistle on her boss, Ridge knows the two of them can give the kids at Phoenix House a bright future. From their very first lesson, it's obvious Ridge has a special kinship with the boys, and when Sierra discovers that he's aimed his grit and determination toward creating a foster family of his own, Sierra will have to decide if she's ready to make Wynott, Wyoming, her permanent home.