Title | Miracle on 5th Avenue
Author | Sarah Morgan
Publisher | Harlequin MIRA
Source | Review Copy
Rating | 5/5
The Queen of Christmas is back with a festive New York City romance to set your heart a flutter!
Hopeless romantic Eva loves everything about Christmas. Even if she is spending it alone housesitting a spectacular Fifth Avenue apartment. What she didn’t expect was to find the penthouse still occupied by its gorgeous–and mysterious–owner.
Bestselling crime writer, and notorious cynic, Lucas Blade has hidden himself away in his penthouse with a deadline looming. But when the blizzard of the century leaves Eva and Lucas snowbound together will Lucas finally see the magic, and happily ever after that Christmas can bring?
It's that exciting time of year again - no not Christmas - it's when Sarah Morgan present to us a beautifully written festive packed story, and this year, it comes to us in the form of Miracle on 5th Avenue. This is book 3 in the From Manhattan With Love series, and it follows on from the previous two where we met all three girls; Paige, Frankie and Eva - This is Eva's story. And I am so happy and grateful to be included in the promo blog tour for this beautiful book.
Eva is the sweetheart of the trio and is the self confessed hopeless romantic. No matter how many times she's been hurt or let down in the past, Eva still believes in Happily Ever After - or in this case; a Happily Eva After!
If you've read the previous two books then you'll know the girls have set up their own company; Urban Genie and are the go to girls of Manhattan if you want a promotion to be set up, services to be done, or literally just want a service/concierge service. It's becoming a hit - fast and the girls are in demand. However there's a snow storm happening and Eva still has one client to cater for. She trots off to the address the client gave to decorate the apartment with festive cheer ready for when her grandson returns from Vermont. Lucas - said grandson - has told the world he's in Vermont cosied up writing his next big crime thriller bestseller. Perfect time to escape given that this time of year brings back painful memories for him of when he lost his wife.
However, when Eva arrives - she's not alone and after quite a struggle and scenes what had me wondering if Sarah had turned to the crime side - it became apparent of a few things;
1.) Eva was not alone in the apartment
Eva is the sweetheart of the trio and is the self confessed hopeless romantic. No matter how many times she's been hurt or let down in the past, Eva still believes in Happily Ever After - or in this case; a Happily Eva After!
If you've read the previous two books then you'll know the girls have set up their own company; Urban Genie and are the go to girls of Manhattan if you want a promotion to be set up, services to be done, or literally just want a service/concierge service. It's becoming a hit - fast and the girls are in demand. However there's a snow storm happening and Eva still has one client to cater for. She trots off to the address the client gave to decorate the apartment with festive cheer ready for when her grandson returns from Vermont. Lucas - said grandson - has told the world he's in Vermont cosied up writing his next big crime thriller bestseller. Perfect time to escape given that this time of year brings back painful memories for him of when he lost his wife.
However, when Eva arrives - she's not alone and after quite a struggle and scenes what had me wondering if Sarah had turned to the crime side - it became apparent of a few things;
1.) Eva was not alone in the apartment
2.) Lucas was not in Vermont
3.) Eva would not be leaving due to snow-fall closing down the city that never sleeps
4.) Lucas had more than writer's block on his mind to worry about
Eva is such a darling character and the typical girl next door who we'd all just love to be best friends with, and Lucas is the guy who is every woman's dreams (and nightmares - if you like crime fiction), he's sensitive, drop dead gorgeous, and very very passionate about his work and more.
The unravelling of this story made my heart warm and fuzzy, and it is simply THE christmas treat of 2016. Sarah does it best when it comes to winter + christmas + romance. She packages up the most touching, realistic and hopeful stories ever, and she does it every single time.
The unravelling of this story made my heart warm and fuzzy, and it is simply THE christmas treat of 2016. Sarah does it best when it comes to winter + christmas + romance. She packages up the most touching, realistic and hopeful stories ever, and she does it every single time.
Sarah Morgan is the Queen of Christmas Fiction, and this book is proof! Grab yourself a copy and warm your tingling fingers, toes and heart in Miracle on 5th Avenue
Title:
All Her Secrets
Author:
Kate Avery Ellison
Publisher:
Self-Published
Release
Date: October 18, 2016
Genre:
Young Adult Psychological Thriller
ISBN:
9780998103907
Nothing
is as it seems in this psychological YA thriller set in a
not-too-distant future.
A
GIRL WITH SECRETS
Eighteen-year-old
Victoria, the daughter of inventor and visionary-genius Bill Faraday,
was almost murdered by a stranger four years ago. She's been trying
to forget the incident ever since.
When
Victoria discovers something that might explain why she was brutally
attacked, she heads home from college to uncover the truth. Then,
she’s kidnapped.
A
GUY FROM THE WRONG SIDE OF THE TRACKS
Sam’s
just a poor kid from Toivo, an experimental utopia gone wrong, but he
knows who Victoria is as soon as his cousin Craig drags her from the
trees. He doesn’t want anything to do with what appears to be a
revenge kidnapping, but Craig has a gun and needs someone to take the
fall if things go wrong.
A
DESPERATE PLAN TO SURVIVE
Craig
and his buddies imprison Sam and Victoria in an abandoned mountain
cabin to await ransom. Putting aside mistrust for tentative
friendship, Victoria and Sam conspire to escape together, and the
close quarters ignite a startling attraction between them. Then they
discover strange tunnels beneath the cabin. And what they find inside
the tunnels proves more bizarre.
With
a plan in place to escape, freedom seems within reach. But Sam and
Victoria are both keeping secrets about their past.
And
secrets can be deadly.
Add
to your TBR list: Goodreads
Available:
Amazon
I am really excited to be hosting an exclusive excerpt of All Her Secrets for you here, the book just sounds so utterly gripping and breathtaking doesn't it? Read on and have a taste of the book ...
You’re
never prepared for the sound of someone breaking down your front
door.
The
wood splinters, the sound like a bone snapping. The doorknob hits the
wall. My adrenaline is a gunshot to my chest.
BAM.
For
a moment, I am perfectly still, the frog in the flashlight beam. My
book falls onto the covers with a muffled thump. My hands are shaking
and my vision is blurry. I can’t breathe right. This doesn’t feel
real, but I know it is.
We
have a security system, state of the art, but it doesn’t go off.
Why doesn’t it go off?
More
splintering sounds, a loud thud, a slam. Footsteps.
I
hear voices.
I
run toward the window. It doesn’t have a latch. It isn’t supposed
to open. Of course not. I hit it with the heels of my hands, but I
know the glass won’t break, because it is bulletproof.
They
had to have heard that. I have to get out of here now.
I
kick the glass so hard I fall back on the bed. When I push myself up,
somebody’s in the doorway.
Everything
slows down and becomes painfully distinct.
He’s
not tall, but he’s muscled, with a blunt, square face. The dark
shape of him in my doorway is foreign and wrong, like a spider in the
shower. He’s blocking the hall, and behind him, I barely hear the
shatter of things falling in the kitchen over the roaring of blood in
my ears.
He’s
looking at me, and I’m looking at him. My mind jumps ahead to what
is going to happen next, but then I stop thinking about that because
I’m not going to give up yet. The feeling surges inside me, a wave
of fierce and terrible protest.
He
yells something to someone in another room, but I can’t understand
him. My brain has stopped processing language. Instead, I’m seeing
the room around me. The exits. There’s no door out except the one
he’s standing in. I can’t run through the walls.
I’m
trapped.
The
world slows down. Time feels like cement, and every eye blink takes a
thousand years. I reach behind me and grab anything I can reach—a
hairbrush. It’s the most worthless weapon in the world, but I
clutch it to my chest like it’s a knife. I’m thinking, WHERE IS
MY CELL PHONE?
I
can’t breathe.
A
girl steps into the doorway beside the guy. She has dark brown hair
and a flawlessly beautiful face, but her smile is angry. A toboggan
hat is pulled down almost to her eyebrows, and she’s wearing
slouchy torn jeans. She’s chewing gum, and she blows a bright pink
bubble as she points at me. Her fingernails are painted sky blue.
They
come around the bed. I back up to the wall. My heart slams against my
ribs.
Fight,
flight, or freeze. Those are my options. I can’t flee, so fight or
freeze?
I
pick fight.
About
Kate Avery Ellison:
Kate
Avery Ellison decided she wanted to be an author when she was five
years old, and with hard work, determination, and the support of
loved ones along the way, her dreams of telling stories for a living
came true in 2011 with her first novel, The Curse Girl, and continued
with her Amazon bestselling series The Frost Chronicles and numerous
other fantasy and science fiction novels. She loves putting a dash of
mystery in everything she writes, an ode to her childhood spent
reading Nancy Drew, Agatha Christie, and Sherlock Holmes, and she
can’t resist adding a good twist in the story wherever she can.
Kate
wishes she could live in a place where it’s always October, but
until that’s possible, she makes her home in humid Atlanta with her
husband, son, and two spoiled cats. When she isn’t dreaming up her
next novel or holed up writing it down, Kate can be found binging her
favorite shows on Netflix, reading on her Kindle, building intricate
train track configurations with her toddler, and playing board games
with her husband and friends.
Title | Celebrations & Confetti at Cedarwood Lodge
Author | Rebecca Raisin
Publisher | Carina UK
Publication Date | 24th October 2016
Source | Review Copy for Tour Promo
Rating | 5/5
Part
one in a feel-good romantic serial from bestselling author Rebecca
Raisin!
Clio
Winters is finally fulfilling her childhood dream of renovating the
gorgeous old Cedarwood Lodge in Evergreen. Turning it into the
perfect destination for big celebrations, weddings and parties has
brought her back home, but Cedarwood Lodge is in need of a lot of
tender loving care.
Perhaps
all the work will be the perfect distraction from the real reason she
had to leave her glamorous New York life behind.
Will
coming home be the best decision of her life… or her biggest
regret?
Cedarwood
Lodge is a delectable romance told in three parts - following Clio
Winters journey back to her hometown of Evergreen. This is Part One.
She has this delicious talent to entice you into the story so much that I find myself not only wanting to be a part of the story and it's setting, but there are moments where you stop in your day and think about the characters, pondering how they are. They become a part of your life, and that is a seriously magical talent.
Clio has returned from the bright lights of New York, and she's bought a run down lodge that has been vacant and gathering dust since her childhood. She has a lovely friend from her childhood days who is just one of those friends for life kind of guys who had his heart broken. Unaware of the scandal Clio has left behind, she has to hire a whole team to help her get the Lodge up and running for business. So, there's the project manager - Kai, who I imagine to be as deliciously handsome and muscular as I read he is, and then there is the gardener/landscaper who tackles the entire grounds single handedly. They are the main characters and sparks fly between them and makes their still hearts beat.
Clio's Mum is hiding something regarding her reservations around Cedarwood Lodge, and her Aunt knows about but won't reveal the secret. Hmmmm.
I can't not mention the beautiful couple who are the first clients of Clio's for hiring Cedarwood Lodge to celebrate their 50th Wedding Anniversary, I sense a hint of sadness awaiting us in the future books - Rebecca, please don't make me cry too much! The whole story of this couple is unbelievably moving, and it's a shame that disaster could strike and ruin their special day.
What I will say is that Clio's friend Amory from New York, is totally spot on with her timing - ahem - especially when Clio is gazing up at the stars with a special hunk.
Oh Rebecca, you have me hooked - I'm ready and waiting for book 2! Bring it on! I can't wait to read what happens next!
Book
Links: Amazon | Amazon
UK | B&N
| Google
Play | Goodreads
Author
Info:
Rebecca
Raisin is a true bibliophile. This love of books morphed into the
desire to write them. She’s been published in various short story
anthologies and in in fiction magazines, and is now focusing on
writing romance.
Rebecca
aims to write characters you can see yourself being friends with.
People with big hearts who care about relationships, and most
importantly believe in true love.
Website:
http://rebeccaraisin.com/
Twitter:
http://twitter.com/jaxandwillsmum
Today I am so grateful to be hosting the blog tour for the new Sue Moorcroft book The Christmas Promise.
Social media has been sharing this book with the hashtag #MyPromise and whilst I had originally planned on reviewing the book, the universe had other ideas, so I have something a little different for you.
First, let's look at what the book's about so we know what we can look forward to when we read it.
Countdown to Christmas with your new must-have author, as you step into the wonderful world of bespoke hat-maker Ava Bliss…
For Ava Bliss, it’s going to be a Christmas to remember…
On a snowy December evening, Sam Jermyn steps into the life of bespoke hat maker Ava. Sparks fly, and not necessarily the good ones.
Times are tough for Ava – she’s struggling to make ends meet, her ex-boyfriend is a bully, and worst of all, it’s nearly Christmas.
So when Sam commissions Ava to make a hat for someone special, she makes a promise that will change her life. She just doesn’t know it yet…
Curl up with this gorgeous, festive read – the perfect treat for fans of Katie Fforde, Carole Matthews and Trisha Ashley
So, I mentioned earlier that the universe had different plans for my posting here today and I'm actually pleased about it. So, I received a proof copy of the book to read, and as I usually do, I flipped through it when I got it and felt excited to read it. But then as I was flipping certain words stood out to me in the way they do as you flip through a book. And these words triggered me. They triggered my anxiety, and I knew then I wouldn't be able to do the book justice in my review. So I asked out loud, "What can I do? I don't want to let everyone down?" And I forgot about it or a week.
During this time I did think more and more about my triggers to anxiety which are; death, chemo, cancer, etc. You see my lovely readers, we're approaching a year since I lost my Auntie to Cancer just before Christmas, and all year even hearing the word cancer has resulted in me having a panic attack or an anxiety filled moment (or few) which triggered health anxiety in me. It has just seemed that everywhere you look or listen cancer is there, and I have on more than one occasion lost my temper with it all. I pick up a magazine to escape, the same with a book, or when you switch on the tv. Sometimes, some of us don't need that constant reminder. Sometimes we have that reminder every day whether we want it or not.
During this time I did think more and more about my triggers to anxiety which are; death, chemo, cancer, etc. You see my lovely readers, we're approaching a year since I lost my Auntie to Cancer just before Christmas, and all year even hearing the word cancer has resulted in me having a panic attack or an anxiety filled moment (or few) which triggered health anxiety in me. It has just seemed that everywhere you look or listen cancer is there, and I have on more than one occasion lost my temper with it all. I pick up a magazine to escape, the same with a book, or when you switch on the tv. Sometimes, some of us don't need that constant reminder. Sometimes we have that reminder every day whether we want it or not.
Everyone I speak to, and especially medical professionals such as doctors say that this is a normal part of bereavement, that fearing illness yourself, or illness of loved ones, is normal after losing someone, especially when we've lost them to cancer or some other form of sudden or terminal illness. I will add that it doesn't stop me feeling weird about it. It's not 'normal' for me, or at least it wasn't, but now at least for the time being it is.
As you can imagine, when I flipped through the book and saw the words chemo and cancer, and fundraising, it really threw me. I applaud Sue for writing such a touching and emotive story - even without reading it, it touched me. So, I thought that my blog post for the tour could focus on the Promise side to Christmas.
I promise this christmas to enjoy christmas day as much as I can in honour of my loved ones who are no longer here as cancer took them far too soon; Auntie Tracy, Nan (Annie-May), Dad, Uncle Cliff, Auntie Iris, and Loved Ones who sadly have passed and loved Christmas; Auntie Doris, Grandpops, 'Uncle' David (recently passed this past week).
I promise to focus on my wellbeing and work towards making my dreams come true, the dreams we all spoke about for myself.
I promise to make you all proud.
I promise to never forget you, or stop loving you.
I hope my post hasn't been a disappointment to you lovely readers, and if you feel inspired by my post to think of a promise you can make this christmas, then you can either comment below starting with "I Promise..." or you can share on social media using #mypromise.
Paperback is out 1st December 2016, and ebook/kindle version is out now. Just use the link below xxx
Title || Christmas at the Little Wedding Shop
Author || Jane Linfoot
Publisher || HarperImpulse
Publication Dates || Paperback - 20th October, eBook - 30th September
Purchase || Amazon UK
Source || Review Copy
Rating || 5/5
The snow is falling around Brides by the Sea, Cornwall’s cutest little wedding shop, and wedding dress designer Seraphina East is in her cosy studio designing exquisite dresses to make even the most demanding bride’s dreams come true.
Unless the bride is her big sister Alice of course. Saying that the two sisters don’t always see eye to eye is an understatement. Alice hasn’t even asked Sera to design her wedding dress. But when an absent groom and ill-fitting dress threaten to ruin Alice’s happiness let alone her big day, Sera’s determined to give her sister the winter wedding of her dreams – even if that means keeping not one but two irresistibly gorgeous best men under control…
Is Sera going to end up being the maid of dishonour…Or will repairing her frozen relationship with Alice be the icing on the wedding cake?
There’s sequins, snowflakes, and plenty of romance in this gorgeous love story. The perfect romance to curl up by the fire with this Christmas! Perfect for fans of Carole Matthews and Milly Johnson.
Dawn-Tracy's Thoughts:
Hello, and welcome to the start of the blog tour to promote Jane Linfoot's wonderful christmas treat of a book this year! There are a group of us bloggers that will be sharing our thoughts and all sorts of wonderful festivity over this coming week as we host the tour for Christmas at the Little Wedding Shop!
Today, I'm absolutely thrilled to be kicking off the tour with my review.
I adored the first book in the series so when I was kindly asked if I wanted to read the christmas follow up by Jane and her publicity team I jumped at the chance to dive into the wedding shop of my dreams! The story centres around a wedding, as did the last one, and we get to catch up with all the wonderful characters that we met in the previous book. If you haven't read the first book, that's OK, this can STILL be read as a standalone, but I warn you, you'll more than likely be hopping back to the first book to catch up on all the gossip afterwards... and experience the heat that is Poppy & Rafe! Ahem!
But, back to the christmas treat Jane has written for us. In this story we get to know Sera (Seraphina East) whom designs wonderful wedding dresses for Jess who owns the Little Wedding Shop by the Sea. Sera is one of the kindest, sweetest character's I've ever read about. She actually reminds me of Jess who stars in Made in Chelsea - that's how I kind of pictured her as I read this book- their style is very similar. So that's a bit of likeness for you.
Sera's sister Alice is getting married and we all know that brides to be are bridezillas! But surely sweet Sera's sister cant be that much different from Sera can she??? I mean, they are sisters, they have to be similar right? WRONG! Oh so wrong! But to give her credit, Alice is just trying to make things perfect for everyone!
Alice is due to marry Dan, her childhood sweetheart, only it would really really REALLY help if he gets his butt down to Cornwall to actually like you know... attend his own wedding. And then his choice of groomsmen is such a STORY in itself that I found myself torn between which guy I was rooting for. I have to say, between Quinn and Johnny, my money was on..... totally the wrong one (Like I would actually spoil the story and tell you which one!) although, in my defence, I did kinda start waking up to THE ONE once I caught on to what the other one was like. I know I'm confusing you, but if you read the book and then come back and read this again, it will all make sense!
Oh, and by the way, these two groomsmen are adept in running Sera around in circles, I'm so proud of her way of handling them both! As chief bridesmaid it was up to her to keep it all going smoothly. But weddings, like true love, never runs smoothly, we know that, but why do we still allow ourselves to believe otherwise? I think it's because we all like to dream, and hope, and wish - like we wish for snow and a white christmas, and it never actually happens... does it Alice?
This story is so action packed and full of scrumptious treats that to read it I had to bake brownies to eat with the characters as they dealt with the following in no particular order;
Wedding dress shrinkage, a missing boat, crystal glassware smashing to smithereens, bride to be meeting ex who was her first love, best man going AWOL, other best man saving the day, best men flirting, bride to be turning bridezilla, christmas treats failing to be painted white, scented candles in the wrong locations, snow, and the melting of snow, riding bareback, firemen decorating the wedding venue, 12 pack of condoms falling out of picnic bag that was not meant to be a picnic bag (ahem), and SO SO SO much more!!
Jane had me gasping for breath as I hurriedly turned to the pages in the hope the wedding would go ahead. Not once did she leave the story hanging unnecessarily, or linger it out to add pages to the book. Every scene and situation was built on or dealt with, wrapped up and shipped off as seen fit. I thought the pace of the story was superb, it kept me interested and wanting more, she brought in the usual wedding story blunders at times which is why we love books like these, BUT she added unique aspects that I have NOT encountered before.
This is why I always have no hesitation to read a book by Jane, because she delivers the goods, the words, and the escape in her words. She transports us to another part of the country, the world, into a world of people whose lives mirror our own or those we know around us, but in a way that we feel safe and in a cocoon that enables us to explore a shadow aspect of ourselves, and revel in pure enjoyment and adventure that books allow us.
I know that you will adore this book, it has so many hilarious points, the characters are so lovely that you can't help but cherish them, and the actual story will have you dreaming of a white christmas.
I can't wait for the next installment which will arrive next year during May 2017! Summer at the Little Wedding Shop will be eagerly anticipated for many months to come! But before we rush ahead into 2017, please take time to stop by these other fabulous blogs to discover more about Christmas at the Little Wedding Shop.
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