A&E Nurse Amy Spencer lives a very ordinary life in Port Kara. She loves her job at the hospital and has a great group of friends, but there is something or someone, missing from her life. Amy’s tried dating but no one ever compares with the one boy that got away – Lijah Byrne.
A surprise arrival…
Lijah’s life since he left Port Kara has been what dreams are made of. But lately Lijah has started to feel hollow – the fame and celebrity he once craved now makes him feel trapped. The only place he’s ever felt safe is Port Kara…so maybe it’s time to go back home?
A reunion written in the stars.
When Amy bumps into Lijah again, she only sees the boy she once loved with all her heart. But their lives are so different now. Amy knows a rekindling of their past love will end in heartbreak, but she can’t give up her second chance to be with the man she loves.
My Review:
Together Again at the Cornish Country Hospital is the fifth Cornish Country Hospital novel. I haven't read the previous four books in the series but I will definitely going back to the beginning.
Childhood sweethearts Amy and Lijah, now a nurse and a musician respectively, are reunited when Lijah comes back home to take a break and reevaluate his life. Lijah has always been Amy's one who got away but they are so different now. As they come back together, Lijah and Amy realize there is still that spark between then.
Together Again at the Cornish Country Hospital is a great second chance romance. I love the characters and the setting. I'm sure many of the characters I met along the way were featured in previous books, and it would be nice to get to know them in the proper order. The author wrote this story with realism, and it's very emotional in places.
I was provided with a copy of this book. This does not
affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. The opinions I have
expressed are my own.
Jo Bartlett was born a stone’s throw from the English Channel and still lives near the sea in Kent, with her family, so close to the South Eastern edge of England that they're very nearly French. It's probably why so many of her books are set near the sea too. Jo has made up stories for as long as she can remember, but never really took it any further, until a catalyst called cancer gave her the impetus to follow her dreams.
Since having her debut novel published in 2015, Jo has had numerous bestsellers in the UK, the USA, Australia and Canada, including a UK Top 10. Jo writes contemporary women’s fiction, with stories that focus on love, friendship, family and community. Since joining Boldwood Books in 2021, Jo has had twelve bestselling novels across The Cornish Midwife and Cornish Country Hospital series.
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If you make a purchase using my links, I will receive a small commission from
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Thank you for supporting Sapphyria’s Books.
Chilling murders terrorize a town and bring together two detectives to face the hardest task of their lives.
Jack Ludlum, who relies on his brawn to get things done, is now paired with Jill Jarred,a brilliant investigator with keen intuition. As they delve into the secret world of incels and white supremacists, and conflict between local authorities and the FBI rages, a media frenzy further complicates the mission.
Is there a serial killer on the loose? Or something entirely different? Will their clashing personalities be their undoing, or can they unite to stop the killer before they kill each other?
What Goes Around is a dynamic thriller that examines the intricacies of love, loss, and the unbreakable bonds that transcend time. With its pulse-pounding pace, captivating characters, and a revelatory twist that challenges the boundaries of life and death, this novel will keep you hooked from the first page to the last, and thinking long afterwards.
Praise for What Goes Around:
"Relentless and gritty, Wendroff expertly weaves a narrative that begs, 'just one more page...'" ~ J.D. Barker, NY Times bestselling author
"What Goes Around starts off at a breakneck pace and doesn't let up until it reaches its unexpected conclusion." ~ Lisa Black, NY Times bestselling author
"An adrenaline-fueled novel, the action breathlessly driven by two detectives-Jill Jarred and Jack Ludlum--relentlessly pursuing the bloody trails left by a serial killer with a dark sense of justice, deadly groups of white supremacists, and one lonely, alienated boy caught up in the violence." ~ Kathleen Kent, NY Times bestselling Author
"What a twist! This book grabs you from the first chapter, and doesn't ever let you go. A brilliant debut!" ~ L.M. Chilton, Author and Journalist
"Gripping and chilling...relentless...includes very up to date issues...with an original revelatory twist." ~ Crime Fiction Magazine
Watch the What Goes Around Trailer:
Book Details:
Genre: Contemporary Psychological Thriller, Domestic Thriller, Suspense Thriller
Published by: Bloomsbury/Head of Zeus
Publication Date: October 10, 2024
Number of Pages: 414
ISBN: 9781035900084 (ISBN10: 1035900084)
Book Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | BookShop.org | Goodreads
Read an Excerpt:
Prelude
I’ll remember the day I died for the rest of my life.
Prologue
The sign at the gate read, “Trespassers will be shot. Survivors will be shot again.”
It was before dawn, the night sky still dark and the compound silent as a cemetery. The cabin loomed in the distance: a den of crime, a place where the armed drug dealers spent much of their time. The police team approached as quietly as they could, the crunch of twigs beneath their boots the only sound to break the eerie silence. Fear tiptoed through their souls, its icy fingers tracing the contours of their restless thoughts. They took a collective inhalation of breath, not knowing if they were walking toward their death. They knew the property owner, the leader of the group, wasn’t kidding with his sign.
What they didn’t know was that a baby was crawling on the floor of the cabin they were about to storm.
***
Jon Eddie considered himself a champion. Now he understood he was in for the fight of his life.
Forty-two years old, with bulging eyes, a bushy beard and Fu Manchu mustache, he’d covered himself in self-righteousness, the way his tattoos covered almost every inch of his bulky body. He was proud of the group he’d brought together. Eddie liked to believe he was simply an entrepreneur, as his annual white power music festival, Nordic Fest, attracted skinheads from across the country. Full of music from “hatecore” bands such as Angry Aryans and No Alibi, supported by shouting speakers spewing their idiotic ideology, it provided a nice source of income—in addition to the dues Eddie charged, and the contributions he asked for. His major source of cash, however, was a raging drug-dealing business, his biggest sellers being meth, molly, and of course opioids.
His girlfriend, Krystal, was yelling at their baby to stop crying. Krystal, no mother of the year, picked the baby girl up and was about to shake her when Eddie noticed movement at the front of his property.
** *
Outside, the thundering silence was deafening. Two police officers accompanying the core team were selected to check the dense tree line that surrounded the compound’s fence. They knew there were often guards stationed behind the evergreens—if so, they needed to take them out as quietly and quickly as possible before the main assault could begin.
Everyone was on high alert. Though it was cool, sweat darkened their uniforms. Up ahead, closer to the cabin, they spied a truck with monster-size tires. Through binoculars, a sticker affixed to a large dent on the rear bumper was evident. It was a monstrosity, with a silhouette of crossed AR-15s next to the slogan, “Yours for White Victory.”
One cop, Jack—built like a sequoia tree—towered over the policewoman beside him, even though she was above average in height. He pointed his head toward the tree line and looked down with a smug expression. “You ready for this, Jill?” he asked, his voice full of confidence.
She rolled her eyes. Her uniform was pristine. “Shh. You know I can take care of myself,” she whispered.
He laughed silently. “Sure you can, Jill.” Then, under his breath, said, “Just don’t get in my way.”
Jill gritted her teeth and ignored his taunts. She’d always been competitive with him, ever since they were in the police academy together; they were like two racehorses heading neck and neck toward the finish line. Jill was determined to prove she was just as good as he was. No, better.
They looked at the team leader, who nodded. The two of them slowly moved forward, their breathing becoming more rapid. As they approached the fence, they heard rustling in the trees.
***
Krystal had never wanted to be a mother.
She’d really had no ambition to be anything at all. Stuck in a rut of life, like a sailboat without wind, she’d been tending bar when she met Jon Eddie. It wasn’t much of a bar; as you pushed open its dilapidated door, you were immediately hit with the pungent smells of bitter beer, cigarette smoke, and salty sweat. A long, sticky bar dominated the dimly lit
interior, lined with shaky stools and chipped coasters. The walls were covered in peeling, nicotine-stained wallpaper, and the floor was littered with discarded peanut shells and spilt spirits. Normally, the regulars, their lives littered as well, would sit hunched over their drinks, staring blankly into the distance. Unless Jon Eddie was around.
Eddie often drew a crowd, a mix of people in awe of him and people in fear of him. His mannerless mouth and domineering demeanor attracted Krystal. He clearly thought he was the shit, and just as clearly was a mean son of a bitch. But Krystal thought he was someone who could protect her. At first, she would shrivel from his drivel. Later, not knowing any better, she began believing him, impressed by his purported big ideas that the men around him enthusiastically nodded their heads up and down to. When the bar closed one night, he was in the parking lot, hovering, waiting for her, wanting her.
She went out the back door and saw him.
With an almost imperceptible shrug, she got into his truck. She stayed the night with him, which then became a month of muddling. Once she was pregnant, she was there for good. Or so she thought.
***
“Grab the guns!” Eddie yelled over the baby’s wails. Krystal looked at him, frozen, as she held the baby. “Leave the damn kid on the floor. Just grab the guns!”
** *
They could see two guards ahead.
The guards were behind a large oak tree, chatting quietly while looking at a cell phone. One laughed.
Jack motioned to Jill to wait a moment as he silently made his way to the larger of the two guards. Before anything even registered on the guard’s face, Jack started in on him.
Jack got him down, using a headlock and fireman’s carry maneuver that landed the guy on his head. He was knocked out and would have a concussion, but he’d live. Jack allowed himself a quick smile, then turned to the other man, who was backing away, suddenly preferring flight to fight. Jill had watched momentarily in admiration of Jack’s fighting skills but couldn’t admire for too long; the other guard was her job, and she had to be just as capable with him. He’d turned to run but had a gun in hand.
Jill moved catlike toward her prey. A tree root tripped her. The guard stopped. His gun hand was shaking.
Fast and agile, Jill quickly recovered, jumped, and landed a swift kick to his shaved head. Her steel-toed boot landed right in the center of his swastika tattoo; blood immediately gushed onto the soil. All those years of martial-arts training paid off. The gun fell out of the man’s hand, and Jill kicked it away before kicking him in the stomach to make sure he stayed down. The man’s eyes were wide, and it looked like he’d had enough, so she stopped, not wanting to overdo it. Jack watched her, ready to act, and looked similarly impressed, though he didn’t say a word to her after they’d cuffed and muzzled the guards.
Other cops quickly came over and dragged them away.
“Well, that was the easy part,” Jack said.
Jill, panting, just stared at him, knowing those words to be true. For a second, she thought of her dad, a former cop, and hoped his fate wouldn’t befall her.
The core team warily walked forward, heading into the unknown. Jack followed closely behind. Jill wiped the blood off her boot with some leaves and joined them. Her heart pounding, but with a lot of backbone, she put her best foot forward.
** *
The team leader, Nic, was as determined as a bulldog with a bone. He knew he had to stop the drug dealing, and he hated the group’s ideology. But even more, he was given this mission because an informant had told of a plan this group had to blow up a government building. Tomorrow.
As they came closer to the cabin, he scanned the area for any signs of activity. He saw movement within the cabin.
He could feel the sweat dripping down his face, the adrenaline pumping through his veins. While his officers were highly trained, he could see the fear in their eyes. It wasn’t a surprise. It was too easy for things to go bad.
He motioned for the team to spread out and be ready, with two officers heading around to the back. He knew they were dealing with very dangerous people but hoped to take them in without bloodshed. Especially their own.
***
The smoke bomb exploded on the floor.
Chaos. His vision clouded, an officer yelled, “Police, come out with your hands up!” There was more movement inside; Eddie was fuming. But no one emerged from the thick fog of smoke. The cops moved in, like a tidal wave crashing onto shore.
One of the team members was hit immediately; he was dead before his body hit the floor.
More gunshots rang out. As the men frantically searched the rooms, the team leader headed straight for the source of the gunfire, bullets whizzing by at a dizzying pace. Amidst the mist, Jill saw a woman on the floor, bloodied and unmoving. She then heard a cry, and looking down, saw a baby. Holy shit, she thought, and tried to yell to the others, but in the mayhem, she knew no one would hear or understand. A hail of bullets came their way, and Jill got down, covering the baby with her body, like an embryo in the womb.
Another gunshot rang out, and Jill saw blood.
***
Excerpt from What Goes Around by Michael Wendroff . Copyright 2024 by Michael Wendroff . Reproduced with permission from Michael Wendroff . All rights reserved.
Meet the Author:
Michael Wendroff has an MBA in marketing from NYU, and was inducted into their Hall of Fame. His MBA thesis was on "Marketing in the publishing industry," and it was excerpted in the industry trade journal, "Publisher's Weekly," so he actually got paid to write his thesis. While interviewing publishing executives for the thesis, he met Truman Capote.
He has spent many years since as a global marketing consultant. It was the Covid pandemic that finally got his to write his novel, as he was cooped up at home. The impetus for the novel was something his mother said the moment he was born: "Oh! So nice to see you, Again."
He grew up in a publishing/author milieu, as his mother was an editor at NYC publishing houses (watching his mother scribbling in red ink on manuscript pages at home on weekends prepared him for his own editor's comments!). Plus she remarried a literary agent, Henry Morrison, so Michael was friendly with many authors (Dean Koontz, Lawrence Block, Joseph Finder, Eric Van Lustbader, etc), and even spent a vacation with Robert Ludlum. Watching Ludlum hand-write his 450 page novels on yellow legal pads didn't dissuade Michael from trying to write a novel (though he's thankful for his PC).
Michael's debut thriller novel, What Goes Around, was launched in the USA, UK, and Australia, and foreign language rights have thus far been sold in Italian, Japanese, and Hungarian.
Fun fact: Michael's great-grandfather was brought over by Thomas Edison from the University of Copenhagen (Denmark) to work with him in his New Jersey labs. He holds a number of patents, including for plastic buttons (he became known, and rich, around town as "The Button King"). Michael proudly wears button-down shirts whenever he can.
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the sale at no cost to you.
Thank you for supporting Sapphyria’s Books.
In 1890s Missouri, secrets are a matter of survival.
Clairvoyant Sarah Richardson screams as her older sister Katherine is
forced into a straightjacket and thrust into a carriage bound for the St.
Louis City Lunatic Asylum. She is devastated to learn Katherine has been
blamed for her inadvertent role in an abused woman’s murder. Now, too
frightened to speak up, she hides the truth that it should have been her in
that carriage.
Sarah’s mounting guilt becomes too much, and she heads to St. Louis,
determined to regain her sister’s confidence and prove herself worthy
of forgiveness.
While working to heal their relationship, Sarah meets a timid housewife who
tries to hide her bruises. When troubling psychic visions of the woman begin
to affect her, she sees an opportunity to atone for her past mistakes.
Desperate to do whatever it takes to make things right, Sarah embarks on a
perilous journey that may cost her everything—including her own
life.
About the Author:
Award-winning author Raquel Y. Levitt holds an MFA in creative writing and
a master’s degree in English. Her short stories have been published in
various anthologies and literary journals and reflect her passion for
writing about strong women finding their voice and their power. She is a
world traveler, an amateur nature photographer, and a collector of cool
rocks. Raquel and her husband live, work, and play in the Texas Hill Country
and Montana’s Bitterroot Valley. The Seer is her debut novel.
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If you make a purchase using my links, I will receive a small commission from
the sale at no cost to you.
Thank you for supporting Sapphyria’s Books.
Brax Gallo doesn’t believe in love at first sight. Heck, he doesn’t stay in relationships long enough to develop real feelings for any woman. But one look at the sad girl alone at his bar, checking her phone, and gnawing her lip with worry and he’s absolutely smitten. He knows in that moment; it’s possible to fall hard and fast.
Iris has always been unlucky with love. After being stood up at the altar two years ago, she has no interest in dating. But her friends leave her no choice when they create a dating profile for her and set up a date. She hopes for the best, thinking she’s due for a break. She waits for him. And waits. But when he doesn’t show, she’s reminded that men break her heart every time.
What starts out as a flirty banter leads to something neither of them wanted, but everything they needed.
Want is book 2 in the Men of Inked Sinners. I was pulled in by the description and knew I absolutely had to read this. I enjoyed Iris and Brax's story. He's not her usual type; she's everything he didn't know he needed. Together, they exude chemistry that leaps off the pages.
I was pulled into Iris and Brax's story and captivated by their personalities, romance, and potential and perceived complications. Brax's family is fantastic and I loved seeing Tate and Wylder again. Brax and Tate's family are busybodies but so full of love. I love how their family embraced Iris. I loved the character interactions, continued world-building, and story.
I was provided with a copy of this book. This does not
affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. The opinions I have
expressed are my own.
My Rating:
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If you make a purchase using my links, I will receive a small commission from
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Thank you for supporting Sapphyria’s Books
Mirror World Publishing and Sapphyria's Book Promotions present the cover reveal for the
Against All Odds Anthology (Far, Far Away, Vol 3).
About Against All Odds:
Love wins against the odds, in tumultuous times, unlikely circumstances, and dangerous places...
Volume three of our Far, Far Away series brings seven authors together to put a spotlight on stories of marginalized love.
Step across the galaxy to a world where love defies gender, race, and the outbreak of war. Fight for love of all kinds when the well-being of family and friends are threatened by magic power-tools. Witness an unlikely and dangerous affair between a god and his human handler. Then learn the meaning of self-love through the lived experience of a sentient Sapphire.
Through these powerful, unique tales, love is revealed to be the ultimate risk, it gives you purpose when the world turns dark and strange, and it proves time and again that it crosses all barriers, whether they are those of culture, time, distance, or strife. In this collection, love really does conquer all.
