Thursday, May 4, 2023

Book #Review ~ Just Friends at Thistle Lodge by Margaret Amatt ~ @AmattAuthor @rararesources #FriendstoLovers #SmallTown #Romcom

 

Just Friends at Thistle Lodge

One romantic getaway. Two friends. Seven days just pretending…

When Nina Copeland’s mates try to match her with the guy next door, she needs a plan. Because Matthew’s just a friend, and Nina has a secret she doesn’t want him to discover – not until she’s tidied her messy life.

After his divorce, physics teacher Matthew Gilchrist has kept his heart locked safely away. So why do people keep pushing him to date his chirpy neighbour? He and Nina are fine just as friends. Aren’t they?

Nina hatches a solution to get everyone off their backs: fake a relationship at a family reunion, then stage a break-up so life can go back to normal. What could go wrong?

Stuck together at a romantic highland lodge, new feelings lure them out of the friend zone. But if love is to find a way in, Nina must confront her past, and Matthew put his heart on the line.

My Review:

Just Friends at Thistle Lodge is the second book in Margaret Amatt's Glenbriar series. I've not had the chance to read book one but it did not detract from my love and joyment of this book. Each book can be read as a standalone. 

A friends-to-lovers book, Just Friends and Thistle Lodge has a wonderful cast of characters. I loved watching Nina and Matthew's relationship change from neighbors, to friends, to something much, much more. Love has a way of surprising you and the author created a wonderful world around Nina and Matthew, giving them the space they needed to explore.

I loved the dynamics and chemistry between Nina and Matthew. The author created likeable characters, real-life scenarios, and a perfect union of two friends. The book description pulled me in and the wonderful writing style of the author kept me engaged. 

I was provided a copy of this book to read.

My Rating:

Purchase Links

UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0BSB4X61P

US: https://amzn.to/42sqIF0

Meet the Author:

Margaret has told and written stories for as long as she can remember. During her formative years, she spent time on long walks inventing characters and stories to pass the time.

Writing books is Margaret's passion and when she's not doing that, she's often found eating chocolate, walking and taking photographs in the hills around Highland Perthshire. Those long walks still frequently bring inspiration!

It’s Margaret's pleasure to bring you the Scottish Island Escapes series and The Glenbriar Series. These books are linked (even the two series have crossovers!) for those who enjoy inhabiting Margaret's world of stories but each can be read as a standalone if you'd rather dip in and out with individual books.

Social Media Links:

https://www.margaretamatt.com/subscribe

https://www.facebook.com/MargaretAmattAuthor

https://www.instagram.com/margaret_amatt_author

https://twitter.com/AmattAuthor


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Blooming with Murder (A Sierra Pines B&B Mystery) by Kathryn Long ~ Cozy Mystery @BaileeAbbott1

 

Blooming with Murder (A Sierra Pines B&B Mystery) by Kathryn Long

About Blooming With Murder:

Blooming with Murder (A Sierra Pines B&B Mystery)

Cozy Mystery

3rd in Series

Setting - California

Camel Press (March 14, 2023)

Paperback: ‎ 220 pages

ISBN-10: ‎ 1684920671

ISBN-13: ‎ 978-1684920679

Digital ASIN: ‎ B0B6YB1ZL9

Spring is blooming in Sierra Pines, and everyone’s busy preparing for the annual Spring Fling Festival. Ali Winston takes her B&B guests for a tour, and their first stop is the face painting booth. Local school board president, Melvin Renville, is there to honor a bet he lost to the student body by having his face painted. However, things turn tragic when he has an allergic reaction and ends up dead. No one is more surprised than Ali’s best friend and art teacher, Lyla Lane, when it’s discovered her face paint contains peanut oil, an ingredient Renville was highly allergic to. Lyla insists she’d never use store bought paint, only homemade, because in teaching elementary school, she’s aware many kids have food allergies. 

Ali suspects someone wanted Renville dead and cleverly framed Lyla for the crime. The question is who had motive and the opportunity to pull off such a daring deed? Of course, rumors spread and fingers point at Lyla when word gets out that Renville had notified her, merely hours before his death, that the art program and her job would be cut next year. Talk about a motive to kill. With Sheriff Sterling painting Lyla as his prime suspect, Ali is determined to help her friend by discovering the true killer and to keep spring blooming in Sierra Pines.

About Kathryn Long:

Kathryn Long is a native Ohioan who spends her days plotting murder and writing mysteries. She's a member of Sisters in Crime as well as of International Thriller Writers. She’s actively involved in the writing and publishing worlds and stays up to date on her social media platforms. Kathryn lives with her husband and furry friend Max in the quiet suburbs of Green, Ohio. The B&B series also includes Boarding with Murder and Snowed Under Murder. Inspiration for the storyline comes from her classic movie obsession, particularly Arsenic and Old Lace, and her love for Cary Grant. Kathryn also writes the PAINT BY MURDER mystery series under the name Bailee Abbott.

Author Links:


Purchase Links: 


TOUR PARTICIPANTS:

May 1 – Literary Gold – SPOTLIGHT
May 1 – Maureen's Musing – SPOTLIGHT
May 2 – Celticlady's Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
May 2 – Baroness Book Trove – SPOTLIGHT
May 3 – Hearts & Scribbles – SPOTLIGHT
May 3 – Brooke Blogs – SPOTLIGHT
May 4 – MJB Reviewers – SPOTLIGHT
May 4 – Sapphyria's Book Reviews - SPOTLIGHT
May 5 – Ascroft, eh? – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
May 6 – Reading Is My SuperPower – REVIEW
May 6 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – SPOTLIGHT
May 7 – #BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee – SPOTLIGHT
May 8 – fundinmental – SPOTLIGHT
May 9 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT
May 9 – Cozy Up With Kathy – AUTHOR GUEST POST
May 10 – Elizabeth McKenna - Author – SPOTLIGHT
May 11 – Novels Alive – REVIEW
May 11 – The Mystery Section – SPOTLIGHT
May 12 – Reading, Writing & Stitch-Metic – SPOTLIGHT
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Wednesday, May 3, 2023

Poaching Is Puzzling: A Cookbook Nook Mystery by Daryl Wood Gerber ~ #CozyMystery

 

Poaching Is Puzzling: A Cookbook Nook Mystery by Daryl Wood Gerber

About Poaching is Puzzling:

Poaching Is Puzzling: A Cookbook Nook Mystery

Cozy Mystery

12th in Series

Setting - California

Beyond the Page Publishing (April 25, 2023)

Paperback: ‎ 264 pages

ISBN-10: ‎ 1960511149

ISBN-13: ‎ 978-1960511140

Digital ASIN: ‎ B0C1HDCTC6

In the cutthroat world of crossword solvers, Jenna Hart will have to decipher some puzzling clues to catch a killer . . .

The annual crossword puzzle contest has drawn contestants from near and far to Crystal Cove, and Jenna watches in amazement as puzzle-themed books fly off the shelves at the Cookbook Nook. Her aunt Vera is putting up a sizable cash prize, and no one is more surprised than Jenna to discover there’s bad blood between Vera and the prominent puzzle constructor who’s acting as master of ceremonies. And when the puzzle guru has his throat slit while he’s out hiking, the police instantly peg Aunt Vera as the culprit.

Jenna can’t stand by and watch her aunt take the fall. It’s been clear since the victim arrived that he had contentious relationships with a number of the contestants—even going so far as to steal puzzles from some of them and claim them as his own—and Jenna’s certain one of them is the killer. Trading puzzle solving for crime solving, she sorts through the convoluted clues and cryptic suspects, hoping to nab the guilty party before they decide she’s a problem they’ll solve with another murder . . .

Includes mouthwatering recipes!

About Daryl Wood Gerber:

Agatha Award–winning and nationally bestselling author Daryl Wood Gerber is the author of the Cookbook Nook Mysteries, the Fairy Garden Mysteries, the French Bistro Mysteries, the Cheese Shop Mysteries (as Avery Aames), the Aspen Adams Novels of Suspense, and two other stand-alone suspense thrillers. Little known facts about Daryl are that she’s jumped out of a perfectly good airplane, has hitchhiked around Ireland by herself, and has appeared on an episode of Murder, She Wrote. She loves to read, cook, and golf, and has a frisky Goldendoodle named Sparky who keeps her in line!

Author Links:

WEBSITE

FACEBOOK

BOOKBUB

YOUTUBE

INSTAGRAM

PINTEREST

GOODREADS

AMAZON

NEWSLETTER

Purchase Links – Amazon – B&N – Kobo 

TOUR PARTICIPANTS:

April 25 – Brooke Blogs – SPOTLIGHT
April 26 – Maureen's Musings – SPOTLIGHT
April 26 – Christy's Cozy Corners – REVIEW
April 27 – Angel's Guilty Pleasures – SPOTLIGHT
April 27 – Reading Is My SuperPower – REVIEW
April 28 – Hearts & Scribbles – SPOTLIGHT
April 29 – MJB Reviewers – SPOTLIGHT
April 29 – Celticlady's Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
April 30 – Indie Author Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
May 1 – #BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee – SPOTLIGHT
May 2 – Literary Gold – SPOTLIGHT
May 2 – Ascroft, eh? – AUTHOR GUEST POST
May 3 – Sapphyria's Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
May 4 – StoreyBook Reviews – AUTHOR GUEST POST
May 5 – Ruff Drafts – SPOTLIGHT
May 6 – Baroness Book Trove – SPOTLIGHT
May 7 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT
May 8 – Melina's Book Blog – REVIEW
May 8 – My Reading Journeys – SPOTLIGHT
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Tuesday, May 2, 2023

Brushed Up On Murder: A Mobile Cat Groomer Mystery by Ruth J Hartman ~ Cozy Mystery @RuthjHartman

 

Brushed Up On Murder: A Mobile Cat Groomer Mystery by Ruth J Hartman

About Brushed Up On Murder:

 

Brushed Up On Murder: A Mobile Cat Groomer Mystery

Cozy Mystery

1st in Series

Setting - Indiana

Level Best Books (April 18, 2023)

Print length: ‎ 275 pages

ASIN: ‎ B0BXB8BZMQ

The life of a cat groomer isn’t just pampering purring felines, it's murder. 

Mobile Cat Groomer Molly Stewart loves her job. Until she finds the dead body of one of her pet parents stabbed with a garden implement in his back yard. When Molly’s uncle Russ becomes the prime suspect in the murder and the sheriff won’t consider anyone else, Molly claws through obstacles as she prowls for clues. 

With help from handsome veterinarian Hank Chenowith and Molly’s two cats, Percival and Jasper, will Molly succeed in proving her uncle’s innocence before the real murderer pounces on her?

My Review:

Brushed Up On Murder was a fantastic first book in the new Mobile Cat Groomer Mystery series. I loved the author's writing style. The author introduces a fun cast of characters and a wonderful setting. I enjoyed Molly's character and her occupation. Cozies with pets are my favorite and I adore felines so having a pair of cats was right up my alley. I loved Percival and Jasper.

The author did a great job introducing a viable assortment of suspects. Each one had means, motive, and/or opportunity. Full of twists and turns, Brushed Up On Murder kept me on the edge of my seat as I attempted to solve the murder with Molly. I look forward to the next book.

I was provided a copy of this book to read.

My Rating:


About Ruth J. Hartman:

 

Ruth J. Hartman spends her days herding cats and her nights spinning mysterious tales. She, her husband, and their cats love to spend time curled up in their recliners watching old Cary Grant movies. Well, the cats sit in the people’s recliners. Not that the cats couldn’t get their own furniture. They just choose to shed on someone else’s. Ruth, a left-handed, cat-herding, farmhouse-dwelling writer uses her sense of humor as she writes tales of lovable, klutzy women who seem to find trouble without even trying. Ruth’s husband and best friend, Garry, reads her manuscripts, rolls his eyes at her weird story ideas, and loves her despite her insistence all of her books have at least one cat in them. See updates about her cozy mysteries at Ruthjhartman.com. 

Author Links"


Purchase Link – Amazon

TOUR PARTICIPANTS:

April 18 – Christy's Cozy Corners – SPOTLIGHT WITH EXCERPT
April 18 – Sneaky the Library Cat's Blog – CHARACTER INTERVIEW
April 19 – Literary Gold – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
April 19 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW
April 20 – Sapphyria's Book Reviews – REVIEW
April 20 – Socrates Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
April 21 – I'm Into Books – SPOTLIGHT
April 21 – Books a Plenty Book Reviews – REVIEW
April 22 – Celticlady's Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
April 22 – #BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee – SPOTLIGHT
April 23 – Cozy Up With Kathy – REVIEW
April 24 – Mochas, Mysteries and Meows – REVIEW, CHARACTER INTERVIEW
April 24 – Indie Author Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
April 25 – Ascroft, eh? – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
April 26 – Reading Is My SuperPower – REVIEW
April 26 – Baroness Book Trove - SPOTLIGHT
April 27 – The Mystery Section – SPOTLIGHT WITH EXCERPT
April 27 – Hearts & Scribbles – SPOTLIGHT
April 28 – Novels Alive – REVIEW
April 28 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT
April 28 – fundinmental – SPOTLIGHT
April 29 – Guatemala Paula Loves to Read – REVIEW
April 30 – Maureen's Musings – SPOTLIGHT
May 1 – Brooke Blogs – SPOTLIGHT
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Entwined Within the Darkness (Within the Darkness Trilogy, Book One) by Charley Black ~ Paranormal Romance, Fantasy #PNR @AuthorCharleyB


Entwined Within the Darkness
Within the Darkness Trilogy
Book One 
Charley Black

Genre: Paranormal Romance, Fantasy
Publisher: Charley Black 
Date of Publication: September 4, 2022
ISBN: 979-8986887708
ASIN:B0BD577QKC
Number of pages: 310
Word Count: 95, 963
Cover Artist: MiblArt

About the Book: 

A wild evening goes demonically wrong…

Patience craves answers. Half a century after appearing on the steps of the witch academy, she was still no closer to recovering her lost memories and identity. Tormented nightly by visions of red eyes and burdened by dreams that, although connected, remain unclear. Patience, to distract herself, decides to defy the rules and enter the vampire club, Moarte, an act strictly forbidden for witches. Never expecting her best friend, Michael, to begin his transition into a full demon, Patience, desperate to save him, binds him to his vampiric lover.

To make matters worse, Lucius, the domineering brother of the vampire, whom Michael is now bound to, harbors a deep resentment for witches and especially for Patience. Even so, they must now work together to find a soul gem that will untether the bond before her best friend completely consumes his brother’s soul. As their unlikely alliance takes form and their attraction grows, Lucius’ presence draws out long-forgotten memories deep from within Patience. He may just be the key to unlocking her past—but will she be able to convince him that he needs her far more than he needs to kill her? Rediscovering her past and how it binds her to Lucius may just prove to be far more dangerous than either of them imagined.

Entwined, the first book in the Within the Darkness Trilogy, will leave readers in suspense. This enemies-to-lovers story will be filled with plenty of action, humor, and steam. So, prepare yourself, as the end of this novel leaves us with a cliffhanger, but not for long! Intended for 18+ readers, stay tuned to find out what lies ahead in this captivating trilogy.

Purchase from

Amazon      BN      Kobo       Google Play       Smashwords  

Read Excerpt 1:

A tremendous gust of wind came out of nowhere, blowing the umbrella out of her hands. She debated whether she should run the rest of the way home or chase after it when there was a sudden pull at her core in the direction her umbrella went. The sensation was strange, but her legs strode of their own accord toward the umbrella. She would usually fight this kind of enchantment, but her curiosity got the best of her. She wanted to know where it was leading her. It had to be an Allure of Soul’s charm, similar to the one found on the website, except this felt different. The pull was stronger than any charm she had experienced before.

She let the compelling force at her core lead her to the front of the double doors of an old industrial building. It looked like it was a nightclub. Picking up her umbrella, she saw a sign above the doors that read: Moarte.

Interesting. So this is Moarte. Club Death. Typical of vampires to name their club “Death.”

Strange creatures.

Realizing it had stopped raining, she folded up the umbrella. She must have become swept up in the enchantment because of the storm. Magic had a mind of its own sometimes. The weather constantly messed with enchantments, especially with lure charms.

Turning to walk away since the allure had done its job and got her here, she found her feet wouldn’t leave.

“What the hell?” She struggled to leave, thinking it was a fluke. She tried moving toward the door instead of away, and it worked. Then she tried to turn away again. Her feet wouldn’t move forward.

Fighting the enchantment became harder the longer she stood, so she gave in. Stepping up to the doors, she touched the handle. An image flashed through her mind.

It was too quick for her to see. A warm, familiar sensation washed over her, pulling at her memory. It ran through her body, brushing against her soul, then vanished as quickly as it came. She pulled on the door. It wouldn’t budge. She could unlock it, but there was a magical ward, and she didn’t want to risk drawing attention to herself by blasting off the door to a vampire club.

Vampires and witches were still mortal enemies. Even with the law outlawing the killing of witches in place, vampires were to be avoided.

This time, when she turned to leave, nothing stopped her. Her feet moved forward without incident.

Her thoughts traveled in a million different directions.

The first being, what the hell kind of enchantment was that if it wasn’t a lure charm? There were other enchantments that vampires used specifically to lure their victims into their clubs. It shouldn’t have affected her, at least not this strongly. She could blame it on the rain. Another possibility was something else was leading her there.

Following clues to her past wasn’t always easy. She went into many of her leads blind and knowing she would come out with disappointment. She always told herself she had at least had to try. Her instincts were telling her there was a clue in the club.

Walking up the stairs to her apartment, she knew they would go to Moarte tonight.

No… I couldn’t let that happen. She had followed too many clues already. Tonight was going to be about fun and doing something different. Remember: new energy in the air.

Though this differed from her dreams and nightmares, she had never seen a glimpse of memory before or that warm sensation. It never happened when she was awake before.

No, she wouldn’t think about it. Tomorrow was another day. She would chase it tomorrow.

She did this to herself all the time. All it did was add to her stress.

She promised herself she wouldn’t go anywhere near the club tonight


About the Author:

Charley Black is an up-and-coming writer and author who has been creating stories since she was twelve years old. Her early short stories dabbled in different genres, but her passion for romance novels — paranormal romance in particular — always shone through. Charley currently resides in Rhode Island, with her family and works at a local university. Debuting in September, Entwined will be the first of three novels set in the Within the Darkness universe.








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