The Unforgiven

Irina Shapiro has graced us with another audiobook that has left me wanting more. Narrated by Wendy Wolfson, I listened to The Unforgiven, book three in the Echoes From The Past series nonstop since downloading it. I really wish I could tell you all the gritty details, but if you haven’t paid attention and haven’t picked up this series yet, I’ll keep my review as spoiler free as I can.

Overall Rating: 6/6 Glass Slippers

Heat Level:❤️❤️❤️

Genre: Historical/Contemporary Mystery

Quinn is back on the hunt for her father, and hopefully the truth about where her gift comes from. Her clues lead her to New Orleans, Louisiana and a family that seems to welcome her with open arms. What begins as a weekend away from Gabe turns into several weeks as a new story unfolds before her eyes.

Madeline is a monied young lady from Louisiana in 1858. She’s adored by her father, as an only child. But when he dies and the estate is sold to pay his debts, she’s sent to live at the Arabella Plantation with a grandmother she never knew and a cousin who welcomes her fully. While initially excited to learn more about the family her father never spoke of, she finds that he had been banished years before and her grandmother hates her in place of him. But no one will tell her what terrible sin he committed.

There’s no record of Madeline in the history books or in the family grave. Quinn longs to know more about the young woman and uses her gift to unravel a life cut short. But her own life is turned on it’s head, and as she comes to terms with her own heritage, she’ll find that alligators and voodoo are not the only dangers in Nola.

I think I’ve said this every time I review this book…it deserves to be a TV series. The time hopping adventure Shapiro creates are completely enthralling and deserves a wider platform. I’ve become emotionally involved in these characters, something that usually wears off after a few books. But these have such backstories that I have to know more!

There was a small teaser in the books end that gave me hope that the series will never end. I could red about, and listen to, Quinn’s adventures forever. Each story is so different and compelling, one could never get bored of her glimpses into the past. The fact that her personal life is full of wild twists and turns doesn’t hurt anything either!

I highly, highly, highly recommend this book series too all book lovers, but especially those who love some mystery and history in their reads.

Chasing the Bodyguard

Looking for a book that will make you laugh just as much as it’ll make you blush? Check out Chasing the Bodyguard by Grace Risata.

Heat Level: ❤️❤️❤️❤️

Genre: Comedic Romance

Overall Rating: 6/6 Glass Slippers

Leandra is a woman in a man’s world. As as the boss of an Irish mob syndicate, she’s learned how let her bark be just as deadly as her bite and she rules with an iron fist. But even she needs a little backup, so she hires Sam as her bodyguard. He’s up for the challenge of keeping her safe, but she’s a firecracker that doesn’t take kindly to being told what to do. He’s a cockblocker, a rule maker, and it drives her crazy that she can’t have him.

Sam has a job to do and won’t let his attraction to his boss mess things up. But he also has a few secrets under his belt that refuse to be hidden, even though he just wants to move on. A deadly game begins, and the urge to give in to Leandra becomes stronger than ever.

Risata has this ability to really build a world, set up the heat, and give you all the romance without having to fluff things out. The tension between Sam and “Lee” is so thick, you could cut it with a knife, not that you’d want to. The back and forth is what makes it a great read. I find that banter really makes or breaks a book for me, and This author never disappoints.

Are you sick of cliffhangers? This book has zero, just a small tidbit of a book yet to come. But there are no shortages of happily ever after on the Grace Risata Amazon page, even if some are a little unorthodox. It’s also fun to have the woman be the powerful one calling all the shots instead of a man. So if you like dirty jokes, steamy scenes, and some humor that will make you laugh and blush at the same time, one click Chasing the Bodyguard now.

Hating My New Boss

It’s no secret I love audiobooks, so I’m always thrilled when the talented Meghan Kelly lends her voice to a new book. Today, I want to introduce you to Hating My New Boss by B.B. Hamel. It’s a fiery hot story of old wounds and second chances that you might want to listen to with headphones instead of your speakers…unless you have particularly relaxed neighbors.

Heat Level: ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

Audio Rating: 6/6 Glass Slippers

Book Rating: 5/6 Glass Slippers

Remi has fought tooth and nail to be the next in line to take over as the new Creative Director at an ad agency. But instead of moving into a new office, she gets a new boss, and he’s the last person she ever wanted to see. A war between two families forced her and her former best friend Justin apart and he poured salt in the wound on his way out of her life. Yet he got the job she wanted and her hate flows more freely than ever before.

Justin only got the job because his big shot dad put his two cents in, but being the boss is always fun, especially when you get to be in control of someone from your past. It’s no secret Remi despises him, but he strikes a deal to bring her to his side. And as they work together to woo a major client, it’ll take more than a raise and some creative control to get her to listen…especially when the line between business and pleasure becomes seriously blurred.

As always, Kelly has given life to a cast of varied characters without making them sound like cartoons. There’s the dippy client with her far out tone, Remi’s firm voice that often shows her hidden weakness, and Justine’s sultry baritone. As you listen, it’s very easy to stay on track with who is who without having to rewind. I think that’s what makes Kelly successful in her field. She toes the fine line between giving each character a distinct sound and making them each a caricature, and she does it beautifully.

And then there’s the thing where the last Kelly audiobook I listened to was a sweet, Christian romance that took place on a ranch. It’s wild how she can go from sweet to spicy without a hitch. That’s real talent.

Now, for the story. Okay, so Justin must have a magic cock. Demi is spitting venom, but the moment he whips it out, she loses all self worth and just gets down on her knees and lets him do whatever he wants. I’m all for BDSM relations, but this was on par with the Fifty Shades issues of trust and mutual respect. When the surprise “butt stuff” first happened, she hadn’t even forgiven him yet for how he once treated her.

Outside that, it was a great plot then went seamlessly from the big city to underground Hawaii without a beat. The history behind Justin and Remi’s relationship is deep and complicated. It couldn’t be washed away with just an apology and more than one conversation had to happen before the pair could even begin to settle thing between them. I liked Remi at once and wanted to kick Justin right out of that office. But when you get to know Justin, you’ll see that under the protective layer he’s been forced to take, he might just surprise you.

If you’re into audiobooks with enough steam to put a sauna to shame and some characters to really sink your teeth into, download your copy of Hating My New Boss now.

Interview With Stephen Cross

You’ve probably seen my posts about Stephen Cross’s The Fall Series, but not much about the author himself. Well, he’s been kind enough to do a little interview where he talks inspiration, writing tips, and what make his zombies so scary. It’s the perfect way to celebrate Halloween.

1. When did you first start writing?

I remember in primary school (about aged 10) we were tasked to write a story about being trapped on a desert island. Mine ended up being 104 pages long and had orcs and elves in it (I had just finished reading The Lord of the Rings). I’m sure it was a load of nonsense! I would write a page or two each evening, and then the teacher would read them out to the class the next day. I seem to remember he stopped that practice though, once the elves and orcs appeared…

2. Have you always been interested in the horror genre? If so, what draws you in?

In my early teen years I progressed through Isaac Asimov and Arthur C Clarke to Stephen King, and read everything of his I could get my hands on. The first novel of his I read was Salem’s Lot, the next was The Stand. The Stand changed my world! It was my first introduction to apocalyptic fiction and I have been obsessed with that genre ever since. How do people survive? What ingenious and terrible things – in equal measure – will happen? How do people learn to live together again without the forced civility of society? You can probably see the attraction for an author.

And what about horror in the wider frame? Horror sets out to terrify us – but the best horror doesn’t just make us jump, it makes us think in dark and terrifying ways. The mind is where our true horror lives. All these nasty things that we write and read about – the vampires, the zombies, the demons – they aren’t just terrifying creatures, but archetypes that represent our most primal fears. A mainline into our archaic unease of the beast outside the cave, but if we go even deeper still – what about the beast inside the cave, the demons that live in our own souls?  

Our society and civilization does its best to shield us from the darkness. A good horror story reminds us that the modern world is really only a thin veneer of safety, beneath which our darkest nightmares still reside… I think people like to be reminded of this

3. Do you write outside the horror genre?

I have written in the science fiction and magical reality genre. But even those have had a horror tilt to them, with some dark character hiding in the shadows… I would like to write a good spy novel, something in the vein of John Le Carre, but I don’t think I’m clever enough to pull it off!

4. Favorite zombie movies or shows?

Walking Dead of course 🙂 I also love 28 Days Later and The Girl with all the Gifts.

5. Do you have zombie apocalypse survival plans in real life?

Haha… I think, being in the UK and given how population dense we are, and how terrible our weather is, the best plan would be to hunker down for a few months in the house until the initial panic settled down. Nail up the windows, live in the attic. Playing dead 🙂

6. Your books take place in the UK. Is that where you’re based?

Yes, originally from Ireland, but live in England now. Up north.

7. Favorite book you’ve written?

Always the one I’m writing 🙂 I’ve loved every book I’ve written, but I could spend forever fine tuning, so there has to be a cut off. Once I reach that point it stops being my favorite and I turn my attention to the next novel.

8. Favorite books to read in your personal time?

I usually have two books going at once. There’s one for the evenings and downtimes – this is my fun read and I have no preferred genre; sci-fi, horror, crime thrillers, spy and political thrillers. Anything really! Then the second will be my finding-out-about-stuff read. This is for during the day; travelling on the train, a break at work. It could be scientific, self-improvement, spiritual, historical. A book that will hopefully teach me something.

My reading list is a few miles long – There’s not enough time in the world to read everything I want to!

9. What does a typical day of writing look like?

I wake up early, I get the train into the city. Once there, I get my latte, grab a seat and write in a mad flurry for about 30 mins. This will get me between 1000-1500 words depending on what flow I get into. I’ll then go to work, and if it’s not a gym day, I will go back to the cafe at lunch time and put in another 30min sprint.

I rarely get time in the evenings or weekends to write; spending time with my family takes precedence then.

So I will usually get in 1,000-3,000 words a day, five days a week. I’m always thinking about the current novel though. Building plot, the next character development, etc. By the time I sit down to write, I should know exactly what’s going to happen.

10. Do you write on a schedule or write when inspiration strikes?

On schedule. It has to be. Two reasons – 1. I have so little time in my life that without rigidly imposing a schedule I would never find the time to write. 2 – Habit. There has to be habit. So even when I feel like the last thing I want to do is write, I sit down and write, as my whole physiology is expecting it. Inspiration turns up usually a few minutes into my writing. Good books on this topic, if you are interested, are The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg, the War of Art by Steven Pressfield, and On Writing by Stephen King. Habit and structure are VITAL aspects of my writing.

11. Any writing vices? Coffee, tea, chocolate, whisky, etc?

A large latte :)

12. You have many varied characters/character groups. Are they based off people in your real life?

I would say my characters are an amalgamation of people that I know, have known, and even people I know from fiction, either film or literature. I usually start off with an idea of who a character is, and how they will develop. Invariably, however, the character starts to take a life of their own as they get drawn into the story – they start making their own decisions, going to places I don’t want them to, and generally making a mockery of any plotting I’ve done!

13. Is there any specific character you root for or see yourself in?

As I mentioned, the characters change and develop and usually end up very different from how I  originally envisaged them. So a character who was meant to have a particular story arc and development, may end up taking an entirely different path. Example – Sergeant Crowe from The Fall series was only meant to be a minor character without about a page of screen time. His nihilistic toughness kept him going though, and he ended up being one of my favourite characters.

14. Favorite things to do outside of writing?

Lifting weights, surfing, snowboarding, and spending time with my family.

15. Hardest part about writing?

Making myself sit down to write is the first hurdle – hence why habit is so important! And then, the few minutes whilst I set up my laptop, open up the file, etc. is time enough for a million thoughts of failure to rush through my head. I need to get writing as quickly as possible, and trust that flow will arrive.

16. Advice for new or inspiring authors?

I would still class myself as an aspiring author! So I guess any advice would be what I tell myself each day – Just sit down and write. The rest of the stuff will become clear as time goes on and the pages build up. Just keep it simple – sit down and write.

17. Any upcoming works or plans?

I am 60,000 words into a new horror thriller, the working title is Dark Island. I hopefully will have the first draft finished within a month if I keep to schedule. And no zombies in this one 🙂

Now that you know a little more about Cross and his inspirations, check out his Amazon page HERE, his website HERE, and follow him on Twitter HERE.

Love in the Air

Guess what readers…I’m back! It’s Sarah. I’ve been gone for awhile as work and moving took over my life. Now that things have calmed down, I’m back to help Kelsey find the best books to keep your interest. And today, I have just the one for you.

While I know Halloween and spooks are in the air but I want to talk about love instead. A little while ago, we talked about Love on the Sound. It’s a book about a woman moving to a small town. It’s a very Gilmore Girlesque place and book two is out and FREE. That’s right ladies, it’s free. Click HERE to check it out

Rating- 5/6 Glass Slippers

Heat Level- ♥♥♥♥

The book stars Nell and Adrian. Nell is a pilot, she wears leather, has short pixie hair, and prefers a one night stand to a romantic dinner. Of course, she does have one true love, or someone she thought was her one true love. While she loves the excitement of the mystery man, she’s begun to wonder what it might be like to sit across the breakfast table from a man, instead of sneaking out before the light of day. So she’s decided to talk to that true love and tell him exactly how she feels. But it doesn’t go well. And now, she needs a night of sin to forget the pain of the lose. However, she chose the worst possible partner…her love’s best friend.

Adrian is tall, dark, and handsome. He’s an artist who works on sculptures. In case you were wondering, that means he’s good with his hands. And he speaks Spanish. All I’m picturing is waking up in a fabulous studio apartment, looking across the room and seeing a shirtless and muscular man forming a work of art, before he makes love to you while whispering dirty, dirty things in your ear in Spanish.

Okay, we should get back to the book because scenes like that actually take place. Adrian looks at Nell and sees the person his best friend considers a sister. But he also sees legs he wants wrapped around his waist, pouted lips he’s eager to kiss, and enough sex appeal to power a small city…like Lopez Island.

Of course, she’s afraid of commitment, he knows he’s risking a friendship, and there’s this whole nothing stays secret in a small town thing threatening to ruin everything. So what do they do? Well, I know, read it to find out.

I fell in love with this town when I read the first book so I was very excited when Jamie Matthews contacted me about this review. What’s nice is she keeps you updated on the other characters, while not making the whole book about the side characters. I also enjoyed the difference in the main characters. The female lead from this book is completely different than book 1 which is something I am always nervous about when I read sequels. Nell is lovely, and I did enjoy her, but Adrian stole the show. He is sex on a stick, caliente, if you know what I mean. As someone who speaks Spanish, I enjoyed the bit of Spanish in there. It was pretty formal Spanish, so I did expect it to be more casual in the scenes where it was used. However, it still fit.

This is a hot book, with hot scenes, and hot characters. Prepare yourself. Maybe use a fan, some cold lemonade, a freezing shower…whatever you gotta do to get through the book. But when you do, you’ll enjoy it.

As always, you can find my books on Amazon. Interested in New Adult romance…

Click HERE

 

Thrice to Thine

Y’all, the lovely Meredith Stoddard is back with the third book in her Once & Future series. I’ll try to keep this spoiler free, but I highly recommend you read all the books in her spellbinding collection. Interested? Take a peek at her Amazon page HERE to snag the whole series. So, without any more introduction, here’s my review of Thrice to Thine.

Heat Level: ❤️❤️

Genre: Contemporary, Fantasy, Romantic, Mystery

Overall Rating: 6/6 Glass Slippers

Sarah has been looking for answers to her family’s secrets for years. Yet the more she searches, the more tangled they become. She doesn’t have much to work with, only her grandmother’s stories and some folklore. Luckily, she still has Dermot to help her, although he never thought he’d see her again, being with him is still a major distraction to her work, and his coworker Kirstie is less than hospitable to “the American.”

More than anything, Sarah wants to find out what happened to her mother in the mysterious village in Scotland. Between a diary and some hazy dreams, she needs something more tangible, and her supernatural gift isn’t much help. She wants to tell Dermot about her abilities, but fears what would happen it came into the hands of James Stuart, who is growing a little too close for comfort. She can almost grasp the answers, but someone else may find them first.

Ugh, book three and I still have so many questions! Poor Sarah may never find what she’s looking for, but I have hope that Stoddard will put me out of my misery in book four! At least I hope she does, because just like Sarah, I can almost taste the answers.

The writing, as always, is simple, yet vivid. You really get a proper feeling for Scotland, between the stone buildings, rolling hills, and perfect Gaelic, it’s a picturesque view of an imperfect situation that has been decades in the making. I also enjoyed learning more about Sarah and Dermot, really diving into their backgrounds to get to the root of what draws them together. Overall, I suggest any fan of mysteries and fantasies should pick up this amazing series.

Zombie, Undead, Walker…

My horror favorite goes by many names and I get my fix however I can. When not reading and writing romance, I devour all things zombie (pun intended). So here are some of my favorite undead things for you to read and watch to really get you in the Halloween spirit.

World War Z

To be clear, I am not talking about the Brad Pitt movie that only had 2% of the book in it. To me, that doesn’t exist and I will deny that they are in any way related. I’m talking about the book by Max Brooks. Giving multiple testimonies from before, during, and after an outbreak, it’s sure to leave you a little uneasy.

I also suggest the audiobook version, which features voices from such stars as Martin Scorsese, Simon Pegg, and Mark Hamill. My top three stories are the Chinese Submarine Admiral, the British castle expert, and the hired gun to the rich and famous on the private island.

• Get the book HERE
• Download the Audiobook HERE

28 Days Later

This has been an old favorite for years. Really, it’s a fantastic movie that I must have seen dozens of times, but still can’t get sick of. They’re not your stumbling zombies, but Olympic-style infected that will jump you like a lion does a sick gazelle.

28 Weeks Later isn’t bad either, but nothing beats the original. Movie one really set the bar for the “rage” style zombies who hunt, sprint, and set traps for their prey.

The Fall Series by Stephen CrossSet in England, this series follows groups of people trying to survive an outbreak that turns people into mindless zombies. I wish more people knew about the series, because the characters are very relatable, not all ex-Navy Seals with and A+in survival. They’re normal people who have never been camping and will probably die, like me.

It’s easy to find a character in the varied cast that really resonates with you. As the series goes on, it’s easy to root for some while hope the others get what they deserve.

• Pick up the series HERE

What We BecomeThis Danish horror movie encapsulates real people in a situation where families are torn apart, figuratively and literally. It’s not gory, not in the way other movies are, but follows a neighborhood through a quarantine where some want to stay put and listen to the authorities, and others who want to run before whatever is scratching at the boarded up windows gets in.

Watching the decline of civilization is an interesting thing, especially when it’s not a sudden break. There’s no wave of zombies decimating everything, it’s a slow burn of government restrictions and MREs.

At the time of this post, this movie is on Netflix US.

We’re AliveI’m new at the podcast thing, but I popped my cherry with We’re Alive, a well done production that reminded me of the radio shows our great-grandparents listened to. The cast is superb and they put in just enough back story to really get you to connect to the characters and worry over who will get bit.

But as in real life, the other survivors may end up being the real threat. Well, between disease, evolving zombies, lack of clean drinking water, and a mysterious ground zero.

Listen to it now for free on the Podcasts app.

Train to BusanThis subtitled movie is a new one, an undead romp that it’s far more emotional than some horror movies are. It follows a divorced business man who has a strained relationship with his only daughter. So when she begs him to take her to her mother’s house, his guilt makes him agree. But when the train slows and the hysterical phone calls begin, the passengers know that something has gone terribly wrong.

Fast paced and moving, this movie is one that belongs on your watch list. It left me wanting more and I hope they continue with another movie so we see what happens at the end of the line.

At the time of this post, this movie is on Netflix US.

The Deadlocked Series

This series by A.R. Wise is one to get lost in this fall. It begins with an ordinary family man trying to get home and ends with his daughters wrapping up the books. Told in multiple points of views, you get plenty of different versions of the same story of survival.

Upsetting and gory, this series ends nicely, wrapped up in a little bow. Nothing is left hanging and the story is satisfying in the way finished series ought to be.

At the time of this posting, the first book in this series it’s free on Amazon.

• Download this series HERE

That’s it! The lucky seven zombie themed things that put me in the Halloween spirit. Is there something else you think belongs on this list? Let me know!

After the Fall

I love all things horror. The scarier something is, the more I’ll probably adore it, and horror books are no exception. So when Stephen Cross came to me with book two of The Fall Series, I jumped at it. It’s been forever since I’ve had a good zombie novel in my life and even longer since I reviewed book one, Surviving the Fall. So let’s chat about After the Fall…

Overall Rating: 6/6 Glass Slippers

Genre: Horror

It’s been three months since the world went tits up, and eight groups of survivors are still alive…for now.

We begin with Jack, the widowed father who has been at a holiday park, fighting to keep his daughter Annie alive since England fell into the hands of the dead. Pub owner Mac and his wife Angie are still holed up in their building, scraping by with raids into the village, where the zombies are growing restless. Adam, Harriet, and Arthur are still on the run, always working to stay out of danger. Five more pockets of people are still clinging to the small pieces of safety that they’ve managed to savage.

Not always intersecting, each story highlights a different aspect of survival. There are intact families and single parents. Alongside soldiers, civilians try to adopt military standards to keep order. Some find safety within gates and walls, while others try to rest in tents and fields while constantly moving. While some people steal to eat, others just try not to get eaten. All of them, however, have one thing in common–the will to survive.

Because all the characters are varied and diverse, almost all readers will find someone to connect to. For me, that’s Jack. While I’m not a widowed father, a man, or British, I can relate to his protectiveness toward his daughter and the lengths he goes to keep her from harm. Maybe you’re strong-willed like Mac. Maybe your first move would be to find a secluded island or hole up at home with canned food. Maybe you’d kill for those cans, or maybe you wouldn’t live long enough to consider it.

Again, I was impressed with Cross’s work and the way he humanized the zombie apocalypse. I liked how, while there were a few military men around, most people didn’t know anything about surviving without grocery stores and electricity. I’m tired of everyone in apocalypse books knowing how to set snares and modify cars like a Mad Max ripoff. It’s just not realistic and I like realism with my zombies, as silly as that may sound.

I want the human struggle to find clean water, the hopelessness or having another safe place overrun, the fumbling of trying to work a gun when you’ve never shot one. To me, that’s what people would truly be like. Keep your super spy ninjas with their gated, solar house and doctorate in emergency medicine out of this. I want you to show me how the average Joe would stay alive, something Cross delivered.

If you love horror, zombies, stories that feel real, or just want to get pumped for Halloween, pick up After the Fall on Amazon now.

The Forgotten

Remember that audiobook I raved about a few weeks back? The one by Irina Shapiro that was so good, I was low key jealous I hadn’t thought of a story like that first? The one that was so amazing, I keep Facebook messaging her, begging her to write a screen play so I can watch a feature film? If not, take a peek back at The Lovers. But today I’m raving about The Forgotten, the second book in the Echoes from the Past series, narrated by Wendy Wolfson. As always, unless you’ve read/listened to book one, this review may contain spoilers.

Overall Rating: 6/6 Glass Slippers

Genre: Historical Romance/Mystery

Heat Level: ❤️❤️❤️

In 2014, Dr. Quinn Allenby’s life is falling into place in some aspects and falling apart in others. While her engagement to Gabe is like living in a dream and her newly forged relationship with her birth mother is off to a timid, yet warm start, the hunt for her biological father is still on and each candidate leaves something to be desired. But it’s not only her uncertain parentage that leaves her feeling uneasy. An accident leaves Gabe with a series of obstacles and trials that forces her to put her needs on the back burner to support him and take on a new role she wasn’t prepared for.

Despite the whirlwind of her personal life, she needs to keep working on the Echoes from the Past television series. It brings her to a pair of skeletons, a woman and a young boy who had been buried face down in unholy ground. Whatever their crimes had been, it had been bad enough to cast shame over them for all eternity. Quinn has to use her gifts to find out who they were in life and how they ended up in the makeshift graves.

In 1346, Petra has just buried her husband, who was a good provider, but an abusive man who had no kindness in his heart. She’s left to care for her son and two young daughters alone and she takes a position as a companion to a sharp, old woman she once served in her youth. Petra’s mother pushes her to remarry, but Petra had only loved one man in her youth, and he had left her pregnant and alone, leaving her to marry in haste to hide her growing belly. An eligible man now wants to marry her, but the reappearance of her first love clouds her mind and before long she’ll need to choose between a man she doesn’t love who can offer her the world, or the man she’s always loved that she can never be with, the father of her only son.

Both Quinn and Petra are strong women who want to follow their hearts and find they true paths, but when their roads intersect in two different times, Quinn finds that Petra’s tale may be too much to bear.

Shapiro has done it again. I listened to this book every spare minute and couldn’t get enough. When I was in Quinn’s car, driving through Scotland, I worried about Petra. And when I was following Petra to market in her seaside village, I wondered what Quinn was up to. It’s easy to get lost in the characters since you’re inserted so firmly into their minds. It also makes their tragedies more painful, but that’s what makes a story stick with you.

At times, I wanted to shake Petra for her choices. As a historian, I understood firmly what her life would be like without a good husband and I wanted to push her into her wealthy suitor’s arms so she could finally have some peace. I wanted her son to get a good apprenticeship and her daughters have high dowries so they might pick their husbands. But she was in love, and although I didn’t want her to suffer for it, I knew she had to live her life her own way.

This book is perfect for mystery lovers, history fans, people that want some thrills with their romance, peppered with dramatics. I’m waiting with baited breath for book three in audiobook, but since the book itself is already on Amazon, I might just jump the gun.

For the Audiobook, click HERE

For the ebook/paperback, Click HERE

Covet

Who here remembers Vice, a steamy little number by Rosanna Leo? Well, get ready to swoon because book two in the Vegas Sin Series, Covet, is here!

Heat Level: ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Overall Rating: 6/6 Glass Slippers

Dana’s fiancé crushed her in the worst way possible; over a stale muffin in a hospital cafeteria after she’s given a painful diagnosis. So she sashays away like Diana Ross and goes to drown her sorrows in a local bar. As the saying goes, the best way to get over a man is to get under another and her new friend at the bar, Alex, fits the bill.

Las Vegas developer Alex has a bit of a reputation and a bit of a following, so he gives a fake last name when he meets Dana, and they share an hour together that rocks his world. But when he goes back to find her, his Cinderella is gone and she doesn’t even leave a slipper behind. Months later, he’s still wondering what became of the girl with the midnight eyes that haunt his daydreams.

When their paths do cross, it might take more than a few glasses of white and a few minutes of privacy to pick up where they left off. They’re both carrying their own heavy baggage, but if they can learn to let go, they might just be okay.

As you know, I’ve already rated this book a 6/6 on the Slipper Scale. It was hot, hot, hot, sweet, dramatic, and hot. But it didn’t just make me blush, it made me think and feel, something that not every book can do.

I felt for poor Dana, left by a man mere minutes after being told her chances of having a child were down to almost nothing. And I felt for poor Alex, hounded by the press after a tragedy that basically forced him to move across the country. They had complex backstories that didn’t weigh down the story, but humanized the characters.

But their chemistry was electric. Their banter and the little ways they interacted made their relationship believable and fun. Their passionate climb out of the darkness has that perfect spin that makes you remember what you love about romance novels.