Book Recommendation - Fairest of Heart

 

Historical fiction is always thoroughly enjoyable because in reading, you also learn about a past time and get a sneak peak into how those who lived in that time frame lived. When a fairy tale retelling goes alongside it, it's even more of a treat. And when Karen Witemeyer is the author, you know it's going to be a good one. Set with a western spin, this new take on Snow White (or Penelope Snow in this instance) and the Seven Dwarves (or Seven Drovers in this instance) is a lot of fun and was thoroughly enjoyable. With some familiar elements due to the fairy tale retelling, there were also some unique historical elements with some real-life characters included, and some fun nuances to give readers a fresh take on a familiar tale. I thoroughly enjoyed this story! Here's the back cover blurb:

Beauty has been nothing but a curse to Penelope Snow. When she becomes a personal maid for a famous actress whose troupe is leaving Chicago to tour the west, she hides her figure beneath shapeless dresses and keeps her head down. But she still manages to attract the wrong attention, leaving her prospects in tatters—and her jealous mistress plotting her demise.

After his brother lost his life over a woman, Texas Ranger Titus Kingsley has learned to expect the worst from females and is rarely disappointed. So when a young woman found in suspicious circumstances takes up residence with the seven old drovers living at his grandfather’s ranch, Titus is determined to keep a close eye on her.

With a promotion hanging in the balance, Titus investigates a robbery case tied to Penelope’s old acting troupe. The evidence points to her guilt, but Titus’s heart divines a different truth—one that might just get Penelope killed.

An enchanting Western take on the classic Snow White fairy tale, Fairest of Heart will sweep you away from once upon a time to happily ever after.

Belonging to the author's reader group on Facebook, I've been privy to discussions about character names and their looks and a lot of conversation about this whole series of fairy tale retellings. One of my favorite things to glean from this is how the author envisions the characters as that helps my mental picture as well. Here's her take on Penelope and Titus:

I love how this model captures not only the beauty, but the innocence of Penelope that make her so fair of heart. 

This book releases June 6, 2023 wherever books are sold. Be sure to pre-order your copy today! For additional information, check out the following links:

Karen Witemeyer's website: http://www.karenwitemeyer.com/index.html

Karen Witemeyer's Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/KarenWitemeyersAuthorPage

Karen's Facebook group (the Posse): https://www.facebook.com/groups/1839437643052460

My full 5-star review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5247140753

Book Recommendation - Blind Trust (SNAP Agency)

 

Natalie Walters has been one of my go-to authors for romantic suspense since she first came on the scene a few years ago. Her debut was stellar and the books she's released since then have measured up to the standard she set for herself from the get-go. I've always enjoyed her books, filled with characters that you can't help but love, page-turning action, heart-stopping suspense, laugh-inducing witty banter, and just the right amount of romance. Her upcoming release, Blind Trust, is no different. It's the final installment of the SNAP Agency series, which follows an elect group of people who take on the missions that the government can't. This whole series has been fabulous, but this book tops my list as a favorite for the series. Lyla and Garcia have been hovering in the background of the other books and I'm so glad to finally get their story! Here's a blurb about the book:

Lyla Fox knows she has a reputation at the SNAP Agency for impulsivity, but when she receives a threatening letter from a man she helped put in prison, she can't stop herself from going all in to find out why he's coming after her. Unfortunately, she's going to need the help of the one person who questions her reckless choices more than anyone else.

 

Explosives and weapons specialist Nicolas Garcia agrees to help Lyla in order to keep her safe, but her recklessness continues to be a major concern, especially when her investigation into a conspiracy puts a target on her back. Dealing with bombs is dangerous. Working with Lyla is proving to be just as treacherous--to both the mission and his heart.

 

Natalie Walters closes out her SNAP Agency series with a bang with this nail-biting story of a deadly government conspiracy, an unlikely couple, and an ending that will leave you breathless.

Being on the author's launch team gives me an inside look at some things, including how the author pictures the main characters. Here is how she pictures Garcia and Lyla: 

This book releases on April 11, 2023 wherever books are sold. Be sure to check this one out! For additional information, check out the following links:

Natalie Walters' website: https://www.nataliewalterswriter.com/

Natalie Walters' Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100041917969557

My full 5-star review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4775848962

Book Recommendation - Broker of Lies

 

When it comes to genres, my first love is suspense. I enjoy the thrill of a good edge-of-your-seat suspense novel. During the pandemic, suspense novels increased my anxiety and I put them on the back burner for a bit, but I've noticed my appetite for a good thriller is back, so I was so excited that Steven James is starting a new series this year. James is one my favorites, a go-to suspense author that I will read everything and know that it will be good. This new series is off to a stellar start with Broker of Lies and I can't wait to see what happens next! Here's a bit about the book:

The man who knows all our secrets has a secret of his own.

When Travis Brock, a high-level Pentagon redactor with an eidetic memory, finds a clue to solving the tragic arson that took his wife from him, he risks everything to find the truth--and chances losing himself in the process.

With a terror attack looming on the horizon and a pair of assassins on his tail, Brock drops off the grid and joins forces with a disavowed Homeland Security operative. Together they race to stop the attack before Brock is neutralized by the people he trusts the most.

From critically acclaimed, bestselling novelist Steven James comes a smart, wire-tight, and emotionally resonant thriller that asks just how far across the line we might go to see justice carried out.

This book releases April 11, 2023 wherever books are sold. Be sure to check it out! For additional information, check out the following links:

Steven James's website: https://stevenjames.net/

Steven James's Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/readstevenjames

My full 5-star review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5247144526

Book Recommendation - The Words We Lost

 

When looking for contemporary stories with depth, wonderful character development and humor woven throughout, I look no further than Nicole Deese. Her stories are always beautifully written, deal with heavy topics in a "not-so-heavy-feeling" way, and bring delightful characters to light that you can fully relate to and fall in love with. This book is no different. Not only does this book speak to the author's first-hand experience with grief, but it also speaks to her experience with the publishing industry. I enjoyed having that inside look, along with a thoroughly enjoyable story line. Here's a little bit about the book:

As a senior acquisitions editor for Fog Harbor Books in San Francisco, Ingrid Erikson has rejected many a manuscript for lack of defined conflict and dramatic irony--two elements her current life possesses in spades. In the months following the death of her childhood best friend and international bestselling author Cecelia Campbell, Ingrid has not only lost her ability to escape into fiction due to a rare trauma response, but she's also desperate to find the closure she's convinced will come with Cecelia's missing final manuscript.

After Ingrid jeopardizes her career, she fears her future will remain irrevocably broken. But then Joel Campbell--the man who shattered her belief in happily-ever-afters--offers her a sealed envelope from his late cousin, Cecelia, asking Joel and Ingrid to put their differences aside and retrieve a mysterious package in their coastal Washington hometown.

Honoring Cecelia's last request will challenge their convictions and test their loyalties, but through it all, will Ingrid and Joel be brave enough to uncover a twice-in-a-lifetime love?

Being a part of this author's social media group gave me a little inside scoop on the characters. Here's how she envisions them!

I really enjoyed the character dynamics and getting a visualization is always helpful to me!

This book releases April 11, 2023, wherever books are sold. For additional information, check out the following links:

Baker Book house pre-order link:  https://bakerbookhouse.com/products/465075

Nicole Deese's website: https://www.nicoledeese.com/

Nicole Deese's Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/nicoledeeseauthor

Nicole Deese's Facebook readers group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/940500506039559

My full 5-star review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4775847600

Book Recommendation - The Vanishing at Castle Moreau

 

When looking for romantic suspense with a touch of gothic horror, Jaime Jo Wright is a go-to author. In a class all her own, her books are filled with mystery, suspense and generally terror. Known as an author whose books you can only read with the lights on, her books keep you turning pages. This one is no different, though I didn't find it to be as intense as some of her others. If you enjoy thrilling books that keep you up at night and shine a light in the darkness, this is one you will want to read! Here's a bit about the book:

In 1865, orphaned Daisy Francois takes a position as housemaid at a midwestern Wisconsin castle and finds that the reclusive and eccentric Gothic authoress inside hides more than the harrowing tales in her novels. With women disappearing from the area and a legend that seems to parallel these eerie circumstances, Daisy is thrust into a web that may threaten to steal her sanity, if not her life.

In the present day, Cleo Clemmons is hired by the grandson of American aristocratic family the Tremblays to help his matriarchal grandmother face her hoarding in the dilapidated Castle Moreau. But when Cleo uncovers more than just the woman's stashes of collectibles, a century-old mystery of disappearance, insanity, and the dust of the old castle's curse threatens to rise again, and this time, leave no one alive to tell its sordid tale.

Fan-favorite Jaime Jo Wright draws readers into a seamlessly woven dual-time tale of suspense, mystery, romance, and redemption.

This book releases April 4, 2023 wherever books are sold. Be sure to check it out! For more information, check out the following links:

Jaime Jo Wright's website: https://www.jaimewrightbooks.com/

Jamie Jo Wright's Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/JaimeJoWright

Jamie Jo Wright's MadLit Warriors Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/MadLit

My Full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4776055372

Book Recommendation - The Metropolitan Affair

 

Jocelyn Green is a relatively new-to-me voice in Historical fiction, but after thoroughly enjoying her Windy City saga, I've sought out her past work and any new releases. She blends history with intrigue, mystery and romance seamlessly and pulls you into her story in a way that you get lost without knowing how. This book focused on the craze of all things Egyptian in the 1920s after the discovery of King Tut's tomb, as well as Prohibition. There were so many twists and turns that kept me turning the pages to see what would happen next! Here's a little bit about the book:

For years her explorer father promised Dr. Lauren Westlake she'd accompany him on one of his Egyptian expeditions. But as the empty promises mounted, Lauren determined to earn her own way. Now the assistant curator of Egyptology for the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Lauren receives two unexpected invitations.

The first is her repentant father's offer to finally bring her to Egypt as his colleague on a new expedition. The second is a chance to enter the world of New York's wealthiest patrons who have been victims of art fraud.

With Egyptomania sweeping the city after the discovery of King Tut's tomb, Detective Joe Caravello is on the hunt for a notorious forger preying on the open wallets of New York's high society. Dr. Westlake is just the expert he needs to help him track the criminal. Together they search for the truth, and the closer Lauren and Joe get to discovering the forger's identity, the more entangled they become in a web of deception and crime.

In this rich 1920s tale, bestselling author Jocelyn Green invites you into one of New York City's most esteemed museums, where a young woman discovers secrets, betrayal, and romance.

This book releases wherever books are sold March 14, 2023. Be sure to check it out!

For more information, check out the following links:

Jocelyn Green's website: https://www.jocelyngreen.com/

Jocelyn Green's Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/jocelyngreenauthor

My full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5247140851

Book Recommendation - Memory Lane

 

When in the mood for a fun contemporary romance novel that has wonderful character development and a fabulous story line (usually with a mystery involved), I know I can count on Becky Wade. Her latest release is the first book in her new series "Sons of Scandal". This one felt a bit more intense than some of her other books I've read, but it still had the great qualities I've come to know and love in Becky's books. 

Though she's been traditionally published for most of her career, she switched paths with this book and published this one independently. Due to that, I had better access to get some questions answered about the book! Here's how that conversation went:

* What inspired the story line for this book/series?

I had great fun writing romances about the Porter Brothers in my first
series. I haven't done brothers since and was eager to tackle another
trio of brothers. I was also eager to set a series in Maine because I
love that part of the country.

My inspiration for Memory Lane, in particular, was amnesia. I find
amnesia utterly fascinating! For research I read a non-fiction book
written by a woman who woke up one day having suddenly forgotten the
past fifteen years of her life. I was engrossed! So I asked muyself,
"What if?"

What if my heroine lives in a cottage on the tip of one of Maine's
remote islands? What if she sees a man overboard and rescues him? What
if he's injured and without any memories? I loved this novel's setup
because those questions led to story questions that I could sink my
teeth into. Namely -- "Who is he?" "What happened to him to land him in
the Atlantic Ocean?"

* Which character in this book (or series if that is easier) did you
enjoy writing the most? Which one do you best relate to?

I had a ball writing Remy Reed, the heroine. In part, because she's also
the one I related to best. She's an introvert and an artist, like I am.
Unlike me, she creates wood sculptures. She's quirky and passionate and
imaginative and absent-minded and feisty and funny. I paired her with a
hero who's very different from her, which created delightful "opposites
attract" sparks.

* What do you hope readers will glean from this story?

I hope they close the book with a renewed sense that love wins. Hope
wins. God's faithfulness is constant, even when it doesn't seem or feel
that way.

* Is there any fun behind-the-scenes trivia about this book or series
that you'd be interested in sharing with my readers?

Trivia #1: The town of Groomsport in the book was inspired by the
real-life town of Camden, Maine. Readers will notice, when making their
way through the novel, that I found a way to work "Camden" into the
story as a nod to the town. My husband and I spent time in Camden this
past summer and it couldn't be more picturesque!

Trivia #2: I tend to use fictional locations often because they grant me
more freedom. But the location of Maiden's Cliff in the novel (and the
tragic history of that spot that I share in the story) is absolutely
real. We hiked up to that spot and saw it for ourselves, like my
characters do in Memory Lane.

* What is coming next and when can we expect it?

Book two in the Sons of Scandal series is coming next and it stars Jude,
a character I introduce in Memory Lane. I'm hard at work on that
manuscript and expect to release it in early 2024.

Here's a little bit about the book:

After surviving a trauma several years back, Remy Reed relocated to a cottage on one of Maine’s most remote islands. She’s arranged her life just the way she wants it, spending her time working on her wood sculptures and soaking in the beauty of nature. It’s quiet and solitary—until the day she spots something bobbing in the ocean.

Her binoculars reveal the “something” to be a man, and he’s struggling to keep his head above water. She races out to save him and brings him into her home. He’s injured, which doesn’t detract from his handsomeness nor make him any easier to bear. He acts like a duke who’s misplaced his dukedom . . . expensive tastes, lazy charm, bossy ideas.

Remy would love nothing more than to return him to his people, but he has no recollection of his life prior to the moment she rescued him. Though she’s not interested in relationships other than the safe ones she’s already established, she begins to realize that he’s coming to depend on her.

Who is he? What happened that landed him in the Atlantic Ocean? And why is she drawn to him more and more as time goes by?

There’s no way to discover those answers except to walk beside him down memory lane.

About the author:

During her childhood in California, Becky frequently produced homemade plays starring her sisters, friends, and cousins. These plays almost always featured a heroine, a prince, and a love story with a happy ending. She’s been a fan of all things romantic ever since.

Becky and her husband lived overseas in the Caribbean and Australia before settling in Dallas, Texas.  It was during her years abroad that Becky’s passion for reading turned into a passion for writing. She published three historical romances for the general market, put her career on hold for many years to care for her kids, then eventually returned to writing. She loves penning sweet contemporary romances laced with sizzling chemistry, mystery, faith, banter, and humor. Her twelve novels and five novellas have been recognized with a Carol Award, INSPY awards, and a spot in the Christy Award Hall of Fame.

When she’s not at her computer, you’ll find her power-walking her neighborhood, driving carpool, eating chocolate, doing yoga, or admiring her Cavalier spaniel.

This book releases February 14, 2023 wherever books are sold. Be sure to check it out! For some additional information, check out the following links:

Book Trailer for Memory Lane: https://youtu.be/Fiw8OfC81eM

Becky Wade's website: https://beckywade.com/home/

Becky Wade's Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/authorbeckywade

My full 4-star review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5247145527