Book Review: Getting Hot With The Scot by Melonie Johnson

Getting Hot with the Scot

(Sometimes in Love #1)

by Melonie Johnson

Amazon / B&N / iBooks

The first in a new series, a journalist focused on her career and a sexy Scottish comedian turn a one night stand into forever.

Cassie Crow leaves for vacation with two goals: fill up her empty charm bracelet and have a one night stand. For once, she wants to have fun instead of obsessively checking her work email. And kissing a man in a castle who’s dressed as a Scottish Highlander is the perfect solution. 

Except when that man turns out to be Logan Reid, the host of a popular sketch show—and Cassie has just been roped into his latest prank. She wants nothing to do with his antics, but that was a really great kiss, and one night together couldn’t hurt.

It’s clear that one night isn’t enough and when Logan’s show brings him closer to Cassie, they decide to give dating a try. Can the woman who’s focused solely on her career and the man who refuses to take life seriously make it work?

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:



Three Weeks ago, Cassie Crow left Chicago armed with a naked charm bracelet and a full box of condoms… No longer bare, her bracelet was loaded with tiny keepsakes she’d found in shops all over Europe. The condom box, however, was still full.



Bonnie was a library whore. The mere glimpse of an old book got her more worked up than a boy-band fangirl with a front-row seat and a backstage pass.



Contrary to her fantasy version of Scotland, hunky, shirtless guys in kilts weren’t sprinkled liberally across the country.



“Shakespeare, Cass. He’s quoting Shakespeare!” Good thing her best friend had an on-the-brink -of-setting-a-date fiancé back home, otherwise Cassie was pretty sure Bonnie would have climbed Logan like a tree and made him her personal Scottish jungle gym.



My Review:



I knew I was in for a treat when the first sentence already had me smirking. I believe I read most of the book while sporting a delighted smile. This lively tale was brimming with irreverent humor, sassy banter, and clever wit. Each character was endearingly and distinctly drawn with unique traits and odd little quirks that kept me curious and eager to learn more about them. I was knocked out of my favorite pair of red crocs when noticing this well-crafted story was the author's debut publication. Her writing style was fresh, crisp, and unfailingly engaging with steamy and heart squeezing storylines as well as highly humorous ones. And it was brilliant casting to feature a devilishly sexy and mischievous ginger who spoke with a Scottish burr and owns his own kilt… Logan was irresistible.



I hit the mother load in Scottish Words to add to my British Isle’s Word List with fearty cat – chickenhearted; clatty – slovenly; bampot - Scottish slang for idiot; fashed – bothered or annoyed; fouter - of no value; winching – kissing with tongue; clootie dumplings – a dessert; guffy – someone whose behavior is annoying or getting on your nerves; shavie - a joke or prank; bridies - meat pastry; Hogmanay – Scottish New Year’s Eve; and first-footing – the Scottish custom of going house to house visiting friends for food and drink on New Year’s Eve. Clatty and fearty cat are my current favorites.

Empress DJ

About The Author


A Star Wars junkie and Shakespeare groupie who quotes both Yoda and the Bard with equal aplomb, award-winning author Melonie Johnson—aka #thewritinglush—is a two-time RWA Golden Heart® finalist who loves dark coffee, cheap wine, and expensive beer. And margaritas. And mimosas. And mules. Basically, any cocktail that starts with the letter m. She met her future husband in that most romantic of places—the mall—when they were teenagers working in stores across the hall from each other. They went on to live happily ever after in the suburbs of Chicago with two redhead daughters, a dog that’s more like a small horse, and a trio of hermit crabs. After earning her Bachelor of Arts magna cum laude from Loyola University Chicago, Melonie taught high school English and Theatre in the northern Chicago suburbs for several years. Now she writes smart and funny contemporary romance and moonlights as an audiobook narrator under the pseudonym, Evelyn Eibhlin.

Author website: https://meloniejohnson.com/

Author Twitter: @MelonieJohnson

Author Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meloniejohnson/

Author Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MelonieWrites/

SMP Romance Twitter: @SMPRomance or @heroesnhearts

SMP Romance Website: https://heroesandheartbreakers.com/

Book Review, Giveaway: Coming Home to Wishington Bay by Maxine Morrey

Coming Home to Wishington Bay 

by Maxine Morrey

Amazon US / UK / AU / CA / B&N

Home is where the heart is…

Holly doesn’t have time for a holiday this year. But when her job threatens to send her over the brink, her boss insists she take a sabbatical. So she packs her bags and escapes to her beloved grandmother Gigi’s house on Wishington Bay, which has sat empty since Gigi passed away.

But Holly’s dreams of a coastal escape take an unexpected turn. Holly didn’t expect to spend time with any man this summer – let alone an Aussie Adonis…but when she meets her next-door neighbor Gabe and his little dog Bryan, it’s clear her quiet summer of strolling along the sand and wandering through the seaside village’s tiny streets on her own will come with a hefty dose of distraction.

With a summer to fill and Gigi’s wonderful and surprising house to sort through, Holly knew it would be a summer packed with old memories. She just didn’t expect to make so many new ones…

Coming Home to Wishington Bay is the new gorgeous uplifting rom-com from Maxine Morrey, perfect for fans of Sarah Morgan and Tilly Tennant!

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:


Although, if I’m honest, ever since I found out that the man I’d been dating thought girlfriends qualified as a “two for the price of one” deal, batteries were something I tended to keep a stock of.



No, I promise this time, it’s most definitely not a set-up. I’m pretty sure you’re not his type anyway. His last girlfriend was an absolute stunner.’ My brother was, as always, the epitome of tact.



It was at least a week before I could even look at chocolate cake again but, as I wasn’t a quitter, I’d forced myself to beat that particular problem.



I was civil at work because I had to be, Paul! What I really wanted to do was grab your nuts and rip them out through your throat, but I was reliably informed that HR would most likely frown on something like that. More’s the pity.



Who cares if you can bounce a pound coin off her arse? … Mine would probably just eat it like a money box.



Some days are better than others. Some days I still want to kick him in the nuts so hard his grandchildren would be sopranos– but apart from that.




My Review:



This was a fun and amusing read with frequent spikes of wry wit and clever banter. I enjoyed the liberal levity, sassy teasing, and flippant quips that regularly marked the characters’ verbal exchanges and inner musings. Ms. Morrey’s application of humor alternated between feisty and mischievous to wry and ironic, and I reveled in it all and jonesed for even more.



Cool new additions to my Brit Word List include gobby - British slang for talking in a loud and offensive manner; snaffle – steal or nab; caught on the hop – being surprised or unprepared; boot sale – pop-up markets involving selling goods from the trunk of cars; and fizzog – face.

Empress DJ

About The Author

Maxine has wanted to be a writer for as long as she can remember and wrote her first (very short) book for school when she was ten.

As time went by, she continued to write, but 'normal' work often got in the way. She has written articles on a variety of subjects, as well as a local history book on Brighton. However, novels are her first love. 

In August 2015, she won Harper Collins/Carina UK's 'Write Christmas' competition with her first romantic comedy, 'Winter's Fairytale'.

Maxine lives on the south coast of England, and when not wrangling with words loves to read, sew and listen to podcasts. Being a fan of tea and cake, she can (should!) also be found doing something vaguely physical at the gym.

Follow Maxine Morrey

Website www.scribblermaxi.co.uk

Twitter @Scribbler_Maxi

Instagram @scribbler_maxi

Facebook www.Facebook.com/MaxineMorreyAuthor

Giveaway 

to Win a Wishington Bay notebook, a Wishington Bay canvas shopper bag, and an e copy of the book. (Open to the UK only)

*Terms and Conditions –UK entries welcome. Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below. The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then I reserve the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over. Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will be passed to the giveaway organizer and used only for the fulfillment of the prize, after which time I will delete the data. I am not responsible for dispatch or delivery of the prize.

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Book Review: A Little Hotel in Cornwall by Laura Briggs

A Little Hotel in Cornwall 

by Laura Briggs

Amazon US / UK / AU / CA

Struggling American waitress and aspiring novelist Maisie Clark dreams of becoming a full-time writer — even though in real life she's just lost her chance at an exclusive writer's mentorship program that would give her novel its big break. Desperate, she decides to take a chance and ask her favorite writer, a celebrated but reclusive English novelist, to help her find a second chance.

When she receives the author's reply in an envelope with a Cornish postmark, Maisie decides not to take the writer's half-hearted 'no' for an answer. With nothing to lose, she takes off for the author's last known location, a beautiful hotel on Cornwall's western coast. But when the hotel mistakes her for the latest applicant for a maid's position, Maisie finds herself given an opportunity too good to lose ... and a chance for a summer adventure far bigger than she ever imagined.

Surrounded by breathtaking Cornwall and working in an elegant hotel, Maisie's world becomes one of secret identities, quirky friends, and unintentional mishaps — and despite reminders of past relationship disasters, a certain handsome, charming local resident Sidney Daniels has her conflicted about her heart's desires, too.

Will Maisie find the chance she's been waiting for — and a possible new romance — in her perfect Cornish summer?

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:


And when I opened its cover and read the first page, I began a passionate love affair with its words. I fell into that story and didn't come up for air. I drowned in its world for three whole days and came back to life after the last sentence, a little part of me wishing I was still there.


He pretended to flex his muscles beneath the sleeves of his jacket. "Please, I haven't eaten lunch yet," said the other one. "Your muscles will remind me of hard-boiled eggs."


I was going to have to ring the antique bell on the desk, which I hated doing — there's something so impatient about ringing service bells. That annoying little peal that has two tones — 'come now' and 'still waiting.'


My Review:


This quick and wryly written novella starts off a twisty new Laura Briggs Cornwall rom-com series. I’m curious to see where this story goes as I’ve already started postulating theories. Ms. Briggs introduces a colorful cast of quirky characters on both continents. The main character of Maisie’s situation has become rather dire and she has turned into a total fraud, which gave me pause but the deception wasn’t her initial intention, although she did conveniently step right into it without much hesitation.  Maisie had moxie – I’ll give her that.

Empress DJ

About The Author

Laura Briggs is the author of several chick lit and romance stories, including the Top 100 Amazon UK seller 'A Wedding in Cornwall'. She has a fondness for vintage style dresses (especially ones with polka dots), and reads everything from Jane Austen to modern-day mysteries. When she's not writing, she enjoys spending time with family, caring for her pets, going to movies and plays, and trying new restaurants.

Social Media Links – 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/PaperDollWrites
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/authorlaurabriggs/

Book Review: Time (Laws of Physics #3) by Penny Reid

Time (Laws of Physics #3)

by Penny Reid

"Utterly addictive, fascinating, hilarious, and absolutely electric chemistry!"

-- Samantha Young, New York Times Bestselling Author

New York Times bestselling author Penny Reid’s The Laws of Physics Trilogy is complete with TIME!

A (brokenhearted) physicist.

Now an infamous (who is LITERALLY EVERYWHERE!! UGH!) musician.

The worst has already happened.

Mona has learned that she has nothing figured out and plans are meaningless. After leaving her in Aspen, Abram is now breaking sales-records, rising to rock star fame almost overnight. Mona can’t seem to escape him. He is literally everywhere, or at least images of him are.

Just when she thinks things can't get any more confusing, Abram returns . . . What happens next? 

Only TIME will tell.

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

Being with you is like living in a song.


Give us a chance to win big, and also fail spectacularly.


Nothing happened, and yet— and yet, I carry it around with me, empty luggage, and I have no idea why.


Please don’t waste energy on this. Haters gonna hate, idiots gonna procreate.


Do I like it? Does each action have an equal but opposite reaction? … Sorry. Newton. Not the fig kind.



My Review:

I adored this series as well as the precious and cleverly matched couple of Mona and Abram; they were fascinatingly complex, multi-layered, and beautifully textured by the divinely talented Penny Reid. Suffering heinous cliffhangers and a near-fatal dose of angst, finally, (yes finally!) the TIME was right, the planets aligned, and hopefully, soonish, the tension in my neck and shoulders will abate as Abram and Mona have finally fallen into sync with an exceptionally cunning, fun, and smirk-worthy ending.

Empress DJ

Download your copy today!

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2Gk59Aq

AppleBooks: https://apple.co/2MYQ73J

Amazon Worldwide: http://mybook.to/TimePR

Nook: http://bit.ly/2TFwsIH

Kobo: http://bit.ly/2RTODZD

Google Play: http://bit.ly/2Sm1Zmu

Amazon Paperback: https://amzn.to/2WSQbXe

Start the series today with MOTION!

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2T5iZto

AppleBooks: https://apple.co/2QYvTaB

Amazon Worldwide: http://mybook.to/Motion

Nook: http://bit.ly/2R1mpvn

Kobo: http://bit.ly/2ASuOfq

Google Play: http://bit.ly/2DoH8pv

Amazon Paperback: https://amzn.to/2T4ebo9

Continue the series with SPACE!

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2SL7P09

AppleBooks: https://apple.co/2WOXsrj

Amazon Worldwide: http://mybook.to/SpacePR

Nook: http://bit.ly/2I1Rekw

Kobo: http://bit.ly/2GzSvwS

Google Play: http://bit.ly/2RRny94

Amazon Paperback: https://amzn.to/2tfBT5C

Meet Penny Reid:

Penny Reid is the New York Times, Wall Street Journal and USA Today Best Selling Author of the Winston Brothers, Knitting in the City, Rugby, and Hypothesis series. She used to spend her days writing federal grant proposals as a biomedical researcher, but now she just writes books. She’s also a full-time mom to three diminutive adults, wife, daughter, knitter, crocheter, sewer, general crafter, and thought ninja.

Connect with Penny:

Facebook: http://bit.ly/2AXQQxj

GoodReads: http://bit.ly/2sCQ1pi

Instagram: http://bit.ly/2W67eow

BookBub: http://bit.ly/2U3dKdW

Amazon: http://amzn.to/2lakzsD

Twitter: http://bit.ly/2FDLziw

Pinterest: http://bit.ly/2sDBr0u

Stay up to day with Penny by joining her mailing list: http://bit.ly/2szN34G

www.pennyreid.ninja

Book Review: Bridesmaids by Zara Stoneley

Bridesmaids

by Zara Stoneley

Amazon US / UK / AU / CA / 

B&N / iBooks / Waterstones 

Meet Rachel, the beautiful bride with BIG plans for the perfect day! The venue is a castle and the dress is designer. It’s just a shame her husband is a rat.

Maddie and Sally have only one thing in common – they both love the same man!

Beth is a newly single mum with a mystery baby daddy. Surely the father isn’t someone the girls all know?

And then there’s Jane, the glue holding them all together, but being dumped doesn’t make her the happiest bridesmaid…especially with gorgeous flatmate Freddie complicating things.

Will the bride say, ‘I Do!’? Or will her bridesmaids save the day…and find love along the way? 

The most hilarious, feel-good rom-com of the year!

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:



He has been ‘he who must not be named’ for quite a while now. Mainly because hearing his name led either to an irrational outburst (from me), featuring lots of swear words, and descriptions about what I’d like to do to various parts of his anatomy, or, and this was so much worse, horrible, snot-inducing tears. Don’t you hate it when that happens, when you end up inside out and can’t stop?



I cut his head off all my photos. And a triangle out of the crotch area. And looked if Amazon Prime supplied Voodoo Dolls. They do, just in case you need to know for future reference.



Sally was the girl at school who either already had it all or was damned well going to get it soon. You know the type? You get that longed for pony, next minute she’s got a unicorn. A pink one, that makes dreams come true and farts rainbows.



I’m more Krispy Kreme doughnuts than quinoa, if you know what I mean. And most of that healthy stuff just seems to get stuck in my teeth and annoy me for the rest of the day. Whoever thought a rice cake was a good idea? I mean, who dreamt that the words rice and cake should even be in the same sentence?



‘But I’ll get over it. Plenty more fish in the sea,’ she raises an eyebrow, ‘just not that particular sprat.




My Review:



My perusal of this cleverly crafted tale was rudely interrupted by occasional outbreaks of giggle-snorts and one particularly vivid scene involving a sick infant in a bridal shop that erupted in spasms of laughter that ceased all further reading until normal respirations and clear vision was regained. Ms. Stoneley’s quirky cast of characters and engaging storylines hit all feels in a highly entertaining and pleasantly appealing manner. This was a fun read with a badly behaved groom, poorly kept secrets, and reams of sharp wit and clever snark. A new addition to my Brit word list is bint, which Mr. Google tells me is derogatory (and possibly offensive) slang for a female in the UK but is also used as a cheeky form of endearment in Western Sydney.

Empress DJ

About The Author

Zara Stoneley is the USA Today bestselling author of The Wedding Date.

Born in a small village in the UK, she wanted to be a female James Herriot, a spy, or an author when she grew up. After many (many) years and many different jobs, her dream of writing a bestseller came true. 

She writes about friendship, dreams, love, and happy ever afters, and hopes that her tales make you laugh a lot, cry a little, and occasionally say 'ahhh'.

Zara now lives in a Cheshire village with her family, a lively cockapoo called Harry, and a very bossy (and slightly evil) cat called Saffron.

Zara’s bestselling novels include 'No One Cancels Christmas', 'The Wedding Date', 'The Holiday Swap', 'Summer with the Country Village Vet', 'Blackberry Picking at Jasmine Cottage' and the popular Tippermere series - 'Stable Mates', 'Country Affairs' and 'Country Rivals'. 

Where you can find her-

Website: http://www.zarastoneley.com

Twitter: @ZaraStoneley

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ZaraStoneley

Instagram: zarastoneley

Book Review, Giveaway: Lies Behind the Ruin by Helen Matthews

Lies Behind the Ruin

by Helen Matthews

Amazon US / UK / AU / CA  
Helen Matthews

Emma Willshire has overcome plenty of obstacles in her life. From student bride to single mum of a son, Owen, but she has found happiness with her second husband, Paul and another child, Mollie. Emma's dark days seem far behind her until a fatal accident happens at Paul's work and he is held responsible.

On holiday in France, Paul's behavior turns erratic. On impulse, he buys a cheap, dilapidated property and, to Emma's dismay, persuades her they can renovate it into a holiday home.

Back in England, their problems spiral out of control. Escape to a new life in France seems the only solution but with heart-breaking loss for Emma. As the couple strives to renovate their ruin and open a small business, shadows from the past threaten their happiness and safety. Because, how can you build a new life on toxic foundations?


My Rating:

Favorite Quote:


My empty kitchen shelves yawn, as if they’ve been plundered by a thief with a crockery fetish.



My Review: 

Family drama, deceit, betrayal, duplicity, financial strain, and lots of angst underscore this slowly evolving tale of treachery. The writing was easy to follow and held my attention and despite the slow pace, I remained curious as to how long the deception could remain undetected. Apparently, Emma wasn’t a deep thinker, or at all observant, or diligent about birth control. Ms. Matthew’s storylines were taut with tension and fraught with various stressors and uncertainty as a British family stumbled and fractured while attempting to start anew in France amidst the insecurities of Brexit. I didn’t find any of the main characters to be totally likable yet I was sympathetic to the blinkered and beleaguered Emma, although I had nothing but disdain for either of her husbands.

Empress DJ

About The Author

 Helen Matthews is the author of Lies Behind the Ruin, a contemporary suspense novel set in France, to be published in April 2019 by Hashtag Press. Her debut novel After Leaving the Village, published in 2017, won first prize for the opening pages of a novel at Winchester Writers’ Festival. Born in Cardiff, she read English at the University of Liverpool and holds an MA in Creative Writing from Oxford Brookes University. Helen’s short stories and flash fiction have won prizes and been published in Reflex Fiction, Ad Hoc, Artificium, Scribble and Love Sunday. Her freelance journalism has been published in the Guardian and broadcast on BBC radio. She is an ambassador for Unseen, a charity that campaigns to end human trafficking and modern slavery.

Social Media Links – Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HelenMK7Writer/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/HelenMK7 

Giveaway 

 Win 2 x Signed copies of Lies Behind The Ruins (Europe Only) 

*Terms and Conditions –European entries welcome. Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below. The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s Random Resources reserves the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over. Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will be passed to the giveaway organizer and used only for the fulfillment of the prize, after which time Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data. I am not responsible for dispatch or delivery of the prize.

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Book Review: Midnight at the Tuscany Hotel by James Markert

Midnight at the Tuscany Hotel 

by James Markert

Amazon US / UK / AU / CA / B&N

Paperback: 352 Pages

Publisher: Thomas Nelson (April 9, 2019)

A once-beloved hotel and a fountain whose water suddenly can restore lost memories. But is it a miracle, or are there strings attached?

The Tuscany Hotel was once a haven for young artists. A place full of inspiration and a work of art in and of itself, the hotel was built by Robert Gandy for his wife, Magdalena: a woman of beauty beyond description who was orphaned as an infant in Florence and grew up without the ability to remember. A tragedy caused the hotel to close its doors, however, and it has been years since the fountain in the courtyard ran with water and inspiration.

Vitto Gandy, Robert’s son, returns from the horrors of World War II to a wife who fears him, a son who is too young to remember him, and a father whose memory of him is fading. As Vitto faces the memories that torture his heart and mind, his father runs off in the night to seek solace in the last place he was happy: the Tuscany Hotel. Instead of finding ruins, he discovers that the water in the fountain has begun to run again. And as he drinks it, his memory returns.

Filled with Alzheimer’s patients hoping for restored memories rather than artists longing for inspiration, the hotel is once again a source of life and art. But nothing is truly as good as it seems, and the mysterious gift of the hotel comes with a price that each must determine they’re willing to pay. Bursting with beauty, art, and inspiration, Midnight at the Tuscany Hotel is a story of parent and child, husband and wife, and the joy and pain of what it means to be alive.

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:


He’d been staring at her in awe but was afraid to say it—in awe because of her pretty face he wanted to touch but somehow couldn’t or shouldn’t, in awe because of those blue eyes that still looked as bright as liquid paint, in awe because of who she still was, that comforting soul, even as a child, who had always seemed to be a bandage for things in need of bandaging.


Time can be a tenuous dancing partner, Mr. Gandy. And memory the devil. Sometimes the wounds we can’t see leave the worst scars, unless they’re tended to.


Her demeanor immediately relaxed them, her smile a deep breath, her gait showing a grace no Tinseltown set could ever muster.


Juba was a vault stuck inside of a vault and he’d swallowed the key long ago.

My Review:



This was only my second time reading James Markert’s masterful storytelling and I was once again wonderstruck by his intricate texturing and craftsmanship. This man can deftly weave a captivating and sophisticated yet circuitous tale that is not fully comprehended until reaching that last thoughtfully written page. The story was slowly and stealthily crafted with threads of Greek mythology, history, and creative magic while deploying a narrative densely populated with elusive and eccentric characters who navigate interesting twists and turns that appeared ancillary until it was apparent they weren’t. Didn’t I mention he was clever and sneaky?

Empress DJ

About The Author


James Markert lives with his wife and two children in Louisville, Kentucky. He has a history degree from the University of Louisville and won an IPPY Award for The Requiem Rose, which was later published as A White Wind Blew, a story of redemption in a 1929 tuberculosis sanatorium, where a faith-tested doctor uses music therapy to heal the patients. The Angels’ Share is his second novel, and he is currently working on his next historical, All Things Bright and Strange. James is also a USPTA tennis pro, and has coached dozens of kids who’ve gone on to play college tennis in top conferences like the BIG 10, the Big East, and the ACC.

Connect with James

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

Book Review: I'll Be Watching You by Courtney Evan Tate

I'll Be Watching You

by Courtney Evan Tate

Amazon US / UK / AU / CA / B&N

Paperback: 336 Pages

Publisher: MIRA; Original edition (March 26, 2019)

IT’S EVERY MOTHER’S NIGHTMARE…BUT ONE SHE WILL NOT ACCEPT

In an unthinkable flash, Emmy Fisher’s fifteen-year-old daughter, Leah, seemingly drowns close to shore one summer night—at least that is what the police report says.

In deep grief, Emmy needs time and courage before she can enter Leah’s bedroom. But when she does, she finds something at first bewildering, then unspeakable, as she begins to understand the full implications…

She uncovers evidence that Leah had been secretly involved with someone, someone perhaps older, someone with dark appetites.

Bit by bit, the last few months of Leah’s life unfold in a terrifying way that Emmy can hardly imagine.

All she knows is that she has to find the person who took her sweet daughter’s innocence. No matter the cost.

The truth will set her free. Or bury her.

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:



She wants to sit and float on top of her board, staring at the moon, pretending the rays hitting her skin are fairy dust.



Bars always smell the same, even when they have open windows on the end of a pier. Like… old peanuts and neon lights, and felt-top pool tables and desperation.



My Review:



This cleverly paced and well-contrived tale started slowly and gradually built into a gripping tale that occasionally had me cringing and frequently found me biting my cuticles. I had narrowed down my list of suspects from four to two before all hell broke loose and removed all doubt. The premise was original and relevant and unfortunately could happen all too easily in any society. Ms. Tate’s writing was emotive and evocatively detailed, conjuring keen visuals in my cranium as I read. Her active storylines were cunningly constructed and perfectly pitched for each idiosyncratic character.



While the subject matter was a bit disturbing given the inappropriate and predatory behaviors involving a minor, the narrative was more intensely driven toward the well-crafted intrigue and mystery rather than provocative sensuality, although there was some of that as well. I was fully invested and bristling with curiosity as I gathered clues, formulated theories, and cast aside possible perpetrators, but I would never have anticipated this conclusion. Courtney Evan Tate is a sly and crafty wordsmith. This was my first exposure to her clever arrangements of words and I anticipate delving into many more.

Empress DJ

About The Author

Courtney Evan Tate is the nom de plume for New York Times bestselling author, Courtney Cole. Courtney Evan Tate is her darker side… the side that explores shadowy places.

Courtney lives in Florida with her husband and kids. She has a passion for raising drug addiction awareness, the Marine Corp (her middle son is a Marine) and being introspective on the human condition.

Connect with Courtney

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram