Book Review: The Forgotten Letters of Esther Durrant by Kayte Nunn

The Forgotten Letters of Esther Durrant 

by Kayte Nunn

Amazon US / UK / CA / AU /

B&N / HarperCollins

  400 pages

William Morrow Paperbacks (March 3, 2020)

A cache of unsent love letters from the 1950s is found in a suitcase on a remote island in this mysterious love story in the tradition of the novels by Kate Morton and Elizabeth Gilbert.

1951. Esther Durrant, a young mother, is committed to an isolated mental asylum by her husband. Run by a pioneering psychiatrist, the hospital is at first Esther’s prison but soon surprisingly becomes her refuge.

2018. Free-spirited marine scientist Rachel Parker embarks on a research posting in the Isles of Scilly, off the Cornish coast. When a violent storm forces her to take shelter on a far-flung island, she discovers a collection of hidden love letters. Captivated by their passion and tenderness, Rachel determines to track down the intended recipient. But she has no idea of the far-reaching consequences her decision will bring.

Meanwhile, in London, Eve is helping her grandmother, a renowned mountaineer, write her memoirs. When she is contacted by Rachel, it sets in motion a chain of events that threatens to reveal secrets kept buried for more than sixty years.

With an arresting dual narrative that immediately captivates the reader, The Forgotten Letters of Esther Durrant is an inspirational story of the sacrifices made for love.

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

Beneath a pewter sky and afloat on an even darker sea, she was reminded of Charon, the ferryman of Hades, transporting newly dead souls across the Acheron and the Styx.



“You have the blood of a lizard.” He released her and placed his palm below her collarbone. “There is a stone where a heart should be.”



I suppose I am drawn to broken things. As a boy I loved to fix, to repair and restore. The same goes for me now, except it is people not toys.



It might not have been the right decision, but it was the only one I knew how to make.

My Review:

This expertly crafted and slowly unfolding tale was a heart-squeeze and a half, and I didn’t mind that one bit. Spanning two timelines over sixty years apart, this engaging book was a hybrid of genres being equal parts women’s fiction, mystery, and historical fiction. The plot was intriguing, multi-layered, well nuanced, and deftly paced. I was captivated by these complex characters as well as Ms. Nunn’s smoothly rendered writing style, which was poignant, insightful, and hit all the feels. My attention and curiosity were well and truly captured but while my brain cells stayed abuzz, my poor coronary muscle took some abuse. But I’d gladly do it all over again and hopefully will soon as I see Ms. Nunn has a respectable listing I need to acquaint myself with.


I was provided with a review copy of this absorbing tale by TLC Book Tours and HarperCollins.

 About The Author

Kayte Nunn is a former magazine and book editor, and the international bestselling author of four novels, among them The Botanist’s Daughter and The Forgotten Letters of Esther Durrant. Originally from Britain, she has also lived in the USA, and now resides in Australia, in Northern New South Wales, with her family.

Find out more about Kayte at her website, and connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Book Review: Wildfire by Chelle Bliss

Wildfire (Men of Inked: Heatwave #3)  by USA Today bestselling author Chelle Bliss

★Men of Inked Heatwave Standalone★

Genre: Contemporary Romance 
AVAILABLE NOW!

✦Amazon: smarturl.it/wildfire-amazon

✦Apple Books: smarturl.it/wildfire-apple

✦Nook: smarturl.it/wildfire-nook

✦Kobo: smarturl.it/wild-kobo

📕Print: amzn.to/2svuVMs ✦TBR: menofinked.com/wildfire-tbr
  Audio Book: menofinked.com/wild-aud-us

🎧 Audio News: Wildfire will be narrated by Jacob Morgan & Callie Dalton

Synopsis
Tamara Gallo knew she was missing something in life. Looking for adventure, she takes off, searching for a hot biker who can deliver more than a good time. But once inside the Disciples Compound, she may get more than she bargained for. The badass biker thought he had everything he wanted. He had his freedom, the open road, and the brotherhood. But after being tasked with protecting an innocent, he realizes he’s missing the most important thing of all…the love of a good woman. But can the bossy biker tame the wild child, or will she be too much for even him to handle? Wildfire is the third book in the new steamy MC romance Men of Inked: Heatwave series by Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestselling author Chelle Bliss. If you love a dirty talkin', tough-as-nails, smooth-as-sin bad boy with tons of heat and a wickedly wild ride, Wildfire will deliver.

My Rating: 

Favorite Quotes: 

She’s a fascinating mix of pure sweetness and total wildcat. 

I know she’s beautiful, but sometimes the deadliest things are the most appealing. 

My Review:

 

Sizzle and snap! I fell right into this sexy and provocative Chelle Bliss vortex. My brain and sense of self were completely hijacked and I was transported into the loud and crass circle of the ever-alluring and profane Gallos as well as a mix of daunting and smexy bikers. Ms. Bliss can conjure an intoxicating, sensual, and breath-stealing escapist tale like no other as her second generation of Gallos aptly illustrate. 

The sassy and impetuous Tamara Gallo went looking for an “epic adventure” and a fun fling to scratch an itch before starting her final year of college, and she certainly found one, one of Mammoth proportion. Mammoth was Bedazzled as his sacred member had serious bling along with impressive girth and stamina. 

Flaming monkey balls, this salacious and carnal story had my beloved Kindle and I both in serious danger of overheating as my faithful reader was smoking while my clammy hands gripped it tight. I gasped and sputtered my way through while sipping a copious amount of wine and am eagerly awaiting the next installment of this beguiling and licentious guilty pleasure.

⬇️ Men of Inked Heatwave Series

⬇️

📕Flame→ http://menofinked.com/flame

📕Burn→ http://menofinked.com/burn

📕Wildfire→ http://menofinked.com/wildfire

📕Blaze→ http://menofinked.com/blaze

Meet The Author

USA Today bestselling author Chelle Bliss currently lives in a small town near the Gulf of Mexico. She's a full-time writer, time-waster extraordinaire, social media addict, and coffee fiend. She's written over ten books and has two series available. She loves spending her free time with her boyfriend, 2 cats, and her hamster.

Before becoming a writer, Chelle taught high school history for over ten years. She holds a master's degree in Instructional Technology and a bachelor's in History. Although history is her first love, writing has become her dream job and she can't imagine doing anything else.

WEBSITE - FACEBOOK - NEWSLETTER - TWITTER - INSTAGRAM

Book Review: The Moonglow Sisters by Lori Wilde

The Moonglow Sisters

by Lori Wilde

HarperCollins | Amazon | B & N

 400 pages

 William Morrow Paperbacks (March 3, 2020)

It’s Jill Shalvis meets Susan Mallery in this gorgeous novel by New York Times bestselling author Lori Wilde about three sisters, one small town, a wedding, and the summer that changes everything.

Welcome to Moonglow Cove, Texas, a place where your neighbors know your name and the gentle waves of the Gulf of Mexico lap lazily against the sands. It’s a magical spot, especially in the summertime…

Once the town was the home of the Clark sisters—brought up by their grandmother at the Moonglow Inn. Nicknamed “The Moonglow Sisters”, as children they were inseparable. Then, a wedding-day betrayal tore them apart and they scattered across the globe and away from each other. But the sisters have at last come home…

There’s Maddie: smart, sensible, and stubborn. Shelley, who ran off to find her bliss. And Gia, a free-spirit determined to keep the peace. It’s her impending wedding that keeps them together…but Gia has a secret, and when her sisters find out all heck is going to break loose!

The Moonglow Sisters continues Lori Wilde’s trademark storytelling to create an unforgettable novel of family, betrayal, love, and second chances.

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

Regret tasted like burnt pennies in her mouth, and her throat clotted thick with the salty taste of grief.

… those Divas were the bomb-diggity…

Gia was feeling overlooked and incidental. “You guys always leave me out,” Gia grumbled. “Treat me like a mushroom, keep me in the dark and feed me—”

“Life is a puzzle.” Darynda backed out of the driveway. “Seems like by the time you’ve got it all together, it’s time to die.”

Contentment stole over her, and she realized she wasn’t thinking about anything. She smiled. It felt like recess. A time-out from the craziness her life had become.




My Review:



I thoroughly relished this cleverly plotted tale and by the end of the book, I knew this oddly enticing train wreck of a family so well I could recognize them on the street. They hadn’t always been a train wreck but they had always had issues. Each of the three sisters had strikingly different personalities, insecurities, and looks. They had been a close unit until “the Incident with Raoul,” which mercilessly taunted me until the actual event was finally revealed.


The writing was unfailingly engaging, easy to follow, and absorbing with cleverly layered with unusual nuances and unexpected twists, as well as witty Easter Eggs of humor tucked in unexpected places to balance out the emotional tone. The cast with packed with a lively and quirky crew of secondary and tertiary characters who provided considerable levity and amusing scenarios, such as the wry banter provided by the geriatric Quilting Divas and a cameo appearance by a hapless beach bush urinator. I adored this book and felt pleasantly entertained while I also gleaned considerable new knowledge about quilting, love bombing, and kite flying - all valuable lessons. Flying pigs, it was the bomb-diggity!

I was provided with a review copy of this lively tale by HarperCollins and TLC Book Tours.

 About The Author

Lori Wilde is the New York Times, USA Today and Publishers’ Weekly bestselling author of 87 works of romantic fiction. She’s a three-time Romance Writers’ of America RITA finalist and has four times been nominated for Romantic Times Readers’ Choice Award. She has won numerous other awards as well. Her books have been translated into 26 languages, with more than four million copies of her books sold worldwide. Her breakout novel, The First Love Cookie Club, has been optioned for a TV movie.

Lori is a registered nurse with a BSN from Texas Christian University. She holds a certificate in forensics and is also a certified yoga instructor.

A fifth-generation Texan, Lori lives with her husband, Bill, in the Cutting Horse Capital of the World; where they run Epiphany Orchards, a writing/creativity retreat for the care and enrichment of the artistic soul.

Find out more about Lori on her website, connect with her on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

Book Review: The School of Starting Over by Lisa Swift

The School of Starting Over

 by Lisa Swift

Amazon US / UK / AU / CA / Kobo

Nell’s going back to school… but now she’s learning lessons of the heart

Reception class teacher Nell Shackleton has a plan. At least, she had until she arrived at her new home of Humblebee Farm, a dilapidated farmhouse on the Yorkshire moors. But so what if the roof’s full of holes, the back door’s hanging off and there’s a sheep in the front room? Because sometimes a new beginning means starting at the bottom… right?

Xander Scott is one of the youngest headteachers Leyholme Primary School has ever had. But managing over-zealous parents and their semi-feral kids proves a tricky task for shy Xander – as does keeping his mind on the job when his feelings for the new Reception teacher become more than strictly professional…

At 43, Nell’s new friend Stevie Madeleine has given up on love. After losing her wife, Stevie’s decided that her four-year-old daughter Milly and cocker spaniel Red are the only girls she needs in her life. That is, until larger-than-life dog-walker Deb arrives on the scene. But will the secrets of Stevie’s past stop her new romance dead in its tracks?

Meeting Xander and Stevie brings joy back into Nell’s life – but when old secrets start to surface, there may be some hard lessons to learn for them all…

A gorgeously uplifting and hilarious romantic comedy that will delight fans of Milly Johnson, Holly Martin and Heidi Swain.

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

‘It’s not All Creatures Great and Small, Dad,’ she said impatiently. ‘There’s more to rural life these days than cousin marriage and cow-fisting.’



‘Exceptional. You know they put that on your school report once? Exceptional’ … He could remember a few choice phrases from those reports himself. It hadn’t been all exceptionals… from his Biology teacher: ‘Alexander would do rather better if he spent more time properly studying the reproductive system diagrams and less time doodling beards on the testicles’.



His mum was right, he was gifted. Gifted at being a little bugger.



‘It’s hard to feel sexy with a kid in your life, what with the endless bouts of screaming and bodily fluids. Life at home these days is like the director’s cut of The Exorcist, now with extra vomit.’ ‘You’re really not selling parenthood to me, you know.’ ‘Good. Save yourself, love, while you still can.’



‘Sometimes it feels like there must’ve been some sort of special lesbian school that all the others had access to but me. You know, like a gay Hogwarts.’ ‘What, you mean you didn’t get your owl-delivered letter letting you know you were one of the lucky few who’d been selected to fancy girls?’



‘Jacob’s not a kid, he’s Satan incarnate.’ … ‘I brought story books, a pan-pipe CD and some biscuits to help soothe the savage beast.’ ‘Did you bring a crucifix and a couple of gallons of holy water?’



‘So are you feeling broody after that?’ Nell asked Xander when they were outside. ‘Are you kidding? I’ll be booking myself in for a vasectomy next week.’

My Review:

I adored every perfectly chosen word of this cleverly amusing and well-crafted tale. I smirked and giggled-snorted with glee as Lisa Swift, AKA, Mary Jayne Baker is found treasure and a master storyteller. Reading this tale was pure delight – I had a ream of exceptionally witty highlights on my Kindle and it was painful to pare the list down and decide what to include in this review. Oh happy day, a new author to add to the very top of my list of Favorite Things.


The characters were endearing, adorable, and colorfully detailed while the storylines were engaging and held my rapt attention while tickling my funny bone and teasing my curiosity in equal measure, as there was a mystery afoot and a petty and villainous bureaucrat always lurking. The banter between the main characters was quite witty and fun. The writing was simply stellar and deftly paced. I tumbled right into Ms. Swift’s story and resented all interruptions to my perusal as I didn’t want to leave it behind. When forced away from my beloved Kindle, I found I was often smiling to myself and contemplating the characters and replaying their storylines in my head while hurriedly completing the dastardly deeds and annoying intrusions to my reading known as daily living so I could return to the far more enticing story awaiting me.


I struck gold with a massive influx of fun words for my Brit Word List with dead-man’s-bootsed - being in a situation where you can't advance until someone else dies or retires so you can step into their position, lecky – electricity, apeth - an affectionate term for a silly or foolish person, and off your chump – crazy.

About The Author

Lisa Swift is a romance author from West Yorkshire in the UK. She is represented by Laura Longrigg at MBA Literary Agents. Her first book is due to be published by Hera Books in August 2019.

As Mary Jayne Baker, Lisa also writes romantic comedies for Aria Fiction.

Lisa is a member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association.

Social Media Links 

https://twitter.com/LisaSwiftAuthor

http://www.lisaswiftauthor.co.uk/

https://www.facebook.com/LisaSwiftWrites 

Book Review: The Chapel by Jess B. Moore

The Chapel 

by Jess B. Moore

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

Mallory Johansen has nearly given up on thinking she’ll get her act together – the one where she plays the part of an adult – by the time she hits thirty. As it is she’s desperate and depressed. Her only friend is leaving town, she’s paired to work with a man who can’t stand her, and she finds herself homeless. Definitely hasn’t mastered being a grown-up yet.

Otis Bell wants nothing more than to play his guitar, book acoustic bands to perform at his upcoming music venue, and be in charge of his own life. Instead, he’s working full time in his family’s auto shop. He only owns half the supposed music venue, which stands as an abandoned church and needs more than a little work. When his best friend moves away, he’s paired with an aloof girl he’s never liked as partner, and stretches himself thin working too many hours.

The Chapel is the little music venue that could. Full of potential. Full of ugly carpet, peeling paint, and exhausting work. Mallie and Otis navigate their way through a fledgling partnership, trying their darnedest to get the place up and running, while trying pretty hard not to fall in love in the process.

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

That is never good. Never. The we need to talk and the I have to tell you something is always followed by news that you do not under any circumstances want to hear.



I couldn’t sit around alone for the rest of my life. I was two steps from adopting fourteen cats and giving up.



There was a sturdiness about Otis Bell that had always been appealing to me, and yet it was his vulnerability that did me in.



The truth was, I’d always been a charity case. My parents died when I was four, and from that moment on I’d been at the mercy of other people looking out for me.



“You’re beautiful, Mal.” … He didn’t say you look beautiful, but you’re beautiful. Somehow there was a difference, and it landed on me with substantial force.


My Review:

I don’t know she does it but Jess B. Moore has magical skills, she writes from a dual POV with such keen insights, regardless of the age or gender, and transports me into her compellingly flawed characters' lives as well as implanting me under their skin. I’m right there, either by their side or behind their retinas. I feel their uncertainties and annoyances while absorbing their inner musings. Her emotive tales conjure empathy and sympathy along with heart-squeezes, rapid blinking, and thoughtful reflection on her expert character development of not just the main characters but the secondary and tertiary players as well.


This installment featured an unlikely pair. Mallory was a fretful and fragile little bird who was riddled with insecurities and social anxiety. She strived to be independent but was in a near-constant state tension after her only friend moved hours away. She frequently felt awkward and worked at being invisible, yet she overflowed with kindness toward others. And she loved cats, how could I not adore her after she rescued an abandoned puss? Poor Mallory had been cursed with a life-long crush on Otis, who had been a major anus toward her most of their lives. I wanted to give him more than a few swift kicks in a tender area for being such an ass, but he made up for it, eventfully, and gradually won me over when he finally stopped acting like a tool.


I am no fan of angst but, oddly, I don’t seem to mind at all when it comes to Ms. Moore’s captivating and perceptive scribblings. The engaging storylines of The Chapel were relevant, original, well-crafted, and realistic, and seemed to keep me a bit on edge as Mallory was frequently tense. I enjoyed Otis's sweetness once they fell into sync and hit their stride, and heard myself sigh contentedly at the stories end. I can hear their fiddles, guitars, and mandolins being tuned and am already looking forward to my next trip to Bluegrass country.

About The Author

Jess B. Moore is a writer of love stories. When she’s not writing, she’s busy mothering her accomplished and headstrong children, reading obscene numbers of books, and knitting scarves she’ll likely never finish.

Jess lives in small-town North Carolina with her bluegrass obsessed family. She takes too many pictures of her cats, thinking the Internet loves them as much as she does. She is a firm believer of swapping stories over coffee or wine, and that there should always be dark chocolate involved.

The Fox River Romance novels combine her interests in family, music, and small towns into a thoughtful tales of growing up and falling in love. These books can be read as stand-alone, or as a series starting with The Guilt of a Sparrow.

Follow Jess on social media @authorjessb
Please consider leaving a review to let other readers know what you think!

Social Media Links 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorjessb/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authorjessb/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/authorjessb

Website: https://jessbmoore.com 

Book Review: Enticing Liam by Kristen Proby

Enticing Liam by Kristen Proby

Release Date: March 10, 2020

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2RVRymf

Amazon Worldwide:

 mybook.to/EnticingLiamKP

Apple Books: https://apple.co/2U6N2o1

Nook: http://bit.ly/3aPa9cn

Kobo: http://bit.ly/2t1cZtP

Goodreads: http://bit.ly/36ucxlI

Enticing Liam, an all-new stand-alone contemporary romance by New York Times bestselling author Kristen Proby.

Princess Eleanor has had it up to her royal eyeballs. She’s surrounded by suitable men, each more rude and obnoxious than the last. None of them are worthy of her heart—not to mention her virginity. So what’s a girl to do? Flee to Montana to stay with her brother, lay low, and avoid both the media and the men, that’s what.

Liam Cunningham is the head of security in Montana for the royal family. For a man who has seen the worst of human nature in the Army, being in Cunningham Falls is a balm to his tattered soul.

Princess Eleanor, on the other hand, is a royal pain in the butt. She’s proven in the past that she’s a troublemaker. She’s also beautiful, smart, and everything good in life that he doesn’t deserve.

But when Ellie proposes the idea of Liam being her sex coach, how can he resist?

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

“My flowers look like a drunk elephant put them together.” I stare at my pitiful bouquet in disgust.



I’m telling you because I think you’re attractive, and I like it when you touch me, and maybe you should teach me all about the sex.



He smiles, a rare expression that would knock a woman on her bum from ten paces.



There are so many things I need to say to you, Eleanor, but nothing is as important as telling you that I love you more than anything or anyone I’ve loved in my life. You’re the reason I breathe… 

My Review:

This was pure escapism and a sweet and sexy fairy tale involving a modern-day princess and her security guard, which is a familiar fantasy and popular trope. Face it, we ALL want to be some version of Meghan Markle. But, maybe not as a twenty-five-year-old virgin. Uhm, no thank you. The story was a steamy and rich fantasy and even though it was as realistic as Fifty Shades, somehow it still managed to be a pleasantly entertaining diversion and a fast and easy to follow read.

About Kristen:

Kristen was born and raised in a small resort town in her beloved Montana. In her mid-twenties, she decided to stretch her wings and move to the Pacific Northwest, where she made her home for more than a dozen years.

During that time, Kristen wrote many romance novels and joined organizations such as RWA and other small writing groups. She spent countless hours in workshops and more mornings than she can count up before dawn so she could write before going to work. She submitted many manuscripts to agents and editors alike but was always told no. In the summer of 2012, the self-publishing scene was new and thriving, and Kristen had one goal: to publish just one book. It was something she longed to cross off of her bucket list.

Not only did she publish one book, she’s also since published close to thirty titles, many of which have hit the USA Today, New York Times and Wall Street Journal Bestsellers lists. She continues to self publish, best known for her With Me In Seattle and Boudreaux series and is also proud to work with William Morrow, a division of HarperCollins, with the Fusion Series.

Kristen and her husband, John, make their home in her hometown of Whitefish, Montana with their two cats.

Connect with Kristen:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BooksByKristenProby/ 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Handbagjunkie

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kristenproby/ BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/kristen-proby 

Goodreads: http://bit.ly/2kBRdpj 

Amazon: http://amzn.to/2BD4vfq 

Pinterest: @handbagjunkie 

Website: https://www.kristenprobyauthor.com/ Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/kristenproby/newsletter-sign-up