BLOG TOUR: The Friendship Club by Robyn Carr

I'm excited to be a part of the Blog Tour for The Friendship Club by Robyn Carr! I received a free electronic copy for a honest review from the publisher. Thanks so much to MIRA and Robyn Carr for letting me be a part of the tour!

 

 

Title: The Friendship Club

Author: Robyn Carr

Published by: MIRA

Released: January 23, 2024

Source: Electronic Review Copy Provided by the Publisher

Goodreads          Amazon

 

Synopsis: Four women come together at a tumultuous time in their lives, forging an unbreakable bond that will leave them all forever changed.

Celebrity cooking show host Marni McGuire has seen it all. She’s been married—twice—and widowed and divorced. Now in her midfifties, she’s single. Happily so. She just needs to convince her pregnant daughter, Bella, of this fact. And maybe convince herself, too. Especially after Marni’s efforts to humor her determined daughter result in a series of disastrous dates that somehow prompt Marni to wonder if maybe the right man for her is still out there after all.

Similarly single, Marni’s best friend and colleague is confident she’s content without a man, but both older women soon find themselves leading by example as the young intern on their show appears caught in a toxic relationship—and Bella reveals her own marriage maybe isn’t built to withstand the stresses of the baby on the way.

Suddenly, all four women find themselves at a crossroads, each navigating the challenges of dating, marriage, loneliness and love. Thankfully, they have each other to lean on. The realities of modern love are far from easy, but there’s no better group to have in your corner than friends who will lift you up, no matter what, and hold fast in the face of any storm. (Synopsis from Goodreads)

 

My Thoughts: I enjoyed this one. It was nice to add a women's fiction into my reading rotation. I liked seeing all the women in the story, reading about their trials and tribulations.

This story was the perfect way to relax by reading about these women.

They do go through some tough stuff in this story. There is a trigger for stalking.

This was just a really easy story to lose myself in. I enjoyed the reading experience and I can see a lot of other people liking it too.

 

 Robyn Carr is an award-winning, #1 New York Times bestselling author of more than sixty novels, including highly praised women's fiction such as Four Friends and The View From Alameda Island and the critically acclaimed Virgin River, Thunder Point and Sullivan's Crossing series. Virgin River is now a Netflix Original series. Robyn lives in Las Vegas, Nevada. Visit her website at www.RobynCarr.com.

Thanks so much for checking out my Blog Tour Stop for The Friendship Club by Robyn Carr! Thank you to MIRA and Robyn Carr for letting me be a part of the tour. If you're looking for something fun to read, you should add this one to your TBR.

BLOG TOUR: The Lily of Ludgate Hill by Mimi Matthews

 I'm excited to be a part of the Blog Tour for The Lily of Ludgate Hill by Mimi Matthews! I received a free electronic copy for a honest review from the publisher. Thanks so much to Berkley and Mimi Matthews for letting me be a part of the tour!

Title: The Lily of Ludgate Hill (Belles of London #3)

Author: Mimi Matthews

Published by: Berkley

Released: January 16, 2024

Source: Electronic Review Copy Provided by Publisher

Goodreads          Amazon

 

Synopsis: Fortune favors the bold—but is a confirmed spinster daring enough to loosen the reins and accept a favor from the wicked gentleman who haunts her dreams?

Lady Anne Deveril doesn’t spook easily. A woman of lofty social standing known for her glacial beauty and starchy opinions, she’s the unofficial leader of her small group of equestriennes. Since her mother’s devastating plunge into mourning six years ago, Anne voluntarily renounced any fanciful notions of love and marriage. And yet, when fate puts Anne back into the entirely too enticing path of Mr. Felix Hartford, she’s tempted to run…right into his arms.

No one understands why Lady Anne withdrew into the shadows of society, Hart least of all. The youthful torch he once held for her has long since cooled. Or so he keeps telling himself. But now Anne needs a favor to help a friend. Hart will play along with her little ruse—on the condition that Anne attend a holiday house party at his grandfather’s country estate. No more mourning clothes. No more barriers. Only the two of them, unrequited feelings at last laid bare.

Finally free to gallop out on her own, Anne makes the tantalizing discovery that beneath the roguish exterior of her not-so-white knight is a man with hidden depths, scorching passions—and a tender heart. (Synopsis from Goodreads)

 

My Thoughts: I really enjoyed this one! I wanted to have a good time with a historical romance, and my wishes were answered. 

I really enjoyed the characters in this one. Lady Anne is a strong woman, no wilting wallflower. I enjoyed the slow burn romance of Anne and Felix.

This book was just a lot of fun to read. It gave me the perfect reading escape.

Photo by Vicki Hahn

 USA Today bestselling author Mimi Matthews writes both historical nonfiction and award-winning Victorian romances. Her novels have received starred reviews in Publishers Weekly, Library Journal, Booklist, Kirkus, and Shelf Awareness, and her articles have been featured on the Victorian Web, the Journal of Victorian Culture, and in syndication at BUST Magazine. In her other life, Mimi is an attorney. She resides in California with her family, which includes a retired Andalusian dressage horse, a Sheltie, and two Siamese cats.

Thanks so much for checking out my Blog Tour Stop for The Lily of Ludgate Hill by Mimi Matthews! Thank you to Berkley and Mimi Matthews for letting me be a part of the tour. If you're looking for a historical romance to add to your tbr pile, get this one. It is pink and pretty!

BLOG TOUR: Always Remember by Mary Balogh

 I'm excited to be a part of the Blog Tour for Always Remember by Mary Balogh! I received a free electronic copy for a honest review from the publisher. Thanks so much to Berkley and Mary Balogh for letting me be a part of the tour!

Title: Always Remember (Ravenswood #3)

Author: Mary Balogh

Published by: Berkley

Released: January 16, 2024

Source: Electronic Review Copy Provided by Publisher

Goodreads           Amazon

 

Synopsis: Lady Jennifer Arden and Ben Ellis know that a match between them is out of the question. Yet their hearts yearn for the impossible. Discover a new heartwarming story from New York Times bestselling author and beloved “queen of Regency romance” Mary Balogh.

Left unable to walk by a childhood illness, Lady Jennifer, sister of the Duke of Wilby, has grown up to make a happy place for herself in society. Outgoing and cheerful, she has many friends and enjoys the pleasures of high society—even if she cannot dance at balls or stroll in Hyde Park. She is blessed with a large, loving, and protective family. But she secretly dreams of marriage and children, and of walking—and dancing.

When Ben Ellis comes across Lady Jennifer as she struggles to walk with the aid of primitive crutches, he instantly understands her yearning. He is a fixer. It is often said of him that he never saw a practical problem he did not have to solve. He wants to help her discover independence and motion—driving a carriage, swimming, even walking a different way. But he must be careful. He is the bastard son of the late Earl of Stratton. Though he was raised with the earl’s family, he knows he does not really belong in the world of the ton.

Jennifer is shocked—and intrigued—by Ben’s ideas, and both families are alarmed by the growing friendship and perhaps more that they sense developing between the two. A duke’s sister certainly cannot marry the bastard son of an earl. Except sometimes, love can find a way. (Synopsis from Goodreads)

 

My Thoughts: This was cute and I really enjoyed it. Mary Balogh is a historical romance author who I have no hesitation picking up books from. It's easy because I know I'm going to enjoy what they write.

This is the third book in the Ravenswood Series. It can definitely be read on it's own, but characters from the other novels are present, so it's a little more fun getting to recognize and see past couples.

Our main character is crippled from a childhood illness, but she never gives up. I liked Lady Jennifer's determination.

I enjoyed Ben too. They were a very cute couple and I liked seeing them grow and be happy together.

 Mary Balogh has written more than one hundred historical novels and novellas, more than forty of which have been New York Times bestsellers. They include the Bedwyn saga, the Simply quartet, the Huxtable quintet, the seven-part Survivors’ Club series, and the Westcott series.

Thanks so much for checking out my Blog Tour Stop for Always Remember by Mary Balogh. Thank you to Berkley and Mary Balogh for letting me be a part of the tour. Historical Romance fans should definitely add this newest Balogh to their tbr.

BLOG TOUR: Hideaway by Penelope Douglas

 I'm excited to be a part of the Blog Tour for Hideaway by Penelope Douglas! I received an advanced electronic copy from the publisher for a honest review. Thanks so much to Berkley and Penelope Douglas for letting me be a part of the tour!

Title: Hideaway (Devil's Night #2)

Author: Penelope Douglas

Published by: Berkley

Released: January 9, 2024

Source: Electronic Review Copy Provided by Publisher

Goodreads          Amazon

 

Synopsis: All the twisted games are back as Devil's Night returns in this dark romance from New York Times bestselling author Penelope Douglas, now with bonus material.

Buried in the shadows of the city, there’s an abandoned hotel called The Pope, surrounded by a mystery about the hidden twelfth floor and the guest who never checked out. Banks knows the local legend, but Kai Mori believes the myth around the hotel. He and his friends think they know her, think they can scare her, but Banks knows something they don’t. Even though she struggles to hide everything she feels when Kai looks at her, the person he seeks is much closer than he’ll ever realize.

She’ll never reveal her secret. This Devil’s Night, Kai will be the hunted one.  

But Banks doesn’t know what Kai had to turn into to survive three years in prison. He wants the hotel, its guest, and his life back. But the more he’s around Banks, the more Kai realizes this new version of himself is exactly who he was meant to be.

Kai’s seen her hideaway. It’s time for Banks to see his. (Synopsis from Goodreads)

 

My Thoughts: This is the first Penelope Douglas book I've experienced. I'd always heard the name all around romance bookland, but I'd never managed to read one until now.

This is definitely an addicting story. It's also dark. I couldn't seem to look away. I don't really read a lot of dark romance, I'm kind of new to town, so this was definitely a little more than the romance world I was familiar with.

This was a book that was easy to fly through. I constantly needed to know what was going to happen next.

I can see a lot of people enjoying this one. 

Penelope Douglas is a New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author. Their books have been translated into twenty languages and include The Fall Away Series, The Devil’s Night Series, and the stand-alones, Misconduct, Punk 57, Birthday Girl, Credence, and Tryst Six Venom. Please look for The Hellbent Series, in the works now!

They live in New England with their husband and daughter.

Thanks so much for checking out my Blog Tour Stop for Hideaway by Penelope Douglas! Thank you to Berkley and Penelope Douglas for letting me be a part of the tour. If you're looking for some dark romance, add this one to your tbr pile.

BLOG TOUR: Principles of Emotion by Sara Read

I'm excited to be a part of the Blog Tour for Principles of Emotion by Sara Read! I received a free electronic copy for an honest review from the publisher. Thanks so much to Graydon House and Sara Read for letting me be a part of this tour!

 

 

Title: Principles of Emotion

Author: Sara Read

Published by: Graydon House

Released: January 9, 2024

Source: Electronic Review Copy Provided by Publisher

Goodreads          Amazon

 

Synopsis: A brilliant mind needs a strong heart.

Mathematical genius Dr. Meg Brightwood has just completed her life’s work—a proof of a problem so impenetrable it’s nicknamed the Impossible Theorem.

Reclusive and burdened by anxiety, Meg has long since been dismissed by academia. Now everyone wants to get their hands on what she alone possesses—especially her own mathematician father.

Having grown up a prodigy in a field plagued by sexism and plagiarism, Meg opts for a public presentation so there will be no doubt of her authorship. But a panic attack obliterates her plans. In defeat, she goes home and locks away the one and only manuscript of her proof.

Then chance sends her the unlikeliest of Isaac Wells—carpenter, high school dropout, in trouble with the law. And the one love of Meg’s life. Fifteen years ago, they did little more than hold hands. Now, they find a tenuous space where they can love and be loved for who they are—not who the world expects them to be.

But when Meg goes to retrieve the Impossible Theorem, she finds it missing. Her fight for the achievement of the century will test the limits of her brilliance and the endurance of two vulnerable hearts. (Synopsis from Goodreads)

 

My Thoughts: One of the things that I'm not good at is math. Math just never clicked in my brain. I can do basic math, but anything more difficult, ask someone else. I appreciated that Meg was so good at math.

I enjoyed this one. Meg had family issues. It was never about celebrating her as a person, but rather a competition of accomplishments. The world of academia sounds like no fun at all.

I enjoyed Meg and Isaac reconnecting and teaming up. I wouldn't say this book is first and foremost a romance, it is more about Meg gaining confidence and coming into her own. Isaac is a great support system.

I can see a lot of people enjoying this one.

 

Before she started writing fiction, Sara got a degree in Women’s Studies from U.C. Santa Cruz. She tried the nine-to-five life for about a nanosecond before moving to rural Virginia to become a flute-maker’s apprentice and traditional fiddle player. Some years and two babies later, she returned to school for a Masters in Nursing. A cancer survivor herself, she now has the distinct privilege of caring for cancer patients. She is a cofounder of #momswritersclub and lives in Charlottesville with her husband, two teens, a terrier, and three snarky cats.

Thanks so much for checking out my Blog Tour stop for Principles of Emotion by Sara Read! Thank you to Graydon House and Sara Read for letting me be a part of this tour. If you're looking for something cute to add to your tbr, this might be a good one.

BLOG TOUR: Last Call at the Local by Sarah Grunder Ruiz

I'm excited to be a part of the Blog Tour for Last Call at the Local by Sarah Grunder Ruiz! I received an advanced electronic copy for a honest review from the publisher. Thanks so much to Berkley and Sarah Grunder Ruiz for letting me be a part of the tour!

 

 

Title: Last Call at the Local (Love, Lists & Fancy Ships #3)

Author: Sarah Grunder Ruiz

Published by: Berkley

Released: January 2, 2024

Source: Electronic Review Copy Provided by Publisher

Goodreads          Amazon

 

Synopsis: Opposites attract when a free-spirited American singer-songwriter with ADHD teams up with a charming Irishman to revitalize his family's pub in the next heartfelt romance from the author of Luck and Last Resorts.

Raine Hart is used to the challenges of living with ADHD. It’s why she ditched her life in Boston to busk around Europe as a traveling musician. No boss. No schedule. No one to disappoint but herself. But when a careless mistake in Ireland leaves her unable to perform, she sees no other option but to give up her nomadic life.

Since inheriting the Local, Jack Dunne has wanted to make the pub his own. But the baggage of running a family business and the intrusive thoughts that stem from his OCD make changing things a challenge.

Over a pint with handsome, tattooed Jack, Raine accidentally insults him and the pub. Instead of taking offense, Jack, impressed by her vision of what the pub could be, offers her a job bringing it to life.

But when Raine and Jack develop feelings for one another their opposite lifestyles won’t accommodate, it becomes clear the pub isn’t the only thing that needs reinventing. As the end of their business collaboration draws near, they’ll have to find a way past the limits they’ve placed on themselves or let go of a love that could last a lifetime. (Synopsis from Goodreads)

 

My Thoughts: I enjoyed this one. I was drawn in by the synopsis and the cute cover. I love the green. I'm also always a sucker for an opposites attract story.

I loved that this was set in Ireland. It was really fun to read about.

Our main characters live with brains that challenge them sometimes. Raine has ADHD and Jack has OCD. I liked how these challenges played a big part in their story. It was nice to see them team up and conquer. They showed that they lived with these mental battles, but they didn't let it beat them.

I enjoyed the romance, of course. They were both so sweet and perfect for each other.

I can see a lot of people enjoying this one.

 

Sarah Grunder Ruiz is a writer, educator, and karaoke enthusiast. Originally from South Florida, she now lives in Raleigh, North Carolina with her husband and two children. She holds an MFA in creative writing from North Carolina State University, where she now teaches First-Year Writing.

Thanks so much for checking out my Blog Tour Stop for Last Call at the Local by Sarah Grunder Ruiz! Thank you to Berkley and Sarah Grunder Ruiz for letting me be a part of the tour. You should definitely give this one a read.