REVIEW: So far, I have loved every book that I’ve read by Denise Hunter. I recently finished A Novel Proposal and I have to say I just liked the book. I wasn’t in love with it. I did enjoy it and it was entertaining. It just lacked something that I could not put my finger on.

The story had to do with an author who is losing her contract and the publisher wants her to write a romance book. She loves Westerns and is trying to follow in her Grandfather’s footsteps. He was a well known writer of Westerns. She is a good writer but, Westerns are not a hot seller these days. Hence, the change.

There is a romance story within this book. There are epigraphs at the beginning of each chapter. They tell you how to write a romance novel and let you know what way the book is headed. It was a cute idea and a little interesting but, as a reader I’m not so sure I wanted to know where the book was headed or how to write a romance novel. I just want to read and enjoy without worrying about the mechanics. That’s just me.

I still enjoyed the book. The characters and the plot were interesting. I just wouldn’t put it up there as high as some of her other books. If you think about it though, the interesting thing is the title of the book has a few meanings within the book. Let me know what you think about The Novel Proposal by Denise Hunter. Until next time…Happy Reading!

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I received a complimentary copy of this book from #DeniseHunter, #Netgalley and #ThomasNelson Publishers. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

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SYNOPSIS: From the bestselling author of The Convenient Groom (now a beloved Hallmark Original movie) comes a sweet and sizzling story of a romance writer surprised by her own happily ever after.

When novelist Sadie Goodwin is forced to stop writing westerns and charged with penning a contemporary romance novel to rescue her lackluster sales, there’s only one tiny problem: She’s never been in love.

Desperate to salvage her career, Sadie begins devouring romance novels. Knowing she must devote herself to this confounding genre, she accepts an invitation to hole up at her friend’s beach duplex for the summer. Where better to witness love in bloom than on the beautiful North Carolina shore?

However, once ensconced in the charming ocean-front home with her sweet maltipoo Rio, she finds many ways to procrastinate. First there’s the beach, right outside her backdoor, with all its interesting visitors (research). Then there’s the free library she decides to build and set up by the back deck (She has to do something with all those romance novels). To say nothing of Sam Ford, the grumpy neighbor on the other side of the duplex . . . who she can’t seem to stop annoying.

A social butterfly by nature, Sadie soon gets to know all the beach regulars—sunbathers, walkers, and surfers alike. The free books draw a crowd right up to the house for nice little book chats, which further irritates her reclusive neighbor, to break up her “writing.” But things take an unexpected turn when Sadie opens a recently-placed novel to find a secret compartment—and tucked inside is a beautiful engagement ring. To whom does the ring belong? Sadie is convinced she needs to find the owner and save the man’s proposal from certain doom.

She draws a reluctant Sam into the project, and slowly their connection begins to develop. Are these weird fluttery feelings the first stirrings of love? Has Sadie managed to stumble upon the very subject about which she must write—and wouldn’t Sam make the perfect alpha hero?

Will Sadie find the ring’s rightful owner? And will she manage to pen a career-saving romance novel by summer’s end?

REVIEW: Oh Boy! It has been a hot minute since I read a Historical Fiction book. The Cuban Daughter: The Lost Daughters Book 2 by Soraya Lane made me wonder why. It was her Historical Fiction books about World War II that got me interested in the genre in the first place. If you haven’t read anything by her yet, please do yourself a favor and go to her book list and pick something out. She makes learning history enjoyable and her stories are really wonderful.

This story has two timelines. One takes place starting at about 1950 in Cuba and the other one is present day in London and a little in Florida. I love how the two timelines work together to bring you to the conclusion of the book. 

The main characters in the present day are Claudia and Mateo. I loved both of them. In the earlier time period in Cuba we have Esmeralda and Christopher. Their love story will make you swoon. Well, so will the one between Claudia and Mateo. You want nothing but the best for these four. Life is filled with family secrets, love and loss, pride and mistakes. 

This book was so hard to put down. I actually did right in the middle of it to help an author out doing a last minute beta read on her new novel. I was able to jump right back into this one and not miss a beat. This story was heartwarming and heart wrenching at the same time. It made me mad and happy all at once. You have to read The Cuban Daughter to know what I mean. 

Soraya Lane has once again turned out a novel that broke my heart and mended it back together again. It reminded me why I love Historical Fiction and that I have been away from it for way too long. Until next time…Happy Reading.

Don’t forget to support the authors you read by leaving a review!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author, #Netgalley and #Bookouture. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. 

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SYNOPSIS: As Esmeralda moved past Christopher, her breath stifled as he caught her finger in his. It was only a split-second, their fingers intertwined in a hold so brief that no one could have possibly noticed, but it told her everything she needed to know. He didn’t just come to see Cuba. He travelled all this way to see me.

Havana, 1950. As the daughter of one of the wealthiest families in Cuba and regarded as the most beautiful girl in Havana, Esmeralda knows the importance of marrying well for her family. But when her father takes her on a business trip to London, she falls in love with a young merchant named Christopher.

When Christopher is invited to visit her father’s sugar farm, Esmeralda knows that they must keep their love affair hidden at all costs. But when the country falls into revolution, Esmeralda is faced with an impossible choice – flee to America with her family or follow her heart and travel to London to be with Christopher. But Esmeralda has been keeping a secret from her family for months, and her decision will have devastating consequences.

London, present day. Claudia is rebuilding her life and following her passion of restoring unloved houses back to their former glory. But when her mother asks for her help in tracking down her grandmother’s history, her curiosity is piqued. Her only clue is a family crest, which she learns is for the Diaz family, once one of the wealthiest dynasties in Cuba. Impulsively Claudia books a ticket to Havana, feeling sure in her heart that she will be able to uncover her family’s true story.

Arriving in the bustling and vibrant city she meets a young man named Mateo, a chef who loves nothing more than to cook his family’s recipes. As they get to know each other over dinner, Mateo says that his grandfather used to work for the Diaz family and he too wants to uncover what happened.

But when they arrive at the Diaz family home, they find it completely abandoned as if preserved in time from the 1950s. It’s not long before they uncover a heartbreaking story about her family, who were forced to leave everything they had ever known. As she becomes closer to Mateo, will her family’s story of sacrifice convince Claudia to leave behind her own home and follow her heart to Cuba?

An utterly gripping and heart-wrenching novel about family secrets, lost loves and new beginnings. Perfect for fans of Santa Montefiore, Lucinda Riley and Victoria Hislop.

REVIEW: Holy Cow, y’all! I could not wait to write this review and share this book with you. I absolutely and unequivocally love this book. It may be one of my all time favorites. The book is Off the Map by Trish Doller. I have not read anything by her before but, I’ll be keeping my eye peeled for more of her books. This book was phenomenal.

Like most of you, I read the synopsis of the book and thought I would give it a try. Sounded like a cute little book. Cute is not the word for this book. It is so much more than the synopsis tells you about. In fact, it doesn’t even scratch the surface. I am not going to be able to tell you a lot about this book because I don’t want to give away any spoilers. Plus, I want you to get the full effect of what happens as it happens.

Off the Map has many laugh out loud moments. It has many moments that will surprise you, shock you and make you go back and read it again to someone else in the room. I also found myself crying that big old ugly cry. So, make sure you have tissues handy when you sit down to read. You’ll be mopping tears of joy and sorrow.

This book has love scenes in it that will make you curl your toes. Now, I don’t think they were out of context and I was not offended by them. I don’t know what that says about me but, they weren’t nasty. Pure sweet love.

I loved the characters in this book and they are very well developed. If they aren’t, they still have something about them that makes you want to know more about them. They are either quirky, loving, helpful, funny. I don’t think there was one character that I didn’t like. Well, one that was never there. You’ll understand when you read the book.

I would love to rate this book a 10. It is that good! I’m definitely in a book coma. You must consider putting Off the Map by Trish Doller on your “must read” list. Until next time…Happy Reading.

Don’t forget to support the authors you read by leaving a review.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from #TrishDoller, #Netgalley, #St.Martin’sPress and #St.Martin’sGriffin. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

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SYNOPSIS: Trish Doller’s idyllic romance Off the Map proves sometimes a wrong turn can lead to the exact right destination.

On the road to love, you don’t need a GPS…

Carla Black’s life motto is “here for a good time, not for a long time.” She’s been traveling the world on her own in her vintage Jeep Wrangler for nearly a decade, stopping only long enough to replenish her adventure fund. She doesn’t do love and she doesn’t ever go home.

Eamon Sullivan is a modern-day cartographer who creates digital maps. His work helps people find their way, but he’s the one who’s lost his sense of direction. He’s unhappy at work, recently dumped, and his one big dream is stalled out—literally.

Fate throws them together when Carla arrives in Dublin for her best friend’s wedding and Eamon is tasked with picking her up from the airport. But what should be a simple drive across Ireland quickly becomes complicated with chemistry-filled detours, unexpected feelings, and a chance at love – if only they choose it.

REVIEW: In My Life by Kay Bratt is book number three in the Hart’s Ridge series. If you love police procedurals, mysteries, family dynamics, romance or anything along those lines, you would love this series. After reading the first book in the series, which is Hart’s Ridge, I couldn’t wait to read more. I thought book one was great and the second one was better and In My Life was better yet. I highly recommend this series. I can’t wait to read more and see where it is headed.

The main character is Taylor Grey. So far each book is about a different crime and a different member of the cast. In My Life is about Cate who is Taylor’s mother who spent twenty years in prison after being convicted of murder and arson. I love Cate’s tenacity. She works hard to re-enter society and the lives of her children while maintaining her patience. I wanted to be able to hug her so many times.

The case in this new addition to the series deals with a triple murder that takes place on a Christmas Tree farm. Taylor spends long hours tracking down leads and trying to solve this murder. For a case that seemed unsolvable, I loved where the clues actually came from. I think you will too. It is quite ingenious.

Kay Bratt does an awesome job with her character development. She also does a great job of leaving you wanting more. The first four books in this series are coming out in quick succession and I understand there will be four more but they will release with more time in between. I am not sure how I will handle that. I love diving into a series and binge reading. At this point, I am so engrossed in the series and the relationships, I am sure I’ll be waiting impatiently for more. Give this series a try. Until next time…Happy Reading!

Don’t forget to support the authors you read by leaving a review!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

To follow my blog, click on the heading of any blog post. This will bring up just that blog and you will see a follow button on the bottom right hand corner. Thank you!

SYNOPSIS: Within In My Life, the third book of the Hart’s Ridge small-town mystery series, Deputy Taylor Gray investigates a triple murder alongside her unofficial partner, Detective Shane Weaver. While juggling her professional duties, Taylor also struggles to navigate personal decisions and determine what it will take to help bring balance to her life.

Meanwhile, Catherine, recently released from a 20-year prison sentence, attempts to reintegrate into society, but faces rejection from potential employers and distrust from her adult daughters. Will she be able to find the stability and peace that she longs for?

As readers delve deeper into the town’s secrets, they will discover the darker side of Hart’s Ridge, proving that even seemingly perfect places have hidden flaws. Bratt masterfully weaves a thrilling tale that will keep readers on the edge of their seats.

In My Life is book three of the new Hart’s Ridge small-town mystery series, written by Kay Bratt, million-copy best-selling author of Wish Me Home and True to Me.