Category: blogging

Monica Adams Skips Christmas
Krista Harper
Publication date: November 29th 2022
Genres: Contemporary, Holiday, LGBTQ+, New Adult, Romance

Nineteen-year-old engineering student Monica Adams is excited to be back home in the Windy City for Christmas, even if she’s planning to tell her parents she’s dropping out of college. But when her longtime boyfriend unexpectedly dumps her, her elderly grandfather moves in, and her parents are too busy working to notice she’s home, Monica decides she’s skipping the holidays this year. It isn’t until she begins spending time with her neighbor Paige that things take a turn towards yuletide glee.

Eighteen-year-old Paige Yoshida is an art student, local bookseller and self-proclaimed Christmas fanatic. She’s also lived upstairs from Monica since they were kids and may have had a secret crush on her during high school.

As the countdown to Christmas continues, Monica and Paige find themselves unexpectedly spending more and more time together. Will the two take a chance on love this holiday season, or will they ignore their building chemistry and keep things strictly friends?

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Author Bio:

Krista Harper is a contemporary romance and romantic comedy writer. She also publishes non-fiction books on writing under the pseudonym K.L. Harper.

The first in her family to attend college, Harper received a practical degree in nursing before pursuing her MFA over two decades later, graduating as a distinguished scholar from Southern New Hampshire University.

A Chicago native, Harper currently resides in the Colorado mountains with her family and five rescues. When she isn’t reading or writing, she’s binge-watching the Great British Baking Show and dreaming of summer on the lake.

Website / Pinterest / Instagram / Amazon / TikTok

 

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Rebounding with the Billionaire
Tina Gabor
(Bronson Billionaire Romance Series, #4)
Publication date: October 31st 2022
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

She’s an outcast from a billionaire family. He’s her brother’s best friend and business partner.

They hate each other.

But when she bolts from the church on her wedding day, and they wind up trapped in a snow storm,

the heat between them is undeniable.

She’s on the rebound. He’s a workaholic who needs to let off some steam. One weekend with no strings attached. Right?

Goodreads / Amazon

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SNEAK PEEK:

It wasn’t wedding day jitters. Something was up.

I stood up and headed to the door.

The camera guy and sound guy tried to stop me, but I ignored them. I opened the door, and Mackie was there in her bridesmaid dress.
“Did you need me?” she asked.

“No, wait here. I’m just going to talk to Peter,” I said.

I marched down the hall toward the groom’s suite. Even more people tried to stop me.

That only confirmed that some shit was going down, and everyone else knew but me. I knew exactly what was going on.

The security guard stepped in my way.

“Get out of my way, or there is no wedding.” I said.

The large man stared down at me and didn’t move.

“I will have you fired,” I said, in my iciest bitch voice. The man cowered and stepped aside.

I threw the door open.

There was my groom, making out and groping Cindy!

“I knew you were fucking cheating on me, Peter!” He started to speak, but I threw my hand up, signaling him to stop. “Don’t bother. He’s all yours, Cindy,” I said, and then I hightailed it out of there, tearing off the lavalier mic they’d strapped to me as I ran.

My slippers slowed me down, so I kicked them off and ran barefoot. I tore down the hall and out onto the church grounds.

“Meredith!” a male voice yelled.

I looked up to see who it was, and I spotted Nick’s Spyder at the valet.

I sprinted over to him, tears streaming down my face. But I didn’t care. Those camera crews would never catch me. Their equipment was too heavy. I jumped into Nick’s car and yelled at him. “Drive!”

 

Author Bio:

Are you like me?

Do you enjoy funny, contemporary romances with spicy love scenes?

Because if you do …

You’ve landed in the perfect place.

I’m Tina Gabor, and it’s so much fun getting to write the books I love reading. Gorgeous men and fierce, feisty, and funny women are my jam.

And since there’s nothing like a love story with a dash of sun and fun …

I set most of my in Southern California and Florida. I grew up in South Florida, and now I live in Southern California with my fiancee and a stray cat we named Fred.

To get special deals on new releases and updates on what your favorite book couples are doing after the story ends, go to SparksFlyRomance.com/Tina

Website / Goodreads / Facebook

 

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The Enchanted Bungalow
Eva Pohler
(The Mystery House Series, #9)
Publication date: October 31st 2022
Genres: Adult, Mystery

Ellen and her friends never saw this coming.

During a Twilight tour of Forks, Washington, Ellen, Sue, and Tanya rent a bungalow on Quileute land to celebrate Tanya’s sixtieth birthday. They’re having the time of their lives until strange visions make them question everything they know about the afterlife. Can the three best friends uncover the mystery of the Machiavellian spirit sharing their bungalow?

Here’s what readers are saying about this series:

“Slightly wacky ladies, humor & good intentions result in a very interesting story. I’ve already ordered the second one in the series.”–Lynne J. Condon, Amazon Reviewer ★★★★★

“They begin a dangerous quest digging into the real history behind the Gold House. What they find will blow your mind! My heart was racing throughout this entire book. If you believe in ghosts or even if you don’t, I suggest reading by a lamp. I jumped several times as if a movie were playing inside my mind. . . . The three women in this book are wonderful. This is definitely a must-read. 5 stars for Eva! Well done!!”–Book Lover Reviews ★★★★★

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo / Google Play

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EXCERPT:

Two days later, Ellen flew with Moseby to Seattle, where she rented an SUV—a white Nissan Rogue—and drove in the dark and through the rain for three hours toward La Push. The last two hours were on winding roads that had Ellen gripping the steering wheel and clenching her teeth.

Moseby whined. He sat in a carrier strapped in the front passenger seat.

“I know, Moseby-Mo. It’s been a long car ride, but I think we’re nearly there.”

Brian had business meetings in Portland all week, and Ellen hadn’t wanted to board the dog, worried it would cause post-traumatic stress disorder. Plus, she needed him, since she was traveling without her friends, hoping to get everything ready to save Tanya’s birthday.

It was so dark and rainy in La Push when she arrived that she nearly missed the turn into the Oceanside Resort Office. She pulled in, put the rental in park, found the totem pole Dorothy had described, and, clutching her hood beneath her chin, used the phone inside the totem to telephone security.

“I’ll be right there,” a man on the other end of the line assured her.

Moments later, a black truck approached, and a police officer rolled down his window to hand her a key.

“Are you staying there alone?” he asked as she stood in the rain beside his truck. “I thought there were three of you. My paperwork shows three signatures.”

Ellen and her friends had been asked to sign, scan, and email liability waivers.

“The other two will be joining me in a couple of days.”

The officer frowned. “Are you sure that’s a good idea, staying there alone? Dorothy told you about the history of the place, didn’t she?”

“I’ll be fine.” Ellen sounded more confident than she felt. “I just need directions.”

“It’s up there on the highest hill,” he pointed out. “Just follow this road on up. You can’t miss it.”

“Thank you,” Ellen said.

“Let us know if you decide to leave early,” the officer added, handing her his card with his contact information. “The cell service is spotty out here, but you can always drive over to the totem and call me from here.”

“Will do.” Ellen read the card. “Thank you, Officer Hobucket.”

The officer waited until Ellen had returned to the SUV before he drove off. She said a prayer as she followed him from the parking area and back onto the road in the opposite direction, heading toward the beach, until she came to a fork. The road to the right went downhill and the road to the left went up, so she went left.

“This has to be it,” she said to Mo as they neared a bungalow surrounded by enormous western red cedar trees, the silhouettes of which were visible in her headlights.

She parked the Nissan Rogue and took Moseby from his carrier. With his leash attached to his collar, she walked him toward the front door. It was too dark to make out much about its features. An old porchlight illuminated the front door and wooden porch, but not much else. She couldn’t even tell what color it was painted. Maybe gray?

As she waited for Mo to do his business, she turned her face toward the ocean, but it was too dark to see. She could hear it, though, gathering in great bursts against rocks that must not be too far below. A glance to the dark sky above revealed no moon, but an ocean of stars twinkled down at her, and she felt suddenly small and nervous.

“Come on, Moseby-Mo.” She nudged her dog from the grass toward the front door. “Let’s check out the inside.”

Dorothy had warned her that it hadn’t been cleaned in years, and the stale air that greeted her when Ellen opened the door did nothing to contradict that.

Moseby whined at the stoop.

“Inside,” Ellen commanded as she blindly felt the wall for a switch.

Not finding one, she stepped further into the bungalow, making the leash taut between her and Mo, who’d remained on the threshold.

Ellen’s hand swept across a cobweb, and she gasped with surprise at the unexpected texture. Shuddering and wiping her hand against her jeans, she continued to flail around for a light switch and finally found a floor lamp when she walked right into it.

She dropped the leash by accident to steady the lamp, and Moseby scurried away.

Ellen rushed outside into the rain. “Mo! Come back here!”

Mo stood at their rental car looking back at her without any intention of minding her call.

Fortunately, he didn’t run off as she approached him and scooped him into her arms.

“Why are you shaking, boy?” she said in a soothing voice. “Are you cold? I’ve got you. It’s okay.”

She fumbled for her phone, which was somewhere at the bottom of the purse draped over her shoulder. Once she found it, she turned on the flashlight app and proceeded back toward the house.

When she reached the porch, the front door, which she’d left ajar, slammed shut in her face.

“The wind is really something out here,” Ellen remarked as she reached for the knob.

Author Bio:

Eva Pohler is an award-winning and USA Today bestselling author of over thirty-five novels in multiple genres, including paranormal mysteries, thrillers, and young adult fantasy based on Greek mythology. Her books have been described as “addictive” and “sure to thrill”–Kirkus Reviews.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / Bookbub / Youtube

 

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Revenge Honeymoon
K.J. Gillenwater
Publication date: October 30th 2022
Genres: Adult, Comedy, Contemporary, Romance

What happens in the Caribbean, stays in the Caribbean…

Emily Small has a big heart, a loud mouth, and a terrible taste in men. She’s used to living in her perfect best friend Ruby’s shadow – but when Ruby is left devastated at the altar, Emily becomes desperate to save her friend from heartache… and salvage their non-refundable cruise!

Emily hatches an ingenious plan to soothe Ruby’s broken heart by island-hopping together as an act of revenge. There’s only one teensy problem: the cruise is for newlyweds only. Naturally, they have a solution. They’ll pretend to be a married couple!

But their ten days of fun are about to spiral into a crazy, messy adventure that risks leaving a few hearts broken along the way – because when Emily bumps into the ship’s hot photographer, Max Keeling, she begins to wish she could rethink their arrangement. If her deception gets discovered, would they boot her off the boat? But Emily can’t keep her hands to herself, and her cruise fling could bring everything crashing down.

How can she support her best friend at the worst moment in her life while pursuing an out-of-her-league guy in the Caribbean? And can she somehow find a way to have the best of both worlds?

As a hilarious, sexy, and heartwarming read that strikes the perfect balance between feel-good emotions and laugh-out-loud humor, Revenge Honeymoon is a fun and memorable romantic comedy that you won’t be able to put down. Grab your copy today!

Note: This book was originally released on Kindle Vella in serialized format. This version has been edited with an additional epilogue added.

Goodreads / Amazon

—

EXCERPT:

“That was Tyler,” Emily gulped. Her mouth so dry she wished she had a bucketful of water to drink. “He’s not coming.” Her voice dropped to a bare whisper.

The cousins gasped and clutched one another in horror.

The make-up artist, who had been waiting to do final touch-ups, packed up her case in a flash and squeaked out of the room without a word.

Ruby’s eyes widened, her mouth formed an ‘o,’ and her body vibrated a fine tremor. “Oh no, was he in an accident? I told him not to drive himself. I’ve read so many stories about brides and grooms getting in accidents on the way to the church. Nerves, they said. Should I go to him? Where is he? Was he driving his father’s car or the rental? I hope he wasn’t driving the rental. We have to make it to our suite at the Hilton tonight, and I really don’t want to take an Uber. Or have my father drive. Oh, that would be so embarrassing.”

“Ruby.” Emily grasped her friend’s arm, the fine Mikado silk cool under her fingers. A long-sleeved dress for a late fall wedding maybe was too warm for the Tampa location, but it had been so gorgeous on her friend’s slender body there had been no other choice at the bridal boutique. “He’s calling off the wedding.”

Nausea soured Emily’s stomach.

Why did she have to be the one who picked up the phone?

One of the cousins burst into tears.

Ruby stood stock still in the middle of the bride’s dressing room. “But—”

Rhonda Madison Evers entered wearing a royal blue mother-of-the-bride dress covered in sequins. “My darling. The make-up artist told me the news. How could that man be so cruel?” She curved her arms around her only daughter.

“Mom, I don’t understand. How could he not be coming?” Ruby crumpled to the floor.

“You’ll crush your dress!” Mrs. Evers gasped and knelt beside her. She yanked at her daughter’s arm as if her will alone would lift up the one-hundred-twenty-five-pound woman and her ten pounds of underskirts and heavy fabric. “We can still return it.”

“No, we can’t. It’s been altered.” The bride spoke in a monotone.

“Well,” said Mrs. Evers, “there’s always eBay or Craigslist, I suppose.”

“Facebook Marketplace is better,” mumbled a cousin.

Mrs. Evers shot daggers in the woman’s direction.

“I need to talk to him.” The bride snapped her fingers at Emily. “Get Tyler on the phone. I will just demand that he come.”

Emily gulped and bit at her lower lip, then got up the courage to tell her best friend since grade school the worst thing a best friend could say. “Tyler doesn’t want to get married. Do you really want to force a man to marry you, Rubes?”

“But he promised me. He gave me this ring.” Ruby held out her hand for the cousins, her mother, Emily, and now the florist who’d arrived with her wedding bouquet. A gorgeous pear-shaped 2 ½ carat diamond decorated her left ring finger. “Would he have given me this ring if he didn’t want to marry me?”

“He doesn’t want to marry you, Rubes.” Emily knelt and put an arm around her friend. The bride sagged against her.

The florist quietly set the bridal bouquet on a chair and scrambled for the door.

Emily led Ruby to an empty chair and her mother sat beside her. “He’s an awful man. A terrible, mean, awful man. Who would do that to my little girl?” Mrs. Evers took her daughter by the hand and gripped it tightly.

“Ow, mother, that hurts.” Ruby pulled her hand out of her mother’s grasp and began to nibble on her freshly manicured nails. “What do we do about the guests?”

“Your father is telling them now,” Mrs. Evers reassured her.

“What will we do about the reception?” Ruby pulled the veil out of her hair.

“We’re inviting everyone to meet us over there,” her mother answered. “We’ve already paid for the hall, the food, the entertainment. We might as well have a party, don’t you think, darling?”

“What will we do about the honeymoon?” Ruby kicked off her satin heels and rubbed her toes.

“Well, I guess you’ll have to cancel,” sighed Mrs. Evers. “Maybe they’ll give you credit.”

“No, wait, I have a better idea,” said Emily.

And that’s when the revenge honeymoon took shape. That very moment. And Emily Small’s life would never be the same.

Author Bio:

K. J. Gillenwater has a B.A. in English and Spanish from Valparaiso University and an M.A. in Latin American Studies from University of California, Santa Barbara. She worked as a Russian linguist in the U.S. Navy, spending time at the National Security Agency doing secret things. After six years of service, she ended up as a technical writer in the software industry. She has lived all over the U.S. and currently resides in Wyoming with her family where she runs her own business writing government proposals and squeezes in fiction writing when she can. In the winter she likes to ski and snowshoe; in the summer she likes to garden with her husband, take walks with her dog, and explore the Big Horn Mountains. She has written multiple books and plans on writing more.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram

 

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Hate, Rinse, Repeat
Melanie Summers
(A Gamble on Love Mom-Com, #3)
Publication date: October 28th 2022
Genres: Adult, Comedy, Contemporary, Romance

Christmas is a time for hate…

Maisy Moore is not looking forward to the holiday season. As owner of the only hair salon in Gamble, Alaska, she’ll be run off her feet helping her clients get dolled up for Christmas and New Years Eve parties. Parties she’ll never be invited to.

But that’s not the worst of it. As a single mom, she knows she still won’t be able to give her seven-year-old son, Jack, the kind of magical Christmas his classmates get. Telling him how much she loves him will only get a kid that age so far. If only she could give him what he really wants—to know who his dad is.

The last thing Maisy needs is for NHL star Chase Evans to come waltzing back into town like he’s God’s gift to women. But that’s exactly what Chase does.

After a taking a crosscheck from behind, Chase’s season is over. Instead of scoring goals, he’s recovering from shoulder surgery, and according to his mother, there’s no better place to recover than home. Because let’s face it, basking in the glow of local adoration won’t be too bad. There are no fans quite like hometown fans.

The last thing Chase expects is to find Maisy Moore still single. He decides to see if maybe they could rekindle their brief romance that occurred the night of their ten-year high school reunion. But when he tries to talk to her, he discovers Maisy’s feelings of lust have turned to loathing. And he’s determined to find out why.

Will Maisy manage to keep the identity of her son a secret? Will there be a holiday miracle that will reunite two hard-headed lovers? Will the BOGO special on shampoo and conditioner be a hit?

Find out in the deliciously funny and ridiculously romantic final installment of the Love is a Gamble Mom-Com Series.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble

—

EXCERPT:

Childhood can be hard at the best of times. But when your name rhymes with crazy, lazy, hazy, daisy, and Swayze—as in Patrick—it’s worse than you can imagine. Here are a few phrases I heard ad nauseum during my formative years:

“It’s crazy Maisy with the lazy eye!” Corrective glasses fixed the eye, but there’s no coming back from such an abysmal start to your school years. Kind of like if you wore a body brace in middle school, you will always be the girl who wore the body brace in middle school. And if you wore a body brace and had a lazy eye? It was no picnic, let me tell you.

An actual allergy to allergy medication—you can’t make this stuff up—was to blame for my third-grade teacher often complaining, “Maisy was a little hazy today.”

I have Dr. Seuss to thank for, “It’s Daisy Head Maisy!” That’s right, his first posthumous book was gunning for me. I turned down free tickets to Seussical (the musical) because of it.

Finally, my least favorite and most often heard—thank you, Chase Evans—“Maisy Swayzeee, wassup?!” This one was often accompanied by, “Nobody puts Maisy in the corner.”

Being that I live in the town where I grew up, I’m often reminded of my past nicknames. Owning the only hair salon in Gamble, Alaska, means old classmates and their mothers are always hanging around (and bringing their hilarious memories of me with them—Remember that time your back brace got caught in the monkey bars?).

If having a challenging start to life wasn’t enough, I’ve made one or two questionable decisions along the way that have added to my troubles. The first being that the father of my son does not know he’s the father of my son.

I know, I know, “secret baby” is by far the worst romance trope. As romance novels are my only social life, I read a ton of them. And even before I got pregnant with Jack, I always passed on the secret baby ones. I mean, who keeps a secret that big?

Short answer—me. But I have my reasons. More on that later because I’ve got much bigger problems these days.

Author Bio:

Whitney loves to laugh, play with her kids, bake, and eat french fries — not always in that order.

Whitney is a multi-award-winning author of romcoms, non-fiction humor, and middle reader fiction. Basically, she writes whatever the voices in her head tell her to.

She lives in the beautiful Pacific Northwest with her husband, Jimmy, where they raise children, chickens, and organic vegetables.

Gold Medal winner at the International Readers’ Favorite Awards, 2017.

Silver medal winner at the International Readers’ Favorite Awards, 2015, 2016.

Finalist RONE Awards, 2016.

Finalist at the IRFA 2016, 2017.

Finalist at the Book Excellence Awards, 2017

Finalist Top Shelf Indie Book Awards, 2017

Author links
Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram

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Melanie Summers also writes steamy romance as MJ Summers.

Melanie made a name for herself with her debut novel, Break in Two, a contemporary romance that cracked the Top 10 Paid on Amazon in both the UK and Canada, and the top 50 Paid in the USA. Her highly acclaimed Full Hearts Series was picked up by both Piatkus Entice (a division of Hachette UK) and HarperCollins Canada. Her first three books have been translated into Czech and Slovak by EuroMedia. Since 2013, she has written and published three novellas, and eight novels (of which seven have been published). She has sold over a quarter of a million books around the globe.

In her previous life (i.e. before having children), Melanie got her Bachelor of Science from the University of Alberta, then went on to work in the soul-sucking customer service industry for a large cellular network provider that shall remain nameless (unless you write her personally – then she’ll dish). On her days off, she took courses and studied to become a Chartered Mediator. That designation landed her a job at the R.C.M.P. as the Alternative Dispute Resolution Coordinator for ‘K’ Division. Having had enough of mediating arguments between gun-toting police officers, she decided it was much safer to have children so she could continue her study of conflict in a weapon-free environment (and one which doesn’t require makeup and/or nylons).

Melanie resides in Edmonton with her husband, three young children, and their adorable but neurotic one-eyed dog. When she’s not writing novels, Melanie loves reading (obviously), snuggling up on the couch with her family for movie night (which would not be complete without lots of popcorn and milkshakes), and long walks in the woods near her house. She also spends a lot more time thinking about doing yoga than actually doing yoga, which is why most of her photos are taken ‘from above’. She also loves shutting down restaurants with her girlfriends. Well, not literally shutting them down, like calling the health inspector or something–more like just staying until they turn the lights off.

She is represented by Suzanne Brandreth of The Cooke Agency International.

Author links
Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram

 

Giveaway!
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I am so excited that THE GUARDIAN by Jen Colly is available now and that I get to share the news! 

If you haven’t yet heard about this wonderful book, be sure to check out all the details below.

This blitz also includes a giveaway for a $30 Amazon GC courtesy of Jen & Rockstar Book Tours. So if you’d like a chance to win, check out the giveaway info below.

 

About The Book:

Title: THE GUARDIAN (The Cities Below, #5)

Author: Jen Colly

Pub. Date: October 11, 2022

Publisher: Jen Colly

Formats:  Paperback, eBook

Pages: 374

Find it: Goodreads, Amazon, B&N, iBooks, Kobo, Scribd, All other eBook Retail sites

Prepared to die…fighting to live.

Savard was in a mood to die, but when a human insists on saving his life, death is no
longer an immediate option. He knew of no species – human, vampire, or demon –
that could see him while in his invisible Spirit form. Unique to this world, this woman’s singularity was a danger to the entire vampire race.

Waking behind bars in an underground vampire city was not how Sera envisioned her
night drive ending. She has come to expect nothing from those who pass through
her life, but this man, dying on the side of the road, proves to be different.
Savard fights to free her from tyrannical vampire laws and to hide her unique
abilities. What Sera doesn’t understand, is why he would fight his growing love for her.

 

Savard’s haunted past threatens to tear them apart. Soon, Sera discovers just how far her guardian is willing to go, and what he’s willing to do, to keep her safe.

 

Grab the rest of the The
Cities Below books now!

 

Excerpt:

Savard watched her delicate jaw drop at the sight of his
fangs. Never in his long life had he shown a human what kind of creature lurked
behind the visage of a man. He waited for her scream, expected her terrified
flight or even a fainting spell. Instead of acting like a normal human, she
just sat there, taking it all in, processing, and then out of the blue, the
minx slugged him in the shoulder.

He groaned, not so much from her punch, but from stabilizing
his core muscles to keep his body upright. Through gritted teeth, Savard asked,
“What the hell was that for?”

“Give it a guess,” she huffed, not frightened, and certainly
not shying away. “You can speak. Just say what you are. You didn’t need to
threaten me with the pointy teeth.”

“Wasn’t a threat…won’t bite,” he mumbled. He knew he was
behaving poorly, but his body ached, his hunger beat a heavy cadence against
his tongue, and this woman had ruined his plans for a quick death.

His eyelids drifted shut, his head tilted back against the
cushion. He was getting worse. The pain was there, but not exactly
excruciating, making it easier to speak. His body was numbing out, going cold
on the inside. Sensation was slipping away, along with life.

“If you’re what I think you are, then…” her soft voice
trailed off, as if redirecting her question. “What can I do? Be honest.”

“Nothing you’d be willing to do,” Savard said, cracking one
eye open to observe her reaction, and when she shifted closer, he suddenly
realized she still held his hand. In fact, her grip had never wavered. Even
after he’d bared his fangs.

“Like letting you bite me? How can you be sure I wouldn’t?”

“I’m not asking.”

“But if it would help you…” Her delicate eyebrows scrunched
together, and she asked in earnest, “Would it help you? And would it hurt?”

His lips twitched, the beginnings of a smile that never fully
formed. For some reason, he found explaining the nuances of a vampire’s bite to
this innocent human amusing. “Blood heals. A bite is more pleasure than pain.”

“I wouldn’t turn into a…”

“No.”

“When you bite someone…” Her voice was hesitant, the first
subtle hint of trepidation he’d found in her. “Do they die?”

“No. Life is precious,” he said quietly.

Deafening silence surrounded him and he closed his eyes
again, the calm lulling him. Several minutes passed, or perhaps more, and then
he unexpectedly caught her scent. The soft, delicate flesh of this woman had a
scent all its own, and he opened his eyes to see her leaning close to him, her
hand pulling that fluffy white-blonde mass of randomly braided hair away from
her neck. Savard growled, closing his eyes against the temptation, and turned
away from her.

“Why not?” she asked, her steady voice sending shivers
through his battered body.

Teeth clenched, he said, “You
should have left me there.”

 

 

About Jen Colly:

Jen Colly is the rare case of an author who rebelled against reading
assignments throughout her school years. Now she prefers reading books in a
series, which has led her to writing her first paranormal romance series: The
Cities Below. She will write about anything that catches her fancy, though
truth be told, her weaknesses are pirates and vampires. She lives in Ohio with
her supportive husband, two kids, one fluffy dog, and four rescued cats.

 

Website | Blog
| Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads | Amazon | BookBub

 

 

Giveaway Details:

1 winner
will win a $30 Amazon Gift Card, International.

Ends October
25^th, midnight EST.

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

A Festive Surprise

She can’t abide Christmas. He’s not sure what it’s all about. Together they’re in for a festive surprise.

Ambitious software developer Holly may have a festive name but the connection ends there. She despises the holiday season and decides to flee to the remote island of Mull in a bid to escape from it.

Syrian refugee Farid has made a new home in Scotland but he’s lonely. Understanding Nessie and Irn Bru is one thing, but when glittery reindeer and tinsel hit the shelves, he’s completely bemused. Determined to understand a new culture, he asks his new neighbor to educate him on all things Christmas.

When Holly reluctantly agrees, he realizes there’s more to her hatred of mince pies and mulled wine than meets the eye. Farid makes it his mission to inject some joy into Hollys’ life but falling for her is an unexpected gift that was never on his list.

As their attraction sparkles, can Christmas work its magic on Holly and Farid, or will their spark fizzle out with the end of December?

Purchase Links
UK- https://www.amazon.co.uk/Festive-Surprise-Scottish-Island-Escapes-ebook/dp/B0B6RGFVJQ
US – https://www.amazon.com/Festive-Surprise-Scottish-Island-Escapes-ebook/dp/B0B6RGFVJQ

Before I begin I quickly have to thank Rachel from Rachel’s Random Resources for letting me be a part of the blog tour and graciously providing me with an ebook of A Festive Surprise to read for my tour stop today.

This was the second Christmas read for 2022 and I am excited to share many more Christmas book reviews and spotlights with you.

When I got the email about this tour I instantly had to be a part of it because the synopsis sounded really good and the cover is cute.

I should mention that this is the tenth book in the Scottish Island Escapes series. Not sure if you need to read the previous books but from what I can see each book involves different characters. I personally didn’t feel like I was missing out on too much and only discovered that this was the tenth book when I started writing my review.

This was a quick read and I managed to read it pretty much in one sitting. If the previous books are anything like this one then I definitely have to make a plan to read them.

The main character is Holly and she hates Christmas and anything to do with the holiday because of an embarrassing situation she was in five/six years ago. As the story progresses you soon find out what happened and why she dislikes this time of year but also why Holly refuses to settle and put down roots and why she is guarded around men. Holly has told no one about what happened and she would like to keep it that way.

Holly is a programmer who is able to work remotely anywhere she wants to even if she is in one spot for a few months. When her best friend, Georgia offers her a cabin on a remote island in Scotland. The perfect location in December, complete isolation away from people and the Christmas holiday. Or so she thinks.

Enter Farid, who is a Syrian refugee. He had to flee Syria because of his political activities. His journey to flee wasn’t an easy one. He has made it to the UK and he was able to stay legally but sadly his computer programming isn’t being recognized thankfully a business connection through his father, he was offered a job by Archie (who just happens to be Georgia’s husband. I should mention that Georgia and Archie have their own book in this series.)  It’s not the job Farid was expecting (lumberjack) but he will take it. Archie offers him a cabin to live in which just happens to be that remote island.

I loved that this island was small and everyone was so friendly. Just thinking about it makes me want to go there.

The duo is instantly attracted to each other but what will Holly do when she discovers Farid is almost obsessed with Christmas and whats to know everything about this magical season because he never really has experienced it? The duo decides to make a bargain where Holly will tell him everything he wants to know about Christmas if he will tell her everything she wants to know about home, not his home per se but that home feeling.

Can Holly finally put that embarrassing moment behind her and move on?

I know after reading this that I really want to read the previous books in the series. I love discovering new authors and their backlist titles.

 

 

Author Bio –
Margaret is a writer, mummy, wife and chocolate eater (in any order you care to choose). She lives in highland Perthshire in a little house close to the woods where she often sees red squirrels, deer and other such tremendously Scottish wildlife… Though not normally haggises or even men in kilts!

She has published nine books and written many more. Margaret won a short story writing competition in 2012 and her winning entry was performed live to an audience at Pitlochry Festival Theatre as part of their Winter Words Event. This spring boarded Margaret’s journey from writing for fun to novel writing – though she still enjoys every minute of it.

Margaret is also a keen amateur photographer, who enjoys drawing, reading, and talking about books.

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