Tag: books

Pretty Famous, by Carla Caruso

(I do not own this image. Image property of AUS Impulse.)
(I do not own this image. Image property of AUS Impulse.)

Carla Caruso is a writer from Australia who writes romance with a touch of humor. Her current novel, Pretty Famous, is the third book in the Astonvale series, which stars Celeste Pretty, a professional organizer with a knack for finding trouble.

Celeste Pretty’s life has changed for the better. Her fledgling business is off to a good start. Her father has found happiness with a new relationship. And Celeste and contractor Lenny are getting married! Things are good, except for Celeste’s new job: prestigious Astonvale College is celebrating 100 years, and they need Celeste to make sure the festivities happen as planned. And they’d like Imogen Karmel to assist her.

Between planning her own engagement party and making the sure the school celebration shines, Celeste doesn’t have time for theatrics, but she finds herself drawn into the 60-year-old murder mystery of a screen star anyway. Between her sleuthing and Imogen’s determination to find the missing prince—who doesn’t want to be a princess?—it will take a miracle to get the project completed on time.

Pretty Famous continues the quirky adventures of Celeste Pretty, with Imogen in a co-starring role that gives the reader glimpses at the depth she hides so well. Lenny is back as well, and the romance that started in A Pretty Mess comes full circle for the couple. With Celeste’s way of landing in precarious situations, the reader will laugh their way through the newest book in the Astonvale series.

(Galley provided by AUS Impulse via NetGalley.)

Gates of Thread and Stone, by Lori M. Lee

(I do not own this image. Image belongs to Skyscape and Lori M. Lee.)
(I do not own this image. Image belongs to Skyscape and Lori M. Lee.)

Lori M. Lee is an author from Wisconsin, via Laos and Thailand. She writes young adult fiction, in the fantasy genre. Her first published novel is The Gates of Thread and Stone, the first book in the Gates of Thread and Stone series.

Seventeen-year-old Kai lives in the Labyrinth, a warren of poverty, secrets, and desperation on the edge of the city. Keeping your mouth shut is the only way to survive there. It’s just Kai and Reev, her older adopted brother, against the world, and Kai is fine with that. They’re poor, but they have each other.

Then one day, Reev disappears, and Kai has to choose between keeping her mouth shut and trying to save Reev. No contest. Soon Kai finds herself swept up in the revolution that has been brewing for centuries, as the secrets of her past—and her origins—threaten to overtake her. With the help of Avan, the shopkeeper’s son with the forbidding reputation, Kai must fight: to save Reev, to find out who she is, for her very survival.

The Gates of Thread and Stone is a compelling tale of magic and adventure, set in a world both forbidding and harsh and filled with mysteries. The world is not as it seems, and neither is Kai. Her journey of discovery—initially a rescue mission—leads her to place she’s never dreamed of, and reveals things she never considered. The riveting tale will mesmerize readers from the first page.

(Galley provided by Skyscape via NetGalley.)

Part-Time Princess, by Pamela Dumond

part time princess cover

Pamela Dumond “discovered” Erin Brokovich’s story and brought it to the big screen. She has written several novels, including young adult, new adult, romance, and self-help. Her new book, Part-Time Princess, is the first book in the Ladies-in-Waiting series.

Lucy Trabbicio has a life. It’s not a fantastic one, but she gets by, as a cocktail waitress at a biker bar. Money is tight, so when a mysterious job opportunity comes her way, she’s intrigued. Turns out the job is to impersonate Lady Elizabeth Billingsley as she travels to the tiny country of Fredonia, to keep Prince Cristoph Timmel interested while Lady Elizabeth takes care of some personal business in the U.S.

Lucy is skeptical, but the paycheck is more than she can turn down, so she agrees, enduring the ensuing whirlwind of makeovers, beauty treatments, and lessons. A princess has to walk, talk, dress, and eat a certain way, after all. Before she knows it, Lucy is off to the Alps and her new identity.

On the flight, she meets bad-boy Nick, who seems to have a very personal history with Lady Elizabeth. Lucy is drawn to Nick, but she’s not who he thinks she is. And Nick isn’t Prince Cristoph, so he isn’t part of the job. Soon, Lucy is swept up in the romance and drama of the royal lifestyle. But parties aren’t enough to satisfy her, and she finds herself drawn to Nick, despite “her” engagement to Cristoph. Lucy is desperate to keep up the façade, even when someone tries to kill her, and Lady Elizabeth promises she’ll be back before the wedding.

But what if she isn’t? Will Lucy continue in her role as someone else, or will she admit who she really is, and risk losing her newfound friends and family?

Part-Time Princess is lighthearted and funny, with breathless romance and mystery, too. The breezy style makes the pages fly by, and Lucy’s antics will have the reader laughing and hoping through every chapter.

(Galley provided via NetGalley.)

Criminal Confections, by Colette London

Criminal Confections, by Colette London (I do not own this image. Image belongs to Kensington publishers.)
Criminal Confections, by Colette London (I do not own this image. Image belongs to Kensington publishers.)

Colette London is a best-selling novelist with dozens of books to her credit. Her newest book, Criminal Confections, is the first book in the decadent Chocolate Whisperer series.

Chocolate is more than a dessert to Hayden Mundy Moore and the elite of the chocolate world, it’s a necessity of life, like breathing. Hayden is The Chocolate Whisperer; she goes into troubled chocolate businesses, finds out what the problem is, and helps them right the wrongs. When her current employer invites her to an elite chocolate retreat, she expects a fun time, and plenty of chocolate, of course.

What she gets is murder.

The chef winds up dead the first night, and as Hayden discovers more, she starts to wonder if perhaps she was the real target. Determined to find out, she starts asking questions. As the body count climbs, so do Hayden’s suspicions. Is it her demanding new boss? Perhaps the senile former boss? The rival chocolatier who knows too much? Or maybe her attractive best friend, Danny, who has a hidden dark side from his secret past?

The only two things Hayden knows for sure are that she really wants to solve this mystery before she winds up dead, and she wants to meet Trevor, her financial advisor with the sexy voice, in person after listening to all his good advice over the phone for far too long.

That doesn’t seem like too much to ask.

This light-hearted cozy mystery will have the reader hungry for more: more romps set in Hayden’s whirlwind world, more adventures with Danny by her side, more flirty conversations with Trevor, and more chocolate. Scrumptious recipes are included in the book, so at least there won’t be a wait for those, even if the next book in the series isn’t out until September.

(Galley courtesy of Kensington via NetGalley.)

The Spinster Bride, by Jane Goodger

The Spinster Bride, by Jane Goodger (I do not own this image. Image by Lyrical Trade.)
The Spinster Bride, by Jane Goodger (I do not own this image. Image by Lyrical Trade.)

Jane Goodger is an author in love with all things Victorian: houses, clothes, carriages, so it’s no wonder she writes Victorian romances. Her latest book, The Spinster Bride, is the last book in the Lords and Ladies series.

Marjorie Penwhistle was once the belle of the Season, with men at her feet and the world on a plate. Now, at the ripe old age of 23 and still unmarried, she’s on the verge of becoming a spinster. Good thing Marjorie doesn’t care about that. She wants to live her life, travel, and care for her brother, who’s a bit different and the recipient of their mother’s ire. When Marjorie isn’t the recipient of it herself, that is, since her mother insists that she marry a man of title and wealth, and won’t take “no” for an answer.

Charles Norris doesn’t have a title. What he does have is a war wound that makes him bitter, and a desire for a wife and a family of his home. He also has a tendency to fall in love with completely the wrong women, so he blackmails Marjorie into helping him find a suitable bride.

Clandestine meetings, secret notes left in hidden spots, and covert plots draw the two together as they search for the perfect wife for Charles. Along the way, they become friends, and fully appreciative of the stellar qualities of the other. It’s a good thing they are entirely unsuitable for each other. Or are they?

The Spinster Bride is a humorous tale of romance and light intrigue, and characters that will make you laugh, sigh, and root for them to see the light. The relationship that develops between Marjorie and Charles shows real depth as the characters show their secret selves and realize perhaps the one they were looking for was right in front of them all along.

(Galley provided by Lyrical Trade via NetGalley.)

The Wicked City, by Megan Morgan

The Wicked City, by Megan Morgan (Courtesy of Lyrical Press).
The Wicked City, by Megan Morgan (Courtesy of Lyrical Press).

Megan Morgan writes fantasy and paranormal romance. She’s an airport lounge bartender as well as a writer, and knows a thing or two about people. Her latest novel, The Wicked City, is the first book in the Siren Song series.

June Coffin is tired of the jokes about her name. She’s tired of people judging her for her tattoos and her smoking habits. She’s tired of being judged for being a Siren, able to influence people with her voice. But when her twin brother, Justin, is kidnapped by Chicago’s Institute of Supernatural Research, her attitude has a whole new focus.

Desperate to rescue Justin, June takes a walk on the dark side. To oppose her powerful enemies, she’ll need some powerful friends, so she teams up with a non-paranormal man who’s always supported paranormals. Too bad his wife just died, and June accidentally erased his memory. Oops. Her other teammate is a troublemaking paranormal leader who wants a little publicity for his cause, and isn’t afraid to go to great lengths to get it. With friends like these, what could possibly go wrong?

The Wicked City is a gritty paranormal romance with an intriguingly different premise. June is feisty and foul-mouthed, full of attitude, covered in tattoos and piercings, but she has a good heart and will stop at nothing to save her brother. The setting is dark,and the novel is steamy and sassy, with a twist.

(Galley provided by Lyrical Press via NetGalley.)

Hidden Deep, by Amy Patrick

Hidden Deep, by Amy Patrick (Courtesy of Oxford South Press).
Hidden Deep, by Amy Patrick (Courtesy of Oxford South Press).

Amy Patrick is the author of several contemporary romance novels. Her first young adult fantasy novel, Hidden Deep, is the first book in the Hidden trilogy, and is available now.

Ryann Carroll and her mother have just moved back to the small Mississippi town her grandmother calls home. After her father’s affair, they needed a change. Ryann loves the change, and the deep woods surrounding her grandmother’s home. Ten years before, she became lost in those woods and almost froze to death, but a mysterious boy saved her life. A boy that everyone convinced her never actually existed.

Which she believes, until he shows up out of the blue one day, while she’s skinny dipping, naturally. All grown up now, Lad is the most attractive boy she’s ever seen, and Ryann is drawn to him more than any boy she’s ever met. But there’s something different about Lad. He says he’s home-schooled, but Ryann suspects something a little more…exotic.

Lad has thought about Ryann for years, even though he risked his life and those of his people when he saved her life. Now she’s back, and Lad is torn between his love for Ryan and the safety of the people he’s sworn to protect.

Hidden Deep is a young adult fantasy novel set in steamy rural Mississippi, and the steam spills over to the attraction between Lad and Ryann. The characters are great, and the unique setting comes to life on the pages of this engrossing read.

(Galley provided by Oxford South Press via NetGalley.)

A Pretty Mess, by Carla Caruso

A Pretty mess, by Carla Caruse (Image courtesy of Aus Impulse).
A Pretty mess, by Carla Caruso (Image courtesy of AUS Impulse).

Carla Caruso is from an Italian family, but she lives in Australia. She loves romantic comedies, so it’s no surprise that she writes them as well. The first novel in her Astonvale series, A Pretty Mess, is available now.

Celeste Pretty is a bit of a neat freak. You have to be, when your father is a hoarder, and you don’t want to die a horrible death, smothered under a pile of old newspapers and busted tools. Celeste has turned her organization gift into a new business: professional organizer.

Landing a major celebrity client is great news for a new business, so Celeste is thrilled when fitness guru Natalia Samphire signs on. If she can impress Natalia, she’ll be all set. But this job proves a bit tricky: she finds a blackmail note and other mysterious items, and Natalia is acting strange. Not to mention, hunky builder Lenny Muscat is a distraction that Celeste doesn’t need. She has to make this job a success if she’s going to make it out on her own.

So no distractions from sexy men. And no clients acting oddly. Even if she has to figure out what’s going on all by herself, and put a stop to it. No matter how dangerous that is.

A Pretty Mess is a fun, light-hearted tale of love and chaos. The writing is breezy, the characters are engaging, and the story itself has moments of humor and mystery intertwined with romance.

(Galley provided by AUS Impulse via NetGalley.)

Bon Appetèmpt, by Amelia Morris

Bon Appetèmpt, by Amelia Morris (Image by Grand Central Publishing).
Bon Appetèmpt, by Amelia Morris (Image by Grand Central Publishing).

Amelia Morris is an award-winning writer, a food blogger, and a cook who knows that those pictures in cookbooks aren’t really accurate of most people’s results. Her first novel, Bon Appetèmpt, is her coming-of-age tale that explores growing up, living creatively, and finding herself.

Growing up in a small town isn’t easy. Especially when both of your parents are doctors, you have an older brother who excels at wrestling, and you don’t have an athletic bone in your body. It’s even harder when you’re five years old and your father has a child with his mistress, causing your parents to divorce and everything in your world to turn inside out.

Despite having two sets of parents and two different families, Amelia had a hard time fitting in. When she decided she wanted to be a writer, she didn’t realize how hard it was going to be. Add in a husband who also wanted to create things, a cross-country move to L.A., and more bills than money, and Amelia’s struggle to find herself turned into an epic battle. Through it all, she turned to her love of good food—and the realities of creating it—to show that those dazzling pictures in cookbooks are truly larger—and more photogenic—than real life. But it’s the small, messy moments that make life worth living.

Bon Appètempt is not a typical cookbook. Sure, there are recipes of delicious food. But there are also the behind-the-scenes messes, mistakes, and mishaps that fill everyday life. Ms. Morris explores the good, the bad, and the ugly in her memoir of her challenging childhood and her growing into the creative life she always dreamed about.

(Galley provided by Grand Central Publishing via NetGalley).

 

Heartsick, by Caitlin Sinead

Heartsick, by Caitlin Sinead (Image courtesy of Carina Press)
Heartsick, by Caitlin Sinead (Image courtesy of Carina Press)

Caitlin Sinead is a new adult author. Her debut book, Heartsick, is available now. In it, she combines romance, mystery, and thrills to keep her readers on the edge of their seats. Her next book, Red Blooded, will be available this summer.

Quinn is a senior at Poe University. She wants to enjoy her senior year: hang out with her best friend, party a little bit, flirt with the hot genius she knows, and figure out what she’s going to do after graduation. Normal senior-year stuff. She isn’t expecting to meet Luke, a handsome local guy, at her favorite bar. She also isn’t expecting people’s eyes to start turning purple.

But after a party, that is exactly what happens, one by one. And no one seems to know what’s causing it. As it sweeps through the town, theories pop up, turning the townspeople against the college students in a series of frightening clashes, until no one is safe.

Quinn is determined to find out what’s going on, but soon she becomes the target of the student religious group and their escalating attacks. She doesn’t like getting involved, but Luke’s support is the only thing that gets her through, and she turns to him, despite the secrets in his past and his dying sister—the reason he moved back to town. Soon he’s the only one she can trust. Luke and Quinn must figure out what’s going on—and who’s causing it—before the entire town goes up in flames, taking them with it.

Heartsick is an intriguing story, set in a small college town full of quirky characters. It starts off a bit slow, but soon starts zipping along, full of gripping scenes, unanswered questions, and a few scary moments. The good and bad sides of human nature are on display, and Ms. Sinead digs into these moments, showing why some people do the things they do, both good and bad.

(Galley provided by Carina Press via NetGalley.)