D.B. Webb's Blog

 

Cruel Prince (Royal Hearts Academy #1) by Ashley Jade

Release Date: August 15th

 

ADD to Goodreads:

http://bit.ly/Cruel-Prince-GR

 

Make sure to vote for CRUEL PRINCE for August’s Most Anticipated Reads: https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/135087.August_2019_Most_Anticipated_Romances

 

 

PRE-ORDER TODAY!

Amazon US: https://amzn.to/30l209E

Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/2XFs5Pb

Amazon CA: https://amzn.to/2XCn4eU

Amazon AU: https://amzn.to/2XHo9xm

Apple Books: https://apple.co/2H5LORu

B&N: http://bit.ly/2IbYrML

Kobo: http://bit.ly/2MJocIN

**Please note: Cruel Prince will go live on Amazon on release day and will be going into Kindle Unlimited, so if you’re a non-Amazon reader, make sure to preorder so you don’t miss out!**

 

 

Teaser Trailer:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sV7JG5r9KIY

 

 

Blurb:

Welcome to their kingdom…

I never thought I’d step foot in Royal Manor again.

But five years later, here I am…back to finish my senior year at Royal Hearts Academy.

And forced to face Jace Covington.

My first friend. First crush. First kiss.

The one I left behind.

Only—he isn’t the same boy I gave my heart to.

This new Jace is as cruel as he is gorgeous.

And he’s determined to make my life a living hell.

Along with the rest of his glorified family and crew of tyrants.

They expect me to worship the ground they walk on like everyone else, but I’d rather eat dirt.

If Jace Covington wants me gone…he’ll have to try harder.

Because I’ve never been the kind of girl to play by the rules.

WARNING: Royal Hearts Academy is a New Adult/High School series of standalones filled with drama, a touch of angst, and boys who are bad to the bone.

This series is recommended for mature readers due to graphic language and sexual content.

 

 

About the Author:

Ashley Jade loves to tackle different genres and tropes within romance. Her first loves are New Adult Romance and Romantic Suspense, but she also writes everything in between including: contemporary romance, erotica, and dark romance.

Her characters are flawed and complex, and chances are you will hate them before you fall head over heels in love with them.

She’s a die-hard lover of oxford commas, em dashes, music, coffee, and anything thought provoking…except for math.

Books make her heart beat faster and writing makes her soul come alive. She’s always read books growing up and scribbled stories in her journal, and after having a strange dream one night; she decided to just go for it and publish her first series.

It was the best decision she ever made.

If she’s not paying off student loan debt, working, or writing a novel—you can usually find her listening to music, hanging out with her readers online, and pondering the meaning of life.

Check out her amazon page and Facebook page for future novels.

She recently became hip and joined Twitter, so you can find her there, too.

She loves connecting with her readers—they make her world go round’.

 

Connect w/Ashley:

Website: https://ashleyjadeauthor.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Ashley-Jade-Author-788137781302982/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ajadeauthor?lang=en

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ashleyjadeauthor/?hl=en

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14175946

Bookbub:https://www.bookbub.com/authors/ashley-jade

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2RGsIJ9

 

 

Her fake husband is a Work In Progress…

Work in Progress, an all-new romantic comedy from Staci Hart, is available now!

I never thought my first kiss would be on my wedding day.

But here I stand, clutching a bouquet of pale pink roses behind the doors of a Las Vegas chapel, and at the end of the aisle is the absolute last man I imagined would be waiting for me.

Thomas Bane.

Bestselling author. Notorious bad boy. Savagely handsome, dark as sin, chiseled as stone. And somehow, my soon-to-be husband.

Marry him, and I’ll land my dream job. Save him, and I’ll walk away with everything I’ve ever wanted. All I have to do is remember it’s all for show. None of it is real, no matter how real it feels.

But first, I have to survive the kiss.

And with lips like his, my heart doesn’t stand a chance.

My Thoughts:

Sometimes you just want to sit down, kick your feet up, and read a good ol’ fashion love story. One without sorrow and heartache and pain. One that makes you smile and laugh and fall in love with reading all over again.

This. Is. That. Story.

Staci Hart has become one of my few one-click authors. She knows how to weave a story that just makes you happy. Her books, though they contain “angst” and drama, are rays of sunshine. As someone who dwells between the pages of darker stories, sometimes I need a feel-good story. This book was not an exception.

The Story:

One of my favorite tropes: fake marriage. So when I saw this was a fake marriage book, I was giddy and knew it would be right up my alley. The sexual tension that goes into this story made it a delicious read. Add the fact that it was unconventional: author and a book blogger, made it even more appealing to me (for obvious reasons). I think on one hand it was an excellent story just in and of itself, but truly it was paying homage to book bloggers and readers. It was as if Staci was writing us a love letter. And there’s something about that, that truly makes my heart so full.

The Characters:

These two were everything they needed to be. Staci has a way with writing men that honestly are good guys. Thomas was someone that, even through his flaws, was a man you would want your sister to date. He was genuine and sweet and gentlemanly. Amelia was someone we had met in her previous books in this series, and she was so much more than I expected. I wasn’t sure how I would like her going into this book, but she wasn’t the shy girl we had met before. She was passionate and full of fire and a fighter all wrapped up in a quiet box.

The Relationship:

Again, fake marriage is the best. Hands down. Send a fake marriage book my way, and I’ll gobble it up in a single sitting. I love how these two butted heads and challenged each other. I love that this was a fake marriage trope that didn’t rely on “enemies to lovers” like so many do. They were honest friends. They cared about each other from the get-go. It was refreshing to get that “friends to lovers” trope and I appreciated the growth of their relationship as it went.

Over-All:

It was a good story full of good characters. It was a light read that made your heart swell and your cheeks hurt from smiling. If you like happiness and love this is your book.

If you don’t like those two things, why are you here? But still, I bet this could still be your book. Staci Hart is just THAT good.

 

Download your copy today or read FREE in Kindle Unlimited!

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2DmTuOU

Amazon Worldwide: http://mybook.to/WorkinProgress

Add to GoodReads: http://bit.ly/2QvdaTV

About the Author

Staci has been a lot of things up to this point in her life — a graphic designer, an entrepreneur, a seamstress, a clothing and handbag designer, a waitress. Can’t forget that. She’s also been a mom, with three little girls who are sure to grow up to break a number of hearts. She’s been a wife, though she’s certainly not the cleanest, or the best cook. She’s also super, duper fun at a party, especially if she’s been drinking whiskey.

From roots in Houston to a seven year stint in Southern California, Staci and her family ended up settling somewhere in between and equally north, in Denver. They are new enough that snow is still magical. When she’s not writing, she’s reading, sleeping, gaming, or designing graphics.

Connect with Staci:

Amazon: http://amzn.to/2hv5OA5

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

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/quirkybird/?hl=en

Twitter: https://twitter.com/imaquirkybird

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/imaquirkybird/

Website: http://stacihartnovels.com

Stay up to date with Staci by joining her mailing list: http://stacihartnovels.com/get-the-newsletter/

Join Her Reader Group Here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/stacihart/

 

Book: Bastiano Romano by Parker S Huntington

Genre: Romance/New Adult/Mafia

Content Warning: language, sexual situations, adult content

Summary:

…and so the cruel prince fell in love with the liar.

I love my boss.

I love a man some call a monster.

I love a man more accustomed to cruelty than kindness.

But we both have our duties.

We both have our laws.

We both have our worlds.

Two worlds never meant to touch.

Two destinies meant to fail.

Two people never meant to fall in love.

A mafia prince.

And the undercover agent sent to ruin him.

[image error]Processed with VSCO with ka1 preset

 

My Thoughts:

Fate: the development of events beyond a person’s control, regarded as determined by a supernatural power. It also happens to be something this book reader believes makes love stories epic.

And boy was this love story epic.

The Story:

Tale as old as time. Two unlikely people meet in an unusual way. They aren’t meant to work. They can’t work. But they do. Somehow, against the odds, they do. Lies, truths, heartache, and bliss fill the pages of this book. A mafia story that goes beyond the cliches and the stereotypes of that genre. It’s just so much… more.

The Relationship:

“He tasted like demons. Ours. Intertwined. Mated in something we couldn’t control.”

Bstiano and Ari are one of the few book couples that I found myself smiling in the familiarity of their relationship— the way they’re friendship blossomed into something more, the lust that started with a spark and ended with a fire, every smirk and snarky comment paving the way to their happily ever after.

They stole my heart as I read and their story came to life before my very eyes.

There’s something special in the way Parker S Huntington could create such an authentic and believable couple in such a contrasting setting. Most mafia romances are drastic, dramatic, full of flare. But this relationship reminded me of my own. I could relate to their story as if they were just another couple walking down the street. I love that. It takes someone who knows their art to successfully write in such a way. Clearly, Parker S Huntington has studied and practiced her craft until she came to this point.

The Characters:

BASTIANO ROMANO:

“She was either severely allergic to me or obsessed with me.” — Chapter Six

 

“You’re the on’y good thing about my day.” — Chapter Twenty Two

Oh, Bastian. You wonderfully terrible jerk, you. Like many of you know, I like my dudes a little on the… well, jerky side (Come on, y’all. You know I gotta keep it G here). He’s alpha in a way that will have your face flushing, broken in a way that will make you want to pick up his pieces and glue them back together (while throwing a certain ex of his off the Empire State Building), and romantic in a way that will have you swooning like one of those chicks in bodice-ripper romances. He’s just enough devil to question your sanity, and just enough angel to remind you that you’re perfectly sane.

Plus he’s hilarious. Like truly, hilarious. The amount of weird looks I got from reading this book around people is a testament to the fact that I laughed out loud… A LOT.

ARIANA DE LUCA:

“I was no one and everyone at once.

A lair.

A con.

A traitor.

A Distraction.

A savior.

His.”

She’s so relatable. So stinking relatable. She’s just a young woman who is trying to figure out who she is in this crazy thing we call life. I mean, it doesn’t help that she’s an undercover agent where “self-discovery” is a little hard to do. But just because she’s trying to find herself, she doesn’t let it stop her from being a total BA heroine. She’ll kick butt and take names without bashing her beautiful eyelashes. She’s sexy and driven and can keep up with her boss turned friend turned lover’s quips. She’s what every good heroine needs to be— especially when she’s standing next to a mega-alpha Hero. She’s not timid or shy or bashful. She looks Bastian in the eye and with a quirk of her eyebrow can bring our bad boy to his knees.

She’s kind of my hero. Like can I be Ariana?

Over-All Reading Experience:

It’s a swoony, mafia slow-burn that will steal your time, mind, and heart. It’s one of those books that you’ll flip to the beginning and say, “Let’s do that again.”

AUDIOBOOK:

Parker S. Huntington has audio for all of her books. Check out Audible!

AUTHOR LINKS:

Bookbub|Facebook|Parker’s Parkerettes (Parker S. Huntington’s Dicktatorship)|Twitter|Instagram|Newsletter|Goodreads

Book: The Kiss Thief by L.J. Shen

Genre: Romance/New Adult

Content Warning: language, sexual situations, adult content

Summary:

They say your first kiss should be earned.

Mine was stolen by a devil in a masquerade mask under the black Chicago sky.

They say the vows you take on your wedding day are sacred.

Mine were broken before we left church.

They say your heart only beats for one man.

Mine split and bled for two rivals who fought for it until the bitter end.

I was promised to Angelo Bandini, the heir to one of the most powerful families in the Chicago Outfit.

Then taken by Senator Wolfe Keaton, who held my father’s sins over his head to force me into marriage.

They say that all great love stories have a happy ending.

I, Francesca Rossi, found myself erasing and rewriting mine until the very last chapter.

One kiss.

Two men.

Three lives.

Entwined together.

And somewhere between these two men, I had to find my forever.

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My Thoughts:

I’ve sat for days wondering how exactly I could put words down that could even begin to describe this book. Here I am, days later, still at a loss for words. I like to think I am pretty good at formulating words and stringing together sentences. At least for the most part.

But. I. Have. Been. Struck. Down.

LJ Shen has wrecked me. She’s totaled my heart. She’s killed my thoughts. She’s stolen every chance at ever reading another book in the same way that I had before.

Because The Kiss Thief. Was. EVERYTHING.

It has surpassed all romance that I have ever read: historical, modern… Every. Single. One.

TKT is a wonderful historical gangster story woven throughout today’s world. The old world meets the new.

It’s a story full of oxymorons.

Light and Dark. Hate and Love. Sinners and Saints. Blood and Holy Water.

She tells a timeless story that will forever be tattooed onto my heart.

I can’t say much because it’s one of those stories that will lose reader value if too much is revealed. Go in blind. You will be glad you did.

LJ Shen is one of the best authors that is around today. She has a magic touch with words and I am blessed to even be able to read them.

So if my rambling has any weight, go and read this book. It’s everything and more.

Audiobook:

Narrated by Savannah Peachwood and Stephen Dexter. Found on Audible

AUTHOR LINKS:

LJ’s Facebook|LJ’s FB Reader Group|Amazon|Goodreads

 

THE

KISS THIEF

by L.J. Shen

Release Date: January 9th

Add to Goodreads:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41450662-tk

Blurb

They say your first kiss should be earned.



Mine was stolen by a devil in a masquerade mask under the black Chicago sky.



They say the vows you take on your wedding day are sacred.



Mine were broken before we left church.



They say your heart only beats for one man.



Mine split and bled for two rivals who fought for it until the bitter end.



I was promised to Angelo Bandini, the heir to one of the most powerful families in the Chicago Outfit.



Then taken by Senator Wolfe Keaton, who held my father’s sins over his head to force me into marriage.



They say that all great love stories have a happy ending.



I, Francesca Rossi, found myself erasing and rewriting mine until the very last chapter.



One kiss.



Two men.



Three lives.



Entwined together.



And somewhere between these two men, I had to find my forever.

About the Author

L.J. Shen is an International #1 best-selling author of Contemporary Romance and New Adult novels. She lives in Northern California with her husband, young son and chubby cat.

Before she’d settled down, L.J. (who thinks referring to herself in the third person is really silly, by the way) traveled the world, and collected friends from all across the globe. Friends who’d be happy to report that she is a rubbish companion, always forgets peoples’ birthdays and never sends Christmas cards.

She enjoys the simple things in life, like spending time with her family and friends, reading, HBO, Netflix and internet-stalking Stephen James. She reads between three to five books a week and firmly believes Crocs shoes and mullets should be outlawed.

Connect with L.J. Shen

Website: http://www.authorljshen.com/

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/lj_shen

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

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/authorljshen/

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/l-j-shen

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13531492.L_J_Shen

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2KSFkad

 

Book: Where Bad Boys Are Ruined by Holly Renee

Genre: Romance/New Adult

Content Warning: language, sexual situations, adult content

Summary:

I ate leftover cupcakes and cracked macarons for breakfast.

I was ninety percent sure he simply ate up girls like me.

I was covered in paint splatters, cake batter, and sweat the first time I met him.

He was covered in badass tattoos and a smile that seemed to hold a secret I would never figure out.

Rule number 1 was never, under any circumstances, fall for the man who I wrote my lease check to.

So, I tucked him away in the “Fantasize Only” compartment of my brain and called it a day.

But he didn’t make it easy.

He was arrogant, funny, and the biggest flirt I had ever met.

Most of the time, I didn’t know if I was just a game to him.

If I didn’t know better, I’d say he was on a mission to ruin my life.

And maybe my heart, too.

My Thoughts:

There are some authors and series that readers will find important to their reading journey and Holly Renee is one of those authors for me. When I first started this crazy spiral down the romance rabbit hole, one of the first books I picked up was Where Good Girls Go To Die (the first of this series). That book stuck with me throughout all this time because for me, it’s one of the major reasons I have become such an avid indie romance reader. So if you haven’t read the first two to this series I highly recommend it.

This third installment to the The Good Girls Series is a happy and humorous story. The other two books were a little more angsty than this one, but this book was still full of angst when it was needed. But honestly, I was here for the happy and seemingly light storyline.

Charlie is our awkward but hilarious heroine while Brandon was our tattooed heartthrob of a hero. We have met Brandon in the past and it’s no secret that he’s known for his active sex life (to put it nicely). Charlie couldn’t be anything further from that. She’s the quintessential girl next door. Literally. She’s moved in next to the tattoo shop Brandon works at, and her goodies are bringing all the boys to the yard. No seriously. She’s finally establishing herself as an owner of a bakery. And while baking and tattoos don’t necessarily sound like they go together, they couldn’t be more perfect in this wonderful book by Holly Renee.

Overall it was a light and fluffy read, in all the deliciously right ways. While I tend to lean more toward tragic and heartbreak, I still thoroughly loved this story. It happens that reuniting with my favorite past characters is a pretty good bonus.

Release Date: December 5, 2018

Cover Design: Artist Regina Wamba

 

Synopsis

 

I ate leftover cupcakes and cracked macarons for breakfast.

I was ninety percent sure he simply ate up girls like me.

I was covered in paint splatters, cake batter, and sweat the first time I met him.

He was covered in badass tattoos and a smile that seemed to hold a secret I would never figure out.

Rule number 1 was never, under any circumstances, fall for the man who I wrote my lease check to.

So, I tucked him away in the “Fantasize Only” compartment of my brain and called it a day.

But he didn’t make it easy.

He was arrogant, funny, and the biggest flirt I had ever met.

Most of the time, I didn’t know if I was just a game to him.

If I didn’t know better, I’d say he was on a mission to ruin my life.

And maybe my heart, too.

Goodreads

 

 

 

Available Now

 

Where Good Girls Go to Die (The Good Girls Series – Book 1)

Amazon US: https://amzn.to/2RKQ2lk

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/2FS2s5z

Amazon CA: http://amzn.to/2DBBInZ

Amazon AU: http://amzn.to/2DC0KmA

 

Where Bad Girls Go to Fall (The Good Girls Series – Book 2)

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/2GFcPuJ

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/2FK5rkn

Amazon CA: http://amzn.to/2FT8N0k

Amazon AU: http://amzn.to/2G0KuRw

 

Giveaway

$25 Amazon Gift Card

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Direct Link: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/b1257f8d391/?

 

 

About the Author

 

Holly Renee is a best-selling author of sexy, contemporary romance, a Harry Potter fanatic, a body positive babe, and a boy mom.

When she’s not writing, you can find her reading all the books, taking long strolls down the aisles of Ulta, or hanging out with her two favorite boys.

 

Connect with Holly

 

Newsletter Sign Up: http://bit.ly/2xdLYDu

Facebook Author Page: http://bit.ly/2jIvs9h

Facebook Reader Group: http://bit.ly/2xhfndO

Goodreads Author Page: http://bit.ly/2hhnlMm

Twitter: http://bit.ly/2yd8w4d

Instagram: http://bit.ly/2xkEMEP

Amazon Author Page: http://amzn.to/2xuCjIq

BookBub Author Page: http://bit.ly/2xl48CL

 

How long would you wait for love?

Title: Genealogy

Author: Mae Wood

Publisher: Atacama Books

Genre: Romance/Women’s Fiction

Release Date: October 25, 2015

Inspired by real, hundred-year-old love letters.

My great-grandmother’s name is bold across the cream envelope, now golden at the seams with age. I can’t remember the last time I’ve seen graceful, purposeful handwriting with a fountain pen and not the hasty scrawl of ballpoint.

Alice Hirshhorn, Astoria Hotel, Seattle Washington.

“Letters to Great-grandma Alice,” I say with wonder, tracing my fingers over the faded postmark and foreign stamps.

December 1915. Philippine Islands.

I turn the thick envelope in my palm, slide out the tightly folded pages, and unfold the thin paper, taking care not to tear the letters that were important enough to keep for a century.

My dearest Alice

“Great-grandpa was in the Philippines?” I ask.

“Oh no. Not your great-grandfather,” answers Grammie, her eyes twinkling with her mother’s secrets. “Elliott.”

~~~

At thirty-three and with her future unclear, Ali Waller finds her way home again. A box of long-forgotten love letters written to her great-grandmother holds the unlikely key to Ali finding her new path.

As she tracks down the letter writer and his descendants, Ali learns the magic of love, hope, and resilience.

Told by three characters, and across century and an ocean, Genealogy is an enchanting story about love and loss, taking chances, and embracing the surprises that life brings.

* FREE with Kindle Unlimited *

AMAZON UNIVERSAL

Present day – August – Ali

She didn’t want to move, and I didn’t want her to move either. But we were doing it, together. Sifting and sorting. Shredding and donating. Culling a lifetime into piles to be packed and placed into boxes. The lucky things would end up in my grandmother’s new six-hundred-twenty-three square foot assisted-living apartment. The not-so-lucky would end up on a curb.

“These linens,” she said, pointing to the bottom drawer of the sideboard in her formal dining room. “You need them.”

“Grammie, I don’t even have a dining room table,” I said, trucking along in our project to conquer the contents of at least one room this weekend.

“You had one before and you’ll have one again. And these are Irish linen.”

I thought of my tiny kitchen table, covered in discarded mail and unread magazines, not draped in substantial creamy white. She knew I didn’t have the space. I made space for the vintage black satin peep-toe pumps of hers from the fifties and had placed those in the “Ali” pile with a smile, but linens were a different story. The tablecloths were huge. For a table big enough to seat a dozen guests.

“They were Alice’s,” she said.

The trump card played, I bent and pulled them from the low drawer. I was Alice’s namesake, but I’d always gone by Ali because Alice felt formal and traditional, two words that didn’t fit me. She was the great-grandmother who I’d never met, who died a decade before I was born, but whose existence was never far from my mind. “Ali. A-L-I,” I’d explained a million times over my life. “It’s short for Alice. I’m named for my great-grandmother.”

“Well, one good thing is that your monograms match.”

I fingered the tiny beverage napkins, trimmed in hand-tatted lace and embroidered with ALW.

ALW—I smiled. Alice Lenore Wertheimer. Alice Lenora Waller. I was flirting with becoming Alice Waller Sayer, but I was solidly myself at the moment.

“Did she embroider these?” I asked, the old fabric stiff and smooth to the touch.

“I don’t know. I don’t remember my mother doing any needlework, but I suppose all women did back then.”

“True,” I said, flattening out the material with my palm and tugging out a crease. I dragged yet another plastic bin over and began piling the linens in, amazed that they had survived the years.

“The story on one of those tablecloths is that it was a wedding present from some member of the Denny family.”

Ah, an old Seattle story. I knew it wasn’t going to be long before I got one. My ancestors were early settlers of the city and my grandmother carried the banner of native Seattleite proudly, looking down her pioneer nose at the Microsofties and the Californians who had invaded her precious land. And though she’d moved to Kansas City with my grandfather nearly fifty years ago, the city was in her DNA.

I half-listened to her prattle on about some trip to Japan to obtain plants and animals for the Woodland Park Zoo as I examined the linens and placed them in the plastic storage tub.

“Okay,” I said, looking around the room, the sideboard now empty. Something accomplished today, and it made me feel good to have one of the many small tasks that it would take to empty this big house done. I looked at my watch. “I have to leave at three to head back to the hospital, so what can we get done in an hour?”

“One drawer to go,” she said from the dining chair where she’d settled in while I’d knelt in front of the sideboard. “The bottom one.”

Her words made my chest ache but also soothed them. I hated that she was getting confused more often. It reminded me that one day Grammie would be gone, but it also convinced me that we were making the right decision to move her. No more worry about her alone in this big house.

“All done,” I said, pointing to my tub of linens.

“The bottom-bottom one, Ali. The apron is a drawer.”

“I didn’t know that,” I said, feeling sheepish that I’d thought she had been confused. “A secret drawer?”

“That’s the point,” she said. The sideboard had been in this house my entire life and I’d never known that. I tilted my head to look at the piece, not quite believing her. “It’s where your grandpa kept his favorite pistol.”

“Still there?” I said with a smile, reaching down under the lip of the cabinet.

“Well, maybe. It’s been a long time since I dug around in that thing.”

“I’m going to change your name to Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler,” I said, giving the concealed drawer a tug. It didn’t budge. Maybe she was confused after all. “Or Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle. But only if we find a Degas or pirate gold.”

“It was a statue of an angel. Leonardo da Vinci,” she corrected me. In and out. Touch and go. Here and there. I was never sure where a conversation would lead us, and based upon the swelling in her extremities, I wasn’t sure today was going to be a good day for coherent conversation. It wasn’t her head so much as her heart that was slowly killing her by refusing to pump. She needed access to round the clock medical care now, not just sitters and family at the house, and we were making that happen although no one was happy about it.

“Oh, that’s right,” I replied, the memories flooding back of the story of a headstrong girl and her younger brother running away to the Met. “What I really remember about that book was them taking a bath in the fountain.” My grandmother and I were very close. The afternoons of my childhood had been spent at her house with my brother and sister. And while my parents were at work, Grammie showered us with troves of books. She was a children’s librarian. Or she had been until she’d gotten married. Because, as she’d explained a million times to me over the years, in those days nice women didn’t work outside the home after they were married, and so she’d retreated to a life of children and tennis and dinner parties.

I gave the drawer another tug and it budged a few inches, but it didn’t slide open.

“Oh, and the sideboard is yours too. No argument. It was—”

“Alice’s?” I guessed as I wiggled the drawer open to find not pieces of eight or a sketch of a ballerina, but more table linens.

“No, her mother’s. You’ll be the fifth generation of women in our family to own it.”

I looked at the dark, heavy Victorian behemoth with new eyes, knowing it was going home with me. And knowing I had nowhere in my tiny, Ikea-furnished apartment to put it, but I spoke the truth: “Thank you. I’ll be a good caretaker.”

“I know you will, sweet pea.”

I looked down at the linens, focusing on the task rather than the meaning of the work I was doing, filling the plastic bin with more ancient fabric than I’d ever begin to use. Under the last tablecloth, I found a small, flat box. The pistol? I recognized the foil-stamped logo. Frederick & Nelson, the grand Seattle department store that now only existed on Grammie’s bad days when she’d ask me or someone else to take her there for lunch.

“Grandpa’s gun?” I asked, setting the box into my lap as I sat on the floor. I lifted the lid.

“Papers,” I said, a little weary at the prospect of spending the last bit of time before I had to leave focused on her reading each paper carefully before deciding whether she could part with it.

My grandmother was a pack rat. I’d recently dropped off two decades of yellow-spined National Geographics at the recycling center and her garage was still stuffed to the gills with boxes of papers. I’d had visions of a huge bonfire while she was at a doctor’s appointment just to speed up the process.

The box resting in my cross-legged lap, I riffled through the contents. “Letters,” I said, pulling one out. At least it wasn’t receipts from the nineteen sixties, though the hospital bill from my mom’s appendicitis at age eight had been a gem. The total bill was a few hundred dollars and Mom had spent three days in a children’s ward. Most of my patients were sent home by the end of the day with a bill in the thousands.

The cream envelope was golden at the seams, the clean, cursive writing enchanting. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d seen graceful, purposeful handwriting with a fountain pen and not just a hasty scrawl of ballpoint on a scratch pad.

Alice Hirshhorn, the letter’s front proclaimed.

Professional sassypants and novelist, Mae Wood has been a bookworm her entire life.

She loves cheeses, complicated crafts that she’ll start but never complete, and puns.

A while ago Mae decided that she needed to give up the fear that she couldn’t write “great literature” and write what she wants to read.

And she wants romance. And laughter. And real life.

She wants heroines who are brave. Brave enough to be themselves and brave enough to fall in love. She wants men who are strong and kind.

Mae is married, and has two darling children and an old dog who naps at her feet while she writes.

Keep in touch with Mae and find bonus content at her website — www.maewood.com

Book+Main | Instagram | Facebook | Reader Group | Special Genealogy Pinterest Board




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*CONTAINS MINOR SPOILERS*

Book: Genealogy by Mae Wood

Genre: Historical Romance, Contemporary Romance

Content Warning: minor language

Summary:

Inspired by real, hundred-year-old love letters.

My great-grandmother’s name is bold across the cream envelope, now golden at the seams with age. I can’t remember the last time I’ve seen graceful, purposeful handwriting with a fountain pen and not the hasty scrawl of ballpoint.

Alice Hirshhorn, Astoria Hotel, Seattle Washington.

“Letters to Great-grandma Alice,” I say with wonder, tracing my fingers over the faded postmark and foreign stamps.

December 1915. Philippine Islands.

I turn the thick envelope in my palm, slide out the tightly folded pages, and unfold the thin paper, taking care not to tear the letters that were important enough to keep for a century.

My dearest Alice

“Great-grandpa was in the Philippines?” I ask.

“Oh no. Not your great-grandfather,” answers Grammie, her eyes twinkling with her mother’s secrets. “Elliott.”

​~~~

At thirty-three and with her future unclear, Ali Waller finds her way home again. A box of long-forgotten love letters written to her great-grandmother holds the unlikely key to Ali finding her new path.

As she tracks down the letter writer and his descendants, Ali learns the magic of love, hope, and resilience.

Told by three characters, and across century and an ocean, Genealogy is an enchanting story about love and loss, taking chances, and embracing the surprises that life brings.

My Thoughts:

It’s taken me quite some time to process and form words adequate enough to do this book justice. I wanted to ensure that what I said would really inspire someone— everyone— to take a chance on this book and buy it. So here we go.

First of all, don’t let the “historical” label of this story deter you from clicking the buy button. While it is historical romance, it’s so much more. It’s not a harlequin romance either. In fact, though there is a very present romance story within the book, it is not a romance per se. It’s really a story about family. A story about finding who you are. Just like the title suggests. The romance is just a sweet extra gift we’re given.

As soon as I saw the blurb for the book, I new I needed it. But I never knew I needed it as much as I did until I devoured every word and sat back in awe of the amazing story Mae Wood had just told.

There are only a handful of books that I have read that have made a profound mark on my heart— my soul. This is one of them.

You have two intermingling stories being told. The first is Ali, the heroine who is in the present. She is a lovely character who is trying to discover who she is, what she wants in life, and where she is going. I think we can all relate to Ali at some point in our lives which makes for a wonderful read.

But the real hero of this story is Elliott. He’s half of the past story. I couldn’t help but fall in love with him. It wasn’t just the love he had for Alice. No, it went deeper. So much of this part of the book the two lovers spent without each other. So you really got to see who they were without each other. You got to fall in love with the characters rather than the romance. Elliott is the lovely result of Mae Wood’s writing such a unique story. I sat, knowing how it would end yet praying for some sort of miracle that I could be wrong. But when it was all said and done, the story had to take the path it did, and you’ll know what I mean when you read the book.

This is a story that you can read with your mom, sister, aunt, even your grandma. It is something I want to buy for everyone I know.

Go in with tissues. At least for me, I found the story to be an emotional read. In such a good way.

So, with less than perfect words for such a perfect book, I leave you with this: GO AND GET THIS BOOK.

Audiobook:

Currently there are no audiobooks available for this story. Check back at a later date!

About the Author:

Professional sassypants and novelist, Mae Wood has been a bookworm her entire life.

She loves cheeses, complicated crafts that she’ll start but never complete, and puns.

A while ago Mae decided that she needed to give up the fear that she couldn’t write “great literature” and write what she wants to read.

And she wants romance. And laughter. And real life.

She wants heroines who are brave. Brave enough to be themselves and brave enough to fall in love. She wants men who are strong and kind.

Mae is married, and has two darling children and an old dog who naps at her feet while she writes.

Keep in touch with Mae and find bonus content at her website — http://www.maewood.com

Author page: https://www.facebook.com/authormaewood/

Reader group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/pigandbarley/

BOOK LINKS:

Amazon US|Goodreads

*CONTAINS MINOR SPOILERS*

Book: The Wrong Game by Kandi Steiner

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Content Warning: language, sexual situations, adult content

Summary:

Two season tickets.

One genius idea.

Zero interest in a relationship.

The plan is simple: a brand new, hot, preferably funny, definitely single male will fill one of those seats for every Bears game at Soldier Field. And I’ll fill the other.

I can’t think of a better way to use the season passes I’d bought for my ex-husband. I am a woman of plans, and this one’s foolproof.

Until Zach Bowen offers to be my practice round.

He’s infuriating. Presumptuous and overbearing. And absolutely, undeniably gorgeous. Any woman with a heartbeat would be attracted to him, and mine picks up speed every time he speaks.

But as I said, I’m a woman of plans — and I’m not backing down on this one.

One night. One game. And then, his time’s up.

He can try to change the rules, but here’s the truth: he can’t win if he’s playing the wrong game.

The Wrong Game is a stand-alone, angsty, enemies-to-lovers sports romance.

My Thoughts:

I always know I need to get ready for the angst whenever I pick up a Kandi Steiner book. She is queen when it comes to angsty romances. This book is no different.

Yet it’s so different from anything she’s written before.

It’s a sports romance-friend to lovers-angsty-slow burn hybrid of a book. I’ve never quite read anything like it. So if you’re a fan of any of those tropes, this book will be RIGHT up your alley.

So if you’ve ever read a Kandi book, you’ll probably say that Jamie (A Love Letter to Whiskey) is your favorite hero she’s written. I have to say Adam (PSU Series) has always been my personal favorite Kandi dude.

BUT. BUT. BUT!

FREAKING ZACH BOWEN HAS ARRIVED, FOLKS!

I absolutely adored this guy. He’s caring and sweet and swoon-worthy. He’s not the kind of alpha male a-hole I usually read. He’s thoughtful and kind and exactly the nice kind of person you’d want to end up with. I think it’s refreshing to have that kind of hero in a romance book. It’s not a usual trend to have a pretty solid guy as the hero and the broken person to be the heroine.

Which brings us to Gemma.

Gemma is a beautifully broken woman. She’s strong and weak all at the same time. She’s human. She’s raw. She’s real. I like when I can read a story and say, “You know I can see myself in this character.” And I think she’s the kind of character that everyone can see bits and pieces of themselves within her. That, ladies and gentlemen, is the mark of a great writer. And Kandi Steiner is exactly that.

The story, though at times a little (okay, sometimes a lot) heartbreaking, it is actually a really fun read. I found myself laughing throughout. I wanted to join these guys. I wanted to dress in Bears gear and go cheer on the football team with them.

This read is one of my favorite of 2018.

I commend Kandi Steiner for her authentic writing. For her openness and her willingness to pour her heart and soul out onto those pages. If you read the afternotes, you’ll know this was a very personal story. I’m proud to be one of her hundreds of readers.

So go and get ready to cheer for these two lovers and get yourself a copy of The Wrong Game.

Audiobook:

Currently there are no audiobooks available for this story. Check back at a later date!

About the Author:

Kandi Steiner is a bestselling author and whiskey connoisseur living in Tampa, FL. Best known for writing “emotional rollercoaster” stories, she loves bringing flawed characters to life and writing about real, raw romance — in all its forms. No two Kandi Steiner books are the same, and if you’re a lover of angsty, emotional, and inspirational reads, she’s your gal.

An alumna of the University of Central Florida, Kandi graduated with a double major in Creative Writing and Advertising/PR with a minor in Women’s Studies. She started writing back in the 4th grade after reading the first Harry Potter installment. In 6th grade, she wrote and edited her own newspaper and distributed to her classmates. Eventually, the principal caught on and the newspaper was quickly halted, though Kandi tried fighting for her “freedom of press.” She took particular interest in writing romance after college, as she has always been a die hard hopeless romantic, and likes to highlight all the challenges of love as well as the triumphs.

When Kandi isn’t writing, you can find her reading books of all kinds, talking with her extremely vocal cat, and spending time with her friends and family. She enjoys live music, traveling, anything heavy in carbs, beach days, movie marathons, craft beer and sweet wine — not necessarily in that order.

BOOK LINKS:

Amazon US