Category: Choc Lit/Ruby Fiction

Laughing all the Way on the Jingle Bells Express by Berni Stevens

Posted December 1, 2021 by Marsha in Author ARC, Choc Lit/Ruby Fiction, Christmas Romance / 0 Comments

 

If you received a mysterious invitation for a fun-filled festive train ride the week before Christmas, would you go?

When teacher Dee Nicholls receives her invitation, she isn’t sure what to make of it. Surely it’s some kind of joke to get her out of bed early on a weekend? Perhaps a clever festive marketing ploy?

But as the Christmas countdown begins, it becomes clear that Dee isn’t the only “Jingle Bells Express” invitee. There are other people out there who have received the same invitation: Tom the intern, Rachel the aspiring writer, Dylan the musician, and his dog Muttley – and they’re not the only ones!

Could the unusual festive journey they eventually take together show them all the true meaning of Christmas, and also that happiness is sometimes right in front of you – if you just take the time to look?

 

.

Read More

Divider

Strictly Christmas Spirit by Helen Buckley

Posted October 26, 2021 by Marsha in Author ARC, Choc Lit/Ruby Fiction, Christmas Romance, Contemporary Romance, Series / 2 Comments

From disco balls to Christmas baubles …

Ex-dancer Emily Williams turned her back on the sparkle of the popular dancing show Strictly Dancing with Celebs to help those in need. Now the only dancing she does is teaching lonely pensioners to waltz, and the closest she gets to disco balls is making baubles with the homeless people in her Christmas crafts class.

She’s certainly not star-struck when Hollywood heart-throb Blake Harris is sent to her at short notice for community service and has no desire to babysit the arrogant actor with his bad-boy antics and selfish ways. Christmas might be a time for miracles, but Blake seems to be a lost cause.

But Emily’s reasons for abandoning her dancing passion mean she understands the Hollywood wild child more than she’d like to admit. Could their time together, coupled with a dash of Christmas spirit, lead to a miracle change of heart for them both?

Titles in the Spotlight series includes — Strictly on Ice – Celebrity SOS: Love Survives – Strictly Christmas Spirit –

Read More

Divider

A Silent Child by Claire Sheldon

Posted September 10, 2021 by Marsha in Author ARC, Choc Lit/Ruby Fiction, Crime, Mystery, Series, Thriller, Trigger Situations Possible / 2 Comments

 

The streets are no place for a child …

After a traumatic event that almost ripped Jen Garner’s family apart, life is finally starting to get back to normal.  Then a woman’s body is found in the river.

Shortly afterward, a young boy is discovered wandering the streets. He refuses to speak to anyone, just repeats one name over and over, to the confusion of most of the local authorities –but Jen knows exactly who he’s asking for, and it’s enough to make her blood run cold …

Titles in the Lisa Carter Files series include —  Perfect Lie – A Silent Child –

 

 

 

.

 

Read More

Divider

Strictly on Ice by Helen Buckley

Posted September 6, 2021 by Marsha in Author ARC, Choc Lit/Ruby Fiction, Contemporary Romance, Series / 2 Comments

When falling in love comes with the risk of falling flat on your face …

Former Olympic skating champion Katie Saunders is well known for her ‘ice queen’ persona in the press. On the face of it, perhaps Katie should have forgiven her former skating partner and ex-boyfriend, Alex Michaelson, for the accident that shattered both her ankle and their Olympic dreams – but she just can’t seem to let it go.

When Katie reluctantly agrees to take part in a new TV skating show, it’s only because she’s desperate for cash. What she didn’t count on is the drama – not only is she partnered up with infamous love-rat rugby player Jamie Welsh, but one of the judges is none other than Alex Michaelson himself.

As the show progresses, will Katie be shown the hard way, once again, that romance on the ice should remain strictly off-limits?

Titles in the Spotlight series includes — Strictly on Ice – Celebrity SOS: Love Survives –

.

Read More

Divider

Spring on Rendezvous Lane by Angela Britnell

Posted September 5, 2021 by Marsha in Author ARC, Choc Lit/Ruby Fiction, Contemporary Romance / 0 Comments

 

 

Can even the most seasoned traveler find a home on Rendezvous Lane?

‘Community spirit’ is not a phrase in travel junkie Taran Rossi’s vocabulary. As a former ‘third culture kid’ and now spicy street food connoisseur and social media influencer, he’s never really stayed in one place long enough to feel part of a community. And that’s just the way he likes it.

But a springtime stint house-sitting for his grandmother on Rendezvous Lane in East Nashville could lead to a long-overdue wake-up call. With the help of single mum Sandy Warner and her young son Chip, can Taran come to understand that sometimes it’s not about the place – it’s about the people?

 

 

.

Read More

Divider

Summer of Hopes and Dreams by Sue McDonagh

Posted August 13, 2021 by Marsha in Author ARC, Choc Lit/Ruby Fiction, Contemporary Romance, Series / 1 Comment

 

Can “Dozy Rosie” spice up her life and prove she’s not boring?

Rosie Bunting has spent her life caring for others, often at the expense of her own hopes and dreams. But when she overhears somebody describing her as “boring”, she decides it’s time for a change.

Little does she realize that the outdoor pursuits weekend brochure handed to her at the local Art Café will kick start a summer that will see her abseiling down a Welsh cliff face in “eye-watering” leggings, rediscovering her artistic side, and unexpectedly inheriting an old fire engine. It also involves meeting hunky outdoor instructor, Gareth Merwyn-Jones – although of course, he’d never be interested in Dozy Rosie Bunting … would he?

One thing’s for certain: Rosie’s path to achieving her hopes and dreams might not be smooth, but it’s definitely not boring.

Titles in the Art Café connecting series include — Summer at the Art Café – Meet Me at the Art Café – Escape to the Art Café – Summer of Hopes and Dreams –

Read More

Divider

Sunny Summer Treats by Various ChocLit & Ruby Fiction Authors

Posted August 11, 2021 by Marsha in Author ARC, Choc Lit/Ruby Fiction, Connection to another series, Contemporary Romance, Time Slip Romance / 1 Comment

All net proceeds from the sale of this book are being donated to Mind Charity

Treat yourself this summer …

You’ve had Cosy Christmas Treats, now try our summer selection! This collection of sunny short stories is perfect reading whether you’re living it up at the beach, sunning yourself in the garden, or sheltering indoors from the Great British summertime.

From breath-taking boat rides on beautiful Greek islands to going on the run through the streets of Paris, from ‘best ever ice cream’ to pasteis de nata in pretty Portuguese cafes, these stories celebrate everything there is to love about summer, home, and abroad – including, of course, a bit of holiday romance!

Stories from the following authors: Jan Baynham, Angela Britnell, Helen Buckley, Ella Cook, Kirsty Ferry, Morton S. Gray, Gina Hollands, Sharon Ibbotson, Margaret James, Marie Laval, Sue McDonagh, Chris Penhall, Anni Rose, Berni Stevens, Carol Thomas, and Evonne Wareham

.

Read More

Divider

Just Friends in Vegas by Lucy Keeling

Posted July 9, 2021 by Marsha in Choc Lit/Ruby Fiction, Contemporary Romance, NetGalley, Series / 0 Comments

 

Is love always a losing game?

When Mya is with Smithy, it feels like her eyes are constantly rolling. His wheeling and dealing charisma charms everyone but her.

Well, that’s not strictly true – Mya is only human after all, and there’s no doubt the man is hot with his suits and swagger. It’s just that Smithy knows Mya’s secret, and she’s not sure she can trust him to keep it from their group of friends.

As they immerse themselves in the glamorous and mysterious world of ‘The Suits’, growing closer, as a result, Smithy has to question whether his time with Mya is destined to become a case of “what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas” …

Titles in the Friends series include – Just A Boyfriend – Just Friends – Just Friends in Vegas

 

.

 

Read More

Divider

A Summer of Second Chances by Carol Thomas

Posted April 27, 2021 by Marsha in Author ARC, Choc Lit / Ruby Fiction, Choc Lit/Ruby Fiction, Contemporary Romance, Small Town Romance / 2 Comments

Does first love deserve a second chance?

Ava Flynn sometimes feels like the clothes donated to her charity shop have seen more life than her, but ‘maximum dedication for a minimum wage’ is what it takes to keep her mother’s beloved wildlife charity, All Critters Great and Small, running – especially in the village of Dapplebury, where business is certainly not booming.

But when Ava’s first love, Henry Bramlington, returns to the village, suddenly life becomes a little too eventful. Henry escaped Dapplebury many years before, but now he has the power to make or break the village he left behind – All Critters Great and Small included.

Can Ava trust the boy who ran away to give both her and her charity a second chance?

 

 

 

 

 

Read More

Divider

One by One by Helen Bridgett

Posted January 26, 2021 by Marsha in Choc Lit/Ruby Fiction, Mystery / 0 Comments

When practicing what you preach is easier said than done …

Professor Maxie Reddick has her reasons for being skeptical of traditional policing methods, but, in between her criminology lecturing job and her Criminal Thoughts podcast, she stays firmly on the sidelines of the crime-solving world.

Then a young woman is brutally attacked, and suddenly it’s essential that Maxie turns her words into actions; this is no longer an academic exercise – this is somebody’s life.

But as she delves deeper, the case takes a sickening turn, which leads Maxie to the horrifying realization that the attack might not have been a one-off. It seems there’s a depraved individual out there seeking revenge, and they’ll stop at nothing to get it … little by little … one by one.

Read More

Divider

Beyond Grey by Ella Cook

Posted January 22, 2021 by Marsha in Choc Lit/Ruby Fiction, NetGalley / 0 Comments

What if you become an outsider in your own life?

Jennifer Hughes doesn’t have an extraordinary life, but that doesn’t matter – she loves her family and enjoys her job as a teacher. In her eyes, her unextraordinary life is utterly perfect.

But then, in the blink of an eye, Jennifer finds herself cut off from everything she knew and loved, confined to a strange new world, and forced to watch from a distance as her family and friends pick up the pieces.

Can Jennifer hold her perfect life together, even though she’s not living it herself?

.

Read More

Divider