Category: Series

Claw of Attraction by Karen McSpade

Posted January 24, 2023 by Marsha in Booksprout ARC, Paranormal Cozy Mystery, Series, Small Town Romance / 0 Comments

Magic in this witch’s family has a name: Trouble.

Sidney Grace is trying to adjust to her new life in Crystal Beach, Florida which comes with a whole new set of challenges. Mainly, what is she going to do to support herself now and how long can she stay illegally parked at the beach? The handsome Officer Reece is tough on criminals and even tougher on witches. But these aren’t even her biggest troubles…

For starters, her mom, the Tupperware Queen, is headed down for a surprise visit…to look at buying her own property in Crystal Beach. After all, who else is going to protect Sidney from her magic-wielding grandmother? Cue the funeral march on Sydney’s phone. Now she must contend with a pushy realtor, her crazy new boss, a botched mini-golf tournament, and her talking cat, while secretly unlocking her own magic.

As she opens her mind to her psychic powers to help the residents at Shifting Sands, Sidney discovers a second chance for love, but her heart is pulling her in two different directions, and one direction could very well be deadly.

The Crystal Beach Magic Mystery (a Paranormal Cozy Mystery) series include — Cat Scratch Murder —♦— Claw of Attraction —♦— Feline Like a Suspect —♦— A Meowing Suspicion —♦— Paws in Space —♦—

Booksprout ARC

One Duke Down by Anna Bennett

Posted January 23, 2023 by Marsha in Historical Romance, NetGalley, Series, Sexual Content, St. Martin's Press / 0 Comments

A FISHERMAN’S DAUGHTER
Miss Poppy Summers is determined to keep her family’s fishing business afloat. Her poor widowed father has fallen ill, and her foolhardy brother has moved to London, leaving her precious little time to read or pursue her own dreams. But she’ll do anything for her family, so she cheerfully spends mornings in her rowboat, casting her nets. The very last thing Poppy expects or wants to find tangled in them is a dangerously attractive man. Especially one with a head wound—who’s convinced he’s a duke.

AND A DUKE OUT OF WATER
Andrew Keane is the Duke of Hawking, but he’s having the devil of a time convincing his fiery-haired rescuer of that fact. The truth is he came to the seaside resort of Bellehaven Bay to escape his life in London. Unfortunately, someone in Bellehaven wants to kill him—and he intends to find out who. He implores Poppy to tend to his injuries and hide him on her beach, reasoning it will be easier to find his attacker if that man assumes Keane is already dead. She wants no part of the scheme but can’t refuse the generous sum he offers in exchange for food and shelter while he recovers. It’s a mutually beneficial business arrangement…nothing more.

ARE ABOUT TO MAKE WAVES
Under Poppy’s care, Keane regains his strength—and a sense of purpose. As they work together to solve the puzzle of his would-be murderer, he’s dazzled by her rapier wit and adventurous spirit; she’s intrigued by his mysterious air and protective streak. Though Poppy’s past gives her every reason to mistrust someone like Keane, the seawalls around her heart crumble in the storm of their passion. But when clues hint at the prime suspect in Keane’s attempted murder, Poppy must decide where her loyalties lie. Torn between the world she’s always known and the one she’s always dreamed of, she’ll need true love for a shot at her fairytale ending.

Titles in the Rogues to Lovers series include – Girls Before Earls —♥— One Duke Down —♥—

This is an adult 18+ story that may contain language, possible violence, and/or sexual situations geared to an adult audience.

NetGalley ARC

When Sparks Fly by Helena Hunting

Posted January 21, 2023 by Marsha in Contemporary Romance, NetGalley, Series, Sexual Content, St. Martin's Press / 0 Comments

Avery Spark is living her best life. Between her friends, her sisters, and Spark House, the event hotel her family owns, she doesn’t have much time for anything else, especially relationships. She’d rather hang out with her best friend and roommate, Declan McCormick, than deal with the dating scene. But everything changes when she is in a car accident and needs someone to care for her as she heals.

Declan avoids relationships, giving him a playboy reputation that he lives up to when he puts a one-night stand ahead of a promise he made to Avery. While he may not have been the one driving the car, he feels responsible for Avery’s injuries and is determined to make it up to her by stepping into the role of caretaker.

Little did they know that the more time they spend in compromising positions, the attraction they’ve been refusing to acknowledge becomes impossible to ignore. When they finally give in to the spark between them, neither is prepared for the consequences. Their love is fragile and all it will take is a blow from the past to shatter it all.

Titles in the Spark House series include — When Sparks Fly —♥— Starry-Eyed Love —♥— Make A Wish —♥—

This is an adult 18+ story that may contain language, possible violence, and/or sexual situations geared to an adult audience.

Dinner on Primrose Hill by Jodi Thomas

Posted January 18, 2023 by Marsha in Contemporary Romance, Kensington Books, NetGalley, Series, Sexual Content, Small Town Romance / 0 Comments

Benjamin Monroe is pretty sure how his life will play out. He’ll continue teaching chemistry in his small college, and spend his free time biking through the valley. Eventually, he’ll retire to putter around in his garden and greenhouse.

His colleague, Virginia Clark, is not one for routines. She’s chatty, spontaneous, and bubbly, and before Benjamin realizes what happened, she’s talked him into collaborating on a research project—studying the mating habits of college students.

Ketch Kincaid, one of Benjamin’s star students, returned to college after serving in the army. He needs something to get his mind off his recent breakup and collecting research data might do it.

And there’s another distraction on the horizon—a woman who looks like she, too, knows about heartache. Soon enough, their project, “The Chemistry of Mating,” is gaining notoriety. Friends, neighbors . . . the whole town has become involved. But no matter what the data determines, one conclusion seems inescapable: love follows its own rules . . .

Titles in the Honey Creek series include — Breakfast at the Honey Creek Café —♥— Picnic in Someday Valley —♥— Dinner on Primrose Hill —♥— Sunday at the Sunflower Inn —♥—

Murder in a Cape Cottage by Maddie Day

Posted January 16, 2023 by Marsha in Cozy Mystery, Kensington Books, NetGalley, Series, Small Town Romance / 0 Comments

ʼTis the day after Christmas, following a wicked-busy time of year for Mac’s bike shop. It’s just as well her Cozy Capers Book Group’s new pick is a nerve-soothing coloring book mystery, especially when she has last-minute wedding planning to do.

But all pre-wedding jitters fade into the background when Mac and her fiancé, Tim, begin a cottage renovation project and open up a wall to find a skeleton—sitting on a stool, dressed in an old-fashioned bridal gown . . .

As Mac delves into the decades-old mystery with the help of librarian Flo and her book group, she discovers a story of star-crossed lovers and feuding families worthy of the bard himself. Yet this tale has a modern-day villain still lurking in Mac’s quaint seaside town, ready to make this a murderous New Year’s Eve . . .

Titles in the A Cozy Capers Book Group Mystery series include — Murder on Cape Cod —♦— Murder at the Taffy Shop —♦— Murder at the Lobstah Shack —♦— Murder in a Cape Cottage —♦— Murder at a Cape Bookstore —♦—

Cat Scratch Murder by Karen McSpade

Posted January 10, 2023 by Marsha in Booksprout ARC, Cliffhanger Ending (for now), Paranormal Cozy Mystery, Series / 0 Comments

Magic in this witch’s family has a name: Trouble

Meet Sidney Grace. Quirky journalist, Hesitant witch, Professional butterfingers.

Her grandmother believes Sidney’s talent for communicating with the dead makes her the most powerful witch in the family, but Sidney just wants to make it through the day without getting fired.

A young writer living in Boston, Sidney is far from the small wacky town of Crystal Beach, Florida, where her spell-happy grandmother retired. She is perfectly happy with her career, her four cats, and the fact that she hasn’t been on a date in… well, years. All is well until her estranged mother informs Sidney that her grandmother has been arrested for murdering a resident at her retirement community.

Sidney road-trips to Florida to discover that her grandmother has no alibi, her grandfather isn’t as dead as she thought he was, and one of her cats can speak. To make matters worse, the handsome Officer Reece is tough on criminals and even tougher on witches. Who cooked up the deadly scone? And why are residents at Shifting Sands suddenly disappearing?

Now, Sidney must embrace her own magical talents to prove her grandmother’s innocence and stop the killer bent on destroying anyone who gets in the way.

Booksprout ARC

Sleep No More by Jayne Ann Krentz

Posted January 4, 2023 by Marsha in Mystery, Owned, Paranormal Romance, Series, Thriller / 0 Comments

…a night that changed three women forever—but that none of them can remember.

Seven months ago, Pallas Llewellyn, Talia March, and Amelia Rivers were strangers, until their fateful stay at the Lucent Springs Hotel. An earthquake and a fire partially destroyed the hotel, but the women have no memory of their time there. Now close friends, the three women co-host a podcast called the Lost Night Files, where they investigate cold cases and hope to connect with others who may have had a similar experience to theirs—an experience that has somehow enhanced the psychic abilities already present in each woman.

After receiving a tip for their podcast, Pallas travels to the small college town of Carnelian, California, to explore an abandoned asylum. Shaken by the dark energy she feels in the building, she is rushing out when she’s stopped by a dark figure—who turns out to be the women’s mysterious tipster.

Ambrose Drake is certain he’s a witness to a murder, but without a body, everyone thinks he’s having delusions caused by extreme sleep deprivation. But Ambrose is positive something terrible happened at the Carnelian Sleep Institute the night he was there. Unable to find proof on his own, he approaches Pallas for help, only for her to realize that Ambrose, too, has a lost night that he can’t remember—one that may be connected to Pallas. Pallas and Ambrose conduct their investigation using the podcast as a cover, and while the townsfolk are eager to share what they know, it turns out there are others who are not so happy about their questions—and someone is willing to kill to keep the truth from coming out.

Titles in The Lost Night Files series include — Sleep No More —◊—

This is an adult 18+ story that may contain language, possible violence, and/or sexual situations geared to an adult audience.

The Marriage List by Ella Quinn

Posted January 1, 2023 by Marsha in Historical Romance, Kensington Books, NetGalley, Regency Romance, Series, Sexual Content / 0 Comments

As part of a large, rambunctious family, Lady Eleanor Carpenter has gained some knowledge of what makes a successful marriage. She’s even compiled a list of essential qualifications for a potential husband. John, the Marquis of Montagu, seems of good character (check), with money enough to support a family (check). But what of the many other requirements on her list?

Montagu, meanwhile, believes the key to a comfortable life lies in marrying someone quiet and docile. Yet the one lady who captivates him could hardly be more different from what he envisioned. Lady Eleanor is as opinionated as she is lovely, determined to improve working conditions for coal miners, even at risk to her own safety.

From evenings at Almack’s to carriage rides in Hyde Park, this Season will contain many pleasures—and a few surprises that compel both John and Eleanor to rethink their expectations. For one thing is certain: love will not be defined by any list . . .

Titles in The Worthington Brides series include — The Marriage List —♥— The Husband List —♥—

This is an adult 18+ story that may contain language, possible violence, and/or sexual situations geared to an adult audience.

NetGalley ARC

Some Dukes Have All the Luck by Christina Britton

Posted December 8, 2022 by Marsha in Forever (Grand Central Publishing), Historical Romance, NetGalley, Regency Romance, Series, Sexual Content / 2 Comments

Ash Hawkins, Duke of Buckley, no more wants to marry than he wants a stick in his eye. As the owner of a gaming hell, he is all too aware the odds of a happy marriage are against him. But raising his three rebellious wards alone is proving more than he can handle. He needs to find someone who stands to benefit from a marriage of convenience as much as he does. Someone logical, clinical, and rational. And in a stroke of luck, he quite literally stumbles over just such a woman.

After years of ridicule for being more interested in bugs than boys, Bronwyn has accepted that she’ll never marry for love. Her parents, however, are threatening to find her a husband. Bronwyn doesn’t need any scientific research to show her Ash has secrets. But his proposal would give her the freedom to continue her entomology research and perhaps finally get published. Just as long as she can keep her mind on her work and off his piercing eyes, broad shoulders, and wicked, wicked tongue.

Titles in the Synneful Spinsters series include — Some Dukes Have All the Luck —♥— What’s A Duke Got To Do with It —♥—

Synneful Spinsters is a spin-off from the Isle of Synne series and those titles include — A Good Duke is Hard to Find—♥—Someday My Duke Will Come—♥—A Duke Worth Fighting For—♥—

This is an adult 18+ story that may contain language, possible violence, and/or sexual situations geared to an adult audience.

TBR Addition: Thunder with a Chance of Lovestruck by Mandy M. Roth

Posted November 12, 2022 by Marsha in Fantasy, Paranormal Women's Fiction, Romantic Suspense, Series, Small Town Romance / 0 Comments

I love the Grimm Cove series by Mandy M. Roth. It’s quirky, funny, a touch dangerous, and always a reading experience that I return to as often as possible. The most recent addition to the series is Thunder with a Chance of Lovestruck, and I’m excited to say it’s in my pile of books to be read this coming week.

When Detective Drest Bright meets his newest charge, sparks literally fly. There is no denying the instant attraction he feels for Rachael Frankenstein. But she’s off-limits, and he knows as much. Her family has been a thorn in the side of the Nightshade Fae Hunters for over a hundred years, and they aren’t about to let him run off into the sunset with her without a fight. But if it’s a fight they want, it’s a fight they’ll get because this lovestruck Fae will do anything he can to be with his mate again.

But in the meantime, if you haven’t already gotten started on the Grimm Cove series now is a great time to start – and if you have a Kindle Unlimited subscription then it’s even easier to get started. 🙂

Titles in the Grimm Cove series include — Cloudy with a Chance of Witchcraft —♦— Hexing with a Chance of Tornadoes —♦— Spellcasting with a Chance of Spirits —♦— Starry with a Chance of Nightshade —♦— Thunder with a Chance of Lovestruck —♦— Wind with a Chance of Wolfsbane —♦—

Find Thunder with a Chance of Lovestruck on Amazon for the Kindle with this link.

Year One by Nora Roberts

Posted November 12, 2022 by Marsha in Fantasy, Owned, Paranormal Romance, Series, Sexual Content, St. Martin's Press, Thriller, Trilogy / 0 Comments

It began on New Year’s Eve.

The sickness came on suddenly and spread quickly. The fear spread even faster. Within weeks, everything people counted on began to fail them. The electrical grid sputtered; law and government collapsed—and more than half of the world’s population was decimated.

Where there had been order, there was now chaos. And as the power of science and technology receded, magick rose up in its place. Some of it is good, like the witchcraft worked by Lana Bingham, practicing in the loft apartment she shares with her lover, Max. Some of it is unimaginably evil, and it can lurk anywhere, around a corner, in fetid tunnels beneath the river—or in the ones you know and love the most.

As word spreads that neither the immune nor the gifted are safe from the authorities who patrol the ravaged streets, and with nothing left to count on but each other, Lana and Max make their way out of a wrecked New York City. At the same time, other travelers are heading west too, into a new frontier. Chuck, a tech genius trying to hack his way through a world gone offline. Arlys, a journalist who has lost her audience but uses pen and paper to record the truth. Fred, her young colleague, possessed of burgeoning abilities and an optimism that seems out of place in this bleak landscape. And Rachel and Jonah, a resourceful doctor and a paramedic who fend off despair with their determination to keep a young mother and three infants in their care alive.

In a world of survivors where every stranger encountered could be either a savage or a savior, none of them knows exactly where they are heading, or why. But a purpose awaits them that will shape their lives and the lives of all those who remain.

The end has come. The beginning comes next.

Titles in the Chronicles of The One trilogy/series include — Year One —◊— Of Blood and Bone —◊— The Rise of Magicks —◊—

This is an adult 18+ story that may contain language, possible violence, and/or sexual situations geared to an adult audience.