Review: The Duke’s Holiday by Maggie Fenton

Posted April 5, 2015 by Marsha in This one's a Keeper / 0 Comments

The Duke's Holiday Title: The Duke’s Holiday
Series: The Regency Romp #1
Author: Maggie Fenton
Genre: Regency Romance
Published: April 7, 2015
Publisher: Amazon Publishing
My Rating: 3 outta 5
Source: NetGalley
Synopsis:

The Duke of Montford, cold, precise, and more powerful than the Prince Regent himself, wants things the way he wants them: cross-referenced, indexed, and at his beck and call. And he always gets what he wants.

Until he meets Astrid Honeywell. And a giant pig. And a crooked castle in the middle of Yorkshire.

Astrid Honeywell, staunch bluestocking, has struggled for years to keep her family together by running the estate and family brewery after her father’s death. She is not about to let the tyrannical Duke of Montford steal away all she has worked for because of some antiquated contract between their families. So when the priggish Duke comes to call, she does everything in her power — including setting the family pig on him — to drive him away.

She didn’t expect him to be so … well, infuriatingly attractive. Every time he scowls at her, she has the most improper desire to kiss him — and a whole lot more.

Montford can’t decide whether to strangle Astrid or seduce her. The one thing he knows for a fact is that he must resist his powerful attraction for her at all costs. He has a very proper, very demure fiancée waiting for him back in London, after all. But when Astrid is kidnapped by a disgruntled suitor and whisked off to Gretna Green, Montford will do anything to get her back.

Will these two drive each other to Bedlam … or can they make it to the altar without killing each other?

Read on for my thoughts on The Duke’s Holiday. No true spoilers, promise.

Review: The Wedding Cake Tree by Melanie Hudson

Posted April 5, 2015 by Marsha in Contemporary Romance / 0 Comments

Title: The Wedding Cake Tree
Series:
Author: Melanie Hudson
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Published: April 7, 2015 (Original December 1, 2012)
Publisher: Choc Lit
My Rating: 4 stars
Source: NetGalley
Synopsis:

Can a mother’s secret past provide the answers for a daughter’s future?

Celebrity photographer Grace Buchanan has always known that, one day, she’d swap her manic day job for the peace and quiet of her beloved childhood cottage, St Christopher’s – she just didn’t expect it to be so soon.

At the reading of her mother’s will, she’s shocked to learn that she hardly knew Rosamund at all, and that inheriting St Christopher’s hangs on one big – and very inconvenient – condition: Grace must drop everything for two weeks and travel the country with a mysterious stranger – war-weary Royal Marine, Alasdair Finn.
Caught in a brief but perfect moment in time, Grace and Alasdair walk in Rosamund’s footsteps and read her letters at each breathtaking new place. As Grace slowly uncovers the truth about her mother’s incredible life story, Alasdair and Grace can’t help but question their own futures. Will Rosamund’s madcap scheme go to plan or will events take an unexpected turn?

An emotional, fun-filled and adventurous journey of a lifetime.

Read on for my thoughts on The Wedding Cake Tree. No true spoilers, promise.

Review: The Wedding Audition by Catherine Mann, Joanne Rock

Posted April 4, 2015 by Marsha in Contemporary Romance / 0 Comments

Title: The Wedding Audition
Series: Runaway Brides #2
Author: Catherine Mann, Joanne Rock
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Published: April 7, 2015
Publisher: Tule Publishing
My Rating: 4 stars
Source: NetGalley
Synopsis:

The tabloids call her the Hit and Run Bride after reality show star Annamae Jessup walked out on Atlanta’s favorite baseball player on cable television. Eager to escape her notoriety, Annamae takes a road trip to find the grandmother she’s never met and winds up discovering a whole lot more than a band of back woods relatives. There’s no escape from reality TV, even in Beulah, Alabama, population 3000.

The last thing Wynn Rafferty needs in his new life is a spoiled television princess who can’t even know his real name. He’s in temporary witness protection as an apple farmer after his undercover work put his life in danger. He needs to lay low until the heat dies down from his last case— even if he sucks at growing apples as badly as he sucks at relationships. But Annamae turns his new town into a media circus, unwittingly threatening the lives of him, her and most of Beulah. Wynn is an expert at keeping the world at arm’s length, but when it comes to Annamae, the only way he can keep her safe is to keep her very, very close.

Read on for my thoughts on The Wedding Audition. No true spoilers, promise.

Review: Bite At First Sight by Brooklyn Ann

Posted April 4, 2015 by Marsha in This one's a Keeper / 0 Comments

Title: Bite at First Sight
Series: Scandals With Bite #3
Author: Brooklyn Ann
Genre: Regency Paranormal
Published: April 7, 2015
Publisher: SOURCEBOOKS Casablanca
My Rating: 4 stars
Source: NetGalley
Synopsis:

When Rafael Villar, Lord Vampire of London, stumbles upon a woman in the cemetery, he believes he’s found a vampire hunter—not the beautiful, intelligent stranger she proves to be.

Cassandra Burton is enthralled by the scarred, disfigured vampire who took her prisoner. The aspiring physician was robbing graves to pursue her studies—and he might turn out to be her greatest subject yet. So they form a bargain: one kiss for every experiment. As their passion grows and Rafe begins to heal, only one question remains: can Cassandra see the man beyond the monster?

Read on for my thoughts on Bite at First Sight. No true spoilers, promise.

Amazing Literary Tattoos

Posted April 4, 2015 by Marsha in Discussion Post / 0 Comments

While I don’t normally send you off to other websites (I’d much rather keep you company here 🙂 ) – I came across this amazing article – thank you Uncle George Takei – that shows some truly awesome tattoos that are inspired by the books these folks loved enough to have them inked.

Please check them out. The article link is right here. – or simply click on the image.

Review: The Holiday Party by Brian Perry

Posted April 3, 2015 by Marsha in Mystery / 0 Comments

Title: The Holiday Party
Series:
Author: Brian Perry
Genre: Adult Literature
Published: April 3, 2015
Publisher: First Edition Design Publishing
My Rating: 4 stars
Source: NetGalley
Synopsis:

“All cops go to Heaven. Cop killers, they go to that other place.” So says the narrator of The Holiday Party, a police officer who has seen his best friend killed in the line of duty.

Six years later…September 11, 2001. Struggling with alcoholism and on the brink of suicide, our hero finds himself buried beneath one hundred stories of concrete and steel. Now, in the midst of unspeakable tragedy, he fights to survive, even as he discovers that his greatest challenge is to escape the wreckage of his past and find hope for a better future.

As his situation grows increasingly desperate, a troubled hero learns those timeless lessons his own father never had the opportunity to teach him: love, forgiveness, and honor. But can he learn the final lesson – that though we cannot change our pasts, we can decide what type of person we want to be today.

A touching reminder of the sacrifices police and their families make, this heartwarming and inspirational book is for anyone that has been through a difficult time, or has regrets, or had faith and lost it. In other words, The Holiday Party is a book for all of us, and one that will stay with you long after you put it down.

Read on for my thoughts on The Holiday Party. No true spoilers, promise.

Review: An Inconvenient Mistress by Caroline Kimberly

Posted April 1, 2015 by Marsha in This one's a Keeper / 0 Comments

Title: An Inconvenient Mistress
Series: The Ashford Brothers #3
Author: Caroline Kimberly
Genre: Historical Romance
Published: April 6, 2015
Publisher: Carina Press
My Rating: 3 stars
Source: NetGalley
Synopsis:

Jamaica, 1820

Isabelle North needs a hero, and if an arrogant mercenary is all she can find… he’ll just have to do. She must get back to England before her past catches up with her, even if that means booking passage on a vessel captained by a man she cannot abide.

Phillip Ashford, notorious smuggler and captain of the privateer Intrepid, knows Miss North is trouble. She’s stubborn, for starters, and it’s painfully clear she’s conning him—she looks more like a schoolmarm than the rich man’s mistress she claims to be. But beneath her prim exterior is a sharp wit and courageous spirit that draws him in despite himself.

They both know they should keep their distance. But passion flares as they defend themselves on the high seas—until Phillip begins asking questions Isabelle would rather not answer. After all, how much can she really share with a man she’ll never trust?

Meet Phillip’s brothers in An Inconvenient Kiss and An Inconvenient Wife!

Read on for my thoughts on An Inconvenient Mistress. No true spoilers, promise.

Review: License to Date by Susan Hatler

Posted April 1, 2015 by Marsha in Contemporary Romance / 0 Comments

Title: License to Date
Series: Better Date Than Never #6
Author: Susan Hatler
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Published: January 14, 2014
Publisher: Hatco Publishing
My Rating: 4 stars
Source: NetGalley
Synopsis:

After discovering her fiancé cheated on her, Kaitlin is focused on two things: remodeling her new home and avoiding men at all costs. But her friends insist she get back in the driver’s seat and date again. They strike a hard bargain and agree to paint her house if she goes on five dates.

Anxious to get the paint job started, Kaitlin schedules five dates in five days, but her plan falls to pieces when a sexy bartender at her venue-of-choice makes her swoon. Even though he observes each of the dates from afar, she can’t help but want him to come a little closer.

The last person she should fall for is a mysterious bartender with a sinful smile, but Paul makes her want to take risks again. Will the charming man with electric blue eyes break her heart or will he prove to her that a license to date is what makes life worth the drive?

Read on for my thoughts on License to Date. No true spoilers, promise.

The Girl Who Wouldn’t Die by Marnie Riches

Posted April 1, 2015 by Marsha in Mystery / 0 Comments

The Girl Who Wouldn't Die Title: The Girl Who Wouldn’t Die
Series:
Author: Marnie Riches
Genre: Mystery
Published: April 2, 2015
Publisher: HarperCollins, Maze
My Rating: 2 stars
Source: NetGalley
Synopsis:

He’s watching her…she doesn’t know it…yet
When a bomb explodes at the University of Amsterdam, aspiring criminologist Georgina McKenzie is asked by the police to help flush out the killer.

But the bomb is part of a much bigger, more sinister plot that will have the entire city quaking in fear.

And the killer has a very special part for George to play…

Read on for my thoughts on The Girl Who Wouldn’t Die. No true spoilers, promise.

Review: The Cinderella Princess by Melissa McClone

Posted April 1, 2015 by Marsha in Contemporary Romance / 0 Comments

Title: The Cinderella Princess
Series: Royal Holiday Book 1
Author: Melissa McClone
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Published: April 2, 2015
Publisher: Tule Publishing
My Rating: 4 stars
Source: NetGalley
Synopsis:

Thanks to a philandering father, ad exec Emily Rodgers knows happily ever after doesn’t exist. Relying on a man only leads to heartache. She takes care of herself, and work defines her life. But Emily soon finds herself in the hands of a real-life prince who defines the words charming and sexy. Not to mention reckless. If Prince Lucas doesn’t find a royal bride, Emily’s dream of being named a partner at the advertising firm will die.

Luc’s fun-loving ways have made him a magnet for scandal. His father gives Luc an ultimatum—find a wife on a reality TV show or be disowned. Rules require him to marry nobility, but after he meets the uptight American sent to find him find a princess bride, his search for Cinderella might be over. Too bad Emily wants nothing to do with him. Perhaps he can show her that fairytale endings can happen in real life…

Read on for my thoughts on The Cinderella Princess. No true spoilers, promise.

Confessions of a Bookworm #3

Posted April 1, 2015 by Marsha in This one's a Keeper / 5 Comments

book confession I love taking part in features and memes. It brings us book lovers and book bloggers a bit closer together, if only in our shared love of reading great books. So today I discovered something new.

There is a new feature over at Parajunkee called Confessions of a Bookworm. Here’s the link to this week’s post. And the information about all of this is located at that link.

This week’s question is: How far have you gone for your favorite author?

Well, this week’s question kinda has me stumped. I’ve definitely not gone as far as Anila has – having her favorite author’s books shipped halfway across the world to her. Tough act to follow, girl. 😉

Aside from haunting libraries and their vast “on hold” lists to get out of print books that are still on my library’s shelves (I live in a city where all the libraries in our county are linked so I can “order” books and have more than 20 libraries search their stacks for them – kinda cool actually)

I guess the most thing I’ve done (which isn’t all that impressive) is to get autographed novels from my most favorite author at release automatically. At Turn The Page Bookstore (which is run by Nora Roberts and her husband) there is a subscription service where I automatically purchase the latest Nora books and she autographs them before shipping. Which is very cool. There may be other authors that do that, but she is the one that I am aware of. It means that I don’t have to wait on release date because usually (not always) I get the autographed book in the mail on release day or slightly after… a couple times the day before, not always… depends on the mail 🙂

So mine wasn’t earth shattering this week. 🙂 What’s your story? How far have you gone?

Meet Me In The Dark by J A Huss ~ Cover Reveal

Posted April 1, 2015 by Marsha in This one's a Keeper / 0 Comments

Ready for a hot new book boyfriend? Then here ya go…

Cover Reveal

Meet Me In The Dark (A Dark Suspense) by J.A. Huss
Publication date: April 15th 2015
Genres: Contemporary, Romance, Suspense

Synopsis:

Eight years ago, Merric Case—AKA Merc, freelance assassin—was sent to rescue a sixteen year old girl from a Wyoming-based militia group on Christmas Eve. A new life, new friends, and a whole lot of new money came out of that job. But a choice had to be made that night, and the girl he should’ve saved was left behind.

Sydney Channing was collateral damage in more ways than one when the rescue she expected turned into an eight-year nightmare filled with lies, sexual servitude, and mind manipulation. Case’s last threat gave her hope that one day he’d be back—even if it was just to kill her.

And now Merc is back. But he’s not here to save Sydney. His job is to pick through her damaged psyche and find the truth using whatever means necessary. Sex, drugs, lies, and love. Those are his weapons of choice. And when Merric Case takes aim—he never misses the target.

Meet Me In The Dark is a full-length dark suspense novel due to be published on April 15, 2015.

Goodreads

Full Front & Back

About J A Huss

AUTHOR BIO:

JA Huss is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of more than twenty romances. She likes stories about family, loyalty, and extraordinary characters who struggle with basic human emotions while dealing with bigger than life problems. JA loves writing heroes who make you swoon, heroines who makes you jealous, and the perfect Happily Ever After ending.

You can chat with her on Facebook, Twitter (@jahuss), and her kick-ass romance blog, New Adult Addiction.

If you’re interested in getting your hands on an advanced release copy of her upcoming books, sneak peek teasers, or information on her upcoming personal appearances, you can join her newsletter list and get those details delivered right to your inbox.

Author Links:

Website

Facebook

Twitter

GoodReads Author

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It’s Official ~ March Is Almost A Wrap

Posted March 31, 2015 by Marsha in This one's a Keeper / 0 Comments

Taking Control TBR 15 Since it’s now mid-afternoon where I am, and with the possibility of one or two more things to go up on the blog later ~~ I think it is safe to call this month of March a Wrap.

This month has been so full and such fun. Bloggiesta, Take Control of your TBR Pile, starting on Twitter, setting up a KB Facebook page, so many reviews and memes. Getting amazing comments, upping my own commenting a lot was one of my goals or ongoing goals I should say. Setting aside a certain amount of time each day has helped me achieve that one.

Scheduling has become more important than ever. (running 3 book blogs has made that so very clear) And yes, I probably am just a touch crazy.

Next month Keeper Bookshelf will start taking part in some Cover Reveals and Launch Blitz Promotions… not too many, but time to get the feet wet and start.

I am very happy with myself for sticking with my renewed love and work on this blog. I love this community and I enjoy each and every day that I sit down to work on one of the loves of my life… books.

I did manage to get a lot of my TBR pile read – and no, I didn’t keep close count like I should have but honestly I wasn’t looking for a reward, it was a goal that I wanted so taking part in the Take Control of your TBR Pile was great motivation for setting aside a month devoted to that.

So, next up… on to April. Already full of scheduled reviews, I know there will be spur of the moment reads and reviews – I cannot seen to be able to log into NetGalley without checking out the new novels. *rolls eyes and laughs* I’m such a sucker for a new book. I don’t know yet how much more than this month I’ll accomplish but I do know one thing — at the base is enjoyment of the novels I read and review, the fun of the blogs I visit each day and the sense of being part of a community that is so diverse yet united in one thing — our mutual love of the written word.

Here’s to an amazing April. 🙂

Review: Reft by Libby Austin

Posted March 31, 2015 by Marsha in Contemporary Romance / 2 Comments

Reft Title: Reft
Series:
Author: Libby Austin
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Published: April 1, 2015
Publisher: Infinity & Beyond Publishing
My Rating: 4 stars
Source: NetGalley
Synopsis:

For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. ~
Newton’s Third Law of Motion

Brandon “Brand” Carmichael’s life was the stuff dreams were made of…too bad it was an illusion. As a guitarist for Inert Motion, Brand traveled the world, performing with his brothers in all but blood. He never stopped moving all the while his mind played in a never ending loop. Now outside influences have changed the band’s course, leaving Brand’s life void of the balance he craved. Once again, his dream had become a recurring nightmare. Brand coped the only way he knew how; retreat into solitude.

Magdalena “Layna” Delacroix had achieved the long sought goal of her Ph.D. in Psychology, but success came at a high cost: over one hundred thousand dollars in debt. After being presented with the opportunity to fulfill her desire to help someone in the aftermath of tragedy, along with earning enough money to clear her debt and start a psychology practice of her own, Layna had to balance the means against the outcome. Could she be the force to stop the downward spiral of someone who refused to seek help?

Neither Brand nor Layna expected the reaction they had to one another. It was the opposite of everything they sought.

Could Layna live a lie while pushing Brand to live in the truth?

Would Brand forgive her for committing one unforgivable sin?

Or was he branded by destiny to be… Reft

Read on for my thoughts on Reft No true spoilers, promise.

Review: Death Falls by Todd Ritter

Posted March 31, 2015 by Marsha in Mystery / 2 Comments

Title: Death Falls
Series:
Author: Todd Ritter
Genre: Mystery
Published: February 9, 2015
Publisher: HarperCollins, Maze
My Rating: 4 stars
Source: NetGalley
Synopsis:

When a young boy goes missing, it’s easier to believe the lies than to believe the truth…

On the same night that Neil Armstrong walked on the moon, nine-year-old Charlie Olmstead jumped on his bike to see if he could get a better look. It was the last anyone ever saw of him.

After Perry Hollow Police Chief Jim Campbell found Charlie’s bike caught up above a waterfall, he assumed the worse, and so did everyone else except Charlie’s mother. Years later, Eric Olmstead – and famous author and Charlie’s brother – has come back to bury his mother and fulfill her last request: find his brother.

To do so he goes to the current police chief and his former sweetheart Kat Campbell, and it isn’t long before they discover that finding Charlie was his mother’s secret obsession, and while she never found him she uncovered clues suggesting that he wasn’t the only victim.

Read on for my thoughts on Death Falls. No true spoilers, promise.