Carries Book Reviews

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Doing my best to not go crazy these days after all these months of behaving but boy does it get hard some weeks, this week being one of those. Just balancing on the edge of the abyss of control I managed to snag nine new titles this week to add to my ever towering TBR… living on the edge, that’s me!

As always clicking the covers will take you to the book on Amazon!**

New additions from Netgalley Feb 4th  – Feb 11th

15 summers ago, everything changed…

Ava Howell seemed to have it all. She moved away from Emerald Creek, Idaho, married the love of her life and published a bestselling memoir. But she never expected that her husband would feel so betrayed by a secret from her past—the truth of what happened to her and her sister all those years ago—that he’d walk away. Now Ava is back home and trying to move on with the only person who can truly understand…

Following years of healing, Madison Howell is finally happy. After college she built a no-kill shelter where she works with animals every day, and she’s in love with the town veterinarian, Dr. Luke Gentry. But she can’t ever bring herself to tell him. Years ago, his dad died protecting Madi and her sister, so how could he ever love her back? 

With the truth laid bare, and the past that Ava and Madison have worked so hard to leave behind threatening everything they have built for themselves, the Howell sisters’ reunion is bittersweet. And as Ava and Madi attempt to remedy the rifts in their lives and reconcile their futures, they must face the demons of their past together.

A bright, beaming power ballad of a novel from Rainbow Rowell—the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Landline, Fangirl, and Eleanor & Park—Slow Dance tells the humorous and heartbreaking love story of best friends Shiloh and Cary from their inseparable teen years to their far-flung adulthoods as they try to figure out what their relationship is, where it went wrong, and how to finally make it right.

Growing up on the wrong side of Omaha, all Shiloh could think about was getting away. At least she had Cary in the meantime. Cary to put up with her, Cary to make her laugh. Cary at sixteen, built like a stick of gum and driving his mom’s beat-up station wagon. He had it worse than Shiloh did. Only their friendship got Cary through high school and when Shiloh went off to college, he joined the Navy.

That was fourteen years ago. Now Shiloh’s thirty-three and feeling like she never did get away. She’s back living in the same house she grew up in. She’s working in a theater, but not onstage like she’d planned. And she’s divorced, a single mom just like her own mother (minus the revolving door of boyfriends).

When a high school friend invites Shiloh to his wedding, the last thing she wants is to catch up with the old gang. But she buys a new dress, puts on some makeup, and pins a silk flower over her heart, hoping—and also worrying— that she might see Cary, the boy she never realized she loved until he was lost.

Zoje Stage delivers another knockout with a blood-chilling follow-up to international sensation Baby Teeth, taking readers back into the unsteady world of a young sociopath who’s all grown up.

Hanna is no stranger to dark thoughts: as a young child, she tried to murder her own mother. But that was more than sixteen years ago. And extensive therapy—and writing letters to her younger brother—has since curbed those nasty tendencies.

Now twenty-four, Hanna is living an outwardly normal life of domestic content. Married to real estate agent Jacob, she’s also stepmother to his teenage daughter Joelle. They live in a beautiful home, and Hanna loves her career as a phlebotomist—a job perfectly suited to her occasional need to hurt people.

But when Joelle begins to change in ways that don’t suit Hanna’s purposes, her carefully planned existence threatens to come apart. With life slipping out of her control, Hanna reverts to old habits, determined to manipulate the events and people around her. And the only thing worse than a baby sociopath is a fully grown one.

With its dark humor and chillingly seductive protagonist, Dear Hanna is a stand-alone sequel sure to thrill returning and new readers alike.

USA Today bestselling author Debbie Mason takes another trip to Sunshine Bay with a heartwarming story about a family, romance, and self-discovery.

Nothing gets Willow Rosetti down. She adores everything about her life in Sunshine Bay, particularly the close proximity to her beloved family and her job as a meteorologist. So when she finds out Channel 5 may close and she and her coworkers will be out of work, she goes behind her family’s back to call her estranged aunt, a famous actress. Willow has never met her aunt and has no idea why her family disowned her, but she’s hopeful Camilla can deliver the ratings they need to convince Noah Elliot, the station’s gorgeous and grumpy owner, to save Channel 5.

When Camilla Monroe learns her niece Willow is trying to contact her, she fears the worst—that her secret has finally come out. Distracted, she doesn’t see the e-bike in the road. Now a case of amnesia has Camilla back in Sunshine Bay, and she’s getting Willow into one mess after another.   
With a little bit of scheming and a whole lot of heart, this unlikely duo might just have the summer of a lifetime, saving the station, healing their fractured family, and even paving the way for love.

In a grown-up twist on The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, USA Today bestselling author Annie Rains pens a powerful, uplifting story of female friendship and resilience in a small Southern town, as former childhood friends overcome grief and begin to take new chances in their lives… with the help of a long-lost gift they were meant to share. Perfect for readers ofKaren Hawkins’ The Book Charmer or Heather Webber’s Midnight at the Blackbird Café.

Ten years after she left her hometown of Trove Isle, NC, Melody Palmer is back to receive an unexpected inheritance—her great aunt’s thrift store, Hidden Treasures. There, in a glass case beneath the register, Melody spies the long-lost charm bracelet she shared with her high school friends, Liz and Bri, and her younger sister, Alyssa. After a devastating prom night accident, it disappeared, and the girls’ friendship evaporated with it. Slipping the bracelet on her arm for safekeeping, Melody soon finds herself crossing paths with her former friends once more.

While Melody fled, Liz has stayed in Trove Isle, helping with her parents’ business instead of pursuing her photography goals. Guilt still weighs on her after that fateful night when they lost Alyssa. For Bri, the consequences were even more stark. After spiraling into self-destruction, Bri served four years in a women’s state prison and is about to be released—but can Trove Isle ever feel like home again?

Yet despite everything that’s changed, the promise that the bracelet once held—of adventures, achievements, love, and lifelong friendship—hasn’t quite faded. And together, they might yet find a way to reconcile their pasts and futures, one charm at a time . . .

Librarian Carrie Singleton must catch a killer before she can say “I do,” in the 8th delightful installment in Agatha Award-nominee Allison Brook’s Haunted Library Mystery series.

Carrie Singleton is about to kiss the single life goodbye. Her wedding to Dylan Avery is just a few weeks away, and a happy ending is about to be hers. But when a body is found on the lawn of  their wedding venue, happily-ever-after is looking deadlier than ever. 

The victim turns out to be Billy Carpenter, a young man recently released from prison after serving time for a bank robbery. The stolen money he’d buried is gone and Carrie and the police  suspect Billy’s two alleged co-conspirators, his friends Luke Rizzo and Tino Valdez. But then Luke is murdered and Tino is nowhere to be found. 

With no leads and only a week to go before her big day, Carrie is on the hunt for clues. She hopes to wrap up this investigation with a neat bow before she and Dylan tie the knot. Carrie has something old, something new, and something borrowed ready for her walk down the aisle.Now she needs to find the killer without becoming the ‘something blue.’

Lydia Barnes has to thread the needle in order to discover the killer locked in with her amidst a sewing retreat in this second installment of the series, perfect for fans of Amanda Flower and Molly MacRae.

Lydia Barnes has made the picturesque town of Peridot, Georgia her home. But as the new owner of the Measure Twice fabric store, all financial burdens fall on her. In an effort to unspool herself from this tangle of thread and boost the store’s income, she invites her regular customers to a sewing retreat at her friend Fran’s Cherry Log mountain home. In between sewing lessons and quick lunches, a severe winter storm approaches. When Fran’s body is discovered murder is the only explanation, and the remaining six attendants are all suspects. 

Trapped, with the power and phone lines out, Lydia is restless to unmask Fran’s murderer. With the help of Auden, the cabin’s caretaker, Lydia must unravel the hidden lives of people she considered close neighbors and even friends, especially when another body is found along with a suicide note and a suspicious confession. 

In a daring plan to uncover the killer, Lydia must risk it all, including her life, before she is cut asunder and the bobbin runs out.

Fledgling entrepreneur Ashley Branson is thrilled to open her dream business—a cat yoga studio. But helping clients find balance and felines find homes soon becomes one unhealthy exercise in murder . . .

Ashley Branson has a lot to prove with her new cat yoga studio, A Purrfect Pose. It’s a place for humans to find inner wellness—and adopt adorable cats from the local shelter. It’s also a chance for Ash to run her own life, out from under her overbearing mother and a stifling relationship. So far, so successful. Until she discovers one of her new clients, a much-disliked college professor, dead in her studio, locked in child’s pose . . .

To make matters worse, Ash’s hapless always-in-trouble brother, Hunter, instantly becomes the cops’ prime suspect. Determined to clear his name and save her business, Ash does a deep lunge into the surprising—and strange—connections the victim had with her other clients. But countless suspects, contradictory leads, not to mention people desperate to see her studio shut down, mean Ash will have to stretch to the max to outthink a clever killer who’s ready to strike her red in tooth and claw . . .

Vicariously tour the sundrenched Mediterranean Coast in this perfectly escapist new cozy mystery series starring American expat-turned-bike tour company owner in Southern France. 

Perfect for fans of Donna Leon’s The Commissario Guido Brunetti Mysteries, M.L. Longworth’s Provençal Mystery series, and armchair travel!

Nine months ago, Sadie Greene shocked friends and family by ditching her sensible office job in the Chicago suburbs and buying a sight-unseen French bicycling tour company, Oui Cycle. Now she’s living the unconventional life of her dreams in the gorgeous village of Sans-Souci-sur-Mer. Sans souci means carefree, but Sadie feels enough pressure to burst a tire when hometown friends arrive for a tour, including her former boss, Dom Appleton. Sadie is determined to show them the wonders of France and cycling—and to prove she made the right move. 

She hopes her meticulously planned nine-day itinerary will win them over, with its stunning seascapes, delicious wine tastings, hilltop villages, and, of course, frequent stops for croissants. When Dom drags his heels on fun, Sadie vows he’ll enjoy if it kills her. That is, until Dom ends up dead. The tragedy was no accident. Someone went out of their way to bring a permanent end to Dom’s vacation.

As more crimes—and murder—roll in, suspicions hover over Oui Cycle. To save her dream business, help her friends, and bring justice, Sadie launches her own investigation. However, mysteries mount with every turn. On an uphill battle for clues, can Sadie come to terms with her painful past while spinning closer to the truth—or will a twisted killer put the brakes on her for good?

**This post contains Amazon affiliate links which will allow me as an associate to earn a small commission on any purchase made through the link of the products I share. This commission in no way changes the pricing of any items for the buyer.**

Renewed Hope
Carmen Peone
Publication date: February 6th 2024
Genres: Contemporary, Romance, Western

Can they find her son in time?

Sophie Cayes is on the road to success as an artist. Until her ex-husband threatens to sue for full custody of their son. Upon learning of a guest ranch in Eastern Washington that keeps a room open for women in need, she grabs her son and bolts.

Although Chad Davis loves starting colts on the Seven Tine Guest Ranch, his goal is to have his own spread. Everything’s on course until a woman and her preschool son show up. He’s not thrilled about helping out. Until the boy comes up missing. On his watch.

Along with a tribal cop, they head back to Montana in search of the boy, knowing his dad was the one who kidnapped him. Sophie prays they find him before her ex-husband and his new wife go on the run. Taking her son with them.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble

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EXCERPT:

“What’s wrong?” Chad took her shoulders and moved her aside. “Oh, crap. That’s not good.”

Her paintings were strewn over her worktable. Every single one—the meadows, deer, rivers, wolves and coyotes, mountains, birds—had been marked up with a black, permanent marker. And each of her nine-by-twelve-inch canvases appeared to have been sliced with something the

size of a Buck knife, like the one Matt packed around. Oh, and there was the buffalo she’d been working on, a gash across his face. Tears pooled in her eyes. “How could he be so evil?”

With quaking fingers, she made a call. “No way.” Her face and ears turned red.

“What’s the matter?”

She shook her head and made another call. “I can’t believe this.”

“What?”

“Both Matt and Olivia’s phones are no longer in service.” She shoved the cell into her back pocket. “What are we going to do? How am I going to find my son?”

“Chuck will find him.” He had to. Chad strode to the table and began stacking the paintings.

“Don’t bother. Matt’s behind this mess. Besides, we’ll figure out where he has Basin before his fingerprints are processed.”

Sophie ambled over to one of her wooden easels that lay splintered on the brown carpet. “When I left, this canvas . . . was on the . . .” She pointed to the easel. “It was yellow with

brilliant blues and purples . . .” She hiccupped a sob.

The owl painting now lay crumpled on the floor, a dirty footprint across the top. She picked up the piece and traced the rough gash puncturing its heart.

“How will we find Basin? How will I provide for him? I need money to pay rent. It’s due tomorrow.” Sophie squeezed her eyes shut. “Oh, God, why? Why Basin? Why

my paintings? Just when my life had come together. Why?”

Chad brought her to his chest and let her cry. Releasing an animal-like howl, she collapsed into his embrace. “He’ll pay for this.”

 

Author Bio:

Carmen Peone is an award-winning author who loves to write inspirational stories of hope, healing, & horses that lead to happily ever after.

She is one of the few authors who has not always dreamed of writing. It found her. Spupaleena, Carmen’s character in the True to Heart Trilogy hounded her until she told her story. Carmen soon learned how much she loved writing and creating stories with strong female characters.

Besides Carmen’s infinite love for her Dingo Daisy Mae, may she now rest in peace, she loves horses. They brighten dark days, get creative juices flowing when in a slump, and put smiles on the faces of those who visit with them. You can see Buck and Cash on the covers of the True to Heart Trilogy.

You are invited to subscribe to Carmen’s blog and learn about various cultural traditions and life on the reservation as well as Incredible Western Women and fellow author’s new releases. When you sign up for Connect with Carmen, you can receive 3 free gifts as a thank you: Gentling the Cowboy, a contemporary western romance novella; A Horse Lover’s Manifesto; and a contemporary western romance short story, Arami’s Hope.

Carmen is represented by Linda S. Glaz Literary Agency.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Instagram / Twitter

 

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Title: The Last Days of Lilah Goodluck

Author: Kylie Scott

Publisher: Graydon House

Publication Date: February 6, 2024

Page Count: 283

About the book:

Red White and Royal Blue meets The Last Holiday in this delight of a novel, about a woman who unexpectedly finds “fall in love with a prince” on her bucket list after a fortune teller tells her she only has a week to live. Ideal for fans of Sophie Cousens and Rebecca Serle.

Your boyfriend is cheating on you

You will be passed over for the promotion

5-8-12-24-39-43

Your soulmate is a royal prince

And your time is up a week from Monday

When Lilah Goodluck saves the life of Good Witch Willow as they’re crossing a busy LA street, the last thing she expects is five unwanted predictions as a reward. Who gives someone the lotto numbers then tells them they’ve only got a week to live? And who believes in that nonsense anyway?

But when the first three predictions come true within twenty-four hours, Lilah’s disbelief turns to mild panic. She’s further horrified when she nearly runs a car off the road that belongs to Alistair Lennox, the illegitimate son of the English king.

Alistair is intrigued by her preposterous story, but Lilah is adamant about resisting the heat between her and the playboy prince. If he’s not her soulmate, then the last prediction can’t come true. But as the days count down, they become maybe friends…and then maybe more. Between the relentless paparazzi and his disapproving family, dating a sort-of prince isn’t easy, especially when you have death on your doorstep.

Find this book online:

Goodreads  /  Amazon  /  BookShop.org / Harlequin  / Barnes & Noble / Books A Million

Excerpt:

Friday

Good Witch Willow is unhappy at me for keeping her waiting.

This is made obvious by the way she glares up at me through her wire-rim glasses while tugging on one of the crystal pendants around her neck. Like it is going to take help from beyond to stop her from slapping me silly or something.

“Lilah,” says my best friend with much patience, “why are you like this?”

“I don’t know.”

“Just ask her a question already.”

Rebecca (not Becca or Becky) does have a point. It’s not like I haven’t known this moment was coming for weeks now. She wanted to do something fun for her birthday and every other entertainer had already been booked. A lot of birthday parties in March, apparently. Guess everyone has sex in the summertime.

The private room at the back of the bespoke cocktail bar off Santa Monica Boulevard is close to capacity and a song by Hozier plays over the speakers. We stand at one of the tall round bar tables with the remains of a charcuterie board and a flickering tea light in a vintage jar. The walls are painted a bright turquoise, but the vibe is relaxed. It should be a great night. I want it to be for my friend’s sake. But I am anxious and distracted and not in the mood at all, dammit.

“I honestly don’t have one,” I say. “I’m sorry. I told you this wasn’t my thing.”

Rebecca groans and downs more than a mouthful of her whiskey sour. It’s her party, she can self-medicate if she wants to—and apparently, she does.

“What do people normally ask?”

Good Witch Willow is older with white skin and long gray hair in a braid. She’s exactly what I imaged a witch would look like when I was a child. A dramatic long lace dress and plenty of chunky jewelry. Instead of answering me, she glances at her smartwatch and announces, “That’s your two hours up. I’m out of here.”

Rebecca gives me a look.

Good Witch Willow wastes no time, packing her tarot cards, a travel-size crystal ball, and a collection of brightly colored crystals back into her large velvet tote.

“I’m sorry,” I say to Rebecca for the second time. “Though your work bestie hogging her for over forty minutes to ask about his fantasy football team didn’t help. And your neighbor that needed that emergency love potion. I wonder if she’ll actually manage to find Keanu Reeves and persuade him to drink it.”

Rebecca just raises her brows.

“You have to give it to her, it’s a beautiful dream,” I say. “But my point is you, my friend, are popular. There are a lot of people here. The chance of Good Witch Willow getting around to everyone was always going to be low.”

“Just admit you’re all up in your feelings about your boyfriend again.”

“I am worried about Josh.” I take a sip from my gimlet. “He said the headache was really bad, that it was messing with his vision.”

“That actually doesn’t sound good,” she reluctantly agrees.

“Yeah. I really think he needs to see a doctor, but you know what dudes are like.”

“I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but I’ve pretty much made it my life mission to not know what dudes are like.” She takes another sip of her drink. “You’re going to rush home to play nurse instead of going dancing with me, aren’t you?”

“Rebecca, can you predict the future?” I fake gasp. “And you never told me…that hurts. Wait. Did you know that was going to hurt?”

She gives me an amused smile and raises the remains of her drink in a toast. We’ve been best friends since sharing a dorm room in college about a decade ago. She’s petite with dark hair and olive skin. I on the other hand am more of a robust blonde. They didn’t spare the tits and ass when they made me.

“Go on, abandon me then,” she says. “But you owe me.”

“How about I take you out to dinner next week? To that Japanese place you love?”

“No complaining when I eat all the salmon sashimi.”

“Agreed. Happy almost birthday. Talk to you tomorrow.” I set my mostly empty gimlet on the bar and give her a hug. “Don’t go home with Priya. You know you’ll only regret it. Again.”

“But she’s brilliant and beautiful and emotionally unavailable. She’s exactly my type.”

“Oh my God. It’s like you just proved my point.”

“Get out of here, loser.”

I smack a kiss on her cheek. “I love you, Rebecca. Make good choices.”

Despite the late hour, there are still plenty of people around. The road is glossy black from a recent storm, and puddles on the sidewalk reflect the lights from the bars and restaurants. I huddle down into my cardigan against the cold night air. There’s a small convenience store open on the other side. Just perfect for picking up Tylenol since I have no idea how much we have at home, and Josh might need more. Better safe than sorry.

I join the only other person waiting at the corner to cross, and she just so happens to be Good Witch Willow. Her stereotypical pointed boot taps impatiently as she rummages through her colorful velvet tote in search of something. Being a witch must be interesting. Not that I believe in all that. Divination and spirits and so on never seemed particularly probable to me. My father is an atheist and taught us to question everything and always demand proof. I’m also a librarian, and librarians like facts. An established truth is a beautiful thing. They help to prop up society and keep us warm at night. Or they used to.

The walk light flashes, and Willow’s gray braid swings as she steps off the curb. I follow with my mind wandering, thinking about what else Josh might need and whether I should buy him some soda. But out of the corner of my eye, I see it—a sleek vehicle that doesn’t stop like the others. It doesn’t even slow down. It is, in fact, speeding straight toward us with headlights dazzlingly bright.

There’s no time to think. I grab the older woman from behind as I propel us both back toward the curb and tumble to the ground. Had she been any bigger, it might not have worked. But my years of infrequent gym attendance finally come in handy. Wheels screech and the horn blares as the sports car roars past us. It’s so damn close I can feel the rush of air in its wake.

But we don’t get hit.

Holy shit. My heart is hammering. Willow’s elbow digs into my stomach as she rolls off me onto the pavement. Whatever. I am just honestly amazed to still be amongst the living.

“Asshole!” Good Witch Willow hollers at the fading taillights.

The cool damp ground is hard beneath me, but overhead a star twinkles in a gap between the clouds. Parts of me hurt. My hand is bloody and scraped, and my hip is bruised. There’s also a tear in the tiered skirt of my new pale blue mini dress, not to mention numerous stains from the wet and dirty sidewalk. Odds are also good that I just flashed my panties at the entire street.

Willow raises a brow at me. “Oh, it’s you.”

“You’re welcome,” I reply dryly.

A young man standing nearby caught the whole thing on his cell. And is still filming. A jogger stops and offers Willow his hand. He gently pulls her to her feet before doing the same for me. Which is nice of him.

Willow brushes herself off, gathering the items that fell from her tote. Breath mints, hand sanitizer, and such. “I didn’t see that car coming at all.”

Were I not still catching my breath, I would definitely make a smart-ass comment about her supposed prognostication abilities. Or at least give it serious consideration. But my hip is aching and my hand stings. I wince as I pick a piece of gravel out of one of my deeper scratches. What a mess.

“You’re the one who wanted to know what people ask me, aren’t you?” She tosses her braid over her shoulder and narrows her gaze on me. Like she’s attempting to stare into my soul or something.

“Don’t worry about it,” I say. “Are you okay?”

She nods. “Falling on you made for a soft landing.”

“Great.”

“There’s a lot that people would like to know,” she continues. “But the most popular questions tend to revolve around love. Are they cheating on me? Will they come back to me? Who’s my soulmate? Things like that.”

“Makes sense, I guess.”

“Then they tend to move on to more mundane issues, like if they’re going to get that promotion, or are they on the right career track? Then you’ve got the ones who think they’re funny. They like to ask me for this week’s lotto numbers.”

I snort. “That is kind of funny.”

“Not when you’re hearing it for the hundredth time, it isn’t. And then there are the ones who want to know when they’re going to die.” She cocks her head and sighs. “That car would have hit me if you hadn’t been there. Given the speed it was going, I doubt it would have ended well for me.”

I don’t know what to say to that, so I keep my mouth shut.

“It would seem you’re owed something.”

“That’s not necessary.”

“Be quiet and listen.” Willow draws herself up to her full height, and her gaze turns hazy. As if she’s staring into the middle distance. Then in a sonorous tone, she announces, “He is cheating on you. But I think you already know that deep down. The name of your soulmate is Alistair George Arthur Lennox. What a mouthful.”

My smile is bemused. “Wait a minute. You don’t mean—”

“You will be passed over for the promotion. They really don’t appreciate you. I have no idea why you’ve stayed there so long.”

“It’s complicated. You’re actually predicting all of this, aren’t you?”

“Five, eight, twelve, twenty-four, thirty-nine, and forty-three. And I’m very sorry to tell you this, but you will die next Sunday.”

“What?” I shake my head. She cannot be saying what I think she is saying. Because there is not a chance in hell that this is real. “No. That’s not possible.”

“You might want to say goodbye to your loved ones and get your affairs in order.”

My laughter is brittle with an edge of disbelief. “Are you serious? I mean, you’re joking, right?”

Willow blinks several times and blows out a breath. Like she’s coming back to herself or returning to her version of reality or whatever. Maybe she hit her head on the pavement. It’s the only thing that makes sense. Though she believed in all the supernatural stuff to begin with. Which just goes to validate my belief that people are wild.

“Right,” she says. “Goodnight.”

“Did you mean right as in you were joking?”

But without another word, she heads off into the night, leaving me standing there stunned.

I ask the night at large, in a not so quiet voice, “What in the actual fuck?”

But no one answers. Even the dude with the cell phone has disappeared. Despite the drama and weirdness, no one so much as spares me a glance. The world keeps turning and life goes on. Insert big sigh here.

What I need is to buy the Tylenol, go home, check on Josh, down some of the previously mentioned painkillers (for my poor sore hip and hand), have a long hot shower, and then go to bed.

Excerpted from The Last Days of Lilah Goodluck by Kylie Scott. Copyright © 2024 by Kylie Scott. Published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.

About the Author:

Kylie Scott is the New York Times, USA Today, Wall Street Journal and international bestselling author of 19 novels including the Stage Dive series, the Dive Bar series, the Larsen Brothers series, and West Hollywood series. Her most recent release, Pause, debuted on the USA Today bestseller list. Her books have been translated into fourteen languages, and she has sold over 2 million copies worldwide.

Author Website / Twitter / Facebook / Instagram / Goodreads

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Sip of Pleasure Anthology
Publication date: February 9th 2024
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Nothing brings more satisfaction than a Sip of Pleasure.

Satisfy your desire for pleasure with a dozen BRAND NEW smoking hot power exchange stories from the romance authors you love.

Featuring stories from:

Sara Fields

Laylah Roberts

Kate Oliver

Ines Johnson

Livia Grant

Tara Crescent

Sue Lyndon

Stella Moore

Allie Belle

Publisher’s Note: The Sip of Pleasure Anthology contains brand new material never published before. It is the perfect chance to revisit series you already love and also find new authors you will enjoy reading.

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Art of the Chase
Jennifer Giacalone
Publication date: October 9th 2023
Genres: Adult, LGBTQ+, Mystery, Romance

When a notorious art thief surfaces, warring detective exes reunite for the hunt. A second-chance lesbian romantic suspense that fuses the fine line between love and hate.

Six years ago, the “Fabulous Gustave” slipped the grasp of Agent Fleur van Beekhof, making off with a priceless artwork…and Fleur’s beautifully ordered life. Suddenly the cool, pragmatic Europol detective lost her detective partner and wife, her rising career, and her control, thanks to the addictive lure of cards.

When a new Italian art theft bears all the markings of Gustave’s taunting style, Fleur is put back in the field, because no one knows him better. She jumps at the chance to correct the mistake that ruined her life. The hitch? She has to work with her fiery ex-wife.

Where Fleur is by the book, Renata skirts the rules, leaps into danger, and looks frustratingly hot while doing it.

As Fleur and Renata chase flamboyant Gustave around Europe, will their case push them back into each other’s arms, or shatter what’s left of Fleur’s heart?

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo

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EXCERPT:

“It really is odd that Gustave went for this painting, isn’t it?” Fleur said.

She closed her laptop and stretched her long frame out on the bed, allowing herself to relax into nostalgia despite herself.

“It did occur to me.” The sound of a lighter flicking and Renata taking a drag off a cigarette followed. “It seems like something he’d take if he specifically wanted us to chase him, you know? It’s easy enough to find out that I have a particular relationship with Artemisia’s work.”

“You’re saying it feels personal?”

“I guess I am, yes. But didn’t it always with him?”

Fleur and Renata had spent nearly a year chasing him all over Europe. Four thefts in that time, and each time the games grew more byzantine, more public. He had found in Fleur and Renata some sort of favorite adversaries and would often leave taunts aimed squarely at them.

“I suppose it did. Like the typewritten note he sent after the Cezanne in Amersfoort?”

“He complimented my jacket.” Renata sounded newly annoyed by it.

“The cashmere Prada? It was beautiful.”

“Of course it was, because I don’t wear shit. But it was very creepy, you know?”

“Don’t worry. When we do catch him, I’ll rough him up a bit for you.”

Renata chuckled again. “You would deny me the pleasure of doing it myself?”

Fleur was still feeling a little loose from the wine. “Oh, forgive me. I would never want to deny you pleasure.” It slipped out sounding suggestive, and she hadn’t intended it to, but a stubborn little voice in her said Don’t you dare apologize.

 

Author Bio:

Jen Giacalone is a former rock star, a graphic artist, a parent, a baker, amateur plumber and a timelord. She toured much of the east coast of the U.S. as a musician in her 20s, spent her 30s in corporate boardrooms of fortune 500 companies as a graphic artist, and in her 40s, became a published author.

She’s the author of the novel “Loud Pipes Save Lives,” published by Carnation Books, about a damaged detective pursuing a gang of vigilante lady bikers, and the current romantic suspense, “Art of the Chase,” a tale of a divorced detective couple thrown back together to pursue a notorious art thief who has come out of retirement. She writes whenever she can and when she can’t, she’s thinking about writing: novels, screenplays, poetry with clever heroines, ill-advised romance, arts, and usually some weaponry.

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