Winter Wonderland Romance by Shanna Hatfield blitz with giveaway
**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.**
Winter Wonderland Romance
Shanna Hatfield
(Winter Wishes, #3)
Publication date: January 25th 2024
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Holiday, Romance
She never wanted to return to her hometown.
He needed an escape from his family.
When a chance meeting brings them together, will their attraction keep them from drifting apart?
Doctor Olivia Burton never intended to return to her hometown of Pinehill. After graduating high school, she set off on a new path, eager to leave her past behind. However, years later, an unexpected phone call from her mentor pulls her back to Pinehill to take over a thriving medical practice as the town’s primary physician. Determined to avoid the local gossip mill, Olivia attempts to keep a low profile as she settles back into the community.
Alex Adams is desperate for an escape from his well-meaning but suffocating family. After a life-altering explosion ended his military career, he finds himself plagued with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Surrounded by his loud and overbearing family only intensifies his struggles. Seeking respite, he retreats to his aunt’s mountain cabin in Pinehill, desperate for peace and quiet.
When a chance encounter brings Alex and Olivia together, the sparks begin to fly. Olivia, cautious and hesitant to let anyone into her guarded heart, begins to question if it’s time to leave her past behind and embrace the possibility of a winter wonderland romance. Alex, yearning for connection and understanding, finds himself drawn to Olivia’s warmth and kindness.
As they spend more time together, will Olivia and Alex discover that love, much like freshly fallen snow, has a way of blanketing everything in a layer of beauty?
Uncover the joys that come with new beginnings, the transformative power of love, and the magic that can be found in the simplest moments in this sweet, wholesome, and tender romance.
—
EXCERPT:
When no one answered, she stepped inside and reached for the light switch she knew was on the wall.
“Alex? I’m not leaving until I make sure you’re okay, so you might as well answer me.”
She cocked an ear and heard water running. He wouldn’t try to drown himself, would he? Olivia tossed off her coat, set the ice cream and cookies on the counter in the kitchen, and was
just headed down the hall to the master suite when a light flicked on and Alex stood there wearing nothing but a towel.
The wise thing for her to do would have been to spin around and give him his privacy. However, she was too worried about him and still too keyed up from what had happened to listen to the voice telling her to retreat.
She walked the rest of the way into the room, fisted her hands on her hips, and studied him from the top of his head where water droplets clung to the tips of his hair, down his stoic face, past that delectable cleft in his chin, and along the impressive muscles in his arms, chest, and abs. The physician in her categorized his scars, making note of several burn marks and one spot on his side that looked like a gunshot wound. She walked around him, convinced the corresponding wound on his back was the exit point.
What terrors had this man survived?
Her admiration for him climbed several notches. Alex was a survivor, whether he realized it or not.
“Hi,” she said softly, walking back around to face him. His nearly naked state left her feeling wave after wave of things better left alone, but despite how much it unsettled her, she wasn’t quite ready to return to the kitchen.
Author Bio:
USA Today Bestselling Author Shanna Hatfield writes sweet romances rich with relatable characters, small town settings that feel like home, humor, and hope.
Her historical westerns have been described as “reminiscent of the era captured by Bonanza and The Virginian” while her contemporary works have been called “laugh-out-loud funny, and a little heart-pumping sexy without being explicit in any way.”
When this farm girl isn’t writing or indulging in rich, decadent chocolate, Shanna hangs out with her husband, lovingly known as Captain Cavedweller. She also experiments with recipes, snaps photos of her adorable nephew, and caters to the whims of a cranky cat named Drooley.
To learn more about Shanna or the books she writes, visit her website http://shannahatfield.com or find out more about her here: linktr.ee/ShannaHatfield
Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / Pinterest / Bookbub / Newsletter
GIVEAWAY!
—
Cover Reveal: Bride of the Mountain King by Misty Malkasian
**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.**
Bride of the Mountain King
Misty Malkasian
(Kings of Starfall, #1)
Publication date: March 29th 2024
Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Young Adult
She must wed a powerful ally to save her kingdom. But a terrifying ghost king steals her instead.
Princess Liosa keeps half of her face hidden under a curtain of hair. She must wed to save her kingdom from the looming threat of attack by the Rose Court, but if a future husband ever found out the truth of her face, she could lose both her kingdom and her life.
But on the day she’s supposed to choose from a room full of suitors, a terrifying king arises from underground and steals her away to the Hollow Deep—and he may be worse than all the other suitors combined. He may not even be alive.
Liosa, now a queen of a strange kingdom she’d never known existed, must navigate its perils as she struggles with her terrifying new surroundings and marriage. Unsure of herself and petrified beyond what she’d ever imagined, she grapples with the same question she’s asked herself her whole life: why has the Great One chosen to inflict so much suffering on her? Hasn’t she suffered enough?
As she finds herself drawn deeper into her husband’s world, she learns of deadly goings-on in the Hollow Deep, plans that could set into motion a chain of cataclysmic events in Starfall. She must decide if she wants to remain terrified and useless, or if perhaps the Great One brought her to the Hollow Deep for a reason after all.
She only wonders—why did the Mountain King choose her? And can she ever love a creature made of mist?
With a new take on fae fantasy and an undercurrent of faith, Kings of Starfall is a connected series of clean standalone romances with their own happily-ever-after, leading up to a single cataclysmic event that must be stopped before the entire world falls to ruin.
Perfect for fans of Beauty and the Beast and Sylvia Mercedes ’The Moonfire Bride, prepare to be swept into the dark and glittering world of Starfall…
Author Bio:
I grew up reading during all my classes instead of paying attention. I read anything I could find, including the backs of shampoo bottles (there’s some fun stuff written on those!). At twelve I started writing my own stories, and as an adult, I still haven’t been able to kick the habit.
I live in the Midwest with my husband and two little girls, and by day, I test financial software and write code.
Check out my website for all kinds of cool things, including my newsletter, which you can sign up for to receive early news and cover reveals for my upcoming books. You can also get in on future giveaways! Visit https://www.mistymalkasian.com
—
Feeding My Addiction…
**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.**
Still behaving yet again this week… Ok, so I know I’m the only one on the edge of my seat waiting to see when my restraint will fly the coop but let me have my moments of small celebrations! 😂 I do have seven new titles to add to my ever towering TBR this week though, I have rarely figured out how to just not click at all.
As always clicking the covers will take you to the book on Amazon!**
New additions from Netgalley Jan 21st – Jan 28th
Two sisters reconnect and pursue their dreams on the beautiful island of Nantucket, overcoming life’s challenges and finding new love, in this heartwarming and hopeful novel by New York Times bestselling author Nancy Thayer.
Eddie Grant is happy with her life and her work as a personal assistant to Dinah Lavender, one of the most famous and renowned romance authors in the business. But being a spectator to notoriety and glamour isn’t as fulfilling as she once thought. Thankfully, Eddie has the perfect excuse for a vacation: Her hardworking younger sister, Barrett, is opening her gift shop on Memorial Day weekend, and could use all the help she can get.
But going home to the beautiful island of Nantucket means facing the family’s difficult past. Shortly after the death of Eddie and Barrett’s brother, their mother left them and their father made the spontaneous decision to buy a small farm. Eddie stayed there for only a year before her family’s grief threatened to consume her as well, and had been living in Manhattan ever since. Now that she is back, Eddie must face all she left behind: her father’s increased eccentricities, which has led to a house bursting at the seams with books; her sister’s resentment over Eddie’s escape; and a past love connection, one that is still undeniable and complicated, all these years later. But the Grant sisters are nothing if not resilient and capable, opening a used bookstore in their father’s abandoned barn to manage his hoarding, and navigating the discovery of a long-buried family secret that will change all of them forever.
In The Summer We Started Over, beloved storyteller Nancy Thayer transports readers with a moving story about family, courage, and the resiliency of young women.
Yellowjackets meets House of Hollow in award-winning author Kyrie McCauley’s gripping and magical YA thriller following a group of young women as they face the stress of harsh elements, a mysterious monster, and an unraveling of secrets after their yacht is wrecked off the coast of North America.
Liv Whitlock knows she doesn’t belong there. But after years of stumbling between foster homes, often due to her own self-destructive tendencies, Liv desperately needs to change the trajectory of her life . . . so she steals her perfect sister’s identity.
Liv starts to rewrite her story, winning a prestigious internship on a movie set filming in Alaska, and finds herself on a luxury yacht alongside pop star Paris Grace, actress sisters Effie and Miri Knight, Olympic gymnast Rosalind Torres, and social media influencer Celia Jones. Liv tries to find common ground with her famous companions, but just as the group starts to bond, a violent storm wrecks their vessel, stranding them on an island in the North Pacific Ocean.
Among the threats of starvation and exposure, they learn there is a predator lurking in the forest, unlike anything they’ve seen before—until they begin to see it in themselves. Every injury they suffer on the island causes inexplicable changes in their bodies. With little hope for rescue and only each other as their final tether to humanity, can the girls endure the ominous forces at work on the island? Or will they lose themselves to their darker natures?
The White Lotus meets Agatha Christie in The Unwedding, the adult fiction debut from #1 New York Times bestselling YA author Ally Condie, about a recent divorcee whose vacation at an exclusive Big Sur resort unravels when she discovers a dead body on the day a wedding was set to occur.
Ellery Wainwright is alone at the edge of the world.
She and her husband, Luke, were supposed to spend their twentieth wedding anniversary together at the luxurious Resort at Broken Point in Big Sur, California. Where better to celebrate a marriage, a family, and a life together than at one of the most stunning places on earth?
But now she’s traveling solo.
To add insult to injury, there’s a wedding at Broken Point scheduled during her stay. Ellery remembers how it felt to be on the cusp of everything new and wonderful, with a loved and certain future glimmering just ahead. Now, she isn’t certain of anything except for her love for her kids and her growing realization that this place, though beautiful, is unsettling.
When Ellery discovers the body of the groom floating in the pool in the rain, she realizes that she is not the only one whose future is no longer guaranteed. Before the police can reach Broken Point, a mudslide takes out the road to the resort, leaving the guests trapped. When another guest dies, it’s clear something horrible is brewing.
Everyone at Broken Point has a secret. And everyone has a shadow. Including Ellery.
From the author of the hit Kissing Booth series comes another sizzling storyfollowing three very different girls on summer vacation! Equal parts romance and humor, this is the perfect beach read for your next getaway.
Luna, Rory and Jodie are strangers in the need of a vacation…
Luna has unexpectedly broken up with her boyfriend.
Rory has to come up with a creative way to break it to her family she wants to pursue her art passion.
And as for Jodie – she feels lost in both life and love.
But these three strangers have one other thing in common…they are on their way to the same resort. As their lives collide in unexpected ways will they have the summer they’ll never forget?
The sixth in the delightful cozy mystery series from Diane Kelly set in Nashville, TN—where the real estate market is to die for.
Some properties are too hot to handle…
Carpenter Whitney Whitaker and her cousin Buck are hot for a historical property that has just come on the market—a fire station in Nashville’s Germantown neighborhood that was built nearly a century ago.
The cousins have just begun the interior demolition work at the fire station when Joanna Hartzell, who lives in a townhouse around the corner, comes by with a plea for help. Joanna owns the right half of her building, which she proudly maintains in perfect condition, while the left side falls into disrepair: the seven adult children who inherited it years ago refuse to lift a finger on repairs. Never one to turn down a challenge, Whitney and Buck manage to acquire the rundown townhouse—though it turns out Joanna is only one of the many neighbors interested in buying the property once they’ve worked their magic.
Then Joanna shows up at the fire station confused and rambling, then collapses, never to recover. Alarm bells go off for Whitney: she suspects something—and someone—evil could be the real cause. Can she and Collin put the clues together and smoke out a killer?
A sharp and scintillating summer novel that will make readers laugh out loud and cry happy tears from the New York Times bestselling author of Yours Truly.
Justin has a curse, and thanks to a Reddit thread, it’s now all over the internet. Every woman he dates goes on to find their soul mate the second they break up. When a woman slides into his DMs with the same problem, they come up with a plan: They’ll date each other and break up. Their curses will cancel each other’s out, and they’ll both go on to find the love of their lives. It’s a bonkers idea… and it just might work.
Emma hadn’t planned that her next assignment as a traveling nurse would be in Minnesota, but she and her best friend agree that dating Justin is too good of an opportunity to pass up, especially when they get to rent an adorable cottage on a private island on Lake Minnetonka.
It’s supposed to be a quick fling, just for the summer. But when Emma’s toxic mother shows up and Justin has to assume guardianship of his three siblings, they’re suddenly navigating a lot more than they expected–including catching real feelings for each other. What if this time Fate has actually brought the perfect pair together?
So many ways to torpedo your career and your love life… So little time.
A woman accidentally reveals all her secrets in this witty and charming novel from the author of Eight Perfect Hours.
Two years ago, thirty-year-old receptionist Millie Chandler had her heart spectacularly broken in public. Ever since, she has been a closed book, vowing to keep everything to herself—her feelings, her truths, even her dreams—in an effort to protect herself from getting hurt again.
But Millie does write emails—sarcastic replies to her rude boss, hard truths to her friends, and of course, that one-thousand-word love declaration to her ex who is now engaged to someone else. The emails live safely in her drafts, but after a server outage at work, Millie wakes up to discover that all her emails have been sent. Every. Single. One.
As every truth, lie, and secret she’s worked so hard to keep only to herself are catapulted out into the open, Millie must fix the chaos her words have caused, and face everything she’s ever swept under the carpet.
With her signature “tender and heartwarming” (Anstey Harris, author of When I First Held You) prose, Lia Louis presents another unforgettable and moving novel that is perfect for fans of Rebecca Serle and Emily Henry.
Pity Pact by Whitney Dineen blitz with giveaway
**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.**
Pity Pact
Whitney Dineen
(Pity Series, #3)
Publication date: January 24th 2024
Genres: Adult, Comedy, Contemporary, Romance
I always wondered who was crazy enough to apply to those reality dating shows…
Turns out, I’m that person. Paige Holland here—lifetime resident of Elk Lake, Wisconsin, and dedicated seventh-grade math teacher.
Unfortunately, if I don’t fall for one of the two guys who live right in Elk Lake I might have to move. This limits my choices to a substitute teacher I can’t stand or Tim, a guy I went through school with. It’s not that I can’t see being with Tim—he’s totes my type—but he’s so wounded from his divorce, he’s made it clear he’s only on the show to make his ex-wife jealous.
With one disaster after another being broadcast around the world, I’m seriously questioning why I thought a reality show was a good way to find love…
—
EXCERPT:
Paige
Who in the world is the new woman walking into the ballroom? She must be someone special because all the cameras, except for the one pointed at Tim, turn in her direction. Staring at her, I realize she looks kind of familiar, but for the life of me, I can’t figure out why. I don’t generally hang out with highly polished and glamorous people, and this chick looks like she just walked off the pages of Vogue magazine.
Trina glides back across the ballroom with Tim trailing behind her. “We have a guest!” she announces with so much excitement, you’d think Jesus was here to bless the bread and wine.
On impossibly long legs and stilettos high enough to impress any of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, the new woman glides toward the host. “Trina …” she croons.
“Thank you for coming tonight, Eva.”
Holy hell! Eva? As in Tim’s ex, Eva?
“I wouldn’t have missed it for the world.” She turns toward the camera closest to her and offers the most blindingly fake smile I’ve ever seen. No wonder her acting career never took off.
Meanwhile, Tim is standing next to Trina as stiff as a toy soldier awaiting his execution.
Eva walks toward him and when she arrives, croons, “Tim, it’s so good to see you again. How have you been?”
His expression morphs from shock to pure loathing. It’s clear he’s trying to decide his best course of action because he doesn’t respond for several seconds. When he finally breaks his silence, all he says is, “Eva.”
“Daaaarling …” She sounds like she’s a long-lost Gabor sister in those old-time movies. “I was crushed when I heard what a hard time you’re still having with our breakup.” I want to punch this woman right in the face.
Tim cocks his head to the side before replying, “I’m not sure what you’re talking about, Eva.”
Striving for a look of innocence and failing, she says, “Trina told me you’ve been unable to move on because you’re still in love with me.”
“I never said love, Eva.” Oh goody, Trina’s decided to enter the fray. “I said that Tim wasn’t emotionally free of you.” Potatoes, potahtoes, am I right?
“I know it was hard on Tim when I left.” Eva bats her eyes like she’s holding back tears. “But I had no choice. He and I got married too soon and when Holden showed up, I knew I had to go to him.” Her lashes flutter like a llama with conjunctivitis.
“Do you have anything to say to that, Tim?” Trina wants to know.
Tim glares at his ex. “You only knew Holden for a week before you left me. We’d been together for four years.”
Eva looks at Tim with pity before dropping a bomb. “Tim, I knew Holden before I’d ever met you.”
The look of horror on his face says it all. He’s about to lose it—spectacularly.
I feel compelled to do something to save him from this humiliation, but I don’t know what. Without thinking, I step forward and declare, “Which makes you the villain, not Tim!” I sound like I’m playing a live-action game of Clue. It was the butler in the pantry with a butter knife!
Eva turns her head and sneers at me condescendingly. “Who are you?”
“I’m Paige Holland.” When that doesn’t seem like a self-explanatory enough declaration, I add, “I’m an old friend of Tim’s.”
“Then why haven’t I ever heard of you?” she wants to know.
“Why didn’t Tim know about Holden?” I retaliate.
“Are you saying you and Tim were having an affair while he was married to me?” That’s not what I was saying, but it does make me wonder if Eva had been cheating on Tim throughout their marriage.
Before I can accuse her of that, Tim steps forward and takes my hand. “Paige, please stop trying to help.”
Part of me knows I should listen to him, but I don’t. Instead, I spin around and yell—yell— “No, Tim! This bimbo is not going to come in here and act like the wounded party. She’s the one who cheated, she’s the homewrecker …” Talk about giving Midwestern Matchmaker their money’s worth, I’m full-on guaranteeing they’ll be picked up for another ten seasons if they can keep delivering the level of drama I’m offering.
“Timothy …” Eva says, “I want to know if you were cheating on me?”
“So would I,” Trina feels the need to add.
Tim exhales loudly. “Paige and I went to school together. That’s all. We didn’t become friends until I moved home.”
While true, that kind of hurts. I just told the world we were old friends and he relegated me to mere acquaintance status. But then he squeezes my hand and adds, “But we’re very good friends now.” Aaaaand I melt.
“I think you’re lying,” Eva tells him.
“I can see why a liar might tend to believe the worst in people,” he retorts.
Eva spins toward Trina. “You said he was a hot mess. You said the only reason he came on this show was to get even with me!”
Before I know what I’m doing, I rush at Eva with the intention of ripping every last hair out of her head. Tim pulls me back in the nick of time, and reminds me, “This is going to be televised, Paige.”
“Not if I can help it!” I tell him. And this is where I totally lose my mind…
Author Bio:
Whitney loves to laugh, play with her kids, bake, and eat french fries — not always in that order.
Whitney is a multi-award-winning author of romcoms, non-fiction humor, and middle reader fiction. Basically, she writes whatever the voices in her head tell her to.
She lives in the beautiful Pacific Northwest with her husband, Jimmy, where they raise children, chickens, and organic vegetables.
Gold Medal winner at the International Readers’ Favorite Awards, 2017.
Silver medal winner at the International Readers’ Favorite Awards, 2015, 2016.
Finalist RONE Awards, 2016.
Finalist at the IRFA 2016, 2017.
Finalist at the Book Excellence Awards, 2017
Finalist Top Shelf Indie Book Awards, 2017
GIVEAWAY!
—
The Friendship Club by Robyn Carr Blog Tour #bookreview #contemporary #romance #womensfiction
**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.**
Title: The Friendship Club
Author: Robyn Carr
Publisher: MIRA
Publication Date: January 23, 2024
Page Count: 312
My rating: 4 stars
About the book:
Four women who work on a popular cooking show band together when they discover the youngest member of their group has an abusive boyfriend. The Barefoot Contessa meets Big Little Lies in this drama-filled novel about the power of female friendships.
Marni McGuire is the host of a popular television cooking show and leads a very happy life. Twice married, she has been widowed and divorced and now, in her mid-fifties, she enjoys being a successful single woman. But Marni’s daughter Bella, who is pregnant with her first child, is convinced that Marni is lonely and she is determined to find a new man for her mother. To humor her daughter, Marni goes on a series of terrible dates. Marni’s best-friend and colleague from the cooking show, Ellen, is a widow who has no interest in meeting anyone new and the two women have discussed the challenges of marriage and the joys of being single. But, while Ellen is adamant she wants nothing to do with men, Marni has to admit to herself that she would like to be with someone but only if he is the right fit.
As Bella’s pregnancy progresses she admits to her mother that she has some concerns about the state of her own marriage, and all three women are concerned that the young intern on the cooking show is caught in a toxic relationship.
Marni and Ellen are determined to guide the two younger women to have the strength, confidence and support to improve their situations and the women gather regularly to talk about the important issues in their lives.
When Marni and Ellen each unexpectedly find themselves falling for new men in their lives the younger women help them navigate the dating world.
Together these four women form a strong bond of family and friendship that will anchor all of them as they navigate the challenges and celebrate the joys of life.
Find this book online:
Goodreads / Amazon / Harlequin / BookShop.org / Barnes & Noble /Books A Million
Excerpt:
ONE
“And that’s a wrap,” the director said. “I think I have everything I need. I’ll do some editing and you can review it.”
“Thanks, Kevin,” Marni said. “My sister and my daughter are coming by for a glass of wine. Would you like to join us for a drink to celebrate finishing another season?”
“Thanks, no. I’m on the timer. New baby on the way,” he said.
“Of course! How’s Sonja feeling?”
“Huge,” he said with a laugh. “But the baby’s still cooking. The midwife says she has a few more weeks. Sonja cried for an hour after hearing that.”
“I remember that feeling,” Marni said. “Like it was yesterday. You better stay close to her. Thanks for everything this season. I think we got some good stuff.” Then Marni turned to her intern, Sophia Garner. “But you’ll stay, right?”
“I wouldn’t miss it,” she said. “It’s going to be an intervention, I think.”
“Oh, fabulous, I love those,” Marni said with a hint of panic. “If you and Ellen clean up, I’ll put out some hors d’oeuvres.”
Of course she was prepared; just a little fixing up and presentation required. Marni Jean McGuire worked every day and took very few breaks from cooking, writing, studying, traveling and experimenting with new recipes but they only filmed the segments of her show sixty days a year. But filming was intense. Twice a year they’d film for thirty days over six weeks—enough for two seasons. She hosted one of the most popular cooking shows on a cable network. Today marked the last day of filming and they always celebrated.
Marni’s kitchen was essentially a set; all their filming was done in her home as opposed to a studio. She smiled as she watched her producer, Ellen, who was busy cleaning up with Sophia. Ellen was a bona fide chef but she had no interest being in front of the camera. Sophia loved the camera and the camera loved her; after being caught on camera accidentally a few times, she had become beloved by the viewers for her quick wit and delicious accent.
Marni Cooks was very popular but hosting a TV show had never been her lifelong goal. Far from it. It fell into her lap like a glorious miracle. When she was a young widowed mother, she did whatever she could to make a dollar and raise her little Bella. She took a job handing out food samples for a chain of grocery stores. With her baby in a carrier on her back, she turned out to be a hit. She sold out her product day after day, probably because Bella was so funny and flirtatious and Marni, despite the fact that life hadn’t been easy, was personable and approachable. Almost immediately after she began, shoppers came looking for her, engaging her in conversation. They gave her good reviews and told store managers how much they liked her.
Once she filled in for a product demonstrator for the same grocery chain, showing interested patrons how to slice, dice, shred, spiral and chop vegetables. Again, Bella rode along; childcare was impossibly expensive. Her sense of humor and ease with being in front of a small audience charmed people—including the producer from a television station. Marni was hired to demonstrate a couple recipes every week on a local morning show. Along with that she did cooking demonstrations at fairs or exhibits, published a couple of small cookbooks, helped out at catering services, began writing a short cooking column for the newspaper and filled in when other chefs were unavailable as a guest on various cooking shows. Then she landed a full-time job as the on-air chef for a cable cooking show. She had been thirty-two. Her viewing audience grew quickly and soon after she hired Ellen, who was an expert in her own right. Marni was syndicated to a handful of affiliates and her popularity continued to grow. She knew she owed as much of her success to Ellen as to her own hard work. Ellen had a knack for delectable creation but she was such an introvert she would never agree to join Marni in front of the camera.
But in Ellen’s hands the food became a living, breathing wonder and she had become the associate producer over time, thanks to Marni. She knew what a gift she had in Ellen and took very good care of her. And Ellen knew what a great opportunity she had with Marni; no one else in the business would let her just cook without taking on any management responsibilities and yet pay her so well. But every time Marni’s fortunes improved, Ellen benefited as well.
A little over twenty years ago Marni had met Jeff, a news anchor for the local affiliate. Since she lost her young husband when Bella was only nine months old, she hadn’t been optimistic she’d ever find another forever man but fate shocked her by delivering up Jeff. It was a great love, filled with promise and passion. They were a team from the start, both of them being in TV and very visible in the community. They worked together, shoring each other up and urging each other on. Jeff was a fantastic stepfather for Bella and proudly walked her down the aisle six years ago.
Shortly after that something changed. Marni was concerned that a woman Jeff worked with had ulterior motives. She’d been stalking him for years, texting him, asking his advice, professing to be his friend and protégé and constant supporter. Marni had warned Jeff many times that he needed to be careful not to encourage this woman and he always said he could handle things. But his behavior changed and Marni grew suspicious. She caught them making out in Jeff’s car in the parking lot of a local park that sat in the shadow of the beautiful Sierras.
When she realized what she was witnessing, she drove very slowly up close to Jeff’s car and laid on the horn. They jumped apart like two heart attacks. It was divine.
She knew in that moment that her marriage, which she had enjoyed a great deal, was over. Clearly Jeff had been lying and leading a double life for years. The pain of that was excruciating. She also instinctively knew that Jeff and the woman had both gotten what they deserved—each other. Neither was honest nor faithful. In an instant she knew, she would not go a second further with a man who could look her in the eye and deceive her. She told him to leave. He didn’t argue or try to save their marriage, but he did hire a good lawyer and fought for a healthy settlement. At that time they both had solid careers, but Marni was edging ahead. Jeff went after a big slice of that success; indeed, he took credit, as he’d given her so much wonderful advice. At least that was his perspective.
At Marni’s insistence, they settled and divorced quickly. Marni had asked herself if she should pause and think it over, maybe try marriage counseling, but a gut instinct said end it fast. When he asked for a percentage of her future earnings, she knew she’d been right. It had to be over as swiftly as possible. She gave him half, though he hadn’t earned half. Since there were no minor children or businesses involved, he couldn’t possibly do better. She cut him a big check, waved goodbye and ran for her life. She learned you can still sprint pretty well with a broken heart.
After a couple of years of hating him, things settled down. Marni had handed over more money than seemed fair to her, certainly more than Jeff deserved, and that angered her but the relationship was over in her heart. And Karma being a vicious soul, Jeff was demoted in his job while Marni’s popularity soared.
Jeff had used his settlement to open a restaurant, hoping to capitalize on Marni’s notoriety as a television chef. But Gretchen, the other woman, was his business partner and Marni refused to endorse the restaurant. While he was busy trying to cash in on her success, Marni just put her head down, worked hard and became even more popular.
Then there was a sea change. Jeff had not married Gretchen, but he had spent a lot of money on her, found her cheating, and she unceremoniously dumped him, leaving Jeff a broken, much poorer man…with a struggling restaurant. Of course he brought his tons of regret to Marni, begging her forgiveness. Telling her that letting her go was the biggest mistake of his life!
“No doubt about it,” Ellen had said.
“Too little, too late,” Bella said. Bella was, if possible, angrier than Marni about Jeff’s betrayal.
“Men are so stupid,” said Sophia when she heard the story.
Marni had long since stopped complaining to her friends. To Jeff she said, “You broke my heart and tore my family to pieces. Don’t expect any sympathy from me.”
“You don’t understand, Marni,” he said. “I think she used me and turned me against you, the only woman who truly loved me.”
“Oh, I believe I understand completely,” she had said. The story was as old as time. He’d succumbed to flattery and been thinking with his dick. No amount of his regret would change the fact that she’d be an idiot to ever trust him again. She was no idiot.
But she did soften her anger slightly and they were now cordial. Every now and then Jeff would call her or text her or stop by, though the locks on the house had long since been changed. Over the past couple of years he had suggested a few times that they go out for dinner and she always declined. He clumsily proposed she might cook something for him. “One of your favorite new recipes… I would love that.”
“Not in your wildest dreams,” she had replied.
Marni heard the dishwasher start and snapped out of her thoughts of the past. She pulled her pesto canapés from the oven, the artichoke dip from the refrigerator and heard Kevin depart.
The door opened again. “Mama?” Bella called.
“Right in here,” Marni said. “How is the bump?” Bella was five months pregnant and cute as a button. It was a pregnancy hard won through wildly expensive in vitro fertilization.
“A little feisty,” she said with a very proud smile.
The door opened again and Marni’s sister, Nettie, came in from the garage.
Marni put down her hors d’oeuvres and transferred the centerpiece from the kitchen island to the long rectangular coffee table in the great room just as Ellen was bringing in a tray of wineglasses. Sophia followed with a large oval-shaped bucket filled with ice and two opened bottles of white wine. She went back for a chilled bottle of sparkling cider in an ice bucket on a tripod stand for Bella since she was off alcohol.
Marni loved watching them enter the room, her colleagues and loved ones. Ellen came into a room with shy demeanor, standing nearly six feet tall, lithe and graceful. She wore her her once blond and now white-gray hair in a simple pageboy. She always bent her head slightly and Marni wasn’t sure if her height made her uncomfortable or if it was her shy nature.
Nettie, ten years younger than Marni and the mother of two sons, was an English professor at the university in Reno.
Marni brought out a couple more plates of hors d’oeuvres, Sophia placed napkins all around, Ellen pushed over an ottoman for Bella to rest her feet upon, and they settled in. First was a toast. “A very good season, I think,” Marni said. “One of our best. I’m sleeping in tomorrow.”
Glasses were clinked in agreement, small plates were filled, napkins unfolded. And Marni looked around with a feeling of warm satisfaction. This was her happy place. This great room with her closest friends and family. And outside, through the patio doors, reflected in the backyard infinity pool was the sight of the Sierra Nevada mountains, still covered with snow, though it was May. They all lived in Breckenridge, Nevada, a picturesque little town nestled into the base of the mountain range just south of Reno and Lake Tahoe. There was a winding road, not exactly a secret but little known, that went switchback up over the mountains and then down into Lake Tahoe. People who grew up in Breckenridge knew it well.
This was an agricultural and ski town, with the mountains so close, and it was beautiful with its million-dollar views of nature at her best. To Marni, it looked similar to Austria.
Marni had overseen every aspect of the construction of this house, the kitchen being the focal point. She and Jeff were married at the time and while he helped by sharing advice and supervising construction, it was her house. She approved the plans and made it part of her business. And she loved it. Knowing it would be caught on camera, it was beautifully decorated in beiges, browns, pinks and mauves. It was redecorated almost annually for the same reason—updating for the viewers. But the most important thing to Marni was that the house felt like a hug to her, making her feel safe and protected.
When Jeff moved out, she filled the empty space he left in no time at all. Filling the empty space in her heart had taken longer. Even though she had stopped loving him and stopped hating him, there was still a hole there. A black cold hole. It frequently reminded her that she had no talent for love.
Excerpted from The Friendship Club by Robyn Carr. Copyright © 2024 by Robyn Carr. Published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.
The Friendship Club by Robyn Carr is a contemporary novel and it does have a touch of romance but really fits best in the women’s fiction category. The story in The Friendship Club really centers most on friendship and support while following a group of four women and telling their stories.
Marni McGuire is a celebrity chef in her mid fifties who has been married twice in her lifetime resulting in being widowed and divorced and feels as if she has been through it all. Marni keeps busy working most of the time with the help of her longtime friend, Ellen, who is happiest behind the scenes of the show and is also a widow.
Marni and Ellen both are happy with where they are in life but Marni has to do a lot of convincing of that fact with her daughter, Bella, who insists Marni needs to date. Bella is pregnant and confides in Marni that her marriage may not be as happy as she would like so she finds herself needing the women to lean on. Along with Marni, Ellen and Bella there is Sophie, who is interning for Marni who has found herself in a rocky relationship and needing the friendship all the women find with one another.
Robyn Carr is probably one of those authors that really doesn’t need an introduction to any fans of the women’s fiction genre but if you haven’t read her yet I would highly suggest doing so. This new novel is a good example of how deeply her stories are filled with family and friendship and it was so nice to see the characters supporting one another. All the characters in The Friendship Club had their own stories and unique situations that made getting to know them enjoyable and made the pages fly by. I know I will definitely return to this author in the future and recommend others do too.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
About the author:
Robyn Carr is an award-winning, #1 New York Times bestselling author of more than sixty novels, including highly praised women’s fiction such as Four Friends and The View From Alameda Island and the critically acclaimed Virgin River, Thunder Point and Sullivan’s Crossing series. Virgin River is now a Netflix Original series. Robyn lives in Las Vegas, Nevada. Visit her website at http://www.RobynCarr.com.
Author website / Instagram / Twitter / Facebook / TikTok
Carries Book Reviews 
Recent Comments