Pressed to Death (A Perfectly Proper Paranormal Museum Mystery, #2) by Kirsten Weiss
Pressed to Death by Kirsten Weiss
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Maddie Kosloski had taken over running the Paranormal Museum, a local town tourist attraction that exhibits artifacts that have a paranormal or haunted history attached to them. Maddie thinks her latest addition will be perfect to display in her booth at the upcoming harvest festival, a haunted grape press. Unfortunately the former owner is now claiming the press had been stolen.
However, the festival must go on even with her newest acquisition being questioned Maddie still tries to set up her booth. When her mother finds she needs help with some grapes stuck in a vat Maddie jumps right in to clear the mess only to find a dead body, and not any dead body…. the former owner of the very grape press in question. With Maddie likely to become a suspect her mother convinces her that she needs to start up her own investigation into the untimely death.
Pressed to Death is the second book in the Perfectly Proper Paranormal Museum series by Kirsten Wiess. While some details into Maddie’s life and her previous attempt at investigating a murder would be missed this second edition to the series does focus on a whole new case so it is possible to read without having read the first book. I would warn readers that while the setting does mention the paranormal the series is more cozy mystery set in a unique environment and doesn’t bring much paranormal happenings into it.
Having read the first book in this series I already knew that I enjoyed Maddie as a character and loved the unique setting of her museum involved. There’s also some quite quirky side characters involved in these books that make them a fun read. My one complaint really with this second installment was ignoring the previous relationship for much of the story before the reader gets any explanation to what had happened. Otherwise this is still a fun cozy mystery series that I’ve quite enjoyed so far.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
The Magnate’s Mail-Order Bride by Joanne Rock blitz with giveaway
A mix-and-match mock engagement?
THE MAGNATE’S MAIL-ORDER BRIDE
The McNeill Magnates #1
Joanne Rock
Releasing April 4th, 2017
Harlequin Desire
A
mix-and-match mock engagement?
Ballerina Sofia Koslov’s career is on the line when she’s accosted at the
airport by a rich, reckless playboy who thinks she’s his mail-order bride! But
the playboy’s levelheaded brother, Quinn McNeill, solves the media snafu with a
switcheroo. He’ll pretend to be her legitimate fiancé to protect her
reputation—and to protect his family’s business deals from her father’s wrath.
Sofia’s one condition: they’ll share the spotlight as a loving couple but won’t
share a bed. But soon Quinn’s gentlemanly ways strike a chord, and Sofia’s dying
to renege on that condition and have a real fling…
Excerpt:
“I never would have guessed your brother would spend a small fortune on a ring for a woman he never met.” She edged out of his grip. “I thought he was a romantic, not completely certifiable.”
Quinn’s smile faded. “I assure you, Cameron is neither.” He set the ring on the steamer trunk beside her. “I’ll let you decide whether or not to wear it in the morning. And in the meantime, I’d better let you get some rest.”
He rose to his feet, leaving a priceless piece of jewelry balanced on last month’s Vogue.
“Quinn.” She stood to follow him to the door then reached back to grab the ring so she could return it. “Please. I don’t feel right keeping this here.”
He turned to face her as he reached the door, but made no move to take the glittering ring.
“If you were my bride-to-be, I would spare no expense to show the world you were mine.” His blue eyes glowed with a warmth that had her remembering his kiss. Her breath caught in her chest and she wondered what it might be like for him to call her that for real.
Mine.
“I’m—” At a total loss for words. “That is—” She folded the diamond into her hand, squeezing it tightly so the stones pressed into her soft skin, distracting her from her hypnotic awareness of this man. “If you insist.”
“It’s a matter of believability, Sofia.”
“It’s only for one month.” She wasn’t sure if she said it to remind him or herself.
“We’ll work out the details tomorrow.” He reached to smooth a strand of hair from her forehead, barely touching her and still sending shimmers of pleasure along her temple and all the way down the back of her neck. “Sleep well.”
She didn’t even manage to get her voice working before he was out the door again, leaving her alone in a suddenly too empty apartment.
Squeezing the ring tighter in her fist, she waited for the pinch of pain from the sharp edges of the stones. She needed to remember that this wasn’t real. Quinn McNeill had only agreed to this mad scheme to clean up his brother’s mess. Any hint of attraction she felt needed to be squashed immediately, especially since Quinn was cut from the same mold as her father—focused on business and the accumulation of wealth. Her world was about art, emotions and human connections.
Her mother had taught her that people did not fall into both camps. In Sofia’s experience it was true. And since she wanted her own relationships to be meaningful bonds rooted in shared creativity and ideals, she was willing to wait until she had more time in her life to find the right partner. Romance could not be rushed.
“It’s only for a month,” she said aloud again, forcing herself to set the engagement ring on the hallway table.
Surely she could keep up her end of a fake engagement for the sake of appearances? She’d made countless sacrifices for her career, from dancing on broken toes to living away from her family on the other side of the globe to train with Russian ballet masters.
Ignoring the sensual draw of Quinn McNeill couldn’t possibly be more difficult than those challenges.
Yet, even as she marched herself off to bed, she feared she was lying to herself that she could keep her hands off the man anywhere near as easily as she’d set down the ring.
Four-time
RITA nominee Joanne Rock has never met a romance sub-genre she didn’t
like. The author of over seventy books enjoys writing a wide range of stories,
most recently focusing on sexy contemporaries and small town family sagas. An
optimist by nature and perpetual seeker of silver linings, Joanne finds romance
fits her life outlook perfectly–love is worth fighting for. A frequent speaker
at regional and national writing conferences she enjoys giving back to the
writing community that nurtured and inspired her early career. She has a Masters
degree in Literature from the University of Louisville but credits her fiction
writing skills to her intensive study with friend and fellow author Catherine
Mann. When she’s not writing, Joanne enjoys travel, especially to see her
favorite sports teams play with her former sports editor husband and three
athletic-minded sons.
One Wild Night by Melissa Cutler
One Wild Night by Melissa Cutler
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Skye Martinez has reached a time in her life that she wants nothing more than to finally find the right man to settle down with and start a family. Skye’s mother thinks she can cast a spell that will help Skye attract the right man into her life, someone stable and local that is ready for marriage. After the spell is cast Skye finds herself being asked out constantly but still really not impressed with her options.
One night while working her job at the Briscoe Ranch Resort Skye meets a handsome stranger at the stable and the pair go for a midnight ride. Little did Skye know that this handsome bad boy is none other than the famous country music singer Gentry Wells. Gentry is the opposite of what Skye wants in a man but the attraction is there so what would one last wild night hurt?
One Wild Night is the third full length book in the One and Only Texas series, there are also a couple of shorter novellas in the series. The books all take place at the Briscoe Ranch Resort but as with most romance series it is not necessary to have read other books in the series to enjoy a single read. There are mentions of other previous characters though for those that have read the earlier books.
For myself this one had a bit of a contradictory edge to it that had me a bit back and forth on how to rate this one. Skye is close to her family who are very religious and she mentions several times throughout how she feels she’s punished for her actions but the entire story is based on her and her “wild night”. Now the night in question was pretty steamy and the setting is enjoyable along with having the famous country artist wanting more for himself so otherwise with this one I found the story enjoyable enough but I wish Skye hadn’t been so wishy washy about her religious beliefs.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
Cover Reveal: No Rest for the Wicked by Krystal Jane Ruin
No Rest for the Wicked
Krystal Jane Ruin
Publication date: May 10th 2017
Genres: New Adult, Paranormal
Since her release from the psychiatric facility and into the smothering guardianship of her aunt, twenty-one-year-old psychic Tatum Torabi has been sneaking away to sell curses and plagues in the underground, a black market known for illegal and supernatural wares.
Tatum’s unique abilities catch the attention of a hella-creepy trash peddler who offers her a job tracking down people who owe his boss “a favor.” She couldn’t be less interested, but when she refuses, the company forces her compliance by threatening the lives of the only family she has left.
Because tracking barely scratches the surface of what they really want from her. There’s a reason Tatum is so good at making curses, and they want her to use those skills for a much darker purpose.
Author Bio:
Krystal Jane Ruin is the author of supernatural and paranormal fiction living in the Tennessee Valley. She can often be found knee deep in Sudoku and other puzzles, in a Youtube hole, or blogging about books, writing, and random things.
Romancing Dr. Love by Rebecca Heflin blitz with giveaway
It’s all about the chemistry.
ROMANCING DR. LOVE
Sterling University #1
Rebecca Heflin
Releasing March 7th, 2017
Dr.
Samantha Love says it’s all about the chemistry. A brainy psychology professor
and researcher, Sam has based her entire academic career on the theory that
what we call love is simply a chemical reaction. She is currently running a
study to prove that her compatibility blood test reveals perfect matches—sort
of like an organ donor, but for relationships. No romance required.
Along comes
sexy literature professor, Dr. Ethan Quinn, who says it’s all about the
romance. He thinks the pretty psychology professor has taken love and all its
mysteries and reduced it to something as romantic as a cholesterol test, and he
sets out to prove her theory wrong.
When Ethan
signs up for her study, Sam discovers to her horror, that according to her
compatibility test, they are a perfect match. Sam faces an existential crisis
over her career and her research. If she believes in her science, shouldn’t it
follow that she believes Ethan is her perfect mate? And if she doesn’t believe
he’s her perfect mate, doesn’t that bring into question her research? Her
compatibility test? Her reputation? And her very career?
As Sam struggles with her dilemma, Ethan pursues her with all the romantic
tactics in his arsenal. Will Sam’s theories succumb to his challenge? Or will
Ethan lose the battle for Sam’s heart?
Rebecca
Heflin is
an award-winning author who has dreamed of writing romantic fiction since she
was fifteen and her older sister snuck a copy of Kathleen Woodiwiss’ Shanna to
her and told her to read it. Rebecca writes women’s fiction and contemporary
romance. When not passionately pursuing her dream, Rebecca is busy with her
day-job as a practicing attorney.
Rebecca is a member of Romance Writers of America (RWA), Florida Romance
Writers, RWA Contemporary Romance, and Florida Writers Association. She and her
mountain-climbing husband live at sea level in sunny Florida.
Carries Book Reviews 
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