Rest in Peach by Susan Fulong - Review

I received this book in exchange for a fair and honest review

Published: February 7, 2017

Number of pages: 304

Genre: Cozy Mystery

Series: Georgia Peach Mystery #3

Synopsis:

The author of Rest in Peach serves up another bite of Southern charm in the latest Georgia Peach mystery.

Nola Mae Harper is too busy restocking the jars of preserves and chutney flying off the shelves of her shop, Peachy Keen, to keep up with all the gossip about the upcoming mayoral election, but she does know the debate is sure to be a real barn burner. 

Local farmer Clem Rogers claims he has a bombshell that could take small business owner Margie Price out of the running. But before Clem can reveal his juicy secret at the debate, his actual barn goes up in flames--with him inside of it. The town casts its vote against Margie, but Nola isn't convinced the hardworking woman is capable of murder. Now to clear Margie's name Nola will have to work fast under pressure, before Margie gets taken in by the fuzz... 

INCLUDES RECIPES!

My thoughts:

This was a fun addition to the Georgia Peach Mystery Series. Going back to this little town is liking visiting family again and I just love the names of the businesses. I like the characters and how they all play off of each other. This was a fast read for me which I needed. I also like how the author kept me guessing until the end. Nola is not only independent but she knows what needs to be done and she does it. She also gets help from her friends to try and clear Margie's name. I am looking forward to the next book in this series and to see what Nola gets herself involved in next. 

About the author: 

Susan Furlong the author of the Georgia Peach Mystery series and the forthcoming dark suspense novel, SPLINTERED SILENCE, the first book of Bone Gap Travellers Mysteries. She also contributes to the New York Times bestselling Novel Idea Mysteries under the pen name Lucy Arlington. She has worked as a freelance writer, academic writer, ghost writer, translator, high-school language arts teacher, and martial arts instructor. Raised in North Dakota, she graduated from Montana State University with a double major in French and Spanish. She and her family live in central Illinois. Visit her on Facebook or at www.susanfurlong.com.

Two Empresses by Brandy Purdy - Review

I received this book in exchange for a fair and honest review

Published: January 31, 2017

Number of pages: 384

Genre: Historical Fiction

Synopsis:

1779, France. On the island paradise of Martinique, two beautiful, well-bred cousins have reached marriageable age. Sixteen-year-old Rose must sail to France to marry Alexander, the dashing Vicomte de Beauharnais. Golden-haired Aimee will finish her education at a French convent in hopes of making a worthy match.

Once in Paris, Rose’s illusions are shattered by her new husband, who casts her off when his mistress bears him a son. Yet revolution is tearing through the land, changing fortunes—and fates—in an instant, leaving Rose free to reinvent herself. Soon she is pursued by a young general, Napoleon Bonaparte, who prefers to call her by another name: Josephine.

Presumed dead after her ship is attacked by pirates, Aimee survives and is taken to the Sultan of Turkey’s harem. Among hundreds at his beck and call, Aimee’s loveliness and intelligence make her a favorite not only of the Sultan, but of his gentle, reserved nephew. Like Josephine, the newly crowned Empress of France, Aimee will ascend to a position of unimagined power. But for both cousins, passion and ambition carry their own burden.

From the war-torn streets of Paris to the bejeweled golden bars of a Turkish palace, Brandy Purdy weaves some of history’s most compelling figures into a vivid, captivating account of two remarkable women and their extraordinary destinies

My thoughts;

This was a very interesting book. I liked learning about two new things in history. Yes I knew who Josephine was but did not know her name was actually Rose, but I have not actually read anything about her before. I also did not know who Aimee was. The author did a good job in her research. You can tell by way she writes. The descriptions of land, places and people made me feel as if I was walking the streets of Paris or the halls of the Turkish palace. It was fun how the book told both of the cousin's stories. This story was actually told at a steady pace for a historical book which was nice for reading it. I look forward to the next book by Brandy. 

About the author:

Brandy Purdy is the author of several historical novels. When she's not writing, she's either reading, watching classic movies, or spending time with her cat, Tabby. She first became interested in history at the age of nine or ten when she read a book of ghost stories that contained a chapter about the ghost of Anne Boleyn haunting the Tower of London. Visit her website at http://www.brandypurdy.com for more information about her books. You can also follow her via her blog at http://brandypurdy.blogspot.com where she posts updates about her work and reviews of what she has been reading.

A Fatal Romance by June Shaw - Spotlight

Published: January 24, 2017

Genre: Cozy Mystery

Series: Twin Sisters Mystery #1

Synopsis:

Fixing up homes can be tricky.
Finding true love can be even trickier.
But finding a killer can be plain old deadly . . .

Twin sister divorcees Sunny Taylor and Eve Vaughn have had their fill of both heartaches and headaches. So when they settle down in the small Louisiana town of Sugar Ledge and open a remodeling and repair company, they think they’ve finally found some peace—even though Eve is still open for romance while Sunny considers her own heart out-of-business.

Then their newest customer ends up face-down in a pond, and his widow is found dead soon after. Unfortunately, Sunny was witnessed having an unpleasant moment with the distraught woman, and suspicion falls on the twins. And when an attempt is made on Eve’s life, they find themselves pulled into a murder mystery neither knows how to navigate.

With a town of prying eyes on them, and an unknown culprit out to stop them, Sunny and Eve will have to depend on each other like never before if they’re going to clip a killer in the bud.

About the author:

From the bayou country of South Louisiana, June Shaw previously sold a series of humorous mysteries to Five Star, Harlequin, and Untreed Reads. Publishers Weekly praised her debut, Relative Danger, which became a finalist for the David Award for Best Mystery of the Year. A hybrid author who has published other works, she has represented her state on the board of Mystery Writers of America’s Southwest Chapter for many years and continued to serve as the Published Author Liaison for Romance Writers of America’s Southern Louisiana chapter. She gains inspiration for her work from her faith, family, and friends, including the many readers who urge her on. For more info please visit juneshaw.com.

http://www.juneshaw.com/
https://twitter.com/juneshaw
https://www.facebook.com/june.shaw.338
http://www.ekensingtonbooks.com/author.aspx/31823

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January 23 – Laura’s Interests – REVIEW

January 24 – Sleuth Cafe – SPOTLIGHT

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January 28 – A Blue Million Books – GUEST POST

January 29 – 3 Partners in Shopping, Nana, Mommy, & Sissy, Too! – SPOTLIGHT

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January 31 – Reading Is My SuperPower – REVIEW

February 1 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

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Masked to Death by Christina Freeburn - Guest Post and Giveaway

Published: January 24, 2017

Paperback: 238 pages

Genre: Cozy Mystery

Series: Faith Hunter Scrap This Mystery #5

Synopsis:

A Caribbean cruise is the perfect setting for a Roget wedding, and Faith meeting Ted’s family. She also hopes the vacation gets their stalled romance moving, but it doesn’t take long for that dream to capsize. Ted’s daughter hates her. The ex-wife is adored. Odessa Roget is surly. And the banned father of a groom, John Roget, requests Faith’s assistance in bringing down a jewel theft ring masterminded by his ex-wife.

Having had a man she loved accuse her of a crime, Faith won’t let Odessa travel down the same path and agrees to help. Faith sets her course on uncovering the true criminals—which might be a groom’s best friend. The romantic week turns disastrous as a wedding is interrupted, suspicious deaths point to murders, and Ted’s daughter schemes to reunite her parents. Instead of diamonds being a girl’s best friend, Faith finds they’re cruising toward Davy Jones’ Locker.

About the author:

The Faith Hunter Scrap This Mystery series brings together Christina Freeburn’s love of mysteries, scrapbooking, and West Virginia. When not writing or reading, she can be found in her scrapbook room or at a crop. Alas, none of the real-life crops have had a sexy male prosecutor or a handsome police officer attending.

Christina served in the JAG Corps of the US Army and also worked as a paralegal, librarian, and church secretary. She lives in West Virginia with her husband, children, a dog, and a rarely seen cat except by those who are afraid or allergic to felines.

Author Links –
Webpage: www.christinafreeburn.com
Blog: www.theselfrescueprincess.wordpress.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Christina-Freeburn-Author/245592138834150
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ChristinaFreeb1
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/ChristinaFreeburn

Purchase Links – Amazon – B&N – iTunes – kobo – Hen House

Guest Post:

Scrapbooking and Murder: 

How Does It Go Together? 

By Christina Freeburn 

One of the questions I’m asked a lot is why I chose to combine scrapbooking and murder in my cozy mystery series. On first glance, it doesn’t seem there would be enough tension or situations where a heroine would come across murders, but on another look you see that scrapbooking involves family—and nothing brings out a protective nature or anger like family.

I’ve been scrapbooking for almost eighteen years, beginning when my youngest was two as I wanted to tell some of the stories of our family. Around the same time, I started writing again with a goal of being published. I had been writing since I was a freshman in high school but it was mainly for me, to get out my thoughts and emotions and create the type of life I wished I had. The first books I wrote were police procedurals and while I liked writing them I didn’t enjoy researching and writing the graphic details I felt needed included for the books to sound authentic.

I always loved mysteries and wanted to write in the genre so I considered my hobby. Could I write a series where the heroine was a scrapbooker? I played around with the idea some, coming up with a couple of different plot ideas that could work. I knew then it was good fit. Scrapbooking revolves around families, documenting the good and the bad, adventures, our past and our present, and even sometimes the private areas of our lives we feel are important for family history, yet are truths we don’t want broadcasted to communities and enemies, present the perfect back drop for murder.

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January 27 – Bibliophile Reviews – REVIEW, INTERVIEW

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February 1 – A Blue Million Books – INTERVIEW

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February 4 – A Holland Reads – GUEST POST

February 5 – 3 Partners in Shopping, Nana, Mommy, &, Sissy Too! – GUEST POST

February 6 – Pulp and Mystery Shelf – INTERVIEW

February 7 – Laura’s Interests – REVIEW

The Worthington Wife by Sharon Page - Review

I received this book in exchange for a fair and honest review

Published: December 27, 2016

Number of pages: 448

Genre: Romance, Historical Fiction

Series: Roaring Twenties #2

Synopsis:

Sharon Page sparkles in this poignant and irresistibly entertaining follow-up to her breakout novel, An American Duchess

Lady Julia Hazelton is the most dazzling among 1920s England’s bright young things. But rather than choosing the thrill of wanton adventure like so many of her contemporaries, Julia shocks society with her bold business aspirations. Determined to usher the cursed Worthington estate into a prosperous, modern new era, and thus preserve her beloved late fiancé’s legacy, the willful Julia tackles her wildest, most unexpected adventure in Cal Carstairs, the reluctant new Earl of Worthington.

The unconventional American artist threatens everything Julia seeks to protect while stirring desires she thought had died in the war. For reasons of his own, Cal has designed the ultimate revenge. Rather than see the estate prosper, he intends to destroy it. But their impulsive marriage—one that secures Julia’s plans as well as Cal’s secrets—proves that passion is ambition’s greatest rival. Unless Cal ends his quest to satisfy his darkest vendetta, he stands to ruin his Worthington wife and all her glittering dreams.

Purchase Links

Amazon | Books-A-Million | Barnes & Noble

My thoughts:

I enjoyed reading this book. The author did a good job of getting the details right for the time period so I could really get a sense of the time and place. I also thought the characters were well developed. They were very likable. For me the the romance really added to the story. A side note - I do not usually read books from this time period but there is something about a book set in England that just gets me. The author did a good job of transporting you right into the story. 

About the author:

New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author Sharon Page is author of more than 20 books. Sharon has won two RT Bookreviews Reviewers’ Choice Awards, two National Readers’ Choice Awards, the Colorado Award of Romance, and the Golden Quill.

The mother of two children and wife of a terrifically supportive husband, Sharon has a degree in Industrial Design and worked in structural engineering before fulfilling her dream of becoming an author.

Connect with Susan
Website | Facebook | Twitter

Tour Stops:

Monday, January 23rd: The Maiden’s Court

Tuesday, January 24th: Deborah Blanchard

Wednesday, January 25th: Let Them Read Books

Thursday, January 26th: Buried Under Romance – excerpt

Friday, January 27th: From the TBR Pile

Monday, January 3oth: A Chick Who Reads

Tuesday, January 31st: Books that Hook

Wednesday, February 1st: Laura’s Reviews

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Wednesday, February 8th: A Bookish Way of Life

Thursday, February 9th: What I’m Reading

Friday, February 10th: Cindy Burnett

Monday, February 13th: A Night’s Dream of Books

Wednesday, February 15th: The Sassy Bookster – excerpt

Wednesday, February 15th: Books a la Mode -excerpt

Thursday, February 16th: Patricia’s Wisdom

Friday, February 17th: View from the Birdhouse

A Palette for Murder by Sybil Johnson - Spotlight and Giveaway

Published: January 31, 2017

Number of pages: 268

Genre: Cozy Mystery 

Series: Aurora Anderson Mystery #3

Synopsis:

A killer heat wave settles over Seagull Lane…

Summer’s sizzling in Vista Beach, the home of computer programmer and tole-painting enthusiast Aurora (Rory) Anderson. The abnormally high temperatures are hard on everyone in the quiet Los Angeles county beach community, especially the city’s homeless population. Residents are doing everything they can to stay cool, including leaving windows open to catch the faintest breeze. Not the best idea when a string of burglaries is plaguing nearby towns.

Still, Rory doesn’t expect to find her neighbor’s body just a few doors down. When suspicion falls on a friend and fellow painter, Rory must discover the truth before the police paint the wrong picture and send her friend away permanently.

About The Author

Sybil Johnson’s love affair with reading began in kindergarten with “The Three Little Pigs.” Visits to the library introduced her to Encyclopedia Brown, Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle and a host of other characters. Fast forward to college where she continued reading while studying Computer Science. After a rewarding career in the computer industry, Sybil decided to try her hand at writing mysteries. Her short fiction has appeared in Mysterical-E and Spinetingler Magazine, among others. Originally from the Pacific Northwest, she now lives in Southern California where she enjoys tole painting, studying ancient languages and spending time with friends and family.

Author Links
Website: www.authorsybiljohnson.com
Facebook Author page: www.facebook.com/sybiljohnsonauthor
Twitter: www.twitter.com/sybiljohnson19
GoodReads: www.goodreads.com/SybilJohnson
Publisher: http://henerypress.com/paint-the-town-dead/

Purchase Links
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February 7 – View from the Birdhouse – SPOTLIGHT

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Lord of the Privateers by Stephanie Laurens - Review and Giveaway

I received a copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review

Published: December 27, 2016

Number of pages: 512

Genre: Romance

Series: The Adventurers Quartet #4

Synopsis:

The eldest of the Frobisher brothers and widely known as the lord of the privateers, Royd Frobisher expects to execute the final leg of the rescue mission his brothers have been pursuing. What he does not expect is to be pressured into taking his emotional nemesis, childhood sweetheart, ex-handfasted bride, and current business partner, Isobel Carmichael, with him. But is it Isobel doing the pressuring, or his own restless unfulfilled psyche?

Resolute, determined, and an all but unstoppable force of nature, Isobel has a mission of her own—find her cousin Katherine and bring her safely home. And if, along the way, she can rid herself of the lingering dreams of a life with Royd that still haunt her, well and good.

Neither expects the shock that awaits them as they set sail aboard Royd’s ship, much less the new horizons that open before them as they call into London, then, armed with the necessary orders and all arrangements in place, embark on a full-scale rescue-assault on the mining compound buried in the jungle.

Yet even with the support of his brothers and their ladies and, once rescued, all the ex-captives, Royd and Isobel discover that freeing the captives is only half the battle. In order to identify and convict the backers behind the illicit enterprise—and protect the government from catastrophic destabilization—they must return to the ballrooms of the haut ton, and with the help of a small army of supporters, hunt the villains on their home ground.

But having found each other again, having glimpsed the heaven that could be theirs again, how much are they willing to risk in the name of duty?

Praise for the works of Stephanie Laurens

“Stephanie Laurens’ heroines are marvelous tributes to Georgette Heyer: feisty and strong.” —Cathy Kelly

“Stephanie Laurens never fails to entertain and charm her readers with vibrant plots, snappy dialogue, and unforgettable characters.” —Historical Romance Reviews

“Stephanie Laurens plays into readers’ fantasies like a master and claims their hearts time and again.” —Romantic Times Magazine

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Purchase Links

Amazon | Books-A-Million | Barnes & Noble

My thoughts:

I enjoyed being able to go back to this series and return to the mission that the brothers were on. The author did a good job of bringing out the history of the time in this book. I thought the characters were well developed. There was plenty of adventure as well as romance in this book a good way to spend a weekend. Another thing I liked about this book was how the female characters were strong and just important to the story. The author did a good job of finishing up this series. This book can be read as a stand alone but I recommend you read the entire series. 

About the author:

New York Times bestselling author Stephanie Laurens originally began writing as an escape from the dry world of professional science. Her hobby quickly became a career; she has been writing historical romance novels for more than 20 years. Currently living outside Melbourne, Australia with her husband and two cats, she spends most of her days writing new stories in her signature ‘Errol Flynn meets Jane Austen” style.
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Connect with Stephanie
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TOUR STOPS:

Monday, January 16th: The Sassy Bookster

Wednesday, January 18th: Bibliotica

Friday, January 20th: Reading Reality

Monday, January 23rd: Buried Under Romance

Tuesday, January 24th: Dwell in Possibility

Wednesday, January 25th: The Romance Dish

Friday, January 27th: A Chick Who Reads

Monday, January 30th: From the TBR Pile

Monday, January 30th: Let Them Read Books – Excerpt

Wednesday, February 1st: A. Holland Reads

Friday, February 3rd: Becky on Books

Monday, February 6th: Broken Teepee

Tuesday, February 7th: Laura’s Reviews

Wednesday, February 8th: Black ‘n Gold Girl’s Book Spot

Friday, February 10th: The Maiden’s Court