Category: Women’s fiction

The Art of Inheriting Secrets

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by Barbara O’Neal

When Olivia Shaw’s mother dies, the sophisticated food editor is astonished to learn she’s inherited a centuries-old English estate—and a title to go with it. Raw with grief and reeling from the knowledge that her reserved mother hid something so momentous, Olivia leaves San Francisco and crosses the pond to unravel the mystery of a lifetime.

One glance at the breathtaking Rosemere Priory and Olivia understands why the manor, magnificent even in disrepair, was the subject of her mother’s exquisite paintings. What she doesn’t understand is why her mother never mentioned it to her. As Olivia begins digging into her mother’s past, she discovers that the peeling wallpaper, debris-laden halls, and ceiling-high Elizabethan windows covered in lush green vines hide unimaginable secrets.

Although personal problems and her life back home beckon, Olivia finds herself falling for the charming English village and its residents. But before she can decide what Rosemere’s and her own future hold, Olivia must first untangle the secrets of her past. Continue reading “The Art of Inheriting Secrets” →

Before I Knew

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(The Cabots Book 1)

by Jamie Beck

Author Jamie Beck returns with an engrossing series about family, friendship, and starting over. In this first Cabot novel, a legacy of secrets tests old friends seeking a second chance at life and love.

On the second anniversary of her husband’s suicide, Colby Cabot-Baxter is ready to let go of her grief and the mistakes made during her turbulent marriage. Her fresh start comes in the form of A CertainTea, the restaurant she’s set to open along Lake Sandy, Oregon, with help from her family. But when her executive chef quits just weeks before the grand opening, Colby is pressured to hire old family friend Alec Morgan. His award-winning reputation could generate buzz, but their friendship has withered since her husband’s reckless dare cost Alec’s brother his life.

Distracted by guilty secrets concerning the tragedy that changed his and Colby’s lives, Alec self-destructed and lost his famed restaurant. With his career in tatters, he’s determined to use this opportunity to redeem his reputation and to help the woman he’s loved from afar find happiness again. Continue reading “Before I Knew” →

Happy Release Day to Catherine Bybee’s Half Empty! (Excerpt & Giveaway)

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New York Times bestselling author Catherine Bybee continues her sassy series with another of the First Wives finding that love and secrets are a dangerous combination.

Trina Petrov’s marriage-by-contract was only meant to be temporary. But when tragedy strikes, Trina is left one of the wealthiest women in the world. To recover from the shock, she takes some time off in Italy, swearing not to fall for any men while there. But that doesn’t mean she can’t fall for anyone on the trip home…

Country-music superstar Wade Thomas is lying low in a hotel bar when he gets the cold shoulder from the woman next to him. He’s used to fans fawning at his boots, and Trina is a refreshing change—so is the fact that she has no idea who he is.

As things begin to heat up, Trina discovers that the circumstances of her late husband’s death are not what they seemed. Now she’s in trouble, and Wade isn’t about to let her out of his sight. Getting close to love and danger could get them killed…or it could sweep them both off their feet.

 

Excerpt: 

They closed the bar and took their last round to the hotel lobby.

Wade had to admit he was a bit more than tipsy, and Trina wasn’t exactly sober. She’d tucked her feet under her on the lobby sofa as she described Venice in a way that made him want to visit. Continue reading “Happy Release Day to Catherine Bybee’s Half Empty! (Excerpt & Giveaway)” →

Finding True North (Review)

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by Audrey Wick

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Life in a small town has always suited Paige Fredrick. She loves going to work near the courthouse square and riding her bike nearly anywhere she chooses. But after her divorce, she can hear her neighbors’ whispers and the gossip mill churning.

Everett Mullins has worries of his own as he finds himself back in his hometown, providing temporary care to his ailing mother while trying to run their family farm. A chance meeting reunites him with Paige, his crush from high school. But when he discovers her little white lie, he questions what they’ve started building.

As Paige makes a new life, can she find direction with Everett? Or has too much damage already been done to navigate a romantic relationship built on a lie?

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In Finding True North, debut author Audrey Wick delivers an engaging story about losses, fears, and second chances. Continue reading “Finding True North (Review)” →

Christmas in Evergreen (Review)

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by Nancy Naigle

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

A snowy small town. A snow globe that grants wishes. A love that’s meant to be.

Evergreen, Vermont is about to be in the rearview mirror of Allie Shaw’s vintage red pickup truck. It’s hard to say goodbye to her small town and her veterinarian practice, but she’s moving to Washington D.C., where her big-city-loving boyfriend lives.

Ever since Ryan Bellamy’s wife died, he hardly knows how to celebrate Christmas. He’s decided to take his daughter Zoe to Florida, and Evergreen is just a quick stop on the way to the airport. While they’re there, Zoe partakes in a local tradition, making a Christmas wish on the snow globe at the town diner.

But neither Allie’s nor Ryan’s Christmas goes as planned. They’ve checked their wish lists twice, and they didn’t say anything about meeting someone new…or about a fresh chance at love.

* * *

Embracing new directions on Christmastime.

“Only wishes your heart truly wanted even had a chance of being granted.”
Small towns and Christmastime always create such a heartwarming atmosphere, and if you add Nancy Naigle as storyteller, the result is a beautiful Christmas tale. I already read other books by this author and every time I love her ability to paint sweet and engaging stories. Continue reading “Christmas in Evergreen (Review)” →

Small Town Rumors (Excerpt & Giveaway)

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by Carolyn Brown

Top 5 Biggest Scandals in Bloom, Texas

Everyone is talking about Jennie Sue Baker and the mess she made of her life in New York. The former high school queen bee—and wealthy darling of Bloom, Texas—has returned home after all these years, riding on a common bus and bearing two bounced alimony checks. In a town that thrives on gossip, Jennie’s fall from grace has shamed her mother, set the town buzzing, and caused old, jealous enemies to whisper in delight. They say she’s taken a job as a housekeeper, gotten a garage apartment, and might be crushing on Rick Lawson, a simple farmer with modest dreams.

As romance starts to bud, Jennie relishes what it means to follow her heart, find real new friends, and finally be herself—regardless of all the lying town chatter. But fate has another twist in store. Rumor has it that Jennie now stands to lose what matters most . . . unless she can convince Rick of one true thing—and that’s love.

***

Welcome to Bloom, Texas, where the gossip is hotter’n than the peppers in Rick’s garden. Bloom is located just north of Sweetwater where the land is so flat that you can see all the way to where the earth curves. Well, maybe not that far but it goes out there for miles until it finally meets the sky. It always reminds me of a child’s drawing. He/she makes a line on their paper. Above it is sky with fluffy clouds. Below it is grass with wildflowers. The streets are wide and the bus comes through on the way to Sweetwater once a day. Continue reading “Small Town Rumors (Excerpt & Giveaway)” →