The Perfect Sister by Sheryl Browne

 

Book Description:

‘You don’t know me, but I’m your sister.’

Claire is shocked when she receives a message out of the blue from Sophie, a beautiful young woman who tells Claire that she’s their father’s secret child. Having spent years nursing her sweet little daughter Ella through a life-threatening illness whilst dealing with the emotional fall-out of a devastating marriage breakdown, Claire feels tentatively excited to meet Sophie. Perhaps she might finally have someone in the family to lean on…

As Claire welcomes her sister into her life, she’s delighted to see just how much Ella loves her new Aunt Sophie. But as the pair spend more time together, Claire begins to wonder where exactly her perfect new sister came from and what kind of person she really is. With their elderly father’s mind rapidly deteriorating, is it possible that he’s hiding something from Claire about Sophie’s sudden appearance in their lives?

When Sophie suggests a family day at the seaside, little Ella is beyond excited. But as Claire takes an important phone call from her demanding ex-husband, leaving Sophie in charge of Ella, something unthinkable happens. And as Claire rushes into the ice-cold sea towards the small, limp figure of her daughter, she realises that Sophie was watching the whole time. But why would Sophie want to hurt Claire’s precious daughter? Was trusting her new sister with Ella the biggest mistake of Claire’s life?

If you enjoyed The Girl on the Train, My Lovely Wife and Lucinda Berry’s The Perfect Child, you’ll love this heart-stopping psychological thriller from bestselling author Sheryl Browne.  

 My Thoughts

So many secrets...so many lies...this family is seriously dysfunctional! Sheryl Browne's latest book is a domestic thriller that left me trusting...nobody!!!

You find out you have a sister. Surprise! Yet it is as your father is falling victim to Alzheimer's disease. He said he doesn't know about her. Is he lying or is it really that the disease is robbing him of this memory? I found myself questioning the mysterious and convenient timing of Sophie showing up. I couldn't believe how accepting Claire was of her newly found sister. She literally had no evidence other than Sophie's word. Was Sophie legit or just trying to get her piece of the inheritance?

As if there wasn't enough stress, add to the fact that Claire's marriage is slowly falling apart. The finely  protective shell she has so carefully built around her daughter Ella is burst into a million pieces. Does Claire not see this??!! I wanted to scream OMG Claire open your eyes!!!

Meanwhile...her husband Luke is leading a secret life. Even though Luke evokes a great deal of disgust from me, I have to agree with him on one point...what do we really know about the newly found sister Sophie?

These characters were really well developed and not very likeable. Yesss!  I always like a bunch of unfavorable characters. I wanted to give everyone a lie detector test, except for dear little Ella!

Thank you so much to Bookouture for having me along on this blog tour!

Author Bio:

Sheryl Browne writes psychological thriller and edgy contemporary fiction. A member of the Crime Writers’ Association, Romantic Novelists’ Association and awarded a Red Ribbon by The Wishing Shelf Book Awards, Sheryl has several books published and two short stories in Birmingham City University anthologies, where she completed her MA in Creative Writing.

www.sherylbrowne.com

https://www.facebook.com/SherylBrowne.Author/ @SherylBrowne

Purchase Links:

Amazon: http://bit.ly/36n3y5x

Kobo: http://bit.ly/2tEc8zM

Apple Books: https://apple.co/2Ro7ui9

Google Play: http://bit.ly/2vjrnhW

Apartment Six by Stuart James

Book Description:

Be careful what you wish for…

When Meagan was five years old her mother was viciously attacked and murdered.

Now an adult, she herself is the victim of an abusive relationship. Meagan is desperate to escape but doesn’t have the courage to leave.

So, when Meagan meets Oliver, a decent guy who is on the rebound after a failed relationship, the two strike up a connection. But when Meagan confesses that her husband is abusive, it leads Oliver down a dark and dangerous path.

Just how far would you go to protect someone?

Oliver is about to find out and be pushed to his very limits…

 My Thoughts

Shut the front door! No really- shut it, dead bolt it, get a guard dog. Especially if you are anywhere near Apartment Six. Terrifying, violent, bad things happen in and around Apartment Six and I had a front row seat thanks to Stuart James. This book is a clever psychological thriller that checked all the boxes for me. It was terrifying and disturbing yet I could not look away! I flew through this book as I could not wait to find out what was really going on.

My heart absolutely broke for Megan ( the woman living in Apartment Six). Her life was a living hell with her abusive husband Rob who constantly tortured her with his physical and mental abuse often fueled by drugs and alcohol. I wanted to wrap my arms around her and tell her to get out while she still could. Then she met Oliver...........could Oliver be the answer to her prayers?

I must tell you this book had so many surprising twists and turns. I thought I knew right where this was going and then...nope! Totally wrong. I love that we get to see Megan's past and understand why little Meggy is perhaps so tolerant of this abuse as she had quite a troubled childhood. I literally reached a point where I threw down the book and screamed " Noooo freaking way" as there was a  twist that was so shocking. Then I quickly picked up the book and said damn that was brilliant!

I loved reading the dynamics between Oliver and Megan. Oliver made me laugh with his inner dialogue he had. How far will Oliver go to win over Megan? So many deeply disturbing events unraveling in this book! A creepy vibe as I could just picture the apartment and it's not so savory neighbors. I loved this book and I can't recommend it enough!

Thank you so much to Sarah from Book on the Bright Side for inviting me along on this blog tour! Stuart James - thanks for turning out one heck of a thriller!

Author Bio:

I have always loved scary stories, especially ones that shocked me, left me terrified, looking under my bed or in the wardrobe before going to sleep.
There was just a fantastic buzz whenever I watched or read something that took my breathe away.
I remember going to my nan’s house in Ireland as a youngster with my mother and sister, on the West Coast, staying in a cottage, surrounded by miles of fields and my family sitting around the table in the kitchen at night telling ghost stories. Going out and exploring derelict farmhouses in the middle of nowhere. I remember clearly the field at the end of the road was supposed to be haunted by headless nuns.
My cousins often remind me of the great times we had, frightening each other and running for our lives whenever we’d see something that didn’t look right.
This is why I love nothing more than to tell a story.

I started writing two years ago, penning The House On Rectory Lane.
I got the idea from something that has often seemed scary to me. I know that a terrifying story has to be something that you’re frightened of doing, something that makes the hairs stand on the back of your neck, something that fills you with dread, yet also with excitement.
To me, the thought of going to a house in the middle of nowhere, upping and leaving a busy town and moving to the country is something that scares lots of people and me: the seclusion, the quiet, the darkness.
That’s what inspired me to write my first novel.

My second thriller is called Turn The Other Way.
I have multiple stories running, past and present. A family who want answers from the surgeon responsible for their daughter’s death.
A young woman looking for her parents after they go missing from a party.
A couple driving home and hearing screams for help from the back of the van in front of them.
A serial killer on the loose in North London, dragging victims off the street.

I’m so grateful when people not only read my thrillers but also take the time to get in touch and leave a review. To me, that is the greatest feeling, hearing from people that have enjoyed my work. I know then that I’m doing something right.

I’m currently working on my new thriller, Apartment Six, which Will be released 29th of January.

I’m 45, married and have two beautiful children. Currently, I’m a full-time plumber but would love nothing more than to make a living from my writing.
I hope I write stories and people continue to enjoy them for years to come. That would be completely amazing and a dream come true.
stuartjamesthrillers.com

@StuartJames73

https://www.facebook.com/stuartjamesauthor/

The Woman in the Park by Teresa Sorkin and Tullanh Holmqvist

About The Book: 

Release Date: August 26,2019

Beaufort Books 

When Manhattanite Sarah Rock meets a mysterious and handsome stranger in the park, she is drawn to him. Sarah wants to get away from her daily routine, her cheating husband and his crazy mistress, her frequent sessions with her heartless therapist, and her moody children.

But nothing is as it seems. Her life begins to unravel when a woman from the park goes missing and Sarah becomes the prime suspect in the woman’s disappearance. Her lover is nowhere to be found, her husband is suspicious of her, and her therapist is talking to the police.

With no one to trust, Sarah must face her inner demons and uncover the truth to prove her innocence.

A thriller that questions what is real-with its shocking twists, secrets, and lies—The Woman in the Park will leave readers breathless.

My Thoughts

 

Sarah Rock's husband is cheating on her...she just knows it...she can feel it deep down and all the signs are there. She even knows who it is...it is that girl that he works late into the night with. Sarah is absolutely devastated, yet she keeps hoping it will get better. Even her kids know that dad isn't going to show up for dinner dates or their school events. Sarah just wants things to go back the way they used to be...in the beginning when they were a happy family.

Wow! I really felt for Sarah as she was so deeply distraught. As Sarah tried to cope with her husband's infidelity she started to hang out and read at the park. It helped her to relax and escape her reality. Except one day she meets a handsome stranger, one that seems to take a keen interest in her. It feels great to have someone pay attention to her and take an interest in her thoughts and feelings. Does she dare take this any further?

Sometimes you walk away from a thriller and you try to absorb what you just read. You are left dumbfounded as to how the author was able to blindside you so hard that you literally could feel the moment that you realized you have in fact been blindsided. So many twists and turns yet so expertly written. This wasn't a thriller that the twists came out of left field and you are left frustrated. Nope this is so cleverly written that at the end you are saying...nicely done, I hope you are writing another one soon! I loved this book and highly recommend getting  your hands on a copy!

I had heard so many good things about this book and I was so excited to be invited along on this blog tour! Thank you so much to  Suzy from Suzy Approved Book Tours! Thank you for this gorgeous gifted hardback copy from Beaufort Books.

About The Authors:  

Teresa Sorkin 
For as long as Teresa can remember she has loved the world of storytelling.  Her passion for writing began at an early age. She loves Teresa Sorkin’s passion is stories – creating, writing, telling, sharing and producing them.Teresa went on to study Marketing and Writing at New York University and with her degree she landed a job at RAI Italian Television as a television host and producer.  She worked as a News Producer and worked on documentaries that highlighted her love of telling a story through images and prose. She later went on to develop television and film for MTV, A&E and sold her screenplays to various studios including Miramax.  

Teresa has produced shows for various American networks, including MTV and Bravo. She helped develop “The Hills” and “Girl, Get Your Mind Right!,” which aired in 15 different countries. She has worked on many projects under first look deals with The Weinstein Company and DIGA, run by Tony Disanto and Liz Gately. She was a journalist and news producer for many years working on many significant international news stories.

In early 2000’s, Teresa took courses in screenwriting and production and proceeded to help pro- duce Jay-Z’s documentary, “Fade to Black”. Shortly after, she was offered a first look deal with The Weinstein Company, where she created ideas for film, scripted and reality TV until its recent filing. She has helped cast and produce for companies like Bungalow Media and Tru Entertainment. She also created her own show “The X Effect” and sold her first screenplay to Ben Affleck’s production company.

Teresa received her degree in Marketing and Media from New York University (NYU). While studying at Bocconi University in Milan, she modeled During one of her shows, a producer from RAI TV tapped her to be their fashion and entertainment correspondent. She then hosted her own entertainment show at RAI for several years, where she interviewed Leonardo DiCaprio, Nicole Kidman, Tom Cruise and many other celebrities.

When Teresa isn’t working on the best next story, she spends time with her husband Ian and two children Jaden and Isabella and their dog Coco.

https://teresasorkin.com/

Social Media:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thewomaninthepark/

Instagram: https://instagram.com/teresasorkin

Twitter: @TeresaSorkin

Tullan Holmqvist

Tullan Holmqvist is an investigator, writer and actor and is the coauthor of the psychological thriller novel and screenplay The Woman in the Park with producer Teresa Sorkin. Tullan's work as a private investigator has included global fraud investigations, financial due diligence and art cases. She has a master's degree in political science from the University of Florence; literature and language degrees from universities in France and Italy; and screenwriting and acting studies at New York University, Boston University, Michael Howard and HB Studios. Originally from Sweden, Tullan lives in New York with her composer-attorney husband Giovanni and two sons. www.tullanh.com

https://www.tullanh.com/

Social Media:

Instagram: https://instagram.com/tullanh

Twitter: @tullanh

The Other People by C.J. Tudor

Hands down Tutor's best book in my opinion! An absolute thrill ride that kept my mind in high gear for the entire read. There were no moments of slow burn in this book for me.

The "dark web" we have all heard of it, but what really is out there on the dark web? Is there a group of people that have decided that payback is a bitch?! You do me wrong, you are going to get what is coming to you? Wow I was enthralled with this whole thing. I would prefer not to know the answer to that question...No thanks, I am good....... C.J. Tudor your google history must be crazzzzyyy! LOL.

This was such a carefully created plot that it truly kept me in the dark (in a fantastic way) the entire book. It is not often that you can say you truly did not know what direction this was taking. Heck half the time I really wasn't sure each character was really who I thought they were.

Imagine the terror you would feel being stuck in traffic, behind a crappy car...you are bored and studying the numerous crazy bumper stickers on the car..then you see her...is that your daughter? No it couldn't be her in the rear window of a strangers car...yet it is..she mouths "daddy". I mean wow that is just the beginning of the shocking and crazy things going on. I kept wondering...hmmm what did Gabe do to bring this on? Are "The Other People" checking Gabe off their list? Revenge is sweet?

I can't recommend this book enough! I must admit I have read this author's last two books and I liked them but I wasn't jumping up and down yelling I LOVE THIS BOOK...Yet.......I am with this one...5 stars from start to finish! (less)

The Sun Down Motel by Simone St. James

 

OMG I am speechless! Well not really..but can I give this book 10 stars??!!! Adding this to my list of all time favorite thrillers. Yes, it was that good. So many good things about this book, where do I even start?

I think what made this book so special was the feelings it gave me. The creepy, chills down my spine- feelings I had the entire book! I am not sure how an author can manage to spin such an atmospheric feel with words that you are entirely caught up in the whole vibe. How is this really possible? It is though...trust me. I was at the Sun Down Motel..yep I was. I could hear the ice maker rattling down the hallway, I could smell the musty smell of years of neglect. I could feel myself gearing up for fight or flight as I knew something really bad was going to happen. I could visualize the dirty carpet and thin, stained bedspreads....Ewwwww...

That is just one of the many factors that made this book absolutely fantastic. The story line was so interesting that I was captivated the whole time. With a dual time line of an aunt that had gone missing in 1982 and her niece who wanted answers to questions in 2017, it constantly kept you on your toes. Especially when Carly decides to work at the Sun Down Motel doing the exact same job as her aunt Viv did twenty years prior. Did I mention Viv went to work one night and never came home? Not much has changed at The Sun Down Motel. No flipping way would I last one single night there.....hells to the NO!

As you guessed it, I loved this book. Perhaps going to be my favorite book of the year? Okay I hear you, it is only January 15th but I guarantee we will be having this same conversation at the end of the year. This book is that good.

The Little Bookshop on the Seine by Rebecca Raisin

THE LITTLE BOOKSHOP ON THE SEINE

Author: Rebecca Raisin 

ISBN: 9781335012500

Publication Date: 1/7/2020

Publisher: HQN Books

Book Summary:

It’s The Holiday on the Champs-Élysées in a great big love letter to Paris, charming old bookstores and happily-ever-afters!

When bookshop owner Sarah Smith is offered the opportunity for a job exchange with her Parisian friend Sophie, saying yes is a no-brainer—after all, what kind of romantic would turn down six months in Paris? Sarah is sure she’s in for the experience of a lifetime—days spent surrounded by literature in a gorgeous bookshop, and the chance to watch the snow fall on the Eiffel Tower. Plus, now she can meet up with her journalist boyfriend, Ridge, when his job takes him around the globe.

But her expectations cool faster than her café au lait soon after she lands in the City of Light—she’s a fish out of water in Paris. The customers are rude, her new coworkers suspicious and her relationship with Ridge has been reduced to a long-distance game of phone tag, leaving Sarah to wonder if he’ll ever put her first over his busy career. As Christmas approaches, Sarah is determined to get the shop—and her life—back in order…and make her dreams of a Parisian happily-ever-after come true.

My Thoughts

A book about a bookshop?! Count me in! What is not to like?! Have you seen the cover? I am in love.

Sarah Smith loves her little bookshop in her quaint little town in Connecticut. Life is good for Sarah, she knows everyone, has a great group of girlfriends and a drop dead gorgeous boyfriend. What more could a girl want? Will she be willing to walk away from all this for six whole months? You bet! When Sophie begs her to switch places so she can escape her cheating ex, Sarah realizes this is a chance of a lifetime. Sarah will be managing Once Upon a Time bookshop in Paris while Sophie will take over The Bookshop on the Corner in Connecticut. 

Sounds like a fairytale right? Until Sarah arrives in Paris to a not so warm welcome. The staff of Once Upon a Time gives her the cold shoulder, business is off the chain and Sarah just can't seem to fit in with the Paris locals.

My heart went out to Sarah as she tried to fit in. The author captures that feeling of "being new" perfectly. Sarah being new to the bookshop had no one she could trust or confide in. She felt alone and alienated. She had left a perfect life for this! Then she began to question if her long distance relationship could stand this latest test or will she find a new love in Paris?

This was my first book that I have read by this author and it was an absolute delight. Fantastic developed characters that made my heart melt. I see many more Rebecca Raisin books in my future!  A lovely story in a fantastic setting.

Thank you so much to Harlequin for inviting me along on this blog tour!

Buy Links: 

Harlequin 

Indiebound

Amazon

Barnes & Noble 

Books-A-Million

Target 

Walmart

Google

iBooks

Kobo

Author Bio: Rebecca Raisin is the author of several novels, including the beloved Little Paris series and the Gingerbread Café trilogy, and her short stories have been published in various anthologies and fiction magazines. You can follow Rebecca on Facebook, and at www.rebeccaraisin.com

Social Links:

Author Website

Twitter: @JaxandWillsMum

Facebook: @RebeccaRaisinAuthor

Instagram: @RebeccaRaisinWrites

Goodreads

A Dark Matter by Doug Johnstone

 PUBLICATION DATE: 23 JANUARY 2019 | PAPERBACK ORIGINAL | £8.99 | ORENDA BOOKS  
A DARK MATTER by Doug Johnstone


After an unexpected death, three generations of women take over the family funeral-home and PI businesses in the first book of a brilliant, page-turning and darkly funny new series The Skelfs are a well-known Edinburgh family, proprietors of a long-established funeral-home business, and private investigators. When patriarch Jim dies, it’s left to his wife Dorothy, daughter Jenny and granddaughter Hannah to take charge of both businesses, kicking off an unexpected series of events.Dorothy discovers mysterious payments to another women, suggesting that Jim wasn’t the husband she thought he was. Hannah’s best friend Mel has vanished from university, and the simple adultery case that Jenny takes on leads to something stranger and far darker than any of them could have imagined.As the women struggle to come to terms with their grief, and the demands of the business threaten to overwhelm them, secrets from the past emerge, which change everything... It’s a compelling and tense thriller and a darkly funny, warm portrait of a family in turmoil. 

My Thoughts

So you say you are going to take over the family business...hmmm you sure you can handle that?!  A Dark Matter, is in fact dark indeed. Dark in all my favorite ways. It was a gritty, humorous at times read, that was all kinds of wrong. Just read the opening paragraph and you will be hooked! Go ahead and peek, you know you want to.

When Jim Skelf passes away the family business must go on. Except the family business is a "hands on" type of work, one where you can't be afraid to get a little dirt on your hands....literally...or some bodily fluids...the family business is a funeral home- they handle everything from picking up the bodies to hosting the funeral. So when Jenny Skelf decides to take over for her father and her 70 year old mother decided to help, well things get interesting. Add in the fact that dear dad was also a private investigator things get all kinds of crazy.

Digging up corpses, missing people, things that go bump in the night, human BBQ's....yes, I just said there was a human BBQ, you heard right. This book has so much going on that you would think it would be hard to keep track, but it all flowed nicely. Working in emergency medicine, I enjoy a bit of dark, deathly humor and the author deliverers this nicely. I have to admit that some details did make a cringe a bit, but it just added to the atmospheric vibes. Several mysteries going on that all were nicely wrapped up in the end kept me highly engaged the entire book.

Wait, what this is going to be a series???!!! YES please! I can't wait for the next book. Sign this girl up for book #2!!

Thank you so very much to Anne Carter from Random Things Tours for this invitation on this fantastic blog tour!!!

Doug Johnstone is the author of ten novels, most recently Breakers (2018), which has been shortlisted for the McIlvanney Prize for Scottish Crime Novel of the Year. Several of his books have been bestsellers and award winners, and his work has been praised by the likes of Val McDermid, Irvine Welsh and Ian Rankin. He’s taught creative writing and been writer in residence at various institutions – including a funeral home – and has been an arts journalist for twenty years. Doug is a songwriter and musician with five albums and three EPs released, and he plays drums for the Fun Lovin’ Crime Writers, a band of crime writers. He’s also player-manager of the Scotland Writers Football Club. He lives in Edinburgh.

The Other Gloria by L.A. Villafane



About The Book: 

Release Date: 8/5/19

255 pages

The truth lies in what she can't remember. There is another who harbors her unspeakable secrets. Meeting her is where the danger lies.

On a dark January night in 2019, Gloria finds herself behind the wheel of a car, beaten and covered in blood. She has no idea where she’s coming from, or where she might be headed. After pulling to the side of the road, she begins to fade out of consciousness.

The next thing she experiences is waking in bed next to a man who should be her beloved fiancé, Rick. However, she soon discovers it is her dangerous ex-husband, Charles, whom she thought she had escaped two years earlier, in 2017. She eventually finds that the year she was woken to is 2003, and she is living her life with this abusive man all over again.

Due to the abuse she endured, Gloria suffers from dissociative disorder, which has stolen the memories of her two young daughters growing up. There is another who holds these memories; the Other Gloria. She thinks maybe God has given her a do-over, and she might be able to do better, stay present, and recover the lost memories of their childhood. She knows, to do this, she must escape Charles once again. 

Gloria’s plan for escaping this time around includes finding Rick, who doesn’t know she exists in 2003, but she soon comes to the realization that meeting Rick will not be enough. She knows she must do the one thing she never wanted to do – meet the Other Gloria and finally discover the unspeakable secrets she holds.

My Thoughts

This book started out with a bang- Gloria looking down at her bloodied hands in the driver seat of a car, wondering whose car this was. How did she get there? What has she done? That was just the start of my many questions and Gloria's.

This book kept my mind constantly trying to piece together what was reality and what might be Gloria's reality. Dealing with severe abuse at the hands of her ex husband Charles, she tended to "blank out" certain parts of her life, in an effort to cope with what she has been through. It was fascinating how she subconsciously was able to do so. So you can imagine my surprise and terror when Gloria wakes up in bed next to Charles.

Alternating between chapters titled "before" and "after" I constantly was trying to figure out- before what and after what??? As we learned more and more about Gloria's rocky past I began to wonder how this was going to play out.  Was she really back with Charles? Was she dreaming this? Gloria was living in a constant state of terror trying to figure out how she got back to this time in her life. What happened to the new life she had made for herself?

A book that kept me guessing to the very end. An interesting book that portrays how the struggles of an abused person dealing with dissociative disorder can struggle to know what is really reality. I found myself  wondering if Gloria would make it out alive.

Thank you so much to Suzy Approved Book Tours for having me along on this tour! Thank you to L.A.  Villafane for a signed copy of her book!

About The Author:

Lori Villafane lives in Granbury, Texas, with her husband Larry, her standard poodle, Doodle, and a sassy tabby rescue named Diva. When She's not writing, she enjoys helping Larry build and refurbish houses. She loves anything DIY, which includes writing. Although her debut novel, The Other Gloria, is a work of fiction, she has drawn from her own experience living with dissociative disorder to create Gloria.

Social Media:

Instagram: https://instagram.com/lavillafanewriter

Twitter: @othergloria

Husband Material by Emily Belden

 

Husband Material : A Novel 

Emily Belden

On Sale Date: December 30, 2019

9781525805981, 1525805983

Trade Paperback

$15.99 USD, $19.99 CAD

Fiction / Romance / Romantic Comedy 

304 pages

Summary:

Told in Emily Belden's signature edgy voice, a novel about a young widow's discovery of her late husband's secret and her journey toward hope and second-chance love.

Twenty-nine-year-old Charlotte Rosen has a secret: she’s a widow. Ever since the fateful day that leveled her world, Charlotte has worked hard to move forward. Great job at a hot social media analytics company? Check. Roommate with no knowledge of her past? Check. Adorable dog? Check. All the while, she’s faithfully data-crunched her way through life, calculating the probability of risk—so she can avoid it.

Yet Charlotte’s algorithms could never have predicted that her late husband’s ashes would land squarely on her doorstep five years later. Stunned but determined, Charlotte sets out to find meaning in this sudden twist of fate, even if that includes facing her perfectly coiffed, and perfectly difficult, ex-mother-in-law—and her husband’s best friend, who seems to become a fixture at her side whether she likes it or not.

But soon a shocking secret surfaces, forcing Charlotte to answer questions she never knew to ask and to consider the possibility of forgiveness. And when a chance at new love arises, she’ll have to decide once and for all whether to follow the numbers or trust her heart.

My Thoughts

Cuteness alert! I loved this funny, snarky little rom-com! Grab your Firken ( fake Birken) and dive right into the world of Charlotte Rosen. This book just made me feel good. I smirked many of times while reading this book because this girl was just so funny.

What's not to like about Charlotte? She has got it going on. Living in LA she is privy to all the hip things (do people even use that word anymore)?! She has a cool job at The Influencer Firm which is featured in Forbes as being one of the best up and coming companies to work for. She has an adorable dog named Leno ( yes, after Jay Leno). She lives with her crazy, weird roommate Casey( that she found on Craigslist) EEEEK!  OH and her in-laws hate her because she killed their son Decker. That about covers it! Meanwhile she is on Tinder, Bumble and whatever else dating site trying to find her perfect match.

As you guessed it there is more to this story. I am going to leave that right there so I don't spoil this adorable story for you. You would think that this story would be a bummer since Charlotte is a widow searching for love. Yet somehow the author has such a knack for shifting gears and turning a serious situation into a hilarious one right as you start to feel like you may turn into an ugly crying mess.

Charlotte's funny stories- such as the time she went to the farmers market "We must be filming a pilot for HDTV" when surrounded by all the vine ripe tomatoes. Or dropping her husband ( who is dead) under a table, standing in a bathroom stall listening to her coworkers make fun of her fake Birken- and she continued to carry it! This was fun from page one until the very end. Let's just say I needed this!

Thanks so much to Graydon House / Harlequin for having me along on this blog tour!

Author Bio:

EMILY BELDEN is a journalist, social media marketer, and storyteller. She is the author of the novel Hot Mess and Eightysixed: A Memoir about Unforgettable Men, Mistakes, and Meals. She lives in Chicago.

Social Links:

Author website: http://www.emilybelden.com/

Twitter: @emilybelden

Instagram: @emilybelden

Facebook: @emilybeldenauthor