Hi everyone. I have gotten so many review requests lately that I’m going to have to change my guidelines a little bit. At the Review Requests Policy tab on this blog are instructions for submitting your book for possible review. Unfortunately, a majority of the requests I get do not follow those guidelines. I am just one woman doing this for free, so I’m going to have to start a new policy: Anyone contacting me for a review must follow those guidelines. I have updated the Review Requests Policy, so please check it out when you get a chance. Also please see the new procedures below.
How to Request a Review
The request must simply be titled Review Request in the Subject line. That causes it to be filtered to a folder where I will see it. I will no longer look at emails that do not follow this procedure and do not end up in this folder.
The Review Request must include a link to your book Amazon. I will sometimes pick the book up myself on Kindle Unlimited if an Amazon link is included. This is beneficial to authors, and essentially a gift from me, as that will count towards your pages read if your book is part of KU. So be sure and include the link! If your book is not on Amazon, please let me know in your request.
There is a list at the Review Request Policy tab of genres I am not accepting. Please do not send a request if I am not accepting your genre. It’s nothing personal against your book. These are genres I know I do not enjoy.
There is a list of other situations for which I am not accepting review requests. Please be sure and look through those.
I don’t mind reminder emails, which should also be titled Review Request so they go into the appropriate folder. I am happy to give you an update on the status of your review if I have already accepted the book.
If you get a four-star or five-star review, I would appreciate your sharing my blog post with your social media followers. This helps my blog to grow while I’m helping you. Again, it is voluntary but it seems to be common courtesy to me. Comments and follows on my blog would be great, too. Again, voluntary.
Please be patient. As I’ve said before, I am one person doing these book reviews for no charge because I believe in Indie authors. It takes time to read all of these books.
I’m sorry if I sound strict or impatient right now. I really want this to work so that I can continue to help Indie authors. My goal for this blog has always been to create a community of readers, writers, and bloggers that support each other, and I’d love for it to continue to grow.
**Indie Spotlight is my effort to highlight and promote Indie books. You can help too by sharing this post far and wide. Let’s work together to help Indie authors.
Happy Release Day to Gail Meath! A Bloody Banquet is Book Two of The Stone and Steele Series. The review is below.
BOOK REVIEW
Fashion designer Vivian Steele is excited to attend an awards banquet at the Cocoanut Grove club in Hollywood. Some of the honorees are going to be wearing Vivan’s designs, and she and her best friend Carole Lombard are looking forward to an enjoyable evening. When Carole sees a dead body in the club’s restroom, she immediately calls for help. But when help arrives, the body has disappeared. Vivan begins to investigate, reluctantly allowing playboy Preston Stone to assist her once again. This is the second book in the Stone and Steele Series and can easily be read as a standalone.
This is a wonderful cozy set in Hollywood, and I love the fact that the fabulous Carole Lombard is a supporting character. The mystery is so well crafted, and I did not guess the villain before they were revealed. The backstories of Vivan and Preston continue to be another captivating mystery, and a little bit of that onion is slowly unpeeled in this second book. The ending of this compelling cozy offers more clues into their backstories and hints at an exciting third book in the series to come. Fans of cozy mysteries will enjoy this series, which transports us to the Golden Age of Hollywood.
I received a free copy of this book. I also purchased a copy. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Gail Meath is the author of the multi-award-winning Jax Diamond Mysteries, a fun 1920s series about wise-cracking PI Jax Diamond, his courageous German Shepherd partner, Ace, and Broadway star Laura Graystone, as they, along with a crazy group of friends, solve some of the toughest crimes in New York City. She is alternating that series with her new 1930s Golden Age of Hollywood mysteries series, Stone & Steele, starring Vivian Steele, a widow seeking justice, and Preston Stone, a playboy vigilante.
In both series, the author challenges readers to identify the villains before she reveals them:)
Gail also has a list of other award-winning historical romances, westerns, and fictional biographies of true heroines. She lives in a small village in Upstate New York with her husband and sweet Boston Terrier, and she spends loads of time with her grandchildren.
PURCHASE LINK
Click on the cover to buy this book on Amazon. It’s only $2.99!
BEFORE YOU GO
*After you read the book, be sure and leave a review. Reviews do not have to be complex or fancy. Just a sentence about how it made you feel will help the book succeed on Amazon.
Below are three mini-reviews, From three stars to five, in order. The reviews are short and to the point. For a book description and purchase options, you can click on each cover.
This one never came completely together for me. There is too much telling and not enough showing, which I know is common for Steel’s novels, but did not work here. A major terrorist attack on New York is mentioned but not too closely explored. Kate was the most complex character, in my opinion, and managed to elevate this book a bit.
All in all, it’s not my favorite Steel novel, but I love most of her work.
I received a free copy of this book from the publishers via Netgalley. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.
This is a really clever continuation of The Secret Staircase series, as Tempest and her crew are back, creating illusions in homes and finding themselves in the middle of mysteries. When a former client is killed in their building by a booby-trapped door, Tempest is on the case, trying to exonerate her company and another surprise suspect.
Although this is part of a series, it easily stands alone as the author does a good job of catching the reader up on events. The cast of characters is fun and intriguing, and the story has plenty of twists and turns.
I received a free copy of this audiobook from the publisher via Netgalley. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.
I’ve always been intrigued by books about The Blitz and books about libraries/book clubs. Since this is a combination of the two, I figured it was a “can’t miss.” novel. I was right. Compelling characters and true-to-life descriptions will transport you to 1940 London as you peruse a book in the underground tunnels while bombs drop overhead. Highly recommend.
I received a free copy of this book from the publishers. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.
Have you read any of these books? What did you think?
I reviewed this book for the February issue of Historical Novels Review, the Journal of The Historical Novel Society.
BOOK DESCRIPTION
The bestselling author of The Witch of Tin Mountain and Parting the Veil mines the subtle horrors of 1950s America in a gripping novel about a woman under pressure—from the living and the dead.
The first day of autumn brought the fever, and with the fever came the voices.
Missouri, 1955. Loretta Davenport has led an isolated life as a young mother and a wife to Pete, an ambitious assistant professor at a Bible college. They’re the picture of domestic tranquility—until a local girl is murdered and Loretta begins receiving messages from beyond. Pete dismisses them as delusions of a fevered female imagination. Loretta knows they’re real—and frightening.
Defying Pete’s demands, Loretta finds an encouraging supporter in parapsychologist Dr. Curtis Hansen. He sees a woman with a rare gift, more blessing than curse. With Dr. Hansen’s help, Loretta’s life opens up to an empowering new purpose. But for Pete, the God-fearing image he’s worked so hard to cultivate is under threat. No longer in control of his dutiful wife, he sees the Devil at work.
As Loretta’s powers grow stronger and the pleading spirits beckon, Pete is determined to deliver his wife from evil. To solve the mysteries of the dead, Loretta must first save herself.
BOOK REVIEW
Missouri, 1955. A young girl, Darcy, is missing, which is disturbing enough, but then Loretta Davenport begins seeing visions of the girl’s location, and, sadly, knows where her body can be found. This paranormal ability does not sit well with her husband, a Bible professor at a local college. He’s already upset about her lack of energy and weight gain. Their perfect life seems threatened enough without psychic messages that overwhelm her. After the vision of Darcy, the door to the “other side” seems to open for Loretta, and she begins to see more of the dead. She seeks out a psychologist to try and make sense of it as her life turns upside down.
This story of a 1950s housewife who can suddenly see and receive messages from the dead is so fascinating and compelling that it will be hard to put down. Loretta’s growing abilities and the cracking facade of her life are so well described. The author expertly begins to pull the curtain from Loretta’s marriage and show the truth—her husband is not perfect, and is, in fact, abusive. The combination of a bad marriage and explosive new psychic abilities makes this book shine. The lack of basic rights for women in the 1950s is also explored, as Loretta becomes almost a prisoner in her own home. And a mystery is involved, as Loretta is trying to find Darcy’s killer to save others from the same fate. There is a bit of romance, and a theme of embracing one’s true self. This is a satisfying mix of historical mystery and paranormal fiction that fans of those genres will enjoy. Highly recommended.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Paulette Kennedy is the bestselling author of The Witch of Tin Mountain and Parting the Veil, which received the prestigious HNS Review Editor’s Choice Award. She has had a lifelong obsession with the gothic. As a young girl, she spent her summers among the gravestones in her neighborhood cemetery, imagining all sorts of romantic stories for the people buried there.
After her mother introduced her to the Brontës as a teenager, Paulette’s affinity for fog-covered landscapes and haunted heroines only grew, inspiring her to become a writer. Originally from the Missouri Ozarks, she now lives with her family and a menagerie of rescue pets in sunny Southern California, where sometimes, on the very best days, the mountains are wreathed in fog.
Indie Spotlight is my effort to help promote Indie books. You can help too by sharing this with all your social media followers. Below please see a book description, author bio, narrotor bio, and purchase links for Hayden’s World Volume 1, a collection of hard science fiction stories. A book review is coming soon on Indie Weekend.
BOOK DESCRIPTION
Survival tales in the skies of Uranus, desperate struggles at the solar system’s edge, and near-lightspeed interstellar expeditions await in this hard science fiction collection of seven Hayden’s World short reads:
43 Seconds:
James Hayden has a dream, and the Riggs test vehicle is going to take him there. But when failure after failure leads to his last chance exploding spectacularly, he must partner with an AI and gamble everything for one last shot at the stars.
Silver-Side Up:
Two old friends, a silver space ship, and a perfect day for a test flight.
Erebus:
In 43 Seconds, James Hayden took us to near-light-speed with the world’s first Riggs ship. Now, construction of the second Riggs ship is nearly complete, and in one month Sarah will take the helm. But growing opposition may shut down the program before she gets her chance. When James’s last-ditch publicity stunt traps him light-days from rescue, Sarah must decide just how far she’s willing to go to save a friend.
Signal Loss:
Life aboard the Aristarchus isn’t much of an adventure, and Kyan just wants to do his job and get back to his family. When he discovers a mysterious object at the edge of the solar system and an unexpected contact during comms loss, data running turns life-or-death thirteen billion kilometers from home.
Last Stand:
Kyan testifies about the events in Signal Loss, but other agendas are in play.
Aero One:
Jia can’t breathe, her ship is minutes from breaking apart in Uranus’s atmosphere, and the lifepod just burned up. Things aren’t going well. When her injured engineer’s solution sends them plummeting into the icy stratosphere, they find themselves trapped in a life-or-death battle against time, the elements, and unexpected visitors.
Titan’s Shadow:
In Aero One, Jia nearly lost everything during her encounter with the pirate ship Maya. A year later, she’s trying to restart her life as a freelancer aboard Saturn’s newly-built Cassini Station. But Cassini has its own secrets. When a chance encounter with a past adversary sets old battles in motion, she must unravel the mystery of Titan’s Shadow before more lives are lost.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR (IN HIS OWN WORDS)
S.D. Falchetti
I wrote my first story at the age of eighteen. I had a work/study job at the college computer lab, and, after completing all of my tasks of refilling the printer paper and testing the mice, I sat down and slipped a five-and-a-quarter inch disk into the drive. The Word Perfect screen greeted me with a blinking cursor. Each day I typed out a few more paragraphs, maybe a scene. I’d been reading R.A. Salvatore at the time, and, not surprisingly, wove a tale of elves, wars, and magic swords. I printed the three-hundred-page manuscript on a dot matrix printer, three-hole punched it, and slid it into a black binder. The story rode along with me and five friends in a sixteen-hour road trip to St. Louis, giving me the perfect captive audience for reading my first draft. I remember awaking abruptly at a midnight gas stop, a pop, and firelight flickering from the seams of the car’s hood. The Monte Carlo’s doors opened and I tumbled out onto the asphalt with my friends. Flames shot behind us from the engine. As we scattered, someone yelled for the keys. The driver, panicked, threw them too high and they clinked onto the overhead canopy. The more courageous fetched extinguishers from the mini-mart and sprayed the car fire. It was like spritzing an inferno. Fire trucks wheeled in and firefighters laid down water streams. The engine’s flames burst into the cabin and, with a whoosh like something from the movies, a fireball plumed and billowed out of the windows, the car’s tires popping and rollicking the vehicle. When the firefighters dropped their hoses and ran, we also picked our escape routes. One of the firefighters climbed in the truck, revved the engine, and rammed the Monte Carlo, pushing it clear of the gas pumps in a vortex of sparks and smoke. Our car was left to die in the farthest corner of the parking lot, out of harm’s way. A cavalcade of red and white flashing lights filled the station’s road as the calvary arrived. When the last tongues of flame faded, our car had been reduced to metal bones. We blinked in disbelief as paramedics interviewed us. Three hundred miles. We were stranded three hundred miles from home. No one was hurt, but there was one casualty. My story sat in the backseat.
I tried not to think of this as a sign.
But there was still the computer lab, and the blinking white cursor, and stories to be written. They weren’t very good, but I had fun writing them. I submitted a few to magazines, and like most starting writers, got the polite rejection notes. I completed my degree in mechanical engineering and went on to become an engineer, a husband, a father. The stories took a back seat as life churned on.
One of the perks of being a dad is that you get to tell many stories. Not just stories that you read, but stories you create. Each night when I tuck my daughter in to bed, I say, “What should our story be tonight?”. She gives me the setting, “A little girl and a cupcake factory that’s gone crazy.” It’s a little like a Whose Line is it Anyway sketch, creating the scene on the spot.
And it makes me think of that blinking cursor, and all of those stories I wanted to tell.
So, I opened up my laptop and started pecking away. Technology has changed since those five-and-a-quarter inch disk days, and now I can independently publish. I’m stepping up to the plate, taking a swing at the ball, and seeing how far I can run.
I was born in 1996 and raised in Converse, TX. Growing up, I always watched a lot of animation, which gave me a deep appreciation for voice acting, which only grew as the years went on. Even from a young age, I had a voice that commanded the attention of others. Though not an attention seeker, I always noticed how heads would turn when I spoke, and I was often compared to James Earl Jones and Morgan Freeman, even in middle school. When I chose to pursue a career in culinary arts and work as a food salesman, everyday people would tell me that I should be in radio. With years of public speaking experience thanks to my religious ministry, I finally yielded to all of the advice I had received over the years and finally embraced getting into the world of voice-over by making audiobooks.
Now, I combine my vocal talents with my love of reading to help bring stories to life. When I’m not reading, I’m cooking, baking, or gaming. Whatever I’m doing, I’ve got a story to tell.
This is a comprehensive work that ranks the top 250 musical artists of the past 100 years, across all genres. The author explains in the Introduction how he used the following categories to try and make a fair list:
Popularity, including records sold, concert attendance, and longevity.
Impact, including musical influence and cultural influence.
Honors and Awards, including Halls of Fame, National Medals, and important awards such as Grammys.
Using these categories he created an algorithm of sorts to try and keep out his personal bias.
The main body of the book lists the artists from numbers 250 to 1. There is a profile of each artist which includes the year they began recording, their peak years of popularity, a short biography, and suggested songs for each artist.
I was really impressed by the amount of work that has gone into this. Not only has the author provided a biography and significant details about each artist, but he has gone the extra step of suggesting songs for each one. I was not familiar with some of the artists, so I immediately began listening to some of their suggested songs while I was reading, and this really added to my understanding and appreciation of their work. And now I can’t stop listening to Smokestack Lightning by Howlin’ Wolf.
Some of the rankings will surprise you. There are some artists left off that shocked me, and some not ranked as high as I thought they would be, but this was an enjoyable and informative read. The author himself acknowledges that this list will change in five years, as newer artists gain more popularity, impact, awards, and honors.
If you love music and music history, you will enjoy this look at some of the best. I suggest reading it while listening to the music of some of the great artists portrayed here.
My rating is 4.5 stars, rounded up to 5 on sites with no half-star option.
I received a free copy of the e-book, but my review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Amateur musician, teacher, and historian, Steve Williams has been playing his guitar and singing for decades—on street corners, in sundry bar gigs, even in church, while making his living as a longtime, award-winning classroom schoolteacher across seven different states. Drawing on his lifetime love of music and history, this is Steve’s first published book. He and his wife make their home in Maui.
Nine years ago, with the world’s eyes on her, Charlie Colbert fled. The press and the police called Charlie a “witness” to the nightmarish events at her elite graduate school on Christmas Eve—events known to the public as “Scarlet Christmas”—though Charlie knows she was much more than that.
Now, Charlie has meticulously rebuilt her life: She’s the editor-in-chief of a major magazine, engaged to the golden child of the publishing industry, and hell-bent on never, ever letting her guard down again. But when a buzzy film made by one of Charlie’s former classmates threatens to shatter everything she’s worked for, Charlie realizes how much she’s changed in nine years. Now, she’s not going to let anything—not even the people she once loved most—get in her way.
BOOK REVIEW
Charlie Colbert is the editor of a fashion magazine and engaged to a wealthy publishing heir. She has the world at her feet. But then someone from her past decides to make a movie about horrific multiple murders at her graduate school over ten years ago. Charlie was there, but cannot remember the details. However, what she does know is the story she made up for the police. With the help of her therapist, can she recover her memories? And does she want to?
This is a compelling psychological mystery with secrets that are deeply buried but slowly uncovered as we go along. There are some well-hidden surprises, and the mystery begins to unfold through Charlie’s slowly returning memories of the past. Chapters are simply titled “Now” and “Then,” which differentiates between the present and Charlie’s time at grad school, and this works well. Every character is fascinating and seems to have a secret, and I loved the way the truth is expertly peeled away.
This is a mesmerizing story that will keep the reader enthralled and guessing. Fans of mysteries and psychological thrillers will want to seek this one out.
I received a free copy of this book from St. Martin’s Press via Netgalley. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
(AMASON BIO) Hi! I’m Jenny, a writer and editor from London. My debut novel, EVERYONE WHO CAN FORGIVE ME IS DEAD, will be published by St. Martin’s Press (US) and Little, Brown (UK) on February 6, 2024.
My work has been featured in ELLE, Cosmopolitan, Marie Claire, Bustle, Harper’s Bazaar, and more. I spent ten years in New York, where I worked as a senior editor for Bustle and the deputy editor at Marie Claire. Now the digital director for Marie Claire, I live in London with my husband and our rescue dog, Captain. When I’m not knee-deep in Google Analytics, an edit, or a manuscript, I’m a fierce advocate for developmental coordination disorder, known in the U.K. as dyspraxia, which I was diagnosed with when I was nine.
From single digit temperatures the week before, we went well into the 50s part of the time this past week. So it was a much warmer week. We’ll stay in the 40s this coming week. With the Bengals out of it, I’m rooting for the Chiefs and Lions to win today and go to the Super Bowl. I’m hoping the Lions win it all.
Instagram: I need to increase my engagement on Instagram. I’ve been neglecting it. If you are on Instagram and want to trade likes and follows, I’m BonnieReads777 there.
What’s for dinner: Breakfast for dinner tonight! I’m making French Toast using homemade bread. Bacon on the side.
What are you currently reading? What did you recently finish reading? What do you think you’ll read next?
CURRENT READ
This is the latest Eve Dallas. I’m only about halfway through, but it is COMPELLING. Teenagers are being murdered at clubs, and Eve is on the trail of the killer, who is injecting teens with a lethal substance while they dance, and then slipping away.
JUST FINISHED READING
I did a lot of reading while I was off for Christmas.
CHRISTMAS PIE is another Christmas Story by Jodi Taylor, who always releases a short story on Christmas Day. This is my favorite one ever! For the last several years I’ve enjoyed the Christmas tradition of reading Jodi’s latest story, and I thank her for that. My review is here.
THE WOMAN IN ME by Britney Spears should scare the crap out of you, especially if you don’t have trustworthy people in your life. My review is here.
CHARLIE HUSTLE by Keith O’Brien shares all the dark secrets about Pete Rose, who I still think should be in the Hall of Fame. This isn’t published until April, so my review will come later.
WHAT AM I READING NEXT?
Publisher’s Description:
As 1754 is drawing to a close, tensions between the French and the British on Canada’s Acadian shore are reaching a fever pitch. Seamstress Sylvie Galant and her family–French-speaking Acadians wishing to remain neutral–are caught in the middle, their land positioned between two forts flying rival flags. Amid preparations for the celebration of Noël, the talk is of unrest, coming war, and William Blackburn, the British Army Ranger raising havoc across North America’s borderlands.
As summer takes hold in 1755 and British ships appear on the horizon, Sylvie encounters Blackburn, who warns her of the coming invasion. Rather than participate in the forced removal of the Acadians from their land, he resigns his commission. But that cannot save Sylvie or her kin. Relocated on a ramshackle ship to Virginia, Sylvie struggles to pick up the pieces of her life. When her path crosses once more with William’s, they must work through the complex tangle of their shared, shattered past to navigate the present and forge an enduring future.
I will start this soon. I’m doing a blog tour for this book with Austenprose PR later this month.
Inspired by the true events of the most notorious evictions in Irish history…
1861, Donegal, Ireland
Ten years ago Declan Conaghan’s father died in the Great Famine, and since then, Declan has kept his promise to keep his family out of the workhouse. But all that is threatened with the arrival of new landlord, John Adair. Adair is quick to cause trouble and fear among his tenants. When he turns them off his land, Declan has no option but to break his promise…
Declan is in despair until he receives a letter from America offering him the chance of a new life and salvation for his family. But it would mean signing up to the US Army and fighting for Lincoln. Despite knowing nothing of war, or US politics, Declan leaves behind all he knows.
Set against the wild landscapes of Ireland and the turbulent times of the American Civil War, this sweeping narrative takes us on an epic journey to understand the strength and endurance of the human spirit.
This is the only book on my Netgalley shelf that is late, but I also picked up the audiobook and I’ll be listening to it soon.
UPDATE
Christmas was wonderful. I’m back to work, but luckily I can listen to audiobooks while I drive, and that helps me keep up with my reading. Looking forward to New Year’s and the Rose Bowl. ROLL TIDE!!!
A love match would not do. She would make an advantageous match—a brilliant match!
At the age of nineteen, Lady Dorothea Rowlandson was practically on the shelf. Had she not suffered her father, the earl’s, untimely death weeks before last year’s season, she would surely by now be a married lady—the established wife of an illustrious peer. With such a regrettable delay, time was ever more of the essence if she wished to secure her own future and that of her sisters.
Miles Shaw holds an encumbered estate. It is only logical, therefore, that he commence the London Season on the hunt for a well-dowered wife. His personal code of honor requires he be upfront about this goal, so that he deceives no one. And as he fully intends to love and cherish the wife of his choosing, he will naturally bring as much to the union as he receives. After all, he is a landed gentleman with no shortage of charm.
When chance forced Miles and Dorothea to partner one another for the first dance of the first crush of the season, Fortuna could only have been in a funning mood. To have fostered so unsuitable a connection was nothing short of absurd. For what could a peer of the realm’s daughter and a gentleman of no consequence, with his pockets to let, possibly have in common?
PRAISE FOR A BRILLIANT MATCH
“This book was an absolute delight and without a doubt belongs on the reading list of any fan of sweet regency romance!”— Merilee Loves to Read
“A creative and delightful historical romance, especially for lovers of a good P&P-type story!”— My Literary Love
INSTAGRAM GIVEAWAY
Author Jennie Goutet has generously offered one print or digital copy (winner’s choice) and a $25.00 Amazon gift card as a giveaway chance to one lucky winner.
FOLLOW me @BonnieReads777, Jennie Goutet @aladyinfrance, and @austenprose on Instagram.
COMMENT on my Instagram post sharing your favorite thing to bake during the holiday season and why.
TAG up to 5 friends in the comments. One additional entry per tag.
TERMS
Entrants must be US residents 18 years or older. The contest ends at 11:59pm Pacific Time, December 5, 2023. Void where prohibited. Not associated with Instagram or its affiliates, nor are they responsible for this giveaway. The winner will be chosen randomly from the entries and contacted by @austenprose as a direct message on December 6, 2023. Prize must be claimed by December 10, 2023. Please be aware of scam accounts!
Jennie Goutet is the best-selling author of twelve Regency romances, including the Clavering Chronicles, Memorable Proposals, and Daughters of the Gentry series. Her books have received first place in historical romance for the New England Reader’s Choice Awards and have hit the number one spot in Regency Romance on Amazon. They have been featured on BookBub and Hoopla and are translated into five languages.
An American-born Anglophile, Jennie lives with her French husband and their three children in a small town outside of Paris. Her imagination resides in Regency England, where her best-selling proper Regency romances are set.
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