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Wednesday, April 30, 2025

Book Review for Mothers of Fate by Lynne Hugo

 

Mothers of Fate by Lynne Hugo

Published:  April 22, 2025 by Blank Slate Press

 

Taken from Goodreads:  From award-winning novelist Lynne Hugo, Mothers of Fate, a masterful story of three women and a young man navigating the complexities of adoption and its aftermath that raises a question for every reader. Does fate direct our lives—or do our own choices?

Deana Wilkes, who's needed braces to walk since a disabling accident long ago, seeks out Monica Connell, an attorney, to find the child she was forced to relinquish in a closed adoption thirty years ago. Back then, Deana believed that the passion between her and Tony, her married boss, meant they were destined for each other. It was wrong, Deana knew, but believed it was also meant to be. Tony's long gone now, and Deana's constructed a life out of the wreck of their affair. She's ready to finally make things right and meet her son. But Monica's wife, Angela, was adopted herself after an early history of abandonment and foster homes. Devoted to the memory of her parents, she's certain that closed adoptions need to remain closed unless the adoptee seeks contact. She draws a red Monica cannot take the case. Monica, though, feels compelled to help Deana by her own complicated history, one she's never revealed to Angela. As this wedge between them hardens, will Angie or Monica have the best custody claim to their own beloved adopted baby? Nobody knows what Deana's son wants, including his adoptive parents. Not even redheaded Suzanne, and the possibility of love. After all, as an Iraq war vet and a long-distance truck driver, Daniel knows everything about hitting the road to avoid the confusion that's plagued his life. Lynne Hugo's thirteenth novel takes on the reverberating effects of sexual power dynamics in the workplace and vividly portrays lingering psychological wounds as characters struggle to reconcile self-determination with the sacrifices love demands.

My Thoughts:  Mothers of Fate is my book of 2025.   It is a book that is going to stay with me forever.   I am going to reread this book often and feel that I will find something different that will pull at my heart.  

Every character in this book has a story to tell.   Each story pulled at my heart in a different and special way.  I did not choose one character to connect with, I chose many.   It was easy to cheer them on, to want to be their friend, to want to understand what they are going through and how they feel.  

Mothers of Fate is a special book.  It is a book full of emotion and family drama.  

Thank you GetRedPR for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

 

Add to your MUST-READ list on Goodreads

Purchase your own copy on Amazon


Meet the Author (taken from her website):  Lynne Hugo is an American author whose roots are in New England. A National Endowment For the Arts Fellowship recipient, she has also received repeat individual artist grants from the Ohio Arts Council and the Kentucky Foundation for Women. Her publications include eleven novels as well as a memoir, Where the Trail Grows Faint, which won the Riverteeth Creative Nonfiction Book Prize. Her latest novels are The Language of Kin (7/2023) and A Matter of Mercy, 10th Anniversary Edition (8/2024). She has also published two books of poetry and a children's book. Hugo lives with her husband, a photographer, in the Midwest. The couple are parents of two, have three grandchildren, and an energetic beagle/Lab mix who excels at barking, retrieving tennis balls, and terrorizing squirrels.

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Book Review for Love, Lies, and Whiskey: Doc Whiskey by Melissa Foster

 

The Whiskeys: Dark Knights at Redemption Ranch #4

Love, Lies, and Whiskey: Doc Whiskey by Melissa Foster

Published:  April 30, 2025 by World Literary Press

Taken from Goodreads:  Get ready to fall hard for the mysterious Seeley “Doc” Whiskey and the one woman he never thought would walk back into his life, in this sexy and emotional second-chance standalone romance. The Whiskeys: Dark Knights at Redemption Ranch is a small-town, big-family series of standalone romance novels featuring fiercely loyal, insanely sexy bikers who give horses—and people—a second chance. No cliffhangers, no cheating, and a happily ever after that will leave you breathless.


First loves that were ripped apart, and the epic love that saves them.
At nineteen, Seeley “Doc” Whiskey fell hard for the governor’s daughter, and then she was torn away. He risked his life and his family’s legacy to get her back, only to find out that everything he believed about her was a lie. His heart has been locked down ever since.

Betrayed by everyone she loves, Juliette Chambers has been through hell and back. Now a single mother and veterinarian, Juliette moves back to Colorado to start over. The last person she expects to run into is the man who completely destroyed her.

A chance encounter turns into a moment of fury, sending them into an emotional maelstrom. Tears and accusations fly and passion ignites, but in their wake they discover a trail of secrets and lies and a life-changing blow that takes them to their knees.

My Thoughts:   Love, Lies and Whiskey has all the feels.  Seeley and Juliette’s story tore my heart out, gave me hope for the future, and then it was torn out again.    There was so much love, so much heart ache, and so much Whiskey Family.   

Doc deserved this book, he deserved every word of this book.   His story is a true Whiskey story and Juliette is his perfect match.    I devoured Love, Lies and Whiskey.  The story is full of twists and turns, ups and downs, and love.   So much love.   Never had Doc felt what he felt for Juliette.  They have that love that starts young and grows with them.

Thank you Melissa Foster for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

Add to your MUST-READ list on Goodreads

Purchase your own copy on Amazon


Meet Melissa Foster (taken from her website):  Melissa Foster is a New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling and award-winning author of more than 100 novels. She writes sexy and heartwarming contemporary romance and women’s fiction with emotionally compelling characters that stay with you long after you turn the last page. Melissa’s emotional journeys are lovingly erotic, always family oriented, and feature fiercely loyal heroes, smart, sassy heroines, and complex relatable issues.

Follow Melissa on Facebook or Instagram

 

Tuesday, April 29, 2025

Release Blitz for Destructively Mine by Krista & Becca Ritchie

 


Destructively Mine by Krista & Becca Ritchie is now live! 



FROM THE AUTHORS OF THE TIKTOK SENSATION, ADDICTED TO YOU!


Ex-grifter Phoebe Graves' new life threatens to come crashing down around her in the next unputdownable novel from the New York Times bestselling authors of the Addicted series.

As the daughter of a con artist, Phoebe Graves only knew a life of swindling the rich until her best friend and fellow grifter, Hailey Tinrock, proposed an idea to start a new, honest life in a wealthy college town of Connecticut. Once there, they decided to leave behind their deceitful tricks and be truthful for once. But you know what they say about best intentions. . . .

While Phoebe is fake-dating Jake Waterford, the third-born son to an uber-wealthy and influential family, she's actually dating and falling deeper in love with Brayden "Rocky" Tinrock—Hailey's older brother. To make matters more complicated, Phoebe's mother shows up out of the blue with conniving match-making designs of her own.

Her mother's arrival threatens to unravel Phoebe's plans. To keep her love, her friends, and her newfound happiness, Phoebe will have to return to her old games . . . and win.


  Download today on Amazon, Apple Books, Audible, Barnes & Noble, Google Play, Kobo!


Amazon: https://bit.ly/3Rm6CsJ

Apple Books: https://bit.ly/4cI1E3b

Barnes & Noble: https://bit.ly/4jncP3N

Kobo: https://bit.ly/4lA8dca

Google Play: https://bit.ly/4iqVLsn


Audible: https://bit.ly/3Di81gt

Narrated by: Aaron Shedlock & Carly Robins


Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3WlOEZv

Meet Krista & Becca



​Krista & Becca Ritchie are New York Times and USA Today bestselling authors and identical twins—one a science nerd, the other a comic book geek—but with their shared passion for writing, they combined their mental powers as kids and have never stopped telling stories. They love superheroes, flawed characters, and soul mate love. 

 

Connect with Krista & Becca

Website: https://www.kbritchie.com/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7056935.Krista_Ritchie

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Krista-Ritchie/author/B00DEHIAO4

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

Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/fizzleforce/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kbmritchie

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@kbritchie

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/krista-ritchie

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/kbmritchie/

Other: https://www.patreon.com/kbritchie

Release Blitz for Gold Coast Dilemma by Nana Malone

 


Gold Coast Dilemma by Nana Malone is now live! 


From USA TODAY bestselling author Nana Malone, a romance about a Ghanaian American heiress faced with the dilemma of choosing between culture and a love connection. 


During an opulent publishing party, Ofosua Addo crosses paths with Cole Drake for the first time. Their flirtatiously witty exchange culminates in a kiss that etches a permanent mark on both their hearts.


But Ofosua’s identity as a Ghanaian heiress comes before Cole. She loves the vibrant traditions of Ghana’s Gold Coast, and her hand is already promised to a man that even her overbearing mother loves. Yet, when her big Ghanaian wedding transforms from a fairy tale into a spectacle, she’s thrust into a whirlwind of heartbreak and self-discovery.


In the midst of it all, Cole enters her life once again, under circumstances far different from their magical first encounter. Can Ofosua and Cole’s rediscovered spark overcome the weight of tradition?


  Download today on Amazon, Apple Books, Barnes & Noble, Google Play, Kobo!

https://bit.ly/3VvDL88


Audible: https://bit.ly/4jkyHgd

Narrated by: Soneela Nankani and Tim Paige


Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3XvY0lP

Meet Nana



Wall Street Journal & USA Today Bestselling author, Nana Malone writes Sexy Feel-Good Romance and loves all things romance and adventure.

That love started with a tattered romantic suspense she "borrowed" from her cousin. It was a sultry summer afternoon in Ghana, and Nana was a precocious thirteen year old. She's been in love with kick butt heroines ever since. With her overactive imagination, and channeling her inner Buffy, it was only a matter a time before she started creating her own characters.


Sign up for my VIP Reader List to find out when my next release is: https://geni.us/nananl

Connect with Nana

Website: www.nanamalone.com

Goodreads: http://bit.ly/NanaMaloneGR

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2Wwz3t9

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

Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/NanaMalonesSassyReaders/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nanamalonewriter/

X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/NanaMalone

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@nanamalone1

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/nana-malone

Release Blitz for Play It Off by Monica Murphy

 


Play It Off by Monica Murphy is now live! 


From bestselling author Monica Murphy comes a sweet, sexy story about the secret crush between a college QB and his teammate's sister, and the obvious chemistry that keeps them in the huddle.

Sienna

I've had a thing for Gavin Maddox ever since I was a freshman, but it's a mission doomed to fail. Of all the guys I could have picked on campus, I had to go too far with the quarterback, my brother's best friend.

We've spent the last two years avoiding each other. It's not that easy when you have the same friends, not to mention I can't forget the way it felt to be with him. But I can be civil. Polite. Detached.

I think...

Gavin

Sienna Cooper is off limits--except for that one time. I can't forget it, but I need to forget her if I want to keep my head in the game. This is my senior year and, more importantly, my last season of college football. I can't let anything distract me.

I've respected Sienna's boundaries for this long. I can do it for another year.

...Can't I?


  Download today or read for FREE with Kindle Unlimited

Amazon: https://bit.ly/3PoNoSj


Audible: https://geni.us/PIOAudible

Narrated by: Avery Caris & Victor Quixabas


Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3PxU0O1


Meet Monica



Monica Murphy is a New York Times, USA Today, and international bestselling romance author. Her books have been translated in almost a dozen languages and have sold over two million copies worldwide. Both a traditionally published and independently published author, she writes young adult, new adult and contemporary romance.


A native Californian, she lives on fourteen acres in the middle of nowhere with her husband, son, their goofy dog, and three cats. When she’s not writing, she’s thinking about writing. Or reading. Or binge watching something.

 

Connect with Monica

Website: http://monicamurphyauthor.com

Goodreads:  http://bit.ly/MonicaMurphyGR

Amazon:  http://amzn.to/1YUl0Vm

Facebook: http://bit.ly/MonicaMurphyFB

Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/monicamurphyreadergroup/

Instagram: http://bit.ly/MonicaMurphyIG

Twitter: http://bit.ly/MonicaMurphyTW

Bookbub: http://bit.ly/2ZAthV1

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/msmonicamurphy/

Release Blitz for Quietly Yours by L.H. Cosway

 



Quietly Yours by L.H. Cosway is now live!



Ada Rose never expected to find herself homeless in her thirties. Then again, she also never thought she’d encounter a man as heartless as Jonathan Oaks. Her job managing a care home for the elderly is a struggle and the sudden death of her father and stepmother—who she had been living with— has thrown her world into disarray. The house is left to Jonathan, her stepmother’s estranged son, and he wants Ada gone ASAP.


In fact, he’s given her a week to pack her things and move out.


As a resident in the home, Ada knows she has certain rights but her pride gets the better of her. If Jonathan wants her gone then she’ll go, and finding herself out of options, resorts to sleeping in her car. But she’s a survivor and has gotten through a lot worse.


After a week and still finding no apartments in her price range, Ada is getting desperate. She receives a call from Jonathan requesting she come collect some of her late father’s belongings. She doesn’t expect him to be there when she drops by, and after he takes one look at Ada’s possessions stuffed into her car she’s filled with a sense of shame. Resentment, too, because he’s the very reason her life has been upended.


Being a wealthy investment banker, Ada anticipates Jonathan’s disdain for her situation but it never comes. Instead he mentions a vacant apartment he owns and offers to rent it to her for a reasonable price. Not willing to look a gift horse in the mouth, Ada accepts his offer. But what she doesn’t realise is that the apartment is right next door to Jonathan’s, and becoming his neighbour means getting to know him a whole lot better.


Quietly Yours is book #3 in L.H. Cosway’s Quiet Love Series and can be read as a standalone.




 Download today or read for FREE with Kindle Unlimited!

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DYK5MLS8  

Amazon Worldwide: https://geni.us/Lqhm     


Goodreads: https://bit.ly/43imwvw 



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Meet L.H. Cosway



L.H. Cosway lives in Ireland. Her inspiration to write comes from music. Her favourite things in life include writing stories, food, and of course, books. She thinks that imperfect people are the most interesting kind. They tell the best stories. 

 

Connect with L.H.

Website | www.lhcoswayauthor.com   

Goodreads | https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5622223.L_H_Cosway   

Amazon | https://bit.ly/3XrRu09 

Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/LHCosway     

Facebook Group |  https://www.facebook.com/groups/805513539567594/     

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/l.h.cosway/    

Bookbub |  https://www.bookbub.com/authors/l-h-cosway     

Pinterest https://www.pinterest.com/lhcosway13/       

Newsletter |  https://lhcoswayauthor.com/newsletter/