Sweet Water by Cara Reinard

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FTC: I received a free copy of this book from Partners In Crime Book Tours in exchange for my honest review. I received no other compensation and the opinions expressed in this review are one hundred percent true and my own.

Sweet Water, by Cara Reinard, was an exciting book.  I enjoyed this story, but I didn’t like Sarah right from the start.  The author did a great job of making the characters seem like they are real people, which is why I didn’t like Sarah.  I understood her, but I would never have married her husband, and I wouldn’t have done the things that she did.  I was frustrated with her and her choices throughout most of the book.  I didn’t like her husband’s family either because there is nothing worse than rich people who get away with everything.  The author did a great job of making all the characters come alive as I was reading.   I felt like I was reading a true story, which doesn’t happen very often when reading fiction.  I enjoyed this author’s writing, and I can’t wait to read more by her in the future.  She did a great job creating a book that seemed like the characters were real people, and like they lived in the same world that I do.  If you love books that you get lost in a while reading, I would for sure recommend this book to you.

About The Book

Genre: Domestic Thriller, Crime Fiction
Published by: Thomas & Mercer
Publication Date: January 1st 2021
Number of Pages: 364
ISBN: 1542024935 (ISBN13: 978-1542024938)

What did her son do in the woods last night? Does a mother really want to know?

It’s what Sarah Ellsworth dreamed of. Marriage to her childhood sweetheart, Martin. Living in a historic mansion in Pennsylvania’s most exclusive borough. And Finn, a teenage son with so much promise. Until…A call for help in the middle of the night leads Sarah and Martin to the woods, where they find Finn, injured, dazed, and weeping near his girlfriend’s dead body. Convinced he’s innocent, Sarah and Martin agree to protect their son at any cost and not report the crime.

But there are things Sarah finds hard to reconcile: a cover-up by Martin’s family that’s so unnervingly cold-blooded. Finn’s lies to the authorities are too comfortable, too proficient, not to arouse her suspicions. Even the secrets of the old house she lives in seem to be connected to the incident. As each troubling event unfolds, Sarah must decide how far she’ll go to save her perfect life.

Sweet Water Reviews:

“An unsparing account of ‘rich people problems’ that goes on forever, like all the best nightmares.” —Kirkus Reviews

About The Author

Cara Reinard is an author of women’s fiction and domestic. She currently lives north of Pittsburgh with her husband, two children, and Bernese mountain dog.

For more information, visit:
http://www.carareinard.com
Goodreads
BookBub – @CaraReinard
Twitter – @carareinard
Instagram – @carareinard
Facebook – Cara Reinard, Author

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Shadow Ridge by M.E. Browning

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FTC: I received a free copy of this book from Partners In Crime Book Tours in exchange for my honest review. I received no other compensation and the opinions expressed in this review are one hundred percent true and my own.

Shadow Ridge by M.E. Browning was a great book.  I can’t remember a time recently where I enjoyed a book this much.  I can’t wait to read more from this author in the future, especially more books in this series.  I fell in love with this book right from the first page, and as the book went on, I fell more and more in love.  I didn’t want to put this book down until I was finished reading.  This was one of those books that I stayed up too late reading on more than one occasion, which isn’t something that often happens to me.  I loved that this author gave the right amount of details, so I didn’t get bogged down in all of them, but I also didn’t wish that she had spent more time describing other scenes.  As you can see I loved this book and its author.  I can’t wait to see what comes in this series.  If you love mystery books as I do, you will love this book and need to pick it up and give it a read.

About The Book

Genre: Mystery (police procedural)
Published by: Crooked Lane Books
Publication Date: October 6th 2020
Number of Pages: 395
ISBN: 1643855352 (ISBN13: 9781643855356)
Series: A Jo Wyatt Mystery, #1

Death is one click away when a string of murders rocks a small Colorado town in the first mesmerizing novel in M. E. Browning’s A Jo Wyatt Mystery series.

Echo Valley, Colorado, is a place where the natural beauty of a stunning river valley meets a budding hipster urbanity. But when an internet stalker is revealed to be a cold-blooded killer in real life the peaceful community is rocked to its core.

It should have been an open-and-shut case: the suicide of Tye Horton, the designer of a cutting-edge video game. But Detective Jo Wyatt is immediately suspicious of Quinn Kirkwood, who reported the death. When Quinn reveals an internet stalker is terrorizing her, Jo is skeptical. Doubts aside, she delves into the claim and uncovers a link that ties Quinn to a small group of beta-testers who had worked with Horton. When a second member of the group dies in a car accident, Jo’s investigation leads her to the father of a young man who had killed himself a year earlier. But there’s more to this case than a suicide, and as Jo unearths the layers, a more sinister pattern begins to emerge–one driven by desperation, shame, and a single-minded drive for revenge.

As Jo closes in, she edges ever closer to the shattering truth–and a deadly showdown that will put her to the ultimate test.

About The Author

M.E. BROWNING served twenty-two years in law enforcement and retired as a captain before turning to a life of crime fiction. Writing as Micki Browning, she penned the Agatha-nominated and award-winning Mer Cavallo mysteries, and her short stories and nonfiction have appeared in anthologies, mystery and diving magazines, and textbooks. As M.E. Browning, she recently began a new series of Jo Wyatt mysteries with Shadow Ridge (October 2020).

Micki is a member of Mystery Writers of America, International Thriller Writers, and Sisters in Crime—where she served as a former president of the Guppy Chapter. A professional divemaster, she resides in Florida with her partner in crime and a vast array of scuba equipment she uses for “research.”

Catch Up With M.E. Browning On:
MEBrowning.com, Goodreads, BookBub, Instagram, Twitter, & Facebook!

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Her Secret Agent Fake Fiance (A Christmas Romance) by Kimberley Montpetit

When she was in Paris, Kimberley Montpetit spent all of her souvenir money at the La Patisserie shops with their gorgeous and delicious pastries. 
She grew up in the fabulous city of San Francisco, hides a stash of anything chocolate and caramel when she can get away with it, and now lives in a small town along the banks of the Rio Grande with her engineer husband and three sons. 

Can two clashing agents survive gunshots, murderous millionaires, and dangerous covert snooping? Most importantly, will their own hearts betray them in the end?

Our Heroine: Erin Steele, FBI Agent. Alias: Cassandra Fairfax, oil heiress.
Her Partner: Braden Moretti, CIA Special Ops. Alias: Marcus Romero, Erin’s drop-dead gorgeous date with a talent for driving her crazy.

Where: A fancy Christmas party at the mansion of the wealthiest man in San Francisco.

Undercover Assignment: Fake Fabergé jewels selling for ten million bucks. A sting operation to take down the bad guys, of course . . . it’s all in a night’s work. 

Biggest Blunder: An encounter under the mistletoe that goes horribly wrong . . . or perfectly right?


◆ Fall in love with Romantic Suspense that includes intrigue and danger – all wrapped up in a red Christmas bow!

◆ Included in this romance: Agent Erin Steele’s special Christmas morning recipe and pictures of a stunning Faberge jewel!

◆ Visit the author at http://www.KimberleyMontpetit.com for a free gift.  

  
  

Author Interview:


What is your favorite Wintertime Activity?

Staying warm and reading! Baking lots of cookies plus lemon tarts from an old-fashioned recipe of my grandmother who emigrated from England. Holiday shopping, singing, and decorating with my kiddos. 

How many unpublished / half-finished books do you have in progress?

Hmm. I tend to finish books I begin (which is fortunate!), but I have lots of ideas and some outlines of book ideas and plots. I wrote a LOT of books which I call my “practice novels” that have never been published. 

 

What was the most surprising thing you learned when creating your book (in research or in yourself?) 

I’ve learned over the years how much I adore research and learning new things and new cultures and new places around the world, including intriguing people and historical events with mysteries. I like to read books about my subject, online articles and watch documentaries. For this new Christmas book it was all about the world of Faberge! The artistry and unique designs and craftsmanship are truly stunning. The man was a genius and craftsman bar none. Pair that with the end of the Victorian Era through WWI and the Russian Royal family and there are lots of stories to tell! 

 

Tell us about the greatest Christmas gift you ever received. 

 My first two sons were born in the fall and they were infants during their first Christmas and that was always so special thinking about Christ as a newborn baby and holding them and trying to imagine what it was like when Mary only had Joseph to help her during the difficult circumstances she was in for delivering her first child. I admire her so much for her faith and pure love. 

Last year I had another great Christmas gift–my own life. I *died* 5 times (5 Code Blues with the defibrillator and went without oxygen for 10 minutes) and was in a coma for a week, but so many miracles happened to preserve my life that it still feels surreal to me that I’m still here. My gratitude is immense for wonderful doctors and the miracle that happened that terrible night, including God’s daily blessing of life and my family!  

 

What inspired you to write this novel?

I’m part of a writer’s group that helps one another and cheers each other on and last year we decided we’d all do a Fake Fiancé Christmas book in a series. I was excited to do one since I hadn’t ever written a fake fiancé romance before and had always wanted to try. We had our beautiful and snazzy covers designed for the series and then my very sudden health issue happened that landed me in the hospital for weeks and in recovery for months afterward which means my Christmas book never got finished or published. 

I actually forgot about the book during my rehab and recovery (no writing happened for about 8 months). When I finally began writing again, I finished another book for a series that just needed the final book – Mostly Perilous, The Women of Ambrose Estate. It was finished in August and it’s one of my all-time favorites. 

A month later, I thought, “Hey, I have a cover for a Christmas romance that I forgot about – I need to write that!” And Her Secret Agent turned out SO much fun to write! I hope everyone has a great time reading it! 

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The Unknown Elf by Karlie Lucas


Karlie Lucas is a school crossing guard by day and a writer/artist by night. 


A graduate of Southern Utah University, Karlie received a B.A. in Creative Writing, with a minor in art. She is a member of Sigma Tau Delta, The International English Honor Society, SCBWI, as well as ANWA, the American Night Writers Association.
Karlie is interested in all things magical and mysterious, especially elves and dragons. She is an avid fan of J.R.R. Tolkien and J.K. Rowling.


When not writing, Karlie can often be found drawing, baking, watching her favorite old school shows, or just spending time with her family.


She currently resides in Dallas, Texas with her husband and a cat named Kally. 

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Marie never expected to wake up in North Pole City, let alone being made Santa’s Emergency Replacement. It was a job she never wanted but couldn’t turn down, thanks to Clarence, Santa’s right hand man. 
Now, Marie has to work with Clarence, who believes she is some kind of criminal who will cause the destruction of everything he holds dear. Trying to prove that he’s wrong, Marie keeps making mistakes that push them even further apart. It doesn’t help that she has a past she’d rather keep hidden. However, trying to keep her past where it should belong isn’t easy.
Just when Marie starts to feel like things are coming together, a madman with a bone to pick, and Christmas to ruin, threatens the whole of the North Pole Organization. Marie must rely on Clarence and her new friends to help her face her past before Christmas is gone forever.  But does she have the courage to truly be herself when it could mean losing everything?

  
  

Author Interview:

1. What is your favorite Wintertime Activity?
Growing up, I would say snowball fights or tubing down tall hills. But, now that I live in the south, it’s just walking in the snow, if we ever have any, then drinking hot cocoa with my hubby.

2. How many unpublished / half-finished books do you have in progress?
Oh gosh. Um… more than I can remember off hand. I do have two childrens’ books waiting for me to illustrate them, a few short stories, an adult novel, a drawer full of various partial drafts of who knows how many stories, and a few new projects on the back burner.

3. What was the most surprising thing you learned when creating your book (in research or in yourself?)
I think the most surprising thing was how much I relate to the main character, especially at that time in my life when I wrote it. Like her, I’ve grown a lot over the years.

4. Tell us about the greatest Christmas gift you ever received.
I honestly couldn’t tell you what kind of gifts I’ve received over the years because it’s not the gifts that stand out to me, but I can tell you the most memorable Christmas was when Santa visited my childhood home. We didn’t expect him and he just came out of nowhere, though I seem to remember seeing what might have been a limo parked down the street. He came in, looking as legit as can be, gave us pre-filled stockings, visited for a bit, and then left. To this day, I don’t think even my parents know who he really was.

5. What did you edit out of your book? (Such as a cut scene or an idea that just wouldn’t fit?)
I actually didn’t edit anything out. It’s rather the reverse. I actually added a lot to it. When I originally wrote it, it was bare bones, though I did change a few scenes here and there to fit in with the more modern editions as I edited over the years.

6. What inspired you to write this novel?
I always have had a fascination with Santa Claus and the elves and was saddened who, at the time, a lot of the radio commentators (my mom’s programs) seemed to disparage how the elves were “overworked and underpaid” and I didn’t think it would be like that at all, so I set out to create a world that proved those claims false. It really started out as a daydream, a movie in my head, I guess, about the opening scene, and then it just went from there.

 

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Grace by Contract by Rachel Rossano

  Rachel Rossano is a happily married mother of three children. She spends her days teaching, mothering, and keeping the chaos at bay. After the little ones are in bed, she immerses herself in the fantasy worlds of her books. Tales of romance, adventure, and virtue set in a medieval fantasy world are her preference, but she also writes speculative fantasy and a bit of science fiction.

After her father uproots the family to the northern duchy of Brackenhurst, Grace Eldon and her four younger sisters struggle with a new life of hardship. Desperate to keep a roof over their heads amid mounting debts, she and her youngest sister seek employment in the Duke of Brackenhurst’s household despite fearsome rumors.
 
Scarred and maimed from a terrible fire Silas Isling, Duke of Brackenhurst, buries himself in his work to avoid the stares of pity and fear. When one of the new maids shows no fear at his appearance, he is intrigued. That is until his meddling steward gives her the task of cleaning Silas’ bookroom. It is a most unwelcome disruption since he prefers to be alone.
 
While a thief plagues his castle, an old nemesis reappears, and enemies invade in the guise of guests. Amidst the distractions and chaos, Grace brings some unexpected order. Once convinced his scars had stolen all hope for love, Silas finds his life forever changed by the quiet maid. Could she love a scarred Duke?

Snippet #2

Silas

Five rounds with my best fighter wore me out to the point where I could finally think straight again. With the dull exhaustion of limber muscles and expended exertion filling my senses, the memories of Ivy and her tragic demise lost some of their poignancy. I left my opponents to tend to their bruises and set about doing the same for mine.

When I emerged into the inner bailey, the bitter wind cut through my sweaty linen shirt and thin woolen tunic. I welcomed the chill, but my lack of full dress drew looks from the matron delivering the milk and butter from the village. I honored her with a bow before ducking through the door into the undercroft between the servants unloading her cart.

I circumvented the edges of the kitchen. By the scents I guessed chicken, stew, and honeyed yams were on the menu. My stomach growled.

“Not that way!” A great crashing of metal preceded sobs. “Don’t cry, child. Scrub. You will never finish at this rate.”

Bronwick emerged from her office, looking angrier than I had seen in ages.

“The new hires not working out?” I asked.

She snorted. “One is useless at least. It is going to take weeks to teach her to scrub pots at this rate. It takes so little intelligence for such a task that I dare not try her at another.”

“Now hold the brush like this,” the disembodied voice instructed. Another clatter marked the dropping of the brush. Both Bronwick and I flinched.

“Give them time,” I admonished. Only a few hours had passed since their hiring.

Bronwick snorted in a most dignified manner before stalking off to deal with the situation.

I took myself out of her range of emoting. As Rambler would say, “No good deed goes unpunished.” I took the stairs to the first floor. I would have to devise a way to gain my housekeeper’s good graces again, or the whole household would suffer.

At the top of the undercroft stair, I emerged into my great hall. The raftered ceiling extended two floors up, and the gleaming glazed windows above the dais were the envy of the seven duchies. Two great fireplaces, long as seven men and deep as two, spanned the west and east walls, heating the whole. I paused before the west fireplace, taking a moment to let my damp shirt dry a bit in the heat of the blaze before I retreated to my chambers to change.

Around me, the muted bustle and cheer of the pages and servants setting out the midday meal made me smile. I could not claim any credit for the glazed windows, high ceiling, or great fireplaces. They had all been contributions of my ancestors. However, I could claim a hand in keeping the place staffed, maintained, and reasonably peaceful. My father had accomplished none of those things.

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The Shade Under The Mango Tree by Evy Journey

FTC: I received a free copy of this book from Pump Up Your Book in exchange for my honest review. I received no other compensation and the opinions expressed in this review are one hundred percent true and my own.

 The Shade Under The Mango Tree by Evy Journey was a fascinating book.  It has been quite a while since I have read a book like this one,, and I found it really refreshing.  I really enjoyed this author and I can’t wait to read other books by her in the future.  I didn’t find that the plot was anything special but because of the authors writing I fell in love with the characters in this book.  As I was reading this book I never was able to figure out what was going to happen next and I loved that about this book.  I loved that just when I thought I had everything figured out the author would throw a curve ball and I was back trying to figure out what was happening.  This author did a great job of making me feel like I was there with characters.  Some authors go overboard when it comes to describing the settings in the book but this author did a great job of making the places come alive but not so much that you got bogged down in all of the details that you didn’t really need.  If you are looking for a new book to read this winter I would pick up a copy of this one and check it out.

About The Book

Title: The Shade Under the Mango Tree
Author: Evy Journey
Publisher: Sojourner Books
Pages: 330
Genre: Contemporary Fiction

After two heartbreaking losses, Luna wants adventure. Something and somewhere very different from the affluent, sheltered home in California and Hawaii where she grew up. An adventure in which she can also make some difference. She ends up in place where she gets more than she bargained for.

Lucien, a worldly, well-traveled young architect, finds a stranger’s journal at a café. He has qualms and pangs of guilt about reading it. But they don’t stop him. His decision to go on reading changes his life.

Months later, they meet at a bookstore where Luna works and which Lucien frequents. Fascinated by his stories and his adventurous spirit, Luna volunteers for the Peace Corps. Assigned to Cambodia, she lives with a family whose parents are survivors of the Khmer Rouge genocide forty years earlier. What she goes through in a rural rice-growing village defies anything she could have imagined. Will she leave this world unscathed?

About The Author

Evy Journey, SPR (Self Publishing Review) Independent Woman Author awardee, is a writer, a wannabe artist, and a flâneuse who, wishes she lives in Paris where people have perfected the art of aimless roaming. Armed with a Ph.D., she used to research and help develop mental health programs.

She’s a writer because beautiful prose seduces her and existential angst continues to plague her despite such preoccupations having gone out of fashion. She takes occasional refuge by invoking the spirit of Jane Austen to spin tales of love, loss, and finding one’s way—stories into which she weaves mystery or intrigue.

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