Posts Tagged ‘Contemporary’

You Won't Know Her Name tour banner

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Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for You Won’t Know Her Name by Shanti Hershenson. You Won’t Know Her Name is written by a fourteen year old author and is based on a true story.

This blog tour is organized by Lola’s Blog Tours and the tour runs from 21 February till 6 March. You can see the tour schedule here.

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You Won’t Know Her Name
By Shanti Hershenson
Genre: Contemporary
Age category: Young Adult
Release Date: July 27, 2021

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You Won't Know Her Name book cover

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Blurb:

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“I thought they were my best friend…”

There lives a little girl whom you will never know the name of, and for her, a terrible storm is coming. She is going to a new, public middle school knowing no one but her sister, and the horrors are absolutely endless.

But she doesn’t expect what is to come.

In her first few months of school, terrible and unspeakable things begin to happen, that go beyond what is considered “normal”. Finding the courage to get away from the wrong people is a difficult thing, but when a horrific incident occurs, she finds herself running from who she once thought to be friends.

Now lost and alone, The Girl turns to one thing to help her get through her darkest moments. Writing poetry is the one way she can express her anger, and when her school announces that they will be hosting an open-mic night, she knows she has to enter. But entering means that she will have to face her demons, and it could be her worst nightmare…

From a teenaged author, You Won’t Know Her Name shines a light on a heartbreaking reality that often goes unspoken about – the issue that is bullying in middle school. From hateful comments to real, shocking violence, this book shares what cannot be ignored.

Links:
Goodreads
Bookbub
Amazon
B&N
Kobo

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A COMING STORM
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There lives a little girl
Whom you will never learn the name of
But she exists; she’s real in these pages
Her features, you may never learn
But you can know one thing
She is a survivor
Or, she thinks she is
She thinks she’s faced the worst storm
But that’s a lie, and things are only calm
Because a deadly hurricane is coming

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Shanti Hershenson author picture

About the Author:
Shanti Hershenson’s first two novellas were published when she was in the sixth grade, although her writing journey started long before then. Ever since she could hold a pencil, marker, or crayon, she was creating stories. They started from pictures, mere scribbles, and eventually, turned into captivating tales.

Author links:
Website
Twitter
Instagram
Tiktok

 

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Giveaway

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There is a tour wide giveaway for the blog tour of You Won’t Know Her Name. 5 winners will win a paperback copy of You Won’t Know Her name by Shanti Hershenson (US Only).

For a chance to win, enter the rafflecopter below:

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Butterfly Sisters
Jenny Hale
Publication date: February 22nd 2022
Genres: Adult, Contemporary

“When emerging from its cocoon, a butterfly needs the struggle to push the fluid from its body into its wings. So essentially, without the struggle, it never flies.”

From the USA Today bestselling author of The Beach House comes a story about family bonds, second chances, and finding out who we really are. Butterfly Sisters is the perfect escape for fans of Susan Wiggs, RaeAnne Thayne, and Susan Mallery.

About to land her biggest deal yet, Leigh Henderson is on her game. She’s prepared for this, and nothing can get in her way. Except Rebecca Mayer, who’d sashayed in a few weeks ago with a former client list that would fill the entire hallway to Leigh’s office if she laid it out end to end. When her boss unexpectedly offers the deal to Rebecca and tells Leigh he’s letting her go, Leigh finds herself without a job.

But that’s the least of her worries.

Her mother has some news that will change everything. She’s asked Leigh and her sister Meredith to meet her at the family cabin on Old Hickory Lake. Not only has Leigh been unable to pin her sister down in years, but going back to the cabin would mean dealing with the loss of her beloved grandmother and also chance running into her old flame Colton Harris, the one love she’s never been able to completely let go of.

Will confronting her grief, speaking to her estranged sister, and being forced to face the love she’d left behind help Leigh to learn who she really is?

A heartwarming story that will have you laughing, crying, and rushing to those you hold dear. If you loved the Christmas movies based on Jenny’s books and are looking for more feel-good, small-town romance, look no further!

Goodreads / Amazon / iBooks / Kobo / Google Play

Enjoy this peek inside:

Her phone pressed to her ear, Leigh strained to hear through the buzz of morning commuters who bustled into New York City’s Financial District every weekday and gathered at the café on the corner of Wall Street and Pearl, while they waited impatiently for their morning coffee. Her younger sister’s voice came through the end of her phone—happy, bouncy. “It’s Meredith! You’ve reached my voicemail, so I’m obviously off doing something incredible. Leave a message.”

She wedged the phone against her shoulder while she paid the cashier for her double-shot caramel latte on her way to work. Leigh had resorted to calling after both she and her mother had tried to text Meredith several times with no response, and apparently that wasn’t working either.

“Mom wants us to go to the lake house,” she said after the beep, feeling strangled when she uttered the words, knowing the resentful look that would show in her sister’s eyes when she heard the message. Meredith hadn’t given the family or the cabin any thought since she’d left home, something Leigh had never understood. “It’s… important. Text me or call me back.” She ended the call, guessing she’d have to leave a few messages with something more dramatic for Meredith to actually respond.

Her family had never been that close group of four who went to the movies together or laughed with each other over games of charades or family dinners. It was something Leigh had always longed for, but never seemed to be able to catch hold of.

Her sister hadn’t been home for any length of time in the last eight years, other than their father’s funeral, which had happened three years after Nan died, when she’d actually stayed a night, before claiming she needed to go. The last time Leigh and Meredith had been in the same place for more than twenty-four hours had been in high school, for Leigh’s graduation. When, a few weeks later, everyone had gathered in the driveway to see her off to college, Meredith hadn’t appeared with their mother, father, Nan, and their neighbors to wave and cheer as Leigh left home for four years at Northwestern University, her old Ford Escort filled to the brim with all her belongings. Leigh had seethed over it for the first hour of the trip, wondering what she’d ever done to make her sister hate her so much.

Leigh had always been frustrated with Meredith; her behavior put a strain on them. It had seemed as if Meredith would do anything to set herself apart from everyone in their family. And while her sister had appeared as though she’d had no direction her whole life, she had a kind of contempt for them all, as if they were criminals for having their lives together. All her sister had to do was apply herself, but she never did. She took odd jobs and lazily gathered the bare minimum to live on, spending nights on her friends’ sofas and living out of her car at times.

But even though her sister was a disaster, Leigh was always a little envious at the way she never had to stay in one place or have anything special to be happy—she’d gotten that from Nan. Meredith could pack a tent and a loaf of bread and leave for a week, coming back looking vibrant and rested. Leigh wished she could have just a little of her free spirit.

 

Author Jenny Hale:

Jenny Hale is a USA Today, Amazon, and international bestselling author of romantic contemporary fiction. Her books have sold worldwide, have been translated into multiple languages, and adapted for television. Her novels Coming Home for Christmas and Movie Guide Epiphany Award winner Christmas Wishes and Mistletoe Kisses are Hallmark Channel original movies.

She was included in Oprah Magazine’s “19 Dreamy Summer Romances to Whisk You Away” and Southern Living’s “30 Christmas Novels to Start Reading Now.” Her stories are chock-full of feel-good romance and overflowing with warm settings, great friends, and family. Jenny is at work on her next novel, delighted to be bringing even more heartwarming stories to her readers.

When she isn’t writing, or heading up her romantic fiction imprint Harpeth Road, she can be found running around her hometown of Nashville with her husband, two boys, and their labradoodle, taking pictures—her favorite pastime.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / Pinterest / Bookbub / Youtube

 

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

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Why Can’t Life Be Like Pizza?
The Pizza Chronicles Book 1
by Andy V. Roamer
Genre: YA LGBTQ Contemporary
RV is a good kid, starting his freshman year at the demanding Boston Latin School. Though his genes didn’t give him a lot of good things, they did give him a decent brain. So he’s doing his best to keep up in high school, despite all the additional pressures he’s facing: His immigrant parents, who don’t want him to forget his roots and insist on other rules. Some tough kids at school who bully teachers as well as students. His puny muscles. His mean gym teacher. The Guy Upstairs who doesn’t answer his prayers. And the most confusing fact of all—that he might be gay.Luckily, RV develops a friendship with Mr. Aniso, his Latin teacher, who is gay and always there to talk to. RV thinks his problems are solved when he starts going out with Carole. But things only get more complicated when RV develops a crush on Bobby, the football player in his class. And to RV’s surprise, Bobby admits he may have gay feelings, too.
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Why Can’t Freshman Summer Be Like Pizza?
The Pizza Chronicles Book 2
RV, having successfully completed his freshman year at the demanding Boston Latin School, is hoping for a great summer. He’s now fifteen years old and looking forward to sharing many languid summer days with his friend Bobby, who’s told him he has gay feelings too. But life and family and duties for a son of immigrant parents makes it difficult to steal time away with Bobby.
Bobby, too, has pressures. He spends part of the summer away at football camp, and his father pushes him to work a summer job at a friend’s accounting firm. Bobby takes the job grudgingly, wanting to spend any extra time practicing the necessary skills to make Latin’s varsity football team.
On top of everything, RV’s best friend Carole goes away for the summer, jumping at an opportunity to spend it with her father in Paris. Luckily, there is always Mr. Aniso, RV’s Latin teacher, to talk to whenever RV is lonely. He’s also there for RV when he inadvertently spills one of Bobby’s secrets, and Bobby is so angry RV is afraid he is ready to cut off the friendship.
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Andy V. Roamer grew up in the Boston area and moved to New York City after college. He worked in book publishing for many years, starting out in the children’s and YA books division and then wearing many other hats. WHY CAN’T LIFE BE LIKE PIZZA? is the first novel in THE PIZZA CHRONICLES. The books follow the exploits of RV, the teenage son of immigrants from Lithuania in Eastern Europe, as RV tries to negotiate the four years of his demanding high school, his budding sexuality, and new relationships. To relax, Andy loves to ride his bike, read, watch foreign and independent movies, and travel.
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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE.

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Why Can’t Freshman Summer Be Like Pizza?
Andy V. Roamer
(The Pizza Chronicles #2)
Publication date: June 1st 2020
Genres: Contemporary, Young Adult

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Synopsis

RV, having successfully completed his freshman year at the demanding Boston Latin School, is hoping for a great summer. He’s now fifteen years old and looking forward to sharing many languid summer days with his friend Bobby, who’s told him he has gay feelings too. But life and family and duties for a son of immigrant parents makes it difficult to steal time away with Bobby.

Bobby, too, has pressures. He spends part of the summer away at football camp, and his father pushes him to work a summer job at a friend’s accounting firm. Bobby takes the job grudgingly, wanting to spend any extra time practicing the necessary skills to make Latin’s varsity football team.

On top of everything, RV’s best friend Carole goes away for the summer, jumping at an opportunity to spend it with her father in Paris. Luckily, there is always Mr. Aniso, RV’s Latin teacher, to talk to whenever RV is lonely. He’s also there for RV when he inadvertently spills one of Bobby’s secrets, and Bobby is so angry RV is afraid he is ready to cut off the friendship.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo

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Check out this peek inside:

After dinner tonight Dad asked me to help him prepare for the test. Yay! He’s finally stopped procrastinating. When I walked into his little study he was flipping through the test-prep booklet. But he didn’t look like he was studying. Instead he was turning the pages haphazardly and frowning. No, scowling is more like it. That’s more powerful than frowning, right? Kind of like frowning to the umpteenth power.

When he saw me he put the book down and started complaining again. About a lot of things. He told me that the immigration process was all a money-making racket. That it showed the country didn’t really want immigrants. That trying to become a citizen the honest way was foolish because there were easier, dishonest ways to do it. That he’d never learn all the questions no matter how hard he tried.

I just stood there not knowing what to say. Dad just can’t help himself, can he? Why does he get into his complaining mode so easily? We get so sick of it. And I knew what he’d say next—that he might just pack his bags and go back to the Old Country.

“Good. Then go!” Mom says when she gets exasperated with him at times like this. Ray and I aren’t brave enough to say anything. Correction. I’m not brave enough to say anything. Ray isn’t afraid. Of course he often gets a good wallop for talking back to Dad, but maybe the pleasure of talking back outweighs any physical pain he feels on his ass.

Dad suddenly stopped talking as if he noticed me for the first time. He took a deep breath, asked me to sit down, and handed me the prep booklet. Good, at least he’s going to try, I said to myself.

He told me to ask him some questions. I found the pages with test questions and we started. I tried to ask Dad easy questions first, to give him a boost. Questions like “Who’s the current President?” and “What’s the ocean on the western side of the United States?”

Dad got those questions right. Progress! But he’s got a long way to go because when we got to the harder questions, he either shook his head or gave the wrong answer. I can see I’ll have my work cut out for me for the rest of the summer. Another little chunk of summer gone. It feels weird, like I’m the parent and Dad is the child. But I do want both Mom and Dad to become citizens, so Dad will stop talking about going back to the Old Country.

Dad was quiet again after he couldn’t answer the harder questions. He was staring off into space, not looking angry anymore. Instead he looked lost. I didn’t know what to do. I wanted to leave and I didn’t. Here was this big guy I’m usually so afraid of looking like a little kid. A lost little kid.

Ar nori sustoti?” I asked. “Do you want to stop?” I told him we could continue another time.

He looked at me. “Nežinau.” “I don’t know.” He kept staring at me, but he wasn’t really focusing on me. It was as if he was looking through me, focusing on something far way. I asked him again if he wanted to stop.

He ignored my question and shrugged. “Gal šitas kraštas ne man.” “Maybe this country is not for me.” He kept repeating it. “Gal šitas kraštas ne man.”

He stopped and asked me what I had just said. I told him I didn’t say anything. I was just waiting for him to continue. He nodded and told me to ask him some more questions. But I could tell he wasn’t into it, and he kept getting most of the answers wrong.

I don’t know how long we both stayed there going over that dumb booklet. Dad’s thoughts were somewhere far away and we didn’t make much progress.

I finally mumbled something like, “Okay, I’ve got to do things for Mom. We can continue this another time.”

He nodded, still staring out into space. I slunk out of room, glad to leave.

But I was still thinking about Dad. Seeing him so sad got me really upset. I had never seen him like that. I felt bad for him. And for me too. Dad and I would have to work extra hard to pass that test. I’m determined to work as hard as we need to. There is no way I’m going let him take us back to Old Country. I’m still struggling to fit in here in my own country, which is hard enough.

Author Andy V. Roamer

Andy V. Roamer grew up in the Boston area and moved to New York City after college. He worked in book publishing for many years, starting out in the children’s and YA books division and then wearing many other hats. WHY CAN’T LIFE BE LIKE PIZZA? is the first novel in THE PIZZA CHRONICLES. The books follow the exploits of RV, the teenage son of immigrants from Lithuania in Eastern Europe, as RV tries to negotiate the four years of his demanding high school, his budding sexuality, and new relationships. To relax, Andy loves to ride his bike, read, watch foreign and independent movies, and travel.

Website / Instagram

 

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE.

I am an Amazon Affiliate. Product images are linked.

next to last banner

Thanks for visiting my stop on the virtual book tour The Next To Last Mistake organized by Goddess Fish Promotions.

Amalie Jahn will be awarding a $20 Amazon or B&N Gift Card to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

And don’t forget to enter, the giveaway!

The Next To Last Mistake

by Amalie Jahn

9781611532647-Cover.indd

Synopsis

Tess Goodwin’s life in rural Iowa is sheltered and uncomplicated. Although she chooses to spend most of her free time playing chess with her best friend Zander, the farm-boy from next door, her skills as a bovine midwife and tractor mechanic ensure that she fits in with the other kids at East Chester High. But when her veteran father reenlists in the Army, moving her family halfway across the country to North Carolina, Tess is forced out of her comfort zone into a world she knows nothing about.

Tess approaches the move as she would a new game of chess, plotting her course through the unfamiliar reality of her new life. While heeding Zander’s long-distance advice for making new friends and strategizing a means to endure her dad’s imminent deployment to the Middle East, she quickly discovers how ill-equipped she is to navigate the societal challenges she encounters and becomes convinced she’ll never fit in with the students at her new school.

When Leonetta Jackson is assigned as her mentor, she becomes Tess’s unexpected guide through the winding labyrinth of cultural disparities between them, sparking a tentative friendship and challenging Tess to confront her reluctant nature. As the pieces move across the board of her upended life, will Tess find the acceptance she so desperately desires?

Check out this peek inside:

I’m almost asleep, barely conscious of drifting off, when I’m startled by a noise outside my window. Before I have a chance to turn on the light and investigate, the sash slides open and someone steps into my room.

I hope beyond all hope I’m not dreaming.

“Zander?” I ask, not wondering if it’s him but why he’s here.

He’s all the way in the room now, standing at the foot of my bed. “Did I wake you?” he whispers.

“No,” I tell him. He blows into his hands, and I lift my blankets, inviting him under the covers to warm up.

“It’s colder than a polar bear’s butt out there.” He snuggles against me in my tiny twin bed like we’re still six-year-olds, camping outside in each other’s backyards. I wrap my arms around him, and he settles against my shoulder. “You left your own party.”

“It wasn’t really my party,” I say. “More New Year’s than anything else.”

“The cake was good. Red velvet. You would’ve liked it.”

There’s so much I want to say. Apologies I want to give. Promises I want to make. But the words are jumbled around in my head, and I’m afraid if I speak everything will come out all wrong.

“I didn’t have anyone to kiss at the ball drop,” he says eventually, and I wonder if whatever was in his Solo cup has gone to his head.

“Tina and Claire were there.”

He chuckles grimly and his voice turns serious. “We’ve been together every New Year’s since we were babies, you know that?” His words settle over me, and I strain under the weight of them. Heavier still is the burden of what he doesn’t say: And this might have been our last.

“I’m sorry,” I say, feeling the need to explain, “but it was so cold and I knew my dad was gonna need help with the herd and…”

He rolls over to face me, placing a finger over my lips. “It’s okay, Tess. I get it. It’s been hard being around each other for the past few weeks. I didn’t realize the anticipation of you leaving was gonna suck so bad. I didn’t know how horrible I was at long goodbyes.” Now he’s the one who’s apologizing. “I guess I didn’t know what else to do. I figured this day might be easier for both of us…”

“If you left me before I had the chance to leave you?”

“Something like that.” He sighs. “It wasn’t intentional. I guess I’ve been sorta messed up in my own head, thinking about not having you around. You’re the best part of my days.”

I blink back tears I don’t realize are already spilling down my cheeks. His admission is true for me as well—something we’ve always taken for granted.

“It’s only eighteen months, then we’ll both graduate and head to college together like we always planned. You and me. It’s not that long, right?”

“It’s not that long,” he agrees. “But it’ll never be the same, not having you right next door.”

His body is relaxed against mine, and I’m reminded of all the nights we spent together growing up, head to foot and back to back, me teasing him for his stinky feet and him making fun of my retainer. “Maybe someone better will move in here,” I laugh between sniffles. “Some Victoria’s Secret supermodel, schlepping around manure in waders and a thong.”

He chuckles, too, and I imagine him smiling in the darkness. “As tempting as she sounds, I still wouldn’t willingly trade you for her.”

There’s something unspoken in his words, a tiny invitation across a boundary we’ve never crossed. But I can’t cross it now. I won’t. There’s no reason to take something painful and make it complicated as well.

“I should go to sleep,” I tell him. “We’re leaving after the morning milking, and I gotta be alert enough to drive.”

He stirs under the covers and his warmth leaves my side. As he stands over me, silhouetted in the moonlight cascading through my window, I hear him sigh. Then, he leans down to place a kiss on my forehead like a father tucking in his child.

“Bye,” I say.

“Bye.”

“Love ya.”

“Love ya back.”

And then he’s gone, back through the window out into the night. I assume, in the wake of our farewell, it’s going to take me hours to fall asleep, but the next thing I know my alarm is going off, and it’s time to slide the chessboard of my past life on to the shelf and begin another match.

About Author Amalie Jahn

Amalie Jahn is a USA TODAY bestselling author of more than 8 young adult novels, including The Next To Last Mistake, her latest release (Light Messages Publishing 2019).

Amalie is the recipient of the Literary Classics Seal of Approval and the Readers’ Favorite Gold Medal for her debut novel, The Clay Lion. She is a contributing blogger with the Huffington Post and Southern Writers Magazine, as well as a TED speaker, human rights advocate, and active promoter of kindness. She lives in the United States with her husband, two children, and three overfed cats.

When she’s not at the computer coaxing characters into submission, you can find Amalie swimming laps, cycling, or running on the treadmill, probably training for her next triathlon. She hates pairing socks and loves avocados. She is also very happy time travel does not yet exist. Connect with her right here in the present day at these social media sites:

Websiteshttp://www.amaliejahn.com and lightmessages.com/amalie-jahn
Facebook / Twitter / Instagram

Visit http://www.amaliejahn.com to join Amalie’s FREE Readers Group and in addition to receiving promotional discounts, sneak peeks, and monthly newsletters, your membership will now grant you exclusive access to bonus material (shorts and novelettes) delivered right to your inbox!

Amazon / B&N / Apple / Kobo

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

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GIVE ME FEVER

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I am so excited that GIVE ME FEVER by Jasmine & Arielle Lockhart is available now
and that I get to share the news!
If you haven’t yet heard about this wonderful book by
Authors Jasmine & Arielle Lockhart, be sure to check out all the details below.
This blitz also includes a giveaway for a $500 Amazon GC prize and an ARC of GIVE ME FEVER, courtesy of Jasmine & Arielle. So if you’d like a chance to win, enter in the Rafflecopter at the bottom of this post.

 

Title: GIVE ME FEVER 
Author: Jasmine & Arielle Lockhart
Pub. Date: January 15, 2019
Publisher: Somewhere On A Beach Publishing
Formats: Paperback, eBook
Pages: 278
Find it: GoodreadsAmazonB&N
Hotter than a fever…
Jackson Noveau left behind his Cajun roots to make a better life for him and his new bride in New York City. But his drive for success drove the love of his life away. Six years later, Jackson has the opportunity to take his hot sauce company global. All he has to do is buy back the family farm. Unfortunately, the new owner isn’t impressed by his handsome offer.
From first love to fiery business rival…
Jessa fled home to the little bayou town of Fever, Louisiana six years ago, expecting Jackson to chase after her. He never did. Now he’s back and she has something he wants—the farm she secretly bought. She has no intentions of letting go of the home she loves, or the one-of-a-kind peppers necessary for the production of Jackson’s hot sauce. At least not until she learns Jackson holds the key to something she wants—the
divorce she believed they finalized years ago.
What’s yours is mine…
The two strike a deal where winner takes all. If Jessa can go a week without succumbing to the spark clearly still between them, Jackson will sign the divorce papers. If not, Jackson gets the farm. As the ex-flames spend the week together, things smolder hotter than a fever, but with only one winner, someone is sure to get burnt.
Excerpt:
The primal part of him argued that things weren’t complicated. That Jessa was still his. And that realization
struck deep. “If you want my touch so badly, I’d be happy to grant your wish. I’m thinking a nice start would be my tongue between your—”
Her reflexes were no joke. Before he could finish his sentence, Jackson found himself covered in wine. Again.
He grabbed his napkin and did his best to blot up the red liquid coursing down his face. “If you actually finished a glass of that stuff without throwing it on me, you might enjoy my company a
little more.”
“Even piss-ass drunk, I wouldn’t let you do what you were about to suggest.” She sounded truly appalled by his comment. Like he hadn’t done that on this very table once upon a time. “Don’t act like you don’t still want me, Jessalynn.”
“Ha! You are so full of yourself. No, I don’t still want you, Jackson. As you can see, I want nothing more than you to be out of my house and out of my life.”
His jaw twitched. “Feelings aren’t a light switch, Jessalynn. You can’t just turn them off. Did you forget how you used to respond to my touch? To me? How I could light you on fire? Should I remind you?”
“The only feeling I have for you now is disgust.”
“Did you also forget how well I know you? I can tell when you’re lying.”
She put her hands on her hips and stuck her chest out. “I’m not lying, Jackson.”
“Prove it.”
“I don’t have to prove anything to you. There’s nothing in it for me.”
An idea hit him. “What if there was?”
Jessa looked at him sideways. “What?”
“Since you’re so sure that you don’t have feelings for me anymore, then prove it. If you can resist me for a week, I will sign the divorce papers, leave you the farm, and be out of your life.” A week was pushing his deadline, but he’d make it work.
“You think I can’t go a week without tearing off my clothes and throwing myself at you?” She laughed so hard she began holding her stomach and wiping her eyes.
“If you think it’s that easy, you’ve got nothing to lose.”
Her face sobered. “I’m not crazy enough to sign on for spending a week with you.”
“I’m not going anywhere, chéri. This way, no matter what, I’ll be gone in a week. Otherwise, I’ll leave when I’m good and ready.”
Jessalynn grumbled and her eyes narrowed. “So, if I can make it a week without sleeping with you, you’ll sign
the papers and give up on this nonsense about buying the farm?”
He nodded, trying not to smile too wide.
“There must be rules.” She twirled the stem of her empty wine glass between her fingers. “No getting me drunk. I have to be sober for it to count.”
“That’s fair. I don’t need you impaired to get you turned on.”
She rolled her eyes. “And you can’t go around shirtless. Fully clothed, all week.”
“No dice. I’ll keep my pants on, since you don’t trust yourself not to jump my bones if I don’t, but it’s damn near 100 degrees in the daytime around here. You’re not going to force me to wear a shirt the whole time.”
“Fine.”
“I have some conditions of my own.”
“Like what?”
“You agree to let me stay here. All week. I don’t expect you to let me sleep in your bed, but for
me to have a fighting chance, proximity is a must.”
“No.”
He threw his head back and wiped his hand down his face. “Come on, Jessalynn. Bend a little.”
With any luck at all, he’d have her bending all kinds of ways before week’s end.
“Whatever. You stay out of my bedroom, though.”
“Alright, but you have to promise not to avoid me during the daytime.”
“I have work to do, Jackson. This farm doesn’t run itself.”
“I think I know a thing or two about farm work. I’ll pitch in.”
Jessalynn grabbed the wine and drank from the bottle. Then she took a long breath. “Anything else?”
“No getting off without me.”
“Excuse me?”
“I don’t want you taking the edge off. You’re going to be begging me to put my mouth and hands on
you in no time. Can’t let you cheat by getting off on your own.”
She pushed her chair back and stood. “It’s only a week. I’m not a guy. I’ll survive. Especially if it means getting
rid of you once and for all.”
After making her way around the table, she stuck her hand out. “We have a deal.”
He stared at her hand for a beat, then glanced up at her. “Don’t you want to know what happens if you lose?”
“I’m not going to lose.”
About Jasmine and
Arielle:
Jasmine and Arielle Lockhart were born and raised in New Orleans,
Louisiana, in a house overflowing with books, art, and poetry scrawled on
scraps of paper by the hands of their father and mother. The sisters spent
their childhood summers setting crawdad traps and picking peaches from the
three-hundred-year-old tree on their family’s plantation. On stormy nights when
the power would go out in the Antebellum home, Arielle would distract her
younger sister by telling her stories. It never took long before Jasmine’s fear of the dark was forgotten and she was butting in with her own ideas of how the story should go. In 2017, over mint julep’s on the plantation’s ivy-laden porch, Jasmine and Arielle came up with the crazy idea to co-write a romance novel. A year and
many heated debates later, the first book in the Fever series was complete.
 When she’s not nagging her sister to add more kissing scenes to their books, Jasmine is a world-traveler, living between New Orleans and Abu Dhabi in the Middle East.
Arielle currently resides on the plantation, where she spends her days writing and convincing Grammy Dee that Annabelle, the housekeeper she hired three years ago, is not the reincarnation of the young woman who hung herself in the peach tree after her fiancé failed to return from war. 
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Nick and Eve banner

Nick and Eve
by Elle Rush
(North Pole Unlimited, #3)
Publication date: November 19th 2018
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
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Nick and Eve cover
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Synopsis
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Nick’s plan: dodge his grandmother’s matchmaking attempts by claiming Eve is his date for Christmas. He probably should have asked Eve first.

Although Nick Klassen is grateful when Eve rides to his rescue after he breaks down outside of December, Manitoba, he can’t run fast enough when his meddling grandmother tries to set him up with the pretty tow-truck driver. Then he gets an idea.

Between juggling extra hours at work and a never-ending Christmas to-do list, Eve LeBlanc doesn’t have time for a new man in her life. But ever since she picked Nick up on the side of the road, she’s been running into him everywhere.

His flirtations started innocently enough but when his grandmother invites “his girlfriend” to the family’s Christmas dinner, Nick realizes if he wants to stop pretending about Eve, he must come clean. Once Eve learns of his deception, he’ll need Santa’s help to turn their fake relationship in the real thing.

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Nick and Eve tease
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Author Elle Rush
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Elle
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Elle Rush is a contemporary romance author from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. When she’s not travelling, she’s hard at work writing books which are set all over the world. From Hollywood to the house next door, her heroes will make you sigh and her heroines will make you laugh out loud.
Elle has a degree in Spanish and French, barely passed German, and has flunked poetry in every language she’s studied, including English. She also has mild addictions to tea, yarn, Christmas decorations, and HGTV renovations shows.

Author links:

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Welcome to my Monday Minis where I share shorter reviews of books I’ve read.

Today I’m sharing The Summer Of New Beginnings, Bette Lee Crosby’s first book in her new Magnolia Grove series, available March 27th.

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The Summer Of New Beginnings

Magnolia Grove #1

by Bette Lee Crosby

36439328

Genre: Contemporary / Romance

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My Review

Having read a bunch of Bette’s books I couldn’t wait to read this first book in her new series.

There’s no one thing I can point to as why I loved this book. It’s many things. The genuine characters. The anticipation of what’s to come. Feeling all of those feels. Sorrow, heartbreak, frustration, hope, happiness and love. And how easily the story flows. I read this in one sitting. No way could I put it down until I was done.

Meghan is the main character. After her father dies, she gives up her dreams to keep his legacy alive. Along the way you’re introduced to her family. Shown how they struggle to move on and adapt. And Bette throws in a sprinkle of something magical. It comes with four legs and goes by Sox.

I could gush on and on about this book. I adored it. Will be reading it again. And am happily amazed that Bette got me to read outside my normal genre and showed me how good that could be.

Star Yellow Christmas Star Christmas X-Mas Star Yellow Christmas Star Christmas X-Mas Star Yellow Christmas Star Christmas X-Mas Star Yellow Christmas Star Christmas X-Mas Star Yellow Christmas Star Christmas X-Mas

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Synopsis

One family learns that love is the greatest miracle of all.

Aspiring journalist Meghan Briggs has always been the responsible one in the family. So when her father passes away unexpectedly, leaving behind his at-risk business, she steps up to save his legacy—even if that means putting her own dreams on hold.

Tracy couldn’t be more different from her sister. She’s always been the rebellious type, without much direction in life. But in the wake of her latest romantic disaster, she finds herself moving back home as a single mother.

As Tracy experiences the difficulties of new motherhood, Meghan faces her own struggle: trying not to fall for the stray puppy she rescued. This is no time for attachments—not to the adorable “Sox,” whose owner is bound to turn up any day, and certainly not to the handsome new vet in town. But as the summer unfolds, she discovers that, like Sox, she may need rescuing, too.

As both sisters navigate unexpected challenges and exciting new relationships, they’ll find that putting the past to rest can make way for beautiful new beginnings.

Available for purchase March 27th.

Amazon / B&N

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew!

You can find a list of my reviews HERE.

For a list of free eBooks go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE

Welcome to My Monday Minis where I share short reviews about books I’ve read.

When I was first offered a book to review from Bette Lee Crosby, I was hesitant. Contemporaries aren’t really a genre I read much of. Many years and lots of books later, I’m so happy I accepted.

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Passing Through Perfect

The Wyattsville Series #3

by Bette Lee Crosby

23377843

Genre: Historical / Contemporary / Romance

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My Review

I adored the first two books in this series, Spare Change and Jubilee’s Journey. Once again Bette has us step back to earlier times,  where we meet Delia and Ben as they fall in love and fight to stay together despite what other’s may want.

Bette can write with a southern twang. Her descriptions of settings, how people comport themselves and what the consequences are for defying family seep into you.

This is a story of hope and despair, of fighting against prejudice and finding goodness in the least likely of places. Passing Through Perfect is an excellent choice for the title of this book.

From the first sentence I was hooked and never looked back, turning each page and relishing the saga of two young lovers defying their families to be together and the travesty that befalls their decision.

4 Stars

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Synopsis

Benjamin Church came to the grange hall expecting to meet someone else, but then the girl in a red dress looked across the dance floor and smiled…

Passing through Perfect is a heart-wrenching, Southern family saga that starts on the night Benjamin fell madly and completely in love with Delia. Once he tasted the sweetness of her kiss, he envisioned them spending the rest of their life together.

He didn’t stop to consider her daddy was a learned Pastor and her mama a woman with a college degree; he only knew she set his heart to racing. When he touched his mouth to hers, he forgot the hardships of being a sharecropper, forgot what it was like to work from dawn ‘til dark and forgot that nothing in Grinder’s Corner ever really changed.

Benjamin’s only thoughts were about lying together every night, sitting side by side on the front porch, and raising a family. Yes, he knew there’d be heartaches. Every couple had their share of heartaches, it was to be expected; but he never imagined such a tragedy would befall their family.

Winner of the 2016 RONE Award for Inspirational Fiction and the 2016 Readers Favorite Gold Medal.

Amazon

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Memory House

The Memory House Series #1

by Bette Lee Crosby

31559914

Genre: Fantasy / Contemporary / Romance

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My Review

I was spellbound by this moving story about Ophelia and the young guest, Annie, who finds her way to her doorstep and her heart. These two women were a delight to meet and each one holds a special place in my heart.

Ophelia is nearing 90 and time is running out for her. Annie is a young woman with no direction, drifting through life and looking for her place to call home. Was it fate that brought them together? I like to think so.

I loved this story. The excitement to see what would happen, to see if what I wanted to happen would and where these two women wound up kept me flipping the pages. Every time something I wanted to happen did, I looked up, wanting to share what I just read. No one was there.  Probably a good thing as I would have spoiled the book for them.

I can share this with you though. Bette has a way of sprinkling connections to her other books into this story. I recognized characters and events, and even some of the objects that held memories. It endeared this book to me even more.

I finished with a sigh of delight and a twinkle in my eye. Magical.

  5 Stars

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Synopsis

IS IT POSSIBLE FOR A MEMORY TO OUTLIVE ITS OWNER?

Ophelia Browne knows the answer is yes. She knows because she’s been granted the unique gift of finding and caring for those forgotten memories. But now she’s nearing ninety, and Browne women seldom live beyond ninety.

Before time runs out Ophelia must find a successor. Someone who can take hold of the gifts and keep the memories from fading.

When broken-hearted Annie Cross shows up on the doorstep of The Memory House Bed and Breakfast, Ophelia knows she is the one. The two women forge a bond of friendship as they sip magical dandelion tea and share stories. When Annie starts to sense the memories Ophelia is delighted, but then a thread of violence begins to unravel and Ophelia fears things have gone too far.

Amazon

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

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40 Something
by Shannon Peel
Genre: Chick Lit, Contemporary Fiction
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Five women navigate life while juggling careers, children, family, and the

men in their lives.

Charlie is bored with the family tradition of Sunday Dinner so she brings a

friend her family won’t approve of to spice things up a bit. Will

this friend go too far and cause too much damage?

Rose only wants to do what is right and keep her family safe. How can she

do that when the world is so dangerous and her teenagers so willful.

Will helping a friend invite trouble into her perfect world?

Lindsay loves to have fun and enjoys the company of men. She is a modern

playgirl who will stop at nothing to get a man’s attention. Will she

find what she’s looking for or something unexpected?

Sophie wants to keep the peace and keep everyone happy, especially her

ex-husband, so her children will live with her full time. Will she

lose the children if she can’t afford to take care of them?

Justine wants to escape her perfect life, she just doesn’t realize it. Will

she find the passion that is missing or will she continue to hide

behind her computer screen?

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Shannon Peel grew up in Enderby, BC where her family’s root run deep. Growing

up where television was either non existent or very limited she

relied on books & imagination to escape into the world

beyond.

She went to UBC to study and earn a general studies BA with a

concentration in Political Science and Economics. Macro analysis of

world events, social justice and human motivations became a passion

of hers. This passion is a driving force in all her stories, which

have political, economic, and social justice undercurrents.

After a career in the financial field she decided to stay home and raise

her two children until school age. In 2007 she return to the

workforce as a sales / marketing / advertising professional. She

currently resides in BC’s Lower Mainland with her two teenage

children.

Shannon Peel is a creative, intelligent professional with a 20 year proven

track record in sales, marketing, customer relations, project

management, presentations, and communication.

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

For a list of my reviews go HERE

For a list of free eBooks go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE