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Tuesday 28 March 2017

Blog Tour / Book Musings - Fear Nothing by Amber Malloy


Welcome to the blog tour of Fear Nothing by Amber Malloy. I am hosting a review on my blog today.



Fear Nothing 
Amber Malloy
Genre: Interracial Romance/ Action
Publisher: Resplendence 
ISBN: 978-1-607350974-6
Pages: 130
Count: 40,000


Book Description:
One psychotic soldier was to blame.

Years ago, Skye Everwood survived a vicious assault, and now, she’s losing her eyesight as she faces her worst nightmare… Her attacker is back to finish what he started.

When the love of her life unexpectedly shows up at her restaurant, she knows it’s not a coincidence. Skye never understood why Bodhi King disappeared after that fateful day. Their plans to get married went up in smoke, just like her dreams to stay in the JAG Core. Unsure if she can trust him with her heart—let alone her life—she searches to find answers to why he left in the first place.


My Musings :

The book name caught my attention and when I read the blurb, I was happy to get a chance to read te book. I love romantic suspense and I was looking forward to reading this one too! 

First thing which I wanted to state was that it was a very short book. I didn't realise that until the end. By the time the book was over, I had got to know the characters but I wasn't really connected with most of them. There just wasn't enough time to savour each personality and the background on them. What I love most about reading a story is the layering of the tale and the characters and I was halfway satisfied with that aspect in this story. Inspite of that, there are many parts which appealed to me.

The short time I knew the protagonists made me like them enough with Bodhi's love for Skype and Skye's strength to get through rough times. The small town feel of the book made me fall in love with the town's people. But what I loved best was the antagonist. Wow, he really is a bad person and I loved his craziness. 

One thing I didn't like much was the heat factor of the book. It was too erotic for my taste. I wished it had more romance than sex in the book. Another thing was the fast nature of the story. At times it felt I was jumping between the scenes. But other than that, I fell in  fast into the story and the happenings.

In short, I can say that I will be picking up an Amber Malloy book in the future without hesitation.

I received a copy for reviewing purposes.

My one line review : A hot romance with a vein of suspense

My rating : 4/5

My reread factor : 3/5


About the Author:

Amber Malloy dreamed of being a double agent but couldn’t pass the psyche evaluation. Crushed by despair that she couldn’t legally shoot things, Amber pursued her second career choice as pastry chef. When she’s not writing or whipping up a mean Snickers Cheesecake, she occasionally spies on her sommelier. Amber is convinced he’s faking his French accent.

Amber loves to talk to her readers and can be found at www.ambermalloy.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/authambermalloy
Website: http://ambermalloy.blogspot.com/

Saturday 25 March 2017

Blog Tour / Book Musings - A Way Back into Love by Veronica Thatcher


Welcome to the blog tour of A Way Back into Love by Veronica Thatcher. I am your host today and I am reviewing it on my blog.



Title: A Way Back into Love
Author: Veronica Thatcher
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Notion Press



Blurb:
Nothing is perfect. Life is messy. Relationships are complex. Outcomes, uncertain. People, irrational. But love…well, that makes everything complicated. And when you are caught in a tangled web of secrets, lies, and complex affairs, someone is bound to get burned.

Emily Stevens is a spunky, spirited college girl whose life gets turned upside-down when she realizes she's in love with her best friend of fifteen years, Derek Thorpe. As Emily prepares to confess her feelings to Derek, something happens one night which changes her life forever. Five years later, Emily finds herself in Boston, alone and heartbroken. Will she ever be able to forget the past? And what will she find when she returns home...to the man she left behind?

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32998245-a-way-back-into-love

Buy links:


 Paperback - http://www.amazon.in/Way-Back-Into-Love/dp/1946641170/

https://www.amazon.com/dp/1946641170/

eBooks - https://www.amazon.in/dp/B06WRR5FN3

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06WRR5FN3/


My Musings :

This was a good satisfactory read. It was a breeze to read through and I finished it within half a day. I luckily had a day off to enjoy the book.

I am a huge fan of best friends to lovers trope and I was excited to try the new author and her debut book. I loved the complexity of the characters. The story was rather simple. It was a bit predictable and the conflicts were a bit blown out of proportion. But, that's a huge but, it was justified because it does happen in real life. What I liked best was that the author kept it realistic and tailored to the current generation.

I love the development of characters in the stories I read. So this was another plus point in this book. Emily, though like an ostrich, evolved into a better adult. She was a bit of a doormat in the beginning but it added a tiny bit of interest to her character. Now Emma was different story. She needed to be a mean person for the story to evolve and I was gratified that she changed near the end. Derek was a dream hero. He was so in love with Emily that I fell in love with him.

It was a completely entertaining read with the romance between Derek and Emily which was kind of sweet and it had moments of fun as well as sadness. There was lots of angst about the past and the author has done a good job of creating a bit of a mystery with the layering of the story in bits. At the end I was pretty good with the absolution of all the plot lines.

So far I have pointed what I liked. There were a few things which had me confused also. One of them was Derek's reaction to Emma in college. It misdirected me in regards to his feelings. Then there was the protagonists' dating near the end. I was surprised that people didn't figure it out early and it felt a bit insensitive especially on Derek's part. I felt that the language used by the author wasn't as easy as normal readers would like.

So combining all of it, I would say it was a very good first book!

I received a copy for reviewing purposes.

My one line review : A light romance with a deep look into family loyalties.

My rating : 4/5

My reread factor : 3/5

Author Bio:



Veronica Thatcher is an exciting new contemporary romance author. Ever since she was very young, she’s dreamed of becoming a doctor when she grew up. While still forging ahead with that, majoring in pre-med in college, she unwittingly stumbled upon a new dream—becoming a published author. Some may call her an introvert or a wallflower, but she has always found she could express herself better in written, rather than spoken, words. However, never in her wildest dreams had she envisioned she would pursue writing as a prospective career, not just a hobby. Her love for writing goes hand-in-hand with her love for a good romance novel—whether it be a feel-good, sweet romance or a dark, suspenseful one. When she’s not studying, reading, or writing, she is usually found blasting her favourite songs, sometimes singing and dancing along to them. She dabbles in a number of activities, including painting, karate, singing and dancing. She is a huge chocoholic – probably the biggest – and she is an ice-cream junkie too. She considers herself technologically handicapped forever and has no shame in admitting that. She also deems chocolates her boyfriend, Patrick Dempsey the love of her life, and Friends her life!

Her first book, A Way Back Into Love, is slated for release in February 2017, and she hopes readers will enjoy it as much as she enjoyed writing it. You can reach Veronica through Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, Wattpad and Gmail.

Author Links:

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/merderlover1

Wattpad: https://www.wattpad.com/user/merder32

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16087807.Veronica_Thatcher

Wednesday 22 March 2017

Blog Tour / Book Musings - Operation Prom Date by Cindi Madsen


Welcome to the blog tour of Operation Prom Date by Cindi Madsen. I am your host today and read on to know my thoughts on the book.



Operation Prom Date (Tactics in Dating #1)
by Cindi Madsen
Publication Date: March 13, 2017
Publisher: Entangled Teen Crush


Blurb :

Kate ships tons of fictional couples, but IRL her OTP is her and Mick, the hot quarterback she’s crushed on since, like, forever. With only one semester left of senior year, it’s now or never if she wants to land him in time for prom. Since she’s flirtationally challenged, she enlists Cooper Callihan, the guy who turned popular seemingly overnight but who used to be a good friend.

Cooper lives and breathes rowing, but his partner just broke his wrist. When he remembers Kate’s good with a set of oars, he strikes a deal: help him train, and he’ll make sure her crush notices her. Only he didn’t know how addicting spending time with her would be. Or how the more successful the Operation is, the more jealousy he experiences.

The mission has been set. The troops have their marching orders. But what if the target is the wrong guy all along?

Disclaimer: This Entangled Teen Crush book contains stargazing, accidental swimming, and poker swindling. This kissing practice will melt your ereader…and give you a new couple to ship.

Link to Goodreads:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33224662-operation-prom-date

Purchase Links:


Google Play | BAM | Chapters | Indies | Amazon | B&N| Kobo | TBD | iBooks


My Musings :

First thing I saw about the book was the author's name. In the past I have loved her books, so I was ready to read this one too and was hoping it will be as good as the others. Read on to know what I think about the book!

I read YA contemporary romance when I need something which would be light and fun. This one just hit the spot with its slight humour and squealing moments. I loved the protagonists. They are so much fun with their antics in their quest of getting Kate paired with the quarterback. They are so sweet and cute!

Kate and Cooper are both smart, witty and add lots of character to the story. Without them, there wouldn't be a good book to enjoy. Kate seems guileless inspite of her plan and I loved her attempts to snag his attention while Cooper adds the much needed romance intrigue as they fall in love with each slowly while their attention is focused on something else.

The romance part was nicely done and I was relieved that it didn't much teenage angst. One thing I really love about YA romance is the light and fluffy and floating happy sensation I have when I read a good book. The author delivered again for me except for one small detail. It felt a bit slow at certain parts. It could have speeded up a bit.

All in all, it was a right good fluffy light romance with feel good vibes.

I received a copy for reviewing purposes.

My one line review : A cute and light fluffy romance with feel good vibes

My rating : 4/5

My reread factor : 4/5





Meet the Author :



Cindi Madsen is a USA Today Bestselling author of contemporary romance and young adult novels. She sits at her computer every chance she gets, plotting revising, and falling in love with her characters. Sometimes it makes her a crazy person. Without it, she’d be even crazier. She has way too many shoes, but can always find a reason to buy a new pretty pair, especially if they’re sparkly, colorful, or super tall. She loves music, dancing, and wishes summer lasted all year long. She lives in Colorado (where summer is most definitely NOT all year long) with her husband and three children.


a Rafflecopter giveaway


Tuesday 21 March 2017

Release Blast / Book Musings - The Trouble with Bachelors by Caitlyn Blue


The trouble with bachelors is you never know.


THE TROUBLE WITH BACHELORS
Windy City Bachelors #1
Caitlyn Blue
Releasing March 21st, 2017
Sassy Muse, LLC


Falling for her sister's first love, how could that possibly go wrong...

Zach Thorne is supposed to be off limits. He’s her sister’s high school boyfriend and his love life is a revolving door of women. He’s also handsome, sexy and the one guy Emma Callahan has never been able to forget.

Now they’ve been thrown together as best man and maid of honor for her sister’s wedding and some serious sparks are flying. Zach is perfect wedding fling material until he starts to take their romance seriously. Now, Emma is left wondering: is he for real or is she about to get her heart broken?

The trouble with bachelors is you never know.




Another new author to read and I am happy with the book!

When I read the blurb about the pairing of the hero and his ex- girlfriend's sister, I had to get my hands on it. And I hit solid gold because it had lots of scenes which had me going "Ooooooo".

A good start to the story with the introduction of the hero and the heroine amid the wedding preparations. Emma has so much snark to her and she is also witty. I had fun reading about her. Zach is sweet under his playboy persona. He has made it into my top heroes list without breaking a sweat. 

I loved the way they mesh with each other. Their characters are complementary in nature and well aligned. I gobbled up the entire book in one sitting. It was a quick fun read. The author's writing felt abrupt at times. But it wasn't often to impact the story's sway over me. Though I hadn't read any of the author's works, I was bowled over by her narration and characters. The protagonists are one of those rare couples who made me feel and react to their circumstances. My emotions went through the wringer and I won't have it any other way!

So in short, it was a fun engaging romance and I have to say that I will definitely read the author's other books too. 

I received a copy for reviewing purposes. 

My one line review : A fun engaging romance with lots of feels!

My rating : 5/5

My reread factor : 4/5




Caitlyn Blue is a voracious reader with an overactive imagination and a chocolate addict. She loves fancy cocktails and tasty edibles, is a sucker for adventure movies and any music with a beat. When not writing, Caitlyn loves to connect with her readers for whom she's extremely grateful. Join her VIP list to stay up to date on giveaways and exclusive offers.  

Friday 10 March 2017

Blog Tour / Spotlight - Starlight Bridge by Debbie Mason



Title: STARLIGHT BRIDGE
Author: Debbie Mason
Series: Harmony Harbor, #2
On Sale: February 28, 2017
Publisher: Forever
Mass Market: $7.99 USD
eBook: $5.99 USD



Blurb :
A second chance for romance...

Hidden in Graystone Manor is a book containing all the dark secrets of Harmony Harbor, and Ava DiRossi is determined to find it. No one—especially not her ex-husband, Griffin Gallagher—can ever discover what really tore her life apart all those years ago. With Griffin back in town, it's more important than ever that she find the book before someone else does. Because her ex is still angry with her for leaving him. And he still has no idea Ava never stopped loving him...

Ava is no longer the vibrant, happy woman Griffin had once loved and married, and he would do anything to bring back the sparkle to her brilliant green eyes. But what's never changed are the sexy sparks of attraction between Ava and Griffin, and he won't give her up again without a fight. He knows there's the real possibility of a future together...if the truth doesn't burn the bridge between them forever.

BUY THE BOOK HERE
Walmart

Target

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Books-A-Million

Google Play

iBooks

Indiebound

Kobo

THE HARMONY HARBOR SERIES

MISTLETOE COTTAGE, #1

CHRISTMAS WITH AN ANGEL, #1.5

STARLIGHT BRIDGE, #2

PRIMROSE LANE, #3

Series Page on Goodreads
ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Debbie Mason is the USA Today bestselling author of the Christmas, Colorado and Harmony Harbor series. Her books have been praised for their "likable characters, clever dialogue and juicy plots" (RT Book Reviews). When she isn't writing or reading, Debbie enjoys spending time with her very own real-life hero, three wonderful children, two adorable grandbabies, and a yappy Yorkie named Bella in Ontario, Canada.

Website

Facebook

Twitter

Pinterest

Goodreads

FOLLOW FOREVER ONLINE
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Thursday 9 March 2017

Guest Post - There's Something About Cornwall by Daisy James

There’s Something About Cornwall

By

Daisy James





First of all, a huge thank you for featuring my brand new release – There’s Something About Cornwall - on your blog.

Location is always very important to me when I’m writing. It’s almost as though it’s another character that requires just as much attention, just as much crafting, as any other. My first novel – The Runaway Bridesmaid - was set in New York. I enjoyed an amazing trip there a couple of years ago, for a milestone birthday, except, instead of spending five exhilarating days taking in the sights, because of Hurricane Sandy we ended up being there for eleven. Everywhere was closed, even the Broadway shows, so I grabbed a pen and some paper and started writing and my first published novel was born.

When I began researching my fourth book, I wanted my characters to have a fabulous backdrop for their story, so it had to be Cornwall. The scenery is so beautiful and diverse, not to mention the fact that the sun always seems to be shining. There’s Something About Cornwall follows Emilie Roberts, a food photographer, who takes a culinary road trip around the whole county as she works on a photoshoot for a celebrity TV chef working on her next cookery book.
Emilie’s epic journey starts in Padstow where she meets Matt at a beach party. He becomes a last-minute replacement driver for an orange-and-cream vintage campervan they’ve nicknamed The Satsuma Splittie. There’s plenty of stops along the way and lots of baking and tasting of the delicious Cornish food that is being photographed.

I wanted to showcase not only the local recipes, but also the wide array of artisan beverages that Cornwall is famous for. So, in Truro, they visit an apple orchard where Emilie photographs the Cornish Cyder Cake and Apple and Caramel Loaf, but they also indulge in a few pints of the local Scrumpy.

Apple & Caramel Loaf

During my research, I was amazed to find that vineyards flourish on south-facing slopes and fabulous white and ros̩ wine is produced in Cornwall. The county is also the only place in England that grows tea РTregothnan Tea - it offers a whole new meaning to the label English Breakfast tea!

I also came across the Southwestern Distillery, run by Tarquin Leadbetter, which produces not only Cornish Gin but also Cornish Pastis. The pastis is a modern take on the classic French aperitif and the first of its kind created in the UK. It is made with gorse flowers foraged from the Atlantic clifftops and fresh orange zest finished off with a touch of liquorice root. Tarquin also grows his own Devon violets for use in his Tarquin’s Gin.


http://www.southwesterndistillery.com/


I hope readers will enjoy escaping to our southernmost county when they read There’s Something About Cornwall.

For a chance to win a book on the history of the much-loved, iconic camper van, a mug and a coaster, just follow Daisy James and retweet the pinned tweet. The prize will be drawn on 31st March 2017 (UK only).



Daisy James links:

Also on Instagram.

Wednesday 8 March 2017

Blog Tour / Excerpt - After She's Gone & Sins of the Father by Sheryl Browne


Welcome to the blog tour of After She's Gone & Sins of the Father by Sheryl Browne. I am your host today. Read on to know more about the books and the excerpt of Sins of the Father.

Are you ready to take a journey into the mind of a madman?

After She’s Gone.
Sins of the Father.
All-consuming thrillers that will eat you and spit you back out.

After She’s Gone

He’s killed your child and kidnapped your wife. What would YOU do?

There’s evil and then there’s Patrick Sullivan. A drug dealer, pimp and murderer, there are no depths to which Patrick would not sink, and Detective Inspector Matthew Adams has found this out in the most devastating way imaginable.

When Patrick’s brother is shot dead in a drug bust gone wrong, the bitter battle between the two men intensifies, and Matthew finds it increasingly difficult to hold the moral high ground. All he wants is to make the pimping scum suffer the way he did … the way Lily did.

But being at war with such a depraved individual means that it’s not just Matthew who’s in danger. Patrick has taken a lot from Matthew, but he hasn’t taken everything – and now he wants everything.

Trailer :



Sins of the Father

What if you’d been accused of one of the worst crimes imaginable?

Detective Inspector Matthew Adams is slowly picking up the pieces from a case that nearly cost him the lives of his entire family and his own sanity too. On the surface, he seems to be moving on, but he drinks to forget – and when he closes his eyes, the nightmares still come.

But the past is the past – or is it? Because the evil Patrick Sullivan might be out of the picture, but there’s somebody who is just as intent on making Matthew’s life hell, and they’re doing it in the cruelest way possible.

When Matthew finds himself accused of a horrific and violent crime, will his family stand by him? And will he even be around to help when his new enemy goes after them as well?

Trailer - DI Matthew Adams series



Excerpt – Sins of the Father

‘Charge me, or get out of my way,’ Matthew grated, his jaw tightening.

Searching his eyes, a degree of compassion in his own, Davies shook his head sadly. ‘Sit down, Matthew,’ he said, turning away, ostensibly to pick up his papers. ‘We’ve got every available body on it. There’s nothing you can do. Certainly nothing I can condone. Just sit down and try to stay calm.’

Calm? Matthew stared incredulously after him, as Davies headed for the door. ‘I do not want to bloody well sit down!’ he shouted, his anger mounting dangerously inside him.

Steve was in front of him then, obviously also thinking it was perfectly reasonable to be requested to stay calm while who knew what might be happening to his family. ‘Better do as he says, Matt,’ he advised him sympathetically. Then turned to Anderson, who seemed oblivious or couldn’t-care-less as he sat, still picking at his thumbnail. ‘Can’t you get his bloody asthma meds?’ Steve asked him. ‘Instead of sitting there like a spare dick at a wedding?’

Matthew watched, utterly disbelieving, as Anderson got to his feet with absolutely no sense of urgency, as Davies left the room, now wittering into his phone about motorway surveillance, as if that could do any good. Had he even despatched anyone to bring Hayes in yet? Was he doing anything?

Clearly, he wasn’t. Matthew’s heart sank to a whole new level. Which meant that his staying here was not an option. He needed to get to Hayes. Find out what he knew. He needed to do it now. A distinct wheeze rattling his chest, Matthew turned to Steve. ‘Move, Steve,’ he asked him, eyeing him levelly.

‘Look, Matt, we’ll find them,’ Steve tried. ‘We’ve got eyes on the motorways. We—’

‘She’s not on the fucking motorways!’ Matthew yelled, his rage spilling over. ‘For Christ’s sake, Steve, we can’t even contact them by phone!’ Oh, for … This was useless. ‘I need to go,’ he said, pushing past him.

‘Uh, uh.’ Anderson, who’d paused at the door to watch proceedings, no doubt for kicks, stepped back into the room. ‘You need to stay rational, mate,’ he said, approaching Matthew. ‘You know the score. You can sit and wait here, or you can have a nice comfy cell. Either way, you’re going nowhere.’

With which, he took hold of Matthew’s arm and attempted to manhandle him towards the seat. That did it. Blind anger and impotent frustration driving him, Matthew shoved the man back hard.

Caught off guard, Anderson stumbled, crashing heavily backwards into the wall behind him. ‘You prat,’ he growled, shaking his head and heaving himself upright.

Matthew clenched his fist at his side, itching to punch the bastard’s lights out as Anderson advanced on him. ‘Don’t,’ he warned him.

‘And who’s going to stop me? You?’ Obviously hearing the now almost debilitating rattle in Matthew’s chest, Anderson mocked contemptuously. ‘Finally lost it, haven’t we, Adams, hey? Only a matter of time, wasn’t it?’

‘Oi, pack it in!’ Steve stepped between them. ‘Grow up, mate, will you?’ he said, eyeballing Anderson angrily, and then turning to assist Matthew, whose laboured breaths were fast turning to audible gasps.

‘He’s a bloody liability,’ Anderson muttered, leaning past Steve to shove Matthew hard in the shoulder.

‘Leave it out!’ Steve yelled, locking his arms about Matthew, forcing him bodily away from Anderson, as he attempted to retaliate.

‘Oh, for fuck’s sake. You almost got killed because of him, Ingram!’ Anderson blustered behind him. ‘Have you forgot, or what? The man thinks he’s a law unto himself. He’s a complete nutter, trying to convince everyone there’s a freaking ghost fitting him up. He’s off the bloody wall! Ought to have been kicked off the force ages—’

‘Just back off!’ Steve shouted, now physically trying to support Matthew, who was groping for the wall behind him. ‘Can’t you see the man’s in trouble?’

‘Oh, he’s definitely that,’ Anderson sneered, wiping an arm across his mouth, as Matthew slithered to his haunches. ‘In it up to his neck. And he thinks he can just stroll out of here? What’s he going to do then? Some bleeding Bruce Willis he is, ain’t he? Ask me, the bloke’s a complete waste of—’

‘Have we finished?’ DCI Davies asked behind him.

Paling, Anderson shot around to face him. ‘He was trying to leave, sir,’ he imparted quickly. ‘I had to use force to try to restrain—’

‘Out!’ Davies ordered him.

Anderson hesitated for a second, then, noting the livid look in Davies’ eye, stepped past him and walked apprehensively towards the door.

‘Bloody idiot,’ Davies threw after him. ‘Here,’ he said, removing the cap and handing Steve the inhaler.

‘About time,’ Steve muttered, crouching to offer it to Matthew. ‘Here you go. Two sharp puffs and all that crap, and then do us a favour, mate, and breathe, will you?’

Feeling the Ventolin hit the back of his throat, Matthew sucked the life-giving medication into his lungs.

‘Better?’ Steve asked him worriedly, after a second.

Waiting for the rasp in his chest to abate, Matthew nodded, then, taking another shot, he waited again while his breathing slowed, becoming deeper, slower, normal. ‘Thanks,’ he managed hoarsely, glancing gratefully at Steve.

‘No problem, mate. Need you fit and well to help me with that barn conversion I’m doing, don’t I?’



Meet the Author :


Sheryl Browne brings you edgy, sexy contemporary fiction and psychological thrillers.

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

Recommended to the publisher by the WH Smith Travel fiction buyer, Sheryl’s contemporary fiction comes to you from multi-award winning Choc Lit.

Author Links



Tuesday 7 March 2017

Blog Tour / Spotlight - Dreaming Sophia by Melissa Muldoon


Blurb : 

Dreaming Sophia is a magical look into Italy, language, art, and culture. It is a story about turning dreams into reality and learning to walk the fine line between fact and fantasy. When tragedy strikes, Sophia finds herself alone in the world, without direction and fearful of loving again. With only her vivid imagination to guide her, she begins a journey that will take her from the vineyards in Sonoma, California to a grad school in Philadelphia and, eventually, to Italy: Florence, Lucca, Rome, Verona, Venice, and Val d’Orcia.

​Through dreamlike encounters, Sophia meets Italian personalities—princes, poets, duchesses, artists, and film stars— who give her advice to help put her life back together. Following a path that takes her from grief to joy, she discovers the source of her creativity and learns to love again, turning her dreams into reality.

Buy the Book:

Amazon – print

Amazon / Kindle – ebook

Create Space

I-tunes – Apple Store-ebook

Barnes & Noble – ebook

Inktera-ebook

Book Trailer : 



Meet the Author :


Melissa Muldoon is the Studentessa Matta-the crazy linguist! In Italian, "matta" means "crazy" or "impassioned". Melissa has a B.A. in fine arts, art history and European history from Knox College, a liberal arts college in Galesburg, Illinois, as well as a master's degree in art history from the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana. She has also studied painting and art history in Florence.

Melissa promotes the study of Italian language and culture through her dual-language blog, Studentessa Matta (studentessamatta.com). Melissa began the Matta blog to improve her command of the language and to connect with other language learners. It has since grown to include a podcast, "Tutti Matti per l'Italiano" and the Studentessa Matta YouTube channel. Melissa also created Matta Italian Language Immersion Tours, which she co-leads with Italian partners in Italy.

Dreaming Sophia is Melissa's first novel. It is a fanciful look at art history and Italian language and culture, but it is also the culmination of personal stories and insights resulting from her experiences living in Italy, as well as her involvement and familiarity with the Italian language, painting, and art history.

As a student, Melissa lived in Florence with an Italian family. She studied art history and painting and took beginner Italian classes. When she returned home, she threw away her Italian dictionary, assuming she'd never need it again but after launching a successful design career and starting a family, she realized something was missing in her life. That "thing" was the connection she had made with Italy and the friends who live there. Living in Florence was indeed a life-changing event! Wanting to reconnect with Italy, she decided to start learning the language again from scratch. As if indeed possessed by an Italian muse, she bought a new Italian dictionary and began her journey to fluency-a path that has led her back to Italy many times and enriched her life in countless ways.

Now, many dictionaries and grammar books later, she dedicates her time to promoting Italian language studies, further travels in Italy, and sharing her stories and insights about Italy with others. When Melissa is not traveling in Italy, she lives in the San Francisco Bay Area. She is married and has three boys and two beagles.

Melissa designed and illustrated the cover art for Dreaming Sophia. She also designed the Dreaming Sophia website and created the character illustrations that can be found in the book and on the Dreaming Sophia websites.

Connect with the Author:

Website ~ Twitter ~ Facebook ~ Youtube ~ Pinterest

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Thursday 2 March 2017

Blog Tour / Book Musings - Her Secret Husband by Sundari Venkatraman




HER SECRET HUSBAND
(Marriages Made in Heaven Book #3)
by
Sundari Venkatraman



Blurb

The Maheshwaris are back, a little secretly this time!

What do you do if you find a man who looks like chocolate, speaks like warm syrup, looks at you like you were the most precious cake ever created, and he can bake too? You marry him, even if in secret.

Ruma Malhotra falls head over heels and a little more in love with Lakshman Maheshwari, but her parents insist that she marry a rich businessman of their choice. When Ruma's only option is to marry Lakshman in secret, she is left torn between her love for her parents and her passion for Lakshman. Is a secret marriage the solution or will it lead the way to a public disappointment?

Lakshman Maheshwari falls in love with Ruma Malhotra the first time he sets his eyes on her in Ranveer's office. Will he agree to marry Ruma in secret even if it means betraying his parents?

Psst... Those who have read THE MALHOTRA BRIDE might be happy to reconnect with Sunita & Akshay Malhotra in this one. 

*MARRIAGES MADE IN INDIA is a five-novella series that revolves around the characters you have met in The Runaway Bridegroom.


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Read an excerpt from #HSH

“What’s up?” he asked, trying to keep the situation light.
She winked at him. “Shouldn’t I be asking that question?” she asked, looking pointedly down at his lower body.
Reacting to her flirtation, his manhood immediately sprang to action, making Lakshman swear. “Cut that out, Ruma,” he growled, sidestepping her as she would’ve wrapped her arms around him. “I need a shower,” he insisted, not meeting her eyes. He went into the bathroom and locked himself in. The place smelled of Ruma. Cursing, Lakshman stood under the cold shower to tame his libido. She looked like she meant business. How could he convince her to wait till they got married? He dried himself with the towel that was on a rack, glaring at the mirror. He needed a shave. But no, they weren’t going to make love, so it didn’t really matter. Just then he realised that he would have to step out in the towel as his clothes were in the wardrobe. Swearing again, Lakshman walked into the bedroom.
“Laki,” called out Ruma, eyeing him avidly. Fascinated, she got up from the bed and walked up to him. He appeared like a Greek God with his chiselled body that was still damp from the shower. 
She stood close to him and raised her left hand to caress his rough cheek. Her right hand was hooked into his towel as if she was going to pull it off him any second. Lakshman clamped his hand on hers, his fingers holding the towel firmly. “No!”
“Huh?!” She looked deeply into his eyes, her brown gaze like melted cocoa, inviting him to make love to her. Her mouth was pouted deliciously, glistening wetly, begging for a kiss. Lakshman groaned deep in his throat, letting go of her hand to wrap his arms around her. He placed his lips on hers, sucking her upper lip. She tasted as sweet as honey, driving him crazy. His right hand moved down the curve of her hip to touch a thigh. He traced the curve, working his way under her nightshirt to encounter her bare bottom.
“Ruma.” He deliberately removed his hands off her and raised his head to look at her.
She stared back at him with slumberous eyes. “What?” A small frown puckered her forehead.
“We’ll make love after we get married,” he declared.
“What if I don’t agree?”
“I’ll have to beg, right?” he grinned weakly. “Please, my love. You know your parents won’t agree to a marriage between us. Doesn’t it make sense to wait until after the event?”
“What if I want you desperately?” She nuzzled his neck, her teeth taking a sharp nip.
Lakshman groaned again, his arms crushing her to his chest. “Do you love me or just lust after my body?”
“Can’t I do both?” 


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My Musings :

Another awesome book from the author. She has a way for making me eager to read her books and keep me completely satisfied with her writing.

The book cover is cute as per the norm for her books. The title is intriguing and that's what prompted my interest in this story. And the blurb caught me in the protagonists' lure easily! A really simple and elegant tale with the right amount of spice in it.

The protagonists, Ruma and Laki, are made for each other. Ruma is feisty and gutsy while Laki is mermerising with his cool take charge attitude especially when dealing with Ruma's family. I love that both of them give enough importance to their families. I loved meeting all the other characters. They all add to the charming story. I haven't read the other books in the series so I am quite looking forward to reading each person's story in order to know them better.

The story's pace is at that perfect flow which pulls you in easily to amble along for the ride. The author sure does know how to hook a reader and keep them there till the end! The steamy parts are also done perfectly with not overdoing them. The author has taken care to etch each scene in balance with the characters and the problems associated with them. There are certain things shown about Indian life which well adds to the realism factor of the tale.

I find that I have to mention the ending. The ending was choreographed so finely attuned to the reader's mood and the characters' actions. I found it so satisfactory especially the deft handling of Ruma's mother. Omg, that part had me cackling in delight!

Only thing I found lacking was the length of the story. I felt there could have been more , especially between the families. Other than that, a loveable sweet and soft romance has once again been the end product from the author's pen.

My one line review : A short and sweet spicy romance with Indian flair

My rating : 5/5

My reread factor : 4/5

About the author


Her Secret Husband is the tenth book authored by Sundari Venkatraman. This is a hot romance and is Book #3 of the 5-novella series titled Marriages Made in India. Book #1 of the series is The Smitten Husband & Book #2 is His Drunken Wife. Other published novels by the author are The Malhotra Bride, Meghna, The Runaway Bridegroom, The Madras Affair and An Autograph for Anjali—all romances. She also has a collection of romantic shorts called Matches Made in Heaven; and a collection of human interest stories called Tales of Sunshine. All of Sundari Venkatraman’s books are on Amazon Top 100 Bestsellers in India, USA, UK, Canada & Australia under both #romance & #drama categories.

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