Can a seasoned traveler from the city thaw the numb heart of a reclusive Texas widower?

Jack Armstrong lives like a recluse on his Texas ranch. In the difficult years after his wife’s death, he goes through the motions of life and wants to be left alone. Caroline Tate, a widowed ecology professor, arrives at the ranch for a much-needed break and to take nature photos for her sabbatical project. But relaxing is a challenge when she finds herself at odds with the curmudgeonly cowboy who owns the place. Jack generally steers clear of the guests, but this time, it’s not so easy. Vivacious Caroline doesn’t fade into the background. This city gal comes with pearls around her neck, a big red flower on her floppy hat, and way too many questions. Her self-assured, adventurous spirit gets under Jack’s skin, and she soon stirs feelings long dormant inside him.

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Author Bio:

Darlene Deluca writes contemporary romance and women’s fiction that explores relationships – what brings people together or keeps them apart. Her intent is to bring to life interesting characters that readers can relate to in real-life situations that combine a little fun, plenty of drama (with perhaps a tear or two), and big helpings of friendship, love and self-discovery, and will leave readers either cheering or sighing with a satisfied smile as they turn the final page. The Kansas City author enjoys getting lost in a good story with a glass of tea, a bit of dark chocolate and a warm, sunny beach.

Social links:

https://darlenedeluca.com

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6879809.Darlene_Deluca

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June 23

Birthdays: Anna Akhmatova (1889), Alfred Kinsey (1894), Winifred Holtby (1898), Michael Shaara (1928), Richard Bach (1936), David Leavitt (1961), Hugh Howey (1975), Markus Zusak (1975),

Michael Shaara won the 1975 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for “The Killer Angels”

Richard Bach is best known for his book “Jonathan Livingston Seagull”

Quote: “If you want to earn a living as a writer, which I’m assuming the people asking for my advice are, you are going to have to be more than a writer. You will be an entrepreneur and a publicist. Or you won’t make it.” – Hugh Howey

“Males do not represent two discrete populations; heterosexual and homosexual. The world is not to be divided into sheep and goats, and not all things are black nor all things white. It is a fundamental of taxonomy that nature rarely deals with discrete categories. Only the human mind invents categories and tries to force facts into separated pigeon-holes. The living world is a continuum in each and every one of its aspects. The sooner we learn this concerning human sexual behaviour, the sooner we shall reach a sound understanding of the realities of sex.” ― Alfred Kinsey, Sexual Behavior in the Human Male

“I don’t really understand it. Never have. The more I think on it the more it horrifies me. How can they look in the eyes of a man and make a slave of him and then quote the Bible?”
― Michael Shaara, The Killer Angels

Tip: In addition to not overusing modern slang, don’t use law language. A reader should be able to understand your work without resorting to looking ten-dollar words up in a dictionary.

Jumpstart: This is your main character’s wedding day. What could possibly go wrong? What happens?

Birthdays: Henry Rider Haggard (1856), Erich Maria Remarque (1898), Anne Morrow Lindbergh (1906), Octavia E. Butler (1947), Dan Brown (1964), Jason Goodwin (1964), James Forman Jr. (1967), Kambri Crews (1971), David Rees (1972)

James Forman Jr. won the 2018 Pulitzer Prize for Nonfiction

Quote: “It is very queer that the unhappiness of the world is so often brought on by small men.” ― Erich Maria Remarque, All Quiet on the Western Front

 “I don’t start writing until I have a very solid outline. Or else I’d get to the end and find out there is no ending, and that I just wasted three years of my life. The Da Vinci Code outline was a hundred pages.” – Dan Brown

Tip: Plot is what your story is about. There has to be something there for it to work.

Jumpstart: Your best friend has invented something that would change the world forever. What has s/he invented? Would it change the world for the better or the worse? What do you do?

THE LAST LIBRARIAN by Brandt Legg

Fiction, Dystopian,

3***

Blurb: The last library… The last books… The last chance… Never let them catch you reading! When the single remaining library of physical books is ordered closed and its “dangerous” contents burned, almost no one notices, almost no one cares. A few did. The impossible task of rescuing the books is up to an angry author, a brazen revolutionary, and the last librarian. They must unravel a coded paradox hidden in the texts. If they fail, humanity will lose more than just what is printed on those antique pages… …if it survives at all. You’ll love Book 1 of this thrilling series, because every chapter contains secrets and surprising twists. Click now to save the books.

Thoughts: The story had a really good premise—in a dystopian world, there was a huge pandemic and afterwards, certain people took over—mostly the rich. They changed all the laws and the world is now at peace for the first time—or is it? Go against the powers that be can get you killed. Get a little overweight and you get sent to rehab. Read the wrong books or say the wrong thing… you get the picture. All the libraries and paper books the world over are being destroyed one by one until there is only one left. The librarian doesn’t believe what is happening until a friend shows him the difference between a paper book and a digital one and he sees what the “censors” have done—even to Shakespeare. So he and his family and friends decide to save the books left in the last library. And they have less than a week to do it before the book burners come in and destroy what’s left.

A good premise, but… there were point of view hip-hops all over the place. After 411 pages, the story ended on a cliffhanger that continues in the next part of the series (I do not like this!). There were tons of quotes from famous authors and references to Fahrenheit 451, which was interesting, but it just rambled on way too much. Definitely in need of a more concise editing.

Recommended with caveat about cliffhangers, POV hops, and length.

Disclaimer: Disclosure of Material: I received a final and/or advanced reader copy of this book with the hope that I will leave my unbiased opinion. I was not required to leave a review, positive or otherwise, and my opinions are just that… My Opinions. I am posting this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”

NOT THAT KIND OF CALL GIRL by Nova Garcia

Julia Navarro, a plucky newspaper call center manager, juggles like a pro—not tennis balls but quirky employees, cranky customers, and a sleazy boss. Pregnant and short on time to complete her “get ready for baby checklist,” Julia rushes to fill a job vacancy by hiring Carmen Cooper, a shy, inexperienced college student. When Julia finds out Carmen never made it to work, she and a newsroom pal go undercover to find out why. Their shocking discovery leads them to cook up a half-baked plan to save Carmen from a Hollywood legend turned hermit, a man she calls “Papa.”Will the gamble pay off or pave a path of twists, turns, and tragedy?

Available through these fine retailers…
Amazon
Walmart
Target
BooksAMillion
Indie Bound
Barnes & Noble
Kobo
Google Books
ITunes

Author Bio:

Author Nova García hails from Laredo, Texas. Her Mexican-American family is a source of great pride. Her favorite memory from childhood is listening to her father play traditional Mexican songs on his guitar as she sang along. Family parties were epic with music, card games loud enough to wake the dead, home-cooked food such as fajitas, guacamole, tortillas and charro beans and an army of rowdy kids running around wreaking havoc. Nova’s career took a few turns, from call center management to non-profit leadership to Human Resources learning and development. Not That Kind of Call Girl is her first book in the women’s fiction genre. Nova writes with a higher purpose. In Not That Kind of Call Girl, she features a strong, accomplished and spunky Latina female protagonist. Her work aims to dispel Latino stereotypes, recognize women for the everyday miracles they make possible with grit, resourcefulness and an inner superhero kick butt attitude. Besides writing, Nova cooks, bakes, watches her beloved Seattle Seahawks and sings in a local band. She is available for book club talks and public speaking engagements. Nova loves to hear from her readers.

Find her at:

Amazon

Website

Goodreads

LOVE AT FIRST SWIPE by Andrew Grey

Fiction, Contemporary Gay Romance

4****

Blurb: Darby Wright has fought for his independence ever since he lost his sight as a child. But even now that he has his own home and a good job, his overprotective mother doesn’t believe he can handle himself. Darby’s determined to prove her wrong, but there are some things—like finding his guide dog’s potty accident—where an extra set of eyes would come in handy. Enter See For Me, an app that connects blind clients with sighted volunteers. See For Me is designed for just this sort of emergency, and it’s through this app that Darby meets Reynaldo. Lust at first voice turns to more when Darby and Reynaldo run into each other at a local sandwich shop, where Renaldo seems as nice in person as he was in app. With Reynaldo, Darby can feel his world expanding. Reynaldo doesn’t just support him but understands him and sees Darby as more than his disability. But will being with Reynaldo mean giving up Darby’s hard-fought independence, or will it mean gaining something more than he ever dreamed?

Thoughts: This was a nice story about a blind man finding love. Darby’s mother doesn’t believe he can live on his own and overcompensates by always trying to take over. Then Darby meets Reynaldo and everything changes—except his mother. Darby and Reynaldo not only have to face the challenges of a new relationship, but Darby’s blindness and mother as well. But Reynaldo can hold his own even against the mother’s resistance.

This is a short, quick read with a HEA that satisfies.

Recommended.

Disclaimer: Disclosure of Material: I received a final and/or advanced reader copy of this book with the hope that I will leave my unbiased opinion. I was not required to leave a review, positive or otherwise, and my opinions are just that… My Opinions. I am posting this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”

FRAMED FOR MURDER by Marla A. White

Fiction, Cozy Mystery, Contemporary,

4****

Blurb:After a life-changing injury, Mel O’Rourke trades in her badge for bed sheets, running a B & B in the quirky mountain town of Pine Cove. Her peaceful life is interrupted when an old frenemy, the notorious and charismatic cat burglar, Poppy Phillips, shows up on her doorstep, claiming she’s been framed for murder. While she’s broken plenty of laws, Mel knows she’d never kill anyone. Good thing she’s a better detective than she is a cook as she sets out to prove Poppy’s innocence.The situation gets complicated, however, when the ruggedly handsome Deputy Sheriff Gregg Marks flirts with Mel, bringing him dangerously close to the criminal she’s hiding. And just when her friendship with café owner Jackson Thibodeaux blossoms into something more, he’s offered the opportunity of a lifetime in New Orleans. Should she encourage him to go, or ask him to stay? Who knew romance could be just as hard to solve as murder?

Thoughts: I enjoyed this story and it’s a follow-up story to “The Starlight Mint Surprise Murder”—a holiday novella that sets the series up. The setting and characters drew me in, as they did with the shorter story. I’m glad the author took my hint from that review and is turning this into a series. I loved Mel (Emmeline), her grandmother was a hoot, and Poppy (cat burglar turned friend) was perfect! Mel had a lot of issues that played well into the story. She’s an ex-cop turned innkeeper who, with her family, owns a B&B in a small tourist town. Oh, and she can’t cook—even coffee is beyond her skill set. Not a good recommendation for a B&B. And her new best friend (who can actually cook) is the cat burglar she was chasing when she got injured as a cop. I loved how she fights her issues with heights. I can sympathize. The mystery is set up nicely with a few red herrings thrown in to throw you (and Mel) off track, but I have to say, I pegged the culprit pretty early. Still, it was a fun read and I definitely look forward to more in this series.

Recommended.

Disclaimer: Disclosure of Material: I received a final and/or advanced reader copy of this book with the hope that I will leave my unbiased opinion. I was not required to leave a review, positive or otherwise, and my opinions are just that… My Opinions. I am posting this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”

Just a quick note to everyone due to some comments I’ve had lately. I read a lot of books (no big surprise there!). I rate them according to how *I* feel about them. The ones I post here are ones I usually recommend, but not all books appeal to all readers. As a librarian, writer, editor, reviewer, I often read books that I would probably not purchase for myself, BUT if the writing is good, I will recommend. I do not believe in censorship. But I also believe not all books are for everyone. If you object to a book’s subject matter, that is fine for you, but do not ever tell me what I can or cannot read. Or what should be banned. Or anything else that has to do with censorship.

Go enjoy a banned book! I hear Judy Blume is pretty good. Or Margaret Atwood. Or just check out a “banned books” list and pick one and read it. Better yet, read “Fahrenheit 451” by Ray Bradbury.

Getting off my soapbox now. Go enjoy a good book.

THE THROUPLE NEXT DOOR by Andrew Grey

Fiction, M/M/M, Novella (100 pages), Level 5 Heat

4****

Blurb: Austin knew change was inevitable, but he hadn’t counted on just how difficult it was going to be… for all of them. He, Weaver, and Randy have been together for two amazingly hot years, and then with a single decision, everything is different. When Randy receives an offer on his gyms in Brooklyn, he jumps at it and switches careers with a teaching job in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. Weaver is also interested in making a change after nearly burning himself out as a lawyer. With both of his passionate partners needing something new and Austin’s modeling career cooling as he ages, the three of them decide to relocate from New York to Carlisle. Randy settles into his new position, and Weaver easily lands on his feet, but Austin wonders how he is going to fit into their new world. Austin knows he has the support of the men he loves, and who love him, but he needs to pull his weight. With very few prospects, what could small-town life hold for him? Randy and Weaver have their special way to make him forget, but it will take more than love and hot sex for the throuple next door to start the next chapter in their lives.

Thoughts: This was a good story about three men and how they work together as a family. They move from New York City to Carlisle, a definite change of venue. While Randy and Weaver find jobs and settle in, Austin is lost. He’s aged out of his former job as a model but there isn’t a lot for him in the small city. He becomes more and more frustrated with himself until an opportunity comes up. I will note that there are several very hot scenes with the three, but they’re well-written and the emotions are believable.

The three characters and their relationship is believable and the neighborhood is real and supports them. I loved the descriptions of the home and surrounding area (and since I have been through that area, I know it is well done).

Recommended.

Disclaimer: Disclosure of Material: I received a final and/or advanced reader copy of this book with the hope that I will leave my unbiased opinion. I was not required to leave a review, positive or otherwise, and my opinions are just that… My Opinions. I am posting this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”