Review & Giveaway: The Widow of Rose House by Diana Biller

The Widow of Rose House by Diana Biller

Publication Date: October 8th 2019 by St. Martin's Griffin

Pages: 352

Source: Publisher

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo 

About the book:

A young widow restores a dilapidated mansion with the assistance of a charming, eccentric genius, only to find the house is full of dangerous secrets in this effervescent Gilded Age debut novel

It's 1875, and Alva Webster has perfected her stiff upper lip after three years of being pilloried in the presses of two continents over fleeing her abusive husband. Now his sudden death allows her to return to New York to make a fresh start, restoring Liefdehuis, a dilapidated Hyde Park mansion, and hopefully her reputation at the same time. However, fresh starts aren't as easy as they seem, as Alva discovers when stories of a haunting at Liefdehuis begin to reach her. But Alva doesn't believe in ghosts. So when the eccentric and brilliant professor, Samuel Moore, appears and informs her that he can get to the bottom of the mystery that surrounds Liefdehuis, she turns him down flat. She doesn't need any more complications in her life―especially not a handsome, convention-flouting, scandal-raising one like Sam.

Unfortunately, though Alva is loath to admit it, Sam, a pioneer in electric lighting and a member of the nationally-adored Moore family of scientists, is the only one who can help. Together, the two delve into the tragic secrets wreathing Alva's new home while Sam attempts to unlock Alva's history―and her heart.

Set during the Gilded Age in New York City, The Widow of Rose House is a gorgeous debut by Diana Biller, with a darkly Victorian Gothic flair and an intrepid and resilient American heroine guaranteed to delight readers.

My Thoughts:

Alva’s back in New York after the death of her estranged husband, partly to salvage her reputation from the rumors and gossip written after their separation, and to revamp Liefdehuis, an old Hyde Park house.  She plans to publish the process of renovation as well as interior design ideas for the middle classes, an new and emerging market. But the ghost stories surrounding Liefdehuis threaten to derail her plans, so she has no choice but to investigate and hopefully dispel. Here’s where Sam Moore, the famous inventor comes in, much to Alva’s dismay.

I loved The Widow of Rose House! Parts were a bit scary, (hello, ghost story!) and tragic, but a large part of the story was so much fun, thanks to Samuel Moore and his wonderfully quirky family! Sam’s eccentric, sexy, and handsome, and Alva’s reactions to him were a complete delight! Alva tried to resist Sam’s charm, but he was impossible to put off and completely irresistible. Loved the banter and chemistry between them!

I adored Alva! Enduring everything she did, from her unloving family to her abusive husband (now dead, thank goodness) while still retaining her spirit showed a strength I admired. If anyone deserved a happy ending it was Alva. Dealing with the possibility of the ghost on top of salvaging her reputation proves to be a daunting challenge, but one Alva’s determined to take on.  

The Widow of Rose House was a captivating story, a wonderful debut!  While the story wraps up nicely, I’d love to have more stories centering on the Moore siblings, Henry included!

4 Suns

About the author:

DIANA BILLER lives in Los Angeles with her husband and their very good dog. The Widow of Rose House is her debut novel. Visit her at www.dianabiller.com or follow her @dcbiller.

St. Martin's Press has generously offered up a Paperback Copy of The Widow of Rose House to one reader.  The giveaway is open to US and Canadian Residents only.  Fill out the rafflecopter for a chance to win. Good luck!

Sunday Post #47

The Sunday Post is hosted by Kimberly @ Caffeinated reviewer book blog, and is a post to recap my bookish and non-bookish things from the last week. 

It's been a busy week because I've been gearing up for our vacation on the coast of Northern California. Today we spent the day in Napa, tasted at a few wineries and then headed north. We're staying one night in a little town I've never heard of (and will probably never visit again) and then we're off to Trinidad and then Mendocino. Above is a picture from the gardens at Louis Martini winery. Very pretty place!

Read:

(click on cover for Goodreads link:)

Really enjoyed Well Met, Say it Again, and Christmas with a Cowboy.  Love Allison Brennan's romantic suspense but Killing Fear wasn't my favorite book from her. Still, pretty entertaining.

Received/Purchased/Library Lend:

(click on cover for Gooreads link:)

I'm excited for all of these! Both The Bookshop on the Shore and Things You Save in a Fire are library audio lends. I've started Things You Save in a Fire, but I'm barely in. Love Therese Plummer's narration so I'm thrilled she's reading. 

Watched: 

It's been a long time since I've watched this, but it's still one of my favorite movies! 

How was your week?

Review: Well Met by Jen DeLuca

Well Met by Jen DeLuca

Publication Date: September 3rd 2019 by Berkley

Pages: 336

Source: Publisher

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

About the book:

All's faire in love and war for two sworn enemies who indulge in a harmless flirtation in a laugh-out-loud rom-com from debut author, Jen DeLuca.

Emily knew there would be strings attached when she relocated to the small town of Willow Creek, Maryland, for the summer to help her sister recover from an accident, but who could anticipate getting roped into volunteering for the local Renaissance Faire alongside her teenaged niece? Or that the irritating and inscrutable schoolteacher in charge of the volunteers would be so annoying that she finds it impossible to stop thinking about him?

The faire is Simon's family legacy and from the start he makes clear he doesn't have time for Emily's lighthearted approach to life, her oddball Shakespeare conspiracy theories, or her endless suggestions for new acts to shake things up. Yet on the faire grounds he becomes a different person, flirting freely with Emily when she's in her revealing wench's costume. But is this attraction real, or just part of the characters they're portraying?

This summer was only ever supposed to be a pit stop on the way to somewhere else for Emily, but soon she can't seem to shake the fantasy of establishing something more with Simon, or a permanent home of her own in Willow Creek.

My Thoughts:

Well Met was a wonderful debut!  A swoony romance in the magical setting of a Renaissance Faire, with all the delights that go along with it. I loved the romance!  The connection between Simon and Emily once the ice melted between them was deliciously hot! The kisses alone were so steamy and dreamy, but when they finally got together…oh my! I also loved Emily’s relationship with her sister, April, and her niece, Caitlin. Even though they weren’t super close growing up (twelve-year age gap and all that) Emily was there for them, putting her whole life on hold, when they needed her.  And it wasn’t one sided either, April was supportive of Emily when she needed it, too.

The faire was a lot of fun, too. Having never gone to a Renaissance Faire I got to experience it through Ms. DeLuca’s vivid writing.  

I really enjoyed Well Met, with some minor quibbles. I wasn’t thrilled with Emily’s quick judgmental assumptions about Simon at first, and I wasn’t a fan of Emily’s self-doubt in her relationship with Simon, especially since he seemed clear on things, also with Chris from the coffee shop. I guess some of it was understandable considering her previous relationship, but it was a little frustrating.

All in all, Well Met was a delight, and I look forward to whatever Jen DeLuca’s decides to come up with next!

3.5-4 Suns

Top Ten Tuesday: Book Titles with Numbers in Them

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by The Artsy Reader where each week they post a new top ten list and ask fellow bookish folk to share their lists on that topic.

This week we're asked to share our Book Titles with Numbers in Them.  Here are books on my list that I've actually read. Didn't know if I could come up with enough, but I actually had more than I thought.
 I read everyone of these except one. 

Okay, so the only one I didn't read from above was Nine Minutes. It's in my TBR but I doubt I'll read it. Too much crazy drama and angst.  Read and enjoyed every one of the other books!

Review & Giveaway: Say It Again by Catherine Bybee

Say it Again (First Wives #5) by Catherine Bybee

Publication Date: September 24th 2019 by Montlake Romance

Pages: 343 

Source: Publisher

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Audible

About the book:

In the final First Wives novel by New York Times bestselling author Catherine Bybee, falling in love could become the most dangerous dare of one woman’s life.

Protector-for-hire Sasha Budanov is accustomed to life as a loner. Always on the move, she’s now reached a crossroad. Looking for answers about her shadowy youth, she’s returned to the strict boarding school in Germany where she was raised. It’s also where she was trained in the stealthy, militarized art of survival. But behind its gleaming gates, Richter is a fortress of secrets, including those buried in Sasha’s mysterious past. To uncover them, she’s clinging to her first rule of defense: stay guarded.

If anyone can challenge Sasha’s rules, it’s devilishly sexy stranger AJ Hofmann. He wants answers, too. And he needs Sasha’s help. The recent deaths of several of Richter’s former students—including AJ’s own sister—have aroused his suspicions. He’s arousing something more in Sasha. Never one to surrender to her emotions, she senses something tempting in AJ. She trusts him. He’s fearless. And he kisses like a demon. Sasha’s found her match.

But treading Richter’s dark halls—and following their hearts—has its risks. As the decades-old secrets of the past are mined, Sasha and AJ are falling deeper in love…and into danger.

My Thoughts:

Sasha is at a crossroads in her life after fulfilling a long-time mission and having nothing on her agenda she’s not sure what’s next.  Ritcher is the military type boarding school that molded her into the woman she is today and so she decides to visit her old school and ends up with a mystery to solve in the process.

Enter AJ. His sister, a previous student of Richter, has been murdered and AJ is determined to find her killer.  AJ wasn’t super close to his sister, so he decides to trace her past and find out if it had anything to do with her murder. He hits a roadblock with Richter, they’re secretive sending up all kinds of red flags for AJ, so he hits up Sasha for help.

While the previous books in the First Wives series have been more contemporary romance with a bit of romantic suspense, Say it Again is more of an action/romantic suspense story. Sasha (as the interview below points out) is kind of like a female James Bond. She’s been a savior and protector of the heroines in the past stories, so I’m happy to get the story behind this badass woman!  As an orphan in foster homes and then as a student in Richter, Sasha is used to being on her own without anyone having her back, so it’s a new experience to have AJ, Reed, Trina, and the gang at her back providing not only support and protection, but a place where she fits in as family.

The romance between AJ and Sasha was fitted in between solving AJ’s sister’s murder, and evading danger, but whenever they had a minute it was electric and passionate!  Even with the intense attraction between them, Sasha and AJ didn’t just jump into a relationship, there was a lot going on and each were focused on finding Amelia’s killer as well as what is really going on at Richter. They got to know each other bit by bit under tense circumstances, forming a bond with an attraction that eventually couldn’t be ignored. The slow progression from attraction to more, felt right for the story.

I really enjoyed Say it Again with the extra amount of danger, action, and thrills thrown into the mix! Never a dull moment with this fast-paced story, and I’m pleased with how it all turned out! There’s potential for more action/thriller/romance books with a few of the characters introduced here. Maybe Claire or Olivia? I guess we’ll see if Ms. Bybee decides to continue their stories. I look forward to whatever she decides to write in the future. 

 4 Suns

Q & A with Catherine Bybee:

1) Sasha, from your newest novel Say it Again, is unlike any character that most readers will have encountered. Can you give us a rundown of your heroine?

Sasha is a female James Bond with all the skills that kick ass and the sexy that opens doors. She’s a master of disguises, speaks more languages than anyone should…and has a razor-sharp mind that doesn’t sleep. In all her badassery, (pretty sure I just made up that word) Sasha has a soft spot—a vulnerability that makes her want to protect the innocent. She’s a true to life superhero who walks the fence between right and wrong. She really doesn’t have any issues breaking laws to get what she wants. And that’s what makes her so fun to read, and for me to write.

2) Fans have been following Sasha throughout your First Wives series. Did you always know you wanted to write her story?

No! Not at all. The first four books in the series were going to be it. However, Sasha commanded attention the first moment she walked on the page and I couldn’t get enough of her once I dreamed her up. I was almost finished writing the first book when I decided that Sasha was not going to be a bad guy. Yes, I’m a pantser, and have no real outline before I sit down to write. I think the fact that I didn’t know she was one of the good guys made her all that more believable. I don’t even think she knew she was going to be on the side of right and justice until the end of Fool Me Once.

3) While many of your novels have a mystery or suspense element, you dive head first into action and spy-games in this book. How easy was this transition for you?

It was super easy and tons of fun. In fact… I think I may have a spin off of a spin off rolling in my head with all the fun characters I played with while writing this book. Neil was one of my very first book boyfriends from the Weekday Brides. And having him come back in this book just reminded me how much fun it is to write all the action and intrigue. I hope my fans love it enough for me to continue the theme with new books.

4) When AJ is first introduced he seems pretty average—just a guy looking for answers about his sister’s death. But in reality, there is nothing average about AJ. How would you describe him? 

The best picture in my mine that I can describe with all clarity is Brian O’Connor, Paul Walker (RIP), from Fast and Furious. Innocent until he isn’t.

I would say that AJ is exactly what Sasha needed to open up and accept that she too can be loved. I wanted AJ to come off as average until he wasn’t. Sasha is such a strong character that she needed someone who wasn’t going to try and overpower or overshadow her badassery (love that word). AJ does that. Yet he has some badass moments himself and that is what makes her fall for him even more. He is in no way perfect and neither is she.

5) AJ and Sasha have something in common—they are both characters with lots and lots of secrets. What makes them open up to each other? What else do they have in common?

Trust through time. That’s the best way for me to describe how they evolved in my head. There is a common respect the moment they “acquire” the other’s phone. A moment where they take notice and begin to respect the other. Honor among thieves as they say. I think the common ground that isn’t apparent until the story evolves is how they want the love of a family. AJ is much more open to it than Sasha, but they both have to fight for it in the end.

6) While you have written books with scenes in foreign countries, this story takes place internationally. Have you visited the same places as your characters? Where do you hope to take readers around the world in the future?

Yes, I have been to all the places I have written about. I was in Berlin a couple of years ago at a book signing and managed to get their by taking the train from London, through Amsterdam etc. So yes, I’m blessed to have visited these places which makes the story that much richer in my opinion. Richter, the school in the story, is from my imagination. I did some fact checking and learned that post Hitler’s Germany, military boarding schools were not welcome in the country. So I made one up and made it as great and awful as I could while still making it believable.

I have placed most of my travels, or experiences from them, in my books. And as I travel the world, I will bring my readers along…eventually.

7) Say it Again wraps up your First Wives series. What have you learned while writing these books? Will these lessons affect your writing in the future?

On a personal level, I will say that I’ve leaned to write with a great deal of personal turmoil. There have been times I’ve doubted my process and this final book in the series has told me to never do that again. I would like to always keep the door open for more books because of characters like Sasha. I love writing fast moving romantic suspense and intrigue and can see Claire, Cooper and the whole of Neil’s team as a great setting for future books. Yeah… I’m liking that idea more and more. I hope my readers do, too. 

Author Biography:

New York Times, #1 Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author Catherine Bybee has written thirty books that collectively have sold more than five million copies and been translated into more than eighteen languages. Raised in Washington State, Bybee moved to Southern California in the hope of becoming a movie star. After growing bored with waiting tables, she returned to school and became a registered nurse, spending most of her career in urban emergency rooms. She now writes full-time and has penned the Not Quite Series, the Weekday Brides Series, the Most Likely To Series, and the First Wives Series. For more information, visit www.catherinebybee.com.

Connect with Catherine Bybee:

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

The publisher has generously provided a copy of Say it Again along with a $25 Amazon Giftcard. Simply fill out the rafflecopter for a change to win!

Review & Giveaway: Christmas with a Cowboy by Carolyn Brown

Christmas with a Cowboy (Longhorn Canyon #5) by Carolyn Brown

Publication Date: September 24th 2019 by Forever

Pages: 448 (with novella by Sara Richardson)

Source: Publisher

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

About the book:

A rugged Texas cowboy gets into the Christmas spirit to prove himself to the woman he loves in this heartwarming fifth novel of the USA Today bestselling series.

Maverick Callahan lives up to his reputation as a freewheeling cowboy. But a year ago he fell head-over-heels for an extraordinary woman he met while on vacation, a woman he was convinced he'd never see again. So when she appears on his doorstep like a Christmas miracle, Maverick is determined not to waste his lucky break.

Bridget O'Malley's world has flipped upside down. As the new guardian of her best friend's baby, she hasn't had a moment to think about the Texas rancher who broke her heart. He's just as sexy as ever, but she knows better than anyone that he's not the settling-down type. As the trees are trimmed and mistletoe hung, will some holiday magic help Bridget trust this carefree cowboy with her heart and her future?

Includes a bonus novella, "Rocky Mountain Cowboy Christmas" by Sara Richardson! 

My Thoughts:

Maverick and Bridget had a night of shared confidences and passion the last night of Maverick’s vacation in Ireland, and they parted ways thinking they’d never see each other again. Yet, neither could forget the strong bond forged in just a few hours, and as luck would have it they’re reunited again on Maverick’s Granny’s ranch.  This time though, Bridget doesn’t feel she can risk her heart when she’s just inherited guardianship of her goddaughter after a tragic accident leaves baby Laela an orphan. Bridget know a mother by default, must keep her daughter’s needs and future as her focus, not spending time with a carefree cowboy, no matter how sexy he is. 

Maverick left Ireland with a sad heart after parting ways with Bridget. Meeting again at his grandma’s ranch is a second chance he doesn’t want to waste, but is he ready to give up his wild cowboy ways permanently? Working together on the ranch as well as on all the Christmas duties Granny Iris assigns them forces them together and it’s as if the match has been struck up again between them.  All that attraction burns bright again!

I love Carolyn Brown’s cowboy romances and Christmas With a Cowboy brought out the warm and fuzzies.  I really enjoyed Bridget and Maverick’s journey to a HEA, which seemed to be helped along by their grannies.  As usual, Ms. Brown brings sage advice, and some laughs with more mature secondary cast, in this case Maverick’s Granny Iris.  I just loved how sweet Maverick was with baby Laela and for much of the book they were like a ready-made perfect family. There were a few bumps in the road, but no more than you’d expect real people to encounter with this type of situation.

There were hints at the next romance to come with Alana and Paxton. I can’t wait!

4 Suns

Forever Books generously provided a copy of Cowboy Bold, the first book in the Longhorn Canyon series, to one reader.  The giveaway is open to US Residents only.  Fill out the rafflecopter for a chance to win. Good luck!

Review & Excerpt: Archangel's War by Nalini Singh

Archangel's War (Guild Hunter #12) by Nalini Singh

Publication Date: September 24th 2019 by Berkley

Pages: 480

Source: Publisher

Purchase Links:

Amazon | Kindle | Barnes and Noble | Nook | Apple Books | Kobo | IndieBound

My Thoughts:

The Guild Hunter series quickly became a favorite last year when I binge read all the Elena/Raphael books. The romance between Elena and Raphael has been electric and all-consuming, an epic love! They’ve come a long way over the series, and I love that they face each trial thrown their way together as a united front.   This is a series that needs to be read in order, the Elena/Raphael books, at any rate. The others center on other couples and can be read on their own, IMO.  While this is book twelve in the overall series, Archangel’s War is the seventh Elena/Raphael book. 

I think fans will find this an exciting installment especially after the brutal cliffhanger we had with the last book.  I know I was anxious to dive in and see how everything turned out! I think this book is better if you can set aside a chunk of time to really dig in and read.  I had to stop and start a lot because of real-life and I think it impacted the flow a bit in the beginning. I don’t think I can comment on the plot much, because anything I said would be a spoiler, but I will say Archangel’s War was exciting, full of change and danger! Ancients awakening, joining the fray, and an epic battle that’ll have you worried for the fate of our favorite characters. 

Loved learning more background on Illium “Bluebell” and his mother, Sharine “Hummingbird”, Aodhan with them. Izzy, Elena’s beloved “baby” angel and her younger sister Eve all have part in Archangel’s War. We even get a little more of Raphael’s mother, Caliane; her history and a bit of Raphael’s childhood, too. Also, more was revealed about The Legion, and I really have enjoyed seeing them evolve into more than just a uniform sort of collective with the help of Elena.

My review feels so lacking, because it’s impossible to say much that isn’t a spoiler, but it’s more than just the “read it!” I wanted to go with initially, so there is that!  

4 Suns

Excerpt:

“We watch,” the Primary said. “We protect.”

But things were altering in front of them, a faint glow emanating from where the aeclari had been before the filaments obscured both Raphael’s body and Elena’s chrysalis.

Beyond the balcony doors now partially covered with the snow silk of the filaments, the Bluebell turned. His eyes widened at seeing the ocean of filaments, the glow. But before he could open the closed doors, a familiar voice entered all their minds.

Leave now. It was an order from an archangel. Clear the skies above. Empty the land around. GO.

The Legion were moving even as the last word echoed in their minds. They were Raphael’s Legion, Elena’s Legion, and they had been given an order. The Bluebell wasn’t Legion. He was one of the Seven. Unique. With his own mind.

Torment wrenched his features, but he inclined his head, and the Primary saw him form the word, “Sire.”

All of them moved.

The Bluebell dropped to the grass, then ran inside the house.

The Legion broke into four parts and swept the area. Winged beings were already flying toward the river at high speed, their faces stark and their jaws determined. The Legion dropped down in front of cars moving on the nearest road. The cars were not so close to the aeclari’s home, but the archangel hadn’t said how far to clear.

When the first two cars halted with a screech that caused a burning scent to rise to their nostrils, the Legion wrenched the doors open and hauled the startled vampires out. A group of the Legion rose into the air, two to a vampire. Another group found four humans in a third car, a vampire’s cattle heading home. The scared cattle whimpered at being taken by the Legion but didn’t struggle. Neither did the vampires after they saw the angels racing from the Enclave to the water.

Golden light poured out from the windows of the aeclari’s home.

Many of the angels streaming over the water held vampires or humans in their arms, getting their households out of danger. The Bluebell was one of the last to fly out of the Enclave, and though the Legion did not speak to many outside of the aeclari, they spoke to him: Are the aeclari’s people safe? This was important. The Legion knew. The aeclari had bonds to those who lived in the house.

Yes, I got them out. The Bluebell, who could fly faster than the Primary and sometimes raced with the cars of the Blade and the Viper, fell off the cliff with his wings licked by a golden light so bright that it was difficult to face. In one hand, he held a large rectangular thing, in his other items they recognized.

Several of the Legion flew to him, and took the things. They did not understand things, but these were linked to the aeclari in their mind. We will fly them to the Tower.

Most of the angels kept on flying toward Manhattan, and those of the Legion that carried vampires or mortals kept on going, too. But the Primary turned once he was over the center of the river, as did those of his brethren who flew only their own bodies.

The Bluebell halted in front of them, the silvery blue of his wings spread and his face awash in the burning golden light that had turned the river to gold.

And the light, it grew, and grew, and grew.

Until at last, the light was so bright that it became fire and even the Primary couldn’t bear it and threw up his arm in front of his eyes. The last thing he saw was an intense white brightness.

© Copyright 2019 by Nalini Singh