Monday, July 29, 2024

Release Day! Hello Little Girl by Kay Bratt ~ My Thoughts #HelloLittleGirl @kaybratt

Happy Release Day!

Congrats Kay
on the release today of
Hello Little Girl!

Hello Little Girl by Kay Bratt
Saga Fiction, 256 pages
Published July 29, 2024 by Red Thread Publishing Group

In the picturesque town of Hart's Ridge, where secrets linger and shadows dance, Deputy Taylor Gray finds herself at a crossroads in the much-anticipated tenth installment of the beloved small-town mystery series, Hello Little Girl.

Taylor is given all she's ever wanted when her family is complete, but will it be enough to put them as priority and stop putting her career first?

Meanwhile, a woman held in captivity grapples with a moral dilemma of her own. Trapped between the desire to reclaim her freedom and the urge to save another, she must summon the courage to make a choice that will shape not only her destiny but also the lives of those she holds dear.

Join Deputy Taylor Gray and the resilient inhabitants of Hart's Ridge as they embark on a journey of self-discovery, redemption, and ultimately, the triumph of the human spirit. Hello Little Girl promises to be a riveting addition to the series, leaving readers spellbound until the final revelation.


My thoughts about Hello Little Girl ~~

(I love to note the first lines of the books I'm reading. First lines can really grab a reader's attention and I love seeing where the author takes the reader after their first line.)

First lines—"Caleb Grimes felt like ripping off his badge and throwing it at the sheriff."

If you have not started this series, what are you waiting for? Each book endears me even more to this wonderful but dysfunctional family. 

With each story, we get to know the Gray family a little bit more. On top of that, there is always a case or two that Taylor gets involved with. The case she is currently working on has been ongoing and has taken a long time to resolve. And then there is the fact that she now goes undercover. Yikes! Not sure how that's going to work out for her. 

I love the family elements included in these stories as well as the true crime aspect to each installment. Hello Little Girl was pretty intense, and to be honest, I gasped out loud at one point. I love when an author can do that!

I loved Hello Little Girl and I highly recommend it, as well as this whole series. The Hart's Ridge Series is absolutely amazing. Book #11 is scheduled to be released in December and I can't wait!

I received an ARC of Hello Little Girl from the author and this is my honest opinion.

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Read my thoughts about book #1, Hart's Ridge here,
book #2, Lucy in the Sky here,
book #3 In My Life here,
book #4, Borrowed Time here
book #5, Instant Karma here
book #6 Nobody Told Me here,
book #7, Hello Goodbye here,
book #8, Starting Over here,
book #9, Blackbird here.

Book #11 So This is Christmas is expected to be released on December 25, 2024!

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About the author


Kay Bratt; Writer, Rescuer, Wanderer

As a writer, Kay used writing to help her navigate a tumultuous childhood, followed by a decade of abuse as an adult. After working her way through the hard years, Kay emerged a survivor and a pursuer of peace--and finally found the courage to share her stories. She is the author of more than a dozen full length books, with ten of those published by Lake Union Publishing. Kay writes women's fiction and historical fiction, and her books have fueled many exciting book club discussions. Her works have been translated into German, Korean, Chinese, Czechoslovakian, and Estonian.

As a rescuer, Kay currently focuses her efforts on animal rescue and is the Director of Advocacy for Yorkie Rescue of the Carolinas. As a child advocate, she spent a number of years volunteering in a Chinese orphanage, as well as provided assistance for several nonprofit organizations that support children in China, including An Orphan's Wish (AOW), Pearl River Outreach, and Love Without Boundaries. In the USA, she actively served as a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) for abused and neglected children in Georgia, and spear-headed numerous outreach programs for underprivileged children in the South Carolina area.

As a wanderer, Kay has lived in nearly three dozen different homes, on two continents and in states from coast to coast in the USA. She's traveled to Mexico, Thailand, Malaysia, China, Philippines, Central America, Bahamas, and Australia. Currently she and her soulmate of more than 25 years enjoy life in their forever home on the banks of Lake Hartwell in Georgia, USA.

Kay has been described as southern, spicy, and a little sassy. Social media forces her to overshare and you don't want to miss some of the antics that goes on with her and the Bratt Pack. 

Find her on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, and then buckle up and enjoy the ride. You can find a full list of her published works at www.kaybratt.com -- To be notified when new books are released, please sign up for my monthly email newsletter at www.kaybratt.com ~ Goodreads

Connect with Kay


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It's Monday! What Are You Reading? July 29, 2024 #IMWAYR

      

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is a place to meet up and share what you have been, are and about to be reading over the week. It's an opportunity to visit other blogs and to comment on their reads. And ... you can add to that ever growing TBR pile! So welcome everyone. This meme started with J Kaye's Blog and then was taken up by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn at the Book Date. And here we are! 

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Thanks for stopping by. I hope you all have a good week. 
Happy reading!

What I'm currently reading

House of Glass
by Sarah Pekkanen
eARC from NetGalley
Pub date ~ August 6

The Memory Keeper's Daughter
by Kim Edwards
audio-book from my collection
Published June 2005

What I recently finished

Hello Little Girl
by Kay Bratt
eARC from author
Pub date ~ TODAY!!

This Used to Be Us
by Renee Carlino
print ARC from publisher
Published July 9, 2024

What I am going to read next

By Any Other Name
by Jodi Picoult
eARC from NetGalley
Pub date  - August 20

I really love my reading life!

What are you reading this week?

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Be sure to check the sidebar for all of my current giveaways!

Friday, July 26, 2024

A Happier Life by Kristy Woodson Harvey ~ My Thoughts #AHappierLife @kristywharvey

Congrats Kristy
on the release last month of
A Happier Life!

A Happier Life by Kristy Woodson Harvey
Women's Fiction, Contemporary, 384 pages
Published June 25, 2024 by Gallery Books

“Full of Southern charm and characters that will stay with you” (Jennifer Probst, New York Times bestselling author), this tender novel follows a young woman who discovers the family she has always longed for when she spends a life-changing summer in North Carolina—from New York Times bestselling author Kristy Woodson Harvey.

Present Day: Keaton Smith is desperate for a fresh start. So when her mother needs someone to put her childhood home in Beaufort, North Carolina, on the market—the home that Keaton didn’t know existed until now—she jumps at the chance to head south. But the moment she steps foot inside the abandoned house, she’s confronted with secrets about grandparents who died before she was born. And as she gets to know her charming next-door neighbor, his precocious ten-year-old son, and a flock of endearingly feisty town busybodies, she soon finds she has more questions than answers.

1976: Rebecca “Becks” Saint James has made a name for herself as the best hostess North Carolina has ever seen. Her annual summer suppers have become the stuff of legend, and locals and out-of-towners alike clamor for an invitation to her stunning historic home. But she’s struggling behind the façade. Becks strives to make the lives of those around her as easy as possible, but this summer she is facing a dilemma that even she can’t solve. And as the end of the season looms, she is brought to a decision she never wanted to make.

As both Keaton and Becks face new challenges and chapters, they are connected through time by the house on Sunset Lane, which has protected the secrets, hopes, and dreams of the women in their family for generations. For fans of Summer of ‘69 and The Notebook, “A Happier Life is that wistful, sparkling summer song whose notes will long linger in readers’ memories” (Mary Kay Andrews, New York Times bestselling author).


My thoughts about A Happier Life ~~

(I love to note the first lines of the books I'm reading. First lines can really grab a reader's attention and I love seeing where the author takes the reader after their first line.)

First line—"Houses outlive the people they love."

I absolutely love everything KWH writes and look forward to her new releases! Her books take me to wonderful places full of kind, caring characters, people I wish in knew in real life.

A Happier Life is told with dual timelines—the present where Keaton goes back to her mother's house to get it ready to sell, and the past of the grandmother she never knew. The neighbors, the house, and journals she finds fill in the unknown of the lives of her grandparents. 

Once again, Kristy has created a world that was such an amazing escape for me. The story is filled with interesting, fun characters who charmed me the first time I met them. There was plenty of drama to keep me intrigued and I devoured this story. I absolutely loved A Happier Life, as I have all of Kristy's other books. It's the perfect book to add to your summer reading list. I highly recommend it! 

I received a copy of A Happier Life from the publisher and this is my honest opinion.

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About the author


Kristy Woodson Harvey is the New York Times, USA Today and Publisher’s Weekly bestselling author of eleven novels including A Happier Life, The Summer of Songbirds, and The Peachtree Bluff Series. Many of her books have been optioned or are in development for television and film and have received numerous accolades, including Good Morning America’s Buzz Pick, Southern Living’s Most Anticipated Reads, Katie Couric’s Featured Books, and Joanna Garcia Swisher’s The Happy Place Read. Kristy is the winner of the Lucy Bramlette Patterson Award for Excellence in Creative Writing and a finalist for the Southern Book Prize.

A Phi Beta Kappa, summa cum laude graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s school of journalism, her writing has appeared in numerous publications, including Southern Living, Parade, Traditional Home, USA TODAY, and many more. She also holds a master’s in English, with a concentration in multicultural and transnational literature.

Kristy is the cocreator and cohost of the weekly web show and podcast Friends & Fiction with fellow New York Times Bestselling authors Mary Kay Andrews, Kristin Harmel, and Patti Callahan Henry. She is also the co-founder of the interiors site Design Chic, with her mom, Beth Woodson.

She lives on the North Carolina coast with her husband, son, and dog, Salt, where she is (always!) working on her next novel.

Connect with Kristy


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Monday, July 22, 2024

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? July 22, 2024 #IMWAYR

     

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is a place to meet up and share what you have been, are and about to be reading over the week. It's an opportunity to visit other blogs and to comment on their reads. And ... you can add to that ever growing TBR pile! So welcome everyone. This meme started with J Kaye's Blog and then was taken up by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn at the Book Date. And here we are! 

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Thanks for stopping by. I hope you all have a good week. 
Happy reading!

What I'm currently reading

Hello Little Girl
by Kay Bratt
eARC from author
Pub date ~ July 29

This Used to Be Us
by Renee Carlino
print ARC from publisher
Published July 9, 2024

The Memory Keeper's Daughter
by Kim Edwards
audio-book from my collection
Published June 2005

What I recently finished

Southern Discomfort
by Ashley Farley
eARC from author
Pub date ~ August 6

In This Ravishing World
by Nina Schuyler
print ARC from publisher
Published July 2, 2024

Jackrabbit Skin
(Never Tell Collection #5)
by Ivy Pochoda
audio-book from collection
Published March 19, 2024

What I am going to read next

House of Glass
by Sarah Pekkanen
eARC from NetGalley
Pub date ~ August 6

I really love my reading life!

What are you reading this week?

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Be sure to check the sidebar for all of my current giveaways!

Wednesday, July 17, 2024

Book Blitz! Broken Fortune by Aly Mennuti ~ Excerpt and #Giveaway! #BrokenFortune @AlyMennuti @XpressoTours


Broken Fortune by Aly Mennuti
Publication date: July 16th 2024
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Women’s Fiction

Broken Fortune explores the unraveling of a wealthy, blended family forced to reconsider their future together as their world falls apart around them.

Elizabeth Sunderland—a forty-three-year-old wife and mother of two teenagers—is the oldest of five children in a blended family that never quite blended. The only thing that has held them together is the iron will of their wealthy parents: Benjamin Sunderland, a venture capitalist, and Kate Bernard, a partner of a hedge fund. Together, Benjamin and Kate create and rule over a Manhattan dynasty of which their children each bear their own unique scars.

Elizabeth has been trying to keep the family together since she was ten years old, hoping to convince everyone they have more in common than just their fortune. This stance will be put to the ultimate test when Kate dies with one final request: that the family travel together to the island of St. John and spread her ashes in the ocean. However, Kate’s plan to fix the family will involve more than just a family trip to the sea.

As the hidden secrets and quiet betrayals built up over thirty years begin to ripple and crash like the ocean surrounding the sinking family, Elizabeth not only faces each of her sibling’s personal inflection points—moments that could lead to reconciliation or ruin—but she has to face her own demons that have laid dormant. What happens next will shock Elizabeth into recognizing a reality she had no idea existed.

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

iBooks | Kobo

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EXCERPT

“How much money did you get?” Paul drops in, trying not to seem as outright aggressive as my other siblings but still trying to ferret out the information.

“It was nothing,” I say, trying to shut this conversation down.

“Oh, it wasn’t nothing,” Benjamin says. “It was over five million dollars.”

Everyone at the table looks ready to either spill their drink, fall off their chair, or turn me upside down to try and shake the five million out of my pockets.

“Can I have some?” Winnie says, shifting her attention for the first time this evening from my father to me.

“No,” Benjamin says sternly to Winnie. “Your mother is giving that back.”

“What about,” Paul says, daring to get between Benjamin and his money, “if you give us all five million dollars, so Lizzie doesn’t feel so alone. I mean…I’m sure my mother left something for all of us and Lizzie’s just came through first.”

“No,” Benjamin says. “Lizzie won’t feel alone when I have it back. Because none of you are getting any extra money. Everything that was Kate’s is now mine. That’s what we decided. And upon my death—which should be noted, won’t be happening anytime soon—you will all receive the entire inheritance split into five.”

“Wait,” Paul says, clearly upset. “Wait. She’s our mother. Mine. I’m her son. I mean, no offense to your kids Benjamin, but me…and Julian, we should get something now. Not have to wait until you die. You’re not my father.”

Paul’s words visibly cut through Benjamin, like an unexpected knife in the back. Even I can’t help but wince on his behalf—considering he’s spent the last thirty-three years trying to convince Paul he’s a reasonable, viable father. Meanwhile, he’s made not one corresponding overture in my direction, relegating me to the status of just an afterthought that will always linger.

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About the author

Aly Mennuti has always had two passions: philanthropy and literature. She satisfies one of those by being an executive at an international nonprofit consulting firm and has helped a diverse range of high-profile clients reach their philanthropic goals. 

However, she’s always had a desire to express herself creatively and carve out her own role as a writer in a writing family. Finally, in her forties (and with two children hitting their teens and deciding Mom is really uncool and not needed to hang out with anymore) she has the time and headspace to tell her own stories. 

She lives in Washington, DC, with her husband, Nicholas Mennuti, a novelist and screenwriter, their two children, Charlie and Lilly, and their eccentric Goldendoodle, Barry.

Connect with Aly 

Goodreads | Instagram | Twitter

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Tuesday, July 16, 2024

Release Day! One Big Happy Family by Jamie Day ~ My Thoughts #OneBigHappyFamily @NetGalley

Happy Release Day!


Congrats Jamie
on the release today of
One Big Happy Family!

One Big Happy Family by Jamie Day
Mystery Thriller, 368 pages
Published July 16, 2024 by St. Martin's Press

The newest, riveting summer suspense by the author of The Block Party, Jamie Day.

The Precipice is a legendary, family-owned hotel on the rocky coast of Maine. With the recent passing of their father, the Bishop sisters—Iris, Vicki, and Faith—have come for the weekend to claim it. But with a hurricane looming and each of the Bishop sisters harboring dangerous secrets, there's murder in the air—and not everyone who checks into the Precipice will be checking out.

Each sister wants what is rightfully hers, and in the mix is the Precipe's nineteen-year-old chambermaid Charley Kelley: smart, resilient, older than her years, and in desperate straits.

The arrival of the Bishop sisters could spell disaster for Charley. Will they close the hotel? Fire her? Discover her habit of pilfering from guests? Or even worse, learn that she's using a guest room to hide a woman on the run.

With razor-sharp wit, heart, thrills, and twists, Jamie Day delivers a unique brand of SUMMERTIME SUSPENSE.

"An unputdownable and gripping thriller with nonstop twists and turns!" —Freida McFadden, New York Times bestselling author of The Housemaid


My thoughts about One Big Happy Family ~~

(I love to note the first lines of the books I'm reading. First lines can really grab a reader's attention and I love seeing where the author takes the reader after their first line.)

First line—"The power flickers on and off, as if the hotel is taking a dying gasp."

First of all, I love this cover, it's what first drew my attention to this book. Second, mystery thriller? Yes, please. And lastly, a dysfunctional family, seriously? Count me in! 

Carley is just trying to live her life and care for her elderly grandmother. She's got a job, not the greatest, but it's a job, and a place to live. When the Bishop sisters show up to claim their inheritance, that all could change, especially with the threat of a hurricane and a murder or two.

This is definitely a page-turner with a lot of interesting characters, some you're just going to love to hate. When bodies start to fall, everyone turns on the person next to them and no one knows who to trust. The person that seems to be in control changes from hour to hour and you never know what's going to happen next. I loved it!

Jamie Day is a new-to-me author, with this being her second novel. I'm thinking she's going to become one of my must-read authors. Highly recommend!

I received a copy of One Big Happy Family from the publisher via NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.

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About the author


Jamie Day lives in one of those picture-perfect, coastal New England towns you see in the movies. And just like the movies, Jamie has two children and an adorable dog to fawn over. When not writing or reading, Jamie enjoys yoga, the ocean, cooking, and long walks on the beach with the dog, or the kids, or sometimes both. ~ Publisher website

Connect with Jamie


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Be sure to check the sidebar for my current giveaways!

Monday, July 15, 2024

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? July 15, 2024 #IMWAYR

        

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is a place to meet up and share what you have been, are and about to be reading over the week. It's an opportunity to visit other blogs and to comment on their reads. And ... you can add to that ever growing TBR pile! So welcome everyone. This meme started with J Kaye's Blog and then was taken up by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn at the Book Date. And here we are! 

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It's been 2 weeks since I posted my reads. We just got back from a 2 week road trip to TN. I didn't get on my computer once and didn't read very much at all. I was enjoying life and loved spending time with family. Got lots of grandmas hugs too! So now I'm back and back at it. 

Thanks for stopping by. I hope you all have a good week. 
Happy reading!

What I'm currently reading

Southern Discomfort
by Ashley Farley
eARC from author
Pub date ~ August 6

In This Ravishing World
by Nina Schuyler
print ARC from publisher
Published ~ July 2, 2024

The Memory Keeper's Daughter
by Kim Edwards
audio-book from my collection
Published June 2005

What I recently finished

One Big Happy Family
by Jamie Day
eARC from NetGalley
Published ~ July 11, 2024

What I am going to read next

This Used to Be Us
by Renee Carlino
print ARC from publisher
Published July 9, 2024

I really love my reading life!

What are you reading this week?

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Be sure to check the sidebar for all of my current giveaways!

Tuesday, July 2, 2024

Release Day! In This Ravishing World by Nina Schuyler ~ Spotlight @Nina_Schuyler @RegalHouse1 @GoSparkPoint

Happy Release Day!


Congrats Nina
on the release today of 
In This Ravishing World!

In This Ravishing World by Nina Schuyler
Short Stories, 294
Published July 2, 2024 by Regal House Publishing

In this Ravishing World is a sweeping, impassioned short story collection, ringing out with joy, despair, and hope for the natural world. 

Nine connected stories unfold, bringing together an unforgettable cast of dreamers, escapists, activists, and artists, creating a kaleidoscopic view of the climate crisis. An older woman who has spent her entire life fighting for the planet sinks into despair. A young boy is determined to bring the natural world to his bleak urban reality. A scientist working to solve the plastic problem grapples with whether to have a child. A ballet dancer endeavors to inhabit the consciousness of a rat. 

In this Ravishing World is a full-throated chorus— with Nature joining in— marveling at the exquisite beauty of our world, and pleading, raging, and ultimately urging all of its inhabitants toward activism and resistance.


I'm currently reading this while we are road-tripping. 
I'll be posting my thoughts soon.

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About the author


Nina Schuyler’s short story collection, In this Ravishing World, won the W.S. Porter Prize for Short Story Collections and The Prism Prize for Climate Literature, will be published by Regal House Publishing in 2024. Her novel, Afterword, was named a Notable 100 Book in the 2023 Shelf Unbound Best Indie Book Competition. Her novel, The Translator, won the Next Generation Indie Book Award for General Fiction and was a finalist for the William Saroyan International Writing Prize. Her novel, The Painting, was a finalist for the Northern California Book Award. Her book, How to Write Stunning Sentences, was a Small Press Distribution bestseller, and her new craft book, Stunning Sentences: The Creative Writing Journal with 80 New Prompts from Beloved Authors to Improve Your Style, was published by Fiction Advocate in November 2022.

She teaches creative writing at Stanford Continuing Studies, The Writing Salon, and for the independent bookstore, Book Passage. She writes a column about prose style for Fiction Advocate and reviews books for The Millions. She graduated from Stanford University with a B.A. in Economics with Honors, UC Law San Francisco, where she earned a J.D., and San Francisco State University, where she earned an MFA. She lives in Northern California with her husband and two sons, where she hikes, bodysurfs, and writes in a small room, looking out at a tall palm tree. ~ Author's website

Connect with Nina


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Be sure to check the sidebar for all of my current giveaways! 

Monday, July 1, 2024

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? July 1, 2024 #IMWAYR

       

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is a place to meet up and share what you have been, are and about to be reading over the week. It's an opportunity to visit other blogs and to comment on their reads. And ... you can add to that ever growing TBR pile! So welcome everyone. This meme started with J Kaye's Blog and then was taken up by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn at the Book Date. And here we are! 

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As this post goes live, we are on a road trip from SD to TN to see our son and his family. I can't wait to see them all and get lots of hugs. We have three grands there and we haven't seen them in person since September. It's been too long for this grandma! Posting will be sporadic as I take time to enjoy family. 

Thanks for stopping by. I hope you all have a good week. 
Happy reading!

What I'm currently reading

One Big Happy Family
by Jamie Day
eARC from NetGalley
Pub date ~ July 11

In This Ravishing World
by Nina Schuyler
print ARC from publisher
Pub date ~ July 2

The Memory Keeper's Daughter
by Kim Edwards
audio-book from my collection
Published June 2005

What I recently finished

Yellow Wife
by Sadeqa Johnson
print from my collection for a challenge
Published January 2021

The Bad Friend
by Caroline Kepnes
audio-book from my collection
Published March 2024

What I am going to read next

Southern Discomfort
by Ashley Farley
eARC from author
Pub date ~ August 6

I really love my reading life!

What are you reading this week?

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Be sure to check the sidebar for all of my current giveaways!
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