Monday, July 28, 2025

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? July 28, 2025 #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

Mrs. Endicott's Splendid Adventure
by Rhys Bowen
print ARC for review
Pub date ~ August 5

The Locked Ward
by Sarah Pekkanen
eARC for review
Pub date ~ August 5

Abandoned in Death
(In Death #54)
by J.D. Robb
audio-book from my TBR list
Published February 2022

What I recently finished

My Twin in Budapest
by Kim Cano
print from author for review
Published July 8, 2025

The Teacher
by Freida McFadden
e-book from my TBR collection
Published February 2024

What I am going to read next

Open Bar
by Dan Schorr
print ARC for review
Pub date ~ August 12

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 25, 2025

Release Day! Now and Then by Kay Bratt ~ My Thoughts #NowAndThen @kaybratt

Happy Release Day!

Congrats Kay
on the release today of
Now and Then!

Now and Then by Kay Bratt
Saga Fiction, 277 pages
Published July 25, 2025 by Red Thread Publishing Group

A woman sleuth. A cold case. A town full of secrets—and a sister fighting a battle of her own.

Taylor Gray has traded her badge for a fresh start. Alongside her husband Sam, she’s launched Graystone Investigations—a private detective agency fueled by grit, intuition, and an unwavering pursuit of justice. Their latest case? A high-stakes cold case that could overturn a decade-old conviction.

A man has spent years behind bars for a brutal crime—but did he do it? Or was he simply the easiest target in a town eager to close the file? Hired by the man’s devoted sister, Taylor and Sam dig deep into a web of missing evidence, forgotten leads, and truths buried under years of silence.

Back home in Hart’s Ridge, Taylor’s younger sister Anna is fighting a quieter battle—one that’s just as harrowing. Suspended from her job as an ER nurse after being accused of theft, Anna is determined to clear her name. But the deeper she digs, the more dangerous the lies become—especially when her ex-husband’s powerful family is pulling the strings. With a blossoming romance on shaky ground and her children caught in the crossfire, Anna must decide how much she's willing to risk to reclaim her life.

As the Gray sisters fight for justice—one in a courtroom, the other in a hospital hallway—they'll learn that sometimes the truth isn’t just hidden…it’s protected by those who fear it most.

From the bestselling author of Hart’s Ridge comes a gripping new chapter in the series—woven with heart, family, suspense, and the kind of justice only the Gray women can deliver.


My thoughts about Now and Then ~~

(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—"Janelle Tiffin sat in her kitchen, the dull hum of her old laptop the only sound that filled the quiet room."

What can I say about this series that I haven't already said? I love this series and I love each trip and adventure that Kay Bratt takes me on with every new book. I love the cases that Taylor gets wrapped up in as well as the personal family happenings that are a part of each episode. I get the mystery right along with the family drama. What's not to love?

Now and Then takes Taylor and Sam on a journey to help Sam's relative prove a man's innocence while back at home, Taylor's sister is fighting for her job, after being accused of stealing. The two storylines are compelling and kept me reading, anxious to know the outcome of both incidents. 

The Hart's Ridge series is an amazing series, with outstanding characters and interesting stories, stories that the author bases on true crime events. I highly recommend Now and Then as well as this whole series—it just keeps getting better and better. 

And the author just keeps writing this series. Yay for us!! 
Book #14, Tell Me Why, is expected to be released on November 24, 2025!


I received an ARC of Now and Then from the author and this is my honest opinion.

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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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Wednesday, July 23, 2025

Book Blitz! Seven Hundred Beachfront by Ligia de Wit ~ Excerpt and #Giveaway! #SevenHundredBeachfront @XpressoTours

 

Seven Hundred Beachfront by Ligia de Wit
Publication date: July 22nd 2025
Genres: Adult, Magical Realism, Romance, Women’s Fiction

Some places hold memories. Others have opinions.

I didn’t mean to run again.

But when life gets tangled, I untangle it by leaving. And this time, my escape came with strings attached: a five-year-old brother I never signed up to care for, a seaside town I barely remember, and a tattered house on stilts that belongs in Renter’s Hell.

I told myself it was just for the summer. A break. A pause. A way to escape the people I care about but can’t seem to fit with anymore, and the choices I don’t know how to fix.

But the sea doesn’t let you stay distant for long.

Then there’s him. Quiet. Grumpy. Mysterious. The kind of man who doesn’t ask questions, but somehow sees more than he should. I don’t even like talking to him, and yet… here we are. Sharing long silences. Unexpected moments. Maybe even something more.

And as for the house? Let’s just say it has opinions—and it’s not afraid to share them.

Seven Hundred Beachfront is a heartfelt, magical story about learning to stay, letting people in, and discovering that healing doesn’t always come the way you expect it. But when it does, you’ll feel it down to your bones.

Goodreads | Amazon

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EXCERPT

Carole hadn’t sent a thing to keep him busy, damn woman, and I’d only used the TV for movies. Wait a sec—Jessie left a Star Wars movie at my place, the first one, so I should have it here.

“No Scooby, kiddo,” I said while looking in the boxes, “but you’re gonna like this one. It’s the real thing, not a single goofy character one mile near it.”

“ ’Kay.” He sat on the old, flowery couch and gazed at me, expectant.

“How do you want your fish?” I asked while putting the movie on, realizing I had no idea what Bobby liked.

“Dead.”

I gave a small smile. “But how do you like it prepared? Pan fried?”

“No. Like Mom does it.” He lifted his little arms and mimed putting something in a pan. “Like this.”

“You’re not much help, kiddo. I’ll cook it pan fried.”

“ ’Kay,” Bobby whispered, gaze down.

After leaving him with the movie, I got ready to cook. The stove burners were a little rusty but worked. I prepared pan-fried fish, along with steamed vegetables and wild rice. Maybe I didn’t have many accomplishments in my life, but, damn, I could cook. It had been either that or be resigned to eating frozen dinners.

When other kids watched cartoons, I watched cooking shows. At ten, I prepared chicken cordon-bleu. Even Aunt Marie was impressed. Carole just grimaced. It’s overcooked, she’d said.

The aroma of spices and well-cooked fish filled the space, and any knot in my body vanished.

My cell rang, and I picked it up, frowning at the caller ID. “Hey,” I answered flatly.

“Honey!” Carole’s voice came clear. “Darling, you have no idea what a marvelous flight we had.” She laughed, evidently delighted. “First class. The only way to fly. Don’t you ever dare fly coach again, Beverly.”

“Sure. Will do that next time I fly overseas in, I don’t know, my next life, I guess.”

“Oh, don’t be such a bore! Don’t you want me to spill the tea, girlfriend?”

She giggled. Giggled.

“Are you drunk, Mother?”

She sobered up. Nothing like reminding Carole of the maternity role she’d never wanted.

“Sweetheart, you are such a bore.”

I put her on speaker and placed one of my unopened boxes on the counter while Carole talked nonstop about her marvelous, fantastic flight and the wonderful five-star hotel in Madrid.

My Lladró figurine lay wrapped in newspaper. Carefully, I unwrapped it and placed it on the counter. Crap, one of the fruits had broken off.

“Bobby and I are okay,” I managed to say when she took a small pause. “The house’s too old, though. I don’t know if this is a good place for me.”

The wind moaned, and the noisy branch thumped above.

“You haven’t asked me a thing about Madrid,” Carole complained. “Make sure to check the pictures I posted because they are a-ma-zing. I already have more than one-hundred likes!”

“Thank heavens for the social media gods.”

“Don’t give me that snarky tone of yours. You need more good energy in your life, girlfriend. You need a man.”

“Ugh, please.”

“You do. And not that silly cowboy—”

“Gary’s a friend. One of my best friends, actually. Since you’re my girlfriend, then you certainly remember I’ve known him since the seventh grade.”


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About the author

Ligia de Wit writes fantasy romance adventures with heart, humor, and just the right dose of magic. A lifelong romantic with a soft spot for fairy tales and found family tropes, Ligia writes characters who are strong in more than just a physical sense. Her characters face fears, fight for themselves, and find love in the most unexpected places.

When she’s not writing (or rewriting) her imaginary worlds, she works for a global distribution company and dreams up stories during lunch breaks. You’ll often find her with her nose in a book, exploring a new city, hiking through forests, or acting like a total goof at theme parks. She’s a proud kid at heart—and owns it.

Connect with Ligia

Website | Goodreads | Facebook | Instagram


a Rafflecopter giveaway


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Tuesday, July 22, 2025

Coming soon! Moonleapers by Margaret Peterson Haddix ~ My Thoughts #Moonleapers @MPHaddix @QuillTreeBooks


Congrats Margaret
on the upcoming release of
Moonleapers!

Moonleapers by Margaret Peterson Haddix
(Book 1: Moonleapers)
Middle Grade, Time Travel, 320 pages
Expected publication September 16, 2025 by Quill Tree Books

From New York Times bestselling author Margaret Peterson Haddix comes a suspenseful duology opener about a girl whose first phone connects her to a network of time travelers who want to change the world. Perfect for fans of The Mysterious Benedict Society and City Spies!

When Maisie’s mom gives her an old phone, Maisie can’t believe her luck—finally, she can keep up with everyone at school! Unfortunately, her mom also tells her that the whole family will be moving to spend the summer taking care of Maisie’s great-aunt Hazel. Maisie’s only getting a phone because she’ll be responsible for her younger siblings during the entire trip. With that, Maisie is ready to give the phone back.

Then the first puzzling text comes in.

Between the mystery texts and a not-completely-blank book from Great-Aunt Hazel, Maisie finds herself thrown into the world of moonleapers. Will she be able to learn more about the secretive group, and—gulp—help them accomplish their crucial mission in time?


My thoughts about Moonleapers ~~

(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—"'Maisie? Is that you?' Mom's voice floated down from her second-floor office as soon as Maisie pushed open the front door."

Margaret Peterson Haddix is a new-to-me author and honestly, this is not the usual genre or age group of books that I typically read. But when it was offered to me, something intrigued me about this story. Of course I love stories about time travel so there is that aspect that drew me in. And the cover is beautiful and alluring. 

I was immediately captivated by Maisie and all that she had going on. This is a very well written story with plenty of mystery and intrigue to keep readers interested. This is the perfect duology for young readers with blossoming imaginations. It will open a whole world for them to enjoy. 

Like I said before, Margaret is a new author for me and when I look at the list of books that she has already written, I feel like I missed out by not discovering her when I was a middle grade reader. It's never too late to enjoy good stories, though, is it? I'll have to check out some of her other books and I will definitely be watching for more of Maisie's stories. 

I received an ARC of Moonleapers and this is my honest opinion.

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About the author


Margaret Peterson Haddix grew up on a farm near Washington Court House, Ohio. She graduated from Miami University (of Ohio) with degrees in English/journalism, English/creative writing and history. Before her first book was published, she worked as a newspaper copy editor in Fort Wayne, Indiana; a newspaper reporter in Indianapolis; and a community college instructor and freelance writer in Danville, Illinois.

She has since written more than 25 books for kids and teens, including Running Out of TimeDon’t You Dare Read This, Mrs. DunphreyLeaving FishersJust EllaTurnaboutTakeoffs and LandingsThe Girl with 500 Middle NamesBecause of AnyaEscape from MemorySay What?The House on the GulfDouble IdentityDexter the ToughUprisingPalace of MirrorsClaim to Fame; the Shadow Children series; and the Missing series. She also wrote Into the Gauntlet, the tenth book in the 39 Clues series. Her books have been honored with New York Times bestseller status, the International Reading Association’s Children’s Book Award; American Library Association Best Book and Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers notations; and more than a dozen state reader’s choice awards.

Haddix and her husband, Doug, now live in Columbus, Ohio, with their two children.

Connect with Margaret


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Monday, July 21, 2025

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? July 21, 2025 #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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Pretty uneventful week here. Weather has been cool but rainy. The mosquitos are horrible so even if I wanted to sit outside and read, the bugs would eat me up. They have sprayed a couple of times so hopefully that will help and I can get back outside on the patio.

We watched our grandson in the middle of the week which is always a joy, and then we had a nice visit with our son, when he came to pick up his son. I went out to lunch one day with a group of friends from my old job. Most of us are retired so it was a leisurely time. Another group is trying to set up another lunch for sometime this week. It's great to stay in touch with friends, and there's always eating involved, which is a plus. 

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

What I'm currently reading

My Twin in Budapest
by Kim Cano
print from author for review
Published July 8, 2025

The Teacher
by Freida McFadden
e-book from my TBR collection
Published February 2024

Abandoned in Death
(In Death #54)
by J.D. Robb
audio-book from my TBR list
Published February 2022

What I recently finished

Now and Then
by Kay Bratt
eARC for review
Pub date ~ July 25

The Ice Twins
by S.K. Tremayne
print from my TBR shelf for a challenge
Published January 2015

Good for You
by Camille Pagán
audio-book from my TBR list
Published March 2023

What I am going to read next

Mrs. Endicott's Splendid Adventure
by Rhys Bowen
print ARC for review
Pub date ~ August 5

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 15, 2025

Release Day! Wayward Girls by Susan Wiggs ~ My Thoughts #WaywardGirls @susanwiggs @WmMorrowBooks

Happy Release Day!


Congrats Susan
on the release today of
Wayward Girls!

Wayward Girls by Susan Wiggs
Historical Fiction, 400 pages
Published July 15, 2025 by William Morrow

From New York Times bestselling author Susan Wiggs, a wrenching but life-affirming novel based on a true story of survival, friendship, and redemption when six girls come together in a Catholic reform school in 1960s Buffalo, NY. Perfect for fans of Before We Were Yours, Orphan Train, and The Berry Pickers.

It was a place frozen in time, an ancient fortress haunted by echoes that whispered against the gray stone in a mysterious, heavy rhythm, as though this place was entirely separate from the rest of the world. A sign by the inner door read Our Lady of Charity Refuge and Sisters of the Good Shepherd.

Mairin’s breath caught in her throat as comprehension crept over her. This place was the one mentioned in scandalized whispers from the older girls at school. It was the one people gossiped about when a girl suddenly stopped showing up to class. It was the place angry parents—like her own mother—threatened their daughters “I’ll send you to the nuns, just you see if I won’t.”

Amid the turbulence of the Vietnam Era, in the all-American city of Buffalo, New York, teenage girls were condemned to forced labor at the Good Shepherd, a dark and secret institution controlled by the Sisters of Charity nuns.

In 1968 we meet six teens thrust into confinement at the Good Shepherd—merely for being gay, pregnant, or simply unruly.

Mairin— free-spirited daughter of Irish immigrants was committed to keep her safe from her stepfather.

Angela—denounced for her attraction to girls, was sent to the nuns for reform, but instead found herself the victim of a predator.

Helen—the daughter of intellectuals detained in Communist China, saw her “temporary” stay at the Good Shepherd stretch into years.

Odessa—caught up in a police dragnet over a racial incident, found the physical and mental toughness to endure her sentence.

Denise—sentenced for brawling in a foster home, dared to dream of a better life.

Janice—deeply insecure, she couldn’t decide where her loyalty lay—except when it came to her friend Kay, who would never outgrow her childlike dependency.

Sister Bernadette—rescued from a dreadful childhood, she owed her loyalty to the Sisters of Charity even as her conscience weighed on her.

Wayward Girls is a haunting but thrilling tale of hope, solidarity, and the enduring strength of young women who find the courage to break free and find redemption...and justice.


My thoughts about Wayward Girls ~~

(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—"On November 14, 2019, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo signed legislation (S3419/A5494) allowing adoptees to receive a copy of their pre-adoption birth certificate when they turn eighteen years old."

Wayward Girls is a heart-breaking story of how 'bad' girls were treated in the 60's. It's hard to believe that the treatment these girls suffered through was an actual thing. But on the other hand, it was also a heart-warming story, full of caring, strong girls who pulled together to protect each other. I came to love and care for each and every one of them. 

Historical fiction is one of my favorites genres. I am in awe of the research that author's put into one of their books. And I love learning about the history of our past. Wayward Girls took me on a journey to my personal past, reliving the late sixties, all while seeing a world I had no knowledge of at the time. I could relate to some of the culture references but had no clue of the hard lives that some girls lived through. 

I loved Wayward Girls and highly recommend it to all historical fiction lovers. I will remember the girls of this story for a long, long time. 

I received an ARC of Wayward Girls and this is my honest opinion.

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About the author


Susan Wiggs's life is all about family, friends...and fiction. She lives at the water's edge on an island in Puget Sound, and she commutes to her writers' group in a 17-foot motorboat. She serves as author liaison for Field's End, a literary community on Bainbridge Island, Washington, bringing inspiration and instruction from the world's top authors to her seaside community. (See www.fieldsend.org) She's been featured in the national media, including NPR's "Talk of the Nation," and is a popular speaker locally and nationally.

According to Publishers Weekly, Wiggs writes with "refreshingly honest emotion," and the Salem Statesman Journal adds that she is "one of our best observers of stories of the heart [who] knows how to capture emotion on virtually every page of every book." Booklist characterizes her books as "real and true and unforgettable." She is the recipient of three RITA (sm) awards and four starred reviews from Publishers Weekly for her books. The Winter Lodge and Passing Through Paradise have appeared on PW’s annual "Best Of" lists. Several of her books have been listed as top Booksense picks and optioned as feature films. Her novels have been translated into more than two dozen languages and have made national bestseller lists, including the USA Today, Washington Post and New York Times lists.

The author is a former teacher, a Harvard graduate, an avid hiker, an amateur photographer, a good skier and terrible golfer, yet her favorite form of exercise is curling up with a good book. Readers can learn more on the web at www.susanwiggs.com and on her lively blog at www.susanwiggs.wordpress.com.


Connect with Susan


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Release Day! The Lake Escape by Jamie Day ~ My Thoughts #TheLakeEscape @StMartinsPress

Happy Release Day!


Congrats Jamie
on the release today of
The Lake Escape!

The Lake Escape by Jamie Day
Mystery, Thriller, 354 pages
Published July 15, 2025 by St. Martin's Press

The next riveting summer suspense by the author of The Block Party and One Big Happy Family, Jamie Day.

WILL THIS BE THE BEST WEEK OF THEIR LIVES... OR THE LAST?

Julia, David, and Erika grew up together spending summers at their idyllic Vermont lake homes for as long as they can remember. Now adults— with their own sullen teens, endless mortgages, and low-voltage sex lives— the three friends have amassed secrets over the years.

This summer, David is eager to show off his newly renovated home—which now blocks his friends’ cherished lake views—and his much-younger girlfriend. He also, unwittingly, brings a nanny with a hidden agenda. What could possibly go wrong?

When David’s girlfriend mysteriously vanishes after a shouting match, Julia and Erika wonder just how well they know their lifelong friend. The lake harbors a harrowing two young women, with no known connection, vanished without a trace thirty years ago. Did the lake take another?

As a search is mounted, an intricate web of lies, deceits, and betrayals spanning generations starts to surface, and everyone finds themselves in danger of becoming the next victim. Of the lake, or something darker.


My thoughts about The Lake Escape ~~

(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 lake slowly rouses from its winter slumber. Each gentle wave against the shore is like a tap, tap, encouraging the earth, the forest, to join in its slow revival."

I didn't really know what to expect when I started this book. What drew me in was the cover, and then the author, and then the fact that it was a thriller. I always love me a good thriller!

Well, this book blew me out of the water! Pun intended. LOL. There was all kinds of craziness going on, long time friendships that had changed over the years. Were people even the same anymore? And who were some of these people who joined the close knit group this year? What were their motives and can they even be trusted?

The lore of the lake is every thirty years, a young woman goes missing. It's been thirty years since the last disappearance. When another women vanishes, everyone wonders if the abductor has come back. Seems like everyone is a suspect. 

Lives and storylines are intertwined and twisted and I loved all of it. This one had me guessing until the very end, with me thinking that almost everyone was guilty at some point. If you are a thriller reader with a love for twisted endings, this one's for you. I highly recommend The Lake Escape.

I received an ARC of The Lake Escape 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.

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Monday, July 14, 2025

Book Blitz! Running Hott by Serena Bell ~ Excerpt and #Giveawy! #RunningHott @serenabellbooks @XpressoTours

 

Running Hott by Serena Bell
(Hott Springs Eternal, #4)
Publication date: July 14th 2025
Genres: Adult, Comedy, Contemporary, Romance

A jilted bride. A jaded divorce lawyer. A full tank of gas. What could go wrong?

Rhys: As a cutthroat New York City divorce lawyer, it’s my job to end marriages. Lifetime commitment? It’s for the birds. I do everything in my power to avoid it…until my grandfather’s will says that to save our family’s land, I have to become a wedding planner.

Worse, my first client is Eden Becker. She’s the sunshine-y disaster whose ex-husband I represented a few years ago in their divorce. Eden’s first marriage was a nightmare, so why does she think another one is a good idea?

Turns out, I’m not wrong. Her jerkwad fiancé jilts her, and as her wedding planner, I’m also her getaway vehicle. Now we’re on the road together—and all my complicated feelings about this beautiful, naive optimist are in the car, too. Along with a wild attraction I’ve been fighting since we first faced off across a conference table.

If this road trip goes on too much longer, I’m going to do something I’ll regret forever.

Like fall in love.

A spicy, grumpy-sunshine, jilted bride, enemies to lovers, standalone road trip romantic comedy set in the beloved small town of Rush Creek.

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

iBooks | Kobo

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EXCERPT

I reach for the sound system.

His hand snakes in and blocks mine. “Driver controls the radio.”

“No, dude. Everyone knows the passenger controls the radio. Besides, if you won’t let me drive at all, that’s not fair. I had to listen to ninety-seven minutes of your dirge list and way too much sports ball. We need a mood change.”

I cue up my playlist and set it on shuffle. “What I’ve Been Looking For” from High School Musical comes on. Rhys groans.

“What?” I demand.

“This is from a kid’s movie.”

“Which you must have seen, if you know that.”

“It was one of Hanna’s favorites. We watched it a thousand times. Which was a thousand times too many.”

“What I’ve Been Looking For” is followed by “Surface Pressure” and “All You Wanna Do,” and Rhys says, “Please tell me this isn’t all from musicals and Disney movies.”

“This isn’t all from musicals and Disney movies,” I say as Taylor Swift’s “You Belong with Me” fills the car.

Rhys’s jaw ticks. His eyes roll. His shoulders twitch.

“What’s wrong with this one?” I demand.

He heaves a long-suffering sigh. “He obviously doesn’t belong with her. Let’s look at the facts: She’s clearly not his type. He wants someone who wears short skirts and high heels, and she’s not comfortable in those clothes. If she keeps trying to convince him he belongs with her, they’re both going to end up miserable.”

I stare at his way-too-good-looking profile in the dimly lit car, agog. “Are you serious?”

“Would you argue with anything I’ve said?”

“It’s a friends-to-lovers song!” I cry. “They’re obviously going to end up together and be super happy. Because she sees him! And understands him. He’s happy when he’s with her, and that isn’t true with the short-skirts-and-high-heels girl.”

“I thought you were swearing off love and marriage.”

“Just because I’m personally swearing off love and marriage doesn’t mean I wish ill on other people who have found their perfect matches.”

This,” he says. “This is why so many marriages end in divorce. Because we hear what we want to hear. And two people can hear the same song and find completely different meaning in it. Imagine if you were with a guy and this was your song, and every time you heard it you thought about how cool it was that he’d finally seen you for the awesome bleachers girl you are, and he thought about his ex-girlfriend and her short skirts and high heels and how he wished you’d get some personal style.”

“Grim!”

“Realistic,” he corrects.

One of his hands leaves the wheel. Settles briefly near his knee. Creeps into my Cool Ranch Doritos bag.

“What are you doing?” I shriek.

“Stress eating,” he says. “Your playlist has driven me to it.”

I do everything in my power not to crack a smile. “You don’t eat junk food,” I point out.

“That was before I realized that despite being divorced by a sociopath and jilted by a personality potato, you still believe in true love.”

I can’t help it; I snort at personality potato. “I’m the one who has the stress. I’m the one who got jilted. And if I’d known I was going to have to share my precious Cool Ranch, I would have gotten a bigger bag.”

I sneak a peek at him. He’s definitely trying not to laugh. And unfortunately, it looks good on him. I let him have the Doritos.

“God, these are disgustingly tasty,” he says.

“Right?”

We’re both quiet for a moment, worshipping at the altar of fake food. He quietly licks Cool Ranch flavor off his fingers, and I absolutely, one hundred percent, do not wonder how his tongue feels licking up the inside of his finger and across the tip of his thumb. How it would feel rasping over my own fingertips, drawn into the heat of his mouth.

Oh, hell.

I’ve tumbled into a sexual fantasy about a man who disassembled me like a kid’s discarded playset.

We make our way through Maroon 5’s “Memories” (“Memories of how I cribbed this entire song from Pachelbel’s Canon,” Rhys says grumpily), past Lake Street Dive’s “Hypotheticals” (“Now this is actually a great song; you’re one for, what, a hundred?”) to “Try Everything.”

“That’s shitty advice,” he says. “‘Try everything.’ I mean, no. There are a lot of things that are straight-up bad ideas. Bull-riding. Free solo climbing. Base jumping. Heli-skiing. Recreational fentanyl.”

“She doesn’t mean literally everything,” I say.

“See?” he says. “And there we have it. Two people, same song, totally different interpretations.”

I roll my eyes. “I don’t see how that’s somehow a refutation of marriage. You’re so—”

“Pessimistic? Cynical? Misanthropic?”

“All of the above. You ready to tell me what childhood wound made you this way?” I ask, half-teasing…half…not.

He shrugs.

“Yes, Eden,” I say, pitching my voice low to roughly imitate his. “Since we have another five and a half uninterrupted hours of being stuck in this car together with absolutely nothing else to do, I would love to tell you all about my childhood.”

Rhys is quiet for a moment. Then with a sigh, he says, “What do you want to know?”


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About the author

USA Today bestselling author Serena Bell writes contemporary romance with heat, heart, and humor. A former journalist, Serena has always believed that everyone has an amazing story to tell if you listen carefully, and you can often find her scribbling in her tiny garret office, mainlining chocolate and bringing to life the tales in her head.

Serena’s books have earned many honors, including an RT Reviewers’ Choice Award, Apple Books Best Book of the Month, and Amazon Best Book of the Year for Romance.

When not writing, Serena loves to spend time with her college-sweetheart husband and two hilarious kiddos—all of whom are incredibly tolerant not just of Serena’s imaginary friends but also of how often she changes her hobbies and how passionately she embraces the new ones. These days, it’s stand-up paddle boarding, board-gaming, meditation, and long walks with good friends.

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