This OR That #Giveaway № 139 ~ Dumplin' by Julie Murphy OR The Missing Hours by Emma Kavanagh

 

I have sooooo many books!

The This or That Giveaway! feature that I post every Saturday is a way for me to cull my collection and to share some of the many books I have. I get to clear off some of my shelves to make room for more books and give someone else the chance to enjoy these treasures.

Good luck and be sure to stop back next week!

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Dumplin'

(Dumplin' #1)

by Julie Murphy

Paperback ~ September 2015

Dubbed “Dumplin’” by her former beauty queen mom, Willowdean has always been at home in her own skin. Her thoughts on having the ultimate bikini body? Put a bikini on your body. With her all-American beauty best friend, Ellen, by her side, things have always worked...until Will takes a job at Harpy’s, the local fast-food joint. There she meets Private School Bo, a hot former jock. Will isn’t surprised to find herself attracted to Bo. But she is surprised when he seems to like her back.  

Instead of finding new heights of self-assurance in her relationship with Bo, Will starts to doubt herself. So she sets out to take back her confidence by doing the most horrifying thing she can imagine: entering the Miss Clover City beauty pageant—along with several other unlikely candidates—to show the world that she deserves to be up there as much as any girl does. Along the way, she’ll shock the hell out of Clover City—and maybe herself most of all.

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The Missing Hours

by Emma Kavanagh

Paperback ~ February 2016

"Murderers are rarely who you imagine them to be . . . "

One moment, Selena Cole is at the playground with her children . . . the next, she has vanished without a trace.

The body of Dominic Newell, a well-respected lawyer, is found on a remote mountain road, blood oozing from the stab wound in his neck.

In the sleepy borderland between England and Wales, sheep outnumber people and serious crimes are rare. Which makes this Tuesday morning, with two calls coming in to the local police station, even more remarkable. Detective Constable Leah Mackay and her brother, Detective Sergeant Finn Hale, begin their respective investigations, but soon find them inextricably linked. And when Selena is found alive and unhurt twenty hours later, the mystery deepens.

Selena's work consulting on kidnap and ransom cases has brought her into close contact with ruthless criminals and international drug lords. But now, as Selena walks back into her life wearing a blood-spattered sweater, claiming no memory of the preceding hours, Leah can't be sure if she is a victim, a liar, or a murder suspect.

Leah and Finn delve into each case, untangling the secrets and betrayals--large and small--that can lie just beneath the surface of a life, yet unprepared for where both trails will lead.

With engrossing characters, devilish twists, and evocative prose, The Missing Hours is that rare page-turner--as satisfying and complex as it is unpredictable.

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It's Monday! What Are You Reading? February 12, 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

The Healing Train

by Kim Cano

print from author for review

Published January 2024

The Trouble with You

 by Ellen Feldman

eARC

Pub date ~ February 20

House on Fire

by D. Liebhart

audiobook from my collection

Published April 2023

What I recently finished

The Vanishing Half

by Brit Bennett

e-book from my collection for a challenge

Published June 2020

What I am going to read next

Falling Through the Night

by Gail Marlene Schwartz

Print ARC

Pub date ~ February 26

 

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!

This OR That #Giveaway № 138 ~ Broken Build by Rachelle Ayala OR Yesterday's Memories by Sharon Coady #BrokenBuild #YesterdaysMemories

 

I have sooooo many books!

The This or That Giveaway! feature that I post every Saturday is a way for me to cull my collection and to share some of the many books I have. I get to clear off some of my shelves to make room for more books and give someone else the chance to enjoy these treasures.

Good luck and be sure to stop back next week!

****************

Broken Build

(Chance for Love #1)

by Rachelle Ayala

Paperback ~ January 2012

Jen Jones hides a horrible secret behind her new degree, toned body, and exciting job at Silicon Valley’s hottest startup—until a man linked to her past is killed in a hit-and-run.

CEO and founder Dave Jewell is about to land a huge deal. He doesn't need blood on his car, threatening phone calls, and Jen wrapped in broken code and blackmail.

A gang of thugs hunts Jen, and she takes refuge in Dave’s protective arms. Together, they must thwart a killer and rescue an innocent victim from their past. Love blossoms, but a damaging revelation points straight at Jen, threatening to tear them apart forever.

Content advisory: language, sexual situations

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Yesterday's Memories

by Sharon Coady

Paperback ~ May 2013

One year after Rogers death Emily finds herself driving outside of a small mountain town. She never expected to find her destiny as she rounded the bend in the road. There sitting on a small hill was a beautiful old home that appeared empty. Something compelled her to pull into the drive. 

As she parked her car and climbed out Emily felt she had finally come home. After she finds items of the former owners in an Antique store in town, she restores the home and decides to open a Bed and Breakfast. Emily is thrown into a world she never knew existed when she moves into the home and stumbles upon a "window" that takes her back in time.

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Book Blitz! Drawn to Murder by Sarah Vernon ~ Excerpt and #Giveaway! #DrawnToMurder @XpressoTours

 

Drawn to Murder by Sarah Vernon
Publication date: January 31st 2024
Genres: Adult, Cozy Mystery

Sam Green is a newly minted art school graduate, excited to attend her first artist residency. But the pretty, serene Vermont surroundings soon turn sinister.

After a few months spent looking for the right project, Sam has landed a dream opportunity: three blissful weeks of working at a beautiful artist residency program in remote northern Vermont. But almost as soon as the residency begins, strange things start happening. Eager to settle into her work and make new friends, Sam tries to ignore the vaguely sinister feelings trying to warn her that something is afoot. But when a body is discovered, Sam can’t ignore what’s going on any longer.

If she has any chance of getting out of here – alive – Sam will have to figure out who the killer is.

Goodreads | Amazon

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EXCERPT

“Sam, it’s your turn.”

I jolted out of my daydreaming, looking up at the dark-eyed, even darker-haired man across from me at the table. From the intensity of his expectant stare, you’d think we were plotting world domination, not playing a simple getting-to-know-you game. If you could call revealing unexpected or odd facts about yourself a game. Everyone was just trying to one up each other in achievements, fame or outright weirdness – because this was a group of artists, after all.

“Uh, sure. I’m Sam. Samantha, but everyone calls me Sam,” I said, stumbling over my words and sure that my cheeks were as bright red as they felt. Whatever I had been planning to say was instantly forgotten. Was there anyone who actually enjoyed these kinds of introductions?

“I’m here from Boston,” I continued. “I just graduated from school in the spring and I’m…taking a kind of gap year at the moment. I primarily work in ceramics and sculpture, especially miniatures.” I paused, willing anyone else to make a comment or ask a question, anything to save me from having to think of an interesting fact to share. What was there to say that was appropriate for this group? I grew up in New York? I have a cat named Paul? I once tripped over the body of a dead famous sculptor who’d been poisoned?

There were polite smiles around the table, which I returned, slightly nodding my head, signaling that I was done with my intro. I was saved from further humiliation-by-spotlight by the woman on my right, who moved her wheelchair closer to the table so everyone could see her.

“I’m Tony. Tonya, but everyone calls me Tony,” she said, throwing a small smile my way. “I’m here from LA, where I make immersive installations that challenge viewers’ perceptions of their interactions with, and limitations within, the physical world.” Tony waited a beat, tilting her chin as if daring any of us to ask the obvious question. There were more polite smiles, although I noticed about half of our group were studiously avoiding eye contact.

Unfortunately, only Eliot took the bait. “What inspired you towards that kind of work?” he asked with a kind of forced obliviousness. I didn’t think any of us needed more of an introduction to Eliot: over the course of the previous twenty-four hours since we’d gotten to the Winterbrook Artist Residency, he’d made himself known as the type of pompous, arrogant artist that gives the rest of us a bad name.

“Well, Eliot,” Tony said, returning his tone. “I’ve used a wheelchair since I was a kid, after a spinal injury. So after all these years experiencing a very different side of the physical world, I thought I’d give other people the chance to have a similar view.” The pair politely smiled at each other (although, one did have to admit – and admire – that Tony’s smile had more than a hint of crocodile to it) while the rest of us avoided engaging. “But if you’ll forgive me, I think I’ll actually head up to bed now,” Tony said, wheeling away from the table. “It was great to meet all of you!” she called cheerily as she turned towards the door, her wheelchair making an unmistakable bumping motion over Eliot’s foot as she left. I couldn’t help but grin.

About the author

Sarah Vernon is an author and artist based in Massachusetts, where she writes the Triple-Decker Mystery Series.

Connect with Sarah

Website | Goodreads | Instagram

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? February 5, 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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Not a real eventful week. Our 15 yo granddaughter came over from school one day last week for lunch. She does that once in awhile. Her school is right across the street. She says I make the best lunches ever. Of course, is she comparing mine to school lunches? Ha ha. 

Weather-wise, we had a few nice sunny days and hubs and I went out for walks. Lately it's been so foggy and overcast, no sun. I know I should be walking in that kind of weather too but it's hard to get motivated when it's so gloomy out. And I don't think we'll be seeing the sun for awhile. Bummer. 

This week, I'm meeting one set of friends for lunch and another set for dinner. I'm so blessed with friends. Then on the weekend, I'm going to my daughter's place. She lives an hour away. We are going to a Bloody Mary Fest on Saturday. I love Bloody Mary's and am always on the hunt for THE best one! It should be fun. 

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

Happy reading!

What I'm currently reading

The Trouble with You

 by Ellen Feldman

eARC

Pub date ~ February 20

The Vanishing Half

by Brit Bennett

e-book from my collection for a challenge

Published June 2020

House on Fire

by D. Liebhart

audiobook from my collection

Published April 2023

What I recently finished

Trust Me: A Novel

by Hank Phillippi Ryan

Published August 2018

print from my collection for a challenge

The Guest

by B.A. Paris

eARC for review

Pub date ~ February 20, 2024

A Welcome Reunion

(Hannah Bauer #1.5)

by Lucinda Berry

audiobook from my collection

Published August 2023

What I am going to read next

Falling Through the Night

by Gail Marlene Schwartz

Print ARC

Pub date ~ February 26

 

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!