#BookReview: A Fatal Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum: Murder in Ancient Rome by Emma Southon

Synopsis: An entertaining and informative look at the unique culture of crime, punishment, and killing in Ancient Rome

In Ancient Rome, all the best stories have one thing in common—murder. Romulus killed Remus to found the city, Caesar was assassinated to save the Republic. Caligula was butchered in the theater, Claudius was poisoned at dinner, and Galba was beheaded in the Forum. In one 50-year period, 26 emperors were murdered.
But what did killing mean in a city where gladiators fought to the death to sate a crowd? In A Fatal Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Emma Southon examines a trove of real-life homicides from Roman history to explore Roman culture, including how perpetrator, victim, and the act itself were regarded by ordinary people. Inside Ancient Rome's darkly fascinating history, we see how the Romans viewed life, death, and what it means to be human.

#BookReview: Spellmaker (Spellbreaker Duology #2) by @CNHolmberg

Synopsis: Dead wizards, stolen enchantments, and broken promises force a young spellbreaker out of the shadows in the next thrilling installment of the Spellbreaker series by the Wall Street Journal bestselling author of The Paper Magician.

England, 1895. An unsolved series of magician murders and opus thefts isn’t a puzzle to Elsie Camden. But to reveal a master spellcaster as the culprit means incriminating herself as an unregistered spellbreaker. When Elsie refuses to join forces with the charming assassin, her secret is exposed, she’s thrown in jail, and the murderer disappears. But Elsie’s hope hasn’t vanished.

Through a twist of luck, the elite magic user Bacchus Kelsey helps Elsie join the lawful, but with a caveat: they must marry to prove their cover story. Forced beneath a magical tutor while her bond with Bacchus grows, Elsie seeks to thwart the plans of England’s most devious criminal—if she can find them.

With hundreds of stolen spells at their disposal, the villain has a plan—and it involves seducing Elsie to the dark side. But even now that her secret is out, Elsie must be careful how she uses the new abilities she’s discovering, or she may play right into the criminal’s hands. 

#BookBlitz: When the Smoke Clears by @cchilovewrites @XpressoTours #Giveaway $25 Amazon gift card

When the Smoke Clears
C. Chilove
Published by: Entangled: Amara
Publication date: April 19th 2021
Genres: Adult, Romance, Suspense

Lieutenant Colonel Brenden Jasper lives a life of secrets, danger, and clandestine missions. As commander of the most elite Black Ops unit in the world, nothing is more important to him than protecting the country he loves. But there’s a reason only the toughest, battle-tested, alpha men can call themselves members of the Black 2131 brotherhood. None but those in the highest realms of government even know of its existence, and it’s Brenden’s job to avoid emotional entanglements so he can keep it that way.

Dr. Paige Nichols has spent her life ruled by logic and reason, teaching and analyzing art history, so nothing could have prepared her for the completely overwhelming attraction-at-first-sight when she sets eyes on Brenden. Their chance encounter at a party opens her up to a tantalizing dark side she never knew she had—and leaves her wanting so much more. But a man with a dark side often comes with way too many secrets…ones that could put her life in danger.

Though their chemistry burns hotter than ever, when danger comes knocking on Paige’s door, Brenden will have to walk a fine line between duty, honor, and love.

#BookReview: Spellbreaker (Spellbreaker Duology #1) by @CNHolmberg

Synopsis: A world of enchanted injustice needs a disenchanting woman in the newest fantasy series by the Wall Street Journal bestselling author of The Paper Magician.

The orphaned Elsie Camden learned as a girl that there were two kinds of wizards in the world: those who pay for the power to cast spells and those, like her, born with the ability to break them. But as an unlicensed magic user, her gift is a crime. Commissioned by an underground group known as the Cowls, Elsie uses her spellbreaking to push back against the aristocrats and help the common man. She always did love the tale of Robin Hood.

Elite magic user Bacchus Kelsey is one elusive spell away from his mastership when he catches Elsie breaking an enchantment. To protect her secret, Elsie strikes a bargain. She’ll help Bacchus fix unruly spells around his estate if he doesn’t turn her in. Working together, Elsie’s trust in—and fondness for—the handsome stranger grows. So does her trepidation about the rise in the murders of wizards and the theft of the spellbooks their bodies leave behind.

For a rogue spellbreaker like Elsie, there’s so much to learn about her powers, her family, the intriguing Bacchus, and the untold dangers shadowing every step of a journey she’s destined to complete. But will she uncover the mystery before it’s too late to save everything she loves?

#BookBlitz: The Restarting Point by @boldenmarci @XpressoTours #Giveaway $25 Amazon gift card

The Restarting Point
Marci Bolden
(Chammont Point #1)
Publication date: April 27th 2021
Genres: Women’s Fiction

Marketing executive and mother of two, Jade Kelly can now add cancer survivor to her list of successes. But while her life looks good on paper, four months out of treatment, Jade realizes she hardly knows her college-age children and she and her husband Nick are little more than housemates.

Determined to start over, Jade schedules a family vacation to a lakefront cabin. When her kids bail and Nick stays home to handle a last minute work crisis, Jade heads to Chammont Point alone, determined to dust herself off and figure out what to do with the rest of her life.

While she’s away, the life she thought she had unravels. Secrets, lies, and old wounds drive Jade into new adventures and new relationships. With the help of family and new found friends, Jade learns starting over sometimes means finding a brand new restarting point.

#BookBlitz: The Other Prince by Alice Dolman @XpressoTours #Giveaway $20 Amazon gift card

The Other Prince
Alice Dolman
(Royal Connections, #1)
Publication date: April 19th 2021
Genres: Adult, Comedy, Contemporary, Romance

After moving to London, Amelia Glendale landed her dream job as a lawyer at the Queen’s Charitable Foundation. But when the queen dies, Amelia finds herself working for her longtime royal crush, Prince Leo – and his stuffy older brother Prince Edmund.

Charismatic Prince Leo was once known for his hard-partying ways, but has settled down and thrown himself into a life of philanthropy. He’s Amelia’s perfect man and she’s sure they’d get along if she wasn’t too star-struck to speak to him.

Prince Edmund has always been the sensible brother and dutiful heir, until a scandal of epic proportions leaves his reputation in tatters. With his comfortable existence disrupted, he sees a chance to build a life and relationship where he is more than just his position.

Thrown into the princes’ orbit, Amelia discover that maybe the perfect man for her isn’t the prince she expected. Will Amelia get her fairytale ending, or will the pressures of life in the spotlight be too much to bear?

This feel-good romantic comedy about love, friendship and tiaras is perfect for fans of American Royals and The Royal We.

#BookReview: The Truth About Melody Browne by Lisa Jewell

Synopsis: This “touching, insightful, and gripping story” (Sophie Kinsella, #1 New York Times bestselling author) from the instant New York Times bestselling author of Then She Was Gone follows a young woman searching for answers about her unknown past and the mysterious fire that irrevocably changed her life.

When she was a child, Melody Browne’s house burned down, destroying all her family’s possessions and her memories. Ever since this tragic event, Melody Browne has had no recollection of her life before she was rescued from the flames.

Now in her early thirties, Melody is a single mother, living in the middle of London with her teenaged son. She hasn’t seen her parents since she left home at fifteen, but Melody has no desire to reconnect until one night, while attending a hypnotist show with a date, she faints. When she comes around, she is suddenly overwhelmed with fragmented memories of her life before that fateful fire.

Slowly, she begins the arduous process of piecing together the real story of her childhood. Her journey takes her up and down the countryside, to seaside towns to the back streets of London, where she meets strangers who seem to love her like her own. But the more answers she uncovers, the more questions she is left with, and Melody can’t help but wonder if she’ll ever know the whole truth about her past.

“An absolute must-read” (Cosmopolitan, UK), The Truth About Melody Browne “will make you laugh, cry—then tell all your friends about it” (Daily Record). 

#BookBlitz: Cruel Beasts by Allie Santos @XpressoTours #Giveaway $10 Amazon gift card

Cruel Beasts
Allie Santos
(Moretti Academy, #1)
Publication date: April 2nd 2021
Genres: Adult, Paranormal, Reverse Harem, Romance

I stood in their way and now they vowed to destroy me.

All I wanted was to experience life without my every move monitored, and Moretti Academy was my chance at freedom.

They had other ideas.

The werewolf I grew up with, the cold fae sleeping with school staff, and a dragon with psychotic tendencies set their sights on me—and not in a good way.

The university was supposed to save my life by bringing out my dragon, but the cruel beasts tormenting me may kill me before I get the chance to live.

CRUEL BEASTS is a 96,000 word paranormal romance with enemy-to-lovers/love-hate themes. This is a REVERSE HAREM novel, meaning the main character will end up with more than one love interest by the end of the series. This is book ONE of FOUR in the series. Triggers: Contains foul language, sexual scenes, heavy bullying, cliffhanger, and jealous/possessive themes.

#BookReview: The Poet (Samantha Jazz Series #1) by @lisareneejones

Synopsis: New York Times bestselling author Lisa Renee Jones brings a fresh, modern take to the thriller genre that will keep you guessing until the very end.

“The poet is a liar who always speaks the truth.” -Jean Cocteau

Some call him friend or boss.
Some call him husband or dad.
Some call him son, even a favorite son.

But the only title that matters to him is the one the media has given him: The Poet.

A name he earned from the written words he leaves behind after he kills that are as dark and mysterious as the reason he chooses his victims.

One word, two, three, a story in a poem, a secret that only Detective Samantha Jazz can solve. Because he’s writing this story for her.

She just doesn’t know it yet. 

#BookBlitz: Harm’s Way by @karenreneewrite @XpressoTours #Giveaway $20 Amazon gift card

Harm’s Way
Karen Renee
(Riot MC Biloxi #1)
Publication date: April 13th 2021
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

If it weren’t for bad luck, Stephanie Combes would have no luck at all.

On top of stealing her identity and ruining her credit, Stephie’s ex-boyfriend has shamed her in the most unexpected way. As a card dealer, she’s determined to make a fresh start in Biloxi where the tips are better and she can climb out from under her shame and debt. Running into her long-lost stepbrother and his sexy-as-sin best friend wasn’t in the cards, but that was her bum-luck rearing its ugly head. The last thing she wants is another man in her life.

When it rains it pours, but lucky for Stephie, Har is there to save the day during the deluge. Staying with Har temporarily should be no problem, but they can’t deny their lust. The more Stephie distances herself, the more Har fights to keep her around. And he fights dirty.

Michael “Har” Walcott’s motorcycle club is in turmoil. As president of the Riot MC Biloxi chapter, he’s determined to get his club out of the drug trade, but his brothers are resistant. The last thing he needs is a woman dividing his focus from his brothers and his club… which is precisely when he meets a spunky and seemingly familiar brunette.
She’s familiar because Stephanie was once a stepsister to Har’s best friend Brute. Allowing her to distract him isn’t an option. But after her roof collapses, Har steps in to save the day. The more he learns about Stephie, the more he wants her to stay.

He fights his attraction, but he can’t control his impulses.

He hasn’t felt anything like this for a woman in years. It’ll be a cold day in hell before he lets it slip through his fingers again.

#BookBlitz: The Glass Slipper by @KristiWebster @XpressoTours #Giveaway

The Glass Slipper
K. Webster
Published by: Dangerous Press
Publication date: April 20th 2021
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Betraying the most powerful man in New York wasn’t something I ever envisioned when I first started playing games with Winston Constantine. But he’s engaged in far more dangerous games than ours, and his enemies are out for blood.

Winston has my heart, the Morellis have incriminating photos, and I’m left with nothing except three stepbrothers who want to hurt me and a future in doubt. I knew Winston wouldn’t be my prince charming, but that didn’t stop me from falling for him.
After all, the slippers fit, and I let myself believe I’d be dancing with Winston forever.
Until too much truth comes to light.

Until I realize instead of ruling the board, I was just a pawn.

In the end, I have only one question. When his game with me is over, will I be able to pretend as if the glass slipper wasn’t a perfect fit?

#ReleaseBlitz for Until Rex by @authorshawhart @boomfactorypub and @GiveMeBooksPR

Title: Until Rex

A Happily Ever Alpha World Novel

Author: Shaw Hart

Publisher: Boom Factory Publishing, LLC

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Release Date: April 16, 2021

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They say love is like trench warfare.

Emilia has been fighting her whole life. She’s struggled to make sure that she and her brother have food to eat and a roof over their head. She’s been thrown from one battle to another and she’s just about ready to give up.

Then she meets Rex.

One meeting with Rex, and Emilia is wanting something that she knows she can’t have. Not right now, when she’s struggling to claw her way out of the latest skirmish.

Rex has seen the Mayson brothers fall in love with just one look, but he never thought that it would happen to him. He can tell that Emilia is guarded and that it will take some work to break down her walls, but he’s willing to storm the castle to claim his queen.

When a letter arrives and rocks Emilia’s world, Rex is there to help her come up with a plan of attack to save her family, but will it be enough? Will the BOOM between Rex and Emilia be strong enough to survive the war that’s coming?

Until Rex is part of Aurora Rose Reynolds' Happily Ever Alpha World. If you loved Until November, then you will want to read Until Rex.

#ReleaseBlitz for The Love Interest by Kayley Loring @GiveMeBooksPR

Title: The Love Interest

Author: Kayley Loring

Genre: Steamy Romantic Comedy

Release Date: April 16, 2021

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Dear Fiona,

I hope this letter finds you well—and by well, I mean significantly less infuriated than you were yesterday. I’ve wanted to continue our conversation from the night we met, but there are so many things I can’t say or do, now that I’m your professor.

As an anonymous letter writer, I can give you some idea of what I have planned for us, once the year is over. As an author, I can share my work in progress with you. Not for you to critique but to show you how much you mean to me.

When you’re done reading this page, destroy it—and then write me back. Don’t sign the letter. Don’t put a return address on the envelope. Mail it from a random mailbox.

Yours in problem solving,

Me

P.S. I still think you’re wasting your talent on that historical romance novel.

P.P.S. I really wanted to push you up against the door and kiss your beautiful, angry face. I will. One day.

Dear Emmett,

Your handwriting is almost as terrible as your mood swings, and it would have been my instinct to destroy that letter even if you hadn’t ordered me to.

If you show me your work in progress, I will critique it.

I am currently still too infuriated to write about all the other feelings I have for you.

Expect another letter soon.

Your problem and your solution,

Me

P.S. I still think an overpaid, overrated, overly handsome bestselling author of thrillers has no business teaching creative writing at a prestigious New York university.

P.P.S. To my great horror, I really wanted you to push me up against that door and kiss my angry face too. I understand now that your appalling way of treating me in class has been overcompensation, but I don’t forgive you for it. I’ll kiss you again anyway. One day.

#BookReview: The Contented Vegan by Peggy Brusseau @HoZ_Books

Synopsis: The one-stop recipe bible for vegan family cooking. 

Looking for delicious, tempting, tasty vegan food to please both you and your fussy family? Look no further.

The Contented Vegan is your essential guide to everyday vegan cooking. With recipes for nutritious breakfasts and school break snacks, lazy weekend lunches and quick weekday suppers, dinner party favorites, and celebratory bakes, this book will provide you with all you need to feed your family.

Peggy Brusseau has been a vegan for over thirty years, raising her two sons on her recipes. In this book she shares her years of wisdom with you, as well as over 200 delicious recipes, helping you make the right choices for you and your family. Includes dual measurements.

#ReleaseBlitz for Captain by @dmdavisauthor and @GiveMeBooksPR

Title: Captain

Series: Black Ops MMA #3

Author: D.M. Davis

Genre: Contemporary Sports Romance

Release Date: April 16, 2021

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D.M. Davis’ CAPTAIN is a heart-wrenching, sexy contemporary romance full of forgiveness, second chances, and healing, and Book Three in the Black Ops MMA series.

Sometimes you have to break to become the person you're meant to be.

CAP:

I'm a bastard by birth.

Heartless by choice.

Love abandoned me a long time ago. Good riddance.

I have my family-by-choice. I don't need more.

Until she crept in, sank in deep, latched on, and stayed.

She's as broken as the day is long.

Yet I can't resist the pull to get her in my bed, in my heart, piecing me back together—for she's not the only one broken.

CHER:

I'm over men.

Destruction and pain are all they bring.

Been there. Done that. Check please.

Yet there is one—so many years later—who looks at me like I'm a goddess.

Who makes me feel like I have something to offer, that I'm exactly who he wants.

Can two lonely souls come together to discover the broken have more pieces to love, or will they pass on finding their forever love?

The Black Ops MMA books are integrated standalones with subplots that carry through from book 1 to book 4. For maximum enjoyment, I suggest the Black Ops MMA Series be read in order to fully experience the world and the characters who inhabit it, beginning with NO MERCY.

Intended for mature audiences. Some scenes may contain triggers.

#BookReview: Deadly Editions (Scottish Bookshop Mystery #6) by Paige Shelton

Synopsis: A treasure hunt through Edinburgh gives way to a search for a villain terrorizing the city in Paige Shelton's Deadly Editions, the sixth Scottish Bookshop Mystery.

Bookseller Delaney Nichols receives a mysterious cloaked visitor one evening at the Cracked Spine Bookshop. He presents to her an even more perplexing note: an invitation to an exclusive treasure hunt hosted by eccentric socialite Shelaigh O'Connor. Delaney is intrigued, but also cautious: Shelaigh, while charming in person, has a reputation for her hijinks as a wealthy young woman in the '70s. She was even once suspected for the murder of a former boyfriend, though ultimately cleared of all charges.

But Delaney is enticed by the grand prize at the end of the treasure hunt: a highly valuable first edition copy of The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, by Robert Louis Stevenson. The winner is also to receive the contents of Shelaigh's vast library, and an unspecified sum of cash.

The night after the first meeting of the treasure hunters, however, several homes in Edinburgh are robbed in a manner reminiscent of Shelaigh's old tricks. And when a man connected to Shelaigh is killed, suspicion builds. Except Sheilagh herself has disappeared from her home, seemingly kidnapped by the villain.

Terror mounts throughout the city as Delaney attempts to solve the mystery, while trying to stay out of the killer's clutches. For she, it seems, is his next target.

#ReleaseBlitz for A Beast So Cold by @Beenaxkhan and @GiveMeBooksPR

Title: A Beast So Cold

Series: Beauty & The Beast #2

Author: Beena Khan

Genre: Mafia Romance

Release Date: April 15, 2021

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The moment the devil saw me at the auction, he purchased me.

Once upon a time...

A beast craved me, the beauty... I was his Doll, and he was my darkest fairytale.

I ravaged the beast, and the rival Don, the blue-eyed devil took me.

His angelic beauty is frightening, and I want no part of it. I’m trapped by him now in a dark place and I can’t escape. I vowed to bring him down, and I won’t rest until I do.

Vlad made Dahlia his queen. The reason behind his smile. If he was ruthless before, now he's heartless. Nobody takes away what he wants. A beast is no man, and he's going to prove it by dragging her from hell.

Vengeance is all Vlad seeks now, no matter what the cost. It's kill or be killed.

Welcome to New York’s Underworld.

The dark and gothic sequel in the Beauty & the Beast mafia crime romance series. This concludes Dahlia and Vlad’s story.

#ReleaseBlitz for Trusting You by @elliot_daphne and @GiveMeBooksPR

Title: Trusting You

Series: Havenport #1

Author: Daphne Elliot

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Release Date: April 15, 2021

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She wasn’t looking for love. Neither was he. Too bad fate had other plans for them…

Cecelia Leary is ready for a fresh start. And starts don’t get any fresher than where she is right now—back in her childhood small town, jobless and newly single. She needs to take some time and figure out what to do with her life. She can not afford to be distracted by the sexy brewer who just offered her a job. But…she is…

Liam Quinn works alone. Always. But if he wants to take his brewery to the next level, he needs Cecelia’s marketing expertise. Entertaining any stupid romantic notions about the curvy, wild-haired beauty would be a huge mistake. But…he does…

Can Cecelia and Liam find a way to save the brewery—and fall in love while they’re at it? Maybe. But only if they can let go of their emotional baggage and learn to trust each other…

#ReleaseBlitz for Punished by Tana Stone @GiveMeBooksPR

Title: Punished

A Sci-Fi Alien Warrior Romance

Series: Raider Warlords of Vandar #5

Author: Tana Stone

Genre: Sci-Fi Romance

Release Date: April 15, 2021

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The dark and deadly Vandar raider who was exiled to our planet refuses to help me. Not without a price.

Corvak is nothing like the men on my planet. He's violent and brooding and wants nothing to do with a human female like me. But he's the only one who knows how to fight. And I refuse to be helpless when the empire comes after our planet--and it's only a matter of time until they do.

I've heard the rumors about the Vandar. They travel in invisible hordes of terrifying warbirds and their menacing raiders terrorize the empire and any ship that gets in their way. I don't care. I'm willing to do whatever it takes to become a warrior, even if that means convincing Corvak that I'm worthy of his attention. Even if it means sneaking into his quarters and begging.

But am I willing to take the deal he finally offers me? He wants off the planet that I so desperately want to save. If he teaches me how to be a warrior, I have to help him escape. As much as the dominant Vandar gets under my skin, will I be able to let him go?

Punished is a full-length sci-fi romance novel with a HEA and no cheating. It features steamy scenes on an alien planet, alien space battles, and some serious enemies-to-lovers, forbidden love, secret relationship heat.

#ReleaseBoost for Worth a Shot by @GailHaris and @GiveMeBooksPR

Title: Worth a Shot

Series: K.O. Romance #1

Author: Gail Haris

Genre: Romantic Comedy with

Elements of Suspense

Re-release Date: April 8, 2021

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One simple run-in got me more than I bargained for...and now I can’t go back. It might be dangerous, but it might just be worth a shot.

Victoria Angel…

It was just a cup of coffee…that’s all I was after.

Some much-needed caffeine to get me through wedding dress shopping. That’s it. But I guess the universe had other plans. How do I go from getting coffee to waking up in the hospital after being involved in a drive-by?

And how does my mysterious hero go from taking a bullet for me to getting arrested and put in prison?

His last name is Goodman, but according to the police, he’s not at all a good man. However, it feels as though fate brought us together. The police don’t agree…and my fiancé definitely doesn’t either.

Tristan Goodman…

She thinks I’m her hero, which couldn’t be further from the truth. Because of the business that I’m in and the people I surround myself with, there’s always a target on my back, and anyone associated with me is in the line of fire, including the quirky yet gorgeous Victoria Angel.

I’ve brought nothing but danger to her life the minute she bumped into me in that coffee shop. I know she’s not mine, but that certainly doesn’t stop me from going after what I want. And what I want is an angel.

She’d be wise to end all contact with me, exactly like her fiancé wishes, but I can’t leave her alone…especially after I have a taste of heaven.