Part mystery, part romance, part paranormal twists. This is definitely what I’d call a cozy mystery—there’s a mystery to be solved and Lila is an amateur. But it is also strong on romance, a woman finding her place in a new town, and there’s a bit of a paranormal aspect as well. Just the kind of book I love to read! What did I think? Oh. My. Gosh. I loved this. It needed a better proofreading—and the errors pulled me out of the story. It […]
A Sweet End to a Wonderful Series This is the last book in the June series. I have read all of them and loved each one. In the first book, Finding June, June is only 16 and starting a career as an actress. It is definitely a Young Adult novel and would be enjoyed by teen readers and adults who like YA fiction. Over the course of the books, Chasing June (book 2) and Catching June (book 3), June grows older, goes to college, and […]
A Sweet, Clean Debut Romance Sometimes “debut” means not quite up to the competition, but that’s not the case with The Secret Life of Daydreams. It’s well-written and kept my interest through the entire story. I look forward to reading more from this author. Sofia and Josh first meet when he is in Portugal on an LDS mission. He taught Sofia about his religion and she joined the church. This story takes place years later, when Sofia and Josh meet again. Because of the issues […]
A Magical Romance series by 12 best-selling authors! Broken Things to Mend is part of The Power of the Matchmaker series. While each book is a stand-alone read, they all contain the recurring character of Pearl, the matchmaker. This is the story of Celia and Silas. They both had an extremely difficult childhood that set them up for heartache and distrust. When Celia shows up in Silas’ home town, he wouldn’t have even given her a second thought if she hadn’t been introduced to him […]
The Power of the Matchmaker series will be 12 books, each by a different author, to be released one a month in 2016. Pearl the Matchmaker is the common thread between all the books, and this is her story. Although this is classified as a clean romance with a touch of magical realism, there is, in fact, not much romance in it at all. Rather, it’s a story of broken hearts and how Pearl becomes a matchmaker. At only 60 pages, it is a quick […]
Jennifer Moore is fast becoming one of my favorite regency romance authors—right up there with Sarah M. Eden and Jane Austen. I loved her first two books, Becoming Lady Lockwood and Lady Emma’s Campaign. She has a few others that are still on my to-be-read list. As with the other two books I’ve read, Moore continues to write compelling and realistic characters for her time period, setting them in lush landscapes that add to the story without slowing it down. The main characters from those […]
ALWAYS WILL was a fun, fast read for me. It’s not my favorite by Melanie Jacobson, but it’s in the top 3 (#1 Painting Kisses, #2 The List). I love fun and quirky characters. Hannah, Will, and Hannah’s best friend, Sophie, were great. So were a few of the guys Hannah met online. I found myself laughing out loud (literally) at some of their teasing interchanges. Funny and clever dialog all over the place! For example, this conversation between Hannah and Will: Will: “What is […]
Shhh! In my real life, I’m known for not liking romance. And really, I don’t love it. At all. But, I have a confession to make. *looks around to make sure no one’s eavesdropping* I sort of, kinda, maybe really like those Lifetime Christmas Romance movies. So when this blog tour popped up in my review radar, I thought I’d give it a read. Also, I have friends who like romance. AND it’s only 99¢ right now for Amazon Kindle. AND I’ve read other romances […]
Whenever I review a romance here, I always feel the need to add a disclaimer. I don’t like romances. I don’t usually read them by choice. But I have loved every single book that I’ve read by Josi S. Kilpack, and so when she started writing Regency Romances, I knew eventually I’d cave and read them. And you know what? I loved Lord Fenton’s Folly! For me, a good regency romance is all about the characters. We first meet Alice and Lord Fenton while they […]
For me to like a contemporary romance, there needs to be a “something.” It’s hard for me to put my finger on what the “something” is but I do know it’s not the romance itself. The best I can do is say it’s got to be either highly character driven and the characters are fun or interesting, or there’s something of depth there. This one has both. While 99% of the book was light and fun, there’s a very serious topic and scene that makes […]
Trifecta Books has just started a Sweet & Clean Romance Collection which includes And Something Blue from the Main Street Merchants series. Set in the small town of Aspen Ridge, Colorado, the series will feature love stories by author Paige Timothy and will involve the owners and employees of the shops on Main Street. For me to really enjoy a romance, there must be more to the story. I prefer romance to be the backdrop, and if it’s not then the characters have to be […]
I almost never read romance. I tell you this upfront so that 1) you understand that I have a bias against romances, and 2) you will recognize that if I loved a particular romance, it is something pretty special. To be clear, less than 10% of what I read by choice could be classified as a romance. But when Sarah M. Eden has a new romance out, I’m first in line to get it! To me, Sarah Eden’s writing brings to mind the clever, rich […]
Set in 1815, this romance focuses on Corbin Jonquil and Clara Bentford. Clara has overcome her fear and gotten out of an abusive situation. Corbin’s attempts to attract her attention (based on horrible advice from his brothers) is hilarious. The usual classic misunderstandings and miscommunications keep them apart—providing a good amount of romantic tension. But what sets this romance apart is the clever dialog and depth of character. There is some violence with the physical and emotional abuse of this story, mostly implied and part […]
If you’re into all that kissing/hand holding/heart pounding stuff, here’s a book you might like. I’m not a big romance fan, but I AM into authors. I’m always curious to find out what makes them tick. So here’s a short interview with Amber. Q: Hi, Amber. Welcome to Inksplasher. Tell me a little about yourself. A: I’m a wife, a mother and a writer of Young Adult fiction. I traveled a lot as a child, but went to high school in Denver. Now I live […]
My dear, dear friend, Julie Bellon, has a new book out! I love it when my dear, dear, dear friends have new books out and I can help them spread the word. Especially when they have such wondeful covers!* As some of you may remember, I reviewed All’s Fair when it came out in 2008. (You can read that review here and you really should because Julie really liked my interview with her.) I was supposed to review Ribbon of Darkness in 2011 but I […]