Murder at the Inn - Katie Gayle

 Julia Bird loves the village pub quiz, but it seems one of her team won’t make it to the next round alive…

On the first Tuesday of each month, Julia Bird and her Agatha Quizteam teammates take part in Berrywick’s village pub quiz. They take it seriously – what’s the point of playing, after all, if you aren’t in it to win it? But it seems someone connected with the quiz night has taken the competition to a whole new level when Lilian, the local police constable and all-round general knowledge expert, is found fatally stabbed after the evening’s final round.

With local DI Hayley Gibson stuck home with a broken leg and an incompetent Superintendent brought in from the nearby town, it’s up to Julia to make sure the investigation stays focused – whether they like it or not! While the police are convinced that the murderer is linked to Lilian’s professional life, Julia turns her amateur sleuthing eye to suspects much closer to home. Perhaps Lilian’s personal life could have something to do with the dreadful crime?

When another quiz team member is attacked, Julia is finally put on the right track. But what could possibly be important – or dangerous – enough for two attendees of the pub quiz night to meet such foul ends over? Could the culprit really be among them on that busy Tuesday night? As Julia’s race to identify the killer ramps up to desperate heights, she wonders, where will the murderous spree end?

Perfect for fans of M.C. Beaton, Faith Martin and Betty Rowlands, Murder at the Inn is a brilliantly compelling English cosy mystery.

My Review

Julia Bird seems to find herself caught up in murder after murder. She moved to the country for a quiet life, but the murder rate there seems to be sky-high! This time someone seems to be targeting members of a local pub quiz team.
I do enjoy these mysteries, the combination of a murder to solve and the humour that comes through really works well. This time, Julia's rather naughty dog Jake found himself a new best friend; a chicken!
I didn't manage to solve this one until nearly the very end when I had guessed who had done it, but it was more of a guess than any cleaver deducing on my part. Still, it was a fun read and I'm looking forward to more in this series.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own and given voluntarily.

Author Bio:

Katie Gayle is the writing partnership of best-selling South African writers, Kate Sidley and Gail Schimmel. Kate and Gail have, between them, written over ten books of various genres, but with Katie Gayle, they both make their debut in the cozy mystery genre. Both Gail and Kate live in Johannesburg, with husbands, children, dogs and cats. Unlike their sleuth Epiphany Bloom, neither of them have ever stolen a cat from the vet.

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The Hate Date - Kaylene Winter

The Hate Date
Kaylene Winter
Publication date: July 24th 2023
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

When a man who has everything & will do anything—including pole dancing—to redeem himself to the feisty woman who could care less about power or money.

Clover Callahan took my client’s money and I’m not going to stand for it.
I’m taking her down, and if I play my cards right, she won’t even see me coming.
Everything’s going exactly to plan…
Until an elevator malfunction has us trapped for an entire night. Alone.

I mean, she’s hot. I’m hot.
What did you expect was going to happen?

Yeah. It did. And it was spectacular.

I can admit, I was wrong about Clover—she’s all I think about.
Unfortunately, after what I did, she hates me and everything I stand for.
But I’m no quitter…I’ll wear her down.
With a proposition even she won’t refuse:

One night.
One date.
Don’t be late!!

The Hate Date is a sweltering, standalone, billionaire, enemies to lovers, age gap, forced proximity, workplace, HEA romance.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble

Author Bio:

When she was only 15, Kaylene Winter wrote her first rocker romance novel starring a fictionalized version of herself, her friends and their gorgeous rocker boyfriends. After living her own rockstar life as a band manager, music promoter and mover and shaker in Seattle during the early 1990’s, Kaylene became a digital media legal strategist helping bring movies, television and music online. Throughout her busy career, Kaylene lost herself in romance novels across all genres inspiring her to realize her life-long dream to be a published author. She lives in Seattle with her amazing husband and dog. She loves to travel, throw lavish dinner parties and support charitable causes supporting arts and animals.

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My Review

Having followed and loved the Less Than Zero series by Kaylene Winter, I was excited to see what she would come up with how. The Hate Date is a sort of spin-off from her previous series. The Hate Date features Clover Calahan who appeared very briefly as the lead in Ronnie's new TV series. I sort of remember it, but couldn't have told you what her name was or much about her until this book.
After being completely screwed over by her now ex-husband, Clover is determined that any future relationship she has will be with someone completely different. Unfortunately, the man she finds herself unable to resist is very much like her ex. Joar is determined that they will be together, never having felt a connection to a woman like this before, but if he wants Clover than he has to prove that in the things that count, her really is different.
I liked Clover and Joar as a couple. They worked well and there was certainly plenty of heat, spice and chemistry. I rolled my eyes a little at their names to begin with, but got over that pretty quickly as the story progressed. This was a fun and fairly quick read and while it didn't have the depth of the LTZ books, it didn't need it and certainly hit the mark for me. I'm looking forward to the next already.

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Morning Star - Kris Jayne

Morning Star
Kris Jayne
(Lone Star Crossed Saga, #3)
Publication date: June 15th 2023
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

The marriage is fake, but the passion is real.

Famous for his last name, devilish Anthony Star-Hunter is the black sheep of the Star clan. He’s an expert at using his tall, dark, and handsome charm to get women into bed—the last remnant of his declining hard-party escapades.

But the bucks are about to stop here. His grandfather’s will demands he marry to inherit his fortune. Anthony panics. Even with his bad boy allure, how the hell is he going to find a tolerable bride, like, yesterday?

The minute Sarah Pennington spots the tattooed muscles her new stepsister’s ex hides under his Italian suits, she rolls her eyes. Anthony is not for her. And with her father maybe headed to prison for a financial fiasco, she’s had enough bad male behavior. She’s responsible. She’s hard-working. She…can’t stop having naughty dreams about the sexy “celebutant.”

At a beach-side wedding, a drunken mishap throws Sarah into Anthony’s bed, and he’s intrigued. Can he convince her to give fake marriage a chance? Can she convince herself to keep her heart out of the deal?

Their slow-burn, un-love affair isn’t what either expect, but it might be what both of them need forever.

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Author Bio:

Kris Jayne is a devoted writer, reader, and traveler, crafting addictive contemporary romance novels with heat and heart. She spends her days blissfully sweating out the writing process in the Dallas area with her dogs, Otis the Shih Tzu, Rocco the Terrier, and Red the Foxy Mutt.

Her passion for writing is only matched by her passion for the adventures of travel. In 2008, she let a friend talk her into sleeping outside for the first time in her life when she climbed Mount Kilimanjaro.

P.S. If you’re buying her a gift, she has a penchant for single-malt Scotch and scarves.

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My Review

I gather that this romance is part of a series. Like all the best series though, it's a standalone book with links to characters from the other instalments. It didn't matter then that I hadn't read the first two books and I still enjoyed this one just as much.
Our story follows playboy and millionaire Anthony Star-Hunter, someone who has had no intention of settling down. If he wants to inherit his share of the money that his grandfather left him then he has to marry and soon. Sarah Pennington has never had a good opinion of Anthony, but that hasn't stopped her hot dreams about the man. They may not seem like ideal marriage partners, but as this is purely a business arrangement, then that of course won't matter...
I really enjoyed this story, Anthony and Sarah make a great couple and it's clear to everyone else that they are in love and belong together. I really liked their journey from acquaintances, to friends, to lovers. I don't know that Anthony and his family need to be quite so rich, but I suppose this is all escapism and fantasy, so why not.
All in all a good read and a series I wouldn't be sorry to read more from.

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Her Last Promise - Catherine Hokin

‘Too many have suffered at my father’s hands. I won’t let it continue. I’ll stop him, I’ll build a world where we can finally be free, I swear it…’

Berlin, 1938.When Hanni’s beloved sister suddenly vanishes in the middle of the night, Hanni knows her
high-ranking Nazi father, Reiner, is not telling her the whole truth and may hold the key to her disappearance.

Years later, after finally learning how to live with her troubled past, Hanni dedicates herself to raising her teenage son, Leo, but her sister is never far from her mind. But when Leo begins to share Reiner’s pro-Nazi views and runs away from home to meet his grandfather, Hanni’s world collapses in an instant. She is determined not to lose her son to her father’s cruelty, like she lost her darling sister all those years ago…

Hanni has tried to stop her father before and nearly lost her life. Now she is fighting for Leo too and the stakes are higher than ever. She can’t lose him to the Nazis. She won’t let her father take her son away from her. Hanni knows this is her last chance to bring her father to justice. With her son’s life hanging in the balance, Hanni knows this will be her toughest battle yet. But with Reiner’s popularity stronger than ever, will she succeed?

A heartbreaking and gripping historical novel about courage, redemption and the endurance of the human spirit. Fans of The Alice Network, The Nightingale and The Tattooist of Auschwitz will be inspired by this heart-wrenching story about the choices we make to honour the lives of those we lose.

Author Bio:

I seem to have followed a rather meandering career, including marketing and teaching and politics (don't try and join the dots), to get where I have always wanted to be, which is writing historical fiction. I am a story lover as well as a story writer and nothing fascinates me more than a strong female protagonist and a quest. Hopefully those are what you will encounter when you pick up my books.

I am from the North of England but now live very happily in Glasgow with my American husband. Both my children have left home (one to London and one to Berlin) which may explain why I am finally writing. If I'm not at my desk you'll most probably find me in the cinema, or just follow the sound of very loud music.

I'd love to hear from you and there are lots of ways you can find me, so jump in via my website https://www.catherinehokin.com/ or on my Cat Hokin FB page or on twitter @cathokin

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Her Last Promise by Catherine Hokin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This whole series has been an emotional rollercoaster. From the beginning of Hanni and Freddie's story when they first met working together to solve a murder, their relationship growing, Hanni's secrets about her past coming out and destroying them and then facing up to life without each other. Now, 13 years have past and they still haven't been able to move on. With the threat from Hanni's evil father hanging over them, there is no way that they can be together or be safe without first dealing with him.
This book was harrowing. The more we find out about him, the more it becomes clear just how evil he is and how important it is to stop him. This book had me on the edge of my seat, wondering if we would finally see him getting what he deserved.
I loved this series, it was hard reading at times, but I still didn't want to put it down. I'm usually reluctant to leave well-loved characters behind when a series comes to an end, but this time it almost feels like a relief to move on, knowing that we're leaving Hanni and Freddie finally happy and with a chance at a real life.
These books were fantastic, but work best if you read them all. If you haven't already, go back and start with the first one.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own and given voluntarily.

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Forgotten Monsters - Anya J Cosgrove.

Title: Forgotten Monsters

Series: Dark Falls Academy Book 4

Author: Anya J. Cosgrove

Genre: New Adult Fantasy

Tropes: Enemies to Lovers/Bully Romance/WhyChoose/Slow-Burn

Release Date: May 18, 2023

Never make a deal with a Fae. You’ll end up on your knees, begging for your life.

Dark Falls—the most prestigious school in the three realms—is in session. Brooding vampires, snarky mermaids, and vicious Fae all want a piece of me...and they're not willing to ask permission.

Flynn, the cruel bully.

Trent, the thirsty vampire.

And Cole, the dark Fae prince. I hate him most of all.

How am I supposed to kick their asses in the arena and the classroom with all the mysteries and dangers lurking in the stony halls? And why is my sister keeping so many secrets—including the identity of the man she's seeing?

I'm mortal. Their deadly beauty will last for centuries.

They want me out of the academy. They’re beautiful. Devious. Relentless.

I'm worse.

I'm a Winslow witch, and I've got enough fire to burn them all.

***Completed series***

Dark Falls Academy is an ennemies-to-lovers, new adult fantasy series where the heroine likes to set things on fire and the dark hero loves to fight—and share when the mood is right. Expect the steaminess to increase with each book and scandalous secrets to come to light. Dark curses, pointy fangs, and a wicked prince, oh my!

Anya J Cosgrove lives in Québec with her husband, her beautiful son, and two mischievous cats. She works as a veterinarian by day. She’s a travel and Disney junkie and is passionate about her favorite paranormal series.

What would Buffy do? Kick ass!

My Review:

It feels as though this last book has been a long time coming. The last two books weren't that long ago, but it's been quite a while since I started reading this series. I think that the characters and story have grown with the passage of time and perhaps the characters themselves have been on a journey that I (and possibly even the author) wasn't quite expecting. Even so it's been an enjoyable and memorable story.
Jules is a great character and I've enjoyed following her story. From the start where her potential love interests have been quite horrible, they all changed and grew up into something quite different. I've enjoyed this series and I hope that we'll revisit the world again in the future. I don't feel quite the empty, sad it's over feeling that I had at the end of the Shadow Walker series, but I still really enjoyed this one. It was nice to bring everything to a conclusion.
You would really have to read the whole series to get a good grasp of the story, but that doesn't matter as it is a good read.

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