Thrifty Thursday: Game Changer by Amy Aislin

Do you love gay romances? Are you looking for a book that costs less than $5.00? Then you might want to check out:

Title: Game Changer by Amy Aislin
Vancouver Ocras #2
Publisher: Amy Aislin
Genre: Contemporary, Gay, Romance
Length: 272 pages

Summary:

It’s Blair Brawsiski’s ride or die year. After a decade in the AHL, if he doesn’t get called up to the NHL this season, it’s time to hang up his skates and focus on other things. But between a second job and family priorities, his attention isn’t where it should be, and his dreams of making it to the big leagues are dwindling by the day.

Hiring a personal assistant to help out with day-to-day stuff? Probably the smartest move Blair’s made in a while.

But when that PA turns out to be an assertive baker who’s exactly Blair’s type? Blair can’t help but wish those dexterous hands would knead something other than pastry dough. Namely, him.

Charlie needs extra income. Desperately. With his expenses about to go up, it’s find a second job or get evicted. Getting hired as Blair’s PA is perfect: flexible hours, decent wages, and a scorching hot professional hockey player who’s willing to let him use his gorgeous kitchen for his baked goods.

Too bad that hockey player is exactly Charlie’s type. Too bad Charlie knows better than to date his new boss…

Goodreads

Purchase Links: Amazon * B&N

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eBook Contest 7/19

Here are the eBooks for this week’s Winning Wednesday contest:

Title: The Summer of Songbirds by Kristy Woodson Harvey
Publisher: Gallery Books
Genre: Contemporary, Friendship Fiction
Length: 365 pages

Summary:

Four women come together to save the summer camp that changed their lives and rediscover themselves in the process in this moving new novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Wedding Veil and the Peachtree Bluff series.

Nearly thirty years ago, in the wake of a personal tragedy, June Moore bought Camp Holly Springs and turned it into a thriving summer haven for girls. But now, June is in danger of losing the place she has sacrificed everything for, and begins to realize how much she has used the camp to avoid facing difficulties in her life.

June’s niece, Daphne, met her two best friends, Lanier and Mary Stuart, during a fateful summer at camp. They’ve all helped each other through hard things, from heartbreak and loss to substance abuse and unplanned pregnancy, and the three are inseparable even in their thirties. But when attorney Daphne is confronted with a relationship from her past—and a confidential issue at work becomes personal—she is faced with an impossible choice.

Lanier, meanwhile, is struggling with tough decisions of her own. After a run-in with an old flame, she is torn between the commitment she made to her fiancé and the one she made to her first love. And when a big secret comes to light, she finds herself at odds with her best friend…and risks losing the person she loves most.

But in spite of their personal problems, nothing is more important to these songbirds than Camp Holly Springs. When the women learn their childhood oasis is in danger of closing, they band together to save it, sending them on a journey that promises to open the next chapters in their lives.

From an author whose “writing coats your soul with heart” (E! Online), The Summer of Songbirds is a lyrical and unforgettable celebration of female friendship, summertime freedom, and enduring sisterhood—and a love letter to the places and people that make us who we are.


Title: Must Love Flowers by Debbie Macomber
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Genre: Contemporary, Friendship Fiction
Length: 308 pages

Summary:

Two women at different stages of life find themselves on a journey of renewal after undergoing hardships in this uplifting novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author Debbie Macomber.

Joan Sample is not living the life she expected. Now a widow and an empty-nester, she has become by her own admission something of a recluse. But after another birthday spent alone, she is finally inclined to listen to her sister, who has been begging Joan to reengage with the world. With Emmie’s support, Joan gathers the courage to take some long-awaited steps: hiring someone to tame her overgrown garden, joining a grief support group, and even renting out a room to a local college student. Before long Joan is starting to feel a little like herself again.

Across town, Maggie Herbert works mornings as a barista, tending to impatient customers before rushing to afternoon nursing classes. She lives with her alcoholic father, ducking his temperamental outbursts and struggling to pay the household bills. But her circumstances brighten when she finds a room for rent in Joan’s home. In the unexpected warmth of her new situation, Maggie finds a glimmer of hope for a better life. But will Maggie’s budding attraction to one of her favorite customers ruin the harmony she’s only recently found with Joan? Meanwhile, what is Joan to make of the mysterious landscaper who’s been revitalizing her garden—a man who seems to harbor a past loss of his own?

As Maggie and Joan confront difficult life choices, they draw strength from this new friendship in surprising ways—discovering in the process that “found family” is often the very best kind.


Title: Some Place Like Home by Gin Vane
Southern Awakenings Book Two
Publisher: Pride Publishing
Genre: Contemporary, BDSM, Erotic, Romance
Length: 346 pages

Summary:

Three weeks of playing taxi shouldn’t have him tied up in knots…

Everett says he owes Carver for his help with a recent case, but he’s long been comfortable in the shadow of his unknown past. He doesn’t need the former detective to search through his life for family. No sense in holding space for something he’ll never get.

With his auto shop scraping by, Carver’s back to bartending to pay the bills—and while he doesn’t want to admit it, the perk of easy company is losing its shine. Too broke to refuse the work, he gets a tip about a sedan off the highway. But the man behind the wheel quickly becomes more than he bargained for.

Daniel Henning may look like some bumbling academic, but when he brushes off the dig dirt, the man is downright gorgeous. He’s in town for three weeks and absolutely running from his baggage. Just like another college boy that Carver used to know.

Maybe he hasn’t learned a thing if he’s willing to make this mistake twice, but it’s not just Daniel’s talent with rope that keeps pulling Carver back in. Daniel looks at him like the best parts of what he lost. If they could each escape the weight of their past, might they have a future together?

Only more time will tell. But Carver’s never been the kind to ask.

Reader advisory: The Southern Awakenings series carries the following content warnings: cheating, drug and alcohol use, discussion of addiction, depression and suicidal ideation, discussion of violence and sexual assault, major character injury, discussion of character death, scenes of suspense and violence.


Wednesday is contest day on Book Talk and More with Kathy. Three lucky winners will win the eBook of their choice! Here’s how to enter:

You must do the Following:

1. Sign up for e-mail updates (below). One email daily with the day’s posts.

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2. Be or become a fan of Book Talk & More with Kathy Facebook page

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Make sure you have filled out the contest entry form:

3. To be eligible to enter contests on Book Talk and More with Kathy you MUST fill out the contest entry form (found HERE). This form only needs to be filled out ONCE. Your privacy is important to me, and I will not share your information.

And don't forget to:

4. Fill out the form below by 4 PM Mountain Time Friday afternoon:

* I am the only person who will have access to info that is submitted to me UNLESS a publisher or author has donated an eBook for the giveaway. For a prize donated by an author or publisher, I will forward your e-mail and format selection to the person responsible for distributing the eBook. Please refer to the privacy page HERE if you have questions about how your information is used. In the event the contest form is not working, please leave your book selection in the comments below.*

It’s that easy! The winners will be selected using random.org. I will e-mail the winners the eBook of their choice in their preferred format. The winners will be posted HERE on Saturday.

***The eBooks in this giveaway have been purchased by Book Talk & More with Kathy.***

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Teen Tuesday: All That’s Left to Say by Emery Lord

Teenage or adult readers who like Young Adult novels might enjoy this week’s spotlight:

Title: All That’s Left to Say by Emery Lord
Publisher: Bloomsbury YA
Genre: Contemporary, Young Adult, Mystery
Length: 379 pages

Summary:

A poignant and powerful story of a grieving girl willing to risk everything, perfect for fans of Robin Benway and Jandy Nelson.

On prom night, Hannah MacLaren sits in the headmaster’s office in her fanciest dress, soaked to the bone. She is in huge trouble after pulling the fire alarm right as the prom queen was about to be crowned. But Hannah had her reasons . . .

One year ago, her cousin Sophie, who was also her best friend and the person she loved most in the world, died of an overdose. Drowning in grief, Hannah became obsessed with one question: Who gave Sophie those pills? Who is refusing to give her family the closure they deserve?

Then she concocted a plan: enroll at her cousin’s fancy private school with a new look and a mouthful of lies, and finally uncover the truth.

But Hannah didn’t expect all the lines to blur. She didn’t expect Sophie’s friends to be so complicated. She didn’t expect to fall for her longtime enemy. Now, she must choose to either let herself really mourn Sophie and move on, or see her search through to its explosive end–even if it means destroying herself.

Goodreads

Purchase Link: Amazon * B&N

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Mystery Month: The Bitter Past by Bruce Borgos

If you love a good mystery then you should check out this week’s spotlight!

Title: The Bitter Past by Bruce Borgos
Porter Beck Book One
Publisher: Minotaur Books
Genre: Contemporary, Historical (50s), Mystery, Thriller
Length: 310 pages

Summary:

In the tradition of Craig Johnson and C. J. Box, Bruce Borgos’s The Bitter Past begins a compelling series set in the high desert of Nevada featuring Sheriff Porter Beck…

Porter Beck is the sheriff in the high desert of Nevada, north of Las Vegas. Born and raised there, he left to join the Army, where he worked in Intelligence, deep in the shadows in far off places. Now he’s back home, doing the same lawman’s job his father once did, before his father started to develop dementia. All is relatively quiet in this corner of the world, until an old, retired FBI agent is found killed. He was brutally tortured before he was killed and clues at the scene point to a mystery dating back to the early days of the nuclear age. If that wasn’t strange enough, a current FBI agent shows up to help Beck’s investigation.

In a case that unfolds in the past (the 1950s) and the present, it seems that a Russian spy infiltrated the nuclear testing site and now someone is looking for that long-ago, all-but forgotten person, who holds the key to what happened then and to the deadly goings on now.

Goodreads

Purchase Links: Amazon * B&N

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Book Talk: What have you been reading lately?

Welcome to this week’s Book Talk!

I read some great books last week:

The Paris Seamstress by Natasha Lester: 4 stars. Despite a bit of a slow start, I really liked this dual time period novel. Both story arcs are fascinating and the characters are well-drawn. The chapters with cliffhangers that help keep readers engaged in both storylines. Compelling family secrets are slowly unearthed both in the past and present. The conclusion is uplifting and well worth the wait!

Hades by Candice Fox: 4.5 stars. The Archer & Bennett series is diabolically clever with chilling characters and storylines. The chapters easily switch back and forth in time between Eden Archer’s childhood with her brother Eric and the murder investigation in the present. With clever twists and turns, this edge of the seat thriller comes to a stunning conclusion.

Eden by Candice Fox: 4.5 stars. The second installment in the Archer & Bennett series is as fascinating as the first. In this outing, readers learn more about Hades’ past. In the present, Eden goes undercover to catch a possible serial killer. Her partner Bennett divides his time between working the same case as Eden and helping Hades find out the truth about what happened to someone dear to him long ago. With a jaw-dropping ending, readers will have no choice but to pick up book three in this brilliant series.

Fall by Candice Fox: 4.5 stars. In this third outing in the Archer & Bennett series, Eden and Frank are on the hunt for a serial killer attacking women joggers. The novel’s pacing is quite brisk as they try to figure out possible suspects. Unbeknownst to Eden, someone is closing in on the truth about her identity. Both of these storylines come to absolutely shocking denouments. I quite enjoyed this brilliant series and recommend it to readers who like gritty police procedurals with deeply flawed characters.

Now it’s your turn. What have you been reading lately? Join the discussion by commenting below!

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The Week Ahead July 17-22

Here’s a look at what’s happening this week at Book Talk & More with Kathy:

Monday’s Book Talk: What have you been reading lately?

Spotlights

Mystery Monday
Teen Tuesday
7/20 Review: Dead Eleven by Jimmy Juliano
Thrifty Thursday
Friday Feature: The Second Chance Store by Lauren Bravo (review)

Winning Wednesday (7/19) eBooks up for grabs:

The Summer of Songbirds by Kristy Woodson Harvey
Must Love Flowers by Debbie Macomber
Some Place Like Home by Gin Vane

Click here for more info on entering the eBook contests.

This week’s Saturday Series Spotlight is Jess Everlee’s Lucky Lovers of London and contest for one of the books in the series (winner’s choice).

Have a great week!!

***All the eBooks in this week’s Winning Wednesday & Saturday Series Spotlight giveaways have been purchased by Book Talk & More with Kathy.***

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