Book Talk: What have you been reading lately?

Welcome to this week’s Book Talk!

I had another good reading week:

The It Girl by Ruth Ware: 4.5 stars. An excellent mystery about a ten year old murder. Fast-paced, great characters and full of twists and turns!

The Shadow Docket by Stephen Vladeck: 5 stars. An excellent non-fiction exposé of the U.S. Supreme Court’s use of the “shadow docket”. These usually unsigned, short rulings usually give no explanantion for how the justices arrive at their decisions. The use of shadow docket has drastically increased in recents years and now has the power to shape the judiciary.

The Senator’s Wife by Liv Constantine: 4.5 stars. A brilliant portrayal of Washington D.C. politics. This compelling mystery’s chapters alternate between various characters’ perspectives. Twisty-turny and kept me guessing to the end!

The Last Mrs. Parrish by Liv Constantine: 4.5 stars. What an outstanding psychological suspense. This page-turner takes manipulative characters to an all new record. A new friendship sets the stage for someone with an agenda to worm her way into the lives of an unsuspecting couple. But after a perspective switch in narrators, readers receive a behind the scene look into what goes on behind closed doors. The devilishly clever conclusion is an absolute delight!

Only the Beautiful by Susan Meissner: 4.5 stars. Read my thoughts about this compelling novel in the upcoming “May Reading Challenge Discussion” on Thursday June 1st.

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

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The Week Ahead May 29-June 3

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
Thrifty Thursday Reading Challenge
Friday Feature

Winning Wednesday (May 31) eBooks up for grabs:

Esme Cahill Fails Spectacularly by Marie Bostwick
The Little Bookstore on Heart Lake Lane by Sarah Robinson
The Deadliest Fall by Charlie Cochrane

Click here for more info on entering the eBook contests.

This week’s Saturday Series Spotlight is Addison Fox’s Rustler’s Creek 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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Saturday Series Spotlight & Giveaway: K.C. Wells’ Second Sight

Here are the eBooks in this week’s Saturday Series Spotlight contest:

Title: In His Sights by K.C. Wells
Second Sight Book One
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Genre: Contemporary, Gay/Bisexual, Mystery/Suspense
Length: 248 pages/Word Count82,557

Summary:

Random letters belong on Scrabble tiles, not dead bodies. But when a demented serial killer targets Boston’s gay population, leaving cryptic messages carved into his victims, lead detective Gary Mitchell has no choice but to play along.

As the body count rises, Gary gets desperate enough to push aside his skepticism and accept the help of a psychic. Dan Porter says he can offer new clues, and Gary needs all the insight into the killer’s mind he can get.

Dan has lived with his gift—sometimes his curse—his entire life. He feels compelled to help, but only if he can keep his involvement secret. Experience has taught him to be cautious of the police and the press, but his growing connection to Gary distracts him from the real danger. As they edge closer to solving the puzzle, Dan finds himself in the killer’s sights….


Giveaway

I am giving away the 1st eBook from the Second Sight series. Here’s how to enter the Saturday Series Spotlight contest:

You must Do TWO of the Following:

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

Enter your Email:


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OR:

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

OR:

3. Follow me on Twitter (@BooktalkMore)

Make sure you have filled out the contest entry form:

4. To be eligible to enter contests on Book Talk & 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:

5. Fill out the form below by 4 PM Mountain Time Monday afternoon.

CONTEST OVER

* 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 winner will be selected using random.org. I will e-mail one lucky winner the eBook in their preferred format. The winner will be posted HERE on Tuesday.

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

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Friday Feature: The Little Bookstore on Heart Lake Lane by Sarah Robinson

Do you love a good romance? Then you might like today’s Friday Feature!

Title: The Little Bookstore on Heart Lake Lane by Sarah Robinson
Heart Lake Book Two
Publisher: Forever
Genre: Contemporary, Romance
Length: 337 pages

Summary:

In this charming installment of the Heart Lake series, a grumpy single dad and a small-town bookseller—who’s secretly an advice columnist—find love when they least expect it.

As chaotic as it can be, Rosie Dean loves her unruly life. But between raising twins alone, running her struggling bookshop, and secretly writing a parenting advice column, the single mom can’t think about dating. At least that’s what she tells herself . . . until her high school crush (and his incredible blue eyes) return to Heart Lake for the summer. Even though Evan has grown into a huge grump, he’s still a super sexy one, and soon sparks begin to fly.

Single dad and widower Evan Mills is used to hearing he’s too serious. But with a grieving tween daughter to raise on his own, the graphic designer is just trying to stay strong for her. He hopes a few weeks at the lake will be the fresh start they both need. Evan never anticipated reconnecting with Rosie, or that she could make him feel whole again—if he’d give her the chance. Will one steamy summer with Rosie be long enough to melt Evan’s heart?

Includes the bonus novella, Annie Rains’ Kiss Me in Sweetwater Springs!

Goodreads

Purchase Links: Amazon * B&N

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Thrifty Thursday: The Brigand’s Bride by Samantha Cayto

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: The Brigand’s Bride by Samantha Cayto
Treaty Brides Book Six
Publisher: Pride Publishing
Genre: Fantasy, Action/Adenture,Gay, Erotic Romance
Length: 181 pages/Word Count: 50,378

Summary:

Being a bride is a state of mind, not of body.

Evander hit the road to seek adventure after a conventional and boring upbringing. He wanted no ties and the liberty to wander wherever his fancy took him. The misery he found among people too powerless to defend themselves, however, has led him to create a band of brigands. They waylay rich travelers, taking their money to help the poor, who are being robbed through taxation by their baron. With the situation growing more desperate, he reluctantly decides to kidnap someone from a rich family and hold them for ransom. Luck is with him when the baron’s youngest son comes his way. Destiny delivers a stunning blow when he finds the boy beguiling and irresistible.

Rory has cultivated a reputation as a spoiled brat. Deep in his heart, nothing could be farther from the truth. His father’s cruelty caused him to erect emotional barriers and pretend he cares for nothing and no one. When he falls into the hands of a brigand, he puts his studied arrogance on display. His act becomes harder to maintain under the watchful and captivating eye of his captor and his growing understanding of how great his father’s viciousness truly is.

Evander and Rory are two men with a similar enemy. Together they can give their people a brighter future—if they can learn to trust each other.

Goodreads

Purchase Links: Pride Publishing * Amazon

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eBook Contest 5/24

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

Title: Always Her Cowboy by Addison Fox
Rustler’s Creek Book Three
Publisher: Avon
Genre: Contemporary, Romance
Length: 378 pages

Summary:

Back in Rustlers Creek, one cowboy discovers that a lifelong feud could become his forever romance…

Charlotte Wayne has detested Chance Beaumont since the fourth grade. Her bickering with the big, rugged cowboy has become legendary around their small Montana town. But little does anyone know, Charlotte’s animosity masks unspoken feelings… because underneath it all, Chance is the only man who ever truly claimed her heart.

Chance has spent his whole life in Rustlers Creek, but he’s always been on the outside looking in. He needs to focus on keeping his ranch afloat amid the massive debt left by his late father, and the feelings he harbors for Charlotte don’t make it any easier. She’s ranching royalty and he’s perpetually scrubbing mud off his boots. It’s safer to push her away than hope for something he can never have.

When a business opportunity forces Charlotte and Chance to work together, they share a heated moment in each other’s arms. The simmering attraction they’ve fought for years can no longer be ignored, but will Chance’s doubts stand in the way of their happiness? Or will he finally declare his love and prove to Charlotte that he’s always been her cowboy?


Title: The Front Porch Club by Michelle Major
The Carolina Girls Book Five
Publisher: Canary Street Press
Genre: Contemporary, Romance
Length: 368 pages

Summary:

They have nothing in common—except a need to start over…

The drawback to having a picture-perfect life is that there’s nowhere to go but down—and Annalise Haverford is falling fast. Once, she was the self-proclaimed queen bee of Magnolia, North Carolina. Now her husband has been arrested for fraud, and she’s become an outcast in the shallow circles she used to rule. There’s only one affordable rental in town, and it’s owned by the woman Annalise got fired from a lucrative job.

Much as single mother Shauna Myer would like to refuse Annalise, who treated her like dirt on the bottom of her red-soled shoe, she needs that rent money. But when Shauna’s first love arrives in town, unraveling secrets she’d hoped to keep, Annalise becomes her unlikely defender. Meghan Banks, an elementary school art teacher whose quiet existence suddenly descends into chaos, is thrown an unexpected lifeline by Annalise, too.

As spring ripens into a sultry summer, the three spur each other on to share their fears and dreams, face new challenges, and seize second chances. Because no matter how turbulent life may be, it’s much easier to navigate those choppy waters when you’re buoyed by true friendship…­

Bonus novella!

The last Carlyle sister, new mother Trinity, finds love where she least expects it—with Magnolia’s upstanding chief of police, Asher Davis. Both Trinity and Asher think their romantic days are behind them. But then Asher asks Trinity for just one dance…


Title: Under Cover by Amy Lane
Covert Book One
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Genre: Contemporary, Gay, Romance, Suspense
Length: 418 pages

Summary:

For Judson Crosby, the transfer to the elite law enforcement branch of the SCTF is a great escape from the death sentence he earned as a whistle-blowing patrol officer. Calix Garcia, the fierce new guy, makes a perfect partner, catching bad guys while minimizing collateral damage. Crosby loves working with him.

Of course, he’d also love to work him over in a totally different way.

Garcia has waited his whole career for a solid, dependable partner like Crosby. But after six months fighting crime together, he’s done fighting their attraction.

Their coming together promises to be everything they need… until a threat from Crosby’s past comes back to haunt not just him, but their entire team.

When Crosby goes undercover to keep them safe, Garcia is frantic with worry. One false move could get Crosby killed and Garcia exposed. But they have to fight their way clear, because hiding your lover under the cover of darkness is no way to live. Crosby and Garcia will risk everything for the chance to live their lives in the light.


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 TWO of the Following:

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

Enter your Email:

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OR:

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

OR:

3. Follow me on Twitter (@BookTalkMore)

Make sure you have filled out the contest entry form:

4. 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:

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

CONTEST OVER

* 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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