FINDING COMFORT by Kimberly Fish – Book Blog Tour: Review and Giveaway

FINDING COMFORT
Comfort and Joy Trilogy, Book 2
by
Kimberly Fish
Women’s Fiction / Contemporary / Cozy Mystery
Publisher: Fish Tales Publishing
Date of Publication: September 1, 2023
Number of Pages: 312 pages
Scroll down for the Giveaway!

Even with all her experience, Gloria Bachman, retired banker and candy entrepreneur, didn’t see this coming.

Sweeties, the beloved Comfort chocolate shop, was ready for its cameo in advertising extraordinaire Jazzy Mezcal’s famous travel and food show! Comfort town folks had worked hard all summer to get their shops Hallmark-movie ready. On the eve of the TV crews overtaking the town, Gloria’s Chamber of Commerce welcome party gets drenched in a wicked rainstorm. Locals call it a “blue norther,” and a dreaded agent of change. Flooding seems like the worst of their problems until the celebrity TV host turns up dead.

In shock, Gloria’s friends turn to her to figure out who could be responsible for such a disaster. With the TV crew and guests in town for the 8th Street Market’s annual shopping event, suspects are endless. Reluctant to get involved, Gloria would much rather focus on the delicious romance with Mason Lassiter. And she would if a frenemy from Kerrville didn’t haunt her every step. Now as Gardner Rogers treads on her turf, everything feels suspicious.

With all eyes on Gloria to find the truth behind Jazzy Mezcal’s untimely death, she indulges her curiosity for problem solving while trying to disguise how unsure she is about the future with her boyfriend. Disruption in Mason’s world, mayhem in Comfort, and one epic chocolate disaster rouse Gloria to action and make her decide what’s worth fighting for. All she can say for sure, is that no one is finding any comfort in Comfort.

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     I’ve been visiting Kimberly Fish’s version of Comfort, Texas for many years now and each visit provides a unique and fascinating experience. In Finding Comfort, the town and its residents become more and more real. The characters, especially Gloria, are getting fully fleshed-out, becoming actual people and not merely figments of an author’s highly creative imagination. Such is the talent of Ms. Fish that she populated her books with three-dimensional personalities that are somehow strange and relatable at the same time. Gloria has found her family in Comfort and it’s a beautiful thing to witness through these two books.
Everything would work out in the end. If it wasn’t working out, it wasn’t the end.”
     Ms. Fish’s storytelling is topnotch as always. The current mystery of a celebrity’s death was not too difficult to solve but she gave it an extra layer of unexpected emotional depth that’s not often found in this type of stories. The physical danger to Gloria when she broke the case felt so real, I had sympathy aches and pains while I was reading the scenes.
I like the way I feel when I’m here. I like the way I feel when I’m with you.”
     While it’s not the central theme of Finding Comfort, the romance aspect is a huge reason why I enjoyed this book. I am so glad Kimberly Fish did not unnecessarily prolong Gloria and Mason’s coming together as a couple. There was a bit of a push and pull on Gloria’s side at the beginning but it didn’t go on too long and she admitted her feelings soon after. They are sweet together and are truly couple goals.  Lacy and Rudy as well.
Even though we’re hurting and in shock, doing the hard work of maintaining life is how we’ll get through.”
     Normally, I would give a Comfort book one of my highest ratings but I found a couple of issues in this one that held me back. First was the way Lacy’s loss was handled. In my opinion, the introduction of the distressing information was too abrupt and not given the proper weight. It would have been nice to mention some of the sensitive contents in the foreword to prepare those readers who have related experiences. My second issue is with the unusual number of grammatical errors. It could have benefitted with one more round of proofreading before publication.
     Still, a Comfort story is a highly entertaining story and I am looking forward to the conclusion of the trilogy. I have no doubt Ms. Fish will deliver an incredibly enjoyable read.
     Many thanks to Lone Star Lit for including my blog in the tour and for the opportunity to share my thoughts.
4 out of 5 stars

Kimberly Fish has been a professional writer in marketing and media for over thirty years, with regular contributions to area newspapers and magazines. As an accidental historian, she wrote two novels, The Big Inch and Harmon General, both based on factual events in Longview, Texas, that changed world history. Kimberly also offers a set of contemporary women’s fiction novels and novellas, based in the Texas Hill Country, that reveal her fascination with characters discovering their grit and sweet, second chances; all four of the novels have won distinguished awards. Finding Comfort is her latest novel, the second book in the Comfort and Joy Trilogy.
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GIVEAWAY!  GIVEAWAY!  GIVEAWAY!
TWO WINNERS:
Signed copy of FINDING COMFORT + surprise bonus gift!
(US only; ends midnight, CDT, 11/3/23)

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SWEET SPOT by Cat Santos – Featured New Release

SweetSpota

SWEET SPOT

Cat Santos


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Santos SweetSpot

Cassie’s open to a summer fling.

Dev’s fallen first, and right into the deep end.

Can this single mom look past their age gap to finally get the steamy love she deserves?

Cassie feels like she’s already lived two full lives before she turned forty. She’s spent half her adult life being a young mom, and the other half building an art career she discovered later in life.

Finally feeling like she’s out of hustle mode, she’s ready for some me-time. That’s when she meets Dev, a young, hot florist only in town for the season. Sounds like the perfect summer treat. But after their first date, instead of finding a fling, she’s practically fallen in love with him. Could he possibly feel the same way?

Dev can’t seem to step in front of a woman without putting his foot in his mouth. Busily toiling away in a college lab for the last six years, instead of on the dating scene, he’s more in his head than not. Deciding to take an easy summer job at a small florist before his career starts, can he get out of his own way and let love in?



Welcome to the small town of Jacaranda Bay, where the doors are always open, cinnamon rolls are spicy, and everyone gets their happily-ever-after in the end.

More series set in this small town are Firefighters of Jacaranda Bay Series and The Unbuttoned Alpha Male Series.

 

Kindle and KU
Sweet Spot: Small Town Steamy Cinnamon Rolls
 

ABOUT CAT

CatSantos_headshotI write romance novels and spicy short stories to entertain and inspire.

Hi! I’m a reader-turned-writer whose monthly book expenses rival my therapy bills. I’m a mom, a small business owner, and based on a popular definition of collecting over 1,000 books, am a library as well. My ENFJ mind thrived in my past career of event and wedding planning, and I’m happy to use all of my behind-the-scenes event shenanigans as laugh-out-loud moments for my delightfully unhinged characters doing their best while searching for their happily ever afters.

Expect open doors (lots of them), swoony scenes, and happily ever afters. The roller coaster of a ride is packed into a 90-minute steamy book you can read before bed, and again when you wake up in the morning.

CODENAME CHARMING by Lucy Parker – Featured New Release

Following Battle Royal, beloved author Lucy Parker pens another delicious romantic comedy about a fake relationship between a grumpy royal bodyguard and the charming, sunny assistant who melts his cold, hard exterior.

Codename Charming Tropes

Codename Charming

LUCY PARKER


SYNOPSIS

Cover_Codename CharmingPetunia De Vere enjoys being the personal assistant to lovable, bumbling Johnny Marchmont. But the job has its share of challenges, including the royal’s giant, intimidating bodyguard, Matthias. Pet and Matthias are polar opposites—she’s spontaneous and enthusiastic, he’s rigid and stoic—but she can sense there’s something softer underneath that tough exterior…

For Matthias Vaughn, protecting others is the name of the game. But keeping his royal charge out of trouble is more difficult than he imagined because everywhere Johnny goes, calamity ensues, and his petite, bubbly assistant is often caught in the fray. Matthias hates the idea of Pet getting hurt and he’s determined to keep everyone safe, even if it means clashing with his adorable new coworker.

When a clumsy moment leads to a questionable tabloid photo, the press begins to speculate that Pet is romantically involved with Johnny. To put an end to the rumors, the royal PR team asks Pet and Matthias to stage a fake relationship and the two reluctantly agree. But as they spend more time together outside of work, they begin to wonder what real emotions this pretend connection might uncover. Especially when a passionate kiss leaves both of their heads spinning …

Buy Links:

Amazon – amazon.com/dp/B0BM9VMCWC
B & N – barnesandnoble.com/w/codename-charming-lucy-parker
Kobo – kobo.com/codename-charming


REVIEW

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Quiet, super trope-y, and sweet, Lucy Parker’s newest release is sure to delight her fans. In Codename Charming, she employed a lot of themes I enjoy in a Romance novel — Beauty and the Beast, Opposites Attract, Grumpy/Sunshine, Workplace Romance (between equals), and Fake Dating. Throw in height difference and a little bit of a “fated mates” vibe and it’s hitting all my soft spots.

Life isn’t always easy … Neither is love. But they’re sure as hell worth fighting for.”

Pet and Matthias are so wonderful together all the way from Battle Royal that their attachment is truly believable despite the pretend beginning of their relationship. I love that they are both present in practically all the scenes in the book. The reader can really see the natural progression of their love story.

This book has Lucy’s signature wit and quirky characters, but perhaps it needs more of the first and less of the second. It could also use more humor and snappy banter and fewer subplots. While I like a slow burn, the pacing here could have been sped up a tad. I liked this story but it’s missing some of the verve that characterized Lucy’s earlier works. 

4 out of 5 stars


ABOUT LUCY

Lucy Parker author photo_Codename CharmingLucy Parker is an award-winning romance author who lives in New Zealand. A romance reader from a young age, she loves to write about people pursuing their dreams and falling hopelessly in love along the way—often with the last person they would expect! Her previous titles have been featured in Entertainment Weekly, Cosmopolitan, and Oprah Magazine, and were included in NPR’s Book Concierge for four consecutive years. 

Follow Links:

Twitter – @_lucyparker
Facebook – @LucyParkerAuthor
Instagram – @LucyParkerAuthor

FOUR WEDDINGS TO FALL IN LOVE by Jackie Lau –Featured New Release

four weddings now available

FOUR WEDDINGS TO FALL IN LOVE

Jackie Lau


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four weddings ebook When I meet Kim Sung at a friend’s wedding, I don’t make the first move. God, no. But she’s delightful and gorgeous, and she asks me to dance. Later, we head to her hotel room and …

Okay, I admit it doesn’t go well. She might be all about one-night stands, but I’m not used to having them.

That should be the end of it. I can forget about her or, more likely, obsess about it whenever I can’t sleep.

But then I see her at a second wedding. Apparently, she’s a family friend of my cousins. All three of them are getting married this summer, so she’ll be at the next two weddings as well, along with her parents.

Kim is even more beautiful than last time, and I really want the chance to prove I’m not a complete disaster in bed. I also want to take her on an actual date, but she has no interest in dating anyone.

More than anything, though, I need to avoid her because I’m too embarrassed to hold a conversation, and my brothers have found out about my unfortunate one-night stand.

Oh, no. She’s coming this way. What do I do?

Buy Links:

Amazon          Kobo          Apple          Barnes & Noble          Google Play


EXCERPT

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Chapter 1

Max

“Fucking hell.”

I hear the woman before I see her—I’m busy adjusting the suit bag in my hand—and nearly trip over her leg. She’s fallen on the stone path that leads to the hotel on the lake.

“Are you okay?” I ask.

Before I can extend my hand, she jumps up. Her purple dress ends just below her knees.

“Yeah, I’m fine. These shoes just aren’t made for running.” The petite East Asian lady gestures to her silver stilettos with her bouquet. One of Tessa’s bridesmaids, I assume. “Even for walking, they’re a fucking nightmare.” She pauses. “Sorry.”

She doesn’t need to apologize for her language, but perhaps she senses that I’m not the sort of person who swears vehemently, well, ever. A quiet “shit” is as far as I go and—

Wow. She smiles at me, and I’m struck by how beautiful she is.

There’s a giggle from behind the pink rose bushes. Her gaze snaps in that direction.

“For fuck’s sake,” she mutters. “The flower girl escaped again, and I’m tasked with bringing her back.” She dashes off toward the roses.

I shake my head and continue along the path. Someone else in a purple dress flies out the door of the hotel. Is she also in pursuit of the flower girl, or is there another wedding-related emergency?

God, weddings are such chaos, and I have four to attend in the next three months.

I head into the lobby, check in, and proceed to my room on the second floor, where I hang up my suit and open my suitcase. Still over an hour until the ceremony starts, so I’m in no rush. It’s not as if it’ll take me more than fifteen minutes to get ready.

My phone rings. It’s my parents, so I answer.

“Did you get there safely?” Mom asks.

“Yes,” I say, “but traffic was bad so it took almost three hours.”

I would have called within the next few minutes if she didn’t call me first. I never want her to worry, and I do my best to ensure she doesn’t have to worry about me.

“Max!” My dad’s voice bellows over the phone. He’s the louder of my parents by far. “How’s it going? Any pretty bridesmaids?”

“The wedding hasn’t started yet,” I say crisply, even though I’m thinking about the woman I saw earlier.

“I think that means yes.”

“It does not.”

We chat for a few more minutes, then I tell him that I have to get going. Before I get dressed, I glance out the window, toward the small lake. Chairs are set out for the ceremony, and the wind whips around some gauzy material at the altar…and the flower girl is running down the aisle, pursued by two bridesmaids, two other women, and a Canada goose.

My lips twitch.

Weddings aren’t my cup of tea. Not because I don’t believe in love—I do—but because there are so many people, and I get asked about my own romantic prospects. It’s gotten worse recently, thanks to the fact that I’m thirty-five and single, I suppose.

Plus, something usually goes wrong. The groomsmen have horrible hangovers and look like death warmed over during the ceremony; the maid of honor slips and falls onto the cake; the father of the groom gets punched in the face by his brother, due to some quarrel that started twenty-seven years ago; the photographer is trying to hide a dead body. Obviously, the latter hasn’t occurred at any weddings that I’ve attended…at least I don’t think so. But anything can happen at a wedding.

Even if it mostly goes according to plan, the parents of the happy couple might freak out over something minor. Maybe the peonies in the bouquets aren’t quite big enough, or the canapés aren’t the perfect temperature.

The next three weddings I have to attend are those of my cousins. All of Auntie Gladys’s kids are getting married this year, and she’s definitely the sort who’d make a big deal out of small imperfections. My mother and Auntie Gladys don’t get along at the best of times, and she’s really been trying Mom’s patience lately, constantly calling my parents about one thing or another. So while I’m happy for my cousins in theory, I’m not looking forward to those weddings.

But this wedding, my friend Malcolm’s, doesn’t involve family. It should try my sanity a little less, though the long drive wasn’t a good start to the day.

Read the first two chapters on Jackie’s website.


ABOUT JACKIE

Jackie-1590Jackie Lau decided she wanted to be a writer when she was in grade two, sometime between penning “The Heart That Got Lost” and “The Land of Shapes.” She later studied engineering and worked as a geophysicist before turning to writing romance novels. She is now the author of over twenty books.

Jackie lives in Toronto with her husband, and despite living in Canada her whole life, she hates winter. When she’s not writing, she enjoys gelato, gourmet donuts, cooking, hiking, and reading on the balcony when it’s raining.

Social Media Links:

Instagram: @jackielaubooks
Twitter: @JackieLauBooks
Facebook: @jackielaubooks

WHISKEY ON OUR SHOES by Tonya Preece – Pop-Up Blog-Hop: Review and Giveaway

WHISKEY ON OUR SHOES
by
Tonya Preece
Contemporary Romance / New Adult
Publisher: Champagne Book Group
Page Count: 238 pages
Publication Date: February 12, 2023
Scroll down for a giveaway!

Eva dodges the fans, media, and gossip that follow her supermodel mom and rock star family members by wearing disguises. After an aimless gap year, she struggles to figure out what she wants from life. She moves in with her famous guitar god brother in Austin while he recovers from a drunken stage stunt accident and tries to stay sober. When a hot Texas cowboy named Alex takes Eva by surprise, she risks her safety and security of anonymity by letting him into her unconventional life.
Alex is captivated by Eva and promises to protect her privacy. Yet he has a secret of his own—the fling he had with an older woman is fraught with scandalous potential for him and now Eva. He broke free of that mistake months ago, or so he thought. As things heat up with Eva, his old flame returns and won’t leave him alone.
Just when Alex thinks he has the reins on the situation, his ex teams up with a gossip reporter hell-bent on invading Eva’s privacy. The resulting exposé, with a sly spin on a recent encounter with his ex, is Alex’s worst nightmare, and Eva’s unsure what to believe. Can she face the world with Alex at her side or will she return into hiding?
Purchase on Amazon:

Review_preview

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I don’t normally read young adult romance, preferring love stories with main characters thirty and older since those are what I write but every once in a while, I shake things up and try something different. When the opportunity to join the blog hop for Whiskey on Our Shoes came up, I jumped in right away because the cover and blurb caught my interest.
I’m glad I did because I enjoyed this coming-of-age story. I find that my prejudices did not apply. The main characters Eva and Alex are youthful but are not childish. They are appropriately daring to experience new things and at the same time cautious of making mistakes. Their reluctance to share their secrets is natural and relatable even for older adults like me.
Except for a couple of detestable secondary characters, I like the people in this story. I especially like Eva for her genuine kindness particularly towards Alex’s sister Lena and her lack of desire to be in the spotlight. She’s down-to-earth despite her celebrity background and incredibly easy to root for. I also like Alex for his sweetness and his display of respect towards his parents. His confusion with regard to Angie appeared authentic and it was totally understandable.
The depiction of family dynamics, both the solidness of Alex’s and the dysfunction of Eva’s, seems to be reflective of real life. That for me is a plus, along with the balance in the light and emotional moments.
Ms. Preece crafted an engaging and well-paced story that is current, fresh, and appealing for romance readers of all ages. The focus on consent is commendable. It’s more slow burn than I prefer but it fits the characters in the story.
There’s also a great sense of place. The descriptions transported me to Austin, Florence, and San Antonio, which made me miss my former residence. I’m glad I get to visit through the pages of this book.
Thanks to Lone Star Lit for including me in the blog tour and bringing to my attention a fantastic source of entertainment.
4 out of 5 stars

Tonya Preece writes romance and contemporary young adult fiction and incorporates music into all her books in one way or another. She lives near Austin, TX where she’s a small business manager for a forensic engineering firm. She and her husband enjoy traveling, live music, wine, and spoiling their fur babies.

GIVEAWAY! GIVEAWAY! GIVEAWAY!
THREE WINNERS
Grand Prize: autographed paperback & $10 Amazon gift card;
2nd Prize: autographed paperback;
3rd Prize: eBook
(US only; ends midnight, CST, 7/14/23)

UNDENIABLE by Cara Dion – Featured New Release

Undeniable now available

UNDENIABLE

Cara Dion


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undeniable ebook

Pretending to be in love never felt so real.

Noah doesn’t believe in falling in love, and he definitely doesn’t do relationships. But unless he can convince his future boss that his playboy days are over, he’ll lose out on his dream job. When his little sister’s best friend suggests that they pretend to date, it seems like the perfect solution. Or it would be, if she wasn’t the only woman who’d ever made him question his own rules.

Callie doesn’t need anyone else to take care of her, especially not her best friend’s overbearing older brother – even if she has been in love with him since she was twelve years old. Determined to get her mother to stop meddling in her life, a fake relationship with Noah could be the answer to both their problems. But sharing a hotel room for a week wasn’t in the plan, and the more time they spend together, the more it feels like she’s only fooling herself.

Can they face the truth they’ve been denying for years, that love is the exception to every rule?

Undeniable, book 2 in the Love Song series, is a standalone, spicy, forced proximity, fake dating romance with only one bed and a guaranteed HEA.

Buy Linkamazon.com/dp/B0C4VB6Y58


ABOUT CARA

Cara Dion avatarCara has always had an overactive imagination. Her aunt tells the story of 4-year-old Cara demanding that she pretend to “be a doctor who’s really a wolf who’s pretending to be bad but is really good.” Now she knows, she was just a romance reader at heart!

She has been an English teacher, professional musician, and nonprofit administrator. When she’s not reading or writing romance, Cara loves cooking, Broadway musicals, and all things Disney.

She lives in a small town in New England with her family and two cats (who want all the attention).

Author Links:
Website: caradion.com
Instagram: @caradion.author
Facebook: @caradionauthor
Linktree: caradion

NORTH STAR by June Gray – Featured New Release

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NORTH STAR

June Gray


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NorthStar_ebookFranny Fyfe was content with her quiet existence in the small town of Ayashe, Alaska. As the waitress in the only diner in town, she has come to know almost everyone. Except, that is, for the intimidating Sheriff Drew. But when circumstances bring them together, she learns that there is more to the normally-reserved man than meets the eye, something warm and funny and irresistibly sexy.

And the more time they spend together, the deeper the attraction grows until Franny finds herself yearning for more…

Drew Alden has only ever seen himself as the guardian of Ayashe, whose sole purpose is to serve and protect. Until Franny enters his life in a burst of questions and dreams and, for the first time, he begins to want something for himself.

But when the woman he lives with presents him with an unexpected offer—a relationship and the chance to be a father—Drew is faced with a difficult choice.

Caught between duty and desire, Franny and Drew must decide whether to follow their hearts or sacrifice their chance at happiness for the sake of doing what’s right.

~

North Star is a 46,000-word erotic romance. For readers 18 and up.

~

Buy Links:

Amazon          Barnes & Noble          Kobo
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ABOUT JUNE

small2June Gray is a daydreamer who, at the age of ten, penned a short story inspired by a Judy Blume novel and has been unable to stop writing since. She loves to tell stories that titillate and enrage, that break the reader’s heart, and put it back together again.

Her fairy-tale life has been lived on four different continents—most notably, in a two-hundred-forty-year-old castle in rural Germany owned by a Graf. She was born in the Philippines, raised in Australia, and now calls the United States home, and she can currently be found dodging tornadoes in Oklahoma with her husband and two daughters.

Social Media Links:

WHEN I MET YOU by Kaye Rockwell – Featured New Release

WIMY 3

WHEN I MET YOU 

Kaye Rockwell


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WIMY cover

College proves to be tougher than Kim expected it to be and with the rising popularity of her new online boutique, she leans on her friends and Kyle to support her.

But when Kyle’s cover of a song goes viral on social media, it catches the eye of the original talent and the most sought out music label in the world, leaving them with a tough choice.

What happens when your dreams come true
but it means leaving the one you love behind?

Buy Links: 

Kindle Unlimited
Paperback

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ABOUT KAYE

Kaye RockwellKaye is a Romance Author who spent the majority of her childhood falling in love with fictional characters, swooning over romcoms and teen dramas, singing and dancing to musicals AND daydreaming about her own Happily-Ever-After that lead to her writing her own love stories.

Social Media Links:

Websitekayerockwell.com

WIMY 1

TWELVE HOURS IN MANHATTAN by Maan Gabriel – Featured New Release

available now! - 1

TWELVE HOURS IN MANHATTAN

Maan Gabriel


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12 Hours In ManhattanBianca Maria Curtis is at the brink of losing it all when she meets Eric at a bar in Manhattan. Eric, as it turns out, is the famous Korean drama celebrity Park Hyun Min who is in town for one night to escape the pressures of fame. From walking along Fifth Avenue, eating ice cream at Serendipity, to sharing tender moments on top of the Empire State building, sparks fly as Bianca and Eric spend twelve magical hours far away from their respective lives. They talk about love, life, and happiness, and the freedom they both seek to fully exist and not merely survive.

But real life is more than just twelve magical hours.

As the clock strikes the 12th hour, Bianca returns back to the life she detests to face a tragedy that will test her strength and resolve – and the only thing she has to keep going is the memory of a man she loves in secret from a world away.

 

Two worlds. One heart. Twelve Hours.

 

Buy Links:

Amazon          Barnes & Noble          Bookshop

 

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ABOUT MAAN

MaanMaan Gabriel is a mom, wife, dreamer, writer, and advocate for women’s stories in literature. She earned her BA in communications from St. Scholastica’s College in Manila and MPS in public relations and corporate communications from Georgetown University. She has lived in Manila, Brussels, Dakar, and Mexico City. During the day, she works in strategic communications. Gabriel, along with her husband and son, currently calls suburban Washington DC home. 

 

Learn more at www.maangabriel.com


REVIEW

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To follow.

 

MIDNIGHT DUET by Jen Comfort – Featured Book Review

midnight duet

MIDNIGHT DUET

Jen Comfort


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Self-professed diva Erika Greene has it all: a starring role on Broadway, legions of fans, spectacular natural talent. But after an accident on stage leaves her face scarred and her career in shambles, Erika retreats to Paris, Nevada, where she’s inherited a ramshackle opera house in desperate need of some TLC.

Erika pours her savings into the building, but it’s not enough to stave off the greedy gaze of local casino developer Raoul Decomte. With foreclosure imminent, she makes a fast cash grab and leases the space to some unexpected tenants: a German hair metal band, fronted by glam rock god Christof Daae.

Erika is tempted by Christof’s low-slung leather pants―and even more by his ambitions for international superstardom―but he’s off-limits. The rest of his band thinks he’s still dating their beloved keyboardist, who is conveniently not present on this jaunt to the American Southwest. When Erika discovers Christof’s been unceremoniously dumped and is trying to keep it under wraps, she makes a deal to keep his secret…for a price, of course.

Christof is desperate to hold the rest of the band together after his keyboardist’s departure, but he can’t maintain the charade forever. Nor can he resist the opera house’s mysterious proprietor, who tempts him with midnight singing lessons. It isn’t long before sensuous nighttime interludes turn into smoldering backstage encounters.

But can their newly ignited passion survive the searing light of day? Or will their beautiful duet turn into a brokenhearted power ballad for one?

Buy Links:

Amazon
Barnes & Noble
The Ripped Bodice
Eagle Eye Books


ABOUT JEN

JenComfortHeadshot_LARGESQJen Comfort is originally from Portland, Oregon, and dabbled in astrophysics before spending a decade working in restaurants in New York City and Portland. Now, she writes romantic comedies about hot nerds with very cool jobs. She spends her free time growing plants destined to die before their time, playing video games, and encouraging her two cats and malamute-husky dog to become internet famous with zero success.

Social Media Links:

Instagram: @jen.comfort.author
Twitter: @kitt_masters
Facebook: @Jen Comfort Author
TikTok: @jen.comfort.author


REVIEW

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As a musical theatre junkie, I was both excited and apprehensive to read this gender-swapped retelling of “Phantom of the Opera”, one of my top ten favorite musicals of all time. It had the best stage production I’ve ever seen when I watched it performed in London, beating “Les Miserables” (also featured in this story) and “Miss Saigon” by a mile. It felt like the chandelier whizzed by my head before it crashed onto the stage. I can fondly recall now that I screeched like the croaking Carlotta during that scene. A fabulously immersive experience that can’t be replicated in the pages of a book.  

The advance warning of the “unlikable heroine” also made me wary enough to set my expectations low even though I was never turned off by strong, unconventional female lead characters. Add the angsty tone of the blurb and I was prepared to give it three stars and call it a day. I’m glad I didn’t because I loved the book! I love Midnight Duet so much that I bought an eBook and an audiobook to add to the paperback copy I received from Wunderkind PR. I only ever do that if I love the book. 

It was over the top, melodramatic, totally bonkers, utterly bananas and I love it! I love the main characters Erika and Christof, both of them divas of the first order. I loved the supporting cast as well, from Sybille down to Jean and Javert. I loved the humor, the heart, and the steam. Oh, wow, the heat. The sexytimes were fire! 

TBC.

5 stars