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May 31, 2021 · 12:03 am
Title: High Country Justice by Nik James
Caleb Marlowe Series Book One
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Genre: Historical, Western
Length: 288 pages
Summary:
Fans of William Johnstone will love this unique and riveting historical western series. A perfect gift for Father’s Day, birthdays, and holidays for the men in your life.
It will take all this lone frontiersman’s skills to save his only friend from murderous outlaws.
Caleb Marlowe carved out his own legend as a frontier scout and lawman before arriving in the Colorado boomtown of Elkhorn. Famous for a lightning-quick draw and nerves of steel, he is mysterious, guarded, and unpredictable. Now, he wants to leave the past behind. But the past has a way of dogging a man…
When Doc Burnett, Caleb’s only friend in town, goes missing, his daughter Sheila comes seeking Caleb’s help. Newly arrived from the East, she hotly condemns the bloody frontier justice of the rifle and the six-gun. But this is outlaw country.
Murderous road agents have Doc trapped in their mountain hideaway. To free Doc, Marlowe tracks his kidnappers through wild, uncharted territory, battling animals and bushwhackers. But when Sheila is captured by the ruthless gunhawks with a score to settle, Marlowe will have to take them down one by one, until no outlaw remains standing.
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Purchase Links: Amazon * B&N * Google Play * Apple * Kobo * Bookshop * BAM!
Excerpt
Elkhorn, Colorado, May 1878
Caleb Marlowe watched the embers of the fire throw flickering shadows on his new cabin walls.Outside, a muffled sound drew his attention, and Caleb focused on the door at the same time Bear lifted his great head. The thick, golden fur on the neck of the dog rose, and the low growl told Caleb that his own instincts were not wrong.
In an instant, both man and dog were on their feet.
Caleb signaled for the big, yellow animal to stay and reached for his Winchester ’73. The .44-caliber rifle was leaning, dark and deadly, against the new pine boards he’d nailed up not two hours before. If he’d had timeto hang the door, whoever was out there might have gotten the drop on him.
Moving with the stealth of a cougar, Caleb crossed quickly to one side of the door and looked out, holding his gun. The broad fields gleamed like undulating waves of silver under the May moon between the wooded ridges that formed the east and west boundaries of his property. Down the slope from the cabin, by a bend in the shallow river, he could see the newly purchased cattle settled for the night. From this distance, the herd lookedblack as a pool of dried blood in the wide meadow.
He could see nothing amiss there. Nice and quiet. No wolves or mountain lions harrying the herd and stirring them up. The only sound was a pair of hunting owls hooting at each other in the distant pines.Still, something was wrong. His instincts were rarely off, and he had a prickling feeling on the back of his neck. He levered a cartridge into the chamber.
Caleb slipped outside into the cool, mountain air and moved silently along the wall of the nearly finished cabin. Bear moved ahead of him and disappeared into the shadow cast by the building blocking moonlight. The crisp breeze was light and coming out of the north, from the direction of Elkhorn, three miles away as the crow flies.
When Caleb peered around the corner, he was aware of the large, yellow smudge of dog standing alert at his feet. Bear was focused on the dark edge of the woods a couple hundred yards beyond Caleb’s wagon and the staked areas where the barn, corral, and Henry’s house would eventually set. Bear growled low again.
Caleb smelled them before he saw them. Six riders came out of the tall pines, moving slowly along the eastern edge of the meadow, and he felt six pairs of eyes fixed on the cabin.
He had no doubt as to their intentions. They were rustlers, and they were after his cattle. But this was his property—his and Henry’s—and that included those steers.
If they’d been smart enough to come down from Elkhorn on the southwestern road, these dolts could have forded the river far belowhere and had a damn good chance of making off with the herd. It must have surprised the sh*t out of them, seeing the cabin.
“Bad luck, fellas,” Caleb murmured, assessing the situation.
He needed to get a little closer to these snakes. Standing a couple of inches over six feet, with broad shoulders and solid muscles, he was hardly an insignificant target, even at night. His wagon was fifty yards nearer to them, but with this moon, they’dspot him and come at him before he got halfway there. It’d take a damn good shot on horseback from a hundred and fifty yards, but they could close that distance in a hurry. And Caleb would have no cover at all. Beyond the wagon, there were half a dozenstone outcroppings, but nothing else to stop a bullet.
Just then, the cattle must have smelled them too, because they started grunting and moving restlessly. That was all the distraction he needed.
Staying low, Caleb ran hard, angling his path to get the wagon between him and the rustlers as quickly as he could.
He nearly made it.
The flash from the lead rider’s rifle was accompanied by the crack of wood and an explosion of splinters above the sideboard of the wagon. A second shot thudded dead into the grounda few yards to Caleb’s right. Immediately, with shouts and guns blazing, they were all coming hard.
***
<strong>Excerpted from <em>High Country Justice </em>by Nik James. © 2021 by Nik James. Used with permission of the publisher, Sourcebooks Casablanca, an imprint of Sourcebooks, Inc. All rights reserved.</strong>
Author Bio
Nik James is a pseudonym for award-winning, USA Today bestselling authors Nikoo and Jim McGoldrick. They are the writing team behind over four dozen conflict-filled historical and contemporary novels and two works of nonfiction under various pseudonyms. They make their home in California.
Author Links: Website * Facebook * Twitter * Goodreads
Giveaway
Enter for your chance to win 1 of 2 sets of May releases (Wreckless, Undercover Wolf, You’ve Got Plaid, Cowboy Fire, High Country Justice)!
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· 12:02 am
Review: The Stepsisters by Susan Mallery
Title: The Stepsisters by Susan Mallery
Publisher: MIRA
Genre: Contemporary, Women’s Fiction
Length: 400 pages
Book Rating: B+
Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley
Summary:
#1New York Timesbestselling author Susan Mallery pens a love story of a different sort…a heartfelt tale of friendship between two women who used to be sisters.
Once upon a time, when her dad married Sage’s mom, Daisy was thrilled to get a bright and shiny new sister. But Sage was beautiful and popular, everything Daisy was not, and she made sure Daisy knew it.
Sage didn’t have Daisy’s smarts—she had to go back a grade to enroll in the fancy rich-kid school. So she used her popularity as a weapon, putting Daisy down to elevate herself. After the divorce, the stepsisters’ rivalry continued until the final, improbable straw: Daisy married Sage’s first love, and Sage fled California.
Eighteen years, two kids and one troubled marriage later, Daisy never expects—or wants—to see Sage again. But when the little sister they have in common needs them both, they put aside their differences to care for Cassidy. As long-buried truths are revealed, no one is more surprised than they when friendship blossoms.
Their fragile truce is threatened by one careless act that could have devastating consequences. They could turn their backs on each other again…or they could learn to forgive once and for all and finally become true sisters of the heart.
Review:
The Stepsisters by Susan Mallery is a thought-provoking novel about family, forgiveness and self-discovery.
Daisy has her hands full between her job, two wonderful children and one checked out husband. So, the last thing she wants or needs is to reconnect with her former stepsister Sage or her half-sister Cassidy. At first, Daisy can ignore the fact Sage is back in town. However, this changes after her father asks her to allow Cassidy to stay with her while she recovers from a hiking accident. Suddenly Sage is around more often and both she and Cassidy are connecting with Daisy’s kids. Over the course of several weeks, Daisy, Sage and Cassidy move from an uneasy détente to a surprisingly close relationship. Their bond is tenuous and an unconscionable decision might destroy their newfound closeness.
Daisy and Jordan have been married for over a decade. She has no inkling he is unhappy until he abruptly moves out and refuses to tell her why. Although Daisy is willing to put in the work to save her marriage, a reconciliation is far from certain. With Cassidy in residence and Sage dropping by to spend time with her, their paths cross on a fairly regular basis. Daisy has every reason to be wary of both women, but she gradually lets down her guard. She is grateful for their support during such an uncertain period in her life.
During high school, Sage was popular but that did not stop her from deliberately hurting Daisy. After graduating, she impetuously leaves for Paris and continues living in various European countries. Three divorces later, Sage decides to return to Los Angeles to start over. Forced to live with her mother, Sage is working in a high-end boutique while she decides her future. She reconnects with Adam, an old friend whom she lost contact with long ago. Sage accepts responsibility for her previous behavior and she is trying to end her self-destructive impulses.
Cassidy is a bit immature when she first arrives at Daisy’s. But as she heals from her injuries, she enjoys getting to know her niece and nephew. Cassidy also starts to understand exactly what happened to destroy her relationship with Daisy when their father and her mother divorced. After a lifetime of running away, Cassidy has a decision to make about the man who loves her.
The Stepsisters is a heartfelt novel of healing, new beginnings and self-discovery. Daisy, Sage and Cassidy are well-drawn characters with untapped strengths and relatable flaws. The storyline is engaging with realistic issues and emotional baggage to overcome. Each of the characters undergo phenomenal growth as their relationship strengthens. Individually, they each begin to recognize and understand the motivation for their actions. Susan Mallery brings this family-centric novel to an uplifting and surprising conclusion.
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Filed under Contemporary, Mira, Rated B+, Review, Susan Mallery, The Stepsisters, Women's Fiction
· 12:01 am
Review: The Summer I Found Myself by Colleen French
Title: The Summer I Found Myself by Colleen French
Publisher: Kensington Books
Genre: Contemporary, Women’s Fiction
Length: 304 pages
Book Rating: B+
Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley
Summary:
In Colleen French’s heartfelt summer read, a Delaware oceanside cottage is the perfect setting for a season of surprising lessons about how much there is to gain—when you finally let go . . .
In the last two years, English professor Ellen Tolliver has weathered heartache with grace—including an unwelcome divorce and losing her parents. In her more honest moments, Ellen might admit that she’s sick of loss. She longs to stretch and grow, to trulyfillher days. Maybe this year, she’ll have something to recount in her Christmas letter other than her son’s travel adventures. Maybe she’ll be too busy to evenwritea Christmas letter.
On impulse, Ellen invites her ailing best friend, Lara, to spend the summer with her at the Delaware beach house she inherited from her parents. Lara can relax on the big front porch after chemo while Ellen readies the house for sale. But Lara has plans too—she’d like to help Ellen discover who she is, or better yet, who she can still become.
At Lara’s urging, Ellen joins a local writer’s group, tries online dating, and mingles with the new friends Lara brings home from her support group. She forgoes white wine (won’t stain if you spill it!) for red and eats French fries for breakfast. She even flirts with the local bookstore owner, a handsome, sun-kissed, younger man. And as she embraces the freedom that comes with breaking her own rules, she wonders if it’s not just her past that lies in this beloved quirky town, but her future too . . .
Review:
The Summer I Found Myself by Colleen French is a poignant novel of self-discovery and friendship.
English professor Ellen Tolliver is still getting over her divorce and the recent loss of both her parents. She is fairly staid and not exactly adventuresome or spontaneous. Ellen keeps her emotions tightly in check and does not deviate from her somewhat rigid rules and viewpoints. She is attempting to write a novel but she just cannot seem to settle on what story she wants to tell. With the summer looming ahead of her, Ellen plans to get the family beach house ready to put on the market. However, she learns right before departing that her lifelong best friend Lara’s cancer is no longer in remission. Ellen asks Lara to join her and she will take care of her as she undergoes chemotherapy.
Lara is much livelier and more outgoing than Ellen. She tries to prod Ellen out of her comfort zone, but she is not surprised at her friend’s refusal. Lara appreciates all of Ellen’s help and their friendship is very dear to her. But as she undergoes her chemo treatments, she meets an incredible group of diverse people who soon begin to rely on each other through their cancer journeys. They meet at Ellen’s beach house and while she is initially consumed with various worries, she soon becomes friends with them as well. It is through their friendship that Ellen begins to discover what living is all about.
The Summer I Found Myself is a very touching novel with an engaging storyline and idyllic setting. The cast of characters is rather eclectic and quite endearing. Ellen is initially not the most likable person but as she begins to loosen up, she becomes much easier to like. Lara and her new friends are a formidable group of very wise people. Colleen French brings heartwarming and emotional novel to a bit of an abrupt yet mostly satisfactory conclusion.
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Filed under Colleen French, Contemporary, Kensington Books, Rated B+, Review, The Summer I Found Myself, Women's Fiction
May 30, 2021 · 12:01 am
The Week Ahead My 31-June 5
Here’s a look at what’s happening this week at Book Reviews & More by Kathy:
This week’s book reviews:
May 31: The Summer I Found Myself by Colleen French (Recent Release)
May 31: The Stepsisters by Susan Mallery (Recent Release)
June 1: Five Ways to Disappear by R.M. Greenaway (Recent Release)
June 3: Hurricane Summer by Asha Bromfield (Recent Release)
June 3: An Amish Surprise by Shelley Shepard Gray (Recent Release)
June 4: How to Save a Life by Eva Carter (Recent Release)
Blog Tours:
May 31: Nik James
June 1: Reading Challenge
June 3: Debbie Cassidy
Winning Wednesday (June 2) eBooks up for grabs:
Spring at Saddle Run by Delores Fossen
The Invisible Husband of Frick Island by Colleen Oakley
To Hold a Hidden Pearl by Fearne Hill
Click here for more info on entering the eBook contests.
This week’s Friday Feature: Addie Woolridge.
This week’s Saturday Series Spotlight is Don Travis’ BJ Vinson 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 Reviews & More by Kathy.***
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Filed under The Week Ahead
May 29, 2021 · 12:02 am
Here are the eBooks in this week’s Saturday Series Spotlight contest:
Title: The Summer Cottage by Annie Rains
Somerset Lake Series Book One
Publisher: Forever
Genre: Contemporary, Romance
Length: 448 pages
Summary:
This summer, they’ll learn that home is where the heart is.
Somerset Lake is the perfect place for Trisha Langly and her son to start over. As the new manager for the Somerset Cottages, Trisha is instantly charmed by the property’s elderly residents and her firecracker of a new boss, Vi Fletcher. But Trisha is less enchanted by Vi’s protective grandson Jake. No matter how tempting she finds the handsome lawyer, Trisha knows that if Jake discovers the truth about her past, she’ll lose the new life she’s worked so hard to build.
Jake Fletcher left Somerset Lake after a tragic loss, but he’s returning for the summer to care for his beloved grandmother, hoping Vi will sell the run-down cottages and finally slow down. There’s just one problem: Trisha, Vi’s new employee. She’s smart, beautiful, and kind, but Jake’s job is to protect his grandmother’s interests, and his gut is telling him Trisha’s hiding something that could jeopardize Vi’s future. However, as they spend summer days renovating the property and bonding over their love for the town, Jake realizes that Trisha is a risk worth taking—if only she can trust him with her secrets . . . and her heart.
Includes the bonus novella Kiss Me in Sweetwater Springs!
Giveaway
I am giving away the first eBook in the Somerset 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.
OR:
2. Be or become a fan of Book Reviews & More by Kathy Facebook page
OR:
3. Follow me on Twitter (@BookReviewsMore)
Make sure you have filled out the contest entry form:
4. To be eligible to enter contests on Book Reviews and More by 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 first novel in the series in their preferred format. The winner will be posted HERE on Tuesday.
***The eBooks in this giveaway have been purchased by Book Reviews & More by Kathy.***
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· 12:01 am
Review: The Happiness Thief by Nicole Bokat
Title: The Happiness Thief by Nicole Bokat
Publisher: She Writes Press
Genre: Contemporary, Domestic Mystery
Length: 280 pages
Book Rating: C
Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley
Summary:
Forty-one-year-old Natalie Greene lost her mom and her childhood memories in a car crash two decades ago. What remains is a haunting feeling that she was responsible for her mother’s death. After her husband leaves for another woman, Natalie accompanies her famous stepsister, Isabel Walker (aka “The Happiness Guru”) on a retreat to the Cayman Islands. There, a late-night collision triggers Natalie’s long-buried trauma and a heightened sense of guilt.
Upon returning home to Boston, Natalie tries to settle back into her life as a food photographer and single mother to a teenage daughter—but then, one day, an anonymous email arrives about the Cayman accident that suggests foul play. In her search for the truth, Natalie must deal with a mix of fear, confusion, and suspects. With the help of Isabel and an attractive journalist, she uncovers a trail of deceit that begins on that deserted Caribbean road, circles back home, and ends in the most unexpected of places.
Review:
The Happiness Thief by Nicole Bokat is an interesting domestic mystery.
When she was a teenager, Natalie Greene lost her beloved mom in a car crash. Natalie received a head injury in the crash, so she has lost quite a few memories including the day of the accident. Decades later, she still blames herself for what happened and she hopes to one day learn the truth. Due to her inability to let go of her guilt, Natalie is not always the most reliable person. Now going through a divorce, she lives with her teenage daughter Hadley.
Natalie is very close to her stepsister Isabel Walker and a recent trip together to the Cayman Islands leaves her uneasy. She begins to have doubts about what happened their last evening in the Caymans. And Natalie grows obsessed with finding answers after she begins receiving vaguely threatening emails. Will she discover the truth about what happened to her mom? And the events in the Cayman Islands?
Natalie is a successful food photographer and she has a very small circle of people she trusts. She is still friends with her childhood friend Cate and she also has Isabel. Natalie is still trying to get used to single life as she grows increasingly consumed with finding out exactly what happened that last night in the Caymans. Natalie tries to surreptitiously investigate on her own but she soon regrets her foray into detective work. She is also preoccupied and a little frustrated with Isabel’s carefree assurances. And Natalie is a little confused about a new man in her life as she tries to navigate being single.
Isabel is a wildly popular happiness guru who is spending quite a bit of time on the road. Due to her fortuitous marriage, she is quite wealthy. She is also very concerned about her image. Isabel is sometimes impatient with Natalie’s tendency to catastrophize but she attempts to reassure her that she has nothing to worry her. Natalie is a little concerned about some of the recent changes that Isabel is making but she mostly tries to support her career.
The Happiness Thief is an intriguing domestic mystery but it is occasionally slow-paced. The storyline is engaging but sometimes repetitious and predictable. Natalie is a little irritating at her inability to let go of her continued guilt over her mother’s accident. Her anxiety is palpable as she attempts to unearth what happened both in the past and present. Isabel can be self-absorbed and a bit impatient. Nicole Bokat brings the story to a bit of a surprising conclusion.
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Filed under Contemporary, Domestic Mystery, Mystery, Nicole Bokat, Rated C, Review, The Happiness Thief
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