The Bookstore on the Beach by Brenda Novak Blog Tour

How do you start a new chapter of your life when you haven’t closed the book on the previous one?

Eighteen months ago, Autumn Divac’s husband went missing. Her desperate search has yielded no answers, and she can’t imagine moving forward without him. But for the sake of their two teenage children, she has to try.

Autumn takes her kids home for the summer to the charming beachside town where she was raised. She seeks comfort working alongside her mother and aunt at their bookshop, only to learn that her daughter is facing a huge life change and her mother has been hiding a terrible secret for years. And when she runs into the boy who stole her heart in high school, old feelings start to bubble up again. Is she free to love him, or should she hold out hope for her husband’s return? She can only trust her heart… and hope it won’t lead her astray.

 

 

Buy Links

Amazon US  ~  Amazon UK  ~  Amazon Au  ~  Amazon Ca
B&N  ~  Google Play  ~  iTunes  ~  Kobo
Audiobook (US)  ~  Hardcover (US)  ~  Paperback (US)
Harlequin

 

 

Q&A with Brenda Novak

Q: Did you go to the library when you were in elementary school? If so, do you remember any of your favorite books or series from childhood?

A: The library in elementary school was where I developed my love of reading. I remember hating to read in the beginning, but once my teacher took us to the library and let us choose any book we wanted, I happened upon a shelf of classics. I picked up Jane Eyre and absolutely devoured it. Then I went back and got The Secret Garden and moved through that entire shelf within weeks. I remember thinking, “So this is reading!” And I’ve loved it ever since.


Q: What hobbies do you enjoy?

A: I love to play pickleball. My oldest son introduced me to the game and gave me a racquet for Mother’s Day, and I’ve been playing ever since. It’s such a fun/addictive thing to do. I also spend a lot of time with my two grandchildren. They’re not quite a hobby, of course, but if I’m not working that’s where I spend most of my time.


Q: What is your favorite food/dessert/cuisine?

A: I love Mexican food, and I’m fortunate to live in California, where it’s easy to find really great tacos. There are some smoked tri-tip tacos at a little delicatessen my husband discovered that are to die for. They only serve them three days a week, though, so we have to plan out our trips.


Q: Where would you choose to go on holiday if time and money were not of consideration?

A: Two years ago, I would’ve said Egypt, but I was able to go there the year before the pandemic started, and I absolutely loved it. I’ve always been fascinated by their antiquities. They have an absolute embarrassment of riches when it comes to relics from two thousand or more years ago. Now I would have to say India. I don’t yet know a lot about that, but it seems so exotic and wonderful to me--and I love the food. India is definitely on my bucket list!


Q: Is there a book you would like to write that would require in person research that would take you to a foreign country and if so, where would you be heading to do research?

A: Because I write women’s fiction, I would have to say France, Italy, Ireland or Scotland. I started my career writing English historicals, so I actually have traveled to a foreign country for research. (Of Noble Birth, Honor Bound, Through the Smoke, and A Matter Of Grave Concern)


Q: Is there a genre that you have not written in that you might like to try some day?

A: I would love to write a long historical saga. I actually have one brewing in my mind, so... who knows? Maybe one day I’ll get around to writing it.


Q: Do you write under other pen names?

A: No. It’s hard enough to promote one name! LOL


Q: Do you have pets or animals you would like to have as pets?

A: I raised five kids, so I’m taking a break from being responsible for other people—even animals. But I have a grand-dog—a Chow Chow named Simba, and he’s so fluffy and mild tempered. It’s the same as having grandbabies. I get all the fun without the hard work! Ha!

 

 

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Mary – ☆☆☆☆
As with most Brenda Novak stories, there is a lot going on in this great story. Autumn and her children are going to her mother's for the summer. After her husband has been missing for 18 months, she thinks it might be time to let him go, that he might be gone forever.

Mary, Autumn's mother, and her Aunt Laura own a bookstore on a beach in a charming town. It is just the setting that Autumn and her kids need to start over. The kids find friends at the beach and Autumn rekindles an old love. Well, she was in love and Quinn was her first. Now Quinn wants to be friends and that turns into more than Autumn wanted it to, but it was something she couldn't stop.

As Autumn questions her mom about who her dad was, Mary doesn't want to tell her all the pain and heartache about the past. But when a private eye shows up, Autumn ends up doing some research and finding out things on her own.

With all the directions that the drama is going in in this book, you might need to keep a notebook handy. But don't let that drive you away from reading this one. It is filled with twists and turns, mystery and a little scandal, lost love, and there is a bookstore on the beach. What could be better?

I loved this book and I hope you do too.


Ruthie – ☆☆☆☆
This is really beautiful book – it is a wonderfully rich story with many strands of great interest; a happy beach side holiday for a woman and her children who are dealing with a traumatic loss; a second-chance romance for her and the much-wronged Quinn; the relationship between three generations of women as each deals with their own serious issues; the deep friendship of siblings; and finally, of secrets no one would want to share and dilemmas that no one would ever want to face.

The writing is so smooth, that it is almost impossible to stop turning the pages once you start... be warned! I was so engrossed that I really did read it until very late into the night – but it was worth every second of missed sleep.

I absolutely loved Autumn, and completely understood her uncertainty given the untenable state of her life when she decides to spend the summer with her mother where she grew up – even if she knew that her situation would be the subject of local interest when she got there. It was unbelievable the difficulty that she faced following her husband's disappearance. We get to learn some of what might have happened, but it is a huge mystery and one which it seems will never be solved. How does one decide how long to wait, how much hope to hold on to, and how to help her children also make a similar decision? Quinn is like a breath of fresh air, but also brings on thoughts of terrible guilt.

I should not neglect to mention that we spend quite a lot of time in a bookstore and understanding how it was a safe space for Autumn and her mother, Mary. I am not going to say more, because there are lots of strands and plots which intertwine to give a really rich experience – all I can say is it is definitely worth it!

 

 

BRENDA NOVAK, a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, has penned over sixty novels. She is a five-time nominee for the RITA Award and has won the National Reader's Choice, the Bookseller's Best, the Bookbuyer's Best, and many other awards. She also runs Brenda Novak for the Cure, a charity to raise money for diabetes research (her youngest son has this disease). To date, she’s raised $2.5 million. For more about Brenda, please visit her website.

Connect with Brenda

Facebook  ~  Twitter  ~  Instagram  ~  Website  ~  Goodreads
Facebook Group: Brenda Novak's Book Group

 

 

Hosted by

Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of The Bookstore on the Beach by Brenda Novak to read and review for this tour.

My True Love by Melissa Foster Release Blitz

Even war heroes need a little help sometimes...

After spending years fighting for his country and too damn long learning to navigate life with a prosthetic leg, Grant Silver returns to Silver Island to figure out a future he couldn’t fathom without fatigues and a gun in his hand. He’d almost forgotten how a man could suffocate from the warmth and caring community in which he’d grown up, and if that weren’t bad enough, his buddies’ beautiful and far-too-chipper younger sister won’t stop flitting into his life, trying to sprinkle happy dust everywhere she goes.

As a cancer survivor, Jules Steele knows better than to count on seeing tomorrow. She doesn't take a single moment for granted, and she isn’t about to let a man who used to be charming and full of life waste the future he’s been blessed with. She's determined to get through to him, even if it takes a few steamy kisses...

Can a man who resents the hand he’s been dealt and a woman who spends her days grateful for every little thing find true love in each other’s arms—or are their differences stronger than both of them? Find out in this funny, sexy, heartfelt romance, and fall in love with Grant and Jules on the sandy shores of Silver Island, home to coffee shops, boat races, and midnight rendezvous.

Don’t miss our reviews of the rest of The Steeles at Silver Island series!
For book one, Tempted by Love, click HERE.

 

 

Book 2
Buy Links

Amazon US  ~  Amazon UK  ~  Amazon Au  ~  Amazon Ca
B&N  ~  Google Play  ~  iTunes  ~  Kobo
Paperback (US)

 

 

 

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Mary – ☆☆☆☆☆
Wow, this story will come at you from every direction and get you in the feels, one way or the other.

Grant is a survivor, he spent years fighting for his country until the unthinkable happened. Now he is back home on Silver Island and trying to live each day without hating everyone and everything.

Jules is a survivor, a cancer survivor, and knows that there may not be any more tomorrows. So she lives each day to the fullest and is thankful for each one she gets to share with family and friends.

Jules remembers Grant as a person charming and full of life and she will not let him throw away the second chance he was given, even if he is missing a leg. As they spend time together, he begins to see that there is something about her that makes him want to be close to her always. As their feelings grow for each other, he is seeing that things might not be so bad on Silver Island after all, as long as Jules is by his side.

Can Grant give living life on Silver Island a chance? Will Jules make him see that life is worth living if you have family and friends? What happens with Jules and Grant if his team calls him back?

I love Melissa Foster's books, she has a way of drawing you into a story as if you are part of it and part of the families. I highly recommend any of her books, doesn't matter where you start, just read them. You will not be disappointed.


Ruthie – ☆☆☆☆
4.5 stars of fun and frolics combatting darkness!

This is the second book in this particular series, but rest assured that it has links to all of Melissa Foster's other novels, and you will meet up with old friends and see new connections forming along the way. I love how I can be re-engaged so quickly in the happy places which are always on offer.

I loved Jules' character and nature from the moment the book starts. She is utterly upbeat and does all she can to cheer up others with thoughtful gestures and kind words. But newly returned, and forever altered from war, Grant is a challenge. And for once, Jules finds that she really needs to succeed in making him happy, because she finds that her happiness is tied up with him. Thus starts a mission which means so much to her, and which Grant is fighting with all the will that he can. Not only is she his best friend's little sister, but she is far, far too good for him.

So much goodness in this story, I found myself willing them on through the difficult times and reaching for a tissue (I know to always have one close by for a Foster book!), and huge beaming smiles emerged as the whole thing took a turn for the very much better.

So if you need an excuse to escape from the every day and find yourself on an island watching two people find themselves and each other... this is just the place you need to be!

 

 

 

MELISSA FOSTER is a New York Times & USA Today bestselling and award-winning author. She writes sexy and heartwarming contemporary romance and new adult romance with emotionally compelling characters that stay with you long after you turn the last page. Melissa’s emotional journeys are lovingly erotic and always family oriented–perfect beach reads for contemporary romance lovers who enjoy reading about wealthy heroes and smart, sassy heroines.

Connect with Melissa

Facebook  ~  Twitter  ~  Instagram  ~  Website  ~  Goodreads

 

 

Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of My True Love (The Steeles at Silver Island #2) by Melissa Foster to read and review for this tour.

Aftermath by L.A. Witt Blog Tour

Brent Weyland was the life of the party until an injury ended his hockey career. Now he’s retreated alone to a lakefront house, trying to make sense of a life and body that don’t feel like his anymore.

Jon Norquist was happily married right up until he wasn’t. Now a single father in his forties, he’s trying to figure out what comes next. In the meantime, he pours his heartache and regret into the lyrics he sings for the wine bar crowd a couple of nights a week.

When a friend coaxes Brent out for a night of wine and music, he puts Brent and Jon on a collision course. Their chemistry is instantaneous. Jon gives Brent’s battered body a much-needed remedial lesson in pleasure. And Brent gives Jon a reason to smile again.

Multiple reasons, actually. Neither man wants anything serious, but love has a habit of showing up whether it’s welcome or not. No matter how hard they try, the two can’t help having feelings for each other, even as life continues to throw them curveballs.

But they’ve both got baggage to unpack and hurt to move past, and if they can’t leave their pasts in the past, they might just miss out on an amazing future.

Aftermath is a stand-alone novel in Sarina Bowen’s World of True North.

Don’t miss our reviews of the rest of the Vino & Veritas series!
For book one, Featherbed, click HERE.
For book two, Heartscape, click HERE.
For book three, Headstrong, click HERE.
For book four, Undercover, click HERE.

 

 

Book 5
Buy Links

Amazon US  ~  Amazon UK  ~  Amazon Au  ~  Amazon Ca
Paperback (US)
~  Also Available with KindleUnlimited  ~

 

 

If there was one thing I was good at when I performed onstage, it was engaging my audience without being distracted by them. The lighting here at Vino and Veritas didn’t mask the crowd in shadows like bigger venues did—no blinding stage lights in my eyes obscuring the people beyond them—which meant I could make out a lot of faces. And there was usually a fair amount of activity, too. People came and went. Waiters brought out drinks and food. Bartenders poured drinks. Quiet conversations went on. Some loud ones, especially as more alcohol flowed.

I was used to it, and I was never distracted by it. The sea of motion and faces was easy to ignore.

Except for that guy’s face.

One glance at him, and thank God I’d been between songs, or I’d have forgotten what I was doing.

And it didn’t help at all that he’d been looking right back at me as if I’d caught his eye the way he’d caught mine. Not just like people casually watched a performer onstage, but like something I’d done had made him stop dead and stare. He was still, his eyes wide and his lips parted as he stared at me. I couldn’t tell if it was a trick of the lights, but I swore he blushed too.

As I played on, I kept my gaze down, or at least tried to only let it drift toward the side of the room where he wasn’t sitting. Otherwise I was going to go blank on every note and every lyric.

But then I was far enough into the music that I forgot, and I glanced in that direction again, and there he was, still looking right at me, and—

What song is this?

I only missed a beat or two, fortunately, and I recovered quickly. I doubted many people noticed, if any of them did. In a venue like this, a lot of people were only half-listening, as opposed to during an actual concert when they were all focused on me. I was background noise for most, even those who applauded between songs. Just as well when I was this distracted.

By some miracle, I made it through my set, and people didn’t mutter things like, “Oh my God, finally,” or “One more and I was going to stab my own eardrums” as I left the stage. Given that this hadn’t been my best or most focused performance, I’d take it.

In the back room where overflow books and promo items from the bookstore were kept, I put my guitar in its case and downed the rest of my water bottle. That had been, hands down, the hardest set I’d done since I’d started singing here. The first few had been tough because the emotions had been a lot more raw—because I’d been real smart, singing what I’d just written about my painful divorce-in-progress—so it had been rough for a while. But even during that period, I’d never actually struggled like I had tonight to remember lyrics and chords, or to keep my fingers from slipping or my tongue from getting tied.

And now I needed a drink. Not just water this time, either.

So, I left my guitar and jacket in the back where they were safe, and then headed up to the bar for a glass of wine. Only one, since I was driving. I’d probably have a couple more when I got home. Maybe not the healthiest thing in the world, but I’d been in a shitty place all day, and singing about my divorce poured some salt in wounds that hadn’t closed yet. I wasn’t apologizing for numbing that with a little alcohol once in a while.

“The usual?” Rainn asked over the bar.

I shook my head. “Glass of pinot blanc.”

Our eyes met. Then Rainn nodded and stepped away to get the wine. He knew me and what I’d been through the last several months, so he didn’t question me. He just didn’t need to know that my ex-wife wasn’t the one screwing with my concentration tonight.

He handed me the glass, and I thanked him before taking a sip. I wasn’t much of a drinker, but I had to say, I loved the wine they poured in this place. One of these days, I’d buy a bottle or two to keep at home. Maybe after I finished redoing the kitchen and had a place to put a wine rack.

That was another depressing thought that didn’t need to take hold tonight, so I focused on enjoying the amazing wine while I wound down after my set. My son was at his mom’s tonight, so I didn’t need to rush out of here to pick him up from the babysitter. I preferred the evenings where he was with me, but when he wasn’t, I couldn’t complain about relaxing here for a little while.

Someone stepped up to the bar beside me, and as I moved aside to give them some room, I glanced up and—

Oh. God.

Him.

 

 

 

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Ruthie – ☆☆☆☆
This is the fifth book in a series of stories written by a collection of talented authors and set in Sarina Bowen’s True North world. I am really enjoying the connections, and yet the variety of styles offered by the different writers.

This book revolves around Vino & Veritas's talented singer Jon, and is a really good chunky read. Jon proves himself to really be a good guy, and he is incredibly supportive of Brent.

It deals with some difficult issues, mostly on Brent's part. He has suffered multiple traumatic injuries following a car crash where he wasn't even expected to live, and which ended his NHL career. Every move he makes hurts, and he will never regain full mobility, let alone a pain free life. What he is fighting with most of all though, is his mental health – which is most seriously affected by his horrible father's attitude. Wow, there are often parents that I want to slap in novels, but he would be right at the top of my list!

This is quite a long, slow-burning romance, which I really enjoyed. It gives us time to really appreciate the difficulties that Brent faced, and the complexity of Jon's life as he co-parents his son, and starts a new friendship with Brent, works and performs at Vino & Veritas... And then, before he knows it, he also has a dog!

This was another good addition to the collection of books which revolve around Vino & Veritas.

 

 

 

L.A. WITT and her husband have been exiled from Spain and sent to live in Maine because rhymes are fun. She now divides her time between writing, assuring people she is aware that Maine is cold, wondering where to put her next tattoo, and trying to reason with a surly Maine coon. Rumor has it her archnemesis, Lauren Gallagher, is also somewhere in the wilds of New England, which is why L.A. is also spending a portion of her time training a team of spec ops lobsters. Authors Ann Gallagher and Lori A. Witt have been asked to assist in lobster training, but they “have books to write” and “need to focus on our careers” and “don’t you think this rivalry has gotten a little out of hand?” They’re probably just helping Lauren raise her army of squirrels trained to ride moose into battle.

Connect with L.A.

Facebook  ~  Twitter  ~  Website  ~  Goodreads
Blog  ~  Instagram

 

 

 

 

Hosted by

Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Aftermath (Vino & Veritas #5) by L.A. Witt to read and review for this tour.

Hard to Lose by K. Bromberg Release Blitz

New York Times bestselling author, K. Bromberg, brings you a romance about love, forgiveness, and living every day to the fullest.

I know finding and signing a military vet to the agency is a long shot—but it’ll be good press just letting him try out. That’s what I tell my family, rather than admit I can’t get the letter he wrote us five years ago out of my head.

But what I tell the bartender in his hometown is a lie. I know veterans protect each other. So I pretend to be a graduate student.

Sparks. Flame. Fire. I accidentally got in too deep.

I didn’t expect to develop feelings for Gunner Camden.

And there’s no way I can admit to my lies now, not without destroying what we share. So I’ll keep faking it.

***

There are two versions of me: before, and after deployment.

Back then I was a screwup kid. I’d lie, cheat, and steal my way out of everything. My only love was baseball.

After I started fighting, I found out there had been another path for me. One that involved my dream. But by then I had seen too much.

The old me was dead, so I put my dreams to rest, too.

Then Chase Kinkade walks into my bar and reminds me that life is meant to live. No regrets.

Fresh. Happy. Hopeful. I can start to see a new dream, with her.

But sometimes things are too good to be true… and dishonesty is the one thing I can’t forgive.

Are you ready to fall for the Kincade sisters and then men who love them in K. Bromberg's sexy, contemporary, sports romance series? These books can all be read as standalones, but you’ll enjoy reading them as a series!

Don’t miss our reviews of other books in the Play Hard series!
For book two, Hard to Hold, click HERE
For book three, Hard to Score, click HERE.

 

 

Book 4
Buy Links

Amazon US  ~  Amazon UK  ~  Amazon Au  ~  Amazon Ca
B&N  ~  Google Play  ~  iTunes  ~  Kobo
Paperback (US)

 

 

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Avid Reader – ☆☆☆☆☆
M/F Romance
Triggers: Click HERE to see Avid Reader’s review on Goodreads for trigger warnings.

This is the fourth book in the series and while you don't have to read the previous books to understand them, they do add to the dynamic among the sisters.

Chase is a driven, goal-oriented, type-A personality. She works hard and doesn't have time for frivolous things, such as love. If anything, her ex has taught her that lesson. When a letter arrives on Chase's desk, it gets her wheels spinning. She knows how she can create some great press for KSM and maybe give a veteran his dreams. Chase sets off to find the writer. What she finds is a new, updated version of herself.

Gunner is a hard man. He's been made that way. His dreams crushed and yanked from him. His mom unwilling to leave an abusive relationship. Guilt... so much guilt. When Gunner is confronted with Chase's stark honesty, he isn't quite sure what to make of this beautiful, smart woman who crashes into his life. With his job and volunteer work, Gunner tries to exhaust himself each day to chase away the nightmares. As Gunner gets to know Chase, he can't help but feel their strong connection and he wants, for the first time in a long time. But when truths become too much, will this soldier tuck tail or stand and fight?

I loved Chase's story. It made me laugh, cry, and I could feel the emotions from both characters. You'll want to root them on, sigh with contentment, and cry in frustration and sadness. Bromberg is fantastic at writing characters that you can relate to. Ones that you'd want to know in real life.

I am excited for Finn's story, despite him being bad with Chase. I am very much looking forward to his story.


Mary – ☆☆☆☆☆
Chase Kincade is the youngest sister of the Kincade girls, and this is her story. When the agency receives a letter from Ryan Camden, a baseball star, five years after it was sent, she feels she needs to see him and tell him that he was seen, not forgotten. She was curious about him, she wanted to know what had become of him too.

Ryan was on his way to becoming Mr. Baseball until his stepfather changed his direction. After his life in the military, all Ryan wanted to do was run his bar and help those kids less fortunate. He never thought those letters he wrote while in the service would come back to him.

Chase and Gunner hit it off from the moment they met, she didn't know who he was and he didn't know why she was in his bar. As they spend time together, the feelings are growing stronger and stronger. But for two people who don't believe in love, these two are meant to be together.

As time goes by, Chase cannot tell Gunner the truth because it will destroy him to know that she was there for him and that she lied to him from the start. Will Gunner be able to trust her after he learns the truth? Can Chase trust herself to not lose herself when the truth is revealed?

I have loved each of these sisters, but I think Chase and Gunner are my favorite. They have a love that was made from the start and grew even when they were apart. This story will break your heart, but the author will put it back together and make you love this story even more, I promise. I hope you enjoy this series as much as I have loved it.

 

 

New York Times bestselling author K. BROMBERG writes contemporary romance novels that contain a mixture of sweet, emotional, a whole lot of sexy, and a little bit of real. She likes to write strong heroines and damaged heroes who we love to hate but can't help to love.

A mom of three, she plots her novels in between school runs and soccer practices, more often than not with her laptop in tow and her mind scattered in too many different directions.

Since publishing her first book on a whim in 2013, Bromberg has sold over 1.5 million copies of her books across eighteen different countries and has repeatedly landed on the New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestseller lists over thirty times. Her Driven trilogy (Driven, Fueled, and Crashed) is currently being adapted for film by the streaming platform Passionflix, with Driven available now.

With her imagination always in overdrive, she is currently scheming, plotting, and swooning over her latest hero. You can find out more about him or chat with Kristy on any of her social media accounts.

Connect with K.

Facebook  ~  Twitter  ~  Instagram  ~  Website  ~  Goodreads
Facebook Group: VP Pit Crew/The Driven Trilogy

 

 

 

Hosted by

Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Hard to Lose (Play Hard #4) by K. Bromberg to read and review for this tour.

Custom Made by Chantal Fernando

New York Times bestselling author Chantal Fernando brings us book two in Fast & Fury: A thrilling new series fully loaded with intense emotions and edge-of-your-seat suspense.

Cameron Davies has the job she’s always wanted—designing custom motorcycles at Fast & Fury. No way is she going to screw this up. But when her wild, sexy one-night stand ends up being the shop’s new VIP client, her life is suddenly turned on its head.

Orion Stenton radiates power, danger and, most of all, sex. His lavish lifestyle is fraught with dangers for Cam—and a far too intimate link to her past. She has to keep things professional, but it’s impossible to forget the feel of him or the way he whispers her name.

The connection between them demands far more than a quick fling. But when Cam’s past puts Orion in danger, she must face her demons if she’s going to save them both.

Don’t miss our reviews of the rest of the Fast & Fury series!
For book one, Custom Built, click HERE.

 

 

Book 2
Buy Links

Amazon US  ~  Amazon UK  ~  Amazon Au  ~  Amazon Ca
B&N  ~  Google Play  ~  iTunes  ~  Kobo
Audiobook (US)  ~  Paperback (US)
Carina Press (HQN)

 

 

 

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Mary – ☆☆☆☆
This is book two in the series and is Cam and Orion's story. We briefly met Cam in the first book, and I wanted to learn more about her. This is a woman who has been through hell and came out the other side and turned her life around. She is working at the Knights of Fury MC’s motorcycle garage as a designer, painter, and mechanic. Something she loves doing and it shows in her work.

Orion is a local businessman and ends up spending one night with Cam, but she knows him as Ryan. They hit it off and the sparks fly each time they are together. He comes to the shop because he has ordered a motorcycle and Cam is painting and designing his bike. When he shows up one day with his cousin, Cam never thought someone from her past would be a cousin to the man she was falling in love with.

As her ex-boyfriend tries to break them up, Cam has to tell Orion about her past. But when Orion keeps a secret from her, could it be the end for them? Will the ex-boyfriend/cousin destroy them both?

I love this MC family and I liked Cam and Orion. I liked the suspense of what the ex-boyfriend was up to that gave this story its ‘what is going to happen next’ aspect. I like that this series is tied into the Knights of Fury series. This author has a way of telling the MC story to keep you reading and on the edge of your seat. I recommend reading both series.


Mary Jo – ☆☆☆☆
I love a good motorcycle story and this one fits the bill. It's the norm per se, Cam is not an active member of the club, but rather works at the garage owned by the Fury and designs and paints custom bikes. She likes her life and not having a man in it works well for her. Once bitten, twice shy and all that.

Cam lets loose at the club one night with her girls and hooks up a gorgeous guy. Not expecting more than a hook-up, Cam is sad to leave the next morning, but realizes that it's for the best. "Ryan" will always be a nice memory of what could have been.

Cam is dumbfounded when Ryan walks in the shop the next day and is introduced as Orion, the new hotshot, rich client who is there to not only order one bike, but three. Orion wants to get to know Cam but she's having no part of it. She realizes that she was played by him – as he has done to others as well – by giving a false name and taken to his "hook-up" hotel room.

The real kicker on the cake? Her ex – the one that she went to jail for – is his cousin. Once the cousin comes back to town, Cam knows she must come clean to Orion or any chance for a happily ever after is gone. However, she knows all too well that by doing so she is risking him leaving her. After all, if her own mother can't forgive her for her mistakes, why should he?

This book has it all – romance, intrigue, and motorcycles. What else could you want for a winter afternoon read?


Ruthie – ☆☆☆
This is the second book in the series, and I would recommend that you read them in order, as there are plot details from book one which do give a different view of Cam than you might otherwise have – particularly how she was affected by the death of her friend.

After a bad start in life, resulting in her going to prison, Cam moved away from home and found a new family working for the MC in their custom bike shop. She is a supremely talented artist and loves having close friends – especially to support her after the recent tragedy. I had not really taken to her then, but this book does a lot to make her a nicer person to know. She does, without doubt, deserve her past to be exactly that and a chance at a new life.

A chance hookup turns out to be with the garage's new client, Orion. He is a businessman who doesn't always stay on the right side of the law, but in laundering money, rather than anything more immediately illegal. Given Cam's past, she is accepting and yet cautious when he wants to spend more time with her. And I have to admit that I found their budding relationship was a little too precipitous for me. A man who was so successful in such a field seemed an unlikely to professing his love so quickly. Some of the language felt a bit stilted to me too, but it didn't stop me reading the story in one sitting!

I loved the idea of the pink bike, and that Cam, even though working with bikes all the time had to go and get her license. The MC family definitely have adopted her into their fold. She certainly needed their support when her ex reappears and makes her life very difficult again. There are some clever twists which I will not divulge, but they add to the complexity of the story.

By the end, I was delighted that Orion and Cam had resolved some of the hurdles in their way, but no one was happier than Orion's mother, Maria!

 

 

CHANTAL FERNANDO is the New York Times bestselling author of the Wind Dragons Motorcycle Club series, the Cursed Raven Motorcycle Club series, and the Maybe series, along with several other novels. She lives in Western Australia, where she is working on her next book.

Connect with Chantal

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Facebook Group: Chantal's Clubhouse

 

 

 

Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Custom Made (Fast & Fury #2) by Chantal Fernando to read and review.

Always by RJ Scott

Lives change in an instant, but with family found and forever love, there is always hope.

Impetuously putting his life on the line, Adam saved a child trapped in a car wreck and suffered career-ending injuries. Living with chronic pain, and at his lowest moments, he had friends who wouldn't let him give up, a family who had his back, and even though his future was different from what he'd always planned, he at least had hope. When Cameron and Finn land on his doorstep, he never dreamed that he would fall in love with the small family or that maybe he'd get to be a hero again.

Cameron goes from being a devoted husband to a single dad overnight. With his neatly planned future in ruins, he will do anything to make a new life for his son, even if it means moving to the other side of the country. Renting a room from Adam is the first step in making a home for him and Finn, but falling for the former firefighter was never part of the plan.

The shadows from Cameron's past might take a long time to touch this fragile future, but will he have to face the consequences alone when they do? Or will there always be hope?

Don’t miss our reviews of the rest of the Single Dads series!
For book one, Single, click HERE.
For book two, Today, click HERE.
For book three, Promise, click HERE.

 

 

Book 4
Buy Links

Amazon US  ~  Amazon UK  ~  Amazon Au  ~  Amazon Ca
B&N  ~  Google Play  ~  iTunes  ~  Kobo  ~  Smashwords
Signed Paperback

 

 

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Angie – ☆☆☆☆
The struggles Adam and Cam both go through are a bit heavy and angsty for this series. I loved watching them navigate things and falling for each other. Finn was an added bonus and I just adored watching him make friends. This isn't a light and fluffy read, but still a good read nonetheless.


Ruthie – ☆☆☆☆
This is the fourth book in the series, and although you wouldn't have to have read them in order, it would make more of the connections make sense... and they are all excellent reads, so why deny yourself!

Adam has bought the house that the guys from books 1-3 lived in, now that they are all in happy relationships. One only moved next door, so Adam's pool is still the place that everyone meets up when they are off shift. They are also keeping a close eye on him as he is still recovering from his life altering injuries. Be warned, it is quite traumatic how he got them, although utterly selfless.

Cameron is retreating from a horrible life in New York – I will let you read just what happened to him – with his young son, Finn. He is returning to San Diego, for now, to recover, and also because his best friend, Nick, has offered him help. Much as he feels guilty accepting, he knows that he really has no choice. It turns out that he is now renting a couple of rooms from Adam.

Cue an instant attraction, but the worst timing ever. Both men are in dark and difficult places, and Cameron is waiting to be found and exposed, even though he harbours no guilt in what transpired, other than being naive.

I loved the slow, intense, and caring relationship which develops between the two men, and how Finn gives us a good barometer of how progress is coming along. It was lovely to see Nick again, and to get the two men in a room and iron out all the issues their brains had erroneously created in their silence.

Really good addition to the series, and I look forward to Nick getting his story told next!

 

 

RJ SCOTT is a USA Today bestselling author of over 140 romance and suspense novels. From bodyguards to hockey stars, princes to millionaires, cowboys to military heroes to every-day heroes, she believes that love is love and every man deserves a happy ending.

Connect with RJ

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Facebook Group: RJ Scott – Special Secret Group

Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Always (Single Dads #4) by RJ Scott to read and review.