New Release: Saved by the Cowboy, by @AJ_Pine

A.J. Pine’s novella Saved by the Cowboy has released today. If you haven’t picked it up bundled with Sara Richardson’s True-Blue Cowboy yet, you can grab it all on its own today!

And if you need more persuading, here’s the review I posted recently.

Cowboy to the rescue

Once upon a time, Sheriff Cash Hawkins left his simple life for something bigger—and came home with a broken heart. Now he has everything he needs right here in Oak Bluff, California—his job, his dog, and a quiet ranching town best explored on the back of a horse. 

Olivia Belle believes in fairy tales—just not for herself. So when her boyfriend drops to one knee at his sister’s wedding with a proposal that is more business than romance, she hightails it out of San Francisco in search of the only evidence she knows that true love exists—her grandparents’ lost love letters from fifty years ago. 

When Olivia speeds into his town like a modern-day Cinderella in her ball gown and glass slippers, Cash’s careful existence is finally thrown for a loop. Maybe the answer Olivia’s looking for is in Oak Bluff, but the life she ran from is more than 200 miles away. As for Cash . . . he knows a thing or two about being left on bended knee. Olivia Belle could be his happily ever after . . . if this runaway bridesmaid doesn’t run off with his heart.

Grab the ebook of Saved by the Cowboy from:

Amazon | B&N | Kobo | iBooks

You can also buy this novella bundled with Sara Richardson’s True-Blue Cowboy (that’s how I bought it in print) from:

Amazon | B&N | Kobo | iBooks

About the Author:

A teen librarian by day and a romance writer by night, A.J. Pine can’t seem to escape the world of fiction, and she wouldn’t have it any other way. She’s the author of the If Only series (Entangled Embrace), the Only You series (Berkley/Intermix), the Kingston Ale House series (Entangled Select), and the upcoming Crossroads Ranch series (Forever Romance). When she finds that 25th hour in the day, she might indulge in a tiny bit of TV where she nourishes her undying love of vampires, superheroes, and a certain high-functioning sociopath detective. She hails from the far off galaxy of the Chicago suburbs.

Find out more:

• Website
• Twitter
• Facebook
• Goodreads
• Amazon author page

Review: Saved by the Cowboy, by @AJ_Pine

 

Title: Saved by the Cowboy (Crossroads Ranch #1.5)
Author: A.J. Pine
Rating: 5/5 stars

“Cowboy to the rescue

Once upon a time, Sheriff Cash Hawkins left his simple life for something bigger—and came home with a broken heart. Now he has everything he needs right here in Oak Bluff, California—his job, his dog, and a quiet ranching town best explored on the back of a horse. 

Olivia Belle believes in fairy tales—just not for herself. So when her boyfriend drops to one knee at his sister’s wedding with a proposal that is more business than romance, she hightails it out of San Francisco in search of the only evidence she knows that true love exists—her grandparents’ lost love letters from fifty years ago. 

When Olivia speeds into his town like a modern-day Cinderella in her ball gown and glass slippers, Cash’s careful existence is finally thrown for a loop. Maybe the answer Olivia’s looking for is in Oak Bluff, but the life she ran from is more than 200 miles away. As for Cash . . . he knows a thing or two about being left on bended knee. Olivia Belle could be his happily ever after . . . if this runaway bridesmaid doesn’t run off with his heart.” (description from Goodreads)

I’ve been reading romance novels for years. What I haven’t done was venture into the world of cowboy romance. That’s all changed with A.J. Pine’s latest novella Saved by the Cowboy.

Since reading this novella, I’ve already looked into getting book 2 in the series and I already own book 1 that’s sitting next to me ready to read. Pine hooked me with her characters early on. That’s always key for me. It also helps that there’s a small town setting, even if it wasn’t explored too deeply this time around. There’s a hint of that great small town feel that I enjoy finding in the romances I read.

I’d rather not go too deep into what made this novella work so well for me. It’s a good one to dive into without much info. It was hard to put down once I started and I hope both Cash and Olivia show up again in the rest of this series.

You can pre-order the ebook from:

Amazon | B&N | Kobo | iBooks

But if you don’t want to wait until August 7th, you can grab this novella bundled with Sara Richardson’s True-Blue Cowboy (releasing tomorrow, July 31st) from:

Amazon | B&N | Kobo | iBooks

About the Author:

A teen librarian by day and a romance writer by night, A.J. Pine can’t seem to escape the world of fiction, and she wouldn’t have it any other way. She’s the author of the If Only series (Entangled Embrace), the Only You series (Berkley/Intermix), the Kingston Ale House series (Entangled Select), and the upcoming Crossroads Ranch series (Forever Romance). When she finds that 25th hour in the day, she might indulge in a tiny bit of TV where she nourishes her undying love of vampires, superheroes, and a certain high-functioning sociopath detective. She hails from the far off galaxy of the Chicago suburbs.

Find out more:

• Website
• Twitter
• Facebook
• Goodreads
• Amazon author page

 

New Release: When We Found Home, by @SusanMallery

I feature mostly self-published and smaller press authors on this site. It’s my way of helping to give them a bigger audience (even though I’m very small in my reach), but also to share what books I’ve enjoyed, authors I like, etc. Most of the time I am reading these books myself. But sometimes there’ll be a “bigger name” author who puts out a book that I want to share too. One of those times is today.

Susan Mallery has numerous books out in a few different series. I’ve only recently started reading her work. Well, mostly listening. Tanya Eby (also an author, see this review) narrates the audio and they’re great to listen to. I’m currently reading the first book in Mallery’s Happily, Inc. series and I’m enjoying it. Read the 2nd recently and another from a non-romance centered series. I’m excited to share this release with you, knowing it’s likely to be another great read.

I still have to buy my copy (might get myself to Target at some point soon to hunt for a signed copy), but if you’d like a copy of When We Found Home, you can find many places to do so below.

Happy reading!

 

Life is meant to be savored, but that’s not easy with no family, limited prospects and a past you’d rather not talk about. Still, Callie Smith doesn’t know how to feel when she discovers she has a brother and a sister–Malcolm, who grew up with affection, wealth and privilege, and Keira, a streetwise twelve-year-old. 

Callie doesn’t love being alone, but at least it’s safe. Despite her trepidation, she moves into the grand family home with her siblings and grandfather on the shores of Lake Washington, hoping just maybe this will be the start of a whole new life.

But starting over can be messy. Callie and Keira fit in with each other, but not with their posh new lifestyle, leaving Malcolm feeling like the odd man out in his own home. He was clever enough to turn a sleepy Seattle mail-order food catalog into an online gourmet powerhouse, yet he can’t figure out how to help his new sisters feel secure. Becoming a family will take patience, humor, a little bit of wine and a whole lot of love. 

But love isn’t Malcolm’s strong suit… until a beautiful barista teaches him that an open heart, like the family table, can always make room for more.

In this emotional, funny and heartfelt story, Susan Mallery masterfully explores the definition of a modern family–blended by surprise, not by choice–and how those complicated relationships can add unexpected richness to life.

If you’d like to buy a copy of this book, you can find it on:

Amazon | Kobo | B&N | iBooks

About the Author:

With more than 25 million books sold worldwide, #1 New York Times bestselling author Susan Mallery is known for creating characters who feel as real as the folks next door, and for putting them into emotional, often funny situations readers recognize from their own lives. Susan’s books have made Booklist’s Top 10 Romances list in four out of five consecutive years. RT Book Reviews says, “When it comes to heartfelt contemporary romance, Mallery is in a class by herself.” With her popular, ongoing Fool’s Gold series, Susan has reached new heights on the bestsellers lists and has won the hearts of countless new fans.

Susan grew up in southern California, moved so many times that her friends stopped writing her address in pen, and now has settled in Seattle with her husband and the most delightfully spoiled little dog who ever lived.

Find out more:

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• Facebook
• Goodreads
• Amazon author page

Review: Man Hands, by @SarinaBowen and @Blunder_Woman

 

Title: Man Hands (Man Hands #1)
Author: Sarina Bowen and Tanya Eby
Rating: 4/5 stars

“He puts the “screw” in screwball comedy…

BRYNN
At thirty-four, I’m reeling from a divorce. I don’t want to party or try to move on. I just want to stay home and post a new recipe on my blog: Brynn’s Dips and Balls.

But my friends aren’t having it. Get out there again, they say. It will be fun, they say. I’m still taking a hard pass.

Free designer cocktails, they say. And that’s a game-changer.

Too bad my ex shows up with his new arm candy. That’s when I lose my mind. But when my besties dare me to leap on the first single man I see, they don’t expect me to actually go through with it.

TOM
All I need right now is some peace and quiet while my home renovation TV show is on hiatus. But when a curvy woman in a red wrap dress charges me like she’s a gymnast about to mount my high bar, all I can do is brace myself and catch her. What follows is the hottest experience of my adult life.

I want a repeat, but my flying Cinderella disappears immediately afterward. She doesn’t leave a glass slipper, either—just a pair of panties with chocolate bunnies printed on them.

But I will find her.” (description from Goodreads)

While I’ve been following Sarina Bowen’s work for a few years, what made me check out this book was her co-author. I’ve only had the pleasure of listening to Tanya Eby read other author’s books. This time, I got a taste of her writing. Bowen is a great author and along with Eby Man Hands was a great book to pick up.

The comedy in this book reminds me of Tara Sivec’s writing. They all are hilarious most of the time and don’t pull punches. Along with that, but characters are also sweet and a great fit for each other. I even ended up enjoying the reality show elements of the book, despite not enjoying them in the real world.

The only (minor) thing that brought the rating down for me was the pacing of the story. I felt it was a little on the speedy side. With how much I was enjoying the characters and their interactions, I felt the story as a whole was a little rushed. I think there was room to stretch it just a little more while not fluffing it up. Maybe there’ll be a novella with more of this couple to satisfy my needs. Even without that, there are more books in this series for me to read!

You can grab this book from:

Amazon | B&N | Kobo | iBooks

About the Sarina Bowen:

Sarina Bowen is the RITA® Award winning author of over two dozen contemporary and LGTB romance novels. She most recently hit the USA Today bestseller’s list in February, with Brooklynaire. Formerly a derivatives trader on Wall Street, Sarina holds a BA in economics from Yale University.

Sarina Bowen is a New Englander whose Vermont ancestors cut timber and farmed the north country since the 1760s. Sarina is grateful for the invention of indoor plumbing and wi-fi during the intervening 250 years. On a few wooded acres, she lives with her husband, two boys, and an ungodly amount of ski and hockey gear.

Sarina’s books are published in a dozen languages on four continents. In 2016, The Romance Writers of America honored HIM by Sarina Bowen & Elle Kennedy with a RITA award for Best Contemporary Romance, Mid-Length.

Find out more:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Amazon | Smashwords

About Tanya Eby:

Tanya is a member of SAG/AFTRA. She is a narrator and has over 500 titles to her credit. She also narrates under the name of Tatiana Sokolov for books that are particularly saucy (AKA erotica books). When not narrating, she’s working on her own writing. Check out her books: Easy Does It, Blunder Woman, Pepper Wellington and the Case of the Missing Sausage, Foodies Rush In,  Tunnel Vision, and Synchronicity. She also has a food blog at dips.tanyaeby.com.

Find out more:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Amazon

Review: To Get Me to You, by @KaitNolan

Title: To Get Me to You (Wishful #1)
Author: Kait Nolan
Rating: 5/5 stars

“Just a city girl, living in a lonely world.

Displaced Steel Magnolia Norah Burke doesn’t know the meaning of failure. But when she threatens to blow the whistle on some shady business practices at her Chicago marketing firm, she gets fired fast as all get out. Licking her wounds, she heads back below the Mason-Dixon for a little home-grown Southern comfort.

Just a small town boy.

With his iron-clad Mississippi roots, Councilman Cam Crawford is a man who values tradition, preservation, and the love of a good dog. When a big box warehouse store tries to capitalize on his hometown’s economic downturn, it seriously burns his biscuit. He’s not about to let anyone’s ambition destroy what he holds dear.

A David vs. Goliath story with a side of grits.

This unlikely pair just might be the perfect allies–in war and out. But as the battle to stop GrandGoods heats up and sparks of attraction turn to something more, will Norah’s bigger-picture perspective go with Cam’s “keep it as it is” attitude? Are they meant to be like biscuits and gravy? Or are they just as wrong as unsweetened tea?“(description from Goodreads)

I’m a sucker for a romance set in a small town. What this sub-genre normally has is the ability to world build, develop a large cast of characters, and make you want to visit the town itself, all while enjoying the main plot (the romance) of the book. That’s what Kait Nolan did in this book. And she did it well.

Nolan’s first Wishful novel sets the bar high for the rest of the series. She has strong characters, in both personality and how well they’re developed. Cam and Norah were great to get to know, and the rest of their friends and family weren’t lacking, even if they were secondary characters. I feel that moving forward with this series Kait won’t need to spend too much time building up most of their stories. It’s all there in this first book, while no bogging down the book with too much information. Nolan skillfully gave the readers what they need as they need it.

Along with the characters, the setting of Wishful was a joy to read. It was, as many small towns are, a character in itself. There’s much more to explore in this town and the antics that I’m sure will occur. I’m ready to keep coming back for visits in the rest of this series. Maybe I’ll see you all there.

You can grab this book from:

Amazon | Smashwords | B&N | Kobo | iBooks

About the Author:

Kait Nolan is stuck in an office all day, sometimes juggling all three of her jobs at once with the skill of a trained bear—sometimes with a similar temperament. After hours, this RITA® Finalist author uses her powers for good, creating escapist fiction. This Mississippi native has something for everyone, from short and sweet to Southern contemporary romance to small-town romantic suspense—all featuring heroes you’d want to sweep you off your feet and rescue you from work-day drudgery. When not working or writing, Kait’s hanging out in her kitchen cooking and wishing life were a Broadway musical.

A passionate believer in helping others, she has founded a writing challenge designed for people who have a life (aka we NaNoWriMo rejects who can’t give everything up for the month of November).  Please check out A Round of Words in 80 Days.

Find out more:

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• Amazon author page
• Smashwords author page

Why We Write… New Blog Series?

Would you like to see a new blog series on A Life Among the Pages? I want to get more out to you, my readers, but I’m lacking on original content of my own currently. To help push words into your faces, an idea popped into my head today: “I wonder why authors write what they write.”

That’s what this new series will be. My hope is to get a brief blurb from various authors telling you the readers why they write the books they write. The initial idea is to get authors inside of a genre to tell the various reasons they may have chosen to write that genre (probably will be many sub genres, too). I’m sure I’ll broaden out the “why I write” idea from time to time.

So, this is my call to all the authors out there: Please consider sharing the reasons you write “X” genre with my readers. I’m hoping to keep each post about a genre. That means I may have to hold onto your contribution until I get enough other authors for a full post. I’m thinking 4-5 authors per post. Though I’m open to a full length post from a single author if one wants to take the time to write that much. I don’t expect it though. You’re all busy people and your time is precious.

If you’re an author who’d like to submit why you write a genre/sub genre, please fill out the form below. I’ll respond as soon as I can letting you know I got it and hopefully with a general idea of when a post may go live. It all depends on how many people submit. I may have to tweak things and do posts including multiple genres are first to get the ball rolling. We’ll see.

Click Here to Submit Your Contribution

Genre/Categories Suggestions:

• Romance (a majority of the books talked about on my blog are romance novels)
• Sub genre’s of romance (small-town romance, second chance romance, etc)
• Fantasy
• Young Adult
• Many, many more.

 

New Release: The Great Believers, by @RebeccaMakkai

Missed posting about this yesterday, on the actual release day. But it’s not too late to grab up this brand new novel from Rebecca Makkai.

Remember her from when I reviewed The Borrower and The Hundred-Year House? Makkai is back with a new novel, following her short story collection Music for Wartime. I’ve only read a chapter of this new book so far, but it’s grabbed me like Makkai’s writing always does.

And a fun fact…I’ll be seeing her at a reading at the Tattered Cover tonight. And I’ll be bringing all my books for her to sign (along with this new one that I ordered special for tonight). Maybe she’ll be in a city near you on her tour. You can find out here.

A dazzling new novel of friendship and redemption in the face of tragedy and loss set in 1980s Chicago and contemporary Paris, by the acclaimed and award-winning author Rebecca Makkai

In 1985, Yale Tishman, the development director for an art gallery in Chicago, is about to pull off an amazing coup, bringing an extraordinary collection of 1920s paintings as a gift to the gallery. Yet as his career begins to flourish, the carnage of the AIDS epidemic grows around him. One by one, his friends are dying and after his friend Nico’s funeral, he finds his partner is infected, and that he might even have the virus himself. The only person he has left is Fiona, Nico’s little sister.

Thirty years later, Fiona is in Paris tracking down her estranged daughter who disappeared into a cult. While staying with an old friend, a famous photographer who documented the Chicago epidemic, she finds herself finally grappling with the devastating ways the AIDS crisis affected her life and her relationship with her daughter. Yale and Fiona’s stories unfold in incredibly moving and sometimes surprising ways, as both struggle to find goodness in the face of disaster.

You can grab a copy of this book from:

Amazon | B&N | Kobo

About the Author:

Rebecca Makkai is the Chicago-based author of the short story collection Music for Wartime, which appeared in 2015, and of the novels The Hundred-Year House, winner of the Chicago Writers Association award, and The Borrower, a Booklist Top Ten Debut which has been translated into eight languages. Her short fiction won a 2017 Pushcart Prize, and was chosen for The Best American Short Stories for four consecutive years (2008-2011). The recipient of a 2014 NEA fellowship, Makkai is on the MFA faculty at Sierra Nevada college and has taught at the Iowa Writers Workshop, Tin House, and Northwestern University.

Find out more:

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• Facebook
• Goodreads
• Amazon author page