BOOK REVIEW for "My Cone and Only (King Family, #1)" by Susannah Nix

BOOK TITLE: My Cone and Only

SERIES: King Family, #1

AUTHOR: Susannah Nix

GENRE: Contemporary Romance 

(Small Town, Brother’s Best Friend, Rock Star)

RELEASE DATE: July 20, 2021

BLURB:

Wyatt King isn’t looking for love…because he’s already found it. 

Too bad the woman of his dreams is off-limits. He’s not going to be the jerk who messes around with his best friend’s little sister, so he keeps his feelings bottled up and settles for acting as her protector instead. 

Andie Lockhart’s dreamed of kissing Wyatt for as long as she’s known what kissing is. But she’s long since accepted he’ll never see her as anything more than his best friend’s tomboy little sister. 

When a real estate developer threatens the beloved old house Andie inherited from her grandmother, her white knight Wyatt swoops in with his handyman skills to save the day. But the more time they spend working on the house together, the harder it becomes to ignore their irresistible attraction. 

Until the night an accidental kiss blows the lid off those feelings they’ve both kept buried. 

After that, things between them get a lot hotter—and a lot more complicated. Forbidden love, broken promises, family secrets, and jealousy all threaten to tear them apart. If he wants to hold on to the woman he loves, Wyatt will have to put everything on the line.

My Cone and Only is book #1 in the King Family series set in the small town of Crowder, Texas, home of the King’s Creamery ice company. Each book is a standalone, full-length contemporary romance that follows one of the six King siblings as they find and fight for love.

~ BOOK REVIEW for My Cone and Only ~

****(4) out of 5 Stars

It is sad and painful to watch Wyatt and Andie not be together in the beginning of their book (and also in the preceding novel Elementary Romantic Calculus which focuses on Andie's brother Josh and his girlfriend Mia).  Once they do cross that line from friends into something more though?  Heaven!  They are just so good together and so good for one another.  Unfortunately, things come between them. Mainly Andie's insistence that Wyatt has to publicly declare his love for her before she'll believe that he means it, and Wyatt's refusal to do so because he doesn't want to upset Josh.  Lots of antics ensue, mostly good, then some bad; but ultimately, however, they are able to work out everything so they can have their much-delayed and much-deserved happily ever after.  This is the first of a new book series about six adult siblings in a rather dysfunctional family, all of which I am looking forward to reading.  

I received a free eBook copy of this title from the author,
and have willingly provided an honest review.

GOODREADS: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58173665-my-cone-and-only

BUY LINKS:

AMAZON: https://geni.us/amznMCaO

APPLE BOOKS: https://geni.us/appleMCaO

NOOK: https://geni.us/nookMCaO

KOBO: https://geni.us/koboMCaO

GOOGLE PLAY: https://geni.us/googleMCaO 

AUTHOR BIO:

Susannah Nix is a RITA Award-winning and USA Today bestselling author of contemporary romance who lives in Texas with her husband, two ornery cats, and a flatulent pit bull. When she's not writing swoony, relatable romances, she enjoys reading, cooking, knitting, and watching British mysteries on TV.

AUTHOR LINKS:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/susannahnix

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Susannah_Nix

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/susannahnixauthor

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/susannah_nix

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/susannah-nix

Website: http://www.susannahnix.com

#MyConeandOnly  #KingFamily

RELEASE BLITZ & BOOK REVIEW for "Back in the Burbs" by Tracy Wolff and Avery Flynn

Back in the Burbs

by Tracy Wolff & Avery Flynn

 from Entangled: Amara

(an imprint of Entangled Publishing)

Publication date: March 30, 2021

Two powerhouse authors bring you a hilarious tale of one woman’s journey to find herself again.

Ever have one of those days where life just plain sucks? Welcome to my last three months—ever since I caught my can’t-be-soon-enough ex-husband cheating with his paralegal. I’m thirty-five years old, and I’ve lost my NYC apartment, my job, my money, and frankly, my dignity.

But the final heartache in the suck sandwich of my life? My great-aunt Maggie died. The only family member who’s ever gotten me.

Even after death, though, she’s helping me get back up. She’s willed me the keys to a house in the burbs, of all places, and dared me to grab life by the family jewels. Well, I’ve got the vise grips already in hand (my ex should take note) and I’m ready to fight for my life again.

Too bad that bravado only lasts as long as it takes to drive into Huckleberry Hills. And see the house.

There are forty-seven separate HOA violations, and I feel them all in my bones. Honestly, I’m surprised no one’s “accidentally” torched the house yet. I want to, and I’ve only been standing in front of it for five minutes. But then my hot, grumpy neighbor tells me to mow the lawn first and I’m just...done. Done with men too sexy for their own good and done with anyone telling me what to do.

First rule of surviving the burbs? There is nothing that YouTube and a glass of wine can’t conquer.

~ BOOK REVIEW for Back in the Burbs ~

****(3) out of 5 

This is a pretty good story about finding love the second time around.  As someone who divorced and remarried in her thirties, many of the situations here stuck a chord with me.  And as someone who recently moved into an HOA neighborhood, I can definitely commiserate with Mallory.

I was truly appalled at how everyone in her life — with the exception of great-aunt Maggie — treated Mallory!  And even more depressing was how she just let them do so.  I wanted to go smack some sense into her!  True, she did progress throughout the story toward being a normal human being with some semblance of self-love and self-preservation, but it was definitely painful to watch.  

And just when you start to think that she has achieved some sense of normalcy... well, not to give anything away, but she goes from being a doormat to acting like a spoiled brat.  Once again, I found myself wanting to smack her upside the head.

Nick, in contrast, starts out as a grumpy guy, not very supportive or even tolerant of Mallory (or seemingly much else).  However, as his personality begins to be revealed more, we learn that he is actually something of a nice guy in disguise.  The transition was rather abrupt, and I wondered if we were seeing a dual personality or evil twin situation.

In fact, much of the book did feel as though the characters were at odds with themselves, let alone each other.  Probably due to this, the actual romance between the two characters seemed to fall rather flat.  But in between all of the stops and starts, there were a lot of moments of fun and friendship, not to mention some hot love scenes.  

Despite the overall sense of gloom and doom, and dealing some very serious mental health and abuse issues, this was a fairly good read; one that would be especially appropriate for a lazy spring evening or summer afternoon.

I received a free eBook copy of this title from Entangled Publishing via NetGalley, 

and have willingly provided an honest review.

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2Z2zlre
Apple Books: http://apple.co/3aM5Yz6
Nook: http://bit.ly/2N9slGn
Kobo: http://bit.ly/2YZvDP0
Goodreads:  http://bit.ly/3q8gpDn

BOOK REVIEW for "The Warrior King (Inferno Rising, #3)" by Abigail Owen

The Warrior King 
(Inferno Rising, #3)
by Abigail Owen

Meira Amon is the most reserved of the phoenixes, finding computers easier to deal with than people and their messy emotions. But she wants revenge against the Rotting King Pytheios for the murder of her parents just as much as her sisters. Offering herself as a queen for their ally, dragon shifter King Gorgon of the Black Clan, only makes sense.

Just one problem…

Samael Veles worked his lowborn ass off to become the fiercest warrior of the Black Clan. He has pledged his life to protect his king at all costs. Yet somehow, in the middle of war, he took one look at a woman in a reflection and gave up his heart. When that woman turns out to be the phoenix promised to mate his king and help bring peace to their kind, he has no choice but to accept it.

Until her fire unexpectedly destroys the king after they’ve wed. Now Samael must choose between his loyalty to his clan and protecting the queen who might be his mate from his people’s wrath, one of which will unlock a destiny no one could have ever imagined…

Amazon   ~   Goodreads

~ BOOK REVIEW for The Warrior King ~

****(4) out of 5 

This third book in the Inferno Rising series picks right up where the prior volume left off.  The allied dragon rebel clans continue to face off over the bogus High King and his various lackeys.  But things seem to keep going from bad to worse for our little band of do-gooders.  

Hoping to help turn the tide of war in their favor, Meira offers herself as mate to the ally King Gorgon.  Although a good guy in nearly every regard, he is not, however, her fated mate, so I really do not understand how she can think a union with him would result in anything other than his death.  In point of fact, after their wedding ceremony, when it is time to seal the deal, Meira ends up killing the king with her phoenix fire.  Except that somehow it isn't Gorgon.  Of course, hardly anyone believes her, and she must escape from her own people while she tries to find the real king and discover what is going on.  

Luckily, she has Samael to help her with this monumental task.  Although he spends just as much time fighting off his attraction to Meira as he does protecting her, which doesn't leave a whole lot of time for sleuthing.  They manage, with the help of her magic and some exceptional friends, to explore quite a bit though, and do learn, if not all, at least quite a bit of what is happening around them and in the world at large, in the larger struggle against the forces of evil arrayed against them.  

That these two do not immediately realize that they are fated mates, or at least as the story goes along, is just absurd to me.  He sees her through a mirror when she is eavesdropping via her magic, something that no one else has ever been able to do.  And he is able to touch her when she is using her phoenix fire, without his being burned to a crisp like her erstwhile (fake) husband.  

And both of them are willing to give up the love that they share in order to further the cause of their group, not to mention avoid betraying the love of their mentor and friend.  But Gorgon discovers their betrayal, too late to do much about it, but soon enough to forgive them even that.

There were some significant sacrifices made in this tale; ones that had meaningful emotional and strategic importance in the story overall and specifically to the main characters and their closest allies.  I believe there is one more book in the series, which I can't wait to read.  I just hope that they are able to avenge some of their losses.

I received a free eBook copy of this title from Entangled Publishing via NetGalley, 

and have willingly provided an honest review.

See my reviews of the first two books in the Inferno Rising series:

The Rogue King 
 The Blood King

Or check out the author's related Fire's Edge series!

BOOK REVIEW for "Try As I Smite (Brimstone Inc. #4)" by Abigail Owen

Halloween meets Christmas with demons and witches

all wrapped up in a modern-day, paranormal romance

retelling of the Charles Dickens classic, A Christmas Carol!

Try as I Smite

(Brimstone Inc. #4)

by Abigail Owen

Published: October 26th, 2020

Bah humbug just got a lot darker.

Alasdair Blakesley is the head of the Covens Syndicate. He shouldn’t need to look beyond the witches and warlocks he governs, or his own abilities, to solve any problem. But a demon infestation means he can’t trust anyone who may be possessed. The last person he wants to ask for help is also the only person who can fix this, so he sucks up his pride and storms into her office.

And she turns him down cold.

As the owner of Brimstone Inc., Delilah’s passion is helping others with their supernatural problems. But Alasdair is the last man Delilah wants to tangle with. The infuriating man sees too much and demands even more. And did she mention the way he sets her body on fire?

Not that it matters — demons are the only things with which she cannot interfere. Too bad a higher power steps in and sends them both on a crash course of each others’ pasts, presents, and futures.

How is a Christmas Carol nightmare supposed to solve his demon problem without breaking the rules she’s bound by?

~ BOOK REVIEW for Try As I Smite ~

****(4) out of 5 

This time around we finally get more than just a glimpse of Delilah, the elusive proprietor of Brimstone Inc., the catch-all agency for paranormals in need of assistance.  She helps just about anyone with anything, especially the underdog.  Although her methods are rather mysterious and somewhat unconventional, they definitely seem to be effective.  

But she won't help Alasdair.  Which upsets him to no end, especially given how hard it was for him to ask for her assistance in the first place.  It isn't that she doesn't want to help though, just that she can't.  And the reason is such that she can't even explain to him why not. Which just makes him even more irate.

When Delilah and Alasdair are thrust together and sent on a journey into their respective pasts, however, many previously unknown things come to light for each of them about the other, as well as about themselves.  

There is much suspense and intrigue in this volume, with some very serious consequences to be had, both for them and for the world, if the pair are not able to work out what to do next to thwart their enemies.  And that is just the outside forces plaguing them and threatening the world.  The demons they must face within themselves and between each other are perhaps even more formidable, if not quite as dangerous.  

Some of the secondary characters here, although little time is spent on them, are quite interesting in their own right; and there are those that do give significant insight into the mindset of Alasdair and Delilah.  A few old friends resurface from other books in the series, even if just briefly; but it is nice to have at least a mini-update on them.  

The love story between these two is a good one, and the love scenes quite toasty.  It makes for an intriguing, delightful, and all-around interesting book.  One that I definitely recommend!  

I received a free eBook copy of this title from NetGalley, 

and have willingly provided an honest review.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Apple Books / Kobo / Google

See my reviews of a couple other books in this series:

Shift Out of Luck and Bait N' Witch.

About the Author:

Abigail Owen is a multi-award-winning author of paranormal romance and upper YA/new adult fantasy romance. Other favorite titles include wife, mother, Star Wars geek, ex-competitive skydiver, spreadsheet lover, Dr. Seuss quoter, eMBA, organizational guru, Texan, Aggie, and chocaholic.

Abigail grew up consuming books and exploring the world through her writing. She attempted to find a practical career related to her favorite pastime by earning a degree in English Rhetoric (Technical Writing) and an MBA. However, she swiftly discovered that writing without imagination is not nearly as fun as writing with it. She currently resides in Austin, Texas, with her own personal, swoon-worthy hero and their two children, who are growing up way too fast.

Abigail also writes award-winning steamy contemporary romance and romantic comedy as Kadie Scott (kadie-scott.com), and sweet contemporary romance and Amish romance as Kristen McKanagh (kristenmckanagh.com).

BOOK REVIEW for "Snowball's Christmas" by Kristen McKanagh

Snowball’s Christmas
by Kristen McKanagh
Published by: Kensington
Publication date: Sept 29th, 2020
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

The Purrfect holiday awaits…

Snowball – an aptly named bundle of feline fluff – is thankful to be spending her first Christmas in the comfort of Weber Haus, the Victorian B&B run by Miss Tilly. Emily Diemer, who cooks for the guests, dotes on Snowball, but she’s not thrilled about another new arrival at the B&B: Miss Tilly’s nephew, Lukas. Which is odd, because Snowball’s animal instincts tell her that Lukas and Emily should definitely be friends.

Everything Emily needs is in this quaint community – including, she hopes, the chance to open her own bakery one day. She doesn’t think much of Lukas for leaving his aging aunt to struggle while he jets around the world taking photographs. But now that he’s here, helping to spruce up the property and getting mixed up in Snowball’s antics, she begins to soften a little. Until she learns what he has planned…

Lukas is going to sell Weber Haus so that Miss Tilly can retire. But Snowball is certain that this B&B, and these people, are supposed to be her forever home. Somehow she has to get these stubborn humans to see things through the wisdom of a cat’s eye and a kitten’s loyal, loving heart…

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo / Google Play

~ BOOK REVIEW for Snowball's Christmas ~

***(3) out of 5 

This was a cute little story about a white fluffball of a kitten and the humans she hopes to keep as her own.  It was a quick, easy read; a mostly happy little distraction from many of the heavier cares of the world.  Definitely something that would be a delightfully cozy read on a cold winter's day.

The main characters are all interesting, and pretty well developed for the short length of the novel.  Some of the minor characters were, of course, less fleshed out, but that's to be expected.  Emily and Lukas were cute together in the few scenes where they interacted.  However, their shared time seemed very insufficient to has allowed either of them to develop any real feelings for the other.  Besides which, both were extremely wishy-washy about just about everything, from their thoughts on a relationship between them to plans for the inn and otherwise.  And they definitely were not good at communicating their thoughts or feelings.  Snowball seemed alternately to be just a mischevious little kitten, a brilliant mastermind, or a wielder of magic; I was never quite sure which.  Miss Tilly was definitely my favorite character of the bunch.

The book alternated between Emily's point of view and that of Lukas, with Snowball's thoughts sometimes randomly thrown in.  It was often hard to tell where one perspective ended and another began, especially in regards to the cat.  Occasionally, the viewpoint seemed to shift mid-stream even.

Other than that, it was a cute, endearing, clean romance, with just enough Christmas flare to make it an especially fun read over the upcoming holiday season.  

I received a free eBook copy of this title from NetGalley, 

and have willingly provided an honest review.

Excerpt:

At her car, her good mood took a back seat to frustration. The fob on her key chain was dying, which meant it didn’t always let her in right away. After four or five clicks, she finally gave a grr of annoyance and opened the door with the key.

“Wait.”

No mistaking the deep voice of the man from the parking lot. No way could he be talking to her, though, so she went to get in.

“Emily.”

He is talking to me.

Surprise tinged with more delight than she’d let herself acknowledge had her pausing to look over her shoulder. “How did you know my name?” she called as he jogged down the last few steps.

He waved back up at the slope. “That man called your name earlier.”

And he’d paid attention? Wow. A blush warmed the skin of her cheeks, making the sting of the cold air against her bite more. “Listen, I’m flattered and everything, but I’m running late.”

He paused on a word, mouth open, then his eyes crinkled as he grinned. “I’m not asking you out.”

Oh. Disappointment dropped over her like snow falling off branches on her head. Kerfloop. Followed swiftly by embarrassment. The heat crept back up her cheeks, but for a much less fun reason. “Okay . . . What can I help you with?”

“Actually, I’m here to help you.”

Help her? With what? She raised her eyebrows in question.

“I believe you’ve picked up a small passenger in your purse.”

“My—” Realization rushed in with all the subtlety of a blizzard, and she closed her eyes in resigned horror. “There’s a kitten in my purse. Isn’t there?”

She opened her eyes in time to catch the full impact of her stranger’s full-bodied laugh, his eyes alight with humor. “Does this happen to you often?” he asked.

“Only since this one arrived on our doorstep.” More gently than she’d been handling it until now, she swung her purse around and opened it wide. Sure enough, two blue eyes stared back at her with all the innocence of angels.

“Snowball. You’ve got to stop this,” she admonished as she lifted the small kitten out. Cuddling the ball of fluff against her chest, she lifted her gaze to her helpful stranger. Right in time to see him with a camera up to his eye. A soft click sounded as he snapped a picture.

“Uh— No, thanks.” She lifted a hand to block any more.

“I’m only getting the cat in the shot. I promise.”

Zero for two. First, he wasn’t chasing her down because he was interested, and now he only wanted pictures of the cat. My ego is going to need some chocolate therapy if this keeps up.

Author Bio:

Sweet contemporary and Amish romance author Kristen McKanagh grew up consuming books & exploring the world through her writing. She attempted to find a practical career by earning a degree in English Rhetoric (Technical Writing) & an MBA. However, she swiftly discovered that writing without imagination is not nearly as fun as writing with it. Kristen also writes award-winning steamy contemporary romance as Kadie Scott, and award-winning paranormal and YA fantasy romance as Abigail Owen. No matter the genre, she loves to write happily-ever-afters that shine with home, heart, & humor. Kristen currently resides in Austin, Texas, with her own swoon-worthy hero husband & their two children, who are growing up way too fast.

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