Why Not? Because I Said So Book Reviews and Author Interviews.

Saturday, August 12, 2023

The Art of Love and Lies:A Proper Romance By Rebecca Anderson-Victorian Historical Romance Book Review

Book Summary

A free-spirited artist teams up with a no-nonsense detective to capture a thief who has stolen a priceless Michaelangelo painting.

Manchester, England, 1857

Rosanna Hawkins is one of Manchester’s finest artists, even though no one knows her name. She reproduces “parlor versions” of classic masterpieces with near-perfect precision, which her employer then sells to the emerging upper-middle class families.

When the largest art exhibition ever to be held in England opens in Manchester, Rosanna is excited to visit. She meets the handsome Inspector Martin Harrison, who is head of security, and is immediately intrigued by his charm, confidence, and portrait-worthy good looks. The two spend many a flirtatious afternoon exploring the exhibition hall, discussing art, and sharing their secret hopes. Rosanna dreams of painting something original and meaningful, and Martin hopes to one day shed the shadow of his father’s notorious past.

But when they discover the theft of some of the paintings―and all the evidence points to Rosanna―she must convince Inspector Harrison she is innocent and proposes a plan to capture the real art thief.

It is a daring race to catch the criminal before he disappears with the most priceless piece in the collection―Michaelangelo’s The Manchester Madonna. If Rosanna and Inspector Harrison fail, not only will the painting be lost forever but so will their chance to paint their own happily ever after.

Book Details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Shadow Mountain (August 8, 2023)
Series: Proper Romance
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 288 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1639931082

****I received a complimentary book from publishers, publicists, NetGalley, book tours, and or authors. A review was not required and all opinions and ideas expressed are my own.****

My Review

The Art of Love and Lies is a Proper Romance full of things an art lover will love. This Victorian romance has the beautiful artist Rosanna and the serious police investigator Martin. They are brought together because of the largest art exhibition ever to be held in England in Manchester, 1857. Rosanna dreams about having her paintings in art galleries someday. Meanwhile, she's doing paintings that are copies of famous paintings. Her boss, Anton, seemed unpleasant and untrustworthy from the beginning to me. Rosanna doesn't realize what is truly happening with her paintings. Anton becomes a little violent with Rosanna at one point.

Martin is dealing with his father's sins and shady past. He admits not knowing a lot about art but is drawn to Rosanna as she shares her love of art with him. I enjoyed their witty banter as they "flirted" with one another. The romance happened quickly in this novel.

The action picks up halfway through when Rosanna and Martin are both trying to find out who stole valuable paintings from the exhibition. Time is not on their side. The deeper part of Rosanna and Martin's relationship also happens in the second half of the book. The romance is clean and some parts of the mystery you may figure out early. Readers may or may not be surprised at the end and I'm not telling. ;)

3.5-4 Stars

****Meet Author Rebecca Anderson****

Rebecca Anderson is the nom de plume of contemporary romance novelist Becca Wilhite. She is a high school English teacher and loves hiking, Broadway shows, food, books, and movies. She is happily married and a mom to four above-average kids.

Instagram | Twitter | Facebook

~*~*~*~*Purchase The Art of Love and Lies~*~*~*~*

HERE:

Paperback-https://amzn.to/3qqVnVW

Kindle-https://amzn.to/3qkhNIF

Friday, August 11, 2023

Unseen Danger {Guardians Unleashed, #3} By Jerusha Agen-Christian Romantic Suspense Book Review

Unseen Danger JustRead Blog + Review Tour

Welcome to the Blog + Review Tour for

Unseen Danger by Jerusha Agen,

hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

About the Book

Title: Unseen Danger
Series: Guardians Unleashed, #3
Author: Jerusha Agen
Publisher: SDG Words, LLC
Release Date: July 27, 2023
Genre: Christian Romantic Suspense

****I received a complimentary book from publishers, publicists, NetGalley, book tours, and or authors. A review was not required and all opinions and ideas expressed are my own.****

Book Summary

This woman and her K-9 protect others. Now who will protect them?

After a brutal attack, it took Nevaeh Williams six years to rebuild her life. Now a security specialist at the Phoenix K-9 Security and Detection Agency, she faces danger nearly every day. But when an old friend is targeted, her fragile stability begins to crumble.

Celebrity bodyguard Branson Aaberg could lose more than his career if he fails to end the mysterious threat against his client. Soon he’s more concerned with rescuing the tough but vulnerable woman who joins his security team.

Nevaeh is there to protect her friend, but what if she needs protection? What if the feeling she’s being watched isn’t the result of her traumatized imagination? If the danger is real, Nevaeh's only hope for survival may be the God powerful enough to defeat her worst enemy—the one she doesn't see before it's too late.

Unseen Danger continues the thrilling story of the elite Phoenix K-9 Security and Detection Agency that began with Hidden Danger (Guardians Unleashed, #1). (Each book can stand alone or be read as series installments.)

My Revew

Unseen Danger is the first book of Jerusha Agen's I've read. It was an exciting and inspirational novel. This Christian Romantic Suspense novel was full of thrills and surprises. Nevaeh and Branson were the perfect main characters. I loved both of them as they struggled with fear and believing in themselves and wanting God's help in their lives.

Nevaeh is living with PTSD from an attack when she worked at a prison a few years ago. She still shows such courage in her job as a security specialist at the Phoenix K-9 Security and Detection Agency. Branson is a security guard for a celebrity whose life has been threatened. Nevaeh's team joins Bransons as they all face that "unseen" danger that truly is around every corner. These two somehow, with everything going on grow close. I loved how Branson was so kind and supportive of Nevaeh and his own family. Other stars in this novel are the security dogs that work for the Detection and Security Agency. It's amazing what these trained dogs do and how brave they are.

This book is #3 in a series but can be read as a stand-alone. If you are looking for an action-packed, slow-burn romance, with elements of faith and God's love then Unseen Danger will be a perfect read for you.

Praise for Jerusha Agen:

"Jerusha Agen once again delivers top-level suspense and thrilling action. Fast-paced suspense at its best.”

– DiAnn Mills, bestselling author of Concrete Evidence on Covert Danger

"Fast-paced, explosive thriller. I couldn't turn the pages fast enough."

– Carrie Stuart Parks, award-winning, bestselling author of Relative Silence on Rising Danger

~~~~PURCHASE LINKS~~~~

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop | BookBub

More Books in this Series

Meet Author Jerusha Agen

Jerusha Agen

Jerusha Agen imagines danger around every corner but knows God is there, too. So naturally, she writes romantic suspense infused with the hope of salvation in Jesus Christ. Jerusha loves to hang out with her big furry dogs and little furry cats, often while reading or watching movies. Find more of Jerusha’s thrilling, fear-fighting stories at JerushaAgen.com.

Connect with Jerusha by visiting JerushaAgen.com to follow her on social media or subscribe to email newsletter updates.

~~~~Blog Tour Giveaway~~~~

(1) winner will receive a $25 Barnes and Noble gift card, signed copy of Unseen Danger, an Unseen Danger mug, Unseen Danger magnet, plus more swag!

Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight August 7, 2023 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on August 14, 2023. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Giveaway is subject to JustRead Publicity Tours Giveaway Policies.

Enter Giveaway

Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!

Wednesday, August 9, 2023

The Baron and the Lady Chemist by Alissa Baxter-Regency Romance Blog Tour Review

. Welcome to the Blog + Review Tour for The Baron and The Lady Chemist by Alissa Baxter,

hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

Book Details

Title: The Baron and the Lady Chemist
Series: The Grantham Girls #2
Author: Alissa Baxter
Publisher: Dragonblade Publishing
Release Date: August 3, 2023
Genre: Regency Romance (Sweet/Clean)

****I received a complimentary book from publishers, publicists, NetGalley, book tours, and or authors. A review was not required and all opinions and ideas expressed are my own.****

Book Summary

Their chemistry creates a chain reaction . . . but will love be the final result?

Dorothea Grantham has always been fascinated by chemistry and spends most days conducting experiments in her laboratory at Grantham Place, staining silk with gold, silver, and other metals using chemical processes.

Thea embroiders the beautiful gold and silver silk shawls she creates and enjoys wearing them, but her grandmother, Lady Longmore, advises her not to reveal to anyone outside the family circle that she has created the fashion items herself, concerned her granddaughter might be seen as an oddity.

When Thea enters Society, her shawls attract a great deal of attention and become the talk of the town. James, Lord Castleroy, takes a particular interest in her work, having inherited a share in his grandfather’s silk mill in Macclesfield.

Eager to invest in the ailing silk industry, the baron studies Miss Grantham’s silks with an admiring—and increasingly suspicious—eye, believing the fabrics to be smuggled imported silk. As he spends more time with the enterprising young lady, however, his interest in her quickly extends beyond his business affairs to engulf his guarded heart.

But Lord Castleroy isn’t the only person in London interested in Thea’s exquisite creations. And when a silken web of intrigue entangles her in real danger, Thea must trust the devotion of a man she never expected—or intended—to fall in love with.

Read Free in Kindle Unlimited!

Note: This series is part of Dragonblade's Sweet Dreams line, so this is a sweet, wholesome Historical Romance where passion beyond the bedroom door is left to the reader’s imagination.

My Review

I recently read the first book in the Grantham Girls series and loved it. I was so excited to read the next book. The books are about three sisters. I just found out that a third book will be coming out with the third sister's story. Yay!

The sister that is highlighted in this book is Dorothea or Thea for short. She is very intelligent, loves chemistry, and wears spectacles. She feels she is no beauty and truly only cares about her experiments and the silk shawls she stains and embroiders. I really loved Thea and felt for her as readers find out why she doesn't want to get involved with anyone because of her mother's death.

Lord James Castleroy comes along and meets Thea at a very trying and embarrassing moment. From the start, you could see how fascinated he was with Thea because she is nothing like the other young ladies in Society. He tried so hard to break the hard shell that is wrapped around Thea. James truly has the patience of an angel. I actually really loved the way their relationship developed. Both Thea and James had things they needed to work through in their lives before they opened up to one another.

This Regency Romance is full of intrigue, poetry, mystery, humor, sadness, and of course sweet, slow-burn romance. There were interesting things to learn about the silk industry at this time period. I love a novel that gives so much variety to readers. The Baron and the Lady Chemist will keep you entertained and captivated for many hours.

Make sure to enter the giveaway down below!!

PURCHASE LINKS:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop | BookBub

More Books in this Series

Meet Author Alissa Baxter

Alissa Baxter wrote her first Regency romance during her long university holidays. After travelling the world, she settled down to write her second Regency novel, which was inspired by her time living on a country estate in England. Alissa then published two chick lit novels before returning to her favourite era with her Linfield Ladies Series, a trio of Regency romances that feature women in trend-setting roles who fall in love with men who embrace their trailblazing ways... at least eventually. Her new Dragonblade trilogy, The Grantham Girls, continues this inspiring theme.

Alissa currently lives in Johannesburg with her husband and two sons.

Connect with Alissa by visiting alissabaxter.com to follow her on social media or subscribe to email newsletter updates.

~~~~Tour Giveaway~~~~

(1) winner will receive a $30 Amazon Gift Card!

Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight August 8, 2023 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on August 15, 2023. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Giveaway is subject to JustRead Publicity Tours Giveaway Policies.

Enter Giveaway

Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!

Monday, August 7, 2023

Swimming in a Sea of Stars By Julie Wright-YA Fiction Book Review

A single kindness can save a life.

Book Summary

Journal entry: Heading to school. I know what everyone will say. There goes the girl who tried to kill herself.

Addison is no stranger to feeling stressed, insecure, and sad. Her therapist recommended she keep a journal to help her understand those feelings better, which she really needs today. It’s her first day back to school, several weeks after she survived her suicide attempt. She knows there are rumors about why she did it: A lousy home life? Bullying? Heartbreak? None of them are true, but it doesn’t matter because Addison still feels like she’s drowning. She still holds secrets she’s not ready to share.

During the school day, Addison encounters four other students struggling with their own secrets:

Booker is anxious about seeing Addison. They were sort of a couple until he tried to kiss her. She fled and then tried to end her life. Those two things couldn’t be related, could they?

Celia feels trapped by her mother’s abusive boyfriend. She can guess why Addison did what she did.

Damion is TikTok-famous and thinks befriending Addison could boost his followers. But what no one knows is he needs the world to remember him since his sick mom doesn’t anymore.

Avery is considered a loner and doesn’t know Addison, but they have neighboring lockers. With Avery’s older brother in jail for dealing drugs, Avery is desperate for meaningful human connection.

Swimming in a Sea of Stars is a poignant and gripping novel about how we’re all interconnected, like the stars in the night sky that form constellations and map out the universe, and if even one star goes missing, the effect is profound.

Book Details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Shadow Mountain (August 1, 2023)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Genre: Teen and Young Adult Fiction
Subject Matter: Depression, Mental Health, Suicide, and Family Issues
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 256 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1639931015
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1639931019
Reading age ‏ : ‎ 13 - 17 years
Grade level ‏ : ‎ 7 - 12
****I received a complimentary book from publishers, publicists, NetGalley, book tours, and or authors. A review was not required and all opinions and ideas expressed are my own.****

My Review

Swimming in a Sea of Stars was a powerful read. The fantastic thing is the whole book takes place in a 24-hour time period. We follow 5 teens who are going through something difficult in their private lives. What they don't realize at first, is how they will end up interacting with one another and change the outcome of the day in all of their lives. What a great message for teens and all people to realize and remember: that everyone matters. Julie Wright brilliantly shows in this novel how a smile, acts of kindness, and a few positive words can change people's lives.

There are so many things that work to make this a great novel, and one thing I loved were the parts of the book written by Addison in her journal assigned by her therapist. There is so much honesty and truth as Addison expresses her feelings and interactions on that first day back at school after her suicide attempt. Between the five teens and their problems in life, there will be something that any teen or adult will be able to relate to.

I hope many teens get the chance to read this book. Hope Squads across the country should make this a book their members read. If you already didn't know, Hope Squad is a peer-to-peer suicide prevention program. Hope Squad members are nominated by their classmates as trustworthy peers and trained by advisors. The program reduces youth suicide through education, training, and peer intervention. My son was on the Hope Squad at his high school. It made a huge impact on his life and many others he helped along the way. Swimming in a Sea of Stars will do the same. Just like Booker mentioned in the novel about the Linkin Park song, 'One More Light', it asks who cares if one more light in the sky goes out in a sky full of a million stars? Who cares? This has been one of my son's favorite songs and he loves this group. This song is telling listeners that they are important and cared about. Author Julie Wright is also telling people that they are cared for and loved. We as readers are blessed that Julie has written such an influential novel that parents, teens, and teachers can read and be encouraged in opening up their eyes and truly seeing the needs of others around them.

5-Star Read*****

Side note-None of the hard topics inferred in this novel are going into depth about their sensitive topics.

****Meet Author Julie Wright****

Julie Wright wrote her first book when she was fifteen. She's written over twenty novels since then. She is a Whitney Awards winner for best romance with her books Cross My Heart and Lies Jane Austen Told Me, The American Library Association listed “Glass Slippers, Ever After, and Me” in their 2020 top ten best romances and "A Captain for Caroline Gray" in their 2021 top ten best romances.

She has one husband, five kids, two grandbabies, one dog, and a varying amount of houseplants (depending on attrition).

She loves writing, reading, hiking, playing with her kids, and watching her husband make dinner.

She hates mayonnaise.

Learn more about Julie and her books HERE:

http://www.juliewright.com/

~*~*~*~*Purchase Swimming in a Sea of Stars~*~*~*~*

HERE:

Hardcover-https://amzn.to/44PzKO1

Kindle-https://amzn.to/3KlwbH8

Friday, August 4, 2023