The Family Gathering by Robyn Carr

☆☆☆☆☆

The Family Gathering

by Robyn Carr

Audible Version

#audiblebook

 

We go back to Sullivans Crossing. To catch up with

the fabulous characters that live there.

Dakota Jones is the latest person to straggle in.

While his brother and sister are well known there,

he is not. His family is sure he will be

around for a short while. Even if they would wish

 for longer. And every single woman in the entire

area seems to be drawn to him.

Well, every one except.....of course, the one he is drawn to.

She is not drawn to Dakota. At all.

 Robyn Carr is so dependable. Her characters, towns,

situations are wide open and real.

I have enjoyed reading every one. 

You get an extra bonus from The Family

Gathering audible edition!

Therese Plummer as narrator!

She always adds another dimension to any story.

That makes her a favorite of mine.

 

  

 

 

 



Susan's Review of Whispers at Seaside by Addison Cole

Your next fun, flirty and sweet with heat romance!

WHISPERS AT SEASIDE

Sweet with Heat: Seaside Summers #10

Addison Cole

Releasing June 13, 2018

Having a mad crush on her boss’s son, Matt Lacroux—an intriguing mix of proper gentleman and flirtatious bad boy—is probably not the smartest idea for single mother Mira Savage. Especially when the company, and her job, is already on shaky ground. But as a Princeton professor, Matt’s life is hours away from Mira’s home on Cape Cod, keeping him safely in the fantasy-only zone. And as a single mother to six-year-old Hagen, with a floundering company to save, fantasies are all she has time for.

With hopes of becoming dean off the table, and too many months of longing for a woman who lived too far away to pursue, Matt’s publishing contract couldn’t have come at a better time. He heads home to Cape Cod on a brief sabbatical, intent on starting his book, and finally getting his arms around sweet, beautiful Mira.

A surprise encounter leads to midnight confessions. The more time Matt and Mira spend together, the deeper their relationship grows, and the love and attention Matt showers on Hagen is more than she has ever dreamed of. But Matt’s sabbatical is only temporary, and Mira’s not saving his father’s company so she can leave it behind. Will their whispers of love be enough for one of them to change their life forever?

Sweet with Heat books are the sweet editions of the Love in Bloom steamy romance novels by New York Times bestselling author Melissa Foster. Sweet with Heat books convey all of the passion you expect between two people in love, without any explicit scenes or harsh language.

Start the series for FREE with 

Read, Write, Love at Seaside

Addison Cole is the sweet alter ego of New York Times and USA Today bestselling and award-winning author Melissa Foster. She writes humorous and emotional sweet contemporary romance. Her books do not include explicit sex scenes or harsh language. Addison spends her summers on Cape Cod, where she dreams up wonderful love stories in her house overlooking Cape Cod Bay.    

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Whispers at Seaside is college professor Matt Lacroux and single mom Mira Savage’s romantic journey. This book is a wonderful friends to lovers’ romance with all the feels. The characters and the themes of the importance of family and friends drew me in to the story. The relationship which developed between Mira, Matt and Hagen enchanted me.

Matt Lacroux and Mira Savage met at an engagement party a year ago. The couple is attracted to each other but have remained friends because he teaches at Princeton and Mira works and lives in Seaside, Massachusetts. A three- month sabbatical provides Matt the opportunity to return home to reconnect with his family and explore his feelings for Mira and her son Hagen. Loved that Matt recognized that he needed to spend time with his Dad, sister and brothers. Matt understands that the time away from academia would enable him to reassess his priorities, slow down, explore his feelings for Mira and develop a positive relationship with Hagen. I liked that Matt was a strong, thoughtful, intelligent man and not as alpha as his brothers.

Mira Savage is a busy single mother. She works as a bookkeeper for Lacroux hardware and is devoted to her son Hagen. I loved that Mira was captivated by the charming Matt Lacroux and that Matt was intrigued by Mira as well. One of my favorite scenes is when Hagen, Matt and Matt’s brother Pete and father build a raft together. Loved that Matt showed Hagen how to research the building process, secure the logs with rope and choose the logs for the raft. Hagen was an important part of the team. I enjoyed every conversation between Matt and Hagan and loved seeing them bond together.

Addison Cole has created a great support system with the Seaside women. The author has created a core group of women who support each other’s dreams and passions. Each of the characters is unique and brings a different perspective to a situation. I enjoy that they support each other and tackle situations together. Loved that the Seaside friends saw merit in Mira’s proposal about Neil Lacroux’s business and supported her dream.

I adored the romance and the feel good aspect of this book. The characters are relatable. Matt is protective and has problems to resolve while Mira has trust issues to work through. The author does a fabulous job with both characters; the reader understands Mira’s desire and her hesitation to give her heart. Matt wants to romance Mira. He wants to be her everything-and he adores her child. Loved the ending of the book—a couple of great plot twists challenges the couple. The ending was fabulous—and yes Addison Cole aka Melissa Foster—you made me cry! (Again!!)

Whispers at Seaside is an engaging, feel good romance. Great characters, romance and family make the perfect summer read. And I loved that Hagan almost stole the show!

Reviewed by Susan Gorman

ARC provided by author

Cover Reveal for Unmask Me if You Can

Dear Reader,

I’m so excited to reveal the cover of the 4th Survivors book, Unmask Me if You Can. From the beginning of the series, readers have been asking for Jasper’s story. It will be available in print and ebook November 16, 2018! Links coming soon, but for now, I hope you enjoy the cover.

A bit about the book:

This masked lord…

Lord Jasper, younger son of a duke, suffered horrible burns fighting in the Napoleonic Wars. He wears a mask to hide his face from the stares and screams and finds comfort in the shadows. Jasper is an exceptional bounty hunter, so when a woman summons him to her deathbed and asks Jasper to find her runaway daughter before she passes away, he doesn’t refuse. Jasper is close to his quarry when he’s knifed by an assailant. Imagine his surprise when he regains consciousness in the arms of the woman he seeks. Except she’s not at all what he expected.

Is not the only one with scars.

On a remote cliff on the sea, Olivia Carlisle calls her four-year-old son in from an approaching storm. But the little boy is more interested in the man he’s found on the trail to their hidden cottage. Olivia fears men and wants nothing more than to leave the injured man where she found him. But his knife wound is severe, and with the approaching storm, she knows leaving him will condemn him to death. As Jasper begins to heal, Olivia acknowledges her attraction to him, even though such emotions terrify her almost as much as returning to London. Jasper must convince her that her only chance at safety is to challenge the man who pursues her. They must travel into the lion’s den—he to face his vulnerability and she to face her worst fears.

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Shana Galen is the bestselling author of fast-paced adventurous Regency historicals, including the RT Reviewers' Choice The Making of a Gentleman. Booklist says, "Galen expertly entwines espionage-flavored intrigue with sizzling passion," and RT Bookreviewscalls her "a grand mistress of the action/adventure subgenre." She taught English at the middle and high school level off and on for eleven years. Most of those years were spent working in Houston's inner city. Now she writes full time. She's happily married and has a daughter who is most definitely a romance heroine in the making. Shana loves to hear from readers, so send her an email or see what she's up to daily on Facebook and Twitter.

Review of What a Difference a Duke Makes

What a Difference a Duke Makes

 by Lenora Bell

About the Book
Wanted: Governess for duke’s unruly children
Edgar Rochester, Duke of Banksford, is one of the wealthiest, most powerful men in England, but when it comes to raising twins alone, he knows he needs help. The only problem is the children have chased away half the governesses in London. Until the clever, bold, and far-too-enticing Miss Mari Perkins arrives.

Lost: One heart to an arrogant duke
Mari knows how to wrap even the most rebellious children around her finger. But their demanding, wickedly handsome father? He won’t be quite so easy to control. And there’s something else she can’t seem to command. Her heart. The foolish thing beats so wildly every time the duke is near.

Found: A forbidden passion neither can deny
As his employee, Mari is strictly off-limits. But what if she’s the one breaking all his rules? In the game of governess versus duke, how can Edgar maintain his defenses when the only thing he wants to do is let the tempting beauty win . . .?

What a Difference a Duke Makes by Lenora Bell is the story of a novice governesses foray into the world of the Banksford household in London. Mari is a young lady with a good head on her shoulders and a strong backbone. She was raised in an oppressive charity school and there is some mystery regarding her parentage. Down to her last chance, Mari boldly seizes an opportunity and finds herself in the household of the Duke of Banksford. The Duke has recently acquired two children who excel at running off governesses. Mari may not be the governess that Edgar wants but she is definitely the governess his family needs.

Edgar and Mari are charming and sympathetic characters. I loved their scenes together as they met, struggled with attraction and fell into something more. They lit up the page with their conversations.The Banksford household is a terrific place to spend time in with excellent secondary characters and interesting insights into the beginning of industrial change in England.

Lenora Bell has written a fun, poignant and truly heartfelt book with nods to Mary Poppins and other literary classics. I highly recommend this book to readers who like clever humor, witty dialogue and a household of lively and unusual folk who seem to leap off the page. What a Difference a Duke Makes is a joy to read. This is the first book I have read written by Lenora Bell, but I know it won't be the last. I'm looking forward to the follow-up in this series For the Duke's Eyes Only.

I received What a Difference a Duke Makes from Lenora Bell as a random winner at Night Owl Romance Chat. I recently started attending the chats at Night Owl Romance after I met some of the featured authors at The Historical Romance Retreat in Spokane. I met Lenora Bell at last years retreat, but we didn't actually talk about books, primarily we had a conversation about her bonnet, which was fabulous! 

Review by Kixcatmom aka Gayle Cochrane

Susan's Review of The Prince by Katharine Ashe

The temptation of her lips…

Libby Shaw refuses to accept society’s dictates. She’s determined to become a member of Edinburgh’s all-male Royal College of Surgeons. Disguising herself as a man, she attends the surgical theater and fools everyone—except the one man who has never forgotten the shape of her exquisitely sensual lips.

…will make a prince say yes to her every desire

Forced to leave his home as a boy, famed portraitist Ziyaeddin is secretly the exiled prince of a distant realm. When he first met Libby, he memorized every detail of her face and drew her. But her perfect lips gave him trouble—the same lips he now longs to kiss. When Libby asks his help to hide her feminine identity from the world, Ziyaeddin agrees on one condition: she must sit for him to paint—as a woman. But what begins as a daring scheme could send them both hurtling toward danger…and an unparalleled love.

Katharine Ashe’s The Prince is an elegantly written historical novel. The mystery surrounding Ziyaeddin Mira and his friendship with Libby Shaw drew me into the story which features fabulous dialogue, unique characters and political intrigue.

I was fascinated that the author chose to have both main characters assume secret identities in the novel. Ibrahim Kent is a talented portrait artist who has many friends and social connections throughout Europe. The mystery surrounding Ibrahim’s true identity is revealed piece by piece in the story. As Prince Ziyaeddin Mira of Tabir, Ibrahim endured hardships and loss before he reinvented himself as an artist to separate himself from the political drama in his homeland. Libby Shaw is determined to be the first female doctor and is presented with an opportunity to study medicine at the Royal College of Surgeons. By day, Libby masquerades as Joe Smart while she attends medical lectures.

Libby and Ibrahim met at Haiknayes Castle and neither has forgotten their meeting. Ziyaeddin sees beauty in Libby’s body and desires to paint her. Libby recognizes that the handsome Ziyaeddin has unnerved her—and she’s not sure how to deal with her feelings. To avoid being caught masquerading as a man, Libby moves in with Ziyaeddin. Loved the poignant, honest conversations between the couple. Although the romance between the couple developed slowly, the sexual chemistry between Libby and Ziyaeddin sizzled during the course of the novel.

The Prince covers many topics in detail; politics, feminism, social conditions and medical training. The attention to detail and history is excellent. I skipped through pages which described the medical procedures and descriptions of Libby removing her whiskers and trousers because they were reiterated throughout the story. The woman disguised as a man storyline is my least favorite trope. I understand why the author chose this technique in the novel but, I feel that the disguise aspect of the story was repetitive and towards the end of the novel it was taken a bit too far. Libby was a unique character—extremely intelligent, determined and strong willed. Adding the OCD element to the storyline was unnecessary. I felt it clouded the reader’s perception of Libby instead of enhancing it.

In an unexpected plot twist, Ziyaeddin and Libby are tested at the end of the novel. Loved that the author portrayed Ziyaeddin as an honest man through the novel. He was tested and never wavered in his beliefs or in his love for Libby. Ms Ashe has created my favorite character-An honorable hero.

Katharine Ashe blends history, feminism and romance in The Prince. Ms. Ashe’s descriptive prose draws the reader into Libby and Ziyaeddin’s unique romance, The character’s passion and their poignant conversations kept me turning the pages.


Reviewed by Susan Gorman


ARC from Author


I purchased The Prince from Amazon.

Susan's Perfect Weekend at the Chatham Gables Inn

My husband and I decided to celebrate our anniversary by treating ourselves to a weekend away. We have very busy lives; both of us work, our daughter is in law school and we have 5 Pembroke Welsh corgis. We decided to spend the weekend at the Chatham Gables Inn in Chatham, Massachusetts.

Our stay at the Chatham Gables Inn (CGI) exceeded our expectations! There are so many thoughtful touches through the inn. Fresh flowers, candy and wine in the common rooms—yes there are two charming fire placed rooms perfect for reading! The coffee and tea bar with tea bread and delicious cookies caught my eye as our host showed us to our room! My husband sampled the treats and loved the cookies!

A beautiful bouquet of tulips with a card from inn owners Andrea and Dave Smith greeted us as we entered our room. I fell in love with the queen size sleigh bed the minute we entered Siasconset, our beautiful appointed and inviting first floor suite. The gorgeous floral bedding appealed to me and the sheets were buttery soft. The steam shower, high end spa products and Turkish towels were fabulous! I felt like I was at a spa! The cozy club chair with a cashmere throw by the fireplace became my reading spot. After a long drive, my husband loved the super comfortable bed and by the way, he wanted to make sure that I mentioned the delicious cookies!

Dave and Andrea went above and beyond to make sure that my husband and I were comfortable. Dave helped us in with our luggage, gave us a few dinner suggestion and directions. We enjoyed a fabulous meal at the Chatham Squire; a cosmopolitan for me, an IPA beer for my husband, shrimp scampi, haddock and dessert (of course!) Dave gave us helpful tips and great directions for the places we wanted to visit. CGI is an easy drive to Provincetown and Truro. My husband loves authentic nautical items and and vintage postcards. We enjoyed a day sightseeing and shopping in Provincetown. My husband remarked that CGI was like a vintage postcard as it reminded him of the Patti Page song "Old Cape Cod".

Each morning, we were treated to amazing breakfasts in the inn’s quaint sun room. Andrea’s gourmet breakfasts were FABULOUS! I loved the granola with whipped cream, scrambled eggs with bacon and rosemary ciabatta bread served on our first day—it looked too pretty to eat! My husband loved the sunny side eggs and toast served on Saturday. Sunday’s brunch was out of this world! Pineapple and blackberries for the first course followed by CGI scrambled eggs, sausage and French toast! My husband is not a big breakfast person and he decided to have a bagel on our last day. He regretted his choice after spotting my breakfast plate and taking a taste of my french toast!

We loved our stay at the Chatham Gables Inn—can’t thank our hosts for making our weekend special. My husband describes our stay as visiting your favorite aunt’s house where you know you will be spoiled and have the best cookies in the world!

I am planning a return trip next year for my 60th birthday and have added a Kashwere throw to my Christmas list!

SHH….. don’t tell…… my husband ........ I haven't told him yet!

Reviewed By Susan Gorman

Susan's Review of Lovers At Seaside by Addison Cole

Your next fun, flirty and sweet with heat romance!

LOVERS AT SEASIDE

Sweet with Heat: Seaside Summers #9

Addison Cole

Releasing May 9, 2018

After months of long-distance communication, actress Parker Collins and artist Grayson Lacroux finally plan to reconnect in the seaside town of Wellfleet, Massachusetts. But Parker never shows, and weeks pass without a word, leaving Grayson to believe he’s misinterpreted their budding relationship.

Parker has been running on autopilot ever since she lost her friend, mentor, and the only family she’s ever known, Bert Stein. Armed with junk food, tequila, and her big, lovable dog, she’s prepared to hole up and mourn—and determined to mend a fence Bert had never been able to with his estranged and bitter brother. But Parker didn’t count on the handsome artist she’s been fantasizing about for nearly a year walking in on her grief-induced drunken night.

When Grayson stumbles across Parker, he has no idea what to make of the gorgeous blonde who blew him off despite the chemistry between them. But that doesn’t stop him from feeling protective of the woman who’s consumed his thoughts for months, and when he learns of Parker’s plans to confront an angry old man, he refuses to leave her side. As Parker’s past unfolds, they’re led on an unexpected journey of discovery. Their connection deepens, until good intentions spark painful secrets, threatening the love they’ve found.

Sweet with Heat books are the sweet editions of the Love in Bloom steamy romance novels by New York Times bestselling author Melissa Foster. Sweet with Heat books convey all of the passion you expect between two people in love, without any explicit scenes or harsh language.

Start the series for FREE with 

Read, Write, Love at Seaside

Susan's Review of Love at Last by Melissa Foster

Cowboy Cal Hayden has loved Rachel Gray practically since the first time he set eyes on her. But Cal’s a careful, responsible man who knows better than to start a relationship before he can give it his all. He bided his time while caring for his family through his father’s terminal illness. Now his father is gone and his mother is settled, but has Cal waited too long to make his move? Find out more about these friends of the Bradens in LOVE AT LAST, and catch up with many of your favorite Love in Bloom characters, including much-anticipated news about babies for the Bradens in Trusty, Colorado! If this is your first introduction to the Bradens, please note that this is a flirt not a full-length novel. Like all Love in Bloom books, flirts are written to stand alone, so jump right in and enjoy the fun, sexy, and emotional ride.

Love at Last features Cal Hayden and Rachel Gray. It’s a fast -paced friends to lovers novella set in Trusty, Colorado.

The sexual tension between Cal and Rachel sizzles from the first page of the novella. Cal flirts out outrageously with Rachel and it’s apparent that he is very interested in her. Rachel flirts back but wonders why Cal hasn’t asked her out. Loved the smart, sexy dialogue between Cal and Rachel when they were selecting the scents for their candles. Cal was determined to make his move and it was so much fun reading how he captured Rachel’s attention and her heart!

“Everything about you matters, darlin’, and your big heart is only one of the reasons you’ve captured mine.”

Melissa Foster delivers a fabulous character driven romance in Love at Last. Enjoyed the couple’s connection, passion and the romance. Loved the scene where the couple danced to Brett Young’s “In Case You Didn’t Know”: it was perfect, sexy and oh so romantic! The novella is a standalone read. I have not read any of the full length novels in the Trusty series and connected to this couple immediately. The shorter length format worked for me because I could read the novella in one afternoon and meet some of the characters in the Trusty, Colorado series.

Looking for a beach read---pick up Love at Last! Rachel and Cal’s passionate story will touch your heart!

Reviewed by Susan Gorman

ARC provided by the author

The Mongomerys Are Back! Special Pre Order Price for Until There Was Us by Samantha Chase!!

Until There Was Us (The Montgomery Brothers #7)

Megan Montgomery has always been the careful type. Except...one time at her cousin's wedding when she threw caution to the wind and had the steamiest hook-up of her life. But that was two years ago— why can't she stop thinking about it? So when Megan accepts a job at her cousin's company, she does everything she can to avoid Alex—knowing he'll shake up her carefully crafted world.

Alex Rebat's living a good life. He loves his career and friends, but like Megan, he hasn't been able to stop thinking about their passionate encounter. And once Megan moves to town, Alex makes it his personal goal to show her that maybe it's time to start taking a few more risks

Buy Links: Amazon  |Barnes and Noble |  iBooks

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A Note from author Samantha Chase:
Okay, so after much discussion I was able to secure for you – my readers – a price reduction on UNTIL THERE WAS US!! The catch? It is TEMPORARY!! This is a special pre-order pricing of $5.99 (and if you’ve already pre-ordered, you will get the special pricing too so no worries!!). The biggest request I have of you is to PLEASE preorder!! If they see how much readers respond and act on this lower price, then we will continue lowering the prices of my books through them!! So please, help me help YOU by being able to provide lower ebook pricing by taking advantage of this limited time offer!! THANK YOU!

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I was fortunate to read an early copy of Alex and Megan’s story and it’s the perfect addition to the Montgomery series! Summer, Ethan, Zach, Gabriella and Maylene play significant roles in the story! There’s a bit of matching making magic, fabulous characters and a story that will convince readers how sweet a second chance romance can be!

Susan