{Blog Tour} Paris Ever After - K.S.R. Burns (Review & Giveaway)

K.S.R. Burns

on Tour May 1-14 with  

Paris Ever After

(women’s fiction) Release date: May 1st, 2018 at Velvet Morning Press ASIN: B079H32ND3 260 pages

Author’s website Goodreads

 

SYNOPSIS

Can Amy’s rocky start in Paris turn into a happy ever after? Amy didn’t realize how stale her life was until she jetted off to Paris without telling a soul—not even her husband—and had the adventure of a lifetime. Now as she tries to establish herself in the City of Light, she finds that despite a fun (and quirky) group of friends and the ability to indulge in French pastries whenever she wants, reinventing her life is much harder than she imagined. Then on Amy’s thirtieth birthday, two unexpected visitors leave her wondering if she will soon be saying au revoir to Paris and the new life she’s struggled to build. Her estranged husband, Will, shows up—but is he interested in reconciliation or separation? And a young woman who arrives on Amy’s doorstep unleashes chaos that could push Amy out into the street. As Amy’s Parisian dream starts to fall apart, she must decide: return to the stability of Will and Phoenix (if that’s even still an option) or forge her way forward in Paris? Amid secrets and surprises, set in enchanting gardens, cozy cafés, and glittering Parisian streets, Amy must choose between two very different worlds. And each has a claim on her heart. *** NB: The author’s previous book, The Paris Effect, featured here on France Book Tours, was just optioned for Film & TV!

REVIEW

We jump right into the action with Amy and her life in Paris.  I loved that the author went back and forth in time to give us the details we needed for what happened in the past.  I enjoyed how the story was built so that I didn’t feel lost or confused on what happened to get Amy to Paris. 

I loved Amy right from the beginning of the book! You could tell she had a complicated story to tell and a complicated life that she lived.  I loved that we got to learn about her family and the layers began to peel away to see how she ended up in Paris to begin with.   My heart went out to her and I just wanted what was best for Amy during the entire book.   I could see how just up and leaving without telling your husband is a big issue, but after losing someone very close to you the grief overcame her.   Another factor that played into this was Amy’s loss of her parents at such a young age.  I couldn’t image losing so many people close to me.

The author does a great job keeping the story moving along.  I enjoyed hearing all about Amy’s life in Paris.  She did a great job not only describing her location, but also some changes in customs that she must assimilate to with living in Paris.   The author did a great job bringing in life in Paris where it felt natural in the story.   

The conflict built nicely over the story.  I enjoyed seeing how everything played out for everyone in the story.  The ending for this book was perfect! 

I would suggest this read as a weekend read.  The book was short in nature and an easy read.  I could follow along in the story with minimal issues. I would have loved to be sitting on a beach enjoying this book!

I received a copy of this book from France Book tours to provide an honest review.  This does not affect my opinion of this book.

My Rating: 4/5 

EXCERPT

We step out onto the street, still in silence. I half expect to see Manu pivot on his heel and stride off down the sidewalk. Or return upstairs to spend the rest of the evening with Margaret. I wouldn’t put it past him to do all those dishes by himself.

But Manu doesn’t leave my side. When a cab pulls up, all three of us pile into the backseat, me in the middle, and we squeal off, heading west toward the rue de Rivoli.

As we speed along, I lean forward to peer out the side windows. This cozy enclosed spot, though it smells like cigarette smoke, feels like a good place to be right now. Tomorrow will be soon enough to find out why William has come to France. Tonight, I’m brimming with a mad joy.

After all, I’m in Paris.

I’m home.

Of course, this is ridiculous. I was born and raised in Phoenix, Arizona, and had never even traveled back East (much less overseas). But the first time I stepped onto a Paris sidewalk I felt wholly at ease. The sky was the color of pewter. The streets were shiny jet black from a night of rain. I walked for miles, sloshing straight through puddles, invincible in my boots and then-pristine black fingertip-length trench coat. It was, to date, the nicest walk of my entire life.

We are rocketing past the long, sober façade of the Louvre when Hervé murmurs a few words to the driver, who a block later turns right off the rue de Rivoli and onto the broad avenue de l’Opéra. I scrunch down in my seat to gaze up at the Opéra Garnier, an ornate square building presiding at the end of the avenue like an enormous billion-calorie birthday cake.

It’s funny. You’d think in a crowded metropolis like Paris there wouldn’t be enough space for you to be able to admire things from a distance. But there is, and you can. Notre-Dame Cathedral is set on an island in the Seine, the Arc de Triomphe stands in splendid isolation at the top of the Champs-Elysées, and the Eiffel Tower can be spotted from all over town. You can turn down some anonymous little street and be treated to a perfectly framed snapshot view of an iconic monument, like the Sacré-Coeur or the Panthéon. It pays to keep your eye out. Be ready to be dazzled, Kat would say.

I’m wondering if our destination tonight is near the Café de la Paix—the café someone said the whole world eventually walks by—when our cab veers into the black maw of a poorly lit side street. All three of us pitch to the right, briefly pinning me between Hervé’s bony shoulder and Manu’s much more muscular one. My heart thumps. Without warning, we’ve plunged into one of the dark narrow lanes that Napoleon III told Baron Haussmann to replace with airy broad boulevards, all the better to march soldiers down to keep the rabble in line. Haussmann obviously missed this one. Perhaps barons are just not that reliable.

A hundred yards later the cab brakes, screeching, and Hervé opens his door before we’ve even come to a complete stop. 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

K. S. R. Burns is the author of the Amazon bestseller, THE PARIS EFFECT, its upcoming standalone sequel PARIS EVER AFTER, and THE AMAZING ADVENTURES OF WORKING GIRL: Real-Life Career Advice You Can Actually Use. She has lived and worked in four countries and 22 cities, including Paris. No longer a wanderer, Burns now resides in the Pacific Northwest, where in addition to novels she writes a weekly career advice column for The Seattle Times. Visit her website. Follow her on Facebook, Twitter Subscribe to her newsletter Buy the book: Amazon | Kobo | iTunes | Nook

***

GIVEAWAY

Enter here

Visit each blogger on the tour: tweeting about the giveaway everyday of the Tour will give you 5 extra entries each time! [just follow the directions on the entry-form]

Global giveaway open to all 5 winners

***

CLICK ON THE BANNER TO READ OTHER REVIEWS, EXCERPTS, AND INTERVIEW

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Twenties Girl - Sophie Kinsella (Review)

Twenties Girl by Sophie Kinsella
Genres: Fiction, Romance, Contemporary, Humor 
Publication date:  July 21st 2009 
Publisher: The Dial Press
Format: audiobook, 15 hours and 5 minutes
How I got it: My public library
Buy it: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
My rating: 3/5 

Lara Lington has always had an overactive imagination, but suddenly that imagination seems to be in overdrive. Normal professional twenty-something young women don't get visited by ghosts. Or do they?

When the spirit of Lara's great-aunt Sadie-a feisty, demanding girl with firm ideas about fashion, love, and the right way to dance-mysteriously appears, she has one request: Lara must find a missing necklace that had been in Sadie's possession for more than seventy-five years, because Sadie cannot rest without it.

Lara and Sadie make a hilarious sparring duo, and at first it seems as though they have nothing in common. But as the mission to find Sadie's necklace leads to intrigue and a new romance for Lara, these very different "twenties" girls learn some surprising truths from and about each other. Written with all the irrepressible charm and humor that have made Sophie Kinsella's books beloved by millions, Twenties Girl is also a deeply moving testament to the transcendent bonds of friendship and family. 

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My thoughts:

Lara is having some major life issues currently including, her ex- boyfriend, a job that she isn’t too sure about and now a dead aunt who might be haunting her.  Lara is just trying to keep her imagination under control and get her life on track, but maybe her dead aunt Sadie is just what she needs to get everything in line.

The author does a great job creating Lara’s personality.  We can see right from the beginning that Lara is a little stressed and has a lot going on, but is working hard on putting up a good front.   Lara doesn’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings or trouble anyone. Lara grew on me when I was reading the book and I ended up rooting for her the whole time to get everything in order.  Lara did get a little stuck on the ex-boyfriend issue, but it does end up working on in the book.

The story follows Lara as she is in search of her great-aunt Sadie’s necklace.  Lara is somewhat looking for the necklace while trying to keep going with her career.  I loved the banter that occurred between Lara and Sadie during the book.  The banter alone would keep me listening to the book.  I loved the relationship that developed between the two of them and how much that Lara could learn about Sadie’s life.  Sadie was an amazing second character since she was a ghost stuck in the past it was an interesting view on life.  I enjoyed how it brought the Twenties Girl idea to life through Sadie.

The story moves along at a nice pace and is easy to follow along.  I loved how the story unfolded and it kept my attention most of the time.  The story gets busier towards the end, but overall a great pace.

My major complaint with the book would have been the romance.   I have read several Sophie Kinsella books and enjoyed the romance portion of those books.  The romance in this book felt slightly as an afterthought in this book.   The book is focused mainly on Lara and getting her life back together and trying to figure out what she wants out of life.  I did enjoy the romance at times and felt it was cute, but at other times I felt it could have been almost a second book.

I would suggest this as a nighttime read.  There were a lot of parts where I felt that the book could be put down and picked back up.  The book kept my attention while listening to it, but I was able to take some breaks and not feel like I missed anything. 

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About the Author

Madeleine Wickham (born 12 December 1969) is a bestselling British author under her pseudonym, Sophie Kinsella. Educated at New College, Oxford, she worked as a financial journalist before turning to fiction. She is best known for writing a popular series of chick-lit novels. The Shopaholic novels series focuses on the misadventures of Becky Bloomwood, a financial journalist who cannot manage her own finances. The books follows her life from when her credit card debt first become overwhelming ("The Secret Dreamworld of a Shopaholic") to the latest book on being married and having a child ("Shopaholic & Baby"). Throughout the entire series, her obsession with shopping and the complications that imparts on her life are central themes.

Author Links:

   

Small Great Things - Jodi Picoult (Review)

Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult 
Genres: Fiction 
Publication date: October 11th 2016
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Format: ebook, 480 pages
How I got it: Netgalley to provide an honest review
Buy it: Amazon | Barnes and Noble
My rating: 5/5 

Ruth Jefferson is a labor and delivery nurse at a Connecticut hospital with more than twenty years' experience. During her shift, Ruth begins a routine checkup on a newborn, only to be told a few minutes later that she's been reassigned to another patient. The parents are white supremacists and don't want Ruth, who is African American, to touch their child. The hospital complies with their request, but the next day, the baby goes into cardiac distress while Ruth is alone in the nursery. Does she obey orders or does she intervene?

Ruth hesitates before performing CPR and, as a result, is charged with a serious crime. Kennedy McQuarrie, a white public defender, takes her case but gives unexpected advice: Kennedy insists that mentioning race in the courtroom is not a winning strategy. Conflicted by Kennedy's counsel, Ruth tries to keep life as normal as possible for her family—especially her teenage son—as the case becomes a media sensation. As the trial moves forward, Ruth and Kennedy must gain each other's trust, and come to see that what they've been taught their whole lives about others—and themselves—might be wrong.

With incredible empathy, intelligence, and candor, Jodi Picoult tackles race, privilege, prejudice, justice, and compassion—and doesn't offer easy answers. Small Great Things is a remarkable achievement from a writer at the top of her game.

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My thoughts:

What a powerful read.  I couldn’t put this one down once I started it and I am not sure why I put it off so long.  

This book follows Ruth Jefferson who is a labor and delivery nurse for a local hospital.  Ruth has been a nurse for many years.  One day while at work a couple asks for Ruth to be removed from their case because of the color of her skin.  Due to an unfortunate series of events the child does not make it.  Ruth is then blamed for the death of the child and is taken to trial.

The story felt so natural, raw and real that I was hooked once it got going.  The author does an amazing job bringing all the emotions to the surface in this book.  The book gave me a lot to think about personally about my actions and reactions to different situations in my life.  I love when a book is thought provoking.   The author takes us for a journey in this book and it is one I will not forget easily.

This book is told through three POV’s.  We have Ruth who is on trial for the murder, the father of the baby Turk who is a white supremacist and Kennedy the public defender for Ruth.  

Ruth is such a strong and determined main character.  I loved that we got to see flashbacks of the past of how she became to be the person that we know her to be today.  I enjoyed getting to see her relationship with her family as well as how she feels about race in the world today.  It was refreshing look on racisim coming from Ruth’s eyes that people might not even consider.   I enjoyed reading Ruth’s views during the book and seeing her relationship with Kennedy form.    I loved to see the relationship Ruth had with her son as well.

Turk was an interesting character.  The author did a great job staying in character with Turk the entire time.  He was going through the grieving of losing a child, while also trying to justify his white supremacist attitude.  I did like getting a look at what Turk was thinking and getting to see when he had questions about his beliefs arise.   I also did like hearing of how he ended up where he was today.

Kennedy was an outstanding character in this book.  I loved that she thought she had her whole life figured out and then got this case, which brought her a dose of reality. Kennedy in my mind grew leaps and bounds during this book.  I loved that we got to see her mind changing and her thoughts on everything going on in her life.  Kennedy took things into her own hands and tried to step into the shoes of Ruth.   Originally Kennedy’s goal was to get Ruth off on murder, but the story went way beyond that.

The author does a great job with the pacing of the story.  The story keeps moving forward while we learn about each character, but we also get to see tidbits of the past that bring the story further to life.  I loved all the side characters that we got in the book because it helped make the story feel authentic.

I would suggest this as more of a weekend read.  I read it at night and found myself reading late into the night because I didn’t want to put it down and needed to know what was going to happen.   I would have loved to sit down on a weekend and be able to dive into longer reading sessions.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley to provide an honest review.  This does not affect my opinion of this book. 

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About the Author

Jodi Picoult is the author of twenty-three novels, including the #1 New York Times bestsellers Leaving Time, The Storyteller, Lone Wolf, Between the Lines, Sing You Home, House Rules, Handle with Care, Change of Heart, Nineteen Minutes, and My Sister’s Keeper. She lives in New Hampshire with her husband and three children.

Her new novel, SMALL GREAT THINGS, is available in hardcover, ebook, and audio on October 11th.

Website: http://www.jodipicoult.com/

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/jodipicoult

I've Got Your Number - Sophie Kinsella (Review)

I've Got Your Number by Sophie Kinsella
Genres: Fiction, Romance, Contemporary, Humor 
Publication date:  February 14th 2012
Publisher: The Dial Press
Format: audiobook, 13 hours, 25 minutes
How I got it: My public library
Buy it: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
My rating: 4/5 

I’ve lost it. :( The only thing in the world I wasn’t supposed to lose. My engagement ring. It’s been in Magnus’s family for three generations. And now the very same day his parents are coming, I’ve lost it. The very same day! Do not hyperventilate, Poppy. Stay positive :) !!
 
Poppy Wyatt has never felt luckier. She is about to marry her ideal man, Magnus Tavish, but in one afternoon her “happily ever after” begins to fall apart. Not only has she lost her engagement ring in a hotel fire drill but in the panic that follows, her phone is stolen. As she paces shakily around the lobby, she spots an abandoned phone in a trash can. Finders keepers! Now she can leave a number for the hotel to contact her when they find her ring. Perfect!
 
Well, perfect except that the phone’s owner, businessman Sam Roxton, doesn’t agree. He wants his phone back and doesn’t appreciate Poppy reading his messages and wading into his personal life.
 
What ensues is a hilarious and unpredictable turn of events as Poppy and Sam increasingly upend each other’s lives through emails and text messages. As Poppy juggles wedding preparations, mysterious phone calls, and hiding her left hand from Magnus and his parents . . . she soon realizes that she is in for the biggest surprise of her life.

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My thoughts:

This story follows Poppy who recently got engaged to the man of her dreams.  While out with the girls she was passing along her engagement ring and the fire alarm goes off causing the ring to go missing.   Poppy begins the search and in the process, loses her cell phone.  Poppy ends up picking up a cell phone from the garage can and it happens to belong to Sam.  Poppy and Sam begin an unconventional relationship via the shared cell phone. 

Poppy is such an interesting main character.  She is trying to do the right thing always and in the process, doesn’t realize she is putting herself second.  Poppy is working to fit in with her finance’s Magnus’s family who happen to be all well published educators.   Poppy desperately wants to make everything work and be perfect.  Poppy gets a lot of bumps handed to her and she handles them well. 

Magnus is such an interesting male character for Poppy.  They don’t seem to mesh well and he does appear to be avoiding her for a good portion of the book, although we only get Poppy’s POV so we don’t 100% know what is up with Magnus.  As we get a closer consider Poppy’s relationship we do see some red flags going off with Magnus.  I enjoyed getting the background that we did get on Magnus because it helped see what he was thinking.

Sam is a perfect male lead in a book.  I can see him being a perfect book boyfriend.  He comes off harsh in the beginning, but it does appear he has a higher stress job and that he might need a little help opening up. I loved when we got to learn more about him and see that he acts a certain way due to his end goals.

The author does a great job with the storyline to keep the story moving along.  There is a lot of action that happens in a short amount of time.  The story is told through Poppy’s POV so we get to consider her thinking pattern as well as seeing what is going on with her as it happens.  I loved getting to know the characters and couldn’t help but root for Poppy while listening.   The side characters in the book made the story even better.  I loved the comic relief that I got while listening to this book.

The ending of the book was perfect in my mind.  It was tied in a perfect bow for me and I love when a novel feels complete.

I would highly recommend the audio of this book.  The narrator was perfect and so easy to listen too.  I loved getting to listen to this story.  It would be the perfect book to read while having a weekend to do nothing. 

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About the Author

Madeleine Wickham (born 12 December 1969) is a bestselling British author under her pseudonym, Sophie Kinsella. Educated at New College, Oxford, she worked as a financial journalist before turning to fiction. She is best known for writing a popular series of chick-lit novels. The Shopaholic novels series focuses on the misadventures of Becky Bloomwood, a financial journalist who cannot manage her own finances. The books follows her life from when her credit card debt first become overwhelming ("The Secret Dreamworld of a Shopaholic") to the latest book on being married and having a child ("Shopaholic & Baby"). Throughout the entire series, her obsession with shopping and the complications that imparts on her life are central themes.

Author Links:

   

Rarity from the Hollow - Robert Eggleton (Spotlight)

Rarity From the Hollow by Robert Eggleton

Genres: Fiction, Science Fiction, Fantasy
Buy it: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Dog Horn Publishing 
 

A Blurb About the Book

Lacy Dawn's father relives the Gulf War, her mother's teeth are rotting out, and her best friend is murdered by the meanest daddy on Earth. Life in The Hollow isn't great. But Lacy has one advantage -- she's been befriended by a semi-organic, semi-robot who works with her to cure her parents. He wants something in exchange, though. It's up to her to save the Universe.

Will Lacy Dawn's predisposition, education, and magic be enough for her to save the Universe, Earth, and, most importantly, protect her own family?

Rarity from the Hollow is adult literary science fiction filled with tragedy, comedy and satire. It is a children's story for adults, not for the prudish, faint of heart, or easily offended.

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Excerpt from Chapter 13, “Mom I’d Like to Introduce You to My Fiancé”

Scene Prologue: At this point in the story, Lacy Dawn, the protagonist, is twelve years old. An android named DotCom (his name is a recurring pun throughout the novel) installed a port in her upper spine and has directly downloaded data into her brain for the last several years. His ship is hidden in a cave in the Woods behind the family’s house in the hollow. DotCom was sent to Earth to train and recruit Lacy Dawn to save the universe from an imminent threat, but was recalled due to slow performance. In this scene, DotCom has returned to Earth and Jenny, the mother, meets him for the first time. 

*****

            …..…Jenny (the mother) walked up the hill to Roundabend. She called Lacy Dawn's name every few yards. Her muddy tennis shoes slipped and slid.

            I hear her voice. Why won't she answer me? 

            “Sounds like she’s talking to someone,” Jenny said to the Woods. 

            Nobody responded. The trees weren't supposed to since Jenny was no longer a child. Her former best friends had made no long-term commitment beyond childhood victimization. They had not agreed to help her deal with domestic violence in adulthood. She hugged the closest tree.

            I will always love you guys. 

Jenny quickened her pace, stopped, and listened for human voices. A few yards later, she stopped again.   

            Now it sounds like she’s behind me instead of in front. 

            Jenny looked to the left of the path.

            There ain't no cave Roundabend, but there it is. 

            She walked toward the entrance. The voices grew louder and she looked inside. Lacy Dawn sat on a bright orange recliner. Tears streamed down her face.  Jenny ran to her daughter through a cave that didn't exit and into a blue light that did.

            “All right, you mother f**ker!”

            “Mom!” Lacy Dawn yelled. “You didn’t say, ‘It’s me’ like you're supposed to (a traditional announcement mentioned earlier in the story)."

            DotCom (the android) sat naked in a lotus position on the floor in front of the recliner.  Jenny covered Lacy Dawn with her body and glared at him.   

            "Grrrrr," emanated from Jenny.  It was a sound similar to the one that Brownie (Lacy Dawn's dog) made the entire time the food stamp woman was at their house.  It was a sound that filled the atmosphere with hate.  No one moved.  The spaceship’s door slid shut.

            “Mommmmmy, I can’t breathe. Get up.”

            “You make one move you sonofabitch and I’ll tear your heart out,” Jenny repositioned to take her weight off Lacy Dawn.

            Stay between them.

            “Mommy, he’s my friend. More than my friend, we’re going to get married when I'm old enough -- like when I turn fourteen. He’s my boyfriend -- what you call it -- my fiancé.” 

            “You been messin’ with my little girl you pervert!” Jenny readied to pounce. 

            “MOM!  Take a chill pill! He ain’t been messing with me. He’s a good person, or whatever. Anyway, he’s not a pervert. You need to just calm down and get off me.”

            Jenny stood up. DotCom stood up. Jenny’s jaw dropped.

            He ain't got no private parts, not even a little bump.   

            “DotCom, I’d like to introduce you to my mommy, Mrs. Jenny Hickman. Mommy, I’d like to introduce you to my fiancé, DotCom.”

            Jenny sat down on the recliner. Her face was less than a foot from DotCom’s crotch and she stared straight at it. It was smooth, hairless, and odor free.  

            “Mrs. Hickman, I apologize for any inconvenience that this misunderstanding has caused. It is very nice to meet you after having heard so much. You arrived earlier than expected. I did not have time to properly prepare and receive. Again, I apologize.” 

            I will need much more training if I'm ever assigned to a more formal setting than a cave, such as to the United Nations.

            “Come on, Mommy. Give him a hug or something.”      

            Jenny's left eye twitched. 

            DotCom put on clothing that Lacy Dawn had bought him at Goodwill. It hung a little loose until he modified his body. Lacy Dawn hugged her mother…    

            …(scene of Dwayne, the father, overheard by those in the spaceship while talking to himself)… “Besides, the transmitter was part of Daddy’s treatment. There're a lot of other things that he did to help fix Daddy. DotCom is like a doctor. You can see that Daddy has gotten better every day. And no, there ain’t no transmitter in you. DotCom figured you out like a good doctor and the only things wrong are a lack of opportunity and rotten teeth that poison your body. You don’t need no transmitter. He just gave you a few shots of ego boost. I don’t know what medicine that is, but I trust him. You ain't complained since the shots started -- not even with an upset stomach.”

            "He's a doctor?" Jenny asked.

            “What's your problem anyway?” Lacy Dawn asked. “I know.  You’re prejudiced. You told me that people have much more in common than they do that's different -- even if someone is a different color or religion, or from a different state than us. You told me to try to become friends because sometimes that person may need a good friend. Now, here you are acting like a butt hole about my boyfriend. You’re prejudiced because he’s different than us.”

            “Honey, he’s not even a person – that’s about as different as a boyfriend can get,” Jenny said.

            “So?”

            Mommy's right. Maybe I need a different argument.

            A fast clicking sound, a blur of motion, and a familiar smell assaulted them.

            "What's that?" Jenny asked. 

            She moved to protect her daughter from whatever threat loomed. Brownie, who had been granted 27 / 7 access to the ship, bounded over the orange recliner, knocked DotCom to the floor, licked DotCom’s face, and rubbed his head on Jenny’s leg. He then jumped onto the recliner and lay down. His tail wagged throughout. Jenny sat down on the recliner beside Brownie and looked at Lacy Dawn.

            “But, you were crying when I first came in. That thing was hurting you.” Jenny shook her finger at DotCom to emphasize a different argument against him.

            “Mommy, I'm so happy that I couldn’t help but cry. My man just came home from an out-of-state job. I didn't talk to him for a whole year. Before he left, he told me that he wasn’t even sure if he'd be able to come home. I still don’t know what happened while he was gone. We ain't had no chance to talk. All I know is that he's home and I'm sooooo happy.”

            “Your man came home from an out-of-state job?” Jenny patted Brownie on his head, some more and some more…. 

            It's unusual for a man to promise to come back home and ever be seen again. Brownie likes him and that's a good sign. Maybe she's right about him helping Dwayne. Something sure did and it wasn’t me. It is a nice living room. They've been together for a while and I ain't seen a mark on her. That's unusual too. He ain't got no private parts and that's another good thing. Hell, if I get in the middle, she’d just run off with him anyway. I'd better play it smart. I don't want to lose my baby. 

            “What about his stupid name?” Jenny asked.

            “I’ve got a stupid name, too. All the kids at school call me hick because my last name is Hickman.”

            “My name was given to me by my manager a very long time ago. It represents a respected tradition -- the persistent marketing of that which is not necessarily the most needed. I spam…,” DotCom said. 

            They both glared at him. 

            "Dwayne is sure to be home. I don’t want him to worry. Let’s go,” Jenny said. 

            “Okay, Mommy.”

            “I love you, DotCom,” Lacy Dawn stepped out the ship’s door, which had slid open. Brownie and Jenny were right behind her. 

            “I love you too,” DotCom said.

            Lacy Dawn and Jenny held hands and walked down the path toward home. The trees didn’t smile -- at least not so Jenny would notice. On the other hand, no living thing obstructed, intruded, or interfered with the rite.   

            Jenny sang to the Woods, “My little girl’s going to marry a doctor when she grows up, marry a doctor when she grows up, when she grows up.  My little girl’s going to marry a doctor when she grows up, marry a doctor when she grows up, when she grows up….”

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About the Author

Robert Eggleton has served as a children's advocate in an impoverished state for over forty years. He is best known locally for his nonfiction: investigative reports about children’s programs, most of which were published by the West Virginia Supreme Court where he worked from 1982 through 1997; nationally distributed models of serving disadvantaged and homeless children in the community instead of in large institutions; research into foster care drift involving children bouncing from one home to the next -- never finding a permanent loving family; and statistical reports on the occurrence and correlates of child abuse and delinquency in West Virginia. Dozens of his works have been archived by the West Virginia Division of Culture and History.

Today, he is a recently retired children's psychotherapist from a mental health center in Charleston, West Virginia, where he specialized in helping victims cope with and overcome physical and sexual abuse, and other mental health concerns. Two of Eggleton's poems were published in the 1970s and another won first place in 2015 international poetry competition managed by the WSC Science Fiction & Fantasy Club/WillyCon. His debut novel, Rarity from the Hollow, was named one of five best reads in 2015 by a Codices, has been awarded Gold Medals by Awesome Indies and Readers' Favorite, and has been so well received by prominent book critics and reviewers that it is scheduled for republication by Dog Horn Publishing, a traditional small press, in 2016. Three of Eggleton's short stories have appeared in magazines: Wingspan Quarterly, Beyond Centauri, and Atomjack Science Fiction.

Author proceeds from Eggleton's Lacy Dawn Adventures project have been donated to a child abuse prevention program operated by Children’s Home Society of West Virginia. http://www.childhswv.org/ Robert continues to write adult literary science fiction with new adventures based on a protagonist that is a composite character of children that he met when delivering group therapy services. The overall theme of his stories remains victimization to empowerment.

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{Blog Tour} The Devil's Daughter - Katee Robert (Review & Giveaway)

 

THE DEVIL’S DAUGHTER  by Katee Robert

 

FBI agent, Eden Collins is going home... to catch a killer.  Fans of Audey Harte’s It Takes One and Kendra Elliott's Bone Secrets series, will devour The Devil’s Daughter, the fast-paced and suspenseful first book, in the Hidden Sins series by NYT and USA Today Bestselling Author Katee Robert.

Title: The Devil’s Daughter

Author: Katee Robert

Series: Hidden Sins #1

Genre: Romantic Suspense

Release Date: January 24, 2017

Publisher: Montlake Romance

Print Length:  316 pages

Format: Digital and Paperback

ISBN: 1503940918
My Rating: 4/5

Synopsis:

Growing up in a small town isn’t easy, especially when you’re the daughter of a local cult leader. Ten years ago, Eden Collins left Clear Springs, Montana, and never once looked back. But when the bodies of murdered young women surface, their corpses violated and marked with tattoos worn by her mother’s followers, Eden, now an FBI agent, can’t turn a blind eye. To catch the killer, she’s going to have to return to the fold.

Sheriff Zach Owens isn’t comfortable putting Eden in danger, even if she is an elite agent. And he certainly wasn’t expecting to be so attracted to her. As calm and cool as she appears, he knows this can’t be a happy homecoming. Zach wants to protect her—from her mother, the cult, and the evil that lurks behind its locked gates. But Eden is his only key to the tight-lipped group, and she may just be closer to the killer than either one of them suspects… 

Review:

This book follows Eden Collins who grew up in a small town called Clear Springs in Montana.  Eden’s mother was a cult leader names Martha who has a large following in town.    Eden left as soon as she could get out from her mother’s control and joined the FBI.   The book also follows Sherriff Zach Owens who is in charge of the police in town when a murder occurs.   The story is told from both Eden’s point of view and Zack’s point of view so we get a solid look at the case while reading. 

Eden is such a strong and closed off character at the same time.  She has had a rough childhood growing up in the cult and it doesn’t seem like she really has faced her issues from the past until she is drawn back into town due to an image that was sent to her about a murder.   Eden doesn’t really share much about her past with anyone including her FBI partner or boss.  I feel like she could have used years of therapy and help, but instead she just was able to block it out until now.   I liked that the author gave us bits and pieces of what happened to Eden in the past that helped to build up the suspense.  

Zack Owens seems way over his head when the first murder occurs, but once the story gets moving you can see a different side of him.  Zack also has some skeletons in his closet that we don’t get that great of a look at, but we just need to know that something horrible happened to him to know he is also trying to recover and is slightly closed off.   Zack is a very strong and determined character.    

My one issue was the romance that came out of this book.  As I reflect back on it now I would have loved to stick more with the cult ideas and what actually happened to Eden while she was there.  I sort of felt like we didn’t really need any romance in this book as it took away from the suspense.  I felt like that was almost pulling away from the build up to the climax.  

All I can say on the ending is I did NOT see that coming at all.  Sometimes an author gives you a hint here or there in their writing so you sort of know what is going to happen, but with this book I had no idea what was going to happen.  The ending is completely shocking and I loved it!! 

I would suggest this as a weekend read.  I felt like while I was reading this book there were parts I just couldn’t put down and I wanted to keep on reading to see what was going to happen.  The author did such an amazing job with the suspense it will keep you on your toes. 

I received this book from Barclay Publicity for the purpose of proving an honest review.  This does not affect my opinion of this book.

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New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author Katee Robert learned to tell her stories at her grandpa’s knee. She found romance novels at age twelve and it changed her life. When not writing sexy contemporary and speculative fiction romance novels, she spends her time playing imaginary games with her wee ones, driving her husband batty with what-if questions, and planning for the inevitable zombie apocalypse.  Connect with Katee at: Website | Facebook | Twitter| GoodReads | Instagram |

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