Reckless Beginnings by Tina Hogan (VBT, guest post, excerpt, and GIVEAWAY) GFT

I am happy to share a guest post by author Tina Hogan Grant (who I am fascinated to learn is the daughter of a science fiction author whose works I have enjoyed), who shares...

MARKETING TIPS

by 

Tina Hogan Grant

If most authors are like me, this is an area that at times can feel overwhelming. Writing the book was the easy part. Now we have to learn marketing. I am learning new things everyday and researching tips and ideas by reading an endless list of books, browsing the internet, talking to other writers and joining many groups to interact with others. Marketing is time consuming and tedious and results do not happen overnight. It takes time to figure what works and will bring results. It’s a case of trial and error. Some methods will works, while others fail miserably.

Here is a list of what I am doing to promote my book.

Have a website - It’s a no brainer that you will need a platform where readers can see your work, get updates and get to know you on a personal level. Be sure you use a custom domain name that people will recognize. Mine is www.tinahogangrant.com. Set it up as soon as you can and add content that will engage your readers and entice them to keep coming back. On my site I do the following:

●      A weekly blog

●      Contest

●      A day in my life

●      Author’s corner with interviews and book reviews

●      Top ten lists

●      Writing tips

Be on social media: Social media is huge and I believe a necessity when it comes to promoting your book. I think the most important ones to be a part of are Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. These are the three where I post the most. Make sure you have an author’s page on Facebook. Join some writing, reading and author groups. Interact within the groups. Post regularly on twitter and Instagram. Don’t just talk about your book. Talk about what you are currently reading, a day in your life, your writing progress, your goals. Make it interesting and mix it up.

Podcasts & Media: If you can get a podcast or media interview that is great. Send them an email describing your book, why you wrote it and how people will benefit from your story.  You never know, one of them may contact you.

Hold contests: Once my book is available I plan on holding a weekly giveaway on Facebook for one signed copy. You can also organize giveaways on Goodreads and your website.

Book clubs: Contact book clubs on and off line to read your book. Offer to attend a discussion about the book either in person or via skype.

Contest: Enter your book in contests. There are hundreds online to choose from. Some are free. Other have a fee.     

 Do a virtual Book Tour : Spread the word about your book and get the exposure you need with virtual book tours. Fees vary depending on what kind of tour you want but i think they are worth it, versus trying to organize a tour on your own.

These are just a few idea I have to market your book. Everyday I try and think of new ways to promote my book and apply different methods to see what will work and what won’t.

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Reckless Beginnings

by 

Tina Hogan Grant

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GENRE: Women’s Fiction  (based on true events)

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BLURB:

Tammy Mellows, a fourteen-year-old native of England, was shocked when her father and troubled older sister, Donna, moved to the States.

With her family now separated by divorce and divided by an ocean, Tammy felt helpless when she learned Donna had run away and couldn’t be found.

Thanks to her father insisting she stay behind in England to finish school, Tammy could do nothing for the next three years but pray that Donna would be found safe.

When Tammy’s lifelong dream of moving to the States was finally fulfilled, she had high hopes of looking for Donna. But with no leads and faced with turmoil in her own life, there wasn’t much Tammy could do.

After a forbidden secret love affair and a catastrophic dispute with her father, Tammy eventually meets Steven, settles down and has his child, only to discover he is a heroin addict. Thrown into a life of drugs and violence. Shadowed by his addiction, she becomes the silent and forgotten one. Living in fear of what Steven might be capable of and struggling alone to provide for her young son.

What consequences might she face if she leaves Steven? Is she ever going to find her sister alive? Will she have enough courage to conquer the impossible challenges of her twisted world and still come out on top?

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EXCERPT

“What should I do?” Tammy asked. “Should I come over there or should I call him on the phone?”

Joanne sighed. “Well, your father doesn’t want to see you right now.”

“What?”

“He needs to calm down and accept this in his own time. It may take him a while and, if I were you, I wouldn’t rush him. Let him call you when he’s ready.”

Tammy couldn’t believe her father didn’t want to see her. “Does he hate me?”

“No, he doesn’t hate you. You’re his daughter. He’s just upset right now. He’ll come around eventually. Just give him some time.”

Tammy was astonished. She didn’t realize how much this was going to hurt her father. Their relationship had always been good and they’d never experienced any conflicts, up until now. Lost in her thoughts, Tammy’s head buzzed with questions and fears. Mainly, she feared her father would never forgive her.

Buy Links may be found here

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Tina Hogan Grant was born in England and grew up in a small town on the Yorkshire Moors. She is the youngest daughter of science fiction author, James P. Hogan. After moving to California, she became a commercial lobster fisherwoman, fishing off the coast of Southern California for ten years with her husband Gordon.

For fourteen years, she’d had a notion of writing her debut novel “Reckless Beginnings”. But it wasn’t until the sudden death of her father in 2010 and a battle with breast cancer a year later that she made the decision to get it done. Seven years later, she finally completed it. She is now working on a sequel titled,  “Better Endings.”

She currently resides with her husband in the small mountain community of Frazier Park in Southern California. Together they enjoy anything that involves the outdoors, fishing, hiking, kayaking and riding quads.

Website

Social Media Accounts

Facebook

Twitter

Instagram

Pinterest

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GIVEAWAY

a Rafflecopter giveaway




The tour dates can be found here

HRR #3 (Historical Romance Retreat)...Swag! Plus the tale of the (semi)authentic crossed lines by Alanna Lucas

And finally, one of the other fun reasons to attend a Readers' Day at one of the book conferences--SWAG! Authors are only limited by their imaginations (and their budgets) and have all kinds of things to tempt you to visit their table (as if the sizzling covers aren't enough, lol).

The lovely pink bag was given to the first few people (maybe it was 50...all I know was...I got one!). One of the attendees gave me her copy of Elizabeth Hoyt's book and Amy Jarecki shared her upcoming ARC for me to review. The rest was obtained as I browsed the tables.

Deb Marlowe gave away a yummy recipe as well as a bookmark and soap

Sabrina Jeffries provided a remarkable placecard holder

I was puzzled at first about what this was

But, then I opened it, and, wow, a nice mirror and...?

Ah! A brush. What a cute trinket!

And, of course, very useful door hangers!

While I was at HRR, I got a chance to take a picture of the lovely Alanna Lucas and in her swag was a folded letter. As a fan of regency romances, I'd become familiar with the concept of letters with crossed lines, but I always pictured them as written in one orientation then turned upside-down and continued between the lines that had been originally written.

I had the opportunity to chat with Alanna at the Reader Rave at the In D'Scribe conference last week (after she had worked tirelessly at the luncheon to make sure things went smoothly) and she explained that this was one of the less common methods. In a later post, I will explain the painstaking efforts involved in providing her fans with an example of a letter with crossed lines...let's just say, I have no doubt that her novels are well researched after hearing the lengths she went through to provide this as swag!

Here is a picture of the letter unfolded. I left it relatively large so you can get an idea of what it looked like.


Here are a couple of sites that I found when I looked for an explanation of the process...

http://randombitsoffascination.com/2014/10/07/touch-quill-ink-regency-letter-writing/
http://homepages.ihug.co.nz/~awoodley/crossedletter.html



As you can see, there were lots of neat things to collect in addition to the wonderful opportunity to chat with the authors. Again, if you ever get the chance, attend the readers' activities at a conference near you if at all possible! It's so much fun to connect with the "tribe" and authors are delighted to meet new fans and old ones!

Love's Trials (Revolutionary Heart, book 2) by Janice Jarrell (Spotlight, excerpt, and review) GBP Adult title

RELEASE BLITZ

Love's Trials 
 (Revolutionary Heart, Book 2)

by
Janice Jarrell

is an ADULT title

Publisher: Janice Jarrell

Release Date: October 12, 2018

Length: 78,333 words/224 pages

Genre/s: Contemporary Gay Romance

Add on Goodreads

Blurb

After half a lifetime spent in short-term liaisons that allowed no intimacy, charismatic Irish police officer, Colin Campbell, found the love of his life. Dark-eyed, steady Joshua Abrams burned through Colin’s emotional barriers and taught him to look at life through new eyes, eyes that made room for the love and closeness he had always denied himself. Deeply in love and completely happy, their life together remains idyllic and their fiery passion for each other seems limitless.

They survive the Charlottesville 'Unite the Right' riots, though not without scars. But later that month Colin’s position with the campus police force places him in charge of an informant program designed to crack a dangerous drug ring. Fully aware of the risks, he swears to Joshua that he will oversee the program without becoming directly involved. But Colin's promise begins to crumble when he becomes the only one who can save a young Nigerian exchange student from a deadly drug lord.

Excerpt

Colin drew in a breath. He released Joshua, then took his hand and drew him toward the couch. "Sit with me a minute. I need to tell you something."

Joshua shook his head as he fell onto the couch beside Colin. "You're going to do it," he said. "You're going to be part of the drug investigation."

Colin's eyes widened. "Lenny! That jackass called you?"

Joshua chuckled and shook his head. "No," he said. "C'mon! Lenny would never do that. No. I was expecting it." His fingers tightening on Colin's. "I knew you couldn't say 'no' to them. Once they started waving the students in front of you it was a done deal."

"You mad at me?"

"Oh, hell no! Are you serious? Why would I be?"

"I know this whole operation worries you."

Joshua looked past Colin to the windows of their house, past which the Rivanna river flowed. "You can't base the way you do your job on what might or might not make me nervous," he said. "You have to do what you think is right." He turned back to Colin. "And I know you always will."

Colin leaned in and kissed him. "I didn't tell you the best part! David's going to partner with me. They want us to develop a set of prerequisites for the students' participation. It's…," he shrugged and wrinkled his nose, "it's paperwork. It's grunt work. It's no big deal."

"I see," Joshua said. "So there's absolutely no chance that you'll end up involved on a deeper level. Zero. None. Nada."

Colin lifted Joshua's hand to his lips. "Josh…," he began, then stopped. It no longer surprised him when Joshua seemed to read his thoughts and often even his fears, and since he couldn't bring himself to lie, Colin was now left with little choice. He sighed and looked somewhat sheepishly into Joshua's dark eyes. "Well…," he began.

"Yeah," Joshua interrupted. "That's what I figured."

"I promise you this," Colin said, pulling him closer. "I swear to you that I will resist any attempt to get me into the field. I will absolutely handcuff myself to my desk."

Joshua's face twisted with doubt, as he returned Colin's gaze, then he shook his head in resignation. "Colin, I believe you. And I truly believe you'll hold to that—"

Colin nodded.

"—right up to the moment when one of them says the words ‘student in danger’."

Colin's eyes fell.

"And thirty seconds after that," Joshua said, "there'll be a white streak where Colin used to be."

"Josh—"

"Don't bother denying it," Joshua said. He leaned in to press his lips to Colin’s then sat back, his eyes locking, once again, with the honey-green eyes of his lover. "You're the Man of La Mancha, Colin. You hear the call of glory and off you go. You don't even think about consequences to yourself. You never have. You only care about doing what's right." As he spoke this last his dark brown eyes closed and his head dropped.

"Josh, please..,"

"You are who you are, Colin," Joshua continued. "That's why you're the man I love."

Colin touched his cheek.

"And no matter how this thing turns out," Joshua continued, "I would never, ever want that man to change."

Buy Links - Available on Kindle Unlimited

Amazon US

Amazon UK

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About the Author

    

My name is Janice Jarrell. I am a retired grandmother who lives in Seattle, WA. I have two children and three grandsons. I’ve been writing gay romance since I was twelve years old, only back then it wasn’t called‘gay romance’. In fact, it had no name at all. It was the fifties, and it was worth your life to admit to being gay, let alone confess to being a girl who constantly fantasized about relationships between gay men. Hell, I didn’t even know what a homosexual was. I lived on a farm out in the sticks in a tiny Michigan village and I’d never, to my knowledge, even heard the word. I just knew I loved the thought of boy on boy romance. I just knew that there was something hot going on between Tom Corbett and his Space Cadets and all those guys on ‘Combat’.

I wrote slash fanfiction for 30 years, writing over 337 stories, some as short as 100 words (a drabble) some as long as a series which was over 119,012 words. I enjoy writing my stories. I enjoyed the feedback I received from my readers. It was a creative release I’d been searching for my entire life and I blessed the Internet for leading me to this artistic oasis for my spirit.

Love’s Magic was my very first step into writing my own characters. I will always be grateful to the slash fanfiction community for nurturing the budding author until she was ready to blossom into a fully realized novelist. It’s been an amazing thing to watch the gay community’s growth over these past twenty years. My own journey has echoed theirs in many ways, and I’m grateful to all those gay activists who fought to give the gay community the rights and privileges they always deserved.

I’m also grateful to the gay romance community, readers, authors, publishers and promoters, who are making these, my retirement years, the most creative ones of my life. When I'm not writing, I'm traveling, walking, hiking, knitting, crocheting, and weaving.

I'm very excited about the upcoming release of my second contemporary gay romance novel, Love's Trials. Those of you who fell in love with Joshua and Colin in Love’s Magic are in for a treat because they are the STARS of Love's Trials, though they may not thank me for it given the very difficult 'trials' they are about to face.

Social Media Links 

Blog/Website

Facebook Reader's Group

Facebook

Amazon Author Page

Goodreads

Twitter

Pinterest

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GIVEAWAY

Enter the Rafflecopter giveaway for a chance to win one of three $5 Amazon gift cards and an ebook of Love's Trials.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

RELEASE BLITZ SCHEDULE

   

Hosted by Gay Book Promotions

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My review:

3.75 out of 5 stars

Love’s Trials by Janice Jarrell is a m/m contemporary romance that centers around psychologist Joshua Abrams and campus policeman Colin Campbell who must cope with a couple of life-changing events that threatens to completely disrupt all that they’ve accomplished together. Each must find a way to remember what he’s fighting for or risk losing everything.

This story is part of the ‘Revolutionary Heart’ series but can be read as a stand-alone tale, although I suspect it would be better appreciated if the first in the series is read as well. I like the story and was impressed that it incorporated disturbing recent events in the real world, but I was a little frustrated because I think some things are clearly telegraphed while other developments drag on.

For me, it was surprising that Joshua seemed unable to apply some of the precepts that should be second nature given his profession, although I suppose it could be one of those “physician, heal thyself” situations. I like both men and the strength that each of them displays and I love that the challenges and sensitivity required for a healthy interracial relationship are depicted so adeptly. I always think it’s a compliment to the author’s ability to create realistic characters when I want to knock folks’ heads together because I think they’re being foolish, so it’s undoubtedly a good sign that I was growling at both of these guys, lol.

This is the first story I have read by this author and I am definitely curious about the events that take place before this one. Those who are squeamish should be advised that there is a bit of violence but it is not gratuitous. Readers who enjoy a thought-provoking story featuring intriguing folks can expect both angst and sexy times plus a heartwarming connection that reminds us that life has good times and bad and that a meaningful relationship requires effort.

A copy of this title was provided for review

The Stage Chronicles: Exit Stage Left Book 2 by Catherine Russell (VBT, guest post, excerpt, and GIVEAWAY) GFT ADULT

Exit Stage Left

by 
Catherine Russell

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GENRE:  Dark Fantasy/Paranormal Romance

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BLURB:

Megan O'Day seems to be navigating the unpredictable relationship with Geoffrey Drake, her centuries-old vampire guardian angel, rather well. But then his past suddenly rips him from her, forcing her to face the unknown future alone in the gripping sequel to The Stage.

Still bound to Geoffrey through the power of the Link despite his unexplained absence, Megan's mind is flooded with his haunted memories. While she relives the darkest moments of his previous life, she discovers his attachment to a woman who bears a striking resemblance to her.

As she questions Geoffrey's love for her, she strikes up a dangerous alliance with Geoffrey's brother, Alexander, who is also a vampire. She hopes that he will help her find a way to rescue Geoffrey: instead, he seems to be awakening new emotions and desires within her.

As the past and present collide, Megan struggles to fend off Alexander's dark seduction. Is Geoffrey truly beyond the reach of her love forever? If not, what must be sacrificed to bring them back together again?

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EXCERPT

Geoffrey and I stepped into one elevator, the others squeezed into the other. I fumbled with the box as the elevator doors closed. The elevator jerked slightly. Geoffrey had pushed the stop button, and gently took the box from my hands as the elevator halted between floors. I grinned, knowing what he was up to. I reached up to his delicious mouth as his cool palms softly held my face.

Whenever our lips touched the link became a hyper wire of electric current. My tongue danced in time with his as his venom flowed into me. Along with my being the mythological link to him, we’d also discovered that I was immune to his venom—but mind you, it still had its drawbacks. Sure, it gave me enhanced senses and physical abilities, but it also made me sicker than a dog if the dose was too big, basically a nasty hangover.

Just as his icy fingers skimmed my waist, the call buzzer rang, interrupting our moment. I had about two seconds before he pulled away, so I held him tighter to me, tugging on his delicious lower lip a bit longer, and his fingers grazed the top of my hips, which only made me want him more.

Damn buzzer. And I was just getting started, too. He grinned as I tucked my shirt back in.

“At least we won’t have interruptions to worry about anymore,” he said aloud as he tucked my hair back behind my ear, sending a small thrill through me.

Amazon link (e-book)
Amazon link (print)

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Note from ELF: Sorry, I must have gremlins in my laptop this week. THIS is the correct picture for the author, I apologize for any confusion!

Catherine Russell was born in Tacoma, Washington and raised in a small town just south, South Hill, Puyallup. At the time South Hill was a heavily wooded area and far off the beaten path. Growing up she had the forests as her fantasy world along with the wild animals. She lived with her parents and an older sister. There are a few similarities from her own childhood that have carried over in to her first novel, “The Stage”. As a child, she did have a small dog named Toto, whom she would quite frequently roam the woods with. Her childhood home still stands, and is still nestled in the woods even though South Hill has undergone an extreme makeover since she lived there. She enjoyed hours of day dreaming and playing in the woods, which in turn fed her fantasy world of make believe.

The Stage Chronicles site

Barking Rain Press site

Amazon link for The StageChronicles Book 1 The Stage  

Twitter for The StageChronicles

Facebook for The StageChronicles

Instagram for The StageChronicles

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a Rafflecopter giveaway

The tour dates can be found here

Par for Cinderella by Petie McCarty (Spotlight, excerpt, review, and GIVEAWAY) GFT

Par for Cinderella

by 
Petie McCarty

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GENRE: Contemporary Romance

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BLURB:

Billionaire Aidan Cross longs to escape his life of celebrity and become a regular guy, if only for a brief time. His chance comes when his yacht breaks down near quaint Cypress Key, Florida—the site of his planned five-star golf resort. The golf resort no one in town wants.

Casey Stuart has given up her dream of escaping to the big city. She refuses to desert her uncle, even when he hires the new stranger in town to replace her at their golf course. Casey vows to steer clear of the stranger called Aidan and the danger their inescapable chemistry provokes. Aidan’s stay is temporary, and falling for him promises only heartbreak.

When Casey discovers Cypress Key’s mayor is making underhanded business deals, she ends up on the wrong side of the powerful autocrat. Aidan steps in to rescue her, but secrets from his past threaten to bogey their new-found relationship.

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EXCERPT

With the last guest safely off and headed for the parking lot, Casey turned to face the trespasser.

She stopped.

Swallowed hard.

Swallowed again, but her dry throat persisted.

The boater was drop-dead gorgeous. Light-brown hair with sun-blond streaks, long enough to thread fingers through along his collar, and chocolate-brown eyes that trapped and held you, like puppy-dog-cuddlable brown one minute and sensuous, you’re-not-safe-from-me hazelish the next.

Like now.

She fought for the presence of mind to smile at all that hunkiness.

Then came the fireworks.

His smile—straight, perfect white teeth—held a hint of mischief and seduction and the power to kick her feet from beneath her as she tiptoed down the gunwale to secure the back canopy and check gas-tank levels. Mostly for a reason to get a closer look at this hottie. The sound of the second boat flying into the marina barely registered. Her eyes were still locked on the hottie’s take-me-I’m-yours mouth.

By the time her brain had caught up with her girly parts, the vast wake from the second boat’s way-too-fast approach had set up a tsunami strong enough to rock her big tour boat and knock those aforementioned metaphorical feet right out from under her. Unsuspecting and still enthralled by the stranger, Casey went blindly over the side.

At an angle. Not straight and backward.

Her skull clipped the stern on her way over the side. The beautiful masculine smile she had fixated on disappeared when everything else went black.

Amazon link

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Petie spent a large part of her career working at Walt Disney World -- "The Most Magical Place on Earth" -- where she enjoyed working in the land of fairy tales by day and creating her own romantic fairy tales by night, including her new series, The Cinderella Romances. She eventually said good-bye to her "day" job to write her stories full-time. These days Petie spends her time writing sequels to her regency time-travel series, Lords in Time, and her cozy-mystery-with-elements-of-romantic-suspense series, the Mystery Angel Romances.

Petie shares her home on the Cumberland Plateau in Tennessee with her horticulturist husband, a spoiled-rotten English Springer spaniel addicted to pimento-stuffed green olives, and a noisy Nanday conure named Sassy who made a cameo appearance in Angel to the Rescue.

Visit Petie's website or her Facebook page.

Social Media:

Website

Facebook page

Twitter

Goodreads

Pinterest

Amazon author page

LinkedIn

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GIVEAWAY


a Rafflecopter giveaway



The tour dates can be found here


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My review

4 out of 5 stars

“Par for Cinderella” by Petie McCarty is a sweet contemporary romance that provides a golfing twist on the familiar fairy tale. Casey Stuart and her uncle are struggling to keep afloat in the small town of Cypress Key. Golf resort developer Aiden Cross doesn’t expect his brief incognito foray to explore the site of his proposed resort to include rescuing a damsel in distress but he’s enchanted and quickly drawn into the challenges of the close-knit town. Unfortunately, there’s something sinister undermining the local businesses and his investigation and deception threaten to derail the relationship that is growing between him and Casey. She demands trust and honesty while he wants to know he is loved just for himself and not his money. Their dreams may take them on separate paths unless they find a way to take a leap of faith.

This story is part of ‘The Cinderella Romances’ series and has plenty of golfing references to tie the story together while the romance builds between the main characters. I thought Aiden was charismatic and a sweet guy but Casey frustrated me at times even though I admired her affection for those in her life. I think she may be a little too naïve and insecure to be an equal partner in the relationship but hopefully she will continue to mature. There are several intriguing secondary characters who hopefully will continue to show up as the series progresses. I had no trouble reading this as a stand-alone story although I figure this couple will make appearances in a subsequent tale.

For me, some of the motivations are a bit murky and I thought the resolution was a little too tidy. I also take issue with the solution for Aiden’s name since I think a search would have turned up pictures of him despite the additional letter and given the number of busybodies in town, I’d have expected his secret to be exposed long before it happens. Despite all of this, I enjoyed the story and I’m interested in seeing that hunky Ian gets his own happy ever after. Those in search of a sweet light romance should enjoy this, even if it’s starting to be too cold for a beach read!

A copy of this title was provided to me for review