Review: The Other Woman by Hank Phillippi Ryan

Title: The Other Woman  Author: Hank Phillippi Ryan Series: Jane Ryland/Jake Brogan, #1 Published: September 2012 Forge Books Format: Hardcover, 416 pages Source: Publicist Jane Ryland was a rising star in television news…until she refused to reveal a source and lost everything. Now a disgraced newspaper reporter, Jane isn’t content to work on her assigned puff pieces, and finds herself tracking down a candidate’s secret mistress just days before a…

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It’s Monday…What Are You Reading? (9.23.13)

It’s Monday What Are you Reading , hosted by Sheila, is the perfect way for me to begin my week and allows me to focus on what needs to be read and to see what I have or have not accomplished the previous week. I also enjoy discovering new books by visiting other participants blogs. What a week!!! I went to two author events, getting to meet both Hank Phillippi…

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Bloggiesta…Finish Line

Another Bloggiesta has come to an end! This event couldn’t be more timely as I been neglecting my blog lately due to life getting in the way. Now if only I can figure out a way to stay caught up on some of the more mundane housekeeping things on a regular basis, some of these tasks won’t need to keep showing up on my to-do list! I ended up completing…

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Stacking the Shelves (61) 9.22.13

Tynga of Tynga’s Reviews is starting a new meme to spotlight the books we receive each week.        Here’s what I got: For Review: The Husband’s Secret by Liana Moriarty Hush Little Baby by Suzanne Redfearn  Royal Inheritance by Kate Emerson  The Perfect Match (e-book) by Kristan Higgins Purchased: The Wrong Girl by Hank Phillippi Ryan  W is for Wasted by Sue Grafton  These Few Precious Days: The Final Year of…

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Author Meet & Greet: Sue Grafton

Last night, I went to another author event – this time with Sue Grafton, who is the author of the Kinsey Millhone series, or as they are probably better known – the alphabet series! She is currently on tour with the release of her newest book, W is for Wasted.  I have to admit that I’ve only read the first 5 books in the series – A through E, so…

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Review: Banana Split by Josi S. Kilpack

Title: Banana Split Author: Josi S. Kilpack Series: A Culinary Mystery, #7 Published: February 2012, Shadow Mountain Format: Paperback, 372 pages Source: Personal copy Welcome to Paradise! We hope you enjoy your stay her in Hawai’i. If you’ve never visited the islands before, treat yourself to a delicious slice of grilled pineapple, take a walk along the beach or sample the tasty cuisine offered at one of our famous luaus.…

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Bloggiesta…My To-Do List and Updates

This weekend I will be participating in Bloggiesta! This event couldn’t be more timely as I been neglecting my blog lately due to life getting in the way.  This is a great weekend blogging marathon being hosted by Suey at It’s All About Books and Danielle at There’s a Book.   The premise of the bloggiesta, for those that haven’t participated before, is to spend the entire weekend working, updating,…

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Review: The Mephisto Club by Tess Gerritsen

The Mephisto Club by Tess Gerritsen Series: Rizzoli  & Isles, #6 Ballantine Books August 2007 Format: Paperback, 429 pages Source: Personal copy PECCAVI The Latin word is scrawled in blood at the scene of a young woman’s brutal murder: I HAVE SINNED. It’s a chilling Christmas greeting for Boston medical examiner Maura Isles and Detective Jane Rizzoli, who swiftly link the victim to the sinister Mephisto Club, a cult of…

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Author Meet & Greet: Hank Phillippi Ryan

Last night, I had the privilege of meeting Hank Phillippi Ryan, author of the best-selling books The Other Woman and The Wrong Girl, among others. She is currently on tour promoting her newest release, The Wrong Girl, and lucky for me, one of the stops wasn’t too far from my house. Unlike last weeks author event, this was much more intimate – there were only 7 of us there, plus…

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Review: The Comfort of Lies by Randy Susan Meyers

The Comfort of Lies by Randy Susan Meyers Atria Books February 2013 Format: Hardcover, 323 pages Source: Library Happiness at someone else’s expense came at a price. Tia had imagined judgment from the first kiss that she and Nathan shared. All year, she’d waited to be punished for being in love, and in truth, she believed that whatever consequences came her way would be deserved. Five years ago, Tia fell…

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Review: A Fitting End by Melissa Bourbon

A Fitting End by Melissa Bourbon Series: A Magical Dressmaking Mystery, #2 Signet February 2012 Format: Paperback, 320 pages Source: Personal copy Former Manhattan fashion designer Harlow Jane Cassidy has a gift for creating beautiful dresses. But when Harlow becomes the prime suspect in a murder investigation, she’ll need more than her sewing skills to unravel the mystery… Business is booming at Harlow’s custom-dressmaking boutique, Buttons & Bows, even with…

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It’s Monday…What Are You Reading? (9.16.13)

It’s Monday What Are you Reading , hosted by Sheila, is the perfect way for me to begin my week and allows me to focus on what needs to be read and to see what I have or have not accomplished the previous week. I also enjoy discovering new books by visiting other participants blogs. I had a great week last week – got to meet Jojo Moyes and got…

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Stacking the Shelves (60) 9.15.13

Tynga of Tynga’s Reviews is starting a new meme to spotlight the books we receive each week.        Here’s what I got: For Review:   Gilt Trip by Laura Childs This is the newest in Laura Childs’ Scrapbooking Mystery series and I’m so excited I got an early copy!!!   Purchased:   Me Before You by Jojo Moyes I actually had the pleasure of meeting Jojo Moyes this week and picked…

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Review: The Witness by Nora Roberts (audio)

The Witness by Nora Roberts Read by Julia Whelan Brilliance Audio April 2012 Length: 16 hours 30 minutes Source: Library Elizabeth Fitch’s short-lived teenage rebellion began with L’Oreal Pure Black, a pair of scissors, and a fake ID. It ended in blood… Daughter of a cold, controlling mother and an anonymous donor, studious, obedient Elizabeth finally let loose one night, drinking too much at a nightclub and allowing a strange…

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Author Meet & Greet: Jojo Moyes

Last night, I had the privilege of meeting Jojo Moyes, author of the best-selling books Me Before You and The Girl You Left Behind, among others. She is currently on tour in the U.S. and the Greenwich Public Library in Connecticut was her first stop. I have not read any books by Jojo Moyes yet, but a few weeks ago I received a copy of The Girl You Left Behind…

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Review: Cloaked in Malice by Annette Blair

Cloaked in Malice by Annette Blair Series: Vintage Magic Mystery series, #5 Berkley Prime Crime July 2012 Source: Personal copy There’s nothing Maddie loves more than fabulous vintage clothes, but the visions she gets while touching them are starting to wear her down. Even so, when a beautifully dressed girl comes to Vintage Magic in search of her past, Maddie isn’t about to turn her away, especially since she bears…

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Review: Hunting Eve by Iris Johansen

Hunting Eve by Iris Johansen  Series: Eve Duncan #19  St. Martin’s Press  July 2013  Format: Hardcover, 400 pages  Source: Library She’s broken free. But danger is in hot pursuit. And rescue is nowhere in sight…  Eve Duncan is on the run. Kidnapped by Jim Doane, a mysterious man who wants her to complete a sinister forensic sculpture, she now has no time to savor the victory of escaping from him.…

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It’s Monday…What Are You Reading? (9.9.13)

It’s Monday What Are you Reading , hosted by Sheila, is the perfect way for me to begin my week and allows me to focus on what needs to be read and to see what I have or have not accomplished the previous week. I also enjoy discovering new books by visiting other participants blogs. The mantra for this week has got to be “Get those reviews done!!!” I am…

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Stacking the Shelves (59) 9.8.13

Tynga of Tynga’s Reviews is starting a new meme to spotlight the books we receive each week.        Here’s what I got:   Purchased:   Mistress   by James Patterson This actually came out the beginning of August but due to me being on a book buying ban, I had to wait until September to buy the book – very happy it was still available in hardcover so I can add…

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Blog Tour, Review & Giveaway: Queen’s Gambit by Elizabeth Fremantle (CLOSED)

Queen’s Gambit by Elizabeth Fremantle  Series: Tudor Trilogy, #1 Simon & Schuster  August 2013  Format: Hardcover, 432 pages  Source: Publisher via Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours Widowed for the second time at age thirty-one Katherine Parr falls deeply for the dashing courtier Thomas Seymour and hopes at last to marry for love. However, obliged to return to court, she attracts the attentions of the ailing, egotistical, and dangerously powerful Henry…

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Blog Tour, Review & Giveaway: The Hero by Robyn Carr (CLOSED)

The Hero by Robyn Carr Series: Thunder Point, #3 Harlequin MIRA August 2013 Format: ARC e-book, 384 pages Source: Netgalley via Little Bird Publicity With warmth and sensitivity, #1 New York Times bestselling author Robyn Carr shows readers that falling in love can be the bravest act of all.  In a moment of desperation, Devon McAllister takes her daughter and flees a place where they should have been safe and…

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It’s Monday…What Are You Reading? (9.2.13)

It’s Monday What Are you Reading , hosted by Sheila, is the perfect way for me to begin my week and allows me to focus on what needs to be read and to see what I have or have not accomplished the previous week. I also enjoy discovering new books by visiting other participants blogs. September is here and while I love summer, I am looking forward to the fall…

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Month in Review: August 2013

Well, the summer is slowly dwindling away and while I’m sad that the long days are slowly becoming a thing of the past, I do admit I love the fall – crisp weather, pumpkins and falling leaves – and the perfect excuse to curl up on my porch with a blanket while reading.  In August, I participated in a month-long ban on buying new books and as tough as it…

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Stacking the Shelves (58) 9.1.13

Tynga of Tynga’s Reviews is starting a new meme to spotlight the books we receive each week.        Here’s what I got:   For Review:   Getting Rowdy  by Lori Foster   This is the latest in Lori Foster’s Love Undercover series and I can’t wait to read it…Rowdy has been an interesting character since the first book of this series. What did you get this week?

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Review: Sense & Sensibility by Jane Austen

Sense & Sensibility by Jane Austen Barnes & Noble Classics Oct 2004 (Originally published 1811) Format: Hardcover, 312 pages Source: Personal copy Jane Austen’s first published novel, Sense and Sensibility is a wonderfully entertaining tale of flirtation and folly that revolves around two starkly different sisters, Elinor and Marianne Dashwood. While Elinor is thoughtful, considerate, and calm, her younger sister is emotional and wildly romantic. Both are looking for a…

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Blog Tour, Review & Giveaway: Big Sky Wedding by Linda Lael Miller – CLOSED

Big Sky Wedding by Linda Lael Miller Series: Swoon-Worthy Cowboys, #5 Harlequin HQN  August 2013  Format: ARC e-copy, 384 pages  Source: Netgalley via Little Bird Publicity The “First Lady of the West,” #1 New York Times bestselling author Linda Lael Miller, cordially invites you to Parable, Montana-where love awaits.   Wedding bells are ringing in Parable, Montana, but Brylee Parrish hasn’t enjoyed the sound since being jilted at the altar by…

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Review: Beautiful Day by Elin Hilderbrand

Beautiful Day by Elin Hilderbrand Reagan Arthur Books June 2013 Format: Hardcover, 416 pages Source: Library A summer wedding stirs up trouble on both sides of the family in this new novel from bestselling author Elin Hilderbrand. The Carmichaels and Grahams have gathered on Nantucket for a wedding. Plans are being made according to the wishes of the bride’s late mother, who left behind The Notebook: specific instructions for every…

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It’s Monday…What Are You Reading? (8.26.13)

It’s Monday What Are you Reading , hosted by Sheila, is the perfect way for me to begin my week and allows me to focus on what needs to be read and to see what I have or have not accomplished the previous week. I also enjoy discovering new books by visiting other participants blogs. Lately I feel as if I am all over the place with my reading. I…

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Bout of Books 8.0: Wrap-Up

My Goals: To read as much as possible this week To finish at least 4 complete books, plus the 1 that I need to finish What I accomplished: The Comfort of Lies by Randy Susan Meyers – finished The Mephisto Club by Tess Gerritsen – completed A Fitting End by Melissa Bourbon – completed The Hero by Robyn Carr – started Sense & Sensibility by Jane Austen – started Banana…

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Review: The Promise of Stardust by Priscille Sibley

The Promise of Stardust by Priscille Sibley William Morrow Paperbacks February 2013 Format: Paperback, 432 pages Source: Personal copy Matt Beaulieu was two years old the first time he held Elle McClure in his arms, seventeen when he first kissed her under a sky filled with shooting stars, and thirty-three when he convinced her to marry him. Now in their late 30s, the deeply devoted couple has everything-except the baby…

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Review: Vanish by Tess Gerritsen

Vanish by Tess Gerritsen Series: Rizzoli & Isles, #5 Ballentine Books January 2005 Format: Hardcover Source: Library A blessed event becomes a nightmare for pregnant homicide detective Jane Rizzoli when she finds herself on the wrong side of a hostage crisis in this timely and relentless new thriller from the New York Times bestselling author of Body Double. A nameless, beautiful woman appears to be just another corpse in the…

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Review: Remember Me? by Sophie Kinsella (audio)

Remember Me? by Sophie Kinsella Read by Rosalyn Landor Random House Audio March 2008 Length: 13 hours Source: Library When twenty-eight-year-old Lexi Smart wakes up in a London hospital, she’s in for a big surprise. Her teeth are perfect. Her body is toned. Her handbag is Vuitton. Having survived a car accident—in a Mercedes no less—Lexi has lost a big chunk of her memory, three years to be exact, and…

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Blog Tour, Review & Giveaway: Three Little Words by Susan Mallery (CLOSED)

Three Little Words by Susan Mallery Series: Fool’s Gold, #12 Harlequin HQN July 2013 Format: ARC Paperback, 332 pages Source: Publisher via Book Trib Can first love turn into the real deal in a sizzling new Fool’s Gold story from New York Times bestselling author Susan Mallery?  Isabel Carlisle thinks she’s cursed in the romance department. Her teenage crush, Ford Hendrix, ignored all her letters. Her husband left her for…

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Bout of Books 8.0: Updates

I’m going to use this post to keep track of my progress during the Bout of Books 8.0 Read-a-thon: My Goals: To read as much as possible this week To finish at least 4 complete books, plus the 1 that I need to finish My List of Books (a combo of review books, library books and fun books):  The Comfort of Lies by Randy Susan Meyers – need to finish…

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It’s Monday…What Are You Reading? (8.19.13)

It’s Monday What Are you Reading , hosted by Sheila, is the perfect way for me to begin my week and allows me to focus on what needs to be read and to see what I have or have not accomplished the previous week. I also enjoy discovering new books by visiting other participants blogs. Last week was a great week filled with lots of family-time! We spent three days…

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Stacking the Shelves (57) 8.18.13

Tynga of Tynga’s Reviews is starting a new meme to spotlight the books we receive each week.        Here’s what I got:   For Review:   The Spymistress by Jennifer Chiaverini   A new historical fiction set during the Civil War by Jennifer Chiaverini – I can’t wait to read this one. Covet by Tracey Garvis Graves This was sent to me along with the Jennifer Chiaverini book and sounds quite…

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Bout of Books 8.0: Sign-Up & Goals

This week I will be participating in another round of Book of Books. This is a great, no-pressure read-a-thon. Here is some info about the read-a-thon from the founders: The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda @ On a Book Bender and Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, August 19th and runs through Sunday, August 25th in whatever time…

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Review: The Perfume Collector by Kathleen Tessaro

The Perfume Collector by Kathleen Tessaro HarperCollins May 2013 Format: Hard cover, 464 pages Source: Publisher/She Reads An inheritance from a mysterious stranger . . . An abandoned perfume shop on the Left Bank of Paris . . . And three exquisite perfumes that hold a memory . . . and a secret London, 1955: Grace Monroe is a fortunate young woman. Despite her sheltered upbringing in Oxford, her recent…

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It’s Monday…What Are You Reading? (8.12.13)

It’s Monday What Are you Reading , hosted by Sheila, is the perfect way for me to begin my week and allows me to focus on what needs to be read and to see what I have or have not accomplished the previous week. I also enjoy discovering new books by visiting other participants blogs. The first part of August has been dedicated to getting any review books/library books read…

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Stacking the Shelves (56) 8.11.13

Tynga of Tynga’s Reviews is starting a new meme to spotlight the books we receive each week.        Here’s what I got:   For Review:   Queen’s Gambit   by Elizabeth Fremantle   I’m excited to be participating in the blog tour for this book – it sounds like a great Tudor read!               What did you get this week?

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Review: The Apple Orchard by Susan Wiggs

The Apple Orchard by Susan Wiggs Series: Bella Vista, #1 Harlequin MIRA April 2013 Format: e-book, 432 pages Source: Netgalley #1 New York Times bestselling author Susan Wiggs brings readers to the lush abundance of Sonoma county in a novel of sisters, friendship and how memories are woven like a spell around us. Tess Delaney makes a living restoring stolen treasures to their rightful owners. People like Annelise Winther, who…

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Blog Tour & Review: The Tudor Conspiracy by C.W. Gortner

The Tudor Conspiracy by C.W. Gortner Series: The Spymaster Chronicles, #2 St. Martin’s Griffin July 2013 Format: Paperback, 352 pages Source: Publisher via Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours Hunted by a shadowy foe in Bloody Mary’s court, Brendan Prescott plunges into London’s treacherous underworld to unravel a dark conspiracy that could make Elizabeth queen—or send her to her death. England, 1553: Harsh winter encroaches upon the realm. Mary Tudor has…

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Review: A Hundred Summers by Beatriz Williams

A Hundred Summers by Beatriz Williams Putnam Adult May 2013 Format: Hardcover, 357 pages Source: Personal copy Memorial Day, 1938: New York socialite Lily Dane has just returned with her family to the idyllic oceanfront community of Seaview, Rhode Island, expecting another placid summer season among the familiar traditions and friendships that sustained her after heartbreak. That is, until Greenwalds decide to take up residence in Seaview. Nick and Budgie…

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Book Spotlight & Giveaway: Can’t Help Falling in Love by Bella Andre (CLOSED)

Back in January, I was first introduced to Bella Andre when she did a whirlwind tour for the e-book editions of her Sullivan series. I was fortunate to receive e-copies of the first 7 books and of the ones I’ve had time to read (5 so far) I’ve loved them!!! Now, she has joined forces with Harlequin MIRA to provide the Sullivan books in print, with new content added to…

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Stacking the Shelves (55) 8.4.13

Tynga of Tynga’s Reviews is starting a new meme to spotlight the books we receive each week.        Here’s what I got:   For Review:   The Girl You Left Behind by JoJo Moyes   I’ve never read anything by JoJo Moyes, but have heard really good things about her books. Looking forward to reading this one!                 Purchased:   Shadowy Horses (e-book) by…

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Review: Smokin’ Seventeen by Janet Evanovich (audio)

Smokin’ Seventeen by Janet Evanovich Series: Stephanie Plum, #17 Read by Lorelei King Random House Audio 2011 Length: 6 hours, 22 minutes Source: Library Where there’s smoke there’s fire, and no one knows this better than New Jersey bounty hunter Stephanie Plum. Dead bodies are showing up in shallow graves on the empty construction lot of Vincent Plum Bail Bonds. No one is sure who the killer is, or why…

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August is Conquering the Book Stacks month! #ctbs

  For the month of August, I will be participating in “Conquering the Book Stacks” – where I plan to read my own books that have been sitting on my bookshelf and try really hard not to buy any new ones. This all came about from a discussion on twitter between a bunch of avid book readers who seem to constantly have too many books to read and not enough…

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Month in Review: July 2013

How is it that it’s already August already? This summer sure is flying by! I’m a bit behind on some of the reading challenges I’m participating in, so I’m quite excited that there’s a lot of bloggy events happening this month to help… Here’s a list of what I’ll be participating in: Conquering the Book Stacks – hosted by T over at Traveling With T…the goal is to read books…

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Blog Tour, Review & Giveaway: The Queen’s Rivals by Brandy Purdy (CLOSED)

The Queen’s Rivals by Brandy Purdy Kensington June 2013 Format: Paperback, 368 pages Source: Publisher via Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours Their ambitions were ordinary, but they were born too close to the throne… As cousins of history’s most tempestuous queens, Ladies Jane, Katherine, and Mary Grey were born in an age when all of London lived beneath the Tower’s menacing shadow. Tyrannized by Bloody Mary and the Virgin Queen,…

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Review: Wedding Belles by Beth Albright

Wedding Belles by Beth Albright Series: Sassy Belles, #2 Harlequin MIRA July 2013 Format: ARC, e-copy, 336 pages Source: Netgalley via Kaye Publicity The Sassy Belles are back…and this time, wedding bells are ringing! Seven months pregnant and head over heels in love, Vivi Ann McFadden is busy pulling together the final details for her wedding to Lewis Heart, famous play-by-play announcer for the Crimson Tide. But with two wedding-planners-gone-wild,…

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