The Return of the Disappearing Duke by Lara Temple @laratemple1 @MillsandBoon @rararesources #bookexcerpt #regencyromance #giveaway

The Return of the Disappearing Duke written by Lara Temple, publisher Mills & Boon Historical, is available NOW in ebook and paperback format.

Book Blurb

A scarred mercenary…Or the Disappearing Duke of Greybourne?

Rafe has spent years running from his true identity. He’s a lone wolf, living far from aristocratic England and his violent father. Then unconventional Cleopatra Osbourne requests his protection as she crosses the Egyptian desert. In Cleo he discovers a fellow outcast—and a fierce desire! Cleo must return to London, and here lies Rafe’s dilemma—because following his heart means claiming the title he’s avoided for so long!

Purchase Links

Amazon: http://mybook.to/RafeDuke

Amazon US paperback: https://bit.ly/RafeDuke1

Amazon UK: https://bit.ly/RafeDukeUK

Bookbub: https://bit.ly/RafeBookbub

I am so pleased to be involved in the Publication Day Push celebrating and promoting the launch of Lara Temple’s latest novel: The Return of the Disappearing Duke.  I have the pleasure of sharing an excerpt.

Rafe and Cleo have made it safely out of Egypt on a smuggler’s ship only to find themselves caught in an Atlantic storm which forces them to make the best of Cleo’s cabin…

Any moment now and the Captain’s prediction about them becoming a treat for the fish might very well come to pass. She clung to the polished wood, her heart slamming far faster and more brutally than the shrieks of wind and raging waves.

But her mind was amazingly quiet and clear. All she could think was—she did not want to die and she did not want Rafe to die.

She wanted him here, with her.

The door slammed open and something between a squawk and a shriek burst from her, but it wasn’t the ship being torn apart. Rafe stood braced in the doorway as the ship rolled back. His hair and face were slick with rain and the coat he was shrugging off fell with a wet thump to the floor.

I’ve conjured him, she thought. Her relief was so great it took quite a bit of restraint and common sense not to abandon her grip and throw herself at him precisely like a Haymarket heroine.

The ship gave another mighty effort to shake her off. She lost her hold on the shelf, but managed to grab one of the solid chairs that was grinding sluggishly back and forth across the floor, dragging her as she clung to it.

Rafe came towards her, using the shelves as anchors.

‘Stop dancing like a drunken goat and sit down.’

‘I am trying! It’s impossible to stay still.’

She was beginning to feel queasy. She couldn’t remember suffering from seasickness before, but there was a first time for everything. Her first relief at his entry was dissipating fast. It was bad enough she must look like a fright in the oversized nightshirt; casting up her accounts in front of him would add injury to injury.

‘I am perfectly fine. Go away,’ she said, trying not to sound desperate.

‘No. Not while you’re rolling around like a billiard ball.’

‘I’ll sit down.’ She aimed for the seat and promptly fell to the floor as the boat went the other way. The blow to her bottom was so sharp she lost her breath and sat gasping.

He helped her to her feet, planting his feet wide against the roll.

‘Come, sit.’

‘I think I am safer on the floor.’

He laughed, tucking her against him.

‘You’ll roll around the floor like a loose cannon, Queenie. Come.’

To her surprise he sat at the end of the bed and propped his boots against the cupboard. Before she could understand what he was doing he used the roll of the ship to pull her off her feet and on to his lap. His arm curved about her waist, his hand on her hip, flexing as he held her through the particularly enthusiastic roll.

‘See? Nice and snug. We roll with the ship, rather than try to battle it. You can’t win that one, sweetheart.’ His voice was a rumbling purr against her side and his breath warm on her temple.

His warmth radiated through the thin, damp cotton of their shirts and her hands began tingling at the memory of sliding her hands over his chest in the bathhouse. How his muscles had hardened under her touch, bunching and flexing in that strange dance of invitation and rejection. Her hand was so close to his waist, a simple tug could separate shirt from trouser and…

The ship gave another leap and dip and she grabbed at his shirt.

‘Ouch. Watch your nails, hellion.’

‘You’ve been stabbed more times than a roast ham. I hardly think my nails will have an impact on you.’

‘God, you’d be surprised.’ There was a laugh in his voice, but also a rawness, and she leaned back a little to look at him.

He was half smiling, but there was tension there and demons in his eyes.

She released his shirt, gently rubbing the spot she’d abused, still watching him.

His pupils widened, turning storm into thundery dusk, and under her thigh she felt him harden. It was definite, immediate, and so was her response.

All fear of the storm, the queasiness and embarrassment just…evaporated. Her body shimmered with heat, expanded and woke into awareness of every point of contact, of the tingling warmth between her legs, of the need to do something…

Oh, lord, she was in trouble.

Author Bio –

Lara Temple writes strong and sensual Regency romances about complex individuals who give no quarter but do so with plenty of passion. She lives with her husband, two children, and one very fluffy dog and they are all very understanding about her taking over the kitchen table so she can look out over the garden as she writes and dreams up her Happy Ever Afters.

Social Media links

Amazon author page US: http://bit.ly/LaraTemple

Amazon author page UK: http://bit.ly/LaraTempleUK

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/LaraTemple

Facebook Author Page: www.facebook.com/LaraTempleAuthor

Facebook: www.facebook.com/LaraTemple1

Twitter: @laratemple1

Website: www.laratemple.com

Giveaway to Win 3 x E-copies of The Return of the Disappearing Duke (Open INT)

*Terms and Conditions –Worldwide entries welcome.  Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below.  The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s Random Resources reserves the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over.  Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data.  I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/33c69494388/

 

 

 

 

Advertisement

Blooms of War by Suzanne Tierney @notajaxgirl #blogtour #bookexcerpt

Blooms of War written and self-published by Suzanne Tierney is available NOW in ebook, kindleunlimited and paperback format.

Book Blurb

In war, she fell in love.

Vera Betts shouldn’t be falling in love with the enigmatic doctor she suspects of espionage. Reeling from her family’s betrayal, she’s faked her nursing credentials, invented a new name, and run away to the frontlines of the French battlefield. Four years into the Great War and she knows who she is and what she’s meant for—to save the living and sit vigil by the dying. When the cagey-yet-earnest Dr. Nicholas Wallace arrives, so do mysterious explosions destroying hospitals. Even as Nick raises her suspicions, he lowers her defenses. He wants the war to end. Are his acts of sabotage politically motivated or a desperate attempt at peace?
​
In peace, she fell apart.

A year later, Vera is back with her oppressive family, living under her real name, and Nick is on trial for murder. Trapped in grief and guilt, she cannot speak about the past and does not believe in the future. With Nick refusing to defend himself, she ventures to London to understand why he is so willing to embrace the hangman’s noose. Who is he trying to protect? What secrets does he plan to carry to his grave? And why does Nick insist upon hiding her true identity? To save the man she loves, Vera must tear open the past and confront the tragic price for peace.

Purchase Links

UK – https://www.amazon.co.uk/Blooms-War-Evocative-Emotional-Story-ebook/dp/B08CY87LW9/

US – https://www.amazon.com/Blooms-War-Evocative-Emotional-Story-ebook/dp/B08CY87LW9/

I am so pleased to be involved in the blogtour celebrating and promoting the launch of Suzanne Tierney’s latest novel: Blooms of War.  I have the pleasure of sharing an excerpt from the novel.

Blooms of War

Chapter Eight

Wimereux, May 15, 1918

[Vera and Nick meet by chance at the beach and engage in their first flirt. A letter slips from Vera’s pocket and the wind picks it up, scattering it about. The two chase down the pages, turning the capture of the pages into a game.]

*    *     *

He and I kick up our pace. My skirt shortens the length of my stride. I grab a handful of fabric, bunch it above my knees.

“No fair,” decries Colonel Wallace, giving my legs an exaggerated ogle.

We keep running and both leap, trying to grasp the stubbornly airborne page, and end up colliding into each other. Midair, his arm goes around my waist, my arms around his neck, and when we tumble, we do so like lovers falling from the sky. We land, a soft thud on soft sand, and he’s careful to release me, letting me roll off of his arm like I am too precious to tether. I lay back, squint up at the baby blue sky. Something vibrant and alive forms a ball in my stomach, flares through me and bursts out.

Laughter.

I love the sound of this novel, one to definitely add to my TBR

Author Bio –

Writer of lush, historical happily-ever-after tales, Suzanne Tierney believes in true love. But she takes delicious pleasure in making her characters fight, flutter, and find their way to each other. Her books have won numerous awards and she has twice been a Golden Heart Finalist® with the Romance Writers of America.

Suzanne grew up in Oregon, adulted in the San Francisco Bay Area, and somehow ended up in Florida, where she is very much a cold-water fish learning to navigate humid, salty seas. She loves chatting with readers.

Social Media Links –

Instagram: @notajaxgirl

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/notajaxgirl/?modal=admin_todo_tour

Twitter: @notajaxgirl

Website: suzannetierney.com

Giveaway – 3 Winners each win a Donation of $15 to designated winner’s choice of frontline healthcare worker organization in the name of the  designated winner – for example it could be the American  Red Cross; etc. (Open INT)

*Terms and Conditions –Worldwide entries welcome.  Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below.  The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s Random Resources reserves the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over.  Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data.  I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/33c69494385/

 

 

 

 

Under a Siena Sun by T.A. Williams @tawilliamsbooks @canelo_co @rararesources #publicationdaypush #bookreview

Under a Siena Sun written by T.A. Williams, publisher Canelo Escape, is available NOW in ebook format.

Book Blurb

Lucy needed a change of scene. She didn’t expect the change of a lifetime.

Doctors Without Borders has been Lucy Young’s life for the past four years. After being rescued from a conflict zone, she’s making a change from saving lives under gunfire to practising medicine in safe, serene Siena.

Now treating wealthy patients at a private clinic, she’s never felt less comfortable. She’s used to helping those in dire need – not those in need of a nip and tuck. Her turmoil grows when she encounters injured tennis star David Lorenzo, whose smiles make Lucy forget her aversion to the rich.

She’s soon falling for the sportsman but is she losing herself in this world of excess? All she’s ever wanted was to help the underprivileged, so can her future lie in Siena at the clinic – with David?

This sunny romance is the perfect summer escape for fans of Lucy Coleman and Alex Brown.

Purchase Links

http://mybook.to/SienaSun

https://www.kobo.com/gb/en/ebook/under-a-siena-sun

I voluntarily reviewed an arc of this book. All opinions are my own and no content may be copied. However, authors and publishers may use elements of my reviews for quotes

I am so pleased to be involved in the Publication Day Push celebrating and promoting the launch of T.A. Williams latest novel: Under a Siena Sun.

Catapulted from the war torn fields of Africa to the beautiful hills of Siena our kind, caring leading lady Dr Lucy Young is finding it difficult to adjust and finds it unjustifiable how life fairs so differently for many.

Lucy is now in Tuscany receiving some much needed R&R after a physically and mentally demanding time working in extreme situations for the Medecins Sans Frontieres.  She’s quickly gained new employment at a private clinic but isn’t sure how long she can cope working for the privileged.  However, Lucy soon falls in love with Siena; it’s history, it’s landscape and it’s very friendly neighbourhood dog.  All this beauty surrounding her gives her much joy and peace.

Lucy starts to grow more than platonic feelings for her reclusive neighbour and soon learns they share a love of history and their friendship blossoms.  However, Lucy’s old woes of principles keep fighting with her conscience and she doesn’t know if she can fit in this new lifestyle.

Whenever I read a book by T.A. Williams he peeks my fascination with his locations.  I appreciate and relish the extensive research he has taken for his storylines and can feel the author’s love of the history of a location emanating from the pages.  I long to visit many of T.A. Williams book locations to sample the local delicacies, visit the beautiful area but mainly walk the paths of our ancestors.

Under a Siena Sun is a beautifully, fascinating story that is romantic and heartfelt.

Author Bio – I’m a man. And a pretty old man as well. I did languages at university a long time ago and then lived and worked in France and Switzerland before going to Italy for seven years as a teacher of English. My Italian wife and I then came back to the UK with our little daughter (now long-since grown up) where I ran a big English language school for many years. We now live in a sleepy little village in Devonshire. I’ve been writing almost all my life but it was only seven years ago that I finally managed to find a publisher who liked my work enough to offer me my first contract.

The fact that I am now writing romantic comedy is something I still find hard to explain. My early books were thrillers and historical novels. Maybe it’s because there are so many horrible things happening in the world today that I feel I need to do my best to provide something to cheer my readers up. My books provide escapism to some gorgeous locations, even if travel to them is currently difficult.

Social Media Links –

Website: www.tawilliamsbooks.com

Twitter: @tawilliamsbooks

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

Starcross Manor by Christie Barlow @ChristieJBarlow @0neMoreChapter @rararesources #bookreview #StarcrossManor #feelgoodfiction

Starcross Manor written by Christie Barlow, publisher 0ne More Chapter, is available NOW in ebook and audiobook format.  The paperback is due out in November.

Book Blurb

Dying to know more about the brooding and mysterious Flynn Carter and the secrets behind his plans for Starcross Manor?

You won’t want to miss the next spellbinding chapter in the Love Heart Lane series – where friends are there for you no matter what.

When Julia Coleman meets Flynn Carter again in the cosy village of Heartcross it can only mean trouble. Flynn might be rich, brooding and sexy, but Julia knows first-hand he’s ruthless and she plans to watch his every move.

When Julia discovers Flynn’s plans for beautiful Starcross Manor her greatest fears come true.  Because Flynn’s dreams of turning Starcross into a luxury hotel could ruin Julia’s dreams…and finish off the community of Heartcross for good.

Flynn makes it clear he doesn’t want trouble, and he’s not the man Julia thinks he is.  As he sets about convincing the community he’s changed, he hopes he can convince Julia to give him another chance too…

To buy link:  https://amzn.to/34uomL7

I voluntarily reviewed an arc of this book. All opinions are my own and no content may be copied. However, authors and publishers may use elements of my reviews for quotes

I am so pleased to be involved in the blogtour celebrating and promoting the launch of Christie Barlow’s latest novel: Starcross Manor.

Christie Barlow’s writing has once again captured my heart with Starcross Manor.  Starcross Manor is book four in the Love Heart Lane series.  Although each novel can be read as a standalone story I would highly recommend reading the books in the series in order to appreciate the history of the characters, the setting and the ambiance of the community of Heartcross.  The books in the series are:

1. Love Heart Lane
2. Foxglove Farm
3. Clover Cottage
4. Starcross Manor
5. The Lake House (due later this year)

The Love Heart Lane series is set in the most idyllic of locations in a small village in the Scottish Highlands.  A village that holds the community within it’s heart and it’s success is borne by each and every one of the small independent businesses pulling together helping each other.  Although the village sounds idyllic the lives of the villagers are full of realistic problems and situations that are relatable.  The characters are written with such warmth that you instantly fall in love with, even the likeable rogues.  Each story in the series is centred around a different character and business but Starcross Manor has two businesses as it’s focus; the main one is Julia’s B & B that has been established five years now and is doing very well with the tourists flocking to enjoy the natural beauty of the area, the other business is Starcross Manor which has recently been bought and in the process of renovating by a newcomer, hot shot entreprenuer Flynn Carter.

When Julia bumps into the new owner of Starcross Manor she is shocked to discover that someone from her past has turned up in the village and looks like he is here to stay.  There’s a lot of bad feeling between Julia and Flynn but it appears that Flynn can’t recall all the hurt that he once caused.  The villagers soon become unsettled with this high flying businessman in their midst and they fear for their livelihood.  However, when an emergency ensues within the village fears are put on hold and the strength of the community pull together with a surprising benefactor to the cause.

Starcross Manor is another gorgeous instalment in the bestselling series Love Heart Lane.  It’s a series that you just want to keep going and going and as each story emerges you once again escape into the lives of the villagers of Heartcross and leave a tiny bit of your heart in the Scottish Highlands.  A story that sparkles with fun, friendship, hopefulness and blossoming romance.

Author Bio – Christie Barlow is the number 1 International bestselling author of ten bestsellers including A Home at Honeysuckle Farm, Love Heart Lane and Clover Cottage. Her writing career came as somewhat a surprise when she decided to write a book to teach her children a valuable life lesson and show them that they are capable of achieving their dreams. The book she wrote to prove a point is now a #1 bestseller in the UK, USA, Canada & Australia.

Social Media Links –

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/christie_barlow/?hl=en

Twitter @ChristieJBarlow

Facebook page Christie Barlow author

Some Like It Greek by Sue Roberts @suerobertsautho @bookouture #blogtour #bookreview #feelgoodfiction

Some Like It Greek written by Sue Roberts, publisher Bookouture, is available NOW in ebook and paperback format.

Book Blurb

There’s nothing like a summer escape. A sun-kissed story about living life to the full.

In the month from hell, incurable optimist Anna has lost her father and her job, and her trademark smile is dimming. Clearing out her dad’s house, she discovers a postcard of a beautiful sandy beach and a map with a route plotted to the Greek island of Kefalonia. With an empty summer stretching ahead, Anna’s eyes stray to her father’s old camper van. Next thing she knows, she’s hitting the road with friend Demi in tow, on a course from Salford to Skala!

Over one unforgettable summer, Anna and Demi make their rickety way along the sparkling Mediterranean coast, the hot sun shining down on their frequent mishaps with cheerful local characters. It’s the trip of a lifetime, and the scent of lemons in the air – as well as an unexpected romance – are just what Anna needs to awaken her inner Greek goddess.

But there are big surprises in store when they arrive at the island paradise, which could change both women’s lives forever. And as summer comes to an end, Anna has to decide whether she has had enough of the Greek life, or whether this is only just the beginning…

A joyful, hilarious summer read, perfect for fans of Carole Matthews, Jenny Colgan and Sophie Kinsella.

Buy Links:

Amazon: https://bit.ly/2XYA7FF

Apple: https://apple.co/3bsfipU

Kobo: https://bit.ly/2xVk69N

Google: https://bit.ly/2WMA26C

I voluntarily reviewed an arc of this book. All opinions are my own and no content may be copied. However, authors and publishers may use elements of my reviews for quotes

I am so pleased to be involved in the blogtour celebrating and promoting the launch of Sue Roberts’ latest novel: Some Like It Greek.  This is the first book I’ve read by Sue Roberts and it was such a treat to discover a new author.

The storyline in Some Like It Greek resonated with me on so many levels and although I too within the last year have experienced redundancy and sadly lost my father I didn’t find this story depressing, in fact it radiated nostalgia, warmth and hopefulness.

Anna has just recently lost her father, whilst sorting through his belongings she finds a map and postcards from the time he spent in Greece during his twenties.  The map details a route through France, Switzerland, Italy then on the ferry to Greece.  Anna also finds the keys to her fathers old camper van, a van that has witnessed many adventures.  Are there anymore adventures left in this van?  Anna’s career at the bank is at risk so she takes this as a sign to take herself on a journey following the footsteps of her late father.

The journey to Greece is filled with many surprises; some good, some wonderful, some very funny and some that were not great.  With her intrepid travelling partner the ladies go on a nostalgic journey of the past, present and the future.

This was a fun, nostalgic, heart-warming and very poignant read.

Author Bio

Sue Roberts lives in Lancashire with her long term partner Derek and has had a lifelong love of writing, encouraged by winning a school writing competition at the age of 11.

She always assumed that ‘one day’ she would write a book, always having a busy household and a job, the idea remained firmly on the back burner but never forgotten.

The inspiration for her first novel came to her on a holiday to a Greek village. Her daughters had left home and suddenly the time had come to write that book!

Twitter:  @SueRobertsautho

The Girl You Forgot by Giselle Green @gisellegreenUK @BoldwoodBooks @rararesources #bookreview #blogtour

The Girl You Forgot written by Giselle Green, publisher Boldwood Books, is available NOW in ebook, kindleunlimited, audiobook and paperback format.

Book Blurb

Does the heart never really forget?

When Ava’s partner Will is diagnosed with a terminal brain tumour, the doctors give Will one chance to survive – an operation which means he will lose his recent memory. Ava begs him to take the chance, sure that she can cope with Will forgetting her. After all, they have something very special to live for.

But they are also keeping a heart-breaking secret, and if Will loses his memory, Ava will have to carry that secret alone.

Can they rebuild their love from scratch or will their secrets and past come between them? Will Ava really be a stranger when Will wakes up – or does the heart never really forget…

Giselle Green returns with a heart-breaking, deeply moving story of love, loss, and what it really means to be alive. Perfect for all fans of Jodi Picoult, Susan Lewis and Diane Chamberlain.

Purchase Link- https://amzn.to/3eapMfK

I voluntarily reviewed an arc of this book. All opinions are my own and no content may be copied. However, authors and publishers may use elements of my reviews for quotes

I am so pleased to be involved in the blogtour celebrating and promoting the launch of Giselle Green’s latest novel: The Girl You Forgot.

The Girl You Forgot is a story that will break your heart many times and you will fall in love with the two leading characters as their lives are turned upside down with the strain of a terrible illness.  However, not only do Ava and Will have to cope with the diagnosis they have the long recovery and there’s also the question of the secrets that Ava has promised to Will that she will not reveal to him again post op.

What a conundrum to face for Will when making the decision on having the life saving operation.  He knows the operation is essential but he also knows he will lose his most recent memory.  A memory that holds so much of his creative inspiration for his musical talent.  A memory that also holds the time he fell in love with Ava and the time that his heart was broken.  Ava does everything in her power to ensure Will has the operation and the couple vow to keep the secrets that broke them hidden forever.  However, as time passes during Will’s recovery Ava struggles to rebuild their relationship and holding back all the secrets.

This is a wonderful, heartfelt story that will stay with you for a long time.  To have love and lost and to keep loving whether it is reciprocated and knowing it could all shatter at any time must have been such an emotional strain but it also shows the strength of the love within Ava.  During Will’s recovery he learns much about his emotional wellbeing during past events and discovers that looking at life through different eyes can make the view a different outlook.

The author, Giselle Green, knows how to create a storyline that draws you in and leaves you feeling wrung out with emotion but you can also feel a sense of hopefulness and warmth.

Author Bio –

Giselle Green is an award-winning, bestselling contemporary women’s fiction author. Mum to six boys (half of whom have flown the nest) and owner of one bright orange-and-cinnamon canary who hopefully never will, Giselle enjoys creating emotionally-gripping storylines about family and relationships.

Social Media Links –

Twitter Profile: @gisellegreenUK

https://gisellegreen.com/

Facebook Profile:Giselle Green Author

https://www.bookbub.com/authors/giselle-green

Newsletter sign up: https://bit.ly/GiselleGreenNewsletter

 

 

 

 

The Friendship List by Susan Mallery @SusanMallery @MillsandBoon #TheFriendshipList #summerreading

The Friendship List written by Susan Mallery, publisher Mills & Boon, is available NOW in ebook, hardcover, audiobook and paperback format.

The paperback is available from all good book retailers and can be purchased online.  Here are a few to buy links:

Mills & Boon website:  https://www.millsandboon.co.uk/collections/all/products/hqnsingle-08189408

amazon:  https://amzn.to/2DDToVx

hive:  https://www.hive.co.uk/Product/Susan-Mallery/The-Friendship-List/24228246

Waterstones:  https://www.waterstones.com/book/the-friendship-list/susan-mallery/9781848458116

Book Blurb

One Summer can change your life…

As a single mum, Ellen Fox missed out on a lot, but she wouldn’t change a thing. Then she overhears her son saying he can’t leave home to go to college because she needs him too much. If she wants him to live his best life, she has to convince him she’s living hers.

To help, Ellen’s best friend Unity creates a list of challenges to push Ellen out of her comfort zone. Unity will complete the list, too. Only to support her friend, not because she needs to change. She’s a perfectly fine thirty four year old widow, who socialises at an old people’s home!

For both women, The Friendship List begins as a way to make others believe they’re doing just fine. But somewhere between ‘wear a bikini in public’ and ‘have sex with a gorgeous guy’, Ellen and Unity discover that life is meant to be lived with joy and abandon, and filled with humour, heartache and perhaps the odd regrettable tattoo!

I voluntarily reviewed an arc of this book. All opinions are my own and no content may be copied. However, authors and publishers may use elements of my reviews for quotes

I am so pleased to be involved in the blogtour celebrating and promoting the launch of Susan Mallery’s latest novel: The Friendship List.  I’m shocked to admit that this is the first book by Susan Mallery that I’ve read but I’m so pleased that I’ve now discovered this author as I loved this novel and the author’s style of writing; definitely one to add to my ever increasing favourites list!

The Friendship List is a wonderful story of two childhood friends who are now in their mid thirties and are feeling like life is passing them by.  The girls lives were very similar, they’d experienced one relationship and for many reasons they felt like this was enough.  However, as time went by and life’s hurdles blocked some of their intended paths the best friends, Ellen and Unity, were feeling afraid of the future without the loves of their lives.

Ellen fell pregnant at 17, her son is now 17 and she is about to face the next stage in his life with college interviews.  But Ellen is shocked to learn that her son doesn’t want to travel far and leave his mum on her own.  Ellen is frightened that she is holding her son Cooper back and strives to change her life to prove to him that she has plenty in her life to keep her occupied whilst Cooper is away at college.

Unity fell in love quite young and married her sweetheart Stuart.  Stuart was in the military and Unity was happy to follow him with his career.  However, life was to be very cruel for Unity and sadly her husband lost his life whilst serving his country.  It’s been three years since her husband was tragically killed but Unity is still struggling with grief.  When she finds out about Ellen’s list to change her life Unity decides to make her own list in helping her overcome her grief.

Both Ellen and Unity’s lists were filled with items to make them step out of their comfort zone and were a little scary for them.  Unity was very unsure of her list but with Ellen having completed one item off her list she feels a competitive spirit within her and it’s given her the much needed boost she needed to make the first step in tackling her list.

The girls hadn’t envisioned romance on the list but unexpected new acquaintances and seeing an old friend in a new light sparks a heat within the girls that they feared had been left frozen for good.

The Friendship List is such a fun read by Susan Mallery, it’s filled with adventure, it’s sexy and romantic but it also deals with some serious life issues.  I didn’t want this story to end and felt like Ellen and Unity had become part of my very own inner circle of friends.  A gorgeous sun filled read full of fun, love, laughter and tears.

About the Author

SUSAN MALLERY is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of novels about the relationships that define women’s lives—family, friendship, romance. Library Journal says, “Mallery is the master of blending emotionally believable characters in realistic situations,” and readers seem to agree—40 million copies of her books have sold worldwide. Her warm, humorous stories make the world a happier place to live.

Susan grew up in California and now lives in Seattle with her husband. She’s passionate about animal welfare, especially that of the two ragdoll cats and adorable poodle who think of her as mom.

Website:  https://susanmallery.com/

Twitter:  @SusanMallery

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

Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/susanmallery/