Bea Reviews Otherwise Engaged by Amanda Quick

Publisher: Putnam Adult
Source: owned by the reviewer
Release Date: April 22nd, 2014 
Buying Links: Amazon* | Book Depository* | iTunes* | Barnes & Noble
* affiliate links; the blog receives a small commission from purchases made through these links.

Blurb from goodreads:

Miss Amity Doncaster, world traveler, is accustomed to adventure and risk. Benedict Stanbridge, a man of science and a spy for the Crown, has faced danger in the darker corners of foreign lands.

But they are about to face a threat that is shockingly close to home . . .

One does not expect to be kidnapped on a London street in broad daylight. But Amity Doncaster barely escapes with her life after she is trapped in a carriage with a blade-wielding man in a black silk mask who whispers the most vile taunts and threats into her ear. Her quick thinking, and her secret weapon, save her . . . for now.

But the monster known in the press as the Bridegroom, who has left a trail of female victims in his wake, has survived the wounds she inflicts and will soon be on his feet again. He is unwholesomely obsessed by her scandalous connection to Benedict Stanbridge—gossip about their hours alone in a ship’s stateroom seems to have crossed the Atlantic faster than any sailing vessel could. Benedict refuses to let this resourceful, daring woman suffer for her romantic link to him—as tenuous as it may be.

For a man and woman so skilled at disappearing, so at home in the exotic reaches of the globe, escape is always an option. But each intends to end the Bridegroom’s reign of terror in London, and will join forces to do so. And as they prepare to confront an unbalanced criminal in the heart of the city they love, they must also face feelings that neither of them can run away from.

Bea Reviews Twisted Truth by Melinda Leigh

Series: Rogue Justice Novella #1
Publisher: Montlake Romance
Source: the publisher in exchange for an honest review
Release Date: October 31st, 2017 
Buying Links: Amazon* (ebook & audio) | Book Depository* (audio only)  | Barnes & Noble (audio only)
* affiliate links; the blog receives a small commission from purchases made through these links.

Blurb from goodreads:

When Detective Seth Harding responds to shots being fired, he faces a familiar sight: a double homicide. However, he is shocked to find a young boy chained in the basement. The terrified child refuses to speak, but Seth knows he is the key to something sinister.

Reluctantly, Seth calls the only social worker he trusts with the traumatized boy—his wife. Carly is recovering from her own trauma suffered on the job, but she can’t turn away from this case, not from another child in trouble. With torrential rain bearing down, threatening to isolate their little town in a killer flood, Seth and Carly know the best way to keep the boy safe from danger is to take him back to their farm.

But danger is as relentless as the storm. And it’s following them all the way home.

Bea Reviews Tell Me a Mitzi by Lore Segal, Pictures by Harriet Pincus

Publisher: Dover Publications
Source: the publisher in exchange for an honest review
Release Date: September 13th, 2017 
Buying Links: Amazon* | Book Depository* | Google Play | Barnes & Noble
* affiliate links; the blog receives a small commission from purchases made through these links.

Blurb modified from goodreads:

A School Library Journal Best of the Best Book
A New York Times Outstanding Book of the Year
A National Book Award Finalist
"A must!" declared School Library Journal of this ALA Notable Book and National Book Award Finalist, now available in a glorious new hardcover edition. Blending fantasy and reality in a big-city setting, three unforgettable and wonderfully illustrated tales recount the adventures of Mitzi and her little brother as they attempt to visit their grandparents, recuperate from colds, and meet the president.
"Thanks to Lore Segal's antic words, and Harriet Pincus's antic pictures, children will find Tell Me a Mitzi a hilarious picnic." — Publishers Weekly
"Author and illustrator have caught the essence of childhood in this captivating picture book. The three stories mix fantasy with reality and are told with naturalness and warmth. The illustrations, so filled with details and surprises they invite repeated scrutiny, have verity and vitality, poignancy and endearing humor." — Booklist
"A remarkable joint tour de force." — The Washington Post Book World
"This is possibly one of the funniest books in print." — The Saturday Review"The fantasy is as real as tomorrow's ice cream cone, the three Mitzi stories more than bull's-eyes ... A triumph." — Kirkus Reviews

Read a NEW Short Story by Amanda Bouchet & Enter to WIN A Copy of Heart On Fire!

 

Even though Heart on Fire isn't out until January, Amanda Bouchet has written an original piece from Griffin's point of view especially for her fans, and we're sharing it with you! And there's a giveaway!

But first, a little about the new book, Heart on Fire. :)

Bea Reviews A Reference to Murder & Perilous Poetry by Kym Roberts & A Giveaway!

Series: A Book Barn Mystery #2
Publisher: Lyrical Underground
Source: the publisher in exchange for an honest review
Release Date: May 16th, 2017 
Buying Links: Amazon* | Book Depository* | iTunes* | Barnes & Noble
* affiliate links; the blog receives a small commission from purchases made through these links.

Blurb from goodreads:

Charli Rae Warren is back home in Hazel Rock, Texas, spending her time reading, collecting, and selling books—at least, the ones that don’t get eaten first by her father’s pet armadillo. Running the family bookstore is a demanding job, but solving murders on the side can be flat out dangerous…

The Book Barn is more than just a shop, it’s a part of the community—and Charli is keeping busy with a fundraising auction and the big rodeo event that’s come to town. That includes dealing with the Texas-sized egos of some celebrity cowboys, including Dalton Hibbs, a blond, blue-eyed bull rider who gets overly rowdy one night with the local hairdresser . . . and soon afterward, disappears into thin air.

Dalton’s brother also vanished seven years ago—and Charli is thrown about whether Dalton is a villain or a victim. After a close call with an assailant wielding a branding iron (that plays havoc with her hair) and some strange vandalism on her property, she’s going to have to team up with the sheriff to untangle this mystery, before she gets gored.

New Science Fiction Humble Bundle!!! You Choose the Price!!!

 
Most of you have probably heard of Humble Bundle but for those of you who haven't it works like this: Authors and/or publishers offer up books with a common theme,in this case adventures in science fiction. There are 24 books, some by heavy duty science fiction authors including Joe Haldeman and the late Octavia Butler. They are available at levels of pay for whatever you're willing to contribute.The more you pay, the more books available to you.

Excerpt & Giveaway: Hot Pursuit by Julie Ann Walker

Born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Julie grew up in a house full of women – she has three older sisters. As you can imagine, there was no lack of drama… or romance. Her mother enrolled her in a book club as soon as she began to read and it was the small spark that ignited her voracious appetite for the written word. Because of Julie’s early immersion in literature, she found writing came quite naturally. In high school, she won multiple writing contests and was the proud senior editor of The Tiger’s Tale – her school newspaper. During her college years, however, she longed for a challenge. “Reading and writing felt like second nature to me, so I looked for a way to flex my mental muscles,” she recalls. After receiving a Bachelor of Science degree, Julie began teaching advanced high school mathematics. “I loved working with the students and facing the challenges of the classroom, but I longed for the occasional snow day when I could race to the local book store, buy two or three new novels, and curl up in front of the fire to read.” It wasn’t until a fortuitous move to Chicago that Julie once more returned to her first passion. “Thankfully, my husband – my own personal hero – encouraged my decision to write full time.” Now Julie lives on beautiful Lake Shore Drive with a view that sometimes competes with her deadlines. When she’s not writing, she enjoys camping, hiking, cycling, cooking, travel, and…reading, of course!

Bea and Steph Review A Face to Die For by Andrea Kane & A Giveaway

Series: Forensic Instincts #6
Publisher: Bonnie Meadow Publishing LLC
Source: PR firm in exchange for an honest review
Release Date: September 19, 2017
Buying Links: Amazon* | Book Depository* | Kobo | Barnes & Noble
* affiliate links; the blog receives a small commission from purchases made through these links.

Blurb from PR Firm:

Urban legend says that everyone has a double, or exact look-alike. Would you search for yours? And if you found them, would you risk your life for theirs?

When a chance encounter outside the Plaza Hotel in Manhattan results in mistaken identity, wedding planner Gia Russo is curious to find the person whose cell phone picture has been shown her—veterinarian Dr. Danielle Murano, her exact look-alike. A Facebook private message blossoms into a budding, long-distance friendship, and the two women agree to meet in New York and see the truth for their own eyes.

Shocked at the sight of one another, they quickly bond over drinks, childhood pictures and an uncanny feeling that they share more than just a visual resemblance. Together they decide to end the speculation and undergo DNA testing for siblingship. But when the tests confirm they’re identical twins, more questions are raised than answered.

And with good reason. The same mysterious forces that separated the sisters years ago are still at large, frantic to keep the two women apart. Their attempts to do so become more violent once it becomes clear that the two sisters have found each other. But when the danger escalates and the sisters fear for their lives, Gia turns to a former client of her wedding planning company, Marc Devereraux of Forensic Instincts, for help.

Despite being embroiled in another case, Forensic Instincts agrees to help Gia and Danielle discover who has been threatening them. And when Forensic Instincts discovers that this case is linked to the [Mafia, Organized Crime], they must dig up skeletons better left buried, and get at the frightening truth without destroying the sisters and the families they have grown to love.