Book Review with Featured Author: When Sparks Fly by Helena Hunting

When Sparks Fly by Helena Hunting

 

 

Publisher & Release: St. Martin’s Press, September 21,2021

Setting:  Colorado Springs, Colorado

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Length: 317 Pages

Heat Level: 2 Flames

Rating: 4 Gold Crowns

Book Description: 

Charming, hilarious, and emotional...When Sparks Fly is Helena Hunting at her very best!

Avery Spark is living her best life. Between her friends, her sisters, and Spark House, the event hotel her family owns, she doesn’t have much time for anything else, especially relationships. She’d rather hang out with her best friend and roommate, Declan McCormick, than deal with the dating scene. But everything changes when she is in a car accident and needs someone to care for her as she heals. 

Declan avoids relationships, giving him a playboy reputation that he lives up to when he puts a one-night stand ahead of a promise he made to Avery. While he may not have been the one driving the car, he feels responsible for Avery’s injuries and is determined to make it up to her by stepping into the role of caretaker. 

Little did they know that the more time they spend in compromising positions, the attraction they’ve been refusing to acknowledge becomes impossible to ignore. When they finally give in to the spark between them, neither is prepared for the consequences. Their love is fragile and all it will take is a blow from the past to shatter it all.

 

Buy Links:

 

Amazon: https://smile.amazon.com/When-Sparks-Fly-Helena-Hunting-ebook/dp/B08R2M3C73

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/when-sparks-fly-helena-hunting/1138462061

KOBO: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/when-sparks-fly-12

Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/audiobooks/details/Helena_Hunting_When_Sparks_Fly?id=AQAAAEA8Cg9KIM

Audible: https://www.audible.com/pd/When-Sparks-Fly-Audiobook/1250821460?qid=1631149036&sr=1-1&ref=a_search_c3_lProduct_1_1&pf_rd_p=83218cca-c308-412f-bfcf-90198b687a2f&pf_rd_r=TT9DJGNHSBVSHS0WT33G

 

 

Add to Goodreads & BookBub:

 

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/56269043-when-sparks-fly

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/when-sparks-fly-by-helena-hunting

 

Vikki’s Musings

 

Thanks go to the publisher and Net-Galley for the complimentary digital copy of When Sparks Fly by Helena Hunting. I voluntarily agreed to read and review this novel prior to publication. My opinions are my own, and nothing has influenced my rating.

 

When Sparks Fly is an awesome friends to lovers story with endearing characters and an emotionally charged plot. This is the first book I’ve read by Ms. Hunting, and while there are lots of humor, for me, the stronger part of this novel is the raw emotions that both characters experience.

 

Avery Spark is the female protagonist, and I quickly warmed to her character. The hurt she has when the hero breaks his promise to attend a planning get together with old college cronies, I could feel her hurt and disappointment. Then when she’s almost killed in a horrific multi-vehicle accident, her fear is visceral. Her embarrassment when Declan helps her manage her personal needs had me blushing for her.

 

Declan McCormick is our hero, and while it appears he’s a man-whore, I soon realized that image is only a very small part of his complicated personality. His fear to allow anyone to know who he really is, tugged at my heart and I understood it is the real reason he only has one-night stands. Deep inside his soul, he knows Avery is the only woman for him, but fear keeps him from letting those emotions come to the forefront. 

 

The romance develops slowly as it normally does in this troupe. Both are so afraid that if they let the attraction move beyond the physical, it could tear their long-standing friendship apart. When it falls apart, the pain both characters have is heart breaking. I thoroughly enjoyed their love story and wanted them to find their happy ending.

 

If you enjoy contemporary romance with plenty of heart and engaging characters, then you’ll love When Sparks Fly as much as I did. I look forward to reading other books by this talented author. Happy reading!

 

Author Bio:

 

NYT and USA Today bestselling author, Helena Hunting lives outside of Toronto with her amazing family and her two awesome cats, who think the best place to sleep is her keyboard. Helena writes everything from emotional contemporary romance to romantic comedies that will have you laughing until you cry.

 

Social Media:

Website: https://helenahunting.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/helena.hunting69/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/helenahunting/

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

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/helenahunting/_saved/

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/helena-hunting

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7226675.Helena_Hunting

 

Book Review: Featuring Katherine Grant and her debut novel The Ideal Countess

The Ideal Countess by Katherine Grant

Publisher & Release: Self-Published, 10 January, 2020

Time and setting:  Regency England

Genre: Historical Romance

Length: 232 Pages

Heat Level: 1 Flame

Rating:  5 Gold Crowns

Book Description: 

In this Regency Romance, an eager debutante is caught between the notorious Duke of Cornwall and her childhood friend, the Earl of Windemere.

London, 1810

Alice never dreamed her Season would go this well. She has beautiful dresses, new friends, and she has caught the eye of the most dashing bachelor in London, the Duke of Cornwall.

But her friend, Hugh Osborne, the Earl of Windemere, is concerned the duke’s attentions towards Alice aren’t completely honorable. While she dreams of marrying the impossible duke, Hugh scrambles to find a way to protect her - and win her heart - before Alice’s reputation is dashed to pieces. 

Buy Links:

Amazon: https://smile.amazon.com/Ideal-Countess-Chronicles-Book-ebook/dp/B082S3P7B7

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-ideal-countess-katherine-grant         

Add to Goodreads:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/49795799-the-ideal-countess

Vikki’s Musings

Thanks goes to the author for inviting me to read and review The Ideal Countess, a Regency historical romance. My opinions are my own and are not influenced in any way. This is Ms. Grant’s debut novel, and I’m so glad I accepted her kind offer.

The Ideal Countess is a delight Regency with many of the aspects I love most in this particular sub-genre of romance. The characters have excellent depth, and I felt I really could understand them. Ms. Grant’s writing flows well and the pacing is great.

Alice is a charming heroine, and I became vested in her character right away. While at times, I did want to shake her for being unable to see the Duke of Cornwall as the  cad he was, I could understand how it was hard to believe the warnings from someone who had a reason to warn her off.

Hugh Osborne is a beta hero, and one I quite adored from the beginning. He’s brilliant and has that odd quirkiness that what today we would call a computer geek. The man loves his mathematics and figuring out new ways to help the common man with his inventions.

What starts as a way to appease his mother, quickly turns into his heart’s desire, which completely baffles him at first. He’s known Alice since they were in leading strings, so he never imagined the attraction he feels toward her could be so strong.

I loved the romance between the hero and heroine. They’re actually quite perfect for each other. Although it takes Alice much longer to recognize her attraction for Hugh, it’s because the villain of this piece preys on her naïveté, complimenting her, encouraging her to believe he’s serious. However, let’s just say her eyes become open to him. I don’t want to give anything away, so I shall say no more.

If you enjoy a good Regency romance with characters that will pull on your heart strings and a plot that is different than so many historical romances, then you will enjoy The Ideal Countess as much as I did. I’m amazed by the talent in this debut novel and will be looking for more books by Katherine Grant. Happy reading!

Excerpt:

Miss Alice Winpole’s first ball was almost everything she had dreamed it would be. 

There was the footman at the door, bellowing ancient family names so she could peer over at the viscounts and barons and even one duke as they entered. There was the string quartet in the corner that never played a note out of tune, unlike the overeager fiddlers her mother hired for their country parties; the instrumentalists featured an olive-toned violinist who Alice was sure had been imported straight from Milan. There were ladies swathed in precious silks and gentlemen in their richest suits. Couples young and old slipped through double doors for fresh air on the Romanesque patio. Alice’s mother had even whispered that there were orange-flavored ices in the refreshment room.

For a first ball, it was surpassing all of Alice’s expectations, which were quite considerable since she’d been hearing about the splendor of the Season for the entirety of her seventeen years. The ball was perfect, in every way except one.

Alice had not yet been asked to dance.

Her parents, the Baron and Baroness of Eastley, had coached her on this. For the exact same amount of time that Alice had been hearing about balls, she had also been happily ensconced in their country seat of Bleneccle Manor. While her father undertook the five-day journey to London a few times a year, it was far too long—and far too likely that a coach wheel would break and the ladies would be stranded in a one-room inn—for him to invite the family along. Her mother had warned Alice that since they were so remote in their corner of the north, it would take a few weeks to properly introduce Alice so that gentlemen could ask her to dance. Alice had been fully prepared to stand against the wall during her first ball for one or two dances.

But things were not going according to plan. Alice and her mother were supposed to have arrived a full week before this first ball of the season, thrown by the Marchioness of Leighstor, so that her mother could take Alice around on morning calls to meet the matrons of society. But first a wretched rainstorm had delayed the start of their journey by two days, and then on the highway through Nottinghamshire a carriage wheel did break. The carriage-maker in town was laid up with what Lady Eastley called an unmentionable disease, so they had to wait another two days for the fix. By the time Alice set eyes on London – loud, messy London – there had been barely enough time to present her to the queen much less anybody else.

And so, Lady Eastley and Lord Eastley had deposited Alice against the very wall where she still stood before melting into the crowd to find her some dance partners. Playing the part of Marriage Mama, Lady Eastley chatted with fellow matrons, angling for introductions to their sons or nephews or brothers in hopes she could then introduce said gentlemen to Alice. Lord Eastley, meanwhile, had decamped to the cluster of males in the card room, promising to send every eligible male her way.

Alice had more faith in her father. While Lady Eastley was pretty and polite, she didn’t have many connections, and she far preferred chatting over tea to rubbing elbows with London’s ton. In the ballroom, she was being relegated to the quietest of conversation circles. In contrast, Lord Eastley knew more people in London, and he was the type of friendly boisterous that made people want to like him. Many times at home, Alice had observed a tenant or laborer come to Papa with a complaint, only for the man to leave laughing with a compromise as a solution. 

Yet despite her parents’ efforts, the caller had already announced the first minuet, a quadrille, and a polka, and Alice remained with no introductions. She glanced at her dance card as fellow debutantes walked arm-in-arm with gentlemen to start the polka. At the start of the evening, she’d written her name at the top in her brightest lettering, excited to see the card fill up. Now there were only eight more dances until supper, and every line was still blank. Indeed, the card itself was beginning to shrivel from all her fidgeting. Soon there wouldn’t be a way for gentlemen to claim a dance, even if they wanted to.

Author Bio:

I've been a storyteller for as long as I can remember. Before I knew how to read and write, I acted out stories (original and retellings of my favorite Disney movies) with Barbies. Around the third grade, I started writing my own stories in notebooks, and I finished my first novel in seventh grade on my dad's old laptop.

Since then, I've been a writer. I got a degree in creative writing from Northwestern University, moved to New York City, and "daylight" as a marketer.

WHY ROMANCE? 
It came first from my love as a reader. I read on my subway commute every day, but it's only when I'm on a romance kick that I literally cannot stop reading. I once spent an entire Memorial Day weekend reading 2 books a day!

When I decided to try my hand at writing a romance, the words literally flowed. I have so much fun writing these stories that I never, ever want to stop.

Social Media:

Website: https://katherinegrantromance.com/?utm_source=vikkivaught&utm_medium=website&utm_campaign=review

Amazon Author Page: https://smile.amazon.com/Katherine-Grant/e/B082TQRTRM?ref_=dbs_p_ebk_r00_abau_000000

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

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

Book Review: Ace of Spades by Sandra Owens

Ace of Spades by Sandra Owens

Publisher & Release: Montlake Romance, February 6, 2018

Time and setting:  Present Day, Miami

Genre: Contemporary Romance/Romantic Suspense

Book Length: 301 pages

Heat Level: 1 Flame

Rating: 5 Gold Crowns

Book Description: 

Nate Gentry has been a rock for his two younger brothers since the day their mom walked out and left them with their abusive father. Now that they’ve grown up, he’s watched Alex and Court fall in love and settle down. But Nate isn’t made for romance. He keeps his relationships casual. And getting casual with his partner is a fantasy he can’t shake…

Taylor Collins has feelings for Nate, too—and though they run hot, her best friend on the team is strictly off limits. Until a spark in his eyes says, Go for it. But reaching out could prove to be a bad move now that they’re working closer together than ever, and on the most dangerous case of their careers.

An investigation into a brutal series of murders is stirring up bad memories for Taylor, and neither she nor Nate can imagine how close to home it’s going to hit. When it does, Nate will risk everything—including his heart—to keep Taylor safe.

Buy Link:

https://smile.amazon.com/Ace-Spades-Aces-Eights-Book-ebook/dp/B0746KPPWZ

Add to Goodreads:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35822479-ace-of-spades

Vikki’s Musings

I originally found Sandra Owens’ historical romances several years ago and fell in love with them. When she started writing romantic suspense, I hesitated before reading her first novel for Montlake in her K2 series, but since that time, I have fallen in love with her contemporary books as well.

When I received an invitation to read and review Ace of Spades, I eagerly accepted, and I have enjoyed this fantastic romantic suspense novel even more than I enjoyed the other two books in her new Aces & Eights series. That’s saying a lot because I loved both of them!

Taylor Collins’s character pulled at my heart-strings. While her character type isn’t my favorite arch, Ms. Owens does such an excellent job of developing her character, I easily fell in love. Taylor has such a big heart. She is so determined to give children a better start as she was given by foster mother. By the end of the book I absolutely loved Taylor.

Nate Gentry is a great hero. Of course, Ms. Owen’s yummy description of his attributes had me fanning my face. His loyalty to his brothers is amazing. He took on the responsibility of raising his two younger brothers when he was only a child himself. My heart ached for him and his gut-wrenching feelings over his mom and what he believed she had done.

The chemistry between Nate and Taylor is sizzling from the first page. I loved the emotional connection that grows as they work together to solve the murders. Their romance is a friends to lovers story and a moving one.

If you want a story that will hold your attention from the first page to the last, and one that will touch not only your heart, but your soul, then you will love Ace of Spades. I highly recommend this amazing book; you do not want to miss this one. Happy reading!

Book Review: Saving Jake by Sharon Sala

Saving Jake by Sharon Sala

Publisher & Release: Sourcebooks Casablanca, October 4, 2016

Time and setting: Present Day, Blessings, Georgia

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Length:  320 Pages

Heat Level: 2 Flames

Rating: 4.25 Gold Crowns

Book Description: 

There is always hope

After eight years in the Marines, Jacob Lorde returns to Blessings, Georgia, with no plans other than to hole up in his empty house and heal what's left of his soul. But with a charming next door neighbor and a town full of friendly people, keeping to himself is easier said than done.

As long as you can come home

Laurel Payne understands far too well what Jake is going through, after witnessing her late husband experience similar problems. She's in no hurry to jump into another relationship with a complicated guy, but their attraction is undeniable-and perhaps exactly what both of them need.

Buy Link:

https://smile.amazon.com/Saving-Jake-Blessings-Georgia-Book-ebook/dp/B01ENNQ23I

Add to Goodreads:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28389302-saving-jake

Vikki’s Musings

This is the first book I have read by Sharon Sala, and I quite enjoyed Saving Jake. I always enjoy romances with ex-military men who usually have trouble adjusting to civilian life, especially if they experienced the ravishes of war, so when I received a request for the publisher via Net-Galley to read in exchange for an honest review, I eagerly accepted.

Jacob Lorde has returned to Blessings, Georgia after the end of his military career when he stepped on an IED which changed his life. When a delightful little girl shows up at his home, he is enchanted and soon becomes just as enchanted with her mother.

Laurel Payne is a widow. Her husband came back from the war, but could not leave the nightmares behind, and took his life in a most horrendous way. His family blames her for their son’s death. She has not had an easy time of it with her young daughter, Bonnie, to raise.

While the last thing Laurel wants is to become involved with another man suffering from PTSD, she finds herself drawn to her new neighbor, and Bonnie is determined to have him in her life. Can she chance a relationship with Jacob, or should she play it safe?

Saving Jake is a story of overcoming adversity and taking a second chance at love. It’s a story of family and community. The pacing is steady and the romance slowly grows between these two emotionally scarred people.

Laurel gained my sympathy early on. She is a devoted mother, willing to make sacrifices to ensure the safety and well-being of her adorable little girl, Bonnie.  She is dedicated to her parents and her community. I loved how she eventually opens up to Jacob and lets him in.

I always love a tortured soul, and Jake is definitely that. Not only does he have physical impediments, he suffers from PTSD and tremendous guilt over losing several of his fellow soldiers. He shows a great deal of courage and determination to get on with his life. He is so tender and caring to Bonnie, and he quite stole my heart from the start and held it through the end.

If you are looking for a romance with a bit more substance, then you will enjoy Saving Jake as much as I did. The characters are great, especially the little girl, Bonnie. While at times I did struggle with so many characters having POV, it did add an interesting twist to the story. Happy reading!