WEDNESDAY REVIEW - Hidden Heir with His Housekeeper

 Good morning, everyone!

I'm so excited to share my review of Hidden Heir with His Housekeeper with you today. Yesterday was a beautiful day to spend in the rocker on the front porch and read.

Let's talk about it!

AMAZON

BLURB:

When an heiress falls from grace, her baby’s billionaire father will catch her and claim her in this surprise pregnancy romance by USA TODAY bestselling author Heidi Rice!

From innocent heiress

To pregnant housekeeper!

Self-made billionaire Mason Foxx would never forget the sizzling encounter he had with society princess Bea Medford. But his empire comes first—anything more than a night is an indulgence he can’t afford. Months later, at a hotel in Italy, he gets the ultimate shock. Bea isn’t just the housekeeper there—she’s carrying his child!

Pregnant. Disgraced. Disowned by her family. Alone for the first time, Bea is doing whatever it takes to protect her unborn child. But coming face-to-face with Mason throws her plan into chaos. Because he has his own…demanding Bea return to London with him!

From Harlequin Presents: Escape to exotic locations where passion knows no bounds.

Mason and Beatrice struggle with their pasts stemming from father's willing to pimp them out for their own securities. Yet, from their pasts they both rise to find their own strengths. You don't find out until the end what a lovely take on a classic fairy tale this story is. My only struggle with this book was the title. No spoiler alerts, but as you read, I think you'll see what I mean when I say Harlequin did a disservice in titling this one. Proving once again the titles and covers don't always match the story.

While I'm not a fan of the heat level, I had to read to the end to find out how Beatrice finds her strength and is able to show Mason, the world isn't the dark place he believes. 

I'm giving Hidden Heir with His Housekeeper :

     .5  

This book is number two in a three-book collection. Here's the list. Titles are links to Amazon:

Book 1: The Italian's Pregnant Enemy by Maisey Yates

Book 2: Hidden Heir with His Housekeeper by Heidi Rice

Book 3: The Tycoon's Diamond Demand by Joss Wood – (Releases April 2024)

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AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT - Heidi Rice

 Good morning, everyone!

Feels like spring is on it's way into the Ozarks. We hit 80*F yesterday! Not ready for heat and humidity but is nice to sit out on the deck with a good book. 

I'm shining the spotlight on  USA Today Bestselling author, Heidi Rice.

Here's a bit about Heidi:

Author Heidi Rice’s first love was watching movies so, not surprisingly, her first proper job was as a film journalist. But after spending years sneaking off to read romantic fiction when she was being paid to watch crappy B-movies, she decided to try writing a novel of her own. After several false starts, her first book, Bedded by a Bad Boy, was published by Harlequin Mills & Boon in 2007 (try telling that title to your mother with a straight face!). Eleven years and 40+ published novels, novellas and short stories later, she has had her work translated into over twenty languages, become a USA Today bestseller and sold over three million copies of her books worldwide.

In 2016, Heidi released her first full-length women’s fiction novel with Harlequin Mira UK, So Now You’re Back. Her second women’s fiction novel, Summer at Willow Tree Farm, came out in Harper Collins’ HQ Stories imprint in 2017. Her latest longer novel, Just Like in the Movies, is due out on 12th March 2021 from Harper Collins’ Digital First imprint One More Chapter and features a hopeful romantic, a hopeless cynic and a crumbling cinema in Notting Hill where dreams just might come true.

As you can probably tell, she loves her job, because it involves sitting down at her computer each day and getting swept up in a world of high emotions, sensual excitement, funny flawed women, sexy tortured men and glamorous locations where laundry doesn’t exist. She tutors an online romance writing course with the Professional Writing Academy to share the joy! She lives in London with her husband and two sons, and lots of other gorgeous men who are entirely in her imagination (unlike the laundry, unfortunately).

I had to laugh at the last line. See, even Bestselling authors live ordinary lives. 

Her most recent book, HIDDEN HEIR WITH HIS HOUSEKEEPER released last week (technically a March release) and is part of a three-book co-project I'll talk more about tomorrow.

In the mean time, please visit her links below and I'll see you tomorrow with my review.

WEBSITE   BLOG   FACEBOOK   TWITTER-X   INSTAGRAM

GOODREADS   PINTEREST

AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE

All my best!

~Angela

THOUGHTFUL MONDAY

 Good morning, friends!

Here's wishing you a wonderful week as we move into the month of March!

All my best!

~ Angela

FRIDAY PHOTO

Photo courtesy of Pixabay contributor Engin_Akyurt

All my best!

~ Angela

WEDNESDAY REVIEW - Maverick's Secret Daughter

 Good morning, everyone!

Okay, I confess. I'm posting this on Tuesday night. Bob left for his 21 day rotation on the boat this morning. The house was so quiet... almost unsettling. With the feeling overtaking me, I dove right in to reading MAVERICK'S SECRET DAUGHTER by Catherine Mann. 

Let's talk about it!

AMAZON

BLURB:

He was a father—but he longed to win over her mother, too…

When sales rep Gabrielle Hammond wound up pregnant after a very out-of-character fling at a convention, she was sure Ryan Taylor would want no part of fatherhood. Now, two years later, the wealthy rancher has discovered Bella is his, and he is proposing marriage to Gabby—right away! Wary of his offer, Gabby agrees only to spend some time on the Taylor ranch, to let the daddy get to know his daughter. But the closer Gabby gets to Ryan, the harder it is to fight the hunky cowboy’s appeal…

Another secret baby story, true. But this is also a second chance. A chance for two people who had an amazing connection, conceived a child then went their separate ways. 

At first, I thought Ryan was a cad (read the book then tell me in the comments below if you picked up on that). Tall drink of Texan charms, beds then leaves a woman to figure out the rest for herself.

Mind you, Gabby is no slouch. She is a fierce Momma Bear willing to protect Bella at all costs... even if her decision means heartbreak. 

Another interesting character in this book was Thaddeus Taylor. The man is portrayed as a horrible person. His children tolerate him, sometimes. His wife lives almost reclusive in her wing of the huge log mansion. You have to wonder, what made Thaddeus Taylor the way his? I'm anxious to read the other books in the series to learn more about the family Ryan grew up in and secrets lurking in Thaddeus' past. 

I put the book down one time. Dishes and food called. LOL So you can bet I'm giving MAVERICK'S SECRET DAUGHTER:

There are 6 other books in the series. (This is Book 2). Here are the links to the other books. Book 3 releases next month.

NOTE: I believe the links below are for eBooks. I picked up my hard copy at Walmart.

Other books in this series with Amazon links:

Book 1: Sweet-Talkin' Maverick by Christy Jeffries

Book 2: Maverick's Secret Daughter by Catherine Mann

Book 3: The Maverick's Marriage Deal by Kaylie Newell

Book 4: The Maverick's Thirty-Day Marriage by Rochelle Alers

Book 5: Starting Over with the Maverick by Kathy Douglass

Book 6: A Lullaby for theMaverick by Melissa Senate

You can find out more about Catherine Mann by following any of the links below. 

WEBSITE   FACEBOOK   TWTTER-X   INSTAGRAM   TIKTOK   GOODREADS

AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE

All my best!

~ Angela

AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT - Catherine Mann

Good morning, everyone!

As you may have noticed, I did not post an Author Spotlight or Wednesday Review last week.

Sometimes, when you pick up a book, something within the writing keeps you from reading the story.  I don't come across those reads very often. 

I learned the Thumber Rule very early in life. "If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all."

Since Bob was home and I didn't have time in our schedule of appointments and Valentine's day to try a second book, I just let the week go and instead, posted a question on Facebook. Have you ever tried to read a book you just could not get through?  Please leave a comment below if you've ever had this experience.

This week, I am shining the spotlight author on USA Today Bestselling author, Catherine Mann. 

Catherine has a total of 67 Books To Date, including:

Silhouette/ Harlequin Desire

Silhouette Special Edition

Series Collaborations

Single Book anthology

Her latest book, Maverick's Secret Daughter is part of the Montana Mavericks - The Anniversary Gift series (Harlequin is celebrating 75 years of delivering great reads in multiple sub-genres of romance. I guess they know what they're doing!)

We'll get to her new release and talk about the rest of the series tomorrow. In the mean time, let's get to know Catherine Mann:

USA Today bestseller Catherine Mann writes contemporary romance for Harlequin, Tule, Berkley, and Sourcebooks. With over seventy-five books released in more than twenty countries, she has won a RITA Award, the Romantic Times Magazine Reviewer’s Choice Award, and the Bookseller’s Best Award. She’s also celebrated six RITA finals, an RT Reviewer’s Award finalist, three Maggie Award of Excellence finals and a Bookseller’s Best win. After years moving around the country bringing up four children, Catherine has settled back in her home state of South Carolina with her husband. The nest didn’t stay empty long though as they are both active in animal rescue. Catherine enjoys hearing from her readers and can be found online frequently on Facebook.

I hope you'll come back tomorrow for my review of Maverick's Secret Daughter, Book 2 in the Montana Mavericks series.  In the mean time, please check out the links below for more on Catherine Mann.

WEBSITE   FACEBOOK   TWTTER-X   INSTAGRAM   TIKTOK   GOODREADS

AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE

All my best!

~Angela

THOUGHTFUL MONDAY

 Good morning, friends!

Each day brings us closer to spring. I am so ready! How about you? What do you look forward to following the winter thaw?

All my best!

~ Angela

FRIDAY PHOTO

Photo courtesy of Pixabay contributor NataljaDanilchenko

All my best!

~ Angela

 

THOUGHTFUL MONDAY

 Good morning, friends!

Valentine's Day is just a couple days away. My hero is home this year. What is your favorite way to celebrate this Day of Love for yourself?

All my best!

~ Angela

FRIDAY PHOTO

 

Image courtesy of Pixabay contributor Pasja1000

All my best!

~ Angela

WEDNESDAY REVIEW - Fortune's Baby Claim

 Good morning!

First off, I can't believe I'm staying on top of posts. With Bob home, sometimes life is interesting and he is always my number one priority.  That said, I'll have a video coming soon to talk about 'A Day In the Life' kind of chat so if you like those kind of videos, please subscribe to my AuthorTube channel.

AMAZON

FORTUNE'S BABY CLAIM is Book 1 in The Fortunes of Texas series. How I managed to finally land on the first book in a series is a surprise to me! 

Here's the blurb:

An unthinkable mistake…Might be their good fortune!

It’s every parent’s worst nightmare come true when two babies are mistakenly switched at birth! Single mom Esme Fortune already loves the infant she brought home from the hospital, but she can’t possibly deny her own flesh and blood. And even if businessman Ryan Hayes never expected to be parenting a baby alone, he certainly doesn't want to give up his son. Their unconventional solution: Why not join forces—and raise the kids together? The pair's unbreakable love for their children brokers an unlikely partnership…and as an undeniable respect and attraction grows, perhaps so much more.  

I loved the fact that, though the characters are unaware, they make contact in the prologue. As a reader, I like to at least know who the players are early on in the first chapter even if they don't come together until the beginning of chapter two. 

The situation, while stretched, is believable. Bringing the couple together using DNA testing showed promise and the pompous hospital attorney was true to form. We don't see him after the initial confrontation but the story is peppered with his determination to cover the hospital's you know what. 

Though I didn't care for the heroine's name, I enjoyed Esme's character. When all else failed she fell back on her strength and she took initiative. Her late ex-husband tried to beat her self-esteem to a pulp but inside, she knew who she was at her core. 

Ryan Hayes comes to the interesting relationship with his own set of issues that nearly cost him everything he truly wanted. Together, he and Esme had one goal... to be the best parents they could be to two cuddly little boys who didn't ask for any of this. A stormy night truly brought this family together.

My only disappointment in this book was the addition of so many other characters that aren't important to the overall story. I'm sure at some point in this series they will be but as I got to those parts, I felt my eyes glaze over. I just wanted to see how Esme and Ryan made this unfortunate incident in their lives a true blessing.

For that, I'm giving FORTUNE'S BABY CLAIM:

You can find out more about Michelle Major and her long list of books by checking out her website or Amazon Author Page. Those and her other social media links are listed below.

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AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE

GOOD READS   BOOK BUB

All my best!

~ Angela

AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT - Michelle Major

 Good morning, dear friends!

While shopping at a big box store the other night I found the perfect book and author for this week. Guess what... The book I chose is even BOOK 1 in a new series by author, Michelle Major.

Here's a bit about Michelle:

USA Today bestselling author Michelle Major loves stories of new beginnings, second chances and always a happily ever after. An avid hiker and avoider of housework, she lives in the shadow of the Rocky Mountains with her husband, two teenagers, and a menagerie of spoiled furbabies. Connect with her at www.michellemajor.com.

I especially love that she is from my home state of Colorado and has a menagerie of spoiled furbabies.

I'll be reviewing her latest release, FORTUNE'S BABY CLAIM. As I mentioned before, this is Book 1(of 3) in the Fortunes of Texas - Digging For Secrets series.

You can pick up your copy by clicking on the Title above and catch up with Michelle through any of the links below.

WEBSITE   FACEBOOK   TWITTER-X   INSTAGRAM   PINTEREST

AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE

GOOD READS   BOOK BUB

All my best!

~ Angela

THOUGHTFUL MONDAY

 Good morning, friends!

Bob is home so a lot of pre-scheduled post for the month.

I hope you have an awesome week!

All my best!

~ Angela

FRIDAY PHOTO PROMPT

Photo courtesy of Pixabay Contributor TerriC

All my best!

~ Angela

 

CONFERENCES, CONTESTS, & WORKSHOPS - Publish & Thrive

Good morning, everyone!

Wow! Where did the month of January go? For me, I think hibernating from the frigid cold temperatures and keeping busy inside helped the time fly by. Thus, I'm coming in just under the wire to tell you about this week's Conferences, Contests, & Workshops spotlight!

Registration is now open for PUBLISH & THRIVE, created by YA Fantasy author, Sarra Cannon. 

Note, the above link is an affiliate link if you want to help a girl out ;-)

I've been enrolled in this course for a couple of years and have yet to walk myself through all of the modules. That's my mind shift for this year. My Word of the Year is FINISH. At first, I thought I would use FORWARD, because Sarra is always reminding us to stay focused on what will move us forward, closer to our goals. 

With that in mind, I plan to walk through each module of this course as she leads us through this first round of 2024 (the course will be offered again in the fall)

Once you pay for Publish & Thrive (or any of her courses) you have Lifetime Access! That means you pay for the course once and can go through it at your own pace, if you choose, and as many times as you'd like. You also receive all of the upgrades she makes to the curriculum as she is always keeping the information current with the industry!

We start with a LIVE Kick-off call via FB & YouTube (private link will be sent to you prior once your registration is confirmed) That is always a great time.

I know the price may seem a bit much but in comparison to what others charge, you won't get better bang for your buck anywhere! She also offers six or twelve- month payment plan.  

If you can't afford the jump right now, that's fine. Start a Cash Envelope and save for the next round.

Also, remember... if you are SERIOUS about building a business as an author, this class is invaluable and tax deductible! She also offers a money back guarantee but I promise you won't need that. 

HURRY... sign up closes either tomorrow night or Noon Saturday. Our Live Kick Off Call is at 2 p.m. EST on Saturday.

If you have questions, you will find me on FB - https://www.facebook.com/angela.drake.58

All my best!

~ Angela