Winner - - Just Another Silly Love Song

The randomly chosen winner of a 

Kindle copy of

Just Another Silly Love Song by Rich Amooi is:

Annette N

Congratulations!

Please send your email address to:

theromancedish (at) gmail (dot) com

Review - - Close Up

Close Up
by Amanda Quick
Burning Cove, California - Book 4
Publisher: Berkley (Hardcover)
Release Date: May 5, 2020
Reviewed by PJ
  

Welcome to Burning Cove, California where 1930s Hollywood glamour conceals a ruthless killer…
 
Vivian Brazier never thought life as an art photographer would include nightly wake-up calls to snap photos of grisly crime scenes or headshots for aspiring male actors. Although she is set on a career of transforming photography into a new art form, she knows her current work is what’s paying the bills.
 
After shooting crime scene photos of a famous actress, the latest victim of the murderer the press has dubbed the “Dagger Killer,” Vivian notices eerie similarities to the crime scenes of previous victims—details that only another photographer would have noticed—details that put Vivian at the top of the killer’s target list.
 
Nick Sundridge has always been able to “see” things that others don’t, coping with disturbing dreams and visions. His talent, or as he puts it—his curse—along with his dark past makes him a recluse, but a brilliant investigator. As the only one with the ability to help, Nick is sent to protect Vivian. Together, they discover the Dagger Killer has ties to the glitz and glamour of Hollywood royalty and high society. It is a cutthroat world of allure and deception that Vivian and Nick must traverse—all in order to uncover the killer who will stop at nothing to add them to their gallery of murders.

PJ's Thoughts:

Regardless of the time, place, or pseudonym, Amanda Quick (a/k/a Jayne Ann Krentz) is a master crafter of mystery. In Close Up, the fourth book of Quick's Burning Cove series, the author takes us into the fascinating world of Hollywood's Golden Age and the deadly evil of a murderer lurking within. She begins weaving the threads of the mystery from the first pages of the book and keeps them tightly bound through several twists and turns until the final, stunning conclusion. I was hooked from beginning to end.

One of the many things at which Quick excels is creating atmosphere within her stories. Close Up is no exception. She transported me to the 1930's of the many Hollywood movies I've seen that were filmed in that era. The clothes, cars, nightclubs and mansions in the hills above Los Angeles. The beautiful young men who gathered in what would become Muscle Beach, who provide artistic inspiration to photographer Vivian. And the throng of crime beat photographers who rush to the scenes of murders in the middle of the night, flashbulbs popping, jostling one another in a bid to get the best shot, the front page photo, and the newspaper money to carry them through another day. It all played out, like a black and white film reel in my mind.

I adored Vivian. She's a wonderful representation of the bold, "modern" women of the time who were venturing out into the world (she's cut off by her wealthy father), forging their own paths, using their voices, and creating careers, and lives, of their own choice. Nick, a man who admires her fortitude, respects her skill, and shares the desire blooming between them, is her perfect partner. And, while the suspense is more heavily weighted in this book, their romance is grounded with an emotionally satisfying depth...and a flash of sizzle. Vivian is also the right woman to help Nick deal with the emotional trauma of his past and stand strongly by his side into the future. I so enjoyed these two and loved watching them work together to unravel the mystery. A mystery, with many moving parts, that kept me trying to figure everything out right up until the end of the book. I love when an author is able to do that.

Close Up is the fourth book in Quick's Burning Cove series but stands on its own. While a few characters from earlier in the series make appearances, reading their stories first is not necessary to thoroughly enjoy Vivian and Nick's journey in Close Up. It has my enthusiastic recommendation.  

Winner - - Dirty Work

The randomly chosen winner of a Kindle copy of

Dirty Work by Regina Kyle is:

~Drew

Congratulations!

Please send your email address to:

theromancedish (at) gmail (dot) com

Winners - - The Virgin and the Rogue

The randomly chosen winners of a copy of

The Virgin and the Rogue by Sophie Jordan are:

catslady

and

Martha Lawson

Congratulations!

Please send your full name and mailing address to:

theromancedish (at) gmail (dot) com

Coming Attractions

The month of May launches with a review of Dirty Work by Regina Kyle on Friday, May 1. This sizzling contemporary romance is a fun page-turner.














Next up is a review of Close Up by Amanda Quick, on Wednesday, May 6. This 1930's romantic mystery is filled with intriguing characters and twists and turns aplenty. 

Friday, May 8 brings a review of Jo Goodman's Stages of the Heart. This slow-burn, character-driven western romance is another example of why I've been a fan of Goodman's books for almost twenty years.












Stop by Thursday, May 14 for my review of Say Yes to the Duke by Eloisa James. This newest installment in James's Lindow Castle historical romance series features one of my all-time favorite heroines and a journey to love that's sure to delight.

Rich Amooi's books never fail to make me smile. On Friday, May 15, I'll be hosting the tour review of Just Another Silly Love Song. If you enjoy heart-tugging humor and mature characters (they're both 40), you'll want to check out my review of this new romantic comedy.






Visit me on Monday, May 18 for an excerpt and two-book giveaway of The Beauty of Broken Things, an upcoming contemporary fiction novel of loss, love, and healing by Victoria Connelly.

I've been eagerly anticipating this book. Stop in Tuesday, May 19 when I share my thoughts about Beyond Just Us, the fourth and final book in Kimberly Kincaid's sexy and deeply emotional Remington Medical contemporary romance series.






On Wednesday, May 20, I'll be sharing my thoughts about Carolina Breeze, the second book in Denise Hunter's Bluebell Inn, Women's Christian Fiction series. I really enjoyed Lake Season, the first book in the series, and am curious to find out what Hunter has in store for big brother Levi in this upcoming story.

I have been looking forward to Marry in Scarlet by Anne Gracie since George (Lady Georgiana) first walked onto the page in book one of this series. Once I discovered who her hero would be, the excitement went through the roof. On Friday, May 22, I'll share my thoughts about this fourth and final book in Gracie's Marriage of Convenience series.






Stop by Tuesday, May 26 for a review and giveaway of Summer on Honeysuckle Ridge by Debbie Mason. This heart-tugging, small-town contemporary romance launches Mason's new series and I, for one, am here for the ride.

Closing out the month on Thursday, May 28, will be a review of The Highlander's English Bride and a Q&A with the author, Vanessa Kelly. This third book in Kelly's popular Clan Kendrick series features former wild child, and current undercover agent, Graeme Kendrick and an English lady who leads him on a merry chase straight to love.




That's it for the month of May. I hope you will enjoy the offerings here at The Romance Dish and that they bring some laughter, hope, and love into your lives. Stay safe, my friends.

~~~~~~~~~~~

What are you looking forward to this month?

One person who comments before 11:00 PM, May 5, will receive a Kindle copy of Dirty Work by Regina Kyle.

One person who comments before 11:00 PM, May 6, will receive a Kindle copy of Just Another Silly Love Song by Rich Amooi.

*Must be 18 or older

Review and Giveaway - - The Virgin and the Rogue

The Virgin and the Rogue
by Sophie Jordan
The Rogue Files - Book 6
Publisher: Avon
Release Date: April 28, 2020
Reviewed by PJ
 

A love potion…

Charlotte Langley has always been the prudent middle sister, so her family is not surprised when she makes the safe choice and agrees to wed her childhood sweetheart. But when she finds herself under the weather and drinks a “healing” tonic, the potion provokes the most maddening desire…for someone other than her betrothed.

With the power…

Kingston’s rakehell ways are going to destroy him and he’s vowed to change. His stepbrother’s remote estate is just the place for a reformed rogue to hide. The last thing he wants is to be surrounded by society, but when he gets stuck alone with a wallflower who is already betrothed... and she astonishes him with a fiery kiss, he forgets all about hiding.

To alter two destinies.

Although Charlotte appears meek, Kingston soon discovers there’s a vixen inside, yearning to break free. Unable to forget their illicit moment of passion, Kingston vows to relive the encounter, but Charlotte has sworn it will never happen again—no matter how earth-shattering it was. But will a devilish rogue tempt her to risk everything for a chance at true love?

PJ's Thoughts:

The Virgin and the Rogue is the book I needed in these uncertain times. It's fast-paced, burn-the-sheets sexy, heart-tugging, and, yep, more than a little bananas crazy. The perfect escape from reality. And, you know what? I LOVED EVERY SINGLE BIT OF IT! Read the entire thing in one sitting. Couldn't put it down. Grinned from beginning to end. (Okay, there may have been a few tears near the end but they were HAPPY tears!) And, as soon as I turned the final page? All I wanted to do was go back to the beginning and jump on the crazy train all over again. Kudos to the author for immersing me in her fictional world and, for a few hours, making me forget every single fear and worry lurking in ours.

This is the sixth book in a series but stands well on its own. Secondary characters do include Charlotte's older sister, Marian and her hero, Nathaniel from The Duke's Stolen Bride but you don't have to have read that book to completely enjoy Charlotte and Kingston's story (though I do recommend both books). Another major secondary character is Charlotte's and Marian's younger sister, Nora, the creator of the accidental aphrodisiac that sets everything into motion. I'm excited to read Nora's story this October in The Duke Effect. I already have it on pre-order.  

~~~~~~~

So, tell me what books are taking you away from reality these days. Two randomly chosen people who comment before 11:00 PM, May 5, will receive a print copy of The Virgin and the Rogue. 

*Must be 18 or older
*U.S. addresses only

Review - - Dirty Work

Dirty Work
by Regina Kyle
Publisher: Harlequin Dare
Release Date: May 1, 2020
Reviewed by PJ
  

I knew I was in trouble the moment millionaire Jake Lawson walked through the door of his swanky Tribeca loft. The definition of tall, dark and handsome, he’s hired me to take care of his parents’ Irish wolfhound. But one game of strip Scrabble later and we’re taking care of each other all night long…

Starting my concierge business was my way out of the rat race I ran as a lawyer until it cost me my fiancé. And Jake is a full-on workaholic, certain his high-end nightclub will fall apart if he loses focus for a second. We couldn’t be more different. But the chemistry between us is off the charts!

From drag-queen karaoke to movies at Hudson River Park, I’m showing Jake how to lighten up and enjoy everything New York City has to offer. But I can’t help wondering if blowing each other’s minds in bed is enough to make up for our different values. Can Jake step away from his smartphone long enough to give us a chance?

PJ's Thoughts:

Laugh out loud humor, witty banter, and scorch the sheets sexual chemistry kept me flipping the pages of this fun and fast-paced, contemporary romance. Kyle has created two realistically flawed main characters who need to learn the art of balance in their lives and compromise in their relationships. It took me a bit to warm up to them, and the first person narrative in alternating perspectives, but once I did, the story flowed and I was in this couple's corner all the way. I loved the dirty talk, the fun adventures (Strip Scrabble - who knew!), and the sweet, emotional feelings that surprise both of them. Jake's grand gesture is one of my all-time favorites and, along with Ainsley's acceptance of her contributions to their relationship obstacles, more than convinced me that these two have what it takes to create a hot and happy lifetime together. 

Review - - Island Affair

Island Affair
by Priscilla Oliveras
Keys to Love - Book 1
Publisher: Zebra
Release Date: April 28, 2020
Reviewed by PJ
  

Sought-after social media influencer Sara Vance, in recovery from an eating disorder, is coming into her own, with a potential career expansion on the horizon. Despite the good news, her successful siblings (and their perfect spouses) have a way of making her feel like the odd one out. So, when her unreliable boyfriend is a no-show for a Florida family vacation, Sara recruits Luis Navarro—a firefighter paramedic and dive captain willing to play the part of her smitten fiancé . . .
 
Luis’s big Cuban familia has been in Key West for generations, and his quiet strength feeds off the island’s laidback style. Though guarded after a deep betrayal, he’ll always help someone in need—especially a spunky beauty with a surprising knowledge of Spanish curse words. Soon, he and Sara have memorized their “how we met” story and are immersed in family dinners, bike tours, private snorkeling trips . . . sharing secrets, and slow, melting kisses. But when it’s time for Sara to return home, will their fake relationship fade like the stunning sunset . . . or blossom into something beautiful?

PJ's Thoughts:

I was easily sucked into this fun and flirty story with a sensual island vibe and heart tugging emotional authenticity. Yes, the beginning is a bit implausible but Sara and Luis are so likable, and relatable, that I was quickly willing to suspend disbelief and immerse myself in their story. I really loved these two together. The fact that they are complete strangers when they agree to their fake engagement allows readers to learn about each of them as they learn about one another. It was enjoyable to watch their friendship begin to form, then gradually deepen into something more.  

Both Luis and Sara have families that are integral to their emotional journeys. I enjoyed watching those challenging, and sometimes heartbreaking, family issues play out over the course of the book. By incorporating each of their families into the story and giving them significant page time, readers are able to get to know the secondary characters and more fully understand the nuances, and challenges, within each family. I especially enjoyed time spent with the Navarros and am excited that they will be the focus of this series going forward. I want to sit at their dinner table, cook with Luis's mami, and bask in the loving chaos of this tight-knit, but complex, Cuban-American familia. I am more than ready for more Navarro romance! 

If you've ever visited Key West (or even if you haven't), Island Affair will transport you to the laid back island's sunny days, sultry nights, and rich cultural diversity. The love this author holds for her childhood home, as well as her ability to craft a sweet and sassy story with satisfying emotional depth, shines through on every page. 

Review - - The Deception

Because of tomorrow's Mass Market Paperback release of The Deception by Kat Martin, I'm re-posting the review I wrote in 2019 when the book was first published in hardcover. 

The Deception
by Kat Martin
Maximum Security - Book 2
Publisher: HQN
Paperback Release Date: April 28, 2020
Reviewed by PJ
  

When missing turns to murdered, one woman's search for answers will take her to a place she never wanted to go… After searching for her sister for two long years, Kate Gallagher is devastated when she’s called to the morgue to identify Chrissy’s body, the runaway teen the victim of a brutal attack. Guilt and grief send Kate into a tailspin. She failed Chrissy once…she won’t do it again. Even if finding her sister’s killer means following a lethal bounty hunter into the heart of darkness, placing both their lives in danger. Working at Maximum Security has taken Jason Maddox down some dangerous paths, but never for a client he’s so drawn to, or for a case so monstrous. As clues lead them deeper into the city’s underbelly, connections to human trafficking draw them closer and closer to peril, but even Jase’s warnings can’t convince Kate to walk away. As the deadly operation puts a target on their backs, they’ll have to decide what matters most: the truth…or their lives.

My thoughts:

Kat Martin cranks up the heat, and the stakes, in this newest addition to her Maximum Security, romantic suspense series. Filled with non-stop action, edge-of-the-seat suspense, and twists and turns that had me guessing how it would all turn out until almost the end, this page-turner kept me reading late into the night. Jason and Kate are such a well-matched couple. I loved them in the bedroom (hot!) and in the field (where Kate really comes into her own). This is a story of growth, of connection, of determination to avenge a horrible death, to rescue innocents from the same fate, to discover your life's passion and, in the process, the person you're meant to share that life, and passion, with. 

Martin grabbed me from the first page, pulled me into a dark and gritty world of drugs, money laundering, and human trafficking, and kept me riveted until the end. Characters are well-developed, inciting emotional responses across the board. A sub-plot involving a young girl is especially riveting...and heart-wrenching. (content warning for underage human trafficking). It's an emotional roller-coaster with a hard-won, well-deserved, happy ending awaiting the good guys and a satisfying reckoning for the bad ones. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Big news from Kat regarding Linc and Carly
in Beyond Reason! If you haven't read the
book yet, check out my review here. 

The Deception

Kat Martin

As I was finishing the last few pages of my novel, THE DECEPTION, Hawk Maddox and Kate Gallagher’s story, I got an interesting phone call.  I’m fortunate to be represented by a literary agency in New York as well as an agency in Hollywood. 

Since I love movies, I’ve always wanted to see one of my books made into a feature film.  The Hollywood agency phoned about my novel BEYOND REASON.  The story is set in Texas, an action adventure that revolves around the rivalry between Carly Drake, who inherits her grandfather’s failing trucking firm, and powerful, multimillionaire Lincoln Cain, her number one competitor.

Worse yet, Carly needs Linc’s help to find the men who are willing to kill to keep her from making Drake Trucking successful again. 

Big money is involved.  And very big danger.

The transaction involving the rights was exciting from beginning to end, with David Haring at TinRes Entertainment making the offer, several agents negotiating the terms,and me thrilled to have a chance to see one of my books made into a film.  Most likely, the story will be a made-for-TV movie, but it is also optioned with the possibility of a major motion picture or TV series.  I would love to see 6’5” Lincoln Cain on a weekly TV show!

Once the deal was completed, I went back to work on THE DECEPTION, the paperback is being released on April 28th.  I hope you will watch for it and that you will also keep an eye out for Linc and Carly’s movie.  It takes years to complete a film but I promise to keep you posted on details as they come in. 

Till then happy reading and all best wishes, Kat    

Bestselling author Kat Martin, a graduate of the University of California at Santa Barbara, currently resides in Missoula, Montana with Western-author husband, L. J. Martin.  More than seventeen million copies of Kat’s books are in print, and she has been published in twenty foreign countries.  Fifteen of her recent novels have taken top-ten spots on the New York Times Bestseller List, and her novel, BEYOND REASON, was recently optioned for a feature film.  Kat’s next hardcover, THE ULTIMATE  BETRAYAL, a Romantic Thriller, will be released on July 28th.

PURCHASE LINKS

AMAZON

Paperback  

Kindle  

Barnes & Noble

Paperback  

Nook  

KOBO

GOOGLE

ITUNES

INDIEBOUND

Paperback  

Winner - - Seductive Scot

The randomly chosen winner of an e-book copy of

Seductive Scot 

by Julie Johnstone and Cecilia Mecca is:

Pamela Devereux

Congratulations!

Please send your email address to:

theromancedish (at) gmail (dot) com

Review - - The Highland Rogue

The Highland Rogue
by Amy Jarecki
Publisher: Forever
Release Date: March 24, 2020
Reviewed by Hellie
 

After a vicious attack on his ship, Sir Kennan Cameron washes ashore on a deserted Scottish island, nearly dead. But he soon finds he's not as alone as he thought. Kennan knows he can't stay on the island, but neither can he leave the brave and bonny lass who has nursed him back to health -- even if she is from a rival clan.

Abandoned by her family, Divana Campbell is both terrified and relieved when a rugged Highlander drags himself from the surf. Trusting Kennan is her only chance for survival -- and by the time they arrive at his castle, she can barely imagine life without him. But as the heir to a powerful chieftain, Kennan could never marry the likes of her.

Together, they'll brave tempests, pirates, betrayal, and ruin. But soon Kennan must decide what matters most: his thirst for vengeance or the woman who's won his heart.

Hellie’s Heeds:

This book grabs you from page one and does not let go. I have read several of Jarecki’s books--and though they are more hit than miss for me--this one is easily my favorite in the series. The more I read, the more I was impressed by the characters, the pacing, and the plot. In the first chapter, the hero’s ship is taken by pirates--and the crew is lost--and you think the hero will be lost (but obviously can’t be--we know he’s the hero!) Then the next chapter shows us the heroine, a young woman who has been exiled to an island to die because she and her family had had smallpox, but she’d lived and had been surviving there for two years. Who are these characters? The hurdles these two overcome are riveting.

Kennen takes Divana with him when he’s able to get a ship to come save them, and he takes her to his family home, promising her a life better than what she had, one with all the blankets and food she could want. It’s clear that he as a laird-to-be and she a young woman of very humble circumstances would never work out to be together, and this conflict of the Lord and the Maidservant is a hard one to overcome in an era where young lords married women of wealth and land. Both characters deeply know they can never be together in that way, but they cannot help but be drawn to each other. For Divanna, she knows she loves him and a life with him would be unheard of, but she is willing to be with him in whatever capacity. 

When Kennan is healed enough to return to the seas to seek revenge on the pirate who nearly killed him, he is surprised to find a stowaway, the sweet and troubling woman who saved him more than once in their short time together. He disguises her as a cabin boy (ha, ha, ha!) and the crew sails on, on the tail of Jackson Vane, determined to get back the stolen treasure as well as kill the man who betrayed Kennan to Vane in the first place. Divana soon finds her stride on the ship; and it’s not long before she and the Captain are sharing more than sleeping quarters. 

When Divana is kidnapped by Jackson Vane, Kennan truly realizes how important she is to him--and that when he gets her back, he will move heaven and earth to keep her. It is ever so satisfying...and Divana is really the perfect match for Kennan in every way. I highly recommend.