Diana's Shelf: Book of the Month featuring Leisa Rayven, Amy Harmon and Kristin Hannah

On the 3rd place is Broken Juliet (Starcrossed #2) by Leisa Rayven

How do you fix a love that’s been broken beyond repair?

For years, Cassie Taylor tried to forget about Ethan Holt. He was the one great love of her life, and when he failed to return her love, a part of her died forever. Or so she thought. Now she and Ethan are sharing a Broadway stage, and he’s determined to win her back. Claiming to be a changed man, he’s finally able to say all the things she needed to hear years ago, but can she believe him? What makes this time different from all his other broken promises?

Ethan knows he can’t change their tumultuous past, but if he’s going to have any chance of being with the woman he loves, he’ll need to convince Cassie that her future belongs with him.

Don’t miss this stunning conclusion to the unforgettable love story that captivated over two million fans online.

My thoughts: Broken Juliet is the second installment of Bad Romeo, the complete story where we are able to find out how Ethan and Cassie’ story concludes. The two of them had been through a lot. After years of trying to forget him, Cassie is ready to hear Ethan out. Given his last chance, Ethan has to prove to her that they are right for each other, despite the bad memories and the time they were both miserable.
Like the first book, Broken Juliet develops similarly, but now we get to see the whole picture.
This has become one of my favorite series, mainly because Leisa Rayven is an amazing author who knows how to tell a great story. I highly recommend it!

On the 2nd place is Infinity+One by Amy Harmon

When two unlikely allies become two unwitting outlaws, will two unforgettable lovers defy unbeatable odds?

Bonnie Rae Shelby is a superstar. She’s rich. She’s beautiful. She’s impossibly famous. And Bonnie Rae Shelby wants to die.

Finn Clyde is a nobody. He’s broken. He’s brilliant. He’s impossibly cynical. And all he wants is a chance at life.

One girl. One boy. An act of compassion. A bizarre set of circumstances. And a choice – turn your head and walk away, or reach out your hand and risk it all?

With that choice, the clock starts ticking on a man with a past and a girl who can’t face the future, counting down the seconds in an adventure riddled with heartbreak and humor, misunderstanding and revelation. With the world against them, two very different people take a journey that will not only change their lives, but may cost them their lives as well.

Infinity + One is a tale of shooting stars and fame and fortune, of gilded cages and iron bars, of finding a friend behind a stranger’s face, and discovering love in the oddest of places.

My thoughts: Infinity+One is a sweet love story about two people who have nothing and everything in common.
Bonnie Rae Shelby, the famous country singer, has everything one could wish for. She’s beautiful, famous, rich and has a soul of pure gold. Only, the truth is different. After her twin sister lost the battle with cancer, Bonnie has never been the same again. Sick of feeling alone, she decides to end her life hoping she’ll see Minnie again. But her plan comes to an end when Fin ‘Infinity’ Clyde stumbles across her on his way to Vegas.
One thing that I love about this book are the references to Bonnie and Clyde, the two lovers known by everyone as thieves and public enemies. Another thing is that the characters are so imperfect in their beauty, it is impossible not to fall in love with the story.

On the 1st place is The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah

In love we find out who we want to be.
In war we find out who we are.

FRANCE, 1939

In the quiet village of Carriveau, Vianne Mauriac says goodbye to her husband, Antoine, as he heads for the Front. She doesn’t believe that the Nazis will invade France...but invade they do, in droves of marching soldiers, in caravans of trucks and tanks, in planes that fill the skies and drop bombs upon the innocent. When France is overrun, Vianne is forced to take an enemy into her house, and suddenly her every move is watched; her life and her child’s life is at constant risk. Without food or money or hope, as danger escalates around her, she must make one terrible choice after another.

Vianne’s sister, Isabelle, is a rebellious eighteen-year-old girl, searching for purpose with all the reckless passion of youth. While thousands of Parisians march into the unknown terrors of war, she meets the compelling and mysterious Gäetan, a partisan who believes the French can fight the Nazis from within France, and she falls in love as only the young can...completely. When he betrays her, Isabelle races headlong into danger and joins the Resistance, never looking back or giving a thought to the real--and deadly--consequences.

With courage, grace and powerful insight, bestselling author Kristin Hannah takes her talented pen to the epic panorama of WWII and illuminates an intimate part of history seldom seen: the women’s war. The Nightingale tells the stories of two sisters, separated by years and experience, by ideals, passion and circumstance, each embarking on her own dangerous path toward survival, love, and freedom in German-occupied, war-torn France--a heartbreakingly beautiful novel that celebrates the resilience of the human spirit and the durability of women. It is a novel for everyone, a novel for a lifetime.

My thoughts: The Nightingale is a story about the devotion, love and the sacrifices we sometimes have to make in order to survive. In 1939, Vianne Mauriac says goodbye to her husband, Antoine, who heads to fight to the Front. Left with her daughter while the Paris is being assaulted by Nazis, Vianne has to make sure that they will survive, even after a german soldier comes into their home and watches their every move.
Isabelle, Vianne’s sister is her opposite. Always searching for something adventurous, she sees her opportunity when she’s asked to participate in an underground organization, The Resistance, whose purpose is to help as many people as possible in order to free their country.
This is the powerful story of two strong women who succeed to overcome each of the obstacles thrown their way, who fight to live and make huge sacrifices for the ones they love.

Happy Release Day, Excerpt & Giveaway! The Fairest of Them, Rae Hatting Mysteries #2 Heather Osborne

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Once upon a time, there was a murder...

Rae Hatting returns in her first, full-length novel, “The Fairest of Them.” 

Detective Luke Thompson is a hero cop, with a string of solved serial killer cases under his belt. He comes to California, thinking he can disappear quietly into the forests, isolated from the rest of the world. His expertise is called upon to help with a mysterious serial killer, dumping bodies dressed like fairy tale characters in the woods outside of Mendocino County. With the help of a profiler, Luke finally gets the break he needs, as well as finding romance for himself. Tragedy strikes, and Luke is left despondent, unable to carry on as a detective. Can a fiery redhead from the FBI help him out of the slump?

Determined to leave the life of solving unsolvable homicides behind, Special Agent Rae Hatting tries to settle into a normal life with her adopted daughter, Grace. However, her reputation precedes her, and Rae finds herself back in the fray, called upon to help solve a series of gruesome fairy tale style murders in California. Her only obstacle is Detective Luke Thompson. Broody, stubborn, and an all-around pain in the ass, the pair must work together before another victim ends up never finding their happily ever after.

The trail led to a clearing surrounded by redwood trees. They provided shade from the harsh afternoon July sun, their shadows dancing on the ground. In the very center of the ring, a woman lay, her hands folded over her abdomen. Blonde ringlets framed her face and her vivid blue eyes were wide open, staring blankly into the abyss. The slender form was draped in a pink dress with lace accents at the sleeves. Over it, she wore a stark white pinafore. Hikers had stumbled on the eerily staged scene in MacKerricher State Park, and called in the authorities.

Yellow crime tape was wound around the statuesque trees. It was as if they were standing guard, tall and silent. Upon closer investigation, a slim book was discovered, poking out of the pocket of the starched pinafore. It was quickly bagged and tagged as evidence before the body, carefully sealed in a black bag, was transported to the coroner’s office. I remember turning my face upwards, gazing at the majestic trees and wishing they could talk. If they could, my job would have been infinitely easier.

I had come to the small town in Mendocino County, California, early in 2003 with no intentions of taking up another job on the force. My legacy was safely tucked away in Dallas, Texas, after I solved a series of prostitute rapes and mutilations. The newspapers lauded me as a hero. The whole situation made me feel completely sick, not good for a detective. We were meant to be impartial and I found myself blaming the working girls I had so often warned about the dangers of streetwalking.

The circumstances leading me to resuming a position as a detective with the sheriff’s department were not something I wished to discuss with anyone. I would simply change the topic when brought up in conversation. I supposed that it was some sort of calling, unable to let me rest until I helped as many people as possible.

I drove back to the station, radio off, the red-taped evidence bag taunting me on the passenger seat. I knew what it contained, but I was reluctant to confirm it. I turned the bag over to the technicians at the lab and returned to my office with an off-hand reminder to let me know what they found. The book would be swabbed, submitted to latent fingerprint testing, and returned to my desk with the same report as last time: no conclusive trace evidence found. As I predicted, it’s what happened. I retrieved the book, setting it down on my desk in the plastic covering.

Snapping on a pair of latex gloves, I ran my hand over the leather cover. It was a first edition, like the rest. I carefully cracked the cover and the black print stood out on the creamy ivory paper: Goldilocks and the Three Bears. 

Beneath it, penned in perfect cursive were the words: She should not have taken what did not belong to her. I slammed the book shut in frustration. The taunts were becoming more and more specific as time went on.

Throwing the gloves in my trashcan, I decided to take a walk and see if Dr. Sabine Lawson had found anything on the body. The glimmer of hope had long since faded that she actually would. The curvy, African-American coroner was meticulous in her reports, so I doubted she would be even down to the woman’s breasts at this point. I had to do something to settle my nerves, though, or I would snap.

The squeak of the metal swinging doors signaled my entry into the disinfectant-scented room. I grinned at the sight of Sabine in her element. She wore her hair in narrow braids, pulled back in a no-nonsense ponytail. Her skin was the color of coffee with cream. There were many days I lusted after Sabine, but she made it clear to me from day one she was committed to her job. There was no room for “torrid affairs with wild cowboys,” as she put it.

“Whatcha got for me, Doc?” I went through the motions of putting on another pair of gloves to avoid Sabine’s scowl.

“Nothing yet and you know it. You’re restless, cher.” The drawl of her New Orleans accent came out like liquid silk.

I leaned against the counter and watched her work. “Damn straight. I can’t wrap my head around this guy. He was sticking to the classics and now this jump. Why Goldilocks?”

Sabine was used to listening to my ramblings and offering her interpretations. “Perhaps, she merely fit the profile of that character.”

“He’s not like that though. He plans this all to the letter. Every detail. Stalks these women for weeks!” I jiggled my leg anxiously. The change in the killer’s modus operandi rattled me more than it should.

“Calm yourself.” She began to speak into a microphone positioned above her work station.

“Female victim appears roughly 20 to 25 years of age based on bone development and pelvic placement. She has never given birth. There are signs of sexual trauma, but no ligature marks on her wrists or ankles. A small needle mark indicates that the victim may have been drugged. Sending a sample of blood and urine to the lab for further analysis.”

I interrupted her. “No trace of semen, I take it?”

She frowned at me. “No, like the others.” Sabine carefully made her opening incision in the abdomen of the victim and drew back the flesh. She busied herself with the remainder of her work, and I knew I was dismissed without her saying so. Pinging the gloves into a bin by the door, I walked out.

Heather Osborne was born and raised in California. She has a Bachelor of Science in Criminology and Victimology, as well as coursework in Early Childhood Education. In 2009, she met her husband and moved to Scotland, very much a dream of hers since she was a small child. Heather has been writing short stories for as long as she can remember. She also has written and directed several plays. In her spare time, Heather enjoys reading, writing (of course!), theatre, as well as caring for her young son.

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Excerpt & Giveaway! Fallen from Grace, Spirit of Grace #2 by Adrian J. Smith

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Parables and riddles can’t undo the confusion Deputy Grace Halling experiences after her close call with death. Each morning she wakes up, puts on a uniform that feels far more like a target, and goes out to enforce the laws and protect the innocent. While her comrades in blue are murdered one by one with each passing month, Grace pushes for a call to action from her Captain. Her worst fear has become a reality.

Grace doesn’t know if she’s next.

Grace’s feet pounded hard against the asphalt as her belt moved against her hips. She heaved breath after breath as she ran as hard as she could past the run-down houses and abandoned cars. Squinting, she tried to see the punk who had ditched his car when she pulled him over.

“Fucker,” she muttered, lowering her head to gain more speed.

They turned the corner, and Grace grabbed the radio attached to her shoulder and shouted into it.

“We’re on Canary.”

“10-4. Coming your way,” Toulouse answered.

Grace’s ankle rolled as she stepped on a rock, her thick boot keeping her from completely collapsing. She straightened her back and pushed off her injured foot. She heard the sirens coming and knew Toulouse was close. She had to do it—had to prove to herself and to him that she could.

She huffed and counted to three, getting even closer. Just as the cruiser turned the corner down the street, Grace launched herself forward with her arms outstretched and grabbed hold of the punk’s left leg. His right foot came up and smacked into her chin just as he tumbled down to the ground.

“Stop resisting!” Grace shouted. “Stop resisting!”

Climbing up and onto his back, she dug her knee into his spine and grasped for his hand, the knife blade flying out. Pulling her fingers into a fist, she smashed it down onto his wrist until he let go and cried out.

“Get off me, bitch!”

“Stop resisting!” Grace shouted back, seeing red as the punk tried to wiggle his way loose from under her.

She moved up his body and rested her forearm against the back of his neck, working his face into the gravel. He cried out in pain, but Grace didn’t let up. She wouldn’t until his body completely relaxed and he decided to cooperate.

“Stop resisting, and I’ll let you up.” Grace swallowed hard.

Toulouse barreled his way down the street to her location. He had left his cruiser at the end of the block, driver’s side door flung open.

Grace glanced down at her suspect and sneered as he tried to turn her over. She dug her knee farther into his back and put more pressure on his neck.

“A’ight. A’ight. Damn, bitch. I give up.”

Adrian J. Smith, or “AJ” as she is often called, has a generous and soft heart. She loves to rescue stray cats and dogs, as well as those who just escape. Her hoard of animals currently includes two cats, a dog and a fish, but no children as of yet. She’s passionate about LGBT et al rights, women’s rights and children’s rights.

AJ loves to read and write lesbian fiction, simply for the fact that strong women make her swoon and when two are involved her knees turn to jelly and she falls head over heels in love. AJ travels around the United States, and sometimes the world, gathering up stories for her novels. Currently, she lives in the middle of nowhere of the middle of nowhere and is rather difficult to find except on the internet, where she spends a lot of her time.

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Book Blitz & Giveaway! Beyond the Cut, Sinner's Tribe Motorcycle Club #2 by Sarah Castille

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She’s Holding on Tight.

As a teen, Dawn Delgado ran from a life on the streets straight into the arms of Jimmy “Mad Dog” Sanchez, a biker who promised to be her knight in shining armor. But his love was just another cage. Ten years later, Dawn is determined to start over again—and be the kind of woman, and mother, she was meant to be. Could it be that Cade “Ryder” O’Connor, a member of a rival club, is the answer to her prayers?

Will He Give Her the Ride of Her Life?

A loyal member of the Sinner’s Tribe, gritty outlaw Cade is another hard-living, hard-riding biker who’s willing to sacrifice everything that defines him—because that’s what losing the cut means. Dawn can’t deny the full-speed attraction that blazes between them, or the safety she feels in his leather-clad embrace. But will Cade’s love lead her down the road to her dreams? Or will she arrive at yet another dead end?

New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author, Sarah Castille, writes contemporary erotic romance and romantic suspense featuring blazingly hot alpha heroes and the women who tame them. A recovering lawyer and caffeine addict, she worked and traveled abroad before trading her briefcase and stilettos for a handful of magic beans and a home nearthe Canadian Rockies.

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In The Spotlight - Rubble and the Wreckage, A Gabriel Church Tale #1 by Rodd Clark

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Gabriel Church knows you can’t take a life without first understanding just how feeble life is, how tentative and weak it stands alone. If you desire murder, you hold a life in your hand. Whether you release it to grant life or grip tighter to end it, it is at your command and discretion.

Gabriel is a serial killer with a story he wants told.

Christian Maxwell studied abnormal psychology in college but chose instead to focus on a career in writing. His background comes in handy when he thinks of writing about a serial killer. He can’t think of anyone more qualified to write the story of Gabriel Lee Church, and do so in the murderer’s own words. It’s been done before, but never with a killer who has yet to be captured or convicted.

There was never anything more than a gentleman’s understanding between the two men that Christian would record Gabriel’s life story. The killer did not ask for his complicity in any crimes, nor did he ever ask for his silence. Christian’s interest in the man, though, is fast becoming something more than academic. When the writer and his subject become unexpected friends and then lovers, the question remains: What is Gabriel’s endgame . . . and why does he want his story told?

“Tell me your story.” Christian Maxwell began, wetting his lips and

leaning in. He stared at the killer across the table and rested his forearms

on the notepad before him. His look was imploring, he was begging for good

and gory details. Gabe stared at him glassy eyed and with anticipation. He

was all but squinting with excitement, of all that was to follow. He had a

somewhat wanting expression on his face. Gabe had seen that look many times

before.

“Better the devil you barely know.” Gabe thought. “If someone else’s

gonna be making money off my story it might as well be this guy.”

He remembered the first time the thought of telling his story had first sprung

to mind. The memories of it much like this, detached, more after-thought than

close consideration.

“Ever been out to the Florida Keys?” Gabe asked.

When he only received a nod from Maxwell to his question he continued

absently, “For me it was like driving to the keys, a few miles over the

speed limit on that old Highway One…you know, the one they called Highway

out to Sea…under fleecy clouds with that fresh coastal winds slapping you in

your face, under a vast, unending blue on blue…it is rather freeing.” His

hands wrapped around the old dusty cover of the book he was holding, more as

an effect than something to read.

Christian listened to him speaking with that far-away gaze in his eyes,

knowing he was already back there in his mind. He pretended to jot notes down

but concentrated more on that distant expression on Church’s face. Sitting

so close to him, he could almost feel the wind slapping his hair, the sun

beating down as he rode in the passenger seat of Church’s mental trip along

Highway One. He knew it was going to be a good book when he finished it. He

didn’t want to interrupt the narrator but he couldn’t resist,“But it

didn’t begin in Florida did it? I just presumed it happened elsewhere.”

The killer’s posture changed as he replied. He sat up straight in the chair,

his eyes narrowed, “If you think you know where it started then why are we

sitting around hashing old news?” The killer’s voice was cold. Dampness

built under Christian’s armpits.

“Because no one has ever asked you for your side of it, usually a serial

murderer doesn’t get a chance to explain why he kills.

But I…” pointing to his own chest, “…I want to give you that

opportunity.”

“Well that’s mighty big of you.” Gabe leaned back in his chair and

smiled a grin that could cut through glass, his mocking words and expressive

eyes said it all: this might just prove to be an interesting way to spend his

free time. He rubbed his rough forefinger across the lip of the wine glass as

a carnal abstraction as he watched Maxwell jot his notes, even though they

hadn’t even begun his tale.

“Shouldn’t you wait till I start to speak before you scribble down all

those pretty words?”

Christian looked up and smiled sheepishly, “…just mood stuff. You’ll

have to get used to that…meaning my process, early on.” He put his pen

down and folded his hands neatly to hide his notes. “I’m a little

fastidious or obsessive at times.”

“No worries”, he said nodding, “The same has been said of me.”

That bent smile of a killer reappeared and twisted Church’s face into a

mocking evil caricature, sending a shiver down Christian’s spine. He smiled

back and returned a look that seemed to place them on equal understanding.

‘This was going to be tough’, he thought, ‘but worth it.’ Christian

picked up his pen and sent an imploring gaze at his subject of study.

Gabe recognized the untidy anticipation, and reluctantly continued.

“Actually it began in Texas…but we need to go back to where the...umm,

desires, I guess is the word…first came into clear focus don’t we? I mean

you want the full picture don’t you?”

When the man didn’t offer a conciliatory gesture, Gabe continued.

“Before Florida, before Seattle I had been somewhere else… it was a better

place for me, because it still held some type of promise, nothing had been

carved into stone…if you’ll pardon the pun.” Church’s head lolled back

as if he was about to break into a hearty laugh.

He was a dangerous sick man Christian could see that. His reference to the

markers of his varied victims, as his nonchalant manner in describing his

affinity to murder was unsettling, even for someone as akin to pathology as

Christian Maxwell.

In college, his dark sense of humor and an uncomfortably quiet nature was

off-putting to most. His so-called friends would jokingly offer that it was

going to be Christian who would be famous, but more for the salvo of bullets

which hit other students from his safe vantage in some random clock tower or

rooftop. The look on Maxwell’s face as he sat across from Gabe was pensive

as if he was about to interrupt again but questioned the insolence. The

killer had nothing but time, but he didn’t like breaking his train of

thought so early.

Rodd currently resides in Dallas TX. He shares his life with numerous cats, dogs and his partner of many years. He has projects under his belt and is working on many others. Some of his works are “There Is Always Another Boogey Man”, “Jesse”, “Justice Denied”, “Short Ride to Hell” and the recently completed “A Cache of Killers”. The third book in the series is out and ready for reading and is titled "No Place for the Wicked." His newest book "Rubble and the Wreckage" has JUST GONE LIVE and he hopes to have another by the end of the year. 

Always penning the next work, Rodd likes to keep busy with writing and reading and of course his menagerie of critters.

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Mikky's Note- I, personally, cannot wait to read this book.

Release Day Review & Giveaway! Top Me Maybe? -The Secrets Collection- by Jay Northcote

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Duncan has a secret fantasy, but is Tyler the right man for the job?

Tyler’s new policeman boyfriend, Duncan, is gorgeous. Tall, broad, and über-masculine, he’s the epitome of the dominant top—in appearance at least.

When they discuss their sexual fantasies, Duncan confesses to a secret desire that surprises Tyler. Luckily for Duncan, Tyler’s happy to oblige and is determined to give Duncan a night to remember. 

Length: 9666 words

Writing a review for a novella is not my favorite thing to do but I couldn’t just ignore one of Jay’s books, could I?

This book is short, it’s hot, it’s brilliantly written and I wish it would have been longer because Duncan and Tyler are amazing together. 

Sometimes, I find it hard to get into the story when it comes to novellas because there’s not much info and everything happens too fast but, with this one, I could actually imagine them meeting and getting to know each other. It was so easy to “see” how their relationship developed because Jay makes it possible every time by giving just enough details and leave it, also, to our imagination to add the rest.

Two more BBF’s added to the list.*wink*

I totally recommend Top Me, Maybe? It’s perfect for those days when you just want to disconnect and relax with a good book. 

Happy Reading!!

Jay lives just outside Bristol in the West of England, with her husband, two children, and two cats.

She comes from a family of writers, but she always used to believe that the gene for fiction writing had passed her by. She spent years only ever writing emails, articles, or website content. One day, she decided to try and write a short story–just to see if she could–and found it rather addictive. She hasn’t stopped writing since.

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