May 1, 2020 by Tina Williams

ROMANTIC COMEDY ~Until We Collide, by Charlotte Fallowfield. FREE for a limited time.

#freeebook #kindle #kindleunlimited #romcom #romanticcomedy #limitedoffer #kindlereads #free

Download your free copy now – http://mybook.to/UntilWeCollide

What do you get when you cross a neck brace, a jelly fish, and an encounter with a gorilla?

Dating disasters only a quirky and fun woman could endure.

With her thirtieth birthday fast-approaching, Paige Taylor knows she must get more than her toes wet in the dating pool. After all, she’s spent way too long pining over Alec Wright, who’s perpetually unavailable. Now, with some encouragement from her best friend, Paige is ready to take the plunge and find Mr. Right.

But when a catalogue of catastrophic dates ensue, Paige questions what she’s always wondered. Is Alec Wright her Mr. Right?

An Amazon UK, and international, #1 bestselling contempory romance, humour, and romantic comedy novel.

February 19, 2018 by Tina Williams

ARC REVIEW ~ Cinderella and the Geek (British Bad Boys), by Christina Phillips

#newadult #romcom #contemporary #romance

Blurb

From Christina Phillips a sexy, new romance with a hero you won’t forget…

I’m not looking for love or a Happily-Ever-After because I know how that ends. I just need to concentrate on my degree and look after myself. But there’s something about my boss, Harry, I can’t resist. It’s crazy since he’s so hot and smart it should be illegal.
And then, just like Cinderella, I have my night at
the ball and a midnight kiss, and for a week all my sexy daydreams come true. That fake date changes my life in a way I could never imagine. It turns out, Harry wants me too.

But I’m off to pursue my dreams, and he’s taking his business to the next level. There’s no way this fairytale has a happy ending, but that doesn’t keep me from wishing for it.

My Review

Enchanting twist on the Cinderella story ~ 4 stars

I loved this sweet new adult romantic comedy by Christina Phillips. It’s a perfect feel-good read with a distinctly British flavour which re-creates perfectly the excitement and angst of a new relationship between two young people who are very much in love.

Alice has been attracted to her boss Harry as long as she has been working at his high tech gaming firm. However, she has never had the courage to let him know her true feelings and is soon to leave his company and attend university hundreds of miles away. She is desperate to seduce him at some point during her remaining weeks at the firm, after all what does she have to lose? However, it never seems to happen, until Harry invites her to a ‘fake date’ which sees her accompany him on an unforgettable night at an awards ceremony.

The night is a game changer for them both and afterwards they begin to spend time together. It becomes clear that Harry does not just see Alice solely as his irreplaceable office administrator, but as something more… However, has their relationship got staying power or is it just a quick fling before Alice begins her studies?

Both Harry and Alice are thoroughly likeable characters and it is obvious to the reader that they are destined for each other. Harry is the quintessentially handsome geek – in his case an expert in computers, but a man who is not so good at letting his true feelings be known. Alice’s’s experience of relationships with the opposite sex is a big fat zero, her lifelong ambition before meeting Harry being to gain a degree and embark on a stellar career. She also has her own insecurities – what young person doesn’t?

The story is told in their dual POV and there are are some very funny scenes and internal and external dialogue as the couple navigate around each other, their colleagues and family. The physical scenes between them are sweet, funny and romantic at the same time and are beautifully depicted, although at times I did feel like banging their heads together!

Between them the path to lasting love is fraught with ups and downs, as they deal with intense feeings and situations they have not experienced before and issues arising from their past. The reader is left wondering whether their fragile bond will last.

All in all a cute and sexy feel-good read!

Reviewed by Tina Williams

An ARC of this novel was given to me by the publisher for the purpose of a fair an honest review.

Buy Links

Amazon UK Amazon US

Connect with the Author

Website | Facebook | Twitter

Goodreads

August 31, 2017 by Tina Williams

ARC REVIEW ~ The Great Escape (Dilbury Village #2), by Charlotte Fallowfield

#romanticcomedy #humour #chicklit #contemporaryromance

Blurb

A tropical beach paradise in Mexico was the last place Georgie Basset expected her decimated heart to be jump-started again, not after she’d been jilted the year before by spotted Weston Argent jogging along the beach, all bronzed with ripped muscles like some Greek God out of a modern day Baywatch scene, she nearly choked on her cocktail. She knew immediately she was in trouble, she’d never reacted so strongly to a man on first glance.

However, after a disastrous first date with him, she headed back home to Dilbury, resigned to never seeing him again. That is, until Weston turned up unexpectedly at her dog grooming parlour with Bertie the French bulldog, a species she had a real weakness for. She couldn’t help but wonder if fate was playing a helping hand. But each time she saw him, their encounters never went smoothly, resulting in some mortifying and hilarious escapades. Despite their undeniable attraction, there was something about Weston that she couldn’t quite put her finger on, something that concerned her.

When the truth finally came to light, Georgie was convinced that all men were dogs, except she knew that was an insult to dogkind. Ever the meddler, her best friend, Abbie, intervened, knowing in her heart that despite what had happened, Weston was full of good intentions, and was undoubtedly Georgie’s Prince Charming.

The question remained, could he convince Georgie of that, or would he forever remain in the dog house?

While The Great Escape is a standalone story, it’s the second in the Dilbury Village series of romantic comedy novels. All of them will be set in the quaint fictitious English hamlet in the Shropshire countryside, but feature a different village couples’ story.

Warning, if you are of a sensitive disposition when it comes to toilet humour, then the Dilbury Village series may not be for you!

Charlotte Fallowfield’s novels have hit #1 category bestseller charts internationally for Contemporary Romance, Romantic Comedy, and Humour. Her alter-ego, C.J. Fallowfield, has also hit #1 category bestseller charts internationally for Humorous Erotica, and Romance (English), multiple times.

My Review

A Riotous Read ~ 5 stars

Oh my giddy aunt! If you love rip-roaring laugh-out-loud reads which pair hapless but lovable heroes and heroines then do yourself a HUGE favour – get your mitts on Charlotte Fallowfield’s romantic comedy The Great Escape. I also loved the previous book, Never The Bride (Abbie’s story), and I really enjoyed revisiting Dilbury (a fictitious Shropshire village) and being reunited with its larger than life characters, where there is never a dull moment. The humour is very British throughout and #turdgate makes a number of hilarious reappearances – you will need to read the previous novel to appreciate the reference!

The central romance, between Georgie and Weston is a delight to read. Georgie has been sworn off men since her fiancé cheated on her and understandably has major trust issues. When, on her hols, she unexpectedly encounters the uber attractive sex god that is Weston, she is overcome with unfamiliar lust! They embark on what is probably the most hilarious (and disastrous) first date I’ve ever read, before Weston returns to the UK. Georgie thinks that will be the last she sees of him. However, fate and Weston have other plans and he eventually turns up, dog in hand, seeking her company and her dog grooming expertise. 😉

Their relationship goes from strength to strength but not before there are a series of side splitting and unexpected mishaps. Weston is very secretive about his life. Can Georgie trust him? What is he is hiding and is it a threat to their HEA? Georgie finds herself falling for him hard, but will she be able to forgive him when his past comes to light? I was dying to find out even as I laughed at their antics. The read also ripped my emotions to shreds as the story unfolds and it is fortunate that Georgie has such a close knit group of friends, Abbie, Charlie and Deirdre, who are there for her when she needs them.

A TOP READ, recommended for lovers of irrepressibly funny romcoms.

Reviewed by Tina Williams

Please note an ARC of this book was sent to me by the author for the purpose of a fair and honest review.

Purchase Links

Amazon UK Amazon US

Connect with the Author

ttps://www.facebook.com/Charlottefallowfield.author

http://cjfallowfield.co.uk/charlotte-fallowfield

May 19, 2017 by Tina Williams

~Release Blitz for Shopping for a CEO’s Wife by Julia Kent, includes excerpt~

Out Now—Shopping for A CEO’s Wife (Book 12 in the Shopping series) by Julia Kent (@jkentauthor)

Release date: April 25, 2017

Genre: Romantic Comedy, Contemporary Romance

Description:

Snowbound. Sounds so romantic, with visions of cuddling before a roaring fire, hot chocolate spiked with brandy, and a secret elopement.

Wait. What?

My fiancé’s father won’t stop trying to turn our pending wedding into a three-ring media circus so he can get free publicity for his family’s Fortune 500 company. My mother has decided she’s done with All Things Wedding and asks her teacup Chihuahua for mother-of-the-bride advice.

They’ve all gone certifiably mad.

Then the stress from the wedding puts my mother in the hospital, I scream at my future father-in-law in front of a camera crew and the video goes viral, and the romantic wedding that started with Andrew’s grand Pride and Prejudice proposal looks less like Jane Austen and more like Dostoyevsky.

So what do you do when you’re a fixer and you can’t fix something?

You give up on it.

Not on Andrew, silly.

The wedding.

Shopping for a CEO’s Wife is the 12th book in Julia Kent’s New York Times bestselling Shopping series. As Shannon and Declan enjoy their newlywed bliss, Andrew’s father wants to exploit Amanda and Andrew’s nuptials, much to Amanda’s chagrin. Can she learn to stand up to her future father-in-law and fight for what’s right? But the real question is: will Spritzy the teacup Chihuahua end up being a flower girl?

Buy links:

Amazon US: Amazon UK: Amazon AU: Amazon CA:

B&N: iBooks: Kobo:

Google Play: Goodreads:

Excerpt:

“You have a remarkable capacity for imagining the strangest worst-case scenarios, Amanda.”

“I have to. I’m in love with you.”

“Hey!”

“Did I or did I not walk miles in an 1800s Regency-era costume after you lost your car keys AND a three-carat diamond ring in Walden Pond?”

“Yes, but — ”

“Did you or did you not have to rescue me, half clothed, from a pool at your brother’s wedding?”

“I am sensing a trend.”

“And did you, or did you not, wake up with me in a Vegas hotel room, thinking for a few hours that somehow we’d both married more than one man?”

Now he just sighs.

Ah.

Victory.

Author Bio:

New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author Julia Kent writes romantic comedy with an edge. From billionaires to BBWs to new adult rock stars, Julia finds a sensual, goofy joy in every contemporary romance she writes. Unlike Shannon from Shopping for a Billionaire, she did not meet her husband after dropping her phone in a men’s room toilet (and he isn’t a billionaire). She lives in New England with her husband and three sons in a household where the toilet seat is never, ever, down.

Social Media Links:

Website: http://jkentauthor.com/

Newsletter: http://bit.ly/2cnaTGc

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/jkentauthor

Release blitz organized by Writer Marketing Services

February 17, 2017 by Tina Williams

Release Blitz for Shopping for a Billionaire’s Honeymoon by Julia Kent (includes excerpt)

Out Now! – Shopping for A Billionaire’s Honeymoon (Book 11 in the Shopping series) by Julia Kent

Release date: January 31, 2017

Genre: Romantic Comedy, Contemporary Romance

Description:

He is addicted to his phone and his new role as CEO. I’m addicted to getting some on my own honeymoon.

One of these things is not like the other.

I am pretty sure a serial killer’s lair is the only place in the world where I could stash my new husband so he can’t manage the acquisition of our new company.

And that seems a little drastic.

But only a little…

All I want is one week alone with him. Hours in bed, legs tangled together in ecstasy, room service and long walks on the beach in Hawaii.

Not vying for his kisses around a Bluetooth microphone. The Borg aren’t sexy in real life.

So I’m taking matters into my own hands and hitting “reboot” on our honeymoon.

We’re going to a place so remote that no one can find us.

Not even my mother.

Shopping for a Billionaire’s Honeymoon is now a full-length book of 150+ pages, with both Shannon and Declan’s points of view. Originally published with only Shannon’s viewpoint, this expanded edition is a result of reader feedback. People wanted to know what Declan was up to – so here you go. This book is meant to be read after Shopping for a Billionaire’s Wife and/or Shopping for a CEO’s Fiancée, but if you read it out of order (or even as a standalone), that’s fine. Shannon and Declan forgive you. 😉

Buy links:

Amazon US: Amazon UK: Amazon Canada: Amazon Australia:

Nook:

Google Play: Kobo: iBooks:

Author Bio:

Social Media Links:

Website: http://jkentauthor.com/

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/jkentauthor

Excerpt

Declan

It’s criminal what Shannon does to me. We just had sex, spooned and cocooned, breathing in each other’s air and imprinting each other with scent and time.

And yet she makes me want more.

Spread among the mussed bedsheets, she looks like a divine being poured her into the bed, all long, rolling hair and sultry smiles. How can a body smile at me like that? Yet it does. It sings to me, a song of joy and fire that touches the very root of me.

I climb on the edge of the bed and yank her by the ankles, hard, making her squeal.

You know what you do with criminals?

You handcuff them.

Release blitz hosted by Writer Marketing Services

December 13, 2016 by Tina Williams

Catch That Santa, by Karen Docter (includes excerpt)

#romance #comedy #christmas

Catch That Santa

A Romantic Comedy Novelette

by Karen Docter

When widow, Sara Marks, hears her Grams has gone on the lam from Happy Acres Residence on Christmas Eve – on Santa’s arm, no less — she teams up with sexy stranger, Francisco de la Vega, to chase the couple down with one thing in mind. Keep her Grams from becoming Mrs. Claus. Of course, Francisco’s grandfather is not really Santa Claus, but Grams did run off to Vegas to marry him and she’s obviously not in her right mind.

Sara leaves her seven-month-old baby, Lanie, with a friend and she and Cisco head west in the worst snowstorm in decades, chasing his grandfather’s ’57 Ford Fairlane over the river and through the woods.

Will they catch Santa and his crazy Mrs. Claus before it’s too late? Or will love stop them in their tracks?

(Novelette, approximately 17,000 words/50 pages)

ONLY 99¢

CHAPTER ONE

“What do you mean, Grams ran off with Santa Claus?” Sara Marks stared at the first floor orderly, Buddy Cantor, who’d met her outside her grandmother’s room at Happy Acres Residence. She could barely catch her breath after dashing through the facility carrying her sleeping seven-month-old. It had taken her a full thirty minutes to drive from the church near her apartment across Denver’s snow packed streets in her crotchety, old Ford, when it should have taken ten. Twenty minutes too long if her grandmother was truly missing.

She should never have gone to the Christmas Eve service. She’d suspected Grams was up to something when she called and told her to come later so she could take a nap before their usual dinner together. There was something in her voice, but Sara hadn’t paid enough attention with little Lanie fussing in her ear. “Next thing you’ll tell me is Santa took her to the North Pole in a sleigh pulled by reindeer.”

“No. A gold ’57 Ford Fairlane convertible.” The man shuffled uneasily in the doorway. “And they’re headed to Vegas. We think.”

“Vegas.” Movement in her arms made her aware Lanie was fully awake and ready to play. She grinned up at Sara with two shiny new bottom teeth, like she’d woken up just to laugh at her great-grandma’s latest flight of fancy.

Oh, Grams, what have you done?

Sara frowned at the orderly. “This is insane,” she said. “She has to be here. You searched the building? She loves the arboretum.”

Buddy nodded. “We’ve canvassed the entire building, mast to deck. Stem to stern.” The orderly fancied himself a sailor, although Sara couldn’t see how buying a bass boat gave him the chops to litter sailing terms through every conversation she’d ever had with the man.

“Could she be hiding for some reason?” There was never an inkling Grams was unhappy at Happy Acres. Or that her faculties were failing. The woman might be pushing eighty but she was still sharp as a tack. It was her mobility that forced Sara to accept her grandmother’s insistence she move to this facility.

Happy Acres was a large complex with suites on the west side for more independent residents, while those who needed assistance lived in the east wing. Grams had moved herself into the east wing after her fall four months ago, claiming it was time she move out of Sara’s tiny apartment anyway and make room for her first great-granddaughter. Sara argued until she was blue in the face but her independent Grams had already signed the papers and paid the upfront, non-refundable fees. It was a done deal by the time Grams asked Sara to help her pack.

A knot of apprehension grew in her chest, right above where little Lanie was elbowing her sternum. Sara smothered her growing panic and laid the baby on the bed to remove her new hat and coat. “Okay, so Grams isn’t here.” She picked up Lanie and refocused her attention on the orderly. “When did she leave with this Santa Claus? Did she know him?”

She answered her own question. “Of course, she had to know him, or she wouldn’t have left with him.” She frowned. “Why do you think they’re heading for Vegas?”

He reached into his pocket and handed her a folded piece of paper. “Your grandmother left this note on her bed.”

Sara unfolded the paper. Sara, honey, don’t fret. Santa’s finally come, as I told you he would. Getting married in Vegas. Your Christmas present is under the bed. Don’t wait till tomorrow to open it. You’ll need it. Love, Grams.

There was a postscript. P.S. Didn’t have time to water my begonias. Please take care of that for me before you come? Can’t wait to see you!

Grams’ hold on reality was becoming dicey in Sara’s mind. “I don’t understand.” She glanced around the small room at the begonias Grams babied like children – fifteen begonias to be exact, scattered on bookshelves, an antique dresser and armoire, on the floor near the sliding glass doors that led to her private patio – as if the hand-painted pots also held the answer that would end her confusion. “How long has she been gone?” she asked.

Bestselling Author Karen Docter writes contemporary romance. When she feels the need to feed the dark side, she writes intense suspense thrillers as K.L. Docter. She’s an award-winning author, a four-time Romance Writers of America® Golden Heart® finalist, and won the coveted Kiss of Death Romance Writers Daphne du Maurier Award Category (Series) Romantic Mystery Unpublished division.

Author Web & Social Media links:

Website/Blog: http://www.karendocter.com
Twitter: @KarenDocter
Karen Docter FB: goo.gl/6TXc5X
K.L. Docter FB: goo.gl/uD1iGL
Goodreads: https://goo.gl/bsswDd

presented by WLKBookPromotions.com

September 12, 2016 by Caroline Barker

Cover Reveal Heath, Cliffs & Wandering Hearts by Laura Barnard

From The Debt & the Doormat series’ best-selling author, LAURA BARNARD, comes a new YA romantic comedy, Heath, Cliffs & Wandering Hearts. Due to be released this weekend, here is the fabulous cover and description! 🙂

Blurb:

Life for sixteen year old Savannah Franks has just been turned upside down. Her Mum’s business has failed and they’re forced to move into a maisonette in the rough end of town.

She doesn’t want anyone to know her dire situation, not even her besties. So when the rest of the money for the school ski trip is due she can’t be seen not to attend. Everyone is going! She just needs to find a job. Add that to the list of getting a boyfriend and losing her pathetic virginity.

But working every spare hour in a job she hates on top of school work and mounting secrets doesn’t prove easy. Soon she’s keeping so many she’s not even sure herself what’s true and what’s not.

The only person she can lean on to tell the truth is her best friend Heath.

Only…did he get hot recently? That won’t make things awkward between them…right?

Author info

Laura Barnard lives in Hertfordshire, UK and writes romantic comedy or ‘chick lit’ as its so often described. In her spare time she enjoys drinking her body weight in tea, indulging in cupcakes the size of her face and drooling over hunks like Jamie Dornan, Ryan Gosling and Leo Dicaprio.

She enjoys wearing yoga pants and reading fitness magazines while sitting on the sofa eating chocolate. She’s a real fan of the power nap and of course READING!

She writes not to get rich or famous, but because she LOVES writing. Even if one person tells her they enjoyed her book it makes the midnight typing worth it!

http://www.facebook.com/laurabarnardbooks

https://twitter.com/BarnardLaura

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3490836.Laura_Barnard

July 15, 2016 by Tina Williams

Release Blitz ~ Julia Kent’s Shopping for a CEO’s Fiancee (includes excerpt)

#contemporary #romance #humour

Book Blurb:

We skipped right over the whole fiancée thing and went straight from girlfriend to wife.

At least, I think that’s what happened. I woke up after my brother’s Vegas wedding reception with my luscious girlfriend in bed with me. We’re both wearing wedding rings.

So is her coworker, Josh.

And our Vegas chauffeur, Geordi.

Who the hell am I married to?

Unraveling this mystery will be as difficult as figuring out why Amanda and I are having panic attacks over the thought of being husband and wife.

Or, whoever we’re actually married to.

Oh, ^%$#.

It’s true that what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, with one exception:

If she’s my wife, we’ll make it work.

If she’s not?

I’ll make it happen.

Get the 9th book in Julia Kent’s New York Times bestselling romantic comedy series as Andrew and Amanda sort out their wild Vegas night…and the rest of their lives.

Buy Links:

Amazon US: Amazon UK: Amazon Canada: Amazon Australia: iBooks: Kobo: BN: GP:

EXCERPT

“We’re not—you don’t really—we can’t be—”

“Married?”

She laughs, but it’s a brittle sound. “Come on. We didn’t actually have a wedding last night.”

“We didn’t? You’re sure?” I perk up. Great. She remembers last night. I squeeze my eyes and try to recall something—anything—that happened after Declan and Shannon said their goodbyes at the reception last night.

“I’m, well, I mean…” Twisting in my arms, she looks at me with those big, wide, trusting eyes, her left hand splayed against my bare chest, digging in where the robe has separated. “You don’t remember what happened?”

My voice drops with uncertainty.

Hers goes up.

“No.”

“Quit joking.”

“Not joking.”

“We both can’t remember any part of last night?”

“When does your memory end?” I ask.

Mascara is streaked along the corner of her eye, and any makeup she wore last night currently resides somewhere on my skin or on the bedsheets. I can only imagine what I look like.

Amanda, though, is gorgeous. In my arms and looking at me with a perplexed expression, biting her lower lip while she flips through the filing cabinets of memory in her mind, and—

“I don’t know.”

I sit up. “You’re the fixer.”

“I know! But I remember saying goodnight to Shannon, hugging Declan, and then—poof! Nothing.”

Poof.

“That’s when my memory ends, too,” I say, my skin beginning to crawl. “I know one thing: we did not have a foursome.”

“And I soooooo did not sleep with Josh. He’s gay. The man can’t handle watching a birth video. A real-life vagina would send him into cardiac arrest.”

“I know my heart pounds whenever I see yours,” I whisper. She gives me a reluctant smile, in spite of her hangover.

“That was baaaaaad,” she groans.

“All signs point to the sex question being put to rest. Worst case, all we did was sleep with each other,” I note.

“Worst case? Buddy, sleeping with me is best case. Best case. Always best.”

That was an unfortunate choice of words on my part. Before I can do damage control, she speaks.

“What if we are?” she hisses.

“Are what?”

Her eyes dart to mine.

“Married.”

About the Author:

New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author Julia Kent writes romantic comedy with an edge, and new adult books that push contemporary boundaries. From billionaires to BBWs to rock stars, Julia finds a sensual, goofy joy in every book she writes, but unlike Trevor from Random Acts of Crazy, she has never kissed a chicken. She loves to hear from her readers by email at julia@jkentauthor.com

Social Media Links

Website: Facebook: Facebook reader group: Twitter:

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Release blitz hosted by Writer Marketing Services.

September 29, 2015 by Caroline Barker

Release Day Review It Happened One Night (Adventures in Blind Dating #1) by Christine S. Feldman

Title: It Happened One Night (Adventures in Blind Dating #1)

Author: Christine S. Feldman

Genre: Contemporary romantic comedy

Release date: September 29th, 2015

Length: 75 pages

Blurb: Who has time for dating these days? Certainly not struggling entrepreneur Paisley Jameson, who has way too much on her plate to pay any real attention to her shriveling social life. And not mechanic Joe Spencer either, who has a lot on his mind with both the family business and family in general. But neither can say no to the beloved mutual acquaintance who wants to set them both up on a blind date.

Which is too bad, because they both kind of wish they had said no when they show up for the dinner date and realize they’ve met before–and not under happy circumstances.

But fate seems determined to prove that they’re not so wrong for each other after all, because in spite of the intentions of both Paisley and Joe to nip this whole unfortunate blind date thing in the bud and go their separate ways, events transpire to keep them together for an evening involving muggers, foot-chases, and even a high-speed trip to the ER–

And that’s all before dessert.

Dating: it’s not for wimps…

REVIEW ***** (5*)

Paisley and Joe really do start off on the wrong foot. And, when Mabel, a friend of both, sets them up on a blind date all hell breaks loose when they meet again and realise just who their date is! With sharp words said, it is in both of their interests to forget it and move on.

However, as I have come to realise with Christine S. Feldman, moving on isn’t quite as simple as suggested, especially when a string of extraordinary events take place and put both characters through their paces.

I found Joe to be an extremely likeable character, and from the offset I completely empathised with his family and work situation. Paisley, on the other hand, I found not so alluring. Although I understood her initial annoyance with Joe, I felt she wouldn’t even give him the chance in the restaurant. She came across quite aloof and hostile. Yet, the reader knows deep down that she can be a very sweet person, especially where Mabel is concerned, and trying so hard to make ends meet. Stress just seems to get the better of her.

Once the action sets in, and Paisley lowers her guard due to each circumstance that entails, her and Joe do begin to connect. Joe’s one hell of a patient and enduring guy, and that made me enjoy reading about his character even more.

It Happened One Night is a great short story with it’s fun capers, quick pace and great dialog. I’ll certainly be looking forward to more stories from the Adventures in Blind Dating series!

A copy of It Happened one Night was provided by the author in return for a fair and honest review.

It Happened One Night (Adventures in Blind Dating #1) by Christine S. Feldman is now available at Amazon UK and Amazon US.

Reviewed by Caroline Barker

August 11, 2015 by Caroline Barker

Release tour w/Review Dopey Women by Laura Barnard

We have followed Laura Barnard from the very beginning, from The Debt & the Doormat/The Baby & the Bride to Tequila & Tea Bags. We are absolutely delighted to be taking part in this super blog tour to celebrate the release of her latest contemporary romantic comedy/chick-lit, DOPEY WOMEN! Please keep reading for our full review, and for a chance to enter a great giveaway!! 🙂

“I’ve flipped the crazy switch and there’s no going back.”

Title: Dopey Women

Author: Laura Barnard

Genre: Romantic comedy, chick-lit, contemporary

Release date: August 12th, 2015

Length: 453 pages

Blurb: Sadie had a bumpy upbringing but she’s still managed to drag herself out and carve a career for herself. That all comes crashing down when she, along with the women she manages; Mags, Lexi & Steph, get made redundant. She’s screwed. In hindsight she shouldn’t have attacked her colleague in a moment of rage. There goes the reference.

When they all bump into each other a few months later at the job centre Sadie finds she’s not the only one in a hole. Steph’s boyfriend has left her holding the baby, Lexi’s stuck in an abusive relationship and poor Mags has breast cancer. They’re all struggling to keep on top of their bills. They all need money to get out of their situations, its as simple as that.

Mags mentions that some women find marijuana helps ease the sickness caused by chemo. With the desperation mounting and the coffee spurring them on they somehow decide to start growing it. They’re only going to sell to ladies going through chemo, so its not too bad, right? They’re not going to be proper drug dealers. And its only temporary.

They didn’t bet on the business taking off so well though. Before they know it they’ve got orders coming out of their ears, a sexy detective on their trail, suspicious neighbours and drug dealers angry they’re working on their patch.

Can Sadie pull them out of this dangerous world they’ve found themselves in? And can she do it before they end up in prison?

REVIEW

Laura Barnard has nailed it again! Not only has she created several well-developed characters, a romance embedded in a super plotline, she also has the gift of humour! In every single one of her books, thus far, I have been in stitches, and never without a smile on my face, and Dopey Women is no exception! Dopey Women is full of ‘sexcapades’, adventure and suspense that will keep you glued to the very end.

Written in first person from Sadie’s point of view, the reader follows her character as we realise she hasn’t had a great life, despite what her colleagues think of her initially. She has came from a shady background, has experienced foster homes and homelessness. She has built herself up to management level, and for what? Just to be made redundant, leaving her barely able to pay her mortgage, not to mention her car and credit cards!!

“I’ve flipped the crazy switch and there’s no going back.”

After meeting up with her colleagues some time later, she begins to realise that none of them have had it too good either: Lexi is living with an abusive boyfriend, Steph has become a single mum since her man left, and poor Mags has recently lost her husband and is now suffering from breast cancer. And, none of them have been able to find work.

After spending time with Mags during her chemo sessions, Mags mentions to Sadie about wanting to try marijuana, hoping that it could help ease the pain. Sufferers like Mags are in a vulnerable position, not necessarily having a clue how to go about these things, or who to ask, and therefore Sadie has a lightbulb moment that between the four of them they could grow and sell their own weed. I mean, of course, with any luck it would take off and they could all be receiving a little profit to help with those bills!!

This is where the fun really starts. Believing that a sex shop sells Marijuana plant seeds, all four women decide to check it out. The scenes that take place in the store are hilarious, with Mags, Steph and Lex checking out the stock and playing with certain toys, while Sadie is trying to buy the seeds. With one member of the team having an orgasmic ‘seizure’ and someone later getting beaten with a dildo you will certainly be crying with laughter.

Before she knows it, Sadie has an unexpected visitor in Detective Harry McKenzie. He is investigating new reports that a new drug dealer is in town. Sadie is a suspect, but when they encounter each other they find a little more than what they were expecting. Arrogant, rugged and muscly Harry is taken in by this unlikely suspect. And she in turn finds herself thinking about him. But, she can’t get close to him with her being a suspect. Surely he’s trying to get close to get her to confess? Maybe she should get close to him to find out what he knows? These thoughts constantly go through Sadie’s mind. He’s so god damn sexy though and she just can’t stop thinking about what she desires him to do to her.

“… This will make him think I’ve been dreaming about him. When I have. A normal person wouldn’t have replayed the coffee shop in their head fifteen times, each time ending with us naked and covered in coffee beans. But I never claim to be normal…

… He knows my name. It sounds so sexy on his lips. He must have tracked me down. It seems I’m not the only one fantasizing about coffee beans.”

The author has done a great job in telling parts of the story from Harry’s perspective too in opening up the reader to Harry’s diary. Sadie is a suspect, but he finds her so hot that he just can’t stop having the most savage thoughts. He wants her, and just maybe then she’ll open up about the drugs too.

Not only has Sadie got Harry to worry about, but it also isn’t too long before the already established drug dealer of the area begins to threaten her when they realise that she is dealing on their patch. These moments are intense and suspenseful at times as the reader awaits what will become of Sadie and just how far these threats will go. Especially when Sadie and her friends think up incredible ways to encourage the drug dealer to back off.

I found Dopey Women slightly darker than Laura’s other stories possibly because of the criminal element and the hot, hot sex. However, this did not affect just how funny the author’s work is. Dopey Women is a bizarre combination of Breaking Bad (tv black comedy drama) meets Miranda (tv sitcom), with a dash of Bridget Jones (I have actually likened Laura’s work to the latter two in previous reviews). I mean, imagine Miranda and her friends setting up a drug business, to help people and pay their bills, but then they get caught up with a hot detective on their trail who ultimately himself gets caught up in erotic thoughts and dealings with one of his suspects, while they also have an enraged, aggressive drug dealer out to stop them at the same time! The girls’ methods of dealing with the fiasco, particularly Sadie’s, are outrageous, quirky and usually wind them up in further trouble…

…which is just what you should expect when reading a Laura Barnard book!

Enjoy!

An ARC of Dopey Women was provided by the author in return for a fair and honest review.

Dopey Women is available at AMAZON UK and AMAZON US.

Reviewed by Caroline Barker

Laura previous work includes The Debt & the Doormat, it’s sequel The Baby and the Bride and stand-alone Tequila & Tea Bags. All books have been reviewed on this blog, and all have received a brilliant 5* from us on Goodreads and Amazon! The Debt & the Doormat was one of my Top Reads of 2013! Check our reviews by clicking on the links below:-

The Debt & the Doormat