RELEASE BLITZ. EXCERPT & REVIEW - MF - Starlight (Speakeasy Taproom #7) by Christine DePetrillo

 

STARLIGHT BY CHRISTINE DEPETRILLO

Release Date: September 2, 2021

Cover Design: Elle Maxwell Designs

Amazon: https://geni.us/AmazonStarlight

Add to Goodreads → http://bit.ly/3jca47d

Series Page → https://hearteyespress.com/wotn#/speakeasy-taproom/

He doesn’t trust women. She only trusts dogs. Why can’t they keep their paws off each other?  

Darren Reade builds stone walls in Vermont--and around his heart. Women don’t stick around, so it’s better to put up No Trespassing signs and focus on raising his adopted son. Darren is willing to do whatever it takes to help the boy cope with his mother’s death. But doing it alone is a challenge. 

Grace Hollings indulges her love of old-school jazz by singing nights at the Speakeasy Taproom,  and spends her days training service dogs, connecting small humans with smart pooches. Of course she’d planned to be married already, but a failed engagement has taught her that dogs make better company than men.  

One evening, Grace and Darren don’t exchange names, but they do engage in a single night neither of them will forget. Is once all there is? Or can they train their hearts to trust what they’ve built under the starlight?

My Rating - 5 Stars!

Starlight is the seventh book in the Speakeasy Taproom series. This is Christine DePetrillo's contribution to this multi-author series. 

This standalone romance is extra sweet and amazingly moving. It starts off with a one night stand, but soon the two are reunited. 

Darren and Grace spend time together as Darren needs a service dog for his son. Darren's son Kolton is wonderfully written, with a believable background and all of his issues illustrated with knowledge and care. He won over my heart from the start.

I love the dog aspect of this story. There's a history behind Grace's business and a lot of wonderful things have happened as a result of Grace's work. She is truly helping the world to be a better place. 

It's beautiful seeing the way Kolton takes to his dog to be. I had tears in my eyes over this. Both happy and sad tears. 

Both characters are so damn likeable. Darren uprooted his life instantly to care for Kolton. Meanwhile Grace spends her life helping people who need service dogs. Both are selfless and likeable. 

And together, they work well. They not only have great sexual chemistry, but they balance one another well in life. They definitely help the other to be the person they want to be. It's perfect. 

This is a story with lots of things to make you smile. There's puppies, sweet moments, and plenty of spark between the two. But there's also some moments that will leave you angry and depressed. Don't fret though, as the ending is absolutely heart warming. 

I love Starlight. Everything about this Christine DePetrillo book had me riveted and charmed. This book is a fabulous addition to this small town Vermont series. 

“So what will you do then?”

In the mirror, I caught Kolton’s confused scowl. How did one explain the purpose of a date to a ten-year-old boy? With all of his difficulties, Kolton hadn’t noticed girls yet. Not that I wanted to rush into that territory, but he was oblivious to them.

“I imagine we’ll talk, eat, and enjoy a nice evening together.” I rinsed off my razor and stowed it in the vanity drawer then splashed a few handfuls of water on my face.

“Will you kiss Grace?”

Okay. Maybe he wasn’t as oblivious as I’d thought. “Umm . . . I don’t know.” I didn’t want to lie to him, but I didn’t want to admit that kissing was at the top of my agenda either. I blushed a little thinking about what else was on that agenda.

“Grace is pretty and nice.” Kolton angled his head as he met my gaze in the mirror.

“She is.” I rubbed a towel over my face.

“So wouldn’t you want to kiss someone who is pretty and nice?”

Where is Mrs. Lilly? I needed a bedtime story intervention. Quickly.

“It’s a bit more complicated than that,” I said.

“Do you know how to kiss?”

I turned to face him now, my manhood in question. “Of course I know how to kiss.” I certainly knew how wonderful it was to kiss Grace.

WOMEN'S FICTION - An Unusual Boy by Fiona Higgins

 

Amazon Link   - Available in KU  

Goodreads Link

Meet Jackson - a very unusual boy in a world that prefers 'normal'...

Julia Curtis is a busy mother of three, with a husband often away for work, an ever-present mother-in-law, a career, and a house that needs doing up. Her fourteen-year-old daughter, Milla, has fallen in love for the first time, and her youngest, Ruby, is a nine-year-old fashionista who can out-negotiate anyone.

But Julia’s eleven-year-old son, Jackson, is different. Different to his sisters. Different to his classmates. In fact, Jackson is different from everyone. And bringing up a child who is different isn’t always easy.

Then, one Monday morning, Jackson follows his new friend Digby into the school toilets. What happens inside changes everything; not only for Jackson, but for every member of his family. Julia faces the fight of her life to save her unusual boy from a world set up for ‘normal’.

An extraordinary boy. The mother who loves him. The fight of their lives.

Bestselling novelist Fiona Higgins returns with a heart-stopping, devastating, but ultimately uplifting story about loyalty, love and forgiveness.

Praise for Fiona Higgins:

'An Unusual Boy' is the unforgettable story of an exceptional child and his flawed but loving family, told with Fiona Higgin's characteristic intelligence, deep empathy and insight.' Virginia Lloyd, author of Girls at the Piano and The Young Widow’s Book of Home Improvement

‘An insightful and sensitively written’ Saturday Age on The Mothers’ Group

‘An enthralling read. Be prepared to burn the midnight oil, as it is impossible to put down.’ Sunday Herald Sun on The Mothers’ Group

My Rating - 5 Stars!

Fiona Higgins An Unusual Boy is an impressive and thought provoking read. 

The writing is absolutely fabulous. With the story told from two povs, Jackson and his mother Julia, both characters and their family life are wonderfully developed. And the storyline is one hell of a difficult subject.

Jackson is a young boy with special needs. He lives in his own very literal world. His story, and the way he views and interacts with the world, was a very difficult read for me. I was worried throughout and my heart hurt so badly for Jackson. As a boy often stuck in his own head, unable to communicate fully with the world as a whole, I dreaded where this story was going. 

Julia's pov, fully illustrating how all consuming and difficult it can be to raise such a child, is amazingly well done. I appreciate the small moments when she can break through to what he's thinking and appreciate this special child. And damn, one can easily relate to some of her thoughts that if only the other people knew how tough every damn day is for her. And that, damn, it can always be worse.

I don't want to give away the twists and turns. This story definitely gets serious and hits on some harrowing subjects. Go into this story with an open mind, knowing you will be unable to put down this riveting tale. That said, I did want to put it down. I wanted to stop reading because I couldn't take the pain anymore. But I couldn't actually put it down. And I am glad. 

I can't recommend An Unusual Boy enough. Every single moment of this Fiona Higgins story is making an important point. Every single moment is telling a tale of extremely important issues, and some of the problems in our society with dealing with children such as Jackson. 

Game Changer (Change of Hearts #1) by Sierra Hill

 

Amazon Link 
Goodreads Link

Up until two years ago, I was living large and my life’s priorities were anchored to three things – my NBA stardom, money and celebrity.

I was also a colossal dick.

Until one night turned my world upside down and I suffered unspeakable loss. That event changed the man I was and made me a widowed-single father.

Now I’m a desperate parent trying to raise my special needs son and find him a trustworthy live-in nanny.

Grad student Brooklyn Hayes may be the one, with her single-minded focus on caring for my son and finishing her Master’s degree. She’s the perfect fit for our needs.

Maybe too perfect… with her bright smile, nurturing kindness and gentle touch. Caleb isn’t the only one who’s fallen for her.

I don’t know when or how it happened, but she changed the game for me. Turning my losing streak into a winning second-half.

Game Changer is a Single Dad/Nanny Romance.

My Rating - 5 Stars!

Game Changer is a delightful nanny romance. The first book in Sierra Hill's Change of Hearts series, this is a wonderful start to this series.  

Garrett's a former NBA player, who's now raising his special needs son and mourning the loss of his wife. This part of the story is tragic for sure. Caleb was injured in the accident that killed his mother. 

He's a basketball coach now, and needs a new Nanny. Enter Brooklyn, who was referred to him. 

I love Caleb and how well Brooklyn works with him. It makes for some amazingly sweet and tender scenes. I would read it for this alone.

As for Garrett and Brooklyn, the attraction is there and grows stronger every day. They can only ignore their chemistry for so long, as no matter how hard they fight it, they are losing this battle.

My favorite quote is "Sometimes the people we love most cause us the biggest heartaches." Isn't that the truth!

The writing is good, with an easy to read style, and a nice storyline. I enjoy the ups and downs of their journey, as well as the heat between them. It took me a while to totally "feel" the characters and to see that their connection is more than sexual. But by the end, I love it. 

I just adore Game Changer. I definitely recommend this Sierra Hill book to fans of sports romances or anyone in the mood for a nanny romance.