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Cover Reveal: Acing the Game by Carey PW

BOOK DETAILS:

Acing the Game
by Carey PW
Publication date: February 10, 2023
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, LGBTQ+, Romance

Synopsis:

Is food really the way into a person’s heart?

Shep Lee thought he had it all. A successful restaurant, a loving husband who understood his asexuality, and most of all, the ability to be himself, a popular chef in the small town of Cloverleaf, Montana. That is, until his husband, Elmer Eshler, began pushing Shep more on sex.

Elmer doesn’t understand why he can’t turn his partner on—aren’t they perfect for each other? And Shep loves him, right? Shep, meanwhile, while confident with his body, is and forever will be sex indifferent. Why has Elmer suddenly changed his tune? But he doesn’t want to lose the man he loves so much. What can they do?

Shep convinces Elmer to try a polyamorous relationship. Elmer gets to have Shep and the sex life he’s always wanted. Shep gets a cooking buddy and a chance to experience a relationship and even try sex with a woman as his authentic gender. At first, Shep isn’t sure, but finds himself coming around—this feels safer than opening up the relationship. All three of them will be romantically involved, so that should ease any jealousy, right?

But when Willow Saint, a free-spirited, boisterous, and saucy young woman, comes into their lives, neither are prepared for the emotional and sexual rollercoaster that follows. Enthralled by Willow’s charm and kindness, Elmer and Shep struggle to understand what this means for their own bond. Can they become one happy family? Or will this ruin everything?

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/105698376-acing-the-game

AUTHOR BIO:

Carey PW (he/they) is an author, college instructor, and mental health counselor.

Carey currently lives in Montana, and identifies as nonbinary, transmasculine (AFAB) and panromantic asexual. Carey has discovered that writing about his lived experiences is a therapeutic outlet for him and hopes that his readers relate to his own personal struggles and triumphs shared through his characters’ narratives. He has also worked as a high school and college writing instructor, earning a B.A. in English Literature, a M.Ed. in English Education, and Ph.D. in Social Foundations of Education all from the University of Georgia. In 2020, Carey earned his second M.Ed. in Counselor Education and works as a licensed clinical professional counselor, LCPC.

Readers can learn more about Carey from his blog, www.careypw.com. When he is not writing, Carey is busy training for marathons, parenting his six cats, sharing his culinary talents on social media, and serving on the board for the nonprofit Center for Studies of the Person (CSP).

Carey PW loves to hear from readers. You can find his contact information, website and author biography at www.extasybooks.com.

Author links:

https://www.careypw.com/

https://www.instagram.com/careypatrickwertz/

https://www.facebook.com/kerri.p.singer

https://www.tiktok.com/@careypw?lang=en

Review: The Duke and I by Julia Quinn

Goodreads Blurb

The Duke and I is a romance set in the Regency era.

In the ballrooms and drawing rooms of Regency London, rules abound. From their earliest days, children of aristocrats learn how to address an earl and curtsey before a prince—while other dictates of the ton are unspoken yet universally understood. A proper duke should be imperious and aloof. A young, marriageable lady should be amiable… but not too amiable.

Daphne Bridgerton has always failed at the latter. The fourth of eight siblings in her close-knit family, she has formed friendships with the most eligible young men in London. Everyone likes Daphne for her kindness and wit. But no one truly desires her. She is simply too deuced honest for that, too unwilling to play the romantic games that captivate gentlemen.

Amiability is not a characteristic shared by Simon Basset, Duke of Hastings. Recently returned to England from abroad, he intends to shun both marriage and society—just as his callous father shunned Simon throughout his painful childhood. Yet an encounter with his best friend’s sister offers another option. If Daphne agrees to a fake courtship, Simon can deter the mamas who parade their daughters before him. Daphne, meanwhile, will see her prospects and her reputation soar.

The plan works like a charm—at first. But amid the glittering, gossipy, cut-throat world of London’s elite, there is only one certainty: love ignores every rule…

My Review: Rated 5 out of 5 stars

This outstanding romance novel will make you yearn for more. I am not sure why it took me this long to finally read this novel. I enjoyed this book as much as I enjoyed the Netflix series. I liked that the book dived into giving more details of the Duke before Daffney fell head over heels for him. The chemistry between the two characters can definitely spark a fire. This novel didn’t only have romance but there was sadness and anger too. I look forward to reading the other novels that follow.

Author Biography from Goodreads

#1 New York Times bestselling author Julia Quinn loves to dispel the myth that smart women don’t read (or write) romance, and and if you watch reruns of the game show The Weakest Link you might just catch her winning the $79,000 jackpot. She displayed a decided lack of knowledge about baseball, country music, and plush toys, but she is proud to say that she aced all things British and literary, answered all of her history and geography questions correctly, and knew that there was a Da Vinci long before there was a code.

A graduate of Harvard and Radcliffe Colleges, Ms. Quinn is one of only sixteen members of Romance Writers of America’s Hall of Fame. Her books have been translated into 32 languages, and she lives with her family in the Pacific Northwest.

The Bridgertons, her popular series of historical romance, is currently in production by Shondaland as a Netflix original series starring Julie Andrews, Phoebe Dynevor, and Rége-Jean Page.

Review: Welcome to Smellville (Garbage Pail Kids #1) by R.L. Stine

Goodreads Blurb

Goosebumps creator R. L. Stine teams up with the pop-culture phenomenon Garbage Pail Kids for a first-ever GPK illustrated middle-grade series
 
Welcome to the town of Smellville, where nine kids all live in a big tumbledown house and have as much fun as they possibly can. People may think that they’re gross and weird and strange, but they’re not bad kids—they just don’t know any better. In this hilarious new series from bestselling author R. L. Stine, the Garbage Pail Kids—from Adam Bomb to Brainy Janie—get into mischief at their middle school, all while battling bullies and their archenemies, Penny and Parker Perfect.

My Review: Rated 3 out of 5 stars

If you smell something terrible, I assure you the smell is truly there. I was grossed out by some of the nasty characters. These Garbage Pail Kids smell bad, live together, and look like cute Cabbage Patch dolls, but they are dirty, nasty, intelligent, and weird. The illustrations were amazing. R.L. Stine brings us a group of kids that might give the perfect neighbors nightmares for the rest of their lives. This was a fun read, with a group of kids who are all different and weird. They live together alone and attend school. They are the odd kids in Smellville. Can the Garbage Pail Kids outsmart the Perfect neighbors? I guess you will have to read the book to find out.

Author Biography

R. L. Stine is an American novelist and writer, well known for targeting younger audiences. Stine, who is often called the Stephen King of children’s literature, is the author of dozens of popular horror fiction novellas, including the books in the Goosebumps, Rotten School, Mostly Ghostly, The Nightmare Room, and Fear Street series.

Review: The One and Only Sparkella Makes A Plan by Channing Tatum

Goodreads Blurb

she needs one more very important thing for their sleepover: A castle fit for two royal highnesses. But no matter what she tries, Sparkella just can’t seem to get the castle to work. The leopard stones for the wall are too hard to find! The cardboard breaks when she tries to climb to the second floor! The nails are boring and so NOT glitter-tastic.

Sparkella is frustrated, and worried her castle will never be finished in time. But with a little help from her dad, she soon learns the importance of patience, and figuring out creative new ways to do things when your original plans fall through.

Review: Rated 4 out of 5 stars

This book has everything I love, sparkle, fun glittery outfits, and designs. Sparkella reminds me so much of me. I love how fun and creative she is. She wanted to build a castle for her and her friend and it needed to be exactly how she imagine it would be. Her dad is so awesome for helping her with her plan and being fun and glittery too. I loved Sparkella’s outfits throughout the book. Children will enjoy this sparkly fun book.

Author Biography From Goodreads

Channing Tatum has established himself as a leading actor, producer and now director with his debut film, DOG, which he is co-directing with his production partner, Reid Carolin. Together they founded their production company, Free Association along with Peter Kiernan. Free Association has produced the 21 Jump Street and Magic Mike franchises. They also produce the worldwide stage experience, Magic  Mike Live which premiered in Las Vegas and expanded to London, Berlin and Australia. However, his favorite role to date is being father to his six-year-old daughter, Everly, who loves sparkly, rainbow-y things. He currently resides in Los Angeles.

Cover Reveal: Cannetella by Elodie Rowan

BOOK DETAILS:

Cannetella
by Elodie Rowan
Publication date: March 2023
Genres: Fantasy, New Adult, Romance

Synopsis:

A lush and dark fairytale retelling steeped in Italian folklore, Canetella is sure to please fans of Elise Kova, Sarah J. Maas, and K.F. Breene.

Cannetella is doomed to marry. As the only child of the bankrupted King of High-Hill, her twentieth birthday spells the end of life as she knows it. Cannetella dreams of adventure, not refilling the kingdom’s coffers. Determined to keep her freedom, she hatches a plan: Cannetella announces she will only marry a man with a face of pure gold. Pleased with her impossible standards, she prepares for a life unburdened by a husband.

But on the night of her birthday, a mysterious man appears. On his face is a mask made of the finest gold. The relieved King declares Cannetella will marry the man with enough wealth to save the heirless and penniless Kingdom of High-Hill. Cannetella is forced to wed and whisked away from the only home she has ever known. But the gilded gentleman is none other than her father’s most bitter nemesis, Enzo Fioravante, an infamous and feared Stregone, a dark Sorceror.

Tied to Enzo with no way of returning home, Cannetella learns she is a pawn in a game of revenge between the two families, and that Fioravante will do anything to gain what was stolen from him five years ago. But as Cannetella delves into her captor’s past, she uncovers a devious plot burrowed in both of their kingdoms, one of magic, murder, and lust. And worst of all, she learns Fioravante is not the villain he appears to be.

Together with her greatest enemy, Canetella and Enzo must break a curse that has claimed the lives of six others, or become the next victims. And as the unlikely pair grows closer, a dark and undeniable attraction blooms. But when magic is involved, no one’s heart will remain unscathed.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/92807227-cannetella

Review: Brat: An 80’s Story by Andrew McCarthy

Goodreads Blurb

Most people know Andrew McCarthy from his movie roles in Pretty in Pink, St. Elmo’s Fire, Weekend at Bernie’s, and Less than Zero, and as a charter member of Hollywood’s Brat Pack. That iconic group of ingenues and heartthrobs included Rob Lowe, Molly Ringwald, Emilio Estevez, and Demi Moore, and has come to represent both a genre of film and an era of pop culture. 

In his memoir Brat: An ’80s Story, McCarthy focuses his gaze on that singular moment in time. The result is a revealing look at coming of age in a maelstrom, reckoning with conflicted ambition, innocence, addiction, and masculinity. New York City of the 1980s is brought to vivid life in these pages, from scoring loose joints in Washington Square Park to skipping school in favor of the dark revival houses of the Village where he fell in love with the movies that would change his life. Filled with personal revelations of innocence lost to heady days in Hollywood with John Hughes and an iconic cast of characters, Brat is a surprising and intimate story of an outsider caught up in a most unwitting success.

My Review: Rated 3 out of 5 Stars

If you watched Pretty in Pink, Mannequin, and Less Than Zero, you are familiar with Andrew McCarthy. In many of his 80’s movies, his character appeared as a quiet good boy. I wasn’t surprised to hear how shy he was and how he wasn’t comfortable with some of the movies they were contacting him to film. The films he acted in were perfect for him. Hollywood is not as you wish it to be. Fame always brings sadness and depression. He fell down the rabbit hole all by himself with his drinking and drug habits. While it was a slow read, it was interesting to hear how he became famous and how he managed to move away from substance abuse and find what he loved. I loved him in many of the 80’s movies and would have loved to have seen him continue making movies.

Review: Number One Is Walking: My Life in the Movies and Other Diversions by Steve Martin, Illustrations by Harry Bliss

Goodreads Blurb

Steve Martin has never written about his career in the movies before. In Number One Is Walking, he shares anecdotes from the sets of his beloved films―Father of the Bride, Roxanne, The Jerk, Three Amigos, and many more―bringing readers directly into his world. He shares charming tales of antics, moments of inspiration, and exploits with the likes of Paul McCartney, Diane Keaton, Harrison Ford, and Chevy Chase. Martin details his forty years in the movie biz, as well as his stand-up comedy, banjo playing, writing, and cartooning, all with his unparalleled wit.

With gorgeously illustrated cartoons and single-panel “diversions” in Steve and Harry’s signature style, Number One Is Walking is full of the everyday moments that make up a movie star’s life, capturing Steve Martin’s singular humor and acclaimed career in film. The perfect gift from the team who brought you the #1 New York Times bestseller A Wealth of Pigeons.

My Review: Rated 4 out of 5 Stars

Steve Martin and Harry Bliss are fantastic together. I loved to learn about Steve’s movie career through these amazing illustrations that Harry created. The illustrations were perfect and resembled the real live people mentioned throughout the book. I do wonder how long it took Harry to draw all the illustrations for this book? The book included some funny cartoons and a retelling of Steve’s career. Steve’s comedic tales were depicted perfectly by Harry. I loved The dog talking throughout the book. It was great to learn that he wrote a number of films in which he acted. I didn’t know this beforehand.

Author Biography

Stephen Glenn “Steve” Martin is an American actor, comedian, writer, playwright, producer, musician, and composer. He was raised in Southern California in a Baptist family, where his early influences were working at Disneyland and Knott’s Berry Farm and working magic and comedy acts at these and other smaller venues in the area. His ascent to fame picked up when he became a writer for the Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, and later became a frequent guest on the Tonight Show.

Cover Reveal: Frenemies with Benefits by Lydia Sharp

BOOK DETAILS:

Frenemies with Benefits
by Lydia Sharp
Published by: Entangled Teen
Publication date: September 5, 2023
Genres: Comedy, Contemporary, Romance, Young Adult

Synopsis:

One summer. One plan. Two boys.

Jess’s older brother’s best friend—aka her giant crush—is staying at their house for the summer. She either has the best luck ever or the worst. This is her chance to show him she’s not just his best friend’s shy little sister anymore. But he’s a college boy. And she’s…her.

Just turned eighteen. Just graduated high school. Just way too innocent for him.

Jess is a virgin. She’s never been ashamed of that, except now it’s holding her back from what she wants. Her lack of experience is wildly obvious, a repellant for boys who want a partner who knows what they’re doing. So the only way to get the boy she really likes to notice her is to ask the boy she really hates to show her how to be, well, less innocent.

And she hates Benjamin Oliver. Loathes. Despises. Can’t stand the sight of his stupid-hot face. He’s her frenemy throughout and through, and a player, so not the kind of guy she’d ever seriously consider. But she needs his help—and he’s actually willing to give it. All she has to do is promise him one little favor…

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/62039335-frenemies-with-benefits

Pre-order: https://amzn.to/3WE2QLq

AUTHOR BIO:

Lydia Sharp worked a number of different jobs, everything from retail management to veterinary medicine, before turning their passion for stories into a career. They are now an editor for Entangled Publishing and write young adult novels with lots of kissing and adventures. Lydia lives in Ohio with their family and an ever-growing collection of owls. When not completely immersed in a book, Lydia binges on Netflix, pines for Fall, and hosts mad tea parties in Wonderland. Follow on Twitter @lydia_sharp and visit lydiasharpbooks.com for more details.

Author links:

https://www.instagram.com/lydiadawnsharp/

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4379889.Lydia_Sharp

Cover Reveal: Stars Like Gasoline by Jessika Grewe Glover

BOOK DETAILS:

Stars Like Gasoline
by Jessika Grewe Glover
Publication date: April 24, 2023
Genres: Adult, Thriller

Synopsis:

When Celia, a Florida art curator, purchases the haunted house of her brother’s deceased fiancé, the spirits threaten her life and her career. To rid the home of the malevolent ghosts, she enlists the help of her brother, Oscar, and Adrian, the best friend of Oscar’s late fiancé, who’d been killed as an Afghanistan veteran. The three are about to be thrown into a chasm of events involving a dead French artist, a Dutch aerospace heiress, and a missing Japanese painter who is presumed to be dead. Not to mention a stalker that begins to threaten Celia and Oscar.

The link between these events appears to be a hidden journal from the 1980s Celia discovers in the home, belonging to a dead, but revered French artist. As Adrian helps decipher the clues, an attraction burns between him and Celia, raising the stakes of the game someone is playing. A game that no one might make it out of alive.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/79330532-stars-like-gasoline

Pre-order:

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3ZXsAVQ

AUTHOR BIO:

Jessika Grewe Glover is the author of Another Beast’s Skin, the first book in a contemporary fantasy trilogy. She grew up in Miami dreaming of magic and other realms in which to escape the heat. She currently resides in the Los Angeles area with her British expat husband, two kids, and the world’s fastest bulldog.

Author links:

https://www.jessikagreweglover.com/

https://www.tiktok.com/@jessikagreweglov

https://www.instagram.com/jessikagreweglover/

https://www.facebook.com/JessikaGreweGlover/

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/21072121.Jessika_Grewe_Glover

Cover Reveal: Play By My Rules by Michelle Karise

BOOK DETAILS:

Play By My Rules
by Michelle Karise
Publication date: February 28, 2023
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Synopsis:

All I wanted was a cup of tea, but I got early morning shenanigans.
Stolen beverage order? ✔️
Furious confrontation? ✔️
Asked out by a thieving, sexy, tall drink of . . . ✔️
It wasn’t the best start to my day, but it had to go up from there. Right?
Wrong.
It was my first day at my new job, and I wanted to make the best impression. I arrived at the office with minutes to spare, and who did I bump into again?
The gorgeous thief.
Harrison Cooper was the president of my company and my boss.
It was fine. Really. Resisting the heated flirtations and stormy kisses designed to bring me to my knees would be no problem.
Office romance? ✔️
My past exposed? ✔️
Shattered world? ✔️
Now how do I pick up the pieces?

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/75368902-play-by-my-rules

Pre-order:

Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/2940166904645
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/play-by-my-rules
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3H26ARh
Apple Books: https://books.apple.com/us/book/id6445189615

AUTHOR BIO:

Michelle Karise is a type-A romance author of stories featuring black female leads and the men who love them. She spends her days organizing, planning, and executing corporate initiatives. When she’s done with her workday, she spends her evenings crafting titillating tales of infatuation, passion, and pleasure. Michelle makes her home in Missouri with her overprotective dog, Rooney.

Author links:

http://www.michellekarise.com/

https://michellekarise.us20.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=a2145b7a092fc8f05508798cd&id=743927a7a7

https://www.facebook.com/MichelleKarise/

https://www.instagram.com/michellekarise/

https://amzn.to/3D8huUr

https://www.bookbub.com/authors/michelle-karise

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/19029745.Michelle_Karise