Maryse's Book Blog

Following my heart, one book at a time...

Friday Finds & Reader Recommendations – 03-06-2020

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HAPPY FRIDAY FINDS!!! 😀 A whole weekend of reading for me, and I’m super excited ’cause today’s list has a few that I’m super-excited about (3 blurb jolts for me one this one). Actually make that 4 because… guess what’s up, that I forgot to post about, and to choose for myself?

March’s Amazon First Reads!! How could I possibly forget, when Tasha (my book twin) posted about it a few days ago? But I missed it, and Michelle reminded me…

Tasha J: It’s March already!! How quick did that happen, right? Amazon firsts are here and I chose Wall of Silence, what did you pick? ☺️

Michelle: Maryse Did I miss your Amazon March First Reads post for March?

Maryse: YOU DID!! Because I forgot!!! LOL!! Thank you for reminding me. I’m going to post it on this week’s Friday Finds. Now… off to see what I want to choose. 😉

Maryse: …and wouldn’t you know it? I chose Wall of Silence too. LOL!! Tasha J, you truly are my book-twin.

And on that note, which one did you guys choose?

TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT WE FOUND FOR THE WEEKEND :D !!

  • Dope Sick Love by by Hailey Weast-Hashbarger <— LIVE!! BLURB JOLT!! MARITAL STRIFE ALERT!! They’ve been blissfully married for ten years and then she discovers a secret… “...Their marriage is one other couples either envy or aspire towards. Life can’t get any better, but it can get worse. Insurmountably worse. Hazel’s world is splintered when she finds out Bridger’s demons swirl in a small, glass pipe. They fill his lungs and his mind with empty promises of escape and happiness. Truths are revealed and secret lives are brought to the surface as Hazel finds herself in the fight for Bridger’s life. She has to quickly learn to navigate life with a man she doesn’t recognize anymore…” P.S. Make sure to checkout this post & giveaway (she’s today’s newsletter sponsor) ➔ Hailey Weast-Hashbarger’s “Dope Sick Love” is live, and she’s sent over a Five Fun Facts and giving away two copies!
  • Reese (Pack of Misfits Book 2) by Raven Kennedy <— Tessa 5-STARRED it!

Tessa: I finished Reese by Raven Kennedy. The book was pure 5star CUTE! OMG, being in her headspace was just the best. Anyone wants a good book, the pack of misfit series is totally it. The first one is about a goose shifter and is RH. Reese is a pack-rat shifter and the way her head works just makes me smile.

Jan: I’ve enjoyed a few shifter books. Haven’t come across a GOOSE shifter before! LOL. And pack rats. *shakes head*

Tessa: That’s the basis of the series. People who are kicked out of their pack, or are prey and are unwanted. It is so great. 😀

  • Kiss the Stars by A.L. Jackson <— LIVE!!! A.L. JACKSON’S LATEST!!! THE SINGLE MOTHER & THE ROCK STAR ALERT!! YES PLEASE!!!! “...A single mother. An up-and-coming drummer with a sordid past. Their paths never should have crossed. But when a senseless crime rocks Mia West’s entire world, she agrees to spend the summer hiding out at her rock-star brother’s mansion in Savannah until the storm blows over. What she never expected was the gorgeous, brooding drummer living in the guest house…”
  • Slayer (Shadowborn Rebellion Book 1) by Cyndi Friberg <— LIVE!!!!
  • The Sinful King: (a naughty royals novel) by Claire Contreras <— LIVE!!! CLAIRE CONTRERAS ALERT & TOTAL BLURB JOLT!! HE’S BEEN NOTORIOUS FOR YEARS IN HER SMALL TOWN & SHE’S BEEN TOLD NOT TO TALK TO HIM…“…Like all the summers I’d been gone, Prince Elias is back, but this time with an incognito security detail and no friends. This time, there is no partying, no noise, no crowds. No reason at all to even think he was there. I’m given strict orders not to talk to him, not to even look in his direction, but he makes this an impossible task. I may be doing everything in my power to stay away from him, but there is no one in the world who can say no to the future King of France…”
  • The Collectors: The Complete Series by Autumn Reed <— SERIES BUNDLE ALERT!! “…For years, I’ve been hiding in plain sight, pretending to be an average young woman by running my mother’s antique shop and dating cute, ordinary guys. But an accidental vision of the past has set events in motion that expose my secret—I’m anything but normal. I see memories through touch, and my abilities make me a target…”
  • Cold Hearted: A BWWM Military Dark Romance by Nicole Houston <— LIVE!!!!
  • Under (Pirate Cove Academy Book 1) by Rae Foxx <— LIVE!!!! THE MERMAID & THE PIRATE GOD!!
  • Hurt to Love by Nikki J Summers <— LIVE!!!!
  • Acting Out of Love: Steel Brothers Celebrity Romance Book 1 by Emily Evermore <— LIVE!!!!
  • My Perfect Wife: An absolutely unputdownable domestic suspense novel by Clare Boyd <— LIVE!!! MARITAL STRIFE/PSYCH-THRILLER ALERT!! WHAT A BLURB JOLT!!! “...I finally have everything I ever wanted. A home with floor-to-ceiling windows, a devoted husband who dazzles everyone he meets, and two angelic children I adore. But as I watch my husband chatting with the girl next door, I wonder if anyone can see the sadness in my pretty pink smile, or hear the scream behind my straight white teeth? I know I’m crazy to think there’s a hint of desire in his eyes. I know it’s madness to see a flicker of fear in hers. I know all this, because I’ve been wrong before. And if I’m wrong again, he’ll try to take my children away…”
  • Dear Ava: Enemies-to-Lovers Standalone Romance by Ilsa Madden-Mills <— SUPER-ANGSTY & HUGE LOVE for this one! I keep hearing how awesome it is and Tessa loved it too!

Tessa: Dear Ava was so good. It kept me going and absolutely loving every moment, and just so many times wanting to hug the main character. It had that much angst.

Tessa: Speaking of Angst… Angry God up there! *gasps* I can’t even put into words how good that was. Just so much of the dread with Vicious’s story, but in a totally different way.

Vicious as a dad is amazing. He’s all, “you hurt my son I will torture and kill you, and no one will find the body” type of dad. lol I expected nothing less.

  • Alaska Wild by Helena Newberry <— Nancy recommended it and now Colleen LOVED it, too (including other books by the author!!)

Colleen: …I spent the weekend going down the Helena Newberry rabbit hole after those Alaska Wild recommendations on Friday (thank you to those who recommended it!). I finished Alaska Wild plus two more of her books and I loved them all. Her fast-pace suspense/romance combo is a welcome change from other stuff that I’ve been reading lately.

Tessa: So… I already finished To Catch a Bandit by Emma Dean. She’s become an auto one-click for me. Loved it. Such a great start for a new set of characters set in her world.

All her paranormals are set in the same world. Not all have interaction with each other, but the world is still the same and the events from prior books do impact the books, even if the characters never know each other. This one, though, the characters do know the fox series group, as they stole an item from them. lol

  • Hide Away (A Rachel Marin Thriller Book 1) by Jason Pinter <— SINGLE MOM-VIGILANTE THRILLER ALERT!! Recently released and I missed it!! “...On the surface, Rachel Marin is an ordinary single mother; on the inside, she’s a fierce, brilliant vigilante. After an unspeakable crime shatters her life, she changes her identity and moves to a small town in Illinois, hoping to spare her children from further trauma…or worse. But crime follows her everywhere...”
  • Fool Me Once by Nikki Ash <— LIVE!!!
  • Beautiful Liar (The Reed Rivers Trilogy Book 2) by Lauren Rowe <— LIVE!!! BEAUTIFUL LIAR is the second book of the standalone REED RIVERS TRILOGY. The full trilogy is BAD LIAR, BEAUTIFUL LIAR, and BELOVED LIAR, to be read in order.
  • The Billionaire Quiz: A Choose Your Own Billionaire Adventure by Blair Babylon <— LIVE!!! THIS SOUNDS LIKE FUN!! “…Take The Billionaire Quiz, a new book concept from Blair Babylon, with over 1000 pages of book boyfriends just for you! Inside, you’ll answer a few fun multiple-choice questions (How do you like it? How many ways do you like it? Just how naughty are you?), and the quiz will match you to your very own billionaire book boyfriend and a book about him, just for you! And then, when you’re in a different mood, take the quiz again because life’s too short for just one billionaire book boyfriend…”
  • A Dog’s Hope: An unputdownable, heartwarming and emotional page turner by Casey Wilson <— LIVE!!!
  • Falling for Dr. Kelly: A Falling novel by DL Gallie <— LIVE!!! THEY ARE OPPOSITES… “…They say opposites attract and Avery Evans and Doctor Flynn Kelly are polar opposites in every way. Avery is quiet, reserved, and ohh so shy. There’s something about the gorgeous schoolteacher Flynn can’t stay away from. Flynn is flirtatious, headstrong, and confident, but underneath his outgoing exterior, he’s incredibly sweet and charming. He brings out a side of Avery she never knew existed…”

AUDIOBOOK L:DVERS!

Not a member of Audible yet? Get a free 30 day audible trial (which includes 1 free audiobook + 2 audible originals)

  • AND! Audiobook Matchmaker!! <— Find out which of YOUR Kindle books are available as audiobooks at a BARGAIN-PRICE! This is how it works. Click on that link & Amazon will show you all of your Kindle books that are also available as an audiobook at a seriously discounted price. This way, you can switch back and forth, seamlessly between your ebooks and your audiobooks. VERY COOL!
  • ➔➔ Audible now has an “Escape” package membership (30 day free trial) – used to be called the “Romance” package <— this one is SO cool, and worth it (unlimited listening for all of the audiobooks in the program, and there are tons – kind of like Kindle Unlimited)!!
  • and…
  • You by Caroline Kepnes <— NAY LOVED ONE OF MY FAVORITES!!

Nay: I haven’t posted lately about the audio books I’ve enjoyed, so I have to mention that I finally listened to “You” by Caroline Kepnes, and I highly recommend it! The narrator was super creepy and fit the part perfectly.

I’ve started watching the Netflix series, and it’s good, but SO much is left out that I have to wonder how it makes complete sense to anyone who hasn’t read the book. I feel like it skips from one pertinent point to the next and leaves out some of the in between stuff that also seems important.

PREORDERS (going live soon!!! 😀 )

Jan: The new Susan Fanetti, Thunder, comes out in a couple of days. New series – MMA fighters 😀 Could be good 😀

➔➔➔  Get Maryse’s Book Blog updates delivered by email (you’ll get one daily email that will have each post from that day consolidated on it).

Hailey Weast-Hashbarger’s “Dope Sick Love” is live, and she’s sent over a Five Fun Facts and giving away two copies!

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Dope Sick Love IS LIVE and HOLY MOLY that cover!! And that BLURB!! Seriously… this one sounds like it will put us through the ringer. Total blurb jolt, so I’m thrilled that the author is celebrating her release day with us by sponsoring today’s newsletter, sending over a Five Fun Facts and giving away two ebooks!!

What’s it about? They had the perfect marriage. Ten years of bliss… until she discovers his secret.

Their marriage is one other couples either envy or aspire towards.

Life can’t get any better, but it can get worse. Insurmountably worse.

Hazel’s world is splintered when she finds out Bridger’s demons swirl in a small, glass pipe. They fill his lungs and his mind with empty promises of escape and happiness.

Truths are revealed and secret lives are brought to the surface as Hazel finds herself in the fight for Bridger’s life. She has to quickly learn to navigate life with a man she doesn’t recognize anymore

OH MY!!! This is something I haven’t read before. Marital strife is book-catnip to me, but this?? WHOA!!! I wanna read it bad!

5 Fun Facts About Dope Sick Love

1. I love, what I consider to be, “vintage” and “peculiar” names. It’s why I chose to name the main characters Hazel and Bridger. I am currently saving names for a paranormal series I hope to write one day. I can tell you now, they are wild names. I really wish I could name someone’s baby. Haha.

2. This is my first book in women’s fiction. Honestly, for me, this was the hardest book to slap a genre label on. When it pertains to books, I kind of hate labels. I’m in the minority, I know!

3. You’re going to love Mags and all her sass. She helps make tough situation rather comical. Mags still lives in my mind, adding commentary to everything I write. It’s so hard to ignore her quips and not include them. As much as some readers would love her to be, Mags can’t be in every book. Or can she? Hmmm…

4. Dope Sick Love is my third book, but it was the hardest for me to write. So hard, in fact, that it took me a year and a half. It was a therapeutic and healing experience. I feel, when we carry emotional baggage, it is better to face it. I faced it by writing this story, though the circumstances and relationships were changed. I promise my husband is NOT Bridger.

5. I wrote the entirety of this book while listening to…ASMR. It totally gets a bad rap! I’m a huge fan of the scratching. It really helped me to concentrate and write, what I consider to be, my best book yet. I grew A LOT with this book as an author, and I think that was due to a wonderful editor and ASMR.

Now for the giveaway!

The author says:

…the giveaway, I’d like to do 2 ebooks to kindle.

How to enter for a chance to win the set? Just leave a comment below (and better yet, let us know – if you have one – your most favorite tumultuous angsty book because of a secret) and by 10pm EST, Sunday, March 8th, 2020 I will randomly select two lucky commenters as the winners.

The winners will be contacted and will have 48hrs to respond confirming their email address, so if you are picked, do not delay or you will lose your chance. The ebooks will be sent to the winners directly by the author.

Giveaway open to International!!! :D

Reader Question…Solved! The book about the dragon lord and the widow with three grown daughters…

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Lisa is looking for this one (and I think it’s a series)! Paranormal romance and dragons!!! A little spoiler but I alerted beforehand. 😉

She asks:

Hi Maryse,

I always love to see your list book release of the month!

I hope you can help me remembering this book series about dragon lord  and their mate. I can’t recall the title or the author.

Book one is set in a dystopian timeline, where the dragon lord governs the wasteland outside the city limit.

The heroine is a widow with three grown daughters. She and her daughters are beautiful and sought after in their neighborhood. She has a green thumb. It enables her to sell her family garden products with high prices for their family income.

I kinda forgot about the problem, but in the end,

*spoiler alert*

*spoiler alert*

*spoiler alert*

*spoiler alert*

*spoiler alert*

it was revealed that she and her daughters have fey blood in them and she mate with the dragon lord.

As for her daughters, i think it was meant to be paired with the dragon lord sons in the next several book.

Sorry for the  spoiler. Hope you can help me remember the title/ the author.

Lots of thanks and love,

Lisa

Anyone know it?

Sheila: I think it might be this book: The Mountain King: Dragon Shifter Urban Fantasy Romance (Dragon, Stone & Steam Book 1)

Lisa: OMG! That’s the right one! Thank you soo much Sheila and Maryse!! 😘😘😆😆 Can’t wait to re-read it again To everybody, I do recommend this book to alpha dragon and his equally strong willed mate. Sorry for the spoiler tho😉

Maryse: No problem at all, Lisa! Sometimes we need the spoilers to spark our memories. 😉 AND YAY!!!! I’m so happy it’s solved.

Reader Question – The sports romance book about the girlfriends that wear their jerseys on game day.

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Margaret is looking for this one! High school romance and a jealous boyfriend alert!! 😉 I actually DO feel like I’ve read this one.

She asks:

I am stuck remembering a book that’s possibly in this genre. It’s a high school romance book. I only remember this one scene though:

The boys play some kind of sport (Hockey? Football? Soccer?) where the girlfriends usually wear their jerseys on game day. The girl is new to this scene so she borrows her brothers jersey for game day.

Her boyfriend comes over to pick her up for school and gets upset that she’s not wearing his jersey and takes the one he’s wearing off to give to her instead of the one she has on.

The brother just thinks this is funny.

Tee hee!!! I love jealous boyfriends. 😉 In books!! Only in books. 😛 And ummm… well, you know. A little jealousy can be endearing. Sounds like something Travis would do. 😉

Anyone have a guess?

Heidi: I think I read this. Is it the one where the girlfriend doesn’t speak to anyone because of some trauma she experienced?

Joly: Until Friday Night (A Field Party Book 1) Night by Abbi Glines?

Maryse: Joly!! I was thinking it sounded like an Abbi Glines book too!!! Love her jealous heroes. 😉 I’m adding it. 🙂

Heidi: I was also thinking about this one, Until Friday Night. 5 stars for this one.

Jody: This is the problem with reading too many books.. this seems familiar, I can picture a scene but the sport would be hockey for me. And I have no idea which series it is. Off to search goodreads yet again.

Barb: Chloe Walsh – Binding 13: Boys of Tommen #1?

Shara: This sounds so familiar. I’m going to look through my books bc it’s bothering me now haha

Shara: Is is the Paper Princess series?

Maryse: Oooooh maybe that one yes!! I read that one too, so this might be why this scene is familiar. 😀

Reader Question… Solved! The book about a little girl who is abused and her big brother takes her for walks at night to get her out of the home. 

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JulieO is trying to find this one!! Hrmm… she says I’ve read it, but I’m having a blank right now. It definitely sounds like something up my alley, but these particular details aren’t sparking my memory.

She asks:

Maryse

I have been looking through some of your lists but just decided to email you to see if I can get an answer…

Trying to find the book about a little girl who is abused and her big brother takes her for walks at nite to get her out of the home. She grows up and falls in love with a musician who is a friend of her brothers.

I’m not giving any spoilers because I know you have read this book.

Thanks Maryse.

I truly appreciate all your work and enjoy your blog so much.

Anyone have a guess?

Claire: Lol, I read this all the time but have never responded. I think I may have an answer to the question about the big brother that takes his little sister for walks. Trust Me (TAT: A Rocker Romance Book 1) by Melanie Walker. Hope this is it!! Love your site!!! Thank you

Maryse: YAY!!!! Thank you!!! 🙂 I’m adding it right now.

JulieO: That’s the one!!!! Thank you so much Claire. If anyone has any good ideas on how to organize books on my kindle I would appreciate it.

Maryse: YAY!!! Another one solved. Thank you so much, Claire!! 🙂 You were right.