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Friday Finds & Reader Recommendations – 04-30-2021

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HAPPY FRIDAY & then… it’s gonna be May!!! 😉 You know I had to. 😂 By the way, this is probably the biggest Friday Finds list I’ve ever posted. TONS to choose from!

Also, don’t forget to check out:

TODAY’S BLASTS FROM THE PAST!!

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

➔➔➔ TWO MONTHS FREE KINDLE UNLIMITED DEAL!!! <— For new members only. If you haven’t tried it yet, now’s your chance. WE ARE LOVING IT! 

D.G. Just finished “You Were There Too”. OMG…writing was great with ALL the feels in this one. Emotionally devastated.

Maryse: I’m in the last quarter!!! 😀 It’s SO GOOOOOD!

Michele G: Ohhhh get ready! It’s gonna get intense!

Annette: Oooh I remember this one. I really liked it too.

  • Save Me From Dangerous Men by S.A. Lelshuk <— KICK-ASS HEROINE ALERT!! MARGIE JUST EMAILED TO RECOMMEND THIS ONE!! “…Nikki Griffin isn’t your typical private investigator. In her office above her bookstore’s shelves and stacks, where she luxuriates in books and the comfort they provide, she also tracks certain men. Dangerous men. Men who have hurt the women they claim to love. And Nikki likes to teach those men a lesson, to teach them what it feels like to be hurt and helpless, so she can be sure that their victims are safe from them forever…”

Margie: I’ve just read the most amazing book with the most amazing smartest kick ass heroine ever…she makes Jack Reacher and Lizbeth Salander look dull. The author is S.A. Lelshuk and the first book in the series (so far two books) is “Save Me From Dangerous Men.”

I couldn’t put it down.

Lisa C: I started The Love Interest by Kayley Loring from up there. I don’t like the cover at all. It’s a romcom but the cover is all serious. Anyway, it’s a age gap, student/professor book. Nothing forbidden just light and funny and slow burn.

I love the main characters. They are both writers and some of the chapters start with excerpts from their books. Their books change as they get to know each other (they are each other’s muse). I’m only halfway through but I’m enjoying it.

Mony: I am loving this book…it’s a new release. So far, my best read for 2021. A witty dirty talker plus plus plus

  • Say I’m the One (All of Me Duet Book 1) by Siobhan Davis <— LIVE!!! SHE WAS IN LOVE WITH HER BEST FRIEND BUT HE BROKE HER HEART… and then she met HIM! “…If I’d known fate was meddling in my life, perhaps I would have chosen differently, but my future was cemented the instant I laid eyes on him. Dillon O’Donoghue was Reeve’s polar opposite in every way, and perhaps, that’s why I felt drawn to him. He was the dark to my light. The thorn in my side, irritating me with his cold disdain, wild recklessness, and a burning rage hidden deep inside him that spoke to a silent part within me. Yet Dillon showed me what it was like to truly live, opening my eyes to endless possibilities. What happened next was inevitable, and I only have myself to blame. He warned me, and I knew my reprieve was temporary, because there is only so far I can run. Especially when fate hasn’t finished messing with me yet...”
  • STEPH N READ THESE!!!

Steph N: I read The Kind Worth Killing in the last week or so (finally), 4.5 stars.

I also read Life’s Too Short by Abby Jimenez which I gave 5 stars to, just like her previous books. Her books are ~chefs kiss~ to me.

Nancy: This starts as a slow-burn romance, but once Lacey & Jake have that first hot kiss, the pages “figuratively” seem set on fire.

Ivana: I’ve read

during weekend and my bookish heart is now satisfied 😅 I recommend all 3 books!

Linda: Wrapped up Beautiful Savage last night! Thanks for recommendation Maryse!! Couldn’t put it down. Had no idea what direction it was going to go!!

Maryse: OH I AM SO HAPPY!!!! Isn’t she an incredible writer? Storyteller. I need to read more from her…

Liz: I just finished it. I hated Becca but I felt her beautifully broken soul. I really felt so sorry for *spoiler*…

I just read the authors blurb on goodreads. I would be friends with her for sure. Great biography. Anyone else read any other books of hers you liked? I am going to go read some of the blurbs and find my next read by her hopefully 🤞

Michal: I loved this book!

Madeleine: Thanks for the recommendation…just bought it!

Harper: A while back I was looking for a reverse harem that focused on the relationships and wasn’t academy/high school/paranormal. Do you guys remember? It turns out I found the perfect combination.

Lola and the Millionaires (two parts) by Kathryn Moon. The title and cover aren’t the best. It should be changed ASAP to get more readers. But it’s a “sweet omegaverse” (not dark). The author explains that is not paranormal but has bonding, alpha, omega, beta, nesting, knot, and NO shifters. So just the best part of paranormal romance basically hahaha.

Every relationship develops at a natural pace (1 h and 6 H) and I really believed in them (there was just 1 H I didn’t like very much). It’s very steamy with some MM action (but nothing too graphic). The action is kind of ridiculous but I was able to ignore it considering that 90% of the book is about the relationships in the pack.

There is one book in the series before this one but is not as good and you don’t need to read it to understand this story. I recommend it!! If you guys know any book like this one, please tell me!!

Maryse: YES I DO remember you looking for recommendations and we built this list! 😀 Reader Recommendations – Our favorite Reverse Harem books that are not paranormal, nor do they have academy, or bully tropes…

  • Wolf Series by Penelope Sky <—PAGE TURNING MAFIA ROMANCE THAT MHARIS RECOMMENDS!

Mharis: I’ve read lots of mafia books but I absolutely loved the Wolf series by Penelope Sky. It’s so angsty and it’s such a page turner. It’s my go-to mafia read.

Lisa M: Sebring by Kristen Ashley!! It was amazing, like every single one of her books I’ve read!!! How can you not fall in love with Nick!!

Anne: Finished Sebring and loved it! Nick was so great! KA never disappoints!

DG: …you can read Sebring as a standalone. It briefly recaps some of Nick’s history to give you an idea of what occurred previously. Some characters from previous books make an appearance but haven’t played a major part to take away from his story.

Lisa M: The whole Unfinished Hero Series was awesome too!! Every one of her books I have enjoyed and still remember them. You know sometimes you read a book and then you’re like I read that book but I can’t remember what it was about. Not with KA…

Michelle F: Just started Deacon today and I have to agree that this one definitely has an old school KA feel. It’s totally sucked me in! I love this Unfinished Heroes series (Creed is one of the best KA books ever!).

Aimee: OMG!! I WANTED A TEARJERKER AND THIS WAS DEFINITELY IT!! I so want to listen to book two but I may need a breather!😭💔 so thankful for the recommendation!!

Maryse: YAY Aimee!!!! I’m so glad you loved it. It tore us UP! Here’s review.

Tasha J: …Currently reading Arsenic and Adobo. Something fun and light and easy for the short amount of time I do carve to read every day. It’s making me so hungry! In the best way…

Tasha J: I finished Arsenic and Adobo today and liked it pretty well. It’s the start of series, so I’ll likely read book 2 as well. It didn’t blow me away, but I like cozy mysteries and it kept my attention.

One thing that bugged me was there there’s hints of a possible attraction between 2 guys and it’s mentioned that there’s this chemistry and such (no spoilers) with one and there is absolutely nothing to support this. Not enough interaction with some of the supporting characters.

Hopefully expanded on in the next. One thing I loved, was the food descriptions and bonus recipes in the back!

Jan: I’ve started The Belle and the Beard and liking it. It opens with a funny and cute meet-cute. Kate Canterbary writes funny banter.

Stacy: Thanks for the feedback Jan. I’m going to start this one next.

Randi: I just started it this morning. So far so good.

Mony: Good to hear…nice to have a new Canterbary book…it’s on my TBR!

  • BEV’S LATEST READING LIST!!

bev: I’m reading two books right now and thoroughly enjoying them.

Tasha J: Omg you guys the Grishaverse series, Shadow and Bone is now streaming on Netflix!!! Ahh, I didn’t realize it was here and I wasn’t prepared!! *eeeep*

I only made it through the 1st, Shadow and Bone, and Six of Crows and nearly halfway through Crooked Kingdom, but I’m totally starting this when I get a minute today or tomorrow. 🎉

Janie: The one I’m currently reading is called Into The Drowning Deep by Mira Grant. It’s an adult, somewhat horror, book about killer mermaids in the Mariana Trench. I’m halfway through now and it’s getting creepy!

AUDIOBOOK L:DVERS!

➔➔ Not a member of Audible yet? Get a free 30 day audible trial (which includes one title from their premium selection of best sellers and listen all you want to thousands of titles in their growing Audible Plus Catalog.)

➔➔ 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!

  • Rebellious: A Best Friends-To-Lovers Romance by Kristy Marie <— STAR CROSSED LOVERS!! “…A love controlled by guilt, contained by rules…. One summer will change everything. No kissing. No cuddling. No blah, blah, blah. He wrote the rules onto our skin – every ink stroke tragically smeared by the lines we’d crossed. He claimed it was the only way we could be together – the only way we wouldn’t destroy our families. But there was an exception to his rules – one he never saw coming. All I needed was opportunity and a sunburn. The girl who played by his rules is gone. This girl…is not his “friend”…”
  • Life’s Too Short by Abby Jimenez <— Michele G LOVED it!

Michele G: I loved Life’s Too Short as well! I listened to the audio and it was perfection!!

PREORDERS (going live soon!!! 😀 )

  1. The Watcher Girl: A Thriller by Minka Kent – May 1st 2021
  2. Spring Fling (Dating Season Book 1) by Laurelin Paige – May 3rd 2021
  3. Edge Of Fear (Arrow’s Edge MC Book 4) by Freya Barker – May 3rd 2021
  4. That Summer: A Novel by Jennifer Weiner – May 4th 2021
  5. The Last Thing He Told Me: A Novel by Laura Dave – May 4th 2021
  6. Rattlesnake Road (A Small Town Mystery Romance) by Amanda McKinney – May 4th 2021
  7. Find You First: A Novel by Linwood Barclay – May 4th 2021
  8. Project Hail Mary: A Novel by Andy Weir – May 4th 2021
  9. Cursed Luck by Kelley Armstrong – May 4th 2021
  10. Realm Breaker by Victoria Aveyard – May 4th 2021
  11. The Heart Principle by Helen Hoang – May 4th 2021
  12. The Newcomer: A Novel by Mary Kay Andrew – May 4th 2021
  13. The Insiders by Tijan – May 4th 2021
  14. Shadowed Steel (An Heirs of Chicagoland Novel Book 3) by Chloe Neil – May 4th 2021
  15. The Princess Purge: A young adult dystopian romance by Cordelia K Castel – May 6th 2021
  16. The Mixtape by Brittainy Cherry – May 11th 2021
  17. The Final Twist (A Colter Shaw Novel) by Jeffery Deaver – May 11th 2021
  18. Off the Record: A With Me In Seattle Mafia Novel by Kristen Proby – May 11th 2021
  19. The Gravedigger’s Son: A Charley Davidson Novella by Darynda Jones – May 11th 2021
  20. Here With Me by Samantha Young – May 11th 2021
  21. Tempting Fate (A Goode Girls Romance Book 4) by Kerrigan Byrne – May 11th 2021
  22. People We Meet On Vacation by Emily Henry – May 11th 2021

➔➔➔  Looking for more book releases? Check out the upcoming new releases here or check out the latest new releases here.

➔➔➔  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). AND/OR you can also subscribe to my newsletter. 😀 It goes out once or twice a week and features my “Best Of…”

➔➔➔ If you haven’t “liked” my Facebook page, come on over and join us! We’re fun & we’ve got great taste in books!

Mariah Dietz – The Dating Playbook Series Reading Order

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<— SPORTS ROMANCE SERIES and it sounds like it’s all sorts of our favorite tropes!! YAY US!! The final book in the series just went live today, so the author let us into her writing world (and the inspiration for her series) right here in a fun guest post.

Kostantina: Mariah Dietz, Your books are amazing!! They make me want to stay home and read instead of work ! ❤️❤️❤️

P.S. Each one CAN be read as a standalone, and the author says:

I wanted to ensure that each book could stand alone and be read and enjoyed as a true standalone and that for those who had been with me through this series, they would receive an entirely new story with new plots and struggles and accomplishments, while still getting the comfort and familiarity through glimpses at the previous couples.

About book #1:

It started with a crush.
The best stories always do.

Our story sounds predictable.
Short-lived.
Destined for failure.

Lincoln Beckett is the star wide receiver of Brighton University—
smart, funny, and like many would guess,
heartbreak shines in his dark brown eyes
and is etched across his steel jaw.

He’s popular,
a guaranteed draft pick,
and worst of all:
My brother’s best friend.

It’s a tale of unrequited love.
I tried not to like him.
I have an entire list of reasons.
Reasons that have become my rules for dating

Rules that he keeps bending.

SERIES READING ORDER (but can be read as standalones):

Writing the Rules: A Fake Dating Standalone by Mariah Dietz is LIVE & she’s our guest poster + we’re having a giveaway!

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FAKE RELATIONSHIP ALERT!!! Writing the Rules: A Fake Dating Standalone just went live and sounds like SO MUCH ANGSTY FUN!! Mariah Dietz is our Friday newsletter sponsor, and we are celebrating with an amazing guest post that she wrote, plus she’s giving away a signed copy (open to International)!!

So what’s it about?

Poppy Anderson was nailing her sophomore year at Brighton University. She liked her classes, had the greatest best friend, and was finally ready to start dating again. Or she was … until her ex, Mike, transferred to Brighton and started exchanging long stares and inside jokes that Poppy thought he’d forgotten.

Paxton Lawson was long ago labeled ‘The Golden Boy.’ Starting quarterback and team captain at Brighton University, his future was brighter than the sun until a short path of indiscretions tarnished his name and potentially his future. When he learns that his sister’s best friend, Poppy, has backed herself into a corner and is facing as many doubts and uncertainties as he is, Paxton suggests the biggest ruse of the year: a fake relationship.

Writing the rules was supposed to make things clear, defined, and definite. Only, their relationship becomes increasingly complex as the lines are blurred, days become weeks, and kisses for show begin to feel like confessions.
Can lies lead to truths? And what happens when the rules they wrote begin to expire?

One lie,
Two hearts,
And fifteen years of friendship are about to be put to the ultimate test.

And now, Mariah Dietz lets us into her writing world and her sports romance series 😀 :

Bookworm + Romance Writer + COVID= The Dating Playbook Series

It sounds strange that something so tragic and ugly led me to rediscovering my love of writing, but this past year, I found my solace in writing this series about football, family, friendship, and lots of toe-curling heat.

I had written the first book, Bending the Rules, and was only halfway through writing the second book, Breaking the Rules, last February when the first trickles of COVID started to make their way into our daily lives. Then March arrived and our world took a massive turn of events and we all began living an unfamiliar routine. As someone who has struggled with anxiety for my entire life, this was really difficult for me, and I truly found my peace while writing and finishing the second book.

As a type one diabetic, I was in one of the highest risk categories and have a son who is also in a high-risk group, so we were hunkered down in our house along with my husband who normally travels a lot for work. Things were so different—painfully different for too many, and I thought maybe I could help in some tiny way by publishing the duet early and putting them for sale to offer others an escape from our strange new world. So without promotion or any kind of preparation aside from editing and proofreading, I published them six months earlier than planned.

Generally after I complete a book, I take a break because I have a book hangover that makes it difficult for me to delve into a new story, but that wasn’t the case for this series. I was halfway done writing the third book, Defining the Rules, before Breaking the Rules published. I was so obsessed with these characters and this world that it became real to me. I spent every free second in the series, infatuated with their stories that woke me up early and kept me up late to write. Before I knew it Exploring the Rules and Forgetting the Rules took their rightful place in this New Adult Sports Romance series.

That brings us to the finale in the series …Writing the Rules!

This book follows Paxton Lawson, Brighton University’s stellar and noteworthy quarterback who readers have loved since he was introduced in the first book. I knew Paxton had a story worth telling, and readers did too. He’s appeared in every book in the series, but you really get to SEE him in this book. The anticipation and excitement for this final book left me incredibly nervous and also ridiculously motivated because I’ve been working on this book little by little since early last year when I realized he HAD to have his own book. Paxton is without a doubt one of the most loyal and amazing heroes I’ve written, but I was also nervous because like every book in this series I’ve been trying to make a completely new, memorable, and amazing experience for readers. I wanted to ensure that each book could stand alone and be read and enjoyed as a true standalone and that for those who had been with me through this series, they would receive an entirely new story with new plots and struggles and accomplishments, while still getting the comfort and familiarity through glimpses at the previous couples.

Writing this book took nothing less than putting my heart on the pages. You see, I thought each person (and character) needed to have very specific and clear goals and my heroine, Poppy, largely reflects me because I have always been an introvert and have never been fully certain of what I wanted to do or be or accomplish and that’s led me to pushing myself out of my shell on multiple occasion, and while those have been beneficial learning experiences, and I’ve gained a lot of friends and realizations from these experiences (mostly) I’ve also learned that being comfortable with who I am is sometimes the best achievement, and this is reflected in this story.

This story ended up being so much more than just a love story, and I hope everyone loves Writing the Rules as much as I do.

XO,

Mariah

Snippet of Writing the Rules:

“My heart is trembling, shaking like I’ve just jumped from the hot tub into the swimming pool and can’t get warm. “I don’t want to be your rebound,” I tell him honestly. “I’m not … I thought I could do no strings attached, but I can’t. I’m a knitter, or a stitcher, or I don’t know what, but I come with strings. I like consistency and loyalty and dependability, and I can’t do a one-night stand, especially not with you. You mean too much, and Rae means too much.”

His blue eyes are a contradiction of lust and humor as he reaches forward and places his hand on my waist. “Stitch, baby, stitch.”

Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7JNK6uHGr0L93yJw6pgfQX?si=c4537178470d4180

Now for the giveaway!

The author is giving away a signed copy of Writing the Rules: A Fake Dating Standalone

How to enter for a chance to win it?

Just leave a comment below, and by 10pm EST, Sunday May 2nd, 2021, I will randomly select one lucky commenter as the winner.

The winner will be contacted and will have 48hrs to respond confirming their mailing address, so if you are picked, do not delay or you will lose your chance. The signed book will be sent to the winner by the author.

OPEN INTERNATIONALLY!! 😀

Reader Question – Who’s this cover model?

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Mony (and now me too!!) want to know who this model is, because he is on SO MANY COVERS! I’ve seen him used often throughout the years…

She asks:

Mony: Does anyone know who the model is on the book cover of Grayson’s Way by Lisa Eugene. He’s on so many book covers! Including the Maxence series by Blair Babylon. 🙂

Maryse: Mony that’s so true! I see this guy on SO many covers… I shall investigate. 😉

And by investigate, I mean – ask you guys. LOL!!! 😂

Here he is:


Anyone have a guess?

Rachel Van Dyken’s “Mafia King: A Mafia Royals Novella” is LIVE & we’re having a giveaway!

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Mafia King: A Mafia Royals Novella by Rachel Van Dyken <— MAFIA ROMANCE!! HE LIVES A DOUBLE LIFE! 😀 And the author (as well as her publisher, 1,001 Dark Nights Press) are sponsoring today’s newsletter!!! And they’re giving away a Dark Nights swag pack + we have a really cool fun fact about one of her books-turned-movie. 😉

P.S. Here’s a fun video she just posted “All about mafia and research”

What’s this one about?

One of the first rules they give you when you’re undercover—never fall for the enemy.
I didn’t just fall for the enemy.
I became what I was supposed to hate.
What’s worse: I fell in love with one.
I live a double life, and both sides know it’s only a matter of time before I’m forced to choose.
Rebirth through mafia blood.
Or death at the hands of the very government I swore to protect.
I have one more job before my time’s up.
I just wish it was anything but babysitting a mafia princess who’s half my size but knows how to pack such a brutal punch I worry about my ability to have children.
Tin’s small but terrifying.
And I’m her new bodyguard while we all go on a much-needed vacation.
I just have to stick to the plan.
And remember rule number one.
And stop kissing her.

**Every 1001 Dark Nights novella is a standalone story. For new readers, it’s an introduction to an author’s world. And for fans, it’s a bonus book in the author’s series. We hope you’ll enjoy each one as much as we do.**

READY FOR A FUN FACT TIDBIT?

Q: Ok, how cool was it to see your book The Matchmaker’s Playbook on the big screen? And what is Nick like in real life (all the heart eyes!)?

A: It was such a fun experience! It still makes me giddy when I see people talking about it. And Nick, oh Nick haha he’s extremely professional and was always asking if he was playing Ian the way I envisioned. He worked extremely hard and took the project very seriously which I appreciated.

Now for the giveaway!

We’re giving away a Dark Nights swag pack (which includes a 1001 Dark Nights limited edition coloring book, colored pencils, and promo booklet & bookmark).

How to enter for a chance to win it?

Just leave a comment below (and better yet, if you have one, tell me your favorite mafia romance OR book turned into a movie), and by 10pm EST, Sunday May 2nd, 2021, I will randomly select one lucky commenter as the winner.

The winner will be contacted and will have 48hrs to respond confirming their mailing address, so if you are picked, do not delay or you will lose your chance. The Dark Nights swag pack will be sent to one winner by the publisher.

US ONLY for now on this one (but all are welcome to comment). :D

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