Book Review & Giveaway: Chocolate Aftertaste by Liz Grace Davis

Chocolate Aftertaste by Liz Grace Davis

Publisher: Createspace

Publish Date: May 10, 2012

Paperback, 346 pages
Fiction, Women's Fiction, Romance
 ISBN: 9781475184037

My Review:
I enjoyed this novel.  It's one of those interesting stories of hte woman who tries to please everyone and loses herself and then finally decides she is important and embarks on her own to find herself and find what makes her happy.  Of course there are bumps in the road and things aren't perfect, but it would be a boring read if it was.

I'll start with things I really enjoyed.  I enjoyed the set-up of this novel.  How Nora was and  how she was trying to please her father.  I liked how the novel then switched gears to a point where Nora tried to find herself.  I liked this Nora.  I also liked the characters around Nora in Dreara.  They were a varied bunch and a lot of fun.  From Maeve the hairdresser yet true friend to Ethan the hunky neighbor and all the others in-between, I fell in love with the inhabitants of Dreara.  I also loved the setting of Dreara.  A new fun place for me, a small town with small town inhabitants and small town gossip was a great setting.  Another great thing was the twists and turns. Just when you think things are going great for Nora, something pops up to throw a monkey wrench into her plans, but she deals with it with help from her friends.  All of this made me keep reading the book to find out what would happen next and how Nora would handle things and how things would end.

However I did find a few things that bothered me about the book, but they weren't anything that made me stop reading, just things that made my rating a little lower.  The first is how wishy washy Nora was in the beginning.  I know she had to start there to prove that she was growing through the book, but I don't do well with the type of woman she was in the beginning, but I kept reading.  If she had stayed that way much longer I would have given up, but thankfully Ms. Davis proves her point and moves on and Nora starts to change.  And my other problem was things felt just a little jumpy after Nora moves to Dreara.  I would feel like a few weeks would have passed only to find a few days or vice versa.  I always felt a little confused time-wise.  This is minor, but I almost always felt a little lost in this section of the book.  It seemed to improve as the book went along so I think the author fell into a groove (I often do that with my reviews) and the book improved.  Again it was nothing to make me stop reading, just something that made me take note.

Those were my main complaints, otherwise, I really enjoyed the relationships set out in the book.  I especially enjoyed watching Nora grow too.  And I think that was the main point of the book.  I think Ms. Davis picked a wonderful backdrop to set her novel against to keep the reader engaged with the book and she also created characters that readers can relate to.  I think Chocolate Aftertaste is an enjoyable book for lovers of Women's Fiction.


My Rating: 3.5/5.0


About the Book:

At her pre-wedding dinner, Nora Darkin, the daughter of a
wealthy entrepreneur, discovers her fiancé is not the man she
thought he was. As her father hoists his glass to toast them,
she makes an announcement: there will be no wedding to her
father's right-hand man.

Due to the fresh rift driven between her and her father, Nora
escapes to the quaint town of Dreara. Determined to live her
life her own way, she makes new friends and pursues her
lifelong desire of becoming a chef. Ethan Danes, a neighbour
with his own broken heart, helps soothe hers.

Just as Nora discovers what it means to be happy, and she
begins to fall in love with Ethan, a woman from his past re-
enters his life…

Buy Link: Amazon

About the Author (from Goodreads.com): 
Liz Grace Davis grew up in Angola, Namibia, South Africa and Germany. She now lives with her husband in Vienna, Austria.

Growing up, Liz spent most her days in libraries, diving into the world of books. In her spare time she reads a lot, travels, creates jewelry and designs digital scrapbooks. That's of course when she's not weaving stories. She's in her element whenever she is doing anything that requires creativity.

Liz is the author of a young adult fantasy novel, Tangi's Teardrops, and a romantic women's fiction novel, Chocolate Aftertaste.

Website / Facebook / Book Trailer


Giveaway
I have one copy of Chocolate Aftertaste in ebook format to give away to a lucky reader.  Open international, ends 8/16. Simply fill out the Rafflecopter below.


a Rafflecopter giveaway



FTC Information: I received this book Sizzling PR for an honest review.  I received no compensation for my review beyond a copy of the book.

Book Review: Lethal Legacy by Irene Hannon

Lethal Legacy by Irene Hannon
Publisher: Revell
Pub Date: Aug. 1, 2012
Paperback, 352 pages
ISBN: 9780800734589

My rating: 5.0/5.0



My Review:
Irene Hannon has scored another winner in the Guardians of Justice series with Lethal Legacy. But don't let the fact that this book is number three in this series scare you away from reading it if you haven't read any of the other books. It makes a great stand-alone with mentions of characters and their happily ever afters from the previous books, but no real spoilers to keep you from going back and reading them. Lethal Legacy can easily stand on it's own, but it is a part of a great romantic suspense series so I suggest if you read this one, you go back and read the others as well!

As usual Ms. Hannon works wonders with her characters. I felt connections to Cole who I met in an earlier book but really got to know in this book and to Kelly who is mourning the loss of her father and dead set on finding who killed him. It is her doggedness that leads her to meet Cole and their meeting seems serendipitous. First Cole is a great investigator and if he can find something he will and second, he feels an instant attraction for Kelly and she feels one for him. Of course to be a romance a problem more than the suspense element has to work it's way in and in this novel it's the fact that Cole has moved away from God and Kelly is a devout and caring Christian. But I like that Kelly never shoves Cole to the side, she cares enough to want to understand and help him like a real Christian would. I have loved all of the romances in Ms. Hannnon's books, but I think this is one of the best. I felt the romance more in this one, felt it was more of an element even with the suspense playing a starring role.

And the suspense, wow, it's great again. We get a peek at the overall bad guy and eventually the hit man and it's surprising, but even with this knowledge, there are still many surpises in store with the book. I pretty much eagerly awaited the end of my workday on Tuesday and encouraged my husband to work late so I could finish this in one sitting. It's just that good.

The suspense is edge of your seat. The romance is just awe-inspiring. Both work so well together to make this one of Irene Hannon's best books to date and that is saying something. I think I have been reading all of her books since 2010 and have loved each one, but this one really resonated with me as a book I loved. If you enjoy romantic suspense this is an excellent choice for your next book to pick up. It has Christian elements, but they are not overwhelming, and they are very well-done. Ms. Hannon is a master at writing a book that doesn't personify the Christians as perfect people and I like that. So give Lethal Legacy a try, it's a great page-turner with a great side of romance to make it a perfect novel for the lover of romantic suspense!

Available August 2012 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

About the Book:

The police say her father's death was suicide. But Kelly Warren says it was murder--and she has new evidence that she believes proves it. Detective Cole Taylor doesn't put much credence in her claim, and nothing in his case review suggests foul play. But when Kelly ends up in the emergency room with a suspicious life-threatening medical condition, the incident strikes him as more than just coincidence. Digging deeper, he discovers she's linked to a long-ago crime. Is history repeating itself? And who wants Kelly silenced? 

With her trademark high-intensity action and taut suspense, Irene Hannon closes out her Guardians of Justice series with a story of old grudges and budding romance that is sure to increase her substantial fan base.

About the Author:
Irene Hannon is the author of more than 35 novels, including the bestselling Heroes of Quantico and Guardians of Justice series. Her books have been honored with two coveted RITA awards from Romance Writers of America, a Carol Award, a HOLT Medallion, a Daphne du Maurier Award and two Reviewers' Choice Awards from RT Book Reviews magazine. She lives in St. Louis, Missouri.

For more information about her and her books, visit her web site at www.irenehannon.com and follow her on Twitter at @IreneHannon.

***I received this book from the publisher for an honest review.  I was not compensated in any other way except receiving the book for free.  ***

Who is America's Royal Couple Giveaway (Marrying Up by Wendy Holden)

Can’t get enough of that royal fever? Do you find yourself still Youtube-ing clips of Will & Kate’s big day? Don’t worry, Sourcebooks has you covered. 

Named a “Cinderella story for the beach bag”, Sourcebooks is extremely excited to be releasing Wendy Holden’s Marrying Up in August! Marrying Up has all of the crazy love, eye-opening snobbery, and naked ambition to create a juicy cocktail worthy of any royal. After all, what’s a relationship without a title and a tiara? 

In honor of Wendy’s new release, Sourcebooks is hold a contest in conjunction with my blog to find out who is America’s very own Royal Couple!

As women around the world watched Will and Kate walk down the aisle, many of them were plotting how they could find their own prince charming.

Razor-sharp in its wit and as fresh as newlywed royals, Marrying Up (ISBN 9781402270673, Sourcebooks Landmark, Fiction, Trade Paperback, $14.99 U.S., Aug 2012) by Wendy Holden reveals how sometimes a rags-to-riches story can rip a girl to shreds—and how sometimes the crown on your head can nearly crush you.

Only a title, a mansion, and a family tiara will do for a scheming social climber like Alexa, and she will go to great lengths to get it.  Starting by befriending clueless aristocrat Florrie, who fills her life with parties, texting, and, above all, champagne, means that the grandest doors swing open and the prince of her dreams is within reach. But has Florrie’s mother, the formidable Lady Annabel, figured out Alexa’s intentions already?

Meanwhile, beautiful but penniless archaeology student Polly has found herself in love after a chance meeting with a dark-eyed stranger named Max. However, Max is hiding a big secret, a secret that could ultimately ruin any chance of him and Polly living happily ever after. 

About the Author

Wendy Holden (UK) was a journalist for the Sunday Times, Tatler, and The Mail on Sunday before becoming a full-time author. She has now published nine novels, all top 10 bestsellers in the UK. Her novels include Beautiful People, Farm Fatale, and Filthy Rich and feature sassy humor with a great cast of characters. For more information, please visit: www.officialwendyholden.com.
GIVEAWAY:

So tell us who you think is America's Royal couple and you are entered to win the random drawing for a copy of Marrying Up by Wendy Holden, mailed from the publisher.  Open to US/Canada only, ends 8/10.

Book Tour, Excerpt, Interview & Giveaway: Big Sky Mountain by Linda Lael Miller

First up I have today's tour excerpt from Big Sky Mountain.  Make sure to check out the tour website for more excerpts, interviews, reviews, giveaways, guest posts and more fun.

Then he opened his collar halfway to his breastbone and sucked in a breath. “I tried to tell her,” he muttered. He knew it sounded lame, but the truth was the truth.

Although he and Slade shared a father, they had been at bloody-knuckled odds most of their lives. They’d made some progress toward getting along since the old man’s death and the upheaval that followed, but neither of them related to the other as a buddy, let alone a brother.

“Come on out to our place,” Slade said, surprising him. “You’d best lay low for a few hours. Give Brylee—and Walker—a little time to cool off.”

Hutch stiffened slightly, though he found the invitation oddly welcome. Home, being Whisper Creek Ranch, was a lonely outpost these days—which was probably why he’d talked himself into proposing to Brylee in the first place.

“I have to talk to Brylee,” he repeated.

“There’ll be time for that later on,” Slade reasoned.

Follow the tour at BookTrib and make sure you enter to win a necklace and a paperback copy of Big Sky Mountain at BookTrib's site!

Enjoy this interview with Linda Lael Miller:

1.      Do you allow friends or family to read early drafts of your work?

Yes.  My cousin, Mary Ann, reads all my manuscripts as I’m writing them.  We’ve been close all our lives and have a lot of the same memories, but she’s pretty objective and bone practical.  I take her comments seriously.

2.      What sparked your interest in Tarot card reading?

I’m not sure, but it was probably the beauty of Tarot decks in general.  I read them from a sort of Joseph Campbell/mythological point of view, and I believe the images stimulate ideas and insights because they are all archetypes.  I don’t read the future, but I can get a pretty good take on an individual I’m reading for or for a character in a book.

3.      If you could go back and change anything about Big Sky Mountain, would you?

Well, there’s one thing I’d change—I got so wrapped up in the excitement of the story that I forgot to let the cat, Lucy-Maude, have her kittens.  Rest assured, in Big Sky world, those kitties are all thriving in loving homes.

4.      What do you like to do when you aren’t writing?

See number 2.  I LOVE to read and also to listen to audio books—I’ve always got a couple of volumes going at once.  I can get lost in my craft room downstairs, and not just because it’s usually a mess.  Spending time with my horses, dog and cats are high priorities, too.

5.      How long does it take you to write a novel, from initial idea to finished manuscript?
Wow, that is a hard question.  I think the ideas for some of my books were sparked when I was a child, listening to all those great stories about cowboys and rodeos and horses, not to mention the ones my grandma told me about Jessie James sleeping in her family’s barn and the day the Dalton brothers tried to rob the bank in Coffeeville, Kansas.  I probably spend between three and six months on the actual writing process.

The “First Lady of the West,” #1 New York Times bestselling author Linda Lael Miller, brings you back to Parable, Montana-where love awaits in the second book of her new Big Sky Series!

With his rugged good looks, vast wealth and family name, hell-raiser Hutch Carmody is still the golden boy of Parable, Montana. But he’s done some growing up, making peace with his illegitimate half brother and inheriting half of Whisper Creek Ranch, which should have been all his. These days, Hutch knows there are some things money can’t buy: like the heart of loving, ladylike divorcé Kendra Shepherd.

Kendra’s quiet mansion reminds her of what she wants most – a devoted husband and the pitter-patter of little feet. She can’t get Hutch Carmody out of her mind. But a rough-and-tumble cowboy like Hutch, coming home for family dinner? Seems crazy! Then again, crazier dreams have become reality under the vast Montana sky.



Linda Lael Miller is a #1 New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author of more than one hundred historical and contemporary novels, most of which reflect her love of the West. Raised in Northport, Washington, the self-confessed barn goddess now lives in Spokane, Washington. Linda hit a career high in 2011 when all three of her Creed Cowboys books—A Creed in Stone Creek, Creed’s Honor and The Creed Legacy—debuted at #1 on the New York Times bestseller list.  To learn more about Linda, visit www.LindaLaelMiller.com.

Giveaway:
The publicist is offering one copy of Big Sky Mountain by Linda Lael Miller to one lucky reader.  Open to US/Canada, and mailed from the publicist.  Ends 8/13.  Simply fill out the Rafflecopter below.


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Wicked Summer Cover Challenge #SWUR

What a fun challenge, it's simple, look for the following items on the covers of books I'm reading and on the covers of other participants books.  Here are the items and as I find them I will come back and add more "finds".  Thank you to Wickedly Bookish for hosting this wonderfully innovative challenge.  I will have a great time with this one all week!

Sun

A teeny bikni

Beach umbrella

Sandcastle

Oceanscape or a beach scene

Sunflower

An American flag (4th of July)

Lemonade/Iced Tea

Sunset (I'm going with this as sunset, it looks like it to me)

Sailboat

Camping equipment (tent, sleeping bag, etc.)

Sunglasses

Swimming Pool

Sun bather

Picnic

Summer Wrap-up Read-a-Thon Start-Up: Show off your pile + Bookmark giveaway

I'm up and reading and looking forward to participating in this read-a-thon for the next week.  The introductory post can be found at Some Like it Paranormal and it's a show off your pile challenge.

We're off to do the official summer thing for where I live, head out in the boat.  Can't wait, but a book will be going with me.  I have about 100 pages left of:

Then here are some things I have coming in the tbr pile.  Some are review books, some are just books I want to read. I'm not good at narrowing down, because my mood changes, but I hope to read 3-5 more books besides If I Die during this week.

There are also some books on my Kindle (the Never to Sleep novella by Rachel Vincent will surely be read because I have Before I Wake on the way from the library), and this list is bound to change, but here are some examples.  I'm pretty sure Dark Frost is going out on the boat with me today as I plan to finish If I Die in a little bit.

Are you joining in?  Comment and let me know and I'll do a drawing on the 13th for some bookmarks  and assorted swag that can fit in an envelope from various authors and bloggers to send to you (who doesn't love bookmarks?)

Author Interview: Linn B Halton (The Restaurant @ The Mill)

 

What do you like to do when you aren’t writing?
My main passion is interior design and decorating. I was lucky enough to have been able to do
that as a second career for a few years before I gave up work to write full time. We moved into
a converted cow shed and hayloft about a year ago and have nearly completed remodelling it.
My husband and I love renovating old properties and have had most styles from very new (blank
canvasses) to an old hunting lodge that was over 250 years old. However, after thirteen moves
we feel we have finally found somewhere that feels right. This might be our last move … but
you never know!

What's your favorite season?
Spring, undoubtedly. It’s a time when there is a sense of renewal and beginnings. Everything
looks so fresh and new. You can almost ‘feel’ nature stirring and the energy builds as shoots
and buds appear and plant-life awakens. Watching the birds nesting and hearing the baby
birds chirping, seeing the lambs jumping about in the fields … it reminds me that it’s a time of
optimism and opportunity. I also welcome the lighter mornings after the darkness of the winter,
when all I want to do is hibernate and stay warm.

Describe your ideal reading space (no expense spared here).
I read more and more on my Kindle these days, but ideally I love to hold a paperback in my
hands and curl up in a cosy chair. Autumn/winter is my ideal time, as it’s guaranteed to be in
the comfort of the sitting room and there are fewer distractions. I like peace and quiet when
I’m reading as I want to immerse myself in the story. In summer I tend to read outside in the
garden, but invariably I find myself watching the birds or gazing across as the flowers. I also
find background noise distracting and if the story has lots of detail you can miss something if
your concentration wanders for even a few moments.

The best reading experience I ever had was on the first vacation we had after my mother had
died. It had been a traumatic few months and my husband and I went to a small French beach
resort. We rented a top floor apartment overlooking the sea, it was very quiet there. It had a
well-protected balcony, that was very private and mornings we spent walking along the pebble
beach, which was adjacent to a nature reserve. You could walk for over 10 kilometres to the
next small village. In the afternoons and evenings we played board games on the balcony
and read. I can’t remember the title of the book I took with me, although I know I have it still –
but the story was perfect for that vacation. I needed something to occupy my mind in a light-
hearted and entertaining way to stop myself dwelling on things that had happened. It really
helped make that break a cathartic experience, a time of rest, relaxation and healing – with
plenty of long walks, sea air and reading time. Both my husband and I went home renewed.

If you could travel anywhere, where would you go?
I’m writing this sitting in an apartment in Lake Garda (Italy), in a tiny village in the mountains
called Tignale. We are celebrating our wedding anniversary and doing a two-week tour of
Europe. I am glancing out over an unbelievable view that includes forests, mountain tops and
on down to the lake itself. It’s 7am and the early morning sun is making the lake look like pure
silver – it’s so quiet all you can hear is the odd cricket. I hope we get to come back again some
time in the future, because this is sheer heaven!

What three things do you need in order to write?
Quiet – I like gentle background music but no distracting noises. No interruptions - breaking
off at inopportune moments can often mean losing some of those precious thoughts that jump
into your head and go just as quickly if you don’t ‘grab’ them. The third thing is no pressure –
I couldn’t write to a timetable, although I can write continuously as I haven’t yet suffered with
writer’s block. However, if I had a target date by which to compete something I would feel like
it was ‘a job’ and that would spoil it a little for me. I write because I enjoy doing it and it’s pure
escapism.

I take my breaks when I feel my energy levels are flagging, but have often worked through the
night. Sleep is something you can catch up on when the mood has passed, and if my head
is full of something I often find if I do try to sleep, I only lay there thinking about what I want to
write.

What's the first sentence of The Restaurant @ the Mill?
The first time I walked around the flour mill at Huntingbridge in Gloucestershire turned out to be
a life-changing moment. Reminiscent of the first time I met my business partner, Ben Adams.

Do you have a favorite line in The Restaurant @ the Mill?
“I guess I have my answer—you were kissing me back pretty fiercely there!” It’s a moment
between two the characters that was a long time in coming! Their story began in my debut
novel released in February 2011 and, as secondary characters, it’s only in The Restaurant their
own story reaches a conclusion.

Tell us what is The Restaurant @ the Mill is about.
The Restaurant is not just about the owners, Hilary and Ben, but as 'The Restaurant @ The
Mill' thrives and comes alive with the conversations and emotions of people unconnected in
their day-to-day lives, another five stories unfold. There is also a cameo appearance by a spirit
names Sarah, who wanders the Mill looking for her beloved husband.

Only one thing is certain, life is an eternal struggle and that is the common thread which ties
us all together. Age, relationships, and careers – we all appear to be so very different. Yet
beneath the exterior facade we show to the world at large, is that really the case? The things
we bury deep inside; the worries and fears we are unable to verbalise, and the hand fate takes
in our lives. Sometimes we fail to recognise in each other that innermost struggle and yet it
exists for all of us. Each story is unique, each is a story about the pursuit of love…

Dish, who’s your favorite character?
Now that’s a tough question. I think it would have to be Ben, he’s the chef at the restaurant and
as the story unfolds we find out there’s much more to this gentle, shy man who hides away in
his immaculate kitchen. He’s a fighter and he’s determined to hold onto the person he loves
with all his heart in the only way he knows how.

How did you feel when you finished The Restaurant @ the Mill?
A great sense of completeness. Several of the characters within the story have featured in
other novels I’ve written and I felt their relationships were interesting enough to see how they
developed and find out whether they achieved their ‘happy ending’.

For all of us impatient readers, what is up next for you?
It’s ‘Never Alone’ which is a romance with quite a strong psychic element to it. Planned release
date is October 10, 2012.

Thanks Linn!

Thank you! Fun questions. L


About The Restaurant @ the Mill

Age, relationships, and careers -we are all unique. Yet beneath the exterior facade we choose to show to the world at large, what do we have in common? The things we bury deep inside-the worries and fears we are unable to verbalize, and the hand fate takes in our lives is a common thread. Sometimes we fail to recognize in each other that innermost struggle on the path to true love.

Six very different stories, six couples linked by The Restaurant @ The Mill, owned by Hilary Marks and Ben Adams. As the restaurant thrives the atmosphere is alive with conversation, snapshots of lives unfolding, each one a personal journey.
Will Hilary learn to trust a man with her heart ever again? Why does Ben prefer the sanctuary of his kitchen? Will he finally open up and let the world in?
And the diners-how will their lives play out?
Charlotte kissed a lot of frogs before she found her Prince, but will it all fall apart after an accident changes the man she loves?
Grace and Lawrence have been parted for more than half a century. Can an old secret bring them together for their twilight years?
Isobel and David's love is strong, but everything in their lives is changing. Isobel is attractive and still a catch, but will she begin to tire of him now that it's just the two of them?
Will Sadie ever get Sam to see her as a serious love interest when he used to be engaged to her sister? Or will she always be the younger sibling?
And Thomas, rich beyond most people's wildest dreams, but still in love with the girl he knew at school - is he destined to be a sought-after bachelor for the rest of his life?
About the Author
Linn B Halton lives in the UK, in the small Gloucestershire village of Arlingham, on the banks of the River Severn with her adorable husband and cat with attitude – Mr Tiggs! She writes romantic fiction with a psychic or astrological theme and many of the paranormal events that feature in her books are real life experiences.

Linn is also a featured new Author on http://loveahappyending.com/ and Editor of the feature ‘Author & Associate Catch-Ups’ including ‘Reader/Author Team Reports’ on the website’s magazine-style blog.