Adele Downs's Blog, page 4

Book Review-GOOD GIRL by Miranda Smith @NetGalley @Bookouture #thriller #mystery #bookreviews #NetGalley

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Good Girl by Miranda Smith

Pub Date June 24, 2020

Description:

My brother was thirteen the first time he tried to kill me.

These days, Della is a loving wife, a dedicated teacher, a woman trying to do her best. She has put her past far behind her. But she hasn’t forgotten the lessons she learned.

It’s just a regular morning when Della welcomes Zoey to her English class. She treats her like any other new student: assigns her a desk, hands out the work. But then she meets Zoey’s cold, calculating eyes and freezes as terrifying memories threaten to overwhelm her.

Della knows what evil looks like when it hides behind a confident smile. Her own brother, the town’s darling, couldn’t keep his true nature hidden for ever. Della has been watching out for people like him ever since, determined to stop them before it’s too late.

When a student is viciously attacked and Della is sent a detailed account of the crime, she’s more convinced than ever that Zoey has darkness inside her.

But to make people believe her, she needs proof. Will she risk everything to get it? And without it, can she be sure she’s right?

Prepare to be hooked by this dark, gripping crime thriller, perfect for fans of Karin Slaughter, Gillian Flynn and Rachel Caine.

Adele’s Review:

5 Stars!

Good Girl is a terrific story! I rarely read a book all the way through in one or two sittings, but this novel became an exception. I could hardly wait to see what happened next with Della, a wholly believable and sympathetic character. Della is a teacher who is able to see what others can’t when it comes to spotting abnormal behavior. When she becomes convinced one of her students is a dangerous psychopath, she has a tough time convincing colleagues there’s a reason for concern. No one believes her.

One of the things I liked best about this story was the supportive and loving relationship between Della and her husband Danny. It was sooooo refreshing to read a thriller where the husband is actually a good guy. Even when he doubted Della’s claims about one of her students being potentially dangerous, he didn’t belittle her concerns. He wanted her to be careful, but remained firmly on her side.

The Good Girl is well written, well paced, and thoroughly entertaining. Loved it! Many thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for providing an ARC to read and review.

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3337900226

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Love Is Like A Box of Chocolates #SweetRomance #RomanceReaders #Romance #Anthology #NewRelease #WritersCommunity #WritersLife

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Looking for a relaxing read? LOVE IS LIKE A BOX OF CHOCOLATES is a collection of sixteen sweet romance short stories to warm your heart.

Published by Camden Park Press

Edited by Lyn Worthen

Includes “Catch Me” by Adele Downs

“A great collection of sweet, clean romance stories you’re sure to love. They’re each well written and have a different theme… Highly recommend.” 5 Stars! Amazon Review

Here’s a little about the book:

We love sweet romance stories like we love truffles and cordials, toffees and caramels – and when they’re bathed in a decadent coating of rich, creamy chocolate, they’re satisfying, delicious, and we can’t stop with just one. LOVE IS LIKE A BOX OF CHOCOLATES presents sixteen stories that capture both the sweetness and variety of a box of chocolates. Ranging from new loves to rekindled attraction, these stories are filled with sweet meet-cutes, nutty quirks, and the unexpected richness hidden beneath the surface of the characters and their developing relationships. And all wound through with ribbons of chocolate.

LOVE IS LIKE A BOX OF CHOCOLATES contains sixteen sweet stories by M. L. Buchman, Katherine L. Evans, Tami Veldura, Cheryl Wright, Adele Downs, Eliza David, Debbie Mumford, Donea Lee Weaver, Jadelynn Asher, Jennie L. Morris, Marianne Bayliss, Meyari McFarland, Michele Dean, Neen Cohen, and Remi Carrington. Edited by Lyn Worthen.

Buy The Book!

Available in both e-book and print formats.

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B084S7D6NC

Books To Read: https://books2read.com/LoveIsLikeChocolate

Book Review-The Sunday Girl by Pip Drysdale @NetGalley @sbkslandmark #thriller #mystery #bookreviews

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The Sunday Girl by Pip Drysdale

Description:

The Girl on the Train meets Before I Go to Sleep with a dash of Bridget Jones! What would happen if a good girl snapped?

Any woman who’s ever been involved with a bad, bad man and been dumped will understand what it feels like to be broken, broken-hearted, and bent on revenge.

Taylor Bishop is hurt, angry, and wants to destroy Angus Hollingsworth in the way he destroyed her: ‘Insidiously. Irreparably. Like a puzzle he’d slowly dissembled, stolen a couple of pieces from, and then discarded, knowing that nobody would ever be able to put it back together ever again.’

So Taylor consults The Art of War and makes a plan. Then she takes the next irrevocable step – one that will change her life forever.

Things start to spiral out of her control – and The Sunday Girl becomes impossible to put down. It’s a tale of love gone wrong…and revenge done right.

Available Editions

EDITION Hardcover

ISBN 9781728210858

PRICE $26.99 (USD)

Sourcebooks Landmark Mystery & Thrillers

Adele’s Review:

5 Stars!

Many of us have probably known a woman like The Sunday Girl protagonist, Taylor, and some of us might have found ourselves in situations like hers, so I tried not to judge her too harshly as she moved from one catastrophic man-mistake to the other. When Taylor finally decides to take control of her life the plot deepens in fascinating ways. I couldn’t put the book down.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this novel, which alternately made me shiver or laugh out loud. Exceptional writing and storytelling make this a highly readable thriller with a most satisfying ending. Many thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for providing an ARC for review.

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Book Review-Little Secrets by Jennifer Hillier #BookReview @NetGalley #thriller #suspense @JenniferHillier #NetGalley @MinotaurBooks

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New Release!

Little Secrets by Jennifer Hillier

Minotaur Books

ISBN 9781250154224

About The Book:

“Unflinching and unforgettable. Little Secrets has everything you want in a thriller” —Riley Sager, New York Times bestselling author of Lock Every Door

Overwhelmed by tragedy, a woman desperately tries to save her marriage in award-winning author Jennifer Hillier’s Little Secrets, a riveting novel of psychological suspense.

All it takes to unravel a life is one little secret…

Marin had the perfect life. Married to her college sweetheart, she owns a chain of upscale hair salons, and Derek runs his own company. They’re admired in their community and are a loving family—until their world falls apart the day their son Sebastian is taken.

A year later, Marin is a shadow of herself. The FBI search has gone cold. The publicity has faded. She and her husband rarely speak. She hires a P.I. to pick up where the police left off, but instead of finding Sebastian, she learns that Derek is having an affair with a younger woman. This discovery sparks Marin back to life. She’s lost her son; she’s not about to lose her husband, too. Kenzie is an enemy with a face, which means this is a problem Marin can fix.

Permanently.

Adele’s Review:

5 Stars!

Little Secrets is a gripping, fast-paced psychological thriller with twisting plot points that kept me turning the pages and guessing the outcome until the very end. Hillier has written a complicated book with a central plot and several subplots with their own story lines. She’s intricately woven the story threads into a uniform whole that brings the tale to a most satisfying conclusion. Great pacing, tight writing, entertaining, and highly recommended.

If you love to read thrillers like I do, don’t miss this one! Loved it! Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Minotaur Books for the opportunity to read and review an ARC of this novel.

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3127923051

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Rainbow Over The Coronavirus #AmWriting #WritersLife #WritersCommunity #Coronavirus #Covid19 #BeachLife

Like many people, I’ve been feeling overwhelmed by the Coronavirus2020 pandemic and the need for self isolation. A few days ago, despite the rain, I decided to get out of the house and away from the news to take a ride to a popular bay side beach. Even though the beaches are closed on both the bay and the ocean sides of Delaware, seeing the sand and water can make me feel better about almost anything. (Plus, there’s a takeout ice cream store nearby, which makes a beach visit especially worthwhile.)

I sat alone in my car in the rain, enjoying my chocolate cone with chocolate sprinkles, with my eye on the bay through the windshield, when, suddenly, the rain stopped and the sun came out so fast it was like somebody hit a light switch. Just as fast, a rainbow formed in the distance. I grabbed my iPhone, jumped out of my car, and shot this picture seconds before the rainbow disappeared behind more cloud cover. If you look closely at the horizon, you just might see the arch.

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Can’t see the rainbow?

I’ve highlighted the photo below.

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I know these aren’t great pictures, but my photography skills, or lack of them, aren’t the point of this post. I’m a romance author, after all. Something beautiful and unexpected had occurred in the midst of a storm, during the worst health care crisis our country has known in my lifetime, and if I hadn’t paid attention, I would have missed it. The moment seemed like a metaphor for something I needed to learn.  Despite the wildly obvious cliches about rainbows and ice cream cones, I felt better.

My mood lifted, and on the drive home I became hopeful that our country and the world will heal from this virus, maybe sooner than we know. The sun will shine again. Our lives will return to normal, or a new normal. I thought about changes I can make to improve my own life post-Coronavirus, and how to implement them. When that happens, chocolate ice cream with chocolate sprinkles at the beach will taste better than ever.

~Best, Adele

Love Is Like A Box of Chocolates #SweetRomance #Anthology @CamdenParkPress #NewRelease #WritersCommunity #WritersLife

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LOVE IS LIKE A BOX OF CHOCOLATES – New Release!

Have you ordered your copy?

Published by Camden Park Press

Edited by Lyn Worthen

Includes “Catch Me” by Adele Downs

Here’s a little about the collection:

We love sweet romance stories like we love truffles and cordials, toffees and caramels – and when they’re bathed in a decadent coating of rich, creamy chocolate, they’re satisfying, delicious, and we can’t stop with just one. LOVE IS LIKE A BOX OF CHOCOLATES presents sixteen stories that capture both the sweetness and variety of a box of chocolates. Ranging from new loves to rekindled attraction, these stories are filled with sweet meet-cutes, nutty quirks, and the unexpected richness hidden beneath the surface of the characters and their developing relationships. And all wound through with ribbons of chocolate.

LOVE IS LIKE A BOX OF CHOCOLATES contains sixteen sweet stories by M. L. Buchman, Katherine L. Evans, Tami Veldura, Cheryl Wright, Adele Downs, Eliza David, Debbie Mumford, Donea Lee Weaver, Jadelynn Asher, Jennie L. Morris, Marianne Bayliss, Meyari McFarland, Michele Dean, Neen Cohen, and Remi Carrington. Edited by Lyn Worthen.

Buy The Book!

Available in both e-book and print formats.

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B084S7D6NC

Books To Read: https://books2read.com/LoveIsLikeChocolate

Guest Blog-Author Marianne Bayliss Offers Readers French Chocolate #SweetRomance #Books #RomanceAnthology #WritersLife #WritersCommunity @CamdenParkPress

Australian author Marianne Bayliss has been invited here to share the inspiration behind her short story “Sweet Provence” in the LOVE IS LIKE A BOX OF CHOCOLATES romance anthology.

I greatly enjoyed Marianne’s story, set in the beautiful southeastern region of France, and hope you will too. Download a copy of the collection or buy the print version from your favorite online retailer, lift the cover, and delight in the sweetness of love and chocolate inside. ~Best, Adele

***

From Marianne Bayliss:

The inspiration for my story SWEET PROVENCE came from a wonderful holiday I shared last April with my 21-year-old daughter.

Our globe-trot included one glorious week in Paris, four days in Provence and ten days in Italy. We loved it all, but we loved Provence the most.

In Provence, we made our base in Aix- (pronounced: ‘aches’) -en-Provence and booked mini-van day tours to surrounding towns, just as my heroine did.

While each town was charming, with specific traits that made them unique, we discovered similarities that linked them.

First, the light. It’s golden. Everything appeared tinged in a caramelised aura. It had us turning our face to the sun and basking in the gentle glow: something we rarely do in the harsh Australian sunshine. While now I can’t remember the exact shade, I still recall the impression of the faint butterscotch blush and I tilt my head up when I call it to mind, as though the memory and the action are linked. It was easy to see why the great painters Cézanne and Van Gogh favoured this unique light and created their most famous paintings in this area.

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Second, the scenery. Every aspect is postcard worthy. I was producing photos similar to those filling my ‘365 days in France’ calendar. I, as the photographer, needed no skill; Provence did the work. Each cobbled-stone laneway, fountain and potted plant appeared to have been designed with the camera in mind (yet with that nonchalance at which the French excel). While we, the models, may not have always photographed our best, Provence provided the perfect backdrop without fail.

Third, the food. Buttery, flaky croissants accompanied by creamy coffee or rich hot chocolate for breakfast. Crunchy baguettes filled with fresh produce for lunch. Whole roasted Camembert topped with stewed cinnamon apples for dinner. Need I say more?

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Fourth, the friendliness. To be fair, I speak basic conversational French and tried to use it as much as possible, but we found the locals were warm and helpful. Our experiences started with a Boulanger, sucking a cigarette outside his bakery, who fixed a problem with our accommodation then gave us crisp pastry treats in a sweet little bag to enjoy while we waited. Two waiters shared a Limoncello with us ‘on the house’ during their shift. A stall holder in Roussillon engaged us in charming conversation after having seen us wander the market in Saint-Rémy the previous day. And a married couple from Marseille, who we met on the flight from Provence to Venice, insisted we join them in their private water taxi from Venice airport to the main island, instead of travelling by crowded water bus!

Outside Aix-en-Provence is the village of Puyricard, and home of France’s famous chocolaterie of the same name. This became the inspiration for my hero’s world and the location for much of my story. (My daughter and I actually outlined the story one evening on the walk from our accommodation to the café; by the end of dinner we had full stomachs and a basic plot!)

In SWEET PROVENCE, children’s book author and illustrator, Katie Monroe, seeks inspiration when she travels to Provence. But romance finds her in the form of Luc Julienne, the owner of France’s famous chocolaterie.

When distance and work conflicts threaten their relationship will Katie choose the job she loves or the man who has melted her heart?

LOVE IS LIKE A BOX OF CHOCOLATES presents sixteen stories that capture both the sweetness and variety of a box of chocolates. Ranging from new loves to rekindled relationships, these stories are filled with sweet meet-cutes, nutty quirks, and the unexpected richness hidden beneath the surface of the characters and their developing relationships.

You can purchase a copy of Love is Like a Box of Chocolates from your preferred retailer here:

www.books2read.com/LoveIsLikeChocolate

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B084S7D6NC

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Armchair Travel to Provence, France #SweetRomance #Books #Anthology @CamdenParkPress

The worldwide Coronavirus pandemic has eliminated travel for many of us, and social distancing will keep us isolated until the virus is under control. I thought this would be a good time for an armchair view of Provence, France with Australian author Marianne Bayliss.

Marianne toured the French region last spring and found the inspiration for her story “Sweet Provence” in the LOVE IS LIKE A BOX OF CHOCOLATES anthology. Both her short story and her article are entertaining and beautifully written. Stop by this blog and read her guest post on Tuesday, 3/17/2020.

~Best, Adele

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New Release-Love Is Like A Box of Chocolates #SweetRomance #Anthology @CamdenParkPress #WritersCommunity #WritersLife

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LOVE IS LIKE A BOX OF CHOCOLATES – New Release!

Have you ordered your copy?

Published by Camden Park Press

Edited by Lyn Worthen

Includes “Catch Me” by Adele Downs

Here’s a little about the collection:

We love sweet romance stories like we love truffles and cordials, toffees and caramels – and when they’re bathed in a decadent coating of rich, creamy chocolate, they’re satisfying, delicious, and we can’t stop with just one. LOVE IS LIKE A BOX OF CHOCOLATES presents sixteen stories that capture both the sweetness and variety of a box of chocolates. Ranging from new loves to rekindled attraction, these stories are filled with sweet meet-cutes, nutty quirks, and the unexpected richness hidden beneath the surface of the characters and their developing relationships. And all wound through with ribbons of chocolate.

LOVE IS LIKE A BOX OF CHOCOLATES contains sixteen sweet stories by M. L. Buchman, Katherine L. Evans, Tami Veldura, Cheryl Wright, Adele Downs, Eliza David, Debbie Mumford, Donea Lee Weaver, Jadelynn Asher, Jennie L. Morris, Marianne Bayliss, Meyari McFarland, Michele Dean, Neen Cohen, and Remi Carrington. Edited by Lyn Worthen.

Buy The Book!

Available in both e-book and print formats.

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B084S7D6NC

Books To Read: https://books2read.com/LoveIsLikeChocolate