Review of the upcoming psychological thriller, THE WIDOW BRIDE by Carey Baldwin

Coming Soon! March 11, 2024

As I look down to the beautiful arch set up on the beach for our wedding, I have to stop myself running into Blake’s arms. It’s so soon after my first husband passed away—but Blake and I are meant to be... aren’t we? There are no family or friends beaming at me this time, but everything is perfect… isn’t it?

Since I lost my first husband, Blake has been there for me, showering me with gifts and affection, holding my hand as I go back into the world. He’s the only one who truly understands what I’ve been through. How hard it’s been on me. So, when Blake insisted we keep our elopement a secret, I agreed. But, now, it feels wrong to walk down the aisle between empty chairs.

As I step in front of the officiant with my husband-to-be, I think back to my last conversation with my first husband’s sister. Should I have listened when she tried to warn me about Blake’s past?

Maybe it’s just wedding day nerves… But when I meet Blake’s brown eyes, there’s something dark in them I’ve never seen before. He grips my wrist to put the ring on my finger, and a shiver runs down my spine when he says, “Finally, you’re mine.”

I remember my sister-in-law’s warning and I tremble. But it’s too late to turn back now.

Marrying him is the only option because I have secrets of my own.

Blake may think he knows me, but he has no idea who he’s really dealing with…

A completely gripping psychological thriller which will have you reading late into the night until you reach the final shocking twist. Perfect for fans of Gone Girl, The Wife Between Us and The Perfect Marriage.

****

Love. Betrayal. Forgiveness. 

Love comes in all forms—family, spouses, and friends.

Betrayal can destroy love in an instant.

As for forgiveness, it can be difficult and doesn’t always come, but sometimes forgiving yourself is all that’s needed. 

The Widow Bride by Carey Baldwin is a psychological thriller about all three. A new exciting and addicting read from the amazing author of psychological thrillers, Carey Baldwin will keep you on the edge of your seat. It will keep you guessing and rethinking your guesses until the very end, and then the end will flip you upside down. I can’t tell you any more than that without giving away spoilers, so I’m not. I’m just going to tell you that if you love a good tale of mystery and suspense, and enjoy the need to know what happens next and who the bad guy is and who isn’t, read The Widow Bride. You won’t regret it! 

I highly recommend The Widow Bride, a new psychological thriller by Carey Baldwin, if you’re a fan of edge-of-the-seat thrillers that keep you reading late into the night—just make sure you leave some time for sleep or you’ll end up doing a long day on only two hours of sleep like I did. Pre-Order your copy now! Releasing on March 11, 2024, and available in digital, audiobook, and print at Amazon, and print at Barnes and Noble.

Happy Reading Everyone!

New Release! Elysian Shifter Tall, Dark and Deadly, bk 8 in the Elysian Realm series by Amy Valentini

 

Available now at Amazon and Kindle Unlimited

Hasen Balderson and Julieta Moreno live very different lives but when fate brings them together, their lives will never be the same. Hasen is a wolf shifter, plagued by a painful past and a rebellious streak. Julieta is a detective with a dark secret and an inability to trust. When they team up to unravel a mystery, she discovers a hidden world she never knew existed. Dangerous shifters lurking in the shadows put them both in danger even as they struggle to control the powerful desire they feel for each other. But when her secret is revealed, she discovers where she truly belongs. Will they be able to protect the Realm from a new enemy and find their happily ever after, or will they be torn apart forever?

Elysian Shifter Tall, Dark and Deadly is the eighth book in the thrilling Elysian Realm paranormal romance series. If you enjoyed the electrifying chemistry between the characters in the previous books of the series, you’ll be captivated by the fated connection between Hasen and Julieta. Buy it today and continue the next generation of Elysians’ journey as they search for eternal love in a world where the gods of mythology are real!

If you haven't indulged in this exciting paranormal romance series yet, you can get started by reading the first four books in an exclusive box set available on Amazon and at Kindle Unlimited and then continue the exciting adventure in the following books with more to come. Happy Reading! 

New Release! Faded Forget-Me-Nots, a forever love suspense romance standalone by Amy Valentini

 

Available now in digital and print at Amazon and Kindle Unlimited

She was young and jaded. She didn’t know if she could trust him. Was her heart in danger as well as her life?

In a time long ago and a place far away, Claire Daniels fell in love, experienced real passion, had her heart broken, and nearly died. It’s a never forgotten memory from the past that changed her life. Now she fears she may be the only one who remembers it.

The wonderful man she married no longer knows her and without him, her future looks dreadfully forlorn. For the first time in almost sixty years, she will have to live apart from her loving husband. While preparing for that day, she finds a journal from the past that she thought lost long ago.

While reading her words on the pages, they take her back to an incredible summer weekend that left her life changed forever. A time when she discovered she could fall in love and be destroyed by it just as fast.

Now she worries that just as that girl has faded into the old woman she sees in the mirror, her treasured memory might fade away just like the crumbling forget-me-nots tucked inside the pages preserving it. Do memories survive even when seemingly lost forever?

Fans of lifetime love will love Faded Forget-Me-Nots. A story of love forged in the past but threatens to fade away under the ravages of time. Buy this standalone romantic suspense today and grab a box of tissues just in case.

New Release! Elysian Shifter Bad Blood, book 7 in the Elysian Realm #PNR series by Amy Valentini

Available Now at Amazon and #free to read at #KindleUnlimited

Different from everyone around her, Astrid wants to find where she belongs in the Realm…

Having lived a life as a lone wolf, Luis concentrates on his purpose in the community instead of life… 

When Luis meets a beautiful and unusual woman, who dislikes him from the moment of their first encounter, his desire for her and her approval consumes him.

Sent on a mission together, Astrid and Luis continue trying to deny their attraction and what it could mean. Now, they are confronted with a hatred for shifters that puts them and their team in great danger. When Luis is taken captive, Astrid fears she will lose him before she can be sure he is her true mate. 

Will she be able to save him before he succumbs to a fate worse than death? 

You will love this next generation paranormal romance because everyone wants to believe love really is eternal. Get the newest book in the riveting Elysian Realm series now and discover that the gods of mythology are real and their descendants live among us.

If you haven't read this amazing paranormal romance series yet, the first four books are still available in the boxset, The Elysian Realm Series at Amazon. Indulge now and experience the world where the gods of mythology are real and their descendants live among us.

Happy Reading Everyone!

#NewRelease! Elysian Retribution, book six in the Elysian Realm PNR series by Amy Valentini is now live in digital and print.

 

Available at Amazon and #Free to read at #KindleUnlimited

The gods of mythology are real and their descendants live among us. 

Forever alone. Salana has encountered it all—good and bad, but one thing has always eluded him. Passion. When his cat catches the scent of a beautiful red-haired Asgardian woman with topaz eyes, more than a purr tells him his time has come.

He fascinates her. Alina long ago reconciled to being alone only when a mesmerizing and alluring shifter enters her life, passion and desire fill her thoughts but fear over what others might think holds her back. The distraction of desire becomes her enemy while working to counter the evil undermining the Realm and putting everyone at risk. 

After discovering a dark world of human enslavement and facing some of the most powerful Elysians, Alina and Salana lead the way to what may be the Realm’s greatest battle. When confronted with adversaries that only know how to dole out cruelty and pain, Salana discovers he owes one for his blindness. He and his cat desire revenge. But when Alina falls prey to the evildoers, and the fate of captive Elysians hangs in the balance, he and his cat must surrender to necessity rather than vengeance, but will he lose the love he waited so long for as a result?

If you want to catch up on the first four books, the Elysian Realm box set is available through September 25th at Amazon #free to read at #KindleUnlimited as is Elysian Reunited and now Elysian Retribution. More is coming in this exciting PNR series so get addicted now. Happy Reading!

If you have any of the books in this exciting series or plan to, I hope you will leave a review as it assists the author and helps other readers find this amazing series. Thank you and Happy Reading!

#Cover Reveal for Book Six in the Elysian Realm PNR series - Elysian Retribution by Amy Valentini

 Coming September 12, 2022

Book Six in the Elysian Realm Paranormal Romance Series

The Battle to Save the Realm is About to Begin!

The gods of mythology are real and their descendants live among us.

Forever alone. Salana has encountered it all—good and bad, but one thing has always eluded him. Passion. When his cat catches the scent of a beautiful red-haired Asgardian woman with topaz eyes, more than a purr tells him his time has come.

He fascinates her. Alina long ago reconciled to being alone only when a mesmerizing and alluring shifter enters her life, passion and desire fill her thoughts but fear over what others might think holds her back. The distraction of desire becomes her enemy while working to counter the evil undermining the Realm and putting everyone at risk.

After discovering a dark world of human enslavement and facing some of the most powerful Elysians, Alina and Salana lead the way to what may be the Realm’s greatest battle. When confronted with adversaries that only know how to dole out cruelty and pain, Salana discovers he owes one for his blindness. He and his cat desire revenge. But when Alina falls prey to the evildoers, and the fate of captive Elysians hangs in the balance, he and his cat must surrender to necessity rather than vengeance, but will he lose the love he waited so long for as a result?

Get ready for the Elysians to halt the evil that threatens to overthrow the relationship between Elysians, Elysian Shifters, and humans.

If you haven't read this exciting series, you still have a chance to catch up by reading the first four books in The Elysian Realm box set which is available at Amazon for one low price and #free to read at #KindleUnlimited but time is running out because it's coming down on September 25, 2022.

The gods of mythology are real and their descendants live among us.

Elysians came to Earth in search of a new home. The human inhabitants welcomed them as gods. Their relationship grew and sustained both species until it became dangerous for Elysians to be open with their non-human abilities. They continued to work together, care for each other, and seek out their eternal true mates within both species.

But now there are those who threaten their co-existence. Evolution in any species continues until extinction claims its end. Some will embrace the changes, while others will resist. When those who resist act to prevent or control the changes, they become dangerous to all species.

Welcome to the Elysian Realm, where the descendants of alien visitors live among humans as friends and protectors. When those with corrupt and evil intent attempt to change the world for Elysians and enslave humans, will those who wish to maintain the balance be able to save the world for the sake of all?

Delve into the Elysian Realm with the first four books in the series in a limited collection. The fifth book in the series, Elysian Reunited, is available now but this collection will disappear soon so indulge in the Realm now before the battle to save both humans and Elysians begins in Elysian Retribution – coming soon.

And Elysian Retribution isn't the end of the exciting adventures in this series. There is more to come so catch up and stay tuned. Happy Reading.

New Book Trailer for THE ELYSIAN REALM First Four Book Exclusive Boxset by Amy Valentini

The gods of mythology are real and their children live among us. 

Enter the Elysian Realm, where love is eternal and evil attempts to destroy it all.

Available now at Amazon and to read FREE at Kindle Unlimited.

Elysians came to Earth in search of a new home. The human inhabitants welcomed them as gods. The relationship grew and sustained both species until it became dangerous for Elysians to be open with their non-human abilities. Still, they work together, care for each other, and seek out their eternal true mates within both species. 

But now there are those who threaten their co-existence once more. Evolution in any species continues until extinction claims its end. Some will embrace the changes, while others will resist. When those who resist act to prevent or control the changes, they become dangerous to the entire species. 

Welcome to the Elysian Realm, where the descendants of alien visitors live among humans as friends and protectors. When those with corrupt and evil intent attempt to change the world for Elysians and enslave humans, will those who wish to maintain the balance be able to save the world for the sake of all? 

Delve into the Elysian Realm with the first four books in the series in a limited collection. The fifth book in the series, Elysian Reunited, is available now so indulge in the Realm now before the battle to save both humans and Elysians begins in Elysian Retribution.

Get Your Copy Now and Catch Up as the battle to protect the Elysian Realm and humans ignites in ELYSIAN REUNITED - available now - and continues in ELYSIAN RETRIBUTION - coming soon!

Happy Reading Everyone! 

Also, if you sign up for my very rarely distributed author newsletter, you will receive a FREE GIFT. Thanks, Amy 

New Release! ELYSIAN REUNITED by Amy Valentini, book 5 of the Elysian Realm PNR series

 

Available now at Amazon and FREE to read at KindleUnlimited

The son of Apollo faces quite possibly his greatest nemesis – his true mate – in the latest adventure in this exciting paranormal romance series.

The gods of mythology are real and their descendants live among us. 

Fate. The gods are out to get the son of Apollo. After waiting nearly another century for his true mate, Christian Delos refuses to believe this spoiled brat could be her. Beautiful but willful, obstinate, and rebellious, she is in desperate need of a spanking—one he is most willing to provide. 

Freedom. Kiko Balderson wants freedom, not commands. When her father sends a handsome stranger to bring her home, she refuses to go without a deal—a deal she does not plan to honor. 

Even after he helps her star-crossed lover friends, Kiko refuses Christian. Now, he is ready to drag her home and say good riddance. But when the evil he is trying to protect her from finds them, he knows he will die before he allows her harm even as she continues to deny him as her true mate. Will she ever accept him or must he face the rest of this life alone?

Get your copy now of this exciting new installment of the Elysian Realm paranormal romance series. Each can be read as a stand-alone but they are best read from the beginning. If you haven't delved into this amazing series yet, the first four full books are available in an exclusive boxset, the Elysian Realm series, and available for a low price at Amazon and ready to read for FREE at Kindle Unlimited. Delve into this series now because I don't know how long the boxset will be available. Happy Reading Everyone!

Book Trailer for Pure Fire, a romantic suspense novel by Amy Valentini

It is said it cleans and purifies.

Death has come to Faith O’Reilly’s corner of the world. She worries for her friends as well as her business. Even with the return of her sexy absentee tenant after an unexplained absence, more than her libido jumpstarts…her suspicious nature comes to life too.

Detective Ryan Davies is used to going undercover but when the disappearance of prostitutes citywide lands him where he lives, his assignment causes him deep conflict. Lying to his beautiful landlord is not on his list of things he fantasizes doing with her.

After one of her employees dies and another disappears, Faith begins to look at everyone around her, including Ryan. She needs to know the truth if she can ever trust him but when the truth becomes known, Ryan knows it might do more than drive a wedge between them—it might put her directly in the path of danger. When Faith falls prey to the killer, can Ryan keep her from being the next victim?

Available at Amazon in digital, print, and at Kindle Unlimited. 

If you'd like to receive my very occasional newsletter, 

please visit my website to sign up and to see what other good reading I have for you. Thank you and Happy Reading Everyone. 

Cover Reveal for GODS AND GLADIATORS, a new novella by Jaye Shields, author of the Sex Demon Trilogy

GODS AND GLADIATORS

a novella

Jaye Shields

Available Now on Amazon!

When the Olympian Gods contest that the Romans aren’t nearly as mighty as they think they are, Ares, the God of War, is the first one to prove it by spending a month as a Roman. Ares arrives in Rome as a Gladiator, thrilled to have a human body in which to kick some ass. His first chance at Gladiator glory is to reenact the slaughter of the Sabines but when Ares spots a beautiful slave with eyes blazing with courage, he refuses to tear through the defenseless prisoners.

Eirana of the Gauls is only one of hundreds of women taken as slaves by the Romans. Weaponless and starved for days, she’s forced into the coliseum to be symbolically massacred. She’s seen the infamous Gladiators in action enough to know there will be no mercy. But then something incredible happens, one Gladiator chooses to protect the defenseless women. He claims to be a God, but he bleeds just like a human.

Eirana is the most incredible being Ares has ever seen. With only a month in the human realm, the God refuses to leave until knowing she is safe. But if he can conquer the Romans keeping her as a slave, will his heart still be able to let her go?

About the Author:

 

Jaye Shields holds a degree in Anthropology from San Francisco State University with an emphasis in archaeology. Her previous claims to fame include being a bass player for a grunge band called the Hymens, being mistaken for Britney Spears while in Tokyo, and commercial model. She insists the commercial still counts even though her lines were cut.

​

Born and raised in Seattle, she now lives in the realm of fog, skyscrapers, and redwood trees. Happy to call the SF Bay Area home, she spends her time writing sensual paranormal romance and urban fantasy. Thanks to her grandmother, she's been reading romance novels since she was ten years old. Jaye sprinkles her love of history, mythology, and the occult into flaming hot reads.

Jaye is the author of the awesome Sex Demon Trilogy and the Immortals in  Alameda. If you’d like to learn more about Jaye and her fabulous books, please feel free to visit her website and follow her on Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads.

***click on link or cover below for purchasing information at Amazon

   

Unwrapping: Review of HUSH by Carey Baldwin

Last August, four lovely authors - Tessa Dare, Leigh LaValle, Courtney Milan, and Carey Baldwin – came together to create an anthology of stories, THREE WEDDINGS AND A MURDER, to benefit the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer. This anthology was available for only a short time but if you were lucky enough to get a copy, the proceeds were donated and you, the reader, were treated to four fabulous stories. One of those stories, SOLOMON’S WISDOM by Carey Baldwin, and one of my favorites, has been rewritten and is now available. It has been re-released as HUSH by Carey Baldwin, and I couldn’t have been more excited when she asked if I would read it and share my thoughts with you. A romantic suspense novella of around 95 pages, I believe it reads even better than before - which surprised me because I already loved it.

***eCopy provided by author in exchange for an honest and unscripted review.

Blurb for HUSH:

Reformed bad boy Charlie “Drex” Drexler returns to his hometown of Tangleheart, Texas hoping to make peace with his dark past and make amends to those he’s wronged. He’s also looking to reconnect with an old flame. But Anna won’t cooperate, new questions tear open old wounds and his best friend’s wife and baby disappear. Can Drex and Anna mend their broken hearts while fighting for their lives and racing to bring mother and baby home safely?

*                      *                      *                      *                      *

Anna Kincaid was, and still is, in love with Charlie Drexler, but she’s also so angry at him for leaving her without so much as a good-bye that when she meets up with him again, she is determined to resist his charm and her heart’s pleas to forgive him. When her sister, Simone, and her husband, Nate bring them together for a homecoming party, Anna is angry that her own sister would trap her that way. But something cracks in that hard shell she’s erected around her heart, when Simone tells her that it was Charlie who made up the guest list, and that she was the only one on it.

Charlie will do anything to win back his best friend, the only woman to ever claim his heart, and the woman he loves, so when he finally convinces Anna to listen to him, he thinks he’s got her charmed. She's ready to submit to his pleas for a second chance, but he's nearly defeated by his other best friend, Nate Carlisle.

Distraught, a bit drunk, and desperate, Nate barges into Charlie’s living room and pleads with Anna to tell him where his wife has gone with their infant son. Anna, as shocked as anyone, finds it hard to believe that Simone would disappear like that, especially with her young son. She begs the police to assist but the sheriff insists they’ll show up eventually. With the insistence that he be allowed to help, Charlie and Anna set out to discover what has sent her sister into hiding.

HUSH by Carey Baldwin is the early version, SOLOMON’S WISDOM, made incredibly better. With some minor character changes, stronger backstory and an expanded mystery, this suspenseful romance is everything I wanted and expected from the talented Carey Baldwin. From the beginning straight through to the mystery’s reveal, Carey keeps us on our toes with complex twists and turns. Danger lurks around every corner as someone tries to keep Anna and Charlie from finding Simone. Is it Nate? Is it someone more sinister? I love a good mystery and Carey gives it to us, all the while treating us to a wonderful second chance romance at love that renews our faith in being happily in love ever after.

I highly recommend HUSH by Carey Baldwin to anyone who loves a wonderful second chance love story that may or may not happen if the bad guys have anything to say about it. HUSH is exceptional, suspenseful, and happily, a wonderful, sexy, and sweet second chance at love.

Happy Reading Everyone!

HUSH by Carey Baldwin, self-published through Amazon Digital, available now at Amazon in ebook format. 

***click on the link or cover below for purchasing information.

   

Unwrapping: Review of DRAWING THE LINE by Kimberly Kincaid

Back in March, I introduced you to a new author named Kimberly Kincaid and her first book, LOVE ON THE LINE.  Well, I was so taken by her characters that when her second book, DRAWING THE LINE, starring Violet Morgan’s twin brother Jason, I knew I had to read this one, too. Again, because it’s only on Kindle or Kindle App right now, I had to sit at my computer and read there instead of comfortably in a chair or bed with my ereader. But, just as with LOVE ON THE LINE, it is a fast read that catches and holds tight. It’s not so bad reading these on the PC! Still wish they were available in .epub though! 

***Purchased this one for my own personal reading but of course, will share my thoughts with you! 

Blurb for DRAWING THE LINE:

When Detective Jason Morgan is tasked with keeping a local restaurant owner safe as part of a make-or-break case, he rises to the challenge. The job is his first priority, and he owes it to the memory of his father, a detective killed in the line of duty, to do it at any cost. But Jason never expected Serenity Gallagher to be so beautiful, so serious...or so tough to protect.

Serenity has moved from place to place at the whim of her capricious mother all her life. The last thing she wants is to leave the diner she finally calls home, even if it means being stuck with a sexy blue-eyed detective. But she’s the only witness to a horrible crime, and the man behind it wants her very, very dead. Going into protective custody means survival, no matter how much Serenity hates hiding.

As Jason and Serenity bide their time together, they are shocked to discover they have much more in common than the surface reveals. But keeping her safe is Jason’s number one priority, no matter how much he’s drawn in by the woman beneath the witness, and Serenity’s past makes it difficult to trust. As the stakes get higher and the spark burns hotter, can Jason and Serenity draw the line?

 

                                          *               *               *              *               *               *              *

Serenity Gallagher owns and runs Mac’s Diner. It’s her life, livelihood, and nothing is going to keep her from it – not even a killer. When she stumbles upon an attack on one of her staff, she also comes face to face with a killer who will see to it that she disappears so that she can’t testify against him. With no other choice, but to go into protective custody, she unwillingly agrees to turn over the diner’s operation to her assistant and hide out with the handsome detective who frequents her lunch hour every Wednesday with a pretty, blond-haired woman.

Jason Morgan is a cop and he takes his job very seriously, so much so that he doesn’t have the time or the inclination to have a woman in his life. Of course, that doesn’t stop him from noticing the dark-haired beauty that works at Mac’s Diner who always smells as good as the apple turnovers she serves up when he meets Violet for lunch each week. It's because Jason is so serious about following the rules of the job that he tries very hard to keep his attraction for Serenity from getting in the way, but soon succumbs to her charms and in the process, possibly puts them both in grave danger.

DRAWING THE LINE by Kimberly Kincaid catches hold of the reader on the very first page and doesn’t let go until you see those words, THE END. However, don’t shut your reader off yet because then she treats you to a delicious recipe that if you’re like me, you’re going to want to try out.

Kimberly weaves a romance filled with sexual tension that will have you itching for one of them to make the first move. When it finally happens, you’ll find yourself cheering Serenity on as she captures the heart and full attention of Jason Morgan, a cop who always says the job comes first. We are also treated to reappearances by Noah Blackwell and Violet Morgan so things stay interesting as each puts in their two cents and eventually gets to give Jason one of those ever satisfying, “I told you so” moments.

I highly recommend DRAWING THE LINE, a novella by Kimberly Kincaid to anyone, whether you’ve read LOVE ON THE LINE or not. This fast-paced, quick romance can easily be read as a stand-alone but really, as fast as these go, why not read LOVE ON THE LINE first and then treat yourself to Jason’s moment of surrender when Serenity claims his heart. The thing about reading a Kimberly Kincaid novella is that they are as delicious as the recipes she shares at the end and you can’t stop with just one. I’m already eager for the next one.

***Be sure to stop by on Wednesday when I’ll have Kimberly Kincaid as a guest for Wacky Wednesday and yes, there will be a Giveaway but there will also be a couple of guys coming with her. Anyone want to make a guess who?

Happy Reading Everyone!

DRAWING THE LINE, a novella by Kimberly Kincaid, Amazon Digital, available now on Kindle and Kindle App.

                                                                  

Unwrapping: Review of HOUSE ON PLUNKETT STREET by Lorena Bathey

Every once in a while I come across a book that isn't called a romance but is rather designated as a chick lit. However, it still has such a sweet romantic happy ending that I can't resist reading it and then telling everyone about it. HOUSE ON PLUNKETT STREET by Lorena Bathey is one of those books.

A while back, Lorena approached me with the offer to send me a copy of this unique novel which first released in December 2011. At first I was hesitant because it wasn't a traditional romance but then I read the blurb and said, 'this, I want to read'. As soon as I got the book, I sneaked a peak and knew I had to share it with you.

***Copy provided by author in exchange for an honest and unscripted review.

Blurb for HOUSE ON PLUNKETT STREET:

Phoebe Bertramis boring, bland, and unexciting. She works a job that is inadequate of her abilities. She has a boyfriend that is tolerable, but mostly a dud. She is on the treadmill of her life and doesn't know how to get off.

With changes in her job and her apartment going condo, she must find a new place to live. Her friend Meghan brings her to the perfect apartment and the moment Phoebe steps in the door, she knows there is something special and atypical about this perspective residence.

What she never expects are the three ghosts that arrive on her couch to teach her how life is really meant to be lived.

                *                     *                    *                  *                   *                   *

This story centers around a major character, Phoebe Bertramis who is miserable in her life. She feels everything about her life is bland and beige. When she decides to make a change with a new job and since her boring beige apartment is going condo, she goes in search of a new place to live. Her friend, Meghan finds her the most perfect place. The minute Phoebe walks through the door of this unique apartment, she feels she's come home.

HOUSE ON PLUNKETT STREET by Lorena Bathey is a heartwarming story with bits of sadness that touch the heart. It's about recognizing the worth of your life, the worth of those who exist in your life, and those yet to become part of it. With a Christmas Carol feel to the story, Phoebe discovers the worth in her life with the help of three ghosts who live at the HOUSE ON PLUNKETT STREET.

Three unique characters brought incredibly to life by Lorena Bathey become the stars of this story about life affirmation. My favorite is Polly who has a bubbly, infectious personality that makes you smile without thinking. A former twenties club gal whose flamboyance from her experience as a singer and dancer teaches Phoebe about dressing with flair so that she won't feel so invisible. I think Polly had the most influence on Phoebe's reemergence from her shell. Then there is Isolda, a brash character compared to Polly who as one of the first suffragettes made the house available as a refuge for women who needed to start over. Very progressive. She helps Phoebe realize that her boring boyfriend is a great part of why she is so unhappy. She convinces Phoebe to look deep inside herself to find where she belongs. Finally, there's Hazel. I wanted to hug Hazel. She is a down-to-earth black woman who becomes a mother figure to Phoebe. She's gentle yet firm with Phoebe and teaches her the most about relationships and getting what she needs from life and love.

With the help of these three incredible spirits, Phoebe emerges from her beige dull world, finds true love with a man who not only loves her but respects her. There is a little sex, a lot of laughs, a few awww moments and a time or two when I had to wipe away a tear. Is it a true romance? No, this story isn't so much about Phoebe finding romance but about finding herself, however, she does find true love and a happy-ever-after.

HOUSE ON PLUNKETT STREET by Lorena Bathey might be different. It might not be a romance. It might be a tad bit slow near the beginning but if you're a fan of stories with something to teach you about life and love, friendly ghosts, and happy endings, I think you'd enjoy this chick-lit and like me, find the romance swirling beneath this life affirming story.  It's certainly one you can recommend to friends who turn their noses up at the romances we love - this is one to let them read then tell them they just read a romance.

If you'd like to learn more about Lorena Bathey and her books, please visit her website.

Happy Reading Everyone!

HOUSE ON PLUNKETT STREET by Lorena Bathey, Amazon Digital, available now in print (limited) and ebook formats - borrow for free with Amazon Prime.