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The Arctic Fury – Greer Macallister

March 23, 2021 Leave a Comment

Greer Macallister — The Arctic Fury — Audio

Looking for an amazing read that’s definitely outside the box? Look no further than this title.

A wild and fascinating all-female expedition to the Arctic. A murder trial that follows the women when they get back. Rich, complicated relationships and rivalries. This book has it all.

It takes you by the throat in the first chapter and never lets go.

Part adventure, part mystery, part social commentary, and all masterful, this is a don’t-miss novel. There’s something for everyone, and in the midst of a fabulous story, there is a subtle and powerful examination of the unique and complicated ways that women move through society, both helping and hindering each other in their aspirations.

Beautiful & brilliant. Simply an amazing read.

The Deets

A dozen women join a secret 1850s Arctic expedition―and a sensational murder trial unfolds when some of them don’t come back.

Eccentric Lady Jane Franklin makes an outlandish offer to adventurer Virginia Reeve: take a dozen women, trek into the Arctic, and find her husband’s lost expedition. Four parties have failed to find him, and Lady Franklin wants a radical new approach: put the women in charge.

A year later, Virginia stands trial for murder. Survivors of the expedition willing to publicly support her sit in the front row. There are only five. What happened out there on the ice?

Set against the unforgiving backdrop of one of the world’s most inhospitable locations, USA Today bestselling author Greer Macallister uses the true story of Lady Jane Franklin’s tireless attempts to find her husband’s lost expedition as a jumping-off point to spin a tale of bravery, intrigue, perseverance and hope.

I received a copy of this book from Recorded Books (thank you!), so I should definitely mention that Eva Kaminsky did a terrific job on the narration. She really brought the story and all of its characters to life.

Happy reading (and listening)!

Greer Macallister visited my Facebook Book Club, The Romance of Reading, in January. Check out all the great authors who’ve guest hosted so far in 2021, and in 2020.

    Filed Under: Bobbi's Book Notes Tagged With: #BobbisBookNotes, Awesome Authors, Great Reads

    Thank You For the Support!

    July 31, 2020 Leave a Comment

    Hi friends!

    Many people have asked how they could help support my work (thank you!)

    A few people have asked if there was some way to contribute to me directly to help expand my programs. (Again, thank you, thank you!) I have a PayPal account that a friend suggested I make available, so here it is:

    www.paypal.me/LoveRomance

    A great way to help me and the page is to use my Amazon links – covers, icons, etc. – to shop.

    Below are some 2020 titles I’ve really enjoyed in case you’d like some recommendations. You can use the links to find the books, and to act as a portal that gives me a small percentage of sales as an affiliate.

    I’ll be adding to the list through the month.

    DANCE AWAY WITH ME by Susan Elizabeth Phillips

    RECIPE FOR PERSUASION by Sonali Dev

    THE VANISHING by Jayne Ann Krentz

      Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: #2020GreatReads, #BobbisBookNotes, #RARM20

      Let Me Introduce You…

      October 4, 2019 Leave a Comment

      To Nina Lindsey!

      Hi friends!

      I’m transitioning my writing and advocacy to a new site that should be up soon, but since it’s not up in time for these early posts, I decided to get started here on the Read-A-Romance site, since it exists and I can use it!

      Yesterday, I posted my first blog post under my new #BobbisBookNotes tag.  Be sure to check out the post and find some some #greatbooks recs from the past couple of months.

      Today brings my first author interview in this space, and I’m so excited to introduce you to author Nina Lindsey.

      Nina Lindsey is the pseudonym of a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author who’s slightly changing her tone with a new series, Bliss Cove. 

      The first three books revolve around three sisters who’ve recently lost their father. Their mother, overcome with grief, is ready to give up her beloved Bliss Cove bakery, but the sisters step in to keep it going until she’s in a better frame of mind. In doing so, Aria, Rory and Callie have to navigate their own relationships and shortcomings in order to keep their family intact, and while they’re figuring all of that out, they might just discover their own soul mates along the way.

      Nina Lindsey – ninalindsey.com – @Amazon
      Love Walks In – amzn.to/2nhtKxJ

      I’ve read two of these so far, and I just love them. They have the witty dialogue and small town charm of authors like Jill Shalvis or Susan Mallery, and just like those queens of the genre, Lindsey has managed to create Bliss Cove as a warm, breezy town that comes off as practically a character in its own right.

      Early this week, I caught up with Lindsey, a Wisconsin writer who was born and raised in Northern California, and asked her a few questions, starting with the adorable setting, Bliss Cove. Where did she come up with this dreamy place?

      “One of my favorite places in the world is Monterey, California, and one of my favorite shows, Gilmore Girls, is set in mythical Stars Hollow. So when I was thinking of this series, I kind of had in the back of my mind a merge of these two wonderful places. Like Monterey and Carmel, I think of Bliss Cove as being just south of Santa Cruz geographically, which gives it a California beach setting, but then I gave it the warmth and charm of Stars Hollow. I imagine ivy covered cottages and hangouts where everyone knows each other, but that also feel friendly and welcoming to visitors and tourists. The idea of a fantasy place to live adds dimension to storytelling. This delightful, amiable town can’t help but affect the characters in profound and interesting ways.”

      And the characters? Lindsey considers herself a romance writer, but what she really tries to do is “write books that reflect the journey of people trying to find themselves and their place in the world, and being comfortable with who they are. I also find romance appealing, and the idea of discovering the right partner at the right time for all the right reasons is sometimes its own journey of self-discovery.” 

      For Lindsey, exploring that type of arc in a place like Bliss Cove is even more fascinating. “Home, family, sisters, romance and love in all its huge, messy forms. An idyllic beach town where everyone wishes they could live. And even, a little, the idea of fate. The first three books in the series, which deal with the Prescott sisters, have really allowed me to dig into all of these things. It’s been both fun and challenging, in ways that remind me what’s important and why I enjoy doing what I do.”

      The books are in no way autobiographical, but Lindsey is very aware of how big a hole the loss of a parent can leave. She lost her own mother in 2005, the same year she became a mother herself. “These two things are so huge and pivotal. They changed everything. And to have them happen so close to one another was heart-breaking. Yet on the other hand, the reality of it also made me very aware that nothing is more important than family So the loss of my mother, and my awareness of that loss have made me a better mother to my own kids.”

      Lindsey does not have a sister. (She has an older brother. “We get along fine. No drama.”) But she decided to dive into dramatic sister dynamics with the Prescotts because she had very clear ideas of who each of them were, and she could see pretty clearly they might have issues, which would probably be exacerbated once their father died. 

      The first book, LOVE WALKS IN (find it at Amazon) revolves around Aria, the youngest sister:

      Bus ticket to hometown of Bliss Cove – $124.50

      Purchase of old building and business license – $35,250

      Thirteen orphaned cats – free

      Finally proving to her family that she can be successful – priceless

      Shaking off her past mistakes and fickle reputation, Aria Prescott is determined to start a new life with her latest venture, the “Meow and Then Cat Café.” Though the café is in the town’s most rundown neighborhood, Aria will let nothing stop her from success.

      Then property developer Hunter Armstrong shocks the Mariposa Street shop owners with a buyout offer that threatens to destroy the old district. Aria refuses to let the ruthless businessman intimidate her into selling her beloved café, even if Hunter’s dark, glowering sexiness secretly makes her want to purr.

      Aria and Hunter are soon locked in a fiery, tense war over the fate of Mariposa Street. But when Hunter starts falling for this sexy town sweetheart, he discovers that winning the battle might mean losing his heart.

      Get WE FOUND LOVE when you sign up for NL’s newsletter!

      I hope you’ll check out this delightful series. I was sold by that copy above, but then I fell in love with the covers. Aren’t they gorgeous? The next two books will release in October (AND I LOVE HER – Callie’s story), and November (LOVE ME TENDER – Rory’s story).

      You can follow Nina Lindsey at her website – ninalindsey.com – where you can also sign up for her newsletter and nab a free book from the series, WE FOUND LOVE (which I love!)

      Enjoy! #HappyReading!

      Filed Under: Bobbi's Book Notes Tagged With: #BobbisBookNotes, #greatbooks, Nina Lindsey

      New Beginnings, Great Reads – Bobbi’s Book Notes

      October 3, 2019 Leave a Comment

      Hi friends!

      I’ve been really busy over the past couple of months, but in the midst of it all I’v been reading and listening as usual. Since I’m no longer doing the Kirkus blog I’ve been doing for a few years, I thought I’d start posting the same kind of pieces on my own space.

      I thought I’d share a few titles I really loved this summer. Two by favorite authors, and one new find too!

      Things You Save In A Fire by Katherine Center

      Firefighter Cassie Hanwell was abandoned by her mother on her sixteenth birthday, the same day that another pivotal event in her life leaves her emotionally isolated in a way that winds up working well for her as a female firefighter, where the ability to compartmentalize serves her well. When her mother, who lives in Boston, asks her to come help her while she heals from surgery, she at first says no, but re-evaluates after an unexpected event makes her eager to leave Houston. Finding a job near her mother isn’t hard, but the station is hostile to female fire fighters and the newest recruit is slightly distracting. Center builds up Cassie’s past and present in a way that hints at tragedy and attraction, while slowly showing Cassie’s hard edges softening. Center is a beautiful writer who weaves stories of reinvention with grace, humor and insight. Her 2018 title, How To Walk Away, took her to another level as an author, and this one is a great follow-up.

      Katherine Center @Amazon
      How To Walk Away  –  amzn.to/2vRa6Ky
      Things You Save In A Fire – amzn.to/2InjDPK

      Never Have I Ever by Joshilyn Jackson

      Jackson is one of my favorite authors, and this title is a huge shift for her. Some of her previous work had suspense elements, but this one is the closest she’s ever come to an actual thriller. One element of her writing that makes Jackson so great is her ability to build tension slowly and in a way that hinges almost more on the characters than on the plot. Never Have I Ever takes this skill to a new level, and the interactions between Roux and Amy are so decidedly clever and taut that it’s almost like watching a master class in cat and mouse games. I’ll read anything from Joshilyn Jackson, and even though I’m not a huge fan of the domestic thriller fad, Jackson drew me in immediately and didn’t let go until the very last page wrapped it all together in an immensely satisfying package, even while transcending the genre with her own humor, wisdom and brilliant writing. If you have never read her before, I recommend every one of her novels. This one is very different, but as good as any other place to start.

      Joshilyn Jackson – @Amazon
      Never Have I Ever  –  amzn.to/2KV6EF6

      The Last Wolf by Maria Vale

      This series has received so much buzz and such great reviews that, despite being a capricious paranormal —especially shapeshifter paranormal—fan, I finally committed to reading (or listening to) it. What makes the book (and I expect, the series) so exceptional is that Vale not only gets to the heart of the characters and sets up their conflicts extraordinarily well, but also that the characters are also wolves, and in the case of the wolf Silver, she is experiencing the world more as wolf than human. So when she ties her future to Tiberius, who considers himself more human than wolf, she has to figure out how to navigate more easily in the human world, which feels quite alien to her. So let me add my voice to the chorus of fans of this smart, fascinating series, and tell you that if you haven’t read it yet, you really ought to give it a peek.

      Maria Vale – @Amazon
      The Last Wolf – amzn.to/359Q4uw

      So what about you? What are you reading now, or what great books did you discover this summer?

      Filed Under: Bobbi's Book Notes Tagged With: #awesomeauthors, #BobbisBookNotes, #greatbooks

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