Always With a Book

k2reader January 26, 2015

Review & Giveaway: Unbecoming by Rebecca Scherm (GIVEAWAY CLOSED)

Title: Unbecoming Author: Rebecca Scherm Published: January 2015, Viking Adult Format: Hardcover, 320 pages Source: Publicist A major debut novel of psychological suspense about a daring art heist, a cat-and-mouse waiting game, and a small-town girl’s mesmerizing transformation On the grubby outskirts of Paris, Grace restores bric-a-brac, mends teapots, re-sets gems. She calls herself Julie, says she’s from California, and slips back to a…

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k2reader January 25, 2015

The Sunday Post #56 (1.25.15)

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news. A post to recap the past week, showcase books and things we have received and share news about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead. I’m also going to link this up with Sheila’s It’s Monday post over at Book Journey. Well, winter has finally made it’s appearance around…

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k2reader January 24, 2015

#FitReaders: Weekly Check-in January 23

#FitReaders is hosted by Geeky Bloggers Book Blog and That’s What I’m Talking About So, while the week didn’t start off too great, it sure did end great. I realized that I have only 7 weeks until my 1/2 marathon…EEK!!! Yes, I’ve been walking all along, but I haven’t really done any distance walks and I desperately needed to get a new pairs of kicks! I did my first…

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k2reader January 22, 2015

Review: Perdita by Hilary Scharper

Title: Perdita Author: Hilary Scharper Published: January 2015, Sourcebooks Landmark Format: ARC E-book, 448 pages Source: Netgalley In this haunting tale of past and present, Garth uncovers the secret to longevity, and the mystical power of love On assignment to interview the oldest people on the planet, historian Garth Hellyer meets Marged Brice, a spirited woman who claims to be 134 years old.…

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k2reader January 20, 2015

Book Spotlight, Guest Post, & Excerpt: Perdita by Hilary Scharper (with Giveaway!!!)

Perdita By Hilary Scharper Sourcebooks Landmark January 20, 2015 $16.99 Trade Paperback “Stunning… richly complex and unpredictable.” —Historical Novel Review Marged Brice is 134 years old. She’d be ready to go, if it weren’t for Perdita . . . The Georgian Bay lighthouse’s single eye keeps watch over storm and calm, and Marged grew up in its shadow, learning the language of the wind and the trees. There’s blustery beauty…

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k2reader January 17, 2015

#FitReaders: Weekly Check-in January 16

#FitReaders is hosted by Geeky Bloggers Book Blog and That’s What I’m Talking About Another week that didn’t quite go as planned. I started off pretty good. I was babysitting my 2 month old niece over the weekend, so I did pretty well with my steps as she likes to be held and walked around. Then the first half of the week was fine, and I managed to reach…

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k2reader January 14, 2015

Review: The Dress Shop of Dreams by Menna van Praag (audio)

Title: The Dress Shop of Dreams Author: Menna van Praag Narrator: Jennifer Carr Published: Recorded Books Length: 9 hours, 10 minutes Source: Personal copy via Audible For fans of Alice Hoffman, Sarah Addison Allen, and Adriana Trigiani, The Dress Shop of Dreams is a captivating novel of enduring hopes, second chances, and the life-changing magic of true love. Since her parents’ mysterious deaths…

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k2reader January 13, 2015

Review: The Midnight Rose by Lucinda Riley (audio)

Title: The Midnight Rose Author: Lucinda Riley Narrator: Anjana Srinivasan Published: January 2014, Whole Story Audiobooks Length: 16 hours, 48 minutes Source: Personal copy via Audible Spanning four generations, The Midnight Rose sweeps from the glittering palaces of the great maharajas of India to the majestic stately homes of England, following the extraordinary life of a remarkable girl, Anahita Chaval, from 1911 to the…

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k2reader January 12, 2015

The Sunday Post #55 (1.11.15) – a day late!

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news. A post to recap the past week, showcase books and things we have received and share news about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead. I’m also going to link this up with Sheila’s It’s Monday post over at Book Journey. I’m posting this a day late because I…

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k2reader January 9, 2015

#FitReaders: Weekly Check-in January 9

#FitReaders is hosted by Geeky Bloggers Book Blog and That’s What I’m Talking About This week didn’t start off too well as I was sick. I ended up with a nasty cold. I took a few days off and then, since the weather was so cold, decided to just take it easy and stay indoors all week. I really don’t want to be sick all winter, so I figured…

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k2reader January 7, 2015

Book Spotlights: The She Reads ‘Books of Winter’ Selections

On Monday, the gals at She Reads announced the four ‘Books of Winter’ selections. I’m very excited about these picks – 2 I’ve already read/listened to, I’m currently listening to the third and will be picking up the fourth one very shortly. Be sure to visit the She Reads website – they have a great giveaway going on. Five lucky readers will win all four novels!!! (Giveaway is open until…

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k2reader January 6, 2015

Review: House Broken by Sonja Yoerg

Title: House Broken Author: Sonja Yoerg Published: January 2015, NAL Trade Format: ARC E-copy, 336 pages Source: Netgalley via Author In this compelling and poignant debut novel, a woman skilled at caring for animals must learn to mend the broken relationships in her family.… For veterinarian Geneva Novak, animals can be easier to understand than people. They’re also easier to forgive. But when her mother, Helen, is…

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k2reader January 5, 2015

Review: Vanished by Elizabeth Heiter

Title: Vanished Author: Elizabeth Heiter Series: The Profiler, #2 Published: December 2014, MIRA Format: ARC Paperback, 400 pages Source: Author Sometimes the past can haunt you… Eighteen years ago, FBI profiler Evelyn Baine s best friend, Cassie Byers, disappeared, the third in a series of unsolved abductions. Only a macabre nursery rhyme was left at the scene, a nursery rhyme that claimed…

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k2reader January 4, 2015

The Sunday Post #54 (1.4.15)

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news. A post to recap the past week, showcase books and things we have received and share news about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead. I’m also going to link this up with Sheila’s It’s Monday post over at Book Journey. I love the excitement a new year brings…

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k2reader January 3, 2015

#FitReaders: Weekly Check-in January 2

#FitReaders is hosted by Geeky Bloggers Book Blog and That’s What I’m Talking About This is the first check-in for the new year and I am going to use this post to discuss my goals for the year. This is the second year I am participating in this group (formerly called #BookBlogWalkers) and I am so excited to see that the group is not only back, but even more…

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k2reader January 1, 2015

2015 Mount TBR Reading Challenge

The 2015 Mount TBR Reading Challenge is hosted by My Reader’s Block, and it goes from January 1, 2015 through December 31, 2015. I participated in this challenge last year, but didn’t come close to making my goal. I’m hoping to be successful this time around as at last count, I have over 200 books on my shelves that I have not read yet. I’m joining at the Mount…

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k2reader January 1, 2015

2015 Netgalley Reading Challenge

The 2015 Netgalley Reading Challenge is hosted by Ariel Avalon, and it goes from January 1, 2015 through December 31, 2015. This goal of this challenge is to not only read all those books we’ve requested from Netgalley but to then review them so as to get our feedback ratio up to the recommended 80%. I’m joining at the Hard level, which means I need to read and review…

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k2reader January 1, 2015

2015 First Reads Reading Challenge

The 2015 First Reads Reading Challenge is hosted by b00k r3vi3ws, and it goes from January 1, 2015 through December 31, 2015. The goal of this reading challenge is to read new-to-you authors. I’m joining at the Lover level, which means that I need to read at least 26 books from new-to-me authors. I’ll keep track of them here. I’ll also link my reviews to the list. ***As of 6/30/15,…

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k2reader January 1, 2015

2015 E-Book Reading Challenge

The 2015 E-Book Challenge is hosted by Annette’s Book Spot and it goes from January 1, 2015 through December 31, 2015. I’ve done this challenge for the past couple years and love seeing just how much I end up reading on the iPad at the end of the year. I’m joining at the Megabytes level, which means I need to read at least 25 e-books in 2015. I’ll keep track…

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k2reader January 1, 2015

2015 Audiobook Challenge

The 2015 Audio Book Challenge is hosted by The Book Nympho & Hot Listens, and it goes from January 1, 2015 through December 31, 2015. I love listening to audio books and have been doing this challenge for the past few years. I’m joining at the Marathoner level, which means I need to listen to 50+ audio books in 2015. I’ll keep track of them here. ***As of 9/30/15,…

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k2reader January 1, 2015

2015 Library Challenges (2 different ones!)

There were 2 Library Challenges that I was torn between signing up for so I decided I would sign up and participate in both!!! The first one, Readers to the Rescue Library Challenge, is being hosted by Sheila over at Book Journey. Not only is she encouraging us to use our library, but she also wants us to get to know our library. What does your library offer besides books.…

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k2reader January 1, 2015

2015 You Read How Many Books? Reading Challenge

The 2015 You Read How Many Books? Reading Challenge is hosted by Book Dragon’s Lair, and it goes from January 1, 2015 through December 31, 2015. This is a reading challenge where we are challenged to read, read, read!!! I am going to join this challenge at Level 2, where I hope to read 150 books. The Violets of March by Sarah Jio House Broken by Sonja Yoerg (e-book)…

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k2reader January 1, 2015

2015 Goals for Reading/Blogging/Fitness

I have done this the last 2 years, and it helped me set myself up for the upcoming year. I think this will be a fixed feature on January 1 of each year I blog. One of my resolutions for 2015 is to be more organized – in life and in blogging. I need to get back to using my blogger planner. While this was one of my main goals…

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k2reader January 1, 2015

First Book of the Year 2015

Each year, Sheila over at Book Journey makes a big deal over what the first book she’ll read will be for the new year and once again she’s asked us to join her. For my first book of the year, I decided to go with a book I’ve been wanting to read for a while – and one that’s been sitting on my shelf for some time as well. I’m…

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k2reader January 1, 2015

Year in Review: 2014

2014 has been another great year and it’s hard to believe that 2015 starts tomorrow! Some of the highlights of this year include: Attending BEA 2014 – what a great experience!!! Lots of great books, meeting other bloggers in person, networking with publishers/publicists, meeting authors and attending some of the parties! So much fun and I am definitely going again in 2015! I walked my first 1/2 marathon in…

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k2reader December 31, 2014

Month in Review: December 2014

Here are my reading stats for December! Books read: 11 Books I read: The Perfect Witness — Iris Johansen (audio book) Leaving Time — Jodi Picoult Hunted — Elizabeth Heiter Some Kind of Wonderful — Beth Ciotta (e-book) The Midnight Rose — Lucinda Riley (audio book) The Lodge on Holly Road — Sheila Roberts (e-book) Bare Bones –Kathy Reichs (audio book) Butternut Lake: Night Before Christmas — Mary McNear (e-book)…

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k2reader December 30, 2014

Review & Giveaway: The Life Intended by Kristin Harmel (GIVEAWAY CLOSED)

Title: The Life Intended Author: Kristin Harmel Published: December 2014, Gallery Books Format: ARC E-book, 368 pages Source: Netgalley via Publicist From the author of the international bestseller The Sweetness of Forgetting, named one of the Best Books of Summer 2012 by Marie Claire magazine, comes a captivating novel about the struggle to overcome the past when our memories refuse to be…

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k2reader December 30, 2014

Review: Butternut Lake: The Night Before Christmas by Mary McNear

Title: Butternut Lake: The Night Before Christmas Author: Mary McNear Series: The Butternut Lake Trilogy, #2.5 Published: December 2014, William Morrow Impulse Format: E-book, 112 pages Source: Publicist Butternut Lake is so beautiful at Christmas—from the delightfully decorated shops, to the cozy homes with their twinkling lights outside, to the lake itself. And this year so much is happening! A wedding: Caroline meticulously…

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k2reader December 29, 2014

Review: The Cinderella Murder by Mary Higgins Clark & Alafair Burke (audio)

Title: The Cinderella Murder Author: Mary Higgins Clark & Alafair Burke Series: Under Suspicion, #1 Narrator: Jan Maxwell Published: November 2014, Simon & Schuster Audio Length: 8 hours 40 minutes Source: Personal copy via Audible Television producer Laurie Moran is delighted when the pilot for her reality drama, Under Suspicion, is a success. Even more, the program – a cold case series that…

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k2reader December 29, 2014

Review: Some Kind of Wonderful by Beth Ciotta

Title: Some Kind of Wonderful Author: Beth Ciotta Series: Cupcake Lovers, #3.5 Published: October 2013, St. Martin’s Paperbacks Format: ARC E-book, 83 pages Source: Netgalley Have yourself a scrumptious, small-town Christmas with this special Cupcake Lovers holiday novella, Some Kind of Wonderful! Growing up in Sugar Creek, Maya Templeton and Zachary Cole were best friends. After high school, each went out…

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k2reader December 28, 2014

The Sunday Post #53 (12.28.14)

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news. A post to recap the past week, showcase books and things we have received and share news about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead. I’m also going to link this up with Sheila’s It’s Monday post over at Book Journey. What a wonderful holiday we had – it’s…

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k2reader December 28, 2014

Book Blog Walkers: Weekly Check-in December 26

#BookBlogWalkers is hosted by Felicia @ The Geeky Bloggers Book Blog This is the last weekly check-in for 2014. It was a challenging week trying to get everything set for the holidays – we traveled down to Long Island to my in-laws Wednesday -Friday and then hosted some of my family here on Saturday – four siblings and their families, my dad plus my husband and I ended up with 19…

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k2reader December 24, 2014

Review: The Lodge on Holly Road by Sheila Roberts

Title: The Lodge on Holly Road Author: Sheila Roberts Series: Life in Icicle Falls, #6 Published: October 2014, Harlequin MIRA Format: ARC e-copy, 364 pages Source: Netalley How Santa Gets His Christmas Spirit Back… James Claussen has played Santa for years, but now that he’s a widower, he’s lost interest—in everything. So his daughter, Brooke, kidnaps him from the mall (in his Santa…

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k2reader December 23, 2014

Review: Hunted by Elizabeth Heiter

Title: Hunted Author: Elizabeth Heiter Series: The Profiler, #1 Published: December 2013, Harlequin MIRA Format: Paperback, 368 pages Source: Library Terror stalks a small Virginia town. FBI rising star, criminal profiler Evelyn Baine, knows how to think like a serial killer. But she’s never chased anyone like the Bakersville Burier, who hunts young women and displays them, half-buried, deep in the woods.…

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k2reader December 22, 2014

Review: One of Us by Tawni O’Dell (audio)

Title: One of Us Author: Tawni O’Dell Narrator: Nick Podehl & Amy McFadden Published: August 2014, Brilliance Audio Length: 9 Hours 52 Minutes Source: Publisher From the New York Times bestselling author of Back Roads comes a fast-paced literary thriller about a forensic psychologist forced to face his own demons after discovering his small hometown terrorized by a serial killer. Dr. Sheridan Doyle—a fastidiously groomed…

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k2reader December 21, 2014

The Sunday Post #52 (12.21.14)

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news. A post to recap the past week, showcase books and things we have received and share news about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead. I’m also going to link this up with Sheila’s It’s Monday post over at Book Journey. It’s hard to believe this week is…

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k2reader December 21, 2014

Book Blog Walkers: Weekly Check-in December 19

#BookBlogWalkers is hosted by Felicia @ The Geeky Bloggers Book Blog Well, this week certainly didn’t go as planned. Work was insanely busy, plus I ended up getting that cold that was brewing last week. Needless to say there wasn’t too much exercising going on here other than the usual dog walks each day. Oh well…at least the dogs get me moving each day!!! Here’s how my week went: Dec…

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k2reader December 19, 2014

Review: The Oleander Sisters by Elaine Hussey (audio)

Title: The Oleander Sisters Author: Elaine Hussey Narrator: Janet Metzger Published: July 2014, Brilliance Audio Length: 10 Hours 22 minutes Source: Publisher An emotionally riveting tale of the bonds of family and the power of hope in the sultry Deep South In 1969, the first footsteps on the moon brighten America with possibilities. But along the Mississippi Gulf Coast, a category five storm is…

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k2reader December 18, 2014

Book Spotlight & Guest Post: House Broken by Sonja Yoerg

Title: House Broken Author: Sonja Yoerg Published: January 2015, NAL Trade In this compelling and poignant debut novel, a woman skilled at caring for animals must learn to mend the broken relationships in her family.… For veterinarian Geneva Novak, animals can be easier to understand than people. They’re also easier to forgive. But when her mother, Helen, is injured in a vodka-fueled accident, it’s up to…

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k2reader December 14, 2014

The Sunday Post #51 (12.14.14)

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news. A post to recap the past week, showcase books and things we have received and share news about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead. I’m also going to link this up with Sheila’s It’s Monday post over at Book Journey. At the beginning of last week, I…

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k2reader December 13, 2014

Book Blog Walkers: Weekly Check-in December 12

#BookBlogWalkers is hosted by Felicia @ The Geeky Bloggers Book Blog All week I’ve been fighting a cold – it never really materialized into anything big, just those annoying sniffles and a scratchy throat. Due to that, I kept things low key – I really don’t want to be sick over the holidays and usually when I get sick, I get really sick. Here’s how my week went: Dec 6: …

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k2reader December 12, 2014

Review: Shopaholic to the Stars by Sophie Kinsella (audio)

Title: Shopaholic to the Stars Author: Sophie Kinsella Series: Shophaholic, #7 Narrator: Clare Corbett Published: October 2014, Random House Audio Length: 12 hours 37 minutes Source: Personal copy via Audible Becky Brandon (née Bloomwood) has stars in her eyes. She and her daughter, Minnie, have joined husband Luke in LA—city of herbal smoothies, multimillion-dollar yoga retreats, and the lure of celebrity. Luke is…

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k2reader December 11, 2014

Short & Sweet Review: Alex Cross, Run by James Patterson

Title: Alex Cross, Run Author: James Patterson Series: Alex Cross, #20 Published: February 2013, Little, Brown & Company Format: Hardcover, 407 pages Source: Personal copy Detective Alex Cross arrests renowned plastic surgeon Elijah Creem for sleeping with teenage girls. Now, his life ruined, Creem is out of jail, and he’s made sure that no one will recognize him–by giving himself a new…

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k2reader December 10, 2014

Help Suzanne Redfearn Pick the New Title & Cover for her Upcoming Book

Last year, I had the pleasure of reading Suzanne Redfearn’s debut novel, Hush Little Baby, for one of my online book clubs. It was a fantastic read and I have been eagerly awaiting for more from this author. Well, the wait is almost over. But first, Suzanne needs our help… Do you enjoy novels by Jodi Picoult, Liane Moriarty, JoJo Moyes, or Anita Shreve? Then you are the perfect reader…

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k2reader December 9, 2014

Review: Ruin Falls by Jenny Milchman

Title: Ruin Falls Author: Jenny Milchman Published: April 2014, Ballantine Books Format: Hardcover, 352 pages Source: Library In a suspenseful follow-up to her critically acclaimed Cover of Snow, Jenny Milchman ratchets up the tension with this edge-of-your-seat story of a mother determined to find her missing children. Liz Daniels has every reason to be happy about setting off on a rare family…

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k2reader December 7, 2014

The Sunday Post #50 (12.7.14)

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news. A post to recap the past week, showcase books and things we have received and share news about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead. I’m also going to link this up with Sheila’s It’s Monday post over at Book Journey. I started to do some holiday decorating…

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k2reader December 6, 2014

Book Blog Walkers: Weekly Check-in December 5

#BookBlogWalkers is hosted by Felicia @ The Geeky Bloggers Book Blog This week was much better than last week. I got my walking in every day and even made it to the gym one day. Now I just need to keep this going…so there isn’t any holiday weight gain!!! Here’s how my week went: Nov 29: restNov 30: rest Dec 1: 70 minutes (on treadmill) Dec 2: 1 hour (indoor…

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k2reader December 6, 2014

Review: Yours for Christmas by Susan Mallery

Title: Yours for Christmas Author: Susan Mallery Series: Fool’s Gold, #15.5 Published: October 2014, Harlequin Format: E-book, 98 pages Source: Personal copy Step out of the winter chill and into the warmth of Fool’s Gold, California, the charming small-town setting for a new holiday novella from New York Times bestselling author Susan Mallery Famous former NFL stars don’t date single working moms…

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k2reader December 5, 2014

Guest Post: Beth Albright (and a giveaway!!! -CLOSED)

Please join me in welcoming Beth Albright to Always With a Book. Beth’s newest book, Christmas in Dixie, part of her In Dixie series, is now out and she’s been busy promoting it. You can read my review of the book here. I just adored her Sassy Belles trilogy – The Sassy Belles, Wedding Belles, & Sleigh Belles – and was quite bummed when I got to the end, but…

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k2reader December 5, 2014

Review: Christmas in Dixie by Beth Albright

Title: Christmas in Dixie Author: Beth Albright Series: In Dixie, #2 Published: November 2014, Beth Albright Format: ARC e-book, 148 pages Source: Author “Christmas gifts aren’t always just a fun surprise. Sometimes they totally take your breath away.” ~ Blake O’Hara Bartholomew From National Bestselling and award winning Author Beth Albright, comes a new, funny, heartwarming southern Christmas tale —told as only…

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