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A Laird for the Governess, by Catherine Tinley

A Laird for the Governess book cover

 

Lydia Farnham is an orphan, relying on employment as a governess. But her good looks threaten her reputation as men continually hound her. She accepts a position on a remote Scottish island but there is an instant attraction between her and her employer Alasdair. Is this another role doomed to failure…?
A Laird for the Governess is an historical romance novel from Harlequin Mills and Boon. I should tell you that I spent my teenage years devouring Mills and Boon books, Barbara Cartland and Georgette Heyer novels. This book has reignited my passion for the genre!
Lydia is beautiful but it is a hindrance and even a danger. Her livelihood and reputation have been threatened many times in the past but now she has a chance to restrict the danger of the male population as it is a very small island she moves to. But the real threat is her employer himself, Alasdair who is struggling with his own romantic history and utterly devoted to his disabled daughter.
Both Lydia and Alasdair deny their true feelings. The tension they both feel is vividly described and the anticipation of when they will realise the extent of their feelings for each other makes this an entertaining read.
I loved the Scottish history and heritage which Alasdair is fiercely proud and protective of. The characters and language come to life as do the social conventions and class distinctions of the era. Lydia is so much more than a pretty face: she is clever and thoughtful but also resilient and resourceful by necessity. Attitudes towards women in the Georgian period are commented directly upon over the course of the book.
A Laird for the Governess is a swoon-inducing historical romance and I loved it!

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A Laird for the Governess
A penniless governess
And the dour Laird of Ardmore
Lydia Farnham must travel to a remote Scottish island to work for widower Alasdair MacDonald, who doesn’t trust her or her unconventional teaching methods! Yet as his daughter flourishes, so, too, does the intense connection between Lydia and Alasdair. Only she should know better than to fall for the handsome laird when it could leave her without a job, or a home…
Purchase Link – https://books2read.com/lairdgoverness

 

Author Bio –
Catherine Tinley is an award winning author of historical romance. She writes witty, heartwarming Regency love stories for Harlequin Mills & Boon. Her first book, Waltzing with the Earl, won the Rita Award for Best Historical Romance 2018, while Rags-to-Riches Wife won the RoNA Award for Best Historical Romance 2021 as well as the 2021 HOLT Medallion for Best Historical Romance.
She has loved reading and writing since childhood, and has a particular fondness for love, romance, and happy endings. After a career encompassing speech & language therapy, Sure Start, maternity campaigning and being President of a charity, she now manages a maternity hospital. She lives in Ireland with her husband, children, cats, and dog and can be reached at catherinetinley.com, on facebook, twitter, and instagram.
 
Social Media Links – https://linktr.ee/CTinley

 

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Giveaway to Win Two signed copies of A Laird for the Governess (1 x UK/Ireland Winner, 1 INT Winner)
*Terms and Conditions –Worldwide entries welcome.  Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below.  The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s Random Resources reserves the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over.  Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data.  I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.
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The Child I Never Had, by Kate Hewitt

 

The Child I Never Had book cover

Daisy had an open adoption, with her birth mother Mia having regular contact which has slowly dwindled over the years. Now she wants to escape New York and is keeping secrets from her adopted mother Suzanne so travels to Mia unexpectedly…
The Child I Never Had is an emotional book about secrets and change, modern life and adoption.
Suzanne is struggling to raise her adopted teenage daughter. Mia has a settled life, occasionally dropping in to see Mia when it suits her. But now Daisy needs Mia and embarks on a journey to stay with her. The emotions in this book are plainly evident. Suzanne is also dealing with her mother’s dementia which adds another layer of emotional turmoil.
The women are written in a realistic way and their choices and viewpoints are described in a very human way. Daisy is a typical teenager, headstrong and vulnerable. She desperately wants the love of Mia but doesn’t appreciate Suzanne. Suzanne is terrified of losing her daughter while Mia is worried about the effect on her picture perfect life with her new family.
The majority of the book is written in the present day with every third chapter showing the past. A variety of perspectives is included so we understand how all of the three main characters are feeling throughout the plot developments.There are mysteries in the book as we wait to discover why Daisy needs to get away, and why Mia decided to have Daisy adopted and who the father is.
The Child I Never Had will pull at the heartstrings and is thought provoking about open adoptions and the psychological impact on all involved.
I have previously reviewed Beyond The Olive Grove, The Edelweiss SistersThe Girl From BerlinWhen You Were MineInto The Darkest DayNo Time To Say GoodbyeNot My DaughterThe Secrets We Keep by Kate Hewitt.

 

 

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Book Description:
If you had to make an impossible choice to save your long-lost daughter, you would… wouldn’t you?
It’s a warm early summer’s evening when Mia’s doorbell rings. She opens the door to see a teenage girl standing in the shadow beyond the porch light—and in an instant she knows who it is. Daisy, the daughter she gave up as a baby. Daisy steps forward, as she says tearfully “I’m sorry I didn’t call first. But something happened. And I really needed… you.”
Seventeen years before, knowing she couldn’t possibly give her beautiful little girl Daisy the future she deserved, Mia made the hardest decision of her life—to give her up. And Suzanne seemed the perfect adoptive mother: calm, stable, and full of love for the daughter she’d always dreamed of having.
The two mothers promised to keep communication open, so Daisy could have Mia’s love and support along with Suzanne’s. But as the years passed, Mia moved away, and their visits happened less. Now Daisy is almost a stranger to Mia—angry, closed and broken—nothing like the tiny girl she once couldn’t bear to say goodbye to.
But now Daisy has arrived on Mia’s doorstep, and she says she has a terrible secret. One she can never tell Suzanne. And she believes the only person who can help her is Mia. Her birth mother.
Mia, however, has secrets of her own. Ones she is afraid to let Daisy or anyone else know. And while Suzanne desperately seeks a way to bring her child home, can Mia overcome her past to help the girl they both call their daughter in her darkest hour before it’s too late?
Totally gripping emotional women’s fiction from the author guaranteed to make readers cry. Kate Hewitt’s story will grab you by the heartstrings and never let you go. Perfect for fans of Jodi Picoult, Diane Chamberlain and Jojo Moyes.

author Kate Hewitt

Author Bio:
Kate Hewitt is the author of many romance and women’s fiction novels. A former New Yorker and now an American ex-pat, she lives in a small town on the Welsh border with her husband, five children, and their overly affectionate Golden Retriever. Whatever the genre, she enjoys telling stories that tackle real issues and touch people’s lives.
https://www.kate-hewitt.com/
https://www.facebook.com/KateHewittAuthor/
https://twitter.com/author_kate
Buy Links:
Amazon: https://geni.us/B09LRCLZK3social
Apple: http://ow.ly/ptol50HLy7A Kobo: http://ow.ly/F6aB50HLy7y Google: http://ow.ly/jziE50HLy7z
Audio Links:
UK: zpr.io/SdNs8N3SNW2Q
US: zpr.io/DS29Hk57LzVP
Listen to a sample here:
https://soundcloud.com/bookouture/the-child-i-never-had-by-kate-hewitt-narrated-by-kate-handford

Black Orchid Girls, by Carolyn Arnold

 

Black Orchid Girls book cover

A teenager is killed by the lake, carefully posed nude with a black orchid. Detective Amanda Steele finds a possible link with an old case but can she catch the killer before he strikes again…?
Black Orchid Girls is the fourth book in the Amanda Steele series and I have previously reviewed the other books in the series: The Little Grave, Stolen Daughters, and The Silent Witness.
Amanda’s personal life does follow on from the previous books and she is in the process of adopting a child who was in danger in the last book. There are also other family elements which relate to previous events. However, I think there is enough information to understand the personal background of our detective.
The plot itself is emotive as a young woman is killed. She was passionate about the environment and frequented the park to study nature but in which she eventually died. The description of the murder in the opening chapter is vivid and shocking, a real attention grab!
Amanda takes her time eliminating suspects before the connection with the old case is made. We follow the investigation as it unfolds and suspects are interviewed. The level of mystery is maintained throughout with a big twist at the end.
Black Orchid Girls is an entertaining detective thriller and I enjoyed meeting the main character Amanda again.
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MEDIA PACK
Book: Black Orchid Girls
Author: Carolyn Arnold 
Pub Day: Feb 10th 2022
Buy Links: 
Amazon:  https://geni.us/B09HMWKZ6Lsocial
Apple: http://ow.ly/LKrv50Gpp3m
Kobo: http://ow.ly/zeN450Gpp0u
Google: http://ow.ly/AZR950Gpp5d
About the Book: 
The first rays of sun filter through the tall trees, casting a faint light on the girl lying at the water’s edge. Her tears have frozen on her pale face, a black orchid rests against her cold white skin.

When hikers find the body of a beautiful young girl on the banks of the Potomac River, Detective Amanda Steele is shaken and confused. What is the significance of the delicate flower resting on the girl’s torso? A sign of affection, or a twisted killer’s calling card?

The girl is Chloe Somner, a local nineteen-year-old ecology student well-known to the park rangers and loved by all her classmates. Searching Chloe’s home, Amanda can’t work out who could have tempted her to the water in the early hours of the morning, but a long night hunting through cold cases gives her a possible lead: twenty years ago another local girl was murdered, a red rose left on her body. But why would this killer strike again now?

Focused on the past, the last thing Amanda expects is the news that Chloe’s roommate has been found dead, another black orchid left. Terrified that more innocent victims will follow, can Amanda uncover the significance of the flowers and stop this cold-hearted killer before he returns for the next orchid girl…?

A totally compulsive crime thriller! Perfect for fans of Angela Marsons, Robert Dugoni and Rachel Caine.
author Carolyn Arnold
Author Bio
Carolyn Arnold was born in a small Canadian town and enjoys spending time outdoors, but she also loves the lights of a big city. Grounded by her roots and lifted by her dreams, her overactive imagination insists that she tell her stories. Her intention is to touch the hearts of millions with her books, to entertain, inspire, and empower. As an international bestselling and award-winning author, she has several continuing fiction series, including her popular Detective Madison Knight series. She offers readers nearly three dozen published books in genres ranging from crime thrillers and hard-boiled mysteries to cozy mysteries and action adventures. She currently lives north of London, Ontario, with her husband and two beagles.
Social Media
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/AuthorCarolynArnold/
Twitter:  https://twitter.com/Carolyn_Arnold
Website: https://carolynarnold.net/
Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/authorcarolynarnold/

Her Betrayal, by Emma Tallon

Her Betrayal book cover

Scarlet Drew and her family have just committed a daring heist but then paid the consequences. Her cousin Ruby is in a coma and their family business in a burned out shell. But Scarlet’s past comes back to haunt her when new evidence is found linking her to a murder and her own boyfriend is investigating…
Her Betrayal follows on directly from the previous book in the series: Her Rival. There is enough detail about events in the last book to catch up quickly (but I would recommend reading the first two books as they were great!) I have also reviewed Her Revenge, Fearless Girl and Ruthless Girl by Emma Tallon.
Danger for the Drew family is epic in this book. Their rival Grace has shown them they are vulnerable and now Scarlet faces prison in a separate plot twist. I was completely gripped by both the plot and character developments, and the action is fast and furious throughout. The drama is wonderfully gritty and the violence is intense when it occurs.
Scarlet is still the new girl on the block and it is her aunt Lily who steals every scene in my opinion. Once more, Lily’s vulnerability, especially relating to her daughter Ruby, makes her a more realistic and likeable character. She strikes a deal with her rival but I totally mistrusted her motives and enjoyed seeing how events played out.
Her Betrayal is a fast paced and gripping gang thriller and I can’t wait for the next book in the series.
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MEDIA PACK
Book: Her Betrayal
Author: Emma Tallon
Pub Day: Feb 15th 2022
Buy Link: https://geni.us/B09M3VRQGPsocial
About the Book: 
If you love reading Martina Cole and Kimberley Chambers you will be totally gripped by this gritty, gangland crime thriller. Once you meet fearless and strong Scarlet Drew, you won’t be able to stop reading.
Head of the family crime business, and with a new guy in her life, things have never been better for Scarlet Drew. Working with her aunt Lily on their biggest ever job – revenge on the woman who set fire to their factory, with Lily’s daughter trapped inside – Scarlet is suddenly dragged into the local police station to answer questions about the death of a local gangster. The face she sees across the interview table shocks her to her core. It’s her new boyfriend, John.
Hours later, John is banging on Scarlet’s door, telling her he loves her and she can trust him. Can Scarlet risk believing the only man she’s ever loved, or is she putting her family in unthinkable danger?
As the night of Lily’s plan draws near, the police come knocking once again. This time with evidence that could see Scarlet locked-up for good. Can they still pull off their biggest job yet, or has Scarlet made a fatal mistake and let John get one step ahead of them?
A completely unputdownable crime thriller that will keep you up all night!

Author Bio
Emma Tallon is a British author of gripping, gritty, organised-crime thrillers and mother of two.
Having started her writing career as a freelance ghostwriter, Emma finished her first novel, Runaway Girl, in 2016, and became an author full time. Since then she has written several other novels for her publisher and has carved out a successful career for herself from her home in Milton Keynes, where she can usually be found typing away in her office surrounded by large stacks of books and Post-it Notes full of ideas for future stories.
Social Media
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/emmatallonofficial/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/emmaesj
Website: http://emmatallon.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/my.author.life/

The Dating Game, by Susan Buchanan

The Dating Game book cover

Gill is a highly successful recruitment consultant but her love life is non existent. She decides to join an exclusive dating agency but will she finally find love…?
The Dating Game is a romantic novel about finding a work life balance in order to find love.
Gill is a great lead character with a smashing group of friends. She has put her career first after a disasterous early relationship but now sees her friends settled down and wants the security and companionship of a partner. However, the path to true love doesn’t run smoothly and she has her fair share of dating disasters or romance not working out how she expected.
I loved her situation with needing a dating agency and, as I met my husband through an internet dating website, I could completely understand her circumstances. I recognised the descriptions of the anticipation and nerves associated with contacting and meeting with potential dates.
The setting in Scotland was brought to life by the descriptions but the food vividly features as well. I liked the female friendship which remains strong over the course of the book. Gill is an empowered woman, successful in business but it has been at the expense of her love life which has created a vulnerability. The writing makes the characters easy to identify with and like as individuals.
The Dating Game is a light hearted book about finding love in the modern world.

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The Dating Game
Work, work, work. That’s all recruitment consultant Gill does. Her friends fix her up with numerous blind dates, none suitable, until one day Gill decides enough is enough. Seeing an ad on a bus billboard for Happy Ever After dating agency ‘for the busy professional’, on impulse she signs up. Soon she has problems juggling her social life as well as her work diary.
Before long she’s experiencing laughs, lust and … could it be love? But just when things are looking up for Gill, an unexpected reunion forces her to make an impossible choice.
Will she get her happy ever after, or is she destined to be married to her job forever?
Purchase Link – https://books2read.com/u/4EKvVe

Author Bio – Susan Buchanan lives in Scotland with her husband, their two young children and a crazy Labrador called Benji. She has been reading since the age of four and had to get an adult library pass early as she had read the entire children’s section by the age of ten.
Susan writes contemporary fiction, often set in Scotland, usually featuring travel, food or Christmas. When not working, writing, or caring for her two delightful cherubs, Susan loves reading (obviously), the theatre, quiz shows and eating out – not necessarily in that order!
 
Social Media Links – Twitter – https://twitter.com/Susan_Buchanan
Facebook – www.facebook.com/susan.buchanan.author
Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/AuthorSusanBuchanan/

Giveaway to Win Paperback copies of Just One Day – Winter and The Dating Game (UK Only)
*Terms and Conditions –UK entries welcome.  Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below.  The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s Random Resources reserves the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over.  Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data.  I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.
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