Publication Day Push: Be Our Ghost by Carla Luna

The only thing scarier than ghosts is falling in love. 

Knox McIntyre has mastered the art of avoiding drama, especially the romantic kind. Ever since his screenwriting career went up in flames, the grumpy bartender has kept his past buried and his heart off-limits. But when a paranormal reality show sets its sights on the boutique hotel where he works, he gets roped into the production—and partnered with the one woman who just might unravel him.

Charlotte “Charlie” Fraser is the Duchess Hotel’s sunny front office manager, a hopeless romantic with a weakness for happy endings and broody bartenders. After months of pining for Knox, she’s finally ready to act—even if it means battling her inner scaredy-cat by helping him bring a ghost-hunting show to the hotel this Halloween.

As Knox and Charlie dig into the hotel’s chilling past, they find themselves irresistibly drawn to each other. Every lingering look, near kiss, and shared secret brings them closer to something real. But unless they can summon the courage to face their feelings head-on, their love doesn’t stand a ghost of a chance.

Review

A haunted hotel, a bartender with a secret past, and the living embodiment of sunshine at the front desk: a delicious combination from the pen of Carla Luna! I absolutely devoured this steamy slow burn from start to finish. Yes, I'm a little biased because I spent a year living in Victoria, but the heart of this romance is the characters - specifically, Knox and Charlie.

I loved Knox and Charlie. Yes, they've spent the last few years secretly pining for each other, too chicken to take a chance, but they get better. Lots better. I especially liked how they actually communicated with each other through the ups and downs, and even when they made mistakes and faced conflict, they hashed it out like adults. There was just the perfect balance of external plot conflict (the hotel), external relational conflict (Knox’s past, Charlie’s parents), and internal relational conflict (just kiss already!). The ending was so incredibly satisfying on all fronts. Also, despite not being a focus I couldn't help but notice that all the food was lovingly described throughout the story. 

This is second in the series about the Damsels of the Duchess Hotel and I can't wait to read more about them!

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher via Rachel's Random Resources; all opinions are my own. 

Purchase Links
UBL (Books2Read): https://books2read.com/u/3GZYVL
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FF5BTJWS
B & N Nook Link: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/be-our-ghost-carla-luna/1147708320
Apple: https://books.apple.com/us/book/be-our-ghost/id6747683346

Author Bio
Carla Luna writes contemporary romance with a dollop of humor and a pinch of spice. A former archaeologist, she still dreams of traveling to far-off places and channels that wanderlust into the settings of her stories. Her books have been called “escape reads,” ideal for perusing during a beachside vacation, a long flight, or a relaxing weekend at the lake.  When she’s not writing, she spends her time reading, baking, and taking long walks while listening to pop culture podcasts. Though she has roots in Los Angeles and Vancouver Island, she currently resides in Wisconsin with her family and her feisty Siberian cat.

Social Media Links
Website: https://www.carlalunabooks.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CarlaLunaAuthor
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carlalunacullen/
Threads: https://www.threads.com/@carlalunacullen
Amazon Author Page: https://amzn.to/3temHlw
BookBub Page: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/carla-luna

Blog Tour: A New Hope in the Highlands by Rachel Debreve

Amid betrayal and family secrets, a journey to the Scottish Highlands brings unexpected romance, healing, and a second chance at happiness.

Scarlett flees to the Scottish Highlands on her 35th birthday after discovering her husband's affair. Desperate for a fresh start, she seeks comfort with her estranged mother at the estate of the surly, yet rather attractive bachelor, Edward Cameron-Reid; a reclusive laird devoted to his family’s legacy.

As Scarlett disrupts Edward's solitary life, an inescapable chemistry sparks between them amid the estate’s last-minute preparations for his brother's wedding. However, their growing connection faces turmoil when shocking secrets and hidden motives surface, threatening not only the wedding but their blossoming romance.

Will the drama keep Scarlett and Edward apart? Can they overcome their fears and confront their true feelings for each other? Or will they discover that even after heartbreak, love has the power to offer a second chance?

A dual-narrative, spicy contemporary romance set in the Highlands of Scotland, for fans of Elliot Fletcher and Evie Alexander.

Review  

Poor Scarlett learns her comfortable marriage is already over and flees her husband and his overbearing mother to reconnect with her estranged mother in the middle of nowhere - sorry, the Scottish Highlands. Fortunately, her mum's employer (and now Scarlett's) is rather handsome and Scarlett starts to settle in and heal - until Edward's brother's last minute wedding brings chaos and a whole cast of larger than life characters to their door. Scarlett's satisfying competence (and isn't it wonderful to have a heroine get to do the thing she's good at?) and newfound independence is put to the test. 

Scarlett is vibrantly alive, full of conflict, self doubt, and a quiet ambition. I do need to warn that there is an attempted sexual assault depicted in a flashback. Though it isn't successful, there are no real repercussions, so be aware going in.  

Though the drama is delicious and the spice (once it gets started) is plentiful, the book is carried by the tumultuous relationships - familial, platonic, and romantic. Family is reconciled, and families are divided - and if you want to know more you're going to have to read it! I especially liked that both leads were a little bit older, though Edward's ex and daughter could've played more of a part, rather than his wayward brother and his enigmatic fiancée. Even by the end, you're not sure if everyone has a happy ending but they do all get what they deserve! 

It's a steamy romp through the Scottish Highlands and it's going to make you wish for a laird and a castle of your own! 

Purchase Link
https://www.amazon.co.uk/New-Hope-Highlands-Haddon-Highland-ebook/dp/B0F8W8SPK9
https://www.amazon.com/New-Hope-Highlands-Haddon-Highland-ebook/dp/B0F8W8SPK9 

Author Bio 

Rachel Debrave writes contemporary and fantasy romance with an often twisty, dark sense of humour and a taste for the emotionally charged. Expect quick-fire chemistry, emotional depth, swoon-worthy MMCs, and heroines who don’t just survive – they set the pace.

When she’s not writing in random places, Rachel can be found wandering the Scottish countryside with her dog, Daisy, reading from her ever-growing TBR pile, or playing the piano (rarely very well!) with a touch of dramatic flair.

Website : racheldebrave.com
Insta & Threads: racheldebrave 
Facebook: racheldebraveauthor
Bluesky is: rdbauthor.bsky.social.
Substack is: substack.com/@racheldebraveauthor.com 
 

Blog Tour: The Secret Lives of the Doyenne of Didsbrook by Tessa Barrie

 The remote village of Didsbrook is thrown into turmoil after its best-known resident, the former actress turned best-selling novelist Jocelyn Robertshaw, is found dead under mysterious circumstances. 

Villagers are appalled to learn that the charismatic Jocelyn died from Hemlock poisoning. Police claim she shot and ate a quail that had ingested hemlock. A theory disputed by all who knew her well. The animal-loving Jocelyn would never kill anything, but due to the lack of forensic evidence, police rule death by misadventure. 

Jocelyn’s young protégée, Lucy Fothergill, determined to discover the truth about what happened to her mentor, discovers a hidden stash of Jocelyn’s notebooks, revealing jaw-dropping secrets from Jocelyn’s past. The impression Jocelyn gave the world that she lived a near-perfect life was an Academy Award-winning performance.

Believing the events from Jocelyn’s past may have led to her death forty-eight years later, Lucy begins to piece together the clues that lead to the truth.

The sleepy village of Didsbrook is about to wake up!

Review

Put together a beloved philanthropist, a suspicious death, and a a village full of singular personalities, and what do you get? In this case, a enjoyable romp through a happy little village that has been turned on its head and the winding path to a happy ending.

It hits a lot of the right notes: the police are perfectly infuriating, our heroine is plucky and persistent, and the secrets are bubbling under the surface. While some are more signposted than others, they are more twisted than one would expect and unravel in a most satisfying manner.

As I read, I realised that this does feel more like women's fiction framed by a murder mystery than a true cosy, but if you go in with the right expectations I suspect you will have a good time.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher via Rachel's Random Resources; all opinions are my own. 

Purchase Links
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Secret-Lives-Doyenne-Didsbrook-secrets-ebook/dp/B0F9P9DM57
https://www.amazon.com/Secret-Lives-Doyenne-Didsbrook-secrets-ebook/dp/B0F9P9DM57

Author Bio
Tessa Barrie was born in Harrogate, Yorkshire, and despite her parents uprooting her at the age of three and moving her down south, she is proud of her Yorkshire heritage. 

Growing up, she recalls her family life being more Little House on the Prairie than The Waltons because her early years were fraught with drama. However, intermingled with all the emotional disruption, she remembers humour squeezing its way through the frayed feelings.

So, incorporating humour in her writing has become very important to her as she believes that, however dark a story gets, there should always be a subtle sprinkling of humour.

In June 2021, Tessa self-published her debut novel, Just Say It, a bittersweet family saga, and her second novel, The Secret Lives of the Doyenne of Didsbrook, a quirky murder mystery, is currently on pre-order and is due for release on 1st July 2025. Her third novel, The Rebuilding of Freya Michaels, will be published in 2026.

Social Media Links
https://www.facebook.com/TessaBarrieAuthor/
https://www.instagram.com/tessa_barrie/?hl=en
https://x.com/TessaBarrie
https://tessabarrie.substack.com
https://tessabarrie.com

Review: Give Me a Reason by Jayci Lee

After a run of science fiction, fantasy, and horror reading that leaned towards the dark and dystopian, a modern-day Korean retelling of Jane Austen's Persuasion felt like the perfect palate cleanser.

Anne Lee broke Fredrick Nam's heart when she left America to become a K-drama actress. It's ten years later when she returns, only to find the boy she left behind is a man she can't get out of her head.

I'll be honest, the plot of Persuasion is not one I remember well. but a skim of the plot shows that this book is more faithful than I initially thought. Nonetheless, the setting update to modern-day LA and the tweaks to various characters serve to disguise the inspiration quite handily. 

Apart from the events of ten years ago and a shared inability to spit it out, both Anne and Fredrick seem almost too good to be true - a self-sacrificing K-drama star and a respected firefighting captain. Their chemistry is sparking from the first page and I couldn't wait for them to fall into each other's arms. 

I personally found the Korean-American update really effective in explaining some of the dynamics between characters and I enjoyed Anne's journey out of self-denial, but I do wish this got a bit more of a conclusion and perhaps something more satisfying around her more selfish family members. I also loved the delicious pining in this book as both Anne and Fredrick realise that beneath the hurt, regret, and anger, love remains - but the tension seemed to melt away partway through in favour of a persistent misunderstanding that just got frustrating and seemed to be resolved in-story by a deus ex.

I couldn't put this book down and was rooting for the happy ending, but I can't help but wish for a little more out of the ending. 

If Austen retellings or second chance romances are your jam, I think you'll enjoy this as much as I did.

Give Me a Reason is available now in ebook or hard copy

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book via Netgalley; all opinions are my own. 

Review: The Retired Assassin's Guide to Country Gardening by Naomi Kuttner

A cosy mystery set in NZ by a Kiwi author? Deadly force restrained by cosy vibes? I knew I had to read this immediately and I'm glad I did.

Dante's anonymous retirement is almost immediately scuppered by his choice to settle in a small town - which any small town resident or reader can tell you is the opposite of anonymous. It's further disrupted by faux affable blackmail, expensive fireworks, and a dead woman. His involvement in the resulting murder investigation lands him in an unlikely alliance with a stately older woman and his nervy young gardener - and all while keeping an eye on the rare corpse flower in his greenhouse.

I found the mystery quite straightforward and there were a couple of investigative holes that irked me, and the paranormal aspects felt a little unnecessary, but the characters and overall vibe of the book is extremely charming - not to mention Dante's recovery support group.

If any of the above sounds good to you, pick this up and enjoy!

4.5 stars, rounded up for national pride

Review: Wildflowers by Kylie Scott

Once again, Kylie Scott - first known to me as author of the excellent Stage Dive rock star romances - has spun the genre wheel of fortune and somehow I'm reading a post-apocalyptic romance. And I'm digging it. This is fluffy cracky wish fulfillment that I ate up with a spoon and it all starts when Astrid is kidnapped by her hot neighbour Dean.

Hear me out.

Dean has word of another pandemic, only this one is far more infectious and a lot more deadly. Thanks to his enforced isolation, him and Astrid survive and set out to build a new life from the ruins of the old. Yes, the premise is traumatic and has shades of dubcon, but there's something intoxicating about a man who risks everything for you specifically, and the chance to start the world anew in a tight knit community based on mutual aid.

Some people might find this story triggering, some might quibble with the romance - but for some, this is going to hit the spot as a cathartic and surprisingly lighthearted take on the end of the world as we know it.

If this sounds like your catnip, Wildflowers is available in now

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher; all opinions are my own.

Review: Text Appeal by Kylie Scott

Update: check out the gorgeous new cover!

Text Appeal is classic Kylie Scott. Riley is new to town, but she's barely settled in when hew new phone number puts her right in the path of its old owner. Connor has had enough of his on-again, off-again ex and she's coming back for their high school reunion, so he enlists Riley in a scheme to convince the town that the relationship is through, by claiming he's fallen madly in love with Riley. Of course, feelings ensue, as parents choose sides and what seems like the entire town get hilariously invested.

Somewhat surprisingly for a book with an ex-girlfriend, Ava manages to become my favourite character. It becomes obvious their relationship was toxic not from lack of love, but from two people who want vastly different things - and part of me wants the story where they manage to work through that. This is not that story but Ava manages to charm me just the same. In fact, this entire book is full of people I would want to hang out with, especially Connor's sneaky grandma!

Overall, this was an enjoyable, low stakes romance, with attractive and likeable leads. If you've enjoyed Kylie's recent books, this will feel like a warm hug.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from Valentine PR & Literary Management; all opinions are my own.