Review & Giveaway: The Kitchen Mistress by Kathleen Shoop

NEW RELEASE....
For every woman who’s had to choose between the secrets that protect her and the people she loves the most…

1892—Des Moines

Katherine Arthur and her family are back and it’s time to collect the money Mrs. Mellet left them in her will. The tidy sum will allow the family peace of mind and a future that’s stable and fulfilling. But when things don’t go exactly as planned, Katherine steps up to do more than her share. Hired as a kitchen mistress, her intuition (with the help of a mysterious recipe book), cooking prowess, and work ethic make her the perfect partner for the enigmatic, wealthy woman next door. Then Aleksey Zurchenko arrives.

Violet Pendergrass is a well-heeled, progressive woman with half a fortune in one hand and a plan for enduring prosperity in the other. Resourceful, shrewd, and tough, Violet doesn’t realize her one and only weakness leaves her vulnerable as she attempts to solidify her independence. She sees unparalleled value in Katherine’s gifts and does her best to keep the girl close, to keep her true work secret from her mother and the world.

Katherine’s loyalties to her mother and Violet grow strained and soon her commitment to both frays even further as her feelings for Aleksey grow. Katherine must decide if pursuing her work with the formidable Violet and protecting her family are more important than following love. Can she do it all? Love, hope, joy, secrets buried in walls and hearts; all are threatened by those who claim to care about the Arthurs. Can Katherine separate what’s right and true from what it takes to survive? Are they even different things?

The Last Letter Series of novels by Kathleen Shoop is set in the Midwest of America in the late 19th and early 20th century. Shoop takes readers on an emotional journey through love, loss and redemption. Inspired by family letters, the novels pull from historical events and places and feature the life and times of the fictional Arthur family as they make their way in the world.

My Review

It was a great read, very realistic with a special atmosphere, suspense and mystery, hope and despair.

Katherine's family receives a legacy from Mrs. Mellet that allows them to return to their hometown who had left with debt and shame. But she is not quiet, the ghost of their benefactor is appeared to her and she doesn't perceive anything good. She will be right, her family will be subjected again to harsh trials.

Katherine is a great character, a strong woman willing to sacrifice her life to protect her family.

The descriptions are very impressive and detailed that it seems to have made a travel through time and lived in Iowa in the late 19th and in early 20th century. Great choice  is the narration in the first person alternating the point of view of the protagonists. Although it is a very long book the storytelling is so addictive that flows away quickly.

It's the third book of the series, it can be read as standalone but I recommend reading the series in order to better understand the story.

 I recommend this book very much!

Available to buy from the following sites...

Amazon.com   Amazon.co.uk   Barnes and Noble   Kobo   iBooks

"Kathleen Shoop is a master of emotional depth and creativity."  - K.C.Finn, Readers’ Favorite Reviewer

"The Kitchen Mistress is a beautiful story beautifully told. Kathleen Shoop is a master storyteller with a great gift for the first-person narrative, a voice she harnesses so well to create a dramatic effect on readers... One of the things I enjoyed about Shoop's writing is her mastery of the conflict. It is introduced very early in the narrative and it escalates pretty fast. I read the story nonstop, waiting eagerly for the satisfying denouement." -- Romuald Dzemo for Readers' Favorite 

"The Kitchen Mistress is a beguiling story, with characters that feel so real the reader could almost believe they walk the same road with them. The protagonist has a complex world to navigate and it is interesting to see how she deals with her secrets, faces the challenges of her relationships and her work, and how she connects to herself. The Kitchen Mistress is delicately written, with a beautifully imagined plot, great prose, and memorable characters. I was seduced by the expert writing and could not stop reading until the last page." -- Arya Fomonyuy for Readers' Favorite

Letter Series Book 1 - The Last Letter

Katherine wouldn't have believed it if she hadn't found the letter...  

In the summer of 1905 Katherine Arthur's mother arrives on her doorstep, dying, forcing her to relive a past she wanted to forget. When Katherine was young, the Arthur family had been affluent city dwellers until shame sent them running for the prairie, into the unknown. Taking her family, including young Katherine, to live off the land was the last thing Jeanie Arthur had wanted, but she would do her best to make a go of it. For Jeanie's husband Frank it had been a world of opportunity. Dreaming, lazy Frank. But, it was a society of uncertainty--a domain of natural disasters, temptation, hatred, even death.  

Ten-year-old Katherine had loved her mother fiercely, put her trust in her completely, but when there was no other choice, and Jeanie resorted to extreme measures on the prairie to save her family, she tore Katherine's world apart. Now, seventeen years later, and far from the homestead, Katherine has found the truth – she has discovered the last letter. After years of anger, can Katherine find it in her heart to understand why her mother made the decisions that changed them all? Can she forgive and finally begin to heal before it's too late?  

**Independent Publisher Awards** 

2011 Gold Medal, Best Regional Fiction-Midwest 

**National Indie Excellence Book Awards** 

2011 Finalist Award-Historical Fiction 2011 Finalist Award-Regional Fiction 

**USA Best Books 2011 Awards** 

Winner, Fiction--Western Finalist, Fiction--Historical Finalist, Best New Fiction 

**International Book Awards** 

2011 Finalist Award-Historical Fiction 2011 Finalist Award-Best New Fiction

Available to buy from.......

Amazon.com    Amazon.co.uk    Barnes and Noble   Kobo   iBooks   Audible

Letter Series Book 2 - The Road Home

Find your way home...

1891—Living separately for three years, fourteen-year-old twins, Katherine and Tommy Arthur, have done their best to make each boarding house feel like home. But unrest grows as they are driven to questionable actions just to survive. Meanwhile their desperate mother is confronted with breaking yet another promise to her children. Then a miracle descends. Hope rises on a cold, rainy night and changes everything. If Jeanie could just get word to Katherine and Tommy, she knows she can set their lives right again. Agitators, angels, and dangerous “saviors” illuminate the Arthurs’ unmatched determination and smarts.

1905—Though she tries to forget the awful years that hurt so much, the memories still haunt Katherine. Now, tearful mourners at her mother’s funeral force her to revisit a time in her life that both harmed and saved her in the most unexpected ways. Tommy grieves his mother’s passing as well. He too is thrust backward, compelled to rediscover the events in his life that shaped the man he has become. Will he commit to reconstructing his broken life? The Arthurs come to understand that forgiveness is the only way back to hope, the only way to find all that was good in the misfortune that transformed their lives forever.

Available to buy from.......

Amazon.com   Amazon.co.uk   Barnes and Noble   Kobo   iBooks

The Family Letters

     

Luckily for author Kathleen Shoop, her ancestors kept hold of letters that are now between 100 and 120 years old. The first set of letters was handed down to Shoop from her mother. They appear in the collection called My Dear Frank. They are sweet and hopeful love letters written to Frank Arthur from his then-fiancé, Jeanie Scouller. My Dear Frank only contains Jeanie’s letters to Frank, as his were lost or destroyed at some point. However, for readers who love to bask in the past, Jeanie’s letters make it easy to understand much of what Frank had said, as she responds as quickly as she possibly could. (Read more about My Dear Frank.)

Available to buy from...

Amazon.com   Amazon.co.uk

The second set of letters, Love From Mama, was written in the early 20th century. This collection is larger than the love letters as it contains correspondence by Jeanie, Frank, her children, some friends and also relatives. This non-fiction look into the past is a treasure for anyone who loves history in its raw, but real form! (Coming Soon)

About Kathleen Shoop

Bestselling author, Kathleen Shoop, holds a PhD in reading education and has more than 20 years of experience in the classroom. She writes historical fiction, women’s fiction and romance. Shoop’s novels have garnered various awards in the Independent Publisher Book Awards (IPPY), Eric Hoffer Book Awards, Indie Excellence Awards, Next Generation Indie Book Awards, Readers’ Favorite and the San Francisco Book Festival. Kathleen has been featured in USA Today and the Writer’s Guide to 2013. Her work has appeared in The Tribune-Review, four Chicken Soup for the Soul books and Pittsburgh Parent magazine. Kathleen coordinates Mindful Writing Retreats and is a regular presenter at conferences for writers.

I adore writing historical fiction (The Letter series, After the Fog and Donora Stories that are coming soon!) but am having a blast writing romance like Home Again, Return to Love and Tending Her Heart (Endless Love series). Thank you so much for the time you take to read.

Follow the author on the following sites...

Website   Facebook   Twitter   Pinterest   Google+   Goodreads   Amazon

Follow the tour

NOW FOR THE AUTHOR'S GIVEAWAY !!

Win $50 Amazon.com Gift Card or Paypal Cash (winners choice)
PLUS
3 runner up prizes of an autographed book!
Ending on Sunday 5th November at 11.59pm EST

Open Worldwide

Enter Below & Good Luck !!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Are you a book reviewer or book blogger? Join our book tours reviewers team - Apply Here x

Current book tours open for sign ups HERE

Review & Giveaway: Thrill of Love by Melissa Foster

NEW RELEASE........
The Bradens are a series of sexy stand-alone romances bursting with rich family ties and everlasting love. These hot contemporary love stories feature alpha male heroes and sexy, empowered women. They're flawed, funny, passionate, and relatable to readers who enjoy contemporary and new adult romance, and women's fiction. 

Discover the magic of New York Times bestseller Melissa Foster's writing, and see why millions of readers have fallen in love with the Bradens. 

Fall in love with Ty Braden and Aiyla Bell in this epic love story. Fate brings them together, but will tragedy tear them apart? 

Do you believe in fate? 

World-renowned mountain climber and nature photographer Ty Braden never believed in second dates, much less heart-pounding, steal-his-breath love. But that was before a trip to Saint-Luc, where he met funny, strong, and entrancingly beautiful Aiyla Bell, a ski instructor and fellow photographer whose hopes and dreams, and love of the outdoors, aligned perfectly with his--and whose kisses alone turned him inside out.

After spending five magical days and four sweet, soulful nights falling in love, Aiyla couldn't imagine a day without Ty. But when he asked her to go with him on his next assignment, his reputation for having women at his beck and call stopped her from upending the life she'd worked so hard to create.

Months later fate steps in when a chance encounter brings Ty and Aiyla together for a five-day wilderness event held in the Colorado Mountains. Their deep, passionate connection is stronger than ever, and Ty is bound and determined not to lose her again. But when tragedy strikes and their worlds are turned upside down, their love faces the truest test of all. 

THRILL OF LOVE is part of the Love in Bloom series. While this can be read as a stand-alone novel, for even more reading enjoyment you may want to read the entire Love in Bloom series in series order.

**CONTENT WARNING: Due to mature content, recommended for readers aged 18+**

My Review

This is one of the most beautiful stories I have read by Melissa Foster, Aiyla is a true fighter, a special, unique and very credible character . It is a passionate romance with very moving moments about fate and second chance love story.

In Switzerland Aiyla was madly in love with Ty but his reputation as a player did not give her security. They decided to let fate decide and it has made them meet again. Ty Braden is a famous mountaineer and photographer and has to accompany Ayila during her five-day climb on the Colorado Mountains for a charity event. Will Ty win Aiyla's confidence?

I loved each page of this novel, the author has created a beautiful and heartwarming story. It's completely engaging,  a great plot, very well written and with great characters.

Another story of Melissa Foster highly recommended

Available to buy from ...

Amazon.com   Amazon.co.uk   Barnes and Noble    KOBO    iBooks   GPlay

Also Available
Healed by Love (Love in Bloom, The Bradens of Peaceful Harbor #1)

Nate Braden has loved his best friend’s younger sister Jewel for as long as he can remember, but between their age difference and his respect for Rick, he’s always kept his feelings at bay. Now he’s back in Peaceful Harbor, and Jewel is no longer sixteen years old—but there’s an even bigger obstacle standing in his way. Nate and Rick joined the military together eight years earlier. Nate came home a hero, but Rick didn’t make it out alive.

HEALED BY LOVE is part of the Love in Bloom series. While this can be read as a stand-alone novel, for even more reading enjoyment you may want to read the entire Love in Bloom series in series order.

**CONTENT WARNING: Due to mature content, recommended for readers aged 18+**

Available to buy from ...

Amazon.com   Amazon.co.uk   Barnes and Noble    KOBO    iBooks   GPlay

Surrender My Love (Love in Bloom, The Bradens of Peaceful Harbor #2)

Annalise "Leesa" Avalon never realized that one sentence could change her life until one of her students revealed his crush--and within twenty-four hours she finds herself under fire. After a grueling investigation that turns her life upside down, she steals away to Peaceful Harbor, Maryland, with a new identity to try to pull herself back together and figure out her next step.

From the outside, Cole Braden lives a charmed life. He's a top orthopedic surgeon with a thriving practice, strong family ties, and friends he adores. But there's a lonely spot inside Cole that no one can see. He has an enormous heart--and a painful past--but the desire to love and be loved is too strong to ignore.

A chance encounter brings Leesa and Cole together, and the attraction is immediate and intense. But a relationship is the last thing Leesa needs--and the only thing Cole wants. Long talks, heated moments, and deep connections are hard to resist, but the harder Cole tries, the more Leesa pulls away. Cole might truly be the right man for Leesa, but is Leesa the right woman for him?

SURRENDER MY LOVE is part of the Love in Bloom series. While this can be read as a stand-alone novel, for even more reading enjoyment you may want to read the entire Love in Bloom series in series order.

**CONTENT WARNING: Due to mature content, recommended for readers aged 18+**

Available to buy from ...

Amazon.com   Amazon.co.uk   Barnes and Noble    KOBO    iBooks   GPlay

River of Love Book (Love in Bloom, The Bradens of Peaceful Harbor #3)
River rafting and adventure company owner Sam Braden works hard and plays harder. He’s fast, focused, and determined—and never at a loss for a willing woman to share his time with. The trouble is, the only woman he wants refuses him at every turn.

Physician assistant Faith Hayes escaped her painful past and built a safe, happy life in Peaceful Harbor. She’s also put what she’s learned to good use helping others by founding Women Against Cheaters, an online support group. When her boss’s sinfully sexy brother sets his sights on sweet Faith, she knows the self-professed player is everything she shouldn’t want, and she’s determined to resist him.

Sam pulls out all the stops, proving to Faith that his past doesn’t have to define his future. As she lets down her guard and begins to trust Sam, intense conversations turn to intimate pleasures. But when real life steps in and their pasts collide, it’s Faith who’s left with something to prove.

RIVER OF LOVE is part of the Love in Bloom series. While this can be read as a stand-alone novel, for even more reading enjoyment you may want to read the entire Love in Bloom series in series order.

**CONTENT WARNING: Due to mature content, recommended for readers aged 18+**

Available to buy from ...

Amazon.com   Amazon.co.uk   Barnes and Noble    KOBO    iBooks   GPlay

Crushing on Love Book (Love in Bloom, The Bradens of Peaceful Harbor #4)
Steve Johnson is living his life’s passion watching over the Colorado Mountains as a ranger and wildlife consultant. But his peaceful life is upended when overzealous and insanely beautiful Shannon Braden flits back into his life after returning from a brief trip home to Maryland. He thought his attraction to her was under control—after all, she’s only in Colorado temporarily, and he doesn’t do casual affairs.

Shannon’s return to Colorado has as much to do with the game of cat and mouse she and Steve have been playing as it does the data she’s been hired to collect. But despite her efforts to explore the undeniable heat simmering between them, Steve’s intent on keeping his distance. 

When a ranch abutting the national park goes up for sale, Steve will do whatever it takes to keep it from falling into the wrong hands. And when all his attempts fail, he’s left with no alternative but to follow Shannon’s guidance into the online world he abhors in order to raise the funds. The more time they spend together, the deeper their attraction becomes, and a game of cat and mouse turns into an unstoppable connection. But when Shannon’s assignment comes to an end, will it mean an end to them, too?

CRUSHING ON LOVE is part of the Love in Bloom series. While this can be read as a stand-alone novel, for even more reading enjoyment you may want to read the entire Love in Bloom series in series order.

**CONTENT WARNING: Due to mature content, recommended for readers aged 18+**

Available to buy from ...

Amazon.com   Amazon.co.uk   Barnes and Noble    KOBO    iBooks   GPlay

Whisper of Love Book (Love in Bloom, The Bradens of Peaceful Harbor #5)

Tempest Braden adores her family and her small hometown, but sometimes too much of a good thing can be confining. At almost thirty, having watched most of her siblings find true love, she’s anxious to experience her own happily ever after, and the move to Pleasant Hill, Maryland, is just the change she needs. When she rents a room from ruggedly handsome, and closed-off, artist Nash Morgan and his adorable son, Phillip, she thinks she’s found a little slice of heaven on the outskirts of town, where she can concentrate on building her business. That is, if she can ignore the undeniable heat between her and the sinfully hot single father.

When Nash bought his farmette, he had one goal in mind—to provide a loving, stable home for his son. He never imagined he’d be raising Phillip alone, or renting out a room to keep their heads above water. Then again, he never imagined losing his brother, or spending two years sailing around the world with parents who seemed to forget one son was still alive.

Sparks fly from the moment Tempest moves in, and her positive energy and inquisitive nature brings new life into Nash and Phillip’s quiet, confined world. For the first time in years, Nash wants to let a woman into his world, but while his loss made him stronger, that strength came at a price, leaving him walled off and wary of opening his heart again.

WHISPER OF LOVE is part of the Love in Bloom series. While this can be read as a stand-alone novel, for even more reading enjoyment you may want to read the entire Love in Bloom series in series order.

**CONTENT WARNING: Due to mature content, recommended for readers aged 18+**

Available to buy from ...

Amazon.com   Amazon.co.uk   Barnes and Noble    KOBO    iBooks   GPlay

About the author

Melissa Foster is a New York Times & USA Today bestselling and award-winning author. She writes sexy and heartwarming contemporary romance, new adult romance (M/F, M/M, F/F), romantic suspense, thrillers, and historical fiction with emotionally compelling characters that stay with you long after you turn the last page. Melissa's emotional journeys are lovingly erotic and always family oriented. Her books have been recommended by USA Today's book blog, Hagerstown Magazine, The Patriot, and several other print venues. She is the founder of the World Literary Café. When she's not writing, Melissa helps authors navigate the publishing industry through her author training programs on Fostering Success.

Melissa has painted and donated several murals to The Hospital for Sick Children in Washington, DC. Her interests include her family, reading, writing, painting, friends, helping others see the positive side of life, and visiting Cape Cod.

Melissa is available to chat with book clubs and welcomes comments and emails from her readers. Visit Melissa on Facebook or her personal website.

Never miss a brand new release, special promotions or inside gossip again by simply signing up to receive your newsletter from Melissa.

Find Melissa on the following sites....

Website   Facebook   Twitter    Google+   Goodreads   Pinterest   Amazon Author Page

Follow the Book Tour


I received this book through Beck Valley Books Book Tours, I have volunteered to share my review and all the opinions are 100% my own.

Click to get your FREE Love in Bloom Series Reading Order 

NOW FOR THE AUTHOR'S GIVEAWAY

Win $10 Amazon.com Gift Card
Open Worldwide

Ending on Sunday 29th October at 11.59pm EST

Enter Below and Good Luck !!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Are you a book reviewer or book blogger? Join our book tours reviewers team - Apply Here x

Current book tours open for sign ups HERE

Release Blitz: Dismissed by TL Smith

Title: Dismissed

Series: Smirnov Bratva #4

Author: TL Smith

Genre: Romantic Suspense

Release Date: September 21

A heart is something that should not be entrusted to me. 

I will tear, crush, and destroy it with my very own hands. 

Then back away with a smile on my face. 

It’s who I am—a killer, a player, a joker. 

But hers, I’m unsure about. 

Do I want to rupture and rip it from her chest? 

Or do I want to hold and capture it with my own?

AMAZON * AMAZON UK * AMAZON AU

B&N * KOBO * iBOOKS

FREE

AMAZON

AMAZON

AMAZON

USA Today Best Selling Author T.L Smith can be found in almost any chocolate store, eating all the chocolate. She lives in Brisbane, Australia with her two kids and husband. Her favourite things to do is dancing, writing, reading and travelling the world. A lover for twisted words and things that make your heart pump. You can find her on the following links.

Website * Facebook * Twitter

Hosted By:

Review & Giveaway: The Real Thing by Melissa Foster

NEW RELEASE........
Fall in love on the shores of Sugar Lake in the small town of Sweetwater with Willow Dalton and Zane Walker.

This sassy, spirited baker is fine with heat—but is her fake fiancé too hot to handle?

Bakery owner Willow Dalton’s friendship with Zane Walker has always been a bit complicated. Now a scrumptiously hot A-list actor, Zane’s always had a reputation as player. He’s arrogant, and he’s definitely not boyfriend material. Sure, he did Willow a favor by agreeing to take her virginity before college, but is that reason enough to go along with a fake engagement a decade later—even if it comes with a real diamond ring? 

Zane should have known better. Nothing involving Willow has ever been easy. Still, he knows her better than anyone, and becoming America’s hottest new leading man means cleaning up his reputation. An “engagement” to curvy, sass-mouthed Willow is the perfect PR move . . . provided no one gets hurt.

Now Zane and Willow’s little white lie has turned into an irresistible recipe for sweet temptation. And soon no one will be able to tell the difference between their fake engagement or the real thing—including them.

My Review

I'm always excited when I find out that Melissa Foster has released a new series. She never disappoints, has created another lovely little town and an intriguing story. I love novels in which one of the protagonists proposes a fake engagement (even though his/her feelings are true).

Zane is a film actor with the bad boy reputation. His films are mostly of action but he was offered the role in a romantic movie. To increase his popularity and to erase his bad boy's image, they advise him to engage. He involves his best friend's sister Willow, he is in love with her. She has a pastry shop and hopes to increase its popularity. With great difficulty he manages to make a deal with her.

Zane is a strong and tough man, very sexy and charming. Willow is a strong woman who knows what she wants until Zane upsets her life. Together they are a big couple, their sex scenes are really hot. In this book we get to know a lot of characters, some very interesting that I hope to meet as protagonists of the upcoming books.

It's a romantic and passionate story, easy and fast-paced, perfect for a few relaxing hours.

It is the ideal reading for those who love romances.

Available to buy from ...

Amazon.com   Amazon.co.uk   Paperback   Audiobook

This book is being published by Montlake (an Amazon imprint) and won’t be available on other ebook retailers, but you can download a FREE ereader app to read it HERE (or order the paperback)

Releasing 5th December
Only For You (Sugar Lake Book 2)
Love only works when your heart is in the right place. Hers could be right next door…

Single mom Bridgette Dalton doesn’t have time to stop and smell the roses—not even in her own flower shop. But that doesn’t mean she hasn’t noticed Bodhi Booker. Her ruggedly handsome next-door neighbor would be the perfect candidate for a no-strings fling. Having loved and lost, Bridgette’s not ready to hand over her heart…but she could use a distraction.

Bodhi has one rule: never leave anyone behind. As a special operative, he knows that each new mission is more dangerous than the last. He’s never made a promise of forever to a woman, not even to the beautiful widow who has him tied in knots. And if there were anyone who could tempt him into putting down roots, it would be Bridgette and her adorable son.

But as his next deployment nears, they make a startling discovery. Their passion, meant only for the here and now, might already be blossoming into something more…

Available to pre-order from...

Amazon.com   Amazon.co.uk   Paperback   Audiobook

About the author

Melissa Foster is a New York Times & USA Today bestselling and award-winning author. She writes sexy and heartwarming contemporary romance, new adult romance (M/F, M/M, F/F), romantic suspense, thrillers, and historical fiction with emotionally compelling characters that stay with you long after you turn the last page. Melissa's emotional journeys are lovingly erotic and always family oriented. Her books have been recommended by USA Today's book blog, Hagerstown Magazine, The Patriot, and several other print venues. She is the founder of the World Literary Café. When she's not writing, Melissa helps authors navigate the publishing industry through her author training programs on Fostering Success.

Melissa has painted and donated several murals to The Hospital for Sick Children in Washington, DC. Her interests include her family, reading, writing, painting, friends, helping others see the positive side of life, and visiting Cape Cod.

Melissa is available to chat with book clubs and welcomes comments and emails from her readers. Visit Melissa on Facebook or her personal website.

Never miss a brand new release, special promotions or inside gossip again by simply signing up to receive your newsletter from Melissa.

Find Melissa on the following sites....

Website   Facebook   Twitter    Google+   Goodreads   Pinterest   Amazon Author Page

Follow the Book Tour

I received this book through Beck Valley Books Book Tours, I have volunteered to share my review and all the opinions are 100% my own.

NOW FOR THE AUTHOR'S GIVEAWAY !!

Win Wild Boys After Dark: Logan ebook - 2 winners!

Ending on Sunday 1st October at 11.59pm EST

Open Worldwide

Enter Below & Good Luck !!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Are you a book reviewer or book blogger? Join our book tours reviewers team - Apply Here x

Current book tours open for sign ups HERE