The Royals Upstairs by Karina Halle

 Book Excerpt:

"He's the royal bodyguard. She's the royal nanny. The annoyingly hot attraction that simmers between them—that's a royal pain.

James Hunter has made a tactical error. His new role as protection officer to Prince Magnus of Norway was supposed to be an exciting change. Instead, he's marooned on a royal estate in the middle of nowhere, charged with chasing after demon children and dodging the machinations of meddling staff. And the crowning jewel in this little drama—the children's nanny- is Laila Bruset. The woman whose heart he broke. The woman who still holds his.

When Laila took the job as a nanny for the Norwegian royal children to be closer to her ailing grandmother in Oslo, the last thing she expected was to have her life upside down—again. But as much as James gets on her nerves, he's also getting under her skin, and the tension between them sizzles just as devastatingly as before.

As undeniable sparks turn James and Laila's battle royal into a more serious game of hearts, the nanny and bodyguard must decide just how much they're willing to risk for a second chance at love.

Title:  The Royals Upstairs

Author:  Karina Halle

Publisher:  Berkley

Reviewed By:  Arlena Dean

Rating: Four

Review:

"The Royals Upstairs" by Karina Halle

My Perception:  

'The Royals Upstairs' was a good read about the nanny [Laila Bruset, a Norwegian nanny] and the bodyguard [James Hunter, a Scottish bodyguard.] in Norway's royal estate. These two once had a relationship, but things didn't end well for them. Now, they have been thrown back together after some years apart. Will they be able to get back together after admitting their true feelings to one another?   It was a well-written read with complications, but seeing how they worked things out between the two by the end gave the read heartwarming in this second chance romance. 

Thank you to the publisher, Berkley, and NetGalley, for the ARC!

No One Does It Like You by Katie Shepard

 Book Excerpt:

"College sweethearts reunite to restore more than just an old inn in this new romance by Katie Shepard, author of Sweeten the Deal.

When's the best time to tell your ex that you want them back?

Probably not in the middle of a Category 3 hurricane. But when Broadway actor Tom Wilczewski is about to dive into the floodwaters to rescue his co-lead, he calls the ex-wife he hasn't seen in ten years to swear he still loves her and ask for a chance to make things right.

Two months later, Rose Kelly is tired of seeing pictures of her ex-husband Tom rescuing Hollywood darling Boyd Kellagher. Not that she's jealous. Of course not. She's far too busy caring for her elderly aunt and worrying about the storm damage to the family B&B on Martha's Vineyard to miss the love of her life. But after belatedly hearing Tom's voicemail, Rosie asks him to follow through on his promises for once by helping her fix the inn. Thinking this is the perfect way to win her back, Tom agrees.

When they get there, things are…less than ideal. Rosie expected the inn to be in better shape. She expected it to have more beds. And she expected more help from her actual family—not from Tom and the rest of his Broadway cast. But Rosie wonders if the life she expected isn't what she wants. If she and Tom can repair the inn together, can they possibly repair the damage to the relationship they both thought was long gone?"

Title: No One Does It Like You
Author: Katie Shepard
Publisher: Berkley
Reviewed By: Arlena Dean
Rating: 4
Review:
"No One Does It Like You" by Katie Shepard

My Perception:

'No One Does It Like You' was a sweet romantic read by Tom Wilczewski and Rose Kelly. Seeing what Tom would do to save his ex-wife back was attractive. Will he be able to do it after all they have been through? You will enjoy this second chance at romance in how this author brings it out to the reader. You will be given a heartwarming reunion by the end as things come together for these two. Be ready for a good read of a 'mix of romance, family dynamics, and home repair chaos' that will make you smile as you see how these two work it all out in the end.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for the ARC, which was provided in exchange for an honest review.

The Lawyer in the Dock: An Island of Secrets Legal Thriller (Island of Secrets Legal Thriller Series Book 5) Kindle Edition by Freya Atwood

 Book Excerpt:

"Accused of crimes that could imprison him for life, Benjamin Wolfe is no longer the star in the courtroom—he's The Lawyer in the Dock.

He's willing to betray anyone to survive, even if it means teaming up with a corrupted lawyer—a man with his own agenda.

As the trial intensifies, Benjamin faces a haunting question: Can justice be won through betrayal and deceit? His answer is yes.

Title:  The Lawyer in the Dock

Author:  Freya Atwood

Publisher:  Cobalt Farry

Series:  Island of Secrets Legal Thriller Book 5

Reviewed By:  Arlena Dean

Rating: Five

Review:

"The Lawyer in the Dock" by Freya Atwood

My Perception:  

'The Lawyer in the Dock' was an excellent continuation of the series about what Benjamin Wolfe had to endure to escape his mess. His attorney, Coates, was quite an interesting character who did his job well in helping Ben get out of his situation. I felt somewhat sorry for Ben's brother Nicholas, but he brought many of his problems on himself in all he was involved in.

As the story approaches its end, we see that the extended epilogue will contain more.   I am tired and hope Ms. Brown finally gets what she desires because it seems like she is getting away with it all as the story continues on and on! Indeed, will there be someone who can bring her down? 

The Volcano Daughters A Novel by Gina María Balibrera

 Book Excerpt:

"El Salvador, 1923. Graciela, a young girl growing up on a volcano in a community of Indigenous women, is summoned to the capital, where she is claimed as an oracle for a rising dictator. She meets Consuelo, the sister she never knew, who was stolen from their home before Graciela was born. The two spend years under the cruel El Gran Alcan regime, unwillingly helping his reign of terror until genocide strikes the community from which they hail. Each believing the other to be dead, they escape, fleeing across the globe, reinventing themselves until fate ultimately brings them back together in the most unlikely of ways…

Endlessly surprising, vividly imaginative, and bursting with lush life, The Volcano Daughters charts a new history and mythology of El Salvador, fiercely bringing forth voices calling out for generations."

Title:  The Volcano Daughters

Author:  Gina Maria Balibrera

Publisher:  Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor | Pantheon

Reviewed By:  Arlena Dean

Rating:  Four

Review:

"The Volcano Daughters" by Gina Maria Balibrera

My Perception:  

'The Volcano Daughter' was a fascinating historical and magical realism fiction about two El Salvador sisters [Consuelo & Graciela]. This heartbreaking story has a little bit of everything: revolution, corruption, dictatorship, terror, genocide, violence, grief, trauma, rawness, challenging reading, and then some joy and hope. I enjoyed seeing how the author delivered the different forms of history the vivid characters encountered, making the story compelling and exciting. The story was a little slow at times, but it made up its time by the time it finally was completed, explaining it all about the two sisters in the end.    

Ultimately, one will get one unique story when it's all said and done.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

Till Death Do Us Part by Laurie Elizabeth Flynn

 Book Excerpt:

"The author of The Girls Are All So Nice Here returns with a thriller set in the vineyards of Napa Valley. It asks what happens when the husband you thought died years ago shows up alive.

Ten years ago, June's beloved husband drowned on their honeymoon, and his body was never found. Now, a decade later, June is finally ready to move on. She owns a natural wine bar in Brooklyn and is engaged to a patient, a supportive man named Kyle. She's excited to finally begin a new chapter and start a family.

But out of the blue, she sees him—Josh, her first husband. Is this just a hallucination from the guilt June carries about finally moving on, or is it possible that her husband never died in the first place?

June tries to forget about this vision, chalking it up to grief and nerves, but soon enough, she stumbles across a website for a winery in Napa, and the owner in the photo is identical to her dead husband. June secretly flies to Napa for answers with her upcoming wedding looming and a fiancé worried she hasn't entirely left her past behind. But she's not prepared for all the secrets she's about to unlock because everything she thought she knew about her first love is a lie."

Title:  Till Death Do Us Part

Author:  Elizabeth Flynn

Publisher:  Simon & Schuster 

Reviewed By:  Arlena Dean

Rating: Four

Review:

'Till Deth Do Us Part' by Elizabeth Flynn

My Perception:  

"Till Death Do Us Part" was interesting because the author gives the reader something to think about long after they read this Wine story. We find out that June has married Jost, but he drowns during their honeymoon. Quickly passes away after one week of their marriage. What was even stranger... Josh's body was never found. After ten years, she becomes engaged to Kyle,  but something strange happens. It seems like June is seeing her first husband, Josh, who is supposed to be dead. That's when this story picks up...as June starts digging into Josh's past. What is up with that? The reader must keep up with this read to fully understand what is going on or has gone on. Be ready for many twists and turns, grief, secrets, friendship, heartbreak, and drama in this thriller as you continue to read this story, as shocking revelations come out at the end and the horrible truth emerges! I will stop here because I don't want to give out any more spoilers. Be ready for two stories that come together in the end.

Thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley.

Southern Belle 2 Kindle Edition by Diamond D. Johnson

Book Excerpt:

"They say that after every storm comes a rainbow. We've all witnessed what Rudy's storm consisted of. Childhood trauma, verbal and physical abuse from her husband, along with family secrets that just emerged from the dark, after years of her life being one complete lie. Rudy has been in the eye of the storm since she was brought into this world. She deserves to have her rainbow in the end.

With five children and a marriage that she's been in for the past 14 years of her life, can Rudy even survive without Zacardi? The best thing would be for Rudy to leave her marriage, but when you're married to a monster like Zacardi, how do you plan your escape? Who will be her protection? We all know that her momma and Mimi will never support her giving up on her marriage.

The finale of this book will take you through the last phases of the storm. Not every secret has been revealed. Not every tear has finished falling from Rudy's beautiful face. For Rudy to get that attractive rainbow she deserves, she must stand up, break those chains she's so determined to break and use the strength that God gave her to be the new woman she's set out to be."

Title:  Southern Belle 2

Author: Diamond D. Johnson

Publisher:  D.D. J.  

Series:  Book 2

Reviewed By:  Arlena Dean

Rating:  Five

Review:

"Southern Belle 2" by Diamond D. Johnson

My Perception:  

After you have read part 1 of 'Southern Belle,' please pick up part 2 of this story to get the whole story that will not leave you hanging.

I wondered if Rudy would ever have enough sense to leave that horrible Zacardi. Well, that finally happened after another beating.  

I want to tell only a little of the story because I want you to read it for yourself and see how well this author brings the story together—one by one! I will say a particular person got what he deserved, and I'm sorry. I couldn't feel a bit sorry for him. It's too bad he didn't get the help he needed, but this is what can happen if you do wrong by hanging with the gangers who deal with drugs, and he knew better.

The story did turn out well after all that had happened to poor Rudy. I am still trying to decide if I liked Ruby's one sister, but hopefully, it will work out. At least Ruby can care for her five children, being an interior decorator, which is very important to her.  

This turned out to be a good story that will keep you turning the pages till the end. But be sure you read not only part 1 but part 2 of 'Southern Belle.'

By the end, you will definitely get the following questions answered:

Unanswered questions might include:

- Why did Rudy stay with her abusive husband, Zacardi?

- What was the relationship between Rudy, her mother, and her grandmother?

- How does the story unfold in part 2 of the novel?

Southern Belle by Diamond D. Johnson

 Book Excerpt:

"Rudy Rae is her name. She also goes by Minnie. She's a Southern girl, born and raised in Albany, Georgia. Strong women raised her, although some might challenge that statement and view the women who raised her as weak because of how they allowed their husbands to treat them. At the tender age of thirteen years old, she was taught how to sit up straight, fix a man's plate, and be the submissive wife that she needed to be. In her teenage years, Rudy wasn't interested in these teachings. Instead, she had her head in her books and was determined to be the complete opposite of the women in her family. She wanted to go to college, graduate, and work in a promising career field where she could take care of herself. In this thing called life, things sometimes go differently than we plan.

Years go by, and Rudy is officially a woman. Her dreams and desires have fallen by the and been replaced by the duties of a proper southern wife and mother. She's now married to Zacardi Marshall, the mayor of Atlanta, Georgia. Zacardi is the perfect husband and father from the outside looking in, but he can be a monster behind closed doors.

This book will take you on a journey of lessons. The seeds planted in Rudy's head as a child played a significant role in how she bloomed as an adult. The same women she vowed to be nothing like might be the women she holds the most in common with."

Title:  Southern Belle

Author: Diamond D. Johnson

Publisher:  D.D. Johnson

Reviewed By:  Arlena Dean

Rating: Four

Review:

"Southern Belle" by Diamond D. Johnson

My Perception:  

"Southern Belle" was some read that kept me shaking my head and saying I can't believe this!

There were so many things going on in this book that you had to keep up. Please read the 'Trigger Warning' because it may answer many questions that needed to be fully addressed in the story that seemed to be left out in part 1. But wait, part 2 of 'Southern Belle' will answer all the questions needed in this series. I wondered why there was no epilogue until I saw it was part two of this story! That husband who was a mayor Zacardi, why did Rudy stay with this horrible man who beat her? She had a wonderful friend, Iris...but she didn't listen to even her.   What was up with Ruby's mother and grandmother? You will learn much about those two as you continue reading part 2 of this novel.   

Yes, please keep on reading!!! This story goes on and on, and that ending from part 1 is off the chart, but there is much more when you pick up part 2, where you will discover everything from start to finish.  

Okay, all that is left to say is to pick up part two after reading part one. You will see how well this story comes together, and all questions will be answered.