Bookouture Blog Tour for MOLLY IS MISSING by Samantha Hayes

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I’m here for the tour of this super suspenseful read of a missing girl and her mother who wouldn’t give up searching for her.

Fast-paced and twisty, this one kept me engaged right up through the final page!

Here’s the scoop:

It’s every mother’s worst nightmare…

Kim arrives early at the school gates, bursting with excitement to see her daughter, Molly, after a week-long history trip. Shy and a little anxious, time away from her loving parents is a big deal for Molly – but the emoji-filled texts Kim’s been receiving all week prove her daughter has been having the time of her life. But when the bus pulls up, Molly’s seat is empty. Her teachers say she never went on the trip…

As the search for Molly begins, distraught Kim feels like the police are dragging their feet and the school is acting a little too defensive. And with each precious day that passes, the secrets that bind Kim’s tight-knit community begin to unravel. Why isn’t Kim’s best friend by her side? And why is her husband acting so shady?

Nothing matters to Kim but bringing Molly home safe. With nowhere to turn and no one left to trust, only Kim can find her. And she’s running out of time…

A totally unputdownable psychological thriller that will keep you up all night reading. Perfect for anyone who loves Freida McFadden, Andrea Mara, and Jeneva Rose.

About the Author:

Samantha Hayes grew up in a creative family where her love of writing began as a child. Samantha has written over twenty thrillers, including the bestselling titles Date Night and Until You’re Mine . The Independent called her writing ‘fantastically written and very tense’ while Good Housekeeping said ‘her believable psychological thrillers are completely gripping.’ Samantha’s books are published in multiple languages and in her free time, Sam loves painting watercolours, going to the gym and swimming. She has three grown-up children and lives in Warwickshire.

Thank you for my copy and for having me on the tour!

Bookouture Blog tour for Two Couples by Cathryn Grant

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Two couples. One vacation. Who will make it out alive?

Emily: When I first saw the glass-fronted house perched on the edge of Lake Tahoe, a shiver ran though me. I knew I had to have it. And convincing my best friend, Samantha , and her husband, Patrick, into buying with us was easy; she always does what I tell her. But I throw my husband, Keith, a warning glance as he jokes about our bigger share. I need this week away to be perfect so they never learn my secret, or how far I will go to keep it.

Samantha: I can read Emily like a book. Toasting our first night away together, I can tell that something isn’t right. Why does she stiffen every time Keith speaks, and check her phone when she thinks no one is looking? I’ve always let her think that she’s the one pulling all the strings, but she has no idea why I drained our savings to buy this remote lakeside house or my real reason for being here…

As night falls on our first evening in our new home, an ear-piercing scream breaks the silence, scattering birds from the pine trees. Someone is a liar. Someone is a killer. Someone is dead.

Readers who love psychological thrillers like The Housemaid, The Perfect Marriage and The Girl on the Train will absolutely devour this twist-packed book from Cathryn Grant.

I’m here today as part of the tour for this twisty, suspenseful read – that takes place near where I grew up! Beautiful Lake Tahoe is the setting for this novel and if you like a psychological thriller, then I highly recommend it!

Thanks for Bookouture for having me as part of the tour and for my copy!

About the Author:

Cathryn is the author of over thirty psychological suspense novels. The things that cause torment in real life—obsession and revenge, guilt and envy and longing—are endlessly fascinating in fiction, and she never grows tired of writing stories about characters struggling to overcome the worst. Cathryn also writes ghost stories because… who knows what lies beyond our senses.

When she’s not writing, she’s usually reading, walking on the beach, or playing golf, going way out of her way to avoid hitting her ball in the sand or the water. She lives on the Central California Coast with her husband and their cat, Cleopatra.

The Underground Bakery by Gosia Nealon

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I always love a good WWII novel and it’s especially interesting to read about those who Resisted in Europe. This new novel from Bookouture was an engaging and exciting read that those who love this genre will enjoy! Nela and her father are sent to the Lodz ghetto and work to run their bakery and support their friends, to help them survive the Nazi occupation.

Thank you to my friends at Bookouture for a review galley!

Here’s the scoop:

Poland, 1943. “The Germans are here,” Jakub whispers over the pounding at the bakery door. I snatch my baby from her crib but there’s no time to hide, the footsteps are coming closer. Jakub and I exchange a glance: they know what we’ve done…

Present day. Heidi arrives in Poland, a scribbled address in her hand. It has been one week since she found the photo of her grandmother Nela holding a baby outside a bakery and gazing at a man who nobody knows. With her grandparents gone and her mother’s illness getting worse, Heidi wants to find out the truth before it’s too late.

Stepping inside the bakery, Heidi inhales the scent of sweet apple cakes and fresh bread. She shows the photo to the man behind the counter, but her hopes are shattered when Olek orders her out of his shop, cursing the couple who led the Nazis to his family’s door during the war. But Nela was Jewish. Why would she risk her own life?

Determined, Heidi forces Olek to confront what he is so desperate to bury. As his resolve crumbles, they uncover stories of an underground network hidden within the bakery’s walls. But will the truth about Heidi’s grandfather give her mother the peace she needs, or will it tear apart her family for good?

An absolutely gripping and page-turning World War 2 historical fiction novel by Polish American author Gosia Nealon. Fans of Siobhan Curham, Lorna Cook and The Nightingale will be hooked.

About the Author:

While Gosia Nealon is a proud New Yorker, she was born and raised in Poland. Her journey to the Big Apple revealed a wealth of cultural differences, but also the values that connect us all. Like the fierce desire to protect family, find love, and ultimately, discover who we are and why we’re here.
Gosia’s award-winning short stories have always delved into life’s biggest questions, but it was the drama, sacrifice, and tragedy of WWII that led her to pen her debut novel, which won a gold medal in the 2022 Independent Publisher Book Awards (IPPY).
Growing up in Poland, Gosia heard many firsthand accounts of the war, told from a perspective rarely captured in mainstream literature. She was compelled to breathe life into two young people falling in love in the midst of the most terrifying conflict of our time.
When Gosia isn’t tapping away at her laptop, she’s often walking the streets of New York. With her husband and two young sons in tow, they search for the most succulent pierogi, transporting them back to the cobbled streets of her childhood.

Bookouture Blog Tour for The Crossword Murders by Helena Dixon

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I really enjoy reading this cozy mystery series and I particularly love the main characters, Jane and Arthur. They are both very different from each other and have their unique foibles, and I love how Jane brings her cat along to things and Arthur can’t really stand that! I love how this one was based on crosswords and clues – these stories are always very well plotted and fun! You don’t need to read them in order. Added plus they are based in the 1940s.

Thank you for my copy!

A crossword that’s tricky to crack, a hot cup of coffee… and hidden clues? Can Jane Treen work this mystery out?

England, 1942. Jane Treen is hot-footing it to Devon, having received an urgent message from her colleague and fellow sleuth, Arthur Cilento. He had been deeply worried for his mentor, crossword writer Professor Watkins. And the invitation he’s sent Jane is to the Professor’s funeral… he’s dead.

Arthur suspects foul play, but before they have time to fill in the blanks, their clues lead them into a secret vault nearby. Jane, fluffy ginger cat by her side, begins to connect the dots. But then another man is murdered, and she realises that Professor Watkins’ death is one piece in a much larger and deadlier game.

But who could be behind the untimely deaths? Could the professor’s beloved sister be responsible? Or a wealthy and influential benefactor and her assistant? And someone else close to the professor – also no stranger to compiling a crossword – seems to be increasingly cryptic too.

It’s clear that the killer isn’t playing by the book. And when the clue the professor left in the last crossword he wrote doesn’t help them to solve the crime, Jane and Arthur are back to square one and must think outside the box to crack the code. But just as they start to figure out what’s happening, they find themselves trapped, their lives at stake…

Can the duo solve the puzzle and escape before it’s too late?

About the Author:

Helena Dixon is the author of the internationally bestselling Miss Underhay cozy mystery series. She is a Black Country girl living in Devon. Married to the same man for over thirty-five years she has three daughters, a cactus called Spike, and a crazy cockapoo. She was the winner of the RNA Romance Prize in 2007 and the RNA Love Story of the Year 2010.

Bookouture Blog Tour for The French Wife by Ann Bennett

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Oooh I loved this novel! It focused on a Amelie, a French woman (with a jerk of a husband) during WWII and her work with the Resistance while also placating the Nazis that have taken over their town. It also parallels with a modern day single woman, Emma, who has bought an empty farmhouse (once belonging to our French wife) and how she works to learn its story.

Soooo good!

Thank you for my copy!

Here’s the scoop:

They thought her husband was a hero. Only she knew the truth…

France 1943: Amelie Garnier loathes the enemy soldiers who occupy their sleepy French village. Forced to work as a secretary for the Nazis, her heart pounds as she speeds through the narrow streets, enemy secrets in her bicycle basket, home to her husband Bruno. Bruno is hailed as a hero for hiding resistance workers in their cellar but only Amelie knows the truth of what goes in their isolated farmhouse. And what danger she is in…

Present day: Longing for a new start away from the tragedy she left in London, Emma arrives at the forlorn honey-coloured farmhouse. Sorting through dusty cupboards, she discovers a sad-eyed wedding photograph of the previous owner, Amelie, and cannot shake the sense that Amelie too has known great grief.

But when she mentions Amelie’s name in the ancient, cobbled square the locals look away and mutter about a devastating betrayal. Emma knows what it feels like to be wrongly judged and is sure she can still feel Amelie’s gentle presence in the rooms of her new home. If Emma brings Amelie’s truth into the light, will she find a path forward from the rawness of her own loss, and hope for a brighter future?

A completely heartbreaking story about bravery and the terrible sacrifice that a heroic woman in war was forced to make. Fans of Kristin Hannah and Fiona Valpy will be swept away by The French Wife.

About the Author:

Ann Bennett is the author of several historical novels about the second world war in South East Asia, inspired by her father’s experience as a prisoner of the Japanese on the Thai-Burma railway. She has a Law degree and works full time as a lawyer, but is fascinated by India and South East Asia. Since her early twenties she has spent as much time as possible travelling in the region. She’s married with three sons and lives in Surrey.

Bookouture Blog Tour for The Wish List Trip by Kerry Lonsdale and Orly Konig

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From Bookouture, this story was an engaging read of two friends who no longer get along, carrying out their third best friend’s dying wish – to revisit different places they enjoyed together and to scatter her ashes. I loved this story and could not put it down. It was the kind of read that made me laugh and made me cry. There’s something so wonderful about the power of female friendship/sisterhood. Definitely will be on my holiday gift list for some friends this year!

Thank you for my copy!

Here’s the scoop:

Dear Holly and Anna,

I knew it would take drastic measures to bring you together, so, ta da, one drastic measure! I’m sorry I died. And I know you guys haven’t spoken in five years. But here’s the plan: over fourteen days, you are going to scatter my ashes in every place we vacationed together in our twenties.

I wish I could have fixed your friendship before I passed away. But dying comes with one perk—you can’t say no to me now.

You’re going to have the best time. I’ve planned rum cocktails in Cabo and café hopping in Paris. And along the way, I’ll keep sending you letters. Because there’s a secret I wasn’t brave enough to share when I was alive… and if I know the three of us, I suspect we’ve all been hiding something from each other.

The times we spent together were the best days of my life. Nobody made me laugh like you did, Anna. And Holly, promise you’ll let your hair down one last time for me.

I hope by the end of this trip, there’s nothing left we’re afraid to say…
xo, Zoe

The Wish List Trip is an unputdownable story of sisterhood, self-discovery and how not to smuggle your friend’s ashes through French border control… Addictive, escapist and bittersweet, perfect for fans of Elin Hilderbrand, Emily Giffin and Jojo Moyes.

About the Authors!

Kerry Lonsdale is the Amazon Charts, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post and #1 Kindle bestselling author of the Everything series, No More trilogy, and multiple standalone romantic women’s fiction and domestic drama novels. Her books have sold more than two million copies and have been translated into twenty-seven languages. She resides in Northern California.

After years of pushing the creativity boundary in corporate communications, Orly Konig made the switch to fiction. She is the author of The Distance Home, Carousel Beach, The Arrangements, and with her best friend and co-author — The Wish Trip List (coming September 8, 2026). She also writes about living an unapologetically imperfect life on Substack. She’s a co-founder and past president of the Women’s Fiction Writers Association.

Bookouture Blog Tour for Christmas with the East End Girls by Jean Fullerton

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I just love this series about a group of femaile friends living in London during WWII. This one, book 4, focuses primarily on Georgina (“George”) and the man she falls in love with. I’ve loved all the books in this series and I know there are more to come. You can read them as stand alones, but I like reading them all in order! And, as always, I appreciate an uplifting ending!!

Thank you for my copy and for having me on the tour!

Here’s the scoop:

East London, 1943: Will this wartime Christmas bring love, joy and peace to the East End Girls?

Georgina St John-Smythe – George to her friends – is usually the life and soul of any party. But as the East End of London prepares wearily for another wartime Christmas amid nightly bombings, she is finding it hard to muster her festive spirit, still hurting from a recent romantic betrayal. But everything changes when she meets handsome Captain ReverendGuy Moncrieff…

Forced to leave the army after a life-altering injury, Guy is struggling to settle into his new role at a bomb-damaged little church in the centre of the East End. Romance is the last thing on his mind, but when he and George are thrown together to organise a special Christmas Eve carol service that will give their incredible, irrepressible community a chance to shine, the closeness that develops between them surprises them both.

But just as George begins to dream that a future with this kind, generous man might be possible, she is falsely accused of a terrible crime that threatens not only her happiness with Guy, but her future in the Women’s Auxiliary Airforce. Can the East End Girls rally behind one of their own to right this wrong? And as the bells ring out on Christmas Eve, can George and Guy put the past behind them and make a fresh start together? Or is it too late for a happy ever after?

Fans of Katie Flynn, Rosie Goodwin and Lizzie Lane will adore this heart-warming and emotional festive World War Two saga about love, friendship and new beginnings.

About the Author: (I love how the author herself is an “East End Girl”!)

Born and bred in East London, Jean was a District Nurse by trade working throughout East London. Since 2008, she has been publishing bestselling saga fiction, including the popular World War Two Ration Book series, which, like all her books, is set in East London. Jean has also written her autobiography A Child of the East End , about growing up in post-war Stepney and Wapping.

Good Night, Break a Leg! Life with Broadway Dads by Bret Shuford

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My friends at Penguin sent me a copy of this sweet children’s book because I think they know I love Broadway and musical theater. Good night, Break a leg! was written by Bret Shuford of “Broadway Dads”, which you may follow on social media. Bret was an incredible Broadway performer who sadly passed away from cancer while he was working on this book for his and his husband’s little boy.

Here’s the scoop:

Leap, soar, and dance into the joyous life of a little boy whose dads are dazzling Broadway performers in this lyrical, rhyming picture book from one of Instagram and TikTok’s Broadway Husbands.

Where do parents go when they walk out the door for work?

In this charming, vibrant picture book, a little boy’s dads have a very special job—they’re Broadway performers!

By day, these two are like any other parents. They do the dishes, help with chores, and give lots of hugs and kisses. But by night, they take to the stage, donning elaborate costumes and dancing for thousands of theatergoers.

From Bret Shuford, Broadway performer and cocreator of the social media sensation Broadway Husbands, this sweet story is a love letter to the theater and an ode to parents who do it all. Celebrate family, creativity, and unconditional love in this heartwarming book for theater-loving families, aspiring young performers, and anyone who believes in the magic of being yourself.

About the Author:

Bret Shuford was a Broadway performer, content creator, and proud father. His stage credits include The Little Mermaid, Wicked, Beauty and the Beast, and more. Through his work as the co-creator of Broadway Husbands with husband Stephen Hanna, Bret shared the everyday magic of balancing the arts, love, and fatherhood. At the heart of it all, he was a storyteller—one who believed the most powerful role he ever played was being a papa who dared to dream out loud. After a brave battle with cancer Bret is now in the universe protecting Stephen and their son Maverick while filling their hearts with love.

Elena Hager is a Russian American artist. She studied to be a fine painting restorer but realized children’s book illustration was everything her heart and soul craved. Elena currently lives and creates in Atlanta, Georgia.

Knowing that Bret is gone way too soon, it’s nice to know that his love and work live on.

Thank you for my copy.

Spotlight for Latino Heritage Month: The King of Aloe Vera by Tomas Moniz (and a shoutout to my Napa peeps)

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I’m shouting it out for a new title that is the perfect read to kick of Latino/Latinx Heritage month! It’s gotten lots of great reviews and pre-publicity and will publish at the end of September.

In THE KING OF ALOE VERA, Rey has lived on the same block in San Francisco’s Mission District for decades, watching his city transform. Now he spends most of his time volunteering at the library and vigilantly sweeping his stoop, which allows him to keep a careful eye on the neighborhood. He is on the verge of giving up his home and moving to a retirement community, the plan he had made with his deceased wife 10 years ago, when he catches Q, a soon to be unhoused, queer twenty-year-old, littering cigarette butts on his steps. Their friendship begins taking us on a joyful and magical journey through senior dance classes, children’s read-aloud hours, illegal bike trips over the Bay Bridge and fair housing rallies.

Tomas Moniz is a Latinx writer living in East Oakland, CA. His debut novel, Big Familia, was a finalist for the 2020 PEN/Hemingway and the LAMBDA. His second novel, All Friends Are Necessary, won the 2024 California Golden Poppy Award. He’s the recipient of the prestigious SF Literary Arts Foundation’s 2016 Award, the 2020 Artist Affiliate for Headlands Center for Arts, and the 2023 Lucas Artists Residency Program Fellow. Among the residencies he’s attended the 2022 UCross Residency, the 2020 Caldera Residency, the 2018 SPACE on Ryder Farm and others. He teaches at Berkeley City College, the Antioch MFA program and USF. 

If you know me, you know I grew up in Napa and still have many friends as well as dear family in the area:

NAPA/BAY AREA FRIENDS: Mr. Moniz will be on a panel of speakers at the NAPA BOOKMINE on Thursday, October 8!

Spotlight on: ROUGH CUTS by Glenn R. Miller

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So I could not take this one to read due to my schedule, but I wanted to do a shoutout about it since it sounds really intriguing!

Here’s the scoop:

Minneapolis, MN – From Glenn R. Miller, the acclaimed author of “Doorman Wanted”–praised for its “sly, sophisticated wit” in The Miami Herald–comes a new satirical novel on censorship in the arts: “Rough Cuts” (Koehler Books), inspired in part by his experiences working at NBC studios.

About the book: It’s 1926 and the world of film is about to change forever. On the cusp of “talkies,” directors and actors fear their greatest days might soon be behind them. Patrick J. Shepard, a director at the end of his career, has just completed his masterpiece, his vehicle for eternal fame. But there’s one problem: Ohio.

Harold Dawdry, the young, second-string minister at a small church in a corner of Ohio, has been appointed to the State Film Censorship Board. He regards this appointment as his ticket to the power and relevance he desperately craves. There is one director who has particularly rankled his delicate sensibilities: Patrick J. Shepard. The minister feels Ohio is best served if Shepard makes drastic cuts to his final film. The silent era is about to get loud.

“Rough Cuts”

Glenn R. Miller | September 29, 2026 | Koehler Books | Historical Fiction, Humor/Satire

Hardcover | ISBN: 979-8-89747-076-1 | $31.95

Paperback | ISBN: 979-8-89747-074-7 | $22.95

Ebook | ISBN: 979-8-89747-075-4 | $9.99

Praise for the author…

“Doorman Wanted” is a “comic novel that doffs its hat to master humorist P.G. Wodehouse with its interest in class differences and its sly, sophisticated wit…”

—Minneapolis Star-Tribune

“[‘Doorman Wanted’] has the rare quality of simultaneously making you laugh and making you think.” 

—Readers’ Favorite

About the author…

GLENN R. MILLER: is the author of the critically acclaimed and award-winning novel “Doorman Wanted” which was named 2026 Plymouth Reads Book of the Year. “Rough Cuts” is his second novel, forthcoming from Koehler Books. Miller launched his professional career by working on television soap operas and game shows on the back lots of NBC Burbank. He holds a master’s degree from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism and has served as a CBS-affiliate news producer, public television producer, and creative director at production agencies within the Twin Cities. Glenn and his wife live in Minneapolis, and are the parents of two grown sons.

Learn more about his work at: www.glenn-r-miller.com 

Follow Glenn R. Miller on social media:

Facebook: @glennmiller1 | Instagram: @glennrmillerauthor