romance

Bookouture Blog Tour for The Vicar’s Daughter at the Lodging House by Natalie Meg Evans

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London, 1940. When Jess Gresham arrives in the capital, she’s completely out of her depth. With bombs falling and a heartbreaking family lie about her beloved sister to get to the bottom of, can she find the help she needs at a Mayfair lodging house?

When Jess discovers the letter from her older sister Charlotte tucked into an old typewriter, her world is shaken. It’s dated two days after their father, the vicar, said she died. How could he lie about that? Desperate to uncover the truth, Jess must find her sister. The London location in her sister’s letter is her only clue…

Leaving her quiet life in the country as a vicar’s daughter behind, now Jess is in the city in wartime, her gas mask slung around her shoulder. Her one refuge is her room at a Mayfair lodging house with two other girls. Wealthy Betony is all style and charm, but she’s trying to shake her aristocratic airs and graces. Irish nurse Grace with her easy smile is much more down to earth, but Jess is certain she’s keeping a secret…

With war throwing the three girls together, can Jess’s new friends help find her missing sister, despite the secrets between them? Or will they be torn apart for good?

An totally emotional and gripping historical novel, perfect for fans of Jean Grainger, Lisa Wingate and Diney Costeloe.

I’m here today to dish about the second book in a historical fiction by Natalie Meg Evans, The Vicar’s Daughter at the Lodging House, a follow up to last fall’s The Irish Nurse at the Lodging House.

I really enjoyed the first book in this series, and I was a little upset at the ending. What was going to happen?? Then I realized it was part of a trilogy and each book has a focus on one of the characters. These books are a blend of WWII historical fiction, women’s friendships, and even romance. It kept me engaged and was not too gritty or disturbing (always hard for me). I’m looking forward to the next book in this series. I really thought Grace was my favorite character, but now I’m thinking Jess is! I do like a good protagonist I can root for while reading.

Thank you for my copy and for making me part of the tour!

Here’s a bit about the author:

Natalie Meg Evans has been an art student, actor, PR copywriter, book-keeper and bar tender but always wanted to write. A USA Today best-seller and RITA nominee, she is author of four published novels which follow the fortunes of strong-minded women during the 1930s and 40s. Fashion, manners and art are the glass through which her characters’ lives are viewed. Each novel is laced with passion, romance and desire. Mystery is never far away.

An avid absorber of history – for her sixth birthday she got a toy Arthurian castle with plastic knights – Natalie views historical fiction as theatre for the imagination. Her novels delve behind the scenes of a prestige industry: high fashion, millinery, theatre, wine making. Rich arenas for love and conflict. Most at home in the English countryside, Natalie lives in rural Suffolk. She has one son.

Harper-Collins Tour for The Time Hop Coffee Shop by Phaedra Patrick

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This was such a fun novel to read – so clever and engaging. Main character Greta wants her life to be different and finds a way to do that by visiting a magical coffee shop that puts her into the coffee commercials that she used to star in long ago. The premise reminded me a bit of the movie Pleasantville (which I also love!). Greta needs to learn that she doesn’t need magic to find happiness, but can make her own magic. I was thinking that this would be a good Hallmark movie and I see that her previous novel was made into a Hallmark movie!

A fun read – thank you for having me as part of the tour and for my copy!

Here’s the “scoop” (pun intended!):

The Time Hop Coffee Shop 

Phaedra Patrick

December 9, 2025

 Park Row Books Paperback Original

Buy Links: NOT affiliated with BBNB

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0778310906/keywords=magical%2Brealism 

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-time-hop-coffee-shop-phaedra-patrick/1146709761 

harpercollins:  https://www.harpercollins.com/products/the-time-hop-coffee-shop-phaedra-patrick?variant=43812618010658 

Bookshop.org: https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-time-hop-coffee-shop-original-phaedra-patrick/22162824 

Social Links:

Author Website: https://www.phaedra-patrick.com/ 

X: https://x.com/phaedrapatrick

Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/phaedrapatrick/   

GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14203653.Phaedra_Patrick 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/phaedrapatrick 

Author Bio: 

Phaedra Patrick is the bestselling author of several novels, including The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper, which has been translated into twenty-five languages worldwide. Her second novel, Rise and Shine Benedict Stone, was made into a Hallmark movie. An award-winning short story writer, she previously studied art and marketing and has worked as a stained glass artist, film festival organizer and communications manager. Phaedra lives in Saddleworth, UK, with her family.

Book Summary:

Greta Perks was once the shining star of the iconic Maple Gold coffee commercials, everyone’s favorite TV wife and mom. Now fame has faded, that once-glittering career a distant memory. Her marriage is on the rocks, her teenage daughter is distant, and she can’t even book any acting jobs.

When Greta stumbles upon a mysterious coffee shop serving a magical brew, she wishes for the perfect life in those past Maple Gold commercials. Next thing she knows, she’s waking up in the idyllic town of Mapleville, where the sun always shines and the aroma of freshly brewed coffee and second chances fill the air. Given the opportunity to live the life she dreamed, Greta is determined to rewrite her own script. But can life ever be like a coffee commercial? And what will happen when Greta has to choose between perfection and real life, with no turning back?

Bookouture Tour for The Irish Nurse at the Lodging House by Natalie Meg Evans

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I’m here today as part of the blog tour for a new historical novel by Natalie Meg Evans – The Irish Nurse at the Lodging House – the first in a new WWII series highlighting different women’s stories.

Here’s the scoop:

London, 1940. Walking up the steps of the lodging house at No. 34 Hill Street in Mayfair, Grace Whelan is full of hope, despite the bombs raining down on London every night. But is this the fresh start she craves, or will the family she’s desperately running from catch up with her?

Nurse Grace Whelan’s Irish accent isn’t out of place on the hospital wards in the East End. But she hides it, and so much more, when her work takes her to the other side of the city. Her roommates at the lodging house and her potential beau, RAF pilot Owen, can never know the secrets she’s keeping about her family…

The three girls may share a room in the cosy lodgings, but they are very different. Jess is a country girl not used to the city, and Betony is adjusting to life without her aristocratic father’s money. But as they go through terrifying air raids and family heartbreak together, a sisterhood starts to form.

Until Grace’s criminal brother tracks her down, looking for money. And when it’s revealed she’s not the only one involved with Owen, the scandal threatens to tear the three apart for good.

Devastated, Grace is torn. Will she lose her new friends as quickly as she found them? Or can confessing all her secrets bring them closer together, as the war comes to their doorstep?

A heart-wrenching story full of love, loss and friendship during the darkest times. This wonderful new series is perfect for fans of Jean Grainger, Lisa Wingate and Diney Costeloe.

I liked this one a lot but just know that it’s part of a larger series, so don’t expect resolution for everyone on the last page!

Thank you for having me as part of the tour and for my copy. I look forward to the next book in the series and seeing these characters’ stories continue.

About the Author:

Natalie is a RITA nominated, USA Today best-selling author of ten historical novels: The Dress Thief, The Milliner’s Secret, The Wardrobe Mistress, A Gown of Thorns, The Secret Vow and The Paris Girl (featuring sisters, Katya and Tatiana.) Two further novels are set in southern Italy: Into the Burning Dawn and The Italian Girl’s Secret, both featuring young women facing tough choices.

The Girl with the Yellow Star takes the reader to wartime Cornwall and introduces Gwenna and little Lotti, the motherless child who comes unexpectedly into her life. The Locket is a split timeline novel featuring Irene, a country girl living next door to a new American airbase and her grandaughter Ruby who uncovers Irene’s lost past. The Paris Inheritance is her latest novel, a split timeline between an English painter caught in Paris by enemy occupation and Hope, an Englishwoman who comes to France looking for a new life. Both women are on the knife edge of life-changing events. Natalie writes page turning stories of wartime, love and challenging choices.

From February 2025, look out for Natalie’s country house crime novels under the name Kay Blythe. One and the same, Natalie/Kay aims to delight the reader with immersive, twisty historical adventure. Happy reading!

Bookouture Blog Tour for Murder in Hollywood by Millicent Binks

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I’m dishing today about the second Opal LaPlume mystery by Millicent Binks: Murder in Hollywood. I love a good historical cozy mystery and this one takes place on the set of a film. Opal reminds me a bit of Rhys Bowen’s Georgie Rannoch, and she falls into a murder mystery on one of her first days on set. Opal’s “voice” is rather humorous, with often-used “large” similes, and the pacing was quick, leaving this one to feel like a light read. That said, I did not guess who-dunnit! While this is the second in the series, it can be read as a stand alone.

Thank you for my copy and for having me as part of the tour!

Book: Murder in Hollywood

Author: Millicent Binks

Pub Day: August 18th 2025

Buy Link(s) NOT affiliated with BBNB: https://geni.us/B0F83SFKR8social

Audible: 

AUDIBLE:

UK: https://www.audible.co.uk/pd/B0FJ2SCGTD/?source_code=AUKFrDlWS02231890H6-BK-ACX0-461638&ref=acx_bty_BK_ACX0_461638_rh_uk 

US: https://www.audible.com/pd/B0FJ2T1DFQ/?source_code=AUDFPWS0223189MWT-BK-ACX0-461638&ref=acx_bty_BK_ACX0_461638_rh_us

Listen here: https://soundcloud.com/bookouture/murder-in-hollywood-by-millicent-binks-narrated-by-antonia-beamish

About the Book: 

Lights, camera, action and… murder?

1934. Opal Laplume’s star is on the rise when she gets a job making costumes for Hollywood’s biggest talkie star, Jane Margeaux. But when Jane is fatally shot on set by a prop gun, and security guard Augusto finds a bullet missing from his pistol, it falls to Opal to save her favourite new friend from a wrongful murder accusation.

Opal soon discovers that Jane had a list of enemies as long as the train on her designer gown. Jane’s co-star Betty envied her rise to fame, but did her jealousy take a deadly turn? Jane’s loyal assistant Virginia was overworked and underpaid. Did she get Jane out of the way to get ahead at the studio? Or did Jane’s fortune-hunting husband Carey see an opportunity to inherit his wife’s jaw-dropping Sunset Boulevard mansion?

Just when Opal thinks she’s found her prime suspect, a crew member is found dead in the California desert with a briefcase stuffed full of movie scripts. And a close look at the director’s cut of Jane’s latest picture reveals a secret message hidden in plain sight. Soon, Opal will find that Jane was hiding the biggest secret in Hollywood – one truly worth killing for.Can Opal keep her English cool among the Tinseltown drama and crack the case before it’s a wrap for the entire crew?

Author Bio

Millicent is a writer, former costume designer and burlesque performer from Suffolk. She now resides in North London with her husband and two cats, Queenie and Tarquin.

She has a BA (Hons) at Wimbledon College of Art in Costume Interpretation. Her writing credits include a column in the The London Evening Standard about her life as a burlesque starlet.  She wrote the cover story “Alter Shego’s”  for The Sunday Times Magazine, in which she disguised herself as different women, took self-portraits, went out, introduced herself to random gentlemen and documented their reactions. This was optioned for TV by NBCUniversal.

Social Media

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61573866510514

X: https://x.com/millicentbinks/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/millicentbinks/

Bookouture email signup:  https://bookouture.com/subscribe/millicent-binks/

HTP Tour for The Second Chance Bus Stop by Ally Zetterberg

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I loved this sweet and touching novel, focusing on several main characters whose paths are inter-related. Each one has their own journey in this story and each one is what I can “perfectly imperfect”. This one is bound to be one of my favorite reads this summer. I’d love to see it made into a film!

Thank you for my copy and for having me as part of the tour!

Here’s the scoop:

The Second Chance Bus Stop

Ally Zetterberg

On Sale Date: August 19, 2025

9780778387626 

Trade Paperback

$18.99 USD

352 pages

ABOUT THE BOOK:

For fans of Frederik Backman and Phaedra Patrick, a heartfelt and moving multiple POV tale that follows Sophia, who’s trying to save her favorite uncle’s flower shop; Blade, a devoted son looking for his mother’s long lost love; and Edith, who’s trying to hold on to her memories for as long as she can, from Ally Zetterberg, author of The Happiness Blueprint.

Edith has Alzheimer’s. The idea that she might someday forget her son, her life, even herself plagues her constantly. So there is something important she must do before the disease robs her of her memories: she has to find Sven, the love of her life whom she was supposed to meet on a bus stop bench twenty-seven years ago and run off with, but he never showed.

Her son, Blade, is struggling to keep an eye on her, to keep her safe. His mother’s full-time caregiver, he resents the fact, if he’s being honest, that he gave up his career and most of his life to look after her. But what wouldn’t he do for his mother? Track down her decades old flame so that she has a chance to finally understand why he never showed all those years ago, before her mind fails her? Sure, he can do that.

Sophia is desperately trying to keep her business afloat. Her uncle — her favorite person in the world — left his flower shop to her and her brothers after he died, but she seems to be the only one interested in keeping it; they would rather sell. But she can’t let that happen, can’t let the memory of him and the times they shared fade away. All she has to do is land a big job, big enough to show her family not only is the business worth saving but she’s the one to do it. So when an opportunity comes along that takes her all over Sweden, she can’t say no.

They say life is what happens when you’re busy making other plans. While Edith is desperately trying to hold on to her memories, she discovers friendship in a young woman who sits with her daily at the bus stop. While Blade is looking high and low all across Sweden for Sven, he learns to embrace his relationship with his mother more fully and see her for everything she is and is not. While Sophia is fighting to keep her uncle’s dream alive, she comes to terms with the way her parents treated her as a child, and the therapies forced upon her in response to her autism diagnosis. Life is happening all around them, and it’s a delight to watch these different stories unfold, to watch how their lives change, all while they were busy with something else. And much like with life, there’s so much good to be found in these pages.  

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Ally Zetterberg is a British-Swedish writer. She spent ten years working internationally as a fashion model before becoming a full-time mum. Being neurodivergent herself and the mother of a child with Type 1 Diabetes, she is passionate about writing relatable characters and representing those living with medical conditions in commercial fiction. She speaks four languages and spends her days doing her best not to muddle them up.

SOCIAL LINKS:

Author website: https://www.allyzetterberg.com/

Twitter: @AllyZetterberg

Instagram: @allyzetterbergauthor

BUY LINKS: NOT affiliated with BBNB

Bookshop.org: https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-second-chance-bus-stop-original-ally-zetterberg/21769955?ean=9780778387626&next=t&affiliate=397 

B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-second-chance-bus-stop-ally-zetterberg/1146225177;jsessionid=269C2C305F28A336FD28B0BE4C0DF856.prodny_store02-atgap06?ean=9780778387626&st=AFF&2sid=HarperCollins%20Publishers%20LLC_7310909_NA&sourceId=AFFHarperCollins%20Publishers%20LLC 

Books A Million: https://www.booksamillion.com/p/9780778387626?cjdata=MXxOfDB8WXww&AID=10747236&PID=7310909&cjevent=fa1489686ef211f0817e04a40a82b820 

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0778387623/keywords=satire?tag=harpercollinsus-20 

Bookouture Blog Tour for Not My Greek Wedding by Sue Roberts

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I’m happy to be here today to promote a new summer read from Bookouture: Sue Roberts’ Not My Greek Wedding. This was an engaging and positive read about a young woman who is getting herself back on track after a big break up and who is headed to Greece for her bestie’s wedding. There’s romance, humor, and more in this memorable novel with realistic characters and a storyline that many will relate to.

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

Book Description:

She might not be the bride, but could this wedding be the start of her perfect future?

Mia is reeling from a breakup with her fiancé. And now her best friend Tasha is getting married on the beautiful Greek island of Santorini – where Mia once planned on having her own wedding.

Arriving at the resort, Mia’s breath catches at the sight of the sun-soaked terrace and vases overflowing with pink and white blooms. And with guests like local hunk, Christos, walking around like statues of Greek gods come to life, there’s even more to celebrate… so Mia promises to put her own heartache aside and make sure everything is perfect for Tasha – especially as she’s the Maid of Honour!

But with embarrassing speeches, champagne corks popping everywhere, and guests getting caught up in the energetic Greek dancing, there are too many problems to tackle alone. If she opens her heart, can Mia and Christos make sure the day runs smoothly, and could she even start her own new love story in Greece?

This absolutely gorgeous and unputdownable beach read is perfect for fans of Kate Frost, Mandy Baggot and Holly Martin. Pack your bags and get ready to be swept away to the stunning beaches of Greece!

Author Bio:

Sue Roberts lives in Lancashire with her long term partner Derek and has had a lifelong love of writing, encouraged by winning a school writing competition at the age of 11.

She always assumed that ‘one day’ she would write a book, always having a busy household and a job, the idea remained firmly on the back burner but never forgotten.

The inspiration for her first novel came to her on a holiday to a Greek village. Her daughters had left home and suddenly the time had come to write that book!
https://www.instagram.com/ suerobertsauthor/
https://twitter.com/ suerobertsautho

Sign up to be the first to hear about new releases from Sue Roberts here: https://www.bookouture. com/sue-roberts

Buy Link: NOT affiliated with BBNB

Amazon: https://geni.us/B0F4KD2C6Bsocial

You can sign up for all the best Bookouture deals you’ll love at: http://ow.ly/Fkiz30lnzdo

Bookouture Blog Tour for: A Very Italian Wedding by Donna Ashcroft

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I’m happy to be here today to promote this new title from Donna Ashcroft. I don’t read too many rom-coms, but this was a good one, with multi-dimensional characters and a wedding at its center. Plus it takes place in one of my very favorite places: Italy! This is the perfect summer treat. Thank you for my copy and having me as past of the tour.

Book:  A Very Italian Wedding 

Author: Donna Ashcroft 

Pub Day:  June 5th 2025

Buy Link (not affiliated with BBNB):   https://geni.us/B0DZHTFLRXsocial

About the Book: 

Escape to Italy, to golden sand and a glittering sea, to wedding bells chiming in a tiny hilltop town… Can Rose heal the heartbreak from her past, and take a chance on love?As the sun sets over a villa in Tuscany, an engagement party is in full swing. The bride-to-be gazes up at her groom, her glass of prosecco glinting in the evening light as she toasts their happy future; but as Rose watches her best friend Luna swoon over her handsome new fiancé, she can’t help feeling worried. Life has taught Rose that love ends in heartbreak, and all she wants is to protect herself and Luna. That’s why she came up with her Rules for Love: follow these and happiness is guaranteed.

Only Luna is breaking all the rules. She only met Marco a month ago. Rose is sure that love at first sight isn’t real… until she sets eyes on Ben, the best man. Towering above her, with tousled blonde hair and wide, powerful shoulders, he’s irritatingly charming, relentlessly positive and insists that love really can conquer all. Rose’s head is in a spin.

She has learned to never open her heart, never to trust, but Ben is becoming harder to resist…
Will breaking the rules end with Rose breaking her heart? Or will the magic of Italy bring her the happy ending she’s always dreamed of?

Author Bio

Copyright VanessaChampion.co.uk

Donna wanted to be an author from the age of twelve when reading and writing were her first loves. In 2018 her first book, Summer at the Castle Cafe was published and her dream came true.

She’s had fourteen books published. Seven of Donna’s books have been in the Amazon top 100 (a cause for immense celebrations in her house), one made it to number seven in the UK and US Kindle charts and Summer in the Scottish Highlands made it to number 1 in the UK, US and AU free ebook charts. She was also shortlisted for the RNA Debut Romantic Novel of the Year in 2019.

Donna lives in Hertfordshire, with her own romantic hero, two grown up kids (who aren’t always home) and two very grumpy cats. She loves a happy ending and is never happier than when she’s escaping into a romance novel or movie.

Social Media

Facebook: https://www. facebook.com/ DonnaAshcroftAuthor/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ Donnashc

Website: http://donna-writes. co.uk/

Instagram:  https://www. instagram.com/ donnaashcroftauthor/

Kristina McMorris’ THE GIRLS OF GOOD FORTUNE

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I really enjoy the books of Kristina McMorris, and she has a new one coming out this month (5/2025): The Girls of Good Fortune. This one is centered on a young woman in the Portland area in the late 1800’s and the discrimination that Asian immigrants faced at that time. Having grown up in the Bay Area, I was much more familiar with the experience of Asian, particularly Chinese, immigrants in Northern California. This is definitely a dark period of our history and this story is all the more haunting as it’s based in fact.

Here’s the scoop:

The New York Times bestselling author of Sold on a Monday and The Ways We Hide shines a light on shocking events surrounding Portland’s dark history in this gripping novel of love, lore, and betrayal. 

She came from a lineage known for good fortune…by those who don’t know the whole story. 

Oregon, 1888. Amid the subterranean labyrinth of Portland’s notorious Shanghai Tunnels, a woman awakens in an underground cell, drugged and disguised. Celia soon realizes she’s a “shanghaied” victim on the verge of being shipped off as forced labor, leaving behind those she loves most. Although well accustomed to adapting for survival―being half-Chinese, passing as white during an era fraught with anti-Chinese sentiment―she fears that far more than her own fate hangs in the balance.

As she pieces together the twisting path that led to her abduction, from serving as a maid for the family of a dubious mayor to becoming entwined in the case of a goldminers’ massacre, revelations emerge of a child left in peril. Desperate, Celia must find a way to escape and return to a place where unearthed secrets can prove deadlier than the dark recesses of Chinatown.

 A captivating tale of resilience and hope, The Girls of Good Fortune explores the complexity of family and identity, the importance of stories that echo through generations, and the power of strength found beneath the surface.

This novel is a bit of everything: historical fiction, romance, suspense, mystery. I enjoyed it and thankfully that ending did not let me down!

Here’s a bit of info on Ms. McMorris:

About the Author

Kristina McMorris is a New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author of two novellas and seven historical novels, including the million-copy bestseller Sold on a Monday. The recipient of more than twenty national literary awards, she previously hosted weekly TV shows for Warner Bros. and an ABC affiliate, beginning at age nine with an Emmy Award-winning program, and owned a wedding-and-event-planning company until she had far surpassed her limit of “Y.M.C.A.” and chicken dances. Kristina lives near Portland, Oregon, where she somehow manages to be fully deficient of a green thumb and not own a single umbrella.

I am thankful to Kristina McMorris’ publisher, Sourcebooks, for my review copy through Net Galley!

Happy Reading!!

The Griffin Sisters’ Greatest Hits by Jennifer Weiner

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I love the writing of novelist Jennifer Weiner so I was thrilled when I was offered this title through her publisher and Net Galley. This was a story of two sisters who hit it big in the music world, but then a terrible accident destroys everything they have. These two, Cassie and Zoe, could not have been more unalike: one beautiful and self-centered and attention-seeking, one shy, gifted, and wanting to stay out of the limelight. This story is a bit heart-breaking, though I loved the ending. What rings true throughout, as it often does in Weiner’s work, is that you should not be judged by how you look, but by how you are inside and your actions.

Here’s the scoop:

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Jennifer Weiner comes The Griffin Sisters’ Greatest Hits, a deeply moving novel set against the glitz and chaos of early 2000s pop stardom. Equal parts heartfelt family saga and behind-the-scenes look at fame, this is a story about sisters, secrets, and the power of second chances. 

Cassie and Zoe Grossberg were thrust into the spotlight as The Griffin Sisters, a pop duo that defined the aughts. Together, they skyrocketed to the top, gracing MTV, SNL, and the cover of Rolling Stone. Cassie, a musical genius who never felt at ease in her own skin, preferred to stay in the shadows. Zoe, full of confidence and craving fame, lived for the stage. But fame has a price, and after one turbulent year, the band abruptly broke up. 

Now, two decades later, the sisters couldn’t be further apart. Zoe is a suburban mom warning her daughter Cherry to avoid the spotlight, while Cassie has disappeared from public life entirely. But when Cherry begins unearthing the truth behind their breathtaking rise and infamous breakup, long-buried secrets surface, forcing all three women to confront their choices, their desires, and their complicated bonds. 

With richly developed characters, a nostalgic nod to the pop culture of the 2000s, and a resonant tale of ambition, forgiveness, and family, The Griffin Sisters’ Greatest Hits will captivate readers from the first note to the final encore. Whether you’ve followed Jennifer Weiner for years or are discovering her for the first time, this book is a must-read for music lovers, fans of sisterly dramas, and anyone who cherishes a great story of second chances.

New Zealand: A Novel by Lance Morcan

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I’m throwing the spotlight on this title today, in part because for today and tomorrow (Jan 12 and 13, 2025) it is FREE on Kindle! What?? Yes, you read that right. FREE!

New Zealand: A Novel spans almost 500 years and covers the respective discoveries of New Zealand by Pacific Islanders and Europeans. From the outset the two stories are interposed. It starts in the 1300’s with the departure of Islanders from Hawaiki in search of land far to the south.

The hardy, brown-skinned people who arrive here first call themselves Maori and they call their new home Aotearoa – land of the long, white cloud. The fascinating, eventful and sometimes violent lives of descendants of those first arrivals are traced through the centuries until the arrival of Europeans aboard Captain James Cook’s bark the Endeavour. Cook names the new land New Zealand.

Maoris call the white intruders pakeha. Their arrival heralds a clash of two vastly different ideologies as European civilization collides head on with indigenous culture.

The misunderstandings, tension and bloodshed that follow are relayed as seen through the eyes of one of the Endeavour’s youngest and most engaging crewmembers, Surgeon’s Assistant Nicholas Young, as the vessel embarks on its historic circumnavigation of the country.

Amidst the life-threatening challenges Nicholas faces at sea and on land, the young man finds true love when he meets Anika, a beautiful Maori princess who steals his heart.

About the author:

Lance Morcan

New Zealand novelist and screenwriter Lance Morcan is a prolific author with more than 35 published fiction and non-fiction books to his credit as well as several screenplay adaptations of his work. A former journalist and newspaper editor, he regularly writes in collaboration with his son James Morcan, and their books are published by Sterling Gate Books.

The father-and-son team’s published books include the new release horror Silent Fear (A novel inspired by true crimes) and the bestselling historical adventures White Spirit, Fiji: A Novel and Into the Americas. They also have several series including The Orphan Trilogy, an international thriller series, the globetrotting action-romance series The World Duology, and the controversial non-fiction franchise The Underground Knowledge Series, which includes Genius Intelligence and The Catcher in the Rye Enigma.

Several of their books have been regular visitors to Amazon’s bestseller lists over the years.

An additional non-fiction title they’re especially proud of is Debunking Holocaust Denial Theories, which was written in collaboration with Holocaust survivors to document the genocide.

Lance’s first solo-authored novel, a historical adventure-romance titled New Zealand: A Novel, was published late 2024. Spanning almost 500 years, this novel covers the respective discoveries of New Zealand by Pacific Islanders and Europeans. From the outset the two stories are interposed. It starts in the 1300’s with the departure of Islanders from Hawaiki in search of land far to the south. Researching and writing this epic was literally half a century in the making for Lance who described the task as “A labour of love that spanned 50 years.”

The Morcans’ production entity Morcan Motion Pictures has a number of feature films in early development, including adaptations of Silent Fear, Into the Americas and White Spirit.