Always a Bridesmaid by Jana Richards

Blurb:

Dani Dipietro has always considered herself an ugly duckling in a family of swans. She's the bridesmaid her friends count on, but never the woman any man wants for his bride. So she plays the funny girl and guards her emotions, and her secrets, closely.

When Zach Morrison was dumped at his wedding, Dani was there to help him through the humiliation. A year later they meet again and once more Zach needs her help. To fend off the unwanted attentions of his former fiancé, he asks Dani to pretend to be his girlfriend. They play their roles a little too well, and make believe turns into reality. But their relationship comes crashing down around them when Zach's trust issues cause him to accuse Dani of cheating. Telling the truth means Dani would have to betray a friend, something she would never do. But keeping secrets means she may be destined to remain a bridesmaid forever.

Review:

Part of me really related to Dani Dipietro in Always a Bridesmaid, having been overweight much of my life.  Fortunately, I never had to endure a weekend like the one in which Dani finds herself trapped, pretending to be the girlfriend of a man with whom she’s in love so he can try to avoid his former fiancé—who wants him back.  At first things go well and Zach Morrison seems to be falling for the new, svelte Dani.  But then he suddenly changes.  She doesn’t know he saw her hugging another man in the solarium and thought she was cheating on him.  When she realizes what he saw, she can’t explain.  She gave her word to her friend that she would keep his secret, and she’s an honest and loyal friend, even though it means losing Zach.

Always a Bridesmaid took me through a gamut of emotions from laughing in sympathy when Dani’s too-tight bridesmaids dress split while she tried to retrieve a lady’s purse from under the pew and was discovered by Zach after his fiancé, her college friend, left him at the altar, to crying with her when he believes he’s betrayed her.  For a fun, cozy read, curl up with Always a Bridesmaid.

Length:  181 Pages

Price:  $6.99

Buy Link:  http://www.uncialpress.com/Always-a-Bridesmaid.html

You’ll notice I always include the publisher’s buy link.  That’s because authors usually receive 40% of the book price from the publisher.  Editors and cover artists usually receive about 5%.  When you buy a book from Amazon, Barnes & Noble or another third-party vendor, they take a hefty cut and the author, editors and cover artists receive their cuts from what is left.  So, if a book costs $5.99 at E-Book Publisher.com and you buy from there, the author will receive about $2.40.  If you buy the book at Amazon, the author will receive about $0.83.

Downloading the file from your computer to your Kindle is as easy as transferring any file from your computer to a USB flash drive.  Plug the USB end of your chord into a USB port on your computer and simply move the file from your “Downloads” box to your Kindle/Documents/Books directory.  I actually download my books using “Save As” to a “Books” file I created on my computer that’s sorted by my publisher, friends, and books “to review,” and then transfer them to my Kindle from there.  That way, if there’s a glitch with my Kindle, the books are on my computer.  Your author will be happy you did when he/she sees his/her royalty statement.

Thanks for visiting. RIW

Hemphill Towers by Leona Pence

Blurb:

Riley Saunders has her dream job. As an art director at a leading advertising agency, she works every day with her two best friends, Stella and Birdie. All three have been assigned to ensure that the Grand Opening of the Peterson Art Museum is nothing short of a success.

When a girl’s night out at a hot new Italian restaurant ends with a spilled bottle of wine, it sets in motion a series of events that leaves Stella and Birdie caught up in whirlwind romances, and Riley fearing for her life at the hands of a deranged stalker. But, when the handsome museum curator, Trent Peterson, learns of her situation, he vows to keep her safe.

In a quick-paced tale of fine art, wine forgery, and the Russian Mafia, Riley and her friends soon discover their pursuit of love will require them to expose a crime, thwart a murder, and trust the one thing that has never failed them…their friendship.

Review:

Hemphill Towers was a fast-paced book that kept me on the edge of my seat as three friends’ lives are changed in one night.  Stella, who I believe is the Creative Director at an ad agency is hopelessly in love with the owner, J. B. Edwards, who has never noticed her as anything but the competent executive she is. Birdie’s position is never fully described. Riley is the Art Director, and the three are best friends. When they decide to try a new Italian restaurant, they have no idea J. B. is there with an old friend, who falls for Birdie the moment he sees her across the room.  J. B. finally notices Stella when wine spills on her, and Riley falls into the lap of wheel-chair-bound Dierk Rosenthal, who asks her out.  She agrees to the date, a day-trip to Chicago’s Art Institute.

The date with Rosenthal does not go well. First they take a side-trip to a doctor’s office where Riley overhears part of an apparent argument ending with the doctor telling Rosenthal not to return. Then, when he leaves her at the museum to use the restroom, a man comments on a painting she’s admiring, and tells her he’s the artist’s son. Rosenthal accuses her of flirting with the man and expresses contempt for art, sending up red flags in Riley’s opinion of him. She decides not to continue dating Rosenthal, who does not take no for an answer and becomes a dangerous stalker. The man from the museum turns out to be Trent Peterson, a client of the ad agency.

Tensions build as Birdie encounters the Russian mafia in Italy, and Rosenthal’s anger grows. He blames all of his problems on Riley and finally decides to take his ultimate revenge on her. She has to die.

Finally, there was a prologue that went nowhere. At first, I thought maybe Riley was the girl in the prologue, and her stalker had caught up with her. Then I thought the girl in the prologue would somehow figure in the stalker’s end. Neither was true. It didn’t even introduce Dierk Rosenthal as the stalker.

In the rest of the book, the tension built up beautifully, but the end was tepid at best. I was extremely disappointed. I would have loved to have given this book at least four roses, but it barely rates three.

Length: 190 Pages

Price:  $5.50

Buy Link:  https://museituppublishing.com/bookstore/index.php/now-available-in-ebook/hemphill-towers-detail

You’ll notice I always include the publisher’s buy link.  That’s because authors usually receive 40% of the book price from the publisher.  Editors and cover artists usually receive about 5%.  When you buy a book from Amazon, Barnes & Noble or another third-party vendor, they take a hefty cut and the author, editors and cover artists receive their cuts from what is left.  So, if a book costs $5.99 at E-Book Publisher.com and you buy from there, the author will receive about $2.40.  If you buy the book at Amazon, the author will receive about $0.83.

Downloading the file from your computer to your Kindle is as easy as transferring any file from your computer to a USB flash drive.  Plug the USB end of your chord into a USB port on your computer and simply move the file from your “Downloads” box to your Kindle/Documents/Books directory.  I actually download my books using “Save As” to a “Books” file I created on my computer that’s sorted by my publisher, friends, and books “to review,” and then transfer them to my Kindle from there.  That way, if there’s a glitch with my Kindle, the books are on my computer.  Your author will be happy you did when he/she sees his/her royalty statement.

Thanks for visiting. RIW

Along Came Pauly by Chris Redding

Blurb:

A contemporary romance about a dog that brings two people together who don't want to be. She's a vegetarian veterinarian who needs cash for a no-kill shelter. He's the heir to a hot dog fortune who must give away money before he gains his inheritance. Sounds like a perfect match. It isn't.

Review:

Along Came Pauly was a pleasant read.  It’s been awhile since I’ve read a book that was strictly romance without mystery or humor thrown in.  Oh, of course there’s conflict.  You can’t write a book without it.  Daria lives her love of animals. She's a veterinarian and a vegetarian, and Paul’s the heir to a hot-dog fortune.  His father made his money by slaughtering animals
—everything Daria fights against.  Not to mention Paul’s love of a good steak when it comes time to celebrate.  No, they are definitely not a perfect match.  But, we don’t exactly choose with whom we fall in love, and stranger things have happened.  Or have they?

For a nice, light read, grab Along Came Pauly.

Length:  166 Pages

Price:  $0.99

Buy Link:  http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EN33QNI/ref=cm_sw_su_dp

Thanks for visiting.  RIW