There are a few things that make an author a favorite. And what makes Naima Simone a favorite of mine - is she always understands the assignment. This is a writer who gets romance. She knows how to pay off the tropes, how to create fully alive characters and most importantly, keep the pages turning. I've read a lot of Naima's books but nothing prepared me for Church Girl. It's hot. Like...real hot. It has an important conversation within itself about what is holy and what is profane. It's imbedded in rich deep culture. AND she had a few surprises up her sleeve. If you love romance with serious spice that doesn't back down from big issues this is ABSOLUTELY the book for you.

She’s a preacher’s daughter, a runaway bride and now the (not quite) qualified nanny for a sexy tattoo artist with a beautiful daughter—and a dirty mouth.

What’s a bad boy to do with a woman like her?

Everything…

Aaliyah Montgomery isn’t just ditching her wedding. She’s also fleeing her suffocating small town and her family’s expectations. She’s got plans—for college, for finding herself. But landing a job in Chicago that fits her schedule isn’t easy. Good thing Von Howard is desperate to find a live-in nanny. Bad thing that he’s a gritty, grumpy, gorgeous tattoo artist carrying as much baggage as he has ink.

Von’s new hire is inexperienced and a fire hazard in the kitchen. She’s also all thick curls, thicker curves, and a distracting mix of innocence and sensuality. After the upheaval of a divorce, he just needs a nanny, not a sneaky link. Meanwhile, Aaliyah is bonding with his seven-year-old and showing an unexpected flair for tattoo art. Who could resist?

Yet deep down, Aaliyah’s still running—from her feelings and her fear of losing herself to someone else’s expectations again. Even as their pasts return to haunt them, their undeniable heat says maybe it’s time to stand and fight for a love they didn’t see coming.

Buy the book here: https://naimasimone.com/

Find Naima here: https://www.instagram.com/naimasimoneauthor/

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I had no idea Queen Elizabeth II had a favorite cocktail. Did you? A Dubbonet and Gin and let me tell you, that first sip is a doozy, but after that it's delicious drinking. Much in the same way Heather Webb and Hazel Gaynor's latest release: Christmas With The Queen is just delightful reading. Rich with historical details and cozy Christmas details and a lovely star-crossed love story. This is a perfect read for the holiday season. We talk about the amazing partnership between them, the division of labor, the joy of travel research and the intimidating nature of writing about The Queen. All while getting a little tipsy on her favorite tipple!

’Tis the season! The Crown meets When Harry Met Sally in the latest heartwarming historical novel from Hazel Gaynor and Heather Webb, bestselling authors of Last Christmas in Paris, Meet Me in Monaco, and Three Words for Goodbye.

December 1952. While the young Queen Elizabeth II finds her feet as the new monarch, she must also find the right words to continue the tradition of her late father’s Christmas Day radio broadcast. But even traditions must evolve with the times, and the queen faces a postwar Britain hungry for change.

As preparations begin for the royal Christmas at Sandringham House in Norfolk, old friends—Jack Devereux and Olive Carter—are unexpectedly reunited by the occasion. Olive, a single mother and aspiring reporter at the BBC, leaps at the opportunity to cover the holiday celebration, but even a chance encounter with the queen doesn’t go as planned and Olive wonders if she will ever be taken seriously.

Jack, a recently widowed chef, reluctantly takes up a new role in the royal kitchens at Sandringham. Lacking in purpose and direction, Jack has abandoned his dream to have his own restaurant, but his talents are soon noticed and while he might not believe in himself, others do, and a chance encounter with an old friend helps to reignite the spark of his passion and ambition.

As Jack and Olive’s paths continue to cross over the following five Christmases, they grow ever closer. Yet Olive carries the burden of a heavy secret that threatens to destroy everything.

Find Heather and Hazel here:
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Monica stops by to talk about her fascinating and fast-paced Historical Fiction - The Jewel of the Blues while sipping the most sophisticated cocktail there is - The French 75. Deliciousness all the way around. The Jewel of the Blues rich with impeccable and fascinating research about the 1920's Vaudeville Circuit. We discuss her fantastic touch with dialogue and the interesting choices she made on where and how she started the story. Mom - you would like this one! Fix yourself a French 75 and settle in!

Set in the sparkling 1920s jazz era, The Jewel of the Blues pulls back the curtain on all the romance, danger and drama in the bustling backstage life of a young performer.

Billed as the Little Girl with the Big Voice, blues singer Lucille Arnetta Love always dreamed of life under the lights. From traveling family gospel band to lead singer in a riotous vaudeville troupe, Lucille is on the rise. But a devastating family secret, one that’s poised to shatter every dream she’s ever had, casts an inescapable shadow over Lucille’s career.

Decades ago, a botched robbery ended in a suspicious death—and all signs point to Lucille’s own father as the culprit. It’s a secret that Lucille’s family is determined to keep buried—even from Lucille herself. For a time, a fresh start feels possible, especially when Marcus Williams, Lucille’s manager—and sometimes paramour—sets her up with a band to tour the country: Miss Lucille’s Black Troubadours. Lucille’s dream of seeing her name in the bright lights of Broadway may happen yet, if she and the Troubadours can endure the highly competitive, rocky road to fame.

Beneath the dazzling glamour of the vaudeville scene lies a wicked underbelly, as drinking, gambling, salacious love affairs and racial tensions compete to dim Lucille’s shining star. And when shady figures from her father’s past emerge, their thirst for revenge threatens to silence Lucille’s career—and the sultry singer herself—for good.

Find Monica here:
https://www.instagram.com/monicackilgore/
Find her book here:
https://monicachenaultkilgore.com/

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