November 17, 2020

New Release Tuesday!! Nov. 17, 2020




Happy Tuesday my bookish friends.  It's been a while I know, but life has just been turned upside down for me.  I hope you all are doing well and you are reading some good books.  If not, here's a few new ones that are coming out today!  

WHAT I'M ADDING TO MY TBR:

 

A Promised Land by Barack Obama
In the stirring, highly anticipated first volume of his presidential memoirs, Barack Obama tells the story of his improbable odyssey from young man searching for his identity to leader of the free world, describing in strikingly personal detail both his political education and the landmark moments of the first term of his historic presidency—a time of dramatic transformation and turmoil.
Obama takes readers on a compelling journey from his earliest political aspirations to the pivotal Iowa caucus victory that demonstrated the power of grassroots activism to the watershed night of November 4, 2008, when he was elected 44th president of the United States, becoming the first African American to hold the nation’s highest office.
Reflecting on the presidency, he offers a unique and thoughtful exploration of both the awesome reach and the limits of presidential power, as well as singular insights into the dynamics of U.S. partisan politics and international diplomacy. Obama brings readers inside the Oval Office and the White House Situation Room, and to Moscow, Cairo, Beijing, and points beyond. We are privy to his thoughts as he assembles his cabinet, wrestles with a global financial crisis, takes the measure of Vladimir Putin, overcomes seemingly insurmountable odds to secure passage of the Affordable Care Act, clashes with generals about U.S. strategy in Afghanistan, tackles Wall Street reform, responds to the devastating Deepwater Horizon blowout, and authorizes Operation Neptune’s Spear, which leads to the death of Osama bin Laden.
A Promised Land is extraordinarily intimate and introspective—the story of one man’s bet with history, the faith of a community organizer tested on the world stage. Obama is candid about the balancing act of running for office as a Black American, bearing the expectations of a generation buoyed by messages of “hope and change,” and meeting the moral challenges of high-stakes decision-making. He is frank about the forces that opposed him at home and abroad, open about how living in the White House affected his wife and daughters, and unafraid to reveal self-doubt and disappointment. Yet he never wavers from his belief that inside the great, ongoing American experiment, progress is always possible.
This beautifully written and powerful book captures Barack Obama’s conviction that democracy is not a gift from on high but something founded on empathy and common understanding and built together, day by day.


Pretending by Holly Bourne
April is kind, pretty and relatively normal—yet she can’t seem to get past date five. Every time she thinks she’s found someone to trust, they reveal themselves to be awful, leaving her heartbroken. And angry. Until she realizes that men aren’t looking for real women—they’re looking for Gretel.
Gretel is perfect—beautiful but low-maintenance, sweet but never clingy, sexy but not too easy. She’s your regular, everyday Manic-Pixie-Dream-Girl-Next-Door with no problems.
When April starts pretending to be Gretel, dating becomes much more fun—especially once she reels in the unsuspecting Joshua. Finally, April is the one in control. It’s refreshing. Exhilarating, even. But as she and Joshua grow closer, and the pressure of keeping her painful past a secret begins to build, how long will she be able to keep on pretending?

The Lady Upstairs by Halley Sutton
Jo's job is blackmailing the most lecherous men in Los Angeles--handsy Hollywood producers, adulterous actors, corrupt cops. Sure, she likes the money she's making, which comes in handy for the debt she is paying off, but it's also a chance to take back power for the women of the city. Eager to prove herself to her coworker Lou and their enigmatic boss, known only as the Lady Upstairs, Jo takes on bigger and riskier jobs.
When one of her targets is murdered, both the Lady Upstairs and the LAPD have Jo in their sights. Desperate to escape the consequences of her failed job, she decides to take on just one more sting--bringing down a rising political star. It's her biggest con yet--and she will do it behind the Lady's back, freeing both herself and Lou. But Jo soon learns that Lou and the Lady have secrets of their own, and that no woman is safe when there is a life-changing payout on the line.
A delicious debut thriller crackling with wit and an unforgettable feminist voice, The Lady Upstairs is a chilling and endlessly surprising take on female revenge.

Daylight by David Baldacci (Atlee Pine #3)
For many long years, Atlee Pine was tormented by uncertainty after her twin sister, Mercy, was abducted at the age of six and never seen again. Now, just as Atlee is pressured to end her investigation into Mercy's disappearance, she finally gets her most promising breakthrough yet: the identity of her sister's kidnapper, Ito Vincenzo.
With time running out, Atlee and her assistant Carol Blum race to Vincenzo's last known location in Trenton, New Jersey -- and unknowingly stumble straight into John Puller's case, blowing his arrest during a drug ring investigation involving a military installation.
Stunningly, Pine and Puller's joint investigation uncovers a connection between Vincenzo's family and a breathtaking scheme that strikes at the very heart of global democracy. Peeling back the layers of deceit, lies and cover-ups, Atlee finally discovers the truth about what happened to Mercy. And that truth will shock Pine to her very core.

Super Fake Love Song by David Yoon
When Sunny Dae--self-proclaimed total nerd--meets Cirrus Soh, he can't believe how cool and confident she is. So when Cirrus mistakes Sunny's older brother Gray's bedroom--with its electric guitars and rock posters--for Sunny's own, he sort of, kind of, accidentally winds up telling her he's the front man of a rock band.
Before he knows it, Sunny is knee-deep in the lie: He ropes his best friends into his scheme, begging them to form a fake band with him, and starts wearing Gray's rock-and-roll castoffs. But no way can he trick this amazing girl into thinking he's cool, right? Just when Sunny is about to come clean, Cirrus asks to see them play sometime. Gulp.
Now there's only one thing to do: Fake it till you make it.
Sunny goes all in on the lie, and pretty soon, the strangest things start happening. People are noticing him in the hallways, and he's going to football games and parties for the first time. He's feeling more confident in every aspect of his life, and especially with Cirrus, who's started to become not just his dream girl but also the real deal. Sunny is falling in love. He's having fun. He's even becoming a rocker, for real.
But it's only a matter of time before Sunny's house of cards starts tumbling down. As his lies begin to catch up with him, Sunny Dae is forced to wonder whether it was all worth it--and if it's possible to ever truly change.

Fine by AmyLea Murphy
Ever since, her younger sister, Katie, has drifted through life, wracked with guilt, grief, and anger over Anna's unsolved disappearance. But when her own future reaches a breaking point, Katie takes the investigation into her own hands. She searches for answers in her sister's missing person's file and discovers that some questions aren't so easily answered.
Through police memos, interrogations, and excerpts from Anna's diary, Katie breaks down the carefully crafted façade Anna left behind and uncovers the dark truths of her life in the months before she vanished.

The Flipside by James Bailey
To coin a phrase, Josh is suffering a quarter-life crisis. He just broke up with his long-term girlfriend, lost his job, and moved back home with his parents (shudder). Welcome to rock bottom in Bristol. As Josh starts questioning all his life choices, he has a mad thought: Maybe he would just be better flipping a coin. After all, careful planning has landed him homeless, jobless, and single.
What starts as a joke soon becomes serious and Josh decides to start putting his faith in the capriciousness of currency. He doesn’t have anything to lose.
But when the chance of a lifetime and the girl of his dreams are on the line, will the coin guide him to a rich love life or leave him flat broke?

OTHER BOOKS RELEASING TODAY:





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November 16, 2020

Review: Custom Built by Chantal Fernando




Custom Built by Chantal Fernando
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Published: November 2020
Custom Built (Fast & Fury #1) 
 Bronte lost her mom at a young age, so it’s just her and her dad and her uncle Neville. When Bronte suddenly loses her job she must find something new. Her uncle suggests she starts to work at a local motorcycle shop, Fast & Fury. Bronte doesn’t know anything about motorcycles, but she is a fast learner, it also doesn’t hurt that the manager of the place, Crow, is drop-dead gorgeous. When there is an unexpected death in her family, Bronte will question everything she has known about her life. Will she be able to get her life together to find out what is going on or will she lose her family and friends?

Thanks to Harlequin/Carina Press for the opportunity to read and review this book.



I was sucked into this book from the very beginning. This book made me laugh, it made me cry and it kept my attention the entire time. I couldn’t put it down until I knew exactly what was going on. This is the first book in the series and I can’t wait to find out what is going to happen next. So much went on in this story that I can’t even imagine what else there could be.

What would you do if you found out that your family had a secret life you knew nothing about? An uncle with a secret daughter, a father with a secret business. When all of the secrets come out, no one is safe from danger. With her life and her job on the line, Bronte must do all she can to survive. In the meantime she makes new friends and new loves, but will they be with her until the end?

This is the first book I’ve read by Chantal Fernando, but it will not be the last. 



EXCERPT:

Stepping inside the warehouse is like a whole other world. There’s beautifully done graffiti on the walls, and the workspace shows off brand-new, sparkling bikes. The main room leads into a wide spacious garage, and it has a cool, urban vibe. There’s music playing over the speakers, and it doesn’t look like they have spared any expense with the interior design. In the middle, there’s a reception area with a large, expensive-looking wooden desk and a little staircase leading to another level, one with bikes in various states of being rebuilt. It’s a pretty awesome space.
“Hello?” I call out when I see no one around. Apparently they really do need staff. I’m assuming I’m supposed to be meeting Crow, but I have no idea what to expect right now.
A door opens from behind the reception area, and a tall, muscular blond man walks out. He’s very handsome. He’s covered in tattoos and looks good even bowing shirt with a white top underneath. I wonder if this is his usual look.
Even with the shirt, he screams bad boy.
The bright pattern isn’t fooling anybody.
Blue eyes lock on me. “Bronte Pierce?”
“That’s me,” I say, shaking his hand as he offers it. “Nice to meet you.”
“I’m Crow, and I’m in charge here. We have two mechanics coming in and out to help Cam put together the bikes. But it’s a small group since we only do custom pieces.”
So this is who messaged me yesterday.
“So are you Abbie’s partner?” I ask, since Uncle Neville said he owned the place. If he is, she has done very, very well for herself.
He gives me a confused look, then laughs. I don’t want to admit what the sound of his laugh does to me; it’s deep and all consuming. Great, now I’m having weird feelings about my cousin’s partner and I haven’t even met my cousin yet. Way to build a relationship. Oh yeah, and he’s my boss.
Snap out of it, Bronte. You’re here to work, and that’s it.
Once he’s done laughing, he still has a smirk on his face. I’m not going to lie; it kind of annoys me. “No, Temper is Abbie’s partner. Don’t let him hear you ask me that.”
“But you said you’re in charge. I was told Abbie’s partner owns the place.”
His smirk is gone and now he just looks annoyed. 
“Yes, Temper technically owns it, but I am in charge here. Is that going to be a problem?”
Shit. Great, first I was attracted to the boss, and now I’m pissing him off. “Nope. Not a problem. Sorry, I just found out about Abbie, so I’m playing catch-up. You’re in charge. Got it.”
And apparently not a topic I will bring up again.
He looks at me skeptically but gives me a brief nod. “We basically need someone to man the reception, answer phones, order parts and stay on top of all the bookkeeping. Sound manageable?”
I decide that honesty is the best policy. “I have done some admin work before, but I don’t know anything about bikes or ordering parts. But I’m a quick learner and I’m sure I can pick it up.” I give him my best I-am-confident look.
I hope he buys it.
It’s the truth, though. I’ve done work more complicated than this, and I’m eager to learn and be the best at whatever job I am doing. I’m someone who takes pride in her work, and I know that I’m going to be an asset to his team.
“Abbie said you were a private investigator?”
“I was an assistant to one, yes.” I nod.
“Huh. I would have guessed a librarian,” he comments, making my eyes widen. I mean, I was only just thinking the same thing based on how I dressed today, but it’s rude of him to mention that, especially after only just meeting me. “I hope you’re able to handle the job, and don’t expect any special treatment just because you’re Abbie’s long-lost cousin.”
My jaw drops. His comment really gets to me, even though I don’t want to let him see that. “I don’t expect any special treatment.”
“That’s good, but not true, because special treatment got you this job in the first place,” he replies casually, as if his words aren’t hitting every damn nerve.
I should have known that this job was going to come with a catch, and it looks like I’ve found it. An annoying, smart-ass boss.

Copyright © 2020 by Chantal Fernando



View all my reviews


Title: Custom Built

Author: Chantal Fernando

*new* Series: Fast & Fury, #1

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Imprint: Carina Press 

On Sale: November 24, 2020

Format: Mass Market Paperback (ebook and audio also available)

About Chantal Fernando

Chantal Fernando is the New York Times bestselling author of the Wind Dragons Motorcycle Club series, the Cursed Raven Motorcycle Club series, and the Maybe series, along with several other novels. She lives in Western Australia, where she is working on her next book.

To learn more about this book or to order a copy, click the book cover below: