Book Review: The Night Hunter

By Jami Denison

Last year, the manosphere erupted in fury when women who were posed the question “If you were alone in the woods, would you rather encounter a man or a bear?” almost always picked the bear. The logic behind the choice: Women knew bears were dangerous wild animals who would definitely try to kill them. The man could pretend to be friendly and helpful… and still try to kill them. 

In her gripping debut, Natalie Moss takes readers on a blood-soaked adventure in her ancestral country of South Africa. The Night Hunter proves that women are right to fear both bear and men in the woods.  

Danielle’s mother was a fierce conservationist, more devoted to protecting rhinos near her home in a South African preserve than caring for her family. Now that she’s dead, Danielle wants nothing more than to sell her mother’s house and get on with her life. But her younger sister, Grace, wants to keep the home and continue their mother’s mission. When the women decide to travel back to the house, each brings along two friends for the two-day safari. But Danielle doesn’t trust Grace’s friends, or Grace herself—she’s hiding a secret note her mother left for her eyes only. 

The contentious trip turns perilous when their guide is murdered, and a car crash means they need to continue on foot. As the group of five journeys through the brush, they must avoid wild animals who would definitely kill them and humans who might. While Danielle fights to survive, she ruminates on her contentious relationships with her mother and sister, her guilt over her sister’s childhood accident, and her inability to trust. 

Moss grew up going on safaris, and The Night Hunter shines with her attention to detail. The sights, sounds, and smells of the jungle are vivid and rich. Every description rings authentic and true. The story is completely Danielle’s, told in first person and present tense, and she’s highly believable as a competent guide through the brush and young woman conflicted about her relationships.

At its heart, though, The Night Hunter is a classic locked-room mystery. Fans of the genre know that Danielle is not wrong to be suspicious of someone in her group, although whom she should suspect will vary. The body count is deliciously high, and the twists are unpredictable and earned. By the end, readers will feel as if they just stepped off a roller coaster.

With her careful plotting and deep character work, Natalie Moss shines in her debut. I look forward to following the career of this talented author. 

Thanks to Berkley for the book in exchange for an honest review.

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Spotlight and Giveaway: Meet Me in Paris

Kristin Harmel's latest novel, Meet Me in Paris, is now available and we're excited to feature it here today! Melissa loved it and her review is available on Goodreads and Storygraph. You can watch Kristin talk more about it over at Friends & Fiction. Thanks to Gallery Books, we have FIVE copies for some lucky readers!

Love Actually meets The Notebook in a tale of love, loss, and finding your way home, all set over the course of one life-changing week in Paris.

Julia Glover has brought her twenty-three-year-old daughter, Piper, to Paris for the first time—but they know it will also be their last trip here together. Julia is dying, and as the mother and daughter desperately try to make memories together as the clock ticks down, the world opens up around them. Piper meets a cute French waiter, who might just understand her better than anyone she’s ever met, and Julia meets a man at a dive bar and struggles with how to tell him the truth about her future.

Rock star Jackson Quick’s glory days are behind him. He had a handful of hit songs thirty years ago, but he hasn’t toured in a decade. This week, he’ll launch his reunion tour in Paris, the city where it all began. But he wants more out of life than being defined by fame. When he meets a woman who finally sees him for who he is at his core, the ground shifts beneath his feet.

Henry McGee has been writing hit songs for decades—including Jackson Quick’s biggest hit, City of Light. But his secret is that every love song he’s ever written is for a woman named Celeste, whom he loved a lifetime ago, when they were both teenagers in Paris during World War II. He has spent eighty years believing she died—but when a letter arrives telling him the opposite, he’s on the first flight to France. Can he break through the haze of her dementia, using the songs he’s written all these years, to remind her of who they once were to each other—and to tell her he came back for her?

Henry’s granddaughter has just discovered that her husband of twenty years is having an affair. When she confronts him, he tearfully apologizes and begs her to forgive him. But can she? And, perhaps even more importantly, does she want to? Or is there a different kind of life out there for her if she chooses to be alone?

These intertwining stories—plus several others—unfold over a few breathtaking spring days, as an unforgettable group of Americans in Paris must find their way to their own versions of happily ever after in the City of Light. (Synopsis courtesy of Amazon.)

"Readers will turn the last page and want to start all over again. You'll feel comforted, inspired, and completely enchanted as you head to your computer and immediately book a trip to the City of Light." 
- Jo Piazza, bestselling author of The Sicilian Inheritance

"I devoured this book in a single sitting; it made me laugh and cry and seriously consider booking a flight to France. Paris may be called the City of Light, but in Kristin Harmel’s hands, it should be the City of Love. This is one book you don’t want to miss." 
- Ali Brady, USA Today bestselling author of Battle of the Bookstores

"Kristin Harmel has long been one of my favorite authors, and with MEET ME IN PARIS, she has taken her ever-masterful storytelling to even greater heights. Harmel’s prose shines as brightly as her beloved Paris in what is sure to be the must-read novel of the year!" 
- New York Times bestselling author Kristy Woodson Harvey

Credit: The Paris Photographer

Kristin Harmel is the New York Times, USA Today, and #1 international bestselling author of The Stolen Life of Colette Marceau, The Paris Daughter, The Book of Lost Names, The Winemaker’s Wife, and a dozen other novels translated into more than 35 languages. Many of her books have been optioned for film and television. A former journalist for PEOPLE magazine who began her career as a teenage sportswriter, Kristin is also the co-founder and co-host of the weekly web show and podcast Friends & Fiction. She lives in Orlando with her husband and son. (Bio adapted from Kristin's website.)

Visit Kristin online:

Website * Facebook * Instagram

How to win: Use KingSumo to enter the giveaway. If you have trouble using KingSumo on our blog, enter the giveaway here. If you are still having issues, please contact us.

Giveaway ends August 4th at midnight EST.

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Book Review: Wild Goose Chase

By Allyson Bales

Antique store owner Callahan Leitner has an illegal taxidermy goose in his living room.

Why? It’s…complicated.

But it may end his career unless he finds a legitimate way to dispose of the bird ASAP. Except, there’s an unexpected wrench in his plans—the frustrating, effervescent Annie O’Neill.

Annie is happy to fill in for her uncle at his antique store; it’s the perfect opportunity to gain more experience before opening a shop of her own, plus she'll finally meet his handsome young business partner. Unfortunately, Cal is nothing like the charming man she expected. She’s tempted to take his apparent dislike personally, until she stumbles upon the source of his moodiness: the contraband waterfowl hidden upstairs.

When the goose goes missing, both of their professional reputations are on the line. As Cal and Annie attempt to track down the bird before it can be traced back to the store, their tentative alliance turns into something much deeper. Will the hunt for their felonious fowl lead to true love, or end in ruin? (Synopsis courtesy of Amazon.)

I’m a pretty big Sarah Adler fan and will always read anything she writes! She had my heart with Mrs. Nash’s Ashes and has kept it with every book she has written since. Wild Goose Chase is no exception! 

Adler has a way with her romances and as someone that has grown a bit more picky with the genre, I am always so delighted by her stories and her characters. 

I loved meeting Annie and Callahan. They were both so quirky and I loved that they end up working together at an antique shop. I am a HUGE fan of antiques. There’s something so rewarding about shopping and I really loved their passion for it; who does love a little Antique Roadshow! 

Adler really knows how to write funny banter and this story is full of it! 

I also really loved the dual point of view and character depth. I really rooted for these two and had so much fun following along on their little goose hunt! 

This is the perfect quirky romance of summer that will definitely have you laughing out loud! 

Thanks to Berkley for the book in exchange for an honest review.

More by Sarah Adler:
Mrs. Nash's Ashes
Happy Medium
Finders Keepers

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J.P. Tillbrook steps into the spotlight...plus a book giveaway

We're pleased to welcome J.P. Tillbrook to CLC today. Her debut, The Invisibility Problem, has been available for a few months and the second book in the Eliza Rae Chronicles, On the Line, will be available starting this Friday. For J.P., this series began with one simple question: What if the person everyone overlooked suddenly had no choice but to be seen? That idea grew into a series celebrating friendship, courage, humor and finding your place in the world.

We had fun chatting with J.P. about her books and getting to know her better. J.P. has a set of ebooks for one lucky reader!

J.P. Tillbrook believes the best stories stay with readers long after the final page.

Her novels are inspired by everyday moments, genuine relationships, and the quiet humour found in ordinary life. She enjoys creating characters who make mistakes, grow, laugh, fall in love, and discover more about themselves than they ever expected.

When she isn't writing, J.P. Tillbrook is planning her next story, developing new worlds, or enjoying a good cup of coffee while imagining what her characters will do next.

Visit J.P. online:

Website * Facebook * Instagram * TikTok

Synopsis:

Eliza Rae has spent most of her life perfecting the art of being invisible.

Working in a busy call centre, she’s mastered the art of blending into the background—until one sarcastic internal email changes everything.

When the message unexpectedly goes viral across the company, Eliza is thrust into the spotlight and offered the chance to write the company blog. As her confidence begins to grow, she must navigate office politics, unexpected friendships and a slow-burn romance, while discovering that sometimes the bravest thing you can do is let yourself be seen.

Warm, witty and full of heart, The Invisibility Problem is the first novel in the Eliza Rae Chronicles—a romantic comedy about finding your voice, embracing who you are, and discovering that being noticed isn’t always something to fear. 

**We're not sharing the synopsis of book two as to not spoil anything for book one.**

In one sentence, what was the road to publishing like for you?
It has been a journey decades in the making, filled with self-doubt, perseverance and plenty of setbacks, but one that made holding my first published book all the more rewarding.

How is Eliza Rae similar to or different from you?
Eliza and I share the same dry sense of humour and the determination to keep going when life throws unexpected challenges our way. In many ways, though, she’s the personality that lives quietly inside me. While I’m generally far more outspoken and happy to say what’s on my mind, Eliza is quieter, more cautious and tends to observe the world before stepping into it. Writing her gave me the chance to explore that quieter side of myself.

If your books were made into movies, whom would you cast in the leading roles?

I’d love to see Florence Pugh as Eliza. She has the warmth, wit and emotional depth to bring her to life perfectly. For Alex, I’d choose Will Poulter. He has a natural charm, an understated sense of humour, and the kind of genuine kindness that I imagine Alex having.

Which book made you fall in love with reading?
The Nancy Drew books. I was about eight or nine when I discovered them, and I was instantly hooked. I loved trying to solve the mysteries alongside Nancy, and they sparked a lifelong love of reading. 

At school, English Literature quickly became my favourite subject, and I was forever making up stories whenever inspiration struck. Although those early stories never went any further, they laid the foundations for the novels I write today.

If your life was a TV series, which celebrity would you want to narrate it?
Olivia Colman. She could make the embarrassing moments hilarious, the emotional moments heartfelt, and somehow make even my daily coffee addiction sound interesting.

If we were to visit you right now, what are some places you would take us to see?
I’d take you for a walk through Clyde Valley Woodlands Nature Reserve or Chatelherault Country Park—two of my favourite places to unwind and recharge. Afterwards, we’d find a cosy café for coffee and cake, where we’d inevitably end up chatting about books, writing and the little everyday moments that often inspire my stories.

Thanks to J.P. for visiting with us and sharing her books with our readers.

How to win: Use KingSumo to enter the giveaway. If you have trouble using KingSumo on our blog, enter the giveaway here. If you are still having issues, please contact us.

Giveaway ends August 2nd at midnight EST.

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Book Review: Buyer Beware

By Jami Denison

In the state of Florida, a seller does not have to disclose if someone died in their house (unless the death was caused by a property defect). If you’re buying a home here, and you believe in staying away from bad juju, you’ll need to do your own sleuthing to find out if a tragedy occurred within your walls-to-be. Luckily, Florida’s As Is contract offers an inspection period in which the buyer can cancel for any reason. After that, good luck getting your escrow back if you find out where that stain on the garage floor really came from.

Catherine Ryan Howard’s new thriller, Buyer Beware, is a captivating page turner about a woman who rolls up an old carpet in her new home and finds a body-shaped stain underneath. But the title is a bit of a misnomer. The book isn’t so much about the danger of buying the wrong house as it is about the danger of choosing the wrong man. 

Ellie has just moved into 1 Delaney Row, a small home in a row of cottages in a desirable Irish town. With secrets in her past, she’s not eager to get to know her neighbors. But when strange and scary things start to happen—and she finds that unfortunate stain—she’s forced to ask questions. Trouble is, people have lots of questions for her. And then the break-ins start. 

Two storylines in the past add more mystery to Ellie’s situation. Erin, a smart and driven high school student, becomes entangled with Jason, a manipulative loser who seems destined to pull her down to his level. And Hannah, a thirty-something business owner, gets swept off her feet by a man who might be too good to be true. How these three storylines intersect is the meat of the book.

All three characters are incredibly sympathetic, but as Ellie’s point-of-view is the only one in first person, she’s the character readers will identify with the most. The narrative is somewhat frustrating, because Ellie has a secret that she’s hiding from the reader, and waiting to find out exactly what that secret is provides most of the book’s tension. And there’s so much build-up toward this reveal that when Ellie finally tells readers what she’s hiding, it’s a bit of a letdown. Had Howard come clean in the beginning about what Ellie had done, readers could have focused completely on the dangers she faced in the present and the mystery of the house. 

Erin and Hannah’s plots are more straightforward. It’s clear that they’re both headed for disaster with the wrong man, and seeing them get pulled in is like watching a car crash in slow motion. 

Buying the wrong house is a huge mistake that can cost a person dearly, both literally and figuratively. But houses can be sold. Choosing the wrong man can ruin your life. 

Thanks to Simon and Schuster for the book in exchange for an honest review.

More by Catherine Ryan Howard:

The Nothing Man

Rewind

Run Time

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Book Review: Once and Again

By Melissa Amster

Lauren has spent a lot of her life waiting. She spent her childhood on her surfboard, waiting to catch the perfect wave. She waited a long time for her husband Leo. Now she and Leo are together waiting for those two lines on a pregnancy test that will tell Lauren she’s finally pregnant.

But many women wait for those things. Lauren has also spent her life waiting to use the gift that only the women in her family have: the opportunity, just once, to turn back time and reverse a bad decision, or a moment of catastrophic luck. When Lauren was fifteen, her mother Marcella reversed the car crash that killed Lauren’s father, and ever since then, both Marcella and Lauren have been extra cautious around Dave, and perhaps extra brittle with each other. Even though Dave is alive and healthy, and out on the Malibu waves every day.

Lauren and Leo’s marriage has been rock-steady for the three years they’ve been married, but their fertility journey is starting to wear on both of them. When Leo takes a six-week job in New York, Lauren temporarily moves back to her childhood house. She’ll spend time with her dad, spend time on the water, and try not think about the relationship with her mother she wishes she had. What Lauren doesn’t expect is to run into the love of her youth: fellow surfer Stone, back home for the first time in ten years. Since he left and broke Lauren’s heart. Now Lauren’s thinking about all the choices that have brought her to this moment in her life—and wondering if one of them should be undone. (Courtesy of Amazon.)

Once and Again is Rebecca Serle's latest venture into surrealism. This time around, the women in her story get one chance at a do-over. Think Twice (by Mitch Albom), but it can only happen for them one time and that's it. What these women decide to do has a huge impact on their lives. It's very thought-provoking and explores relationships, marriage, family, and motherhood. I love the L.A. beach setting too. The 

While the story and premise were interesting overall, there were times it moved a bit slow. It flowed well for the most part though. Lauren's narrative was in first person and her mother's was in third. However, the grandmother's narrative was also in first person, which made things a little confusing. She didn't have that many chapters, but I felt like she should have been in third person too. I also wasn't thrilled with the last moment of the story. Sometimes the math didn't add up right in regard to how old the characters were at different points in the novel. I know I had an advanced copy, so I hope this got ironed out for the final publication.

The story kept me intrigued because I didn't know what was going to happen and how, when, or why Lauren would use her one do-over. So that definitely surprised me. Some other secrets were revealed throughout the novel that threw me for a loop. The dialogue was genuine the entire time, which I appreciated. There was a nice balance of emotions, as well.

It's a worthwhile read and it makes you wonder what the one thing you would do over is and how far back in time you'd go to change things for yourself.

Movie casting suggestions:

Lauren: Dianna Agron

Leo: Julian Morris

Stone: Finn Wittrock

Marcella (mother): Judy Kuhn

Dave (father): Robby Benson

(Trigger warnings at the bottom of this post. May contain spoilers.)

Thanks to Atria for the book in exchange for an honest review.

More by Rebecca Serle:

In Five Years

The Dinner List

Expiration Dates

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TW: Infertility, infidelity, death of spouse/parent, death of child, health emergency

Spotlight and Giveaway: As Long as It Takes

Looking for a virtual getaway to Italy this summer? Then check out As Long as It Takes by Jill Francis and get ready to be immersed. Thanks to St. Martin's Press, we have one copy to give away!

Love isn’t exactly a priority for Lora Brooks. After all, her last break-up made it perfectly clear that she can’t rely on anyone but herself. That’s why Lora’s number one focus is her research, where she’s hard at work debunking Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. But when she’s offered a prestigious post-doctoral position in Zurich—one whose funding hinges on her having European citizenship—everything changes.

Hoping to claim citizenship through her birth father, Lora and her best friend travel to the quaint Italian town where he was born. She knows little about her father (and intends to keep it that way) but nothing, not even the ghosts of her past, will stand between Lora and this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Except, perhaps, Italian bureaucracy. And an outdated filing system. And Andrea, the handsome—and slightly anxious—mayor.

Andrea’s plate may be more than full, but in between trying to increase tourism, wrangling quirky business-owners, and debating whether to run for a second term, he somehow finds the time to show Lora what it really means to live, and perhaps love, like a local. Lora is destined for a future hundreds of miles away and Andrea’s parents are pushing him to return to his fast-paced life in New York, but will they discover that their most basic need is actually just…each other?

"A sun-drenched, heartfelt romance as warm and welcoming as Italy itself. Absolutely delightful. Jill Francis weaves a tender, hopeful story about belonging, second chances, and the surprising ways love finds us."
—RaeAnne Thayne, New York Times bestselling author

"Francis’s writing is immersive, the cast of characters beautifully developed, and the dialogue crisp and clever. She’s brought this small Italian town to life in these pages. I didn’t want the book to end!"
—Andie Burke, USA Today bestselling author of With Stars in Her Eyes

“Compassionate, clever, and deeply emotional, As Long as It Takes is a tribute to discovering the places – and people – who were always meant for us.”
—Maggie North, author of Fossil Feud

Jill Francis is a writer and researcher in forensic psychiatry. She lives in Liguria, Italy with her husband and their Greyhound, Tulip. Visit Jill at her website and on Instagram.

How to win: Use KingSumo to enter the giveaway. If you have trouble using KingSumo on our blog, enter the giveaway here. If you are still having issues, please contact us.

Giveaway ends July 28th at midnight EST.

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