I truly enjoyed this debut novel!
359407
For Historical Romance fans, The Dressmaker's Duke, by Jess Russell, is a wonderful read!

Olivia Weston is living in genteel poverty after fleeing from her unfortunate past.  Instead of becoming mistress to a wealthy man (at the risk of sacrificing her independence) she instead decides to use her talents to design and produce delectable gowns for those who choose otherwise.  While admirable, this decision does not pave the way for an easy life, however.  During the course of trying to survive while establishing a name for herself as a reknown modiste in London, she encounters Rhys Merrick, the Duke of Roydan.

Determined not to follow in his lamentable father's footsteps, Roydan hides his insecurities behind an icy mask and a raised eyebrow; he represses his desires to the point of living in isolation as he struggles with the responsibilities and obligations inherent with his title.  His initial chance encounter with Olivia in an out-of-the-way London shop leaves Rhys reeling!  When their paths cross a second time, he is determined to keep her in his life, using whatever means he has at his disposal....

In spite of the intense mutual attraction, both Hero and heroine have demons that need to be exorcised, and secrets that need to be revealed before they can move on to their Happily Ever After.  Their struggles are sometimes humerous, and sometimes heartbreaking.  Both H and h are honorable and likeable.  They both took missteps along the way, but this only showed us that they were both human.  The end result was pure MAGIC from the reader's perspective.

Jess Russell did a wonderful job with this debut novel!  I am personally a fan of imperfect Heroes and strong heroines: I loved Rhys and Olivia!  I enjoyed the plotline, and found the twists and turns to be both believable and reasonably suspenseful.  The sex scenes were steamy, without being too terribly explicit.  The denouement was satisfying.

I am truly looking forward to Ms. Russell's next release.
1353582
This is a adult romance book, by that i do not mean it is full out dirty, but it does have some very sexy scenes in it. I mean it is for grown ups who have loved and lost and are taking that very daunting step into a new romance and second chances at life. This is a debut novel from a new author and it is a very, very good debut novel. There is plenty of depth to the characters, some suspense concerning an event in the book and the revelation, and some very funny and touching moments. The female lead will be connectable to all that read the story, she is vulnerable but strong and smart. The men in the book are equally as connectable to the reader. The characters all go on a journey and the reader gets swept along with them. I will be keeping a close eye on Allyson Sinclair and her future work as this lady has great promise in her writing that i will be looking to see what her next release will bring us :)
2787261
What a great debut novel! The reader instantly connects with Holly regardless of their own personal story. I laughed with her, I cried with her, I worried with her. The author carried me on an emotional journey and the book was tough to put down. Can't wait to read what Rachel Stuhler has in store for her next novel!
1660450
Really enjoyed Ashlyn Hope's debut novel! The characters are realistic and I basically loved most of them (one in particular can go to hell-but I'm not a tattletale!
Can't wait for more from Ms Hope!
944148
A wonderful debut for an author of whom I hope we will see more in the future. At times the storytelling can be a bit more subtle, allowing the reader freedom to read between the lines. The Bollywood references works well and brings a contemporary flavour to book. Overall an enjoyable read!
4756554
I truly enjoyed the telling  of this story. It was well told and had a perfect pace. It really sucked me in  and made me want the happily ever after. I would absolutely recommend this book. An awesome debut novel . Congrats Julie Blair !
3883213
Review posted at: [...]

Rating: 4 stars

Strangers is AL's debut novel and what a fantastic ride it was.  Abby and Bryce meet as strangers at a coffee shop and little do they know that their feelings of grief and sorrow are a mutual connection between them.  The whirlwind of emotions and the fear to take the next step forward is relatable in many of our lives.  Our mind can play tricks on us, thinking we're ready to move on and then something may trigger us and we need to take a step back.  This read had me in tears for the reality and honest truth of the storyline, while it also had me cherishing the friendships and devotion Abby and Bryce shared with those close to them.  I was hoping we'd hear more about Bryce's family and their relationships with one another, but I did feel a deep, loving connection between Abby and her siblings.  The metaphor of the mermaid was utterly amazing and the awakening it unraveled played out effortlessly.  The dedication and brutal honesty to drive a person to what they know they deeply want, need, and desire had me rooting for Abby to stand her ground.  Abby travels leaps and bounds throughout this novel regarding her emotional strength and though some time is "skipped" it doesn't feel like we miss a lot of her journey.  Gah the ending has me clawing for the next one...is there going to be a next one??!! I hope so! Give this a try!!
4113757
This was an excellent story! I could not put it down... I look forward to more stories to come from this author, as this is her debut novel.
3727873
This is Sarah Loudin Thomass debut novel. I found it to be a fantastic piece of writing. She did a marvelous job of creating a variety of characters that were easy to understand. Some of them just plain frustrated me, but then again to be honest I get frustrated with people at times in real life. The interaction between the characters was very realistic. The two main characters, Perla Long and Casewell Phillips were easy for me to connect with though. They had a number of very heavy obstacles to negotiate just to get through everyday life.

The story explores some deep issues about judgment and forgiveness, so in that sense it is not a light read. But it is done in a small town setting and that helps to make it feel lighter.

I especially enjoyed the way that the characters grew and developed in their own lives and in how they related to each other. I loved the paths that many of them took as they were learning about the importance of forgiveness to personal lives as well as to the well-being of an entire community.

I received a free copy of this book through The Book Club Network in exchange for my honest opinion.
4287397
What a wonderful debut novel!&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Irreparable-Harm/dp/0983492700/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Irreparable Harm</a>&nbsp;appears to be Melissa Miller's first published full length novel after&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Dark-Blooms-Two-Crime-Fiction-Shorts/dp/B004O6N198/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Dark Blooms: Two Crime Fiction Shorts</a>&nbsp;. Ms. Miller has created an engaging and memorable heroine sure to have readers clamoring for more books.

Sasha is a successful attorney on the partner track of a prestigious law firm. The author draws on her own legal background to write convincingly about the law firm and court room experience reminding me of John Grisham. The plot is thrilling and timely.

This book is fast paced and well constructed. The characters are believable and well developed.

I highly recommend this book and look forward to more from this author.
865421
I'm so impressed that this is a debut book for Stacy Kestwick! I was hooked from the beginning. I felt so terrible for Sadie and the crap she had to deal with. I loved her attitude and personality. And then West came along. You ever read about a fictional character and wish they were real? Yeah. That's how I felt about West. I love LOVE that there wasn't an immediate relationship between him and Sadie, that it evolved throughout the book. I also love coffee and donuts and how much discussion there was about them. The banter between the characters was refreshing and so real. And that's another thing I really enjoyed about this story, is how realistic and relatable the whole thing was. And I didn't even mind the cliffhanger! :) Of course, I didn't have to wait between books, I was fortunate enough to read Wet right as Soaked came out. I've got to say, it was a damn good cliffhanger. I could not WAIT to read Soaked after I finished Wet. It was a real bummer that I had to go to work and put the book down when my baby woke up from naps!
2888049
It's a great debut novel, and it really draws you in from start to finish!  Highly recommended!  I can't wait til book 2 comes out!
1154450
I was very pleased with this debut novel by Martha Reynolds.  It held my interest and I didn't want to put the book down.  As someone who attended Providence College (but unfortunately I did not go to Universite de Fribourg) and one who still lives in RI, I found the local references endearing. I could picture the streets and establishments as I was reading the words! Bernie is a main character that you can relate to immediately.  Whether you are a man or a woman, you can relate to the situations that surrounded her and share in her emotions.  The author found a way with her words to allow the reader to feel what Bernie was feeling. I think that takes a real talent to be able to do that.  The ending caught me by surprise - and what a terrific ending it is! I like the fact that it wasn't predictable.  I look forward to more books from Martha Reynolds!
2075176
Fearless Love is a beautifully written story about Audra, a single mother who lost her beloved husband in a horrible accident, and Brecken, a new man in her life that is not only extremely HOT, but is a bit younger than her and also a former student that is also dealing with his own tragic loss, and their story at finding love again. As I read this book, I was totally surprised that this was a debut novel because it was written with such passion and expertise as if a very experienced writer had written it. I laughed and cried and truly felt the emotions that the author intended the reader to feel.  The characters came to life and I felt as Audra's best friend Quinn was also my friend.  I loved her outgoing, spitfire personality and the twists that she added throughout the book.  Without giving too much away, be prepared to experience many emotions when reading Fearless Love which includes some unexpected events that really gives this story a WOW factor.  I'm excited to see what this author writes next, she is truly talented!
4294261
Although I normally wouldn't reach for a book in the Hard Rock Fiction category (not my style of music), I am so glad I read this one! I won it during the author's virtual book launch, and received a signed copy. From the first page, I was hooked. Although the main character, Nicholas Trent, is a British guitarist in a hard rock band, the author did a great job of weaving the rock lifestyle into the book without alienating readers who may not like that kind of music. Living in the same city as the author, I enjoyed her placement of Trent's love interest (Caitlin) within our own environs and smiled when I knew exactly where Caitlin was. As soon as I started the book, I spent several nights reading "just one more chapter" before going to sleep! With this debut novel, Fersner combined character development, romance, mystery, and a bit of suspense like a seasoned author. I'm looking forward to more novels from this author. Well done!
714430
I am freaking impressed that this is a debut novel! Wow! I loved it! C.L. Sayers gives us a little bit of everything in this second chance romance! I laughed, I cried and I did some MAJOR swooning!

C.L. Sayers had me entranced from the beginning of the story. That prologue. WHOA. I needed to know what was going to happen with the characters! I was very intrigued! The sexy times between Fintan and Livvy were off the charts steamy! And I enjoyed the banter between them. They kept me grinning from ear to ear!

Robbed definitely had some emotional moments. The pain that both of these characters experienced in their past was so heart breaking. Events that are very real and any one of us can relate to. I felt my heart squeezing and breaking on more than one occasion. I felt all of the emotions one could possibly feel while traveling this journey with Livvy and Fintan. I felt their pain. I felt their happiness. I felt their heart ache. I felt all of it! It takes a great writer to achieve that and Sayers did it with eloquence.

I enjoyed this book very much and can't wait to read more from C.L. Sayers! If you're looking for a fun, yet emotional romance that will have you cheering to give love a second chance, then you need to get Robbed! See what I did there?
4717867
When I started reading this book I wasn't sure I was going to like it. The subject wasn't something I was interested in - surfing, but my interest piqued when I was got  into the last few chapters. It became more of a thriller/suspense than a coming of age story.

This is a wonderful debut novel that shows great promise for the future of this talented author. There were some inconsistencies but the story worked and kept this reader intrigued until the conclusion which blew me away.

I look forward to the next book to see if he can outdo his first or at least produce another intriguing thriller.