Book Review: Under the Gulf Coast Sun by Skip Rhudy

Under the Gulf Coast Sun by Skip Rhudy
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A quick trip back in time to the beginning of a new young love.

Under the Gulf Coast Sun is a lovely historical romance by author Skip Rhudy and features the young adult surfing culture of mid-1970s Port Aransas on the Texas Gulf Coast and the beginning of one made-for-each-other couple’s relationship. Connor O’Reilly and Kassie Hernandez had met the previous summer when she and her family were vacationing in his hometown of Port Aransas. Hitting it off, they’d kept in touch when she and her family had returned home to Midland through heartfelt letters, sharing their hopes and dreams as they completed their senior year in high school. When summer returned, so did Kassie, an event that the shy, inexperienced surfer boy Connor had dreamed about all year. Now faced with the reality, he’s filled with self-doubt that this beautiful girl whom every guy in town wants would want him, believing instead that she is out of his league.

What a good story! Connor is a genuinely nice guy and falls hard for Kassie. But with his recent history, the departure of his mother with a lover to pursue her own dreams, which didn’t include her only son, he’s got trust issues. Watching other guys hanging around and trying to catch Kassie’s eye is particularly difficult for him.

Kassie, whip-smart and with a full-ride scholarship to UC San Diego in hand, is certain Connor is different from other guys, interested in her for their common interests and not just for her hot physical attributes. However, his differences could be a two-edged sword, and she worries that her interest in him could divert her from her plans for the future. Thankfully, they eventually talk about their concerns, but not before there is a BIG MISUNDERSTANDING that causes a course correction on their journey to a HEA.

Told from multiple points of view, readers are privy to the inside skinny on the characters’ thoughts, feelings, and true motives. There’s a bit of repetitive “is she really into me” thinking on Connor’s part, but that seems to be a result of the emotional fallout from his mother’s actions. Kassie both abhorred and enjoyed the attention her physical appearance attracted, but she was only 18 years old when navigating through this.

The plot includes a lot of interesting descriptions and discussions of surfing, surfing legends of the era, and Connor and Kevin’s work aboard the crew boat. Connor’s time in the Gulf is suspenseful, and I thought the author did a great job of not telegraphing how this scenario was actually going to work out. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time. The story has a lot of humorous moments as well, many centered around Kevin Stamford, but the party at the very beginning of the book had me laughing out loud.

Set as it is in the mid-1970s, these characters would have been my contemporaries, so I could relate to a number of things mentioned. Women’s roles were still in transition, and Kassie’s father’s warnings about what she could expect as a woman in a university science program were accurate. Even the assumption that women would naturally consider higher education at that time would have been false. But other aspects of the “historical” (really?) setting were fun and nostalgic, such as the music, the lower drinking age, and no cell phones, to name a few.

With its engaging characters, authentic descriptions, realistic dialogue, and suspenseful plot, I recommend UNDER THE GULF COAST SUN to readers of historical fiction and romance.

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advanced Review Copy from the author through Lone Star Literary Life Book Campaigns.

View all my reviews

Blurb Blitz & Giveaway: If the Sun Spares Us (Braving the Light, #3) by Brenda Marie Smith

 

IF THE SUN SPARES US

The Braving the Light series

by

Brenda Marie Smith

Post-apocalyptic thriller

Independently Published
Publication Date: August 28, 2023
Print page count: 364 pages

SCROLL DOWN FOR GIVEAWAY!

SYNOPSIS:

Two years ago, a solar pulse destroyed modern life. Bea Crenshaw organized her starving, suburban neighbors into a farming community. But now Bea’s gone, and her grandchildren must carry her legacy forward.

In the post-apocalyptic pressure cooker of Austin, Texas, 19-year-old Keno and his younger cousins struggle to ensure their community’s survival even as they’re forced to relocate to safer grounds. Northern Lights that don’t belong this far south grow increasingly intense, making Keno fear what harm the sun will cause next.

Even worse, a marauding militia called the Raiders is closing in, led by a deranged woman who preys on teenage boys. Despite Keno’s debilitating flashbacks from a firefight, he and his wife have a new baby to protect. Though Bea is dead, her spirit desperately searches for ways to shield her grandkids. When Raiders target two neighborhood members, the only hope lies in the community’s strength, Keno’s ingenuity, and the family’s fierce love for one another.

CLICK TO PURCHASE!

| Amazon | Amazon AU | Amazon CA | Amazon UK |

PREVIOUS BOOKS IN THE BRAVING THE LIGHT SERIES

 

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO PURCHASE!

READ AN EXCERPT:

I’m half-starved, about to drop in my tracks, and emotional pain is clawing me up inside. Living through this apocalypse, I don’t know if it’s the deprivation or the heartache that will kill me first.

I think I’ve been scouting South Central Austin for a place to move my family and neighbors for about two weeks, but I’ve lost track of time, and I’m not finding a freaking thing. We have to move; we just have to. I was hoping to find a place with walls and water, but no such luck.

It’s dusk when I come upon a row of warehouses, looking for a spot to sleep. Most warehouse doors are bent, with the jambs and locks broken. All looted inside, messes that don’t look like they have anything worth scavenging. One door has a big hasp and a bigger lock intact. Maybe I’ll break it in the morning to see if I can find some food.

A few doors down, there’s a stairwell leading to a basement door. A good place to hide where I have an escape route. I duck down into it.

“We’re so screwed,” I grumble to myself as I lean my rifle on the stairwell and slide off my backpack.

“You got that right.”

F***. Who said that? I whip my face around, my hand on the pistol behind my back.

“I wouldn’t fire that if I were you.”

A face looms above me… behind a crossbow that’s aimed at my head. I throw up my hands.

“Don’t shoot!”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

BRENDA MARIE SMITH is attracted to stories where everyday characters transcend their limitations to find their inner heroism. She lived off the grid for years in a farming collective where her sons were delivered by midwives. A lifelong community activist, Brenda has managed student co-op housing, produced concerts, and raised a small herd of boys. She and her husband live in Kyle, Texas. They have more grown kids and grandkids than they can count.

| Website | Blog | Twitter | YouTube |

GIVEAWAY! GIVEAWAY! GIVEAWAY!

The author will be awarding a $50 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via Rafflecopter.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Virtual Book Tour & Giveaway: Weeding Out Lies (Texas Flower Farmer Cozy Mystery, #1) by Jackie Layton

 

Weeding Out Lies

A Texas Flower Farmer Cozy Mystery

by

Jackie Layton

Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Setting - Texas
Publisher: Level Best Books

Publication Date: July 11, 2023
Print length: 302 pages
ASIN: B0C7JT33B4

SCROLL DOWN FOR GIVEAWAY!

SYNOPSIS: 

Flower farmer Emma Justice’s life is firmly rooted in Lutz, Texas where she has recently begun her new business. One morning while delivering flowers, she stumbles upon a prominent citizen. Dead. When a friend is accused of murder, Emma launches her own investigation. She’s used to separating weeds from flowers. Emma will dig for clues, weed out red herrings and cultivate a plan to find the killer.

CLICK TO PURCHASE!

| Amazon | Barnes & Noble |

| Bookshop.org | Kobo |

REVIEW:

4 stars!

A new amateur sleuth blossoms in this fresh, flower-filled, Texas-set debut cozy mystery!

Emma Justice is the unlikely new amateur sleuth in Jackie Layton’s new Texas Flower Farmer Cozy Mystery series set in the small fictional town of Lutz, Texas. A former pharmacy tech, she’s finally pursuing her dream of flower farming now that her only child, daughter Abby, is out of the house and off to college. Her transformation to gumshoe is courtesy of a promise to help her dear friend and bookstore owner, Paige Booker, clear her name as the main suspect in the murder of her part-time employee, Willow Moore. With loads of suspects and as many possible motives for her murder, this first book is rife with red herrings and plot twists.

 

Emma is hard-working and determined to find her joy in growing and selling her beautiful blooms. There are plenty of descriptions of lovely flower combinations throughout the story, and I was often tempted to try to recreate some of her displays. In addition, Emma’s best friend, Sophie, owns the bakery in town, and another, Brett, the local coffee shop, so many luscious food items and delicious drinks are mentioned. Love interest Jake is new to town and helping out his best friend, Brett, while he takes a break and does his best to delight Emma with yummy new coffee concoctions.

As with most first-in-series books, the author must establish the small-town setting and its residents in this entry, including the protagonist, family, friends, victim, and suspects. Layton does a great job providing a wide variety of people, professions, and businesses to populate Lutz without overwhelming the reader. She hits a good balance with those who make only a casual appearance and those who will have a more substantial hand in the current proceedings. 

With a victim everyone seems to like, Emma has to really dig into Willow’s private affairs to discover suspects and their motives. However, once she gets going, meanies start to come out of the woodwork. Emma is mostly discreet about her inquiries, but it’s a small town, and word inevitably gets around that she’s asking tough questions. She eventually narrows down her list of names and motives, but it wasn’t until the final reveal that I knew the real killer and the truth behind Willow’s death. 

I recommend WEEDING OUT LIES to cozy mystery readers ready for a new series featuring flowers, food, and a scrappy female protagonist in an authentic down-home Texas setting.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Jackie Layton is the author of cozy mysteries with Spunky Southern Sleuths. Her stories are set in Texas, Georgia, and South Carolina. She lives on the coast of South Carolina where she enjoys walks on the beach and golf cart rides around the marsh. Reading, gardening, and traveling are some of her favorite hobbies. She always keeps a notebook handy to write down ideas for future stories. Be careful what you say around her, because it might end up in a book. 

| Website | Facebook Author Page | Facebook |

| Pinterest | Twitter | Goodreads | BookBub | 

TOUR PARTICIPANTS:

August 9 – Reading, Writing & Stitch-Metic – CHARACTER GUEST POST

August 9 – Brooke Blogs – SPOTLIGHT

August 10 – Celticlady's Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

August 10 – Ascroft, eh? – CHARACTER INTERVIEW

August 11 – Baroness Book Trove – SPOTLIGHT

August 11 – Christy's Cozy Corners – AUTHOR GUEST POST

August 12 – Guatemala Paula Loves to Read – REVIEW

August 12 – Jane Reads -CHARACTER GUEST POST

August 13 – StoreyBook Reviews – REVIEW

August 13 – ebook addicts – AUTHOR GUEST POST

August 14 – Literary Gold – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

August 14 – Sapphyria's Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

August 14 – My Reading Journeys - REVIEW

August 15 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT

August 15 – Ruff Drafts – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

August 15 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW, AUTHOR GUEST POST

August 16 – Socrates Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

August 16 – Maureen's Musings – SPOTLIGHT

August 17 – Mystery, Thrillers, and Suspense – CHARACTER GUEST POST

August 17 – #BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee – SPOTLIGHT

August 18 – Novels Alive – REVIEW

August 18 – Reading Is My SuperPower – REVIEW

GIVEAWAY! GIVEAWAY! GIVEAWAY!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Have you signed up to be a Tour Host?

Click Here to Find Details and Sign Up Today!

The Jaffa Cartel by J. Terry Johnson

The Jaffa Cartel by J. Terry Johnson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Engaging characters, beautiful and ancient settings, and a horrible, tragic crime to bring to justice!

When the shipping costs for their materials rise to an excessive amount, and the transportation logistics start taking convoluted routing patterns, executives of Lone Star Electronics decide it's time for a face-to-face with their Israeli supplier. But when small-town Texas attorney and their outside general counsel, Bill Blevins, notes a trend of sizable discrepancies in their invoices as well, he is determined to find out why. The meeting is arranged to happen in Greece, where their international trade consulting company has an office, and the men make the long flight to Athens. However, before their first evening is over, one of their party is murdered.

The Jaffa Cartel was an intriguing story of murder and international organized crime set, for the most part, in Athens but with its roots in Jaffa, Israel, and its significant impact on a small town in central Texas. The author nails the flavor and feel of each location, each so different and distinct from the others, and I felt I was right there in the action.

Many of the characters have long-term, in-depth relationships with each other. Some are linked through university or law school experiences, and many through their membership and attendance at the local church pastored by one of the main characters. Lance Arnold had been in law school with the victim but, interestingly, had traded his shingle for the pulpit of the church in tiny Pecan Village. I enjoyed the little tidbits of church business incorporated into the story and the delicate and very light-handed inclusion of the character's life as a Christian in his actions and observations. Additionally, I especially liked how these old connections between the characters had been maintained over time and across the great distances of the state of Texas, even extending to New York City and Greece.

The author introduces the major players in the cartel in their own chapters, so we know how they got to be where they are in the story and why. As the book unfolds through these characters' eyes, we are privy to their plans, so the book is not a whodunnit but a "will they get away with it" tale. There are some really bad actors in the bunch, so you're not rooting for them to succeed. However, Leah Melamed's involvement in the whole thing is tragic. I hoped from the beginning for her to escape the cartel's grasp. The Greek detectives in charge of the murder investigation, Inspectors Giorgos Papadakis and Sophia Baros, are just delightful. I really liked their partnership and their systematic investigation. I was surprised and entertained by how the inspectors came to find out what readers already knew. I certainly wouldn't mind reading additional stories featuring this pair.

With plenty of engaging characters to watch, beautiful and ancient places as the setting, and a horrible, tragic crime to bring to justice, I recommend THE JAFFA CARTEL to mystery readers who enjoy a small-town feel combined with some armchair traveling. I so enjoyed reading this story.

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advanced Review Copy from Reedsy Discovery.

View all my reviews

Don’t Curse the Rain (Rain Mystery Trilogy, #1) by David Homick

Don't Curse the Rain by David Homick
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Afghanistan war veteran returns home to face his past and solve a cold case missing person case.

Dillon Bishop had fled his hometown of Bradley, Texas, as soon as he could, enlisted in the military, and ended up in Afghanistan. But after rescuing a young local boy when his parents had been killed, his vehicle was hit by an RPG, sending Dillon to the hospital and months of rehab at the V.A. Medical Center back in Dallas. His physical wounds eventually healed, but his struggle with PTSD haunted him every waking moment, and nightmares prevented him from truly resting. He always wondered what had happened to the small boy he’d tried to save.

Helping Dillon work through his continuing trauma was Jenny Lee, a woman he met after his release from the Dallas hospital. They had a comfortable arrangement the Dillon hesitated to call a relationship, though. Jenny Lee had been left a horse ranch outside of Colorado Springs by an uncle, and she hoped Dillon would accompany her to take possession in the upcoming month. He was almost convinced to do so until the letter arrived.

His father’s attorney had mailed the letter weeks earlier to a ten-year-old address, so it had taken some time to catch up with Dillon’s current location. His father had passed away, and the attorney needed Dillon, his only heir, to return to Bradley to settle his father’s final affairs.

Dillon had been raised by his father. His mother left him, his younger brother, Luke, and their father when the boys were still small. Years later, however, Luke disappeared without a trace on the night of a high school dance and was never heard from again. Their father had never quit looking for his youngest son, though he believed he’d been the victim of foul play and found relief too often in the bottom of a whiskey bottle. He’d been investigating every possible angle and lead he came across and had recently claimed he’d obtained a definitive piece of evidence proving Luke had been murdered and would crack the case wide open. But suddenly, while recuperating in a local hospital, he took an unexpected turn for the worse and died. Thinking that his father’s death following so quickly after his announcement regarding the case too coincidental, Dillon decides to finally take matters into his own hands and get to the bottom of his brother’s disappearance and his father’s murder.

Don’t Curse the Rain, the first book in author David Homick’s Rain Mystery Trilogy, grabbed me from the very first page and never let me go! The main character Dillon Bishop has been struggling since his return to the states from his service and injuries sustained in Afghanistan. Not only has he suffered wounds to a leg, but the mental trauma continues to buffet his emotional well-being. I liked how the author placed a soulmate in Dillon’s path even though they are still working on taking their relationship to the next level. The author kept me on edge with this couple as Dillon hesitates to commit to Jenny fully, and she deals with her frustration with him and pursuing her lifelong dream to return to the Colorado horse ranch.

There are a number of surprises awaiting Dillon back in his hometown: old friends, old enemies, and even a regretful ex-girlfriend that want to reconcile. Settling his father’s affairs proves to be anything but easy. The action begins the minute Dillon hits town, and the mystery isn’t entirely resolved until almost the very end. The author’s easy-to-read writing style made the pages and the story fly by. The author has an excellent way with dialogue. Exchanges between characters were much more natural than usually portrayed in other works, and the accompanying gestures and “business” enhanced the quality of their interactions and conversations.

Having lived and worked in the area where the story is set (Cleburne, Alvarado, Keene, and Lake Whitney, to name a few), it was fun to see familiar place names mentioned. The locations were described much as I remember them, so the setting felt genuine.

Besides Dillon working through his PTSD and relationships, the book is ultimately a mystery story about what happened to Luke all those years ago and who killed their father. By teaming up with his old high school buds and friends of his father, Dillon is sharp and determined in his search for the truth. I enjoyed everything about the plot and this book, and I look forward to reading the rest of the trilogy.

I recommend DON’T CURSE THE RAIN to mystery readers who enjoy main characters who are military veterans, relationship stories, or a north central Texas setting.

View all my reviews