Blitz: I Love It When We Read Together by Karolyn Wallace, illustrator Joey Wall, with a giveaway

I Love It When We Read Together

by Karolyn Wallace

Children's Books / Early Learning Beginner Reader

Date Published: 08-12-2025

Publisher: Mission Point Press

I Love It When We Read Together invites reading partners to create their own special rituals with gentle prompts and endearing illustrations that encourage kids to read along, spot animals, and spark lively conversations. This book is perfect for building fluency and connection. Inspired by the literacy challenges of the pandemic, early childhood educator Karolyn Wallace crafts a cozy experience that helps families bring the joy of reading home.

 

About the Author

Karolyn Wallace is a seasoned educator with over twenty years of experience teaching in elementary classrooms across public and private schools in Maryland, Washington, DC, Los Angeles, and New York. Before that, she was a broadcast journalist at local news affiliates in Los Angeles and Flint, Michigan. She is currently part of the team at The Children’s Learning Lab, where experienced educators connect with elementary students for online learning. She divides her time between Michigan and California, enjoying the company of her husband, children, and grandchildren.

Contact Links

Website

Goodreads

Instagram

Purchase Link

https://mybook.to/LoveWhenWeReadTogether 

Amazon

Release: Lost in Overtime by Claudia Burgoa with my review

Lost in Overtime

by Claudia Burgoa

Release Date: April 15, 2026

Two hockey rivals.

One woman they never stopped loving.

And the one thing neither of them is willing to admit out loud.

Blurb:

Two Rivals. One Woman. No Choosing.

Alberto Wade and Callaway Winthrop were my best friends first—until one night broke us, and the three of us stopped being an us.

Now they’re enemies in the league, an “infamous rivalry” splashed across headlines like it’s just hockey.

It isn’t.

It’s me.

It’s what they’ve always wanted and have never been able to agree on.

It’s the way their hate on the ice has always sounded too much like longing off it.

Now, a shocking trade and an emergency back home drag us back into the same orbit. Older. harder. Still dangerous. Still looking at me like I’m the only thing they’ve ever wanted.

They still want to win.

They still want me.

I still refuse to choose.

But second chances come with scars, secrets, and promises we never got to finish—until a single mistake turns into two pink lines . . .

I’m pregnant—with a baby that isn’t theirs.

The timing is brutal. The fallout is inevitable. And the only way we survive what comes next is if they stop making me choose—stop pretending their rivalry is the only fire between them—and finally admit what’s been burning between all three of us all along.

Because this time . . .

They’re not just fighting for a season.

They’re fighting for us.

USA Today Bestselling Author Claudia Burgoa delivers a deeply angsty MMF why-choose hockey romance featuring two pro-hockey rivals, the woman they can’t stop loving, hurt/comfort, found family, and a love that risks careers, reputations, and the one thing they never meant to want—each other.

Tropes:

🏒MMF

💜Second Chance Romance

🏒Hockey Romance

💜Forced Proximity

🏒Rivals-To-Lovers

💜Bi- Awakening

🏒Best Friends to Lovers

💜Possessive/Protective Heroes

🏒Surprise Pregnancy (Not Theirs)

Links:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GJFX8FD2?tag=usalinktagdefault-20&geniuslink=true

My Review - 4 1/2 of 5 stars - 

4 1/2 stars. This was full of angst, doubt, love, and steam. Three friends took that step beyond friendship and broke apart. Circumstances brought them all back together, and they realized they needed to work things out as their hearts were still entangled. Fear of exposure held them back for a bit, but the love was stronger. I enjoyed the takedown of Callaway's family and loved how Callaway (Cally) and Alberto (Monty) took on support of Vesper's baby immediately. A hot story with plenty of ups and downs, very entertaining.
The narrators did a wonderful job. I always enjoy Erin Mallon and Gomez Pugh. Robert Hatchet was new to me, and I look forward to hearing more from him.

Audiobook Review: Lost in Overtime by Claudia Burgoa, narrators Erin Mallon, Gomez Pugh, Robert Hatchet

 

Blurb: 

Two Rivals. One Woman. No Choosing.

Alberto Wade and Callaway Winthrop were my best friends first—until one night broke us, and the three of us stopped being an us.

Now they’re enemies in the league, an “infamous rivalry” splashed across headlines like it’s just hockey.

It isn’t.

It’s me.

It’s what they’ve always wanted and have never been able to agree on.

It’s the way their hate on the ice has always sounded too much like longing off it.

Now, a shocking trade and an emergency back home drag us back into the same orbit. Older. harder. Still dangerous. Still looking at me like I’m the only thing they’ve ever wanted.

They still want to win.

They still want me.

I still refuse to choose.

But second chances come with scars, secrets, and promises we never got to finish—until a single mistake turns into two pink lines . . .

I’m pregnant—with a baby that isn’t theirs.

The timing is brutal. The fallout is inevitable. And the only way we survive what comes next is if they stop making me choose—stop pretending their rivalry is the only fire between them—and finally admit what’s been burning between all three of us all along.

Because this time . . .

They’re not just fighting for a season.

They’re fighting for us.

USA Today Bestselling Author Claudia Burgoa delivers a deeply angsty MMF why-choose hockey romance featuring two pro-hockey rivals, the woman they can’t stop loving, hurt/comfort, found family, and a love that risks careers, reputations, and the one thing they never meant to want—each other.

Featuring:

🏒 Why choose romance
🏒 MMF romance
🏒 Hockey romance
🏒 Second chance romance
🏒 Rivals to lovers
🏒 Best friends to lovers
🏒 Public rivalry, private longing
🏒 Pregnancy twist (Not Theirs)
🏒 Found family
🏒 Hurt/comfort
🏒 Emotional / angsty romance
🏒 Forced reunion

Amazon: Amazon.com: Lost in Overtime: An Angsty Why-Choose Hockey Romance eBook : Burgoa, Claudia: Kindle Store

Audible: Lost in Overtime Audiobook by Claudia Burgoa

Bookbub: Lost in Overtime: An Angsty Why-Choose Hockey Romance by Claudia Burgoa - BookBub

Goodreads: Lost in Overtime: Second Chance, Hockey MMF (Why Choose) Romance by Claudia Y. Burgoa | Goodreads

My Review - 4 1/2 of 5 stars - 

4 1/2 stars. This was full of angst, doubt, love, and steam. Three friends took that step beyond friendship and broke apart. Circumstances brought them all back together, and they realized they needed to work things out as their hearts were still entangled. Fear of exposure held them back for a bit, but the love was stronger. I enjoyed the takedown of Callaway's family and loved how Callaway (Cally) and Alberto (Monty) took on support of Vesper's baby immediately. A hot story with plenty of ups and downs, very entertaining.
The narrators did a wonderful job. I always enjoy Erin Mallon and Gomez Pugh. Robert Hatchet was new to me, and I look forward to hearing more from him.

This is my unsolicited review.

Ebook Review: Fueled by Desire (14 Days of Love and Lust: Bikers & Mobsters) by Winter Travers

 

Blurb: 

Juliet Mark has always played it safe. She runs her late mother's flower shop and keeps her heart locked up tight. With Valentine's Day around the corner, business is booming—but her personal life? Bone dry.

Enter Asher Jake, vice president of the local MC, The Ruthless Vultures. Brooding, weathered, and untamed, Asher doesn’t do hearts and flowers, but he’s forced to stop by the flower shop when his club decides to throw a public Valentine's charity ride to clean up their image. He’s just there because he has to be. Until he meets her.

Juliet has no patience for men like Asher. She’s dealt with chaos before, and she knows all the warning signs. But there’s something about the way he looks at her. Like he sees something she doesn’t even see in herself. Something wild.

When a rival MC threatens to sabotage the ride and tear apart Juliet’s peaceful corner of the world, she finds herself caught in the crossfire between her safe life and the danger that’s starting to feel like freedom.

Amazon: Amazon.com: Fueled By Desire (14 Days of Love and Lust Bikers & Mobsters) eBook : Travers, Winter: Kindle Store

B&N: Fueled By Desire by Winter Travers | eBook | Barnes & Noble®

Kobo: Fueled By Desire eBook by Winter Travers - EPUB | Rakuten Kobo United States

Google: Fueled By Desire by Winter Travers - Books on Google Play

Bookbub: Fueled By Desire (14 Days of Love and Lust Bikers & Mobsters) by Winter Travers - BookBub

Goodreads: Fueled by Desire by Winter Travers | Goodreads

My Review - 5 of 5 stars - 

I enjoyed this quick read. Juliet was such a workaholic, but she loved her job/business that she wanted everything to run smoothly. Asher was smitten immediately. I loved how he appreciated her work ethic, her beauty, and her independence. There were romantic moments, some dangerous ones, and some steamy scenes. It was great that the MC supported her immediately. I look forward to more in this series.

This is my unsolicited review.

Book Tour: Chicken Fun by Mary Jo Huff, illustrated by Wendy Fedan, with a giveaway and my review

 

Chicken Run

by Mary Jo Huff

Children's Picture Book

Date Published: 06-01-2023

Publisher: Storytellin' Time Press

This fun-filled rhyming picture book for very young learners will provide an introduction to numbers and counting while children are having a good time. There are ten chickens as they play in their backyard, getting up to a variety of shenanigans such as running from bees, playing baseball, dancing and even going on a date.

 

My Review - 4 of 5 stars - 

This was a cute rhyming story. I enjoyed the rhyming concepts. The illustrations added to the cuteness and fun. A wonderful bedtime story.

About the Author

Mary Jo Huff is a passionate storyteller, award-winning author, songwriter, and Early Childhood Educator who believes in the magic of words, rhythm, and imagination. Her creations have earned top national honors, including the NAPPA Gold, iParenting, Parents’ Choice, Dove, Teacher’s Choice, Kids’ First, and Mom’s Choice awards.

Children giggle and grow with her stories — from the mischievous adventures of No, No, Ebenezer, a spirited dachshund with a big heart, to the playful journeys in Chicken Fun, Going on a Gator Hunt, and The Predictable Persimmon.

As a seasoned educator and master storyteller, Mary Jo has inspired audiences in 47 states and three countries, sharing her love of language through staff development sessions, author visits, and children’s programs that burst with laughter, learning, and joy.

A dynamic keynote speaker, Mary Jo has graced Early Childhood conferences nationwide, leading hundreds of high-energy workshops and professional development events. With a heart for nurturing both children and teachers, she draws on 38 years as a center director — where she guided a team and cared for 115 bright, curious young minds every day.

Through every story, song, and puppet, Mary Jo invites children and educators alike to discover the wonder of storytelling and the power it must connect hearts, spark creativity, and make learning unforgettable.

Contact Links

Website

Facebook

Twitter: Mary Jo Huff

Goodreads

Purchase Links

https://mybook.to/ChickenFun

Amazon

Bookshop

Ebook Review: Chicken Fun by Mary Jo Huff, illustrator Wendy Fedan

 

Blurb: 

Chicken Fun is an action-filled, rhyming picture book that introduces numbers and counting. Follow the chickens as they play in their backyard, with shenanigans such as running from bees, playing baseball, dancing, and going on a date. Help two chickens using binoculars search for Farmer Kevin. Everyone will enjoy the onomatopoeia and rhyming, the songlike cadence of the prose, and the chicken's refrain of bakk, baba, bakk, baba, bakk, bakk, bakk!. Elevate the story with participation and a good laugh.

Amazon: Amazon.com: Chicken Fun eBook : Huff, Mary Jo, Fedan, Wendy: Kindle Store

B&N: Chicken Fun by Mary Jo Huff, Wendy Fedan, Paperback | Barnes & Noble®

Goodreads: Chicken Fun by MaryJo Huff | Goodreads

My Review - 4 of 5 stars - 

This was a cute rhyming story. I enjoyed the rhyming concepts. The illustrations added to the cuteness and fun. A wonderful bedtime story.

I received a copy through RABT, and this is my unsolicited review.

Ebook Review: Property of Heat (Kings of Anarchy MC: Virginia #3) by E.C. Land

 

Blurb: 

One look was all it took to set this heart of stone ablaze.
Heat
I'm the president of the Kings of Anarchy MC: Virginia Charter. My reputation for being who I am and taking no shit from anyone all while taking care of business precedes me. It's part of the reason I got the title and the gavel.
I protect my own. Club and family. They are what matters to me, and I refuse to let them down because I know what it's like to lose someone who's counting on you.
My brothers and I are still on the hunt for one we should've saved.
Each lead goes nowhere. Nothing helps. But we won't stop until we bring her back, doing whatever it takes to make sure she comes home again.
In the middle of all of this, a new face shows up out of thin air.
I don't have time for her ordeal. More trouble is the last thing I need. But Mckenna's pleading eyes tell me she's in deep with someone she used to trust.
Someone who means to do her harm.
And I may not be looking for an ol' lady of my own, but I'm not about to let another woman suffer when I can save her.
The heat of flames will destroy those who come to take what is now mine.

Amazon: Amazon.com: Property of Heat (Kings of Anarchy MC: Virginia Book 3) eBook : Land , E.C. : Kindle Store

B&N: Property of Heat (Kings of Anarchy MC: Virginia, #3) by E.C. Land | eBook | Barnes & Noble®

Kobo: Property of Heat eBook by E.C. Land - EPUB | Rakuten Kobo United States

Goodreads: Property of Heat (Kings of Anarchy MC: Virginia Book 3) by E.C. Land | Goodreads

My Review - 5 of 5 stars - 

A quick and steamy read. McKenna and Heat clicked almost immediately. I loved McKenna's caring soul, her independent spirit, and her self-confidence. Heat fought the attraction at first but came to accept it quickly. He pushed her to allow him to protect her, but he wasn't overbearing. As a couple, they were wonderful. I enjoyed the paranormal/fantasy aspect of this MC and the talents and parentage of those connected to and within the club. I look forward to the next one.

I received a copy through 1852media, and this is my unsolicited review.

Book Tour: Strings by Jan Merritt with a giveaway and my review

Strings

by Jan Merritt

Contemporary Romance, Romantic Drama, Women’s Fiction

Date Published: 11-21-2025

With a national lockdown looming, a Southern journalist flees north, determined to jumpstart her career in the safety of a Minnesota wilderness, feisty and wary of entanglements, she piques the interest of a bored Native American rock star.

A pandemic is spreading across the globe. A national lockdown looms in the United States. A Southern journalist sees a chance to protect her health and jumpstart her career by escaping north to a Minnesota wilderness. Feisty and wary of entanglement, she piques the interest of a bored Native American rock star on his way home.

Robby Song’s career may be on hold, but Grace Wheeler is on a mission to build hers. To Robby, she’s an intriguing challenge. To Grace, he’s a distraction she’s not ready to handle. But the brutal Northwoods winter is coming. Grace flees back south . . . to soul-searching isolation and a puzzling middle-of-the-night call.

 

My Review - 4 of 5 stars - 

I enjoyed Grace and Robby from their accidental meeting at the airport through the many ups and downs of their relationship/friendship to the HEA. Both underwent changes as they processed what they had and what they wanted. The trust they should have had was hard fought for, though the chemistry was there with plenty of steamy scenes. Grace's past drove her to find herself and fight for herself, almost costing her everything. Robby was full of himself but liked the fact that Grace did not know about his fame. All the secondary characters kept the story moving along, giving support to this couple. The story was a bit dragged out for me, but overall, it was a good book.

About the Author

Jan Merritt is passionate about teaching both in the classroom and on horses, but brain cancer changed her life. Surgeries and treatments have left her with a new brain, one that does not have skills to teach middle school English or balance to ride horses . . . but loves to create stories.

Jan lives on the coast of South Carolina with strong ties to northern Minnesota. Growing up was filled with rich but conflicting narratives. Her dad told stories about his pioneering Minnesota family, egalitarian values, and the importance of self-reliance. They made annual trips to family cabins on a lake north of Duluth. But in her friends’ homes back in Charleston, she was immersed in plantation lore, tales of the Confederacy, and exclusive traditions of a social set that she was not born into. She is married to a musician who is also a mental health therapist. They have three children.

Contact Links

Website

Facebook

Goodreads

Purchase Link

https://mybook.to/STRINGSJanMerritt

Amazon

Release: Oh Little Town (Angel Mountain Christmas #3) by Clara Pines

Oh Little Town 

by Clara Pines 

Available now!

https://geni.us/OhLittleTown

Read With Kindle Unlimited

I’m a city girl through and through. But a single dad and his adorable daughter are starting to make small town Angel Mountain feel a lot like home…

Landing a job with a big-city publisher was my dream come true. But causing the scandal that ended my career before it really got started turned it into more of a nightmare. And ever since “the incident,” no other publishing company will even give me the time of day.

So when I get the chance to take over a small-town bookshop in the Pocono Mountains, it feels like fate. Running my own little shop isn’t exactly my area of expertise. But at least it’s a life surrounded by books, which is all I ever really wanted.

It’s not easy. But somehow, through all the surprises and growing pains, it’s thoughts of Roan Connelly that keep me up at night. The local Christmas tree farmer has a little girl who lights up my whole heart like the north star. And it probably doesn’t help that he’s also unbelievably gorgeous and so kind that it sometimes brings tears to my eyes, or that he smells like pine trees and paradise.

But I’m clearly barking up the wrong Douglas Fir, since the rugged single dad seems content to ignore the smoldering chemistry that’s building between us. I guess some things just aren’t meant to be, no matter how hard you try to stay on Santa’s nice list.

Now, with a big snowstorm on the way, the bookshop in real trouble, and Roan’s little daughter longing for an unlikely Christmas gift, my only hope is that against all odds, the stars will somehow align for the three of us, and for the little town that I’m starting to love…

Oh Little Town is a clean & wholesome Christmas romance, perfect for anyone who loves a lighthearted holiday rom-com and a happily-ever-after.

If you love no spice romance books and you’re a fan of stories with tropes like: Single Dad, Small town, Christmas Holiday, Grumpy & Sunshine, Snowed-in, and more, this is the series for you!

 

Teaser: The Duke's Indecent Purchase (Indecent Dukes #3) by Golden Angel

PRAISE KINK HEROINE MEETS DIRTY DUKE HERO

If you love your histrom extra spicy, do yourself a favor and preorder The Duke's Indecent Purchase by Golden Angel Romances today!

https://geni.us/IndecentPurchase

The only thing Lady Johanna has in abundance is desperation… and she is willing to do far worse things than marry a duke to save her family.

Lady Johanna’s brother, the young and impoverished Earl of Falmouth, cannot support the family. With no marriage prospects of her own, Lady Johanna has little hope of saving her mother and siblings from slow starvation until her brother's guardian offers to secretly send her to auction at a bawdy house.

The misfortune that dogged the family since her father's death quickly turns when the Lord of Luck himself, the rakish Duke of St. Albans, sees her on the stage. With one flip of his lucky coin, Lady Johanna goes from rags to riches, from total ruin to betrothed to the richest duke of the ton overnight.

For the first time in years, her family will be provided for, their futures assured and bright. Yet as Lady Johanna begins to believe in her own luck, her mother reveals a secret so shocking it threatens not only Johanna's chance at happily ever after, but the family's very survival.

About the Author:

Golden Angel is a USA Today best-selling author and self-described bibliophile with a "kinky" bent who loves to write stories for the characters in her head. If she didn't get them out, she's pretty sure she'd go just a little crazy.

She is happily married, old enough to know better but still too young to care, and a big fan of happily-ever-afters, strong heroes and heroines, and sizzling chemistry.

When she's not writing, she can often be found on the couch reading, in front of her sewing machine making a new cosplay, hanging out with her friends, or wandering the Maryland Renaissance Fair.

Find Her Online!
Amazon: http://amzn.to/2DplX3X
BookBub: http://bit.ly/2G68e3O
Facebook: http://bit.ly/2Ds7c0e
Goodreads: http://bit.ly/2rt4rdL
Instagram: http://bit.ly/2CkqiqZ

TikTok: https://bit.ly/3sJhOod
Twitter: https://bit.ly/37RSd1B 

Website: http://www.goldenangelromance.com