Smoke in the Mirrors is Out!

As I've spoken about before, I really loved Town of Shadows, the first book in Jessica Scarlett's new series, Slanted London. I was hesitant to try it, because I don't read a lot of historical fantasy, but the magic part of it was really well done and I was invested in the romance. The first book ended on a bit of a cliffhanger, so I was really excited to see that the second book had come out! I dove in, anxious to see what would happen with our hero and heroine.

 

The second book, Smoke in the Mirrors, is really long, 451 pages, and it has a lot of POV characters in it, which sometimes makes it hard to keep track of who is speaking and what's going on since there are several storylines all being woven together. It's kind of like a puzzle that you are finding all the pieces to and figuring out where they fit! But the thing I love about this world Ms. Scarlett has created is that everyone has secrets they are hiding and people they are trying to protect and the reader is sucked into attempting to unravel the little intrigues along with the big mystery right along with the characters. And we get a lot of movement in our hero's story with a jaw-dropping ending. I can't wait for the next one!

Do you ever read a genre you don't normally read and like it?

Smoke in the Mirrors is in Kindle Unlimited. You can get your copy HERE

Here's the back copy:

Some illusions save us. Others want us dead.

Dorothy St. James has three missions: slip inside the Rook’s circle, recover the stolen enchanted bracelets, and rescue her kidnapped father. But when whispers of a hidden map inside Buckingham Palace surface, everything shifts. Enlisting Ashley Gardner—the brilliant, backstabbing puzzle-solver she can never quite outsmart—might be her only chance of destroying him.

To Dorothy’s annoyance, her dangerous pull toward Ashley only grows, even as fellow Lightfoot agent Nicholas Hart offers a far safer path. Nicholas is steady and dependable, while Ashley is all secrets, sharp edges, and heartbreak waiting to happen.

But Ashley is running out of time. His mutating magic grows more sentient every day, and the final bracelet is the only thing keeping it from consuming him. Desperate, he agrees to help Dorothy hunt the hidden map, even though being near her threatens both his sanity and his survival. And as riddles twist into traps, he begins to fear that their fire may not be real at all—just another illusion his magic wants her to believe.

London’s smoke-choked streets are thick with danger. Where is Dorothy’s father? Who is the Samaritan? Why is the Rook kidnapping innocents? And who can she trust, when she can’t even trust herself?

The New App for No Spice Readers!

Today is a VERY lucky day! I get to make an announcement about something that I've been sitting on for months. As you all know, I love to read no-spice books and that's what I write. Well, a new app and community is being soft-launched tomorrow morning for people who want to discover new authors who write no-spice and not be worried it will have anything unexpected in it. Bright Haven is an app that will feature clean romance ebooks and audiobooks for you to download and read, with clear filters and tags that you can set to your comfort level. But there's more to it than that! This app will feature a no-spice community with monthly book clubs, reader challenges where you can earn badges and points, author Q&A, online author panels, a Daily Dish with cover reveals and occasional ARC giveaways and more! I could not be more excited!

 
So here's what's happening tomorrow morning. Bright Haven is doing a soft launch starting at 6:00 a.m. ET and they will accept the first 1000 subscribers. Those subscribers will get an OG readers badge which gives them premium access and other perks and experiences as well as the first look at the new Bright Haven app and community. The Bright Haven doors will close temporarily after the first 1000 subscribers are on board, but there will be a waitlist for those who don't make it on this time so they can be welcomed when sign ups open again.

I am thrilled to be part of this new community as an author and a reader and I hope I'll see you there! You can click HERE to get more information and sign up tomorrow!

A Little About Me

With a new year upon us, and some new followers, I thought I would do a little about me! I'd love to know more about you, as well! Do we have anything in common? What is your favorite genre to read? What is one thing you are looking forward to this year? Do you have a pet? Let me know!

A New Year's Gift For Me!

Happy New Year! I stayed up late to welcome in the new year, then started 2026 by watching Seeking Persephone, a movie based off of Sarah Eden's book of the same name. The movie was SO good! I can't wait to watch it again. The acting was really well-done, (my compliments to the casting director, they nailed it!) the story had me riveted, the entire production truly was so, so good. I hope we can get more movies like that!

My Top Ten Books of 2025

It was hard to choose my top ten books of 2025 but here's what I came up with.

1. The Fur Trader's Lady by Gabrielle Meyer

2. Town of Shadows by Jessica Scarlett

3. Over the Edge by Stephanie Black

4. Against a Crescent Storm by A.L. Sowards

5. Discovering Dahlia by Jennifer Moore

6. A Hopeful Proposal by Samantha Hastings

7. Rules for Ruin by Mimi Matthews

8. The Marriage Method by Mimi Matthews

9. The Best-Kept Secrets by Sarah Eden

10. If You'll Have Me by Esther Hatch

What was your favorite book you read this year?

Christmas Sweater

 I just couldn't resist posting this picture of my sweet little Teddy in his new Christmas sweater! He's such a happy little guy and a very good boy. I hope you had the best holiday!

The Book I Devoured in ONE Day!

I had a wonderful Christmas with my family and we've had a restful weekend after all the celebration. I hope you did, too! But I have to tell you about this book I read--IN ONE DAY!

My friend and fellow author Becky Monson recommended The Fur Trader's Lady by Gabrielle Meyer to me and I've sort of been in a little book slump so I immediately downloaded it from KU and started reading and I couldn't stop! It was SO well-written and I was sucked right into the story. I loved the slow burn romance, and the tension of what the villain was going to do when he finally found our hero and heroine was ratcheting up higher and higher with every page and I couldn't wait to see how it all ended! I devoured this book and I've already downloaded the next one in the series.

Does that ever happen to you? What have you been reading lately?

Get your copy of The Fur Trader's lady HERE

Here's the back copy:

To escape her guardian’s plans to marry her, Lady Charlotte Fairfax steals away to Montreal to locate Reid McCoy, a fur trader who owes her fiancé a debt for saving his life. Even though European women are forbidden from entering the interior, she is desperate to get to her fiancé deep within the northwestern wilderness.

Reid McCoy has worked hard for fifteen years to become a shareholder in the North West Company and is on the brink of realizing that goal. Taking Charlotte into the interior will not only put her life at risk, but it could also jeopardize his dreams. Honor bound to repay his debt, his only option is to have Charlotte dress as a man and enter as his assistant clerk.

With Charlotte’s guardian close on their trail and a personal rival willing to do anything to keep Reid from becoming a shareholder, they will embark on an epic journey that will test not only their strength and endurance, but their hearts, as well.