1–What is the title of your latest release? THE WORST DUKE IN THE WORLD 2–What is it about? A duke and a “disreputable” young woman fall in love; familial opposition ensues. So, a bit like Romeo and Juliet, but with a much more cheerful outcome (YAY!). 3–What do you love about the setting of your book?  It’s fun writing stories that take place amidst the London haut ton, but it was equally fun setting this book primarily in the English countryside. People meet and interact under different circumstances than they would in London; their interests and occupations vary, too. My hero, for example, is a keen agriculturist, so for authenticity’s sake (and, often, my own amusement) I liked bringing in non-glamorous, necessary things like drainage ditches, apple blights, pumpkin patches, and so on. 4–How did your heroine surprise you?  My heroine, Jane, comes from a disadvantaged background and has endured a lot of hardship and insecurity; I knew she’d be a strong person, but as the writing went on I was surprised and pleased by the quiet fortitude and resilience she displays when, in her new life as a cherished member of the Penhallow family, the going gets tough. (It’s…

All month long, we’re showcasing some of our favorite people — our reviewers! They read books day in and day out to give you, our readers, informed and exciting book recommendations! Today, one of our reviewers and regular interviewers, Miranda Owen! Your Name Miranda Owen How long have you been a Fresh Fiction reviewer? 7 years What are your favorite genres to read and review? Romance and cozy mysteries What are your TOP 3-5 Books of 2020? Sucker Punch by Laurell K. Hamilton The Kissing Game by Marie Harte Wicked Bite by Jeaniene Frost Crossing the Line by Cynthia Eden By the Book by Amanda Sellet What do you like to do outside of reading? Shopping and writing What are some of your holiday traditions? Writing and mailing Christmas cards What are your reading resolutions/intentions/goals for 2021? To try new authors and take a chance on different subgenres What do you love about being a Fresh Fiction Book Reviewer? Getting to interview favorite authors If you’re comfortable, please share a photo so our readers can see your face! Where else can readers find you online? https://twitter.com/mirandaowen1

Instead of trying to find your perfect match in a dating app, we bring you the “Author-Reader Match” where we introduce you to authors as a reader you may fall in love with. It’s our great pleasure to present Sidney Bell! Writes: While I normally write M/M Romantic Suspense, I’m branching out a bit with a polyamorous contemporary this time. THIS IS NOT THE END is about a fiercely devoted—if untraditional—married couple and the man who unexpectedly complicates their lives. Zac and Anya may welcome other men into their bed occasionally, but they only have room in their hearts for each other. Until, that is, Anya offers her husband a threesome with his deeply reserved best friend, Cal. But what starts as an invitation for a casual night of pleasure soon transforms into something that could risk every bond that exists between them. About: Author who writes character-driven, emotionally-complicated stories is in search of readers who like same. Lovers of beta heroes, competent women, and loud arguments about alfredo (which, to be clear, are only about alfredo because arguing about your fears and vulnerabilities is way harder) should apply early and often. I’d say that I like candlelit dinners and walks…

When I was working on the original proposal for SIRI, WHO AM I? in the Fall of 2018, I went on a trip to Long Beach, California. The trip had nothing to do with the book. In fact, I was actually headed there to help my boyfriend, Terrell, file custody paperwork, and be a supportive girlfriend. It was neither glamorous nor vacation-y. However, I hadn’t been on any sort of vacation for quite a while, and there were palm trees so it worked for me. Not long before the trip, the woman who I pitched the book to (Hi Blair!), suggested I set it in New York or LA. Because I was headed there anyway, I decided to take notes. This was my first trip to Long Beach so the few places I visited turned into the setting for the story. If I stopped into a bodega for a water, it was likely to become the setting for one of Mia’s make-out sessions or a revelation about her identity. Before I go on, you should know the premise of the book: Mia wakes up completely alone in an LA hospital (in a Prada gown and a tiara) with amnesia and…

1–What is the title of your latest release?  OUR ITALIAN SUMMER 2–What is it about?  Three generations of women in the Ferrari family must heal the broken pieces of their lives on a trip of a lifetime through picturesque Italy. 3–What do you love about the setting of your book?  The book literally takes you through a tour of Italy, from Rome all the way to Tuscany. It’s full of amazing food, wine, and experiences that Italy is beloved for. 4–How did your heroine(s) surprise you?  There are actually three heroines in this book. Francesca is 49, Allegra is 18, and Sophia is 75! I love diving into the various points of view for each age. I think what surprised me the most about all of them is the inner strength each of them have to keep them pushing through challenges. 5–Why will readers love your hero(es)?  There are two main heroes in this book! Enzo is the Italian tour guide, and Ian is one of the tour members from Ireland. Enzo falls for Francesca, and Ian falls for Allegra. These love stories are both very different but extremely emotional and poignant. I know these two men will make my…

Instead of trying to find your perfect match in a dating app, we bring you the “Author-Reader Match” where we introduce you to authors as a reader you may fall in love with. It’s our great pleasure to present BROOKE BURROUGHS! Writes: I write rom-coms starring women who have a heart for adventure, even if they don’t know it yet! THE MARRIAGE CODE, which takes place in Seattle and Bangalore, India, is my debut novel which comes out on January 1st, 2021. About: THE MARRIAGE CODE is inspired by my experience working in the tech industry, and moving to India, where I met my husband. When I’m not writing, I conduct experiments in vegetarian cooking, perform with a Bollywood dance troupe, travel whenever I can, and am frequently seen at the dog park with my Great Dane which is often mistaken for a horse. I now live in Austin, Texas with my husband and our two dogs, and often miss my mother-in-law’s delicious South Indian cooking. What I’m looking for in my ideal reader match: You’re always rooting for the romance in any TV show, movie, or book—even if it’s not actually a romance. I mean, Godzilla and Mothra—couldn’t you see…

I have a love-hate relationship with the New Year. On the one hand, it’s a brand-new time—full of possibility, a fresh start, and a time to plan and think about all the things that could happen in the coming months. On the other, we live in a society where the New Year signifies a time of intense diet culture (which is really just body shaming and misogyny), insecurity, and whatever else deemed wrong and in need of change. And let’s not forget we’re still in the middle of a world-wide pandemic and political turmoil. Thanks, 2021! In spite of all of that, however, good things have been happening (more on that later), and by good things, I do very much mean GOOD BOOKS. Here are a few of my favorite opening lines from some of my fave books of 2020, as well as a few from the 2021 books I’m looking forward to coming out! The Worst Best Man by Mia Sosa (2020) My phone’s text tone chirps like a robin—which fails to prepare me for the clusterfuck on the screen. ANDREW: Everything you said last night made sense, M. Thanks to you, I can see the truth now. I…

I love to read novels set in interesting places.  Currently, I’m reading a historical romance that takes place in Nazi-occupied Paris during WWII.  I’ve always loved Paris, which makes the book even more fun to read.  Being able to recognize the settings where the action takes place, as well as the names of restaurants and streets I have visited. As a writer, going to the place your book is set, or choosing a place you have actually been, is the best way to make your book seem real. In THE ULTIMATE BETRAYAL, the novel takes place in Colorado, a state I love to visit.  After I’d concluded my second Maximum Security novel, THE DECEPTION, which was set in Texas, I was looking for someplace different for book number three.  Colorado, with its wide variety of landscapes and extreme climate conditions, seemed perfect. Having been to Denver a number of times, street names were familiar, parks and airports, locations of smaller towns, and rural mountain communities. Since this was a Maximum Security novel, a romantic thriller, I began by researching crime in the state.  I had digging and digging and finally stumbled onto an article about the U.S. Army chemical weapons…

Thanks so much for featuring us on Fresh Fiction! We love your blog and are so excited to have the opportunity to talk about our sweet YA romance, IN THE PENALTY BOX! Before we get started on our post, don’t forget to enter the giveaway! Details are at the bottom of the post. Below we’ve shared our top five movies for Brodie and Willow’s characters. Do you have a favorite movie? If so, leave it in a comment below! Brodie’s got quite a list, and as he and Willow get to know each other, he realizes they have a few in common! Which makes her all that more irresistible. 1–Fast and Furious 8: The Fate of the Furious. I mean a sub crashing through the ice? That’s just plain rad. 2–Young Blood: Best hockey movie ever…even if it’s from a hundred years ago. 3–The Avengers – all of them. No way can I choose just one. 4–The Terminator Series: Yep, even the non-Arnold ones. 5–Elf: Who wouldn’t like a movie that has the longest belch ever recorded? Willow loves streaming movies! After tearing her Achilles tendon while figure skating, Willow had loads of rehab time, which meant hours on end…

Jen: What inspired you to write OUR DARKEST NIGHT? Jennifer: After finishing work on THE GOWN, I jumped into work on a book set in…well, I don’t really want to say, since I may return to it some day! I spent months researching and plotting it, but when it was time to buckle down and write the thing, I just couldn’t do it. I was trying to figure out what to do next when my son came to me and asked if it was true that his great-grandparents, my husband’s maternal grandparents, helped to hide Jewish families from the Nazis during the war. And I had to admit that I wasn’t sure – but I told him I would try to find out. It didn’t take a lot of digging for me to discover that San Zenone degli Ezzelini, the small town in northern Italy where my mother-in-law grew up, was a focus of resistance against the Nazi occupation in World War Two, and specifically that the local priest had organized shelter for dozens of Italian Jews. Father Oddo Stocco was named Righteous Among the Nations by Yad Vashem in 2010, and while I wasn’t able to prove conclusively that…