More October Books ...

I could not pre-order these because they're self published and did not offer that option. That, and Courtney Milan is practically notorious for not having a firm release date.  :-) First up is:



1.  Keepsake (True North Book 3)
     Author: Sarina Bowen
     Publisher: Rennie Road Books
     Released: October 25, 2016
     Price: $3.99

There's a first time for everything.

Lark Wainright used to be fearless. Her life was a series of adventures, each one more exhilarating than the last. But her recent overseas adventure was one too many. Now she’s home and in one piece. Mostly. But her nights are filled with terror.

When her best friend offers her a stay at the orchard in exchange for help at the farmers’ markets, Lark jumps at the chance to spend fall in Vermont. But her nightmares don’t stop. Desperate to keep her fragile state a secret, she relies on the most soft-spoken resident of the Shipley Farm to soothe her when her dreams prove too much.

Zachariah is a survivor, too. It’s been four years since he was tossed aside by the polygamist cult where he grew up. He’s found a peaceful existence on the Shipley’s farm, picking apples and fixing machinery. But getting thrown away by your own people at nineteen leaves a mark on a guy. He doesn’t always know what to make of a world where movie quotes are the primary means of communication. Before hitchhiking to Vermont, he’d never watched TV or spoken on the phone.

Actually, there are a lot of things he’s never done.

Zach and Lark slowly grow to trust one another. One night they become even closer than they’d planned. But Lark may still be too broken to trust anyone. When she pushes Zach away, he will have to prove to himself that he's good for much more than farm labor.


I'm reading this one now. Been waiting for Zach's story. I like everything about his series, the setting (Vermont), the people, the writing. I close the book(s) with a happy sigh because some very nice people have found a very nice ending and I love it when a plan comes together.  


2.  Hold Me (Cyclone Book 2)
     Author: Courtney Milan
     Publisher:  Self Published
     Released:  October 25, 2016
     Price:  $4.99

Jay na Thalang is a demanding, driven genius. He doesn’t know how to stop or even slow down. The instant he lays eyes on Maria Lopez, he knows that she is a sexy distraction he can’t afford. He’s done his best to keep her at arm’s length, and he’s succeeded beyond his wildest dreams.

Maria has always been cautious. Now that her once-tiny, apocalypse-centered blog is hitting the mainstream, she’s even more careful about preserving her online anonymity. She hasn’t sent so much as a picture to the commenter she’s interacted with for eighteen months—not even after emails, hour-long chats, and a friendship that is slowly turning into more. Maybe one day, they’ll meet and see what happens.

But unbeknownst to them both, Jay is Maria’s commenter. They’ve already met. They already hate each other. And two determined enemies are about to discover that they’ve been secretly falling in love…


Lots of interesting things about this book, am anxious to see if Milan brings it off. If I remember correctly (from Trade Me), there is a transgender heroine and I admit I'm curious about the logistics of it all. This is out of my life experience and although I've learned a lot since the advent of the internet (I'll turn 70 in February O.o), I'm not familiar with this segment of Romance. Looking forward to reading.