25 | October | 2020 | Berit Talks Books

Hello my bookish friends!

This was such a short, sweet, and festive story!🎄

Mine to Five

Working beyond nine to five and barely getting by, Melanie Thomas is eager to celebrate the impending holiday season and to toast the start of her dream marketing job over drinks with her boyfriend. Unfortunately, he has different plans—like seeing other women.

Indulging in a pity party with tequila, Melanie confides in a sexy stranger at the bar. It’s almost Christmas. One night of letting go won’t hurt anything, right? Turns out it just might—when the stranger is her new boss. Determined to succeed at her job, Melanie won’t be scared away. This is her chance, even if her hot boss has her feeling all merry and bright and wishing for a less-than-professional relationship.

Matthew Ryans is burned out and on thin ice at the company he helped build unless he gets his head back in the game. Yet his head, both upper and lower, are quickly becoming obsessed with his new assistant. Still, he can’t seem to fully begrudge Melanie’s distracting presence and the Christmas joy she brings with it. Especially considering that her enthusiasm has him reenergized. For once, he is longing for Mondays, but with his heart and job on the line, he can’t risk blurring the lines no matter how strong the lure of holiday mistletoe is.

Will their holiday passion be able to fuel mutual career success, or will it only get in their way in the New Year?

My Thoughts

A festive little gem! Four hours on audio and packed with Romance, humor, steam, and holiday cheer. Melanie is looking hot and feeling good. Her spirits are high and she’s ready to have the time of her life the night before she starts her new dream job, and then… another woman answers her boyfriend’s phone. Melanie is devastated and decides to drown her sorrows in tequila. One shot leads to another… the man next to her is buying her drinks… next thing she knows she wakes up the next morning with a raging headache in bed with the man at the bar… Melanie does the walk of shame, but no big deal she will never see him again. Well at least not for a few hours until he shows up at her new job as her new boss. Whoops 😬

This was a short, sweet, and cute story. Both Melanie and Matthew were great characters who I immediately liked. The story primarily takes place in November and December so there’s lots of holiday cheer sprinkled throughout the story. This would be the perfect book to listen to on the road two family’s for Christmas or Thanksgiving. Just make sure there’s no little ears in the vehicle there is some definite steam in the story.

This book in emojis 📱 🖍 🥃 🐛 🎄

*** Big thank you to the author for my gifted copy of this book. All opinions are my own. ***

Purchase Links

UK – https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07YWKD6XB

US – https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07YWKD6XB

If readers sign-up to Tara September’s newsletter they can automatically get her short story It Might Be You for free at https://storyoriginapp.com/giveaways/8d2ea240-84e1-11ea-b6cf-ef6e1a3ccd4e

Author Bio –

Tara September is a multi-award-winning contemporary romance author living in Southwest Florida. Blogger and former PR executive for The Walt Disney Company, Tara holds a Master’s degree in journalism & communications from New York University. For over a decade, Tara has penned a popular lifestyle, travel and parenting blog at TaraMetBlog.com.

An avid romance reader though, she has been daydreaming about being an author since she was a kid. Dozens of bad dates and adventures later, she still finds it impossible that she met her husband on a NYC subway. They now have identical twin boys and four cats underfoot/on her laptop/everywhere. Fueled by an IV of green tea and an outrageous stock of champagne, she’s finally writing the happily ever after tales she’s been dreaming about.

Social Media Links –

Twitter: https://twitter.com/taraseptember

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/taraseptemberauthor/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/taraseptemberauthor

Website: http://www.taraseptember.com/

Optional Giveaway to Win an Audible Code for Mine To Five – UK / US Only –

Entirely up to you how you organize this, but send winners name and email, and preferred Audible Code UK / US to me and I’ll pass it over to the author.

My Thoughts

Ava and Matt are living every parent’s worst nightmare. You run upstairs to grab your phone before you leave the house. You know your child is safe because they’re buckled in their stroller and they can’t undo the latch. You take a minute to fold some sheets and scroll through Facebook- you finally have a minute to yourself and the baby is being quiet. And then… you go back downstairs and there is no baby in the stroller- and even worse… the door is wide open. Where is your baby? She couldn’t have gone far, could she have? Terrifying right? That is what happens to Ava, her daughter Abi is nowhere to be found. The story begins with Ava and her husband Matt frantically searching for their toddler Abi. Then the story jumps forward a year. Ava cannot let go of the guilt. How could she have left her little girl alone? How could she have not close the door? Why did she need to scroll through her phone? There was no body, there were no answers, there was no closure. Matt has finally talked Ava into going to the neighbors housewarming party and while there Ava overhears something that will change everything.

This was a slow burning emotional character driven thriller. This couples grief and guilt was dripping off the pages. The tension in the story was understated and the twists were quiet. I knew the truth was going to be sinister… but as things began to be revealed it was so much worse than I had anticipated. This was truly a heartbreaking tale about the lengths we go to protect ourselves and in doing so we hurt others.

This book in emojis 💔 🦥 🏡

*** Big thank you to Bookouture for my gifted copy of this book. All opinions are my own. ***