Review: Sketching a Softer Nora (Timeline Retreats #4) by Daisy Landish @daisy_landish

Sketching a Softer Nora

Timeline Retreats #4

by Daisy Landish

Published: August 6, 2025

Publisher: Beaches and Trails Publishing

Genre: Short Stories, Time Travel Romance, Romance, Romantic Comedy

Blurb:

You can’t move forward until you remember what you lost.
Nora Ellis doesn’t paint anymore. She doesn’t hope. She’s spent years surviving—but not really living. Until a mysterious invitation gives her one week in a version of her life where she never shut herself off… and Julian, the friend she never dared love, already knows her heart.

In this timeline, she teaches art again. Her home is full of color. And the life she lost might still be waiting—if she’s brave enough to claim it.

Fans of The Midnight Library, Before I Called You Mine, and The Garden of Small Beginnings will fall for this tender, hopeful romcom about grief, healing, and second chances.

Perfect for readers who crave:
✦ emotional healing arcs
✦ gentle, introspective love stories
✦ soft heroes who see the real you
✦ quiet magic and deeply earned joy

Visit Daisy's website to find out about upcoming releases or to join her newsletter at daisylandishromance dot com.

Goodreads ~ Amazon ~ BookBub

My Review:

Over the years, Nora’s heart has grown cold; she has shut down. She lives her life alone. She goes about her routine daily and does her job, never letting anyone in. Nora let a man slip through her fingers because she was afraid to show her feelings. She was afraid to let anyone in because she feared being hurt. So she closed herself off from the world, only revealing what she wanted them to see.

Then one day, Nora was given the chance to see what her life would have been like if she had made different choices. If she had been braver and less afraid. Nora was given one week to see what her life might have been if she hadn't been so afraid.

As with all the books in the Timeline Retreats, Sketching a Softer Nora was just as captivating, if not more so, than all the others. It drew me into its world the moment I began to read and never let go. It held my attention from start to finish. I was kept in suspense about what Nora would do with her new life.

I kept asking myself throughout Nora’s story what would happen to the people in her new life who weren’t part of her old life but had come back into her life in her new reality. What would happen to their lives? What if they had moved on with someone new? Would that person simply no longer be there? How many lives would she disturb, change, or possibly destroy with her decision?

WOW! So many questions. What would you do? I’m enjoying every story I’ve read so far in the Timeline Retreats series and can’t wait for more. I encourage everyone to grab a copy of Sketching a Softer Nora today for another wonderful romantic adventure!

Check out all the books in the Timeline Retreats Series I’ve read

Borrowing a Better Mara #1

Goodreads

Amazon

BookBub

Becoming a Bolder Lana #2

Goodreads

Amazon

BookBub

Claiming a Braver Jules #3

Goodreads

Amazon

BookBub

Sketching a Softer Nora #4

Goodreads

Amazon

BookBub

Connect with Daisy Landish

Goodreads ~ Amazon ~ BookBub

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter/X ~ Instagram

 

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Teaser: Party Animal by Gale Stanley @GaleStanley @RABTBookTours @changelingpress

Contemporary Gay Romance, Polyamorous

Date Published: August 8, 2025

Casey can get just about any man he wants, except for the one he wants the most.

Casey Cox is a porn star legend. Life is a never-ending party and there's always a hot guy or two willing to play. Then Casey meets the one man who isn't interested and suddenly it's a challenge he can't resist.

ADULT EXCERPT

 

“Suck me tender.”

“Hey dumbass, I’m the boss here. If you didn’t have a big shlong, you wouldn’t get any screen time.”

I picked up the towel and covered up my biggest asset. “Jealous much?”

Max looked like he was ready to blow steam but he clenched his jaw and nodded toward the king-sized bed. It was all decked out in white linen, the better to show off our tanned bodies. “I want you and Joey to do a fast run through, no sex, before we start filming.”

“Time is money,” I said, throwing his own words back at him. “I don’t need to rehearse.”

“Says you. Did you even read the script?”

“Course I did. Masturbate first, and then Joey walks in and gives me a hand. It’s not rocket science.” It was an easy scene. I could do it in my sleep. I never have a problem getting hard, especially when I know somebody’s watching.

“Okay Mr. Motherfucking-Know-It-All, do your thing.”

I sat on the bed and leaned back against the headboard.

Max spit out one word. “Action.”

I started rubbing my cock through the material of the towel. After a minute, I flung open the towel and let my dick take a bow. It was stiff and begging for attention but I ignored it. Slowly I ran my hands down my chest, tweaking my nipples until they were erect. It didn’t take long. My hot buttons are super sensitive. A delicious warmth spread through my groin. It was time to give my prick some attention. I gave it a few easy strokes, taking my time so I could show off my body. Occasionally I glanced at the camera with a smoldering gaze. Then I started jerking off in a steady rhythm.

Nobody knows my hot spots like I do. It didn’t take long for my breathing to speed up. My balls drew up tight and I knew I was close. Where the heck was Joey? He should have been here by now. I wanted to give him a cum shower. Max was a shit director. One day I’d direct my own films. I tried to hold off, but my cock was throbbing. Fuck it. I was too close. One more hard stroke and I hosed myself down with a massive cum load.

White cream covered my chest, up to my neck and under my chin. I groaned, scooped some up with my fingers and licked them clean. I knew I looked hot as hell.

“Cut!” Max stood over me, hands on hips. “I tell you when to come.”

“You can’t hold back momentum, Max.” One of these days I’ll quit mouthing off, but not today. “If you could get it up, you’d know that.”

If looks could kill I would have died right then, but Max couldn’t touch me. I was golden. Nobody made the studio more money than I did.

“Face it, Max. I know what my audience wants and I give it to them. That’s why you pay me the big bucks.”

“Get over yourself, princess. You’re a fucking porn actor. There’s a thousand more waiting to take your place.”

As usual, Paul, the cameraman and peacemaker, tried to diffuse the situation. “This is good stuff, Max. The guys will eat it up.”

Max gave him a disgusted look and turned back to me. “You got anything left for Joey?”

“Does a tin man have a stainless steel cock?”

Everybody laughed except Max. Fuck him. He turned his back, but not before he took another long look at my chest. I smiled as I lay back against the pillows. Look all you want, Max, but you’ll never get your hands on this body. But I knew he’d take the film home and masturbate to it all night.

“Hey, Cox.”

My head jerked up at the sound of Joey’s voice. People tend to think that porn stars don’t have real lives. They think that, given the nature of what we do for a living, we must be emotionally detached and incapable of having a real relationship. That’s only partly true. While I don’t have, need, or want, a significant other, I have my sister, Julie, and my best friends, Joey and Paul.

Joey is not only a friend, he’s also a great costar. He’s a lean six feet, with short spiky blond hair and brown eyes. The dude is practically hairless while I sport a sexy trail of dark hair that leads to a well-manicured bush. The camera loves the contrasts between us, and so do the guys who buy our videos. We spend so much time together, it was only natural we’d become buddies.

Grinning, Joey sat on the bed. “You just can’t help yourself, can you, Casey?” He started wiping my chest with a warm, wet cloth.

 

About the Author

Gale Stanley grew up in Philadelphia PA. She was the kid who always had her nose in a book, her head in the clouds, and her hands on a pad and pencil.

Some things never change.

 

Author Links

Visit Gale’s Website

Gale on Facebook

Follow her on BookBub

 

Publisher on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok: @changelingpress

 

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Book Blitz + #Giveaway: Lavish by Tinia Montford @XpressoTours

Lavish
Tinia Montford
(California Kings, #2)
Publication date: August 6th 2025
Genres: Adult, Mystery, Romance

Serena King has spent years burying her sins beneath designer heels and ruthless ambition. But no lie lasts forever. When a ghost from her past returns, armed with secrets that could destroy her, she’s forced into a game she can’t control.
The first move? A marriage forced upon her

To him—her brother’s ex-best friend. Her first mistake. The man who was her first… and then broke her heart.
Miles Whitmore.

He’s not the reckless charmer she remembers. He’s colder. Crueler. Hungrier.

Miles wants to salvage his scandal-ridden family’s legacy. He needs power. He needs redemption. But he’s got secrets that could destroy everything too.

Their marriage is a business deal, a show for the public. But behind closed doors?

It’s a war.

A war of lies. A war of seduction. A war of who will break first.

But the deeper they fall into their twisted game, the more hatred turns to heat. The more vengeance turns to obsession.

Because in a world where power is everything and love is the most dangerous game of all…

The biggest threat isn’t their enemies.

It’s each other.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble

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EXCERPT:

I spotted Mama and Daddy at the far end of the room, whispering vehemently among themselves. It was only when I got close that I heard Mama hiss, “He’s on something, Vincent!”

I almost gasped as Omar Whitmore stumbled through the crowd, his champagne glass tilting dangerously in his loose grip.

That’s not drunk. I know drunk. Drunk is falling into a gardenia bush after too many martinis or flirting with someone’s husband.

What started off as a simple party was now becoming a Jerry Springer episode.

The day after the most beautiful night of my life. Of course everything went wrong.

“Relax, Vonnie. He’s fine,” Daddy said, but I could see he didn’t believe himself.

“This is not the first time. Look! He’s sweating like this is the Mississippi Delta! He’s falling over, and his eyes look blacked out like an alien,” Mama said. “He ain’t been right since his father died.”

“You weren’t any better,” Daddy reminded her. Mama glared at him.

I expected tonight to be low-key. Simple but luxurious. A big King party for the whole town before Laurene’s engagement party next week, complete with rosé, twinkling lights, and that laidback summer feel that Lush brings.

“You saw him at the mayor’s gala when the press was interviewing him. He looked unshaven and dirty like some drifter.”

“That’s just grief,” Daddy said, standing up for his best friend.

Mama’s glare didn’t ease up. “I never let myself go like this when my daddy died. Omar gave a sloppy, rambling speech at the town hall. He crashed my Women of Lush networking brunch, and you know much time I put into that, Vincent, don’t act dumb.”

“It could be depression. Anxiety?”

“And? What does that have to do with him messing up my party?” Mama put her hands on her hips. “The Ashbournes are here. Lord knows we don’t need to give them any more ammunition than they already have. All the families that matter in Lush are here. Mayor Johnson, the Lush Chronicles, investors, donors—”

I knew better than to interrupt when Mama was pissed. My eyes flicked back to Omar.

“He’s our friend,” Daddy said, wincing as he watched Omar fall into a guest who yelped.

Despite what Miles thought, Mama had been dropping hints about giving me King Developments. She wanted to add another venture to King Enterprises, but Erik was too busy with King Aviation. Laurene was obsessed with her art.

This was it. But one wrong move from me tonight, and she’d place it right back into Erik’s lap without blinking.

So, I stayed still.

Author Bio:

Tinia (TUH-NIA) Montford is a Pisces who’s a sap for romance, especially when there’s (tons of) kissing. Loves eighties sitcoms and will consume anything with chocolate. She graduated from the University of San Francisco with a degree in English and Graphic Design. She is currently pursuing her MFA in Fiction.

You can find Tinia at www.tiniamontford.com or on social media: @tiniawritesbooks

Website / Goodreads / Instagram / Facebook / Amazon / TikTok

GIVEAWAY!

Lavish Blitz

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Cover Reveal: The Rising Dark by Celia Thorn @XpressoTours

The Rising Dark
Celia Thorn
Publication date: October 22nd 2025
Genres: Adult, Paranormal, Romance

She would kill for you.

Michelle’s perfectly ordinary life is thrown into chaos when she’s attacked one night by a terrifying monster straight out of a horror movie. The only thing that stands between her and her demise is Lavinia: tall, gorgeous… and a vampire.

She would worship you… if you let her.

To keep Michelle safe, Lavinia whisks her away to stay with a band of female sword-wielding vampires. Every day they strive to find out who is trying to kill Michelle and why; and every day, Michelle’s feelings for her chivalrous rescuer grow. But Michelle is just a regular nurse, and Lavinia is a beautiful, centuries-old vampire with a vow to protect the innocent. To get their happily ever after, they’ll have to navigate their differences… and slay some demons in the process.

The Rising Dark is the first book in a sapphic paranormal romance series centred around a Sisterhood of vampire warriors finding love.

Add to Goodreads

Author Bio:

Hello! I’m an author of sapphic paranormal romance novels. My first book, THE RISING DARK, kicks off a series about a band of female vampire warriors finding love. THE RISING DARK will release on October 22nd 2025. The sequel will follow in spring 2026.

The best way to keep in touch is to sign up for my newsletter.

Like my vampire characters, I live among the foothills of the Pennines in the United Kingdom, although that is where the comparison ends. I have a PhD in English Literature and spend most of my time reading, dreaming up stories, and petting the neighbourhood cats.

Bluesky / Instagram / Newsletter

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Review Tour + #Giveaway: Curse of Ashmedei by Michal Snaerravn @GoddessFish

CURSE OF ASHMEDEI

Michal Snaerravn

GENRE: Epic Fantasy

BLURB:

The Black Star approaches, heralding the cataclysm of Hell's Gate. The pawns on the chessboard have played the opening gambits as the Races vie for its power. Amnon, a young Demonblood consumed by revenge, finds himself drawn into a maelstrom of treacherous alliances and primeval magic. With a price on his head and outmanoeuvred by Druids and Trollbloods at every turn, he can't survive alone. An ancient Lycan who has lost his humanity is the only one he can trust.

Purchase Curse of Ashmedei: Book 1 on Amazon

Purchase Golems of Beithir: Book 2 on Amazon

Excerpt:

The sun began to slip behind the ragged slope, staining the wisps of clouds surrounding the peak in blood red.

It was late summer, and the bitter katabatic wind was making its way down the slope, rustling a few dying leaves, and chilling my bones. A lone peregrine falcon drew lazy spirals high above the erratic maze of rocks and boulders, looking for the unwary marmot that enjoyed the evening sun just a bit too long. Crouched, I carefully studied nearly invisible tracks. It was the same company I had been trailing for weeks now, consisting of an armored party of more than a dozen men and women. The tracks wound along the steep slope and entered the open scree. Soon their trail would be lost in the jumble of jagged rocks and Troll-sized boulders. I hesitated, my tail twitching as it usually did when I was annoyed. The path they were on faced directly against the sun as it dipped into the glacial valley. I knew the valley well, and it was perfect for an all-too-easy ambush. I suspected the company had already detected my presence, and it would be foolish to tempt fate, especially when facing a dozen armed men … headed by a Druid, no less.

My Review:

Curse of Ashmedei is the first book in The Chronicles of Hadúr; it is also the first book by Michal Snaerravn that I’ve read. I was drawn into its world the moment I began reading.

I was immediately captivated by Amnon, a young Demonblood with a twitching tail. From the very first page, Amnon started tracking Druids while being stalked by a Lycanthrope. Amnon is killing the Druids and is very good at it, but then he finds he has been outsmarted by the Druids and is now their prisoner.

Michal Snaerravn has created an enthralling world of epic fantasy in Curse of Ashmedei. A world that kept me captivated throughout with its many twists and turns that kept me hanging on every page, trying to figure out where the story was going next. The world-building is one of the best I’ve seen so far.

I highly recommend Curse of Ashmedei to all epic fantasy fans! Get a copy now and follow Amnon as he embarks on his quest to prevent an impending war from destroying his world.

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Michal Snaerravn is an outdoor enthusiast, an aficionado of the martial arts, and, above all, a sci-fi/fantasy nerd. A fan of all the timeless fantasy classics, he is eager to share his imagination: "Living in seven distinct cultures and reading hundreds of novels in four languages inspired a fantasy world that had to be revealed." He considers novel writing not for the timid, or for selling a million copies; it is for those who have a vision to share. "Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead!"

Amazon Author Page

 

Giveaway:

$10 Amazon/BN GC

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Follow the tour and comment; the more you comment, the better your chances of winning.

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