Review: Ask for Andrea by Noelle W. Ihli

Ask for Andrea by Noelle W. Ihli

Series: Ask for Andrea #1

Publication date: April 15th, 2022

Pages: 295

Spice: N/A

Synopsis:

"Hands down, one of my favorite reads of the year!" -- Freida McFadden, author of The Housemaid

Meghan, Brecia, and Skye have just one thing in common.

They were all murdered by the same man.

He hunted them online, masquerading as an eligible bachelor. Then he played the perfect gentleman, a thick layer of charm and a thousand-watt smile hiding the fact that his first dates end in shallow graves.

He's gotten away with murder three times now.

The only thing that might keep him from keeping again? The women he murdered.

Meghan, Brecia, and Skye might be dead, but they're not gone. They've found each other. And they won't rest until they find a way to stop him.

The haunt is on.

"A propulsive story that haunts and mesmerizes." -- Karin Slaughter, Sunday Times bestselling author of This is Why We Lied

"As pulse-pounding as it is poignant. Do yourself a favor--clear your schedule and crack open this novel!" -- Lisa Gardner, Sunday Times bestselling author of Before She Disappeared

"A true classic in the genre." -- Lisa Jewell, Sunday Times bestselling author of None Of This Is True

"Noelle has mastered the art of keeping readers on the edge of their seats." -- John Marrs, bestselling author of The One

"Utterly gripping ... I couldn't put it down." -- Nicola Sanders, author of Don't Let Her Stay

"What could be better than a thriller AND a ghost story? Left me equal parts terrified and haunted." -- Ellery Kane, author of The Good Wife

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Story: Noelle W. Ihli was first introduced to me with her Run on Red book. This was a book with a story that was completely different. Whereas before my experience with her books was the usual gripping thriller that had a few moments where you may need to turn away if a little squeamish. Ask for Andrea has paranormal aspects to it that I didn't see coming. How does a thriller author turn her thriller book into a ghost story? Quite easily it seems. I felt for the characters and how lost they felt after they were killed. Did they follow their killer? Check in with their families? Wait for their bodies to be discovered while watching it slowly desecrated by the wildlife? Each of them took a different stance on this decision but they all ended up making their way to each other as the noose slowly encircled their killer's neck. You read stories about killers after they are caught but you don't realize that they usually have families of their own that are completely unsuspecting. This story took three deaths over the spans of two years and merged them slowly over the course of their un-lives. It had me on the edge of my seat and desperately screaming at the book to catch the good for nothing killer that stole three lives from Ihli's carefully crafted world.

Characters: I liked every one of the girls in this story but I had a special place in my heart for Brecia. She didn't take her death lying down. She went after her killer and stayed with him the entire time. She tried to save the girls he came in contact but with her limited abilities she didn't always succeed. You can feel how strong Brecia is and how much guilt she feels for not always being able to save the women her killer chases. But she remains. She continues to try to fight for justice for her and any other girls that he hurts. That is what I would be doing if I were in her shoes. Out of the three girls I found Meghan to be the most depressing and unlikeable. She was not sure of herself and was ruled by fear even in death where she could no longer be hurt. Ihli did help her grow a little over the course of the book, but she was still one of the more indifferent characters I came in contact with while reading this book. However, I feel they all had their roles to fill and the author did well making them vastly different.

Writing: I was surprised to admit that I enjoyed the way Ihli had the three girls' stories separate but progressive until they came together throughout the course of their stories. It did take me a bit of flipping back and forth at times to remember which girl was doing what so I could keep them straight in my head. Brecia was with the killer, Skye was with her family, and Meghan remained where she was killed. As they started to move away from where they originally were situated I had to make sure I had them lined up in my mind the right way to appreciate the story and not become confused. But it was a really unique way of writing the story and I always appreciate new methods I come in contact with.

Overall: I feel that the book was really good. There were points where it lulled and it made it harder for me to read it. But the main reason it took me so long to finish it was due to illness not the story overall. Would I recommend this book to others? I have already but it isn't one I gushed over. It was good. It wasn't great by my standards. But I still am not regretting my decision to read it. I think that if there was a little more backstory to the killer explaining why he was doing what he was doing then I would have liked the book a lot more. I like understanding the 'why' of murder even if it only makes sense to the killer themselves. I also wanted a little more background on the killer. There were snippets thrown in that he had a troubled childhood but what exactly happened to him to make him willing to kill so many beautiful young girls? I wanted a bit more. That is all.

Book Blitz with Excerpt + Teasers + Giveaway: Flight by L Theodoora @XpressoTours

Flight by L. Theodoora

Publication date: November 14th, 2013

Synopsis:

Piper Madden used to be an Ace Harpy Hunter, but after the death of her brother, she'll do anything to leave that life behind. She flees to the fringe underground zone called the Rift to live out her exile on her own terms.

But the authoritarian Elder Corporation isn't about to let one of their best assets slip through the cracks. Piper is drawn back into the fray on a contract basis to combat a rising Harpy insurgence. As she struggles through her grief, she's caught between her old life in Central and her new, confusing existence in the Rift.

With the president of Elder Corp asking Piper to spy on his sister, navigating the surprisingly passive strategies of the Rift, and a strange friendship with the mysterious Asher, Piper's days are filled with more questions than answers.

Then, a chance encounter leaves Piper privy to a dangerous resistance plot, and as she and Asher team up in an effort to unravel the truth, the secrets they uncover beneath the ancient walls of the dead city will spark their world into a grand-scale war.

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It burns.

Wisps of smoke fill my mouth as I struggle to inhale, grasping the edges of my lungs until I let out a violent cough. I grope around the charred floor, unable to see, until my fingers brush his warm skin. Asher.

I force my eyes open, the thick smoke clouding them with hot tears. Asher lies beside me, sprawled across the crackling wooden floor. His eyes are dark, as though they're filled with liquid black ink. He pulses, his jaw clenching as ebony wings slowly, painfully, rupture from his back, tearing through his skin. I reach my hand to grip his arm, avoiding the scattered debris.

"Ash?"

The flames lick up the walls around us to quell their hunger. Asher flinches when he sees me, slowly backing away as though I'm a stranger. Shit. The drugs have started working, which means I'm going to forget him, too. I wipe thick sweat from my face, crawling toward him and clutching his shirt tightly. If he moves, I'll move with him. It's dangerous, but I can't let him go. Not yet.

"Asher! It's me!" I shout. "It's Piper. Please. You know me." I ignore the threat of his razor-sharp talons and wrap my arms around his wiry body. His scent, a mix of crisp cedar and musk, lets me cling to previous moments of us: his hands on my body, his lips caressing mine, staring at the stars and talking about the universe, our bodies flying high above ground. Moments I can't forget.

"Please," I whisper fiercely, "please remember me." His body trembles, but he fights through it, stopping himself from tossing me aside. Just for a moment, his eyes fade back to their natural light blue, and he grabs my shirt forcefully. He buries his face into my neck like he's breathing me in for the last time, and we cling to each other as the beams of he building crackle and come apart, sending showers of sparks raining around us.

"Piper," he whispers. He pushes me back to arm's length, grunting as he struggles to stay with me. Something stronger, something darker is trying to pull him under, and there's only so long until he falls into its depth. it won't be long now.

"Yes?" I reply, gripping his arms so tight I might leave bruises. I can't lose him here. I won't accept that this is the end. I look into his eyes, searching for a sign that he's still my Asher. That he's not just some monster.

"I'll find you again when this is all over," he says, tracing his fingers over my temples.

"But how? You won't recognize me, and I won't recognize you. We'll be strangers," I murmur.

His eyes flash with an angry determination. "I would know you, Piper Madden, anywhere, any time of my life. They can try to force you away from me, but I'm not done fighting back. For the first time in my life, I'm actually fighting for something. I will find you," he says.

We're rocked backward as the wall explodes from pressure. He holds me tightly to keep me balanced, using his wings for leverage. Gunshots ring out in the distance, and I know it's only a matter of time before they infiltrate and retrieve us. People I should have been able to trust. It hurts now knowing I never could.

Finally, I can feel the siren's song of the drug pulling me into its shallow haze. Warmth floods my body as my memories are dragged just out of reach. I try to cling to them, but they drift away like petals in the wind. Asher grunts and rolls away from me, grasping his head with his hands, and his wings begin to tremble.

I look around, my head on a swivel as I struggle to stay present. How did we get here? The moments leading up to this one drop like they're falling down a staircase one by one.

"Asher!" I shout again, trying to bring him back to me for a little while longer. He pants heavily, willing himself to stand and remain conscious. I want to keep fighting, but I can feel my strength fading. The futility of it all wraps itself around my bones, leeching all hope. This is it.

"Promise me you'll find me," I whisper into Asher's chest. Even though he's in agony, he strokes my hair, rubs his thumb along my cheek, presses his lips against my neck.

"I promise," he whispers, over and over, like a mantra. "I promise, I promise, I promise."

L THEODOORA is an author, screenwriter, and game designer from Northern Ontario.

She writes achingly romantic stories about complicated characters, often pulling from dark or strange places.

She has a passion for the ritual of writing, and for helping others achieve their writing goals through process and StoryCraft.

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Flight Blitz

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Excerpt Reveal: Taylor's Father by Penelope Ward @PenelopeAuthor @GiveMeBooksPR

Taylor's Father by Penelope Ward

Publication date: February 22nd, 2026

Synopsis:

From New York Times bestselling author Penelope Ward comes a new, STANDALONE contemporary romance...

When my best friend Taylor gifted me a vacation at a resort owned by his grandparents, the last thing I expected was to bond with a man seventeen years older.

Tate was also vacationing alone.

He'd come to Midnight Key to clear his head and reevaluate his life.

I'd come to get over my high school sweetheart who'd dumped me.

I'd spotted the brawny, tattooed Adonis in the lobby on the first day and thought he had to be someone's hot dad.

But when we matched on an app that paired single men and women by proximity.

The problem was? At nineteen--almost twenty--I'd lied and said I was twenty-nine.

Tate outed me on our first date, and I fessed up to my real age.

But we continued to run into each other.

And eventually we found our connection was too magnetic to deny.

While we agreed to only use first names and to part ways at the end of the trip, I'd really fallen for Tate.

I never forgot him and knew he was the one who got away.

Remember that guy friend who gifted me the trip?

Well, four years later, Taylor got married.

He'd been estranged from his dad for years, though recently they'd reconnected.

What I didn't know was that the man I'd had that torrid affair with at the resort would be standing next to Taylor in the receiving line.

My dream man Tate? Was Taylor's father.

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Excerpt

The next morning, I woke up happier than I'd been in a long time.

The prospect of seeing Tate again filled me with anticipation. It was a wonder I'd gotten any sleep.

His words from last night still replayed in my head over and over.

"A responsible person wouldn't be struggling with whether to protect you or eat you."

God, I hoped he ultimately chose the latter.

We hadn't even exchanged phone numbers, so I was pleased to see a message come through the dating app from him.

Tate: I'm heading down to breakfast in a few. Care to join me?

Blair: Only if you order me four different kinds of beverages to choose from. BTW, it's never too early for an espresso martini.

Tate: You're about two years too early.

I laughed as I typed.

Blair: Very funny.

Tate: See you in a few?

Blair: Maybe...

Tate: Brat.

Blair: You like that about me.

Tate: You're not wrong.

My mouth hurt from smiling.

When I got downstairs, I saw Tate before he saw me. He sat at a table with a huge pile of food spread before him. How did this man look even more hot today? He wore his baseball hat backwards, which was absolutely my weakness. The way pieces of his hair poked out the sides? Scrumptious. Every look he'd rocked was sexier than the last.

I walked over to where he was sitting. "Hey, you."

He gave me a once-over, and his eyes filled with something that seemed a hell of a lot like desire as he appraised the floral sundress I wore, the top of which was held up by two skimpy strings. My current look wasn't as dramatic as last night's, though. Today I had gone for fresh-faced and sassy.

"Well, hello." He smiled. "How did you sleep?"

"Like a baby..."

"No comment."

"You'd better not." I took the seat across from him. "How did you sleep?"

"Best sleep I've had in a while, actually."

"Must have been the company you kept the night before."

"I did have an amazing time with you last night," Tate smiled.

He seemed genuine, and I felt myself blush. "Likewise." I gestured to the food. "Hungry much?"

There were eggs, bacon, a huge stack of pancakes, home fries, and fruit.

"All of this is for both of us. Have you seen that buffet line? I waited for like twenty minutes. Didn't want you to have to do the same."

"Well, I guess I win for being fashionably late. Thank you." I grinned. "Between the variety of drinks the first time we met and this private buffet, I'm starting to think this is your thing--hoarding food."

He gestured to the plates. "Eat up."

How I wish I could.

For some reason, I wasn't all that hungry--at least for food. But it was amusing to watch this big, strong man devour his breakfast.

"What are your plans today?" I asked as he munched.

"Depends on whether a certain girl wants to hang out with me."

"I wasn't gonna be presumptuous. You're the one who's been resistant."

"Only to certain things and for your own good," he clarified. "I'm not resistant to your company in the least. I quite like it."

"So what's another safe activity we can do so you don't have to feel like a creeper?"

Tate stopped chewing for a moment. "I was thinking maybe we could go kayaking, if you're up for it."

My mouth curved into a smile. "I would love that, actually."

In truth, I could take or leave kayaking. But any activity where I'd be in close proximity to Tate today was fine by me.

"Cool. I already booked it."

"Now you're the one being presumptuous."

"Maybe, yeah." He winked before stuffing a big piece of pancake into his mouth.

Never thought I could be jealous of a pancake, but here we were.

I reached my fork across the table and began eating off his plate. As I leaned forward, I accidentally rested my foot on top of his at one point. To my surprise, he didn't move it away. The contact sent a rush of desire through me.

I popped a piece of pineapple into my mouth. "Do anything interesting when you got back to your room last night?"

"Not particularly." He chewed.

"After what you said about contemplating eating me, I think you might be lying."

He stopped mid-bite and shook his head. "Even if I did do what you're implying, I wouldn't admit it."

"I'm pretty sure you just did."

"What are you talking about?"

"Your face is red. You're fidgeting. The signs are all there."

I strategically selected a banana, holding it firmly in my hand as I slowly peeled it and took a big bite. Tate's eyes remained fixed on me the entire time. "It was the only way I could sleep," I added.

He nearly choked on his coffee.

"What you said riled me up," I told him.

"Some things can remain private." He glared. "You know?"

"So, you don't want to know about my soothing Epsom salt foot soak?"

Tate reached across the table, grabbed my banana, and took a frustrated bite.

PENELOPE WARD is a New York Times, USA Today and #1 Wall Street Journal bestselling author of contemporary romance.

She grew up in Boston with five older brothers and spent most of her twenties as a television news anchor. Penelope resides in Rhode Island with her husband, son, and beautiful daughter with autism.

With millions of books sold, she is a 21-time New York Times bestseller and the author of over forty books. Her novels have been translated into over a dozen languages and can be found in bookstores around the world.

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Book Blitz with Excerpt + Teasers + Giveaway: The Real Ones by J. Rose Black @j_roseblack @XpressoTours

The Real Ones by J. Rose Black

Series: Chasing Victory

Publication date: February 12th, 2026

Synopsis:

Second chances don't usually come wrapped in shoulder pads on Valentine's Day...

Ten months ago, All-American shortstop Briella Reddington fell hard for grumpy, battle-scarred quarterback Maddox "Mick" McBride.

And then he walked away--right when she was finally ready to let him in.

Now Ella's done being vulnerable, done being blindsided, and definitely done with emotionally unavailable athletes. But losing a bet lands her at a Valentine's charity flag-football event... face-to-face with the man who broke her heart.

Maddox never stopped wanting Ella--but teammates loyal to her golden-boy ex, a rival gunning for his spot, and a coach who made Ella the price of peace forced his hand. Choosing her once cost him everything. His season tanked, his standing job is on the line, and seeing Ella again is the one hit he isn't prepared to take.

When a chaotic Valentine's "cupid" pushes them together, sparks ignite, truths surface, and Maddox realizes he's been fighting the wrong battles all year.

This time, he's not walking away.

He's fighting for the girl who was always worth the risk.

READ THIS IF YOU LIKE...

✅ Grumpy/protective hero

✅ Sunshine-with-boundaries heroine

✅ Second-chance romance

✅ College sports + rival athletes

✅ Forced proximity

✅ Emotional scars & healing arcs

✅ Charity-event chaos

✅ A hero who finally fights for his girl

TW: mild hazing, alcohol abuse, domestic abuse; mentions of combat scars.

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The skin of my arm sang where he touched me. Even though I'd known he'd be here and tried to prepare myself, as soon as I saw him again, the world stopped. Gravity shifted, pulling at my limbs even as a whirling tempest brewed inside.

And I'm decidedly not over him. I mentally groaned at the unfairness of it all.

For months, I'd been perfecting the art of not-thinking about Maddox McBride. It started with not-thinking about how we met, our mouths reckless, my hands clinging to his shoulders, the feel of his arms around my waist... Or how everything inside my flesh moved without prior consent of my brain.

It was a bit harder to not-think about how he'd played volunteer security detail, watching over me as I packed my stuff to move from the sorority house. Then, he helped me move into Kanami's off-campus apartment.

I took a deep breath and folded my leg to continue my stretch.

But I most certainly never thought about--anymore, anyway--how safe I felt when he'd stay over, as the height of Ash's "coping mechanisms" became some mix of drinking and stalking.

Because just when I'd thought maybe, just maybe, everything happened for a reason--and my "reason" was Maddox McBride, he chose to push me away. But not before we crossed a few "just friends" boundaries, and almost...

My skin flushed hot as a cold, sick, churning hollowed out my stomach.

No, I definitely never think about how it felt to have his rock-solid, sweat-slicked body pressed against mine. His breath hot against my ear, groaning my name as his fingers teased my aching core to, ahem, certain orgasmic heights.

I couldn't think about it because it led to remembering how he left me that night--wanton and needy, so desperate to be his.

"Maddox..."

God, I was such an idiot. And so I made sure to not think about his apologies and how he rushed away from my apartment. And out of my life.

I rose to my feet, effecting a lunge to stretch my calves.

As months passed, clarity eventually settled in. The only thing that made any sense was that he'd just been taking pity on me. Poor, stupid, deluded Briella, practically a textbook damsel in distress. So humiliating.

But, still, his rejection felt so much worse than breaking up with Ash. Wrong. Like a Band-Aid over a wound that needed stitches to heal.

When I wasn't as good at not-thinking about Maddox, I'd considered reaching out, thanking him for his help, his friendship, at a time when I needed it--even if it had only been motivated out of pity. I could let him know I was fine now. Wish him well. Like a mature, responsible adult who was completely over him could do.

Which was me... definitely.

Or it was. Yesterday.

Today? Maybe not. Because seeing him again, all I could think of was how familiar he smelled. How he wore just the right amount of scruff on his jaw. How the scowl above those blue-grey eyes lent him an edgy, dangerous appeal.

And this was exactly why I'd avoided anything to do with the football team, once the rumor mill had decided I'd "broken up with Ash over Mick."

Apparently, it was OK for Ash to have an entire sorority wing of extras. I was just supposed to accept it as the price of being the quarterback's girlfriend.

Yeah, no.

J. ROSE BLACK weaves stories about redemption and the transformational power of love - with a few side-helpings of snark. Now an award-winning and Amazon Top 300 chart-topping author, Rose writes about broody alpha males and plucky, no-nonsense women ready to fight for what they believe in. Her novels have been praised for their realistic mental health representations, with narratives offering a unique balance of romance, humor and tougher, real-world issues.

When Rose isn't deeply immersed in her latest manuscript, she's working in cyber security and thwarting the next generation of internet bad boys. Out of the office, she's #Shipping with friends over her favorite, swoon-worthy couples, heading to the gym to battle the great evil that is Unmovable Baby Weight, or complaining about her husband's addiction to 3D printing. Also: nagging her children to eat something other than cheese.

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