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Aug 25, 20223 min read

The Family Way: A Big Uneasy Short Story by @paulinebjones is a Binge-Worthy pick #cozymystery



Title: The Family Way: A Big Uneasy Short Story


Author: Pauline Baird Jones


Genre: Romantic Suspense/Cozy Mystery


Book Blurb:


Alex and Nell are expecting!


At Nell’s baby shower, she’s hoping for a ceasefire between the law-enforcing Bakers and her criminal cousins (not to mention her scary grandmother, the mob doyenne).


The girls just want to have fun, but when the silly shower games are interrupted by some unexpected guests, it takes the “fun” right out of this dysfunctional family shower.


Can Baby Baker help these families inch closer to neutral ground and begin to heal old wounds and fractured friendships?


Download this Big Uneasy short story today!


Excerpt:


In-laws and outlaws. There were so many issues in the room, it should have been a therapy session and not a baby shower.


Becca caught her eye and mimed breathing slowly.


Nell hadn’t realized panic had been rising. It took a couple of tries before she could manage a deep breath. Well, as deep as Baby Baker would allow.


At the moment, the bump was still Baby Baker.


It had almost become a family joke. Every morning someone would send a suggestion through a group text. As time had passed the names—and the mocking—had gotten more extreme.


Alex was holding out for a name that meant “surprise” or “shock of ages.”


He hadn’t cut and run, but his eyes had twitched when she’d stowed a huge box of diapers in the nursery.


The room was ready for the baby. Nell was more than ready for the baby to come.


Alex? She wasn’t sure he’d ever be ready, though to give credit where it was due, he’d pasted a smile on his face and kept it there for the past nine months.


He helped raise all twelve of his siblings, so she didn’t blame him.


For once his outspoken siblings hadn’t mentioned that they could see the whites around his eyes—in his presence.


“This game is called ‘guess the candy bar.’” Sarah peered down at a sheet of paper with an intentness that was belied by the twitch of lips she couldn’t quite control. She schooled her features and set the paper down, then picked up a plastic bin and began to hand out…diapers?


Nell frowned. They looked like little used diaper bundles.


“Inside each of these diapers is a chocolate candy bar.” Sarah gave them a profoundly innocent look. “Melted. You sniff or taste your chocolate and try to guess what you have. Then you pass the diaper to the next person and so on until we’ve all tried to guess what is in all the diapers.”


Wow, yet another moment of horrified unity.


At least none of the men were here.


Buy Links (including Goodreads and BookBub):











What’s the first binge-worthy book you read and why was it a must-read?


The book I remember the most is The Moonspinners by Mary Stewart. I saw the movie with Haley Mills (I loved her!) and saw in the credits there was a book and had to find it. Fortunately, it was easy to find. I read it. I loved it. I would check it out periodically and eventually got my own copy. It is still what I call a “comfort read.”


What makes your featured book a binge-worthy read?


Well, for one thing, it is short! Lol But it is also light-hearted and funny, a nice way to end the summer. August feels heavy enough without heavy reading!


Giveaway –


One lucky reader will win a $75 Amazon (US or Canada) gift card.



Open internationally. You must have a valid Amazon US or Amazon Canada account to win.


Runs August 1 – 31


Drawing will be held on September 1.



Author Biography:


USA Today Bestselling Author, Pauline never liked reality, so she writes books. She likes to wander among the genres, rampaging like Godzilla, because she does love peril mixed in her romance.


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