Viscount in Love by Eloisa James Accidental Brides series #1. Historical regency romance. Viscount Dominic Kelbourne is seeking to be a guardian to twiViscount in Love by Eloisa James Accidental Brides series #1. Historical regency romance. Viscount Dominic Kelbourne is seeking to be a guardian to twins from one his father’s mistresses. While his father never acknowledged the twins, Dominic sees the facial similarities and knows that are his step brother and sister. He felt comfortable going after the guardianship until his betrothed elopes with someone else. With a court date upcoming and a known judge for denying rights, Dominic turns to Torie, his former fiancé’s unconventional sister. Torie has never been able to make sense of words on a page. Everyone in the ton knows that Torie cannot read. But just because she cannot read, doesn’t mean that she can’t teach the twins some valuable lessons. They marry for the twins. Respect is something each will have to learn if they are continue with their ruse for the judge and their continued coexistence.
From a time before dyslexia is publicly defined or understood, Torie has to survive in a world a debutant or heiress may not need to read but must certainly be cognizant of society rules. She may make light of her not being able to read but without understanding why, can she fully accept it? She has the benefit of money and privilege but in reality not everyone was taught to read. It’s an interesting concept. Here, Torie has turned to art for herself and to help the twins ease into their new home. But more than reading needs to work between Torie and Dominic to get the judge to see their marriage is real. I admired Dominic for his dedication to the twins. I think he missed the mark with Torie. They do have physical attraction on their side though and that helps. A wonderfully written romance can overcome any shortcomings. This is one of those authors. ...more
Cyborg Seduction by Grace Goodwin Interstellar Brides: The Colony series #3. Science fiction romance with erotica elements. Can be read as a stand-alonCyborg Seduction by Grace Goodwin Interstellar Brides: The Colony series #3. Science fiction romance with erotica elements. Can be read as a stand-alone but better as part of the interconnected group of series by the author. Single mother Lindsey Walters agrees to an undercover assignment sneaking aboard a freighter going to the Colony. She needs to find out the truth about what’s happening to Earth’s brave soldiers. While on the Colony she meets and falls for Kiel, a Hunter from Everis. He knows that she is his mate. But Lindsey left her son at home and she wants to return to him. She will have to decide between the two most important men in her life.
This was a heartbreaker as she falls in love with Kier but knows she can’t leave her son. Plus the science exists that can help her son recover from an accident. While she’s on the Colony, there is quite a bit of steamy times which makes it all the more difficult to choose to break her mates heart. An impossible choice. This was the first time I felt like I missed some background. With the list I found on the author’s website and Goodreads, I’ll probably go backwards at this point and read in order. I loved the story and resolution! It’s ultimately the perfect solution. But I want to know a little more background I think I missed. ...more
Mated to the Cyborgs by Grace Goodwin Interstellar Brides: The Colony series #2. Science fiction romance with erotica elements. M-F-M. Can be read as aMated to the Cyborgs by Grace Goodwin Interstellar Brides: The Colony series #2. Science fiction romance with erotica elements. M-F-M. Can be read as a stand-alone but better as part of the series. Spin off from other interconnected series. Reading order can be found in Goodreads or on the authors website. FBI Agent Kristin Webster has spent too much time tracking down the worst of humanity and she’s burned out and lacking trust. She tests and matches in the Interstellar Bride Program and heads to two scarred Prillon warriors on the colony. When warriors begin to disappear, Kristin has the expertise to help but her mates want to protect, tame, claim and coddle her. They don’t want her anywhere near the danger. Nope. Kristin wants to protect her mates just as much as they want to protect her. She’s not going to sit on the sidelines.
That testing program is flammable and once again opens the story. The warriors are way over protective. She’s not made of glass and they should know that simply by their claiming of her. Sexy, steamy and hot. Also touching in their caring. I’m loving the loving and can’t wait to read more by this author. ...more
Surrender to the Cyborgs by Grace Goodwin Interstellar Brides: The Colony series #1. Science fiction romance with erotica elements. M-F-M. Spin off froSurrender to the Cyborgs by Grace Goodwin Interstellar Brides: The Colony series #1. Science fiction romance with erotica elements. M-F-M. Spin off from, and included with other series by the author. Can be read as a stand-alone. Rachel Pierce has been wrongly imprisoned after being a whistleblower for a drug company. She believes her court appeal will clear her name, but the others know her life is forfeit if she spends any time behind bars. Rachel agreed to be tested for the Interstellar Brides program for the science of it but expects to be able to clear her name before going anywhere. Maxim of Prillon Prime fought ten years in the Hive wars. Captured and tortured with his second, Ryston, they escaped only to be rejected by their own people and are condemned to a life on the Colony with other contaminated cyborg warriors. They learn of their mate at the same time they find out her life is in extreme danger. They transport to Earth to rescue Rachel and take her back to the Colony where she will be protected and loved by both her new mates if she’ll accept them. Not everyone is happy with these Warrior heroes and evil is snaking through their planet. Rachel, as a drug researcher may be just the person to help. If she agrees to stay.
The opening scene drops you right into the action so be warned. Rachel doesn’t know these men, but testing shows they are uniquely compatible. She will have to accept them both together for their mating to work. She can save their world literally and give hope to all the other warriors. Super sexy, hot and romantic. Two mates for Rachel whose goal is to always make her happy, loved and satisfied. Yowza! Keep this away from the youngsters. ...more
The Love Shack by Lori Foster Indiana Summer series #3. Contemporary romance. Berkley Carr opened The Love Shack Animal Haven in Cemetery, Indiana. SheThe Love Shack by Lori Foster Indiana Summer series #3. Contemporary romance. Berkley Carr opened The Love Shack Animal Haven in Cemetery, Indiana. She’s known for a long time she wanted to save hurt, abused, or lost animals to a forever perfect match and she’s doing that now with the Love Shack. Sure, she may be hiding a bit from a past scandal but she’s also receiving as much love from the animals she’s caring for as she’s giving so feels good about her life now. Lawson Salder has always been embarrassed by his childhood poverty. Living and owning a popular store in Cemetery proves he has risen above old issues but with Berkeley just past his back yard from Berkeley is bringing back memories. A dog that falls in love with Lawson, and a cat that keeps stealing clothing items from his house has Lawson forgetting his past and appreciating Berkeley for several things including her joy in her work. When the town busybodies start pushing them together, Lawson isn’t exactly upset.
Full cast of unique town characters including a mannequin that the town dresses and moves around to different places. And several pets that add a lot of antics and love into the Indiana small town. Add in a second couple flirting and it’s a story with friendships, support, love and found family. ...more
Where’d You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple Fiction with mystery, chick lit. Humorous. Bernadette Fox has lived with her family in a subdivision of SeatWhere’d You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple Fiction with mystery, chick lit. Humorous. Bernadette Fox has lived with her family in a subdivision of Seattle for longer than she’s able to mentally handle. She looks at the community as all cookie cutter followers and doesn’t want to be part of the hive. She’s outsourced all her financial and day-to-day decisions to an overseas internet source from buying airline tickets, to finding a prescription for seasickness for the upcoming trip to Antarctica. When Bernadette disappears after a neighbor intervention, the community is covered in gossip and rumors. Fifteen year-old daughter Bee knows some of those so-called facts are outrageous exaggerations and she decides to find where her mother went off the map.
The Rose Arbor by Rhys Bowen Historical fiction, multi-time line. A child disappears in 1968 and the city is captivated, worrying about their own childThe Rose Arbor by Rhys Bowen Historical fiction, multi-time line. A child disappears in 1968 and the city is captivated, worrying about their own children’s safety. Liz Haughton is a reporter wasting her skills assigned to Obituaries. Tired of being treated as if she has no skills, Liz follows a friend and police officer to Dorset. They find a history of missing children and Liz is plunged into personal memories and a compelling need to find answers about the ruins of the village of Tydeham.
An intriguing mystery investigation without the benefit of today’s technological advances. It’s also many years into the past and finding the right questions and people to talk to could be like a drop in a bucket of water. Maybe it’s small town or sheer luck, but she finds the first answer which makes her keep following any connections she can find. Luck or skill? You’ll know the answers before Liz does, but the story is still skillfully crafted and worth reading....more
The Friend Zone Experiment by Zen Cho Contemporary women’s fiction, chick lit, drama. Minor romance. Renee Goh is ready to wallow when her boyfriend duThe Friend Zone Experiment by Zen Cho Contemporary women’s fiction, chick lit, drama. Minor romance. Renee Goh is ready to wallow when her boyfriend dumps her, but gets a surprise phone call from her father. He is retiring and he is considering her for the job as well as her brothers. One of them will win the CEO job of the family run conglomerate after a trial interview period. Renee never thought it possible before but she knows her success at her current job speaks for itself. Renee is all in and ready to compete and win that job even as her brother tries blackmailing and undermining her in the process. At the same time, Renee runs into her first love, Yap Ket Siong. They spend a hot night together and she knows she needs to focus on her job now and can’t commit to a relationship. They agree to be friends for now and will see if they can sustain it.
Reads like a K-drama. Multiple layers, different but connected storylines, international setting, and sibling rivalries. It starts out dark with secrets and coverups, and does lighten up a bit by the second half but the tone was set for me. This is a clear example of cover and title not being indicative of the storyline. At all. Too much family dislike and lack of trust, for good reason. The writing is solid and can hold your interest as long as you appreciate it is not a romantic comedy but more a novel of family drama with a touch of romance at the end. ...more
The Ex Vows by Jessica Joyce Contemporary romance. Second chance troupe. Georgia Woodward and Eli Mora were once a couple. But they were young and justThe Ex Vows by Jessica Joyce Contemporary romance. Second chance troupe. Georgia Woodward and Eli Mora were once a couple. But they were young and just starting out in life. Although they loved each other, they ended up going their separate ways. The major problem? Friends in common. And now they’ve both agreed to help with all the details of their mutual friend Adam’s wedding. They get is set with lots of strife and agreements. Then comes the wedding and one thing after another goes wrong. Can they pull off all the last minute changes without ruining the big day?
Georgia is the POV and has a lot of rules, lists, and feelings. Eli throws everything out the window and start over. Both with their lost relationship and all the wedding details. A lot of angst, and a lot of steam as they figure out what they want. It can be a bit raw at times. Eli is now willing to provide answers and speak about his feelings. I personally hate the third quarter breakup troupe, but it does give them time and space to settle and grow and figure out what they really want this time. Of course it’s a good ending. It’s romance. ...more
May the Wolf Die by Elizabeth Heider Police procedural, mystery. Nikki Serefina is on her boat when she discovers a body in the warm waters of Naples, May the Wolf Die by Elizabeth Heider Police procedural, mystery. Nikki Serefina is on her boat when she discovers a body in the warm waters of Naples, Italy. As a police investigator, she couldn’t leave the body, so tied it to the boat while police were called. Complications intensify when the victim is found to be a U.S. Navy captain who was stationed at the nearby military base and the autopsy reveals unusual results. Another body is discovered and the first concern is organized crime. Nikki finds connections to her own history putting herself in front of the target.
Dark and a bit gruesome with a lot of secondary characters to track. Descriptions of Naples are vivid and the mystery has twists you won’t expect. ...more
Under the Paper Moon by Shaina Steinberg Historical fiction, mystery. Evelyn Bishop, heiress to an aeronautics fortune, joined the an office of StrategUnder the Paper Moon by Shaina Steinberg Historical fiction, mystery. Evelyn Bishop, heiress to an aeronautics fortune, joined the an office of Strategic Services as a spy in 1942 to find her missing brother. She is often paired with Nick Gallagher on different missions and the two grow close. Six years later, Evelyn is back home in Los Angeles, working as a private investigator. The war was supposed to change so much, but Evelyn is feeling old rules encroaching on her previous years of personal freedoms. A murder case brings Nick back into her orbit and they realize they can’t escape parts of the war that has followed them home.
The difference from war time to immediately after had to be a difficult transition. Women had power and had to hand it back to the men afterwards. For Evelyn, that doesn’t work. The chemistry between Evelyn and Nick is interesting. The book has an old fashioned hard boiled edge to it with a strong female. Almost a noir feeling. Tracking secondary characters is important to appreciate the subtlety. It was missing a likable edge for the characters for me. I understood them but didn’t like them which is unusual for me. ...more
Still See You Everywhere by Lisa Gardner Frankie Elkin series #3. Thriller, mystery. Can be read as a stand-alone bit better as part of the series to gStill See You Everywhere by Lisa Gardner Frankie Elkin series #3. Thriller, mystery. Can be read as a stand-alone bit better as part of the series to get to know Frankie. Frankie Elkin has made her life all about finding missing people. In particular, those that have been gone for a long time, or that the world simply doesn’t care about anymore. She has worked in urban jungles, small towns, national forests, and more. She moves from place to place deciding on which case to take next. Frankie travels to a remote Hawaiian island, isolated and sparse, to find a long-lost sister of a female serial killer. Not many people would be willing to help, but Frankie finds something intriguing in case of the then five-year old Leilani. No phone service. An incoming storm. And then the first body is found.
Yikes. Wasn’t sure Frankie was going to make it out alive. I thought the national forest case was intense. You can’t walk off an island in the middle of the pacific. ...more
One Step Too Far by Lisa Gardner Frankie Elkin series #2. Thriller, mystery. Can be read as a stand-alone. Law enforcement has abandoned the search of One Step Too Far by Lisa Gardner Frankie Elkin series #2. Thriller, mystery. Can be read as a stand-alone. Law enforcement has abandoned the search of a young man in the national forest. Frankie Elkin decides this will be her next search and joins the party hiking in to the forest to search for clues. But the deeper into the forest they hike, the more Frankie realizes there is more going on with the group. When people start to vanish, Frankie fears she’s running out of time herself to make it out of the forest.
Tense and hair-raising. Edge-of-your-seat mystery as Frankie tries to figure a killer. 4.5...more
The Survivors Club by Lisa Gardner Thriller. Police procedural. Trigger warnings of active rape. Three women form the Survivors Club as victims of the The Survivors Club by Lisa Gardner Thriller. Police procedural. Trigger warnings of active rape. Three women form the Survivors Club as victims of the same man that has sexually assaulted them. Each is struggling to recover, or survive in different ways, collectively grateful he’s been caught. Outside the courthouse, just moments before his trial, Eddie Como is gunned down. The Survivors Club are the prime suspects. Detective Sergeant Roan Griffin is assigned the case and must question the women. Jillian Hayes is beautiful, successful and cool as ice. Griffin can see the pain behind the ice because he hides his own. Then another victim is brutally attacked and evidence points to the dead man. Now the police and Griffin have to question every fact and assumption they’ve made. The city is in a panic. The women of the Survivors Club question their own memories and their supposed safety. Someone is out there.
Electrifying and twisted. The attacks in the beginning are brutally hard to read. And that makes it all the more terrifying when they continue after the suspect is dead. The emotional recovery of each woman is totally understandable. The bad guy is clever and manipulative. He’s terrifying. Originally released in 2002. Just as impactful more than twenty years later. ...more
Before She Disappeared by Lisa Gardner Frankie Elkin series #1. Mystery thriller. She’s just an average middle-aged woman who has made her life goal toBefore She Disappeared by Lisa Gardner Frankie Elkin series #1. Mystery thriller. She’s just an average middle-aged woman who has made her life goal to find the missing people that most everyone else has forgotten. Frankie Elkin moves from town to town, working at a local bar or restaurant, asking questions and following up with friends and witnesses trying to find the missing. Frankie is in Mattapan, a Boston neighborhood with a rough reputation. She is searching for Angelique Badeau, a Haitian teenager who vanished from her high school. The more questions Frankie asks around the neighborhood, the more violence is stirred up. There are more questions for every answer she finds. Who knows the teen the best that may have some insight to where she would have gone? Did she leave voluntarily or is there more to the story?
Tense and intriguing as Frankie questions reveal a tiny move forward. Frankie seems to have already accepted that she will one day wind up dead for asking the wrong person a question they don’t want to answer. Yet there is a spark of determination in her that you have to admire. Frankie is a recovering alcoholic which carries its own weight and issues. This seems to be a common theme by this author. For this particular story, it gives Frankie a strength and perseverance that you can’t help but applaud. I don’t want to spoil the story but will say I also saw and admired the determined strength in the victim....more
Tempered Beats by Michel Prince Contemporary police procedural. Mystery. Detective Lisa Donald of Denver is called to investigate a death at the localTempered Beats by Michel Prince Contemporary police procedural. Mystery. Detective Lisa Donald of Denver is called to investigate a death at the local glass blowing studio. Blowing Hot Sand is known for catering to veterans looking for an adrenaline rush and danger of the extremely hot ovens needed to create glass artwork. Specialist Paul Castor is found dead and it’s up to Lisa to ask the right questions from the group of veterans that have already been through more trauma than most. Lisa will also have to deal with her own bottled up and hidden emotions to wrap up the case.
Good mystery of the unusual method of death. Sad treatment of the ex military men and women that need more support after their years of service. I’ve watched some glass blowing in person and on television contests and am always amazed and impressed at the creativity and delicacy of the finished art. While this is not the focus of this story, I have to hope that if our veterans do find working with glass to be helpful, that they be given every opportunity to do so. I was also intrigued by Lisa and her hidden emotional issues. How long can she work without acknowledging her own trauma before she burns out or worse? This is also not answered in this particular story, but I expect it will be a significant focus of future books in this series. ...more
Fish Out of Water by Katie Ruggle Contemporary romance, romantic comedy. Grumpy sunshine. When Dahlia Weathersby’s sister sends an emergency “help” teFish Out of Water by Katie Ruggle Contemporary romance, romantic comedy. Grumpy sunshine. When Dahlia Weathersby’s sister sends an emergency “help” text, Dahlia drops everything and heads to the Colorado Rockies to find her. She hires survival expert Winston Dane, after lots of pleading, to help her track down her sister. Dahlia is not a nature girl. Sure it’s pretty, but bears and camping out are not her style. At all. But it’s her sister, so Dahlia will do whatever is necessary to find her. If she and Winston need to share a sleeping bag in the crazy cold weather, well, she’ll just struggle through.
Lots of snow and small town uniqueness for city girl Dahlia. She impresses Winston with her enthusiasm and dedication as well as the rest of the small town. So much snow. As a city person myself, I just shudder to even think about camping out there and traipsing through. Winston is grumpy and no match for Dahlia and they have a lot of humorous moments together. It’s a delightful romcom with the two, of course, falling for each other even though their lives are so different. Perhaps that’s just what they needed. A fun little escape with an unlikely pairing that turns into just what they needed. Adorable. ...more
The Night Island by Jayne Ann Krentz The Lost Night Files series #2. Psychic paranormal romantic suspense. Can be read as a stand-alone but better as pThe Night Island by Jayne Ann Krentz The Lost Night Files series #2. Psychic paranormal romantic suspense. Can be read as a stand-alone but better as part of the series. Alternating POV’s, slow burn. Talia March, Pallas Llewellyn, and Amelia Rovers, bonded after being lured to a hotel where they believe they were psychic test subjects but they have no memories of the event. The three created a pod cast to cold cases and investigate cold cases. Talia March is following up on a lead from listener Phoebe who has disappeared. Luke Rand is also looking for Phoebe and the two end up at a retreat offering an Unplugged Experience.
Que the music. A fun horror-esq troupe: desolate, remote island, cutoff from the outside, a murderer on the island and no way to communicate with the outside world. And bonus! Carnivorous plants! I enjoyed this second novel in the series and loved finding the Easter eggs from other series. A page-turner by an author who delivers consistently. 4.5...more
Sleep No More by Jayne Ann Krentz The Lost Night Files series #1 of a trilogy. Paranormal psychic romantic suspense. Seven months ago, Pallas LlewellynSleep No More by Jayne Ann Krentz The Lost Night Files series #1 of a trilogy. Paranormal psychic romantic suspense. Seven months ago, Pallas Llewellyn, Talia March, and Amelia Rovers travel to Lucent Springs Hotel where they thought they were interviewing for different jobs. They walked into the hotel and that’s the last they remember before waking up on gurneys after an earthquake with the hotel on fire. The women are friends now as they each deal with different psychic gifts from the event and investigate what happened to them. Pallas travels back to the small town in California and runs into Ambrose Drake who believes he was a witness to a murder. But because he has had the same experience as the women, entering the hotel and waking up later missing time and memories. They work together trying to pin down events but there are others that don’t want the truth to come out.
A suspenseful story as usual by this author. A little psychic paranormal, a slow burn romance, and an adventure with unexpected turns as they find and expose the villain. I liked the positive the women took away by starting a pod-cast to take back control. The various psychic gifts are where my first paranormal books fell and it’s still a favorite troupe. ...more
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