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The Case of The Questionable Quadruptets

— feeling big smile
The Case of the Questionable Quadruplet (Safe Harbor Medical Mysteries) (Volume 1) - Jacqueline Diamond

Eric Darcy is an obstetrician who inherited his deceased father's patients. He met with one of the older ones, Malerie Abernathy. She had delivered triplets years before and had seen a woman on the street who looked exactly like of one of them - Dee Marie - who had died recently and might have been murdered. So she told Eric that she thought she had actually delivered quadruplets and one was taken from her. When Eric went home to check his father’s medical records on Malerie to see what was written, he discovered his house had been broken into. The records and some of his late wife, Lydia's, jewelry was gone. The next day Malerie was found dead in her swimming pool. Accidental drowning or murder?

 

This is a wonderfully written mystery with lots of twists and turns that kept me glued to the book. I loved that I had no idea who the murderer was throughout the story and was totally surprised when I found out. The characters are very easy to like. Eric is a very nice man who opened his house to his father-in-law and sister-in-law; letting them live there with him. I thought it was odd that a doctor would be trying to solve the murders but I realized that he thought he had a responsibility to the town and his patients to figure it out.

 

I have always loved Jacqueline Diamond's books so I was glad to be given a copy of her new mystery to review. If you like mysteries, you'll love this book.

Into the Crossfire (First Force #1)

— feeling big smile
Into the Crossfire (First Force) - Cindy McDonald

When Jack Haliday was working undercover as a biker in order to take down the motorcycle gang his cover was blown and the leader of the group, Gunner, got away. That was 4 years ago. Now Jack is married with an adorable four year old daughter when Gunner comes back for revenge in this thrilling story.

 

Surprisingly, help came from his neighbour, Walt. He had no idea Walt owned First Force, a team of operatives who had the expertise to assist Jack with Gunner and his gang.

 

This book had me on the edge of my seat wanting to know how/if Jack would survive Gunner's revenge. It's a fantastic story of murder, romance, revenge and suspense. Cindy McDonald's writing is so easy to follow even with all the plot twists, that I just didn't want to put it down.

 

I have to say that I'm so glad that I won Into the Crossfire in Cindy McDonald's giveaway hosted by Just Romantic Suspense. I love the First Force group and will be reading more about them

Let It Snow

— feeling sleepy
Let It Snow - Melanie Shawn

Jake Maguire and Tessa Hayes were in love when they were 17 and planned to spend their lives together and raise a family. But after Tessa had a miscarriage and learned she couldn't have more children, she left the small town and Jake without telling him. She though it was the best thing she could do for him so he could find someone else to have a family with. She went to live with her grandmother and became a well known photojournalist. When her grandmother developed dementia she had to quit her job in order to look after her.

 

Jake had a hard time dealing with Tessa leaving him but tried to forget her with a lot of women. It didn't work. When Tessa came back to settle her grandmother's affairs after being away for 13 years, Jack tried to ignore her but they kept being thrown together.

 

I liked Jake a lot. He was a very strong man who was dealt a bad hand he didn't deserve. I felt so sorry for him because he had no idea why Tessa left him but he still loved her when she came back. I liked that he had a good supportive family. I didn't like Tessa much though. She did what she thought was best for Jake by leaving him but I kept thinking she should talk to him about it.

 

While this story didn't have a lot of action scenes, it was a nice second-chance romance with a good ending.

Valor On The Move

— feeling big smile
Valor on the Move - Keira Andrews

I don't often see a book set in the White House so this one caught my interest. This is about Rafael (Rafa) the President's youngest son and Shane, one of the secret service agents on his protection detail. Rafa is gay but planned to stay in the closet until his father's term ended in 8 months. The wait didn't seem hard to him because he'd always kept in the shadows trying to be invisible. Having his friend Ashleigh play his pretend girlfriend helped his deception too. It worked for her too since she's a lesbian. Shane was also gay and the pair where very attracted to each other. Rafa wanted to go for it but Shane had reservations. He was concerned about the 18 year age difference and he couldn't have a relationship with a protectee or he'd lose his job.

 

I was happy to see that this was so well researched. Everything about the White House, the President and Secret Service felt accurate and believable. This story has a pretty suspenseful situation that made it exciting but also pulled the relationship together even more. There are lots of hot sex scenes but I didn't think they worked in the story because they were so explicit.

 

I really enjoyed this book and wouldn't hesitate to recommend it. Please note I won it in an author's giveaway hosted by Sinfully Sexy Book Reviews.

Daisy McDare Seven Book Set

— feeling big smile
Daisy McDare Seven Book Set - K.M. Morgan

This is a great set of cozy mysteries with the main character being Daisy McDare. She's an interior decorator in Cozy Creek who stumbles on murders regularly. She "investigates" the murders, much to the dismay of police working on the cases.

Daisy is a hoot. I love her. How wonderful that this fictional character can make herself feel better just by eating some chocolate. I wish I could do that but in real life there is the weight gain to worry about. All the characters in these books are great. Granny Annie is so much fun that I would like to have heard more from her in every story. Daisy's best friend, Samantha, is always there to support her and supply her with freshly baked pastry.

I like the writing style of the author very much. Somehow she is able to keep the mystery of 'who done it' going to the very end while keeping the story humorous throughout. Every story had me chuckling. K.M. Morgan's writing is very descriptive in these cozy mysteries so you feel like you are with Daisy in her adventure.

These stories are full of suspense and humor with a nice fast pace. The easy way in which she draws readers into her world creates a fantastic backdrop for her wonderful story. I haven't read one of Morgan's stories that I haven't enjoyed.

If you are looking for humorous mysteries, I highly recommend the Daisy McDare Seven Book Set.

Second Chance Summer

— feeling big smile
Second Chance Summer - Jill Shalvis

Lilly Danville had to get away from Cedar Ridge after the death of her sister then, very quickly, her father. When she left she also left behind Aidan Kincaid. She moved to San Diego where she was a successful beautician. After 10 years there she lost her job and was black listed in that area. An old friend gave her a job but it was back in Cedar Ridge. Not only that but at the resort Aidan's family owns. Aidan is now a firefighter and volunteers for Search and Rescue. He is stunned to learn Lilly is back especially since he still has feeling for her. But she doesn't plan on staying so he can't risk his heart.

 

I loved the characters in this book. Being about Lilly and Aiden they were the most developed characters. I couldn't help but feel sorry for Lilly and all she went through both in Cedar Ridge and San Diego. Aiden always wanted to help others which is why his jobs were perfect for him. He was a gorgeous, sexy man which drew me to him even more. His siblings and mother helped move the story along by always meddling in each other's business. What a great family! But the writing in general was terrific. I easily followed the plot and pictured the town. It left me wanting to visit the lodge and hike the trails. I really liked that there were several laugh out loud spots in the story.

 

This was a captivating, enjoyable novel that was a joy to read. It is definitely one that should make its way into the libraries of all romance lovers.

Your Captivating Love

— feeling smile
Your Captivating Love - Layla Hagen

Pipa decided Logan needed a wife so Ava suggested her sister, Nadine, would be perfect for him. The trouble was Logan didn't want a serious relationship and Nadine was on a break from men. Neither of them were prepared for the attraction they felt when they met.

 

I love this series and that the Bennett family were always there for each other. The characters are so well done that I feel like I know them and want to be a friend of the family - or married to one of the guys. I liked the plot and Layla's writing style. It's easy to follow the story and enjoy it. Personally I got tired of them having sex all the time and all the details of what they did. It was always the same. Nadine thought about sex too much for my liking, too.

 

I recommend this book to romance lovers, especially if you like a steamy read.

 

Please note that I received this book in exchange for an honest review.

Mail Order Bride: Frontier Daughter

— feeling big smile
Mail Order Bride: Frontier Daughter (Clean and Wholesome Inspirational Romance) (Women's Fiction New Adult Wedding Frontier) - Angela K. West

I really enjoyed this was a quick historical romance. Tillie Montero was divorced which was almost unheard of in those days. Since they'd been married for 4 years and she hadn't produced a child, her husband declared her barren and divorced her. Tillie didn't expect any man to want a barren wife so thought she'd be a spinster for the rest of her life. She happened to see an ad for a mail order bride that was placed by Daniel Howell. He not only wanted a wife but most important to him was a mother to his 7 year old daughter who was very shy and didn't take to most people. Tillie wrote to Daniel and applied for the position. When Daniel wrote back he explained that his daughter would have to approve of the woman before he married her so he invited her out for a "trial".

 

This was a well written novella that was uniquely set in the time period. I liked the two adult characters, Tillie and Daniel, but not the little girl, Rosette. I understand that children can be shy but her shyness was over the top and ridiculously unrealistic.

 

I received a complementary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Daddy, M.D.

— feeling big smile
Daddy, M.D. - Jacqueline Diamond

I loved this book! It starts out with little 5 year old Spike walking into a doctor's office saying his tonsils fell out. Yes, fell out. He knew he could get ice cream if he lost his tonsils so having then fall out seemed like a good idea to him. The doctor was Pediatrician Chad Markham who didn't fall for the boy's plan and took him home. There he met the boy's Aunt Jill who was in the process of adopting Spike. Sparks flew between this pair but not good sparks at first.

 

This is a well written fun story with some sad parts in it too. It was sad that Spike lost his parents but there were so many funny parts that made it easy to enjoy. Like the Mall Santas, fun animal scenes and Spike himself was so funny and cute as most 5 year olds are.

 

I was so glad I won this book in a Harlequin Junkie giveaway because I've always loved Jacqueline Diamond's books.

The Changing Season

— feeling smile
The Changing Season - Steven Manchester

Billy expected the summer before going to college to be the best of his life. But he was wrong.

 

He planned on spending it with his best friend (his dog) Jimmy. He was also going to hang out with his buddies, Mark and Charlie. Billy still didn't know what to major in when he went to college and really wasn't ready to grow up. But life happens and he grew up pretty fast that summer. There was a horrible accident that one of his buddies was involved in, he found a new job and fell in love.

 

As adults we realize that life rarely goes according to our plans but teenagers don't understand that. This story showed just how hard it was for Billy to grow up and face life as an adult. It takes us from Billy being a boy who played video games night and day, having no direction, to a young man going off to college not knowing what he wanted to do with his life. I definitely felt sorry for Billy because went through so many difficult situations that summer.

 

As with all of this author's work it was very well written so that I could picture the events clearly. I not only smiled while reading this book but I cried too. I love the way he talked to his dog, Jimmy, about everything. Since Jimmy was his best friend, who else would he talk to?

 

I want to thank the author for sending me this book in exchange for an honest review.

Left Holding His Baby

— feeling doubt
Left Holding His Baby: A Billionaire Romance Serial, Book 1 (The Greek Tycoon) - Kay Brody

In this first book in The Greek Tycoon serial where we meet the Greek tycoon, Atreus Kostas, his wife is leaving him and their baby, taking off with his best friend and business partner, Nikolas. His sister and mother hire a British nanny, Carla, who works out beautifully. Baby Dios takes to her immediately and Atreus and Carla start to have feelings for each other - but hide them.

 

I didn't know this was the first book in a serial so you can imagine my surprise when it ended very abruptly with many questions unanswered. I think I'm a bit slow because I just thought the ending was rushed and not very good until I went to post my review and saw there are 7 books in this series/serial!

 

I'm not a fan of serials so even though I'm curious about what happens, I won't be buying any more in this set.

Unlucky In Love

— feeling smile
Unlucky In Love - Carmen DeSousa

This story is about Jana whose husband cheated on her after 15 years of marriage. It was even worse when she found out the other woman was pregnant. She kicked him out and decided to do things she wanted to do. All her married life Jana had been living the life her husband wanted. She started a business writing book reviews and posting them on her blog.

 

This is a very inspirational story showing what a person can do when they put their mind to it and put themselves first. I liked that Jana decided to live for herself and figured out what she could do to support herself but what she chose and how it worked out for her was a nice fantasy but not nearly so easy to do in real life. The point was that anyone can be successful if you find the thing that you like to do and are good at. Once you do, you feel better about yourself, just like Jana.

 

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Daddy Pact (The Coach's Boys #1)

— feeling grin
The Daddy Pact (The Coach's Boys) (Volume 1) - Kristy K. James

Bruce needs money for drugs so he robs and kills Frank who has just returned from his honeymoon. Bruce's brother, Dan, feels responsible so he goes to the widow, Jess, offering her help in any way she needs - meaning financially. He feels worse when he learns she's pregnant and her miserable father-in-law is threatening to take the baby. He offers to marry her and adopt the baby to stop the father-in-law's threats. This marriage is for convenience and to protect Jess and the baby so when Dan falls in love with her he keeps quiet about it but continues to treat her well and hopes she'll fall in love with him too.

 

I really enjoyed this emotional story. There were lots of sad scenes but some funny ones too. It was well written (with editing issues) so even though it wasn't true to life it was a great escape. I mean would anybody actually agree to marry the brother of the man who killed your husband? Amazingly it works for them and you'll want it to turn out for this pair.

 

If you're looking for a romance that's out of the ordinary then this is for you.

Billionaire Bartender: A Second Chance Romance

— feeling big smile
Billionaire Bartender: A Second Chance Romance (The Buckeye Series) - Jo Henley
Liz was getting divorced from her husband who was more interested in showing off with what his money could buy than he was in her. Her best friend had been trying to get her to go to his favourite bar so she finally agreed to go on Halloween. When she met the bartender, Oscar, she was immediately attracted to him. After her money hungry husband she doesn't want anything to do with men with money so she thought a bartender was just perfect. How wrong she was.

The characters were well developed and very likable. I felt sorry for Liz with such a pompous husband but happy for her when she found Oscar. She didn't know it but Oscar was a billionaire. He'd made his money as a shrewd business man but didn't flaunt his money. Instead he quietly helped other local businesses with it.

I really liked this book. It's not your typical billionaire romance. The plot was unique and engaging, and holy smokes, Jo Henley wrote some sexy love scenes!

The only thing that got annoying was the use of the word billionaire so much.

***I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review***
 
 

 

Never Surrender

— feeling stupid
Never Surrender - Lindsay McKenna

After reading the blurb for Never Surrender I was really looking forward to reading it since I like romances with military heroes/heroines. This continues Gabe and Bay's story from Breaking Point and starts with them having to part while Bay (an 18 Delta medic) goes back to her last deployment in Afghanistan. Gabe is a SEAL chief but staying in the U.S. They are going to be married when she returns.

 

It was clear the author definitely researched and knew the military since it was very detailed in that regard. While the storyline was interesting the first quarter was mainly about how much Gabe and Bay love each other. It was annoying and made me lose interest in the story.

 

Unfortunately, I imagined what the story would be about and it was pretty close to what I expected, but all the talk about how much they loved each other ruined it for me. However, since most reviews were 4 and 5 star ratings my view of this book is not like them and others obviously liked it.

 

Please note I won this book in a giveaway.

Chasing Charlie (The Texas Two-Step #1)

— feeling amazing
Chasing Charlie - Kathy Carmichael

I read this book about a year ago and liked it so much that I read it again.

 

Oh my goodness! I couldn’t put this one down for a second - both times I read it. After the death of her parents, Charlie was raised by her two older brothers on the family ranch but she left for the city as soon as she was old enough. Her job as a research librarian helped her to stay pretty much invisible. She didn't take chances and wanted a quiet life which her job helped her accomplish. Because of her background on a ranch, her one rule was to NEVER date a cowboy.

 

Davis became the owner of Murphy Title after his father died eight years ago. Once Davis made a success of the business, he looked forward to doing something he had always dreamed of - becoming a cowboy like his grandfather with his own ranch. Before he could get his ranch, he found out that his mother would not agree to marry her long-time love until Davis was settled with someone. He came up with a plan to get a fake fiance to introduce to his mother so she would believe he had someone in his life and would not be alone if she married the man she loved.

 

Davis had met Charlie at the library when he went to research ranches but was not interested in her since she was not his usual type. However, once he saw her buying a red dress (very different from her usual style) he had second thoughts about her suitability. He asks Charlie to be his fake fiance for one evening and she agreed. But it turned out to be much more than one date!

 

I liked the writing style of the author very much. The book is a great read and definitely captures the reader in the story line, but that wouldn't work if she didn't have good characters. The characters in this novel were well put together and developed in a manner that makes them seem real and believable. Even though they were complete opposites, they fit together well.

 

Overall, this was an intriguing, fun read that I quite enjoyed.