JoAB

* 2 stars *

This is a humorous story about two middle aged women going through a mid-life crisis. They are writers who met on-line and have known each other for years but never actually met in person. One of them decides they should go to Vegas so off they go on a road trip neither will ever forget. They are both over-weight and having marital problems so between that and their writing they have lots in common.

Food seemed to be the most important thing for these women and they were constantly talking about it and where they would eat next. They had a never ending supply of junk food with them, too. They were sad about so much that I just felt sorry for them.

I personally didn't like that the two main characters had the author's names because I kept wondering if this was a true story about them. It made it hard to enjoy it since I wondered if the painful things that happened to the characters actually happened to the authors.

Either way, I would have enjoyed the story more if the characters had different names so I could be sure I was reading fiction.

* 4 stars *

This story starts with firefighter, Thayne Bloodgood, trying to get vet assistant, Laura Lyons to date him. After losing her fiancee because of his job as a cop, she won't consider a relationship with anyone who has a dangerous job.

As Thayne is working on a romance with Laura, an arsonist is starting fires around town keeping him really busy with work and keeping Laura tense with worry that he will be killed on the job. What's going to happen to this pair? Will Thayne win Laura over and who is starting the fires?

Thayne is a terrific character and if he looks anything like the cover picture I don't know how Laura can resist him. On top of the good looks he's a good man who is kind and always ready to help people. Laura's fear of involvement with anyone in a dangerous job went a bit too far for my liking and I found it hard to like her because of it. But I really liked the story line. The suspense kept me reading and I was routing for Thayne both as a firefighter and a man trying to get Laura interested in him.

* 5 stars *

What a wonderful little Christmas story! Since this follows Slow Hand with Nikki and Wade I don't want to say anything to spoil their story but if you've read Slow Hand you really should read Slowly Unwrapped. It's a short and sweet read that fills in a bit more about what happens to them.

* 5 stars *

Eve had been in love with her boss for the past year but didn't want him to know. Thinking that if she could get him to kiss her just once she could get him out of her system she dressed up as Miss Naughty, the very sexy elf, for an office Christmas costume party. Her plan was to get him under the mistletoe and get a kiss. Since she was in costume he would never know it was her. Things went a bit farther than Eve expected but she continued to hide her identity from her boss.

I liked the writing style of the author very much and loved the plot and characters. Eve and her boss, Nick, both had past problems preventing them from getting involved with anyone. I loved the way Eve hid her Miss Naughty identity from her boss. It was really funny. I felt so sorry for Nick when he couldn't find Miss Naughty not knowing she was right under his nose.

Overall, I enjoyed this quick Christmas story. It was fun, naughty and romantic all at once.

* 5 stars *

I loved this short story in Beckham (the dog's) POV. He tells us what it's like for the family dog at Christmas and how he's ignored while his family rips open the presents and waits for dinner, that they tear into. His thoughts had me chuckling all the way through and I didn't want it to end. I sure hope there are more stories about Beckham.

I highly recommend this quick holiday read.

* 3 stars *

This cozy mystery shows us Summer Walsh. She used to be a police officer but quit when it became too much for her. Since then she had a lot of other jobs but none were the right fit for her. Her parents had booked a vacation at a B & B but couldn't go so they offered it to Summer. She gladly accepted and headed off on her vacation. But once she got there she found the owner murdered. While the police worked on solving the crime she tried to stay out of the investigation but it was too hard for her.

There's a good plot, with some interesting twists, to this mystery and well developed characters making it an interesting read. There are lots of suspects to the murder but we don't know who dunnit until the last minute. That's what I like in a mystery.

* 3 stars *

In this first book in the Cougar Romance series we meet Diana Grant. When she arrives at Yazzie Properties where she's been hired as a temporary receptionist she expects to meet the owner, Catahassa Yazzie but instead sees his nasty assistant Amanda Hawkins.

In this unusual short story we see that things at Yazzie Properties are far from what they appear to be. We get a bit of insight into the Zuni tribe since Mr. Yazzie is a member. When Diana does meet Catahassa they find they have a common interest in anthropology as well as an interest in each other. To add to the unusual story, there is talk of cougar shifters too.

As for the characters in this story I liked Mr. Yazzie when he was with Diana. He was a nice person and interested in the same things she was. Since we didn't hear anything from him at any other time, I don't know if I liked him at other times. I hated Amanda which I think I was suppose to. She was so angry and possessive of Mr. Yazzie and her job that she was hard to like. Diana was so-so for me. There wasn't anything I liked or disliked about her.

Even though I didn't feel like there was a cliffhanger, the ending didn't leave me wanting to find out more. The feeling I had at the end was, "Huh?"

I got this story as bonus book with Billionaire Brothers 3 book set so the marketing was good to get readers started on the series but I wasn't hooked enough to buy the other two books.

Please remember that this is just my opinion and others may feel differently about this story. Since I don't care for serials (which this may not be but felt like it to me) or paranormal stories in general, this was just not to my liking.

* 4 stars *

Hope lost her parents a couple of months ago and is not looking forward to Christmas without them. Her brother, Ted, is her only family now and his nasty boss is making him work over the holiday - away with him at his lodge. Hope has always hated Ted's boss because he is such a workaholic and expects the same from his employees so Ted works long hours and doesn't see Hope very often.

One night Hope was taking dinner to Ted at his office and met Beckett who she really liked. Wait until she finds out who he really is.

This is a wonderful Christmas story about family and forgiveness. It's a nice easy read with a good plot and has romance, humor, and suspense so something for everyone.

Please note I won Moonlight in Winter Park in a giveaway. I highly recommend this Christmas romance.

Josie is a researcher who stumbles onto some facts on an abortion drug. The information she's found pulls her and some friends into a threatening situation. A Computer expert, Nic, is called to help with the mystery and he and Josie help each other with personal problems.

This is an enjoyable mystery but you've got to be on your toes to read it. The beginning was a bit confusing and there are lots of twists in the story. Some of the topics in this story aren't for everyone so be ready to read about abortion, rape and divorce.

The characters were believable except for Josie. I wasn't drawn to her and one of the reasons was that she's suppose to be genius smart but doesn't remember to charge her cell phone. This sure wasn't good for business. I wondered how someone who was so smart could be so scatterbrained. Also there were a lot of characters and they were hard to keep track of.

The author says the end "leaves dangling threads" but I consider it a cliffhanger so be prepared.

* 5 stars *

Please note I won Maverick in a giveaway and am glad I did. I just couldn't put this book down! The plot is different from most books in that it starts with Maverick leaving the T.E.A.M. and just walking - for miles. On his trek he sees China Wolf on her huge Percheron slide into a crater as the land gives way. Maverick digs China out and they both work on digging out the horse.

Maverick stays for a while to help with the ranch work and they both realize that while neither want someone in their lives, they are attracted to each other.

The beautiful scenery in Wyoming is described so clearly that you feel like you are there. I loved the characters and that we got to learn about their pasts so it was easy to understand why they felt they way they did. You will be drawn to Maverick who was a troubled man but very protective. China was amazing. She took the term strong woman to a whole new level. She worked hard at running her ranch, Wild Wolf Ranch, and making it successful. You'll fall in love with her niece but hate many characters who cause trouble for China at the ranch.

I enjoyed this book so much I can't wait to read the rest of the series.

* 4 stars *

Right before Christmas Cloe was hit by a car while riding her bike and the driver tries to blame her for the accident. Lucky for Cloe Donovan was in the crowd that had gathered and he came to her defense. Donovan was a SEAL who was home for a short leave. His family owned a restaurant near by so he took her there to get cleaned up. His family was Italian/Irish and all of them worked at the very successful Italian restaurant.

Cloe's parents and fiancee were killed the previous Christmas so she had no interest in celebrating this year. As Donovan and Cloe got closer, his family included her in their Christmas activities.

I loved this big Italian/Irish family and their constant involvement in each other's lives. It was quite an eye opener for Cloe. Poor Donovan had been dumped by his fiance when he was deployed and was determined to never love again. So much for his good intentions when he falls for Cloe. She also can't resist the protective SEAL.

This story flowed smoothly making it easy to read and follow the plot. This was such a good romantic Christmas story that if you like romances you should pick up a copy.

* 3 stars *

In this first book in the Cougar Romance series we meet Diana Grant. When she arrives at Yazzie Properties where she's been hired as a temporary receptionist she expects to meet the owner, Catahassa Yazzie but instead sees his nasty assistant Amanda Hawkins.

In this unusual short story we see that things at Yazzie Properties are far from what they appear to be. We get a bit of insight into the Zuni tribe since Mr. Yazzie is a member. When Diana does meet Catahassa they find they have a common interest in anthropology as well as an interest in each other. To add to the unusual story, there is talk of cougar shifters too.

As for the characters in this story I liked Mr. Yazzie when he was with Diana. He was a nice person and interested in the same things she was. Since we didn't hear anything from him at any other time, I don't know if I liked him at other times. I hated Amanda which I think I was suppose to. She was so angry and possessive of Mr. Yazzie and her job that she was hard to like. Diana was so-so for me. There wasn't anything I liked or disliked about her.

Even though I didn't feel like there was a cliffhanger, the ending didn't leave me wanting to find out more. The feeling I had at the end was, "Huh?"

I got this story as bonus book with Billionaire Brothers 3 book set so the marketing was good to get readers started on the series but I wasn't hooked enough to buy the other two books.

Please remember that this is just my opinion and others may feel differently about this story. Since I don't care for serials (which this may not be but felt like it to me) or paranormal stories in general, this was just not to my liking.

* 4 stars *

Finn Harding is back as a P.I. who lost his licence but works privately for people that want people found who don't want to be found. The people who hire Finn don't care if he has a licence as long as he gets the job done.

When Finn finds out that his ex-wife's husband, Dr. Daryl Jennings, has been getting fentanyl for a criminal organization and is now missing he sets up a meeting with the organization to make a deal to get his release. They have also been hassling and threatening Finn's ex and his daughter making him even more anxious to solve this problem. In exchange for Daryl's release Finn has to find a man known as the Banker who has disappeared with $5 million of the organization's money.

I couldn't help but like Finn. He's always trying to help his family even when it puts him in a dangerous situation. This time, he didn't care much what happened to Daryl but once his daughter and ex got caught up in the dangerous mess, Finn couldn't stand back and do nothing.

There was another story line about Finn's father, Albert, and one of his old friends who decided to settle an old score. These men are in their 70s but behaving like they were 20 years younger. Albert took this mission very seriously and acted accordingly, but it was really funny.

This crime thriller is well written with a great story line. Trace Conger wrote the scenes and character's actions clearly making it easy to follow the plot. Adding Finn's brother, Conner, who had been missing for several years was a nice touch. The "boys" worked well together. Of course, trying to keep Albert under control was not easy - but humorous (Albert that is). I did find the description of how Finn and his wife met at the beginning of the story to be a bit drawn out and slow moving. The information was necessary but it was just too much at one time.

I'm so glad that I received a copy of Scar Tissue from the author in exchange for an honest review. I love Trace Conger's books and can't wait for the next one.

* 4 stars *

I received a complementary copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest review.

Wynn Holcom saw her mother murdered when she was 12 years old. Her father was a high stakes gambler with no time for a child so he took her to live with her aunt. She missed her parents but loved her aunt so she was content with her life. Ten years later, her father found out her life was in danger so hired a bodyguard for her. The problem was that she couldn't find out she was being guarded or that it was her father who hired the man.

The bodyguard, Foster Kane, had his own problems. He doesn't want to take on private clients because two years earlier, he was protecting a woman who was killed. Foster still blamed himself for her death. Making matters worse for him, he had been involved with the woman so when he begins to have feelings for Wynn, Foster is worried she'll be killed too.

This is a well written novel with details so clearly described, you can easily picture the scenes. Wynn was a strong, independent woman who was very likable. She had a good life and tried to forget about her violent past. Foster was great at his job but he had lost his confidence after the death of his previous client. Even so, he was a very nice, caring man. Both characters had horrible things happen in their pasts and Foster was still struggling to live with it.

If you like romantic suspense with twists, you'll love this book.

* 5 stars *

All three of the books in The Gray-Haired Knitting Detective Series are wonderfully written mysteries that I couldn't put down. The books are great reads and definitely capture the reader in the story lines. I couldn't imagine how a mystery could be funny but it sure can be. You have to read them and see for yourself.

The characters were fantastic! The old ladies in the knitting club always find out when someone they know has a crime committed against them and decide to help investigate. It's fun when they get involved in anything. I love the way the elderly ladies from Izzy's grandmother's knitting club are referred to as "Jessica Fletcher wannabees".

First we have Izzy who is kind of a klutz but is like a dog with a bone and won't let go of something once she starts it. Her hunky, gay, best friend, Jack, always has her back. Then there are the posse of old ladies who believe themselves to be detectives and are sooooo funny. I love them and how they try to help solve the crime. A laugh out loud moment for me was when they were referred to as the Ben-gay brigade. These older women "detectives" are a hoot. In one of the books I chuckled picturing them dressed for a stake out, all in black. They had to wear black scarves to cover their white hair!

D.E. Haggerty writes wonderfully funny mysteries that have lots of detail and chuckles throughout. Actually the stories themselves aren't all that funny but the characters sure are. I loved this series! It was hilarious and had me chuckling constantly. Even though a murder is being investigated, the grannies are hilarious. I love the grannies and will miss them.

* 4 stars *

Cozy Mystery Multi-Author Bundle is a great set of cozy mysteries with characters you can't help but love. They each have women who decide to investigate murders when someone close to them is suspected of the murder. You can imagine the police actually investigating the murders are not very happy with them. This just adds to the humor in the stories.

These authors are very illustrative writers who create an entire world for their audience to get lost in. The books are simultaneously exciting, suspenseful, and emotional. The stories in this bundle are great reads and definitely capture the reader in the story line.

If you like murder mysteries I recommend the Cozy Mystery Multi-Author Bundle.