Tell Me Another Lie (A Huckleberry Ridge Romance, Book Four)

 

K.T. RAINE

How acquired: BookSirens

First line: The striking contrast of the white rose against the red countertop captured Belle’s attention as soon as she stepped out of the massage room.

(Goodreads synopsis below.)

My thoughts: K.T. Raine was one of my new author discoveries almost two years ago, and I have devoured each of her books since then. Each one has been just delightful, and TELL ME ANOTHER LIE is no exception. Would that I could live in Huckleberry Ridge!

Belle is a young widow who recently moved back to Huckleberry Ridge for a fresh start. A massage therapist, her new business is doing well, and the local animal shelter has found the perfect dog for her. She still mourns her husband, but life is looking up. Until she becomes the target of an unknown admirer’s unwanted attention.

Enter Woody. Belle’s cousin, a police officer, asks Woody to keep an eye out for Belle since her business is on his beat. Gentle sparks fly, but neither is looking for a relationship, and they both make some assumptions about the other. Shallow assumptions, but hey, they’re only human. And of course they get over those assumptions as they get to know one another.

The mystery of who the secret admirer is was well plotted, and I didn’t come close to figuring it out. There’s plenty of bantering conversations that made me smile, and I laughed a few times. I adored Woody, he’s a bit swoon worthy! The writing is engaging and characterization of both Belle and Woody is done well, especially considering the book is only 176 pages (the pdf version I read).

My only complaint is one throwaway sentence that came off as a little racist to me, when Woody is on an airplane, in a seat that is apparently on the smaller side. That sentence gave me pause and left a bad taste in my mouth and my brain.

While each book in the series can be read as a standalone, I recommend starting with the first book, and then also reading the author’s actual standalone, HOLDING OUT FOR SPECIAL, which is the first of the author’s books that I read. They are all sweet, kisses only, romances with some suspense thrown in, that will leave you sighing at the end. In a good way!

*Received from BookSirens and voluntarily reviewed*

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Four years after the death of her husband, Belle Cosgrove returns to her childhood home of Huckleberry Ridge, Idaho seeking a fresh start. With the successful launch of her new massage business, things are finally looking up ... until a secret admirer starts leaving eerie gifts and messages. Can she convince her damaged heart to accept the help of Woody Bannock, a reserved, ridiculously handsome police officer? Book 4 in the clean, contemporary Huckleberry Ridge Romance series.

Into the Fire (Undaunted Courage, Book 1)

IRENE HANNON

Edition read: Trade paperback, Revell, 2023

How acquired: Revell Reads Blogger Program.

First line: Fire was cleansing.

(Goodreads synopsis below.)

My thoughts: I really really enjoyed this one. Bri is an arson investigator, called out to investigate a fire that killed a retired arson investigator. She’s irritated when her boss calls in the ATF and tells her she’ll be working with an ATF Special Agent, but Marc is not quite what she expects and she’s intrigued by him. As he is by her. Bri is a wonderfully nuanced character. A former smokejumper, her life was changed after a fall caused by a malfunctioning parachute, the physical effects of which still linger. Just prior to that, she had a bad experience with a fellow smokejumper wooing her and then showing his ugly side. So getting closer to Marc or having any type of relationship with him is not in her plans. Marc, meanwhile, left his big time job to move home when his grandmother was diagnosed with cancer. He doesn’t have a bad relationship behind him, but his plan is to get focus on his grandmother and his new career and not get back into the dating pool for awhile, so pursuing Bri is not on his agenda. I loved the slow build up of the relationship between Bri and Marc, which often took a backseat to the investigation. Because this isn’t just a love story. This is a romantic suspense, and the author provides plenty of the latter as Bri becomes a liability to the serial killer who’s victims are dying in fires made to look like accidents.

The mystery of who was setting the fires and why was very well done. I was a little stunned when we finally learned who the culprit was. The writing and the characterization are wonderful and engaging. There is a lot of action as the investigation ramps up, as well as the danger to Bri, but we also get to know both Bri and Marc really well, as we’re inside their heads and privy to what makes them tick. I really liked Bri, and I loved Marc.

Irene Hannon is quickly becoming a favorite author who’s entire backlist I want to read now. 

*Received from the publisher and voluntarily reviewed*

Synopsis from Goodreads:

As a former smokejumper, arson investigator Bri Tucker knows her way around fires. But after a mysterious blaze takes the life of a former colleague, Bri inherits a curious puzzle from him that raises questions about several fiery deaths. Someone, however, doesn't want her picking up where he left off in search of answers. 

When she teams up with ATF Special Agent Marc Davis to solve the puzzle, the danger escalates. But will they manage to track down the person behind the mysterious deaths before their budding romance--and maybe even their lives--go up in flames?