Ranch Ambush (Marshals of Mesa Point, Book One)

 

BARB HAN

How acquired: Harlequin Reader Service Subscription

First line: Can you ever go home again?

(Goodreads synopsis below.)

My thoughts: I've only read one other book by this author, an older one published about ten years before this one, and I did not like it. I one-starred it, something I rarely do. So I've been hesitant to pick her up again, even though I have around ten of her books in my TBR. But boy, am I glad I took that chance. Sometimes I read a book from a new to me author and love it so much I grab everything I can find by them, and then I'm disappointed when the next one or two I read aren't nearly as good as that first one. I guess that can work in reverse!

RANCH AMBUSH was well written, and I loved both the hero and heroine. In love for a summer at sixteen, then separated about as many years, there's lots of angst as they both internally hash out their feelings when they see each other again and spend some time together. Plus Duke's grandparents both being in the ICU after a car wreck (which I'm guessing will play out over the course of the series), and the mystery of who is out to hurt Audrey. Considering all the plot, the story is still more character over action, which I am always here for.

Now I'm off to look for Book Two!

Synopsis from Goodreads: Fourteen years after the girl Duke Remington loved disappeared, the US Marshal comes home to discover that Audrey Newcastle is in mortal danger. Protecting Audrey, now a sheriff’s deputy, rekindles painful memories and unwelcome desire. But as secrets from Audrey’s mysterious past surface, Duke must find a way to earn her trust and stop a killer lying in wait to complete a final act of vengeance.

The Art of New Beginnings (Ragin' Moon Refuge, Book Three)

 

K.T. RAINE

Stats: Kindle edition, pub 9/28/25.

How acquired: Via BookSirens.

First line: The Greyhound was only a third full – Morgan’s first lucky break in years.

(Goodreads synopsis below.)

My thoughts: I think this third book is my favorite (so far) of the Ragin’ Moon Refuge series. Morgan is a bit of a departure from the typical romance story heroine. She’s just been released from prison after serving five years and needing somewhere to start over, she’s headed to Big Pine, Montana, a place she remembers from childhood visits with her grandparents. We don’t know why she was in prison until much later in the story, but the bits and pieces of her experiences behind bars that are shared with us along the way give us a little insight into her character, and I was rooting for her from the very beginning.

Gio, who we met in the previous books, befriends Morgan after she comes into his diner looking for a job. While he’s not in a position to hire her at the moment, he is able to give her some temporary work while one of his employees is out sick, which gives them the opportunity to begin getting to know one another. Morgan spends her first night in Big Pine camping in a small tent at one of the local parks, but when the second evening brings torrential rain Gio takes her to Ragin’ Moon, where she’s set up in one of the guest cabins.

Gio’s easy acceptance of Morgan’s secretiveness, and not saying anything initially and then not pushing her when he and his mother believe she’s given them a false name, stems partly from the fact that the refuge his family runs is used to being a haven for women in trouble, but I believe it was also partly just his character, his kindness and respectfulness. There’s no big plot twists, no imminent danger, no action scenes, and none of that was needed – I very much enjoyed just following along as Gio and Morgan’s friendship grew into feelings for each other. Not to mention the sweet little puppy Morgan rescued and smuggled aboard the bus that brought her to Big Pine!

While this is part of a series, each book can be read as a standalone, but I recommend starting with the first book, as they are all worth reading, and then move on to the Huckleberry Ridge series, which I like even more, and of course the author’s actual standalone book, Holding Out For Special, which was my introduction to her and which I just loved. Ms. Raine packs her books with wonderful characters, and the dialogues are well written, so the stories just flow across the pages. Can you tell I’m a fan?

*Received with thanks from the author/BookSirens and voluntarily reviwed*

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Sometimes it's the shadows of our past that illuminate the path forward. 

After five years in prison for a crime she didn’t commit, 30-year-old Morgan Mayfield is finally free—yet the life she once knew is gone. Once a celebrated artist, she's now branded a pariah in her hometown of Portland, Oregon. With nowhere else to turn, she heads for the one place where happy childhood memories Big Pine, Montana.

Armed with nothing but determination and a new alias, Morgan finds work at the Big Pine Bar and Grill and begins rebuilding her life. She never expects to cross paths with Gio Lascari, the charismatic owner whose steady kindness both unnerves and comforts her. Gio senses she's carrying secrets, but he also sees the courage behind her guarded smile—and he's drawn to it.

Just as Morgan begins to believe in second chances, the past she's been hiding from walks straight into her life. When a shocking encounter threatens to expose her identity and destroy everything she's rebuilt, Morgan must find the strength to face the truth ... and decide if she can trust Gio with the pieces of her heart.

A heartfelt, slow-burn clean romance about redemption, hope, and the healing power of love—set against the rugged beauty of small-town Montana.

Honor Bound

 

SANDRA BROWN, as ERIN ST. CLAIRE

Stats: Mass market paperback, Silhouette, 1993

How acquired: Bought.

First line: The refrigerator door was open, projecting a pale, blue-white wedge of light into the dark kitchen.

(Goodreads synopsis below.)

My thoughts: Ms. Brown has come a long way since writing this drivel. Oh, the writing is decent enough. But the story.

First off, when I read the back cover synopsis, I thought this was going to be an historical romance. I mean, Indian (in the days before the term Native American was the norm) kidnaps white woman and takes her to his reservation. But then the first line of the first chapter talks about a refrigerator door being open, and I was a little jolted. Lucas constantly says things like "I'm sure an Anglo virgin like you can't imagine anything worse than having an Indian between her lily white thighs" and "...you'd want to die before having your pure Anglo body tainted by an Indian", and so on and so on, me big bad Indian, you rich white privileged Anglo woman. Was there really so much prejudice and racism towards Native Americans in 1986? I don't remember that, nor do I remember ever actually hearing a white person referred to as an Anglo. But then, I was only twenty-three then and living in my own little world. I do remember hearing stories of the racism my half Choctaw grandmother experienced when she was young - how she and her siblings had to go to another town for school because the whites didn't want them at the local school and the Indians didn't want them at the Indian school - but that would have been in the 30's/40's. 

Then when Lucas discovered Aislynn had given birth to his baby while he was in prison there was the whole I'm taking my son to live on the reservation with me cuz I won't have him brought up in the Anglo world and you either marry me and come along or say goodbye to your son. I like the marriage of convenience trope, and I even often like the forced marriage trope, but this one left bad taste in my mouth.

Of course everything comes out roses in the end, but it wasn't always a pleasant journey getting there.

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Lucas Greywolf was her forbidden fantasy, wild, rebellious, a Navajo -- and an escaped convict. Aislinn had been terrified when he first grabbed her, but now she was intrigued. Why had he taken her hostage -- and where were they heading? 

Every moment of their mad dash across Arizona drew Aislinn closer to this unyielding man who seemed to drive himself beyond human limits. And they they reached his reservation, and Aislinn learned why they had come....

A Heartfelt Christmas Promise

NANCY NAIGLE

Stats: Mass market paperback, St. Martin’s Paperbacks, 9/28/21.

How acquired: Bought.

First line: Vanessa slid her hand along the slick wooden banister as she climbed the stairs.

(Goodreads synopsis below.)

My thoughts: My third Naigle book and I loved it as much as the first two.

A bit of the stereotypical girl from the big city forced to go to a small town where she doesn't fit in but falls in love with the town and one of the locals, but not gonna lie, I'm a sucker for that trope, if you can call it a trope. In this instance, Vanessa works for a large company in Chicago, the company bought a fruitcake factory in Fraser Hills, North Carolina, and now Vanessa has been sent to the town to shut down the factory in preparation for the warehouse space to used for an athletic company. I've been grabbing her books whenever I come across them so I have six more in my TBR. A job that has never bothered her before, but this time she finds herself getting friendly with the locals, including Buck, an older man who gives her some business advice and provides his guesthouse for Vanessa and her cousin over the Christmas holiday, Misty, a sixteen year old who works in the fruitcake factory's retail store and has lots of ideas to improve the business, and Mike, who breeds and trains Percheron horses. Oh, and Scooter, an adorable Lab puppy. The ending is of course predictable for the most part, but it's the journey to that ending that matters, and it was a wonderful journey.

I've been collecting Naigle books whenever I come across them, and have six more in my TBR, and I anticipate several more wonderful journeys!

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Vanessa Larkin was supposed to be spending Christmas in Paris, France on a business trip. Instead, she’s been assigned to Fraser Hills, North Carolina—home of the Best Fruitcake in the USA—to convert her company’s property into warehouse space and shut down Porter’s, the fruitcake factory. 

Mike Marshall’s family founded Porter’s. For decades, the factory served as the lifeblood of the community until his grandfather sold the business to a Chicago corporation. The sale cost the town its independence—and the Marshalls their family ties. A horse farmer, Mike was never involved with his grandfather’s company, but news of the factory’s closing means losing another piece of the town’s legacy. And as a widower raising a teenage daughter, he’s suffered enough losses in one lifetime. 

Far from the skyscrapers and rapid pace of the city, Vanessa finds herself enjoying the easygoing rhythms of rural living. With Mike as her guide, she learns to appreciate the simple pleasures found in shared holiday festivities among friends. Fraser Hills is a town she is growing to love—and Mike is someone she is falling in love with. Can a Christmas miracle give her newfound friends and home a gift they’ll cherish for many New Years to come?

Fall Inn Love (Cozy Nights in Vermont, Book One)

 

ELISE KENNEDY

Stats: Kindle, Elise Kennedy Books, 2024

How acquired: BookSirens

First line: Iris Bertone snuggled into her train car seat, picturing the next two blissful weeks to calm the nervous butterflies somersaulting in her stomach.

(Goodreads synopsis below.)

My thoughts: This was an absolutely delightful little novella! One of my favorite tropes is enemies to lovers. This wasn’t quite that, as Iris and Sam weren’t really enemies, but rather had been antagonistic rivals in high school and all through college, competing for everything from debate team captain to class president. Iris is now a journalist for a leisure magazine, and excited for a two week assignment visiting seven different Vermont inns to write an article about the three most romantic places to stay. She and Jo, the photographer, the female photographer, were supposed to travel incognito, pretending to be a couple, but at the last minute Jo can’t make it, and sends Sam in her place. Sam, the very male, very hot, photographer. Who she will now have to share a bed with every night, unless she wants to sleep on the floor.

Both characters are so well written. Iris is not your typical slender svelte heroine. In high school she was a little self-conscious about her size, but as an adult she’s learned to embrace herself and she’s confident and comfortable in her own body, which was refreshing. She’s smart, she’s funny, and she’s passionate about her work. And Sam! I loved Sam from the get go. At one of the inns the proprieter offers Iris one of her chicory root or bark-infused teas, commenting that they’re great appetite suppressants, and Sam’s furious and immediate reaction was glorious.

And the inns! As they left each inn, I couldn’t wait to learn about the next one. Each one was unique in it’s own way, and I loved the author’s imagination and descriptions of each one, and of the staff working there.

This was an engaging and enjoyable read, with lots of humor, and plenty smexy tension thanks to the bed sharing, eventually leading up to some very hot scenes. I can’t wait for the next entry in the series!

*Received via BookSirens and voluntarily reviewed*

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Iris Bertone finally landed her dream reporting assignment: reviewing the most romantic Vermont inns for a prestigious travel site. She'll travel incognito as part of a couple, but when her photographer BFF can't join, Iris's new partner greets her at the train station. It's her worst nightmare: Sam Nilsson, Iris's overly competitive, irritatingly handsome decade-long journalism rival. 

They'll hayride, they'll brunch, they'll sip tea in fussy dining rooms and eat bonfire s'mores after leaf-peeping hikes. It would be a pumpkin-spice infused dream if they didn't have to come back to the same issue night after night: Only one bed to share. 

Can these rivals keep their hands to themselves for three weeks? Or will close quarters finally break down the walls they put up a long time ago?

A Gamble of the Heart (Ragin' Moon Refuge, Book One)

 

K.T. RAINE

Stats: Expected pub date 5/1/24, Independently published

How acquired: Via BookSirens

First line: Becca’s eyes flew open with the hiss of the hydraulic door, the sound unnaturally loud in the serene atmosphere.

(Goodreads synopsis below.)

My thoughts: I’ve enjoyed everything I’ve read from Ms. Raine, so when I saw this was available to request on BookSirens I snapped it up. I’ve previously described Ms. Raine’s books as breezy, fun, and heartwarming, with well written characters, and A GAMBLE OF THE HEART delivered on those expectations. But when I say breezy I don’t mean frivolous, as her books also touch on deeper subjects, and there is usually an element of danger to the heroine, with the hero being a protector (one of my personal catnips). Here we have Becca and her young son traveling across the state seeking refuge, after a loan shark appears at her door, demanding money to pay off her ex-husband’s gambling debt. From there, the physical danger is minimal, and the story is more about Becca finding herself again, finding friends and acceptance in her new home, and of course, since this is a romance, finding love again.

That’s not to say her ex isn’t involved in the story, and we even get some sections told from his point of view. It would have been easy for the author to write him off in the end, but she gave him some character development and a chance at redemption instead.

This is a quick read, with some tense moments towards the end, and a happy, satisfying resolution. It’s the first in a new series, and with four more brothers besides Tony I’m already looking forward to more of the Ragin’ Moon Refuge! And I highly recommend Ms. Raine’s Huckleberry Ridge series, as well as the first book of hers that I read, HOLDING OUT FOR SPECIAL.

*Received via BookSirens and voluntarily reviewed*

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Becca Pierson takes her vows seriously. So even when her husband’s secret gambling addiction shakes her world, she soldiers on, sure they can work things out. But reality soon proves otherwise, and she knows she must put their ten-year-old son David first and file for divorce. When a loan shark barges into her apartment and demands the little cash she has left, she takes David and flees 400 miles across Montana to the only place that will accept them—Ragin’ Moon Refuge. 

Tony Lascari’s family owns the Ragin’ Moon Refuge, and he has seen many a broken woman pass through. He’s never once been tempted, for he knows the baggage they carry. Life is so much easier when you only have to consider yourself. But when he picks up Becca from the bus depot, he’s immediately drawn to the frightened young mother who brings out his instinct to protect. But with Becca’s future so uncertain, he knows their relationship must stay platonic.

Becca also feels the attraction but knows she needs to focus on protecting her son, which may entail fleeing again. There’s simply too much at stake to be distracted by Tony’s charm and rugged good looks. No matter how kind he is. No matter how safe he makes her feel.

Will she overcome her past and find a brighter future with Tony’s help? Or will fears and regrets keep her forever chained to the past?

Under a Summer Skye (Skye Sisters, Book One)

 

SUE MOORCROFT

Stats: Kindle Edition, expected pub date 5/23/24

How acquired: Via NetGalley

First line: Thea’s heart tried to claw itself out of her chest as she stooped over the motionless figure sprawled in the road.

(Goodreads synopsis below.)

My thoughts: This is my first time reading Ms. Moorcroft, and I didn’t really know what to expect. I love stories set in small communities, and the setting of the Isle of Skye in Scotland definitely interested me. And just 2% into the story, when Thea witnesses a handsome stranger rescuing a drowning dog, I was hooked.

Often when I read I’ll pause to look up the pronunciation of a word, because even reading silently to myself I like to pronounce things correctly. I didn’t have to worry about that here, thought, thanks to the author who skillfully and helpfully inserted pronunciations, such as Thea remarking to Dev that when she moved to the Island from Suffolk she thought “Sleat” was pronounced “sleet” rather than “slate” (so did I). And most surprising to me was learning that “Loch” is pronounced with a “chh” sound at the end rather than as “lock”! Who knew?! There are also lot of great descriptions of the countryside, the village, the ocean, the sky. And the author is obviously very knowledgeable about gardening, or did some thorough research on the subject.

Thea and her sister both work at a manor home that is partially open to the public, Thea as head gardener, and Ezzie in administration. In her previous life Thea had starred on a reality TV show, until a collision between her car and a bicyclist spun her world into chaos. But she, along with Ezzie, has made a new life for herself in this remote area. When Dev shows up just in time to rescue that dog, Thea mistakes him for a job applicant, and Dev seizes on the idea and runs with it. He’s actually there to try and secure an interview with Thea for a trashy celebrity website, a job he hates but has taken out of financial need. The thought of spending the summer on Skye, working with his hands in the gardens instead, seems like heaven and an opportunity too good to pass up. But the purpose of his original mission has already set wheels in motion, and he spends much of the book trying to do damage control and agonizing over whether or not to confess the truth to Thea. I loved Dev, but at times I wanted to knock him on the head and tell him he needed to come clean. I often had a feeling a dread, for of course the day of reckoning would come eventually.

This was a truly delightful read, that touched on some deep issues, as Thea, who was adopted, also deals with learning who her birth mother is. The secondary characters are not necessarily fleshed out well, but I was so caught up in Thea and Dev, and Ezzie, and eventually Thea’s birth mother, that I didn’t care. And the little dog, Daisy, who is a joyful character in her own right. I gather that the second book in the series will be Ezzie’s story, and I am eagerly looking forward to it.

*Received via NetGalley and voluntarily reviewed*

Synopsis from Goodreads:

A chance encounter is about to change everything for Thea Wynter.

The moment she arrived on the Isle of Skye, life changed for Thea. Running from a succession of wrong turns, she comes to the island in search of blue sea, endless skies, and mountains that make the heart soar. Here, she feels at peace.

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.

Low Tide Bikini (Pleasure Island - Bikini Quartet, Book One

 

LYLA DUNE

Edition read: Kindle edition, Composesum Publishing, LLC, 2013.

How acquired: No idea.

(Goodreads synopsis below.)

My thoughts: At work one day I took my break and then realized I’d left my book at home. So I grabbed my iPad and scrolled to the very bottom of the books in my Kindle app, and this was the book waiting there the longest.

Initially I was a little put off by the heroine, Sam, for a stupid reason I’ll admit. She meets Brock, who is English but has been living in Wales, and when he asks where the loo is she doesn’t know what he means. And I was thinking everyone knows what that means, right? And then there was this exchange:

“Who retires at thirty-eight?”

“Pro rugby players?”

“Rugby?” What the heck was rugby? If she’d never heard of it, it couldn’t be that darn popular. But then again, if it was some kind of sport, that’d explain why she wasn’t familiar with it.

Ok, maybe she’s not familiar with it, but she’s never even heard of it? But then I told myself that there might actually be Americans who don’t know what a loo is, or what rugby is, and who might not know what Brock means when he uses other English words and I needed to get over it. Fortunately that was a short-lived thread in the book and after that Sam didn’t seem to have any trouble understanding Brock.

And after that I got pretty caught up in the story and I really liked Sam and I really really liked Brock. They both have issues to overcome, though I felt Brock’s weren’t really addressed or discussed by the two of them as much as Sam’s were. She eventually opened up to Brock about hers, and in the end he went to great lengths to accommodate her issues, at the risk of losing her, but she never seemed to give any thought to his issues. And at one point his issues did nearly cause him to lose her, but he mentioned his issues and then they moved on without actually talking about why he acted the way he did.

Regardless, I was pretty invested in their romance, I laughed several times, and I might have even teared up when the wonderful resolution came. I definitely want to read the rest of the books in this series.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Brock Knight, a retired rugby player from Wales, moves into his new beach house in North Carolina before Samantha Carlisle has a chance to relocate. When he spots her shagging trophies, he's not sure he wants her to move out. After a devastating breakup, Sam has sworn off men. In an effort to keep her distance from her sexy new landlord, she pretends she prefers women. Will Brock convince her to stay, or will she convince him she's gay?

With an ostrich farm and a slew of naughty naked seniors, Pleasure Island is loads of fun. If you like romance with plenty of sizzle and giggle, this book is for you!