I have two new reviews up at Fresh Fiction:
Heart on a Leash, by Alanna Martin.
Huskies, Alaska, a feud worth of the Hatfields and McCoys...I loved everything about this book!
You can read my full review here:
Dean, by Donna Michaels.
Fifth book in the HC Heroes series, with a hero I loved. Strong, sexy, with a wonderful moral compass.
You can read my full review here.
Stats for my copy: Trade paperback, Revell, April 2021.
How acquired: Revell Reads Blogger Program
First line: Chance Carter should have known this last delivery wouldn’t go down without a hitch.
(For Goodreads synopsis, scroll down.)
My thoughts: Elizabeth Goddard has quickly become a favorite author for me, after having read her Uncommon Justice series, and I’ve since acquired several books from her back list. So I was thrilled to get this first book in her new Rocky Mountain Courage series, set in the same area of Wyoming as the Uncommon Justice series. In fact, in one scene a couple of characters from that series make a brief and welcome appearance.
The plot hits the ground running as the story opens with a small plane losing power and the pilot desperately trying to safely land, only to crash, leaving him injured and fearful of what will happen if he’s unable to complete delivery of a package. From there we’re off and running. We’re then introduced first to Grayback County Sheriff’s Detective Jack Tanner, and then US Forest Service Special Agent Terra Connors (along with other characters sporting long awkward titles!).
I’ve never been to Wyoming, but Ms. Goddard’s descriptions of the landscape make me wish I could travel there some day. Terra has vast knowledge of the mountains, which makes her an asset in Jack’s investigation of the murder of a local insurance salesman whose body is found at the bottom of a cliff.
As much as I loved the book, I will admit that the plot seemed a little more convoluted than the author’s other books, as I sometimes had to reflect back on previous happenings to understand what was going on, or felt a little confused. But that may have been an issue with my own concentration, especially since work has kept me so busy lately that I often could only read two or three chapters at a time (with sixty-five chapters most of them are fairly short). But that didn’t take away from my enjoyment of the story. Along with the evocative descriptions, Ms. Goddard does a wonderful job with characterization. I love a good character study, and prefer character driven stories over plot driven, but Ms. Goddard’s books fall into both camps.
PRESENT DANGER is a well written and suspense filled story with a second chance romance. I can’t wait for the next book!
Goodreads synopsis: Former FBI Special Agent Jack Tanner is working as a detective in Montana when he comes across a body in the national forest during a search and rescue mission. He's committed to finding the killer, even if it means working alongside his old flame, US Forest Service Special Agent Terra Connors.
When Terra discovers that the murder
victim had ties to a powerful and dangerous trafficker of
archaeological artifacts, the investigation takes a deadly turn--one
that hits too close to home. As Terra fears she lacks the courage to
face what comes next, Jack is more determined than ever to protect
her. But he's failed her before. And if he fails this time, it will
cost them far more than just their hearts.
Join
bestselling and award-winning author Elizabeth Goddard as she plunges
you into a web of deceit made of hidden crimes, open threats, and
long-buried family secrets in this gripping first book of an
explosive new series.
Stats for my copy: Kindle edition, St. Martin’s Press, expected publication 7/27/21.
How acquired: From NetGalley for review.
(For Goodreads synopsis, scroll down.)
My thoughts: I enjoyed the first book in this series, so when I got an email from NetGalley that this second book was available I snapped it up. I think I liked this one even more than the first book.
All the familiar, quirky characters from the first book are still around. There’s a lot going on, what with Levi getting in the middle of a fight that puts his friend in the hospital, a rascally raccoon wreaking havoc, Sunshine and her best friend Quincy exploring each other with hilarious results, and Sunshine’s daughter secretly investigating a long time resident as a possible serial killer. The action never lets up. There’s plenty of humor as well, with lots of bantering conversations.
While Sunshine is investigating that fight that appears to be more than just a bar fight, she’s contacted by Wynn Ravinder, who is incarcerated, and who claims he has information about Sunshine’s abduction seventeen years ago. Sunshine has very little memory of that incident, or the weeks leading up to it, and she is eager for answers. I loved her interactions with Wynn, and finding out a little more about her past, despite Wynn not being completely trustworthy.
Meanwhile, she is still pining for Levi Ravinder, who is determined to hunt down the three strangers who were involved in that fight. Even after being hit by their truck, he refuses to go to the hospital, and Sunshine spends much of her time trying to track down Levi and force him to get medical care. I was really glad that Levi was very involved in the story and we got to spend quite a bit of time with him.
And then there’s Auri, Sun’s daughter. After seeing some old newspaper clippings about a string of missing persons cases many, many years ago, she is convinced that Mrs. Fairborn, who used to run a boardinghouse out of her home, was a serial killer, which leads to Auri – and her friends Cruz and Sybil – getting into all kinds of trouble. And here I thought my daughter was a handful!
The writing is breezy and flows along nicely, and while most of the characters are a bit quirky and out there, they are all still well written and believable, not to mention relatable. I especially liked Levi (of course!), but am also very found of Quincy and Cruz, along with Auri and Sunshine’s parents. The mayor, not so much. The subplot about the mayor and a rumored secret society called the Dangerous Daughters was a little too out there, and I wouldn’t have minded if it were cut out completely. And the book ended a little abruptly. Not exactly on a cliff hanger, but without a full resolution. Other than those two issues, I have no complaints. This was a fun read, and I look forward to a third book. I certainly hope there will be a third book!
Goodreads synopsis: Running a small-town police force in the mountains of New Mexico should be a smooth, carefree kind of job. Sadly, full-time Sheriff--and even fuller-time coffee guzzler--Sunshine Vicram, didn't get that memo.
All Sunshine really wants is one easy-going day. You
know, the kind that starts with coffee and a donut (or three) and
ends with take-out pizza and a glass of chardonnay (or seven). Turns
out, that's about as easy as switching to decaf. (What kind of people
do that? And who hurt them?)
Before she can say iced
mocha latte,
Sunny's got a bar fight gone bad, a teenage daughter hunting a serial
killer and, oh yes, the still unresolved mystery of her own abduction
years prior. All evidence points to a local distiller, a dangerous
bad boy named Levi Ravinder, but Sun knows he's not the villain of
her story. Still, perhaps beneath it all, he possesses the keys to
her disappearance. At the very least, beneath it all, he possesses a
serious set of abs. She's seen it. Once. Accidentally.
Between
policing a town her hunky chief deputy calls four
cents short of a nickel,
that pesky crush she has on Levi which seems to grow exponentially
every day, and an irascible raccoon that just doesn't know when to
quit, Sunny's life is about to rocket to a whole new level of
crazy.
Yep, definitely a good day for chardonnay.
Stats for my copy: Mass market paperback, Love Inspired, 8/29/20.
How acquired: Fresh Fiction Box Not to Miss subscription
First line: Leah Porte clutched her suitcase and climbed out of the dusty Subaru in front of a white farmhouse several miles outside the tiny hamlet of Pikeville, Ohio.
(For Goodreads synopsis, scroll down.)
My thoughts: I’ve only read a handful of Amish themed romances, all Love Inspired I believe, and I find that I don’t really remember any of them particularly well. I don’t think the subject has ever especially appealed to me, but I do enjoy the Love Inspired line so when one would fall into my hands I didn’t mind reading it. That being said, I went into this book not really knowing what to expect, other than a fish out of water story, which does appeal to me. The heroine is placed into witness protection after witnessing a murder, and finds herself moving into the home of an Amish family.
Well, it was much more than I expected, and I feel I have a deeper understanding of the Amish after reading this.
“...One of the problems we experience is outsiders tend to romanticize our way of life. We’re seen as throwbacks to a happier time when people lived in harmony with each other, with Gott, with the earth...”
I can’t imagine not having electricity, a washing machine, TV. For Leah, it’s not easy in the beginning. She was a high profile television journalist, and suddenly she’s learning how to make homemade laundry detergent and cheese, how to garden, to cook, to skim milk. The work and the chores are never ending. But her hosts have a completely different attitude about the constant busyness.
It is a romance book, and there is a handsome man who is taken with Leah. She’s quite surprised when one of her hosts tells her he is courting her, when she’s only known him a very short time and of course, she isn’t Amish so the only way they could be together would be for her to convert or him to leave the Amish community. I won’t tell you which one happens, though I suspect you already know.
I picked this book up because I wanted something light to counter my recent reads, a steamy series about former military men and their women. I got much more than I bargained for. A character study about a woman rediscovering faith while confronting an uncertain future and the possibility of never being able to return to her former life. I still would not want to live an Amish life, but I have a greater respect for the Amish people.
Goodreads synopsis: Television journalist Leah Porte never imagined her career would end with her witnessing a murder. Now she’s temporarily living among the Amish in witness protection. Instead of feeling alone and adrift, Leah is warmly welcomed by the close-knit community—and Amish bachelor Isaac Sommer. But caught between two very different worlds, choosing love would mean leaving her Englisch life behind forever…
GABE
I have two new reviews at Fresh Fiction!
Protecting her is his job...falling for her is unexpected.
Too stubborn not to butt heads...too attracted to each other not to fall into bed.
TOM THREADGILL
Stats for my copy: Trade paperback, Revell, 2021.
How acquired: Revell Reads.
First line: How long could a human being scream?
(For Goodreads synopsis, scroll down.)
My thoughts: NETWORK OF DECEIT picks up not long after COLLISION OF LIES left off. A teenage boy is found dead on a float at a water park. While the general consensus seems to be heatstroke or drugs, the medical examiner points out to Amara that the boys toes are not wrinkled up from being in the water. And with that, Amara is handed her first homicide investigation.
Amara dives into the investigation, which leads her to three other teens who, along with the deceased, were heavily into online gaming. She believes the other kids are keeping secrets, and know more than they're letting on about the first boy’s death. I was actually a little surprised at how she treated the kids, at times she was downright mean. But she got results, even if it made her feel a little uncomfortable at times. At one point she and Starsky even had a conversation about crossing the line and having to learn where your own line is.
Speaking of Starsky, I love their banter and their interactions. When the story starts, they’ve been out to eat a few times, always dutch, and Amara often wonders about their relationship. Are they dating, or just hanging out? Does she want to date him? She’s not sure where it’s going, and he doesn’t give any hints, and I enjoyed watching how their relationship grew and developed.
As Amara gets deeper into her investigation, she finds herself the victim of a hacker, who reveals to her a knowledge of personal information about herself and her mother. She then has to turn over her laptop and cell phone to a CSI tech, and is given an old flip phone to use while the tech has hers. Not having a smart phone not only impeded her in her investigation but in her life. It became a running theme that was terribly amusing, with a frustrated Amara unable to order an Uber or look up literally anything without a smart phone, but it was also a sad commentary on how much we rely on our phones in our daily lives.
The author details a lot of the minutiae of being a detective, particularly since cybersecurity and ransomware are involved. Talking to suspects, the victim’s family members, the water park’s head of security. Online research, and many phone calls, looking for information or trying to connect a potential clue to the case. I’d heard of ransomware, but I had no idea that you could actually purchase ransomware insurance! As I learned more about it along with Amara I found the subject very fascinating.
While there isn’t a lot of physical action, there is plenty of suspense and the story still felt pretty action packed. The characters are well developed, and there were some surprising turns in the plot, which kept me in the dark and trying to guess who the murderer was. Definitely not who I expected! I certainly hope we’ll get more Amara in the future.
Goodreads synopsis: Amara Alvarez's first case as a homicide detective drags her into the murky world of computer hackers. When she finds herself under attack by cybercriminals, she has no choice but to use unconventional methods to expose the truth and find a killer.
Stats for my copy: Trade paperback, Revell, 2021.
How acquired: Revell Reads Blogger Program.
First line: The January warm spell had definitely ended in South Mississippi.
(For Goodreads synopsis, scroll down.)
My thoughts: OBSESSION takes us back to the Natchez Trace Park, where Emma is an interpretive park ranger. Near a visitor’s center is an old slave cemetery, and Emma is about to begin a project using a ground penetrating radar machine to locate the individual graves and determine how many slaves were actually buried there, and hopefully give them recognition and provide closure to their descendants. One night she goes back to the visitor’s center after hours, having forgotten a file, and is nearly shot by a stranger who then flees. Enter Sam, her ex-fiance who has recently returned to the area and is a law enforcement district ranger. Not to mention her newly self-appointed bodyguard.
Along with the mystery of who took shots at Emma, a break comes up in an older case – Emma’s brother disappeared ten years ago, on the same night that a young woman was killed, and during the investigation at that time the then sheriff concluded that he had killed the woman and then gone into hiding. Emma has been trying to find her brother with no luck, and she’s always partly blamed Sam for not taking care of him. When a mysterious note is left on her doorstep with her favorite flowers, it becomes obvious she has a stalker. Sam and Emma don’t know if the three incidents – the shooting, her brother’s disappearance, and the stalking – are related, but it’s clear that she is in danger.
I loved the first book in this series, STANDOFF, and this second book was just as good. As with the first book, the writing flows, with plenty of action and suspense. Ms. Bradley’s characterization is wonderful, and I loved both Emma and Sam, although I sometimes agreed with Sam that Emma needed to let him protect her and not be so quick to rush in on her own. She’s tough and feisty and independent, and Sam quickly realizes his feelings for her haven’t changed since they’ve been apart, even though he still isn’t quite sure why she called off their engagement ten years ago.
While I enjoyed watching Emma and Sam get to know each other again and begin to repair their relationship, other relationships were brought forward, and the theme of forgiveness ran through the book. Sam’s parents, after being apart for years, are suddenly getting back together, and he struggles with his feelings, unable to comprehend why his mother would take back a man who who abused her and Sam when he was young. And frankly, I sided with Sam on that.
I did guess who the stalker was, though I wasn’t 100% positive until his identity was revealed to us. There were a lot of twists and turns, and I will be eagerly awaiting the next book in the series.
Goodreads synopsis: Natchez Trace Ranger and historian Emma Winters hoped never to see Sam Ryker again after she broke off her engagement to him. But when shots are fired at her at a historical landmark just off the Natchez Trace, she's forced to work alongside Sam as the Natchez Trace law enforcement district ranger in the ensuing investigation. To complicate matters, Emma has acquired a delusional secret admirer who is determined to have her as his own. Sam is merely an obstruction, one which must be removed.
Sam knows that he has failed Emma in the past and he doesn't intend to let her down again. Especially since her life is on the line. As the threads of the investigation cross and tangle with their own personal history, Sam and Emma have a chance to discover the truth, not only about the victim but about what went wrong in their relationship.
I have three new reviews up at Fresh Fiction:
Truth, Lies, and Second Dates, by MaryJanice Davidson. Lighthearted and enjoyable fluff with a little murder thrown in.
Cold Nose, Warm Heart, by Mara Wells. Dogs, a dog park, what else do you need? Oh yeah, the perfect couple! And if you like conflict, it’s here in spades.
You can find them on my reviewer page at Fresh Fiction
Stats for my copy: Mass market paperback, Mira, 2016.
How acquired: Book Mooch.
First line: Riley Erickson’s life was perfect.
(For Goodreads synopsis, scroll down.)
My thoughts: By the time I was about a third of the way into this novel, I already knew I needed to hunt down the author’s back list. This is my first time reading this author, and I truly enjoyed every minute. It’s three romances rolled into one book, but more than that it’s a wonderful story of friendship and family.
Each of the three protagonists are facing a crisis. Riley’s fiancé breaks up with her, three weeks before their wedding, to be with her friend and coworker Emily, with whom he’s been having an affair. Noel’s landlady announces that she’s selling the house Noel lives in, and which Noel desperately wants to buy but cannot quite afford. Riley’s sister, Jo, is about to give birth to her first child, and is bitter and resentful that her husband is deployed with the Navy and already planning to re-up, which will leave her raising their child alone.
The women are all believable, likable and distinctive characters, and all of the supporting characters are richly drawn, even the ones who only make two or three appearances. The POV narrative shifts seamlessly between the three women, and the only thing that could’ve made the book better would be getting the POV of Jo’s husband and the men who come into Riley and Noel’s lives.
THREE CHRISTMAS WISHES is an emotional and engaging story, and as satisfying as the ending was, I was still left wanting more.
Goodreads synopsis: Riley Erickson, her pregnant sister, Jo, and their friend Noel are all wishing for the same thing: the perfect man. Or at least men who are perfect for them. Riley's hasn't turned out to be too impressive, dumping her for her bridesmaid three weeks before the wedding. Jo's husband is being perfectly stubborn. And Noel has given up completely.
When the three women visit a shopping-mall
Santa on a lark, the guy is full of predictions. Riley's going to
meet her perfect man in a memorable way. Noel is going to get a good
man to go with that house she's trying desperately to buy. And Jo,
well, a new man is about to come into her life. What on earth does
that mean? She already has her hands full with the one she's got. As
for Riley and Noel, they have some holiday challenges to meet…
But
Christmas wishes can come true, as these three women are about to
discover. Because in spite of romantic setbacks and derailed dreams,
this truly is the most wonderful time of the year!
Stats for my copy: Trade paperback, Revell, 2020.
How acquired: From the publisher for review, through the Revell Reads Blogger Program.
First line: There is a razor-thin edge between justice and revenge, where the two easily blur if left unchecked.
(For Goodreads synopsis, scroll down.)
My thoughts: This is officially my favorite of Ms. Harris’ books. It’s only the third book of hers I’ve read, but still. I love plane crash/survival stories, so I had high hopes, and the author delivered. When we meet Madison, a US. Marshall, she is still grieving the senseless murder of her husband five years before. She’s dated occasionally over the years, but her heart was never in it. Every year on the anniversary of his death, she would visit his grave, and every year she would find a black rose left there. This year she did not go to the grave site, but coming home after her morning run she found a black rose on her bed. She doesn’t have time to deal with that though, as her boss calls her in to help transport two prisoners from Seattle to Colorado. She is partnered with Jonas for the flight. When Madison was training to be a Marshall, Jonas was her instructor, but their acquaintance never went beyond that. Like Madison, Jonas is focused on work and has no interest in dating or relationships, especially with a co-worker. He’s been down that road before, and it did not end well.
The plane carrying them to Denver crashes in the Idaho wilderness, and this is where the book really took off. Both pilots and one of the prisoners are killed in the crash. The other prisoner, Barrick, facing a life sentence for murder, manages to escape, and Madison and Jonas are determined to hunt him down.
I sailed through this intense book in two days, despite my full time job. The descriptions of the land, the forests, the river, are vivid, as Madison and Jonas hunt the prisoner, who sometimes hunts them. There are lots of near misses, with Barrick somehow managing to stay two steps ahead. The action is non-stop, and I never knew what to expect from one chapter to the next. The wilderness aspect only lasts for about half the book, and then they are back in civilization, with other law enforcement officers involved in the man hunt, but I was just as riveted, and stayed that way until the very end.
This book is part of Revell’s romantic suspense line, but there’s much more suspense than romance. As Madison and Jonas work together, they learn more about each other, and come to admire each other, but neither is looking for romance, and they don’t have time for those kind of thoughts regardless. However, I did expect the two Marshalls to come to term with and admit their feelings at the end, and I was not prepared for the book to end on a bit of cliff hanger! The story line with Barrick is thankfully wrapped up, but the mystery of those black roses still needs to be solved, and there is no happily ever after, or even a happy for now, leaving me very eager for the next book in the series.
Goodreads synopsis: US Marshals Madison James and Jonas Quinn are thrust into a high-profile case when they are called on to transport two prisoners across the country on a private plane. But when the plane experiences engine trouble en route from the Pacific Northwest to Colorado, the pilots crash-land the aircraft deep in the heart of the sprawling Salmon-Challis National Forest.
When Madison and Jonas
regain consciousness, they find both pilots and one prisoner
dead--and one fugitive on the run. They'll have to negotiate the
rugged and remote backcountry through Idaho, Wyoming, and Colorado
while tracking a murderer who is desperate to disappear--and will do
anything to stop them.
This high-octane game of
cat-and-mouse from bestselling and award-winning author Lisa Harris
will have your heart pumping as you try to catch a fugitive with
nothing to lose.
