Archives for September 2019

* Review * HIS SURGEON UNDER THE SOUTHERN LIGHTS by Robin Gianna

I voluntarily read an early copy of this book.

* Review * HIS SURGEON UNDER THE SOUTHERN LIGHTS by Robin GiannaHis Surgeon Under the Southern Lights by Robin Gianna
Series: Doctors Under the Stars #2
Published by Harlequin Medical Romance on October 1, 2019
Buy on Amazon
Goodreads
four-half-stars

The lone-wolf doc…

…meets his match!

In this Doctors Under the Stars story, only when exploring the Antarctic’s freezing waters can marine biologist Dr. Zeke Edwards forget the heartache of losing his family. Until an unexpected, passionate kiss with new colleague Dr. Jordan Flynn starts to break through the barriers around his heart. Having both sworn off relationships, they agree to a temporary fling. Then danger strikes…and they’re forced to realize their feelings are anything but temporary!

 

HIS SURGEON UNDER THE SOUTHERN LIGHTS by Robin Gianna is book one in the Doctors Under the Stars duet and centers around a surgeon and a marine biologist who meet in an unlikely way and find themselves fighting attraction.

Jordan decides she needs a little adventure in her life, so she signs up to go on a once in a lifetime assignment to Antarctica to help set up a science station there.

Zeke is a bit of a loner since losing loved ones in tragedy and lives for the excitement of discovering new aspects of the earth’s floor as a marine biologist. He’s not looking to become attached to anyone ever again, but Jordan is hard to resist!

I recommend this story to anyone who enjoys an exotic location to read about and who enjoys a fast paced love story. I enjoyed Jordan and Zeke a lot and look forward to the second half of the duet.

four-half-stars

* Review * BOMBSHELL FOR THE BLACK SHEEP by Janice Maynard

I voluntarily read an early copy of this book.

* Review * BOMBSHELL FOR THE BLACK SHEEP by Janice MaynardBombshell for the Black Sheep by Janice Maynard
Series: Southern Secrets #3
Published by Harlequin Desire on October 1, 2019
Buy on Amazon
Goodreads
five-stars

He shouldn’t have said yes…

After their one night together,
there are explosive consequences.

When he disappeared after their last sizzling encounter, artist Fiona James vowed to forget rebellious billionaire Hartley Tarleton. Now Hartley has returned to Charleston to deal with the skeletons in his family’s closet—and maybe turn his searing chemistry with Fiona into more than a one-night thing. But now she's pregnant with the heir Hartley swore he'd never have!

 

BOMBSHELL FOR THE BLACK SHEEP is book three in Janice Maynard’s Southern Secrets series and brings the family full circle when the elusive brother returns with a family secret that will rock their foundation!

Hartley was mentioned in the previous two books in this series and we knew that he unexpectedly left town and there’s question about what he might have been doing in the company beforehand. This story brings him home with a secret that he’s not sure he wants to share with his siblings. He sets out to mend fences with the woman that rocked his world and stole a piece of his heart just prior to him leaving town because he needs a big favor.

Fiona let Hartey into her life not once, but twice only to have him tuck and run without saying goodbye and with no explanation, so to let him get away with it again, she’d be a fool … only he’s hard to resist, especially when she gets the whole story out of him. Problem is, she realizes she’s pregnant just as he’s decided he will never bring a child into this world.

I highly recommend this book and the entire series. Each sibling’s love story was commanding and heartfelt, and the series as a whole gave a really fulfilling story. I really enjoyed it and wish there were a few more siblings to hear about!

five-stars

* Review * COVERT CHRISTMAS TWIN by Heather Woodhaven

I voluntarily read an early copy of this book.

* Review * COVERT CHRISTMAS TWIN by Heather WoodhavenCovert Christmas Twin by Heather Woodhaven
Series: Twins Separated at Birth #2
Published by Love Inspired Suspense on October 1, 2019
Buy on Amazon
Goodreads
four-stars

To save her sister, she’ll need to become her

The Twins Separated at Birth series continues

After discovering she’s a twin, FBI special agent Kendra Parker tracks down her birth mother—and faces a barrage of bullets. Now armed with the knowledge that her mother’s a spy, Kendra must go undercover as her sister to protect her family. But can she and FBI analyst Joe Rose expose a government mole…before they all end up dead?

 

COVERT CHRISTMAS TWIN is the second book in Heather Woodhaven’s Twins Separated at Birth duet and revolves around a FBI Special Agent and FBI analyst in a rush against time to find out who’s corrupt.

Kendra is a hard-nosed federal agent who shows her softer side in this book. She stops at nothing to find out who their biological mother is, but meeting her and finding out she’s a spy leaves her racing to get her sister out of danger by trading places with her again.

Joe is in the right place at the right time to be drawn into her mother’s plot to keep the girls safe and try to take down the organization trying to steal top secret data.

I recommend this story to anyone who read the first book and is looking for answers about their parents and how they came to be separated at birth.

four-stars

* Review * TANGLED WITH A TEXAN by Yvonne Lindsay

I voluntarily read an early copy of this book.

* Review * TANGLED WITH A TEXAN by Yvonne LindsayTangled with a Texan by Yvonne Lindsay
Series: Texas Cattleman’s Club: Houston #8
Published by Harlequin Desire on October 1, 2019
Buy on Amazon
Goodreads
four-stars

Will she fall into his trap?

Keeping close tabs on her opponent…
is a minefield of temptation!

When detective Zoe Warren arrives in Royal, Texas, to investigate a case, wealthy rancher Cord Galicia can’t believe his innocent best friend is the prime suspect. So Cord decides to woo Zoe as a distraction. But soon she has his libido in custody. With so much at stake—and their very real heat rising by the minute—will his hidden agenda tear them apart?

 

TANGLED WITH A TEXAN by Yvonne Lindsay is the eighth book in the Texas Cattleman’s Club: Houston series and is sure to enthrall reader’s of the series. We are quick to be drawn into the story line of new players on the scene when a detective from Houston tangles with a local rancher in this explosive read.

Zoe bursts on the scene as a detective from Houston who is heading to Royal, TX to find out who had motive to murder the guy on the land of the Texas Cattleman’s Club.

Cord is willing to play hard ball and distract the headstrong cop because he is protective of his friend and neighbor Jesse when she starts pushing her weight around in order to question him right at the time that there’s a bit of a family emergency.

The chemistry between Zoe and Cord was attention grabbing, and I recommend this book to anyone enjoying a lot of sass and controversy in their romance. The characters were a fun addition to the ones we already know in the series, and the story added a nice bit of drama. Looking forward to more to come in the series as we head towards finding out who is behind the trouble.

four-stars

* Review * RESCUED BY THE PERFECT COWBOY by Melinda Curtis

I voluntarily read an early copy of this book.

* Review * RESCUED BY THE PERFECT COWBOY by Melinda CurtisRescued by the Perfect Cowboy by Melinda Curtis
Series: The Mountain Monroes #3
Published by Harlequin Heartwarming on October 1, 2019
Buy on Amazon
Goodreads
four-stars

She came to Second Chance

…he took a chance on love

Art curator Sophie Monroe is overwhelmed with starting a new business and raising four-year-old twins. Needing help, the divorced mom hires cowboy Zeke Roosevelt as her interim nanny! French lessons and bookish pursuits give way to riding and roping. And scholarly Sophie falls hard for the strong, practical cowboy. Until Zeke reveals a secret that may prevent this temporary posse from becoming a permanent family.

 

RESCUED BY THE PERFECT COWBOY is book three in Melinda Curtis’s The Mountain Monroes series and is sure to delight fans of the series. An opposites attract story line between high class Sophie Monroe and hardworking cowboy Zeke Roosevelt is quick to heat up and take us for a ride towards happily ever after.

Sophie comes across as very uppity to the reader, but as the story moves forward we find a strong willed woman who just wants to make a good life for her twin sons.

Zeke is a hardworking cowboy, but an accident has him laid up and bored, so watching two rambunctious boys for part of the day might be just what he needs to get up and about again. He starts to fall hard for this little family, but secrets have a way of biting him when he least expect them.

I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys seeing a couple find their way through obstacles before reaching that sweet promise of forever. The entire series is quite attention grabbing and I can’t wait to see what’s in store for more of the siblings and cousins.

four-stars

* Review * COLTON FAMILY SHOWDOWN by Regan Black

I voluntarily read an early copy of this book.

* Review * COLTON FAMILY SHOWDOWN by Regan BlackColton Family Showdown by Regan Black
Series: The Coltons of Roaring Springs #10
Published by Harlequin Romantic Suspense on October 1, 2019
Buy on Amazon
Goodreads
four-half-stars

A mysterious visitor at the door…

Can danger be far behind?

Quarter Horse breeder Fox Colton is a loner by nature. So when an anonymous infant appears on his doorstep, he reluctantly takes in the baby—and new assistant Kelsey Lauder. As he grows to cherish his unexpected family, Fox works to track down Baby John Doe’s real parents. But when secrets from Fox’s own past are unearthed, he could find himself alone again, just as he’s come to love the new people in his life.

 

As the tenth book in The Colton’s of Roaring Springs series, Regan Black’s COLTON FAMILY SHOWDOWN is quick to delight with a mystery arriving on the scene almost instantly.

Fox is a bit of a loner, feeling on the outside of his family but loyal to a fault to the Crooked C Ranch. When an infant is left on his doorstep, he sets out to find out who the baby belongs to, bringing his new assist and temporary nanny along for the ride.

Kelsey is secretive, and we’re a little unsure of whether she’s trustworthy or not at first, but once her story comes out, we understand her dilemma.

I recommend this story to anyone enjoying a good mystery involving a baby. The character’s attachment to the little guy was heartwarming, and the mystery was powerful enough to hold our attention. There wasn’t a lot of movement towards solving the series wide Avalanche Killer mystery, but this individual one was satisfying enough to carry the story.

four-half-stars

* Review * A DASH OF CHRISTMAS by Samantha Chase

* Review * A DASH OF CHRISTMAS by Samantha ChaseA Dash of Christmas by Samantha Chase
Series: Montgomery Brothers #10
Published by Sourcebooks Casablanca on September 24, 2019
Buy on Amazon
Goodreads
four-half-stars

With a dash of Christmas magic...
Two people who have spent most of their lives being rivals...
Learn a little something about following their hearts...

Carter Montgomery broke the family mold when he went to culinary school. Now a successful restauranteur, he's at a crossroads: should he continue on his successful path or look for a new challenge? What he needs is time alone to think things through. But his matchmaking family has other ideas...

Emery Monaghan's no-good fiancé has embroiled her in scandal and she needs a way out. When mentor Eliza Montgomery offers her a refuge, she's relieved—until she realizes that the deal means rubbing elbows with Eliza's son Carter—Emery's childhood nemesis.

 

A DASH OF CHRISTMAS is the next book in Samantha Chase’s beloved Montgomery Brothers series and brings us the story of restaurateur Carter and childhood nemesis Emery in a really adorable take on an enemies to lovers story.

Carter comes across as a bit cold and moody in the beginning, but it doesn’t take him long to warm a reader’s heart to his plight. He went against the family grain to become a chef and successful restaurant owner, so he is struggling with the right move when he wants to expand into something different.

Emery feels a bit beaten down when she comes into the first scene, but a few days in Carter’s company has the sassy spitfire he used to deal with coming back to life and challenging him tooth and nail. His mom might think she’s being smooth trying to fix them up together, but there’s no way they can stop hating each other long enough to consider the dating potential … right?

I recommend this book to anyone loving a good enemies to lovers story with a strong, sassy dialogue between the characters. This entire series has been delightful, so you can’t go wrong picking up any book featuring a Montgomery.

four-half-stars

* Review * COWBOY CHRISTMAS REDEMPTION by Maisey Yates

* Review * COWBOY CHRISTMAS REDEMPTION by Maisey YatesCowboy Christmas Redemption by Maisey Yates
Series: Gold Valley #8
Published by HQN Books on September 24, 2019
Buy on Amazon
Goodreads
four-half-stars

As snowflakes fall in Gold Valley, Oregon, will this rugged cowboy finally win the woman of his dreams?

Cowboy Caleb Dalton has loved single mom Ellie Bell, and her little daughter, Amelia, for years. But since Ellie is his best friend’s widow, Caleb’s head knows Ellie will always be strictly off-limits. If only his heart got the memo. So when Caleb discovers that Ellie has a Christmas wish list—and hopes for a kiss under the mistletoe—he’s throwing his cowboy hat into the ring. If anyone’s going to be kissing Ellie and sharing this magical time with her and her daughter, it’s him.

Ellie has dreaded the holidays since losing her husband. But this year, she’s finally ready to make some changes. She never expects the biggest change to be the heart-stopping kiss she shares with Caleb. For almost five years, Caleb has been her best friend, her rock, her salvation. This Christmas, can Caleb prove he’s also the missing puzzle piece of Ellie’s and Amelia’s hearts?

 

COWBOY CHRISTMAS REDEMPTION is book eight in the ever-delightful Gold Valley series by Maisey Yates and centers around a widowed single mom and her best friend cowboy in a friends to lovers/forbidden love romance. This series is rich in character development, and as we are getting the love story of the main couple, we are often getting updates on some of our favorite couples from previous books as well.

Caleb’s family has been going through some drama for a few books now, so he was quick to catch my eye as his story started to unfold and feel familiar from the previous tidbits we had learned about it all. He’s been looking out for Ellie for years now, and when he learns she’s ready to move forward with her life, he wants to be right beside her as she does.

Ellie pulled at our heartstrings from the start. Since losing her husband five years ago, she’s been pouring her heart and soul into raising their daughter Amelia, with lots of help from her husband’s (and now her own) best friend. When she starts to look at Caleb in a whole new way, she’s not sure what to make of it.

I strongly recommend this book and this entire series for anyone loving a small town romance that is heavy on family and friend connections. The angst is spot on, and the happily ever after always feel heartwarmingly real.

four-half-stars

* Release Blitz/Excerpt/Giveaway * A WEDDING IN DECEMBER by Sarah Morgan

 

Title: A Wedding in December
Author: Sarah Morgan
Publisher: HQN Books
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: September 24, 2019

 

Blurb

This funny, charming and heartwarming new Christmas novel is USA TODAY bestselling author Sarah Morgan at her festive best!

In the snowy perfection of Aspen, the White family gathers for youngest daughter Rosie’s whirlwind Christmas wedding. First to arrive are the bride’s parents, Maggie and Nick. Their daughter’s marriage is a milestone they are determined to celebrate wholeheartedly, but they are hiding a huge secret of their own: they are on the brink of divorce. After living apart for the last six months, the last thing they need is to be trapped together in an irresistibly romantic winter wonderland.

Rosie’s older sister, Katie, is also dreading the wedding. Worried that impulsive, sweet-hearted Rosie is making a mistake, Katie is determined to save her sister from herself! If only the irritatingly good-looking best man, Jordan, would stop interfering with her plans…

Bride-to-be Rosie loves her fiancé but is having serious second thoughts. Except everyone has arrived—how can she tell them she’s not sure? As the big day gets closer, and emotions run even higher, this is one White family Christmas none of them will ever forget!

“Morgan’s gently humorous aesthetic will leave readers feeling optimistic and satisfied.” –Publishers Weekly on A WEDDING IN DECEMBER

Purchase Links

 

 

Coming Soon

 

Releasing October 31, 2019
Releasing October 21, 2019

Excerpt

 

“I wouldn’t miss the wedding for anything.” Katie needed to meet Dan in person and figure out a way to save her sister from herself. And if she managed it early on in the week, then they might still all be home in time to spend Christmas in Honey­suckle Cottage.
With luck, her mother would be too focused on Rosie to notice that anything was wrong with Katie. “I can’t wait to be Bridesmaid of Honor, or whatever the correct title is. Don’t dress me in purple polyester, that’s all I ask. I don’t want static shock. And don’t spend too much money.” Because this wedding isn’t happening. She turned as the door opened and Mike walked into the room. “I need to go. I’m at work.”
“I’m proud of you. Katie. I tell everyone my big sister is a doctor.”
Big sister is falling apart.
She was a fraud. “Go. Have fun, but not so much fun you forget your inhalers.”
“Katie—”
“I know. I’m the inhaler police. Party. Live life. I’ll call you tomorrow.” She ended the call and slid her feet back into her shoes.
Mike raised an eyebrow. “Nothing like giving out advice you don’t take yourself. When did you last party and live life?”
“I’m partying in my mind. I’m at a virtual party right now.”
“Does that come with a virtual hangover? Who is getting married?”
“My sister. In less than four weeks.”
“This is the sister who is studying fairy tales?”
Katie winced. “I might have overdone that joke. She’s study­ing Celtic languages, myth and folklore at a certain Ivy League college. She would claim it contributes to the understanding of the culture and beliefs of society. It has been the subject of many lively arguments round the dinner table. She really is super smart, but I still think of her as my little sister and I overdo the teasing.” She rubbed her forehead with her fingers. “It feels like yesterday I was reading her board books.”
“Big age difference?”
“Ten years. I think my parents had given up on having an­other child, and then Rosie arrived.”
“And you were hit by a massive dose of sibling jealousy?”
“What?” Katie stared at him. “No. I adored her. Right from the first moment I saw her funny little hairless head.” She thought about Rosie, an adorable toddler, following her every­where. Rosie in her favorite dinosaur pajamas. Rosie turning blue with an asthma attack. “I confess I might be a tad overprotective, which is why I’m flying to Colorado to meet this guy.”
“You haven’t met him?”
“No. And don’t look at me that way. I’m already freaked out. They’ve known each other a couple of months. What can you know about someone in a few months? What if he’s a gambler, or a narcissist? He could be a psychopath. Maybe a serial killer.”
He leaned against the door and folded his arms. “Dr. Doom. Always the optimist.”
“I am not Dr. Doom. I am Dr. Reality, thanks to the years I’ve spent working here. Having the realities of life under your nose tends to cure optimism. There are no certainties in this life, we both know that.”
“All the more reason to grab the happy moments that come your way. Maybe a couple of weeks enjoying outdoor living and breath­ing in mountain air will be good for you.”
“Maybe.” Blocking out his concerned look, she let the door swing closed behind her.
She didn’t care about outdoor living. She didn’t care about mountain air. She didn’t even care about a white Christmas.
She was flying to Colorado for one reason, and one reason only.
She was going to stop her sister’s wedding.
Author Bio
USA TODAY bestselling author Sarah Morgan writes lively, sexy contemporary stories for Harlequin.  Romantic Times has described her as ‘a magician with words’ and nominated her books for their Reviewer’s Choice Awards and their ‘Top Pick’ slot. In 2012 Sarah received the prestigious RITA® Award from the Romance Writers of America. She lives near London with her family. Find out more at www.sararahmorgan.com.

* Release Blitz/Excerpt/Giveaway * COWBOY CHRISTMAS REDEMPTION by Maisey Yates

 

Title: Cowboy Christmas Redemption
A Gold Valley Novel
Author: Maisey Yates
Publisher: HQN Books
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: September 24, 2019

 

Blurb

As snowflakes fall in Gold Valley, Oregon, will this rugged cowboy finally win the woman of his dreams?

Cowboy Caleb Dalton has loved single mom Ellie Bell, and her little daughter, Amelia, for years. But since Ellie is his best friend’s widow, Caleb’s head knows Ellie will always be strictly off-limits. If only his heart got the memo. So when Caleb discovers that Ellie has a Christmas wish list—and hopes for a kiss under the mistletoe—he’s throwing his cowboy hat into the ring. If anyone’s going to be kissing Ellie and sharing this magical time with her and her daughter, it’s him.

Ellie has dreaded the holidays since losing her husband. But this year, she’s finally ready to make some changes. She never expects the biggest change to be the heart-stopping kiss she shares with Caleb. For almost five years, Caleb has been her best friend, her rock, her salvation. This Christmas, can Caleb prove he’s also the missing puzzle piece of Ellie’s and Amelia’s hearts?

 

Purchase Links

 

Excerpt
“But you are… You’re going to run a Christmas tree farm?”
“At least temporarily. Everything’s ready to go now, which means finishing out the year, or the next few years, is guaranteed money in the bank to begin other ventures. There’s contracts already made with outfits around the country, truckers on hand to drive the things to their destinations. And he owns that small lot down on the main street of town. So, I’m all set not only to sell this year’s crop around the country, but also sell it here.”
“But you don’t… You don’t actually want to…be a Christmas tree farmer?”
“My ultimate goal is cattle,” he said.
She’d had no idea. None at all. Not that he wanted his own ranch, not that he’d been unhappy at the school. Was he unhappy at the school? Was he leaving?
“What does this mean for your position at the school?”
“I will be leaving. Which I will be talking to Gabe about later tonight.”
“But…”
“With West Caldwell coming into town, there’s no need for me to hang around. He’s going to be working on the ranch.”
“Your half brother that you’ve never met. That’s put­ting a lot of stock in a man you don’t even know.”
“Gabe figures we owe him. And, since Gabe is awash in guilt over the whole half sibling thing, I fig­ure that works in my favor.”
As much as Ellie loved Hank Dalton, the patriarch of the Dalton clan, it was becoming more and more clear that he was problematic. A couple of years ago it had been discovered that he had a daughter that none of them had known about. McKenna Tate. She’d come into town after discovering the identity of her family, and after some adjusting, the Dalton family had wel­comed her into the full. But on the heels of that revela­tion had come another one.
There were three more children. All adults now.
Hank had never known about them. But Tammy had.
It had changed the relationship, that reveal.
But Hank was awash enough in the guilt from the actions in his past, that the two of them were trying to work through it to an extent. And Ellie really hoped that they did. For some selfish reasons, if she was honest. Because she loved them, and they were the closest thing to a family for her, and she didn’t want to lose them.
“But… Don’t you want to wait and see if it’s going to work out?”
“No,” Caleb said. “I don’t want to work at the school forever. This is what I want.”
That made her…angry and she couldn’t figure out exactly why. He deserved to have dreams; of course he did. But she’d just…assumed he was happy with the way things were. She’d somehow meshed his dreams together with hers.
Had decided that what she was doing with his fam­ily ranch, with the school, was what he wanted, too.
But if she didn’t feel great about him fighting fires anymore, maybe he didn’t, either. And she’d never asked. She’d only thought about it in terms of her own comfort. That wasn’t right at all.
Still, the idea of him having his own endeavors, his own life farther away from her and not right all around her while they worked…
She needed him. She really had. She still did.
She didn’t like this…this change. But she should be happy for him, and it made her feel… She felt bad. And she didn’t like feeling bad about something that was good for her friend.
“I’d… Well, congratulations,” she said. Even though she didn’t feel like congratulating him at all. She felt like having a tantrum.
She really didn’t know why.
“Thank you,” he said, his mouth quirking up into a half smile that made it very clear he was well aware she wasn’t having the best reaction to his news.
“I’ll miss seeing you.” The words more plaintive than she intended.
“I’m not moving away,” he said.
“Yeah, but I see you all the time,” she protested.
“You will still see me all the time.”
“But you won’t be dropping Amelia off when I want you to.”
“Probably not.”
Her stomach twisted, but that wasn’t what was up­setting her. She knew it wasn’t.
And then it hit her, as strongly as that melancholy had when she’d realized it was nearly the Christmas season.
This phase of life was over.
The one where he was here to carry her. Where she had a crutch to get her through what life looked like without Clint. Being a single mother.
It was changing.
It had begun to change months ago, when the idea for the school had come about. She had gone back to work.
But she’d been a fledgling, and he’d been there to help her.
Maybe she needed to make some changes, too.
Maybe, instead of dreading Christmas, she needed to get started on her wish list.
Author Bio
USA TODAY Bestselling author Maisey Yates lives in rural Oregon with her three children and her husband, whose chiseled jaw and arresting features continue to make her swoon. She feels the epic trek she takes several times a day from her office to her coffee maker is a true example of her pioneer spirit.