Archives for August 2026

* Review * I’LL BE WATCHING YOU by Allison Brennan

August 30, 2026 Leave a Comment

I'll Be Watching You by Allison Brennan
Series: Angelhart Investigations #3
Published by Hanover Square Press on September 15, 2026
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Private investigator Margo Angelhart has recently rejoined her family’s PI business, but she never forgot the reason she walked away. Three and a half years ago, her father, Dr. Cooper Angelhart, pled guilty to killing his colleague. While she never believed he was guilty, her mother, Ava, refused to help investigate and wouldn’t explain why.

When a nurse who once worked with Cooper reaches out, Margo leaps at what could be a potential lead…only to stumble across the nurse’s grisly murder. Then, Cooper is mysteriously transferred to a penitentiary out of state in the middle of the night, and Ava finally discloses why her husband confessed to a murder he didn’t commit.

Now the entire Angelhart family must fight to clear Cooper’s name. But every step they take drags them deeper into a deadly conspiracy…and into the crosshairs of some very powerful people with fortunes on the line. They’ve killed to keep their secrets before. And this time, the target is an Angelhart.

Highly addictive from start to finish! The Angelhearts have been doing a fine job of wrapping themselves around reader’s hearts, so getting to the center of what really happened with dad Cooper all those years ago is really rewarding. This book is filled with heart, redemption and so much mystery. I love that Margo stood tall in her faith about her dad, and seeing her finally get some answers just feels right. The family as a whole is great and I know there is so much more to build on for them all and hope we will continue to join them as one mystery after another comes into their lives as their family settles back into a peace they’ve been greatly missing. Well developed characters, a fairly good follow through of keeping a reader up to date on past happenings even if they are starting with this book in the series and great chemistry as they right wrongs.

I highly recommend this book as well as the rest in the series to anyone who enjoys a tight knit family of investigators who have had their share of ups and downs in life and with each other but always stand behind one another when the going gets tough. Great intrigue and relationships.

Filed Under: Blog Tour

* Review * BETRAYED by Anna J Stewart

August 30, 2026 Leave a Comment

I voluntarily read an early copy of this book.

Betrayed by Anna J. Stewart
Series: Circle of the Red Lily #4
Published by Tule Publishing on September 10, 2026
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She trusted him with her life. He lied about why he came.

Sutton O’Hara has enough on her plate raising her orphaned niece and nephew and working as a nutritionist at a retirement home. But when clues among the residents point to the Circle—a powerful secret network linked to decades of missing girls and murder—she refuses to look away.

Former Naval investigator Blake Redford is determined to keep Sutton safe. Posing as her boyfriend gives him the perfect excuse to stay close while they search for answers, but the attraction they’ve both ignored quickly becomes impossible to deny. For the first time since losing his wife and son, Blake can imagine a future again.

Then Sutton discovers why he really took the job as a building maintenance man, and it rocks everything she thought about him.

Now, with the trust he needs shattered and the enemy closing in, Blake must prove whose side he’s on before the secrets he kept cost him the woman he loves, the family he never expected, and their only chance to expose the truth.

Suspenseful and filled with lovable characters! Stewart is returning with book four in her intriguing Circle of the Red Lily series and we are reunited with lots of familiar faces and friends. If you’ve been following the series, you know Sutton and Blake well from the time we’ve spent with the group, so it’s easy to route for them falling into a romance. I’ve loved getting to know her and her niece and nephew and although he showed a side we didn’t know in the previous book, he had always been solid and helpful prior. The mystery continues to stump us as they look for answers as to who is behind the Circle and what their true objective really is. I enjoyed Sutton and Blake and look forward to moving even closer to getting the answers we’re striving for soon. This particular book drug a smidge since we didn’t get a whole lot further in our quest for answers, but there was a little bit of a forward momentum and some Hollywood dazzle in addition.

I highly recommend you read this series in order so you can fully get the context of what has happened previously. Tidbits are glossed over here and there throughout, but to get to the heart of what happened to each couple previously, you need to dive into their book. I’m looking forward to solving this case soon!

Filed Under: Blog Tour

* Review * UNTIL SHE DIES by Kendra Elliot

August 29, 2026 Leave a Comment

I voluntarily read an early copy of this book.

* Review * UNTIL SHE DIES by Kendra Elliot

Until She Dies by Kendra Elliot
Series: Noelle Marshall #3
Published by Montlake on September 8, 2026
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When a search dog locates a mass burial ground in the Oregon forest, Detective Noelle Marshall is plunged into a hunt for a killer who’s hiding in plain sight. The key to her case lies in a decades-old secret: a lone survivor who escaped and is still out there, living in fear. The murderer is a phantom who left behind a collection of victims with nothing in common but their final resting place.

As pressure mounts to identify the bodies and find the killer, the investigation draws in FBI Agent Max Rhodes—Noelle’s partner in work and in life. They’ve hunted monsters before, but this one has spent years preparing for this moment, and he craves revenge. As the search narrows and the clock tightens, Noelle and Max must confront a predator who knows the terrain—and their weaknesses—better than they do.

Drama and danger from the very first page! Elliot is taking Detective Noelle Marshall for another ride through mystery and angst as bodies turn up and familiar faces turn out to be linked. Noelle and Max are settling in well with Emma as a cozy little family until bodies and skeletal remains turn up at the same time a little girl is missing sending them all into a tailspin of whodunnit, who’s who and where is the bad guy. I love seeing Truman, Mercy and Ollie again as they step in to help when possible and Ollie kicks off a friendship with Emma. The ending took me back a little because it doesn’t leave Emma in the greatest of mindset, but I have a feeling the next book will be her time to shine. Looking forward to more from this neck of the woods! Great characters, perfectly diabolical mystery and an addictive cast of characters and locations supporting the series.

Filed Under: Book Reviews

* Review * PRETEND IT’S FOREVER by Carrie Ann Ryan

August 29, 2026 Leave a Comment

I voluntarily read an early copy of this book.

* Review * PRETEND IT’S FOREVER by Carrie Ann Ryan

Pretend it's Forever by Carrie Ann Ryan
Series: The Cage Family #5
Published by Carrie Ann Ryan on September 7, 2026
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Sophia Cage doesn’t need a protector—she needs a night to pretend her world didn’t splinter. After her world burned, she found herself a single mom, a struggling dance studio owner, and unable to do the one thing that had brought her out of the darkness.

Dance.

When Carson walks into her life, all she can see is the broken person she’d been when they’d first met. She’s stronger than the ghosts of her past, at least that’s what she tells herself. Yet with each accidental encounter with the mysterious and dangerous man who’s inserted himself into the Cage family orbit, she’s finding it harder to walk away.

Carson Woods doesn’t trust people. He’s spent his life protecting his sister from their family and the world all while making sure his businesses are the best in their fields.

Then he meets her.

One wrong move with the shattered yet pieced together Sophia could not only fracture his working relationship with the only friends he has but harm the woman he tells himself he cannot crave.

Carson had me from hello! The next book in The Cage Family series is highly emotional as Sophia picks up the pieces of her life and builds anew. When Carson walks into her life again after that tainted day she first saw his face, she doesn’t know what to make of the different things he makes her feel. In all honesty, I wanted more angst and emotion from her. I wanted to feel the pain of her devastation and not feel like it was glossed over a smidge and then moved on from. I wanted her to rip my heart out with her pain and then let Carson piece me back together along with her. It didn’t happen that way, but I loved him, her girls and her family as a whole so much that it still worked for me. The series is great, the family is just the best and the happily ever afters always work no matter how we get there. Always looking forward to more to come in the series!

Filed Under: Book Reviews

* Review * WILD SANCTUARY by Pamela O’Rourke

August 29, 2026 Leave a Comment

I voluntarily read an early copy of this book.

* Review * WILD SANCTUARY by Pamela O’Rourke

Wild Sanctuary by Pamela O'Rourke
Published by Boldwood Books on September 4, 2026
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I swore I’d never come back to Blackstone Creek.

Officially, I’m here to write a feature on Glacier Ridge Ranch for my editor. Unofficially, I’m following a lead. No matter what anyone says, I never believed my father’s death three years ago was just an accident.

I came back to Blackstone Creek for answers. Not for Wyatt Hartley.

He’s still quiet strength wrapped in worn denim and guarded eyes. Still the man who can make my heart race with a single look. And still completely off-limits.

We couldn’t be more different. Wyatt is gruff, guarded, and happiest alone. I’m the girl who fills every silence and refuses to back down, no matter how many times he pushes me away.

Until the night everything changes.

The deeper I dig into my father’s death, the more dangerous this town becomes. Someone is watching me far too closely.

And the closer I get to Wyatt, the harder it is to tell what’s more dangerous: the truth… or the man I’m falling for all over again.

Attention grabbing from start to finish! My first book by Pamela O’Rourke will certainly not be my last, because I am officially hooked on Glacier Ridge Ranch! Mystery surrounds us from the very start when Daisy returns home and reconnects with Wyatt while simmering over questions regarding her father’s death a few years back along with his dad. While working on a journalist assignment about generational ranching, she digs to uncover additional info and stirs up trouble where she least expects it. Along the way, she and Wyatt stop fighting the feelings they’ve always hidden away and join forces to get the answers they all want. Great characters, not a lot of development of their romantic relationship, but the mystery is exciting enough to carry them through. Looking forward to more to come in the series!

Filed Under: Book Reviews

* Review * THE BILLIONAIRE AND THE RUNAWAY BRIDE by VH Nicolson

August 29, 2026 Leave a Comment

I voluntarily read an early copy of this book.

* Review * THE BILLIONAIRE AND THE RUNAWAY BRIDE by VH Nicolson

The Billionaire and the Runaway Bride by VH Nicolson
Series: Elite Eagles Legacy #1
Published by Boldwood Books on September 1, 2026
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I’m Leon Hill, ex-hockey player, sports agent, and in so much trouble! I have been in love with my best friend’s little sister for as long as I can remember. But she’s off limits. Forbidden. And now she’s getting married. Until she’s not.

Erika Johansson becomes a runaway bride, ending up in my arms. I should turn her away. Tell her no, but the idea of having her is all too tempting. Instead, we do something crazy and I finally get the woman I’ve craved all these years. But if I’ve learned one thing, it’s that our timing is never right. And a bang on the head, where I forget everything, is just another reminder of that.

Right now, my heart is as battered as the puck in the closing minutes of the Stanley Cup, and I’m starting to wonder if maybe this love story was just never meant to be.

Forbidden love at it’s best! The cover of this book is a very deceiving, because it’s not a hockey romance. He’s a former player who retired 10 years ago and is now a sports agent, but there is so little sports discussion in the book that I wouldn’t even qualify it as a sports romance … however, it’s a really good book! My first by the author will definitely not be my last if the series continues. The characters were well developed, their love story played out just like we wanted it to and the plot was a great pace to keep me interested throughout. The little twist at the end was very unexpected, but it played out well and only made me panic a smidge. Loved them together!

I would recommend this book to anyone who loves a best friend’s sibling romance with lots of heart.

Filed Under: Book Reviews

* Review * BRING THEM HOME by Carolyn Arnold

August 24, 2026 Leave a Comment

I voluntarily read an early copy of this book.

* Review * BRING THEM HOME by Carolyn Arnold

Bring Them Home by Carolyn Arnold
Series: Detective Amanda Steele #16
Published by Bookouture on August 27, 2026
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When a seemingly ordinary family goes missing in plain sight, Detective Amanda Steele is called in to find them before it’s too late. The only evidence left behind is the mother’s abandoned car in a mall parking lot—her phone and purse on the front seat. But why would anyone target a loving mother, a dedicated father and elementary schoolteacher, and a teenage girl?

Amanda and Trent speak with friends and family but can’t unearth any reason the family would disappear on their own. Their darker suspicion is confirmed when they find CCTV footage of the mother and daughter being bundled into an unmarked black van, driven away at speed. They are looking at an abduction.

Soon human remains are discovered in a field outside of town, and Amanda uncovers a lead that could blow the investigation wide open. If she’s right, this case is linked to a woman who went missing ten years ago—and closer still, to someone within the police department. But can Amanda and Trent put all the pieces together in time to stop a twisted killer before more lives are lost?

Highly addictive, top-notch suspense! Arnold always delights me with a new visit with Amanda and Trent as I try to keep up with them as a new case wraps itself around their mind and settles in for the long haul. Still no closer to seeing them admit their feelings for each other, but every interaction was satisfying this time.

This story brings some familiar faces into play occasionally throughout as a missing family case turns increasingly ugly when they realize a connection that brings it all too close to home and suspect corruption in their own back yard. I really enjoyed the high octane feel to the case as well as the small amount of downtime that we get to see Amanda having to deal with the fallout of her job at home.

I highly recommend this book and the entire series to anyone who enjoys a talented female detective who always solves her case no matter how much the bad guys try to stop her. I always leave already looking forward to seeing her again!

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* Review * A LICK OF SENSE by Gillian Archer

August 24, 2026 Leave a Comment

I voluntarily read an early copy of this book.

* Review * A LICK OF SENSE by Gillian Archer

A Lick of Sense by Gillian Archer
Series: Long Licks Rock Stars #2
on August 27, 2026
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I’m supposed to be getting to know my newfound rock star father—
only I can’t take my eyes off his drummer. Oh boy.
On the worst day of my life, the father I never knew I had shows up.
And he’s a rock star.
I wish I could talk to my mom about her lies but she’s dead—hence the worst day of my life.
Now I’m in LA partying with rock stars, dodging my crazy stepmom, and avoiding my newfound father because…I don’t know why.
Everything is just so hard.
And heavy.
And awkward.
It doesn’t help that I can’t keep my eyes off his new drummer.
And drummer boy—well, man, definitely man—is looking back at me too.
Somehow I don’t think dear ol’ Dad is going to approve.
But I’m not sure I care.

Heartfelt and addictive! I was hooked on Izzy’s story right from the moment Beau walks up to her to introduce himself. She’s sweet, super smart and fun to be around. Hunter is a perfect match for her because he appreciates all that she is and loves her dearly for being herself. I loved getting to see them grow in the affection for each other and build a stable relationship even though they were keeping it on the downlow.

The weakness of the story was literally no background was given of how the band came to be in the spot it’s in other than a glossed over version of Gio being gone. I wanted more to remind me how it all went down in the prior book and a background of how they got together and gelled in the first place. Beau was a disappointment for sure … but he improves moderately by the end. I’m looking forward to more to come from the guys, but I hope the development to keep all aspects of the band at the reader’s fingertips is put into the series going forward.

Filed Under: Book Reviews

* Review * THE TROUBLE WITH FLINGS by Melissa Foster

August 24, 2026 Leave a Comment

I voluntarily read an early copy of this book.

* Review * THE TROUBLE WITH FLINGS by Melissa Foster

The Trouble with Flings by Melissa Foster
Series: The Silvers at Silver Island #2
Published by World Literary Press on August 26, 2026
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Silver Island’s golden boy Fitz Silver keeps his business dealings clean, his affairs private, and fulfills every promise he makes. Infuriatingly so. He’s six-plus feet of gentleman in the streets and an unrelenting alpha in the sheets. I should know. I enjoyed a single scorching night in his bed over the summer. But contrary to him being every woman’s fantasy, Fitz is my worst nightmare. I’m a risk taker, a rule breaker. I wasn’t looking for more than a little vacation fun, but that passionate night knocked me off my feet. When a chance encounter brings me face-to-face with the man who ruined me for all others, I know better than to land in his bed again. Unfortunately, outside my job as a high school principal, I’m not known for my good decisions. Once again I plan to leave Mr. Silver and our surprising connection behind, but he’s annoyingly unforgettable, and then two pink lines change everything.

The culmination of combining two beloved Foster families is really exciting! When Fitz Silver decides to woo Jennifer Stone, he pulls out all the cards while treating her like an injured butterfly who may startle away at any second. I really enjoyed their story overall with the gentle kind heart of Fitz taking center stage. Jennifer was not my favorite Foster heroine by far. She was really too standoffish for my liking, no matter what her past hang ups were considering what a wonderful man was right in front of her. Due to that disconnect, the story drug a bit for me. I loved Fitz and liked her well enough as a person just not as the one for him considering how little she seemed to appreciate what he had to offer. But overall, I was pleased at how it all worked out for them. I’m looking forward to seeing them again in the continued series.

Filed Under: Blog Tour

* Review * STUCK WITH HER IMPOSSIBLE EX by Kandy Shepherd

August 24, 2026 Leave a Comment

I voluntarily read an early copy of this book.

* Review * STUCK WITH HER IMPOSSIBLE EX by Kandy Shepherd

Stuck with Her Impossible Ex by Kandy Shepherd
Series: Outback Kings #3
Published by Harlequin Romance on August 25, 2026
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Out-back together?

When celebrity chef Jess’s ex appears at her cookbook signing, their history comes flooding back—the heartbreak and their once-forbidden attraction. Housekeeper’s daughter Jess hasn’t seen ranching heir Logan since their teenage plans to elope were thwarted by their families. Now the billionaire’s interest in her is strictly professional. But his business proposal has her returning to his remote outback estate! There Jess becomes wrapped up in Logan’s world anew, caught between the untold secrets of their past and their reigniting spark…

Reunited love takes center stage as Kandy Shepherd delivers the third installment of the Outback Kings series. The main couple are easy to like and quick to catch the reader’s attention once their past connection is told and the angst starts to simmer. I enjoyed them quite a bit and loved their happily ever after but there were some parts of the story that did drag a bit. Overall a strong addition to the series and a fulfilling love story.

Filed Under: Book Reviews