Book Reviews – Page 110

* Review * SISTERS BY CHOICE by Susan Mallery

June 22, 2020 Leave a Comment

Sisters by Choice by Susan Mallery
Series: Blackberry Island #4
Published by MIRA on February 11, 2020
Buy on Amazon
Goodreads

Cousins by chance, sisters by choice…

After her cat toy empire goes up in flames, Sophie Lane returns to Blackberry Island, determined to rebuild. Until small-town life reveals a big problem: she can’t grow unless she learns to let go. If Sophie relaxes her grip even a little, she might lose everything. Or she might finally be free to reach for the happiness and love that have eluded her for so long.

Kristine has become defined by her relationship to others. She’s a wife, a mom. As much as she adores her husband and sons, she wants something for herself—a sweet little bakery just off the waterfront. She knew changing the rules wouldn’t be easy, but she never imagined she might have to choose between her marriage and her dreams.

Like the mainland on the horizon, Heather’s goals seem beyond her grasp. Every time she manages to save for college, her mother has another crisis. Can she break free, or will she be trapped in this tiny life forever?

Family turmoil, romantic connections and happily ever afters! With the fourth book in her Blackberry Island series Susan Mallery brings her readers a delightful family saga in SISTERS BY CHOICE. Three cousins reconnect as each finds their way toward the future they always dreamed of. Each main character is easy to like and has a compelling story line. I really enjoyed their journey.

Sophie Lane is accomplished and kind-hearted, but it turns out she has a lot to learn in how to successfully rebuild her cat product empire that fell apart around her. She returns home to Blackberry Island and sets out to make it bigger and better. Along the way she realizes her way isn’t always the right way.

Kristine Fielding is complex. She’s happy with her husband and kids, but she yearns for more than just doing the same routine day in and day out. When the parts fall into place to allow her the opportunity to open the bakery she always dreamed of, she doesn’t expect it to put the future she always expected to be there in jeopardy.

Heather Sitterly nabs our sympathy from the first moment we meet her … and her mother! She’s worked hard to support herself and her mother for more years than she wishes to remember and it never seems to be enough. Her mother is a real piece of work but this time she might have gone just far enough to make Heather wake up and live for herself for a change.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a family connected story line. Each cousin gets a fulfilling ending filled with accomplishment and love.

Filed Under: Book Reviews

* Review * BEST FRIEND TO DOCTOR RIGHT by Ann McIntosh

June 22, 2020 Leave a Comment

Best Friend to Doctor Right by Ann McIntosh
Series: Harlequin Medical Romances
Buy on Amazon
Goodreads

Sometimes the deepest desire…

…is the one you’ve hidden the longest.

Realizing her world is dramatically falling apart, surgeon Mina’s childhood friend Kiah offers her a fresh start on the beautiful Caribbean island he calls home. She’s beyond grateful for his help in regaining the spirit and purpose she feared she’d lost. But when a long-denied attraction spills into their friendship, they must decide whether to risk everything on the breathtaking passion that’s quickly unraveling between them!

Such a great friends to lovers story! BEST FRIEND TO DOCTOR RIGHT by Ann McIntosh brings the story of a hotshot surgeon picking up the pieces of her shattered life with the help of the one constant in her life … the best friend who has been by her side since childhood.

Mina is a very touching character. She’s strong even when she’s weak, and the love she portrays even in her darkest days is encouraging. I really enjoyed watching her come into her own again.

Kiah is delightful. He doesn’t hesitate to be the support that she needs at just the right time and is overjoyed to sit close by and watch her thrive. He only hopes he can convince her that he’s the man who should be by her side forever more.

I highly recommend this story to anyone who enjoys seeing a character overcome hardship to thrive in the world again as they fall in love and prosper. The characters were so interesting and their connection was inspiring. Really enjoyed their story!

Filed Under: Book Reviews

* Review * THE SOMERSET GIRLS by Lori Foster

June 17, 2020 Leave a Comment

The Somerset Girls by Lori Foster
Published by HQN Books on May 19, 2020
Buy on Amazon
Goodreads

No one knows you quite like a sister…

Summer in Sunset, Kentucky, means long, hot days—and sometimes surprising new beginnings. Through it all, the ties of sisterhood will be there, guiding Autumn and Ember to the lives, and loves, they need…

When they’re running the animal-rescue farm they inherited from their grandparents, Autumn and Ember Somerset are perfectly in sync. At all other times, not so much. Dependable Autumn would rather curl up with a good book than paint the town red with Ember. After the disaster that was Autumn’s last relationship, it’s pure self-protection. But when her high school crush comes back to town with his adorable young daughter, igniting memories best left forgotten, there’s only one person Autumn can turn to…

Beneath Ember’s free-spirited facade is a layer of deep hurt. She’ll gladly nudge Autumn toward a second chance. But risk her own heart? Not likely. The closer Autumn gets to her own happily-ever-after, the more Ember wonders what she might be missing—and if it isn’t her time to be bold, too.

Lori Foster has a magical way of making you feel like you’re home the minute you open one of her books! With heartfelt descriptions and interactions, you can see the characters come to life right beyond your eyes and feel their heartache and joy as the pages fly by. THE SOMERSET GIRLS brings us the story of two sisters who couldn’t be more different in personality, but love and support each other deeply. The fact that they share the running of an animal rescue with all of their spare time will delight readers who can’t get enough of their own furry creatures.

Autumn Somerset is simple yet delightful. She expends her creative side as a designer and enjoys burying her nose in a book with any downtime she manages to eek out after her day job and her farm duties. She can’t believe it when she hears the guy she crushed on in high school is back in town, and she only hopes she doesn’t find herself unable to speak in his presence like all those times in school when she became a stammering mess.

Ember Somerset is the life of the party. She loves immersing herself in life at all times and never wants to take the time to think or feel. She gives as good as she gets with playing hard to get around their farmhand Mike, but she likes the look of love on Autumn so much that she’s considering letting him catch her to try her own hand at the game.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a family rich plot filled with comedy, romance and lots and lots of heart. The adorable kiddo and animals make this story come to life! I really enjoyed them all.

Filed Under: Book Reviews

* Review * CHAIN OF CUSTODY by Carol Ericson

June 17, 2020 Leave a Comment

I voluntarily read an early copy of this book.

* Review * CHAIN OF CUSTODY by Carol Ericson

Chain of Custody by Carol Ericson
Series: Holding the Line #2
Published by Harlequin Intrigue on July 1, 2020
Buy on Amazon
Goodreads

With a baby suddenly in his care,

he’ll need all the help he can get.

When Nash Dillon’s childhood friend leaves a baby on his doorstep, his days become unpredictable. Thankfully, Emily Lang, an undercover investigator posing as a nanny, comes to his rescue. But once he discovers why Emily is really there—and that both her and the baby’s life are in danger—he unleashes every skill in his law enforcement arsenal to keep them out of harm’s way. Especially once it leads them down a very deadly path.

Danger is lurking! With book two in her Holding the Line series Carol Ericson grabs a reader’s attention quickly in CHAIN OF CUSTODY. The story is fast paced and action packed.

Nash Dillon is an interesting character. He sees crime every day, but he’s willing to help a friend even when it looks like she could be bordering on the wrong side of the law.

Emily Lang starts out playing a game of subterfuge but it doesn’t take long for her true identity to be uncovered and danger to start nipping at her heals.

I recommend this book and the series as a whole to anyone who enjoys a romance mixed with intrigue and suspense.

Filed Under: Book Reviews

* Release Blast/Review/Excerpt * A LITTLE BIT WICKED by Melissa Foster

June 17, 2020 Leave a Comment

I voluntarily read an early copy of this book.

* Release Blast/Review/Excerpt * A LITTLE BIT WICKED by Melissa Foster

A Little Bit Wicked by Melissa Foster
Series: The Wickeds: Dark Knights at Bayside #
Published by World Literary Press on June 17, 2020
Buy on Amazon
Goodreads

What do a cocky biker and a businesswoman who has sworn off dating bad boys have in common? According to Chloe Mallery, not much.

Justin came into the Wicked family after a harsh upbringing by a thieving father. He’s gone through a lot to become a true Wicked, and he’s made them proud. Now he’s ready to show the woman he loves exactly what type of man he is. But Chloe has worked hard to move past her difficult upbringing, and she’s wary of getting involved with a man who looks like he’s walked right out of it. When tragedy strikes, will their trying pasts draw them together, or will Justin’s protective nature be too much for Chloe’s independent heart to accept?

Delectably sinful! With the first book in her latest spin-off series The Wickeds: Dark Knights at Bayside Melissa Foster brings us the man we’ve all been waiting for in A LITTLE BIT WICKED. Justin Wicked has been simmering in all of our Bayside fantasies for years now and it’s finally time that he lays it all on the line for Chloe Mallery. I adored them as a couple and am so looking forward to this series! While I loved them getting together and finding their way, I felt like their story was almost too overwhelmingly sappy. There were too many characters woven into one story which made it long and left the space for the turmoil and strife needed to accurately test their relationship feel a bit like a side spot. I was left wanting a bit more drama and less distraction, but they rocked that happily ever after.

Justin is a dream. He lost a bit of the alpha bad boy side in the telling of his story, but the emotional depth he portrayed was spot on.

Chloe is easy to like even if she does let her past rule her life a bit too much. She quickly realizes how much she’s been misjudging Justin and becomes present in the making of their relationship.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys an emotional story line that is heavy in family and friendship. You really can never go wrong with a Melissa Foster book if you’re looking for love, friendship and a whole lot of heart!

A LITTLE BIT WICKED
The Wickeds: Dark Knights at Bayside
Melissa Foster
Releasing June 17, 2020
World Literary Press

Set on the sandy shores of Cape Cod, the Wickeds feature fiercely protective heroes, strong heroines, and unbreakable family bonds. If you think bikers are all the same, you haven’t met the Dark Knights. The Dark Knights are a motorcycle club, not a gang. Their members stick together like family and will stop at nothing to keep their communities safe. Their stories are told in the same loving, passionate voice readers have come to adore in Melissa’s other series. Some of the Wickeds’ love stories will be hilariously fun and deeply emotional, others will tear at your heartstrings and include injections of humor, but they will all leave you wishing you could climb between the pages and join them!

When the Dark Knights at Bayside and the cast of Bayside Summers collide, sparks fly, and trouble—or maybe love—is not far behind.

What do a cocky biker and a businesswoman who has sworn off dating bad boys have in common? According to Chloe Mallery, not much.

Justin came into the Wicked family after a harsh upbringing by a thieving father. He’s gone through a lot to become a true Wicked, and he’s made them proud. Now he’s ready to show the woman he loves exactly what type of man he is. But Chloe has worked hard to move past her difficult upbringing, and she’s wary of getting involved with a man who looks like he’s walked right out of it. When tragedy strikes, will their trying pasts draw them together, or will Justin’s protective nature be too much for Chloe’s independent heart to accept?

Goodreads link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/52076654-a-little-bit-wicked

Goodreads series link: https://www.goodreads.com/series/269450-the-wickeds-dark-knights-at-bayside

Buy Links:

➜KINDLE: https://smarturl.it/ALBW_Kindle
➜APPLE BOOKS: https://smarturl.it/ALBW_Apple
➜NOOK: https://smarturl.it/ALBW_Nook
➜KOBO: https://smarturl.it/ALBW_Kobo
➜GPLAY: https://smarturl.it/ALBW_GPlay
➜PAPERBACK: https://smarturl.it/ALBW_Pb

Also available in audio book

➜AMAZON: https://smarturl.it/ALBWa_Amazon
➜APPLE: https://smarturl.it/ALBWa_Apple
➜AUDIBLE: https://smarturl.it/ALBWa_Audible

Excerpt:

Read First Chapter here, https://melissafoster.com/a-little-bit-wicked-sneak-peek/

For more Dark Knights, check out The Whiskeys: https://melissafoster.com/series-the-whiskeys-dark-knights-at-peaceful-harbor/

For more Bayside Summers fun: https://melissafoster.com/series-bayside-summers/

Author Info
Melissa Foster is a New York Times & USA Today bestselling and award-winning author. She writes sexy and heartwarming contemporary romance and new adult romance with emotionally compelling characters that stay with you long after you turn the last page. Melissa’s emotional journeys are lovingly erotic and always family oriented–perfect beach reads for contemporary romance lovers who enjoy reading about wealthy heroes and smart, sassy heroines.

Author Links:
Website: http://www.melissafoster.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/MelissaFosterAuthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Melissa_Foster
GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3023973.Melissa_Foster
Newsletter: http://melissafoster.com/newsletter/
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/melissa-foster
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/melissafoster_author/

Filed Under: Book Reviews, Release Day Blitz

* Review * DADDY’S GIRL by Danielle Steel

June 17, 2020 Leave a Comment

Daddy's Girls by Danielle Steel
Published by Delacorte Press on June 9, 2020
Buy on Amazon
Goodreads

In Danielle Steel’s riveting novel, three women raised by their father on a sprawling California ranch now confront difficult truths about their past.

Decades ago, after the death of his wife, Texas ranch hand JT Tucker took his three small daughters to California to start a new life. With almost no money, a will of iron, and hard work, he eventually built the biggest ranch in California. But when he dies suddenly at the age of sixty-four, the ranch is inherited by his three daughters—each of them finding it impossible to believe that this larger-than-life figure is gone from their lives.

JT’s relationship with each daughter was entirely different. Caroline, the youngest and most reserved, was overlooked by her father for her entire life and fled to become a wife, mother, and writer in Marin County. Gemma, his declared favorite, sought out Hollywood glamour and success and became a major television star. Kate, the eldest, stayed at home with her father to do his bidding as a ranch hand, without thanks or praise, forsaking marriage and a family of her own for the love of him.

Now, upon JT’s death, the paper trail he leaves behind begins to reveal much more than the three sisters ever guessed about who he really was. It will turn their world upside down, and each of them must grapple with a new reality, strengthening their relationships with one another, and discovering who they are now as grown women, in spite of him.

Set against the magnificent backdrop of the West and the drama of a family in turmoil, Daddy’s Girls is the story of three remarkable women and their unique bond to each other—the daughters of a complex, many-faceted, domineering father who left his mark on each of them.

A captivating tale of sisterhood filled with emotional turmoil, gut wrenching realities and that happily ever after punch that can only be delivered in a beloved novel by the queen of romance herself! DADDY’S GIRLS delivers the raw emotion that we can always count on in a Danielle Steel novel with several jaunts into happily ever after. I was spellbound from page one and happily refused to put it down.

Jimmy “JT” Tucker was the epitome of a self-made man and took pride in the California ranch that he built from the ground up over the years. He was a hard man, but approachable to certain people in his life. Upon his sudden death, his three daughters are left to pick up the pieces and come to grips with their unresolved feelings about the relationship they each shared with their father and how to deal with the secrets they stumble across that could change their lives forever.

Kate came across as easily likable. She worked at her father’s side her entire life basking in nature and her love of the land. She knew her father best because she was there day in and day out but their relationship was far from close knit.

Gemma shows her spoiled side from the get go and makes you think you can’t possibly relate to her and her divaness … but she quickly grows and becomes more personable. She was her father’s favorite … and he never was shy about screaming that from the rooftops.

Caroline came across as cold, but as her story unfolds, we understand her more. She was the youngest and the forgotten. She was quick to leave the ranch and set out in her own life as a wife, mother and writer and never really looked back.

Three sisters reconnect and prosper as life moves forward after turmoil. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of a family centric saga with heartache and romance woven in brilliantly.

Filed Under: Book Reviews

* Review * CAPTIVATED BY HER PARISIAN BILLIONAIRE by Andrea Bolter

June 17, 2020 Leave a Comment

Captivated by Her Parisian Billionaire by Andrea Bolter
Published by Harlequin Romance on June 1, 2020
Buy on Amazon
Goodreads

Paris already has Cinderella’s heart…

Can the billionaire steal it?

Interior designer Zoe wouldn’t put her heart on the line for anything like she would for Paris! Practically penniless, her only chance of staying is convincing buttoned-up billionaire Jules to hire her. But how can she work with a man who finds her joie de vivre so infuriating? Until one uncharacteristically impulsive kiss later Zoe realizes Jules isn’t as immune to her charm as he’d have her believe…

When in Paris! CAPTIVATED BY HER PARISIAN BILLIONAIRE by Andrea Bolter delights a reader with a story of love when they least expect it. The characters are intriguing and the story fast paced. The ending was a bit abrupt, but their happily ever after was fulfilling.

Zoe Gaiman is a heartwarming character. She has known hardship in her life, but she has never lost her desire for life and being in Paris is a dream come true. She needs this job in order to be able to stay, but meeting Jules is more than she bargained for.

Jules Durand is divine. He’s spent his life running from life, but has known great success in his endeavors. He’s now forced to settle in Paris and needs a home renovated quickly and love is the last thing he’s looking for.

I recommend this book to anyone who loves a delve into another country with their romance. The plot was fun and the city sights were spell bounding.

Filed Under: Book Reviews

* Review * REUNION WITH HIS SURGEON PRINCESS by Karin Baine

June 15, 2020 1 Comment

Reunion with His Surgeon Princess by Karin Baine
Published by Harlequin Medical Romances on June 1, 2020
Buy on Amazon
Goodreads

She ran from his proposal…

…but fate isn’t through with them yet!

World-renowned transplant surgeon and single dad Seth Davenport will do everything to save his royal patient. Even if that means a reunion with his patient’s daughter—Princess Kaja Alderisi, the surgeon who once ran from him…after he’d offered her a diamond ring and his heart! But one look into Kaja’s captivating gaze and it’s clear that their past isn’t so willing to be left behind…

A drama-filled reunion! REUNION WITH HIS SURGEON PRINCESS by Karin Baine delights fans who enjoy a second chance at love and a bit of a royal romance. Great characters, good connections and a solid read.

Seth Davenport is so easy to fall for and I loved every minute of his character. He never expected to hear from Kaja again after she walked out without a trace after his proposal. Years have passed and life has moved on, but he can’t resist that old pull when she calls needing his help.

Princess Kaja is kind and loving, but it’s a little hard to get over the fact that she kept secrets to such a degree and walked away without a word. She gives a solid story, she’s just slightly tainted.

I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a touch of a royal romance along with a medically intense plot. I enjoyed Seth and Kaja and especially their adorable sidekick.

Filed Under: Book Reviews

* Review * THE OTHER MRS. by Mary Kubica

June 15, 2020 Leave a Comment

The Other Mrs. by Mary Kubica
Published by Park Row on February 18, 2020
Buy on Amazon
Goodreads

Sadie and Will Foust have only just moved their family from bustling Chicago to small-town Maine when their neighbor Morgan Baines is found dead in her home. The murder rocks their tiny coastal island, but no one is more shaken than Sadie.

But it’s not just Morgan’s death that has Sadie on edge. And as the eyes of suspicion turn toward the new family in town, Sadie is drawn deeper into the mystery of what really happened that dark and deadly night. But Sadie must be careful, for the more she discovers about Mrs. Baines, the more she begins to realize just how much she has to lose if the truth ever comes to light.

Surprises from start to finish! THE OTHER MRS. by Mary Kubica was attention grabbing from the first page, and though slightly disjointed occasionally between characters, it takes a reader on a diabolical ride to discover who really killed the lady next door … and what’s really going on inside this new house.

Sadie Foust paints a picture of herself that keeps a reader entrenched to see what’s going on with her husband, her sons, her niece and most of all with the house that felt off from the second they moved in.

Will Foust comes across as the doting husband and father, but she hints at another side to him. Does he know more about the neighbor than he proclaims?

I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a thriller that keeps you guessing from start to finish with intricate plot points, intense characters and diabolical terror!

Filed Under: Book Reviews

* Release Blast/Review * JOKES ON YOU by Lani Lynn Vale

June 10, 2020 Leave a Comment

I voluntarily read an early copy of this book.

* Release Blast/Review * JOKES ON YOU by Lani Lynn Vale

Joke's on You by Lani Lynn Vale
Series: SWAT Generation 2.0 #6
on June 9, 2020
Buy on Amazon
Goodreads

Booth Pena definitely didn’t make the smartest of decisions when he was a teenager.

At eighteen, he knocked a girl up and signed up for the military all in the same day—signing his life away in more ways than one. Fast forward six weeks and he’s in bootcamp learning that he’s going to be a father while also learning that not only is he going to be deployed, but it’s going to stay that way for a year.

There weren’t a lot of things that the baby’s mother and he saw eye to eye on after that. He honestly wasn’t sure why he even slept with her in the first place.

Okay, that last part is a lie. He knows exactly why he slept with her. Because the real woman he’s in love with, her twin sister, Dillan, won’t give him the time of day.

Five years later, and he still wants her.

Now he’s home for good, being the best father and police officer that he can be, and still he’s not good enough.

***

Dillan Davidsdottir hated Booth Pena. Immensely.

She hated him because he slept with her sister, then left. Granted, she knew that he hadn’t meant to leave like he did, unknowingly and unconsciously leaving his son behind, but that didn’t change the fact that he had.

Five years later, and she still dislikes him just as much now as she did when he chose the wrong sister to take to his bed.

Maybe if he’d chosen her, her heart wouldn’t be broken, and his wouldn’t be untouchable.

But when a SWAT officer sees his life flash before his eyes, and decides that enough is enough, what’s a girl to do?

Give in, that’s what.

Forbidden love unleashed! Book six in the KPD SWAT Generation 2.0 series has Lani Lynn Vale tempting her readers with Booth and Dillan’s love story in JOKES ON YOU. It was fast paced and delicious to devour while that hint of intrigue kept us on our toes. I wanted more dramatics and justice based on the secrets we uncover, but overall it was a solid read and has me hungry for Bourne and Delanie’s story.

Booth Pena is easy to fall for as a character. He’s alpha but not in an “in your face” way, he adores his son, and he just can’t let go of the love he’s felt for years. Watching him finally reach out and grab for it after a scary incident is so satisfying!

Dillan Davidsdottir is easy to like as well. She’s kind and accomplished and does anything she can for someone she loves on a regular basis. She’s been fighting her feelings for so many years that now that they’re all coming to the surface, it seems so easy to just be.

I recommend this book and the series as a whole to anyone who loves a close-knit group of cops who go after love and family with everything they’ve got. There’s quite a connection of friendship, brotherhood and love in every book.

Filed Under: Book Reviews, Release Day Blitz