* Review * THE NUMBERS GAME by Danielle Steel

* Review * THE NUMBERS GAME by Danielle SteelThe Numbers Game by Danielle Steel
Published by Random House LLC on March 3, 2020
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four-stars

In Danielle Steel’s stunning novel, modern relationships come together, fall apart, and are reinvented over time, proving that age is just a number.

Eileen Jackson was happy to set aside her own dreams to raise a family with her husband, Paul. Together they built an ordinary life in a Connecticut town, the perfect place for their kids to grow up. But when Eileen discovers that Paul’s late nights in the city are hiding an affair with a younger woman, she begins to question all those years of sacrifice and compromise. On the brink of forty and wondering what she’s going to do with the rest of her life, is it too late for her to start over?

Meanwhile, as Paul is thrust back into the role of suburban fatherhood, his girlfriend, Olivia, is in Manhattan, struggling to find herself in the shadow of her mother, a famous actress, and her grandmother, a fiercely independent ninety-two-year-old artist. With their unique brands of advice ringing in her head, Olivia takes a major step, expanding her art gallery business internationally. Seeing her mother pursue old dreams and even find new love, Olivia realizes that there is so much she must learn about herself before committing her life to someone else.

Ultimately, Eileen decides to chase her own dreams as well. She’s off to Paris to attend Le Cordon Bleu cooking school. What awaits is an adventure that reinvents her life and redefines her.

At every age, there are challenges to be met and new worlds to discover. In this surprising, illuminating novel, Danielle Steel gives us a warmhearted portrait of people driven by their emotions, life experiences, and loyalties, who realize that it’s never too late to turn a new page and start again.

 

A bit of an unorthodox Danielle Steel novel, but riveting none-the-less! More often than not, we get two sides of one relationship to digest throughout the course of a story … but this one shakes it up a bit. All of the characters are intermixed, but each one reveals the challenges that they are facing regardless of their age, their circumstances or their place in society. It’s dramatic, multi-faceted and kept me guessing throughout!

A couple realize they don’t see eye to eye on how to handle a dramatic occurrence in their teen daughter’s life, and the fallout brings question and turmoil to what they thought was a settled life.

Once infidelity is brought to light, we get the point of view of the wife, the husband, the kids and the mistress. Everyone’s life is in turmoil, but growth from various characters shine a light on moving forward no matter the resistance you might meet.

I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a family saga rich in parental interaction, realization of dreams and the awakening of not settling for less than you deserve.

four-stars

* Review * COLTON MANHUNT by Jane Godman

* Review * COLTON MANHUNT by Jane GodmanColton Manhunt by Jane Godman
Series: The Coltons of Mustang Valley #6
Published by Harlequin Romantic Suspense on March 1, 2020
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four-stars

She’ll do anything to find her missing sister.

Only a Colton cop can crack this case.

The last thing K-9 Sergeant Spencer Colton needs is another routine missing-persons case. But Katrina Perry is insistent on finding her twin sister—at all costs. And as things become anything but routine, so do Spencer’s feelings for Katrina. Someone will stop at nothing to get Katrina out of the way, though. And only Spencer has a chance of keeping her safe…

 

Lies and deception pave the way in the next Colton’s of Mustang Valley story! With book six in the series, Jane Godman brings Spencer Colton to life as he not only continues to work on his cousins’ shooting case, but also dives into helping search for a missing person.

Katrina is an interesting character. She’s convinced from the start that her troubled twin sister has met with foul play even when the cards don’t align to prove it. She’s not willing to give up and go away if her sister is out there in trouble … but someone has her in their sights and is determined to make her look questionable.

Spencer doesn’t have time to add yet more drama to his already overflowing case load, but he has to admit that Katrina has gotten his attention.

This book was slower paced than some in the series, but it still had an enjoyable mystery. I’m liking the series as a whole and look forward to getting more answers as future books play out.

four-stars

* Review * FOR THE WIN by Kelly Jamieson

I voluntarily read an early copy of this book.

* Review * FOR THE WIN by Kelly JamiesonFor the Win by Kelly Jamieson
Series: Wynn Hockey #4
Published by Loveswept on March 3, 2020
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five-stars

Harrison Wynn
Even though I’m the oldest player on the farm team, I’m playing my heart out this year to prove that I have what it takes to compete in the NHL.
Everyone expects me to live up to my dying hockey hero dad’s legacy, but my chances are receding every season.
What I need is to focus, but the team’s new yoga instructor is a major distraction; I’ve had my eye on her from the first time we met.
Except she’s not interested—okay, maybe actively disinterested—since I accidentally dumped her into the ocean during our paddleboard yoga class.
How can I prove to her—and to the NHL—that I’m worth taking a chance on?

Arya Ross
Men are the last thing I need in my life.
Yoga is my priority; it helps me center myself and heal my soul.
But I can’t turn down the once-in-a-lifetime offer to be the personal yoga instructor for the local hockey team.
Sure, there are some cute players—including Harrison Wynn, who seemingly won’t take no for an answer, and whose boyish smile and sexy charm are hard to resist.
He seems genuine, and I wonder . . .
Can I put my past behind me to start a future with him?

 

A sexy hockey player with a gentle soul! With the fourth book in her always exciting Wynn Hockey series, Kelly Jamieson brings us Harrison’s story and it more than satisfies!

Harrison is sweet, sexy and just downright nice. He just wants to live up to his family hockey dynasty name and play for the NHL, but his luck keeps leaving him on the farm team time and again. Maybe this time will be the ticket to the life he’s always dreamed of. He just needs to keep his head in the game and off of the yoga instructor who he knows is “the one” from the first time he lays eyes on her.

Arya is an easy character to get behind. She’s trying to live her best life as she heals from a past trauma and tries not to let it continue to control her, but it’s hard to know who to trust. This hockey guy seems nice … but can she trust her own judgement anymore?

I highly recommend this book and the entire series. It’s not only high impact hockey, but heartfelt romance and a bit of ongoing family saga along the way. I’m really enjoying it and looking forward to the next book!

five-stars

* Review * THE PRINCE AND THE WEDDING PLANNER by Jennifer Faye

I voluntarily read an early copy of this book.

* Review * THE PRINCE AND THE WEDDING PLANNER by Jennifer FayeThe Prince and the Wedding Planner by Jennifer Faye
Series: The Bartolini Legacy #1
Published by Harlequin Romance on March 1, 2020
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four-stars

When different worlds collide…

…sparks fly!

With her family name on the line, wedding planner Bianca Bartolini needs this royal wedding to go perfectly—she can’t afford distractions. Too bad the bride’s dashing brother has other plans! Duty-bound Crown Prince Leo has mere weeks to announce his own engagement, but none of the candidates measure up to Bianca. They’re the most unlikely match, but might that just make them perfect for one another?

 

A sweet connection! With the first book in her brand new The Bartolini Legacy series, Jennifer Faye takes us for a thrilling ride in THE PRINCE AND THE WEDDING PLANNER. He’s a Prince, she’s a commoner … but they can’t resist each other!

Bianca pulls our heartstrings with her family disconnect and hope that this job will be just the thing to put her wedding planning business on her family’s vineyard on the map. She never expects to be drawn to the prince who arranges her services for his sister.

Crown Prince Leopold is due to take a bride and assume the role of King any day now, but he can’t find a woman who measures up to Bianca no matter how much he searches. Could he dare break protocol and marry a non-royal?

I recommend this book to anyone looking for a dash of royal romance mixed in with a touch of family drama that is going to carry forward through the series. The characters were easy to connect with and I enjoyed getting to know them. Looking forward to more!

four-stars

* Review * FORTUNE’S TEXAS SURPRISE by Stella Bagwell

* Review * FORTUNE’S TEXAS SURPRISE by Stella BagwellFortune's Texas Surprise by Stella Bagwell
Series: The Fortunes of Texas: Rambling Rose #2
Published by Harlequin Special Edition on February 1, 2020
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four-stars

The baby was unexpected. So was the cowboy.

This Fortune daughter is rich in the things that matter…

Veterinary assistant Stephanie Fortune has never been lucky in love—unless you count the furry kind. But now that she’s become a foster mom to a baby boy, she believes her heart is full. And then she meets Acton Donovan. The flirty cowboy charms everyone he meets, so why should Stephanie be any different? “Just friends” is all Stephanie dares to be. Acton, however, is intent on proving he can be the family man she truly needs…

 

Love when she least expects it! With the second book in The Fortunes of Texas: Rambling Rose series, Stella Bagwell picks up the story line right where we left off with Stephanie taking baby Linus in as a foster child in FORTUNE’S TEXAS SURPRISE. The story is fast paced, emotional and just what we were looking for.

Stephanie surprised everyone when she stepped up to take in an abandoned infant just when the town of Rambling Rose needed her. She’s learning the ropes as she goes, but this little boy has stolen her heart already.

Acton and his dog Seymour steal the show quickly as they bring a smile to the reader’s face with their antics. I enjoyed him and found him to be a great match for Stephanie.

I recommend this book to anyone looking for a heartfelt , emotional jaunt into the world of the Fortune’s. I’m looking forward to more to come in the series.

four-stars

* Review * IN COLTON’S CUSTODY by Dana Nussio

I voluntarily read an early copy of this book.

* Review * IN COLTON’S CUSTODY by Dana NussioIn Colton's Custody by Dana Nussio
Series: The Coltons of Mustang Valley #5
Published by Harlequin Romantic Suspense on March 1, 2020
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four-stars

A Colton must solve a DNA mystery…

…and save his family from ruin.

One phone call suddenly upends Asher Colton’s life. He discovers his baby daughter might have been switched with single mom Willow Merrill’s. Worse, the day care owner vehemently hates his family. But for the babies’ sake, they work to uncover the truth about the births as threats to the Colton family—and Willow’s business—mount. But can the truth set free a love-scarred rancher and his harshest enemy?

 

The mystery continues! With book five in The Colton’s of Mustang Valley series, Dana Nussio brings us Asher’s story with IN COLTON’S CUSTODY where we not only get more info into Ace’s birth mix-up but have to follow along as Asher’s baby girl is in question as well. The tension is high and drama is at it’s peak as we see what’s ahead for the Coltons!

Asher is a character who is quick to catch a reader’s eye because he is a hands on single father who works hard to keep up with his baby girl as well as his job as the ranch foreman of Rattlesnake Ridge Ranch.

Willow was a bit harder for me to like. She was headstrong in defending a stand her mother took years ago that ended in upset and still holds it against the Coltons. She warmed somewhat, but was a bit standoffish throughout.

I recommend this book and the entire series to anyone who enjoys intrigue mixed with a bit of a family saga. I’m enjoying the series and looking forward to more to come.

four-stars

* Review * THE LOOK-ALIKE by Erica Spindler

* Review * THE LOOK-ALIKE by Erica SpindlerThe Look-Alike by Erica Spindler
Published by St. Martin's Press on January 28, 2020
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four-half-stars

Sienna Scott grew up in the dark shadow of her mother’s paranoid delusions. Now, she's returned home to confront her past and the unsolved murder that altered the course of her life.

In her mother’s shuttered house, an old fear that has haunted Sienna for years rears its ugly head—that it was she who had been the killer’s target that night. And now, with it, a new fear—that the killer not only intended to remedy his past mistake—he’s already begun. But are these fears any different from the ones that torment her mother?

As the walls close in, the line between truth and lie, reality and delusion disintegrate. Has Sienna’s worst nightmare come true? Or will she unmask a killer and finally prove she may be her mother’s look-alike, but she’s not her clone?

 

Surprises around every corner! Erica Spindler drew me in from the very first page of THE LOOK-ALIKE when the depiction of a brutal crime scene started to unveil. With lots of surprises and twists, she kept me guessing and held my attention right up until the end.

Sienna’s plight of returning home a decade after stumbling upon a crime scene changed her life is well documented as we travel through the various characters she reconnects with and new ones who have an unknown connection to the past.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a psychological thriller that has a hint of romance and lots of characters who we’re not sure if they are involve in what’s going on or not. I enjoyed it!

four-half-stars

* Review * ROCK ME LONGER by Jenna Jacob

* Review * ROCK ME LONGER by Jenna JacobRock Me Longer by Jenna Jacob
Series: Licks Of Leather #1
Published by Dream Words, LLC on November 19, 2019
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four-half-stars

I might own the stage,
but no one owned my heart…
until I laid eyes on her.

Burk Jennings had everything a man could want—houses, cars, and an endless supply of willing women. As lead singer of the iconic rock band, Licks of Leather, fame and fortune had been more than generous. Still, he was restless, struggling with burnout, and pondering hanging up his microphone for some peace and privacy.

Sofia Jackson grew up poor and fast. After clawing her way out of the gutter, she worked diligently to earn a killer reputation in the music promotion industry, ensuring no one would ever have the power to drag her down again. Work was her life, which left her no room for frivolous fantasies, especially those about Burk.

But their forbidden fantasies can’t be contained, and their passion combusts, consuming Burk and Sofia. When secrets are spilled and trust is broken will betrayal destroy them both?

 

Love when they least expect it! With the first book in her Licks of Leather series, Jenna Jacob brings us Burk and Sofia’s story in ROCK ME LONGER. Fans of her Club Genesis series might recognize a cameo or two.

Burk is a likable character and is fairly down-to-earth even though he’s a wealthy super-star. He’s feeling burned out from the constant go, but having Sofia along on the tour bus has been brightening the view at least.

Sofia has worked long and hard to get as far as she has in her music promoter job and she can’t let anything derail her progress … but man she is tempted by Burk.

I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a hint of forbidden love and a rock star lifestyle. The characters were a lot of fun to get to know and I’m looking forward to more in the series.

four-half-stars

* Review * RULE BREAKER by Joanne Rock

* Review * RULE BREAKER by Joanne RockRule Breaker by Joanne Rock
Series: Dynasties: Mesa Falls #3
Published by Harlequin Desire on February 1, 2020
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four-stars

She’s strictly off-limits. That’s never stopped him before.
And he always gets what he wants…

Rebellious rancher Weston Rivera knows saving April Stephens during a blizzard at his luxury retreat is risky. But it’s not nearly as dangerous as the desire blazing between them. After all, Weston is a prime target of April’s current financial investigation at Mesa Falls—and he’s hiding secrets. Now their searing passion is melting the lines between business and pleasure…even as it threatens Weston’s entire world.

Family loyalties and passions collide in the Dynasties: Mesa Falls series:
The Rebel
The Rival
Rule Breaker
Heartbreaker

 

Secrets are unraveling! With RULE BREAKER, the next book in her Dynasties: Mesa Falls series, Joanne Rock delves deeper into the mysteries surrounding Alonzo Salazar’s life and riches. This book centers around Mesa Falls part-owner Weston Rivera and the forensic expert sent by Devon Salazar to find out where his father’s money was spent.

Weston has been a mystery since the first book in the series. We’ve been able to read through him enough to know that he has secrets … we just didn’t know what they were and this book unravels some of them in a heated way.

April is on the ranch to uncover secrets, but she never expects to have such a heated attraction to the man she suspects of hiding things.

I recommend this book and the entire series to anyone who enjoys powerful sexual chemistry with a lot of secrets and mystery to unravel. I’m looking forward to the next book in the series!

four-stars

* Review * THE BEST INTENTIONS by Michelle Major

* Review * THE BEST INTENTIONS by Michelle MajorThe Best Intentions by Michelle Major
Series: Welcome to Starlight #1
Published by Harlequin Special Edition on March 1, 2020
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five-stars

Is the new girl in town all she appears?

She needs a new start…

Not a new man.

Kaitlin Carmody is a woman with a past—one she’d like to forget. A string of bad choices led to a fresh start in the small town of Starlight, so when her boss shows signs of serious illness, she’s determined to help him the best she can. But Finn Samuelson, her boss’s handsome, headstrong son, is certain Kaitlin is taking advantage of his father and running his family’s bank into the ground. When attraction overcomes reason, Finn must decide if Kaitlin is really a threat to his family…or its salvation.

 

Small town romance at it’s best! Michelle Major has held our hearts with her Crimson, Colorado series for years, so readers will be delighted to see her weave her magic once again with the kick-off to her latest series Welcome to Starlight! In THE BEST INTENTIONS, we get the story of a woman who has turned over a new leaf since moving to Starlight a couple of years ago, and when her boss’s son threatens the life she now cherishes, she’s not going to take his attitude sitting down!

Kaitlin is delightful! She’s spent a lifetime making bad choices, but since moving to Starlight, she feels like she’s found her place. She loves her job, and the boss that took a chance on her will have her loyalty through anything.

It didn’t take long for Finn to redeem himself and make me like him. He’s shocked when he returns home to Starlight for the first time in a decade and sees the shape his family bank is in. His dad has always prided himself on his success, so what exactly is going on here?

I highly recommend this book to fans of small town romance with a kick of sass and a whole lot of heart. I’m looking forward to more in the series!

five-stars