Book Reviews – Page 141

* Review * HIS CONVENIENT NEW YORK BRIDE by Andrea Bolter

December 29, 2019 Leave a Comment

I voluntarily read an early copy of this book.

* Review * HIS CONVENIENT NEW YORK BRIDE by Andrea Bolter

His Convenient New York Bride by Andrea Bolter
Published by Harlequin Romance on January 1, 2020
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A secret, a deal……a New York wedding!

Aspiring fashion designer Mimi’s been in love with her brother’s best friend, millionaire Jin Zhang, forever. When he needs her help to save his family’s fashion label, he offers Mimi everything she’s dreamed of—a job and the chance to become his bride! After his own heartbreak, Jin is used to guarding his heart closely, so what will happen to their marriage by design when Jin discovers Mimi’s secret?

A marriage of convenience turns oh so real when feelings get involved! Andrea Bolter’s latest HIS CONVENIENT NEW YORK BRIDE is a delightful brother’s best friend/unrequited crush story that turns on it’s heals and delivers a sweet love story.

Mimi Stewart is an aspiring fashion designer who finds herself unable to pick up the pieces of her career after a love affair gone wrong. She’s easy to like, and has a lot of heart.

Jin has been her brother’s best friend for years and the unknown object of a longstanding crush. Mimi and Aaron have been like member’s of his family, but when circumstances put he and Mimi in a position to be in closer proximity and planning to wed for convenience, he starts to feel the attraction she’s known was there all along.

I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys watching as convenience turns to love in a fast paced romance. Their close-knit family feel was a sweet backbone to this story. Enjoyed it!

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* Review * PREGNANT WITH THE PARAMEDIC’S BABY by Amy Ruttan

December 21, 2019 Leave a Comment

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* Review * PREGNANT WITH THE PARAMEDIC’S BABY by Amy Ruttan

Pregnant with the Paramedic's Baby by Amy Ruttan
Series: First Response #2
Published by Harlequin Medical Romances on January 1, 2020
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One-night passion—

To pregnancy bombshell!

In this First Response story, paramedic Kody Davis has kept his heart on ice since losing his wife. He’s careful not to let anyone in, save for his daughter, but he can’t ignore his attraction to his guarded but gorgeous new colleague, Dr. Sandra Fraser. So when one stormy night awakens a dormant passion in them both, they agree it will be one time only—until an unexpected pregnancy changes everything…

The First Response Duet
Book 1 – Firefighter’s Unexpected Fling
Book 2 – Pregnant with the Paramedic’s Baby

Great characters! With the second book in the First Response duet, Amy Ruttan brings us Kody’s story in PREGNANT WITH THE PARAMEDIC’S BABY. If you read the first book in the series, you will recognize Kody and his daughter Lucy from his sister Sally’s story. We got to know their story slightly in that book, and this one details the loss he suffered and introduces the new woman in his life!

Doctor Sandra Fraser quickly grabs our heart as we learn the sadness she has suffered at the hands of fate and her ex-husband. Neither she nor Kody are looking for a relationship in their lives right now, but when a moment of passion while stranded in an emergency leads to a baby being on the way, they have to re-evaluate their priorities!

I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a surprise baby story with lots of angst along the way. I really enjoyed both books in this duet.

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* Review * A SHOCKING PROPOSAL IN SICILY by Rachael Thomas

December 21, 2019 2 Comments

I voluntarily read an early copy of this book.

* Review * A SHOCKING PROPOSAL IN SICILY by Rachael Thomas

A Shocking Proposal in Sicily by Rachael Thomas
Published by Harlequin Presents on December 17, 2019
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Her outrageous marriage plan…

Kaliana urgently needs a husband! It’s the only way to save her family from financial ruin. So she shockingly proposes to billionaire Rafe Casella. They may have spent one red-hot night in his bed, but Kaliana’s rules are clear. Their arrangement is pure convenience, nothing more. Since her fiancé’s death, she’s fiercely guarded her heart…

Yet Rafe has his own agenda—a marriage could secure his rightful inheritance, but only if it appears to be real! Can they keep things strictly business when their pretend relationship starts to feel anything but?

A delectable connection! A SHOCKING PROPOSAL IN SICILY by Rachael Thomas brings a marriage of convenience front and center when two hearts collide.

Kaliana loved and lost and thought she had time to decides what would become of her future, but she’s now being pressured into bringing a prosperous husband into the mix to save her family from ruin.

Raffaele is also being pressured to put down roots and bring more to his family’s lineage. Joining forces seems to be the answer to both of their problems.

I recommend this story to anyone looking for a fast paced powerful connection. Each character brings their own past and hang-ups to the story, and it’s very satisfying watching them overcome it all to find their way into each other’s hearts.

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* Review * TACTICAL FORCE by Elle James

December 21, 2019 Leave a Comment

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Tactical Force by Elle James
Series: Declan’s Defenders #5
Published by Harlequin Intrigue on January 1, 2020
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Their search for an assassin makes her the next target.

Two attacks on DC staffer Anne Bellamy’s life are just the beginning of a terrorist threat from a group that aims to assassinate the US president. It’s all-out war for former elite Force Recon marine Jack Snow, who is tasked with keeping Anne alive. As his mission takes him undercover into Washington’s power circles, can he protect his country and the woman who’s become way more than just an asset to him?

With the next book in her exciting Declan’s Defenders series, Elle James brings us Jack’s story in TACTICAL FORCE. It’s fast paced, full of suspense and leads us into the heart of the scandal that’s been festering in each previous book.

DC staffer Anne Bellamy is an interesting character. She’s not as hands on in the midst of knowing everything that’s going on as some of the ladies have been earlier in the series, but she’s really good at her job and at protecting US secrets. She added a lot to the book.

Former Marine turned Declan’s Defender Jack Snow bursts onto the scene in a take charge manner and didn’t stop impressing us throughout. Their romance seemed a little fast at first and the ending was a bit abrupt for me without telling us what the future might hold for them, but the action and intrigue was spot on throughout. I’m looking forward to the next book in the series!

I highly recommend this book and the entire series to anyone looking for a series of quick reads filled with danger, a close knit group of friends and love when they least expect it.

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* Review * COOKING UP ROMANCE by Lynne Marshall

December 21, 2019 Leave a Comment

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* Review * COOKING UP ROMANCE by Lynne Marshall

Cooking Up Romance by Lynne Marshall
Series: The Taylor Triplets #1
Published by Harlequin Special Edition on December 17, 2019
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Food isn’t the only way to this single dad’s heart…

Lacy was a redhead with a pink food truck who prepared mouthwatering meals. Hunky construction manager Zack Gardner agreed to let her feed his hungry crew in exchange for cooking lessons for his young daughter. But it looked like the lovely businesswoman was transforming the single dad’s life in more ways than one—since a family secret was going to change both of their lives in ways they never expected.

I didn’t want to put it down! With the first book in her new The Taylor Triplets series, Lynn Marshall delights her readers with a hint of mystery to go with their romance in COOKING UP ROMANCE!

Zach was a delight to read! As the single dad to an adorable little girl, this owner/manager of a major construction business has a lot on his plate, but keeping his daughter happy is at the top of his list. Seeing him protect her heart when times got rocky was so heartwarming.

Lacy is determined to make her dad’s food truck a new success now that she’s remodeled and taken over, and snagging this trial job with Zach is a great step in the right direction. She really starts to fall for this kindhearted man and his little girl, but when a strange sighting happens on more than one occasion, she starts to wonder what truth she might find if she digs a little bit into the past she’s a little fuzzy on.

I highly recommend this story to anyone who loves a single dad finding a new lady who adores him as well as his kiddo. There’s a kick of a mystery happening in the background of this story that leads to a plot twist that will carry forward in the series. I’m looking forward to finding out more!

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* Review * BILLIONAIRE’S WIFE ON PAPER by Melanie Milburne

December 21, 2019 Leave a Comment

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* Review * BILLIONAIRE’S WIFE ON PAPER by Melanie Milburne

Billionaire's Wife on Paper by Melanie Milburne
Series: Conveniently Wed!
Published by Harlequin Presents on January 1, 2020
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“I need a temporary wife.”

Logan McLaughlin can’t lose his Scottish family estate. But to rescue it, his grandfather’s will demands he wed! Logan avoids real relationships, having failed so significantly at love before. So when housemaid Layla suggests he take a convenient wife, he’s intrigued…

Untouched Layla never imagined Logan would choose her! With her scars, she feels far from the perfect bride. Yet to protect the only home she’s ever known, she’ll wear Logan’s ring… But can she ignore the burning connection threatening to destroy their paper-only arrangement?

With the next book in the Conveniently Wed series, Melanie Milburne delights her readers with a modern day opposites attract story with BILLIONAIRE’S WIFE ON PAPER. I was quickly entrenched into Logan’s family drama and enjoyed watching his relationship with Layla unfold.

Layla was the quintessential hired help turned marriage of convenience, but she brought so much more to the story than that. She was beneficial in giving Logan the idea of how to save his family ancestry, never expecting him to call on her to be the convenient bride he needs. Once the plot began to unravel, we got to see the story behind her life and see what motivated her.

Logan believed his history with love in the past meant he could never trust himself to try again, so even though feelings started to develop quickly with Layla, he attempted to hold her at arms length. It was a lot of fun watching them fall!

I recommend this story to anyone looking for a marriage of convenience story line with tons of heart weaved in.

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* Review * FIREFIGHTER’S UNEXPECTED FLING by Susan Carlisle

December 20, 2019 Leave a Comment

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* Review * FIREFIGHTER’S UNEXPECTED FLING by Susan Carlisle

Firefighter's Unexpected Fling by Susan Carlisle
Series: First Response #1
Published by Harlequin Medical Romances on January 1, 2020
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When the best-laid plans…

…go up in smoke!

In this First Response story, with his impending promotion, hotshot fire captain Ross Lawson has no time for romance. Until stunning paramedic Sally Davis starts work at his station… Even if she wasn’t his best friend’s recently divorced sister, a workplace romance is out of the question. But their blazing attraction burns bright and deep and soon becomes one fire Ross might not want to put out!

The First Response Duet
Book 1 – Firefighter’s Unexpected Fling
Book 2 – Pregnant with the Paramedic’s Baby

With the first book in the First Response duet, Susan Carlisle delivers an attention grabbing story line with FIREFIGHTER’S UNEXPECTED FLING. It’s fast paced, has really fun characters and checks off all of the must haves for a delightful romance!

Ross nabbed my attention quickly as the go to man when there was a problem, and a good friend to have in your corner. He knows Sally should be off-limits because she’s his best friend’s sister, but he can’t seem to resist her.

Sally is still reeling from her recent divorce, but starting a new job that she loves is good medicine for heartbreak … and it turns out, so is spending time with a man like no other!

I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a bit of a forbidden romance between friends and co-workers. It easily held my attention throughout and I’m looking forward to the second book in the duet.

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* Review * FORTUNE’S FRESH START by Michelle Major

December 19, 2019 Leave a Comment

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* Review * FORTUNE’S FRESH START by Michelle Major

Fortune's Fresh Start by Michelle Major
Series: The Fortunes of Texas: Rambling Rose #1
Published by Harlequin Special Edition on January 1, 2020
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There’s a new breed of Fortune in town…

In the small Texas burg of Rambling Rose, real estate investor Callum Fortune is making a big splash. The last thing he needs is any personal complications slowing his pace—least of all nurse Becky Averill, a beautiful widow with twin baby girls. Callum’s past has convinced him he’s not cut out for commitment. Yet, drawn to Becky in ways he can’t understand, Callum is torn between moving on…and moving in!

Another branch of the beloved Fortune family has stolen my heart! The kick-off to a new Fortunes of Texas series is always exciting, and Michelle Major brought her A game with FORTUNE’S FRESH START, the start of the Rambling Rose sub-series! I’m super excited to get more of Callum’s sibling’s stories in the future books.

Callum catches a reader’s eye immediately with his self-assured way and when we see him jump to the aid of a single mother, we start to melt from the start. Watching him interact with family, friends and Becky and her kiddos keeps us entertained throughout.

Becky is appealing from the moment we meet her starting anew as a widowed single mother of adorable twin daughters. She’s fresh and like-able and the more we see her start to fall for the self-proclaimed bachelor, we can’t stop watching … even if her heart might be on the verge of being broken at any moment.

I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a fast paced story filled with love, laughter and a close-knit cast of family and friends. I’m looking forward to more to come in the series!

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* Review * FAMILY UNDER FIRE by Jane Godman

December 19, 2019 Leave a Comment

Family Under Fire by Jane Godman
Series: Colton 911
Published by Harlequin Romantic Suspense on December 1, 2019
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An unexpected family

A once-in-a-lifetime reunion in danger…

After a bitter breakup, FBI agent Everett Colton never expected to see his ex-girlfriend, Alyssa Bartholomew, again. Suddenly, tragedy reunites them—and makes them guardians of an orphaned baby girl. Everett suspects that her parents’ deaths were anything but innocent. When his instinct for danger proves correct, it’s his job to protect the child he’s grown to love…and the woman he never forgot.

With the sixth book in the Colton 911 series, Jane Godman brings us an unorthodox reunion story with FAMILY UNDER FIRE. An FBI agent and his ex-girlfriend are reunited when they are left co-guardianship of his former best friend turned criminal’s baby girl.

Everett has no idea why Sean would leave him to look after his daughter, much less why he would include the woman who dumped him four years ago as part of the equation.

Alyssa might have been the one doing the dumping, but it’s easy to see she still has feelings for Everett when they are reunited. It doesn’t take long for playing house with little Kennedy to feel way too real!

I recommend this story to anyone loving a fast paced reunion story that has a bit of a crime to have to solve in the midst of all of the emotion and drama. The characters were easy to like and get behind cheering for.

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* Review * SPY by Danielle Steel

December 19, 2019 Leave a Comment

Spy by Danielle Steel
Published by Random House LLC on November 26, 2019
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A young woman is caught up in a dangerous double life on behalf of her country during World War II in Danielle Steel’s thrilling new novel.</b

At eighteen, Alexandra Wickham is presented to King George V and Queen Mary in an exquisite white lace and satin dress her mother has ordered from Paris. With her delicate blond looks, she is a stunning beauty who seems destined for a privileged life. But fate, a world war, and her own quietly rebellious personality lead her down a different path.

By 1939, Europe is on fire and England is at war. From her home in idyllic Hampshire, Alex makes her way to London as a volunteer in the First Aid Nursing Yeomanry. But she has skills that draw the attention of another branch of the service. Fluent in French and German, she would make the perfect secret agent.

Within a year, Alex is shocking her family in trousers and bright red lipstick. They must never know about the work she does—no one can know, not even the pilot she falls in love with. While her country and those dearest to her pay the terrible price of war, Alex learns the art of espionage, leading to life-and-death missions behind enemy lines and a long career as a spy in exotic places and historic times.

Spy follows Alex’s extraordinary adventures in World War II and afterward in India, Pakistan, Morocco, Hong Kong, Moscow, and Washington, D.C., when her husband, Richard, enters the foreign service and both become witnesses to a rapidly changing world from post-war to Cold War. She lives life on the edge, with a secret she must always keep hidden.

An enlightening look into the life of a spy! With Danielle Steel’s latest release SPY, she delves into the life of a family in late 1930’s Hampshire as World War II is raging and their loved ones are getting into the midst of it all.

Finding herself at odds with what life is expecting of her and where it’s leading her, Alexandra sets out to volunteer during the war at the First Aid Nursing center, but her fluent language skills quickly gain the attention of intelligence that tempts her into spying on the enemy. During this time she meets and falls in love with a pilot, but she must keep her secret assignments to herself.

We continue to follow her life and assignments as the war ends and she marries her pilot and goes on to raise a family as she continues to compile secrets she can share with no one.

I highly recommend this story to anyone who enjoys a historical romance intermixed with turmoil, secrets and intrigue. Alexandra was easy to become enchanted with, and following her through all of her exploits was quite riveting.

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