Book Reviews – Page 157

* Review * ONE-OF-A-KIND BRIDE by Charlene Sands

April 23, 2020 Leave a Comment

I voluntarily read an early copy of this book.

* Review * ONE-OF-A-KIND BRIDE by Charlene Sands

One-of-a-Kind Bride by Charlene Sands
Published by Tule Publishing on April 23, 2020
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It’s a promise she intends to keep at all costs

Taylor Preston never breaks a promise, especially to her dying mother about following her dreams to become a successful New York bridal gown designer. But when Taylor unexpectedly loses her high-profile job, she returns early to Last Stand, Texas where she happily spent childhood summers, to help with her cousin’s wedding. On Taylor’s first day back, the boy she left behind twelve years ago comes to her rescue and her sleeping heart inconveniently reawakens.

All during their youth, Ryan “Coop” Cooper played Taylor’s “promise game,” and they never once broke a promise to each other, but that was years ago, and Coop, now an established contractor, isn’t the same person. Building a wedding gift she-shed brings Coop closer to Taylor. They recall their promises – silly and solemn – and realize the spark could easily once again flame.

But Taylor’s life is faraway and Coop, a single father, won’t risk his heart or his daughter’s again…

A reunion dreams are made of! With a delightful sweet romance, Charlene Sands brings her readers a heartfelt reunion of summertime friends and first loves in ONE-OF-A-KIND BRIDE. The characters are fun, their connection feels like they were never apart and the added depth of the family and friends around them makes for a romantic reunion. I loved their story!

Taylor Preston is easy to like. She’s never been shy about being a big city girl in New York City, but her summers spent with family in Last Stand, Texas are some of her fondest memories. When city life gets her down, she heads to TX early to give her cousin some extra help in planning her wedding and who does she run into almost the second she steps foot into town? Her first love … the man she left behind … the man who seems to still make her heart tingle at first sight.

Ryan “Coop” Cooper has a heart of gold. Taylor might have left him behind all those years ago, but he hasn’t held a grudge, and he went on to be happy without her. His life now is a bit different from what he dreamed of though, and he’s doing his best to be the type of father his little girl needs in her life. He can’t let his guard down and bring anymore heartache to either of their lives.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a sweet reunion of first loves with a great supporting cast behind them of friends, family and an adorable little girl.

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* Review * COPYCAT KILLER by Laura Scott

April 23, 2020 Leave a Comment

Copycat Killer by Laura Scott
Series: True Blue K-9 Unit: Brooklyn #1
Published by Love Inspired Suspense on April 1, 2020
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Murder strikes close to home

for a new K-9 unit in Brooklyn

When a double homicide is strikingly familiar to a twenty-year-old cold case, Detective Nate Slater is rattled by the parallels. With a child as the only witness, he and his K-9 partner must protect little Lucy and her aunt, Willow Emery. Nate’s rough past means he always keeps an emotional distance…but in this case getting closer is the only way they’ll all survive.

True Blue K-9 Unit: Brooklyn

Intrigue from start to finish! With the first book in the new True Blue K-9 Unit: Brooklyn series, Laura Scott kicks it off with a bang in COPYCAT KILLER. We are quickly drawn into the heart of the story line carrying forward through the series and then integrated into a smaller bit of danger that reaches a conclusion in this book. The ending was a bit rushed, but overall a spot on read with lots of action, mystery and emotions.

Willow walks into the middle of a crime scene and her life is changed forever. She’ll do anything to protect her niece, and having Nate by her side makes the weight of the world easier.

Nate and his canine partner Murphy are mainstays of the book. Strong, dignified and comforting.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys faith based intrigue. The story is set that will continue forward in the series, and the side kick of danger in this particular novel was satisfying. I’m looking forward to more!

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* Review * CAN’T HURRY LOVE by Melinda Curtis

April 23, 2020 1 Comment

Can't Hurry Love by Melinda Curtis
Series: Sunshine Valley #1
Published by Forever on March 31, 2020
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A heartwarming romance about a city girl who finds herself widowed in a quirky small town and the new target of the town's relentless matchmaking Widows Club.

Head-over-heels in love, Lola Williams gave up everything to marry Randy, including a promising career in New York City. Now, after one year of marriage and one year of widowhood, Lola finds herself stranded in Sunshine, Colorado, reeling from the revelation that Randy had secrets she never could have imagined. She swears she's done with love forever but the matchmaking ladies of the Sunshine Valley Widows Club have different plans...

Sheriff Drew Taylor also knows what it feels like to be unlucky in love. So when Lola comes to him for help uncovering Randy's hidden life, Drew finds himself saying yes against his better judgment - especially with the Widows Club eyeing them both. Soon enough, Lola is upending Drew's peaceful, predictable world...and he kind of likes it! But will this big-city girl ever give her heart to a small-town guy again?

Includes the bonus novella "Kiss Me in Sweetwater Springs" by Annie Rains!

Sweet romance with a size of humor! With the first book in her new Sunshine Valley series Melinda Curtis takes her reader deep into the heart of small town living in CAN’T HURRY LOVE. Everybody knows your business and you can’t hide from your mistakes, but you also have a built in support system when things go wrong. This cast of characters were a bit quirky, and the story line drug a bit in parts, but overall I enjoyed Sunshine, Colorado and plan to make a return visit!

Lola Williams is easy to sympathize with. She finds herself living a small town life after giving up her big city dreams to marry a man who left her a widow within a year’s time. She’s an interesting character and we can relate to her need to find answers about her husband’s secrets before she moves on.

Drew Taylor is easy to like. He’s a single dad trying to do right by his daughter at the same time he keeps peace in Sunshine as the sheriff, but he isn’t sure what to do about all of the drama floating around lately having to do with Lola. He’s finding it easier to keep her in his sights than find out what she’s up to after the fact … of course that might have to do with the fact that he sort of fancies her.

I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a small town sweet romance. The drama is high, and the kindness of the townsfolk is high.

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* Release Blast/Review * WILD FOR YOU by Kendall Ryan

April 23, 2020 Leave a Comment

I voluntarily read an early copy of this book.

* Release Blast/Review * WILD FOR YOU by Kendall Ryan

Wild for You by Kendall Ryan
Series: Hot Jocks #6
on April 20, 2020
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He’s growly. Grumpy. Stubborn.

And now, my new roommate.

Walking away from my disastrous last relationship was an easy decision, but moving in with a friend-of-a-friend hockey star who’s rarely home? Not quite as simple, because Grant makes me feel all kinds of things I’m not prepared for.

Protected. Desired. Unsteady.

• • •

She’s beautiful. Smart. Tempting.

And a little fragile.

I’ve never been anyone’s knight in shining armor, but when Ana needed a place to stay, it was easy to offer her a room with me.

Not so simple, though, is keeping my hands—or my mouth—to myself. And the night she crawls into my bed and shares her body with me? Heaven.

But she’s not looking for a relationship, and to my surprise, I find myself pissed off by that idea.

They say my heart is broken, that I’ll never settle down. I used to think that was true. Now, though? Hell, your guess is as good as mine.

First, she took my bed.
Then she took my heart.
Then she took my everything.

The sweetest guy yet! With book six in her highly anticipated Hot Jocks series, Kendall Ryan brings us Grant’s story in WILD FOR YOU and it is unexpectedly delicious! I absolutely adored Grant and Ana’s relationship, but there is a glaring lack of development in one major aspect of this story line that glosses over a major issue, so I couldn’t in good conscious rate it higher. Had the emotional depth that was needed for the circumstance been present, I would have rated it a five.

Grant is laid back and calm compared to the younger guys on the team and quick to lend a hand when it’s obviously needed. He snagged my heart quickly and I was pulling for him throughout the story line.

Ana is complex. She’s quiet and kind, but she has a lot of baggage she hasn’t yet addressed before accidentally falling for Grant. Her situation lacks the development that would have made this book a super star.

I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a little lighthearted turmoil and angst on the way towards that happily ever after. The hockey was a bit light in the book, but the drama carried the momentum forward enough to forgive that. Great series overall.

Wild for You
By Kendall Ryan
Release Day: April 20, 2020

He’s growly. Grumpy. Stubborn.

And now, my new roommate.

Walking away from my disastrous last relationship was an easy decision, but moving in with a friend-of-a-friend hockey star who’s rarely home? Not quite as simple, because Grant makes me feel things even I don’t understand.

One thing’s for certain, though. I definitely shouldn’t have crawled into his bed that night.

• • •

There’s a brightness to her eyes I can’t seem to look away from.

She’s beautiful. Smart. Tempting.

And a little fragile.

I’ve never been anyone’s knight in shining armor, but when Ana needed a place to stay, it was easy to move her in with me.

Not so simple, though, is keeping my hands—or my mouth—to myself. And the night she crawls into my bed and shares her body with me has me conjuring up all kinds of ideas about our future.

Until a big surprise I never saw coming changes everything.

Amazon US ➜ https://amzn.to/2RW1Jat
Amazon Intl. ➜ https://geni.us/QzwCZt
Apple ➜ https://apple.co/3aSZJc3
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Add to Goodreads ➜ http://bit.ly/2Rx1Dr3

If you like sexy, confident men who know how to handle a stick (on and off the ice), and smart women who are strong enough to keep all those big egos in check, this series of athlete romances is perfect for you!

(Books can be enjoyed in any order.)

About Kendall Ryan

A New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author of more than three dozen titles, Kendall Ryan has sold over 3 million books and her books have been translated into several languages in countries around the world.

Her books have also appeared on the New York Times and USA Today bestseller lists more than 100 times. Ryan has been featured in such publications as USA Today, Newsweek, and InTouch Magazine.

She lives in Texas with her husband and two sons.

Visit her at: www.kendallryanbooks.com for the latest book news, and fun extras.

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* Review * DON’T CRY FOR ME by Rachel Lacey

April 22, 2020 Leave a Comment

I voluntarily read an early copy of this book.

* Review * DON’T CRY FOR ME by Rachel Lacey

Don't Cry for Me by Rachel Lacey
Series: Midnight in Manhattan #1
Published by Rachel Lacey on April 21, 2020
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A frosty television host, a bubbly bar owner, and a litter of abandoned kittens. The recipe for ratings gold…or heartbreak?

Eve Marlow has her eyes on the prize: a third season of her popular business makeover show, Do Over. But when her ratings take an unexpected dive, Eve needs a blockbuster new client, or she can kiss season three goodbye. She has her work cut out for her, and that’s before she discovers a litter of newborn kittens in a trash can. Now she’s desperate to find someone to take them so she can concentrate on reviving her career.

Josie Swanson had to put her kitten rescue on the back burner when she inherited her father’s bar two years ago. Since then, she’s invested all her time and energy into keeping it afloat, but despite her best efforts, Swanson’s is going under. When she gets a phone call from Eve Marlow, host of the television show Josie applied to earlier that year, the woman she’s convinced can save her bar, Josie hopes her luck has finally turned.

Eve knows what she needs to succeed, and it isn’t Josie—or her bar. There’s no denying the chemistry sizzling between them, though. Josie’s personality is as vibrant as her turquoise-tipped hair. She stirs things in Eve that haven’t been stirred in a long time, but there’s a reason she keeps her heart under lock and key. Eve stands to lose a lot more than her TV show if she lets her guard down, no matter how tempted she is to see if Josie’s love would be worth the risk.

Love when they least expect it! With the first book in her new lesbian romance series Midnight in Manhattan, Rachel Lacey takes us on a delectable journey of healing with DON’T CRY FOR ME. It was emotional and super satisfying!

Eve Marlow is the first to catch a reader’s eye as she discovers a batch of abandoned kittens that she needs to find help for. This puts her in touch with Josie who turns out to be so much more than she ever expected. She has an emotional back story and a wall around her heart … but Josie might be just the person to bring it tumbling down.

Josie Swanson put her kitten rescuing on hold to run her father’s bar after his death a couple of years ago and now she finds herself overworked and still barely holding her head above water. The coincidence of running into Eve who has a reality TV show about saving businesses just like hers can’t possibly be for nothing. She has to convince her to take her on … maybe as more than a client if she plays her cards right!

I highly recommend this story to anyone who enjoys a couple who overcomes a lot to make it to their happily ever after. Emotions are high, but there’s the adorable side of baby kitties to balance it out.

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* Review * ONE NIGHT WITH HIS RIVAL by Robyn Grady

April 22, 2020 Leave a Comment

One Night with His Rival by Robyn Grady
Series: About That Night #2
Published by Harlequin Desire on March 1, 2020
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Selling his soul for a sizzling night of passion…

“Wanting something doesn’t make it good for you.”

Wealthy horse breeder Ajax Rawson can have any woman he wants. So why can’t he keep his hands off the one woman he can’t have? Beautiful, independent and passionate, Veda Darnel is the daughter of his family’s biggest competitor. Years of bad business blood makes their affair dangerous…and forbidden. But will accusations of foul play end their star-crossed romance before it even begins?

Undeniable passion! With the second book in her About That Night series, Robyn Grady brings us a story of forbidden romance in ONE NIGHT WITH HIS RIVAL. The characters were easy to like and the story line pulled me in quickly.

Ajax is a kindhearted businessman who isn’t afraid to show his softer side to the woman he is quickly falling for.

Veda tries to fight their connection because everybody knows that their father’s will never get along … but temptation is too strong!

I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a fast paced romance between two rivals where the family builds a strong background in the story line.

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* Review * REVELATIONS OF A SECRET PRINCESS by Annie West

April 22, 2020 Leave a Comment

Revelations of a Secret Princess by Annie West
Published by Harlequin Presents on March 1, 2020
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A princess in disguise…

To find her precious daughter, stolen from her at birth, Princess Carolina will do anything. Including masquerading as a nanny! Jake Maynard, her daughter’s uncle, is all that’s standing in the way of the reunion Caro has yearned for. If only her body got the message he’s the enemy…

Caro knows this powerful billionaire won’t give up the only family he has left. Yet after years of emotional numbness, Jake is reawakening her! He shows Caro a life filled with passion, not protocol, but what will happen when Jake discovers her true identity?

A precious reunion and a happily ever after for all! With REVELATIONS OF A SECRET PRINCESS Annie West takes us on a roller coaster ride of emotions. There’s been loss of family and loss of precious time, but a sweet love story is brewing along the way as well. I enjoyed their story!

Caro grabbed a reader’s attention very quickly in the story when we realized she was interviewing for a nanny position of the child she thinks is her own daughter. I was quick to sympathize and hope they would be reunited.

Jake is a caring uncle of his orphaned niece and would do anything to protect her, so when he realizes that Caro is secretly Princess Carolina and believes his niece is her stolen daughter, he sets out to find answers … even as they grow closer to each other.

I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a little subterfuge and mystery with their romance. It had a bit of sadness, a romance festering along the way and a sweet reunion between mother and child.

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* Release Blast * ROCK ME SLOWER by Jenna Jacob

April 21, 2020 Leave a Comment

BUY LINKS

Amazon US I Amazon UK I Barnes & Noble I Apple Books I KOBO

I command the keyboard,

but the only woman to command my heart is back…

bigger, badder, and more beautiful than ever.

Ozzy Page has it all—fame, fans, and a fortune too massive to spend. As keyboard player for renowned rock group Licks of Leather, he’s on top of the charts—and the world. But living his dream cost him the only woman he ever loved. His secret fling with Mia Harris was consuming and intense—and crushing when she used him to springboard her career. Seven years after their devastating breakup, watching her rise up the charts—on her new rock star lover’s back—has nearly destroyed his heart all over again.

Mia Harris didn’t curl up and die when Ozzy Page chose his career over their love. Like her namesake, she rose from the ashes and reinvented herself as Phoenix, the sultry-voiced siren taking the male-dominated rock scene by storm. But when her personal life goes to hell, their mutual agent blindsides Mia with the news that she and Ozzy will be touring together for six long, close-quarter months.

Will they finally learn to understand and forgive each other…or will their unforgettable longing end in flames?

ABOUT JENNA

USA Today Bestselling author Jenna Jacob paints a canvas of passion, romance, and humor as her alpha men and the feisty women who love them unravel their souls, heal their scars, and find a happy-ever-after kind of love. Heart-tugging, captivating, and steamy, her words will leave you breathless and craving more.

A mom of four grown children, Jenna, her husband Sean and their furry babies reside in Kansas. Though she spent over thirty years in accounting, Jenna isn’t your typical bean counter. She’s brassy, sassy, and loves to laugh, but is humbly thrilled to be living her dream as a full-time author. When she’s not slamming coffee while pounding out emotional stories, you can find her reading, listening to music, cooking, camping, or enjoying the open road on the back of a Harley.

FOLLOW JENNA

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* Release Blitz * THE WEDDING WAR by Liz Talley

April 21, 2020 Leave a Comment

Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer…

The Wedding War by Liz Talley is available now!

“Liz Talley clearly understands women—the enduring power of friendship, the strength and beauty of the human heart, the many ways that forgiveness heals. Funny and heartbreaking, The Wedding War is sassy Southern women’s fiction at its absolute best.” —Mariah Stewart, New York Times bestselling author

Amazon — https://amzn.to/2V5Aj4W
Universal — getbook.at/TheWeddingWarLT
FREE with Kindle Unlimited

Audiobook
Amazon — https://amzn.to/2MZOZxQ
Audible Direct — https://adbl.co/2QrEBBm
Audio CD — https://amzn.to/37xSeEO

Paperback
https://amzn.to/35tlLy7

***

Save the date for this funny and poignant novel of family, friendship, letting go, and moving on by the award-winning author of Room to Breathe.

Once upon a time, Melanie Layton and Tennyson O’Rourke were inseparable—but their friends-4ever promises were shattered when an explosive secret was revealed at Mel’s wedding, a secret that destroyed her family. The two haven’t spoken for the past twenty-some-odd years, and they’d be happy if they never crossed paths again.

But now Mel’s daughter and Teeny’s son have fallen in love—and announced their engagement.

Which means the two women must tolerate one another and play nice long enough to plan their children’s dream wedding. From the beginning, they clash. Melanie imagines a classy, elegant event, in keeping with tradition. Teeny’s vision is a bit more extravagant, and thanks to her habit of marrying well, she’s got the cash to plan the flashiest wedding of the season.

Complicating matters are the men in their lives: Tennyson is falling for the wrong guy, and Melanie is trying to hold on to a flailing marriage. Amid the flurry of cake tastings, dress fittings, seating charts, and bridal showers, Mel and Teeny confront their past mistakes—with twenty years of pent-up drama.

When the day of the wedding finally arrives, their friendship might just be something old and something new.

About the Author:

USA Today best-selling author Liz Talley loves staying home in her jammies and writing emotional women’s fiction and romance. Liz has published twenty-seven books, reaching number one in kindle romance. Her stories are set in the South where the tea is sweet, the summers are hot, and the porches are wide. Liz lives in Louisiana with her childhood sweetheart, two handsome children, two dogs and a mean kitty. You can visit Liz at www.liztalleybooks.com or follow her on Instagram or facebook to learn more about her upcoming books.

Connect with Liz!

Website: https://liztalleybooks.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/liztalleybooks/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amyliztalley/
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/liz-talley

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* Release Blast/Review * ASK ME IF I CARE by Lani Lynn Vale

April 14, 2020 Leave a Comment

I voluntarily read an early copy of this book.

* Release Blast/Review * ASK ME IF I CARE by Lani Lynn Vale

Ask Me If I Care by Lani Lynn Vale
Series: KPD SWAT Generation 2.0 #4
on April 14, 2020
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Ares saw him for the first time at a Kilgore Police Department benefit dinner. She’d gone with her dad as his plus one. Hayes Romine had gone by himself and brooded silently across the same table as her, drinking whiskey and not saying a word.

It only took that one time for her to become interested.

The next time she saw him, he was doing another benefit—but this one requiring a whole lot fewer clothes. And that was when she knew. She wanted him. Badly. But the morose Hayes was too busy thinking about his sins to see what was right in front of his face—Ares.

***

Hayes Romine knew the moment that he saw the feisty Ares Downy again that he should’ve stayed away. Maybe if he hadn’t done the stupid calendar, he wouldn’t be questioning every single woman’s intentions.

Maybe if he’d listened to that niggling feeling telling him to stay away, he would’ve been able to do his job a little better. But seeing her with a knife to her throat, in the middle of a building set to blow, made his usually well-wired brain start to malfunction.

Because nobody was allowed to touch her like that—only him. Nobody was allowed to scare her, either. Not and live to tell the tale.

This instant connection rocks her world!! With book four in her always entertaining KPD SWAT Generation 2.0 series, Lani Lynn Vale delights readers with a happily ever after for Ares and Hayes.

Ares Downy is feisty! She works hard to take care of her kids as a high school guidance counselor and is it too much to ask to find a man who is all about her for her down time? She doesn’t think so!

Hayes Romine is damaged. He has a heart of gold but a mind filled with torment, but when his eyes connect with Ares, he feels more at peace than he has in years. Circumstance keeps throwing them together, and by the second or third time he decides she’s his. He just has to convince her of that!

I highly recommend this book and this series to anyone who enjoys a close-knit group of alpha cops who melt when they meet their one true love. There’s always a hint of suspense to these story lines, and a whole lot of humor, love and heart!

Release Date: April 14

Ares saw him for the first time at a Kilgore Police Department benefit dinner. She’d gone with her dad as his plus one. Hayes Greer had gone by himself and brooded silently across the same table as her, drinking whiskey and not saying a word.

It only took that one time for her to become interested.

The next time she saw him, he was doing another benefit—but this one requiring a whole lot fewer clothes. And that was when she knew. She wanted him. Badly. But the morose Hayes was too busy thinking about his sins to see what was right in front of his face—Ares.

***

Hayes Greer knew the moment that he saw the feisty Ares Downy again that he should’ve stayed away. Maybe if he hadn’t done the stupid calendar, he wouldn’t be questioning every single woman’s intentions.

Maybe if he’d listened to that niggling feeling telling him to stay away, he would’ve been able to do his job a little better. But seeing her with a knife to her throat, in the middle of a building set to blow, made his usually well-wired brain start to malfunction.

Because nobody was allowed to touch her like that—only him. Nobody was allowed to scare her, either. Not and live to tell the tale.

Grab Your Copy Here:

Meet Lani Lynn Vale

Lani Lynn Vale is a Wall Street Journal & USA Today Bestselling Author of over thirty titles. She is married with three children, two dogs, two cats, a donkey, and a couple (a couple also meaning over twenty) chickens.

When she’s not writing, you can find her curled up in her favorite chair reading.

Lani is married with three children and lives in the Great State of Texas.

Connect with Lani Lynn Vale

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