Book Reviews – Page 209

* Review * THE FIREFIGHTER’S TWINS by Heidi McCahan

May 22, 2018 1 Comment

I voluntarily read an early copy of this book.

* Review * THE FIREFIGHTER’S TWINS by Heidi McCahan

The Firefighter's Twins by Heidi McCahan
Published by Love Inspired on June 1, 2018
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One single dad plus twin toddlers

A formula for her new family?

Since his wife left, fireman Shay Campbell has focused on work and his twin toddlers. But the lovely Natalie McDowell is making him rethink that decision. She’s great with his boys, and they adore her. But he can’t go through losing someone again. Will a dream job offer win Natalie’s heart, or does it belong to Shay and the twins?

Adorable toddler alert! These two kiddos steal your heart quickly as we dive into Heidi McCahan’s debut Love Inspired novel. The plot is fairly fast paced and keeps you interested and the characters are easy to like. An enjoyable read!

Event planner Natalie McDowell has been pulled in too many directions for awhile now as she tries to juggle her business along with overseeing her family’s busy farm. When a dream job opportunity comes knocking at her door, she thinks this could be her answer … but not everyone is going to agree with that. Especially when she meets a hunky guy and his adorable kids that try to steal her heart!

Firefighter Shay Campbell has been trying to keep his head above water since his wife walked out on him and their twin toddler sons. He’d do anything for those kids, but single parenthood is harder than he ever imagined. He lucks into meeting someone that seems to adore his boys as much as he does … but she has other things on her plate as well. Can this turn into more than just an infatuation?

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* Review * SKYSTONE CANYON by Diane J. Reed

May 21, 2018 1 Comment

Skystone Canyon by Diane J. Reed
Series: Iron Feather Brothers #2
Published by Bandits Ranch Books, LLC on April 14, 2018
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Barrett Iron Feather hardly has time for romance between busting drug rings as a veteran police officer and maintaining his roping winning streak at rodeos. Then his world turns upside down when the police chief goes behind his back and makes Barrett head of security for a Hollywood movie set. Skystone Canyon is a historical western being filmed in the picturesque mountain town of Bandits Hollow, and Barrett's furious he's been relegated to supervising "pampered city slickers". Yet he never dreamed duty would force him to run smack-dab into his first boyhood crush, former child star Lainey Neil. All grown up now, Lainey's no longer the chubby teen driven by her abusive father to attend "fat camp" at a Colorado horse ranch. She's a beautiful film star, and she's shocked to come face to face with Barrett, that unforgettable cowboy who taught her the grit she needed to survive her hellish childhood. Can a second chance at first love possibly blossom into forever love? Only destiny knows if Hollywood-style happy endings can become real...

Skystone Canyon is Book 2 in the Iron Feather Brothers contemporary western romance series.

A feisty cop, an actress and and a reunion of their childhood first love! With the second book in the Iron Feather Brothers series, we get Barrett’s story. It wasn’t quite as compelling as Dillon’s story in the first book of the series, but still really good. The characters were well developed and the plot was action packed!

Police officer Barrett Iron Feather is fit to be tied when he finds out the police chief has volunteered him to keep peace and order on the set of a movie being filmed in town. He has much better things to be doing than babysitting a bunch of self-righteous city slickers!

Former child star Lainey Nieil has a special affinity to Bandits Holllow and is thrilled to be there filming the movie she hopes will carry her into a whole new realm of acting jobs. Skystone Canyon is a historical western with a heroine full of sass and grit who proves how strong a woman can be no matter what adversity she’s faced with. Exactly the type of jobs she’s wanting to play!

It turns out Lainey went to camp in Bandits Hollow years ago and Barrett befriended her, so when they see each other again, it’s something special! Neither ever forgot the other, and the things they experienced with each other in their youth led each of them to be the person they are today. Will spending time together again lead to something more?

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* Review * COME HOME TO ME by Liz Talley

May 21, 2018 Leave a Comment

Come Home to Me by Liz Talley
Published by Montlake Romance on April 17, 2018
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Summer Valentine has returned to Moonlight, South Carolina, a very different woman from the naive wallflower who left years before. These days she’s straightforward and savvy, determined to do right by her son, David—even if that means cashing in her struggling music career in Nashville and returning to the town that drove her away. Sure, she took a fall. But at least she now knows where she stands…

Despite her anger over the past, Summer believes David deserves a relationship with his father, Hunter “Hunt” McCroy. Though Hunt’s illustrious career has faded, privilege still protects him from his worst mistakes.

Someone else is back in Moonlight too: Rhett Bryan, the golden boy of Hollywood, who’s taking stock of his own life after a tragic accident. As his rekindled friendship with Summer quickly deepens, she must reconcile the painful history that ties her to both men—one she’s finally forgiven, one she’s afraid to love—to claim healing and happiness.

A riveting story of love, self-awareness and the power of forgiveness! Liz Talley brings us a story of going home again … even when it holds memories of a time you might not want to remember. It’s sweet, it’s sad, it’s eye-openingly raw … yet through it all, the characters portray themselves in such a true and open way that they endear themselves to our heart and stay there. I’m not generally a fan of a story that goes back and forth between the present and the past in great length, but the author did a wonderful job of keeping us in the moment regardless of the perspective we were receiving at that time. This novel was very well written with a cast of characters who each had a unique story to tell, and carries a very powerful message at the heart of it all. Highly recommend!

Summer Valentine has decided to give up on her struggling music career in Nashville for the good of her son, and is moving back home to Moonlight, South Carolina. She’s no longer the naive girl that left, but seeing the people from that time in her life bring it all flooding back. She’ll do anything for her son … even encourage his relationship with the man who broke her years ago.

Big wig Hollywood star Rhett Bryan is also taking a walk down memory lane when he returns to visit his grandpa in Moonlight. He and summer were friends back in high school, and sharing a few laughs and memories with her is helping him overcome the tragedy he’s been dealing with of late. He’s heading back to LA soon, but spending time with Summer has been like a breath of fresh air.

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* Review * THE GOOD LUCK SISTER by Jill Shalvis

May 21, 2018 Leave a Comment

The Good Luck Sister by Jill Shalvis
Series: A Wildstone Novella
Published by William Morrow Impulse on May 1, 2018
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After a difficult few years, Tilly Adams is ready for life to start going right. Though she has a case of first-day nerves teaching art at the local community college, she knows it isn’t anything a few snuggles from her rescue puppy won’t cure. Until she sees Dylan Scott again, her one-time BFF and first love sitting in the front row.

Dylan knows he should’ve left well enough alone, but when he sees Tilly living her dream, he can’t help but make contact. Ten years ago, he left Wildstone and everything in it behind, including Tilly. He had his reasons, but now he wants her back in his life, anyway he can get her.

When Tilly agrees to design the logo for Dylan’s new helicopter touring company, it’s business only . . . until she finds herself falling into his arms once again. Can she possibly open her heart back up to the only man who’s ever broken it? But soon they’re both realizing the truth—love always deserves a second chance.

I adore that Jill Shalvis gave us all the story we have been clamoring for! If you read Lost and Found sisters, you’ll recognize Tilly and Dylan right off the bat, and will be entrenched in their story instantly. As teens they were the best of friends and the support that the other needed, no matter what happened in life. We all wondered what would be come of them … and now we know! The story picks up years later, but it’s quick to catch us up on all that has happened in each of their lives and even what’s been happening with Quinn & Mick. Loved, loved, loved it!

Tilly Adams knows the first day of teaching art at the community college is going to be a big day for her, but she had no clue the day was going to change her life! She can’t believe he’s there … after all these years … just sitting in her classroom. She’s angry at him, she should hate him … but he looks so good!

Dylan Scott had reasons that he thought were good ones when he broke his best friend and first love’s heart 10 years ago by leaving her. He’s back in town to start a helicopter touring company with some buddies and he heard she was doing well, living her dream … and as much as he should stay away, he can’t resist re-connecting!

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* Review * LUKE by Leigh Duncan

May 18, 2018 Leave a Comment

I voluntarily read an early copy of this book.

Luke by Leigh Duncan
Series: The Hometown Heroes Series #1
Published by Gardenia Street Publishing on May 18, 2018
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Fourth-generation cattleman Luke Parker looks into his childless future and wonders what will become of the ranch he’s worked so hard to preserve.

Sarah Magarity’s job with the Department of Children and Family Services has exposed her to the worst side of parenting. So much so that the altruistic redhead doubts she’ll ever have children of her own.

The solution to both their problems might be a five-year-old boy abandoned on DCF’s doorstep just days before Christmas, but only if the cowboy can convince a jaded social worker that he’s good father material on a two-week cattle drive through Florida’s version of the Old West.

** This book was originally published in 2012 as Harlequin Amercian Romance RANCHER'S SON **

A heartwarming story of finding happiness where you least expect it! It was quick to grab my attention, and the plot developed at a decent pace. The little boy stole the show and kept me smiling throughout. I felt like the relationship between Luke and Sarah could have been played out more, but overall, it was a solid read with the happy ending we were looking forward to. Enjoyed it!

Stressed out Department of Children & Family Services employee Sarah Magarity is just about to get some much needed time away from her hectic office, when a last minute visitor just before the office closes for the holiday leaves her with an adorable 5 year boy and no where to place him. She sets out to track down the man listed on his birth certificate before she’s left with no alternative than to place him in a group home that will traumatize the little guy.

Rancher Luke Parker has suffered a lot of loss in his life, but he’s persevered and is happy running his family legacy, the Circle P Ranch. He’s not sure why he’s being summoned to DCFS, but he’s a busy man and doesn’t have time for whatever game this woman is playing. When he discovers he might be a father to a child he knew nothing about, he’s shocked to say the least. He agrees takes him in while the tests are being run, but he makes sure Sarah stays right there hands on for when it’s proven his ex is lying!

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* Review * THE LAST KING by Katee Robert

May 16, 2018 Leave a Comment

The Last King by Katee Robert
Series: The Kings
Published by Forever on April 3, 2018
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THE MAN SHE HATES TO LOVE

Beckett King just inherited his father's fortune, his company--and all his enemies. If he's going to stay on top, he needs someone he can trust beside him. And though they've been rivals for years, there's no one he trusts more than Samara Mallick.

The rebel. That's how Samara has always thought of Beckett. And he's absolutely living up to his unpredictable ways when he strides into her office and asks for help. She can't help wondering if it's a legit request or just a ploy to get her into bed. Not that she'd mind either one. After all, she likes to live on the edge too.

But soon the threats to the King empire are mounting, and the two find family secrets darker than they ever imagined and dangerous enough to get them both killed.

Electrifyingly intense! Katee Robert’s has a magical way of introducing us into a new world that makes us feel like we’ve been there forever! With this novel, she is kicking off The Kings series and taking us into the heart of the King family where feuding and backstabbing has been a way of life. She weaves intrigue into the story in a way that has us waiting for the next shoe to fall around every corner. The characters are complex and exciting and the story left me wanting the next book … soon!

They’ve been butting heads for years, but the first person Beckett King thinks of when he finds himself overwhelmed dealing with his recent inheritance of his father’s business, assets and enemies is Samara Mallick. They work for opposite sides of a feuding family and have stared each other down in competition after competition in the business world, but it doesn’t stop them from sharing a powerful lust for one another that might be one of their undoings!

Samara is fiercely loyal to the person who gave her so many opportunities to get to the point in her career that she has reached today, and she won’t just turn her head while someone threatens their downfall. She feels like she’s being torn between two sides … and one minute her allegiance is strong for her employer, but then she’s in Beckett’s arms and he’s showing her his side of it all in the most sensual ways! Their connection is strong, but one side is going to fall and from the way things are stacking up, when it does, it’s going to cause an aftershock that will be felt by many. Can they outrun the danger they find themselves exposed to in time to see justice served?

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* Review * SCREWED by Kelly Jamieson

May 16, 2018 Leave a Comment

I voluntarily read an early copy of this book.

Screwed by Kelly Jamieson
Published by Entangled: Amara on May 28, 2018
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Cash Hale has been in love with his best friend’s wife forever. Now Callie and Beau are divorced, but she’s still way off-limits. Dating her would betray his friendship with Beau. And Cash is nothing if not loyal.

Callie Sutherland is starting over. The end of her marriage was just one more way she failed to live up to her wealthy family’s expectations, so from now on she’s not even going to try. It’s time to live her life the way she wants. And she wants Cash.

Cash and Beau aren’t just friends, they’re business partners, and the drop in the price of oil has hurt their business. They need to win the bid for Sutherland Industries’ next big project—but it may get messy since Callie’s family owns the business. Not only would Cash risk his friendship with Beau to be with her, he’d be risking the company they worked so hard to create.

But this new Callie isn’t taking no for an answer.

He’s so screwed...

He’s sexy, he’s kind-hearted, he’s totally breaking the bro code! I absolutely adored this book! Cash and Callie are super sweet together, and their chemistry is oh so sexy. The added storyline of being a secret gives it a taboo feel, but it’s not long before we start crossing our fingers that they find a way to turn it into forever. You’ll laugh, you’ll go “awwww” and you might need a fan during those steamy scenes!

Cash Hale has been carrying a torch for her since they met back in college. They had a connection, but the timing was all wrong. She was off-limits … his best friend’s girl … then his best friend’s wife. The logistics have changed now though … and he still feels that same old attraction when he’s in her presence. Can he really go against the loyalty that’s ingrained in his heart to try to find that happiness that has alluded him all these years?

Callie Sutherland is newly divorced and trying to figure out what to do with her life again. She kicked her cheating ex to the curb awhile back, and she’s tired of living simply to please impossible people. She’s going after what she wants, starting with Cash!

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* Review * BREATHE by Carly Phillips

May 15, 2018 Leave a Comment

I voluntarily read an early copy of this book.

Breathe by Carly Phillips
Series: Rosewood Bay #2
Published by CP Publishing on May 15, 2018
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Fall in love with the Wards…

From troubled teen to successful general contractor, Jake Nichols turned his life around from his time in foster care. Divorced and single, he juggles his time between his daughter and his work. Next on his agenda, a new project that is his chance to prove his worth at the job he loves. Except he never anticipates that the only girl he's ever loved and lost as a teen is now a grown and beautiful woman in charge of the project.

Phoebe Ward has survived and conquered a painful past that includes foster care and becoming a teenaged mom. She wants nothing more than to focus on the present but it’s hard when she looks into the eyes of her son, knowing she’s tried and failed to find his father. She’s resigned herself to raising him alone with the help of her family… Until a client meeting brings her face to face with her first love. A boy… now a sexy man she thought she’d never see again … and the father of her child.

So many years have gone by and both of their lives have changed drastically. Will they be able to put the past behind them and find the second chance they both deserve?

Reunited when they least expect it! With the second book in her Rosewood Bay series, Carly Phillips brings us Phoebe & Jake … a second chance at love story featuring a pair of childhood sweethearts who had no say in their split all those years ago and who find themselves feeling those same old feelings as soon as they set eyes on each other. She had a son he never even knew about … he lived through things she shudders to think about … but together again, they just might be able to rectify the mistakes and short changes of the past. This was a fast and easy read. A little light on complications in the current story line, but just enough strife to keep us tied into their relationship until the very end. I’m enjoying this series a lot, and look forward to the next book!

Single mom Phoebe Ward has a great support system with her family, but she’s never gotten over the fact that her son has had to grow up without knowing his father. She and her first love were separated before she learned she was pregnant, and although she tried to track him down, she was never able to find him. Imagine her surprise when she walks into a renovation site she’s supposed to be overseeing, and there he is … all grown up and sexy as ever!

Contractor Jake Nichols was dealt a tough hand in life, and though he let it overwhelm him a few times as he grew up, he eventually got on the straight and narrow and lucked into being mentored by a great man who taught him the tools of his trade and how to be a good person. He’s single with a precociously adorable daughter that he adores. When Phoebe walks onto his job site, he’s blown away … and happier than you can even imagine to see her!

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* Review * RUMOR HAS IT by Jessica Lemmon

May 15, 2018 Leave a Comment

I voluntarily read an early copy of this book.

* Review * RUMOR HAS IT by Jessica Lemmon

Rumor Has It by Jessica Lemmon
Series: Real Love #4
Published by Loveswept on May 15, 2018
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Barrett: As a former pro football star, I’m used to playing the field. After injuries cut my NFL career short, my second act as a broadcaster ended on live television when a hot mic picked up a little verbal . . . indiscretion. But this latest publicity stunt might just land me back on top—much to the chagrin of Catarina Everhart, the prissy, beautiful journalist who’s been assigned to date a bad boy (i.e., me) and write about it. Catarina swears I’ll never touch her, let alone kiss those full lips of hers. Based on our chemistry, I’m not buying it. . . .

Catarina: Barrett Fox seems to be doing everything in his power to make me hate him. The cocky egomaniac is infamous for his bad behavior, and now, thanks to my boss’s harebrained schemes, he’s apparently my problem. As one fake date leads to another, I start to see a different side of Barrett. He’s close with his family. He does volunteer work. And, okay, he kisses like a dream. Am I really dating Barrett Fox? Or is he playing me? Because suddenly I’m risking my reputation—and my heart.

Opposites attract in this fun and flirty gem! Jessica Lemmon has out done herself with this one. Barrett talks a good game, but he’s got a funny, down-to-earth side that takes a readers breath away even faster than his sexy persona. The banter between these two characters is laugh-out-loud funny, the sex is steamy and the overall book is just a super fun read!

Former NFL bad boy Barrett Fox has gotten himself into a bit of a pickle thanks to his temper and a hot mic during his broadcasting job, but he’s hoping his upcoming publicity stunt with an on-line gossip column will be just what he needs to get his job back and be welcomed back into the limelight and prestige!

Reporter Catarina Everhart can’t stand Barrett’s type just on the principal of him thinking he’s God’s gift, so when her boss informs her she’s doing a little side-job of pretending to date him for a summer assignment, she’s appalled! When one fake date leads to another and she actually starts to see the guy beneath all of the pomp, she starts to wonder if they’re still faking this relationship … because it’s starting to feel oh so real!

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* Review * A ROOF OVER THEIR HEADS by M.K. Stelmack

May 15, 2018 Leave a Comment

A Roof Over Their Heads by M. K. Stelmack
Series: A True North Hero
Published by Harlequin Heartwarming on February 1, 2018
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She can’t have the man she loves…if it means losing her child!

Alexi Docker’s a widow trying to adopt the child she and her husband had taken in. Except her new rental home turns out to be a disaster reno…and she, now single, has to prove she can give the boy everything he needs. That includes a roof over his head, four walls and running water! If not for the absentee landlady’s cranky recluse of a brother, she wouldn’t have been able to cope. But now Alexi has to choose between a man she’s growing to love and the boy she needs to adopt…because Seth Greene has a past that could ruin the adoption process.

With her debut Harlequin Heartwarming novel, M.K. Stelmack serves up an emotional punch that settles her into this line-up of lovely authors right off the bat! The heroine grabs our attention quickly with the hard life she’s having to juggle and despite the sadness she feels, she proves she’s rich at heart with the warmth of her family. The plot is rife with turmoil, yet extremely kind-hearted and easy to sink your teeth into. I found myself pulling for the family, and in particular hoping she and Seth would be able to work out that happily-ever-after they all deserved. Looking forward to more from this fresh voice!

Alexi Docker is trying to hold her life together after losing the husband that meant the world to her. She’s got four kids to be strong for, and she’d do anything for every single one of them … but especially the one that she and her husband were still in the process of adopting. She has to have a stable home and prove she’s the best fit for him … but the new house they moved all this way to live in is not what she was promised!

Seth Greene didn’t think he could be shocked by anything his sister would do at this point, but this one takes the cake. She’s gutted her house and then rented it out to a family and walked away. He’s been picking up the slack for her for years now, and he’s just simply done. No more Mr. Nice Guy! It all sounds good when he says it, but when faced with a struggling single mom who’s going to lose her kid if he doesn’t remodel the house, Seth caves and does everything he can to help her even if it means his sister is benefitting.

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