Archives for January 20, 2024

* Review * POINT OF DISAPPEARANCE by Carol Ericson

* Review * POINT OF DISAPPEARANCE by Carol EricsonPoint of Disappearance by Carol Ericson
Series: A Discovery Bay Novel #2
Published by Harlequin Intrigue on December 26, 2023
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four-half-stars

A monster is stalking the woods…
And boys are disappearing.

Finding human remains while putting out a fire isn’t something forest ranger Tate Mitchell ever expected. Nor is the appearance of far too appealing Blanca Lopez. The FBI agent is on the island to solve a cold case involving a boy’s disappearance. A case Tate has tried very hard to forget. But when another boy vanishes, Tate and Blanca have to put aside their mutual attraction and find answers for the families. Could those answers lie in Tate’s memories of one fateful afternoon?

 

Fast paced and addictive suspense! The second book in the Discovery Bay series was quick to grab my attention as a forest ranger and an FBI agent join forces to solve the case of a cold case that might or might not be connected to a newly recovered burial site. I enjoyed the back story of the case and of Tate, but felt like Blanca’s past was left hanging a bit with the introduction of her former mentor/coworker who was showing a stalkerish attitude but then sort of dropped to the wayside as action began to pick up in the storyline. Overall I enjoyed the story wholeheartedly and liked Tate and Blanca together.

I recommend this book as well as the prior one in the series to anyone who enjoys a mystery that is tied up quickly with hints of romance throughout.

four-half-stars

* Review * SOLD TO THE CIRCUS by Lani Lynn Vale

I voluntarily read an early copy of this book.

* Review * SOLD TO THE CIRCUS by Lani Lynn ValeSold to the Circus by Lani Lynn Vale
Series: Welcome to the Circus #5
on January 23, 2024
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four-half-stars

AITA: Am I the asshole?
Five years ago when she left, she broke my heart. No warning. No hey, this isn’t working out. No nothing. Just poof. One day she’s there, in my bed, and we’re talking about our futures. The next, she’s gone.
So when she shows up five years later and acts like she didn’t leave me with a broken heart, I get angry. So. Freakin’. Angry.
Of course, this is where I spiral. When we went through medical school together, we were on equal footing. Not anymore. Now I’m her attending, and I’ve made it my personal mission to make her life hell.
She wants to finish up her residency and finally become a doctor? Well, she’ll have to go through every single bad thing I can throw at her, first.
Seeping, maggot-infested, pus-filled bed sore? Yep, that’s hers to take care of. Man shitting every three seconds uncontrollably? That’s also hers. Man and woman having a baby while also in the throes of a divorce? You guessed it. Hers.
If I can make her leave after what she put me through, I’ll feel accomplished.
Only problem is, I forgot how determined Valhalla Singh was. Guess she’ll be reminding me.
Because Valhalla wasn’t named that for nothing.

 

Highly addictive drama! With the fifth book in the Welcome to the Circus series we get Valhalla’s story and it had me hooked from start to finish. I loved Val and Felix and the drama surrounding them, but I did feel like there was a bit of a disconnect from the series with this book. We don’t get a lot of detailed backstory of the family, and there’s an event with one of her sisters that never gets developed as to what happened, so if you are only reading this book as a standalone, you’re going to be a bit lost. Overall, I love the angst LLV pours onto the page with every series she delivers, but think there could be more cohesiveness to support a more standalone deliverance.

I recommend this book as well as the rest of the series to anyone who enjoys a close knit family filled with drama and turmoil who stand by each other through thick and thin as each sibling finds their forever love.

four-half-stars

* Review * FORTUNE’S BABY CLAIM by Michelle Major

I voluntarily read an early copy of this book.

* Review * FORTUNE’S BABY CLAIM by Michelle MajorFortune's Baby Claim by Michelle Major
Series: The Fortunes of Texas: Digging for Secrets #1
Published by Harlequin Fortunes of Texas on January 23, 2024
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four-half-stars

An unthinkable mistake…Might be their good fortune!

It’s every parent’s worst nightmare come true when two babies are mistakenly switched at birth! Single mom Esme Fortune already loves the infant she brought home from the hospital, but she can’t possibly deny her own flesh and blood. And even if businessman Ryan Hayes never expected to be parenting a baby alone, he certainly doesn't want to give up his son. Their unconventional solution: Why not join forces—and raise the kids together? The pair's unbreakable love for their children brokers an unlikely partnership…and as an undeniable respect and attraction grows, perhaps so much more.

 

Addictive start to a dramatic new Fortunes of Texas: Digging for Secrets series! Michelle Major can always be counted on to deliver down to earth characters who deliver angst and tension around every corner. I love the back bone of this story and am looking forward to what’s to come in the series now that we have an inkling of who might be behind the goings on around town. I felt like Esme and Ryan’s relationship was a smidge stunted and wanted just a little more oomph from them in their development and groundwork, but overall I loved their story and am looking forward to the series as a whole.

I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a fast paced, heartwarming story of connection as every day life springs surprises that the characters have to deal with on their way towards forever.

four-half-stars

* Review * A NINE-MONTH DEAL WITH HER HUSBAND by Joss Wood

* Review * A NINE-MONTH DEAL WITH HER HUSBAND by Joss WoodA Nine-Month Deal with Her Husband by Joss Wood
Series: Hot Winter Escapes #5
Published by Harlequin Presents on December 26, 2023
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five-stars

His business-deal bride…
is negotiating for an heir!

Millie Piper’s on-paper marriage to CEO Benedikt Jónsson gave her ownership over her life and her billion-dollar inheritance. Now Millie wants a baby, so it’s only right that she ask Ben for a divorce first. But she doesn’t expect to be completely blindsided by her attraction to her convenient husband!

For lone-wolf Ben, Millie’s in-person request ignites a dangerous desire. The intimacy of having his wife in his luxury Iceland home already threatens his ruthless self-control, though nothing compares to the shock of Millie’s next proposal—that Ben father her child!

 

Really addictive plot! I highly enjoyed my jaunt to Iceland in Joss Wood’s latest Harlequin Presents. The characters have an interesting back story connection and I was quickly hooked on the drama that was on the horizon from it. Rich plot, intriguing sexual chemistry and a pair of really heartwarming and down to earth power players. Loved them!

I highly recommend this book to anyone that enjoys an arranged marriage trope that turns all too real when a connection begins that neither expected.

five-stars

* Review * HER LAST CRY by Pamela Fagan Hutchins

I voluntarily read an early copy of this book.

* Review * HER LAST CRY by Pamela Fagan HutchinsHer Last Cry by Pamela Fagan Hutchins
Series: Detective Delaney Pace #3
Published by Bookouture on January 16, 2024
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five-stars

A young woman has vanished into thin air.

When much-loved Annabeth Dillon is reported missing during a snow storm in Kearney, Wyoming, Detective Delaney Pace is called in. The search leads to a remote woodland cabin, and Delaney is distraught to find Annabeth’s lifeless body on the bed, dark red ties gripping her tight, long black hair covering her face. Searching the scene, she spots a dark figure at the window and rushes to give chase, but he gets away. Could it have been the killer?

Another victim is about to be taken.

As a local activist, Annabeth had a lot of enemies and she was no stranger to death threats. So why was she alone in an isolated cabin? And when one of Annabeth’s colleagues is found dead in her own home, Delaney fears that the murders are linked. Were the women hiding a secret that someone killed to keep?

A twisted killer is in town and they’re only just getting started.

Days later, Delaney discovers that the murderer left DNA evidence on the body, and she’s shocked to her core when she learns who it belongs to. She knows the killer. As she jumps to action, another call comes in—someone close to her has gone missing. Delaney knows just how dangerous the killer is, but she’s prepared to risk everything, even her own life, to save the life of another innocent victim. Will she find them in time?

 

Secrets are unraveling as danger lurks around every corner in the third book in the Delaney Pace series by Pamela Fagan Hutchins and I’m really enjoying sinking my teeth into this cast of players! We uncover some secrets as more mount with each passing page as Delaney continues to try to solve the mysteries surrounding her family. The characters are addictive and the suspense is high pitched. I really enjoy the core players of this series and am looking forward to more to come from them. I’m still hoping that sexual tension will pan out into a happily ever after for Delaney and Leo.

I highly recommend this book as well as the entire series to anyone that enjoys a whodunnit with lots of twists and turns along the way as an ongoing cast holds our attention and brings us new cases with each book.

five-stars

* Review * JUST A LITTLE PROMISE by Carly Phillips and Erika Wilde

I voluntarily read an early copy of this book.

* Review * JUST A LITTLE PROMISE by Carly Phillips and Erika WildeJust a Little Promise by Carly Phillips
Series: Dare Crossover #3
on January 23, 2024
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five-stars

He’s the one she’s never forgotten.
She’s the one he regrets letting go.
Now they have a second chance to get it right.

When Skye Tremont runs into her sexy former flame, Tripp Daniels, she’s reminded of the baby pact they’d made years ago… If she was single and childless by the age of thirty, he’d step in and be her baby daddy and fulfill her dream of having a child.

Now, after a bitter divorce that has left her guarding her heart, and wanting only one thing, Skye is ready to take Tripp up on his promise. When he’s one of the bachelors up for bid at a charity auction, it’s the perfect opportunity to have him all to herself for a weekend of baby making fun, as long as he agrees to her terms.

Tripp is on board to fulfill the promise he made to Skye. If he’s going to have a baby with anyone, it’s going to be the one woman he’d foolishly let slip through his fingers. But not this time because he’s all in. Skye is even more beautiful than he remembers, and the chemistry between them is hotter than ever, but while she gives him free rein with her body, she’s made it clear her heart is off limits.

Now, with a second chance within his grasp, Tripp is prepared to do whatever it takes to win the woman he loves and give them both the family they’ve always craved.

 

A sexy and sweet reunion is center stage in the next Dare Crossover novel by Carly Phillips and Erika Wilde and I loved every juicy minute of it! The characters each have a rich backstory both together and singularly and the drama that Skye is embarking on in her life sets an interesting stepping stone for their reconnection. Each has a supporting cast of friends/colleagues that are familiar faces to fans of the previous series. Highly addictive and super satisfying!

I highly recommend this book as well as the previous Dare series to anyone that enjoys a steamy romance with easy to connect with characters, lots of drama along the way towards their happily ever after and lots of family and friends to interact with throughout the series.

five-stars