Archives for May 27, 2025

* Review * ENCORE by Gillian Archer

May 27, 2025 Leave a Comment

I voluntarily read an early copy of this book.

Encore by Gillian Archer
Series: Tin Gods Rock Stars #4
on May 29, 2025
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What happens during a Vegas residency doesn't stay in Vegas. Not when you hate your rock star boss.

I don’t know what crawled up my drum tech’s ass, but I’m over Alice’s bullsh*t.

I’m too busy juggling my not-so-anonymous NA meetings, our new Vegas residency, and my dad’s Alzheimer’s demands to tiptoe around Ms. Alice.
She works for me.

So next time she sets up my drumkit, I don’t want to hear her snarky comments or muttered insults.

Her shapely little body doesn’t make up for her smart mouth.

No matter how curvy it is.

Or how pouty her full lips are. Dammit.

Just because I’m her boss and we hate each other doesn’t mean we have to play by the rules.

After all, what happens in Vegas…

Encore is the final book of the Tin Gods Rock Stars series.

The emotional conclusion to the Tin Gods Rock Stars series was top notch! I really enjoyed seeing Noah redeemed and getting to know Alice’s backstory. I wanted a little more camaraderie of the band gathering around outside of being on stage. There were definitely some wholes in the storyline that could have used some development (his fam, the record label change, etc) but overall it was a great story and left me happy for them all. I only wish there were more members so we could keep it going! Heartwarming friendships, sassy connections and so much spice and drama to sink your teeth into.

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* Review * HIDDEN NATURE by Nora Roberts

May 27, 2025 Leave a Comment

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* Review * HIDDEN NATURE by Nora Roberts

Hidden Nature by Nora Roberts
Published by St. Martin's Press on May 27, 2025
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Natural Resources police officer, Sloan Cooper, and her partner had just taken down three men preying on hikers in the Western Maryland mountains. Driving back, she pulled in at a convenience store—and walked right into a robbery in progress. One gunshot from a jittery thief was about to change her world.

After being shocked back to life on the operating table, she has a long recovery ahead, so she moves back to her parents’ peaceful house in Heron’s Rest. As for the boyfriend who dumped her via text while she was in the hospital, good riddance.

She may be down, but she’s not out. So when a woman vanishes, leaving her car behind in a supermarket parking lot, Sloan searches online for similar cases. She finds them, spread across three states. Men and women, old and young—the missing seem to have nothing in common. And the abductions keep happening.

Luckily, the new man in her life shares her passion for solving this mystery. But it will take every ounce of endurance to get to the dark heart of this bizarre case—and she's willing to risk her life again if that's what it takes to stop the horror.

Highly addictive and enthralling! Nora Roberts had me from the first page to the last in this unexpected tale! I was first hooked by Sloan Cooper’s story as a Natural Resource police officer who walks into a convenience store at the wrong time and ends up fighting for her life. We get to know her well along with her family and the Western Maryland area that she’s from. And then the twist comes in that really hooks you. People are disappearing with no sign ever found again and it’s caught Sloan’s attention. She takes us along for quite the ride as she hunts for answers. Falling for the guy next door just adds to the heart of the story. Loved Sloan, her family and the neighbors! Highly recommend to anyone that enjoys a suspense with romance and heart mixed throughout.

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* Review * HIDDEN HEIR, ITALIAN WIFE by Dani Collins

May 27, 2025 Leave a Comment

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* Review * HIDDEN HEIR, ITALIAN WIFE by Dani Collins

Hidden Heir, Italian Wife by Dani Collins
Published by Harlequin Presents on May 27, 2025
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He’s discovered her secret…
And taken her as his bride!

Since her night of pure, indulgent passion with Jackson Visconti, Brielle Hughes has been a devoted single mother. In Bree’s world, men—fathers—cannot be relied on. Until three years later, the unforgettable Italian billionaire bursts back into her life…demanding her hand in marriage!

Jax refuses to allow his daughter to be raised without the protection of his Visconti name—and he will be a present father. So Bree wearing his ring is nonnegotiable! But the undeniable incendiary connection that reignites between them threatens to completely unravel the hard-edged tycoon…

Fast paced and enjoyable! Surprise babies are one of my favorites and Dani Collins wrote this one beautifully. After a night of passion while on vacation, Bree winds up with an adorable daughter to love, but no way to contact the man who shared in her fate. A few years down the road she is shocked to see his face in a family photo with her new boss … but not as shocked as he is to learn that he has a child! A marriage of convenience is agreed on as they return to Italy with him, but falling for your husband who is emotionally closed off to love leaves Bree unsure of what to do next. I liked Bree and Jackson a lot and felt like they were developed well so we could easily understand both points of view. The ending was a little abrupt, but I enjoyed them very much. Highly recommend!

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* Review * SAVE HER LIFE by Carolyn Arnold

May 27, 2025 Leave a Comment

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* Review * SAVE HER LIFE by Carolyn Arnold

Save Her Life by Carolyn Arnold
Series: Sandra Vos #1
Published by Bookouture on May 27, 2025
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The tears fall down the girl’s pale face as she desperately tries to struggle free from the ties around her wrists. The only sound in the room other than her muffled cries is the ticking of a clock. Her mother has less than one hour to find her alive.

It’s been more than thirty years since Special Agent Sandra Vos’s twin brother was shot dead, an innocent victim caught in a kidnap gone wrong. It devastated Sandra’s family, but it made her who she is today, one of the FBI’s most successful negotiators.

After dropping her teenage daughter, Olivia, at school, Sandra is alerted to a potential hostage situation at her local grocery store and races to the scene. A man has pulled out a gun and is refusing to talk or let anyone out of the building until his demands are met. The fate of dozens of lives rests in Sandra’s hands.

But as Sandra starts to make a breakthrough with the hostage taker, she receives a call that makes her blood run cold. Someone has taken Olivia, and their demand will push Sandra to her absolute limit. If it’s not met within twenty-four hours, she will never see her daughter again.

Sandra knows she should step aside, letting her team take over, but she doesn’t trust anyone else to bring Olivia home alive. Breaking every rule in the book, Sandra is ready to go into her most personal negotiation yet. But how much will she have to sacrifice to save her daughter?

Intense suspense and heartwarming main character! Carolyn Arnold is setting the stage for so much good suspense to come with the first book in her Sandra Vos series. I loved Sandra and can’t wait to see more. Her backstory is well developed and gives the reader a strong inclination to like the things that drive her to take down the bad guys. Her private life is intriguing with a teen daughter to raise, an ex-husband she has to make nice with and a boyfriend she doesn’t advertise. The twists in the story made for lots of danger and excitement. I’m hooked!

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* Review * THE CREEKSIDE MURDER by Carol Ericson

May 27, 2025 Leave a Comment

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* Review * THE CREEKSIDE MURDER by Carol Ericson

The Creekside Murder by Carol Ericson
Series: Pacific Northwest Forensics #1
Published by Harlequin Intrigue on May 27, 2025
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Her sister’s murder was his professional downfall

Now protecting her will be his redemption

Crime scene investigator Jessica Eller needs Finn Karlsson’s help. The criminal justice expert was there ten years ago when her sister’s killer confessed to the crime. But now recent homicides are mimicking that horrendous murder, suggesting that the real culprit is still at large. And then Jessica is targeted, forcing Finn to play the killer's games in his attempts to protect the woman he's grown to love…

Great kickoff to Carol Ericson’s brand new Pacific Northwest Forensics series! Danger is lurking from start to finish as Jessica returns home to try to reopen the cold case of her sister’s murder. While investigating, similar murders begin to mimic Tiffany’s final days and lead Jessica on a race against time to find the killer. I liked Jessica and Finn a lot and connected easily with their story, but I did want just a smidge more explanation for how he came to lose his job back then and go on to teach at the college. The characters are well developed overall, the suspense is top notch and the ending was quite the twist. I’m looking forward to more to come in the series!

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* Review * THE GUEST COTTAGE by Lori Foster

May 27, 2025 Leave a Comment

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* Review * THE GUEST COTTAGE by Lori Foster

The Guest Cottage by Lori Foster
Series: Firefly Summer #1
Published by Kensington Books on May 27, 2025
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Love, forgiveness, and renewal take center stage in the haven of a quiet lakeside town when two very different women bond over one man’s betrayals in this uplifting new series from New York Times bestselling author Lori Foster.

Marlow Heddings is starting over. She’s carried the outrage of her husband Dylan’s affair with a younger woman—and the expectations of his family’s powerful Chicago holdings company—long enough. Now, after another devastating twist of fate, she’s unapologetically moving on.

Arriving in tiny Bramble, Kentucky, Marlow revels in her freedom, swapping her executive suits for sundresses . . . and scouting places to open her dream boutique. Best of all is her new residence, an adorable cottage with gorgeous lake views—and a breathtaking landlord, former Marine Cort Easton. Soon they’re sharing dockside morning coffee and nighttime firefly gazing. Marlow’s new life feels like a dream.

Then Pixie Nolan arrives on her doorstep. With a shocking secret.

To Marlow’s astonishment, Dylan’s “other woman” is a desperate girl of nineteen, destitute, exhausted, and disowned by her family. Defying her manipulative in-laws’ demands, and surprising even herself, Marlow vows to lay down roots in Bramble and help Pixie get on her feet. Then they’ll part ways. But empathy has a way of forging bonds. As Marlow grows close to the hard-working, devoted young woman, she becomes something of a big sister to Pixie.

Now, with each sunrise, Marlow awakens to the life she was truly meant to live, one filled with deepening connections, supportive friendship . . . and even a second chance at love.

With the first book in her brand new Firefly Summer series, Lori Foster proves yet again why she’s an auto-buy for so many! She beautifully delivers a complex story filled with easy to like characters, lots of turmoil to keep you addicted and a strong female lead who is no longer willing to settle for less than. In this story of revelation and redemption, we embark on a smalltown filled with a goodhearted and quirky cast of characters that will keep you smiling as drama unfolds and hearts are healed. I can’t wait to see more of this smalltown family and hope Pixie gets a story! The ending was a tad abrupt, but absolute perfection otherwise. Looking forward to the next book already and highly recommend this one!

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* Review * K-9 JUSTICE by Nichole Severn

May 27, 2025 Leave a Comment

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* Review * K-9 JUSTICE by Nichole Severn

K-9 Justice by Nichole Severn
Series: New Mexico Guard Dogs #6
Published by Harlequin Intrigue on May 27, 2025
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A K-9 will help her catch a criminal cartel

Socorro Security founder Ivy Bardot had dedicated the last two years to taking down a cartel. She’d even sent in her former FBI partner, Carson Lang, as an undercover operative. Now the syndicate was coming for members of her team. Despite having her trusted K-9, Ivy also needed Carson out and by her side. But revealing his true identity could come with a dire price. They’d sacrificed so much, including their own feelings, to seek justice. Were they prepared to risk their own lives?

A fitting finale to a really entertaining series! The final book in the New Mexico Guard Dogs series did not disappoint on action and suspense. I wanted more heart and connection put into Ivy and Carson to really pull on my heartstrings, but the overall storyline wrapped up decently. There are some twists that we weren’t expecting, and a great push of camaraderie between the group as a whole to wrap it all up.

I recommend this series to anyone looking for a fast paced intrigue series that centers around taking down a major drug cartel with the help of a cast of heroes and their K9 sidekicks.

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* Review * MISSING IN TEXAS by Virginia Vaughan

May 27, 2025 Leave a Comment

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* Review * MISSING IN TEXAS by Virginia Vaughan

Missing in Texas by Virginia Vaughan
Series: Lone Star Defenders #2
Published by Love Inspired Suspense on May 27, 2025
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Can she crack a decade-old cold case

before the murderer silences her?

The moment FBI agent Christy Williams arrives in Mercy, Texas, determined to solve her friend’s disappearance twelve years ago, she becomes a killer’s number one target. Ignoring the threats on her life, she partners with Deputy Mike Tyner, the cousin of one of the chief suspects…and the last person to see her friend alive. As they work to investigate this cold case together, it becomes clear someone will stop at nothing to keep the past hidden. With time running out, can Mike keep Christy alive long enough to find justice for her friend…before a murderer strikes again?

Great read from start to finish! The second book in the Lone Star Defenders series by Virginia Vaughan is filled with unexpected twists and lots of great scene/character development. The plot is wrought with tension but also lots of faith and good-heartedness. I found the love between Christy and Mike to be unbelievable because there was really no development at all on that front, but the cold case carried the storyline quite well and made the book enjoyable regardless. Loved how it all wrapped up and highly recommend for a quick intrigue.

Filed Under: Book Reviews