Review: Dark Irish Demon (Witch and Demon Hunter Book 1) by Leigh Ann Edwards

Tall, dark and devilishly handsome Lorcan Wright can spot evil better than anyone. As a half-demon, he knows it well, and numbs his own urges with alcohol and the many women eager to share his bed. Now, however, he’s determined to use his supernatural abilities for good. His job locating and assessing magical beings at the LAMB agency seems perfect… until he disagrees with them on which evil beings should be destroyed.

Lovely Fiona Maguire is a strong, independent woman who’s been around long enough to trust her instincts. She’s also a powerful witch employed at LAMB and has no patience for Lorcan’s immature antics. About the only opinion they share is the stupidity of LAMB’s rules. Why let someone die when, with a wave of her hand, she could send them to a safer time or place, right?

Rogue agents aren’t popular at LAMB, so when disturbing events occur that could change the course of human history, Lorcan and Fiona are forced into a partnership. Their assignment: gather a team of other gifted creatures from the past, uncover the mystery, stop the evil and save the current world.

To do that, they must first learn to trust each other.

Saving the world might be easier. 

 

My Review: 

I was hooked from the very first page.

Forced to work together, regardless of their dislike for each other, LAMB agents, Fiona Maguire’s and Lorcan Wright, make the best of the situation and set out to fight evil.  This first book in the Witch and Demon Hunter series is a fast paced highly addictive story.  I couldn’t get enough of Fiona and Lorcan.  I enjoyed seeing how they became friends and learned to work together.  The book has lots of action and fun banter making it one that I won’t soon forget.

 

Review: Christmas Baby for the Cowboy (Sweethearts of the Rodeo Book 4) by Jamie K. Schmidt

He has big rodeo dreams. She dreams of one true love.

Loretta Keller had a five-year-plan to get her life back on track after a series of romantic disasters. Getting pregnant during a fling with a charming bullfighter was not on her agenda, but she struggles to make their new dynamic work until their son falls ill. Making a difficult decision, Loretta leaves the rodeo tour to settle in Last Stand, Texas to build a life of love and stability for her child.

Raised in the shadow of his famous rodeo clown father, Taylor Keating is driven to prove himself but torn by the challenges of providing for his new family. He’s surprised that even with the chaos of sleepless nights and diaper changes, he and Loretta find happiness and a love they never imagined.

As Christmas approaches, Taylor and Loretta navigate the joys and challenges of parenthood. But when Taylor’s desire for validation leads him to take a dangerous bull riding gig, will it unravel everything they’ve begun to build?

 

My Review:

Their journey wasn’t perfect, but it was well worth it. 

This is a beautiful romance about two young people with big dreams. Taylor is a bullfighter, who wants to be a bull rider and Loretta is a traveling artist with the rodeo.  In this book we see Loretta and Taylor’s real-world trials learning to support themselves, along with their baby, and how they finally achieve their dreams. This book felt so real with lots of emotional and memorable moments. It is a great addition to the Sweethearts of the Rodeo series.

 

Review: A Southern Christmas by Susan Sands, Sinclair Jayne & Laurie Beach

A Georgia Christmas by Susan Sands

Christmas in Moonshine, Georgia is salon owner Merilee Bell’s favorite season. She might still be single in her mid- thirties, but she’s finally content, proud of her business and herself as she’s made strides to make peace with her past. And then just at closing time, a tall, dark and handsome new deputy enters her shop, and everything seems poised to change.

Weeks before Christmas, Georgia Bureau of Investigation agent, Randy Slade arrives in Moonshine posing as Moonshine’s newest deputy for an undercover sting to catch a group of high-tech property thieves. Only the sheriff is aware of his true identity, but from the moment he meets Merilee, who trades a haircut for free parking, he’s smitten by her smile and warm, friendly manner. Unfortunately, she also has a rental property perfectly suited for his undercover operation.

Randy doesn’t want to lie, but he has a duty to keep citizens safe, including Merilee. Can he do his job and still celebrate a small town southern Christmas, and maybe more with his dream girl?

The Christmas Chef by Sinclair Jayne

This Christmas, he just might believe in a little magic…

Rustin Wildish furiously left Belmont North Carolina as a teen to make his reputation in the culinary world. Over twelve years later, he’s back in the town that where the founding family of Mayes once branded him a worthless bad boy. Intent to show them how wrong they were, he buys the local diner—considered an institution—from his former mentor and boss, Miss Millie Maye and transforms. Success will be his revenge as the Maye’s and other ‘upstanding families,’ are forced to eat their words and so much more. But then the youngest Maye daughter asks him for help, and he inexplicably says yes.

This Christmas Chloe Maye has finally bitten off far more than she can chew. She’s agreed to organize The Maye family’s annual fundraiser–a movable feast where historic downtown homes are open to the public and each serve one course of a lavish meal. Chloe can’t cook so armed with a historic handwritten cookbook she mysteriously finds in a mini library outside her Grandma Millie’s home, she approaches Rustin for help. She’s always crushed on him and is thrilled he’s back.

But when Rustin, who ignored her their entire childhood, takes a bite from the meal she cooks under his exacting supervision, the unthinkable happens. He falls head over heels in love…

A Saltwater Christmas by Laurie Beach

Christmas is a time of miracles–but is it magical enough to change a person’s mind?

Allie Westley’s Christmas will be a bit different this year. She’s taken a big step to move away from Nashville to Goose Island, South Carolina, to pursue her dream of becoming a wine enologist, and she’s not tripping over this chance to make a break from her family, either. She’ll spend December 25 doing her own thing. Although the beach might be cold, it is the perfect place for new traditions.

But she was also counting on her new roommate, Sam Clare, to be a sister she never had. Instead, Sam is an ex-military man now working as a paramedic. Even his dog, Buttercup, is part wolf. Yet he turns out to be the most understanding person in her new world, despite the fact that she’s declared him her enemy.

As the season’s activities bring them together, Allie uncovers several details her new circle of friends weren’t forthcoming about. But will the secret Sam’s keeping break her heart or mend what she didn’t realize was broken?

 

My Review:

Lots of southern charm and Christmas spirit.

I thoroughly enjoyed all of these stories.   Even though they are novellas, they feel like full length novels with a great plot, likable characters and all the details I have come to expect.  Each one is packed with southern charm and Christmas spirit.  I have read books by each one of these authors and always enjoy their work.  But if you’re a first-time reader of any of these authors, this is the perfect way to check out their work.  This is a wonderful sampler.