Review: Punk Rock Cowgirl by Kasey Lane

When Kendall Kelly's career as the free spirited punk country crossover queen ends in a fiery ball of doom and humiliation, she has no place to go but back to her hometown Blackberry Cove, California, where she abandoned her secret husband years ago without so much as a note. She’s hoping to pick up the pieces of her shattered life and finally cut the last tie to the only man she ever loved.

As part owner of Kelly Family Farms, Damian Sloan has spent the last few years rebuilding the floundering business into a growing organic farm. He thought he'd moved on from his broken heart, but when Kendall barges back into his life—broken but beautiful as ever---he soon realizes he hasn’t forgotten. Or forgiven. Kendall threatens everything he’s built, but he can’t quite turn her away.

Damian and Kendall must put aside their differences for the success of the farm they both depend on. Maybe, in the process, they can rebuild what they tragically lost.

My Review: 

  

Kendall Kelly, also known as the punk rock cowgirl, was burned out.  She was tired of touring and always being told what to do.  Plus her manager embezzled the advance her record label gave her and now they wanted their money back.  She was back in Blackberry Cove, the town she grew up in and couldn't wait to leave, for her grandmother's funeral.

Kendall planned to stay for the funeral and will reading and be gone as quick as she got there.  But there are a couple glitches in her plan.  She still married to Damian Sloane, even though she walked away from him four years to start her music career.  Kendall's grandmother left Kelly Farms to both of them.  Now, Damian wants Kendall to stay and pick up where they left off and Kendall is starting to enjoy being with him and life on the farm.   But when Kendall gets a call from her record label and they want to meet with her in Los Angeles, Damian doesn’t take it too well.  Will leaving Damian this time be their final goodbye?

I always enjoy a good second chance story and this one grabbed me from the start.  I liked the characters and enjoyed seeing how their story played out.  I look forward to reading the rest of the books in this series.

Review: Liberated (The VIP Desire Agency Book 4) by Mel Teshco

Can two men conquer one woman’s heart?

Eloise Chand isn’t just any woman, she’s also Savannah, stunning call girl. But it doesn’t stop unprofessional thoughts about her favorite clients, Saxon and Julian. She knows she’s in trouble. She doesn’t want her career destroyed by personal attraction. She’s a business woman first and foremost, and the Wolfe brothers aren’t part of her career plan.

Adopted brothers, Saxon and Julian, share more than just their billion dollar real estate development business. But never in their wildest dreams did they expect to fall for the same call girl. She’s a woman whose hot-blooded sexuality and independence stirs something deep in them both. That she’s beyond willing to share the same bed with them is just a bonus they want to further explore.

But how do they permanently attain the one woman who just might be unattainable?


My Review:

This is not your mother’s romance!

Eloise Chand escaped an abusive arranged marriage in Napal years ago.  Now she is one of the most popular call girls at the VIP Desire Agency and goes by the name Savannah.  Recently, Eloise has been having trouble keeping a couple of her clients off her mind.  Normally, when she leaves her customers, she has no problem moving onto the next.  But the Wolfe Brothers, Julian and Saxon, have gotten into her head and she can’t quit thinking about them. 

Self-made billionaires, Julian and Saxon, have both fallen in love with Savannah and they will do anything to have her as their own.  They just need to convince her how much they really want her.  But their love does come with a cost.  Savannah will have to give up her career, and she has no plans on doing that.  How far with Julian and Saxon go to get their way?

This book is not your typical romance.  For starters, there are two men as the love interest and some very steamy scenes.  But the story is well written and the characters are some that you will be cheering on all the way through the book.  Although the ending was easy to predict, I still enjoyed reading this book and there were some surprises.  I have read all of the books in the series and this one is now my favorite of them.

Review: The Recipe Box by Viola Shipman

Growing up in northern Michigan, Samantha “Sam” Mullins felt trapped on her family’s orchard and pie shop, so she left with dreams of making her own mark in the world. But life as an overworked, undervalued sous chef at a reality star’s New York bakery is not what Sam dreamed.

When the chef embarrasses Sam, she quits and returns home. Unemployed, single, and defeated, she spends a summer working on her family’s orchard cooking and baking alongside the women in her life—including her mother, Deana, and grandmother, Willo. One beloved, flour-flecked, ink-smeared recipe at a time, Sam begins to learn about and understand the women in her life, her family’s history, and her passion for food through their treasured recipe box.

As Sam discovers what matters most she opens her heart to a man she left behind, but who now might be the key to her happiness.


My Review:

“You bake for someone because it is familial and familiar, new yet ancestral, a way of connecting generations.”

This was an easy book for me to get pulled into.  The story is set among the backdrop of northern Michigan and New York City and follows Sam Mullins when she suddenly quits her dream job in New York City and returns home to Michigan.  Her family is there with open arms, lots of encouragement and words of wisdom to help her decide what to do about her career and her love life. 

The story flashes back and forth between Sam and her relatives, with the stories about their life at the Mullins Family Orchard and Pie Pantry and how they prepare it for future generations.  It’s an inspirational story that will remind you of the importance of family.  I liked how each section of the book was titled with a dessert and the recipe is pulled from the recipe box and prepared during that part of the story.  The recipes are included after each section so you can recreate them.  It even made someone like me, a non-baker, want to start baking.  I had a hard time putting down this book.  Not a detail was missed and everything was so vividly written that it felt very real to me.  I could easily visualize this book as a movie.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the ARC of this book

Review: What the Moon Saw by D.L. Koontz

When newlywed FBI agent and brilliant linguist Libby Shaw is warned that her death is imminent, she’ll do anything she can to survive–even take mysterious advice to submerge in mineral water of Bedford Springs during a full moon. Libby finds herself thrust back in time to 1926, where danger and intrigue surround her. As Libby tries to adapt to her new life, she finds herself oddly drawn to the town sheriff who seems to know her far better than she knows herself. Yet he seems eerily familiar and as pieces of a past start surfacing in dreams and visions, Libby seeks out the handsome sheriff for answers, only to find more questions.

As Libby learns someone is following her to change history, she must join forces with the sheriff to uncover the mystery of their past. Will they be thwarted by the master criminal who's determined to destroy them both or will they be able to build a life together after lifetimes of being pulled apart by nefarious forces?

My Review:  

What would you do if someone told you that you only had two weeks to live?

FBI Agent Libby Shaw’s new boyfriend just dropped this bomb on her.  He told her he has traveled to the future and knows when and where certain events will happen, and her death is one of them.  When Libby’s inoperable brain tumor is confirmed by a doctor, Libby takes Andrew’s advice and submerges herself in the medicinal waters of Bedford Springs.  When Libby emerges from the water, she has been transported from the year 2016 to 1926.    

While Libby is adjusting to her new life, she realizes her help is needed there more than she knew.  But not everything is as it seems in this new life, especially when it comes to the town’s Sheriff, Brogan Harrow.  Libby can’t shake the feeling that she knows him from somewhere.  Could Libby have been transported to 1926 for a particular reason?

Saying this book is highly addictive is an understatement.  Once I started reading it, I couldn’t stop.  I needed to know what happened next.  And the ending is one that I didn’t see coming.  The author did a fantastic job weaving a story that is entertaining and unpredictable. I have read some time travel books and can only say most were pretty good.  But this one blew me away.     

My favorite quote in this book really sums it up:

“Love is space and time measured by hearts.”

Cute Kitty Pic

Review: No Angel (Louisiana Lawmen Book 3) by Mallory Kane

Alexandra Tyler is on the run. She married her college sweetheart, but soon discovered a dark side to him that she’d never seen before. Hoping to find refuge and start a new life, she moves to New Orleans. But bad luck follows and she finds herself barely escaping an abduction. Before she knows it, she’s entangled in the search for a serial killer.

FBI Special Agent Danny DeLuca is on the trail of an infamous serial killer. There have been nine victims in nine months, one during each New Moon. But the tenth victim, Alexandra Tyler, escapes, giving Danny the first break he’s had in the case. His job is to protect her and catch the killer, but as danger closes in, Danny must guard his heart in order to keep her safe.

While the killer continues to commit the almost perfect crime, Danny and Allie are forced to work together, while also resisting the other’s charms. If they give in to their escalating attraction, it could be the death of both of them.

My Review: 

An intriguing and intense romantic suspense story.

Alexandra Tyler moved to New Orleans two years ago to escape her abusive ex-husband.  Since then everything in her life was going good.  Then she started getting messages from her ex.  He had finally found her.  But that was the least of Allie’s worries.  She recently escaped an attempting kidnapping and when she finds out it wasn’t her ex who arranged it, but possibly a serial killer, it shakes her to the core.  But Allie puts on her brave face and doesn’t let anyone see how worried she really is.  

FBI Special Agent Daniel DeLuca was on the case of the New Moon Killer which led him to New Orleans where a woman, who might have been the tenth victim, was lucky enough to escape.  When Allie’s apartment gets broken into and trashed, it starts to frighten her and Danny is there to help her through it.  But what comes next, neither of them could have predicted.    

This book kept me up late at night.  It was that good.  The author did an impressive job outlining characters and keeping the story interesting right down to an ending that even I couldn’t figure out.  This is my favorite of the Louisiana Lawmen series. 

Review: Take a Chance on Me (Miracle on Chance Avenue Book 3) by Jane Porter

 Savvy stylist Amanda Wright loves Marietta, her hair salon, and her clients, and no client is more dear to her heart than eighty-year-old Bette Justice–even if her years have made her a little fragile. So when Bette asks Amanda to help her convince her determined grandson, Tyler, a successful game designer, that Marietta is the right home for Bette, Amanda can’t say no.

Tyler Justice has a one-track mind–he wants to take care of his beloved grandmother. He can’t understand her resistance to move to Texas and is sure that the young friend she keeps mentioning–Amanda–is taking advantage of his grandmother’s generosity. He reaches Marietta determined to put the salon owner in her place and bring his grandmother home…until smart, kind Amanda starts to tug at his heart in ways he never expected.

But just as Tyler and Amanda start to form a real connection, will a long-buried family secret destroy their chance at love?


My Review:

When Tyler Justice caught wind of his grandmother's plan to leave an inheritance to a young woman in her town, he knew he had to get to Marietta, Montana fast.  But what Tyler found, instead of a conniving gold digger, was a sweet hard working lady who considered his grandmother, Bette, to be one of her best friends.

Amanda Wright was a beauty salon owner with big dreams. When a handsome guy comes in for a cut one day, she instantly becomes friends with him not knowing he is really Bette's son who plans to get her to move to Texas with him.  Amanda is devastated when she finds out the truth.

Bette had a plan of her own and she had already set it into motion.  She is thrilled when she finds out Amanda and Tyler finally started dating.  But, a secret from the past soon threatens their new relationship.  Now it's up to Bette and Amanda's family to get Amanda to realize Tyler is the perfect man for her.

This is a heartwarming story that will remind you of the power of love and family and that not all secrets are bad.  I really enjoyed this story.  The characters felt real with their goals, values and opinions.  If you like a sweet small town romance, I would recommend this book. 

My favorite quote:

We all have faults.  And for your information, I never expected you to be perfect.

Review: Wedding at the Graff (Holiday at the Graff, #5) by Jeannie Watt

Luck of the Irish?

If only!

Collie Flanigan fled Chicago for Marietta, Montana to start a new life after breaking her engagement, but immediately hits a snag. Her ex-fiancé wants the ring back and sends his most trusted confidant and employee to get it. But the ring was stolen from her family years ago, and Collie has no intention of ever parting with the beloved family heirloom.

Collie’s college friend, Michael Donovan, thinks his mission is simple—quietly retrieve the ring to keep Collie out of jail and himself employed. He books a stay at the historic Graff Hotel, where Collie works in housekeeping, intending to quickly persuade her to part with the ring. Not so easy when Michael realizes he’s in too deep. he chemistry between him and Collie is still there, stronger than ever, but their timing’s always been off. Is now finally their time, and will Collie accept his ultimate sacrifice?

My Review: 

Old friends, Collie Flanigan and Michael Donovan, are reunited when Michael is sent to Marietta, Montana by his boss, Garrett Hawley, to retrieve an emerald ring from Collie.  The ring originally belonged in Collie’s family, but was lost during the Great Depression when her great-grandfather needed a loan.  The loan was paid off, but the ring never returned.  When Collie got it back, in the form of an engagement gift from Garrett, she wasn’t about to let it go again even though they didn’t marry.

After Collie and Garrett’s breakup, Collie moved from Chicago to Marietta to start a new life.  She works as a maid at The Graff Hotel while trying to start her own cleaning business.  When Michael arrives in town, Collie doesn’t trust him.  But it doesn’t take long for them to rekindle their friendship and then become a couple.  Garrett’s threats tried to come between them, but Collie and Michael were stronger than Garrett in the end.   

This was a wonderful friends to lovers story.  I liked the back story about the ring and how much it meant to Collie’s family and how she would do anything to get it back to her grandmother where it belonged.  I was surprised that Collie and Michael were so close at one time in their life, yet never hooked up.  But that fact made their union even stronger.   The grandmother’s added a fun element to the story.  Overall, this was a book that I really enjoyed and would recommend it

 

Review: In with the Tide (Cape Cod Shore Book 1) by Charlee James

Lindsey Hunter never imagined she’d be returning to her Cape Cod home pregnant and divorced, but she’s determined to build a new life for her and her unborn baby. When car trouble leaves her stranded on the side of the road, ex-Marine Damien Trent rides to the rescue on his motorbike. Once upon a time, they’d been friends and briefly, they'd been something more...until he enlisted and left her behind. As Lindsey and Damien reconnect, the attraction is still as strong as ever. But Lindsey’s knows Damien's not the staying kind.

Damien would rather do anything than come home to deal with his father’s estate. After years of abuse, he was more than ready to leave town the moment he graduated. With Lindsey back in his life, everything is complicated. He’s used to being a lone wolf - until Lindsey and her newborn baby give him a glimpse of the kind of family and future he’s always dreamed of. Can he be brave enough to reach out and grab it?

 

 

My Review: 

The most special treasures are washed in with the tide.

Years ago, Lindsey Hunter and Damian Trent shared a first kiss.  Afterwards Damian pulled away and Lindsey was left wondering why.

Lindsey was eight months pregnant and returning to her hometown of Chatham after her marriage ended.  She was looking forward to starting her new life in the cute little beach cottage she had bought.  She was headed there when her car broke down on the side of the road in a secluded area. 

Damian was headed back home for his father’s funeral when he came across Lindsey with her broke down car on the side of the road.  He couldn’t just leave her there.  He had to help her even though he hadn’t planned on seeing her while he was in town.  He just wanted to get his father’s house cleaned out and sold and then he would disappear again.  But there was a glitch in his plans when he found out there were no vacancies in the hotels and Lindsey offered him her extra bedroom.  Being that close to the girl who stole his heart all those years ago was going to be a challenge for Damian. 

This was a wonderfully written book with lots of elements.  For starters, there is Lindsey and Damian’s romance and their struggles learning to trust each other.  Sweet baby Maris was born early and made Damian want to settle down which totally confused him.  And then, there is a life changing discovery that Lindsey finds while going through paperwork at Damian’s father’s house.  This discovery can either help Damian settle down or send him running for good.  I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone who loves a good romance.