Review: What Happens in the Castle (What Happens series, #3) by Kelsey McKnight

He’s a Scotsman through and through with the kilt and loch-side manor to prove it

Savannah Adelson spent years sacrificing her midwife career for what she thought was love. Now that she’s kicked her cheating ex to the curb, she’s transforming her long-forgotten dream into a thriving business. Amid her new patients, she manages to travel to Scotland to be a bridesmaid in her college friend’s wedding only to meet the cousin of the groom, a tall shot of whisky in a tartan glass.

Rhys Mackinnon has grown restless and is eager to find his next role in life, whatever that may be. When he meets Savannah, he’s all too happy to make that role her personal tour guide. He ends up playing boyfriend too after her ex shows up unannounced.

When the fictional relationship begins to feel real, Savannah’s torn between the fire she feels for Rhys and the passion she has for her career. No matter what she decides, someone will end up hurt, because what happens in the castle doesn’t always stay there.

My Review:

Incredibly romantic.

Rhys is the kind of man we all dream of and the author really made him come to life through her words. The story felt real.  Savannah and Rhys were perfect together.  Their chemistry was off the chart.  The descriptions of the locations in the Scottish Highlands made me feel like I was right there.  I also enjoyed catching up with the characters from the previous books in the series.  I have enjoyed all of the books in the What Happens series, but this one is definitely my favorite.

 

Review: A Case for the Winemaker (Ainsley McGregor series Book 1) by Candace Havens

The closer she gets to the truth, the more she finds herself drowning in trouble

It’s an exciting time in Sweet River, Texas, and the whole town is talking. Maybe, a little too much. Former English professor Ainsley McGregor has gambled everything on her new business: Bless Your Art, an artisan market where local artists sell their wares and teach classes.

The bright, white space is filled to the brim with colorful art, yarn, jewelry, pet treats, antiques and even a few medieval weapons. Oh, and there are wine tastings. Everything is better with wine. Ainsley is surprised by how well things are going–right up until the moment her Great Dane finds a dead body. With her friend accused of the murder, it’s up to Ainsley to find the real killer.

As the suspect list grows longer, Ainsley has her work cut out for her. The task is made more difficult by the fact her brother, the sheriff, doesn’t seem to want her help. If she doesn’t wrap up the case soon, she might be the next wine, um, one to die.

My Review:

In a small town, people come together to help each other, even if it's solving a murder.

All Ainsley McGregor wanted to do was start her life over in the small town so Sweet River, Texas, and open her new art gallery.  But when a murder takes place, and her friend Michael is arrested, Ainsley and a group of her friends work together to find the killer.  Will the killer be found before someone else becomes a victim? 

This was a fun mystery.  I liked all of the characters and I had a hard time figuring out who the killer was.  I look forward to the next books in the series. 

 

Review: Off the Record (London Phoenix #3) by Rebecca Crowley

When these friends become lovers, they might just turn into bitter enemies

Ebon Brody and Sophie Caplan have been close friends – and closer rivals – for as long as they can remember. One night they become even more, and shake hands on a no-strings agreement. They’ve always been able to keep their hands off each other’s stories – surely, they can keep their hands on each other at the same time.

But when they both begin to circle the same scoop – a human trafficking scandal that could bring enormous accolades for either of their competing papers – they discover it’s harder to avoid those strings than they thought.

Sophie was secretly furious when Ebon didn’t attempt to poach her to his newspaper, the Phoenix, and she resolved to win at all costs. Now she has to choose between the man she’s always wanted and the career she loves more than anything. Ebon wants to prove himself to his older brothers and to the woman he’s always admired, even if it means snatching a story out from under her feet.

My Review:

Journalists, Sophie Caplan and Ebon Brody, have always been best friends even though they work at competing newspapers.  This time they are both working on the same story and as soon as Ebon thinks he has a lead, he finds Sophie is already one step ahead of him.  Ebon will do anything to get the scoop first, including seducing Sophie to squeeze information out of her.  Little did Ebon know, Sophie needs him as much as he needs her, and not just for the story.  Will this be the end of their friendship or the beginning of a whole new relationship?

I enjoyed this book even though it took a few chapters to hook me.  But once I got into it, I couldn’t put it down.  This story goes deeper than the previous books in the London Phoenix series with a human trafficking case that Sophie and Ebon are working on.  This book was well written and I could tell the author did some serious research on her subject before writing it making the scenes feel real.  Even though this book could be read as a stand-alone, but I would highly suggest reading the series in order to get to know each of the brothers as their stories are played out.