Review: A Line in the Sand (Turtle Beach #2) by Teri Wilson

 

A heroine who's vowed never to date again-for real, this time!
Her rambunctious Cavalier King Charles Spaniel puppy
The handsome and brilliant marine biologist she can't ignore
And the nonstop antics of her friends determined to be matchmakers

Sparks fly when Molly Prince's puppy Ursula constantly disrupts the beachfront area where new-in-town marine biologist Max Miller is studying sea turtle mating habits. Max and Molly are instantly attracted to each other, but Molly dismisses Max out-of-hand. She's not dating anymore. Maybe not ever, since her last relationship ended in a spectacular disaster. As for Max, he refuses to take Molly seriously when her job is to play pretend as the aquarium's mermaid. But when Ursula won't stop digging in Max's beachfront yard and reveals her unique ability to sniff out sea turtle nests, she might bring these two opposites close enough to help save the turtles, and maybe even save the aquarium...

 

My Review:

I couldn’t get enough of this story. 

This sweet rom-com is about Molly, who, portrays a mermaid at Turtle Beach Aquarium and her new boss/neighbor, Max, who has taken control of the aquarium after his uncle retires.

This was such a fun book to read.  I loved the chemistry between Molly and Max, even when they hated each other.  I couldn’t help laughing about some of the situations they found themselves in.  Molly’s dog, Ursula, made a lot of the scenes in this book special.  I also found the retirees at the senior center a lot of fun.  They brought some good laughs too.  This book is the perfect escape and so good, I could easily picture it as a movie. 

 
 

 

Review: Home Is Where the Body Is (The Wannabe Sleuth #1) by Jody Holford

 

The coastal Oregon town of Rainbow Falls might be sleepy, but it’s definitely not innocent...

When graphic designer and true crime fan Annie Abbott agrees to house sit her parents’ home for a year, she’s convinced that even though the small town has ten coffee shops, nothing exciting will happen. But that’s before a seemingly feral cat gives birth in her garage, prompting a call to the very handsome, very single town vet. It’s a dream meet-cute, but just as their romance blooms, Annie discovers the bloody body of her grumpy neighbor. And despite the fact that she passes out at the sight of blood, the police suspect her.

To clear her name, Annie will need to put her years of watching police procedurals and reading mysteries to good use. She’ll also need to rely on her new friends who have welcomed her to Rainbow Falls, but is one of them the killer?

 

My Review: 

A great start to a new murder mystery series.

Graphic designer, Annie Abbott, was excited about the coming year.  She would be house sitting for her parents while they sailed around the world.  Without warning, Annie suddenly finds herself in the middle of a murder investigation where she is the prime suspect.  Since Annie has a murder mystery blog and online murder club, she has a little knowledge about solving crimes.  Annie’s knowledge is put to the test when she, along with her new friends, try to solve the murder.  

This was such a fun book.  I loved Annie’s go-getter attitude when it came to finding the killer.  I liked the bit of romance in the story as well.  And of course, the part with the cat and kittens was fun to read too.

 

 

Review: The Last Casterglass (Keeping Up with the Penryns #4) by Kate Hewitt

He dreams of saving his ancestral home. She longs to escape hers.

Persephone is the youngest Penryn, and she’s always felt like an afterthought. As her siblings ventured out one by one, she was left behind, learning to rely on herself. Now that they’ve all returned and are on a mission to save their home, she’s reluctantly falling in with their plans and keeping her distance, especially when an Oxford-educated intern arrives wanting to learn how to save one’s ancestral home.

Oliver Belhaven has come to Casterglass to prove to his uncle that he can make Pembury a financial success, so the only home Oliver has ever had isn’t sold. He is intrigued by the beautiful and mercurial Seph and senses a kindred spirit—alone even around family.

Oliver may be charming, but under her surly facade Seph is afraid to get close to anyone. Yet the longer Oliver works at Casterglass, the more invested he becomes—in Seph and in saving his home. But will achieving one dream mean that he has to let go of another? And can Seph finally learn to let go—and love?

 

My Review:

The perfect ending for this series.

Socially awkward and private, Persephone “Seph” Penryn, finally finds love with Oliver Belhaven, the new intern at Casterglass Castle.  Oliver is trying to learn everything he can, so he can return to Pembury Farm, where he grew up, and make it as successful at Casterglass Castle.  Oliver’s uncle, who raised Oliver, wants to sell their home, but Oliver wants to save it.  So when he heard about Casterglass, Oliver knew it would be the perfect place to learn how to turn a home into a tourist attraction, in order to help pay for the upkeep of it.

Throughout the series, Seph has appeared to be the loner of the family.  She was born after the rest of her siblings were already away from home and living their lives.  She had dreams of living her own life and traveling, but hadn’t done anything yet.

Neither Seph or Oliver ever imagined they would fall in love, but they did.  I was so happy to see Seph find her happily ever after.  I will be sad seeing this series end, but I couldn’t ask for a better ending.

 

Review: Secrets in Cypress Bayou (Louisiana #2) by Susan Sands

 

Some secrets are buried deep…

When newly minted attorney Carly Bertrand returns to Cypress Bayou, Louisiana, to be close to her family, her first priority is finding a job. She’s shocked to get an offer from her childhood crush, Tanner Carmichael, whose town roots are as deep as hers. Carly accepts, confident she can help Tanner get his new law practice up and running, and keep her attraction to him under lock and key. She’s no longer a starry-eyed teen admiring from afar.

Their first client is a woman searching for her birth mother who mysteriously disappeared decades ago without a trace. Carly and Tanner take the case and soon find themselves drowning in a swampy patch of secrets, political corruption, and danger. And the further they dig, the more it looks like Tanner’s powerful, narcissistic father is involved.

As they work to unravel the mystery, Carly’s old feelings resurface and Tanner can’t believe the shy girl next door has become such a brilliant, beautiful, and determined woman. Should they risk everything for the truth, including their hearts, or settle for safety?

 

My Review: 

Small town secrets.

I was pulled into this book from the start.  I loved the first book in the series, Home to Cypress Bayou, so I knew I would love this one.  I just didn’t know how much I would love it.  

Carly and Tanner’s story goes way back to Carly’s childhood when she had a crush on Tanner.  Never thinking it would amount to more than a crush and a few diary entries, Carly tried to forget Tanner.  But it didn’t happen so easily.  When Tanner finally decides to break free from his controlling father’s law firm and start his own, he asks Carly to work for him.  All the old feelings Carly tried to keep deeply hidden tried to surface, but she held them in until she no longer could.  

Carly and Tanner’s first case is Lisa, a woman from New Orleans, who is desperately trying to find her biological family.  This is a case that opens a great big can of worms and changes a lot of people’s lives.

I could not put this book down.  I was so curious about Lisa and who her family was and I also couldn’t wait for Carly and Tanner to realize they were meant to be together.  I loved the small town feel of the story.  The author has a way of writing where you feel you are right there in the heart of Cypress Bayou or on the dock drinking a beer with the characters.  I hope there is another book that follows this one.  I am not ready to say good bye to this series. 

 

Review: Single with Cat: A feel-good romantic comedy by Rosa Silva

 

Can she save the Happy Endings Bookstore and have the happy ending she deserves?

Olivia is back in her hometown to reopen the bookstore her grandmother left her. She has a whole plan mapped out for the Happy Endings Bookstore. Just one problem – she finds out the bank is ready to foreclose on the bookstore’s mortgage.
Gabriel, the bank manager, is as drop dead gorgeous as he is grouchy. Olivia hates the guy, but her cat Chili seems to love him. Now Olivia has three months to save the bookstore and rub it in Gabriel’s face.

Olivia tries everything to save the bookstore, but with a quest to find out the identity of an anonymous romance writer, her mother wanting to find her a husband, and her grandmother’s grouchy neighbor making her life hell, Olivia has a lot on her plate.

The tension between Olivia and Gabriel escalates as the deadline to save the bookstore approaches, but as the two slowly begin to let their guard down, they might learn that sometimes stepping outside one's comfort zone can lead to the greatest reward.

Single with Cat is a feel-good romantic comedy perfect for readers who love cats, books, and happy endings.

 

My Review:  

A charming story about following your dreams and falling in love.

I couldn’t get enough of this book.  It was such a good story, I never wanted it to end.  For a quick read, the characters were very well developed and the story kept a great pace all the way through the end.  I kept cheering for Olivia as she fought to make the dream of reopening her grandmother’s bookstore come true, even though it seemed like it wouldn’t happen.  I enjoyed seeing Olivia and Gabriel slowly fall in love and how Gabriel didn’t give up on Olivia, even when she kept pushing him away.  And I really loved all the cats in the book, especially Chili, Olivia’s cat, who seemed to steal quite a few scenes.

This is the first book that I have read by this author and it definitely won’t be the last.

 

 

Review: Cut to the Chase (Matched, #3) by Amy Kathryn Jones

 

She has one last shot at her fairy tale ending...

It’s time for fan favorite Cassie Monroe to sign on the dotted line and become the star of the hit reality show Matched, where a Panel of family and friends help determine the star’s happy ending. Except Cassie’s Panel member search has reached a dead end. Until her family-friend-turned-nemesis Dr. Nick Morgan, in an attempt to talk her out of doing the show, offers to drive her to L.A.

Things heat up when one wrong turn throws the entire trip off schedule. Cassie gets to know the Nick behind the smirk and snark and, to her dismay, discovers another side of him—a side she likes. Yes, he’s rational and rigid, but he has an alluring warmth, and he kisses like no man she’s ever known.

Nick and Cassie don’t check any of the others’ boxes, but these longtime haters are somehow falling in love. As the opt-out deadline nears, Cassie will only have a few days to decide if she should risk her new feelings on a relationship that won’t come with Matched’s famous guarantee.

 

My Review: 

An unexpected turn of events leads to love.

With their mothers being best friends, Cassie and Nick practically grew up together.  They really weren’t friends, they just tolerated each other.  But when they get lost, during the drive from Arizona to Los Angeles, where Cassie is about to go on a reality show to find love, Nick demands they stop for a few hours of sleep.  Cassie convinces Nick to go to a bar, for a couple drinks, which leads to many more and they end the night in bed together.  Was love in their future all along?  Or, will Cassie continue her journey of finding love on tv? 

His book was so good. I have loved all of the books in the Matched series, but this is my favorite.  Cassie and Nick had so much to work through the to get their happy ending.