Like A Winter Snow

In this standalone holiday novella, return to the charming Cornish village readers fell in love with in The Secrets of Paper and Ink.

Women’s counselor Joy Beckman has always been a friend and helper to all. That’s why she’s given up everything to be with her parents as her mother suffers through Alzheimer’s. Joy may not have a thriving career or a love life at the moment, but she’s doing what she does best—taking care of others. And even though it’s difficult, she knows it’s where she is supposed to be.

But life throws a curveball when she has to leave her parents temporarily to travel to Cornwall, England, for the Christmas-time wedding of her best friend. While there, Joy helps Sophia tackle her last-minute to-do list, and in the process, finally meets a man who turns her head—and her heart. The only problem? He lives in snowy London, and her life is with her parents back in sunny Florida.

She tries to resist Oliver Lincoln’s charms, but it’s harder than it should be. With her heart torn in two, Joy is forced to choose between a life she knows she’s meant for and the one she didn’t see coming. 

My Rating: 5 Stars(plus more!) 

After reading and loving “The Secrets Of Paper And Ink” this Christmas return to Port Willis and its characters, was on my MUST read list. I am thrilled to report this story was pretty much perfect! Joy and Oliver’s story was everything a Christmas romance should be. The story was a quick and easy read with a charming location-I mean. Christmas in England?!?! What’s not to love? The story moved well and you can’t help but hope Joy and Oliver will get their Christmas happily ever after fairy tale. Truly this was one of my favorite reads this year!

I received this book from the author and was not required to post a positive review. All thoughts are my own.

Aiming For Love

Growing up in Colorado, Josephine Madson has been fascinated by but has shied away from the outside world--one she's been raised to believe killed her parents. When Dave Warden, a rancher, shows up to their secret home with his wounded father, will Josephine and her sisters risk stepping into the world to help or remain separated but safe on Hope Mountain?

My Rating: 3 Stars

This was a fun romp through the Colorado wilderness. I enjoyed meeting the Warden family as well as Jo and her sisters. The mystery elements were intriguing and they appear that they will carry over to the rest of the series, so I am looking forward to seeing how that plays out. I loved the character of Ma and look forward to seeing her again. This was a quick, easy and fun read. I can’t wait for book 2! I received this book from the author and was not required to post a positive review. All thoughts are my own.

Hereafter (The Lost Princesses #3)

The third lost princess. The final key to the treasure. And a battle for the throne.

Growing up deep in the forest as a poor charcoal burner’s daughter, Emmeline has always known her identity as a princess of Mercia, and she lives in fear of being caught and killed. When her adopted father returns from town with news regarding the imminence of war, Emmeline has no wish to join the rebellion against King Ethelwulf.

Prince Ethelrex, the strongest warrior in the land, has done everything he can to prove his loyalty to his father, including searching for the last lost princess. When Ethelrex finally captures Emmeline, the king commands his son to marry the princess in order to win the support of the people and undermine the rebellion.

Forced into marriage, Emmeline has one goal—to escape. But Ethelrex takes his marriage vows seriously, including his promise to love and cherish his wife, and has no intention of letting Emmeline get away. As the battle for the throne rages, will the prince be able to win the battle for Emmeline’s heart?

My Rating: 4 Stars

What a fantastic finale to the Lost Princess series! I could not put it down, I was so intrigued at seeing how story would play out and how the evil king would finally be defeated. Hereafter is a satisfying conclusion with lots of romance, action and twists and turns. I was completely surprised at a couple of the twists and Jody wove a brilliant tale. I was also surprised at Jody’s match for Emmaline and how that worked in to the story. Well done! 

I received this book from the author and was not required to post a positive review. All thoughts are my own.

Always Look Twice

While photographing the Grand Tetons, Harper Reynolds unwittingly captures a murder on film. But when she loses the camera fleeing the scene, can she and rancher Heath McKade find the camera and solve the murder before the killer makes her his next victim?

My Rating: 4 Stars

This story starts with a bang(literally!) and it moves quickly. I enjoyed getting to know Heath and Harper and I loved that they were childhood besties. The mystery element was very good and it left me with several suspects as I read the book. Just about the time I thought I had it all figured it, something else would happen and I would be left wondering again. The ending was exciting and it tied it all up nicely. Now the waiting begins for Liam’s story!

I received this book from the author and was not required to post a positive review. All thoughts are my own. 

Unscripted

Young line producer Danny Byrd is well-known in Hollywood for being someone who gets things done on time and under budget. But when his reputation takes a beating after his partner--and former best friend--makes off with their investors' money, Danny has but one chance to redeem himself and restore his ruined career.

LA lawyer Megan Pierce has sacrificed years of her life proving herself to her impossible bosses only to find herself disgusted at their snobbery and their specious business practices. When an opportunity to actually make a difference comes her way, she knows she has to grab it--even though she's not entirely clear what "it" is.

Danny and Megan are each other's best hope for redemption. What they never could have imagined was that they might also be each other's best hope for love.

Bestselling and award-winning author Davis Bunn takes you into the beating heart of Hollywood with two characters determined to thrive in a cutthroat business.

My Rating: 3 Stars

This was an interesting read for me. It is different from most  of my usual reads. For most of the book, I wasn’t invested in it but I was curious enough to keep going. Once all the pieces started coming together, I was more invested but overall I didn’t love it. The legal aspects of the novel reminded me a bit of a John Grisham book and the entertainment angle was different. The book moved slowly for me. I did like most of the characters especially Emma. I do think my husband will enjoy this book so I am passing out on to him next. I will be interested to hear his take on it. 

I received this book through the RevellReads program and was not required to post a positive review. All thoughts are my own.

An Heirloom Christmas

There’s not much Chrissy Davenport loves more than the small town of Heirloom Point in the midst of the Christmas season. The annual wreath auction kicks off the holiday, and even though this year’s winning wreath is lackluster, Chrissy still hangs it on her candle shop’s door with pride. But she can’t explain the handwritten notes that begin to show up, tucked neatly into the sprigs of greenery. And she can’t make sense of the memories they bring back—ones she’s tried hard to forget. 

After a career ending injury, hockey superstar Nick McHenry has no other choice than to return to his hometown of Heirloom Point. But things aren’t easy with his high school sweetheart working in the candle shop directly across from his parents’ hardware store. And it’s even harder to ignore the town chatter regarding his failed career and failed past relationship. Suddenly, he’s reliving the Christmas traditions he thought he’d left behind, and revisiting old feelings he figured were long gone. 

Will Nick and Chrissy discover that some Christmas heirlooms aren’t actual things, but the people who make up those nostalgic memories? Or are memories better left in the past where they were made? 

An Heirloom Christmas is a heartwarming romance filled with second chances, hometown traditions, and the magical promise of the holiday season.

My Rating: 4 Stars
This was a charming Christmas story that would make a PERFECT Hallmark Christmas movie!! It’s sweet story of love lost and found a decade later when a Hockey star returns home to his roots...and maybe the girl he left behind? The town of Heirloom Point is an adorable small town and the characters that make up the town are delightful. The story moves well and was a joy to read. It’s a quick, easy, read that is sure to make you smile and get you in the Christmas spirit. It certainly did me! Recommended!


I received this book from the author and was not required to post a positive review. All thoughts are my own.

Dark Ambitions

Former Army Night Stalker Rick Jordan usually has his camp for foster children to himself during the winter months. But someone has visited recently--leaving a trail of blood. One of the two clues left behind tips Rick off to the identity of his visitor, who soon turns up dead. The police deem it an accident, but Rick isn't convinced. With the help of private investigator Heather Shields, he sets out to decipher the remaining clue. Except someone doesn't want them to succeed--and will stop at nothing to keep them from finding the truth.

With her trademark psychological suspense ratcheting up the tension on every page, bestselling and award-winning author Irene Hannon takes you on a search for a cold-blooded killer with an ambitious goal and deadly intent.

My Rating: 5 Stars

This is a fantastic finale to Irene’s latest suspense trilogy! The characters of Rick and Heather were superb and the story line for this one can’t be beat. I was immediately swept up in the mystery from the beginning of the book and the conclusion to the book was extremely satisfying. There were multiple twists in the story which made it even more intriguing. There are political elements as well that were a perfect addition to the story. Irene writes some of the BEST Christian suspense out there and this is another great one. Highly recommend! I received this book from the publisher and was not required to post a positive review. All thoughts are my own.

The Spice King

Gray Delacroix has dedicated his life to building an acclaimed global spice empire, but it has come at a cost. Resolved to salvage his family before they spiral out of control, he returns to his ancestral home for good after years of traveling the world.

As a junior botanist for the Smithsonian, Annabelle Larkin has been charged with the impossible task of gaining access to the notoriously private Delacroix plant collection. If she fails, she will be out of a job and the family farm in Kansas will go under. She has no idea that in gaining entrance to the Delacroix world, she will unwittingly step into a web of dangerous political intrigue far beyond her experience.

Unable to deny her attraction to the reclusive business tycoon, Annabelle will be forced to choose between her heart and loyalty to her country. Can Gray and Annabelle find a way through the storm of scandal without destroying the family Gray is fighting to save?

My Rating: 4 Stars

This was a compelling and unusual read. Gray and Annabelle had a very unusual relationship, I definitely enjoyed their banter but did they have some major things to overcome to find happily ever after! This story line was very interesting and kept me invested throughout. There are elements that will carry over to the rest of the series and I am looking forward to finding out all those secrets! I received this book as a member of the launch team and was not required to post a positive review. All thoughts are my own.

It’s Cozy Mystery Time

Addie Greyborne is preparing for the holidays at her bookstore in seaside New England--but a winter storm is coming, in more ways than one . . . 

Addie's getting into the spirit for the upcoming Charity Auction--especially since she's got an 1843 copy of Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol to donate. Her former colleagues at the Boston Public Library have confirmed that its worth runs toward the high five figures, which should help with the new pediatric wing. Her mood darkens, though, when a visitor from the past appears--Jonathan Hemingway, the father of her late fianc�. His presence stirs up sad memories for Addie, but also has her fuming when Jonathan, true to his womanizing ways, runs off for a lunchtime liaison with Teresa Lang, who's in charge of the auction.

Soon after, Addie heads to Teresa's office at the hospital--and finds the poor woman's dead body. What she doesn't find is her valuable first edition. What sort of Scrooge would steal from sick children and commit murder in the process? As a Nor'easter bears down and a mystery emerges about Jonathan's past, Addie must find out if she can appraise people's motives and characters as well as she can appraise rare books . . . 

My Rating: 4 Stars

The mystery in this cozy was extremely good. The reappearance of Addie’s almost father-in-law and the missing book, plus a murder made for a excellent storyline. Then why a 4 star rating, you may ask? Because the romance triangle, angst and drama drove me nuts! It was so over the top it was ridiculous. I sincerely hope that is massively toned down in the next installment. Great mystery but all the relationship drama detracted from my overall enjoyment of the story. That being said, I do plan to give the one to one a try. 

I received this book from NetGalley and was not required to post a positive review. All thoughts are my own.

Even in a lovely town like River Bluffs, Indiana, flipping houses can be a challenge. Especially when there’s the proverbial skeleton in the closet—and a literal corpse in the driveway . . . 

House-flipper Jazzy Zanders has her work cut out for her. Her latest flip, which she co-purchased with her fiancée Ansel and cousin Jerod, is a three-story fixer-upper that’s more of a droopy-downer. One corner of the house is sinking and needs to be jacked up with a new cement foundation. That costs money. And causes headaches. And creates a work environment that’s not only hostile, it’s downright deadly . . .

Jazzy knows it’s a tough job. Which is why she hired Darby to lay the cement. But when Darby gets into a fiery argument with the furnace man—and then never shows up to lay gravel for the driveway—Jazzy starts to wonder if the rumors about Darby are true. Did he kill his wife and son and bury them in the yard like some folks claim? When Darby’s dead body comes pouring out of a gravel truck, murder upstages the real estate market as her biggest concern . . . 

My Rating: 4 Stars

This was another good installment in this series. The mystery was intriguing with quite few surprises along the way. The mystery elements in the books in this series are always very good. I could do with out the amount of innuendo in the story. There isn’t anything graphic but there are numerous mentions of those activities throughout the book(much like the previous books in this series). I will keep with the series because I really enjoy the mysteries but do wish the other would be toned down. 

I received this book from NetGalley and was not required to post a positive review. All thoughts are my own.

Foremost (The Lost Princesses #2)

A second princess. Another key to the treasure. And a cruel king desperate to squelch the growing rebellion.

Raised in an isolated abbey, Lady Maribel desires nothing more than to become a nun and continue practicing her healing arts. She’s carefree and happy with her life…until a visitor comes to the abbey and reveals her true identity as one of the lost princesses.

When he was a young boy, Edmund Chambers helplessly watched King Ethelwulf murder his family. Edmund escaped and has lived in the abbey ever since, uniquely trained to work with wild animals. Secretly, he loves Maribel and desperately hopes she doesn’t complete her holy order vows.

When King Ethelwulf’s army arrives at the abbey to capture Maribel, she flees with Edmund across the desolate Highlands in an attempt to reach Adelaide’s rebel army. Edmund can no longer hide his love, but can Maribel give up her dreams of becoming a nun to love him in return? 

My Rating: 4 Stars

Foremost is the next exciting installment of the Lost Princess Series and I very much enjoyed it. Maribel was a neat character with her love and expertise in healing and Edmund was quite the hero. I liked the the element of the Labyrinth and what that brought to the mystery of the
hidden treasures. It kind of reminded me of the Princess Bride and the Fire Swamp, which was fun. Edmund’s abilities to communicate with the animals was super cool as well. All in all, a great read! Need the finale ASAP!

I received this book from the author and was not required to post a positive review. All thoughts are my own.