Monday, April 29, 2019

Review & Giveaway: Saving the Mail Order Bride by Linda Broday


Publication Date: April 30th 2019 by Sourcebooks Casablanca
Pages: 384
Source: Publisher
Purchase Links: Amazon | B & N | Kobo | Indiebound | BAM | Apple

About the book:

When the West was wild
And man's law favored the few
These extraordinary women could be found...
...in the heart of an outlaw.
He may be a wanted man, but all outlaw Jack Bowdre ever desired was a second chance. Now he's on his way to jail, completely unaware that his unexpected—and unexpectedly beautiful—traveling companion is none other than Nora Kane...his mail order bride.
It's too bad Nora doesn't know Jack is her groom-to-be. All she sees is a scoundrel. But when their stagecoach crashes and the truth comes spilling out, they're suddenly left to fend for themselves—and each other. The longer they're together, the stronger their feelings grow. Hounded by desperate men bent on doing them harm, Nora and Jack will do whatever it takes to find their happily ever after...but first, they'll have to shake the devil from their trail.

My Thoughts:
Jack and Nora meet under unusual circumstances, sharing the same coach with Jack being handcuffed to a Marshal on his way to jail. Jack doesn’t know the pretty woman sitting across from him is his intended mail order bride, and neither does Nora but that quickly changes when the carriage crashes and they’re left in the wild to make it on their own back to Hope’s Crossing.

Nora’s shocked to find out she’s engaged to an outlaw, but Jack isn’t doesn’t seem like your typical wanted man. This man is protective and has a heart, and she finally feels safe after so many years of living in fear.  Plus, Nora comes with her own secrets, so they settle in forced to get to know each other as the try to survive not only the elements, struggling to find food, water and shelter, but also to stay one step ahead of the men out to get them. 

Jack and Nora are immediately attracted physically, but they also form a close bond quickly with threats coming at them over and over, friendship, admiration and love building along the way.

Saving the Mail Order Bride was an exciting adventure, never a dull moment with danger at every turn, but also a sweet, drama free romance.  I didn’t read the first book, and that was fine, this works well as a standalone. However, I was curious about the previous couple, Clay and Tally since they were a part of this story as well, so I may go back and read their story. 

4 Suns



Excerpt:





What People Are Saying About Linda Broday:
"Fans of classic Western tales will delight in the rough-and-tumble world Broday creates..." —RT Book Reviews for To Love a Texas Ranger
"A shining example of the talent of one of the best historical western authors."—Fresh Fiction for Forever His Texas Bride

"Broday's Westerns always captivate with realistic settings, rugged cowboys and feisty heroines."—RT Book Reviews, 4 Stars for Forever His Texas Bride

Connect with Linda Broday:



Sourcebooks Casablanca is generously giving away 3 copies of Saving the Mail Order Bride! Fill out the rafflecopter for a chance to win!

Saturday, April 27, 2019

Sunday Post #26


The Sunday Post is hosted by Kimberly @ Caffeinated reviewer book blog, and is a post to recap my bookish and non-bookish things from the last week.

I'm down in Palm Springs right now for Stagecoach, a big country music festival and having a good time, but boy oh boy I'm tired this morning! We were out until midnight last night and I walked my legs off! I logged almost 20,000 steps on my Fitbit yesterday and that was without doing any run!  I'm going to lay out by the pool as soon as I finish this post, relax and read, because we do it all over again tonight!

Read:
(click on title for Goodreads link:)




Loved Devil's Daughter! The Ravenels series by Lisa Kleypas is one of my favorite historical romance series' out there. Hide and Seek was a fast-paced and addictive mystery! Dirty was a fun audiobook that I picked up on an Audible sale, and it was sexy fun! Serious Moonlight wasn't my favorite Jenn Bennett, but I still enjoyed it.  Loved The Matrimonial Advertisement!

Received/Purchased/Library Lend:


I'm looking forward to every book in this haul. The first three are ARCs and Beard in Mind is audiobook library lend. 


Watched:

I didn't really have an interest in watching it, but my daughter put it on last week and it was really good!  I was pleasantly surprised. I thought Rami Malek's performance was wonderful!

How was your week?


Thursday, April 25, 2019

Review: Unbroken Cowboy by Maisey Yates


Publication Date: April 23rd 2019 by HQN Books
Pages: 384
Source: NetGalley
Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

About the book:

In Gold Valley, Oregon, forbidden love just might be the sweetest…
Dane Parker traded in his trailer-park roots for glory as a bull rider. But when a serious injury sidelines him for months, it’s the first time he can’t just pull himself up by his bootstraps. The last thing he wants to deal with is sweet family friend Bea treating him like one of her wounded animals—or the unexpected attraction that suddenly flares between them.
Beatrix Leighton has loved Dane for years, while he’s always seen her as another sister. When she enlists his help to start her animal sanctuary, she thinks it will give him purpose. Instead, it brings all the desire she feels for him to the boiling point. Bea’s father taught her early on that love means loss. But could her forbidden crush turn into a love that will last a lifetime?

My Thoughts:
I’ve been waiting for Beatrix and Dane’s story for quite some time.  Bea’s been present as a secondary character in the prior books; a woman who seemed happy to blend into the background, but her unrequited crush and longing for Dane came through in the short number of pages she turned up on. It was clear that Dane didn’t see Bea as anything but a friend, a little sister type of girl. 

Dane’s back in Gold Valley after he’s injured badly in a rodeo accident, and he’s not happy about how long it’s taking to heal.  Bad tempered and feeling useless he agrees to help Bea with a project.  Of course, you can guess what happens when they start spending all kinds of time together.  Dane finally sees Bea as a vibrant woman, and the revelation is a jolt!  The lightbulb comes on and suddenly Bea is irresistible.  He doesn’t resist, at least not for long! 

I was worried Dane would crush poor innocent Bea’s heart, especially since he’s had a steady stream of “buckle-bunnies” in the past to warm his bed as a star bronc rider on the rodeo scene, but Dane was a total sweetheart. Well, if you ignored the bad-tempered brooding, which I couldn’t blame him for. I wouldn’t be in the best mood if I was in pain and was worried about healing time, too.

It was Bea who made things a bit angsty, struggling with the reality of their relationship, and a future.  I was happy that Bea wasn’t the wallflower she’d sort of been (or at least let everyone think she was) in the previous books. I enjoyed seeing her make steps to take hold of the life she wanted, and finally speak her mind.

Unbroken Cowboy was fun and steamy in parts, but also gets serious with characters that feel real with normal flaws and insecurities, making Dane and Bea’s journey to a HEA a pleasure to read!

4 Suns



Monday, April 22, 2019

Review & Giveaway: Hide and Seek by Mary Burton

I been loving Mary Burton's mysteries, thrilling and suspenseful with a bit of romance. Hide and Seek is my favorite to date, so I'm pleased to share my review, a little background on Macy Crow, our heroine, and a $25 Amazon Gift Card along with a digital copy of Hit and Run!


Publication Date: April 23rd 2019 by Montlake Romance
Pages: 344
Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

About the book:
She’s hunting. He’s watching.
Special Agent Macy Crow is a survivor. After a vicious hit-and-run nearly kills her, she gets right back to work, and now she’s gunning for a spot on the FBI’s elite profiling team. As an audition, she offers to investigate the recently discovered bones of Tobi Turner, a high school girl who disappeared fifteen years ago.
While investigating with local sheriff Mike Nevada, a former colleague and onetime lover, Macy discovers a link between Tobi’s case and several others that occurred around the same time as her disappearance. As Macy interviews victims and examines old cases, she uncovers a sinister picture of a stalker who graduated to sexual assault—and then murder.
Macy and Nevada race to put this monster behind bars before he can come out of hiding. But the murderer’s had years to hone his skills, and soon Macy herself becomes a target. She’s no stranger to pain and terror, but will Macy’s first profiling case be her last?

My Thoughts:
Macy is back at the Bureau on desk duty after a hit and run assault almost cost her life, but she’s got a chance at getting back in the field when the bones of a missing teenager, Tobi Turner, who disappeared fifteen years earlier are found and DNA connects the case to other unsolved assaults around the county.  She’s pulled in to connect the dots while working with her former FBI colleague and lover, the newly elected sheriff, Mike Nevada.

There was never a dull moment, especially since the killer is on the hunt and targeting new victims as Mike and Macy race to unmask this villain.  To find Tobi’s killer they must go back to the beginning, interviewing her friends and schoolmates who’ve since grown up.  Macy uses her top-notch instincts along with the FBI’s cutting-edge technology to analyze the evidence, melding good old-fashioned detective work with modern crime fighting tools, and I enjoyed the process.

The romance between Macy and Mike wasn’t the focus for the most part, which made sense given the urgency of the case, but their chemistry was a constant nice buzz in the background.  Macy’s a little unsure of Mike’s feelings since she’s still not at 100% physically since the hit and run, but Mike’s intent was always clear to me, and I knew it was just a matter of time before their feelings turned into more.

I could not put this one down! Hide and Seek was an addictive, fast-paced mystery with a nice bit of romance. Macy Crow was a secondary character in Cut and Run, where her attack occurs, but it’s not necessary to read it before diving into Hide and Seek.  I enjoyed seeing Macy get back on her feet after the assault, never letting self-pity or doubt creep in and cripple her. 

4.5 Suns





Profiling FBI Profiler Macy Crow

Special Agent Macy Crow is 33-years-old and is an accomplished FBI Agent.  She’s worked a series of high profile cases across the United States and isn’t afraid to take chances. When her father was murdered, she headed to Texas to investigate the crime. Following clues left behind by her father, she was closing in on the killer when she became the victim of a hit and run accident.

Most would have died from the injuries Macy sustained or would have been permanently disabled. However, Macy channeled her extreme ability to focus into her recovery. Though her fit muscles have softened during her recovery, she is regaining strength each day and is now laser-focused on returning to the  FBI as a field agent. Before her accident, she had shoulder length blond hair but the brain surgeons who saved her life cut off all her hair. She now proudly sports a pixie cut.  

When Macy returned to Texas, she learned a startling fact about herself. She has an identical twin—medical examiner Dr. Faith McIntyre. Though adopted by different families, the sisters already have a strong connection.  

Macy’s adoptive parents split when she was two and she moved from Texas to Alexandria, Virginia located outside of Washington, D.C. Over the years she remained close with her father and spent many summers with him helping repair old cars on his auto salvage lot. In Alexandria, she and her mother lived in a large apartment complex. When she was young, a neighborhood girl was murdered. That tragedy had a very profound affect on Macy, who discovered she wasn’t afraid of the police and FBI agents swarming the apartment complex. Instead, she was fascinated by their work and not only watched law enforcement in action but also walked the actual crime scene herself in search of clues.

Macy has never been married and has no children. For a long time, she considered herself married to her job and it wasn’t until she met FBI Special Agent Mike Nevada that she reconsidered her single status. However, her accident cut short their romance. Nevada is now the sheriff in a small Virginia town in the Shenandoah Valley. He understands Macy’s need to reclaim the FBI job she has always loved so much. In the last year, he has never forgotten her and is committed to helping regain her old life. When the two are paired on a cold case murder investigation in Nevada’s district, they become an unstoppable team.


Author Biography
New York Times and USA Today bestselling novelist Mary Burton is the highly praised author of twenty-six romance and suspense novels and five novellas. She lives in Virginia with her husband and three miniature dachshunds.

Connect with Mary Burton:


The wonderful people of Montlake Romance have generously provided a $25 Amazon Gift Card along with a digital copy of Hide and Seek to one lucky reader!  Fill out the rafflecopter for a chance to win.  Good luck!

Thursday, April 18, 2019

Review: Serious Moonlight by Jenn Bennett


Publication Date: April 16th 2019 by Simon Pulse
Pages: 432
Source: e-ARC
Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

About the book:

After an awkward first encounter, Birdie and Daniel are forced to work together in a Seattle hotel where a famous author leads a mysterious and secluded life in this romantic contemporary novel from the author of Alex, Approximately.

Mystery-book aficionado Birdie Lindberg has an overactive imagination. Raised in isolation and homeschooled by strict grandparents, she’s cultivated a whimsical fantasy life in which she plays the heroic detective and every stranger is a suspect. But her solitary world expands when she takes a job the summer before college, working the graveyard shift at a historic Seattle hotel.

In her new job, Birdie hopes to blossom from introverted dreamer to brave pioneer, and gregarious Daniel Aoki volunteers to be her guide. The hotel’s charismatic young van driver shares the same nocturnal shift and patronizes the waterfront Moonlight Diner where she waits for the early morning ferry after work. Daniel also shares her appetite for intrigue, and he’s stumbled upon a real-life mystery: a famous reclusive writer—never before seen in public—might be secretly meeting someone at the hotel.

To uncover the writer’s puzzling identity, Birdie must come out of her shell…discovering that most confounding mystery of all may be her growing feelings for the elusive riddle that is Daniel.

My Thoughts:
When we meet Birdie and Daniel they’ve already met and had an intimate encounter that didn’t end well when Birdie freaks out and runs off. Birdie thinks *hopes* she’ll never run into Daniel again, but she’s mortified to find out he works at the hotel where she’s just been hired.

I struggled with Birdie at first, not really knowing her history, trying to avoid Daniel and what happened with them when he seemed like a nice guy.  I got it more as the story went on, but I think I warmed to Daniel more than Birdie even though the story is told in her POV.  Daniel handled her skittishness like a pro, coaxing her out of her shell and lowering her shields by enticing her with a mystery to solve, knowing she’s a hardcore mystery junkie, which I totally loved. Slowly they draw close, sharing secrets, and overcome the awkwardness of their first “date”.

Jenn Bennett makes the city of Seattle come to life, making me want to visit all over again! How did I miss the Elliot Bay Book Company?!! I enjoyed the secondary characters, although I thought Mona’s costuming was a little over the top, I just couldn’t picture someone dressing up like that on a daily basis, but what do I know? I did love Mona as a character, though: loyal, understanding and loving!  I really enjoyed her side story.

Jenn Bennett’s been hitting it out of the park with her young adult romances, and though this wasn’t my favorite among the bunch, it was still pretty lovely.


3.5 Suns



Wednesday, April 17, 2019

Review: The Matrimonial Advertisement by Mimi Matthews


Publication Date: September 4th 2018 by Perfectly Proper Press
Pages: 388 Audio Length: 10 hours 49 minutes
Narrator: Justine Eyre
Source: Purchased
Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Audible

About the book:

She Wanted Sanctuary...

Helena Reynolds will do anything to escape her life in London, even if that means traveling to a remote cliffside estate on the North Devon coast and marrying a complete stranger. But Greyfriar's Abbey isn't the sort of refuge she imagined. And ex-army captain Justin Thornhill--though he may be tall, dark, and devastatingly handsome--is anything but a romantic hero.

He Needed Redemption...

Justin has spent the last two decades making his fortune, settling scores, and suffering a prolonged period of torture in an Indian prison. Now, he needs someone to smooth the way for him with the villagers. Someone to manage his household--and warm his bed on occasion. What he needs, in short, is a wife and a matrimonial advertisement seems the perfect way to acquire one.

Their marriage was meant to be a business arrangement and nothing more. A dispassionate union free from the entanglements of love and affection. But when Helena's past threatens, will Justin's burgeoning feelings for his new bride compel him to come to her rescue? Or will dark secrets of his own force him to let her go?

My Thoughts:
What kind of man would post a marriage offer for a wife? What kind of woman would answer it? A man who wants/needs a wife but doesn’t want to go through the hoops of courtship. Yet, when Justin lays eyes on Helena and gets to know her, he’s willing to do a lot more than just jump through hoops.  Helena answers the advertisement seeking protection and refuge, just wanting a kind, protective man, but Justin stirs up a lot more than just shelter and friendship.  I loved seeing these two fall in love while battling insecurities, and getting to know each other, revealing their deepest secrets.

What Helena went through made me so angry!  I’m happy she found an advocate and protector and more with Justin. He also inspired her to courageously stand up for herself!  I loved Justin and was thrilled Helena came into his life! She was just the kind of woman he deserved after the past he endured!

I picked up The Marriage Advertisement after loving A Holiday by Gaslight. The e-copy and audio together were a steal of a deal on Amazon. I was riveted to the story, starting the audio book and then continuing to read traditionally needing to know how it all turned out!  The audio was fantastic, I highly recommend Justine Eyre!

Mimi Matthews is quickly becoming one of my favorite historical romance authors, which is why I’m pleased the series will continue with Helena’s best friend/companion, Jenny, in the next story: A Modest Independence releasing next week. Can’t wait!

4 Suns



Saturday, April 13, 2019

Sunday Post #25


The Sunday Post is hosted by Kimberly @ Caffeinated reviewer book blog, and is a post to recap my bookish and non-bookish things from the last week.

I'm back home this week, but going back up to Northern California on Thursday.  I've been doing my runs and preparing to do wedding flowers for a friend's daughter. I'm handy with flowers, (I love them!) so I've done several weddings for friends and my daughter's wedding flowers. It's a lot of work, especially since I work almost full-time hours, but it's a labor of love. Maybe should've thought about signing up for a half-marathon that's scheduled two weeks before the wedding, right? Jam packed schedule! 

Read:
(Click on cover for Goodreads link:)

While  was a riveting read, I was left unsettled by the end. Especially by that last scene! Highlight for spoiler: I hope that comes to light and I would've liked more leniency considering the circumstances. End of spoiler. Two Can Keep a Secret was a lot of fun. Finally got somewhere with the romance in A Dangerous Collaboration! Now I don't have to throw my Kindle out the window! Veronica tried my patience in book two, but I think she made up for it here.

Received/Purchased/Library Lend:
(Click on title for Goodreads link:)

The Summer Retreat was compared to Robyn Carr books so I couldn't pass it up. Love Maisey Yates' romances so this was a no-brainer. Got my library copy of Artificial Condition.  The first book didn't knock my socks off, but I have hope.  Hot and Badgered sounds like a lot of fun! 


Watched:

Always a lot of fun!

How was your week?


Thursday, April 11, 2019

Review: Need Me, Cowboy by Maisey Yates


Publication Date: April 1st 2019 by Harlequin Desire
Pages: 224
Source: ARC from publisher
Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

About the book:

He’s not a man to be played with.

Not without consequences.

For five years, Levi Tucker had no control over his life, locked up for a crime he didn’t commit. Never again would any woman—any desire—overtake this cowboy’s common sense. Now Faith Grayson, the sexy, brilliant architect he’s hired to design his grand new house, is sorely testing his resolve. Faith is too young. Too innocent. Maybe just too tempting.
My Thoughts:
Levi and Faith meet when he hires her to design his dream home after spending five long years in prison for a crime he didn’t commit.  He’s got a lot of anger, understandably so, and is a bent-on revenge by living well, but is a life centered on revenge really living well? Faith is a young and Levi feels there’s no place in his life for someone so innocent. With her passion and zest for life, Faith’s an irresistible temptation.

At twenty-five, Faith is a young design sensation. Her talent and expertise are much sought-after, making her the perfect architect for Levi’s house, and after hearing Levi’s story, Faith wants to create the perfect home for Levi.  This man is gruff and intimidating, makes her heart race with every meet up, but that’s not because of fear.  This man stirs up strange and intense feelings, something that Faith hasn’t ever felt before, being so focused on her career path.

Levi and Faith came from very different backgrounds and their age difference made things interesting too, with Levi being thirteen years older. Yet their differences seemed ignite a spark in both, made each see life a little differently because of being together.  Levi and Faith’s story was a page turner; hot, steamy, and heartwarming by the end!

I’m a huge fan of Maisey Yates’ romances!  The Desire series, a spin-off of her Copper Ridge series, have all been just a little over two-hundred pages, a story you could devour in one sitting and I’ve enjoyed every installment!

3.5 Suns



Monday, April 8, 2019

Review: A Dangerous Collaboration by Deanna Raybourn


Publication Date: March 12th 2019 by Berkley
Pages: 336
Source: ARC provided by publisher and purchased audio copy
Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Audible

About the book:

Victorian adventuress Veronica Speedwell is whisked off to a remote island off the tip of Cornwall when her natural historian colleague Stoker's brother calls in a favor. On the pretext of wanting a companion to accompany him to Lord Malcolm Romilly's house party, Tiberius persuades Veronica to pose as his fiancée--much to Stoker's chagrin. But upon arriving, it becomes clear that the party is not as innocent as it had seemed. Every invited guest has a connection to Romilly's wife, Rosamund, who disappeared on her wedding day three years ago, and a dramatic dinner proves she is very much on her husband's mind.

As spectral figures, ghostly music, and mysterious threats begin to plague the partygoers, Veronica enlists Stoker's help to discover the host's true motivations. And as they investigate, it becomes clear that there are numerous mysteries surrounding the Romilly estate, and every person present has a motive to kill Rosamund...

My Thoughts:
I’ve been having fun with the Veronica Speedwell series, but I have to say these last two books (3 & 4) have been my favorite to date. I do love the mysteries, and the modern clever woman Veronica presents, but I love the last two because we are finally getting somewhere with the romance between Stoker and Veronica!

In A Treacherous Curse (the previous book) Stroker’s tumultuous past is revealed and mostly settled. Veronica is still skittish about getting involved with Stoker, worried that he still carried feelings for his ex-wife, and sort of sabotage’s herself in the process.  Fear not, Stoker seems to know Veronica better than she knows herself. Their relationship is the highlight for me!  These two are close and united even when they’re in a bit of a snit with each other.  There’s a begrudging possessiveness, they don’t want to feel jealous but can’t help it, even when there’s no serious competition. I love the obvious passion and intensity between them, their cheeky banter is a wicked delight! Cementing their connection is their shared zeal for science.  I was over the moon with how things turned out by the end!

There is a tragic romance within the current mystery (no, not Veronica and Stoker) and I have to say that while my heart broke for the injured male, I felt worse for the woman that bore the effects of his heartbreak more! (Highlight for spoiler)I felt so bad for Tiberius’ wife! No woman wants to be second choice and she paid dearly for it! I felt more for her than Rosamund, who came off as a selfish, mercenary woman.   (End of spoiler)  It was a tragedy all around.

I can’t wait for the next book, as a Jack the Ripper type seems to be the villain, and I’m eager to see how Veronica and Stoker will take on this evil as they settle into a new understanding.

I alternatively read and listened to this book, and I can’t recommend the audio narration more! Angele Masters’ performance was perfection!

4.5 Suns



Saturday, April 6, 2019

Sunday Post #24

The Sunday Post is hosted by Kimberly @ Caffeinated reviewer book blog, and is a post to recap my bookish and non-bookish things from the last week.

I'm back up in Northern California and it's beautiful! Green and everything is blooming! We went to the movies to see the newest How to Train Your Dragon movie, and it was so good! 
I was able to get my eight mile run in up here despite the on and off rain I caught a block of dry weather and took it! I listened to Veronica Speedwell. Loved the narration and the story!



Read:
(Click on title for Goodreads link:)

I had a great reading week loving everything I read. Need Me Cowboy was short, hot and sweet! I can't get enough of the Mercy Kilpatrick series and with finishing A Merciful Fate I'm all caught up with the series. I can't wait for the next one. I Want You Back (I'm giving away a copy HERE) was a story I've been waiting for, Jax and Lucy's second chance romance was everything I hoped for! A Treacherous Curse is been my favorite Veronica Speedwell installment to date. I'm starting the audio of the next one tomorrow on my drive home to Southern California.

Received/Purchased/Library Lend:
(Click on cover for Goodreads link:)

Love Mary Balogh's historical romances, so snatched up Someone to Honor when it was offered. I'm looking forward to Hide and Seek to get Macy Crow's story. I met her in Cut and Run which I really enjoyed. I love Robyn Carr so I was thrilled to get a copy of The View from Alameda Island.  Beautiful Mistake was on sale at Audible and I've had fun with Vi Keeland's romances in the past.

Watched:



Loved the newest How to Train Your Dragon! It seems like the end to the series and I thought it ended perfectly!  Bumble Bee was a lot of fun. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked it. 

How was your week?