Tracks of Her Tears (Rogue Winter #1) by Melinda Leigh

In the first thrilling Rogue Winter Novella, sleepy little Solitude, Oregon, wakes up to another deadly threat.
County investigator Seth Harding intends to spend the holidays with his newly reconciled family, but a few days before Christmas, a homicide thwarts his plan. Seth arrives at the scene and makes a painful discovery: the victim is his brother-in-law’s girlfriend. Her apartment has been ransacked and her toddler left motherless. To make matters worse, Seth’s brother-in-law, Bruce, is missing. With Solitude locked in a rare, deadly deep freeze and the temperature plummeting, the residents launch a desperate search.
Seth calls his wife, social worker Carly Taylor, to take the case so the little girl doesn’t get lost in the foster care system. With the holidays near, Carly brings the child home with them to celebrate Christmas. But when the Taylor farm is also trashed, Seth and Carly must race against time—and against a paralyzing winter storm—to find Bruce and catch a killer in the first pulse-pounding sequel to the Rogue River Novellas.

Review: I was given an ARC of Tracks of Her Tears from NetGalley for an honest review and this is my review.
I absolutely love the novellas that deal with the Taylor family and are part of Melinda Leigh and Kendra Elliot collaboration and the first book Tracks of Her Tears, the first book in the Rough Winter Series, is a great way to start a new mini-series by this talented duo. This was a great book and the much needed story of Seth and Carly. It had them working together on a case and gave the reader more about them that was only eluded to in previous books. I enjoyed they mystery in this book and the fact that you were not sure who do it until the end. I also like how it left things open so other cases may be solved or it may just end the way it is. We will just have to wait and see. I can't wait to see where the second novella goes.
Needless to say, being the big fan of this series that I am, this book gets five out of five stars. 

The Word Game by Steena Holmes

For overprotective parent Alyson Ward, any time her daughter, Lyla, is out of sight is reason to panic. So it’s a big step for her when she lets Lyla attend a sleepover at her cousin’s house. Comforted by the knowledge that her sister, Tricia, is the chaperone, Alyson does the one thing she never thought possible: she lets go and trusts that her daughter will be safe.
But Alyson’s sense of peace is short lived. When Lyla comes home the next morning, she reveals something that could tear apart not only their family but also the entire community. Now, Alyson and Tricia must confront their painful shared past as they come together to help a little girl who they fear might be harboring terrible secrets similar to their own. Will the sisters be strong enough to face their demons in order to protect the child, even if it means telling their most private truths?

 Review: I was given an ARC of The Word Game from NetGalley for an honest review and this is my review.
Steena Holmes is back to top form with this book that deals with rape and sexual abuse. The characters in this book get to you from the start with the things they are dealing with.
Alyson is the over protective mother who is looking for trouble in every child's life because of what she went through when she was a child. Then when her daughter tells her that her friend is being abused she is not sure if she did the right thing when she notified the school's principal who is also a close friend of her suspicion but she felt she had no choice.
Her sister Tricia is also dealing with her own deamons and on top of that has to deal with her over the top sister who she really does not know if she can believe about the abuse allegations. She feels that her sister is projecting her past on others and her daughter denies that it took place.
Myah is the mother of the girl who Alyson believes is being abused. She is also a good friend of both women. She can't believe she has missed the signs that her soon to be ex is hurting her daughter but she is open to finding out if the allegations are true.
Ida is Alyson and Tricia's mom who has her own secrets and is more then willing to share her opinion about what her daughters are doing.
These are the women whose perspective the book is told by. All three add to the story to make it a very touching book about friendship through the eyes of both children and adults and how families will do anything to protect each other.
I am giving The Word Game five out of five stars.

Revealed (Rumors #2) by A.C. Arthur

When Nathan Hamilton was accused of killing Landy Connor just weeks before their college graduation, he lost everything—his friends, his reputation, and the love of his life, Tenile Barnes. For ten long years, the murder has remained unsolved, nothing but false leads and dead ends. Desperate to bring Landy’s killer to justice and win back Tenile’s heart, Nathan starts his own investigation. But the first break in the case comes at a high price: Landy’s old roommate Nicole is kidnapped . . . possibly by the same person who killed Landy.
Nathan and his old friends comb through every memory, every photograph, and every trace of evidence for clues about who killed Landy then and who has taken Nicole now. As they separate fact from vicious rumor and piece together what really happened that night, they discover that the truth is darker and more twisted than they ever imagined. The killer is close, waiting in the shadows, ready to strike again.
In the shocking sequel to Rumors, will the friends finally reveal Landy’s killer . . . or will Nicole be the next to fall?

Review: I was given an ARC from NetGalley for an honest review and this is my review.
The first thing I am going to do is suggest that you read the first book that goes along with this one, Rumors, because is give a lot of background and it also goes right with this one so Rumors is the set-up book for Revealed that gives the reader all the information they need before the start this book.
With that said I loved how this book finished the story the Rumors had me clamoring for answered to who did it and why. I loved how Revealed picked up without skipping a beat and had the same intensity as the first book and the same ability to grab the reader and not let go.
I was thrilled that the author kept the reader guessing about what was going on and the characters all had the same draw and ability to to grab the reader and not allow them to put the book down until the very end. I will admit I was shocked by the end and I loved it.
Both of these books in these series were excellent reads and I was unable to put them down. Needless to say this being the perfect ending it deserves the perfect rating so it gets five stars out of five stars.

Rumors (Rumors #1) by A.C. Arthur

Her death tore them apart. Will solving her murder bring them back together? 
Best friends Landy, Tenile, Nicole, Nathan, Justin, and Kareem were the golden children of Tanner University. Their paths were set: doctors, lawyers, business moguls, they were going to light the world on fire. Then, two weeks before graduation, Landy was murdered—and Nathan was blamed. Though he was never charged, vicious rumors drove him from town, and the circle of friends broke. Ten years later, Nathan is back in Tanner, determined to clear his name. He’s asking questions no one wants answered, and soon rumors threaten to divide the community once more. Everyone in this small town is keeping big secrets—especially Landy’s old friends—and someone is willing to kill to keep their darkest deeds buried.

 Review:  OMG I have never been left with such a cliffhanger ending in a book that I can remember in my life and it is driving me nuts. I am not one for spoilers but if you need closure this is not the book for for you.
I loved this book except for the end of course. I characters where all very real and they each had their own flaws making them all that more real. The mystery in this book is gripping and I have no clue who the killer is and I love that in a book that keeps you guessing. The the entire book is just so real with the town gossips to just how twisted some of the relationships are between the main characters. Definitely a great read. I really hope the next book does not loose the momentum that this one had.
I am giving Rumors five out of five stars.

Smoke by Catherine McKenzie

After a decade-long career combating wildfires, Elizabeth has traded in for a quieter life with her husband. Now she works as the local arson investigator in a beautiful, quaint town in the Rockies. But that tranquil life vanishes when she and her husband agree to divorce, and when a fire started in nearby Cooper Basin begins to spread rapidly. For Elizabeth, containing a raging wildfire is easier than accepting that her marriage has failed.
For Elizabeth’s ex-friend Mindy, who feels disconnected from her husband and teenage children, the fire represents a chance to find a new purpose: helping a man who lost his home to the blaze. But her faith is shattered by a shocking accusation. 
As the encroaching inferno threatens the town’s residents, Elizabeth and Mindy must discover what will be lost in the fire, and what will be saved.

Review: I was given a copy of Smoke from NetGalley for an honest review and this is my review. I found this book very interesting. I also enjoyed the style that was used to tell the story. Being told by two different narrator's perspectives who were at one time friends and had totally different things at stake with the outcome how what happens with the fire and the investigation into the fire was very interesting.
 The character of Mindy who was telling the story as a mother who was worried that her son had something to do with starting the fire to me evolved the most throughout the book. I like how she started out a bit broken because she lost her best friend but by the end she was a strong progress fighting for her son and trying to prove that he was not the one who started the fire that did so much damage to the area surrounding the town their family lived in.
As for Elizabeth, the other character whose perspective the book was told from I felt that she was on okay character but she did not impress me all that much. She seemed to have had it all but she was not satisfied with it so she wanted to escape her marriage was looking for excuses to explain away why things were not going her way. To me she was a bit annoying and could not accept things as they were and had to look for the next thing that may explain it a bit better or may make it a bit more exciting. Elizabeth was an adrenaline junkie who needed her next fix it felt like and I did not like that about her.
 I really did like the storyline for the most part. It did drag on a bit in some parts but for the most part it was pretty good and it kept you wondering how the fire really started until the end.
 I am giving Smoke four out of five stars.

Julia's Daughters by Colleen Faulkner

Julia Maxton can’t imagine anything worse than losing one of her three daughters—until the day seventeen-year-old Haley runs a stop sign, killing her younger sister Caitlin. Six weeks after the crash, the family is falling apart. Julia struggles not to show hostility toward Haley, but her deep-rooted anger won’t go away. Her husband, Ben, has drifted away emotionally. Their youngest daughter, Izzy, is lost in the shuffle. And despite Haley’s insistence that she’s fine, her actions scream otherwise.    
Fearing that she’s about to lose a second child, Julia decides to take Haley on a cross-country drive. Maybe somewhere between Nevada and Maine they can bridge the gulf between them. But first there will be painful questions to face—is Julia a good mother? Did she secretly love responsible, respectful Caitlin more than defiant Haley? Can Haley ever find peace with her mother—and herself—again?

Review: I was given an ARC of Julia's daughters from NetGalley for an honest review and this is my review.
This was a pretty good book written on a number of deep subjects. Haley the oldest daughter was in a car accident that led to the death of her sister and this book centers around how the members of the family deal with the loss of Caitlin and how the interact with each other and how their feelings for Haley change and even how Haley's feelings for herself spiral out of control.
While reading this book I felt for all of the characters except for the father Ben. I really felt he was a selfish jerk and I hated him as a man and a father figure and I so wanted to slap the spit out of his mouth for how he was treating his family and was spineless man he was.
I loved Haley and I felt so sorry for her and all the guilt she was carrying on her young shoulders. I could see why she was acting out the way that she was and how much she wanted her family to be able to look at her and blame her for the death of her sister.
Izzy was trip. She was such a cute character. So young but so well developed. She added humor to the book but she also made everything seem so innocent.
Julia started out so weak but by the end of the book she was a true warrior. I loved how Faulkner made this character learn from her tragedy and also see that is she did not pull herself together she would have a greater tragedy on her hands then she already had to deal with. The strength she found to help Haley and save her daughter was awesome.
I am not going to give spoilers but I had to give my take on these charters because they are what made this book what it was. The theme of the true meaning of family and overcoming tragedy that runs through this book is built around this four charters and what makes them who they are in this book.
This was a very good book and well worth reading and I and giving it four out of five stars.

I'll Never Let You Go (Morgans of Nashville #3) by Mary Burton

LOVE HURTS 
He promised to kill her. One night four years ago, Leah Carson’s husband almost succeeded. Philip stabbed her twenty-three times before fleeing. The police are sure he’s dead. But fear won’t let Leah believe it.    
AND SOMETIMESIt starts with little things. Missing keys. A flat tire. Mysterious flowers. All easily explained away if the pattern wasn’t so terrifyingly familiar. Leah has a new veterinary practice and a new life with no ties to her nightmare. But Tennessee Bureau of Investigation agent Alex Morgan suspects something. And when another woman’s body is found, stabbed twenty-three times, Leah knows her past has found her.
IT KILLS 
As Leah and Alex untangle the horrifying truth, he watches her, ready for the perfect moment. Until death—that was the vow they made. And a killer always keeps his word…

Review: I was given an ARC of I'll Never Let You Go from NetGalley for an honest review and this is my review.
This was a very well written book by Mary Burton and a great addition to this series. I enjoyed Alex's story and it was nice getting to know the Morgan family member that has been standoffish in other books. Alex has always been a bit of an enigma so getting to know what makes this TBI agent tick was fascinating and a great book to read.
I also enjoyed the character of Leah and how perfect she was for Alex. She was broken in her own right but had enough strength in herself to be a great match for the "ice man". It was an interesting pairing but written so well the reader had to see the genious in it.
Now for the plot, that too was excellent. Burton had me guessing until the end. I was not sure if Philip really had faked his death and was back to finally kill Leah or if something else was going on. I kept looking for telling clues to let me know who the killer was but I was second guessing myself until the very end. Just as if should be in a well written suspense book.
I am giving I'll Never Let You Go four stars out of five stars and highly recommend you read this series from Mary Burton because all of the books are very good.

A Winter Wedding (Whiskey Creek #9) by Brenda Novak

One Christmas can change your life...

Kyle Houseman believes he'll never find anyone he could love as much as Olivia Arnold, who's now married to his stepbrother. Not only did he lose her, he's been through one divorce and has no desire to go through another. He's determined to be extra careful about the next woman he gets involved with—which is why he fights his attraction to the beautiful stranger who rents his farmhouse for the Christmas holiday.
Lourdes Bennett is a country music artist. She's only planning to stay in Whiskey Creek long enough to write the songs for her next album—the album that's going to put her back on top. Her dreams don't include settling in a town even smaller than the one she escaped. But as she comes to know Kyle, she begins to wonder if she'd be making a terrible mistake to leave him behind.

Review: I was given an ARC of A Winter Wedding for an honest review and this is my review.
I absolutely loved Lourdes and Kyle's story. This newest addition to the Whiskey Creek family kept the story going and Brenda Novak did a fabulous job giving her readers Kyle's story.
Lourdes was the perfect match for Kyle and I loved how Novak dealt with his annoying ex-wife. That woman was pure evil and the reader had no choice but to hate her for everything she had put Kyle through over the years but in true Novak fashion the evil ex takes things a bit to far and gets hers. I am not big for spoilers so I am not going to get into a lot of the details of the book but I going to say that once it got to the ummm romance part between Kyle and Lourdes that was pretty hot as well.
This was a great book that fit perfectly into the Whiskey Creek series. It can be read as a stand alone but I would recommend to read it as a series because there is so much back story involved in the book it will make you feel more like a part of the group of friends if you read the books in order. I am definitely giving this book five out of five stars.  

Vendetta (The Nikki Boyd Files #1) by Lisa Harris

No one needs to push Nikki Boyd to excel on the Tennessee Missing Persons Task Force. The case of her own missing sister, still unsolved after ten years, is the driving force in her work. When a Polaroid photo of a missing girl shows up at a crime scene, Nikki quickly recognizes similarities to the past. The closer she gets to the abductor, the more she feels this case has become personal, and she is not the hunter . . . but the hunted.
With this explosive first book in The Nikki Boyd Files, award-winning author Lisa Harris takes you on a fast-paced pursuit of justice that will have you holding your breath until the heart-stopping finish.

Review: I was given a copy or Vendetta from NetGalley for an honest review and this is my review.
I can honestly say I enjoyed this book and am looking forward to the second book in series to come out. This book kept me guessing on who the perpetrator was and what his motive was behind his crime. It also kept the reader guessing if the victim was alive or dead throughout the entire book so that kept you on the edge of you seat as well. This book was definitely filled with a lot of action that kept the reader entertained and engaged in the story from start to finish.
The chemistry between Nikki and Tyler was also intriguing and will be interesting to see where it develops in further books. I loved how they interacted and how well they suited each other.
This was a well written start to a new series and I am going to give it five out of five stars.