Sunday, March 26, 2017

Her Baby, His Love by Lynne Marshall

All Taylor Clark ever wanted was a normal life and a traditional family, but so far she’s had neither. Soon after discovering that her boyfriend was secretly engaged and she moves to Charity, Montana for a fresh start, she realizes she’s pregnant. As her new friendly and sexy landlord helps her settle in, they become friends, although Taylor has to keep reminding herself to keep her distance. The last thing she needs is to start something new.
As an ex-con, Joe Collins knows a little something about fresh starts. Despite his determination to keep his head down, he can’t ignore Taylor’s natural beauty or obvious vulnerability. In short time, a tentative friendship blooms along with something more precious—trust.
When Taylor’s ex comes to town, he threatens everything that Joe and Taylor have built together. Joe steps up to care for and protect her, even though he risks losing more than the woman he loves.

Review: Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of Her Baby, His Love by Lynne Marshall that I read and reviewed.
This book is a very sweet romance book. Taylor and Joe are both looking for new starts but for totally different reasons. I don't want to give too much away because of spoilers but Taylor has been hurt and wants to keep men in the just friends zone but there is something about Joe that draws her near.
I really enjoyed this book and found it to be a very fast read for me. It was a very pure romance book without hardly any sexual content at all and had a bit of religion mentioned so if you you enjoy this style of romance books you will love this book.
I am giving Her Baby, His Love four out of five stars.

Tempting the Deputy (Men of Marietta #1) by Heidi Rice

Tough, taciturn and wounded in ways that no one else knows about, Marietta rancher and part-time Deputy Sheriff Logan Tate is a man in total control of his life. Until he catches British photographer Charlotte Foster hitchhiking and ‘insists’ she gets a ride into town in his squad car…
After her run-in with Deputy Hardass, Charlie Foster is ready to ride her thumb right back out of Marietta the very next day. But that night, a trip to Grey’s Saloon fires up her imagination – and her wild side – when she overhears the town’s first responders panicking over how to come up with the money needed to repair Harry’s House in just 90 days.
Charlie has an ingenious solution to their problem, that might just require her to photograph twelve smokin’ hot guys naked. And, as luck would have it, also involves getting some much needed payback on Deputy Hardass–who isn’t too enthusiastic about participating in the calendar shoot.
But as he spends more time with Charlie, Logan can’t ignore the chemistry sizzling between them. Can a man who lives by the rules fall in love with a woman who breaks all of his?

Review: Thank you NetGalley for the copy of Tempting the Deputy by Heidi Rice that I read and reviewed.
All I can say about this book is that it is hot hot hot. The chemistry between Logan and Charlie was off the charts and you could feel it through your Kindle. 
I really enjoyed this book and I found the idea for this new series of really great eye candy guys that are going to be used "naked" in a calender for charity was a really good idea. In this first book it was the reluctant assistant sheriff and the photographer who were paired up. As I stated before it was one hot pairing. If you enjoy fast moving romance books with a solid story this would be a great book to pick up. 
I am giving Tempting the Deputy four out of five stars.

Thursday, March 23, 2017

If Not for You (New Beginnings #3) by Debbie Macomber

If not for her loving but controlling parents, Beth Prudhomme might never have taken charge of her life and moved from her native Chicago to Portland, Oregon, where she s reconnected with her spirited Aunt Sunshine and found a job as a high school music teacher. If not for her friend Nichole, Beth would never have met Sam Carney, although first impressions have left Beth with serious doubts. Sam is everything Beth is not and her parents worst nightmare: a tattooed auto mechanic who s rough around the edges. Reserved and smart as a whip, Beth isn t exactly Sam s usual beer-drinking, pool-playing type of woman, either. 
But if not for an awkward setup one evening, Beth might never have left early and been involved in a car crash. And if not for Sam who witnessed the terrifying ordeal, rushed to her aid, and stayed with her until help arrived Beth might have been all alone, or worse. Yet as events play out, Sam feels compelled to check on Beth almost daily at the hospital even bringing his guitar to play songs to lift her spirits. Soon their unlikely friendship evolves into an intense attraction that surprises them both. Before long, Beth's strong-willed mother, Ellie, blows into town spouting harsh opinions, especially about Sam, and reopening old wounds with Sunshine. When shocking secrets from Sam s past are revealed, Beth struggles to reconcile her feelings. But when Beth goes a step too far, she risks losing the man and the life she s come to love.

Review: Thank you NetGalley for the copy of It Not for You by Debbie Macomber that I read and reviewed.
This is the third book in the New Beginnings series and even though it is a stand alone it does contain a lot of spoilers for the second book so if you haven't read it and are planning on reading it I would suggest you read the books in order or at least the second and third due to spoilers.
Now for this book. It started off really fast then slowed down a bit and for me that was a bit strange but I guess it worked for this book in the grand scheme of things because I really ended up enjoying it.
Beth and Sam seemed like they would be total opposites and not work but as the book moved on as a reader you had no choice but to cheer for them. I loved how in this book true opposites attracted.
Then there was Sunshine, Beth's aunt who was dealing with the pain of the betrayal of her sister and really not getting over her true love. Her story that was intertwined with Sam and Beth's added a second layer to this book and a second character for the reader to cheer for.
This book is not your typical romance if that is what you are looking for. Things are not always easy for these characters and they have to fight their own demons and their pasts to get their happily ever after in this story and the journey they go through makes them stronger as individuals, as a family and as couples and that is what makes this book so special.
I am giving It Not for You four out of five stars.

Tuesday, March 21, 2017

Hard Justice (Body Armor #2) by Lori Foster

Justice Wallington knows how to harness his strength and intimidating size—skills he put to good use first in the MMA cage, and now as a bodyguard at the Body Armor agency. But no opponent has ever left him feeling as off balance as his new client, heiress Fallon Wade. Far from a spoiled princess, she's sweet and intriguingly innocent. It's a risk-free assignment, until he's required to fake a relationship with her in order to blend in.
Sheltered from the world after a family tragedy, Fallon longs to experience life—going to bars, dancing, talking to strangers. Not easy with a huge, lethal-looking bodyguard shadowing her every move. Justice seems like her polar opposite, but pretending to be a couple stirs undeniable heat. And when danger strikes again, it's not just her safety in jeopardy, but a passion that's real, raw and absolutely against the rules…

 Review: Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of Hard Justice by Lori Foster that I read and reviewed.
This book was full of romance and also had a sub plot of suspense that was also enjoyable. I loved the characters of Justice and Fallon together because they were complete opposites but they complemented each other so well they made this book extremely interesting.
I would highly recommend this book if you want a light hearted romance that has some edge to it as well. Hard Justice gets five out of five stars from me.

Monday, March 13, 2017

Dangerous Behavior by Nancy Bush

SOME COUPLES
Just one look, and it s clear they re perfect together. It s in the way they touch, talk, and kiss. They share the same interests. The same twisted passions. They do everything together. Even kill 
ARE TOO GOOD
Julia St. James Ford has washed up on a beach near her home in Seaside, Oregon, with no memory of how she got there or how her husband, Joe, died. The police rule the case an accident. But Joe s brother, Sam Jules rescuer and her first love suspects otherwise. While Sam tries to piece the facts together, Jules fears someone is watching, determined to find out how much she knows. 
TO BE TRUE
Behind closed doors, behind Jules neighbors smiles, are terrifying secrets. A string of sordid thrill kills and one survivor who never should have got away. And as she and Sam close in on the events of one tragic night, and the truth comes flooding back, remembering a killer s face may be the last thing Jules ever does 

Review: Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of Dangerous Behavior by Nancy Bush that I read and reviewed.
The twisted and creative mind of Nancy Bush blows my mind again with another book that I was unable to put down.
I loved Dangerous Behavior from the start and Bush had me guessing who the killers were literally until I read the very last section of the book and that was some excellent writing. I can't say much more because I don't want to accidentally give away spoilers but this is a must read if you love romantic suspense.
Dangerous Behavior gets five out of five stars.

Saturday, March 11, 2017

Finding Our Forever (Silver Springs #1) by Brenda Novak

The search for her birth mother brought Cora Kelly to the New Horizons Boys Ranch. Getting a job there was easy enough, but confiding in Aiyana, the ranch's owner, that she's really her daughter? Cora's not sure she can do that, not unless she's confident the news will be welcomed. And once she gets to know Elijah Turner, Aiyana's adopted son and ranch manager, that decision becomes even more difficult.
Although Elijah can't deny his deep attraction to Cora, he's always struggled with trust. Anyone with his past would, and there's something about the ranch's newest employee that isn't exactly as it seems. But if the feelings she awakes in his guarded heart are any indication, she might be just what he's long been waiting for.

Review: Thank you Brenda Novak for the ARC of Finding Our Forever that I read and reviewed.
This is this first book in the Silver Springs Series by Novak and if it is any indication of what we have to look forward to I can't wait for more books in this series to hit the self. I loved Cora and Eli and how they complemented each other so well in this book. The sparks between them were flying from the start and even though Cora tried to fight it some things are meant to be even if you are hiding a really big secret from the person you are starting to fall in love with.
This book is definitely full of romance, reuniting families and just an around good feeling romance book. It is one that is hard to put down because the story draws you in and you can't wait to see how it ends.
Finding Our Forever is a five out of five star book for me.

Wednesday, March 1, 2017

Claiming Grace (Ace Security #1) by Susan Stoker


For Logan Anderson, moving on from a traumatic past means moving back to his hometown of Castle Rock, Colorado, to start a personal-security business with his brothers. But it’s not long before Logan runs into Grace Mason, his best friend from high school…and the woman who never answered his letters during his Army years.
Grace was pleasantly surprised to see Logan return to Castle Rock, despite their falling-out ten years ago. Everyone always assumed they would end up together, including Grace, who had eyes only for him. But as Logan eventually escaped their town, Grace got pulled further into her family’s controlling grasp—and farther away from the man she loved.
Now, united by scars both visible and not, the two must fight to free Grace from the suffocating hold of her family. But the Masons won’t let go easily—and they’ll do whatever it takes to keep the couple apart.

Review: Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of Claiming Grace by Susan Stoker that I was able to read and review.
This book is the first in a new series about a three brothers that are triplets that decide to open up a protection business that specializes in helping men who are abused by the women in their lives because their mother killed their father then herself. However, they will help anyone who needs in.
In this first book the person in need of help is Grace, the best friend and first love of Logan, one of the sexy Mason Brothers and founders of Ace Security. No one really knows what is going on in Grace's life because she hides it well but when Logan learns that the girl that he thought gave up in him when he left for the army really didn't he will do anything to protect her from what her parents are doing to her behind closed doors.
This book was an interesting introduction to Ace Security and characters in this series. I really enjoyed Logan and Grace's story. It was full of action and very real. I can't wait until the other two brothers find their true love.
I am giving Claiming Grace four out of five stars.

Avery: The Case Against Steven Avery and What "Making a Murderer" Gets Wrong by Ken Kratz

The Netflix series Making a Murderer was a runaway hit, with over 19 million US viewers in the first 35 days. The series left many with the opinion that Steven Avery, a man falsely imprisoned for almost 20 years on a previous, unrelated assault charge, had been framed by a corrupt police force and district attorney’s office for the murder of a young photographer. Viewers were outraged, and hundreds of thousands demanded a pardon for Avery. The chief villain of the series? Ken Kratz, the special prosecutor who headed the investigation and trial. Kratz’s later misdeeds—prescription drug abuse and sexual harassment—only cemented belief in his corruption.This book tells you what Making a Murderer didn’t.While indignation at the injustice of his first imprisonment makes it tempting to believe in his innocence, Avery: The Case Against Steven Avery and What Making a Murderer Gets Wrong and the evidence shared inside—examined thoroughly and dispassionately—prove that, in this case, the criminal justice system worked just as it should.With Avery, Ken Kratz puts doubts about Steven Avery’s guilt to rest. In this exclu- sive insider’s look into the controversial case, Kratz lets the evidence tell the story, sharing details and insights unknown to the public. He reveals the facts Making a Murderer conveniently left out and then candidly addresses the aftermath—openly discussing, for the first time, his own struggle with addiction that led him to lose everything. 
Avery systematically erases the uncertainties introduced by the Netflix series, confirming, once and for all, that Steven Avery is guilty of the murder of Teresa Halbach.

 Review: Thank you NetGalley for the copy of Avery: The Case Against Steven Avery and What "Making a Murderer" Gets Wrong by Ken Kratz that I read and reviewed.
I can honestly say when I stated this book my mind was made up that Avery was innocent and should be freed from jail because of what I had seen on Making a Murder. I only wanted to read this book to see if Kratz really was the cocky jerk he was in that television series. Boy did this book give me different view of the crime and Kratz as a man.
After reading this book and having more of the case laid out I realize how biased the TV version of the crime was and now I question a lot of my beliefs that were made after I watched that show. I is really sad how if what Kratz laid out in this book is true how him and the officers have been disgraced and threatened again all these years later because of editing and how evidence was shown and spun to help a murder get freed by a Netfix TV show and looking at what Kratz had and the actual parts of the trial he uses in the book that was not in the TV series I am starting to believe that that is what is happening.
The book also change my opinion of Kratz as a man. He is not afraid to admit he made mistakes in his life. He is not going to blame them on others and hide. He is man enough to admit he messes up and that says a lot about his true grit. He may not be the kind of man you what to hang out with but he would be the kind of guy you would want to fight for you in the courtroom because he knows about mistakes and second chances.
Did Steven Avery kill Teresa Halbach? Probably. There really is no one else who could have done it as Kratz points out in this book. Did his nephew get a raw deal? Yes but he took part in the crime so he is not innocent either. There are only three people who know what really took place that day and one of them is dead. We will never know what happened that October day on the Avery Land but I can honestly say that Ken Kratz's book opened my eyes to the problems with the Making a Murder TV Series. I was ready to jump on the Free Steven Avery Bandwagon until I read this book and was reminded that people with a camera can do whatever they want to make you see what they want. All it takes is some great editing editing and some really good cliffhangers and you are eating out of their hands and maybe just maybe you are starting to believe a man really did not rape, murder and burn and woman in a pit to get rid of her body just because he was mad at women because he spent 18 years in prison for a crime he did not commit.
Avery: The Case Against Steven Avery and What "Making a Murderer" Gets Wrong gets five out of five stars from me.