​The perfect pick-me-up!
 
I don’t usually read holiday books, but I love Liz Talley’s stories and a DOWN HOME CHRISTMAS was the perfect pick-me-up good for anytime of the year.
 
Liz Talley hit all the sweet spots that make a Hallmark holiday movie (even though this is a book) a tale that fills us with love and happiness reminding us of better days and that family, friends and home are the most important things in life.  However, the author didn’t stop there, she kicked it up a notch or two by bringing us a fabulous cast from the main characters right down to the fur and feathered side-kicks. 
 
I think a lot of readers could relate to Kris and his desire to succeed, while wanting to take care of his aging aunt. My heart went out to Tory with her kind and giving heart. The sweet romance between these two was fun, flirty, and just so perfect. Then there was Aunt Tansy…what a hoot! Not to mention tough but sweet Bria and the rest of the cast including Edison and Loretta Lynn the sweater sporting hen. 
 
If you’re looking for a feel good read then look no further because this book will make you laugh and smile and leave you feeling like Santa just left you everything on your wish list no matter what time of the year it is.

​Hidden is the first book in a new series (Dark Ops) that promises to be another hit by Rebecca Zanetti.
 
I’m a fan of the author and several of her series including the Scorpius Syndrome books, which is a mix of romantic suspense and not really paranormal, but more like science gone wild. The Dark Ops series is full on romantic suspense and as always with Ms. Zanetti’s books, on the steamy side. I wasn’t sure if she was going to be able to keep up the tension that she did so well in the Scorpius Syndrome series, but she did not disappoint. While HIDDEN did start a little slower for me as she set up the world and the players, it wasn’t boring at all. It was the perfect start to give us a chance to get to know Pippa and Malcolm, both of whom are fabulous characters. 
 
Pippa has been running and hiding for years and even though she’s at first terrified of Malcolm, she quickly finds herself trusting him. I will admit that he won her trust a little too fast for me, but the author made it work and hey…sometimes the heart just knows and overrides all of our other senses. While the chemistry between these two burns up the sheets, it’s Pippa’s strength that really caught my attention. This poor woman has been through so much. She’s seen things no person should have to endure or watch, yet she’s still kind of sweet, and gentle, and most importantly, compassionate. She’s also got this quiet strength to her that is easy for many to overlook, but she doesn’t let them and I really admired the character for that only.
 
Malcolm is a cop who is burned out and looking to simply escape. Too bad life won’t let him, which is probably a good thing given Pippa’s situation. Two things I really liked about Malcolm: his faith in Pippa and his protective streak, which extended beyond her and showed us his true character. 
 
The storyline was full of twists, turns, and moments that kept the page turning as well as a few spots that made you laugh. A perfect combination.
 
There were other great secondary characters that are going to make this an interesting series, especially Wolfe. And I dare you not to fall in love with Roscoe who is the coolest and most unique dog I’ve ever seen.
 
I definitely recommend this to anyone who likes romantic suspense, special ops or books with great characters and unique storylines.

​I’ve been hearing about Katie Ruggle for sometime and it’s all been good. So, she’s been on my list of new-to-me authors to check out. I’m just not sure if this was the best one to start with mainly because it’s book 4 in a series and I always feel like I’m playing catch up when I do that. 
 
Even so, it was an enjoyable read.
 
The heroine, Kit Jernigan is smart, savvy, loyal, and funny, not to mention, she has an awesome dog, Justice, her K-9 partner. She loves her job and wants to do a great job and fit in, to find a home. Unfortunately, her human partners on the force don’t exactly make that easy for her. Still, she didn’t give up; rather she resolved to win them over. I really liked this about her. Kit wasn’t whiney, she wasn’t bitchy, she was nice—something we need more of in this world. She also had great instincts, which is important not just for police work, but for life in general. 
 
Wes March as the hero was a breath of fresh air. He was quirky—super smart (he makes the coolest gadgets), sweet, honest—just not a real people person. I love that he was there for Kit when she needed him, but he also stood back and let her do her job too. 
 
I loved watching this romance between Wes and Kit slowly unfold. While the romance was a strong plotline in the book, it wasn’t the main focus and that was okay. It seemed more realistic and built naturally. The two characters really “got” each other, but there were still those sweet moments of uncertainty that were so fun to watch. 
 
What I wasn’t too crazy about were the other police officers. I know it’s typical to razz the new person, but they went beyond that and were flat out jerks most of the time. They also came across as stupid, inept, and slightly corrupt. Given that I didn’t read books 1-3, I did have to guess as to their motives and I tried to give the characters and the author the benefit of the doubt. Although, based on other reviews, I think “dumbing down” the men was the author’s way to make Kit the hero of the story. 
 
As to the rest of the book, it was fast paced with lots of action and kept you turning the pages. I would recommend not reading this book until you’ve read the first three in the series.

​I’m going to start off with the truth: I’m not a huge fan of historical romances. I’ve read a ton (ha ha pun not intended) of them and just got sick of the “ton.” So when I saw Christi Caldwell’s newest book, THE VIXEN, didn’t have a hero that was a duke, or earl, or viscount, I was thrilled. Even more so when I found out her heroine was basically a “street rat.”
 
I loved, loved, loved this story.
 
Great characters in Ophelia Killoranand Connor Steele. Strong, driven, flawed, independent humans who have had to live on the wrong side of the “moral line” to survive, but still had more morals than those who should have been leading the charge. It’s been awhile since a story has made me cry, and the black moment (no spoilers) really got to me. 
 
I’m just going to say, read the book. You won’t be disappointed. Oh, and I’ll be reading more by this author…a lot more.

​A wonderful, satisfying and emotional story of family dynamics, drama, and growth. 
 
Gentry Cabot is one of those characters that start out as a secondary and steal your heart. She’s the baby of the family, but is more a mix between the “the only,” and the “forgotten middle.” She’s fierce, independent, and more than a bit on the wild side, which is how she got into her current situation of being a single mom. 
 
Getting to this point wasn’t easy for Gentry and she’s far from reaching the finish line of her arc. Her relationships with her family are complicated at best, and completely believable. If that part of her journey doesn’t tug at your heart, watching her fall in love with her colicky son surely will. 
 
Ian Crawford was perfect for Gentry (and vise versa). While these two appeared to be a different as night and day, they had more in common deep down, where it matters the most. I really liked that neither characters were afraid to call the other on their attitudes, but also brought out the best in each other. They did that one thing that makes them so right for each other: they saw past the surface, to the heart and soul of each other; they saw the good qualities and the bad and not only accepted each other, but loved with all their heart.
 
While this is a romance, it’s so much more. It’s life with: family dynamics, parenthood, growing up, following your passions, facing your past, trying to do what’s right, and yes, falling in love. And Jamie Beck did a fabulous job of blending that all into one story. 

Definitely a great read! Mary Ellen Taylor did a fabulous job of weaving interconnecting stories from the past and present. 
 
If you’re a fan out Downton Abbey, then you’ll like WINTER COTTAGE.
 
The story starts out in the not so distant past as a young girl begins her senior project by interviewing long-time resident and centenarian, Mrs. Catherine Buchanan: owner of Winter Cottage.  I was immediately drawn in by these two characters; so very different from each other, but clearly kindred spirits. What tales did Mrs. Buchanan have to tell, what secrets of the rich and powerful did she have to spill? 
 
We then switch to the present with Lucy Kincaid returning to her mother’s hometown, a place she’d never even heard of until her mother was dying, and to a property that no one knows why was willed to her mom and now her.  So we have that mystery. Plus, there’s the mystery of why her mom ran away the day before graduation and who is Lucy’s father. If all of that weren’t enough to draw you in, you have wonderful, witty, charming characters like Arlene (Lucy’s mom’s high school best friend), Hank Garrison (I completely fell for this guy with his honestly and a streak of integrity a mile wide…so refreshing), and of course, twelve year-old Natasha. 
 
The story bounces back and forth from the distant past (1916) to the near past (1988), to the present as you learn about these women’s lives and the choices they’ve made.  I was totally taken by the story of “Claire,” a seamstress working for the wealthy Buchanans. Oh, how different life was a hundred years ago, and not necessarily for the better. It was a fascinating and believable tale of life and relationships between the upstairs and downstairs residents. 
 
And just as I was captivated by Claire’s story, so was I with Lucy.  The characters are well developed and the plot is solid, with good characters that you like, love or in some cases, hate. It’s a tale of home and ties that bind, and of family and one not to be missed.

​LAST CHRISTMAS IN PARIS has been on my list to read since it came out, and while I’m happy I finally read it, I’m sad I didn’t read it sooner. What a wonderful, heartwarming and heartbreaking story.
 
Evie was so much fun. Feisty, upbeat, so full of hope and love. How could Tom not have fallen love with her the minute he laid eyes on her? And Tom, what a perfect hero of the story. So stoic, loyal, strong, and brave. I cried at the end as he put his uniform on and read the final letter from the love of his life fifty years after that first letter.
 
I love reading historical fiction and learning about the events of the past through the eyes of those who have come before us and how those now interpret their lives. This book flowed from start to finish for me and the pages flew by. I lost myself in the words, pictured myself flying down the lane on “Rusty the bicycle” delivering the post, and had tears running down my cheeks when “those” telegrams were delivered. Ms. Gaynor and Ms. Webb told a gripping tale and did a magnificent job of melding their styles into one seamless work. Definitely five stars and this goes on my keeper shelf.

OMG, I must have told five friends about this book within five minutes of finishing it. When the offer to read an ARC came from St. Martin’s I almost deleted the email after reading the blurb. This line right here is what had me hesitating, “Then, suddenly, on what should have been one of the happiest days of her life, everything she worked for is taken away in one tumultuous moment.” I mean that sounds like a tissue box or two kind of read, and there’s nothing wrong with that, but did I want to put myself through that kind of emotional turmoil? Then I kept reading and the answer was yes, and I’m so glad. I’ve read a lot of great book lately, but this has been my favorite.

Maggie and Ian are still with me even though it’s been a couple of weeks (I wanted to let the story settle before I wrote this review).  I miss her crazy sister and I want to read it all over again — something I never do.
 
This was the first book of Katherine Center’s that I’ve read; it most certainly won’t be the last. Do yourself a favor, read this story. It will break your heart a little, maybe even curse at the fates, but it will make you smile and laugh and be awed by the strength of the human spirit. 

​I’ve been reading the Hannah Swensen series since it first came out in 2001. As you can imagine, I’ve grown quite invested in this series and the characters.
 
Let’s talk about Wedding Cake Murder (#23 in the series). Finally, Hannah Swensen is getting married! But to whom? Not our beloved town dentist, Norman or hunky deputy, Mike, but to a stranger. Well, he’s not a stranger to Hannah but he is to us readers. I will be admit, I’ve always been Team Mike and I’m disappointed. However, I’m willing to give the new guy a chance.
 
With that said, the mystery was fun and as always, kept you guessing as to “whodunit.” I love that Hannah’s little sister, Michelle, is the one who found the body and that’s she’s playing a larger roles in the stories. She’s fun, smart, and a little more connected to the rest of the world than Hannah, Andrea and Delores. Not that I don’t enjoy Hannah, but sometimes it feels like she should know more than she does and other times it feels like she thinks she knows more than the rest of us do. Still she’s a great baker, sister, friend and amateur sleuth.
 
The reality TV aspect of the story was fun, and it was great to take the story on the road, even if just for a short while. Ross, aka the new guy, came across as a loving, supportive guy…so maybe this reader doesn’t “hate” him and will give him the benefit of the doubt. I wasn’t crazy about the “confrontation” as I didn’t buy it at all… thirty minutes before you’re due at the church is not when you’re going to confront a murder. Overall, it was a fun read with some really great sounding recipes.
 
Now let’s talk Banana Cream Pie Murder! (#24) In this installment, the Swensen Slay-dar is expanding and Delores (Hannah’s mom) finds the dead body. I really kind of loved that as she’s always given Hannah such a bad time for finding the bodies, but at the same time, totally felt for the poor woman.
 
Hannah and Ross are just finishing up their honeymoon when they get the note that she needs to come home and solve the murder. As this request is coming from Delores its definitely showing some much welcomed character growth. As usual, Ms. Fluke has spun a wonderful web of intrigue and mystery with lots of great suspects.
 
We also get to see a bit more of the love story between Hannah and Ross and while he’s sweet and supportive, it’s lacking some of the chemistry Hannah had with her former love interests. Of course, Mike and Norman are present as everyone is really good friends. Honestly, I’m having a little trouble suspending belief that the new husband is okay with both ex-boyfriends being over constantly for dinner and so on. But hey, this is Lake Eden where everyone is a friend and if not, they just kill you. J I’d like to also point out this may be the first time Hannah didn’t knowingly put herself in danger.
 
Again, it’s a fun mystery, but I did feel like something was a little off in this story. It was just lacking the tension that kept me turning those pages right up until I hit the end and then just WOW! What a great cliffhanger.
 
And that brings us to the newest, Raspberry Danish Murder.
 
This story starts out with Hannah’s new husband of two weeks missing. Yep, the new guy has disappeared without a trace. Poor Hannah is despondent and who could blame her. Mike and Normal are very sympathetic and right there for her, as always. But when Ross’s assistant dies while on a video call to Michelle and Hannah, Team Swensen swoops in to find his killer.
 
In all honesty, I felt this was Ms. Fluke’s most complex murder yet. The murder weapon and method were brilliant and definitely put our heroine and her gang through the paces. But not only is Hannah trying to solve PK’s murder, but possibly Ross’s. I can’t even imagine trying to deal with the emotions that would bring on. Fortunately, I didn’t have to because Hannah really didn’t have any. She was a little “down” in the beginning, sleep a lot, having weird dreams, but if my husband went missing, I’d be an emotional wreck.
 
But this is a cozy so I’ll give her a pass on the shallow reactions. Let’s talk about the secondary characters for a moment. Mike: he’s everything you’d expect him to be. Stoic, strong, and doing everything he can to do his job and find Ross for the woman he loves. Normal: steadfast, loyal, and taking care of everyone, just like always, as he runs his practice and helps Hannah investigate. Michelle is back and making us all hungry with her early morning cooking (I think I gained five pounds just imagining those muffins!). Andrea and Bill make quick appearances. Then there’s Delores. That character growth I said she’d shown in Banana Cream Pie Murder? Well, forget it. She regressed so far I didn’t even recognize her. I mean she dressed down her daughter in a public restaurant for having dinner with a man not her husband. Really not the time or place and just shows that she has a very low opinion of daughter.
 
Back to the mystery. As I said, this is really Ms. Fluke’s strong suite, coming up with complex murders, throwing a ton of red herrings at you and leading you along a fun path of breadcrumbs to the culprit. I did figure it out way before they let the cat out of the bag. And once again, we were left with a fabulous cliffhanger at the end.

​This is my first read by Elizabeth LeBan and I suspect it won’t be my last. Overall, this was a really good book, with some interesting characters.
 
What would you do if you woke up after having a fight with your spouse and they were gone? Not just gone, but had left, with a note threatening that if you told anyone they left they’d rat you out on something you did.
 
For most of us, we’d probably ignore the threat. If we had kids, we’d probably do the same thing our main character, Tabitha did and make up a story that “Daddy was away for work.” At least, until we could get ahold of the jerk and settle things. But most of us probably aren’t walking around with the kind of guilt this character is holding on to, which helps give the storyline some credibility. There’s also the image to maintain, which to me didn’t work.
 
What did work for me was how Tabitha, who is a mother of two, was trying to keep it together for her kids. Being abandoned with two kids and no money is a pretty rotten thing to do to the person who you’re supposed to love, and even if you don’t love them, if you have kids, it’s downright horrible behavior. So yes, I loathed the husband who was absent for most of the book. I felt sad for the kids who could tell stuff was going on with their mom, but didn’t know what or how to talk to her about it.
 
By all accounts, Tabitha is a pretty good, and normal person…meaning she’s not perfect. She’s made mistakes in her life. She’s had bad thoughts and isn’t always the perfect wife, mom, or daughter, but she tries. And really, that counts for a lot and made me like her and be sympathetic to her, even when I wanted so say, “come on, get real,” at times.
 
Like when she spends $80 dollars at a pizzeria, but the fridge and cabinets are empty and she had just stolen four stuffed peppers from the food kitchen they had volunteered at. That money could have bought a lot of pasta and peanut butter at Wal-Mart. But I get it, she was tired and trying so hard to cheer her kids up. Most of the other things she does to survive were realistic, and I could see really happening.
 
The scenes with Nora were a little hard to suspend belief over, but I did love the character and thinks she’s a good reminder that we shouldn’t underestimate the elderly. They’re sharper than most give them credit for and much wiser. Toby absolutely stole my heart. Yes, he made mistakes too. A really bad one that had I been his wife, I couldn’t have overlooked, but again, he’s human and he does regret his mistake. So lesson learned, move on, and do better. I’m okay with that.
 
There’s a lot Tabitha has to deal with during this order, like figuring out what the threat is about, overcoming her guilt, and finding her inner strength to face the truth. No one is perfect, we all make mistakes, but the point is to learn from them and do better in the future. In the end, she became someone I could totally empathize with and someone I liked a lot.
 
If you’re looking for a good women’s fiction book, with a cute romance and quirky, yet believable characters this is a good book for you.