“Snow & Secrets” by Rozenn (RJ) Scott is my favorite of the series thus far. It was great to finally get a closer look at the mysterious Garrett and to discover exactly what he did. I daresay the band Hudson Hart is being decimated by all o...
4¼ Stars“Notes & Roses” by Rozenn (RJ) Scott is an entertaining introduction to a delightful small town family and the members of a music group that they form a relationship with. I was a little disconcerted to discover that this was the first in t...
4 Stars“Lord of the Privateers” by Stephanie Laurens is the exciting conclusion to a series that gave a glimpse of an exotic land and some of the dangers that can arise when greed overrides common decency. The Frobisher siblings and their partners...
4½ Stars“The Trouble with Dukes” by Grace Burrowes is another great story that ties in with other series by this author yet expands upon the society she is so adept at describing. I love the way the mystery unfolds about the terrible history that p...
4½ Stars“A Second Chance at Murder” by Diana Orgain is a fun twist on the challenges of a reality show and provides a combination of exotic travelogue and mystery. I had not read the first story in this series but had no problem becoming familiar w...
4 Stars“Lovegame” by Tracy Wolff provides a vivid and intriguing look at the façade presented by a woman who is the epitome of the sexy Hollywood star and the discerning man who is determined to uncover the person beneath. It was gutwrenching to f...
4 Stars“Flameout” by Keri Arthur continues a unique saga about a world that contains phoenixes, vampires, and mad scientists. I am always fascinated to get immersed into this author’s version of phoenixes although I am frustrated about the relatio...
4 Stars“The Hero” by Donna Grant is chock full of action, suspense, and alpha males. The females are skilled, but somehow tend to be oblivious to clues that the males pick up on. There is a high level of violence and some sensuality but multiple t...
3 Stars“Sound Effects” by L.J. Greene is part of the ‘Ripple Effects’ series and is a semi-contemporary adult romance. This story is a mesmerizing look at a group of people on the cusp of changes. Mel (Melody) Grayson is about to become a full-fle...
5 Stars“Twelve Days of Christmas” by Debbie Macomber is a heartwarming and fun story that will put one in the holiday mood. I love the contrasts between the bright and chirpy Julia and the stiff and somber Cain, not to mention the personable Berni...
4½ Stars“Cowboys Don’t Come Out” by Tara Lain is a contemporary m/m romance story featuring Rand McIntyre, whose forced vacation to Maui with his parents has unexpectedly pleasant consequences. Unwillingly driven to pursue his attraction to Kai Kea...
4 Stars“Island of Glass” by Nora Roberts is a lovely mystical and romantic tale that draws one into a world where a mermaid walks on the land and loves a traveler and a werewolf ensnares an immortal while a sorcerer combines love and power with a...
5 Stars“Damien’s Christmas” by M.L. Buchman blends romance and suspense in a compelling seasonal tale that provides plenty of ‘aw’ moments along with exciting action scenes even as it gives a unique glimpse of some of the complicated maneuvering a...
4¾ Stars“Kept” by Maya Banks has many of the elements that have made her a favorite of those who prefer dark erotic romances: a sinfully delicious alpha male with a penchant for BDSM, a naïve yet adventuresome young woman who is willing to be spoil...
3¾ Stars“The Bloodsworn” by Erin Lindsey has plenty of twists and turns and breathtaking action to keep one enthralled. There are multiple threads that have been spun over the course of the trilogy and most of them are tied off nicely, although a f...
4½ Stars“Leaping Lemmings” by John Briggs and illustrated by Nicla Slater is a cute children’s book that promotes individualism and independent thinking. Playing off of the myth of mass lemming suicide through jumping off a cliff, this tale of the...
4 Stars“A Clue in the Stew” by Connie Archer is a story that reminds one of the joys and challenges of living in a town small enough that everyone knows everyone else. I enjoyed the interaction between those who are faithful friends, and sympathiz...
3¾ Stars“Step-by-Step Zen Doodle Origami” by Carolyn Scrace is a book filled with activities that one can get lost in for hours at a time…if one doesn’t get frustrated! I think that it was probably not the best week for me to try this, although I d...
4½ Stars“Backpack Fly Fishing: A Back-to-Basics Approach” by Daniel E. Steere is both a reminder that a simple uncomplicated method of fishing can be just as much fun as a trip using multiple complex pieces of expensive equipment and a celebration...
4½ Stars“Loving You Easy” by Roni Loren is another of her sizzling and sexy stories peopled by fascinating characters. I love the gradual shift in the relationship between the three people who each is dealing with issues from the past while navigat...
4¾ Stars“Taken” by Amy McKinley follows the adventures of Layla, one of five sisters who are at the center of a conflict between the gods, cursed by meddling of the Fates. The Oneiroi are determined to destroy the sisters, spurred the manipulations...
3¾ Stars“The Great American Eat-Right Cookbook: 140 Great-Tasting, Good-for-You Recipes” by Jeanne Besser and Colleen Doyle provides a wonderful array of simple recipes. There are divisions into the major categories of dishes (including the all-imp...
5 Stars“From a High Tower” by Mercedes Lackey is an inventive mélange of fantasy and reality, in keeping with the other stories in this series. I love this homage to the Wild West touring shows, with a nod to a writer popular in Germany and his co...
4 Stars“Otherworld Chllls” by Kelley Armstrong is an anthology of seven stories that tie together the various threads of the Otherworld universe, starting with “Brazen” that focuses on the search for the evil Malcolm Danvers. Hope the half demon s...
4½ Stars“Cinnamon Toasted” by Gail Oust evokes the delightful aromas that can be created with spices and demonstrates the combination of science and magic that goes into making a palatable dish. The requisite murder that sets wheels in motion and t...
3¾ Stars“Off the Books” by Lucy Arlington is a fun look at the hard work involved in the journey from an idea in an author’s mind to a book being purchased by a reader. I enjoyed getting a chance to see behind the scenes of a literary agency and th...
3¾ Stars“How to Manage a Marquess” by Sally MacKenzie is a story that blends superstition and social commentary while giving a glimpse of the limited alternatives available to women during this era. There are poignant moments sprinkled throughout t...
3½ Stars“Damned if You Do” by Marie Sexton provides a deliciously tilted glimpse of a section of Hell and the denizens who populate it. The role reversal and irony of the relationship that evolves between two polar opposites provides a nice twist t...
4 Stars“No Breaking My Heart” by Kate Angell is a quirky romance with sometimes hilarious interactions between the main characters, Alyn Jane and Halo Todd. There are poignant moments, especially those involving Alyn’s younger brother, Danny, and...
3¾ Stars“eleven and holding” by Mary Penney is a wonderfully deceptive story that starts with a simple premise and slowly becomes increasingly more poignant and emotional. I love the way the author invested me with Macy’s perspective and the reason...
5 StarsThis sensual paranormal tale features a sexy ghost who has kept his promises and a woman who finds that her attraction to a location that she has never visited before threatens to alter everything she has ever believed. I am not usually a b...
4 Stars“Unsafe Exposure” by Kaje Harper is an excellent addition to a unique series peopled by memorable werewolves. It has been fascinating to watch the evolution of a pack that has multiple gay couples in a world of rampantly homophobic shapeshi...
5 Stars“The Daredevil Snared” by Stephanie Laurens is an interesting combination of exotic locale, atypical danger, and frightening exploration of the evils that can be perpetuated by greed. True to this author’s pattern, this story also shows the...
4 Stars“Come on Closer” by Kendra Leigh Castle has some fun moments and gives a glimpse of the various connections between the inhabitants of Harvest Cove. I like the way it explores the positives and negatives of living in a town where everyone k...
3¾ Stars“Dreams of Distant Shores” by Patricia A. McKillip provides an intriguing look at the author’s ability to evoke remarkable worlds that are almost familiar yet unlike anything that most of us have ever imagined. One has to be in the proper f...
4 Stars“Wizard of the Grove” by Tanya Huff is a two-volume book that has fun and intriguing elements, and even better for me, fantastical creatures such as dryads, centaurs, and wizards. There are sweeping political struggles, romance, betrayal, c...
3¾ Stars“Catch as Cat Can” is a fun cozy mystery that has the small town elements of interconnected characters, a nicely simmering romance, a dead body, a gradually unveiled mystery, and helpful secondary characters. I love the determined kitty who...
4 Stars“Say it Right” by A.M. Arthur is an intense, gritty exploration of the complicated reunion between Marcos (Marc) and Anthony (Tone) who are brought back together at an extremely dark low point. I was apprehensive about all of the elements t...
4¼ Stars“Spirit Bound” by Tessa McFionn was a bit uncomfortable for me to read, given the horrific events that happen during the story, even though the memory of the victim is wiped. I like that the main characters have flaws that have to be worked...
4¼ Stars“Midnight Marked” by Chloe Neill blends paranormal elements with remarkable contemporary elements that bring one into the story and make one think that these are folks you could get to know and live near, then suddenly realize the danger th...
4½ Stars“One With You” by Sylvia Day is a fantastic end to the series, and has a wonderful combination of the carnal sensuality that is integral to these stories, emotion and angst, and unexpected revelations that shift one’s perceptions. I love th...
5 Stars“Fearless” by Kimberly Kincaid is part of the ‘Rescue Squad’ series and returns the action to Station Eight. I love the contrast between the family backgrounds of the two main characters, plus the atypical addition to the close-knight firef...
4 Stars“When the Ground Shakes” written by Irit Amog and Shoshana Wheeler and illustrated by David R. Aseraf is a great guide to teach young children how to act during an earthquake. It is written using simple language with concepts that can be ea...
4 StarsThe charm of small town romances is the wealth of characters who form the backdrop for the connection that forms between the main players. I am always in awe of the way this author creates such vivid stories that I want to visit these place...
4½ Stars“The Terrans” by Jean Johnson sets the stage for an intriguing set of interactions between humans and other species, some more alien than others. I love the premise of a more advanced Earth that has survived horrific conflicts and found a w...
4¼ Stars“Once a Soldier” by Mary Jo Putney features my favorite kind of lead characters…capable ones who are not defined by gender. I love that Athena is comfortable defending herself, decisive, and intrepid, and the action and adventure that perme...
4½ Stars“The V’Dan” is the second story in the ‘First Salik War’ series by Jean Johnson and continues the saga started in “The Terrans”. Jacaranda (Jackie) MacKenzie and a group of her fellow humans have transported Captain Li’eth Ma’an-uq’en and h...
4 Stars“A Churn for the Worse” by Laura Bradford provides wonderful glimpses of a society that is very different from what I am used to. I was fascinated to read of the way problems are handled, the trusting nature that underlies the interactions...
4 Stars“Ultimate Courage” by J. Piper Drake is an exciting and heartwarming tale, particularly because of a young girl nicknamed Boom and a canine named Souze. The tension displayed by the beleagured Elisa Hall and the solace she finds with these...
4¾ Stars“Robert Asprin’s Myth-Fits” by Jody Lynn Nye adds a new story to the delightfully punny series began by the late Robert Asprin. It was fun to catch up with the great Skeeve, who has made a lot of progress under the tutelage of that wily Per...
4 Stars
