Review: Marry Me by Sundown

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Review: Marry Me by SundownMarry Me by Sundown by Johanna Lindsey
Series: Callahan-Warren #3
Published by Gallery Books on July 10, 2018
Genres: Historical
Pages: 368
Goodreads
three-stars

FINAL DECISION: Just okay for me. The characters were nice, but the story was really, really slow to get into. Things ended up nicely and I enjoyed it overall, but not a book I would look to read again.

THE STORY: Violet Mitchell traveled from London to her family’s home in Philadelphia to find that her father has gone west to try and solve the family’s looming money problems. Violet follows and find that her father is dead and needing to find his mine to save the family. Morgan Callahan doesn’t believe the woman who has come snooping around is his deceased partner’s daughter. So he kidnaps her to find out what she is really doing.

OPINION: There wasn’t anything in particular that I didn’t like about this book. It just felt a little flat to me and it took a long time for me to get into the story. By the time the story picked up in the last half of the book, it was too late for this to be a great book for me.

The characters were nice and I liked reading about the western setting, however, I didn’t find the characters compelling and vibrant such that I would want to read their story again. I especially had a problem with Morgan who remains a mystery in his thoughts and motivations for almost the entire book. It made him feel too distant and indistinct to be a fascinating character.

I also really didn’t feel the connection between these characters for most of the book. They didn’t clash, it just didn’t feel like a deep passionate connection either.

Overall, I liked the book, and I liked the story in a general way — meaning that when I finished it I didn’t feel that I had wasted my time reading it, but I don’t think I’d pick this book up again wanting to revisit these characters or their story.

WORTH MENTIONING: This book explores mining in the west. For me this was the most interesting part of the book.

CONNECTED BOOKS: MARRY ME BY SUNDOWN is the third book in the Callahan-Warren series. Although there are some appearances by overlapping characters, this book operates as a complete standalone.

STAR RATING: I give this book 3 stars.

 

three-stars

Review: Shelter in Place

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Review: Shelter in PlaceShelter in Place by Nora Roberts
Published by St. Martin's Press on May 29, 2018
Genres: Contemporary, Romantic Suspense
Pages: 439
Goodreads
five-stars

FINAL DECISION: A difficult and timely subject. A mass shooting alters the lives of everyone connected to the events. Simone and Reed alter and rebuild their lives and eventually find one another. A nice romance combined with the suspense of someone who wants to continue the body count.

THE STORY: On a summer’s evening, three young men execute a horrible crime in a mall and theater in Maine. Simone Knox, a teenager, ends up hiding in the bathroom at the theater calling 911. Reed Quartermaine, a college student, is in the mall when the shooting takes place. That event changes both of their lives. Their struggles eventually bring them in orbit of one another while someone else is eliminating survivors.

OPINION: I generally prefer my books heavy on the romance with some suspense thrown in. This book is much more a suspense and story of rebirth after a tragedy, but the story works so well in bringing Reed and Simone together that I really enjoyed this one.

I enjoyed seeing these characters build their lives and find one another. The story between them was sweet and sexy (even if they don’t meet until well into the story), and I was intrigued for every page and turn of their story.

The characters were well drawn. The varying reactions to the tragedy not only for Reed and Simone but also for their friends, family and even strangers kept the story grounded and compelling.

The suspense story worked well for me but I really appreciated that while it was important, it did not overshadow for me the relationships of the characters. The book ends up being about hope, about overcoming tragedy. The violence ends up being a part of the story, but not the most important part.

It’s been a long time since one of Roberts’ standalone books has interested me so much. This one will be on my keeper shelf.

WORTH MENTIONING: Although the book deals with a violent subject, I thought the depiction of violence was not gratuitous or overly graphic.

CONNECTED BOOKS: SHELTER IN PLACE is a standalone.

STAR RATING: I give this book 5 stars.

 

five-stars

Review: When a Duke Loves a Woman

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Review: When a Duke Loves a WomanWhen a Duke Loves a Woman (Sins for All Seasons, #2) by Lorraine Heath
Series: Sins for All Seasons #2
Published by Avon on August 21, 2018
Genres: Historical
Pages: 400
Goodreads
five-stars

FINAL DECISION: I absolutely adored Thorne in this book. He is kind and a true gentleman. Gillie is fierce, strong and independent but caring. And I’ve lost track of the times that Heath has brought me to tears in one of her books — including this one.

THE STORY: Antony Coventry, Duke of Thornley had an extraordinarily bad day. Left at the altar by his bride, Thorne goes searching for her in Whitechapel and finds himself robbed and left for dead. Gillie Trewlove comes across the seriously injured stranger near her tavern and finds herself responsible for nursing him back to health. She also ends up agreeing to help Thorne search for his runaway bride. As the two search, the connection between Thorne and Gillie grows. But these are two people who cannot live in the other’s world no matter how much they may want to.

OPINION: I absolutely loved Thorne in this book. He is such a fine man. From the moment he meets Gillie, he finds his worldview changing, but he is always respectful and kind to those around him. I just love a guy who is willing to turn his world around for the woman he loves. At every stage in this book, Gillie is important to him. He respects her. He wants to understand her. And he puts her above his own wants and needs. Absolutely loved him.

Gillie is a strong and kind woman. Independent, she handles her dominant brothers and never accepts being thought of as inferior because of being female. She knows her mind and has managed to make a profession for herself as a tavern owner. Yet she has a shyness and a desire for quiet that may seem contradictory to the bright woman who manages a tavern and yet it seems completely in character.

I loved these two together. Their different stations seem destined to keep them apart even though they quickly find that they want to try and bridge that distance. What I really liked is that there is not some big external bad keeping them apart, but their own expectations and the world’s expectations.

Heath has a way of writing that rips my heart out. Even though I KNOW there will be a happy ending, I found myself openly weeping during the story. Beautiful and tragic and such an expression of love and hopelessness. The characters, the emotion of the story and the fact that I really cared about these two make this a wonderful read that I will definitely turn to again.

WORTH MENTIONING: This book sets up the next book in the series with Finn.

CONNECTED BOOKS: WHEN A DUKE LOVES A WOMAN is the second book in the Sins for All Seasons series. The romance in this book is self-contained. Although there are overlapping characters in the series, this book can be read as a standalone.

STAR RATING: I give this book 5 stars.

 

five-stars

Review: Garrett

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Review: GarrettGarrett (Dragon Hearts #6) by Carole Mortimer
Series: Dragon Hearts #6
Published by Carole Mortimer on August 17, 2018
Genres: Paranormal
Goodreads
three-half-stars

FINAL DECISION: I enjoyed this one because Garrett was so focused on Billie as a person. The story is fun and like popcorn, but it kept my attention and advanced the story.

THE STORY: Garrett Pendragon is seen as the easy going dragon brother, but that hides a dominant man who will not allow the woman destined to be his mate to suffer for plotting to a woman — even if it was his brother’s mate. Billie Rider has a lot of secrets and when a dragon comes to rescue her, she can’t believe her eyes. And finding out that he intends to keep his fated mate is something that she cannot allow.

OPINION: This series is not particularly deep and the story from book to book follows essentially the exact same formula, but I enjoyed the characters in this book. There was a little more interaction before the inevitable insta-love, but that time was enjoyable.

This book isn’t a book that I would re-read, but I enjoyed the journey and it was worth my time. Garrett and Billie are an interesting couple and their interactions are fun. (Not fun in a lighthearted way, but fun in the I enjoyed the couple as they bantered and discussed and fought).

WORTH MENTIONING: We get some views of prior couples and a peak at what might be happening in the next book.

CONNECTED BOOKS: GARRETT is the sixth book in the Dragon Hearts series. This book is better read as part of the series although the romance is self-contained.

STAR RATING: I give this book 3.5 stars.

three-half-stars

Review: The Murder at Mandeville Hall

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Review: The Murder at Mandeville HallThe Murder at Mandeville Hall (The Casebook of Barnaby Adair, 5) by Stephanie Laurens
Published by Savdek Management Pty Ltd on August 16, 2018
Genres: Historical, Mystery
Goodreads
three-half-stars

FINAL DECISION: The mystery was good, but the solution was pretty obvious to me from the beginning. In compensation, however, the romance was a nice diversion as the two get to know one another and solve the crime.

THE STORY: Alaric, Lord Carradale has been a rake but something has changed recently and he is considering looking for a bride. Unfortunately, the sweet innocent young woman that would be the typical bride is someone who would likely bore Alaric in a week. While attending a house party by his friend and neighbor, Alaric ends up stumbling across one of the young women who is attending the party dead in the bushes. The young woman’s cousin immediately comes across Alaric and it appears that he is the most likely criminal. Constance Whittaker has arrived too late to help her cousin but is determined to find the murderer. Soon Constance and Alaric have teamed up to solve the murder and bring in Barnaby Adair, his wife Penelope and Inspector Stokes of Scotland Yard.

OPINION: I enjoyed this book, but the balance of the story wasn’t as good as others in the series. The mystery was intriguing all the way until the reveal. Unfortunately, I had pegged the villain from the start and the exact reason for the crime. It made the resolution of the mystery anticlimactic.

While I enjoyed the story between Alaric and Constance, I missed seeing more of Barnaby and Penelope. Because there was no real conflict between Alaric and Constance other than the crime, I liked them as characters, but their relationship wasn’t really something that I had to root for.

This was a fine one time read, but I have enjoyed others in the series more.

WORTH MENTIONING: The hero here briefly appeared in THE CURIOUS CASE OF LADY LATIMER’S SHOES.

CONNECTED BOOKS: THE MURDER AT MANDEVILLE HALL is the seventh book in the Casebook of Barnaby Adair series. The story here is self-contained, but Barnaby Adair and his wife and the Scotland Yard investigator are continuing characters. Here, however, they are not as prominent as the couple and thus this is a good standalone in the series.

STAR RATING: I give this book 3.5 stars.

 

three-half-stars

Review: Ross

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Review: RossRoss (Riding Hard Book 5) by Jennifer Ashley
Series: Riding Hard #5
Published by JA / AG Publishing on August 21, 2018
Genres: Contemporary
Goodreads
four-half-stars

FINAL DECISION: Sweet and gentle, I loved this story. After a bunch of angst and drama filled installments, I loved that this is just two people getting to know one another. Yes, there is a dramatic closing set regarding the drug dealers in town, but the heart of of the story is two people discovering one another apart from their town reputations.

THE STORY: Ross Campbell is the “rebel” in the family, turning away from the family stunt business to work in law enforcement. He rescues a damsel in distress when her car goes off the road during a rainstorm. She’s on the way to her wedding and she happens to be Callie Jones, the girl Ross had a crush on in high school. When the wedding doesn’t happen, Callie turns to Ross as a calm in her crazy day.

OPINION: I loved this story. Ross is such a sweetheart. There is a bunch of external drama, but Ross and Callie are pretty stable people. These two are perfect for one another from the start and there isn’t a lot keeping them apart except for them getting to know one another and understand what each wants from the relationship.

The story felt like a sweet spring breeze — refreshing and cleansing with a joy. I loved these characters and how normal most of their relationship is. Yes, there is some external drama, but the two of them are centered and have such normal problems.

In fact, my only disappointment was that I would have liked to see how these two worked out some of their issues that were raised (Ross’ career, Callie’s horse rehab project) since those were important parts of the story.

This was a character centered story where the relationship was far more developed than the plot and I prefer a book with these tendencies. Of all the Campbell brothers, Ross is my favorite.

WORTH MENTIONING: Next up are the Malorys and we get a little preview in this book.

CONNECTED BOOKS: ROSS is the fifth book in the Riding Hard series. The romance here is a standalone although the series deals with characters in a small town so there is a lot of overlap of characters. Readers also get an update on the prior couples in the series.

STAR RATING: I give this book 4.5 stars.

NOTE: I received an ARC from the author. I was not required to write a review or to write a positive review. All opinions contained herein are my own.

 

four-half-stars

Review: Shadow Keeper

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Review: Shadow KeeperShadow Keeper (Shadow, #3) by Christine Feehan
Series: Shadow #3
Published by Berkley on May 29, 2018
Genres: Contemporary, Paranormal
Pages: 432
Goodreads
two-half-stars

FINAL DECISION: I’ve enjoyed the other books in the series, but this one was only average for me. I was more interested in the plot than the romance because I didn’t feel a connection between the characters, and I wasn’t particularly interested in their personal stories.

THE STORY: Giovanni Ferraro doesn’t enjoy playing the playboy for the family while recovering from an injury that prevents him from riding the shadows in the family business. At the club one nights a new waitress catches his eye. Sasha Provis is working two jobs to support the medical care for her brother. But every moment once Giovanni and Sasha meet is filled with drama as Sasha finds herself the focus of a stalker. Giovanni is determined to protect Sasha and Sasha is determined to be her own independent woman.

OPINION: Just didn’t find this book compelling. It wasn’t terrible but merely forgettable. I wasn’t particularly interested in this couple who didn’t really have a strong presence. In fact, I spent much of the book looking for tidbits about other couples whose stories are yet to be told.

Both Sasha and Giovanni felt generic in their character. Their romance happened so quickly that there was no tension in the relationship. Instead, there was the external plot of the Sasha’s stalker and while I found that story interesting, I didn’t find the romance intriguing.

This is the weakest of the series so far, but I have high hopes for the others in the series.

WORTH MENTIONING: I have to admit that I find two other couples more interesting and I want their stories rather than this one.

CONNECTED BOOKS: SHADOW KEEPER is the third book in the Shadow series. The romance here is self-contained but there are overlapping characters and the premise of the series isn’t explained as much here as in the earlier books. I recommend reading this series in order.

STAR RATING: I give this book 2.5 stars.

two-half-stars

Review: The Confounding Case of the Carisbrook Emeralds

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Review: The Confounding Case of the Carisbrook EmeraldsThe Confounding Case of the Carisbrook Emeralds by Stephanie Laurens
Series: Casebook of Barnaby Adair #6
Published by Savdek Management Pty Ltd on June 14, 2018
Genres: Historical, Mystery
Goodreads
four-stars

FINAL DECISION: This is really a mystery with only a dash of secondary romance — not between the main characters — this is really the continuing stories of Barnaby and his wife Penelope and their friends who have joined together to work through mysteries of the aristocracy. I enjoyed this mystery and getting to see the characters again.

THE STORY: Miss Cara Di Abaccio is accused by her aunt of stealing the family jewels. This begins an investigation into the theft conducted by Inspector Stokes along with Barnaby and Penelope Adair, Stoke’s wife Griselda, and their friends Violet and Montague. Barnaby’s own cousin, Hugo, has taken a romantic interest in Cara and knows she is innocent. The investigation takes a serious turn when one of the maids is found dead.

OPINION: I enjoyed this book which is really a mystery and the romance is really minimal unlike the others in the series. I believe that because of the recurring characters, I didn’t mind that the “romance” that is new here isn’t particularly interesting to me. Instead, I really liked the updates about the characters that I already loved.

The story was one that kept me turning the pages until the end because I liked that there were various stories going on which all had to be resolved in order for the mystery to be “solved”.

The mystery was a good one with a well-developed group of suspects. Each character has a purpose for being in the story and felt like a developed personality. Each character has secrets that are revealed in the course of the story. This is a mystery really based on the characters and thus having a cast of interesting suspects is vital. I enjoyed these characters and their motivations kept the story moving.

WORTH MENTIONING: Very clean story with no sex except implied.

CONNECTED BOOKS: THE CONFOUNDING CASE OF THE CARISBROOK EMERALDS is the sixth book in the Casebook of Barnaby Adair series. The mystery in this book is completely self-contained. The characters who do the investigation continue through the series and we get some personal moments and information, but this book can be read as a standalone.

STAR RATING: I give this book 4 stars.

four-stars

Review: The Family Gathering

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Review: The Family GatheringThe Family Gathering (Sullivan's Crossing, #3) by Robyn Carr
Series: Sullivan's Crossing #3
Published by Mira Books on April 17, 2018
Genres: Contemporary
Pages: 352
Goodreads
four-stars

FINAL DECISION: An enjoyable and complex family drama combined with a man and a woman reinventing themselves as part of a community. This is a slow burn romance that gives the characters time to get to know one another and fall in love.

THE STORY: Dakota Jones has come to Sullivan’s Crossing after leaving the military. His brother and sister have settled there and Dakota is, for the first time (after years of keeping his distance), feeling the need to be with his family for a while. But a short visit becomes a job and a sense of place and a woman who interests Dakota from the moment that they meet. Sid is the bartender of her brother’s place and she has some serious baggage of her own. A divorce and a breakdown brought Sid to Sullivan’s Crossing and she has made a new life for herself. She’s definitely not interested in a relationship — but Dakota is not a man who gives up easily.

OPINION: What I loved most about this book was the sense of community that the story creates. The stories of the characters intertwine, the book doesn’t shy away from the hard parts of life such as abuse, betrayal, mental illness, substance abuse, divorce, death and adultery. Yet, this book isn’t a downer. Rather, it is about how characters rise above the problems in their lives and truly connect with the other people in their community.

Dakota comes to Sullivan’s Crossing to reunite with his brother and sister who have settled down in the small town. So this story is not just about Dakota finding a romance but also about family dynamics and siblings building adult relationships with one another. We get to see Dakota building a life for himself in a way that includes the possibility of true connection with one another.

Sid is a woman who has already built a new life for herself, but she is also in a limbo. She doesn’t want to risk love, but she ends up finding Dakota’s persistence and kindness irresistible.

The romance between Dakota and Sid is a gentle and slow building thing. I liked that these two really get to know one another as the book progresses. There is a sweetness and a maturity in their romance along with a deep sense of respect and commitment. This is a grown up story and I really liked that.

There are some dramatic moments dealing with family and some outside agitation, but I never felt that it overshadowed the connection and Dakota and Sid are building. It just felt like a part of life.

I really enjoyed seeing the prior couples from the series and also getting an update on Tom and Lola’s romance.

This is truly a community story and we get to see how people fit together. The story is multi-faceted and has lots of layers and complexity. I really enjoyed returning to Sullivan’s Crossing.

WORTH MENTIONING: For fans of the series, if you read ANY DAY NOW, this book gives a continuation of the story of Sierra and Connie.

CONNECTED BOOKS: THE FAMILY GATHERING is the third book in the Sullivan’s Crossing series. While the main romance here is self-contained, this book has various storylines running through it which connect with prior books. I think the book is better read as part of the series although all the information needed is in this book.

STAR RATING: I give this book 4 stars.

four-stars

Review: The Vixen

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I received this book for free from Netgalley in order to prepare an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.


Review: The VixenThe Vixen (Wicked Wallflowers, #2) by Christi Caldwell
Series: Wicked Wallflowers #2
Published by Montlake Romance on August 7, 2018
Genres: Historical
Pages: 366
Goodreads
four-stars

 

FINAL DECISION: Enjoyable historical romance with interesting characters. This story has been done before but the characters make this a lively story. I wish there was more emotional connection between the characters early on because the last twenty-five percent of the book was wonderful.

THE STORY: Investigator Connor Steele is hunting for a child who might have been kidnapped. His work takes him back to St. Giles from from which Connor escaped. But St. Giles cannot be rubbed off so easily and his investigation reunites him with Ophelia Killoran. As children, each had saved one another. Now Ophelia has taken onto herself the job of protecting the children, but Connor’s investigation brings into question exactly what Ophelia is doing and where are the children coming from. The two share a past and are suspicious of one another in the present.

OPINION: I liked this book, but I never got emotionally engaged enough to love it. The story is well constructed and the characters are interesting.

Both Connor and Ophelia struggle with the line between the criminal and poor elements and the aristocracy. Ophelia’s brother wants to marry her off to an aristocrat to help drag their family from the lower classes. Connor was adopted by an aristocrat but still has the muck of his past with him.

The characters have a good journey, but — for me – there was something missing. Intensity or emotional connection. Something that would pull me through the pages, pull at my heart and make me love the book.

Fans of Caldwell will find much to love here. The class conflicts are better developed here than in the last book. I enjoyed these characters together. The reading was easy and not particularly deep until the last quarter of the book.

The last quarter of the book was amazing. The intensity, the connection, the passion was wonderful. The rest of the book felt like a setup for the end, but the end definitely paid off.

WORTH MENTIONING: Trigger warning: sexual assault.

CONNECTED BOOKS: THE VIXEN is the second book in the Wicked Wallflowers series. The book can be read as a standalone although the characters are overlapping between the books.

STAR RATING: I give this book 4 stars.

NOTE: I received an ARC of this book via Netgalley in order to assist with preparing this review. I was not required to write a review or to write a positive review. All opinions contained herein are my own.

 

four-stars