Book Review: Gabriel (Stone Warriors, #3) by D.B. Reynolds

Title: Gabriel (Stone Warriors, #3)  

Author: D.B. Reynolds 

Stars: 4 stars

Review:
As a reader I am not much for Paranormal Romance books.  Every so often I figure why not try something different.
I was surprised how much I enjoyed Gabriel. The author brought two world together that were able to mash into mix of wonder, passion, adventure and romance.  Reader will be pulled into the world of Magic, vampires, Japanese mafia, and two enemies that have to work together to fight the darkest of evils.
The story will pull readers in with Hana who is devoted to someone she has never met but has seen every day of her life. Gabriel is a warrior from another times or place who has watched as Hana grown hoping to one day hold her. Each character is strong, has the ability to connect with readers.

The one down side is the endless pages of very graphic sex.  While I understand that sex is part of the paranormal romance or in fact all romance stories. The sex scenes take over a majority of the book that will leave some reader wishing for more background story, understanding of Hana's gift instead readers are giving a endless amount of biting, sex and graphic moments of blood.  

I would have giving this book a solid 5 if the story could have had less sex and more Hana's magical gift and teaching of her powers.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher ImaJinn Books for the advance copy of D.B. Reynolds Gabriel.

Synopsis:
Gabriel Halldor. . . one of the fiercest warriors the world has ever seen, but his tremendous skill can’t save him from a sorcerer’s curse. Trapped in stone and left lying in darkness for thousands of years, he is, at long last, brought into the sunlight of a Japanese garden, where a young girl comes to sit at his feet and read him stories as she grows to womanhood.

Hana Himura. . . beloved granddaughter of a Japanese mob boss, raised to the life of a warrior. When death comes for her grandfather, he sends her to the one guardian courageous enough to protect her from a sorcerer who will stop at nothing to have her.

Raphael. . . the most powerful vampire lord on earth, and the only man who can save Gabriel and Hana from an enemy who would enslave them both.

Running from the certain death that awaits them in Japan, Hana and Gabriel flee to Malibu and the vampire lord her grandfather called friend. Raphael is magic and power combined, and Gabriel and Hana will need both if they’re going to survive long enough to defeat their enemy and light the flame of desire that’s been simmering between them for years.

Expected publication: October 30th 2018 by ImaJinn Books

About The Author:

D.B.Reynolds is the RT and EPIC award-winning author of the popular Vampires in America series, as well as other paranormal fiction. She lives in a flammable canyon near Los Angeles, and when she's not writing her own books, she can usually be found reading someone else's.

Book Review: A Bone to Pick (Widow's Island #2) by Melinda Leigh

Title: A Bone to Pick (Widow's Island #2)

Author: Melinda Leigh 

Stars: 5

Review:
Melinda Leigh has written a grown up Nancy Drew and I can't get enough of it!
To answer the question YES I have read all of Melinda Leigh's books and Yes I am a fan girl! Very few authors am I fan girl for I can count a total of 4.
This novella starts off with a scream and doesn't stop until the killer is caught.  Murder, Mystery and one Nancy Drew all grown up makes A Bone to Pick a can't out down story that readers will be able to finish in a day. 
The characters are brought into the world in book one of Widows Island but now we really get to know them to the point we feel Deputy Tessa Black frustration, kindness and fear from page one to the end.
Nothing will keep me away from this series of Novella I can't wait for more. Kendra Elliot and Melinda Leigh are at the top of their game with each new book or series.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher Montlake Romance for the advance copy of   Melinda Leigh A Bone to Pick.

Synopsis:
Deputy Tessa Black gave up her career as a detective with the Seattle PD and returned to the Pacific Northwest island she calls home to care for her ailing mother. Tessa thinks her mother’s illness is the worst thing she’ll face—until she responds to a routine call in the state park and discovers a local man harpooned to a sign.

As the murder investigation unfolds, it becomes clear that the victim harbored secrets. Together with her FBI agent best friend, Cate, and park ranger Logan Wilde, Tessa must connect the pieces before the murderer strikes again. But the closer she gets to the truth, the more she finds herself—and the ones she loves—in harm’s way.

Pressure mounts as Tessa attempts to juggle the current case with her search for the truth behind her childhood friend Samantha’s disappearance twenty years ago. Can Tessa find the murderer and uncover answers about Samantha without jeopardizing everything she holds dear?


About The Author:

Wall Street Journal bestselling author Melinda Leigh is a fully recovered banker. A life-long lover of books, she started writing as a way to preserve her sanity while raising her kids. Over the next few years, she learned a few things about writing a book. The process was much more fun than analyzing financial statements, and she decided to turn her hobby into a career. Melinda’s debut novel, SHE CAN RUN, was nominated for Best First Novel by the International Thriller Writers. She is a RITA® Award Finalist and has earned three Daphne du Maurier Award nominations, two Silver Falchion Awards, and a Golden Leaf.

Melinda holds a 2nd degree belt in Kenpo Karate. She’s dabbled in Arnis stick fighting, studied Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and taught women’s self-defense. She lives in a messy house in the suburbs with her husband, two kids, a couple of shelter dogs and two rescue cats who clearly run the show. With such a pleasant life, she has no explanation for the sometimes dark and disturbing nature of her imagination. Find out more about Melinda by visiting melindaleigh.com.

Book Review: First Earl I See Tonight (Debutante Diaries #1) by Anna Bennett

Title:  First Earl I See Tonight (Debutante Diaries #1) 

Author: Anna Bennett 

Stars: 4 Stars out of 5 

Review:
A humorous regency romance with the twist in the beginning. Our well  dowered heroine finds herself being blackmailed in regards to her adopted sister's birth with only two weeks to pay off the blackmailer. So, taking matters into her own hands, she writes a letter proposing marriage to an Earl who has been recently cast aside by his intended owing to his financial status. Although the Earl says no she is unwilling to accept that answer and so the game begins. A delightful book that will appeal to your sensibilities.

I have rated this book 4 stars.

I received an ARC from Netgalley for my unbiased opinion.

 Thank you Frank for the Review.

Synopsis:
Recently jilted by his fiancée, David Gray, Earl of Ravenport is not in the market for a wife. Even if Gray didn’t have his hands full renovating his crumbling country house, it would take more than a bold marriage proposal from a headstrong young beauty to thaw his frozen heart. Gray is confident that spending a week at his ramshackle estate will change her mind about marriage, but every passionate moment he spends with her tempts him to change his…


A talented artist, Miss Fiona Hartley desperately needs her dowry money to pay off a blackmailer set on ruining her sister. The handsome earl seems a sensible choice for a husband…if only she can convince him that romance will play no part. But marrying in name only may prove difficult for Fiona. Gray can’t help but be dazzled by her genuine warmth. Yet as their feelings deepen, Fiona’s deadline looms. Will her secrets destroy them, or is true love their final destiny?

Mass Market Paperback, 352 pages

Expected publication: October 30th 2018 by St. Martin's Press

About The Author:

Anna Bennett started swiping romances from her mom’s bookshelf as a teenager and decided historicals (with their balls, dukes, and gowns) were the best. So, when she had the chance to spend a semester in London she packed her bags—and promptly fell in love with the city, its history, and its pubs. She dreamed of writing romance, but somehow ended up a software analyst instead.

Fortunately, a few years and a few careers later, Anna found her way back to writing the stories she loves and won the Romance Writers of America’s Golden Heart® for Regency Historical Romance. She lives in Maryland with her husband and three children, who try valiantly not to roll their eyes whenever she quotes Jane Austen. Her weaknesses include reality TV, cute shoes, and coffee. Lots and lots of coffee.

Book Review: Into the Darkest Night (The Chaos Theory Duet Book 1) by Cassandra Giovanni

Title: Into the Darkest Night (The Chaos Theory Duet Book 1) 

Author: Cassandra Giovanni

Stars: 2 stars

Review:
If you have ever seen on episode of the CW Arrow TV show the author  in her own way tells you the same story to the point it is laughable.  She didn't really change the characters rich playboy kidnapped on lost on a island where he learned skills to kill ect.  The woman Ana Jacobs same thing kidnapped on a island and is beaten, has scars, ect and wants to right the wrongs of her rich up bring.  
Levi is Oliver and she doesn't even try to hid the face with his best friend dating his ex girlfriend. 

This book screams of plagiarism in the since that the story, the Inner Circle, the characters are all very similar to the TV show Arrow and lack any creative story line that differs itself from the TV series. 
The story lacks focus because it jumps between present and past.  It is a series but ends in a very excepted cliff hanger.

The author put her best foot forward but failed in using a very popular TV and comic book show as her basic story.
Thank you to netgalley for a copy Cassandra Giovanni  Into the Darkness #1

Synopsis:
I was born a child of the Elite; destined to live a life of privilege in Sun City. 
With one decision I gave it all up. 

Ana Jacobs knows the Elite and their depravity all too well. She was one of them once. Her father was a member of the Inner Circle and head of the Trinity funding the corruption of Sun City. When he learned she knew the names of those he'd hidden so well, he turned his back on her; had her kidnapped and tortured to protect his secrets. 

When she escapes the island and learns of her father’s death at the hands of a knife-wielding vigilante called the Nightwatchman, she returns to Sun City, vowing to use her knowledge to protect the city. As a city cop, she blends into the background, and no one suspects her real motives. 

Levi Bennett knows where Ana’s been. He's also an Elite, but where Ana was sent to the island, he ended up there by accident. While Ana buries herself in her work and stopping the flow of illegal drugs and weapons into the poverty-stricken Blue District, Levi covers his pain by partying and spending his trust fund on buying bars and restaurants. 

Thrown together by Levi’s constant pressing of the limits, the two can’t deny the connection they share through their dark pasts. 

Their demons are one in the same, but some demons can’t be tamed. 

Kindle Edition, 207 pages

Published September 18th 2018 by Show n'ot Tell Publishing

About The Author 

Cassandra doesn't remember a time when she wasn't writing. In fact, the first time she was published was when she was seven years old and won a contest to be published in an American Girl Doll novel. Since then Cassandra has written more novels than she can count and put just as many in the circular bin. Her personal goal with her writing is to show the reader the character's stories through their dialogue and actions instead of just telling the reader what is happening. Besides being a writer, Cassandra is a professional photographer known for her automotive, nature and architectural shots. She is happily married to the man of her dreams and they live in the rolling hills of New England with their daughter and two dogs.

Book Review: Delta Force Defender (Red, White and Built: Pumped Up) by Carol Ericson

Title:  Delta Force Defender (Red, White and Built: Pumped Up)

Author: Carol Ericson

Stars: 3 stars

Review:
This wasn't an easy book to read to be honest.  The synopsis sounded interesting and every so often Harlequin has some really good Intrigue stories but this one has me scratching my head. 
Cam Sutton comes out of now where and decides to help the CIA translator Martha Drake who's fathers past and her looks have her question everything that comes out of the handsome Delta Forces mouth.
Everything about this book comes of as personal attacks to each other Martha who is wealth and well educated and Cam who is the opposite and can't read due to his dyslexia.  Martha has a lack of self confidence and Cam thinks she is hot and is attracted to a Intelligence than looks. 
Most of the story about them trying to figure each other out and less about why someone is after Martha or his Military commander.  There is sex but honestly it is really uncomfortable and removes readers from the adventure or the person who is trying to destroy everything about Martha and the life she created.
The story has a moral to it don't judge a book by its cover but it gets lost in the all inner monologue and awkward moments.

Thank you to Netgllaey and the publisher Harlequin Intrigue for the advance copy of Carol Ericson Delta Force Defender 

Synopsis:
Fiery, independent Cam Sutton will go to any length to prove his Delta Force mentor isn’t a terrorist—even bully the CIA into giving him the damning emails. But by-the-book CIA translator Martha Drake already knows the evidence is fishy, and it’s somehow connected to the recent attempts on her life. Soon the strong, capable soldier is her protector…and inciting a passion neither can deny. But will Cam still want to be her teammate once the real traitors are brought to justice?

Kindle Edition, 256 pages

Expected publication: November 1st 2018 by Harlequin Intrigue

About The Author:

https://www.amazon.com/default/e/B001KC6B5K?redirectedFromKindleDbs=true

Book Review: Forget Me Not by A.M. Taylor

Title: Forget Me Not

Author: A.M. Taylor 

Stars: 3 out of 5

Review:
Forget Me Not is difficult to follow as the author goes into the past and present.  She does make sure readers know when the past is happening but it happens into between chapters instead of making the past an entire chapters.  
Forget Me Not has way to many characters to keep track of and the author could us a cast of Characters list at the beginning of the book so readers could keep everyone straight.
The story moves along at a snails pace.  Just when action happens it seems to slow down soon after leaving readers to skip pages to find the true story.  The ending was very predicable and felt rush as if the author has to keep the story to a certain word count.  Which makes this story in need of either better pacing or editing that can remove areas of the story that are less important to keep the ending important instead of rushed.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher Killer Reads  for the advance copy of A.M. Taylor Forget Me Not

Synopsis:

When Maddie met Nora, their friendship felt as easy as breathing. And when Nora disappeared, all the air went with her. Without her best friend, Maddie’s life became impossible.

Ten years later, Nora is still missing and Maddie is still searching. People have been questioned. People have even been accused. But no one has managed to find Nora.

Then, in the same spot where Nora went missing, the murdered body of Nora’s little sister is found. Convinced this is no coincidence, Maddie resolves to uncover the killer and find Nora – dead or alive.

But will she be able to cope, when we learn what really happened to Nora…?

Kindle Edition

Expected publication: October 5th 2018 by Killer Read

About The Author:

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/18362065.A_M_Taylor

Book Review: Colton's Christmas Cop (The Coltons of Red Ridge #11) by Karen Whiddon

 
Title: Colton's Christmas Cop (The Coltons of Red Ridge #11)

Author: Karen Whiddon

Stars: 3 1/2 Stars

Review:
This is the first I have read by Karen Whiddon and with all Harlequin books they are what they are. Layla is a tough as nails business woman who wants her father to be proud of her only to realize he is the reason the company is failing.  She is accused of something which she didn't do and the hero comes into to save the day.  He shows her what she is missing in life but she has to make the decision. The villain is beyond obvious as is the story.  With that being said this is the first in the series I have read so I am not emotionally connect to the characters as other readers might be.

The story has sex, murder, soul searching and last but not least HEA.

Thank you to Netgalley and the pubslher for the advance copy of Karen Whiddon's Colton's Christmas Cop

Synopsis: 
A rookie cop’s mistletoe mission 

A Coltons of Red Ridge romance
Layla Colton would do anything for her family’s company—even marry a man she doesn’t love. But when she’s framed for a crime she didn’t commit, Layla has more to worry about than wedding bells. Officer Hunter Black and his K-9 companion are on the case. Can they rescue Layla from the deadly shadows threatening to engulf Red Ridge?

Kindle Edition, 288 pages

Expected publication: November 1st 2018 by Harlequin Romantic Suspense

About The Author:

Award winning author Karen Whiddon spun fanciful tales for her younger brothers as early as the age of eleven.  Growing up in the Catskill Mountians of New York, then the Rocky Mountains of Colorado, she found enough magic in the rugged peaks to keep her imagination fueled for years.
Now making her home in North Texas, she shares her life with her hero-like husband and five doting dogs.  In her spare time she volunteers for Legacy Boxer Rescue, Inc.  She has published around 55 books.  Currently she writes for Harlequin Romantic Suspense and Harlequin Nocturne. 
You can email Karen at KWhiddon1@aol.com 

http://www.karenwhiddon.com/home.html

Book Review: Conquer the Web: The Ultimate Cybersecurity Guide by Nick Wilding; Tim Mitchell; Maureen Kendal; Nick Ioannou

Title: Conquer the Web: The Ultimate Cybersecurity Guide 

Author:(s) Nick Wilding; Tim Mitchell; Maureen Kendal; Nick Ioannou

Stars: 3 1/2 stars

Review:
I was hoping this would be something I could use as a reference tool when it comes to understand the internet as a mother of young children.  In all honestly it wasn't anything I didn't already know which was disappointing because I do not see myself as well versed in this world.  Everything that is mention are things I do daily but in fact I already know what not to do when it comes to free WIFI and I felt the authors in many ways talk down to the average consumers.
While Conquer The Web gives readers stories that will help those with very little knowledge of the internet to fix their issues the average every day consumer who is being raised with this lifestyle will find it giving very little new information.
It might be a great introduction to preteen's who do not know anything else but a life of internet web use but for those who are in the here and now this is nothing more than a reminder of what you are already doing.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher Legend Times Group for a copy of Nick Wilding, Time Mitchell, Maureen Kendal and Nick Ioannou's Conquer The Web.

Synopsis:
Tons of malicious content floods the internet which can compromise your system and your device, be it your laptop, tablet or phone.
How often do you make payments online? 
Do you have children and want to ensure they stay safe online? 
How often do you sit at a coffee shop and log onto their free WIFI? 
How often do you use social media on the train or bus? 
If you believe using an antivirus software will keep devices safe... you are wrong. This book will guide you and provide solutions to avoid common mistakes and to combat cyber attacks.This Guide covers areas such as:

Building resilience into our IT Lifestyle
Online Identity
Cyber Abuse: Scenarios and Stories
Protecting Devices
Download and share
Gaming, gamble and travel
Copycat websites
I Spy and QR Codes
Banking, apps and Passwords

Published June 30th 2018 by Legend Times Group

About The Author:

https://www.amazon.com/Conquer-Web-Ultimate-Cybersecurity-Guide-ebook/dp/B075SW642M/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1540312665&sr=8-1&keywords=Conquer+the+Web+The+Ultimate+Cybersecurity+Guide&dpID=41wjE4BRVeL&preST=_SY445_QL70_&dpSrc=srch

Book Review: Close to the Bone (Widow's Island #1) by Kendra Elliot

Title:  Close to the Bone (Widow's Island #1)  

Author: Kendra Elliot 

Stars: 5 Stars (Novella)

Review:
Having read every single book this author has written I am a fan girl! Alright I admit it I am a fan girl!  Now can we move on please.
Close to the Bone is a fast place novella that is able to pull readers in bring romance, mystery and murder all with in a few pages and have readers so ingrossed that they will need to next in the series the second they put this story down.
Kendra Elliot is able to bring life to characters and they will dance in you mind long after you to the book down.  
This book has everything you come to expect from Kendra Elliot Mystery, romance ad murder all wrapped up in the perfect packaged called Widow's Island Series.

Thank you Netgalley and Publisher Montlake Romance for the advance copy of Kendra Elliot's Close to the Bone 

Synopsis:
FBI Special Agent Cate Wilde is back home on a remote Pacific Northwest island when she gets the call: a teenager’s skeletal remains have been found on a nearby island.

Together with Tessa Black, a childhood friend turned local deputy, Cate confronts dreary weather and bleak leads to make sense of the death. The complications pile up as Cate is distracted by the coroner on the case—and by nagging memories that draw her twenty years into the past. The remains suggest eerie similarities between this victim, and Cate and Tessa’s friend Samantha, who disappeared when she was fourteen.

Cate finds herself up against closemouthed locals, buried town secrets, and even her own heart. As the case unravels, will she be able to cut through the fog and find justice for the missing and the dead

Kindle Edition

Expected publication: October 23rd 2018 by Montlake Romance

About The Author:

An Amazon #1 selling author, Kendra Elliot has sold over 5 million books. Get a free insider's guide to Kendra's books at www.KendraElliot.com. 

She grew up in the lush Pacific Northwest and still lives there with her family and three cats. She's fascinated with forensics, refuses to eat anything green, and dreams of living every day in flip flops. 

She also writes the Widow's Island and Rogue River novellas with author Melinda Leigh. 

A seven-time Wall Street Journal best selling author, 2014 International Thriller Writers finalist, a three time Daphne Du Maurier winner, and a Romantic Times Reviewers Choice finalist.

Book Review: Hush Hush by Mel Sherratt

Title: Hush Hush 

Author: Mel Sherratt

Stars: 4 Stars out of 5

Review:
Hush Hush is stuck between a police procedural and maybe a thriller. There are many times I felt like I was missing a part of another story but as a reader I know this is the first in a series.  So I was left scratching my head at times.
The Characters have dept with enough knowledge readers are able to figure out the killer before Grace figures it out.  The story has enough suspense to keep readers wanting more but confused at times on how Grace is able to connect with other people.
The story has levels that will have readers thinking about what they had read.  Moments of heartache as well as what were you thinking.

Fans of this author I will tell you this is a must not new series.  Those starting this series might take it slow before buying all her books at once to get a better feel of her writing style.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher Avon  for the advance copy of Mel Sherratt Hush Hush 

Synopsis:
A killer is on the loose, attacking people in places they feel most safe: their workplaces, their homes. It’s up to DS Grace Allendale to stop the murders, and prove herself to her new team.

All clues lead to local crime family the Steeles, but that’s where things get complicated. Because the Steeles aren’t just any family, they’re Grace’s family. Two brothers and two sisters, connected by the violent father only Grace and her mother escaped.

To catch the killer, Grace will have to choose between her team and her blood. But who do you trust, when both sides are out to get you?

Kindle Edition, 400 pages

Expected publication: October 18th 2018 by Avon

About The Author:
I write police procedurals, psychological suspense and women's fiction with a punch - or grit-lit, as I call it. 

I live in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, with my husband and terrier, Dexter (named after the TV serial killer) and makes liberal use of my hometown as a backdrop for some of my books

Book Review: Demons Lie (A Girls Guide To Witchcraft And Demon Hunting #1) by Sherry D. Ficklin

Title: Demons Lie (A Girls Guide To Witchcraft And Demon Hunting #1)

Author:  Sherry D. Ficklin 

Stars: 4 stars out of 5

Review:
Starting with personal item I am not a huge fan of YA novel I find them cheese, overly predictable, and down right whine at times. Throw in the typical witch and demon hunting and I was ready to close the book and call it your typical YA novel. There is romance do not get me wrong but the author knew what she was doing and I was impressed.
Sherry D. Ficklin was able to bring High school life into a book with the emotions we all remember mix in witchs, demons and everything else and your find a really good YA novel that is emotional at times, heart breaking as well as down right action packed.  This is one adventures readers of YA novels are not going to want to miss.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance copy of Sherry D. Ficklin Demons Lie.

Stop whatever you do and pick up this book because this is a series you are going to want to follow.
I want to add the Cover is stunning. 


Synopsis:

Rule #1 Demons Lie

Orphaned by an unspeakable evil, Aria Dupree is the last of her line. A powerful witch tasked with guarding the boundaries between our world and the world of demons who prey on humankind, Aria has gone rogue. Now she’s out to find and destroy every single gateway into our world and kill every demon that she can find — including the one who murdered her mother. 

But, as it turns out, hunting is the easy part; it’s graduating high school that might kill her. Red Prairie Texas isn’t just another stop on her demon hunting world tour and an unlikely alliance might be exactly what she needs to keep from becoming a slave to the very darkness she’s been fighting against. 

Because the devil is coming down to Texas — and only Aria can keep all hell from breaking loose.

ebook, 305 pages

Expected publication: October 31st 2018 by Sherry Ficklin 

About The Author:

Sherry is the author of over a dozen novels for teens and young adults including the best selling Stolen Empire series. She can often be found browsing her local bookstore with a large white hot chocolate in one hand and a towering stack of books in the other. That is, unless she's on deadline at which time she, like the Loch Ness monster, is only seen in blurry photographs.
Sherry also writes contemporary romance under the pen name SJ Noble. 

Book Review: Dear Santa by Nancy Naigle

Title: Dear Santa 

Author: Nancy Naigle 

Stars: 4 stars

Review:
If you want to get in the Christmas spirit this is a excellent book to start you on your journey. It weaves a beautiful romance around the heroine and the man she wants to hold responsible for the death peal over the Christmas store business she received on the death of her grandmother. She writes a letter to Santa, at the behest of her young niece, and so the Christmas magic begins to unfold. Will true love win over the Grinch?

I have rated this book 4 stars.

I received an ARC from Netgalley for my unbiased review.

Synopsis:
Angela Carson wants nothing more than to be the third-generation to run her family’s holiday store, Heart of Christmas, successfully. They’ve weathered over sixty tourist seasons, major hurricanes, and urban sprawl, in their old decommissioned lighthouse. But the national chain that set up shop in their small North Carolina town of Pleasant Sands may be more than Heart of Christmas can survive.

Geoff Paisley has been at his mother’s side running the mega-chain Christmas Galore for the last ten years. When his mother falls ill, Geoff promises to answer the town’s Dear Santa letters in her stead. Soon he realizes the woman he’s been corresponding with on Dear Santa is Angela. How could the woman that grates his every last nerve in person have intrigued him so deeply through those letters?

Encouraged by her niece to ask Santa for help, Angela gives in and lets the words fly in a way that, if Santa were real, would no doubt land her on the naughty list. What’s the harm when it’s just a computer-generated response?

When Geoff reveals that he’s her Dear Santa, will Angela be able to set aside their very public feud to embrace the magic of the holiday and possibly find true love?

Paperback, 352 pages

Expected publication: October 16th 2018 by St. Martin's Griffin

About The Author:

USA TODAY Bestselling author, Nancy Naigle, writes love stories from the crossroad of small town and suspense. 

With a career spent on the cutting edge of technology in the banking industry, she never let go of her dream to write. Now she works full-time writing stories that are a calming blend of community, family, and the simple things in life. She writes the kind of stories she hopes will provide an escape from the hectic day-to-day in the make believe worlds she creates.
Aside from writing she enjoys hunting for treasures in junk and antique shoppes, and getting crafty no matter what the medium from painting and digitizing embroidery designs, to weaving pine needle baskets. She also enjoys horseback riding on her palomino, Tooter.

A Virginia native, and spending most of her life in the Tidewater area, she now calls North Carolina home.

Book Review: Cut and Run by Mary Burton

Title: Cut and Run 

Author: Mary Burton

Stars: 4 stars

Review:
From first to last page readers will cling on to hope that Macy will be able to wake up one day and bring justice to those who killed her father.
Faith McIntyre is strong willed but found a person whom she connected with sex but nothing more. Texas Ranger Mitchell Hayden is strong wants to find the truth no matter how much it might hurt the second woman he fell in love with.
The story is mind blowing that people could be so cruel and the desire for money that they would kill anyone in the way.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher Montlake Romance for the advance copy of Mary Burton Cut and Run.

Synopsis:
Trauma victims are not new to medical examiner Faith McIntyre, but this one is different. The unconscious woman clinging to life after a hit and run is FBI agent Macy Crow. What the woman from Quantico was doing in a dark alley after midnight is just one mystery. The other is more unsettling: Macy is Faith’s mirror image—the twin sister she never knew she had.

Faith knew that she was adopted, but now she’s finding that her childhood concealed other secrets. Following the trail of clues Macy left behind, Faith and Texas Ranger Mitchell Hayden make a shocking discovery on an isolated country ranch—a burial ground for three women who disappeared thirty years before.

They weren’t the only victims in a killer’s twisted plot. And they won’t be the last.

As the missing pieces of Faith’s and Macy’s dark lives snap into place, Faith is becoming more terrified by what she sees—and by what she must do to save her sister and herself from the past.

Kindle Edition, 336 pages

Expected publication: October 9th 2018 by Montlake Romance

About The Author:

Mary Burton loves writing suspense, researching law enforcement and forensic procedures, morning walks, baking, books, and tiny dachshunds. She also enjoys hunting down serial killers, which she does in her New York Times and USA Today bestselling novels. 

Mary is routinely featured among the top ten writers in Amazon’s Author Rankings for romantic suspense. Her recent novel, Her Last Word, reached number three on the Kindle eBooks Store bestseller list.

Research is a favorite part of Mary’s day. She never tires of learning more about police work, evidence collection and analysis. She’s known for taking a hands-on approach, whether it means interviews with professionals in the field, forensic seminars or lessons at the firing range.

A Richmond native, Mary has lived there for most of her life. Her first book was published in 2000, and she’s now the author of thirty-one published novels and five novellas. She is is also known for her five works of contemporary fiction written as Mary Ellen Taylor.

When not traveling for research or visiting with readers at bookstores, book festivals and conferences, Mary remains very much a homebody. She and her husband spend time alternately enjoying their empty nest and spoiling their four-legged babies Buddy, Bella and Tiki.

Book Review: Up in Flames (Flirting with Fire #2) by Jennifer Blackwood

Title: Up in Flames (Flirting with Fire #2) 

Author: Jennifer Blackwood 

Stars: 3 1/2

Review:
Jennifer Blackwood tries hard to create sexual tension between Sloane and Reece though snide remarks but instead it comes off childish and a little immature.  The story isn't any special and the many times I flipped though the pages because the story didn't seem to be moving forward.  
The princess dog was a nice touch and brought some fun moments to the story.

All in all it is a typical romance with two people who act more like children in adult form.

The side story about who is setting the fires and the people who are found in them was interesting.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher Montlake for the advance copy of Jennifer Blackwood Up In Flames

Synopsis:
Sloane Garcia has butted heads with Reece Jenkins ever since he was a colossal jerk of epic proportions on a night she’d rather forget. So what if he’s overconfident, ultramasculine, and hard muscled? When she finds out he’s on the auction block at the annual firefighter’s charity event, she decides to give this cocky firefighter a dose of his own medicine. Now that she’s won the hunk, he’s on call—to do whatever Sloane wants.

Sure, Reece and Sloane had a rocky start, but he had his reasons. None of that matters now that he’s the bachelor at her beck and call, tasked with granting her four wishes in four weeks. He runs into burning buildings for a living, but nothing will be as tough as dousing the flames Sloane ignites in him. What started out as just a game might end up with Reece losing the one thing he swore he’d never give up: his heart. 

Paperback, 300 pages

Expected publication: October 9th 2018 by Montlake Romance

About The Author:

Jennifer Blackwood is a USA Today bestselling author of contemporary romance. She lives in Oregon with her husband, son, and poorly behaved black lab puppy. When not chasing after her toddler, you can find her binging on episodes of Gilmore Girls and Supernatural, and locking herself in her office to write.

Book Review: My Squirrel Days by Ellie Kemper

Title:  My Squirrel Days

Author: Ellie Kemper

Stars: 4 stars

Review:
Ellie Kemper is funny, with an amazing unique personality that will take readers though her life as a up and coming actress.  The story is happy and inspiring and full of love that will have readers wanting to see Ellie Kemper on TV and in real life.  
While the story drags on and sometimes is a little to much of the same information it gives a wonderful insight into this woman and her comedic dreams and one day her dreams come true.  I love her backstage stories and for those who loved her in The Office this is a must read book.
Laughing so Hard you Pee that is too funny and so may will be able to connect with her just from her honest story telling.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher Scribner for the advance copy of   Ellie Kemper My Squirrel Days


Synopsis:
There comes a time in every sitcom actress’s life when she is faced with the prospect of writing a book. When Ellie Kemper’s number was up, she was ready. Contagiously cheerful, predictably wholesome, and mostly inspiring except for one essay about her husband’s feet, My Squirrel Days is a funny, free-wheeling tour of Ellie’s life—from growing up in suburban St. Louis with a vivid imagination and a crush on David Letterman to moving to Los Angeles and accidentally falling on Doris Kearns Goodwin.

But those are not the only famous names dropped in this synopsis. Ellie will also share stories of inadvertently insulting Ricky Gervais at the Emmy Awards, telling Tina Fey that she has “great hair—really strong and thick,” and offering a maxi pad to Steve Carell. She will take you back to her childhood as a nature lover determined to commune with squirrels, to her college career as a benchwarming field hockey player with no assigned position, and to her young professional days writing radio commercials for McDonald’s but never getting paid. Ellie will guide you along her journey through adulthood, from unorganized bride to impatient wife to anxious mother who—as recently observed by a sassy hairstylist—“dresses like a mom.” Well, sassy hairstylist, Ellie Kemper is a mom. And she has been dressing like it since she was four.

Ellie has written for GQ, Esquire, The New York Times, McSweeney’s, and The Onion. Her voice is the perfect antidote to the chaos of modern life. In short, she will tell you nothing you need to know about making it in show business, and everything you need to know about discreetly changing a diaper at a Cibo Express.

Hardcover, 256 pages

Expected publication: October 9th 2018 by Scribner

About The Author:

Elizabeth Claire Kemper is an American actress and comedian. She played the receptionist Erin Hannon in the NBC comedy series The Office (2009–2013) and later the starring role in the Netflix comedy series Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt), for which she has received two nominations for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series. Kemper also appeared in the films Bridesmaids (2011) and 21 Jump Street (2012).