GRR Reviews Saving the Sheriff: Three River Ranch by Roxanne Snopek

Saving the Sheriff is about trust, with a bit of forced proximity and some reindeers thrown in for fun.

Frankie Sylva does a good deed every Christmas, but this one is a doozie... She "borrowed" a truck, pulled a load of reindeer from a traveling Christmas show, and intending to set them free at the mustang rescue ranch called Three River Ranch, all because she overheard the owner about trucking the "reindeer" down to a meat processing plant. Unfortunately, the rapidly closing snow storm got her truck into a ditch close to her destination. She got the reindeers out of the trailer and was hoping for help when Sheriff Red LeClair arrived. Red saw the cute but half-frozen woman, an empty trailer, and a truck that doesn't belong to her. It doesn't take a genius to realize something ain't kosher. Except she ain't talking. With the worsening storm, he had no choice but to "invite" her back to his place to keep an eye on her. When power failed, Frankie and Red had to depend on each other... Will she open up about her secret? Can he trust her?

Cute setup without making either party look weak and pathetic, that's the difference between a good author and a great author. And this author is great in creating a somewhat believable scenario with a bit of forced proximity for confessions of truth and love. It's a fun story.

Category: Contemporary

Primary Plot: Sheriff found a woman with a stranded truck and an EMPTY trailer next to a mustang rescue ranch in deep snow. What's going on?

Tropes: disguise, holiday, law enforcement, forced proximity

Overall Rating:  4/5

GRR Reviews Silver Bells: Rivers End Romance by CJ Hunt

Silvert Bells is supposed to be a holiday romance, but the FMC just came across as the grinch and the feelings are a bit forced.

Isaac just wants to run Big River Lodge after his wife ran out, leaving little Sara in his care. Christmas Blogger Jenna is absolutely burned out about Christmas, and almost 6 posts a day about "Big C" for way too long... she doesn't want to hear ANYTHING about Christmas, and that's why she booked an isolated cabin in the middle of nowhere, far away from her family. Unfortunately, Isaac and Sara are big believers of the Holiday spirit... and upended her life...

Cute, and sometimes warm and fuzzy, but it's more like some cloyingly sweet cup of hot chocolate with too many marshmallows... that's gotten a little cold. Nothing too special here.

Category: Contemporary

Primary Plot: Burned out Christmas blogger rented an isolated cabin to stay quiet, until lodge owner and his daughter decided to share holiday

Tropes: holiday, B&B, single parent, fling to thing

Overall Rating:  3/5

GRR Reviews Into Your Arms by Abigail Strom

Into Your Arms is more than about merely chemistry or denial of such, but rather, how the couple meet their crisis and deal with them, whether apart... or together.

Sara wasn't looking for love. She had been dancing since she was very young, and her career required her entire attention, but she's 35 and may be close to the end of her active dancing life. She has a boyfriend who is... okay, so she shouldn't like the sexy stranger Nick who just moved in next door... Nick is in the city to help his brother break his addiction to alcohol, and to help a local candidate win her election as a campaign advisor. He'll be gone in a few months. But one look at the dancer next door, or the time he saw her in her underwear breaking in her dancing shoes... and he's smitten. Yet the more they deny their attraction to each other, the stronger it got. But when each meets their own crisis, will they break their hearts?

The push-pull was good, but what took it over mediocre was how they deal with the respective crises and how that affected their love.

Category: Contemporary

Primary Plot: Can two completely opposite neighbors fall in love, when one of them was just here temporarily?

Tropes: neighbor, opposites attract, fling to t a thing, family pressure,

Overall Rating:  4/5

GRR Reviews Leashed (Going to the Dogs Book 1) by Zoe Dawson

While light and fun, Leashed ultimately failed to deliver something really cute, with the triangle and complications being a bit too obvious.

Callie Lassiter's Great Dane Jack had run off and done the deed with neighbor's Great Dane Jill. It's really embarrassing because Callie is a professional dog trainer... and Jill's owner is the scorching hot nightclub owner and playboy Owen McKay... who's everything a girl like Callie wanted to avoid. Owen is perfect comfy with his "reputation", but the neighbor girl aka "The Dog Whisperer" is... well, perfect, and may be enough to tempt him into settling down... But someone closer to Owen may have other ideas...

The complications and triangle / jealousy are a bit too obvious. While the dogs are charming, the romance is not quite as much so, and the character arcs seem a bit short.

Category: Contemporary

Primary Plot: Can a dog trainer let herself loose on a handsome nightclub owner despite their dogs caused them big embarrassments already?

Tropes: pets, enemies to lovers, different worlds, commitment-phobe, triangle

Overall Rating:  3/5

GRR Reviews Rescue Me, Maybe by Jackie Bouchard

More of a dog story than a romance, Rescue Me, Maybe, is about recovering from loss and how to live life to its fullest.

Jane left Philadelphia after losing both her husband AND her dog to cancer within a few days of each other. With no job in the city, she can't stay, and her (former) in-laws are riding roughshod over everything her husband had wanted for the funeral. When her in-laws demand the ashes of her husband's remains to be buried whole, Jane had had enough and secretly took three scoopfuls so when she ever get to Hawaii she'll scatter his ashes there as she promised him. Jane's ashamed that she felt more for loss of her dog than her husband as the marriage had not been going well. Needing to get away, Jane left for Prescott, Arizona to help with her uncle and aunt's B&B as they need to be somewhere else for an operation for her aunt. On the way, she picked up a stray dog, but Jane decided she can't keep the dog, as she's not ready for another dog. She also does not want to deal with the B&B's guests and esp. not the handsome handyman Kai (not Ky!) who lived on the next property over the fence. But her uncle and aunt adopted the dog back from the shelter for her, and soon, the dog, now named Maybe, worked her charm on her... and soon, even Jane must admit, they actually rescued each other... But is she ready for love with Kai?

One part of the problem is how Jane always blabbed about going to San Diego, which I guess was also a part of her "growing up", as she wanted a job in San Diego and her friends were in San Diego. But upon getting there, it wasn't what she was expecting... But perhaps the author should have dropped some hints ahead of time that perhaps San Diego wasn't quite going to be what she expected... Because this whole thing just reads like an extended climax and resolution that unfold at a glacial pace, because the "darkest hour" was basically her leaving Prescott AZ. The deadline seems just really artificial. While I like the polish, it didn't hook me THAT well.

Category: Contemporary

Primary Plot: grieving widow had to temporary take over a B&B in Arizona, fell for a stray dog and the hunky neighbor, but she really really wanted to go to San Diego...

Tropes:  pets, fish out of water, grief, family secrets, widow, different worlds

Overall Rating:  4/5

GRR Reviews Her Best Match: A Romantic Comedy by Tamie Dearen

Her Best Match managed to showcase how a mismatched couple romance should be written, with a lot of "help", more than a few mishaps along the way, and characters that show growth throughout the book.

Anne Best is getting a bit bored after raising two daughters alone in Texas after death of her husband. She, on a lark, decided to apply for a job in New York city referred by a headhunter, figure that she'd at least see NYC that she'd never seen. She did not count on being called to interview for PA position for billionaire Steven Gherring, who's not only one of the city's most eligible bachelors, he wanted to stay single. However, his Gram wanted very much to change that status for him. Gherring had already ran off most candidates and Anne was the only one who went toe to toe with him, earning his respect despite lacking PA experience. Anne is both clumsy and fearless in tackling her responsibilities including her boss, with two exceptions... she refused to participate in public speaking, and she avoided her own feelings. When Gram recruited Anne for finding a suitable woman for Gherring, Anne chose to ignore her own feelings for the frustratingly handsome billionaire. How can a guy like him be interested in an old widow from Texas? He, however, has other plans as well...

The book deftly mixed tropes such as matchmaker, different worlds, Cyrano, family expectations, and more. Add a bit of suave French seduction, some Gherring family secrets including a manipulative ex, and the "action" is non-stop. Furthermore, the book is PG rated with no sex! I'd say this may be one of the best clean romances I've read (and I've read over 1000 romances by now)

Category: Contemporary

Primary Plot: A widow with grown children went to NYC for an interview, got hired as billionaire's PA, then was enlisted by his grandma to pick his prospective girlfriends... Could she be in love herself?

Tropes: fish out of water, different worlds, hot for boss, matchmaker, Cyrano, family pressure, single parent

Overall Rating:  5/5

GRR Reviews Billionaire's Best Woman (A Standalone B by Claire Adams

Billionaire's Best Woman is a pseudo-triangle story that shows a bit more polish, and the plot was obvious by half-way-point. But the journey was good. The bonus material included (this book has 1704 pages!) was actually not junk, for once.

Parker is doing great in life. His tech company is worth a billion (and change). He practically works from a beach in the Florida Keys. His girlfriend Rachel is smoking hot. AND he has a best friend, Sienna, who keeps him grounded. Yes, Sienna's female, but she's just his bestie (there CAN'T be any more than that...). Sienna didn't like Rachel, as Rachel's the kind of woman that spends Parker's money and giving almost nothing in return. Flashy outfits, spa treatments for her and her friends, vacations... Rachel just takes and takes and takes. But Sienna doesn't want to bad mouth Rachel in front of Parker, and Parker is ignoring all the hints (probably so he can just keep Sienna off his mind) Sienna had to say something to save Parker from the biggest mistake of his life... but will he believe her? Time is running out as Rachel suddenly wanted to move up the timetable for the marriage. And if Sienna managed to stop the wedding... what then?

While the ending will be rather obvious, I won't spoil it. Let's just say this book is almost exactly what you'd expect from this plot. And as I said, the bonus material ain't that bad. All in all, good book, and one of the better ones in the author's billionaire series.

Category: Contemporary

Primary Plot: Can a billionaire's female best friend convince him that his marriage to a blonde bimbo will be the worst mistake of his life?

Tropes: triangle, friends to lovers, protector

Overall Rating:  4/5

GRR Reviews The Unintended Fiancé (Captured by Love) by Miranda P. Charles

The Unintended Fiance is about two people who shouldn't be married, did for convenience, and had to make a go at it for real. It's a trope plot, but the polish and complications made the journey definitely worthwhile.

Bradley goes at business 100%, and that doesn't leave him much time for women. Even when he told women he isn't into relationships, they keep trying to entice him into entering one, leaving a lot of broken hearts in his wake. When he accidentally flirted with one of his client's wife (who was one of his ex's) he needed a fake fiancee to convince people he's NOT a horndog. And the only candidate was Erin Baker, his sister's best friend. Erin was not immune to Bradley's charms, and she was, at one time, pining for Bradley, but Bradley's reputation had turned her off for good. However, Erin's cheating ex, who had married someone else, is after her again. And being Bradley's fake GF may get him off her back... But when someone started to attack Bradley's reputation, and Erin became collateral damage, what will Bradley do to save Erin and vice versa?

The plot escalated tension nicely, as the lies got bigger and bigger. I suspected the twist about 2/3rd through, but it was resolved very nicely, which I won't spoil.

Category: Contemporary / Romantic Suspense

Primary Plot: Both need to get away from their reputation; neither are in love; they married for convenience; can they stay for love?

Tropes: marriage of convenience, evil ex, conspiracy, evil enemies

Overall Rating: 5/5

GRR Reviews Yours for the Taking by Danielle Stewart

I'm not too sure what to make of "Yours for the Taking". It feels as if it was written in spurts, or rewritten more than once, as the book took a very weird twist in the middle and the triangle was introduced very very late.

Jenny is a Pharma-tech auditor who feels the male-dominated industry's pressure from the creepy boss and glass ceiling for female employees. She was tasked to audit a new drug for diabetes, but she fell for the enigmatic but attractive drug rep, who wooed her like no one ever did. It was not ethical for her to sleep with the maker of the drug she was auditing... but what was the worst case? What secrets is he keeping from her? Why?

Somehow the book managed to recover enough of the momentum for the end, but the weird twist in the middle made me wonder what sort of book did I stumble into... is this supposed to be a romance or a romantic suspense? It's not quite either. The ending was a major scene and a rousing success, but somehow it felt... "apart" from the rest of the book, a total tonal change. As if a "closer" was brought in to write the ending, or it was written long before the rest of the book. Some parts are good, but overall, I have to rate this merely average.

Category: Contemporary / Romantic Suspense

Primary Plot: Pharma-auditor was wooed by the drug rep... what is he hiding from her? Will she lose her job over this?

Tropes: fling to a thing, conspiracy, evil boss, evil enemies, disguise,

Overall Rating:  3/5

GRR Reviews Just For This Moment by Kait Nolan

Just for This Moment is a "hot for co-star / marriage of convenience" romance, albeit, with a twist or two.

Myles wanted to run a newspaper and he went to the town of Wishful, Mississippi and bought the local paper... with a heavy loan. He was doing okay, but the profit wasn't quite as forthcoming due to additional expenditures like new machinery and new hires. When the sponsor suddenly wanted to pull out (and it's in the contract) Myles has 45 days to buy out the paper... or see it go under. Piper really liked Myles, esp. when he and she had co-starred in the Christmas play that saved the town's theater not long ago. Piper, however, knew that on-stage love is not real love, but she'll do anything for Myles. When Myles realized he had a trust fund he can tap to buy the paper... provided he must get married... Piper volunteered for a marriage of convenience. After all, it'll get her infatuation with him out of her system, right? However, when the fake love turned very real, they have to decide just how far this will go... or how real their love is...

The "have to get married to inherit" trope is getting a bit stale, but the relationship was quite nice. And there's a twist at the end that was a bit of a surprise.

Category: Contemporary

Primary Plot: Can young woman help out a co-star by marrying him, thus giving him access to this trust fund, so he can save his newspaper? What if she's already crushing on him?

Tropes: performer, marriage of convenience, weird will,

Overall Rating:  4/5

GRR Reviews Her Sweetest Christmas: A Juniper Falls H by Holly Blair

Her Sweetest Christmas is a pretty standard "guy on a conflicting agenda" romance, i.e. guy needs to ruin woman he had already fallen in love with, so he had to come up with some plan to save the day AND his love. The twist, at least, makes sense, not some deus ex machina (but it almost felt that way).

Natalie LeClair is back in town when her grandma, matriarch of LeClair chocolate, seems to have dropped out of touch. Cooper King is also in town, out to buy LeClair Chocolate for his father's candy empire... Because 3 years ago, he found LeClair's chocolate, and Natalie... they even shared a kiss. Natalie wants to get back with Cooper because he is kind and caring. But Cooper's really here following his father's orders. What will he do when his father ordered a slash and burn... i.e. just take the recipe and close the plants, and clearly lose Natalie?

Let's just say the hero managed to pull off a grand gesture and saved the day, AND gets his girl. As for how, read it. It's fun.

Category: Contemporary

Primary Plot: Can a man intending to acquire a chocolate franchise also acquire the girl's heart?

Tropes: holiday, disguise, reunion, evil parents

Overall Rating:  4/5

GRR Reviews Talisa's Heart (Sisters of Charming Place by Imani King

Talisa's Heart, other than the protagonist being an African-American, just came across as a standard "hot for boss" trope romance with no particular innovations.

Isaac Brighton is a rich white boy, doing corporate law. Talisa is a black girl doing PA work so she can save enough money to go to graduate school. Talisa has no interest in Isaac, but Talisa cannot deny that Isaac is one gorgeous guy... and when he chose her to go to New York with him... that fling turned into a lot more. But Assistants are not supposed to hook up with their bosses... and even if Isaac want long term, Talisa is going back to school...

Overall, the romance is a little angst-y, but not too much so. There are really no clever plots, and polish is average, thus, average rating.

Category: Contemporary

Primary Plot: Can the black and beautiful PA love her gorgeous white boy boss? Is it a fling or more? She's leaving soon, right?

Tropes: hot for boss, fling to a thing

Overall Rating:  3/5

GRR Reviews Spoons (River's Sigh B & B Book 3) by Ev Bishop

Spoons is an "on the rocks" romance where the couple was married, but where clearly in serious relationship trouble, and need to resolve their problems if they were ever to have a chance coming back together.

Cade and Noelle Archer had fallen out of love, despite producing two beautiful daughters together. In a moment of indiscretion at the company party, Cade had destroyed Noelle's trust. Now the two barely speaks, and Noelle is considering divorce, even as they attend the Archer family reunion at River's Sigh B&B. Cade is confident in himself, and in his love for his family, and he thought he had demonstrated that through his actions, but his moment of indiscretion, in which he swore nothing happened, had left him tongue-tied, because he is guilty, maybe not as guilty as it seemed, but how can he explain that to his wife? But he must find the words... before his family and his life irrevocably breaks apart.

While the guy was being a guy... a guy who can't find the right words... i.e. big problems with communicating with his wife, it's also a bit annoying, and the trust... was gone. Add some family drama, and it's an enjoyable tale.

Category: Contemporary

Primary Plot: Can a husband, about to lose his wife's trust completely, find a way to show his love at the family reunion, before his family falls apart?

Tropes: on the rocks, resort, betrayal, redemption

Overall Rating:  4/5

GRR Reviews Her Empath (Zodiac Cyborgs) by Mina Carter

Her Empath started rather interesting, but by the end, nothing came together to form a coherent plotline. What you end up with is some separate action scenes and love scenes in a sci-fi setting that never coalesced. Add that to bad term usage, and horrible title, and it's basically a word salad scifi romance.

General Lyssa Ryland is half human, half alien, and all hard. She takes no guff from anyone, not even the admiralty. She had risen through the ranks by merit alone. She commands one of the most powerful ships in the navy, with a loyal crew, and is friends with some of the largest mercenary clans in the galaxy. She yields to no one... except maybe one... JJ is one of fleet's open secrets... He's an empath, with the ability to change a person's personality given enough time and access. He had been tasked by the Admiralty to bring General Ryland back in line, for the fleet feared she'll go rogue if she's disciplined in any way. Before going on duty, JJ had a one-night stand on the base... Only to find next day, when he reported onboard, that the woman he bedded the night before was none other than General Ryland herself. But when they went on a mission and was ambushed by killer cyborgs, they kept each other alive. Lyssa knew that JJ is not a normal liaison, and is probably the empath sent by the fleet to subdue her, and JJ knew that Lyssa is not just a woman, but a warrior. Can JJ convince Lyssa that they can be good together, even if he had to leave the fleet?

Sorry, this universe made ZERO sense. If she had this much power, just send in a fleet and take out the whole ship, or assassinate her. The author also failed to understand the word EMPATH. Empath means capable of "empathy", which means empathic, i.e. share emotions. To change someone's mind requires telepathic manipulations, not empathic. Also, would the fleet allow one of their empaths to "resign"? And why would a general, a GROUND commander, command a powerful starship? It was clear the author has NO understanding of the military and randomly mixes terminologies. What's worse, why is the series called "zodiac cyborgs", where there's no mention of the zodiac, nor any cyborg in the story?!  The plotline made no sense, and neither did the attraction. The universe made no sense. This novel is just nonsense.

Category: Science Fiction

Primary Plot: Is the new liaison to the starship out to wipe general's mind... or to love her?

Tropes: fling to a thing, enemies to lovers, military

Overall Rating:  1/5

GRR Reviews Tempted by the Wolf: A Werewolf Shifter by Alicia Montgomery

Tempted by the Wolf is the grand finale to the 6-book series where the threat to the wolf shifters by the blood mages will finally be resolved... one way or another. It helps if you know the shifter lore or the setup from the previous 5 novels, but it's not required. To recap...

Meredith, a lone wolf (unaffiliated with any clan) was caught stealing from the New York clan and is spending 10 years of "house arrest" for her penance, and her latest assignment is to babysit the captured warlock Daric, who was once fighting at their archenemy's side. But Daric was forced and wanted Stefan's defeat as much as anyone... Not that the Lycans can take the chance, of course. Then Meredith's "brothers" came calling... Their adoptive father is dead... and it may have something to do with their archenemy, Stefan. As Daric and Meredith came to accept each other's loss, their attraction to each other grew. But when the latest attack from Stefan came from an unexpected quarter, will Meredith be the one weakness that will destroy Daric... or the one strength that will allow Daric to defeat Stefan?

The callbacks to previous novels are nice, and all the new lore seems to make sense. I do have a problem with the darkest hour AND ending being a bit convenient but the final fight was nice and tense right up to the final moment. And let's just say, if you read the previous novel, you'll get a kick out of ending here.

Category: Paranormal

Primary Plot: the evil blood mage's plan to destroy all the lycans can only be stopped by a turncoat mage and a rogue lycan...

Tropes: shifter, opposites attract, forced proximity, evil enemies, kidnapping

Overall Rating:  4/5

GRR Reviews Enemy Inside (The Captive Series Book 1) by Penelope Marshall

Enemy Inside started off with an intriguing premise, and a creepy but weird triangle that was slowly developing. But the way ending was handled made NOT A LICK OF SENSE.

Kenzie St. Claire had the perfect life, lots of money, doting parents... Until her parents failed to come home... They were found slain in the park, no suspects. She became afraid of the outside, and became a recluse, except for occasional voyeuring with her binoculars against her neighbors, including the hot NFL QB Ty next door. When what seems to be a stalker appeared outside, she hired a bodyguard... Zander Smith, ex-SEAL, thought he'd rather be doing executive protection, not protecting a girl who's too scared to go outside. When Ty came calling, wanting to date her, AND her bodyguard Zander took an interest to her, Kenzie thought she's in paradise, with two men hot for her, but when she witnessed Ty stuffing a body into his car trunk... is she crazy? Or was the enemy closer than she realized?

SPOILER AHEAD

I NEED TO EXPLAIN THE ENDING

At the end, the author pulled "but it's all a dream" gambit. The timeline was walked back. She had basically imagined the next several years where she lived alone. There was no ex-SEAL bodyguard (who seems to have forgotten how to fight any way). And wait, Zander turned out to be a doctor, except... how did an ex-SEAL get a medical degree? Then the author compounded the error by having the Navy recall Zander to service, except he's discharged again after only 2 months?!? Did the author actually do any research? A re-up is for two YEARS!!!!!

Adding together the stupid ending, and the liberty taken with the facts, this book really made not a lick of sense. It feels the author had written herself into a corner and had to rely on this stupid cliche to get herself out or had to turn in a book on a deadline and her editor fell asleep at her job and forgot to hire a fact-checker.

Category: Romantic suspense

Primary Plot: Reclusive women whose parents were killed hired a bodyguard who fell for her, while her hunky neighbor also vied for her, then she thought she saw her neighbor stuff a body into trunk of a car...

Tropes: stalker, bodyguard, orphan, protector, woman in peril, SEAL

Overall Rating:  1/5

GRR Reviews The Burning Point (Circle of Friends) by Mary Jo Putney

The Burning Point started off with the trope "ridiculous will", but soon pivoted into much more, as it quickly added a murder mystery on top of it, when a couple that drifted apart must reunite to save their business and solve what may be the murder of her father...

Kate Corsi dreamed of going into the family business: Phoenix Demolitions International, but her old-fashioned father refused to let her get involved, even after she had finished school and licensed as an architect. When an explosion happened ahead of schedule and killed her father, she was summoned home... According to the will, she will receive a fortune, and her ex-husband, Donovan, will inherit the business... IF they both live under the same roof for a year. Forced to live together, Kate and Donovan must find the truth about how her father died, and confront the issues that caused them to split that many years ago... and how each had dealt with the issues since... All the while someone seems to be harassing the business, with accidents, vandalism, and more...

The ridiculous will first dominate your attention, as it's absurd! But once you accepted that (and it did make sense, in retrospect), the mystery of the death has plenty of red herrings to keep you guessing. The ending was Hollywood worthy, and both Donovan and Kate have character arcs that will be exposed one small bit at a time, and they will be properly resolved by the end. All in all, it's one heck of a ride.

Category: Contemporary / romantic suspense

Primary Plot: A divorced couple must reunite to save the family company, which seems to be under attack from without... and within...

Tropes: conspiracy, reunion, return, forced proximity, evil enemies, weird will

Overall Rating:  5/5

GRR Reviews Women of Strength: Inspirational Histori by Pure Grace Publishing

NOTE: Book no longer available on Amazon. Linking to Goodreads profile instead.

Women of Strength collection is a bundled book containing clean (i.e. no sex) western historical romances that seems to lack polish or ends rather abruptly. There are mail-order bride stories, trail bride stories, and even just straight adventure stories where the women were forced by evil stepfather or stepmother to leave their home and take a chance on the frontier, though one or two were just about defying the family. Most stories seem to end on the note "Yes, I will stay with you", and several of them relied on deus ex machina to get there. If you want to read a bunch of stories where good things simply HAPPEN to good people, these stories would do. If you actually want to read stories about good people actually DOING things to change their circumstances, this is probably NOT a collection you'd want to read.

Category: Historical Western

Primary Plot: N/A, collection

Tropes: N/A, too many to list

Overall Rating:  2/5

GRR Reviews Love Me, I Dare You! (Hell Yeah!) by Sable Hunter

Love Me, I Dare You sets up an very interesting pairing... a retired champion cowboy... and a blind bartender girl. The threat to their relationship however, is really vague and there's a logistical problem.

Joshua Long, World Champion Cowboy, suffered a career-ending injury and is back in Kerrville, TX. He had been dubbed "cowgirl whisperer" because he had a fan club of former flings who always leave satisfied... except for one evil biatch who wanted to ruin his reputation forever and started a website talking **** about him and his old man. With little money left after bills, Josh ended up in his old friend's HARDBODIES bar, and a lot of friends who can help him with a second chance, when he laid eyes on a beautiful blue-eyed redhead behind the bar, who's blind. Emma Zachary lived her life on a dare. She has been blind since age 10, and her nearly didactic memory helped her cope. Having heard of Josh's reputation, she chose him at a bachelor auction... so he can show her something she never had before. And they both found once is not enough. But when external threats arrive, things may indeed get dicey for the couple... and their friends.

I find the problem facing the couple really nebulous, and the guards practically useless. The relationship is pretty good too. The part about coping with blindness was very good, but one observation begs the question... How does she keep it "neatly trimmed" down there... if she's blind? In the end, I enjoy the book so I had to rated good, though consider it a "low" good.

Category: Western

Primary Plot: Former champion cowboy (with a lot of buckle bunnies and evil ex) fell for a blind bartender girl who wanted someone experienced for her first time

Tropes: disabled (blind), cowboy, fling to a thing, auction (bachelor), evil ex, virgin, reformed rake, protector, woman in peril

Overall Rating: 

GRR Reviews Cowboys for Christmas by Jan Springer

Cowboys for Christmas is about sex, and lots of sex. It is basically erotica with just a bare hint of romance, and all about the sharing. Don't expect much of a plot. The sex, on the other hand, was pretty hot.

Jennifer Jane (JJ) Watson spent 10 years in prison for killing her abusive father who had just killed her mother. She never expected to get an early parole... or to spend the winter in the frozen north at a secluded cattle ranch serving Christmas dinner to three sexy cowboys... Rafe, Brady, and Dan thought they're getting a male ex-con to help with labor around their secluded ranch in Northern Ontario. What they got is a pretty girl fresh out of prison, who haven't had sex in ten years. Good thing the three like to share... and she doesn't mind sharing either. This Christmas will be special indeed.

This is known as an MFMM erotic romance, and yes, there's a lot of bonking. Not too much there except the sex. It's not really about much character development, but more like a girl after 10 years of drought getting an all you can eat buffet. She takes the one at a time, then all at the same time. Ah-hem. Stil, the sex scenes are okay. You read this for the sex, not for the characters.

Category: Erotic Romance / Western

Primary Plot: Woman released from prison gets three sexy cowboys for Christmas... who are very much into sharing!

Tropes: fish out of water

Overall Rating:  3/5

GRR Reviews The Heart of a Texas Cowboy (Men of Legend) by Linda Broday

"The Heart of a Texas Cowboy" is a historical western romance / adventure about a marriage of convenience and a quest for justice against a mad stalker and his gang of outlaws.

Houston Legend's heart was forever shattered when a man gunned down his wife-to-be, Becca, minutes before they're to be wed, only to reveal her utter betrayal. He swore he would never marry or love again... Only to be forced into a marriage of convenience... His father had gambled and lost a good portion of their ranch to the Boone's in an adjoining plot, and the older Boone did not want their land. What he wanted was for Houston to marry his daughter, Lara Boone... but there's a catch. Lara Boone had been violated by a ruthless outlaw by the name of Yuma Blackstone and gave birth to a daughter. Houston's marriage to Lara will ensure the daughter will not be a bastard... no one else has to know. Houston was angry, but accept that it is his duty to the family ranch... But the sight of Lara took his breath away... Lara was beautiful, but a knife wound sliced her cheek, leaving a long scar. Houston found himself drawn to the quiet courage of Lara to continue living, even as they learned that Yuma is still out there, despite the Boone's having moved across the state to get away from the crazy criminal. When Houston and his brothers, as well as the drivers, have to take the Longhorn herd to market, Lara and baby Gracie had to come along as the camp cook when the cook's wife fell ill. They'd found passion as Lara worked on her courage to consummate their marriage... and also found Yuma and his gang of cutthroats are on their trail. When Yuma's gang attack, who will be left standing?

Long at 384 pages, but there's a lot of action, to keep things moving. The bad guy is a bit psycho, but that's the way it is in the stories. The final battle was not as deus ex machina as it seemed, for it was nicely setup with at least two earlier hints. All in all, satisfying story. I debated whether this is four or five stars. My problem with the gang is how do you keep a gang of killers around without a lot of loot, when there can't be much money with a herd?

Category: Historical Western

Primary Plot: Can a man forced to marry to save his family ranch love his wife enough to protect her from a madman intend to reclaim her?

Tropes: betrayal, marriage of convenience, protector, woman in peril, evil enemies

Overall Rating:  4/5

GRR Reviews A Mail-Order Heart (Miners to Millionaires) by Janelle Daniels

A Mail-Order Heart is clearly the start of a series as it sets up multiple women in town for later. The overall story is fun, as was the twist that comes later. Though the ending trope was kidnapping, which is, I guess, par for the course for old western stories.

Clara Stewart went to a small town out in Montana to marry Ivan but finding chaos upon her arrival. Ivan died 3 days prior to her arrival, and there are EIGHT other fiancees, all claiming to be Ivan's mail-order bride! Clara took charge, but it wasn't easy. The town is starved for females of marrying age, and would love for them to stay and be courted properly by the men in town... and they are allocated Ivan's house... as a temporary measure, and Ivan's mine claim. After all, if he had enough money to send for NINE brides, he must be doing pretty well... But that left Sheriff Sawyer Morrison keeping the peace... and keeping his attention toward Clara at bay. When someone sabotages the mine, then kidnaps Clara, Sheriff must call upon his best to chase down the guilty... and reclaim the woman he loved.

There's always something happening, and the plot moved along at a good pace. The attraction between Clara and sheriff, however, was a bit unexplained. Still, I guess she's a bit more mature than the rest and good for the sheriff.

Category: Historical Western

Primary Plot: Woman going as mail order bride found her groom is dead, and there are 8 other brides, while the sheriff is interested in her...

Tropes: mail order bride, fish out of water, law enforcement, kidnapping, conspiracy

Overall Rating:  4/5

GRR Reviews Her Big Sky Cowboy (Wildflower Ranch B by Alissa Callen

Her Big Sky Cowboy is an opposites attract tale where two unlikely people unite as a couple for love of a child.

Zane was brought up by a horrible father and jilted by a horrible woman, but he'll move heaven and earth to care for his 5-year old son Finn, whom he didn't even know until recently. ... Finn was withdrawn after his mother's death and had speech impairments, and Zane reluctantly hired Trinity Redfern, speech therapist to help his son. Trinity Redfern knew her perfect match is out there... and he'd be NOTHING like the reclusive rancher Zane Nash. But their love for Finn united them... but it's just a temporary assignment, right?

I feel some heat, but nothing extraordinary. The push-pull is good, but nothing really outstanding that I can detect.

Category: Contemporary / Western

Primary Plot: Speech therapist hired to help a kid fell for the reclusive cowboy father, but it is merely a fling?

Tropes: sudden family, evil parents, jilted, doctor/patient, opposites attract

Overall Rating:  3/5

GRR Reviews Keep Me, Cowboy (2015 Montana Born Rodeo) by Nicole Helm

Keep Me, Cowboy is about a family in crisis, an old flame that cannot be extinguished, and a lot of things left unsaid.

Cole MacArthur had been virtually disowned by his family after he chose rodeo instead of medical career his father wanted. So he left Marietta and never been back for ten years, even away from the only woman he loved... Except now, Jess Clark is at his door... Jess knew she wasn't a MacArthur, but her surrogate family needed Cole to come back because the family is in crisis... Cole's father... has been keeping more than a few secrets and things need to be set right. Cole and Jess picked up where they left off years ago, each decided to make it a fling... but once they had a taste, they cannot let go, even as family secrets are revealed, and the MacArthur family will never be the same.

I find the plot a bit too soap-opera melodramatic and the characters a bit on the simple side. It's basically a guilt-trip down memory lane, and without giving any spoilers, let's just say the secrets can change more than a few lives, but it felt... detached? It didn't move me as much as I expected.

Category: Contemporary Western

Primary Plot: Woman must convinced disowned cowboy to head back home; his family really needed him... and so does she

Tropes: Western

Overall Rating: 3/5

GRR Reviews The Mustanger and The Lady by Dusty Richards

The Mustanger and the Lady is one heck of a Historical Western. Romance is minimal, as the two barely spent any time together till the end.

Vince is a mustanger who lived by himself on the Hondo mountains. He made a living by roping mustangs, breaking them, then sell them in town. His life changed one day when a saloon girl Julie showed up on his mountain on a lame horse. Despite initial distrust, she eventually accepted his help, not that she had much of a choice, having missed the stage trail and was thoroughly lost. It was clear she was running from someone, and he's going to help her, by creating a fake grave for her. But soon things got very complicated. The Papago indians, working as Army scouts, were hunting the Apache, even as Julie, now named May for a new start, decided to stay with Vince. Then Apache youth took May intending on ransoming her for some of Vince's horses, then gunslingers came looking for Julie's grave... Now Vince has to get her back, or die trying, as he ended up chasing her all across the Southwest...

Poor girl, who changed hands so many times you'd be dizzy keeping track. But this is one heck of a Western tale. But there really wasn't that much of a romance or wooing...

Category: Historical Western

Primary Plot: Western adventure of a loner who need to save a girl (again and again) when a lot of people want her for something...

Tropes: kidnapping, woman in peril, protector, search and rescue

Overall Rating:  5/5

GRR Reviews A Lifetime to Share (Oregon Trail Dreami by Kathleen Ball

A Lifetime To Share by Kathleen Ball tries to ratchet up the tension on a wagon train heading for Oregon, but the tension was not written correctly, a lot of the threats made no sense, and the way it was explained off at the end barely made any sense.

Eli Todd is had made several trips to Oregon, but this is his first time as wagon train captain. He had lost plenty of people, and he knew he'll lose many on the trip. So he wouldn't let anyone in. Amelia Cruthers is a young girl with a limp suffered in an accident from way back when. She is a hard worker, but her family never approved of her. She thought she just needed to work harder, until her family tried to leave her behind at a river crossing. Eli was outraged and took Amelia with him. When Eli was bucked from his horse, Amelia cared for him in his wagon, but somehow, her reputation was besmirched for doing the right thing, but Eli offered up a solution... marry him. Amelia never expected to be married, not just because she's a cripple, but she can never bear children (so her parents said) When rumors spread among the train that Eli was sleeping around, will Amelia's heart breaks again and again? Or will Eli stand by his vows?

The author tried to create a tortured soul for both characters, but neither really worked for me. The threats didn't 'scale' up by the end of the story, it didn't get worse and worse, just one thing after another. She should have realized her "parents" are out to kill her, yet somehow their words still managed to hurt her. She's just TOO trusting and naive, and that's just not believable. She seems to have no self-preservation instincts. It made really no sense.

Category: Historical Western

Primary Plot: Wagon train captain rescued a young girl from her abusive family; why does her family hate her so much?

Tropes: hurt/comfort, fated mates, evil enemies, evil parents, hot for boss

Overall Rating:  2/5

GRR Reviews Moments of Joy (Moments to Remember by Ysa Arcangel

Moments of Joy is a real tearjerker of a romance, and there are two more volumes of this to come!

Brandy Curtis knew her family has a great risk of Alzheimer's... esp. the early onset kind. She avoided commitment, believing it's better to spare anyone the pain losing her. But when the gorgeous Doctor Ivo tempted her like no other, making her dare to hope. What started as a one-night stand turned into a fling, to FWB, and to a lot more. Just as Brandy thought she may be able to give her all... her memories started to fade... Can Brandy retain her moments of joy?

Took me a couple attempts to finish this one, as it's so sad and so hopeful at the same time. I don't think it's really a spoiler to mention that the story ends on somewhat of a cliffhanger... In order to set up the next volume.

Category: Contemporary

Primary Plot: Can a woman who may be having early onset Alzheimers still love without regret? Or even WITH regret? Is it better to have loved?

Tropes: different worlds, doctor / patient, fling to a thing

Overall Rating:  4/5

GRR Reviews Divine and Dateless (Eternally Yours) by Tara West

Divine and Dateless by Tara West managed to put a lot of humor into a subject that should not be funny... death and unrequited love. It's about the afterlife and the odd struggles to go all the way up to heaven if you aren't already going there.

Ashley is dead. She accidentally electrocuted herself getting ready for her Internet date. She totally deserved it because she was tired of the circuit breaker of her hair dryer popping that she glued it in. She was so ditzy, she thought the grim reaper (in street clothes) was her Internet date. When she reported to Pete with her grim she got assigned to... Penthouse level. Aka Heaven. Unfortunately, very next day she was told there's a mix-up... She had to go down a level and work her way back up, and her credit checker (who controls how fast she goes back up) apparently hated her, even as she has seriously what may or may not be unrequited love on her grim. When Ashley unexpectedly demonstrated haunting powers, she got a different job... combating demons (and desecraters) through hauntings back at level 1 (mortal plane) but the danger there is if she fails, the demons can drag her to hell...

This book obviously does NOT treat itself seriously and makes fun of a lot of institutions. All calls to God (including swearing as well as utterances during sex) are handled by operators in call centers in purgatory. And even dead people can have allergies... and bad bosses who don't give a ****. It's quite hilarious.

Category: Contemporary

Primary Plot: Woman in purgatory adjusts to her circumstances and fell in love with the grim reaper who brought her there

Tropes: opposites attract, fish out of water, secret world

Overall Rating:  5/5

GRR Reviews The Billionaire's Pursuit by Nadia Lee

Pursued by Her Billionaire Hook-Up has a somewhat long boring title, but it made sense. The plot setup was somewhat complicated and worthy of soap-opera complications.

NOTE: Book was retitled as "The Billionaire's Pursuit"

Kerri Wilson, who had felt abandoned by her family since she was very young, had to leave her Hong Kong job when people started looking too closely. And the only one she could turn to was Natalie, a friend in the US, who had just gotten married. Upon arriving in the US, she found to her surprise that her ride was none other than Ethan Lloyd, a man she had a one-night-stand with back when she was in college. Kerri wanted no-strings-attached sex because she was afraid of returning to her family that gave her so much grief, and she had to run at a moment's notice... like how she fled Hong Kong. But Ethan... was just too hot to ignore. Ethan agrees to NSA sex but knew he wanted much more from this woman who had been hurt before. But how can you solve a problem for someone when the problem was her very birth? And her family was rich than sin but colder than ice when it comes to love?

I can't explain the whole background without spoiling the book, which I won't do. Let's just say that this "wound" and source of angst is rather unique and a really "first-world problem" that's very reminiscent of some Korean TV dramas. Definitely worth a read.

Category: Contemporary

Primary Plot: A young woman fled Asia when people started looking for her there; she hid in the US and hooked up with a man with whom she had a one-night stand, but he wanted more...

Tropes: fling to a thing, woman in peril, protector, reunion, return,

Overall Rating:  5/5

GRR Reviews Acting Married (The Married Series Book by Victorine E. Lieske

Acting Married is a good addition to the author's Married series, but it somehow feels not quite as fulfilling as her other books.

Tara McDermott is a maid for the Hollywood Bad Boy Rick Shade. She had been burned by a dick husband Josh who ended up as some bit actor in Hollywood who only left her with a daughter and bitter memories. Tara just wants to settle the legal bills and move back to mid-West where things are simple. Rick Shade has a bad boy reputation, but he's a softie inside. When his publicist told him he needs to settle down to land a better role, he quipped "I should marry the maid"... And surprisingly, his publicist agreed. Rick promised a marriage of convenience with Tara... they can divorce a year later, and they need to go out to feed the paparazzi every once in a while. In return, Rick will pay off Tara's debts and leave her with a nest egg to start over. But as the two pretended to date, then got married for real, Rick and Tara realized just how good they are together... but each carried shame from their pasts... Rick for letting a girl he had loved go for his career... and Tara for entering into this "fake" relationship and allowing her daughter to be attached to Rick. When the secret was outed, will they stay... or break each other's hearts? And what happens when Josh comes back?

Somehow, the threat from Josh just seems really lame, and came really really late, and the book doesn't quite feel as polished as her earlier volumes. The "forced to marry" schtick is getting a little old, and "maid to billionaire" is an old schtick. Combining them without some new schtick like other volumes left me a bit underwhelmed.


Category: Contemporary

Primary Plot: A billionaire need his single mother maid to marry him to help his image, and he'll help settle her with $$$ but when they fell in love for real... would that ever work?

Tropes: maid, hot for boss, single parent, marriage of convenience, scars, triangle, blackmail

Overall Rating: 4/5

GRR Reviews Marrying Mr. English (The English Brothers) by Katy Regnery

Marrying Mr. English is a great romance that finally showed what those stupid "get married or else" wills should be... contrived non-sense to be seen through!

Trust fund playboy Tom English was supposed to marry by his 32nd birthday, or his grandpa will disinherit him. Tom had a fiancee lined up, only to see her elope with her ski instructor three days before his marriage. With one week to go, seems Tom will forgo his millions. Enter Eleanora Watters, a smart, sassy, but broke waitress. Ellie has zero designs on Tom English. He's 10 years older, probably bedded tons of socialites, and a fling with Tom English would only lead to a broken heart, something Ellie doesn't need. But when Ellie's cousin set them up on a blind date and they bonded over books, Ellie agreed to help Tom, and Tom agreed to help Ellie realize her dreams of owning bookstores and a small house. After a whirlwind marriage in Vegas Tom and Ellie went home to present the fait accompli... Only to be tossed out by the grandpa who saw through their scheme. But Tom refused to back down, for he had fallen for Ellie, and now, the two will have to live as a couple, on a limited salary, on their own, when he was blackballed from the financial industry. Forced to take a teacher's position and barely making do, Tom is determined to make something of himself...

While you know how things will turn out (it's not really a spoiler, is it?) the fun was how it got there.

Category: Contemporary

Primary Plot: Man needs to marry but has no fiancee, woman wants a cafe but has no money. They arranged for a marriage of convenience, but he had fallen for her for real, even as his plan backfired... Can they make a living as real couple?

Tropes: marriage of convenience, different worlds, fish out of water, waitress, weird will

Overall Rating:  5/5

GRR Reviews Black Roses (A Mitchell Sisters Novel) by Samantha Christy

Black Roses by Samantha Christy featured a very damaged woman... who needed to go home and confront her past.

Piper Mitchell was a runner, after that night that she wanted to forget... and the consequences from that one night. She ran away from all her problems, both literally (as a marathon runner) and figuratively (by living in Europe with her best girlfriend Charlie). Now, she had to go home to attend her sister's wedding, and she had to stay in town for at least a month. She meets Mason, a backup quarterback in NFL, best friend of the groom, and friend of the family, as her ride into the city. Mason can tell this woman had been hurt, but he's busy preparing for the new season and be the father of his precious 2 -year old daughter, from a baby mama he can no longer stand. Mason found himself drawn to Piper, even as Piper's trauma started to haunt her. Can these two hurt people overcome their wounds to relearn how to love?

"That night" was indeed traumatic. Mason *may* be implicated by proxy, and Piper was still suffering from PTSD. Mason's baby mama is crazy and gets even crazier. It's... a little troubling to read at times, but it was dealt with in a sensitive manner, and the way the mystery was peeled layer by layer much like a fine mystery novel was handled very well indeed.

Category: Contemporary / Mystery

Primary Plot: A woman who ran from her trauma had to go home and confront her past, even as the guy who liked her deal with his own issues

Tropes: return, wedding, friends to lovers, triangle, family secrets,

Overall Rating:  5/5

GRR Reviews Christmas in Smithville (Hometown) by Kirsten Fullmer

NOTE: I got this book free from Netgalley for an honest review.

Christmas in Smithville is about redemption, an unforgiving small town, a woman changing her ways, and a man trying to express his affection... While it is sweet and sad at times, I didn't feel something a bit stronger. This is a cozy Holiday romance, and for that, it surely succeeded.

Gloria, starved for attention when younger, gained a bit of a reputation as the Smithville's loose girl with looser outfits... and this town has long memories, esp. all the women who had their men "stolen" by Gloria, even years later. Ned, the deputy of the area, knew the gossip, but he knew to look past the surface and look for the truth, and Ned knew Gloria has a good heart... and he wanted her for a long time, but he has a very bad stutter and he never knew what to say to a woman who's not his relatives. When the two had to collaborate on the Christmas Pageant, sparks flew. But can the two overcome their respective problems and come together by Christmas?

Both characters have good characters arcs, but somehow I feel Ned's arc was better than Gloria's arc. Ned definitely overcame his problems and was able to express his affection for Gloria by doing it in a way that he knew how (not spoiling that!) but Gloria's arc... She didn't make ANY headway toward her goal, despite doing all she could, including spending almost all her time for the pageant, like making costumes, helping make the sets, and so on. Her goal was NOT accomplished until a certain situation presented itself, and that almost feels like a *deus ex machina*. But I do have to say, the end was very romantic, and made for a great grand gesture.

Category: Contemporary

Primary Plot: Deputy wanted the woman shunned by the town, but he can't talk to (any) women; she wanted to fit back in, but she had not been forgiven...

Tropes: law enforcement, redemption, holiday, return, unrequited love, forced proximity, performer

Overall Rating:  4/5

GRR Reviews Never Is A Very Long Time (The Perfect D by Donna McDonald

Never Is a Very Long Time is an interesting romantic suspense, albeit very low-key. The villain doesn't make any sense, IMHO.

Dr. Mariah Bates quit her syndicated radio show to be with her husband and children, and to start "The Perfect Date", finding the perfect companion for people who need discretion. But her husband, the golden boy detective on the force, turned against her. After cold shoulders and more, she divorced him and gave him the house, just to shut him up, and moved back in with her mother. But the bitterness never ended. Two years later, he dragged her into court, accusing her of running an illegal brothel (through the dating service). The case was dismissed. Mariah met another detective... who was the uncle of one of her richest clients, but after a cop dragged her through hell, she can't deal with another cop, even though the guy was otherwise, just perfect... But as Mariah had to deal with further harassments from her ex, this new cop was clearly hiding something, but he promised it was to protect her... but from what?

To explain the problem, I'll have to spoil the rest of the story, unfortunately.

YOU'VE BEEN WARNED

LAST CHANCE

Turns out Dr. Bates' ex has a whole "other family" on the side, complete with a wife and kids, WHILE married to her. Her ex basically uses the continued harassment as some sort of extortion attempt.

But this made NO SENSE AT ALL. A cop can't bring charges of prostitution by himself. It's not a civil case where he sue for damages. And he already got the house and signed for it in the divorce. How does harassing her going to get him any more money?! Signing his "other wife" for the service made even less sense, as you'd thought he'd never tried to mix his separate lives, and having both families in the same city?! If the villain and his motivations and his execution made more sense, I'd give this 4/5. But as is, it barely rates 3/5.

Category: Contemporary / Romantic Suspense

Primary Plot: Doctor/matchmaker was harassed by her ex, so she can't fall for another detective... right? What secret is he keeping?

Tropes: matchmaker, evil ex, family secrets, law enforcement, conspiracy

Overall Rating:  3/5

We're coming up at 1000th post, and 1000th review here on GuyReviewsRomance!

This will be the 999th post on this blog. And with 6 more reviews coming down the pipeline today, that will mark the 1000th post and 1000th review made by Guy Reviews Romance!

This also marks a tempo change in the blog. I am getting close to posting all of my backlog reviews, so starting Monday, the publishing schedule will be reduced to two reviews per day, instead of six. There will be occasional "theme days" where I'll post more than two a day for reviews of the same genre, like "romantic suspense" or "paranormal" and so on, but those will be the exception, rather than the rule.

I really do read every one of these books (unless it was utter garbage, and that'd be in the review itself) and I've enjoyed a majority of them. I hope you've enjoyed my blog and here's to another thousand reviews!

You can also find me reviewings books (and more) on Amazon.

GRR Reviews Yours for a Song (Haven Springs) by Amy James

Yours for a Song is about a famous person hiding in a small town, and falls for a local beauty. However, the threats to their hapiness seems to be not that well polished, and not all the threats are resolved properly and wrapped up by the end.

World famous musician Eli Archer just wanted to escape the limelight, the paparazzi, and the crazy supermodel that was dogging him. He got on a plane to one city, and took a rental car to drive across more to hide out in the small town of Haven Springs for at least three months. His last two albums are commercial garbage. And he had lost his muse. Having punched out a paparazzi who got in his face didn't help. His visit to the ER to fix his hand lead him to Dr. Claire Taylor... who's buttoned up tight... and VERY much affected by his charm. Claire wanted a husband and a family, but she's thirty-five and the only real job in town is in the ER where the hospital is interesting in finding more services to charge than to provide real care. Claire is also a sucker for kids who needed help, and the homeless teenager Zoey and her deaf dog really did need her help... and more. Clarie has no time to be distracted by a rock god who's just passing by (but living next door). However, in a town where all the single men are taken (except the real losers... and closet gay men) and her mother trying to set her up with dates, Claire was oh so tempted by Eli... esp. when they bonded over the need to help Zoey and her dog. But when Eli's crazy super-model Coco Sky found him in town, and he needed to go back to the city early, is this the end of Claire's dreams?

Not bad, but some of the threads did not tie themselves back properly. The supermodel, Coco Sky, wasn't quite written properly, and having her show up so late as the foil at the end doesn't really work for me. She was barely there before, and her just suddenly showing up... Nah.

Category: Contemporary

Primary Plot: Super-star taking a break hiding out in small town bonded with local beauty and ER doc over a homeless girl and her deaf dog...

Tropes: small town, doctor/patient, woman in peril, pet, matchmaker, triangle, performer

Overall Rating:  3/5

GRR Reviews Honeymoon For One (Honeymoon) by Lily Zante

Honeymoon for One seems to have switched main characters. From the description it was supposed to be the jilted woman finding love abroad, but the book ended up more about her new beau Nico, than about Ava.

Ava was dumped by her fiancee a few weeks before the wedding. "I just wasn't ready" he said. Now groomless, and had to move home, Ava nonetheless decided to take her honeymoon vacation to Italy... ALONE. After numbingly long hours to Verona Italy, delays, missed transfers, she was definitely stranger in a strange land... at Verona Airport, without her luggage. She found a black sedan driver holding various signs including one for her hotel, and he even speaks English, what luck! What she didn't know about the driver Nico was he's actually the hotel owner's son, who's tired of the golddiggers always after him, and Ava just treated him... normally. Now he's smitten, and offered to drive her around. But Nico has a few other secrets... and what happens when Ava spot them?

While the Verona details are pretty good, the romance was a bit uneven. The story was implied to be about Ava, but it ended up mostly about Nico, with Nico's various problems and phobias taking the limelight, and Ava just along for the ride.

Category: Contemporary

Primary Plot: A woman taking honeymoon trip alone after being dumped fell for a handsome stranger in Italy, who has his own secrets...

Tropes: jilted, resort, famiily secrets, disguise

Overall Rating:  3/5

GRR Reviews Christmas Lovebirds (Have a Hart) by Rachelle Ayala

Christmas Lovebirds managed to draw a nice parallel between the two lovebirds and the human couple by giving them fated mates story worthy of a PG-rated swooning.

Melisa wanted her brother Connor's ex-best-friend Rob Reed for a long time. Unfortunately, Rob slept with Connor's girlfriend and is no longer welcome anywhere near the house. Rob went on to be ER doc in San Francisco and when Melisa had a little accident caused by her lovebird, she came nose to nose with Rob again... and she still had a hankering for Rob. Rob, however, cannot possibly get it on with Melisa... Her family still hated him... and Melisa clips her lovebird's wings... barbaric! When Melisa lent her bird to the Christmas Toy Drive, Rob accidentally ended up with the bird as his own lovebird has a similar name. The two birds get along famously... and Melisa... get along with Rob... and found out she didn't get the real story about Connor and Rob (and the girlfriend). Will Melisa give Rob a real chance, or are they (both the birds and the couple) doomed to spend the holidays apart?

Awwww... the birds are cute, both characters have proper character arcs, and there are even long-kept secrets with twists. I do have a SLIGHT bit of doubt about house birds living in the wild in San Francisco but came back, but it's a novel, right?

Category: Contemporary

Primary Plot: Will the pair of lovebirds unite a pair who wanted each other but forced apart by circumstances and family pressure?

Tropes: pets, brother's best friend, doctor/patient, family secrets, family pressure

Overall Rating:  4/5

GRR Reviews Married This Year 2: Simmering Love by Tracey Pedersen

Married This Year 2 is a good rom-com about cooking, between a couple, one pretending to be able to cook, and the other pretending not able to!

Rachel is a walking disaster in the kitchen. When Rachel found a friend Henry on a skydiving adventure, with an "engagement" from a crackerjack ring, they can't stay away from each other. Henry is a chef, and somehow Henry talked Rachel into making a meal. And Rachel will have a hard time "making" a meal and keeping her ineptness a secret... But Henry has a big secret too... And when these secrets are exposed...

White lies leading to bigger lies, then attempt to cover that with ever more white lies and hysteria. It's quite funny. :)

Category: Contemporary

Primary Plot: Can a young woman totally inept in the kitchen trick a chef into believing she can actually cook? How far will she go?

Tropes: chef, disguise

Overall Rating:  4/5

GRR Reviews When Love Comes (Diamond Creek, Alaska) by J.H. Croix

When Love Comes is about getting past loss into a possibility of love. The family secret was just some additional complications.

Hannah Gray returned to Diamond Creek Alaska after the death of her parents in a plane crash. Her sense of adventure was gone, and so was her expectation of love. When she met Luke Winters, she felt a sense of attraction, but she told herself, it will pass. Luke Winters, one of the 3 Winters brothers, makes his living in Alaska by doing the outdoorsy things, but having been burned by a bad ex, he only does casual flings. When Luke saw Hannah, he was intrigued by the young woman with haunted eyes, and similar loss, but he can't do relationships, "too busy", he told himself. When Hannah, cleaning out her parent's belonging, came across a huge secret about her family, she found Luke the only one to confide in. When Luke's family and ex intrude, it would be up to Luke and Hannah to fight for their happiness... together.

Interesting "wound and scars" about the family secret... which I won't spoil. But J H Croix was pretty good in doing the Alaska romance thing.

Category: Contemporary

Primary Plot: Woman's return to hometown was haunted by her loss and family revelation; can a hot wilderness guide save her heart?

Tropes: commitment-phobe, return, evil ex, family secrets,

Overall Rating:  4/5

GRR Reviews His First and Last (Ardent Springs Book 1 by Terri Osburn

His First and Last is about homecoming and a second chance at love, and it managed to surprise me with a couple plot twists.

Lorelei Pratchett hated her town of Ardent Springs because her mother is a single parent who claimed she didn't remember who the father was. At eighteen, she left to chase her Hollywood dreams, leaving behind her boyfriend Spencer Boyd, vowing never to return. Twelve years later, she's back, her dreams went nowhere, her mom's gone but the town has changed... and has long memories. And Spencer is still there and still waiting. Lorelei threw herself into the fundraiser trying to save the downtown theater and tried to start a side-business on baking in her grandma's kitchen. But her rivals are still there, sabotaging her plans, then Spencer's ex showed up...

Without spoiling the story, let's just say Lorelli will find out who her father *really* is, despite her mom previously claiming she didn't know. But there's a reasonable explanation for why. The grand gesture was perfect, and let's just say Spencer will find a big surprise from Lorelli (no, she's not pregnant...) and it'll be both... very nice and very angry kind of surprise. I very much enjoyed reading this book.

Category: Contemporary

Primary Plot: Woman heading back to town, to see boyfriend she left behind; can they get back together, even as secrets are unveiled?

Tropes: return, single parent, reunion, triangle, small town, family secrets

Overall Rating:  5/5

GRR Reviews In the Cards by Jamie Beck

In the Cards is about trust and taking chances... and second chances.

Lindsey fled her rich life in New York after her fiancee informed her he had cheated with a co-worker 2 weeks before their wedding. Lindsey rented a beach house in Malibu, CA, hoping to get away from it all for some time to think, only to realize her neighbor, the sexy Levi, was the same bartender who rejected her years ago, leaving her humiliated. Levi had lived a hard but clean life, to get away from his father's scamming ways. With some wise investments and good poker skills, he had created a comfortable living. When a motorcycle accident put him in the hospital, Lindsey was the only one who came to see him... and forced him to reexamine his attitude about trusting in others. But Levi knew he can't trust Lindsey, for she'll go back to her fiancee Rob back in New York in an instant... better to keep her at arm's length...

Nice, angsty, esp. with Rob always hovering and providing tension, but this is more Levi's story, with him having to find out two shocks about his own family. Lindsey... is a bit naive, but nice and adorable kind of naive.Both came across as quite realistic.

Category: Contemporary

Primary Plot: Can a woman fleeing from a cheating fiancee care for someone who rejected her years ago, but may be a genuine guy?

Tropes: reunion, betrayal, jilted, hurt/comfort, family secrets, triangle

Overall Rating:  4/5

GRR Reviews Capturing Her Beauty by Lexy Timms

Capturing Her Beauty is advertised as a BBW billionaire romance, but it's not really about billionaires...

Kayla Reid is a BBW, and she had heard every bad joke about big girls. She works as a production assistant in the modeling industry, and was surrounded by models every day, many of whom whispers the jokes behind her back but within her hearing. Kayla was also a budding clothing designer, having just made prototypes of BBW proportioned bras and panties, branching into lingerie soon. She was surprised by the new photographer, Justin Baker, who actually has a degree in accounting, not arts... and Justin found Kayla to be the most beautiful woman he'd seen. They fell for each other, and Justin agreed to help them get the business off the ground, even with a little accounting help. But can Kayla be beautiful for him?

The attraction was a bit unexplained. Seems Justin is pretty much immune to regular models but has a preference/fetish for BBW. Nothing wrong with that, but it *is* unexplained. The fact that he chose photography and became so good at it he could switch careers despite having an accounting degree is kinda weird. One's analytical, and one's creative. How do you switch careers like that? The push pull is pretty good, and the ending... Let's just say there will be more books about this couple. But honestly, I don't feel much except tropes.

Category: Contemporary

Primary Plot: Semi-Pro photographer falls for the model studio's production assistant, who's a BBW launching her own clothing line...

Tropes: BBW, photographer, clothing designer,

Overall Rating: 3/5

GRR Reviews Sugar and Spice and All Those Lies by Evy Journey

Sugar and Spice and All Those Lies from Evy Journey is an interesting story about a lady sou chef, trying to find love and happiness among two men, and found herself betrayed several times, by people whom she thought were her close friends. The beginning was a good hook, with her on a hospital gourney being pushed, and ends... on an HEA (but this is a romance, so that's not a spoiler)...

Gina wanted to be a chef for a long time, brought up surrounded by her grandpa's recipes as well as her mom's tutelage. She never seems to realize her mixed parentage gave her exotic looks that men seem to find irresistible, not that she's the kind of woman that would take another woman's man. When she was wooed by Leon, a rich young man, she was mildly amused, but Leon was with Cristi, her childhood best friend... Until Cristi stabbed her with a pair of scissors because Gina had "stolen" Leon from her. The detective investigating the battery case was Brent, who was also interested in Gina, but Gina was with Leon then. Thus Gina introduced Brent to her best friend from the restaurant, Marcia the pastry cook. But even as Gina's relationship with Leon reached a decision point, a stalker sent threatening notes to Gina... warning her of bad things that will happen...

The cooking details are excellent, though I was somewhat disappointed they didn't play into the plot except very peripherally. Gina... came across as a really ambivalent character. Her kind heart was both a strength and a weakness, in a way that really elicits empathy from the reader, but also made her weak-willed at times. Without spoiling the plot, I'll just say Leon and Brent both came across as decent guys, albeit, only one will win at the end.

All in all, this book just lacks that... something that really moves me. But it's actually quite good.

Category: Contemporary

Primary Plot: Lady sous chef found herself being wooed by two men, and some really jealous people wanted to hurt her for being... lucky/nice

Tropes: chef, triangle, betrayal, stalker, woman in peril

Overall Rating:  4/5

GRR Reviews All Or Nothing (The Coxwells Book 4) by Deborah Cooke

All Or Nothing is a fake boyfriend to real love romance, with some sitcom-worthy moments.

Jen Maitland needed a fake BF to delay her mom's matchmaking schemes, but not a real BF because she was jilted by her ex-fiancee. She picked Zach Coxwell, a commitment-phobe who enjoys a challenge. Zach is definitely getting mixed signals from Jen the bar waitress, who turned him down for a date but invited him to family Thanksgiving dinner. The dinner went into an absolute disaster for Jen when one of her sisters offer to have Zach's child plus other embarrassments, but Zach's jokes managed to get Jen to crack a smile even as he had a time of his life. Zach may have found the one girl to make him change his ways, but can he convince her that he's sincere?

The characters are nicely drawn, though the trope about having a rake as a boyfriend and she happen to be the one woman to have him reform seems a bit... cliche. It's the family stuff that made this novel above average.

Category: Contemporary

Primary Plot: Woman not ready for love, but needs a rake to act as a fake BF to ward off matchmaking attempts... Can the rake reform for her?

Tropes: fake engagement, family pressure, reformed rake, jilted

Overall Rating:  4/5

GRR Reviews All's Fair in Love and Weddings by Christine S. Feldman

All's Fair in Love and Weddings is definitely battle between the sexes, when both believe they are doing the right thing... each protecting their side. Is it any wonder they end up admiring each other?

Prudence Collier spent her early years trying to disprove her name and even ruined her sister once. When her sister sent her a wedding invitation, she'll do ANYTHING to reconcile. When her vehicle died, she was rescued by a handsome stranger by the name of Tucker Davis, who, to her horror, was on his way to break up her sister's wedding! Prudence does everything to delay Tucker... and protect her sister. Tucker is best buds with the soon-to-be groom, and the upcoming marriage is OBVIOUSLY a mistake. He didn't count on going up against the quick-thinking and darn-the-consequences Prue, who wasn't above instigating a bar fight to get rid of Tucker. But Tucker is not backing down from the challenge... Because that's his friend's happiness at stake. And as sparks fly, neither will give in, even as they realize maybe giving in... to each other, may be fun!

Prudence's ability to improvise is... funny! It's great sitcom and the battle of wits with Tucker is a joy to read.

Category: Contemporary

Primary Plot: Woman needs to save her sister's marriage, and meets up with a guy who's determined to break up the same marriage... Fight's on!

Tropes: wedding, enemies to lovers, resort,

Overall Rating:  5/5