GRR Reviews Whiskey and Gumdrops by Jean Oram

Whiskey and Gumdrops is a quasi-romance with mainly work problems, with the romance feels secondary.

Mandy was stuck in her life and job as a waitress, and having to watch her ex-fiancee marry someone else finally spurred her into action: she investigates how to open her own restaurant in her town of Blueberry Springs. But her meager savings is not enough. She had to ask for help from her sexy, but platonic male friend Frankie. She knew Frankie's a dare-devil that she can never live with long-term, but Frankie has the ideal building for the proposed restaurant... and she may be able to get enough to get a wrap franchise up and running. And Seth, the franchiser, seems to promise a lot of support, and Frankie even pledged his family building as part of her collateral to ensure she succeeds. But when Seth was accused of running a Ponzi scheme, and Frankie may be about to lose his building along with Mandy's dreams, can Frankie and Mandy save the day with their love?

The ending was a bit too deus ex machina for me, even though it just felt... BARELY plausible, which I won't spoil. But the tension was good. The romance between Mandy and Frankie, on the other hand, seems to be more about guilt and sacrifice than genuine love.

Category: Contemporary

Primary Plot: Waitress and Platonic Male Friend Invest Their All into a Food Franchise, only to find they may have trusted the wrong man...

Overall Rating: 4/5

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GRR Reviews A Teaspoon of Trouble (The Bachelor Bake-off) by Shirley Jump

A Teaspoon of Trouble is a reunion story that is angst-y but not too much so.

Carolyn is a sous chef with a chance to be head chef in a trendy NYC restaurant. She left her hometown of Marietta MT years ago, after realizing her then-boyfriend Matthew will never leave. But when she found that her sister and her husband were killed in a tragic car accident, and Carolyn was left in the care of the 4-year-old niece Emma, she had to take a sabbatical to take care of the family emergency. Which also brought her back to Matt, now the town veterinarian, even more handsome... // Matt is a very eligible bachelor, but he's always had a thing for Carolyn, his high school sweetheart. It was a dream that she came through the door with a pooch in distress from unfamiliar food and travel... And it just happens that he needs some serious help to participate in the town's Bachelor Bake-off to raise money for the paramedic that was killed recently. So they made a deal... Carolyn will teach Matthew about baking, and Matthew will help Carolyn teach the dog some obedience lessons. In between, they have to help poor little Emma to grief and accept the circumstances... And there's the problem of Carolyn's job in New York... and why she left in the first place...

Angst-y without TOO much so. Carolyn had a sudden family and it was totally overwhelming, both Emma and the dog. Matt was like the PERFECT partner, and it was pretty obvious how she'd choose at the end after examining her reasons. I personally think her reasoning can be explained a little better though.

Category: Contemporary

Primary Plot: Can a sous chef who suddenly inherited a family accepts the help of the local veterinarian with her dog? Will she leave?

Overall Rating: 4/5

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GRR Reviews Shades Of Chocolate (The Bakery Romance) by Cecelia Dowdy

Shades of Chocolate is a stranger-came-to-town romance that tried to pivot into suspense by adding a stalker. I didn't feel the ending quote tied everything back together though.

Toni had a dark past and she gets through the pain by baking in the bakery inherited from her grandma, now named "Shades of Chocolate". With just her and one other employee, and sleeping upstairs, she managed to eek out a living, and lost connection with her faith in God. Having witnessed her supposedly almost-fiancee doing his secretary on his desk didn't help. Her world was turned upside down with the arrival of a stranger named Jason... // Jason prefers baking to sports or the corporate office, and he's not over his mother's death. After completing an assignment from his father, he's taking a long three-month vacation... mainly to avoid his family. When he encountered the Shades of Chocolate bakery, a place that reminded him of his home, he decided to stay a while. When Toni's only assistant had to leave town due to a family emergency, Toni's short-handed... and Jason offered to help. Toni's surprised at Jason's adeptness in the kitchen, and his apparent wealth. When Toni's life was threatened by an apparent stalker, Jason was determined to protect Toni... but can they trust each other after their past full of pain?

I like the baking details, and the plot did contain a good twist or two, but somehow it's didn't quite tie it back together. I liked it, but not that well.

Category: Contemporary

Primary Plot: Why is this obviously rich man helping out the local baker? Who is stalking them?

Overall Rating: 3/5

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GRR Reviews Mountain Man Candy (Mountain Men) by Frankie Love

Mountain Man Candy feels just like a lukewarm mediocre romance with nothing really noteworthy except the subjects: a candy maker and a mountain man.

Clive was the man candy in town... Until a tragedy turned him into a recluse, turning down women who offered themselves. He can never put himself into a situation leaving someone broken-hearted. He saw it happen to his sister. // Hazel is the new candy-maker in town, and have no one left in the world. Catering to Clive's nieces and nephews is good, and getting to know Clive... is better. But Clive isn't ready... or so he told himself...

Didn't feel that much with only 85 pages of a story. Children seem to be a bit too mature.

Category: Contemporary

Primary Plot: Can the new candy maker in town convince the mountain man recluse to love again?

Overall Rating: 3/5

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GRR Reviews Love in a Small Town (Pine Harbour) by Zoe York

Love in a Small Town has nice push-pull between a former couple, but the ending was trope that relied on a crisis to prompt a change of heart.

Rafe and Olivia were married... emphasis on WERE. It's been two years since their divorce. He's a cop and national guard. Being a husband is third on his priorities, and she can't stand it anymore. But being a waitress in the cafe in town means she has to serve him every morning, and that just hurts... every day. // Rafe knew Olivia was the one for him, but they may have married too young... he thought he did the right thing: letting her go when he wasn't what she needed. He really wanted her back... But does she want him back?

Awww, nice push-pull between the couple. The only problem was it took a crisis to change their minds, like a disaster or major injury. As he's a cop, it's standard plot that he gets shot and both he and she had an epiphany that life's too short. And that just felt "meh".

Category: Contemporary

Primary Plot: The cop and the waitress were once married, but because he can't put her first, he let her go, but they're not over each other

Overall Rating: 3/5

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GRR Reviews Strong Silent Type (Rough Riders) by Lorelei James

Strong Silent Type is an erotic contemporary Western romance that is deeper than you first suspect, but also played into tropes, but not quite subverting them.

Libby and Quinn McKay have had a good marriage... until the issue of children tore them apart (with some help from his mother). Now she's living in the house, and he's living in the horse trailer... and nothing has changed in three months. Libby is tired of the detente... why isn't Quinn, the stubborn ass that he is, fight for her? When Quinn realized this is not a "phase" he can wait out, he switched back to "woo mode" and offered Libby a whole weekend of decadence, sexual and otherwise. to rekindle their love and hash out their differences. But just sex is not enough for a relationship... Will there be enough to hold onto when Monday came?

At 150 pages, this is actually quite good. There's enough sex to satisfy, yet not too much to become erotica. It's clear the two aren't over each other, but he's the kind of "strong silent type" that broods rather than talk things out, and it's frustrating for the wife. And that's just trope as heck. On the other hand, the emotional push-pull is good.

Category: Contemporary / Western / Erotic Romance

Primary Plot: Can a couple, with their relationship on the rocks, spend a weekend together for fun and sex, to fix their marriage?

Overall Rating: 4/5

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GRR Reviews Hotter Than Ever (A Middle-Aged Hottie) by Linda Cousine

Hotter Than Ever is a satire with a serious topic: menopausal madness for women. Okay, I'm a guy, so I don't know anything about it. But I do recognize the satirical tone, even as I laugh, AND think about how serious the problem *could be*.

Lexi Taylor is 50, and as a former model, she had it all. She has fame, fortune, beauty, a doting husband, and two beautiful daughters. But in the past year, she lost all of it. Her husband is shacked up with a stripper. Her figure had gone to sag. Her friends are all staying away, and she may just be losing her mind due to menopausal madness. When her hot flashes and mood swings landed her in jail for the second time (first time, for "solicitation" even though she's doing it for a bikini joint, and second time for trespassing on an active fire scene demanding to be doused with water due to a hot flash), her family mounted an intervention and she agreed to commit herself to the Sunnyvale Sanitarium, Home for the Mostly Menopausal, for a 90-day regimen. And with help of an army of doctors and a very therapeutic nun, Lexi may yet reclaim her sanity, her self-respect, and perhaps, most important of all... her sex drive...

The situations are farcical, yet extremely... "witty". It's not quite my "cup of tea", but I admire the author for setting up the LOL scenarios while keeping the tone satirical yet with a serious topic behind it.

Category: Contemporary / Hen-lit

Primary Plot: Former model, under throes of menopausal madness, committed herself into a Sanitarium; will she regain her sex drive and more?

Overall Rating: 4/5

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GRR Reviews Scorch Road (Scorch series) by Toby Neal and Emily Kimelman

Scorch Road has some good adventure elements in it, but it seems the authors managed to leave out some basic fact-checking.

Doctor Elizabeth Johnson needed to ferry the isolated virus of the Scorch Flu from Seattle to Washington DC in order to save milions from a pandemic with 90% fatality rate. On the way, her jet was brought down by a bird-strike and she ended up in the wilderness of Idaho, near "Haven", JT Luciano's prepper camp. JT rescued her, and was convinced of her need to head for DC. He can convince his family in Philadelphia to come along as well. But things never go as planned. On the way to DC, Elizabeth and JT will encounter both humanity at its finest and its worst. But will they realize what they mean to each other?

There are many factual problems with this.

1) CDC HQ is in Atlanta, Georgia. Why would Elizabeth need to go to DC? The request made no sense.

2) Why is flight by C-21 (8 pax VIP jet, basically a Learjet 35) 6 hours when a commercial flight from Tacoma to Washington DC is 4 hours and 30 minutes?

3) Why and how did she carry the knife in her Speedo's? How do you even rip a Speedo by hand?

4) You can't suck (by mouth) fuel from an UNDERGROUND tank!!!!!! It's physically impossible!

I do not wish to nitpick every factual mistake in this book, so I'll just say there are many more factual errors like this. I don't mind the post-apoc setting or the grand conspiracy, and some of the action was not that bad, but these factual mistakes jolted me back out of the story. I want to like this book (and the series) more, but all in all, I can only give this average.

Category: Adventure

Primary Plot: A daughter of senator needs to save millions, and the only one who can help her is a prepper recluse who hated politicians...

Overall Rating: 3/5

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GRR Reviews Taking Charge (Like a Boss) by Serenity Woods

Taking Charge, as the series name "Like a Boss" implied, is a "hot for boss" novel, but this one, the reason for liking the boss actually made sense. Add some disguise, secret agenda, and more, you basically have a Cinderella story.

Sebastian, CEO of a tech giant working on a new generation of hearing aid, needs PA help when his existing PA went on family leave. The temp agency sent over Collette, but so far she's a walking disaster. Almost everything she touched blew up or konked out. She got stuck in the elevator (she swore she pressed a button and the entire board popped open with sparks). Her PC went up in smoke when she turned it on. Even the coffee machine exploded (!?!) But there's just something about her that made Sebastian take notice... // Collette is there under false pretenses. Her brother has ASD, and this special hearing aid will really help him, but the trial is supposedly full. If Collette can just slip in her brother's name onto the list... But it won't be easy, as watching Sebastian is giving her some VERY wicked thoughts... When a late night encounter led to some scorching NSA sex, neither can stop. But when Seb wanted to keep her long-term, he can't find her...

Ah, a "hot for boss" story with a PROPER motivation, plus some hot sex and sitcom. Interesting way to retell a Cinderella story...

Category: Contemporary

Primary Plot: Woman got temp job with fake ID because she needed to save her brother, but the hot boss is oh, so tempting...

Overall Rating: 4/5

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GRR Reviews Body (A Trinity Novel) by Audrey Carlan

Body has good dialog and good scars for the two main characters, but the darkest hour was, IMHO, a too-stupid-to-live moment.

Gillian is a fundraiser for the Safe Haven Foundation, and she dedicated her life to the cause because she was an abuse survivor herself, having finally put her abuser in jail and fled to the opposite coast. She found 3 great female friends in San Francisco, but she craves a man in her life that can give her some hot sex, and her current BF is so vanilla, he cringed at her request for doggy style. She came to know Chase Davis, the alpha billionaire with his own dark past and the biggest donor to the foundation at a gala, and he swept her off her feet. Their chemistry is undeniable, but he also hit her trigger points about her prior abuse with his alpha personality. When her evil ex started stalking her, can Chase keep her safe?

The dialog is above average, IMHO, and the triggers plausible. However, I find the darkest hour a total letdown. Let's just say Gillian didn't appreciate certain things that Chase did for her, and she responded by cutting off the relationship. Talk about cutting off the nose to spite the face! Youch! Still, a better than the average tale.

Category: Contemporary

Primary Plot: Woman desiring a lover found one hot billionaire, but his alpha personality also triggered her PTSD from prior abuse...

Overall Rating: 4/5

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GRR Reviews See You Then by Susan Coventry

See You Then is about a widow being wooed by a 17 year younger lover, and she's not being a cougar (she's not going after him). But nonetheless, things got complicated.

Samantha "Sam" Sullivan, a 40-year old widow, is resigned to her single status. The last thing she'd ever expect is to be wooed by her next-door neighbor, the hot 23-year old college student Jason. She was reluctant to get involved as she doesn't want to do the cougar thing, but she missed having a man in her life, and Jason isn't taking no for an answer. But when friends, family, and even an ex GF got involved, and he's going to school soon, will this relationship ever work?

Warm and cozy, but not much heat. There wasn't any big fight or much of the darkest hour. On the other hand, the push-pull is nice.

Category: Contemporary

Primary Plot: Can a 40-year old widow fall for the charming 23-year old college guy next door?

Overall Rating: 4/5

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GRR Reviews Tempt (Naughty Neighbors) by Olivia Aycock

Tempt is a "hook-up" short story, more of a cougar thing.

Single mom Carrie Nelson is... bored. Her boys are off to camp. Then she spied her neighbor's grandson, who's oh-so-yummy, and they don't stand a chance of denying their chemistry...

Eh, it's more of a hook-up short than a romance. It's naughty neighbors. Not feeling much else. At only 61 pages, it's a very short story.

Category: Contemporary

Primary Plot: Single mom meets handsome grandson of her neighbor, sparks fly...

Overall Rating: 3/5

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GRR Reviews Cold Hard Cash by Frankie Love

Cold Hard Cash is a "commoner falls for royalty" novel, albeit set in the music world.

Cassius went to jail for protecting a female friend. He turned to rap and he found he has a talent for it, esp. when his brother became his manager, and the girl he protected became his girlfriend. And he became the rapper "Cashflow". But his life changed one night. Before a local show, he found his girl necking his brother... and the same night, he was discovered by Kendricks Music Group which will make him famous. But at what cost? // Evangeline Kendricks is a princess of the music industry, but she hated the control her father has on her life. She no longer wanted to play music despite her Julliard education, but her father just dismissed her objection. Leaving her father's office in a rage, she ran into Cassius also leaving in a rage over his girl in his brother's arms. With some shared grief over betrayal, they got together, perhaps out of a sense of rebellion, perhaps out to test her limits... but when Angel was forced to choose, she chose his career over her desires, and was forced to break his heart. But they are not done with each other... They reconnected later... only to run into Cassius' old crew from the hood...

This book is good but left me wanting in several places. The darkest hour was somewhat forced and resolved with a simple change of heart (her father giving in and accepted her relationship with Cash). It was good, but it could have been better.

Category: Contemporary

Primary Plot: Newly minted rapper fell for the music mogul's daughter, but when her father objects, can she let him go to save his career?

Overall Rating: 4/5

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GRR Reviews Rock Addiction (Rock Kiss) by Nalini Singh

Rock Addiction is a quintessential "brush with celebrity" encounter, but it was the extra touches that made the book rose above mediocre.

Molly was traumatized by a family scandal when she was young, that she always stayed on the straight and narrow, avoiding the spotlight of the media. However, attending an event held by her sister, brought her into the orbit of bad boy rock star Zachary Fox, and Molly gave in for one night of passion... for which she had no regrets, for Zach was a consummate and considerate lover. But Zach was not done. Zach quickly convinced Molly to extend it to a full month of pleasure... and indulgence. But Molly has a career and Zach, and his band has a tour. There's no way she'll go, and he can't stick around. Nothing wrong with a fling since neither will meet again... But will one month be enough for them? For Zach can be something Molly really get addicted to...

But the author knows how to put the right spin on the story, about how they sneak out and avoid the paparazzi, and the darkest hour was they were betrayed by one of the hotel security staff who planted a camera in their room... In between, the author manages to weave in threads about insecurity, other friends, the drama involving other band members, then throw in references about other couples, and their shifting attitude toward each other, and it's a good tale.

Category: Contemporary

Primary Plot: Can a straight-arrow young woman have a fling with a rock-music super-star? What if he wanted a whole month... or longer?

Overall Rating: 4/5

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GRR Reviews Finding Mr. Right Now by DD Sparxx

Finding Mr. Right Now is a 'friends to lovers' story with multiple layers of angst, basically, "should I or shouldn't I?"

Gemma has a boyfriend, but she didn't feel that spark between them. So she was contemplating letting him go. She commiserated with her childhood best (male) friend, Baz to Happy Hour. It was in that drunken state that she realized whom she felt that spark for... Baz. And that is... really really awkward. Gemma asked Baz for advice, and he said maybe Gem should look for a Mr. "Right Now" rather than a Mr. Right. Baz had always looked for Ms. Right Now as his own family experience (his dad remarried someone half his age) taught him that. Yet he'd love to be Gemma's Mr. Right Now... nope, that'd ruin their friendship. But then he can't stand anyone else be her Mr. Right Now either...

Kinda rom-com, kinda friends to lovers, it's pretty good, but not THAT spectacular either. I feel the polish gave it that something extra so it deserves that extra star.

Category: Contemporary

Primary Plot: Should two best friends become lovers just for each other's "Mr./Ms. Right now"? Does that ever really work?

Overall Rating: 4/5

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GRR Reviews Far From Falling: Summer at Falling Pine by K.D. Garcia

Far From Falling did manage to build up the tension about an impossible situation for two star-crossed lovers, but the deus ex machina left me underwhelmed.

Paige's best (male) friend Luke is leaving soon for a job in Lake Placid as a physical trainer, but he'll be around the camp until that day comes. Paige can never leave her grandma and her youth camp, even as the camp is in dire financial straits with more and more things that needed fixing, doing, cleaning, etc.. Paige thought she was taking a summer to help out, but that was five years ago, and her dream of going to nursing school is a distant memory. Luke's departure may be the final straw... // Luke and Paige share a secret connection... Luke is deaf and he often communicates with Paige via ASL only. Luke learned to be a great physical trainer and the opportunity at Lake Placid was too good to pass up, but leaving Paige is also unbearable. Can they admit to each other they love each other as far more than friends? Can Paige be a bit more selfish for herself?

The ending is a deus ex machina... Grandma told her to go because she already lined up someone else to help out after Paige's departure (which leads into 2nd book in the series). Sheesh. Clearly, the two are not communicating much, despite working side by side for YEARS. Imagine all those implied guilt.

Category: Contemporary

Primary Plot: Can a woman admit she loved her best friend before he leaves for good in order to get the best job of his life?

Overall Rating: 3/5

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GRR Reviews A Cherry on Top (Cupid's Cafe) by Ashley Lauren

A Cherry on top is about a matchmaker in a cafe in Berkeley California. The story is short and charming about getting over a cheating ex with a nice guy.

Katy Cupid had been putting people together for a while... she had these feelings that are almost never wrong. When Faith Mason stormed into her cafe, Katy knew Faith needed... a little faith in love. She had been burned badly by Logan, who was so perfect. When he turned out to be a smarmy bastard who just wanted her family connections, she felt thoroughly humiliated and activated the recluse mode. But her mother's decree that she bring a date for the July 4th family picnic barbeque sent her to Katy Cupid. And Katy knew just who to pair her with... Travis Waverly, a successful photographer, owes Katy a big favor when his caterer fell through. Being setup on a blind date is not his idea of fun, but he can't refuse. And he was surprised to find he found Faith's big and boisterous family a lot of fun to be around, having been alone most of his life. He wanted to date Faith, but after one encounter with Logan, Faith is despondent. Now Travis has to make the romance-worthy grand gesture to show that Faith can have... some faith in him.

Pardon the pun, but the short romance tales pack quite a bit of plot and is a lot of fun to read. The characters are easy to picture, and didn't even need to be particularly deep.

Category: Contemporary

Primary Plot: Can a woman trust another man ever again when an evil ex broke her heart, when this one is just... so nice?

Overall Rating: 4/5

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GRR Reviews Once Upon A Coffee (Meet Cute) by Kait Nolan

Once Upon a Coffee is a short story based on a meet-cute, basically a funny or cute way to meet. It's a short and fun story.

Avery Cahill had more than a few bad dates, that she finally found one guy online who's respectful. However, the guy did not put up a profile pix. They set up a meeting at a coffee house with a flower and a book. // Dillon Lange had to finish an MBA group project alone when his partner came down with appendicitis. He's under a serious time crunch, but his roommate is an X-box addict. he had to find a quiet place to work, and coffee house is perfect. He did not count on being interrupted by a beautiful stranger who sat down across from him, but she's too cute to turn away, even though it's obvious she's expecting someone else, not him. What happens when her real date showed up?

The story is fun to read, and short (only 40+ pages). Good.

Category: Contemporary

Primary Plot: Guys studies in a coffee house, and a girl sat down across from him, having mistaken him for her blind date...

Overall Rating: 4/5

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GRR Reviews Spring Fever (Series Starter Collection) by Serenity Woods

Spring Fever is a series starter collection and each book will be rated separately.

As Deep as the Ocean // Mac was very tempted to forge a document and keep the New Zealand vineyard for himself. After all, nobody would know... He's the win expert and he put most of his life into viticulture and winery management to manage the vineyard. But his conscience can't let him do it. After all, the owner called him the son he never had, and his own father had run the place into the ground. So he contacted the only relatives the owner ever had, and they agreed to visit. What he got were three gorgeous sisters... And the oldest, Winifred, or "Fred", has a connection to him. But the three sisters, who did need a new start as well after their life in London (their bipolar mother destroyed all correspondence between them and their father) had ZERO experience in running a winery, bed & breakfast, and the restaurant. And they certainly don't have the money to make the place great again... Unless Fred gets married to access her inheritance. So Mac found himself with the indecent proposal: marry Fred, let her get the inheritance, and put it toward the winery. But what happens when they finally acknowledge they had fallen for each other for real?

This is good, but not great. The dance between their guilt and shame vs. their obligations are pretty good, but the pacing felt a bit off. And the "weird will" trope about marrying to gain access to inheritance is getting a bit old. 4/5

An Uncommon Sense // Grace is a skeptic, and a medium for spirits is just someone to be avoided. But Ash Rutherford is too handsome to avoid, esp. when his daughter is in her class. And Ash was once a doctor... now a widower raising his daughter alone. He does occasionally have an event where he relays messages from the beyond... Something Grace can't believe. // Ash never gets involved with a skeptic, but Grace's love for frilly underwear when she flashed him by accident intrigued him, esp. when he found out she's one of his daughter's teachers. But Grace promised to never fall for a flake... But is he really a flake?

Good touch of the details, as this medium supposedly really does relay the messages from the beyond. Fictional, of course. 4/5

Mr. Insatiable // Kit has a nickname bestowed by his ex's... "Mr. Insatiable". But to Enya, he's just Kit, her best platonic friend. Enya had a very bad trauma when she was 15... She was raped. Eight years later, she still tenses up when she gets in bed with a man... And EVERYBODY is warning Kit and Enya to stay away from each other, keep things platonic. But Enya's desire to feel a proper orgasm led her to have a one-night stand with Kit. And that quickly turned into a torrid relationship. But Enya can't tell anyone about her last secret... the one thing that would never allow her to stay with Kit...

Turns out the secret was a non-issue, but I'm not spoiling that here. 4/5

All in all, 4/5, good consistent quality.

Category: Contemporary

Primary Plot: Three book collection of series starters about very different couples

Overall Rating: 4/5

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GRR Reviews Echo Canyon Brides Box Set - Books 1 - 3 by Linda Bridey

Echo Canyon Brides is a series of historical Western adventures that happen to involve brides. It's more adventure than romance, but a good read nonetheless. Some parts feel a bit ahistorical.

Montana Rescue -- Evan, the sheriff, needed women, esp. wives, to save the town of Echo Canyon, as the gold veins ran out. Josie needed to leave Pullman, Washington, to find a suitable husband. Josie's train derailed on the way and was saved by an Irishman named Lucky. Josie also met the bunch of unusual characters in town, like Evan's aunt Edna, or the potentially evil rich guy with a sinister reputation... But is there a chance at love, when an earthquake struck the area?

Nice complex characters, including some interesting mysteries that will be revealed later in the book, and this series goes on for 11 books. Billy is a native American raised by white folks. He doesn't know his history and it plays into the plot quite a bit. This is at least 4/5

Montana Bargain -- Dr. Winslow Wu, yes, he's Chinese, is a trained veterinarian not that any white guy would hire him to treat their animals except his close friends in Echo Canyon. As the town needed a doctor, It was Winslow who put in an ad for mail-order bride, and got Dr. Erin Avery, a female doctor trained, but can't practice in the East. Having her own practice out west where there isn't a doctor around is perfect for her, but what is with the rich guy in town who seems to be both friendly and sinister at the same time?

Dr. Wu seems to be both skilled... AND a caricature. I only sorta-accept the story how he got trained as a vet (his godfather is the head of the vet school after his family saved his godfather in China) Wu went into business with the folks making $$$ with Lucky's animal husbandry biz, but Wu also seems to know kungfu AND dim-mak (strike at nerve points to help or disable) But it's good. 4/5

Montana Adventure --- Billy and Lucky went to find Lucky's long-lost Cheyenne family, and Lucky was devastated to find he can only reclaim his son, but not his wife, who had remarried and will be relocated soon. When they left, they found two other Cheyenne willing to leave with them... a Cheyenne brave and Nina, a white girl brought up by Cheyenne. When Billy and Nina and the rest were captured by a local family as trespassers and forced to marry, Billy was torn as he had summoned a mail-order bride who should already in town... In the meanwhile, the rich enigmatic man's secret is about to be revealed by the sheriff...

Fun read, this *could* have bee a 5/5, but in the end I chose 4/5.

Category: Historical Western

Primary Plot:  Series of Historical Western adventures that happens to involve mail-order brides in the fictional town of Echo Canyon

Overall Rating: 4/5

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GRR Reviews Westward Bound by Linda Bridey

Westward Bound is a fun Olde West bride story with just enough surprise and angst to make it good.

Claire traveled to Montana to attend her sister Maddie's wedding to Seth Samuels and came to know the youngest Samuels brother, Marcus. They fell for each other, but Marcus was keeping a secret he had kept for over a dozen years... and that secret was forced into the open when he suddenly found himself the father of a baby girl... Can he explain the circumstances to his family? Will Claire accept him as he is? When the family suffered a medical emergency, can Marcus save the day?

Wow, sudden baby trope in the Olde West! That's at least, a good twist. It's also a nice tie-in that his extra background (which I am NOT spoiling) came in handy for that medical emergency at the end.

Category: Historical western

Primary Plot: Young man loving a woman suddenly find himself the father of a baby girl (by someone else) and his secret is forced into the open...

Overall Rating: 4/5

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GRR Reviews Texas Desire (Texas Legacy) by Holly Castillo

Texas Desire is a historical novel set in Texas right after Alamo fell. The characters seem to be a bit too angst-driven, and the events seem to be a bit too serendipitous.

Olivia Torres, living in Texas right around when Alamo fell, hates the Mexican army after they killed her parents, and she vowed to help the Texian army any way she could while protecting her family. When a stranger found her in the night seeking shelter from the Mexican army, she cannot refuse, and they managed to hide in the hidden cellar. He is Cade Barret and he just killed several soldiers to get away, for he is on a mission, but he is severely wounded. As Olivia nursed him back to health, and they fell for each other... so she joined him on his mission...

The characters seem a bit flat and simplistic. Cade is just consumed with vengeance, and Olivia is attracted to Cade but has severe inadequacy issues and believe he can't possibly want her, but she went with him anyway to infiltrate the Mexican army camp. It's more adventure than romance.

Category: Historical

Primary Plot: Texas girl had to protect Texian army guy from vengeful Mexican army, and get him to Sam Houston... and get back his family...

Overall Rating: 3/5

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GRR Reviews The Billionaire's Assistant - Part 1 by Sierra Rose

Billionaire's assistant is basically a "hot for boss" / enemies to lovers story and having been cut into 6 parts, it's a bit short, and obviously, it ends on a somewhat of a cliffhanger.

She is Abigail Wilder, PR maven. He is Nick Hunter, her worst nightmare client... always getting in trouble of one sort or another, needing her to dig him out. His father is tired of his antics, and his company board wanted her to leash him until the merger goes through without more PR disasters... and one of the ideas floated was finding Nick a girlfriend. And Nick really is a good guy, except his mind doesn't go where you'd expect it to go... But Abigail will do her best to accommodate all client requests... Including finding Nick a person to date...

So basically you have PR spin doc ended up doing matchmaker / Cyrano too, and predictably, by the end of this book, after a few dating disasters, Nick demanded that Abby be his next date. It's funny, and some of the antics are quite good. But the cliffhanger let me a bit underwhelmed

Category: Contemporary

Primary Plot: PR Maven needs to rescue her client from PR disasters... and dating disasters

Overall Rating: 3/5

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GRR Reviews Accidentally Flirting with the CEO 1 by Shadonna Richards

Accidentally Flirting with the CEO is trope as heck, and is only 1/3rd of a novel that ends on a cliffhanger.

Jess is a handsome and rich and drool-worthy boss, even the play-it-safe PA Alexa admits that. But Alexa is on a man-fast after a heartbreak. She was taking a writing class and wrote a fictional story featuring her and boss Jess. But when she sent it to her friend for critique... she accidentally sent it to Jess. And Jess is now intrigued and wanted to find out more... even as Alexa is mortified...

Cliffhanger as this is the free 1/3rd preview of the whole thing. Just didn't feel much more than the standard "hot for boss" and "oops boss saw my secret". It's also a cliffhanger. Meh.

Category: Contemporary

Primary Plot: Woman on a man-fast accidentally send her fiction (featuring her boss) to her boss!

Overall Rating: 2/5

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GRR Reviews Storming Meg by Pamela Burford

"Storming Meg" is basically the board game "Clue!" murder mystery with some romantic elements.

Meg is stranded on her uncle's private island with her three kids and her new fiancee Winston. It was supposed to be a family retreat with her uncle Pete, his trophy wife Tanya, and his son Neal. She didn't count on her ex, Jack also got invited. Not that she can refuse him seeing his children. Things got very complicated when Uncle Pete was found dead at the bottom of the stairs, and EVERYBODY (except the kids) got a motive. Neal was fooling around with Tanya, but Tanya wants Jack (just to prove she can). Jack, however, wants Meg back, and Meg... had to stay away from Jack because he wasn't a responsible person... or did he change? Meg wants to marry Winston... but if she knocked off Pete she inherits a fortune. And Jack's got motive because Pete enjoys breaking Jack and Meg apart... Apparently, Jack was never good enough for Meg... But Jack will do right by Meg... if she'll ever take him back...

Let's just say there is a perp, and the folks will figure it out. But it's technically not a romance, but mystery with romantic elements.

Category: Contemporary

Primary Plot: Divorced woman with her kids and new fiancee is stranded on island with evil uncle and his family, then uncle was found dead...

Overall Rating: 4/5

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GRR Reviews Annie's Gift: A Rocky Hill Holiday Novella by Barbara Bretton

Annie's Gift is a Christmas Redemption Story featuring a bit of supernatural. And it's a real tear jerker too. It is not a romance, but it is about love.

Harry Barnes does not hate Christmas... He simply wished it to be over. His wife and daughter are gone. He can't bear to think of them, so he won't. He hadn't spoken to his son, Sam, in years. Elsewhere, Sam Barnes had moved his family around the world for his military duty, but now he's back to stay, but his father still won't talk to him. When his own daughter Riley wanted to meet grandpa, he couldn't refuse. On a snowy Christmas Eve, Harry and Sam, father and son, are visited by the spirits of mother and daughter, who only has a few earthly hours to bring this broken family back together...

It's basically a Christmas Carol, albeit kinder and gentler, where the two ghosts are there to make the two men see the errors of their ways. it's sad, it's sentimental, it'll likely make you reach for Kleenex (tm), as the ghosts have to reveal some secrets that will cast all the men's decisions in a new light... and make them see family is a bond that endures.

Category: Contemporary

Primary Plot: Can two ghosts bring estranged father and son back together and reunite a broken family?

Overall Rating: 4/5

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GRR Reviews Hide Your Heart:by Tracey Alvarez

Hide Your Heart is about a woman went around the world to get away from her world, and met a neighbor who wanted to woo her, but is not staying long. It's sweet, but a bit on the long side.

Lauren Taylor fled the limelight of London all the way to New Zealand and her hometown with her young son. She wanted absolutely NO attention from anything... until she was rescued by their neighbor Nate Fraser. But Nate is just there to fix up the old property and flip it for a profit, hopefully turning it into a celebrity hideout. That horrified Lauren as she shuns all attention, having been traumatized once already. But she can't derail Nate's plan, even as Nate seems to be the only one who understands her... Can they fall for each other?

I've read this story before as a novella, and I think it works much better as a novella than as a full-length novel. The story just gave me the warm fuzzy and not much more.

Category: Contemporary

Primary Plot: Ex-model and single mother left London and moved to New Zealand to get away, meets a handsome neighbor who's not staying...

Overall Rating: 3/5

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GRR Reviews Stay With Me (Last Frontier Lodge) by J.H. Croix

Stay With Me is a pretty trope-ish romance about a young woman, forced to relocate, caught the eye of a guy who's too busy to fall in love, then had more responsibilities on top of him. However, the darkest hour was not dark, and the ending was merely tolerable.

Jessa just had her apartment burned down around her, and she barely saved a few meager belongings. With nowhere else to go, she headed toward Alaska to join her family. A minor fender bender led her to meet Eli, the manliest of man that made her heart go peeter-patter. Eli is way too busy to consider romance, yet he definitely noticed Jessa. Eli is busy running away from the bad influence of his abusive father and making money as a charter fishing boat captain. Things got complicated when Eli's younger brother somehow found his way to Alaska and Eli had to file for permanent custody of him, keeping him away from their father for good. But did Eli just overwhelm himself with all these responsibilities, even as Jessa is contemplating whether to stay in Alaska permanently, or move back to Seattle?

The insta-lust is there, but they resisted themselves for a while. The ending was okay, not one of author's best, as there doesn't seem to be much of a darkest hour.

Category: Contemporary

Primary Plot: Can a displaced woman newly arrived in Alaska convince a charter fishing boat captain to take a chance on her? Is she leaving?

Overall Rating: 3/5

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GRR Reviews Lucky Star (The Love Story) by Rebecca Norinne

Lucky Star is a friends to lovers with Hollywood as a background, where career often interferes with life. Yet the conflict... I just don't feel much...

Cameron and Sarah were best friends... the platonic kind. Both went into film... He went into acting, but never scored any big roles. She went into production and became assistant to one of the power couple directors/producers in Hollywood. Cameron is Hollywood gorgeous, while Sarah... is a plus-sized beauty, though she didn't see herself that way. Now that Cameron has finally caught his big break, being named as the breakout star in the next blockbuster, Cameron is ready to take his relationship with Sarah to the next level. Unfortunately, the studio wanted him to do a showmance with his co-star to drum up more buzz, and Sarah, being assistant to the director, would NEVER put herself above his career... but is it really her decision?

Frankly, I just don't feel the conflict much here. If there were any conflict, it's more of a forced misunderstanding. I.e. "Why are you mad?" "I don't like the way you decided things for me." "But it's for your own good." "What gave you the right to decide for me? It's my life!" Yep, that sort of "butt-hurt" conflict. And in the end, it didn't even matter that much. And that's all I'll say about the ending.

Category: Contemporary

Primary Plot: Best platonic M/F friends, one in front and other behind the camera, finally caught their big break in Hollywood...

Overall Rating: 3/5

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GRR Reviews Sex Symbol (Hollywood Heat) by Laurelin Paige

Sex Symbol is a great "reunion" romance mixed with different worlds, one's in front of the camera, the other behind. Add some complications, and there's a good romance.

Maddie Bauer vowed to get into film school. Micah Preston vowed to become a great actor. They met one night at a party. She didn't even plan to go, but she got an orgasm from Micah out in the corner. And they lost touch. She was too busy, he was told he needed to concentrate. Seven years later, they meet again on a movie set. Their chemistry is thermonuclear, but she cannot give in to his charm, not when she's the replacement assistant cameraman and he's now the hottest star in Hollywood. But does she stand a chance in the sights of a... sex symbol?

There are some additional complications, like an evil boss (bitch-y director), Maddie wanted to be her own director, Micah wanted to invest in her project, but not come across as pushy, but still want her in his bed... and so on. Good.

Category: Contemporary

Primary Plot: Man and woman, in front and behind the camera, meet again, but he's now the megastar and she's just assistant cameraman...

Overall Rating: 4/5

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GRR Reviews Rocky Mountain Oasis by Lynnette Bonner

Rocky Mountain Oasis has some un-historical details (like sex before marriage and unmarried people living together) in the historical old west, which counteracted some decent suspense. The criminal however, barely made sense.

Brooke was sold as a mail-order bride. Having been abused by an uncle after the death of her parents, as well as having been left by her supposed fiancee after learning she's pregnant (and miscarried) she dare not hope for any mercy. // Sky Jordan did not expect to get married. But when he found that his infamous drunkard cousin had sent for a mail order bride, he spent his life savings to buy the bride and get married to Brooke. // Brooke's husband was very kind, and Brooke gradually relaxed, but when a killing occurred in town, and people are blamed, Brooke found herself caught between saving her husband, or watch innocent men be hung because she saw something... for there is a criminal in town...

Nice pivot onto romantic suspense, but the religious message was a bit too blunt. And this criminal, let's just say, doesn't seem to understand ropes or knives. Yet talks way too much.

Category: Historical Western

Primary Plot: Abused woman, abandoned by fiancee, was rescued by a man to be his bride, but can she save him when criminal threatened her?

Overall Rating: 3/5

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GRR Reviews The Lost Ex-Amish Bride by Faye Sonja

NOTE: Book is no longer available on Amazon Kindle, this is a link to Goodreads.

The Lost Ex-Amish Bride has a darkest hour that barely makes any sense, and things just happen, with not too many decisions to make.

It is the year 1884. Agnes was exiled from her Amish community when she brought back English medicine to save her mother. She thought of becoming a mail-order bride, but when the groom was rude, she broke it off. Temporarily taking care of orphans in the library, she almost died in the library fire, leading her to believe she's cursed. But she was rescued by Charlie, a rich man with a ranch nearby. Charlie invited her and the orphan to stay on the ranch, as they had nowhere else to go, but his brother is suspicious of any woman nearby. Can Charlie love the woman and child that brought joy back into his life?

Charlie was introduced way too late to make any sense. And the darkest hour wasn't even that dark. And the resolution was a simple change of heart.

Category: Historical Western

Primary Plot: Ex-Amish woman tried to live outside the community, and after a fire, was rescued by a rich man, but can they love?

Overall Rating: 2/5

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GRR Reviews Bad Company by Carol Carson

Bad Company managed to make a historical western romance both funny and somehow, also deadly serious.

Trixianna Lawless was startled by the big man that crashed open her door that she took a blind shot at him, and he collapsed... Only then did she notice the tin star... She just shot the sheriff. After treating his wound, he informed her she's under arrest for bank robbery. She told him it's obviously a case of mistaken identity, as she's definitely not "Mad Maggie West", the notorious bank robber, though even she admits there's a certain resemblance between her and the person on the wanted poster. // Sheriff Chance Magrane can't believe he got shot by a woman, but his attempt to put her in jail backfired when the townfolks decided the jail was inadequate and decided to put Trixie in Chance's home instead (!) But even that seems to backfire when Chance ended up being poisoned, stabbed and had his house almost burned down (all by accident!) but even then there is no denying there's a certain something between them... But it will take a whole town, including a visit from a couple surprise guests, to get these two together... And the real bank robber caught.

Quite funny and yet serious, this is hilarious at times. It will take some serious mind-bending to understand why the town insist that Trixie should go to Chance's home, but it's still heck funny.

Category: Historical Western / Romantic Comedy

Primary Plot: Sheriff was forced to guard the woman who shot him... (by mistake!) and ended up poisoned (allergies!) and worse...

Overall Rating: 5/5

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GRR Reviews Violet's Mail Order Husband by Kate Whitsby

Violet's Mail Order Husband overall just didn't make sense on multiple levels. The premise didn't make sense, the villain didn't make sense, and the ending left the whole thing on a huge cliffhanger which didn't make any sense either.

Violet, Iris, and Rose Kilburn are the heiresses to the Kilburn family Rocking Horse Ranch. However, the guardian and executor of their estate, Cornell, is unwilling to hire any help and almost intentionally running it into the ground. The three sisters settled for the most expedient solution: 3 mail order husbands, all of whom had to be cowboys to help run the ranch. But Cornell did not approve of that either. Violet cannot believe Cornell is that pig-headed even though he had brought them up after their parents were killed. Yet Cornell threatened to withhold their inheritance unless they recant their plan to marry their mail order husbands. The three sisters disagree on how to deal with Cornell. The three grooms are quite different as well. Will their plan to marry work after all, when something sinister happened at the ranch?

The book ended up on a cliffhanger, which I will not spoil. The attraction between the MMC and MFC are unexplained other than he's a kind person. The Cornell guy's objections really made no sense. (He didn't threaten to withhold the inheritance until the husbands were brought back to live on the property). It just didn't quite make sense overall.

Category: Historical Western

Primary Plot: Three sisters need three mail-order husbands to run the ranch, so why is the current manager so opposed to it?

Overall Rating: 2/5

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GRR Reviews Secret Blend (Bourbon Springs) by Jennifer Bramseth

Secret Blend is an "enemies to lovers" story when two judges (and former fellow law students) are set against each other when they are forced to share a room at the courthouse, which turned into a fling after they connected through her grandma. The darkest hour, however, has nothing to do with the relationship other than a forced admission.

Rachel and Brady were fellow law students and law clerks, and now, both are judges. However, sharing the same chambers and same law clerk created problems... However, when Brady's grandaunt wiped out Rachel's mailbox with her car, Brady's attempt to fix it lead them to admit their true feelings toward each other. But Rachel's best friend, with a lot of old money that came from the Old Garnet Bourbon Distillery, wants to be elected judge, a position held by Brady. And Rachel can't admit her relationship with Brady yet. But when their secret was exposed, will the small town of Bourbon Springs ever be the same again?

Started off really, really slow, the transition was pretty good, and the darkest hour was pretty tense though it kinda came out of nowhere. And the darkest hour wasn't really related to the romance. Nice, but not great.

Category: Contemporary

Primary Plot: Two judges who can't stand each other decided to love each other instead, then one was put into a real dilemma...

Overall Rating: 3/5

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GRR Reviews Bittersweets - Terry and Alex by Suzanne Jenkins

Bittersweets: Terry and Alex managed to set up a triangle that worked with an "evil guy" that's really not that evil.

Terry Kovac, a junior lawyer but well on her way to partnership, had had enough of her ER Doc BF Arvin's immaturity. Arvin is "nice" to be around, but he's nothing really special, and he's just petulant when Terry disagrees with him or called him out on his hypocrisy when he had 10 girls "they're just my friends" at his house party. But with no other prospects, Terry kept Arvin around... until a new law clerk was assigned to her, Alex Hawthorne. Alex is handsome, charming, and after a couple tequila shots and a hot one-night stand, a VERY good lover. Tery and Alex agreed to see each other again... and they can't stop. But there is an anti-fraternization policy at work. They kept it quiet, but when they were exposed, Terry and Alex have to decide whether their love is worth risking their career over...

The book didn't get a 5/5 rating because the ending is a trope: Terry made the better choice, at least for her. You can guess where the story went for the ending. There was no twist.

Category: Contemporary

Primary Plot: Junior lawyer got a panty-melting law-clerk and they hooked up, but there's anti-fraternization policy at work...

Overall Rating: 4/5

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GRR Reviews Seal's Professor by Piper Sullivan

SEAL's professor failed to follow reality, and had the bodyguard failed SEVERAL times at his job. Overall, it's just a STUPID novel.

Delaney Watson is a modern day genius that can rival Einstein, and is teaching at Stanford at a young age of 25, while doing important research that can revolutionize power generation as we know it. Her genius also made her a target for espionage... and sabotage. Enter Bennett Atlas, navy SEAL (active) assigned as her TA (teaching assistant), undercover, of course. He's model gorgeous, big, charming, and protective. And she fell for him, hard. He can protect her from harm, but can he protect his own heart?

Right off the bat, the fiction departed from reality in a major way. SEAL, esp. active duty SEALs, CANNOT be deployed within the continental US, even for undercover assignments. SEALs are not cops or spies. They are SOLDIERS (or sailors, as they insist) That's against the navy's equivalent of the *Posse Comitatus* act. For that matter, Atlas is a LOUSY bodyguard. Not only he left Laney got manhandled at the dance club, he failed to detect the saboteurs trying to burn them out of her home (too busy bonking her hours before). And in the end, he resigned from the SEALs to marry her. Whop-pee-dee. Happy, yes. STUPID? Absolutely.

The version I originally downloaded was over 1000 pages. I'm glad to see in the current version, the "bonus content" had been nuked, leaving a 135 page "short novel". But really, there are much better SEAL romances out there.

Category: Contemporary / Romantic suspense

Primary Plot: Undercover SEAL assigned to genius lady professor have to protect her from harm and she fell for him...

Overall Rating: 1/5

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GRR Reviews Mountain Man Secret by Melissa Devenport

Mountain Man Secret setup a good "my old secrets came back to haunt me" scenario, but there's really not much romance per se. The big fight and the ending was also not handled well.

Jason and Amanda are happy in their mountain cabin raising the son Ross, until Jason's past, in the form of Andy, came back to haunt him, forcing him to expose all his secrets. Andy, like Jason, were fighters in an illegal bloodspot ring. Until Andy, Jason was the only one who ever got away from the Kingpin. And Kingpin will never tolerate being made a fool of. Andy is here to warn Jason... Kingpin knew where Jason is. Jason must get his family to safety... and stand to fight for what is his...

The twists are okay, but somehow, the fight was only referred to (i.e. told, instead of shown) and the final ending was still kinda lame. There really wasn't much of a plot, since suspense was kinda lame too. All in all, a bit of meh.

Category: Contemporary / Romantic Suspense

Primary Plot: Mountain man must reveal his secrets to his family in order to save them by sending them away so he can fight for their lives

Overall Rating: 3/5

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GRR Reviews Wild Irish Ride by Jennifer Saints

Wild Irish Ride is a star-crossed lovers story with a stalker threat. The ending was really lame though. Else this would have gotten a higher rating.

Alexi Jordan had lived a controlled life except for a brief fling at seventeen when she was rescued by then young Jesse Weldon, 19. But they never did the deed even when she offered. She never saw him again. Twelve years later, Alexi received damning photos of her fiancee's infidelity merely 30 minutes before their wedding. Alexi stormed off, vowing to follow her heart rather than family pressure. When she happened to run into Jesse again, she kissed him and asked him to get her away... // Jesse knew he did the right thing... he wasn't going anywhere and he can't take Alexi's gift. Except he walked out, and was knocked out, and woke up having been framed for larceny, and was shipped off to the Marines the next day. Only the Jordan family could have done that. He was sadder but wiser. Twelve years later, he is a security specialist only visiting his brother back in town helping to deliver some equipment when he ran into Alexi... and he's rescuing her... again. And this time, Jesse and Alexi will resume what they started twelve years ago... but someone is in the shadows pulling strings... as it was clear a deranged stalker is after Alexi, and it is someone close... VERY close...

VERY nice shift from serendipity to romantic suspense. I wish the ending could have been handled better, which I won't spoil.

Category: Contemporary / Romantic suspense

Primary Plot: Star-crossed lovers meet again, when he rescued her from her wedding she didn't want, but someone else is stalking her...

Overall Rating: 4/5

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GRR Reviews Conflict of Interest (The Walker Five) by Marie Johnston

Conflict of Interest is an apt title when a man with a drinking problem falls for his addiction counselor, even as she cannot fall for an addicted person due to her own dark past. However, the additional mystery b-plot ended up confusing the situation and did not add to my enjoyment of the book.

Dillon Walker, one of the "Walker Five", brothers and cousins, of similar age, are the talk about town. Their farms and ranches are doing well, and they are a hit with the ladies. But Dillon has a problem: he refused to acknowledge his drinking problem. Only his father's plea sent him to one session with Elle Brady, addiction counselor, who had her own dark past with addicted people. But Dillon's reaction to Elle is trying to woo her, and Elle can't fall for an addicted person... or can she? But when various misfortunes and sabotages befell Dillon, like when his truck was stolen, and his barn burned down, it seems Dillon has a stalker, and who is the stalker after? And will Dillon face his demons to have a chance with Elle?

While the interaction is fine, the two plots didn't intersect that well. The "reason" for the stalker wasn't explained till the end of the book and it turns out to be a "sins of our fathers" scenario with no clues dropped before then. I want to like this book, but it turned out average after all

Category: Contemporary / Romantic suspense

Primary Plot: Man with alcohol problem falls for his addiction counselor, then was stalked by someone determined to ruin him...

Overall Rating: 3/5

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GRR Reviews On the Edge by Brittney Sahin

On the Edge has an interesting setup, but the ending was a TOTAL letdown.

Young American Anna wanted to get out of her family farm in Kentucky to get away from her neighbor boyfriend, who is insanely possessive in private, but nice in public. After being choked almost to unconsciousness twice, not even apology would be enough to keep her in town. An internship all the way in Dublin, Ireland is perfect for her needs, and she's on her way across the Atlantic after negotiating a room with Leslie. Finding a hot guy in the house was not a part of her plan... finding out later the hot guy was her boss Adam McGregor definitely made it... weird. // Adam McGregor swore he would never step into the Octagon again, after almost killing a man in a blood rage. But the mob boss, after five years, is pushing him to get back into the ring, by threatening everyone around him; his friends, his rec center for kids, even Anna. Adam must keep everyone near him safe, but is giving in the answer? Can the young vivacious American cool his blood rage instead of spilling someone's blood? How can they get away from the mob boss's grasp?

The ending was a total let down, despite the nice build-up. Anna was a total babe-in-the-woods kind of innocent, a stranger in a strange land and all that. And the attraction to Adam was a star-crossed-lovers kind of slow simmer. The fact that she kept the abuse from her ex quiet only made it worse to deal with later, as everyone sorta wanted them to get back together... Nice character development, as I said. But the ending, argh. Sorry, totally unrealistic, way too lucky, kinda Hollywood ending.

Category: Contemporary / Suspense

Primary Plot: New intern hot for boss found he has a dark side: he's also a cage fighter being forced to fight again after vowing never again

Overall Rating: 4/5

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GRR Reviews The Longest Night by Kara Braden

The Longest Night is about an interesting setup, dropping a city boy in the middle of Alaska to force him to stay clean, but also leaving him with a woman who cannot bear to be touched after her traumatic experience.

Ian was a hotshot lawyer hurt by a vengeful man from whom he won a large verdict for his client. He got addicted to pain pills during recovery and his firm forced him to take six months off. His brother called in a favor from long ago... Ian will be spending 6 MONTHS in a remote part of Alaska with a former medic Cecily, with no chance to score anything stronger than OTC pain-killers. And Cecily was definitely an enigma... why is she in this self-imposed isolation, out in the middle of nowhere, with nearest neighbor an hour away on ATV, and nearest groceries only possible via a plane ride? // Cecily was tormented by her experience as a POW hostage, and she fled to the wilderness 7 years ago, because she can't bear to be with ANYONE. Cecily often wakes up with nightmares and sleeps with a gun on her nightstand. When her rescuer asks for a personal favor, she can't say no. She was not prepared for the handsome blue-eyed city boy who is determined to learn all her secrets... to draw her out of her shell... and to love her... But can she go back to the city with him?

While I like the two tortured souls coming together, the guy seems to be a bit TOO insightful (he's a lawyer, but he's acting more like a psychologist or psychiatrist) and the ending feels really rushed.

Category: Contemporary

Primary Plot: Can a man addicted to pain-pills survive 6 months in remote Alaska with a woman facing her own demons alone for 7 years?

Overall Rating: 4/5

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GRR Reviews Love and Protect by Lori Ryan

Love and Protect is a great romantic suspense, with bonding over animals, properly evil but not superhuman bad guy, two adorable but not really evil henchmen, an FMC that's persecuted by so many different things, and an alpha that readers can swoon over, with all the motivations that made sense and not petty. It's such a rare combination where everything fits well together.

Laura married a rich and powerful man, but he abused her behind closed doors and raped her repeatedly. She became pregnant, even as she planned her escape by buying a new identity. When news came that her husband died of a sudden heart attack, she was relieved, then her husband's power family tried to force her back into their control... Until the kind ER doctor sent her to the Bishop Ranch in Evers Texas. a small town where the Bishop family is well respected. // Cade Bishop dedicated his life to save animals, from racehorses to dogs and cats. His heart was broken by a woman and he thought he can never love again, but Laura is in desperate need of a second chance, and they fell for each other. But Laura is in mortal danger: her husband's business partner Alex is desperately searching for the material that will ruin Alex, and he thought killing the guy would stop it. But when the material was nowhere to be found, and the wife just disappeared off the face of the earth, it must be the wife that executed a bug-out plan. Alex will run down every lead with two charming private investigators and perhaps, do the dirty work himself if Laura can be found. And he will take no chances...

Now that's how a romantic suspense *should* be written. The way Cade and Laura bonded over animals was cute, and the enemies are scary enough yet nobody made too-stupid-to-live errors. The plot intersected properly and wrapped around by the end to a proper resolution. Everybody, even the villain, took logical steps based on what they knew. Excellent work.

Category: Contemporary / Romantic suspense

Primary Plot: Abused wife took steps to escape when her husband died, but someone is out there hunting her... can the new man save her?

Overall Rating: 5/5

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GRR Reviews A Bid For Love (Deal for Love) by Rachel Ann Nunes

A Bid For Love is a very good romantic suspense with the unlikely backdrop of the art auction.

Cassi is a buyer for art galleries in California. Jared is a buyer for a gallery in New York. Both went an auction to bid on a Buddha, but Jared was told by his beautiful boss... don't come back without it. At first, Cassi found Jared to be unbearable smug *** and when bidders got anon notes warning them not to bid, Cassi suspected Jared... Then thugs went after Jared, while Cassi had to deal with her best friend's pregnancy (and she's just weeks from her due date!) Just what's so special with this Buddha? Then FBI, thugs, and others got involved... even as Jared and Cassi fell for each other... But with betrayal around the corner and no one to trust, just who can they trust?

The twist of enemies to allies to lovers was done quite well, and there are several clever twists about who to trust and who not to trust in the story. However, there is just that something missing, as this has the tone of a rom-com, that I can't quite take this seriously until the end when it got tense.

Category: Contemporary / Romantic Suspense

Primary Plot: When two buyers went after the same artifact, and both thugs and FBI got involved, who will end up with the McGuffin?

Overall Rating: 4/5

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GRR Reviews Marshal in Petticoats (Halsey Brothers) by Paty Jager

Marshal in Petticoats is an interesting adventure in the old west, with multiple layers of disguise that is quite funny. On the other hand, the connection between the MMC and FMC are not clear.  As an adventure, it's 4/5, but as a romantic adventure, it's only 3/5.

Darcy and her brother Jeremy is living day by day in the west, after escaping from the sadistic uncle who sold them after promising their dying parents he'll take care of them. Darcy is extremely accident prone. Upon arriving in the town Gelana, Darcy, dressed as a young man, managed to accidentally shoot down the bank robber. She was surprised to be suddenly appointed sheriff by the sleazy mayor... who did not recognize she is a woman. It's clearly the mayor is setting her up for something, but what? And why is the handsome drifter Gil be interested in her? // Gil arrived in Galena looking to take back a rich rancher's son. The rancher promised Gil will be foreman if he's successful, but the son will not go back quietly, as he had taken up life with a gang of thieves and robbers. Gil accidentally discovered Darcy's a girl, but he vowed to protect her... but can he still accomplish his mission? What is the mayor up to cozying up to the gang in secret? How long will Darcy's stint as sheriff last? Will she and her brother survive the ordeal?

There are quite a few twists, and the book managed to drag in Gil's estranged brothers who basically mounted an almost deus ex machina rescue near the end. But as adventure romance, it's mediocre due to averaging out.

Category: Historical Western

Primary Plot: Female dressed up as male was appointed sheriff by the sleazy mayor; who's the guy keeping an eye on her?

Overall Rating: 3/5

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GRR Reviews Alma's Mail Order Husband by Kate Whitsby

Alma's Mail Order Husband tried to set up "fish out of water" scenario, but the conflict seems to be some very thick-headed people making a fool of themselves. And the twist? Almost totally irrelevant.

Alma and her two sisters practically ran the Goodkind Ranch by themselves. Their papa broke his back when a horse bucked him and while he recovered, he barely moved all day. Alma wanted a family of her own, and the only way seems to be getting a mail-order husband... and Jude McCann answered the ad and moved to Texas to join the ranch. But Jude can't help to butt heads with the sisters on how to manage the ranch, then papa accused Jude of being a Yankee that massacred his Confederate unit after their surrender even though he wasn't even born then. The sisters believe their papa is just getting senile but is he? Is Jude hiding something? Will they stay married?

The twist wasn't really worth it and feels utterly wasted. The conflict seems to be some very stubborn people doing stubborn things. Why would Jude presume to know how a ranch is run despite having just arrived? And I'll just spoil the twist right now...

SPOILER

WARNING

I WARNED YOU

Turns out Jude is the estranged son of a Yankee general. His gunbelt, from his father, was what caused papa to recognize him. But he stayed. The end. I wasn't even sure this couple is in love.

Category: Historical Western

Primary Plot: What is this mail-order husband keeping from his new family, when his wife's father called him a dirty Yankee?

Overall Rating: 2/5

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GRR Reviews More Than Forever (Forever Series) by Mona Ingram

More Than Forever by Mona Ingram is about two people thrown together over a windfall of good fortune together... but both were deeply hurt to be unsure about love at all, much less with each other.

Bonnie, divorced, is finally learning to be herself. She's lost weight, she's better, but her inability to bear children left doubts on her mind whether she's worthy of love. // Marty ran the family vineyard all his life, but when his brother sold the vineyard out from under him, he's despondent. // Both of their lives changed when they became co-winners of 88 million lottery jackpot. And when they met, they saw in each other what they missed... companion, friendship, and maybe even... love. But will they be let go of their past to welcome the future?

Nice twists even though they don't quite tie back to the main topic itself. This is more of a character study, on how Bonnie found herself again, and how Marty needed a certain something to keep living, and how they can share that with each other. At only 100 some pages, there is a lot of plot and proves Mona Ingram can do both shorter and longer works.

Category: Contemporary

Primary Plot:  Two damaged people won the lottery jackpot together. Can they leave their hurt past behind to achieve their future together?

Overall Rating: 4/5

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