GRR Reviews Decker and Joy by Elle Rush

Private Investigator Decker is chasing down an escaped prototype named E.L.V.I.S for North Pole Unlimited's top-secret research division, and he knew it's somewhere in this town, a few weeks before Halloween... // Joy is busy handling foster animals and the store at Kitten Caboodle. The policy is not to allow the adoption of black kittens during October, and they just happen to have three (came as a package). So when someone starts to get REALLY insistent on adopting those kittens, something feels very wrong. // Decker and Joy met when Decker found that his missing prototype may have been shipped to Joy's store, just as someone pulled off a triple kitten-napping by starting a huge distraction. Now the two will have to work together...

Light-hearted and fun, but it's more adventure than romance. 3.5/5

GRR Reviews A Christmas Wish by Leeanna Morgan

Megan abandoned her career and is raising her 5-year old niece Nora after an accident took her sister's life. Her cake business is starting to take off... Then her world was turned upside down... FBI Special Agent William needs to take them to safety because terrorists are targeting them due to a brother Megan never knew she had... all the way to Montana. Willaim himself lost a daughter and the tragedy shattered his family. Being this close to Megan and her niece reminded him of what he once had... With Christmas approaching, could it be time to love again?

Unfortunately, the threats in this book are upside down. The most exciting bits are in the front, at least the suspense parts. And the suspense is only used as an excuse to shackle the two characters together. This is NOT romantic suspense. The feelings are okay, but the terrorists are a letdown.  I had hoped the author had learned how to write romantic suspense properly as the series starter works quite well. But this... is not good. 2.5/5

GRR Reviews Someone to Watch over Me by Iris Morland

Seth is back home from Middle East, but he had lost his best friend there, and he felt lost without a direction in life. He met his neighbor Rose, and was intrigued by the headstrong beauty, but when she greeted her at night with a gun, it's clear she needed help, and refused to admit it. // Rose fled Seattle and her evil ex Johnny, but it's clear he's not done with her. She had made a bargain with the devil (Johnny) to save her brother and he's out to collect. She almost had enough money to pay Johnny off, and Seth's help is appreciated, but she'll do things her own way, esp. when she's still ashamed for what Johnny took from her...

On one hand, I want to like the main characters. Rose is reasonably conflicted, and Seth is reasonably wounded. On the other hand, Rose is so f***ing naive, I was basically screaming "No you idiot!". She apparently never considered the angle... Maybe her brother's being framed for drugs was orchestrated by Johnny just so he can get his hands on her. That's frustrating to read, and what's the point of getting a gun if she's not willing to use it when it matters? (She never actually got to use it)  3/5

GRR Reviews Marriage of Convenience by Katy Kaylee

Sara wants to get away from her controlling ex, despite her upbringing in a super-religious family. She went to the big city and started an internship, and falls for her boss Chase, but office romance is prohibited. Until he needed a fiancee to satisfy his own family... and she's the perfect candidate... Then her evil ex arrived...

Slightly over-the-top, with a religiously-tone-deaf almost-evil family, add a bit of Cinderella noticed by a prince. A lot of tropes, as Chase is the quintessential workaholic can't-ever-satisfy-my-father type guy, and Sara is the ingenue virgin. Even the plot is trope... with a TSTL moment leading to a kidnapping. 3.5/5

GRR Reviews Stealing the Bride by Nadia Lee

Court (short for "Harcourt") is a billionaire who tries to stay away from all the family drama. One night at his brother's nightclub, he met the woman of his dreams... She won't give her name, so he called her Skittles (like the candy), and she called him Whiskey. It was a great night... Next morning, he found no woman, just 50 bucks on the nightstand. WTF?!  He somehow tracked her down, and interrupted her wedding... Except it wasn't her wedding... But her twin sister's wedding. Yikes. And her name is Pascal. She's fiercely independent, but she can't get a promotion at her father's firm as a financial analyst. Cort wanted to help her, but wasn't sure how without "interfering"... Was it betrayal? And who can she turn to?

The momentum was very uneven. It's as if this was two books stitched together. The first part, about a one-night-stand leading to a wedding interruption, was a great story in itself. The rest of the book, while intriguing, just somehow never quite measured up, and Pascal's father needs some serious karmic payback for stringing her along for YEARS. 3.5/5

GRR Reviews Jack Be Quick by Fiona Quinn

Suz is an elementary school teacher with loved her students. Her lover, Jack, is an ex-SEAL and now works for a para-military contractor company Inniquis Group, who also helped her outfit her classroom with a special escape plan, hoping never to use it. When attackers swarmed the school and kidnapped two important kids, they failed to capture their third target in her class because she executed her escape plan. But instead of being hailed a heroine, she was instead suspected of being an undercover agent by tabloids... and made a target by the evil-doers...  // Jack can't believe Suz wasn't there when he woke up from surgery, the result of an injury on his latest mission for Inniquis to thwart another evil plot. It seems Suz, threatened by the evil-doers, decided to track down the two missing kids herself, hoping Jack and the rest of Inniquis would be able to follow her... and Jack will not rest until she's rescued...

Oh, very nice. If you just read the blurb, you'd think Suz is a TSTL secret agent wannabe who gets into stuff she can't get out of. But if you read the whole book, you'll understand that she was willing to risk herself, and trust in Jack and Inniquis Group to rescue her (and the two kids she wants to find and protect). and it actually made sense. The escape from classroom was also VERY nicely done, as was the other escape plan. The logic leap that made her a target again however, requires a leap of faith. Still, it's a good tale. 5/5

GRR Reviews Turbulent Intrigue by Melody Anne

Ace spent years undercover as a drug cartel pilot and dealmaker, so deep under he can't even let his family know he's safe. He finally brought down the kingpin and the cartel, but the kingpin's final gambit bomb severely wounded Ace, forcing him to go home to recuperate, which is where he met Dakota, best friend of one of his sisters-in-law, current NFL cheerleader, and pilot-wannabe. Ace knew Dakota should be off-limits, but Dakota definitely wanted Ace... Until a new threat surfaced... Someone knew Ace was the snitch that took down the cartel, and wanted to kill him for retribution, and to do that, they will go after anyone near him...

While the threat is nice and detailed, the response to it is a bit puzzling. Ace's brothers stepped up to help him, which is nice, but they are not commandos... (one's airline CEO/pilot, one's a USAF fighter pilot, and one is Coast Guard helo pilot)  But they go on rescue missions like SWAT? Hmmm? And Ace is a real bullet sponge... got shot and blown up multiple times. Eeek. Poor guy. 4/5

GRR Reviews Sweet Seduction Sacrifice by Nicola Claire

Genevieve has had enough of her loser boyfriend. He stole 150K from her (her inheritance from grandma) and somehow, she kept taking him back... four times. No more. She's going to meet with a lawyer and kick him out for good, while protecting her little cafe called Sweet Seduction. Meeting Dominic, one of the partners of the firm, was a surprise, for he's so alpha... and douchebag. But Dominic had fallen in love at first sight, and he will protect what is his... Even when Jimmy turned out o be a much worse asshole than anyone suspected, with ties to the underworld. But when Dom's sister was kidnapped to be traded for Genevieve, he's put in an impossible situation...

Uh, sorry, the villain here really makes no sense. Why does he keep coming back to Genevieve? Why threaten the shop? Neither does Genevieve. In fact, this was pointed out by another character. Anyone theatens the shop, she caves. Even someone who stole 150K from her... merely a POSSIBILITY of losing the shop and she chose to go back to him like a whimpering puppy. TSTL! 2.5/5

GRR Reviews The Snow Bride by Debbie Macomber

Jenna can't stand working for her boss any more, who never noticed her after six years.  She had befriended someone up in Alaska by the name of Dalton. So she quit and she'll fly up to Alaska to meet him a month before Christmas to see if they are compatible. On the flight to Fairbanks, she sat next to Reid, who's not impressed with her plans to meet Dalton (with good reason, as she later found out).  When Dalton was a no-show at the airport, Jenna was forced to ask Reid to fly her to Dalton. And Reid, determined to change her mind, flew her to his home in Snowbound instead, but his sister (the ONLY other woman in town) is out of town, and the weather soon closed in. Jenna found herself shanghaied to and stranded in a TINY town with a handful of old codgers, a bear or two, and the insufferable Reid. Guess who showed up later... Dalton, Jenna's mom, AND Jenna's boss...

Ah, the quintessential holiday romance tale, and it's indeed a classic rom com with sweetness. And to think this novel was originally published in 2003! A true classic indeed. 5/5

GRR Reviews Abby's Promise by Rebekah Dodson

Joey and Abby were best friends and lovers. Until he left for the military, and they eventually lost touch. Abby ended up marrying Joey's best friend Evan, when she got pregnant, but he never really loved her... Then Evan died, and Abby became a single mom. Eight years later, Joey is back, taking a class in community college, when he found to his surprise that the history professor was none other than his Abby. She promised to never let him go, and so did he. Now he's back, but it seems she had moved on... Or did she?

This book has some weird plotting that sort of acted as complications, but they didn't quite make sense. Abby's mother-in-law and brother-in-law apparently were hostile toward Abby because she kept baby Zoey away from them. Joey's father was a strictly religious MD that claims to know secrets about the night of Evan's death (let's just say he died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, but was there someone ELSE in the room?) and wants to keep the pair apart.


SPOILER

AHEAD

I WARNED YOU!

Then out of nowhere, the brother-in-law Malachi resorted to kidnapping baby Zoey. Then somehow, the mother-in-law, who's using a cane and walked very slowly, was able to get baby Zoey out of the house down to the police station. WUH?  Then Malachi broke into Abby's house, and Joey had to charge in and save her, only to be arrested for "assault".  All of the evil are really flat and boring. The good parts are good, the bad parts, however, balanced out the good, leaving it a mess. 3/5

GRR Reviews Always Room for Cupcakes by Bethany Lopez

Lila was betrayed by her husband when she found him muff-diving on another woman in parking lot of Starbucks in a car. She took a photo, and plastered it all over town. Now she's divorced and raising three kids alone. That little expose lead to a private investigator, Moose, wanting to hire her for some work, and a group of close friends. Lila's latest assignment seems to be leading her into some drug cartel trying to setup in town headed by someone called Hector... and a sexy guy on a Harley and motorcycle leathers by the name of Cade who rescues her in times of need. But is he a hero... or a hidden villain? And when Hector found her interferring again and again... What will happen to her?

The book is weird, as if it was written by two different authors. The tone was funny and light and happy in the first half, esp. up to the point of Cade showing up and wanted to woo Lila. But the end, when Hector caught up, had a TOTAL tonal shift, with extreme violence (let's just say limbs, death, and destruction) and bondage play first time? Really? 3/5

GRR Reviews Love On Her Own Terms by Carol Colyer

Kathleen, upon turning 18, was shocked to find that her parents promised her to their business associate since she was 13... A much older man she had always called "Uncle Elias". She became angry when she overheard that she was "given away" as a part of a business arrangement. In a fit of anger, she chose to be a mail-order bride under an assumed name, and travel out West to marry Dan, a rancher out in Tombstone, Texas, a man she never met... But who is this mysterious stranger on the train? // Dan was lonely in Tombstone running the ranch, and deal with his delinquent brother who only knows how to spend money, not to make any.  Then he learned that his no-good brother had whisked away his bride to a neighboring town, intending to marry her before he showed up...

As an adventure, this is great, as there are excellent twists and turns in the story. However, the pacing seems a bit off, that I almost thought the story ended multiple times, only to see there's more to come. Yet the book doesn't seem to be a "combo volume" or have been serialized. Let's just say more than one guy (let's just say, more than TWO) will be fighting for Kathleen's affection, and some of them will resort to... un... ungentlemanly manners to get what they want. Add the Earps in town, and it'd be fireworks!  4/5

GRR Reviews Ethan (K9 Files) by Dale Mayers

Ethan was medically discharged from the military after an IED ended the life of his K9 companion and left him seriously wounded. Then Titanium Corp found him a job... It seems that the military had lost track of many ex-service dogs, and TC is to track them down. And one of them, "Sentry", was tracked to near Ethan's hometown in Texas. Which brought him to Cinnamon, aka "Cinn". // Cinn is heavily involved in global dog rescues, and when Ethan, who was able to track down a wounded German shepherd and brought the dog to the nearby vet office, she just about swooned, for she saw a lost soul in Ethan, much like the dogs she helped. But Ethan's ability to calm and influence dogs puts him in the path of some dangerous criminals to may have co-opted Sentry for dastardly purposes, and regular police's treatment of dangerous dogs was bullets first, questions later. Ethan will risk his life to save the dogs, but that also brought criminals to Cinn's door...

The dog handling bits are excellent. The plot is actually quite good with a twist at the end that was excellent. Overall, very good romantic suspense with the dog handling bits that put it over the top. 5/5

GRR Reviews His Dream Baby by B B Hamel

Connor lost his son Ryan when the mother Harper simply disappeared one day with him. Only years later did he find that Harper had died in a different city... and he immediately travelled there. Which is where he met Leah.  // Leah was asked by Harper (her cousin) to be the legal guardian for little Ryan. But Harper is a Gallo, and Gallo is known to be a crime family, and they want little Ryan to be "raised right". When Connor also showed up, Leah had to accept Connor's help, even as she fear that Connor is there to take Ryan away from her. But the Gallos are not giving up to make Ryan theirs...

Uh... For supposedly career criminals and crime family, the Gallos are a bunch of hamburglars. A WRITTEN warning to the couple that outright states that they will DIE if they don't hand the kid over? WTF?! And despite having multiple vehicles and dozen men surrounding the couple, they somehow let them get away? Sure, it's kinda sexy, but enemy is just flat out STUPID. 2/5

GRR Reviews Defending Allye by Susan Stoker

Allye knew she's unusual... Her eyes are different colors, and she has a white streak of hair. For that, she was kidnapped by traffickers for a sadistic "collector" who deals with unusual "things". Fortunately, she was rescued by former SEAL, now "mountain mercenary" Gray. // Gray was surprised to rescue Allye, as he thought he was just there to interrogate the crew about the trafficking ring. But having swum together the whole night toward rescue, their bonding experience made him realize Allye is one in a million... and the only one for him. When Allye found a clue that could unravel the trafficking ring, she was invited to Colorado Springs, and Gray's house. But the collector soon up the ante by kidnapping, torturing, and killing Allye's co-workers, "demanding" her return. Allye is determined to offer herself as bait if it will stop the madness. And Gray may have to let her go if he wanted her forever. But the mountain mercenaries have his back... and hers.

Good intro into the series of semi-vigilantes and a very good way to bond the MMC and MFC together. The bad guy is creepy and sadistic alright, in a Bond villain kind of way. I think the final fight could have been a little more exciting, but it could be just me. 4.5/5

GRR Reviews The Lumberjack's Secret Guest by Elana Johnson

Phoenix just wanted to be left alone. He didn't want the townfolks of Forbidden Lake to look at him when he was jilted at the altar way back when. He works as a lumberjack part-time, and care for his family cherry orchard. It's a hard but honest living, except for the pesky state agent Allegra, who keeps wanting to take his family land to be added to the adjacent state park. // Allegra secretly admired Phoenix... except for this animosity between them. But when his ex turned stalker and chased her into the forest, she had nowhere to go but to Phoenix's cabin in the woods for help. And he took her in, enemy and all. And he would even go to town for her, something he hadn't done for years. But is she just a secret guest to him? And her evil ex is still out there...

While the mix of lumberjack vs stalker is somewhat novel, and the chemistry is above average, the plot just feels choppy. The explanation on why Allegra was trying to take the land was never explained (at least to my satisfaction), and I saw the darkest hour coming a mile away. You can probably guess the plot, which I won't spoil, but your guess is probably not far off. 2.5/5

GRR Reviews Force of Nature by S L Scott

Bennett Everest, one of the three Everest brothers, is trying to close a deal by chasing down the wayward daughter of the owner of a company he's trying to acquire. He found her in Paris, but Winter is nothing like he imagined. Instead of a feisty rebellious woman, he got a slightly-scared mature wistful woman. And they fell for each other. Soon, they are embroiled in a conspiracy that threatens to envelop them both... Where not even family can be trusted...

Okay, some parts of this are quite good, but the final confrontation requires a TSTL moment as a setup. It's OBVIOUS that the box was a trap, and Winter went ahead and stepped on it, even though there was NO PROOF there's anything of value in the box. Also, how did they nab her from TWO guys who was supposed to be right next to her in the first place? That scene still doesn't make sense.

The conspiracy and grand plan works. The little details... do not.

4/5

GRR Reviews Rescue Me by Emilia Hattington

Emily had to get away from her abusive BF... who actually whipped her (with an actual whip) when she's not "compliant". With the help of a friend, she changed her name to Emma and now lived hundreds of miles away with a distant aunt as an assistant librarian. // Liam made his billions through hard work and a sharp mind. He always runs a fundraiser for his hometown, and this year it happens to be the town (and school) library, and meeting Emma was a very pleasant surprise. Wooing Emma wasn't easy, as it's clear Emma is hesitant to engage as if she had been hurt before. And her evil ex is still out there...

This book feels as if it's written by formula, and the author has some problems with descriptions. I noticed some awkward sentences at the beginning, and the plot was really trope. I knew EXACTLY the moment the bad guy would make his presence known, and the plot was also extremely stupid. Let's just say, when a woman is getting ready to run, and even left a "Dear John Note", and you kidnap her, why wouldn't you take the car too? Instead, leaving the car there practically screams "Kidnapped!"  What's more, actually finding a newspaper clipping with her circled and written "Mine"? A bit over-the-top. Some parts of it were good, but that doesn't offset the lame parts. The bad guy's TSTL.

Category: Contemporary / Romantic Suspense

Overall Rating: 2/5

NOTE: Tropes are now in the "Labels" below.

GRR Reviews Zane by Kimberly Lewis

Kellan left her city life behind to get away from her criminal BF, who treated her like a possession, and even beat her. She drove into the countryside, and ended up in a small town. After trading away the MB for a rusted pickup and her city wardrobe for boots and jeans, she almost fitted in... Except for one hot sexy cowboy who hated her guts... by the name of Zane... // Zane was having a bad day... his pickup overheated, stranding him and his horse, and then this MB sped by, covering him in dust. Finding the owner, who claims to be "Andi Ford" (like the pickup) assimilated into town, Zane knew Andi is trouble... but when she took up waitressing at the only bar in town, and a couple folks got too handsy, Zane will protect her... But her secret was never too far away...

The ending was telegraphed for a while, and it's... tolerable. But the big Hollywood chase was rather lame, complete with the cliche "he shot away my mirror!" 

Category: Contemporary

Overall Rating: 3/5

NOTE: Tropes are now in the "Labels" below.

GRR Reviews Her Brilliant Cowboy Billionaire by Erica Penrod

Jamon is a cowboy turned billionaire when his invention for rehabilitating horses took off. But a Texas Cowboy is not exactly Billionaire Cove material. He hired Gemma as a PR consultant to poilsh his image.  Gemma was used to billionaires who already knew money. This rags-to-riches guy is seriously challenging her sanity. But Jamon's life is not all grins and giggles... "Relatives" and "friends" came out of the woodwork, all wanting money. Jamon's brother who developed an addiction to opioids due to an old injury, just keeps coming back like a bad rash, despite quitting rehab only 2 weeks in. When Jamon's brother took drastic action to force Jamon for money, can Jamon save Gemma?

Sorry, but "Jamon" is a horrible name for a Texas cowboy. Jamon is a VERY Jewish name, and Jamon in Spanish means "ham". I seriously doubt any mother in Texas would name their boy Jamon, who must have been teased mercilessly in school. The plot is also a bit... infantile. Bad guy tie her up to a tree? Really? Faint even without sighting any blood? Oh, come on.

Category: Contemporary

Overall Rating: 2.5/5

NOTE: Tropes are now in the "Labels" below.