GRR Reviews Million Dollar Date by Susan Hatler

Abigail is on her way to meet her blind date (via her home) when she was stopped by a very handsome cop for speeding. And he's not giving her a break at all. Not even when she explained she's already sad that her favorite dog rescue is closing due to the rescue's landlord needing to sell. She's doubly shocked that she found her blind date is none other than the cop that pulled her over... That's going badly. Then she realized he may be the key to save the dog rescue, as he will be recommending the next charity to fund for the city... So a second date will be necessary... // Cooper is a by-the-books cop, but he used to be a bad boy rulebreaker until a tragedy gave him an epiphany. Now he plays by the rules, even though he had a kind heart. Abigail has the right attitude, but Cooper has to make decisions based on how much good can the city's donations do. And Abigail is definitely interesting. If she wants another date, he'll gladly oblige... 

The ending felt like deus ex machina to me, and I really don't understand how he got the payout, when it should have gone to the other guy's family? I can understand he got half or something. The push-pull is fine, but some of the tactics from Abigail were a bit... unorthodox. It's rom-com, sure. 3.5/5

GRR Reviews With This Ring by Debra Clopton

 

Jessica moved to Windswept Bay with her son Kevin to take the job as a teacher to get away from her overbearing family after the death of her husband two years ago (who died in the line of duty saving another family). She is not ready for love, and she can't fall for another man with a dangerous job. But Kevin wants a daddy and was disappointed when there's no daddy under the Christmas tree. When Kevin managed to drag the police chief Levi to the class show and tell, and announced that Levi will be his new daddy, neither Levi nor Jessica were ready to deal with the fallout. Levi is definitely the town bachelor, having put career and town first, and definitely hunky. But now he can't even shop without being accosted by single moms desperate to make his acquaintance. Jessica knew she's getting the evil eye from other single moms in town, even as she tried to explain there is nothing between her and Levi. Yet they keep running into each other. But can Jessica let go of her grief long enough? Or will a bachelor auction including Levi be the final incentive for her to go all in? 

Good fun, with the bachelor auction being the final grand gesture, from woman to man, for once. It just felt a bit overdramatic. But it's a fun read nonetheless 4/5

GRR Reviews Love in a Pawn Shop by Bonnie Edwards

Dix has a pawn shop in a tough neighborhood, and wanted her teenage brother Riley get into college so he can do better. Could she be blamed if she nags him all the time, esp. if he keeps hanging out with Carlos, who may be mixed up with the bad crowd? When nosy cop Dane barged into her life, things get complicated quickly, esp. if Razor the pitbull keeps staring at Dane's... nuts. // Dane was in town to find out what happened to his grandma's jewelry, and it's clear it went to Dix's pawn shop. Did Dix swindle his grandma? Is it a fencing operation? Just what is Dix's relationship with grandma Mitzi? And why did he feel... warm and fuzzy about Dix? What is her real name anyway?

Cozy mystery, lots of zany but fun characters. Even Riley's struggle with Carlos (whether to trust or to save) is interesting. 4.5/5

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 Bride for Nathaniel by Kay P Dawson

In the early 1900s, Nathaniel is a mountie in Cougar Springs, Alberta, and he likes the town, but also clueless with women. He reluctantly accepts a mail-order bride from back out East, and got Claire... // Claire helped those in need, even when it costs her. She lost her job as a maid when her role in helping her mistress escape to marry a mountie was exposed, and she had no regrets. Marrying a mountie would be nice... Until Nathaniel's old nemesis showed. The newly married husband and wife disagree on how to proceed. He wants to protect her, she wants to see the evil brought to justice. Will this tear them apart?

Not bad, though the wedge issue feels a bit overdone. 3.5/5

GRR Reviews Bride for Easton by Cassie Hayes

It is the early 1900's. Molly refused to have her life arranged by her parents any more. She wants a large family, not to become a nun. When all attempts to dissuade her parents failed, she sought the help of matchmaker Hazel, and became a mail-order bride... // Easton is the commander of the mounties... in Cougar Springs, Alberta. It's a small town and while the duty is not hazardous, it can use some female company... not that Easton really wanted any. But when his men are getting restless, he had to get his own bride... but when the spunky ex-nun showed up, his life is turned upside down...

Ah, one of those surprise marriage stories and a bit of opposite attract. Good, not great. 4/5

GRR Reviews Don't Ditch a Detective by Cami Checketts

Jed can't believe that he got pepper-sprayed while jogging behind a twitchy woman. The fact that she's beautiful (after he washed his eyes out with snow) did mollify him somewhat. Her name is Cassandra, and he knew her... She's an idealistic do-gooder who decided EVERY child is redeemable. He's a police detective who saw the worst life has to offer, for he had lived it as a foster child. But neither is entirely correct about the other. When Cassie went to Mexico to help an orphanage, and was targeted by a local cartel, will Jed and help get to her in time?

Not bad, though one really wonders if the best way to get help for an orphanage is to get help from the US rather than look for local help? Or perhaps no local help can be trusted? 4/5

GRR Reviews Lawfully Remembered by Ginny Sterling

Jesse Smithson, military police, is in the ER with head injury after an encounter with some robbers. When he woke up, he realized he lost his memories. Yet when he saw his nurse, Melissa, it seems to trigger something... that made him wanted to know her better... //  Melissa can't believe Jesse is in her ER, and he didn't recognize her. She had a crush on Jesse all through high school, but she was crushed when she asked him to take her to the prom, and he said he's not going. Yet almost two decades later, he's there, with a blank slate, wanted to know her and date her... Is this the chance she needed all along?

Nothing really major that threatens to tear them apart, but good revelations. 3/5

GRR Reviews Trust Me On This by Jennifer Crusie

Alec is undercover, trying to catch a serial scammer and his accomplice, using his aunt, professor Veronica, and her rich friends, as bait, at a conference about Shakespeare. // Dennie is an investigative reporter going after the biggest story in her career... except her subject wanted to avoid the subject. She attended the conference but was dodged. She needed to talk to professor Veronica, which means talking to Alec... who mistook her for the scammer's accomplice working the con... It's clear Alec and Dennie have chemistry together, but she thinks he's running interference for his aunt, and he thinks she's running a con... which only makes their feelings even more confusing...

Oh, nice setup, and even nicer escalation. The scene where Dennie had to put the moves on the scammer while wearing a wire, with Alec listening, was ROFL funny.  5/5

GRR Reviews Bootyogomy by Frankie Love and C M Seabrook

Max can't ever date his best friend's little sister, Kendall, even if she's all grown up now. Call it a buried crush... Until she propositioned him. // Kendall wanted Max for a long time. That tight ass in a police uniform... Yum. But she knew she can't date him... His brother will have a conniption. // Their solution... Bootyogomy... exclusive and monogamous booty call...

This 60-page short is basically sex and more sex and repressed desires... Not really much of a plot or character arc. But it is quite hot. 3/5

GRR Reviews Hard to Stay by S Jones

Lexi ran from her evil boyfriend who has her family enthralled. No one would believe her boyfriend is also banging her sister, while mentally abusing her. And he's rich and can get away with a lot of stuff. So she ran. And met Brad... // Brad is a cop with a shitty history in love. There's Emily, and Samantha... but that's in his past. Now with Lexi, he wants a fresh start, and as a cop, he knew she's keeping secrets. When evil Colton showed up, intending to force her back, Brad is there to protect her. But Colton has plenty of underhanded tricks up his sleeve...

Brad has no temperament for a cop. He's easily goaded by fellow officers, esp. the douchebag one. And it's pretty obvious he's being set up by Colton for something. Except Brad swallowed the bait, hook, line, and sinker. This is basically "PMS pro" cliche trope. The ending is a total cop-out and a deus ex machina, where basically Brad came up with even BIGGER connections than even Colton can call upon. And what sort of family Lexi has that listens to a stranger and not their own daughters? 2/5

NOTE: This book managed to hit no less than THREE corny tropes: deus ex machina, PMS Pro, and Heart-break savior.

GRR Reviews Sandover Beach Christmas by Emma St Clair

Ripley can't believe her mother's constant nagging about a boyfriend caused her to get a speeding ticket and talking while driving... even though the cop, Cash, is gorgeous. Her jaw hit the floor when her family mistook Cash for her boyfriend over the phone and managed to mail him an ugly Christmas sweater as well as home-made sugar cookies. Ripley and Cash can't be more different. She's a control freak who loves Christmas, just not her family's nagging. He's a bachelor with private scars that is trying to take things easy... and a total scrooge. But Ripley was TOTALLY shocked when he agreed to be her "fake boyfriend" to host her family in town... But will either of them survive the process? And when the fake relationship took on a life of its own, where will it lead?

Great sit-com, though trope-ridden, especially the "crazy grandparent". Still, it's heck funny. 4.5/5

GRR Reviews Falling in Love with a Police Officer by Ellie Hall

Owen is a single father and police. He moved back to his hometown Hawk Ridge Hollow to help his daughter settle in, even though his brothers have all left the area on their own careers, despite family riches. Falling for his daughter's kindergarten teacher, Brynn, was not in the plans. // Brynn left the big city behind after losing her cop husband in the line of duty. She swore she will never date a cop again. She had no children, and being a teacher seems to be the closest she would get to a family. When Owens needs a sitter for his daughter because he works the night shift, and Brynn needs a "room parent" to help with the school, they ended up spending more time together. But when she made a mistake, how many secrets can they confess to each other to regain trust?

Nice, and the family fortune barely factored into the story, merely as a background element for tension. It's basically two damaged people coming together. 4.5/5

GRR Reviews Declan by Melody Anne

Declan, the oldest of the Forbes brothers, is an FBI agent that's trying to take down a gang with an elusive leader that left a lot of victims in its wake. He knew that Angela is a part of the puzzle, but not sure how. And seeing his brothers finding their soulmates does make him realize he lacks that certain someone in his own life. When Angela suddenly left town with her son, he realized that the enemy is much closer than he thinks... and his feelings about Angela is no longer platonic... But can he convince her to come back? And can he protect her?

Good twists near the end, though it felt a bit deus ex machina... 4.5/5

GRR Reviews Christmas in Echo Creek by Kacey Linden

Willow had to escape Seattle with almost nothing, in the middle of winter, and ended up in Echo Creek, and was rescued by the town, esp. the handsome deputy Cale. Having never experienced generosity without expectations of reciprocation, Willow was doubtful and distrusting, but with no car, she had to accept the help of shelter and job... while looking over her shoulder, worried that her evil drug-running brother would chase her down... But Cale, who figured her out, and understood who she's running from, is determined to help her feel safe enough to stay, and perhaps, even learn to trust and love... Even as her brother arrived in town...

While stranger stranded in town was helped/protected by cop had been done bajillion times the polish on this one is quite good, and the twist on the trope for the darkest hour was done very nicely, if a bit more comical than you'd expect. 4/5

GRR Reviews It Was Always You by Alexa Rivers

Dr. Avery Brown (PhD) is pioneering a new type of forensic science: soil sample positioning. Give her a soil sample, and with a database of soil from all around New Zealand, she can pinpoint the soil through isotope and trace analysis down to a few kilometers radius, perfect for nailing a suspected serial killer... and no body of the victim (yet). So when her lab was trashed and her home burned down, it was clear she needed protection, fast. But the one perfect for the job was the one boy that broke her heart... Sergeant Gareth thought Avery was the one... They had been together all through school. Letting her go was for her own good... he would never hold her back from her dreams. Protecting her was his duty... and his calling. But he knew he can't blur lines between professional and personal... Even if that means he had to push her away...

Several TSTL moments, not quite enough karma, and the nastiness was all from a misunderstanding? Eeek. 3/5

GRR Reviews Snow Pup by Mimi Barbour

Deputy Shawna found the runaway kid Billy when a snowy white pup leads her to him, sleeping in the snow. He's a foster kid who ran away when his mother died, having never knew his father, and he knew he didn't belong there. Shawna, who already helps out at the community center, decided to step up and become a foster parent, even as John Reid showed up, claiming to be the child's biological father. // John was on a long-term assignment in South America, hoping to provide for his family when his wife refused to move. She actually took all the money he sent to get a lawyer and took away his parental rights, claiming he abandoned them. Finally back in the US after several years, he was chasing down leads to his son, when he met Shawna. // Shawna reluctantly accepted that John will be living across the street at the B&B and will get to know his son... WITHOUT telling him he's the father. But is what he said actually true? Did a vindictive wife set all this in motion? What about police reports of fights and alcohol abuse? Can the pup help meld this into a new family despite an overzealous social worker?

Not much for the pup to do after the initial introduction, but the rest of the dynamic works, with the despair of the people trying to overcome bureaucracy and people who really thought they are doing good but instead doing harm. 4.5/5

GRR Reviews Secret Crush by Victoria Pinder

Billionaire John Morgan didn't care about his fortune. What he really wanted was to prove his father killed his sister. That's why he joined the FBI and took down his father's cronies and underlings. But when his father died, John feels lost, and even his FBI superior felt he's no longer of any use. But can he go home again? // Alice still can't believe her friend (John's sister) is gone. When senior Morgan died, Alice felt prudent to attend the funeral, but also to save her parent's organic produce farm (one of the Morgan enterprises was their distributor). Meeting John wasn't on the agenda, nor were the feelings. Then they got one shocker after another... even as someone threatens them both...

There are a few continuity errors as if the story were written in different spurts and merged together without proper editing. The connection between John and Alice was rather thin and chemistry isn't really there. More plot-driven than character-driven. 3/5

GRR Reviews Pretty Reckless by Jodi Linton

Laney had some wild days, including shooting rock salt into her cheating husband's naked ass when she caught him in their bed with a different woman. That now ex-husband, Gunner, signed the divorce papers and left town. Five years later, Laney is a deputy for her small town, and drug runners are encroaching. She's in a relationship with a guy she feels comfortable with (but not really love). Then her (cheater) ex is back in town... as a Texas Ranger, trying to solve a big case in her area. Forced to work together, it none-the-less won't be comfortable...

This book is really divisive to me. It's clear that things are not over between Laney and Gunner, despite his "cheating ass". On the other hand, I like Laney's sass and attitude, despite her inability to actually handle criminals (at least, not the rough kind). 3.5/5

GRR Reviews Balancing Act by Danica Dawn

Desi, paralegal, is in love (lust?) for her boss Eric. She wanted to be a lawyer, but she flunked LSAT so she's going about the roundabout way: one more year as a licensed paralegal, and she can take the bar exam without it. But balancing her work, her dream, and her love life is not so easy, when she found a hot cop to drool over, only to have him turn into a stalker, and her boss confessed his love for her, only to sic an LSAT tutor on her, in order to make her a partner...

The problem with romantic suspense with a stalker is the bad guy tends to end up as jack-in-the-box pop-up horror, have him show up in the middle of nowhere. It starts to read a bit like the movie Unlawful Entry. The emotional beats feel... off. Instead of everything building to a crescendo for the climax, it felt as if the author merely substituted one problem with another, just to have the stalker reappear at the end for the climax. 3.5/5