GRR Reviews High Stakes by Kathryn Shay

Dylan O'Neil will do anything to protect his family, esp. from the likes of reporter Rachel Scott, whose leaks have endangered members of his family before, as in kidnapping attempts and more. As a columnist for a newspaper himself, he has an audience, and verbal war started between Dylan and Rachel. When the heads of both news organizations want them to work it out by having Dylan shadow Rachel's work, Dylan finally sees Rachel's private life, which is VERY different than what he imagined. And when sparks of attraction flared to life, neither can resist. But how can Dylan explain he had "fallen for the enemy"?

Ah, this is how "enemies to lovers" should be done. There are a few tropes, like the sick/comfort trope, and later, a hurt/comfort trope as well. But the build-up is exquisite. 5/5

GRR Reviews Gwynneth Ever After by Linda Poitevin

Gwynneth (just Gwyn) is a single mom raising 3 kids (a daughter and twins) as an architect. Her husband walked out after the twins are born, claiming he's overwhelmed. And she's too busy to worry about anything else. Until a chance encounter in a theater had her sitting next to Gareth Connor, Hollywood superstar. What is he doing in Ottawa? And why is he so nice to her? // Gareth is in town for his own secret... He's there to meet his daughter, now 18, under ultra-secrecy. Seeing the effect of separation on Gwyn's daughter had him reexamine his life... is Gwyn and her kids his chance at redemption? Or just complications? Can Gwyn accept him, or will her insecurities ruin their relationship?

Good details, and no major plothole except one: why the children were NOT vaccinated, given that Canada started universal varicella (chickenpox) vaccination in Ontario (which includes Ottawa) by 2004... Also, if he's there secretly, he's certainly making no effort to disguise himself while out of Gwynn... 4/5

GRR Reviews Deserving Darcy by Kiara Cawood

Keon, a doctor in London, had not had a good record with love. He met Darcy 12 years ago and married her soon after. Ten years ago, she wanted out of the marriage. Then nine-months later, her parents showed up with a baby and divorce papers. After that, Keon married Sarah, and Sarah was the only mother his daughter knew. But Sarah got alcoholism and left him to live in New Zealand. Then Darcy ended up in his emergency room... and he found to his shock that Darcy's liver is failing and she's refusing treatment. Keon shouldn't care about the woman who destroyed him and left his daughter motherless, but his plan to leave London behind and move to New Zealand (and near Sarah) is working against him... as he has just FOUR DAYS to find out why Darcy is giving up, and so his daughter would have some memories of Darcy, her birth mom. It's just for closure... right?

Okay, this plot gets a bit confusing with who knew what when, and there are too many characters to keep track of. Yes, there's certainly a LOT of emotional turmoil and angst and guilt and shame and more. And it seems everybody is keeping some secrets from someone. This is one of those books where you end up screaming at the characters "no, don't do that!!!!"  as they do some seriously TSTL moments, even though it's *almost* understandable why they did so. 4/5

GRR Reviews Her Destined Billionaire by Gigi Marlowe

Alex lost twice at love. He lost Samantha to another man, and it was his fault... He knew it. But Courtney... chose her nursing career over him. Three years later, a heart attack brought him to her hospital... where she's the head nurse. Does she feel accomplished enough to try again? Does he want to rekindle their relationship?

Wow, she made head nurse in merely three years from brand new nurse? I know this is a novella (under 100 pages), but nothing really happens much in this book. She has doubts, and he wants to buy her stuff. 2.5/5

GRR Reviews Her Second Chance Fake Marriage Surgeon by Hanna Hart

Gemma had to go home to Baton Rouge after finding out her serious boyfriend left her pregnant and moved in with another woman. But she barely talks to her father, who's always too busy saving others (he's in law enforcement). Her family is with her uncle's family, then she ran into Liam, her high school sweetheart... // Liam is a surgeon in Baton Rouge, and has agreed to appear on a medical TV show, which would have given him a 5 million signing bonus... Unfortunately, his surgeon wife has died of an undiagnosed heart condition, leaving his contract in danger of cancellation. Finding Gemma again made him want to reconnect. Then he found that Gemma's headaches are due to a brain tumor...  And she has no money to test and confirm, much less operate. Liam has the perfect plan... He needs to be married. She needs the money... So they should get married... even if it's fake.

Eh, didn't feel much on this one. Not sure if it's even LEGAL to require a doctor to be married to get on TV. In a will? Sure. In an employment contract, esp. if it's beyond his control? it just screams "discrimination"!  The rest of the book was meh. 3/5

GRR Reviews Mr. Vega by Xyla Turner

Faith is a failing artist and her home business can't keep her afloat. Forced to find a job, she fell back to what her Trinidad mother recommended and had done: being a nanny. And the interview with the Vega family was... unpleasant. Mr. Logan Vega is handsome as ****, European, and an utter asshole. His wife, however, was very nice, and hired her the next day, despite her lack of experience. And the kid accepted her with no problem, as Logan was often away on business. Until it was revealed Mrs. Vega has terminal cancer., and Faith became a part of the Vega family, without question, and eventually, Faith came to love her employer... Who wasn't as bad as she thought... But can she be her own woman amidst his alpha ways? Is she more than a rebound? Does he really love her?

Some parts are brilliant, like the culture shock (Caribbean black is NOT regular black). In case I hadn't made it clear, this is a BWWM romance of the "falling for the nanny" trope. The loss and grieving were handled nicely, as Faith was a part of the grieving process. And there was a good comeuppance in the epilogue on why do people assume she can't be a part of a family, esp. good when the (white) kid called her (a Caribbean black woman) mommy and why would people assume she's a nanny. Her own family drama was rather minimal though. 4/5

GRR Reviews Red Mountain by Boo Walker

Red Mountain is home to a group of eccentrics in eastern Washington... and they all have secrets to hide.

Brooks Baker grew up on the streets and only a chance encounter with Otis Till, the legendary winemaker of Red Mountain, turned him into a master winemaker today. He loves someone, but he does not dare show it for he felt he's too broken to love...

Otis Till is getting old, and he's been known to howl at the moon, while fully nude. When he lost his ability to taste, he thought he'll put his affairs in order, until he encountered one woman who affected him like no other...

Single mother Margot Pierce left her life behind when her husband was caught cheating with his secretary red-handed. She moved to Red Mountain to build an inn, but it seems her contractor only has excuses instead of results...

High school senior Emilia just wanted to be normal, but with two ultra-famous parents, she may never be normal, except for one boy who sees her as she is, Margot's son.

The lives of these people and people around them are soon affecting each other. And secrets soon came to light, yet everybody has something to hide. And this mountain community will be challenged like it had never seen...

It's an ensemble cast, and it's an intriguing one, as there are additional characters (as I mentioned, and there are even more). And the author was able to juggle all these characters and plot so there never was a dull moment. It's great storytelling.  5/5

GRR Reviews Second Chance with the Billionaire by Remi Carrington

Milo adopted his orphaned nieces after their parents died in a car accident. He can't believe his fiancee Amy left him after he presented her with the news. But his nieces are family, and anyone who can't accept his family will never be a part of his. Three years later, when dropping off the girls at school, he just found out their new teacher is none other than Amy, his ex. // Amy knew she panicked that day... her own family trauma made her doubt she can ever be a mom, much less two kids at once. By the time she decided that she can take a chance at that life, Milo had cut all contact, and she left town broken-hearted, to pursue her teaching degree. Three years later, she's back. She wants a second chance with Milo, but Milo still won't see her. But the girls love Amy... And perhaps, Milo still loves her a little...

Ah, very angst-y type of second-chance romance. And the setup was quite good. It will take a LOT of setup to force this couple together, from sick/comfort (girls fell sick) to matchmaker (his friends and even the girls setup them up), from cougars on the prowl (other mothers at school) to secret wealth (he's a secret billionaire) this book has a little of everything.

Category: Contemporary

Overall Rating: 4.5/5

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

GRR Reviews Lifted by Love by Bob McCullough

Mari had a heart condition that makes her prone to pass out under stressful conditions. With no treatment available, her only chance is to manage her condition with a service dog that can sense her problems before she does. Chris is a gifted dog trainer, and his newest trainee, Adele, is a perfect dog for Mari's condition. Chris and Mari connected immediately, through more than just the dog. But will they stay together through the trials and tribulations?

You get the story from the dog's POV too. Unique, but the love story was a bit on the simpler side without too much... threat to it. It's mostly sweetness.

Category: Contemporary

Overall Rating: 4/5

NOTE: Tropes are now in the "Labels" below.  4/5

GRR Reviews A Cowboy's Reunion by Carolyne Aarsen

Kane can't believe his fiancee Faith actually abandoned EVERYTHING, including him, and ran off with a music band... along with his brother Elliot, of all people. He lost himself for a while working on an Alaskan oil rig, but when his pa broke his leg on a horse, he had to come back. And now, his pa told him that he may have to sell the ranch... And who did he spot on the side of the road in the rain? Faith herself, with just a bag and a guitar, and completely broke. // Faith sacrificed her future as a lawyer to follow her dream of being a singer, but when she had a conflict with a band member, she had to leave, and ended up broke, and practically back where she started. When food poisoning struck, she had no choice but to accept her ex-fiancee's help... As the couple slowly discover each other and recover from their shared past, someone dropped off two toddlers... Belonging to Kane's sister... who has been missing for several days. Faith is shanghaied into nanny duty, but she's heading to her friend's place to start over... right? Is pa really going to sell the ranch? What happened to the missing sister? Can two bachelors take care of 2 toddlers without Faith's help? Will Kane and Faith ever get over each other?

Wow, nicely escalations and new twists that keep coming, and coming. This is a great way to start a series, that introduces enough angst to last a while, without any info dump.

Category: Contemporary Western

Overall Rating: 5/5

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

GRR Reviews Love is More than Skin Deep by Mary Crawford

Shelby just graduated and joined an international teaching program, due to leave in a month. She already settled her lease and everything else. And she walked into a tattoo parlor, wanting a dreamcatcher for her back. Then everything changed. The senior designer pointed her to a dermatologist... and the diagnosis... Melanoma: skin cancer. She can't go, she has no place to live, she has no job, and since she had been a foster kid, no parents. // Mark is a single dad and a senior partner in a law firm known for taking on seemingly hopeless cases. He's busy, but an encounter with this woman breaking down just brought out all his protective instincts... but can he convince a girl who was taught to rely on no one that it's okay to lean on someone?

Ah, how two wounded souls come together, but there's not TOO much for Mark to do. He doesn't have big huge wounds, and his problem is convincing Shelby to let him in. Still, it's got good touches.

Category: Contemporary

Overall Rating: 4/5

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

GRR Reviews Hannah by Chris Keniston

Hannah was riding when a motorcycle spooked her horse and she took a tumble. And "John" was right there, making sure she made it back safely. It could just be an apology for spooking her horse, but it may be more. But in reality, he's here to notify his best friend, the local sheriff, he's lying low. Somehow almost killed him in a VA hospital after he put away a kingpin, but there's someone else he failed to identify there. When a blood clot (resulted from sitting too long on a motorcycle) almost killed him, he had no choice but to stay in town while he recovered, as he can't go to a hospital. So he helped Hannah with her Equine Therapy center after he got enough blood thinners. And they fell for each other, but there is a threat from an unexpected direction when Hannah had to put on a show for the rich donors...

The "boogeyman" of bad guys was not explained that well, but it's spooky enough to create tension. How it's resolved though, was... not too bad, but IMHO, could have been handled a bit better.

Category: Contemporary / Western

Overall Rating: 4/5

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

GRR Reviews The Gamble (Colorado Mountain) by Kristen Ashley

The Gamble is a romance about a woman finding herself in strange land and finding love there. It's way too long, and the plot doesn't quite escalate properly.

Nina Sheridan realized there is something wrong with her engagement. Her beau, Nial, appears to be completely oblivious to her, as he can't even remember how she takes her tea or coffee. To get some distance and perspective, she booked a small cabin in Colorado for two weeks, to be spent alone. She did not expect to find hunky man there at the cabin... or that he would turn her away... // Holden "Max" Maxwell is the silent and brooding man who is "wealthy", but can't tap into the wealth, because he owns some of the prettiest land in Colorado, and he can't sell any of it. Instead, he rents out his cabin from time to time, but apparently, his buddy Slim messed up. But Nina fell ill at his doorsteps, and Max cannot turn her away. Max spent some time to nurse her back to health, and it's sure there's some heat between the two. But Max has his own heartbreak and dirty laundry in the past he doesn't want to talk about... and even if Max can admit his love, can Nina give up her life in the UK?

At 660 pages, this book is WAY TOO LONG! And the book almost felt it should have ended in several places (remember the movie The Abyss? Kinda like that). While I did enjoy the characters, the pacing and some of the plot points needs to go on a serious diet and exercise regimen.

Category: Contemporary

Primary Plot: Woman from UK rented a cabin in Colorado to find herself, but it's already occupied by a recluse with his own dark past...

Tropes: fish out of water, triangle, sick/comfort, scars, protector

Overall Rating:  3/5

GRR Reviews No Perfect Fate by Jackie Weger

No Perfect Fate used a trope start, but managed to populate it with good characters and managed a successful twist at the end to make the ending exciting.

Cleo Anderson had never been good with people, and she sometimes argues with a voice in her head. She thought she found the right man, ignored the warning voice in her head, married him, only to realize the guy's actually bi and only used her to put himself through law school. Cleo bought a camper and traveled the US alone, and ended up at a fishing camp in the wilds of the Okefenokee Swamp, Louisiana, where you get to see bears, gators, and snakes as practical neighbors. The owner was kind, the camp pace slow, and things are okay, then Cleo met Fletcher and his goddaughter, Katie, dying of cancer. Fletcher is a lawyer who's taking time off to deal with Katie's terminal illness... Katie knew the end is coming soon. Cleo's heart went out to the brave little girl, and Fletcher made her feel all gooey inside. But her voice is still doubting. When a swamp fire threatened the camp, and Katie's illness took a turn for the worse, it will be up to Fletcher and Cleo to get everyone out alive... and deal with the doubts in their hearts, even as a threat from her past made an appearance...

At first, I thought Cleo was schizophrenic, but the way the author dealt with it was the voice basically went away "You don't need me anymore" after Cleo and Fletcher got married, in the final page of the book. A little melodramatic, and the part about Katie struggling with her condition was heart-wrenching, but it's *almost* a distraction from the romance itself. The twist later however made up for it, and the voice... is almost a separate character. And the way that ended... was kinda sad, but satisfying ending.

Category: Contemporary

Primary Plot: Woman needing a fresh start found a man caring for his dying niece; can they find love among danger in the swamp?

Tropes: small town, road trip. single parent, sick/comfort, conspiracy

Overall Rating:  4/5

GRR Reviews Chasing Beautiful (Chasing Series) by Pamela Ann

Chasing Beautiful is a contemporary romance about a love triangle that should have never gotten started, and really makes no sense, with the FMC being an emotional doormat who gives and gives and gives, even being emotionally blackmailed into giving even more.

Sienna Richards' boyfriend-since-high-school Kyle suddenly decided to end things. She vowed never to love again, as it hurt too much, and moved to London to start over. She was surprised when her platonic friend Blake confessed his love for her. Blake is handsome, rich, and waiting for a while, but he's not the kind to go after a committed girl. When Kyle out of the way, Blake moved in, and Sienna hadn't been so turned on in her life, but when Kyle moved to London to get out of his depression and back into Sienna's life, Sienna cannot decide which man she wanted...

Kyle's parents basically begged Sienna to help Kyle, despite him having broke her heart before, AND while Sienna is dating Blake. That is just NOT COOL, man. NOT COOL, and Sienna was foolish to accept that responsibility. This uneven responsibility means even though the triangle was pretty good, I am forced to assign a merely mediocre score to this book overall. It made NO SENSE for her to accept.

Category: Contemporary

Primary Plot: Woman was hurt when her BF suddenly called it quits. She was then wooed by her once-platonic friend, but then her ex needed her help...

Tropes: triangle, betryal, friends to lovers, sick/comfort

Overall Rating:  3/5

GRR Reviews Marriage On The Prairie by Ponderosa Publishing

Marriage On the Prairie collection does contain four novellas about Historical Western Mail Order Brides, but they appear to have been written by amateurs who hadn't learned the craft, as they were way too much tell, not show. Some of them contained decent twists, but some of them are just anachronistic. A cancer surgeon in Texas in the 1800's, really? The bonus content was the same sort of stuff that appeared in other books. Basically a "spam volume" for page count.

Category: Historical Western

Primary Plot: N/A  collection bundle

Tropes: mail order bride, protector, sick/comfort, woman in peril, scars, betrayal

Overall Rating:  2/5

GRR Reviews Giovanna: The Cowboy's Calabrese Mail O by Lorena Dove

Giovanna, the cowboy's Calabrese mail order bride is a historical 'western' romance that managed to squeeze a bit more detail and personality by focusing on the vastly different kinds of people that made up American on the western frontier.

It is 1892, and Giovanna was newly widowed. Her daughter, young Rosa, was quite sick. With nowhere to go, she had to head West as a mail-order bride. But she didn't realize her transcriber had left out a few details like she has a daughter or that her daughter was sick. Laars broke his ties with his Norwegian family to start his own ranch in South Dakota, and he realized he can't do it all and needed a wife. He had it all planned, with money saved for the expansion of his ranch in the next few years. But when Giovanna arrived with the kid, and little Rosa's sickness took a turn for the worse, is he ready to sacrifice his future for his new family?

Billed as a clean romance, there is indeed no sex and barely any kissing. However, the emotional impact was quite good, and the plot itself wasn't half bad either. Definitely a head above the typical mail order bride stories.

Category: Historical Western

Primary Plot: Italian-American widow w/ daughter headed west as mail-order bride to marry a Norwegian-American rancher who left everything behind to start anew

Tropes: mail order bride, different worlds, single parent, fish out of water, sick/comfort, disguise

Overall Rating: 4/5 (rounded up)

GRR Reviews Heart Racer: A Billionaire Love Story by Starla Harris

Heart Racer is not a billionaire story, despite claims. It features shallow people, impossible circumstances, and insta-lust broken up by jealousy.

To recap, Olivia bet her last $100 on super-longshot racer Jacob Teller... because he looked so cute. She never expected him to actually win (and got paid 50:1). She was so gobsmacked, she went down to see Jake in the winner's circle, and Jake, upon hearing the story, decided she was his lucky charm and should come with him to the post-race celebration, and to the next race as well. Being unemployed and temporarily shacking with a friend, Olivia accepted, and somehow, Jake kept winning. Months later, now rich and enjoying the good life, the pair crisscrossed the country enjoying their new wealth and each other, Olivia started to feel out of place. Finally, when jealousy and inadequacy set in, Olivia picked a fight and left in a huff, going home not much better than she started. Soon after, Jake got into a serious accident on the track near Olivia's hometown, and they finally decided they really do love each other instead of just lust... but Jake will need serious rehabilitation and recovery... Will Olivia be there all the way?

The book was insta-lust at first glance, with him being the pretty boy. She's basically being a "pit lizard" (racing's equivalent of "buckle bunny"). The idea that the guy was so down he's always in last, and suddenly he's placing first in every race is ridiculous. And how can a couple months of winning turn him into a billionaire, with the rich-and-famous lifestyle they are living? The FMC basically threw a jealous fit and gave up, and went back to her own life, unsure if it was love or lust. The ending was sweet, but logically crazy. All in all, the story just doesn't work for me with too many flaws.

Category: Contemporary

Primary Plot: Poor girl bets last $100 on lame racer; both started winning a lot. They meet and she followed him across the world, but can they stay together?

Tropes: athlete, different worlds, sick/comfort, insta-lust

Overall Rating:  2/5 (rounded up)

GRR Reviews Double Blessing (Angel Romance Series) by Kellie McAllen

Double Blessing is about faith, love, and serendipty between two sets of lovers, twins Maddox and Cheydan, and their respective lovers, Maddy and Lissie. The book is spiritual without being religiously preachy. There are no Bible quotes anywhere in this book, and that made it approachable to even agnostic readers.

Maddy struggled for years trying to get out from under her drinking aunt and a series of bad boyfriends, only to find her world collapsing around her. Her savings had been stolen. Her cash stash robbed. She can't go home with a drunken man in her home wanting to get his hands on her... and her job had just been eliminated. With no savings, no job, and no home, Maddy has joined the new homeless, and came to the attention of Maddox, who was working at the supermarket the Maddy came in a bought a can of tuna and one banana... three days in a row. Maddox and his twin brother Cheydan are Celestia Divisa, half-angels on Earth. Maddox gives away most of his income to help people, and he's drawn to this girl who seems to need help. Elsewhere in town, Cheydan, Maddox's twin brother, just started his job at an adoption agency, and a girl Lissie, came in asking for help to find her birth parents, because she has a kidney disease and need a transplant soon, and need a blood relative if they can be found. Cheydan found himself drawn to this girl, who don't seem to be in the best of health, and bent some rules to get her the information, only to see it turn into a dead end. Maddy's life can't sink any lower, and she can't allow herself to hope it can turn for the better, even with Maddox's help. Lissie's life is ending soon and she's giving up all hope, even with Cheydan's help. Both half angels need to decide if they should use up their one miracle each allowed in life to convince their respective girl that hope is not beyond their reach...

Clean romance does not mean boring, and this book managed to present dramatic turns of emotions, sacrifices, and revelations that will have you tearing up in despair to cheering in triumph as you realize there will be a happy ending for both after all.

And no, I'm not spoiling the ending for you, but you can probably guess from the title. If you want a prime example of how paranormal / spiritual fiction can/should be done without wolves / bears / dragons / vampires / sex, this is the book you SHOULD read.

Category: Contemporary / Paranormal

Primary Plot: Two half-angel twin brothers fall for two different girls, one's low down in life, one's life is ending; Can they be saved?

Tropes: spiritual, different worlds, scars, sick/comfort

Overall Rating:  5/5