GRR Reviews Ask Mariah by Barbara Freethy

Michael is at his wit's end regarding his six-year-old twin girls Rose and Lily, since his wife's accidental death. The two girls speak, just not to him. They love him, but they somehow believe their mama isn't dead, despite all the adults telling them so. The twins believe what Mariah, a fortuneteller in a crystal ball that talks only in riddles, has the answer, and Mariah told them to go to school. Then they saw their new teacher at their school, and everything changed... Because Joanna looks almost just like their mama... That even Micahel, their dad, was slack-jawed... // Joanna knew something was missing from her life. She never knew it could be twin girls that keep calling her mama, despite her every attempt to deny it (gently). And Michael, despite his haunted and tired look, is dream-worthy. She had a good life, but she somehow always felt a little out-of-place. There are secrets in her past, and it will be up to her and Michael to find the truth... to heal them and the girls... with a little more help from Mariah.

Wow, this is one heck of a novel. It has a bit of everything: a mystery, a meet-cute, a soap-opera worthy plot twist (or three), two adorable kids who get into trouble, sins of our parents, cover-up, even just a little supernatural to help it along. 5/5

GRR Reviews No Cowboys No Angels by Petie McCarty

Kellen and her entire family left Riverside, West Virginia for a better life, and they eventually succeeded. After her mother died, Kellen found that the old farm was never sold. Determined to sell the place quickly, as it reminded her too much of her past, she encountered the town folks, including one handsome cowboy Luke, who's also her neighbor... and does NOT want her to sell. However, his high-handedness just brushed her wrong. Unfortunately, the town also attracted a mafia operation trying to illegally dump toxic waste next to Kellen's property, and she's already been shot at twice, hoping to scare her off. But her mother did send her a guardian angel... But it can't be Luke...

Eh... there are some bits that are quite good. The conspiracy rolled up nicely. But the guardian angel(s) didn't feel integral to the plot. And Jack just doesn't work for me, as he's just horrible on people, which is kinda hard if he's that good in his... other job. (Hint: he wasn't always a cowboy.) 3.5/5

GRR Reviews Once Upon a Texas Christmas by Katherine Garbera

Logan Calloway was from the wrong side of tracks, until a break made him a Hollywood A-lister. Even though he didn't like his childhood in Whiskey River, he decided to show up in town this Christmas to promote the charities to make sure kids don't end up like him. He often talked to Avery, his assistant, by phone. Avery pretty much ran his charity in town. But Avery had never seen Logan in the flesh... until now. Their chemistry together is undeniable, but he's leaving for West Coast after the Holidays, and he's her boss. But they have to work together for the charity. This romance would never work, if not for a subtle push by an old ghost lady who is doing matchmaking...

Charming, I like the spirit. The supernatural bit is just... fun, not scary, not
comedic.

Category: Contemporary

Overall Rating: 4/5

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

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

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

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

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