All for Love by Natalie Ann

I will admit that I am not a big fan of short stories, but this one was great because it tells the story of the first time the characters' parents met and then met each other.  Readers already know the adult children, their spouses, and friends and have met the parents in passing, so this book is the cherry on the sundae. 

Readers who are just starting these series (All and Road) might want to read this book first, but it is not necessary.  Each book is a standalone with visits from other characters in the two series.

Anyway, Natalie Ann is one of my favorite authors for light reading, the kind of books you read by the fire, while waiting for an appointment, or just because you want some entertainment that doesn't break the bank

Crust No One by Winnie Archer

There are so many things I like about this book; the characters, the plot, the bakery, the description of the bread, the touches of Spanish thrown in here and there, and the possibility of romance. All of these things add up to an enjoyable book in a new series which I hope will continue. 

Ivy is working in the bakery helping Olaya get ready for the festival and visiting with The Blackbird ladies when Mustache Hank stops by with a produce order. The next thing you know the festival is here and Mustache Hank has disappeared.  Ivy, along with her high school boyfriend, Miguel, the highly entertaining Mrs. Branford, and the Blackbird Ladies try to find the newly divorced Hank at his son's request. As they investigate, a peek into Hank's life uncovers some uncomfortable secrets and a man who may have decided to disappear on his own. 

This author is great at weaving a tale and getting the reader invested in her characters. I thoroughly enjoyed reading both books in the series and hope there will be more and we'll be able to watch Miguel and Ivy repair their high school romance, now that they are adults.

I received an advanced reader's copy of Crust No One from NetGalley. This review contains my thoughts and opinions.

A Fatal Collection

A Fatal Collection is a new cozy mystery (hopefully) series, with a lot of likeable characters, some not so likeable characters, and a great location.

Callie's life seems stuck in a rut. She's stuck in a relationship that is going nowhere, with a man who appears not to be willing to grow up, when she goes to visit her aunt at Keepsake Cove. The first morning when Callie wakes up, she finds her aunt dead in her music box store.  The police determine that the death is an accident, but Callie is suspicious, wondering why her aunt would go into the shop, in the middle of the night, in her bathrobe.

When Callie finds out her aunt left her shop and house to Callie she decides to stay and keep the shop open and try to find out what happened. 

I liked A Fatal Collection and the characters who live in Keepsake Cove and will keep my eye out for more books by this author. Her characters are well-written and the location and setting are different from other cozies I have read.  There is a lot to learn about the characters in Keepsake Cove and I look forward to getting to know them.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley. The review above contains my opinions and is freely shared.

Deserve A Chance by Natalie Ann

Another great read by an author who just keeps getting better with each book (although I still love the first two in the Road series best).

Zach and Amber have both overcome childhoods where they felt they were abandoned or unloved.  Both are successful and they hook up at a medical conference in Vegas.  When Amber sneaks out while Zach is still sleeping, he tries everything he can to find her.  Circumstance brings them back together and the feelings that started in Vegas are rekindled (and by that I mean on fire)

Another great thing is catching a glimpse of the other characters from past books. But this book is a stand-alone, so no worries that you have to read in order.

Great characters and plots make me a fan of this author.  Although I was awarded an advanced copy of Deserve a Chance, this review reflects my opinion and is freely given.  I think anyone who enjoys a good love story will love this book and series.

Sweet and Sassy Christmas - A Time for Romance

Great value for all those who love winter centric stories with happy endings. I was attracted to this set because I had read books by two of these authors and liked their books and the characters they invent.

I think my favorites are Road to Reality (which I had already read and reviewed)  by Natalie Ann, His Christmas Promise by Alicia Street, The Sheriff Meets His Match by Jacquie Biggar, and A Kiss Beneath A Christmas Star by Tamara Ferguson, but the editors who put this book together did a great job.

A Cozy Candlelit Christmas

As a big fan of not every book I read has to educate, I am a big fan of the author, Tilly Tennant.  Her main characters are delightful, her locations are unique, and her plots are fun to read.  In A Cozy Candlelit Christmas (perfect title, right?) Isla gets a letter from a solicitor that the grandmother she never met has left her an inheritance. The problem is she has to meet the father who abandoned her 20 years ago and build a relationship in order for everyone to qualify. 

A few days before Christmas Isla gets on a plane to meet her father, stepmother, and half sister and brother in the Swiss Alps. She plans to meet him, qualify for her inheritance, and get back on the plane in time to spend Christmas with her mom. The snow has different plans.

A Cozy Candlelight Christmas is a great winter book.  When the weather is cold and the holidays are just around the corner, this is a perfect book to cozy up and read.

I received a free copy of this book. This review is freely given and my opinion.  Enjoy!!

The Wedding Gift

The Wedding Gift is the latest addition to the Colorado Billionaires by Regina Duke and it is a winner.  I liked the characters and how they grew as they got to know each other. 

When Kenzie's boyfriend gets them kicked out of the home she thought they were buying (thought being the operative word), she takes his restored Ford Mustang and pushes it off into a gully, on her way to her parents' farm.  When she arrives she figures out that they need help and money (which they think she has from the sale of her house). 

The next morning on the way to her new job she meets Clayton, while he is "hiding" from his father who wants Clayton to grow up before his trust fund kicks in (why does everyone have a trust fund but me, hmmm). Kenzie and Clayton bond. 

The Colorado Billionaires series is a great HEA series. Regina Duke has once again given the reader a reason to come back over and over again.  Her plots are good and not repeated, the characters are kind, or ditzy, or mean, or angry, or scared, etc., in other words, well defined, just what a reader wants.  I have enjoyed each of this authors books and recommend them to anyone who likes a well written love story with a bit of strife before the characters figure "it" out. 

I received an ARC of The Wedding Gift.  This review is mine and offered freely.

A Southern Comfort Christmas

A Southern Comfort Christmas by Barbara Lohr is a follow-up to Finding Southern Comfort, which I read a year or so ago and enjoyed. In this installment Harper is trying to get her decorating business off the ground by helping persnickety Southern women with decorating themes for the holidays. Of course, they don't like her ideas and she is desperately seeking ways to please. Then Cameron comes home with a fractured ankle, there is nothing but trouble with the wedding plans, and Bella (Cameron's daughter) is falling back into her not eating issues again while she tries to fit in at her new school. So how was your day.

A Southern Comfort Christmas was great, especially if you are someone like me who likes to check back with characters after their story ends. It's also a good book as a standalone, but much better if you read Finding Southern Comfort. It's also a perfect Christmas (holiday) story. I do think it works better if you read the first book in the series, even though it has all the elements of a good book.

I received an ARC of this book. This review is freely given.

Be My Midnight Kiss by Jean Brashear

Be My Midnight Kiss by Jean Brashear is the latest addition to the Sweetgrass Springs, Texas, books. It is the story of Stephanie Hargrove and Gavin O'Neill. Stephanie, who was introduced in an earlier book, is still reeling from the past and Gavin, who is a friend of Stephanie's friends. Sparks fly, but Stephanie is not a fan of commitment, so she resists.

All of Jean Brashear's books are great to read. Her characters are, for the most part, wounded until they meet “the one” and the way the author brings them together is always fun for the reader. All of the books are standalone books, but the characters from Sweetgrass Springs always pop up in the new books.

If you enjoy a story with likable characters, good plots, a small town filled with gorgeous down home Texas cowboys (most of whom are not really cowboys), and loyal friendships, Sweetgrass Springs is the place to go.

I was given an ARC of Be My Midnight Kiss, I chose to leave this review. All impressions are my own.

The Black Sheep Knitting Shop is where people go to learn new skills, enhance old skills, make friends, meet friends, and just visit and knit (or crochet).  It's really like every Local Yarn Store, except these friends have a habit of falling over dead bodies and solving the crimes.   Lucy is getting married and her friends decide they need to take her on bachelorette weekend at a friend's B&B in the resort community of Osprey Shores. 

Their first morning at the resort a body is found (I know, cliché but it's a mystery so there must be a dead person) and the women put their sleuthing skills to work on solving the murder.  There are a plethora of suspects and twists and turns, which makes the mystery more fun to read.   I thoroughly enjoyed trying to figure of the murderer before it becomes obvious.  I will admit to being sure I knew who it was several times.

Knit to Kill by Anne Canadeo is a really good cozy.  The characters are well defined and likeable.  This is part of a series of books by this author that take place at Black Sheep Knitting Shop, but it is not necessary to read them all to enjoy one.  The author takes the first chapter to set up the premise and introduce the characters, so the reader is never left to try to figure out who's who. 

I love cozy mysteries and Anne Canadeo is one of the authors I follow.  Not only does she write good books, she also throws in a knitting pattern and a recipe.

I requested and received an ARC of this book from NetGalley.  This review is my opinion.

Knit Mitts:

It's getting colder and the holidays are almost upon us, so I can't think of a better gift for the knitter in your life than a book of patterns and instructions. In Knit Mitts by Kate Atherley, you will find all kinds of information on how to knit mittens (and gloves) that will properly fit everyone's hands.  This book has detailed instructions on all aspects of knitting mittens, including a whole chapter on choosing the correct yarn for your lifestyle and climate.   

Another great thing about this book is that the author compiled information on fitting for the average age. The section on babies and toddlers will be of great help to anyone who want to knit for a child who does not live nearby. Also included is information on how much yarn necessary to knit a pair of gloves or mittens.

Knit Mitts is definitely a Hand-y addition to your knitting library.  Knit Mitts has information for the new knitter and for the knitter who already knows how to knit but wants to try something new. There are instructions and patterns for all skill levels

I was given an advanced copy of this book.  All aspects of this review are mine and mine alone.

Fireworks in Paradise

Tarri Feden's review 

Oct 15, 2017  ·  edit

it was amazing

Kathy Daley writes several cozy mystery series, but the TJ Jensen series is my favorite. In Fireworks in Paradise, just as TJ's family gets settled in for a vacation, TJ gets a call that her father and one of his friends were badly hurt in an accident, only it wasn't an accident at all.

As always, the mystery isn't obvious nor is the guilty party. The friends and family have changed over the course of the years, but they have all changed together so the books don't necessarily have go be read in order.

Reading is a great way to spend a Fall day, and I don't think you will go wrong with Fireworks in Paradise.

I was given a copy of this book by NetGalley, the opinions in my reviews are my own.

We'll Always Have Christmas by Jenny Hale

Noelle Parker's family's bakery is slowly going out of business since her beloved grandmother died a year ago. When Nicole loses her job and has to move herself and her six year old son home, she accepts a job as the live in helper to William Harrington. Mr. Harrington shares his home with his grandson, Alexander; however, much to the sadness of the elder Mr. Harrington, they are estranged.

As Noelle and her son, Lucus, become close to Alex, Alex is making plans to move to New York.

I liked this book. It is your quintessential Christmas romance. Noelle and her family have dozens of Christmas traditions, Alex and William have none. Can Noelle, in the time she has before Alex moves away, help them to rediscover the joys of the season. Can she bring an end to the feud between Alex and his grandfather? Can she save the family business?

I would definitely recommend this book to all the readers you like seasonal stories, because this one has it all. The characters are well drawn and likable, as are the plots (because there are definitely some subplots). The book will fit right in with the holiday season. So grab a cup of cocoa, your fuzzy slippers, and sit back in front of a nice roaring fire (or space heater, whatever is available) and enjoy.

I received a copy of this book free from NetGalley, all opinions are my own.

A Secret Garden by Katie Fford

A Secret Garden by Katie Fforde is the story of three couples of various ages as they work their way towards a hopefully happy ending. It is exactly what readers of Katie Fforde expect.

In all of the books I have read by author, Katie Fford, I have found the characters are the story; however, in A Secret Garden the estates gardens are part of the plot until Lorna and Anetha stumbles across a secret garden and decide to restore it to it's original beauty in time for Anetha's birthday party. I will admit that these were not my favorite Katie Fford characters, but they are definitely people deserving of a happy ending.

I love the locations this author chooses and the way everyone solves their own problems to get together. This is definitely a book to tuck in your wicker basket for a trip to the beach.

The Cuban Affair by Nelson DeMille

It is my opinion that Nelson DeMille couldn't write a bad book if he tried. Starting with The Charm School which I swear I read in the mid 70s, through the John Cory series that is still ongoing (I hope), I don't think I've missed a book.

While the main characters are similar each one has his own foibles and strengths.  The author gives the reader the James Bond like hero, but unlike Bond, these men are flawed and more real life like.

The Cuban Affair lives up to all my preconceived notions of what a Nelson DeMille suspense novel should include. The suspense is intense at times, the plot is intriguing and believable, and the characters are very well drawn and likeable.  The only way to improve on this book would have been if it had been an audio book, because his books are what audio books are made for.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley.  All views are my own.

The Last Weekend by Laura DiSilverio

That Last Weekend by Laura DiSilverio has more twists and turns than a roller coaster. Okay, I know that roller coasters don't really have twists and turns as much as they have ups and downs, but I can't think of anything twisty. Anyway, the author is going to keep you guessing until the last chapter (no peaking).

The premise of The Last Weekend is five college friends who meet yearly until one weekend one of the women (Evangeline) is pushed off a fifth floor balcony and the police can't figure out who among the four is guilty. That was the last weekend all of them were together.

Ten years later, an invitation arrives for each of the women and all four decide to attend. Laurel, now a judge, wants to attend to try to solve the crime, Dawn is an artist who has just not found her audience and feels like a failure. Geneva, a therapist who took some time out after college to get her act together and get on the right track, is happily married and eight months pregnant. Ellie just sent her twins off to college and is feeling a bit like a failure and ready to try something new. All of them have a reason to have pushed Evangeline, but all of them declare their innocence.

I have enjoyed all of the series that this author has published. My favorite is The Mall Cop series and I wish there had been more. This is the first standalone book I have read by Laura DiSilverio I have read. It is excellent, with more layers than I thought possible. Just when you think you have it all figured out, she throws in another twist, an angle I hadn't considered.

I look forward to the next book by Laura DiSilverio. I was given a copy of this book by Netgalley, this review is my opinion.

Finding Southern Comfort by Barbara Lohr

In Finding Southern Comfort the story revolves around Harper Kirkpatrick, a young woman who gets deserted by the her boyfriend of four years when he moves to California. Unable to make the rent and at loose ends, she takes a job as a party planner for kids parties. When the slimy Rizzo sends her out to dance at a bachelor party, she tries to suck it up and dance, but is so out of her element. The home (mansion) owner sends her packing, but unfortunately her car won't start and he finds her in the driveway the next morning. He is not amused.

When Harper finds an advertisement for a nanny, she applies and is granted an interview, turns out the dad is Cameron Bennett, a single fathers, who was also the bachelor party host. His four year old daughter has emotional problems and a severe eating disorder. Harper gets the job.

I liked the characters, except Kimmie and I don't think I'm supposed to like her. I loved that the premise of the story is unusual and watching Bella bloom from a shy little girl in frilly dresses who will only eat baby cereal, into a rambunctious four year old. I liked Connie and Jack who run the house for Cameron. I also like Harper and Cameron.

What I didn't like so much is the quick wrap up at the end of the book. It just seems like there could be a bit more.

Deadly Brew by Karen MacInerney

Deadly Brew is the most recent installment in the Dewberry Farms mystery series by Karen MacInerney and the inside is as perfect as the cover. While all of the books in the series can definitely be read by themselves, the whole series is great and the characters grow with each book.

In Deadly Brew all is not right in Buttercup, Texas. Lucy's well has run dry, her crops desperately need to be watered, and there is no rain in sight. Add to that the man who has just opened a big game hunting farm is murdered at the Fall Festival and Lucy and Tobias (Lucy's veterinary boyfriend) are first on the scene. Can you say suspects? When Serafine, the owner of the Honeyed Moon Mead Winery is arrested for the murder, Lucy knows she must try to uncover the truth, because the bumbling sheriff figures he has arrested someone and the investigation is over.

The Dewberry Farms series is the third (and most recent) series by Karen MacInerney and I like reading all three. The characters in each are as different as possible from each other, but they are all well written, likable, and inquisitive. They are people you would expect to run into at the grocery store or over the backyard fence, who just happen to have a knack for solving crimes.

Take A Chance by Natalie Ann

Natalie Ann writes feel good books about people who aren't really ready to take a chance on love and then they meet "the one".  In Take a Chance the two characters knew each other as children when Rene and her brother visited their really cool grandmother in Lake Placid.
 
Rene was a book reading, clumsy, shy young girl with a little crush on Cole.  When Rene attends her brother's wedding (Second Chance) she meets, and accepts a job with Dr. Max Hamilton (Give Me A Chance) and moves to Lake Placid.  On her first day at the clinic, she slides off the icy road and is rescued by Cole, Deputy Sheriff and twin brother of Celeste (Our Chance).  Cole did not have the easiest time growing up and is rather closed off.  His father was a stern sheriff who never left the house without telling Cole he was "the man of the house" and that he must take care of his mother and sister.  The tone his father set and their last conversation weighed heavily on Cole as an adult.  Somehow the author gets them dating and into a relationship.

I look forward to all of Natalie Ann's books. She writes about regular people, the kind you meet in your doctor's office, the grocery store, and at your local police department.  Even though all of the books are stand-alone, the characters from books one through three are there in the background so you can keep up with them. 

I enjoyed getting to know Rene and Cole through Natalie Ann's words.  Of all of this author's series (this is series number three) Rene and Cole have the most unique road to happiness.

I received an advance copy of this book in return for an honest review.  This is my opinion and review. 

Murder Wears Mittens

Murder Wears Mittens by Sally Goldenbaum is the latest addition to her Seaside Knitters Society mysteries and it is definitely a winner. It kept me guessing from beginning to end, even the wrap up was a mystery.

In this book Izzy's knitting shop and Izzy and her friends (Cass, Birdy, and Nell) are working with the community to knit hats, socks, and mittens (along with a few scarves) for those in need. When Cass runs across a young boy and his dog in the laundromat one very rainy evening, she can't stop looking until she is able to return the school uniform he dropped. When the group finally locate the family, they find Cass' aunt Sister Fiona is a champion of the family and that the mother is not home. A murder, a nosy reporter, a shocking will, and many great meals to discuss the events, knit, and solve the crimes.

As with all of her books the author weaves the story without letting on who the guilty party will turn out to be. The characters are well drawn, as you would expect after eleven books (this is number twelve) but not tiring. There are the four main women, their spouses/boyfriend, family members, community leaders, etc., etc., etc., but there is also a cast of characters in the front of the book. Murder Wears Mittens is as enjoyable as Death by Cashmere, the first in the series.