I'll Be Home For Christmas

In I'll Be Home For Christmas by Jessica Scott,  Jessica gives us a peek at military life through the eyes of both the deployed soldier, and the family left at home.

Vic is being deployed to Iraq again, and this time he has a really bad feeling about it.  Vic is the joker, always making others laugh.  This time he doesn't really feel like laughing...but he does anyway.  Nicole is Vic's wife.  She knows what to expect, but she is still lonely for him, worrying about him, and hoping he'll be home for Christmas.  In Iraq, Vic is torn between wanting to be home with his wife and not wanting to leave his team.  Nicole is really feeling the separation this time...she has her phone with her everywhere, longing for the phone calls to hear Vic's voice and assurance he's ok.  Some things Vic just doesn't want to talk about, even if Nicole wants him to talk to her.  He is terrified of losing her and she is terrified he won't come back.

I'll Be Home For Christmas is a novella in a series, but can definitely be read as a stand alone.  Jessica brings to life the horrors of war...the sorrows, loneliness, and coping mechanisms (Vic learns to sew...).  Jessica also brings to life a wide range of emotions that will leave the reader really feeling like you know Vic and Nicole.  Not necessarily their experiences, but the feelings.  Vic and Nicole are both strong people who you can't help but admire and respect.  I really liked reading about Vic and Nicole also because they were already a well established couple.

I really, really love I'll Be Home For Christmas.  Jessica will make you feel a myriad of emotions from humor, to sadness, to love and hope.  This is one of those books that will make you stop and think about what's really important.  Jessica does this with her powerful, realistic, heart felt writing.

I'd highly recommend this to any romance lover, especially military romance readers.  You won't be disappointed!

5/5 stars

Wilde Nights in Paradise

In Wilde Nights in Paradise by Tonya Burrows you're in for a wild time!

Jude left behind Libby, the only woman he's really loved 8 years ago.  Now he is a former Marine, working with his brothers for their company Wilde Securities.  The last person he expects to come walking through the door for his help is Libby's father.

Libby is now an Assistant District Attorney.  She's good at her job and takes things seriously.  So when a stalker starts getting out of hand she talks to her father about it.  Little does Libby realize he decides to take matters into his own hands by hiring Jude and his brothers to find the stalker.  He wants Libby protected, and is sure that Jude is the only man who can do the job.

Libby is stunned when she realizes what her father has done and who he has hired to be her bodyguard.  She has no intention of letting that happen!  But things quickly take a turn for the worse and to stay safe, Libby allows Jude to take her to hide out in Key West.  In that tropical paradise, Libby realizes she is still not over Jude.  She thought she'd kept her heart well guarded, but being around Jude again soon puts that theory to rest!  Libby and Jude are as attracted to each other as ever, but Libby is determined not to fall for him again after the way things ended between them - no matter how much she wants him.

Jude has always felt he was not good enough for Libby.  That doesn't stop him from feeling the way he does about her though...and time hasn't changed that.  When Libby's request for just one night together turns into a tropical affair while they hide out from a stalker, can they leave it at that?  Not everyone gets a second chance at love...if they can stop the danger, can they keep each other?

I loved Wilde Nights in Paradise by Tonya Burrows!  Jude and Libby were fun to get to know, people you could really feel for when their story started to come out.  Jude has always been the carefree, trouble maker brother ... but in Wilde Nights in Paradise we come to see a deeper side of Jude he keeps well hidden.  We feel his sorrows and pain that he doesn't let everyone see.  Libby is a strong, independent woman who we can all admire.  It seems like she deals with whatever comes her way, doesn't dwell on the bad but moves on.  Or in the case of Jude, she thinks she's moved on, but has she really?

Tonya kept me really engaged in Wilde Nights in Paradise.  The second chance romance between Jude and Libby and their histories both as a couple and individually were a bigger focus of Wilde Nights in Paradise than the mystery/suspense, but the mystery is definitely there and I sure didn't guess the who of it!

I feel Wilde Nights in Paradise is a strong introduction to a series I will definitely be reading all the way through!  I love the setting Tonya used in Wilde Nights, I felt like I could have been lying there by the pool in paradise too!

I'd recommend this to any romance reader who likes some suspense in with all the other action!

Rodeo Sweethearts

Rodeo Sweethearts by Lilian Darcy gives us a quick glimpse into the lives of Rob and Melinda, Jamie's parents from Marry Me, Cowboy.  The story line occurs simultaneously with some of the events in Marry Me, Cowboy, and it's really neat to read it like that, from Melinda and Rob's point of view this time.

In Marry Me, Cowboy, also by Lilian Darcy, we see a bit of Jamie's parents.  We learn that his mother is a 'bit vague' as he explains to Tegan, and reading about her it is obvious...but we never find out why.  Rodeo Sweethearts gives us a much more detailed look at Melinda and Rob, who they are, what they've gone through and how they've coped.  They are keeping a big secret, one that's surprisingly never come to light in the small town of Marieta.  Rob is tired of keeping the secret, and Melinda is tired of the way she is seen by others and treated by Rob...but is it enough to make her reveal her secret?

Rodeo Sweethearts is a wonderful addition to Marry Me, Cowboy!  Lilian packs a lot of feeling into this very short story, and I came away with a much better understanding of both Rob and Marilyn.  I love them both!  It was a lot of fun to reminisce with them, and at the same time so heart warming to see how much they still love each other after all this time.

If you've read Marry Me, Cowboy you must read Rodeo Sweethearts by Lilian Darcy!

Sweet Expectations

In Sweet Expectations by Mary Ellen Taylor, after a fast paced, financially rewarding career in finance comes to an end, Daisy is back in her hometown, back at the family business.  The family bakery is suffering in the economy too, and Daisy is determined to help revive it.

Daisy is in for a lot of surprises in Sweet Expectations...between renovations of the bakery, finding a long lost recipe box and the meaning behind it, and trying to rebuild a relationship with her ex boyfriend Gordon, Daisy doesn't think much else could possibly happen!  But it does and Daisy is going to have to deal with not only the expected, but the unexpected.  With her entire future completely up in the air, Daisy is going to have to accept what's happening and be strong.

Daisy might come across as a bit rigid at times, but she's soon going to realize life doesn't always go as you planned, and Daisy turns out to be amazingly (although sometimes grudgingly!) flexible.

I loved the surprises and the relationships - both past and present - that Mary Ellen Taylor gives us in Sweet Expectations.  You see what you expect isn't always what you'll get...sometimes it's sweeter.  Daisy was a fun character who didn't always do what you thought she'd do, she was really fun to read about.  She has a lot of depth to her character...and we could really see how long past events affect who she is today.

I don't usually like reading books written in the first person POV, but I found it fascinating and so interesting how Mary Ellen Taylor manages to switch from Daisy's first person POV to her sister Rachel's third person POV so effortlessly!  I enjoyed reading Rachel's thoughts and loved following her story too.  There are a lot of interesting secondary characters in Sweet Expectations.  Jean Paul, the baker, really added a lot of spice to Sweet Expectations and if there is a follow up book I'd love to read more about him!  He sounds like someone I wouldn't mind spending more time with!!

After I read Sweet Expectations I found out it is the second book in The Union Street  Bakery series.  Sweet Expectations can definitely be read as a stand alone book...I'm just hoping there is another one!

I'd recommend Sweet Expectations to any romance reader...it's exciting, funny, romantic and hopeful.

Nice Girl to Love

Violet Dukes gives us 3 great stories to love in Nice Girl to Love: The Complete Collection!

In Resisting the Bad Boy, we meet funny, easy going Abby who has a heart of gold.  Sparks fly when she meets her best friend Brian's brother Connor, but Connor hides his good self, instead being the 'bad boy'.  He limits his relationships to one month - no matter what.  When Connor and Abby hook up, is she destined to have her heart broken?  Will one month be enough for either of them?  Connor thinks he needs to set Abby free, but Abby just might not want to be free of him.

In Falling For The Good Guy, Brian is finally seeing what has been in front of him the whole time.  Abby is his best friend and has been a continuous support for Brian and his daughter ever since his wife died.  Abby is still trying to get over Connor...but she'll only wait so long and Brian intends to be there when her self imposed time frame is up.  Can Brian convince Abby to give him a chance?  Does Abby want to risk their friendship for the possibility of something more?

In Choosing The Right Man, Abby is going to have to make a choice between the two brothers.  They both want her.  She loves them both, but who is she in love with?  Connor and Brian both want the chance to show Abby how each of them is the right one for her, and they come up with a unique solution so that they can each spend time with her.  It is an emotional, overwhelming time for Abby and no matter who she gives her heart to, someone will be hurt.  But Abby is going to have to decide with her heart what is best for her.

I love the Nice Girl to Love series!  Violet gives us characters and a plot line that will draw you in quickly and effortlessly.  Going from one brother to the next is not something I'm really into and was curious how Violet would play this out, and she does a remarkable job of it, writing so well that there is absolutely no 'ew' factor or comparisons.  All of the scenes from funny, sad, to sexy are written flawlessly and worked so well into the story.

The Nice Girl to Love series by Violet Duke is a fast paced, fun romantic read.  There are serious heart wrenching moments too and that just makes the plot line all the more fulfilling for any romance reader.  You'll have to read the series to see what happens with Abby and the brothers, but you will love it, regardless of who you are hoping Abby will have her happily ever after with.  You will be left sated but looking very much forward to Violet's next book.

Promise Me, Cowboy

In Promise Me, Cowboy by C. J. Carmichael, Sage has left the rodeo circuit behind and is happy with her chocolate making shop.  The last person she expects to walk through the doors of her shop is Dawson...the man she fell for 5 years ago, and the man who happened to not mention he was married at the time.

Neither of them have forgotten the other.  Sage still feels the horror, and as much as she doesn't want to, she still feels the attraction.  With Dawson in town for the rodeo, all she can do is hope to avoid him until he leaves again.  But Dawson has no intention of leaving this time...he has a daughter who needs a stable home and he's found a new career...right in Marietta, living in the house Sage has coveted.

Dawson is ready to settle down, and Sage is someone he's never quite gotten over.  Is there any chance for them this time around?  Can Sage trust Dawson with her heart again?

Promise Me, Cowboy is a quick, entertaining romance!  We get to know Sage quickly, and are privy to her inner thoughts and secrets.  I really liked Sage, she managed to move on from her time with Dawson, and  she didn't dwell on how things turned out.  Until she sees him again...

It would be so easy to judge Dawson on our initial introduction to him, but Promise Me, Cowboy reminds the reader that things aren't always what they appear on the surface, and it is worth the time and effort to dig a little deeper.  In her embarrassment over the situation, Sage was quick to judge and run from Dawson.  From my understanding of Sage in Promise Me, Cowboy, this is not how Sage usually reacts to things that happen!

Everyone does make mistakes, and what ever the reason for them, Promise Me, Cowboy gives us hope that depite this, there is hope for love.  C. J. not only takes us into Sage and Dawson's relationship, we get little glimpses of the relationship between Sage and her father, her parents' relationship, Dawson's relationship with his mother and others.  It was really great to be back in Marietta once again and get a look at what other characters from previous Cooper Mountain Rodeo books are up to now...as well as hints of things to come.  C. J. gives us enough secrecy and intrigue that I really hope some of that is revisited in future books!

Promise Me, Cowboy is a sweet romance with some well developed characters that I'd recommend to any romance reader!

5/5 stars :)

Hot Mess

In Hot Mess by Lynn Raye Harris Georgie is no longer the teenager who threw herself at Sam. She is now an English professor working for the military, she’s been married and divorced, and lives far enough away from her family so that they can’t interfere with her life on a daily basis.

Sam has been Georgie’s brother’s best friend forever. He knew Georgie had a crush on him when she was younger, something that no matter what he felt he wasn’t going to act on since she was his best friend’s little sister. Read More