A Fool's Gold Christmas

Summer is a time for books. Every so often an easy, breezy read is exactly what you need, and this book fit the bill. The Christmas angle pulls at the heartstrings in all the right places.

Here's my review of

A Fool's Gold Christmas

A Fool's Gold Christmas by Susan Mallery
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was received from NetGalley.

This one was an easy read, low angst high sweetness factor. I haven't read the other books in the Fool's Gold Series yet so this was my first taste of Susan Mallery.

Evie was a professional football cheerleader before a freak accident broke her leg and changed her life. As she was released from the hospital and in a drugged haze from all the pain medications, her family moved her to Fool’s Gold in an attempt to ‘help’ her. Even though it was the last place on Earth Evie wanted to be. One thing she did discover while she was there that she had a passion for teaching dance, so she was hired as an instructor at Dominique’s School of Dance. Her job was fun and she loved working with the girls until one day, the head teacher ran off with a man and left Evie with the job of planning the dance school’s annual Christmas program, The Dance of the Winter King for the entire town- a program she had never seen before or had the slightest clue what the choreography was. Add in a horrible relationship with her mother and Evie’s stress level was at an all- time high when Dante walked into her life.
Dante Jefferson was a college friend of Evie’s brother, Rafe, and had moved to Fool’s Gold just after Evie. He lived in the townhouse next to her and worked in the same building as her dance studio. Inevitably in a town that size, his path intersected with Evie’s and sparks flew. The two explored the town and their feelings for one another which only grew the more time they spent together.
Family situations, work entanglements, and the past constantly cause tension in their relationship. As Christmas approaches, things become more complicated and hearts are broken. Will a Christmas miracle to fix everything? Or is the damage beyond repair?


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Seven Nights in a Rogue's Bed

Can you guess what I've been doing this summer? By the pool, on the couch, in the car. Wherever I was, I've been reading and loving every minute of it! My Nook has definitely gotten a workout over the last few months, but there's nothing better than stumbling upon a new book or series and getting lost in it.

This was my first book by Anna Campbell and I have to say I will be looking for her next one. She had great banter between the characters and wrote believable interactions between them. Castle Craven lived up to it's name and scared/enticed the reader just as much as it did poor, out of work, Sidonie.

Here is my review of:

Seven nights in a Rogue's Bed

Seven Nights in a Rogue's Bed by Anna Campbell
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book was received as an ARC from NetGalley.

I have been reading a lot of historical Romances lately and this one by Anna Campbell was hard to put down.


Sidonie Forsythe arrives at Castle Craven desperate to help her sister, Roberta, repay a gambling debt she has accrued through an unfortunate game of cards. To settle her debt to Jonas Merrick, Roberta is to ‘give herself’ to this man who also happens to be her brother in law, the illegitimate brother of her husband William. William and Jonas however, despise one another.

Sidonie knows that William often takes his temper out on his wife, so to save her sister, Sidonie decides to sacrifice herself and her virginity to the man her sister has described as the cruel, scarred, Jonas Merrick.

Jonas is surprised when Sidonie shows up in her sister’s place and does his best to intimidate her into submission, but Sidonie holds her own and refuses to be dismissed. She is going to see this thing through to the end and repeatedly offers herself to Jonas, despite her terror. She isn’t intimidated by him, or his scars which she hardly notices after their initial meeting. She’s more frightened of the feelings he awakens in her.

Jonas does the unexpected and refuses to bed the fair Sidonie as she lay naked in his bed. Instead he asks her to spend 7 days with her and allow him to convince her to willingly sleep with him. If she resists him, she is free to leave, her sister’s debt repaid and her virtue intact. And if she cannot resist him, then they will share a wonderful night together and if she becomes pregnant she must let him know. He makes her promise this so that his child will not have to grow up with the stigma of being a bastard as he has faced his entire life.
Sidonie agrees to the terms and even though she hardly knows Jonas, she is confident he will not force himself upon her, rather he will use his hands and his kisses to seduce her body and mind. Her overconfidence is tested to the limits over the next days at Castle Craven and what she and Jonas find together is more terrifying and exciting than either imagined.

Anna Campbell writes a wonderful story of sacrifice and redemption. Her characters come to life from the moment of their first interaction. The banter between Jonas and Sidonie will put a smile on your face as they try to protect themselves from what they are beginning to feel for one another. Sidonie is a strong woman who is not easily intimidated and Jonas, for all his bluster, is intrigued by her to no end. Where bedding Roberta would have been about disgracing his idiot brother, seducing Sidonie is about saving himself from his demons.

Trust, lies, and love become tightly intertwined in Seven Nights in a Rogue’s Bed by Anna Campbell. Give it a read and fall in love with Jonas and Sidonie as I did.

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Run the Risk

I love Lori Foster- I need to say that. Her books are amazing and she writes some of the best men in romance. So when I saw this one on NetGalley, I had to request it and dropped everything when it came through to read it. (Fangirl moment over)

This is the first book in a new series for Lori, and I couldn't be more excited to read the next one! Here is my review of Lori Foster's

Run the Risk

Run the Risk by Lori Foster
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I received this as an ARC from NetGalley.

Run the Risk is a book full of romance, intrigue and action. Detective Logan Riske goes undercover to bring down the slimy, but well-connected Morton Andrews the man who is responsible for the murder of Jack Carmin, a friend of his. Morton owned a local club called Checkers and had plenty of cops on the take and looking the other way as he conducted his illegal activities. After Jack’s murder, a man named Rowdy Yates who worked as a bouncer at Checkers gave an interview where he named Morton as the one responsible for Jack Carmin’s murder. But before the story could be printed, the reporter was murdered and Morton was never brought to justice.

It’s two years later and Logan hasn’t given up on bringing Anderson to justice. He’s been researching Rowdy Yates but he proves to be a ghost of sorts, one they can’t find. However Logan believes he’s found Rowdy’s sister Pepper Yates managing an apartment building under an assumed name. He rents the room next to her and assumes the identity of Logan Stark. He’s willing to do anything, including seducing Pepper if that’s what it takes to get information on her brother and use him to take down Morton.

Pepper, aka Sue Meeks, is forced to live a most boring and solitary existence. She knows how important it is to stay hidden, her brother has hammered that into her head for years. She hides behind baggy clothes and a quiet demeanor, hoping no one will figure out who she really is so she can protect herself, and her brother. Things seem to be going well until the super sexy Logan Stark moves in next door. Every day she sees him, standing shirtless on his porch, watching her come home from running errands and every day he gives her a sexy smile and insists on a conversation. His heated stares and gorgeous body make it hard for Pepper, living as the mousey Sue, to keep her distance.

Logan finally breaks through all of Pepper’s defenses and makes progress, only to find out nothing about her or her situation was what it seemed. Even more surprising than that were the genuine feelings he begins to develop for her. When Logan and his partner Reese finally get Rowdy into custody, the truth comes out and they realize how much danger Rowdy and his sister are in and the two officers are forced to join forces with Rowdy so the truth can come out and Morton can be finally brought to justice.

Run the Risk is sexy, action-packed romance that takes countless twist and turns. Nobody is what they seem in this story and Lori Foster does an amazing job slowly peeling back the layers to reveal who each of the characters truly are.

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An Outlaw's Christmas

About 6 weeks ago I received this book from NetGalley and enjoyed it so much, that I was compelled to go back to the beginning of the McKettrick series and get to know all of the McKettrick men- since Sawyer stole my heart with his quiet confidence and charm.  This book also made me a fan of Linda Lael Miller and I have enjoyed reading her books more than I can say.

From beginning to end, this one had me.
Here's my review of Linda Lael Miller's

An Outlaw's Christmas

An Outlaw's Christmas by Linda Lael Miller
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A great holiday read!

An Outlaw’s Christmas is a sweet and endearing story about two people finding love in the most unusual of places.

Sawyer McKettrick arrives in Blue River, Texas looking to get away from some things in his past. His cousin Clay lives nearby and Sawyer is going to take over his job as town marshal for the time being. As soon as he gets off the train, he is shot by an unknown assailant. Spooked, his horse takes off and Sawyer, injured and barely conscious hangs on until the horse come to a stop beside a tiny building in the middle of a raging snowstorm. Sawyer falls from the horse and passes out in the snow.

Piper St. James relocated from Maryland to take the job as the schoolmarm in Blue River. Her home consisted of a small room built off the back of the one room schoolhouse. It wasn’t much, but it was all she had. Her cousin Dara Rose had recently been married and sang the praises of Blue River, causing Piper to make the long trek across country to be near her only family. However when she got to Blue River, it wasn’t all she thought it would be so she was saving all her meager earnings to buy a ticket back to Maryland. Everything changed one night in the middle of a snowstorm when she sees a horse standing outside her window. She rushes outside and finds a man, shot and unconscious in the snow at her feet.

Using all her strength and resources, Piper manages to drag the man into the schoolhouse and tends to his injuries as best she can. He weaves in and out of consciousness over the next day, but to Pipers relief, he stays alive until help arrives. Clay, Dara Rose’s husband comes to check on her when the weather clears and is shocked to discover his cousin Sawyer passed out on the floor of the schoolhouse. He gets the doctor and they quickly tend to Sawyer’s injuries but determine if they try and move him, Sawyer will not survive the trip so much to Piper’s chagrin, they carry him to her bed and leave her, a single woman and schoolmarm to tend to this stranger’s injuries. Piper is terrified what the town gossips will say about her, but knows helping Sawyer is the right thing to do, so she concedes.

As Sawyer slowly recovers, he and Piper slowly grow an awkward situation into a blossoming, sweet romance that ends with true love.
An Outlaw’s Christmas is a charming story of hope, dedication and redemption that will have to smiling and bring tears to your eyes. Linda Lael Miller weaves a beautiful Christmas tale that hits all the right notes to warm your heart.

This was my first novel by Linda Lael Miller and I was hooked! After this, I started with book one of the McKettrick Series and have enjoyed them more than I can say.

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McKettrick Series

I stumbled into this series by getting an ARC of one of Linda Lael Miller's other books in the series from NetGalley and have been completely sucked into the world of the Triple M Ranch and the McKettrick men. I devoured High Country Bride and the second book Shotgun Bride and am taking a break to write this review, then I'm picking up my Nook and jumping into Secondhand Bride. I hope you give this series a chance and pick up the first book.

Here's my review of

High Country Bride

High Country Bride (McKettrick Cowboys, #1) by Linda Lael Miller
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

So I LOVED this book and have fallen in love with this series! I was lucky enough to get and ARC of one of her other books in this series (review coming closer to release date) but after reading and enjoying it, had to start at the beginning. I'm happy to say, I wasn't disappointed!


High Country Bride is about the McKettrick men Rafe, Kade, and Jeb who live with their father on the Triple M ranch in Indian Rock which is in the middle of the Arizona territory in 1884. Their father, Angus McKettrick is tired of their wild ways and wants them to settle down. He tells his sons that whichever of them gets married and gives him a grandchild first will get the controlling interest in the ranch. His sons, not wanting to answer to one another, grudgingly scramble to find themselves a wife first.

In Kansas City, Emmaline Harding lives with her Aunt Becky in a brothel. Her aunt has sent her to the finest finishing schools and protects her from 'the business.' One night, Emmaline, feeling not herself dresses up as one of the working girls and goes downstairs to have some fun. She meets a Texan who she flirts with and drinks a little too0 much whiskey with. She kisses him in the hallway and stumbles into a room with him. The next morning she wakes up, in a bed wearing her underclothes, with a pile of coins on the night stand. She has no recollection of what happened but when her aunt finds her stripped and sees the money she screams at Emmaline and throws her out. Hurt and shamed, Emmaline signs up to be a mail order bride and is sent to Indian Rock as Mrs. Rafe McKettrick.

Rafe and Emmaline have many struggles in this entertaining western historical romance but eventually find love only to have that one indiscretion from Kansas City follow Emmaline to Indian Rock complicating and threatening to ruin everything she has built between herself and Rafe.

Linda Lael Miller creates an entertaining family in the McKettricks with a wonderful supporting cast of characters in town that add color and humor to the story.

What I liked: The McKettrick men- all gruff and stubborn with no idea how to handle women. And the housekeeper, Conception, doesn't shy away from putting them in their place when they get out of line. Emmaline is a great character with brass and balls.

What I didn't like: I figured out the big secret right away, so there was no aha moment for me when the truth came out, but watching it all play out was very entertaining.

I highly recommend this series if you enjoy western historical romances. I've read the second books and am getting read to crack into the third book and they keep getting better. I've laughed, I've cried and I've thoroughly enjoyed High Country Bride by Linda Lael Miller. I hope you do too.

Thanks for Reading my Mind.

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You Don't Want to Know

Even the title sounds creepy....

I was lucky enough to get this book as an ARC from NetGalley and when I saw a Lisa Jackson book, I jumped at the chance to read it. She comes up with the greatest ideas wrapped in the most interesting cast of characters. In this book, Ava is a woman going through a terrible time. Her son is missing and she has lost almost two years of her life grieving, searching and mourning. Anti-depression drugs, hospitals and misery are all she knows. She can't remember the events of yesterday let alone things that happened months, or weeks ago. All she can think about in her haze is finding Noah.

Here is my review of

You Don't Want to Know

You Don't Want To Know by Lisa Jackson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I received this ARC from NetGalley

You Don’t Want to Know is a suspenseful novel filled with an intriguing cast of characters who will keep you guessing until the bitter end. Just when you think you have it figured out, Lisa Jackson throws another twist into the mix that turns everything you thought you knew upside down.
Ava Garrison is a woman tormented by the disappearance of her son, Noah two years ago. She’s been in and out of mental hospitals as she tries to deal with her loss, heavily medicated and for the most part has lost contact with reality. She can’t remember things happen in her daily life, she loses time and has little connection with people anymore. Sequestered in the family/s home on Church Island, Ava is constantly plague by visions of her missing son and questions about what could have happened to him.

Church Island has also had its share of tragedy and infamy. There was a mental hospital for violent criminals which was housed on the island. Lester Reece was a serial killer with money and an excellent attorney who got him placed as a patient at Sea Cliff. He escaped and was never found. His escape ruined Ava’s uncle, who ran the facility and he had to retire in shame. Locals for years have reported sightings of the serial killer, but he has never been caught. When the sightings start again, everyone is on edge.

On the island Ava is surrounded by people, all with an opinion on what is best for her. Her husband Wyatt, her cousin, the doll-carrying Elvis loving Jewel-Anne who is confined to a wheelchair because of a boating accident but never misses an opportunity to make a dig at Ava and her lose grasp on reality. Add to the mix a bitter friend, a sketchy psychiatrist Ava is convinced is having an affair with her husband, servants, therapists and various relatives and spouses and you have all the makings of a nervous breakdown for an already fragile woman.
Convinced she’s again seen her son standing on the edge of the dock, Ava races out into the night and throws herself into the sea, only to be rescued by a mysterious man her husband recently hired by the name of Dern. Ava’s family is convinced she’s again on a downward spiral but Ava fights through the fog of her drugs and makes the decision to find out what happened to Noah. She secretly stops taking her medication and her head begins to clear. She is still missing large block of her time and events from her past but slowly, she beings to put the pieces together and finds out the people closest to her aren’t as trustworthy as she thought.

As she becomes more of her old self, she discovers someone is trying to drive her crazy. She begins hearing Noah crying and a calling for her in the middle of the night, but no one else admitted to hearing it. While outside she saw movement at the window in what had been Noah’s room. As she raced inside she found a soaking wet pair of Noah’s shoes on the floor. As she tries to put the pieces of the puddle together, she hits wall after wall. On the mainland her friend Tanya helps her get some recording equipment so she can find out who is messing with her head and why.

Dern continues to watch over Ava, popping up whenever she’s in trouble. Her marriage to Wyatt is in name only with them bickering more than getting along so she begins to develop feelings for Dern and his protective nature, but Dern has secrets of his own that will rock Ava when exposed.
You Don’t Want to Know is an action packed novel. Lisa Jackson created an intriguing cast in this book, many of whom you will love to hate. Ava doesn’t know who to trust or where to turn and you can feel that as you read. Everyone is suspect, everyone is less than kind to Ava in one way or another, but the real question is who hates her enough to torture her with her loss. And what actually happened to Noah? Will she ever have closure on that horrible day two years ago?

I highly recommend You Don’t Want to Know, especially if you’re looking for some heart pounding action that will have you cautiously looking around dark corners for days.

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Within Reach

Within Reach by Sarah Mayberry
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I received this ARC from NetGalley


Within Reach by Sarah Mayberry

Within Reach is a beautifully written book by Sarah Mayberry that looks at people finding love after a tragedy. Angela and Billie are best friends and have been since their days in boarding school. Angela designs jewelry, travels and lives the single life while Billie is a woman who has it all: a wonderful husband, two wonderful kids and a life full of fun. On her thirty-second birthday, Billie suffers a heart attack and dies. Her husband Michael and her two children Eva and Charlie are left to pick up the pieces and find a way to carry on.

Angela spends as much time as possible with Michael and the children, providing support and heling them get through the days immediately after Billie’s death. Ten months later, Angela shows up at Michael’s house and finds him and the children living what she calls a ‘half-live.’ She goes out on a limb and tells him as much and encourages him to go back to work and start living again, that Billie wouldn’t want him to be miserable.

Eva and Charlie are Billie and Michael’s amazing children and both Angela and Michael do everything they can to support the children and get them through their loss. Eva is a whirlwind, much like her mother, and often sees more than the adults do within the story. Angela loves spending time with the children and Michael, it helps her feel like she is doing something to help them all move forward.
What began as a tentative friendship between Angela and Michael grows into something much more. Both are shocked and scared of the feelings that develop between them as time goes on, but in the end they find it’s far more painful to be apart than to wade through their murky feelings and see what they really mean. In the end, they find a love that is real and based on the future, without forgetting Billie and how important she was in both of their lives.

Within Reach had me laughing and crying through and through. The way Angela interacts with Billie and Michael’s children and deals with the harsh realities of their loss is amazing and very human. She isn’t perfect, she makes mistakes as does Michael as they try and understand the new feelings they have for one another. What Sarah Mayberry wrote is a beautiful story of overcoming loss to find what is waiting in the future. I highly recommend it, just make sure you have some tissues nearby…

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