The Engagement Embargo

 In this blog post, I reviewed Samantha Chase’s The Engagement Embargo, the first installment in the Meet Me at the Altar contemporary romance series. This daring romance will make your heart sigh and weep with joy. For Elliott Sullivan, he had four failed relationships that ended up in engagements. After his recent bride on his wedding day left him at the altar, Elliott was tired of the heartache and the dejected rejection, hoping and wishing for the one. That’s when his family had told him to go on an embargo for one year–no dating and no relationships to get him out of this funk. But when his sister’s Josie’s best friend Skylar Jennings came out to drop him food from the canceled reception she became a good listener and a great friend. For Skye, she had the hugest crush on Elliott for the longest time, and had been in love with him for oh so long. But when Josie asked her to help her out with Elliott, she did it as a friend, though they had treated her like family. At first, there was nothing wrong with a casual relationship between friends seeking advice. But after the first kiss led to their first romp, it became a game-changer and a secret romantic relationship. Skye had heard Elliott say he didn’t want the same things she did, when all they had was casual sex and nothing more.  Though Elliott had broken the embargo, he had also broken her heart in the same process. In a valiant move, he professed his love for her and claimed her as his own for their fairy tail ending that would sweep you off your feet. 

This  heartfelt contemporary romance was beautifully written, and oh so moving for a wonderful love story. I cared for both Skylar and Elliott, who had to follow their hearts to find each other and took more than a huge leap of faith. They were both meant to be together and forever. I adored the North Carolina settings and the picturesque scenic locations. The theme of this story is love might sneak up on you right before your eyes.

I rate this awesome contemporary romance,  five of five stars, for no reason. If you love endearing romances with a crush on a bestie’s brother’s trope, juicy romantic action, plenty of drama, and lots of suspenseful twists, The Engagement Embargo is the one for you. This is recommended for fans of Robyn Carr, Jill Shalvis, Susan Elizabeth Phillips and Carly Phillips.

Cheddar Late than Dead

 In this blog post, I reviewed Linda Reilly’s Cheddar Late than Dead, the 3rd installment in the Grilled Cheese Cozy Mystery series. This caper takes a big bite out of crime. It all started for Carly Hale, who owns a grilled cheese eatery in Balsam Dell, Vermont, when she was invited to host a wedding shower party for Klarissa Taddeo, one of her former high school friends, at the last minute. Though it would’ve been a perfect opportunity for her to conjure up more business for her grilled cheese sandwiches, when exactly she witnessed a shocking crime unexpectedly. When Klar’s fiance Tony was found dead, talk about total chaos at the scene. And Dawn Chapin, another former classmate of Carly’s and wedding planner, is the main suspect. Carly didn’t believe she had the gall to do it and did some sleuthing herself. Later, she discovered that the newest town manager, Gretel Engstom, had been missing for the past week. Were these two crimes connected in anyway? While she continued to run her business, she dug deeper to get close to the truth, until she became an unexpected victim and trapped with the culprit in the bitter end.

This delightful culinary cozy mystery was decadent as brie cheese and rich with twists and turns like chocolate. I cared for Carly, who was stuck into a twisted murder mystery, and had the hankering for solving the crimes.  I also felt bad for Dawn and Klarissa, who had difficult mothers who controlled their lives. I adored Havarti, Carly’s dog. I loved the windswept small town of Balsam Dell in Vermont for the location. It had rich picturesque scenic settings that painted it so well. The theme of the story is that overzealous obsession will lead you nowhere when you’re sick with greed.

I rate this book, four of five stars, for no reason. If you love heart-stopping culinary cozies with plenty of non-stoppable action, lots of intense suspense, and incredible drama, Cheddar Late than Never is right up your alley with delicious recipes to make at home! This book is recommended for fans of Diane Mott Davidson, Joann Carl, Joanne Pence, and Laura Childs.

The Chocolate Garden

    In this blog post, I reviewed Ava Miles’s The Chocolate Garden, the 2nd installment in the Dare River contemporary romance series, this beautiful love story will sweep you off your feet and make you cry tears of joy mixed with sadness.  Tammy Lynn Hollins has a vision for her dreams. She’s newly divorced and a mother of two young kids. But with her mother berating her and her self-esteem, it makes her feel worthless. Her mother didn’t believe her when she told her about the abuse she succumbed to from her previous husband. And she didn’t think a woman like her would be successful as a visionary gardener. When John Parker McGuinness, her brother’s best friend, asks for her to make a chocolate garden for him, she had a perfect vision for it as he was her first client. This started a wonderful building relationship between them as they grew closer together. Things changed, when there was a break-in at her brother’s rental home they stayed at, and concerns about the leak about the monetary payoff for her divorce. To provide a safety net for Rory and Annabelle, they crafted a story about the chocolate garden and temporarily stayed at John Parker’s house when they fell in love. But things changed again, when her mother did an about-face who took her side when she faced her ex, and applauded her efforts on her newfound career as an independent business woman. Though they love each other profoundly, the talk about marriage has caused a rift between them, when she’s not ready to take that step. But maybe JP can maybe show her a new outlook of them as a couple to change things for themselves to have a brighter future.  

This beautiful tear-jerking and heartfelt contemporary romance will pull your heartstrings real taut and move you to pieces. I instantly cared for Tammy and her feelings for John Parker. She had been through a lot as a young Southern woman who wanted to make a name for herself and her family.  John Parker is a handsome and sweet piece of eye candy as well. I liked the same story of her sister, Amelia Ann, and her crushing feelings for Clayton, that builds into the third installment of the series. I loved the idyllic locations of Meade and Dare River County between Mississippi and Tennessee. The scenic settings were mesmerizing and picturesque. 

I rated this book, five out of five stars. If you love beautiful love stories that moves with your heart with non-stop romantic and dramatic action and suspense, The Chocolate Garden will melt your heart like chocolate. This book is recommended for fans of Jill Shalvis, Robyn Carr, Kristan HIggins, and Hallmark movies. 

The Lost

    In this blog post, I reviewed Jeffrey B. Burton’s the Lost, the third installment in the Mace Reid K-9 mystery thriller series, this spine-tingling thriller is twisted and full of suspense on every page. It all started for Mace and Kippy Gimm, when they received a phone call about a kidnapping. Kennneth Druckmann’s daughter Eleanor has gone missing. While Mace and Kippy search for the missing girl with Vira, they later learn that it’s more complicated than that with her father’s sole involvement in this sadistic plot from the beginning when they tracked him down, until his own untimely demise. Temporarily, Eleanor finds out that her former nanny Britt helped keep her safe from the bad guys, though Britt was already into the thick of things. As the search is on to find Britt and Elle, so were the bad guys who had other plans for them to take them to Russia and beyond. In a race against time, Mace, Kippy, and Vira were in hot pursuit of them, and later discovered a shocking twist in the end. 

This compelling mystery thriller will keep you at the edge of your seat with full-throttle suspense on every page. I cared about Mace and his delightful K-9 dog pack with Vira leading the way. He cares about his job and his dogs, especially Sue who was injured from a previous case, and has strong feelings for his partner, Kippy. A possible good love match in the end. The scenic settings from Lake Michigan to Lake Geneva and in Detroit were picturesque for the location. 

I rated this book, four out of five stars, because I love K-9 stories featuring lovable dogs of all breeds to look for missing people or buried remains. If you love heart-pounding mystery thrillers with non-stop suspense and high-octane dramatic action, you’ll love the Lost and other books in the series. This book is recommended for fans of Margaret Mizushima, Nora Roberts’s “the Search”, David Rosenfelt, and Alex Kava.

High Spirits

  In this blog post, I reviewed Carol J Perry’s High Spirits, the second installment in the Haunted Haven paranormal series. This mystery will give you chills and plenty of intrigue. For Maureen Doherty, the newest owner of Haven House Inn, it’s around Christmas time. She needed a way to rack in the dough to bring people into her hotel and the Paramount Theater in Haven, Southern Florida. So she cooked up an idea with Ted Carr, the hotel’s bartender and chef, to serve dinner and Christmas movies. While they make a profit, Doreen dealt with the mystery of who killed Buddy Putnam 50 years ago, whose ghost had haunted the theater, and then the murder on who killed Decklin Monroe, the film projector. Were both crimes connected somehow? It’s up to Maureen, and some friendly ghosts, and her hotel staff, to put together this chilling mystery, piece by piece, before it might be too late in the end. 

This intriguing Christmas paranormal cozy is bone-cold as winter snow and will keep you guessing. I cared for Maureen, who had a lot on her hands with the hotel’s restoration, a budding romance, and being swept into another mystery in her new hometown. I do think that Ted could be good for her. I loved Haven, Florida as the perfect seaside town for the location, and the Christmas season for the theme with visual scenic settings. 

I rated this book, three out of five stars, because it left me wondering more about this cozy mystery. If you love chilling paranormal cozies with non-stop dramatic action, plenty of suspense, and goose-pimpling twists and turns, you would love High Spirits. This book is recommended for fans of Charlaine Harris’s and Emily Brightwell’s paranormal cozies to name a few, and those who love Christmas-themed mysteries.

The Winter Killer

 In this blog post, I reviewed Alex Pine’s The Winter Killer, the third installment in the DCI James Walker crime thriller series, this cold crime story is bone-cold chilling and will give you goosebumps. It’s winter and almost midnight on New Year’s Eve. when it would’ve been the perfect wedding for Libby Elliott and Greg Murphy in the Fells. But during the reception, Libby’s sister Rachel is missing. When they search for her body, DCI Walker leads his team to look for Rachel and discover her deceased in the frozen lake. Then it was up to him and DS Jessica Abbott to investigate the wedding party and to dig into her life. While they sifted through the truth through the lies like fine gold, they needed a motive and the true culprit on who wanted her dead and why.  The closer they dig to the truth, the surprising confession will leave you breathless in the end with a shocking whodunit moment.

This compelling crime thriller is a nail-biter and will leave you at the edge of your seat. I’m fond of James Walker, who’s a new father to baby Bella, and who might be up for promotion. But he worked hard to solve this complex crime by getting the job done. I like the winter season for the Fells and Cumbria, England, which were the perfect scenic settings for the dual locations. The theme of the story is revenge is a powerful motion in the heat of the moment.

I rated this astonishing crime thriller, four out of five stars for no reason. If you love heart-stopping crime thrillers that have plenty of twisted turns, non-stop suspenseful dramatic action, and a gripping mystery to solve, the Winter Killer is on the must-have to be read list. This book is recommended for fans of love crime thriller authors like PD James, Deborah Crombie, and Heather Gudenkauf.

Her Alaskan Return

    In this blog post, I reviewed Belle Calhoune’s Her Alaskan Return, the first installment in this inspirational contemporary romance series. This debut is light-hearted and uplifted by second chances, following your heart, and trusting your faith in God. For Autumn Hines, she returned to her hometown of Serenity Peak, Alaska, after a bitter divorce and a move from New York City.  She hasn’t returned to Alaska in over a decade. But during a storm on her way home, she ran into her ex-boyfriend Judah Campbell, her former true love, and kept a secret from the truth on why they’ve broken up in the first place. Besides being divorced, she was also pregnant with her first child from her previous marriage. Their bittersweet reunion wasn’t off to a good start. For Judah, a widower, who continued to mourn the loss of his wife and son Zane, he blamed everyone for their untimely deaths. But he didn’t expect to see Autumn pregnant, and back home to Serenity Peak after all these years. As they started to help each other in the right direction, her journalism career and his passion for fishing, in spite of false allegations against him, they slowly rebuilt truth and faith in each other. As friends, things started to heat up between them with an ice-melting kiss and befuddled feelings. They slowly began to ignite that spark for a second chance for a future. But one thing stood in their way: Autumn’s reason why she broke up with him in the future. Would they believe in each other and let God lead the way to a road for newfound happiness?

This emotionally heartfelt inspirational contemporary romance will make you believe in second chances to find love.  I instantly cared about Autumn and the baby she carried as a single mother. I also had compassion for Judah, who had lost so much in a blink of an eye, and wanted to regain his footing on the ground. I love the serendipitous location of Serenity Peak, Alaska, and its enchanted scenic settings for a small town. The theme of the story is to trust your feelings and give love a chance.

This compassionate, inspirational contemporary romance is a tear-jerker and heart-warming. I rated this book, four out of five stars for no reason. If you love an inspirational contemporary romance that makes you a believer in second chances with non-stop action, plenty of romantic drama, and lots of fiery sparks, check out Her Alaskan Return. This book is recommended for Hallmark Channel fans, and for fans of Colleen Coble and Kim Vogel Sawyer.