An Affair at Stonecliffe

An Affair at Stonecliffe- Candace Camp

HQN

Release Date: May 24, 2022

Rating: 📚📚📚📚📚

Synopsis: Noelle Rutherford would do anything for her young son, Gil. A fiercely independent woman recently widowed, Noelle is determined to raise Gil alone. After all, her late husband Adam Rutherford married her for love, which infuriated his aristocratic family. Gil is Noelle’s whole world, and she will not have him wrested from her by haughty nobles.

But she may not have a choice unless she’s prepared to run.
 
One awful night, Noelle is confronted by Carlisle Thorne, a handsome yet severe, irascible man sent by the Rutherfords. Noelle is horrified when Carlisle offers her money in exchange for taking Gil to be raised at the Rutherford estate, Stonecliffe. Knowing that Carlisle will use any means necessary to take her son from her, Noelle flees, Gil at her side.
 
Thus begins an epic rivalry that spans five years—a battle of wits between two unforgettable characters bound together by fate and fortune. However, when danger threatens, these enemies must come together to protect what matters most… even if it means losing their hearts.

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This book in a new series by Candace Camp was so wonderful to read, I ended up not being able to put it down and read the whole thing in one day! You instantly connect to the emotions of Noelle, a young widow trying to raise her infant son, cope with her grief at her husband's death, her fear of being destitute, and then in comes Carlisle Thorne, a friend of her husband's aristocratic family, wanting to buy her baby and take it away from her to her husband's family. She runs and is on the run for the next five years, avoiding attempts of kidnappers to take her son. When Noelle and Carlisle meet again her fear and his exasperation come across as if you are feeling them yourself, and the reader starts to wonder (before the main characters) if there is something else going on- because if Carlisle is not behind the kidnapping attempts, who is? 

There are some excellent plot twists right up to the end to keep you guessing. Every secondary character is well done, and essential, and you instantly want to know more about them. I can't wait for characters like Nathan, Annabeth, and Sloane to have their own books to discover their secrets! Noelle and Carlisle shift from enemies to lovers with what felt like the right amount of timing and tension, and a delicious amount of chemistry and misunderstanding. Noelle may be one of the strongest characters I've read in awhile- she takes everything life throws at her and refuses to break under any of it. 

Beautifully written, well paced, and delightful characters, this is an absolute must read for romance readers. Candace Camp fans will rejoice in the start of this new series!

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Summer of No Attachments

 

The Summer of No Attachments- Lori Foster

HQN Books

Release Date: June 22, 2021

Rating: 📚📚📚📚

Symopsis: After putting the brakes on her dead-end relationship, local veterinarian Ivey Anders is ready to soak up this summer on her own terms. The way she sees it, no dating means no disappointment. Why complicate life with anything long-term? But when she meets Corbin Meyer—and his troubled young son, Justin—Ivey’s no-strings strategy threatens to unravel before she can put it into practice.

Trust doesn’t come easy for Ivey’s best friend, Hope Mage, a veterinary-clinic assistant who’s affected by an incident that’s colored every relationship she’s had. Though Hope’s happy for Ivey, she can’t quite open her own heart to the possibility of love. Not just yet… Maybe not ever. Soon, however, she’s faced with a dilemma—Corbin’s older brother, Lang. He’s charming, he’s kind…and he may just be the reason Hope needs to finally tear down her walls.

And as the sweet summer months unspool, the two friends discover love won’t give up on them so easily.

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Corbin is a laid back guy who's just discovered he's a dad- to a 10 year old boy. Corbin and Justin move to  the small town of Sunset and meet Ivey, a veterinarian with a huge heart for both animals and people. Having just broken up with her boyfriend, Ivey is planning on having a summer of no attachments- just casual, laid back fun. The biggest attachment she'll have is to a new dog, Daisy, and her pups that have come into the clinic. That plan goes out the window as soon as Ivey and Corbin meet. The two click perfectly. It isn't just a case of explosive chemistry- it is better than that. They click. They discover that together they are the better versions of themselves, that supporting one another makes them an incredible unit. Neither planned to find forever, both are worried about what too much change could do to Justin, but how do you ignore it when the perfect partner falls into your life?

It might sound sappy, but I loved Lori Foster's book because of how easily and nicely the people fit together. This wasn't a story of instant lust, chemistry and danger. It was a story of family and friends who are family, of support and discovering who you are and who you can be.  Ivey didn't have to change anything about herself to fit into Corbin's life, they worked simply by being themselves. I loved how the character of Hope, Ivey's friend, was written- someone who's lived through trauma and is slowly becoming comfortable with herself and others again. Ivey supports her with friendship instead of pity and never suggests Hope can't or shouldn't do something because of her fears. The two women simply give it to each other straight and support whatever decisions are made. Hope gets to come out of her shell and still face some of her past, and we get to see her grow and move on as she does. Hope may be a 'secondary' character but she (and her relationship with Corbin's brother Lang) never feels secondary, and gets plenty of page time and development.

An overall lovely new book, this looks at family and friends, the bad as well as the good, and how we are all more able to face the bad when we have a solid core of good in our corner. And never have to change who we are to get it. A book of humor and fun, heart and heat, a perfect summer romance.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Her Scandalous Pursuit

Her Scandalous Pursuit (Mad Morelands Book 7)- Candace Camp
HQN Books
Release Date: January 28, 2020

Rating:
📚📚📚📚📚

Synopsis: Thisbe Moreland is used to men not taking her seriously. As a scientist, she’s accustomed to being the only woman at lectures and meetings, her presence met with scorn and derision. So it comes as a pleasant surprise when she sits next to a handsome young man who is actually interested in having a conversation about science.

Desmond Harrison cannot believe his good fortune when he sits next to Thisbe—she’s intelligent and incredibly beautiful. He longs to see her again—but he’s ashamed of his low birth. Not to mention his employment with the infamous Professor Gordon, a formerly respected scientist who turned to spiritualism and is now deeply scorned.When Professor Gordon demands that Desmond recover an artifact for him—an ancient object reputed to have terrible power, known as the Eye of Annie Blue—Desmond realizes that only Thisbe holds the key. Desmond must choose between his love for Thisbe and his loyalty to his mentor…but humanity’s very future will depend on his choice.

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Finally, Candace Camp has written the prequel to her Mad Morelands series! Thisbe and Desmond have been married since book one, but how did they meet?  Each of the Mad Morelands books (His Wicked Charm) has included a hint of the supernatural, but Desmond and Thisbe are both scientists who don't believe in ghosts or magic- just what they can see and measure.

Thisbe Moreland has had to be strong and stubborn since she decided to become a scientist.  She has several marks against her. One: she's a woman, and everyone knows women can't think rationally or analyze anything.  Two: she's the Duke of Moreland's daughter, and everyone knows aristocrats might dabble in things, but they don't have careers.  Three: she's the Duke of Moreland's daughter and everyone knows that family is odd at best, mad at worst. She's never felt a connection to a man before, but when Desmond Harrison sits next to her at a lecture everything changes.  They develop a sweet romance based on mutual respect and appreciation- and attraction- but Thisbe doesn't want to tell him she's an aristocrat and have him change the way he sees her.  Desmond is shy and lives in his head, always wanting to know the why's behind everything.  He doesn't want to admit to Thisbe his low birth, or that his father was sent to Australia for theft.  

All that could get straightened out if it wasn't for Desmond's work.  His mentor is determined to prove that ghosts exist and to do that he wants Desmond to steal a relic called Annie Blue's Eye.  Desmond doesn't want to steal anything- and then finds out that Thisbe's grandmother has the relic! Now he's afraid Thisbe will think he made up to her just for the Eye and he'd rather lose his work than Thisbe. But spiritualism can lead people down dark paths and when Thisbe is threatened, Desmond has to decide how to protect her- even if that means giving her up.

Her Scandalous Pursuit brings long-time readers back to the world of the Morelands, where romance and mystery blend with a hint of supernatural in a way that shouldn't put off too many readers of "regular" historical romance.  The writing and characters are strong and flow well, and emotions run high, making for a book you won't want to put down.     

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review

All Fired Up

All Fired Up (Road to Love 3)- Lori Foster
HQN Books
Release Date: November 19, 2019

Rating:
📚📚📚

Synopsis: Charlotte Parrish has always wanted a certain kind of man: someone responsible, settled, boring. Bad boys need not apply. But when her car leaves her stranded and a mysterious stranger with brooding eyes and a protective streak comes to her rescue, she can’t deny how drawn she is to him. In town searching for family he’s never met, Mitch is everything she never thought she wanted—and suddenly everything she craves. 

Finding his half brothers after all these years is more than Mitch Crews has allowed himself to wish for. Finding love never even crossed his mind…until he meets Charlotte. She’s sweet, warmhearted, sexier than she knows—and too damn good for an ex-con like him. But when his past comes back to haunt him, putting Charlotte—and the family he’s come to care for—in danger, Mitch isn’t playing by the rules. He’s already surrendered his heart, but now he’ll risk his life.

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Book 3 in Lori Foster's Road to Love series (Driven to Distraction, Slow Ride) introduces readers to Mitch Crews, the illegitimate half-brother of Brodie and Jake.  Mitch has had a rough life, full of neglect and abuse, but has tried to do the right thing throughout.  Being a driver once on a deal he thought would protect his addict mother landed him in jail for five years- which honed his self-preservation instincts and left him tough but not cruel.  Once out of jail he wants to meet his unknown half-siblings and see if starting a new life might include new people.  But he's unprepared for the warm welcome he gets from not only his brothers, but their mother, and their best friend Charlotte as well.  He's also unprepared for the instant chemistry he has with Charlotte.

You can always count of Lori Foster to include some adorable animals in her books, but this is the first book I can think of where Mitch's rescue dog, a pit bull mix named Brute, is such a perfect reflection of his person.  Both have been abused and neglected since childhood, neither trusts easily or has any idea what to do with unthreatening, non-judgmental acceptance.  Both might want love, but don't know how to handle family. And both are willing to take a bite out of anyone who threatens the family they do claim.  Mitch might have hoped for a chance to build a relationship with Brodie and Jack, but he never expected the acceptance he gets and has no idea what to do with it.  It is both sweet and heartbreaking to see Mitch (and Brute) awkwardly try to work out how to interact with their new family when their expectations were so different.  Fortunately, the Crews family is pushy enough not to let Mitch back away once they have him and they teach him just what family is supposed to mean.  Mitch's relationship to Charlotte is similar: he's sure he's no where near good enough for her and as much as he wants her he backs away for her sake- and Charlotte isn't willing to let him back off too far.

Above everything, All Fired Up is a book about family.  What it can be, what it should be, and how the really good ones are with you through the bad times as well as the good ones.  When a drug dealer from Mitch's past threatens him, the entire Crews family steps up and surrounds him, both with love and with support of whatever violence might be necessary to end the threat.  Mitch's new family might be a little kooky and a lot pushy, but he's on the road to learning that true family, like true love, is always willing to help you bury the bodies when needed.

Book 3 in a series, All Fired Up doesn't necessarily need to be read in order but could be a stand alone for new readers.  The writing isn't as tight as some of Foster's books and drags in a few spots thanks to some repetition, but overall it's full of wonderful chemistry between Mitch and Charlotte, entertaining interactions among the family, and insanely adorable dogs.  Grab your furry friend to read alongside you and enjoy! 

I received an ARC of this book from BetGalley in exchange for an honest review

The Princess Plan

The Princess Plan- Julia London
HQN Books
Release Date: November 19, 2019

Rating:
📚📚

Synopsis: Nothing gets the tongues of London’s high society wagging like a good scandal. And when the personal secretary of the visiting Prince Sebastian of Alucia is found murdered, it’s all anyone can talk about, including Eliza Tricklebank. Her unapologetic gossip gazette has benefited from an anonymous tip about the crime, prompting Sebastian to take an interest in playing detective—and an even greater interest in Eliza.

With a trade deal on the line and mounting pressure to secure a noble bride, there’s nothing more salacious than a prince dallying with a commoner. Sebastian finds Eliza’s contrary manner as frustrating as it is seductive, but they’ll have to work together if they’re going to catch the culprit. And when things heat up behind closed doors, it’s the prince who’ll have to decide what comes first—his country or his heart.

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A Pride and Prejudice/Cinderella-type story, The Princess Plan features as its' heroine Eliza: a spinster with a bit of a scandalous past who lives quietly at home, taking care of her blind father and living vicariously through her sister and best friend.  When her friend gets Eliza into a masquerade ball, all she wants is to see the crown prince of Alucia, and maybe say hello, so that she has one shining moment in her life to remember.  A few twists and turns later, she and Prince Sebastian are in love and trying to solve a murder.

Eliza is a refreshingly unconventional heroine. A spinster at 28, she has accepted her place in life and doesn't worry about her reputation, or what society thinks she should say, act, or do in any given situation,  She says what she thinks and acts according to her own beliefs instead of society's. Sebastian is at first appalled, then intrigued, then fascinated by this strange woman- she offers no deference to him merely because he's a prince and doesn't bow and scrape like everyone else.  When he acts like a jerk, she calls him on it- even throwing him out of her house because of his rudeness.  As might be expected, the very things about Eliza that drive him crazy are what appeal to Sebastian,  and they fall in love without intending to.

While you might expect the murder of Sebastian's friend and secretary to become the focus of the book, sadly the murder gets pushed to the side in order for our hero and heroine to spend the most time possible bemoaning their situation in life and their futile love.  Readers, as well as Sebastian, go for chapters barely remembering that they are trying to discover a murderer and possible plot against the crown, Sebastian, when he remembers, almost doesn't care because he is so miserable about being a prince who can't marry the woman he loves.  While readers might expect that from Eliza, who doesn't have the power to change anything, I was rather hoping Sebastian would grow a spine and figure out how to solve things long before he actually does.  If not in regards to Eliza, at least regarding his friend's murderer, who is rather obvious.

As much as I enjoyed Eliza- a quick witted and completely natural, delightful woman- I never warmed up to Sebastian.  I never felt any chemistry between them and had a hard time with how stilted and unnatural the relationship felt. We don't learn much about Sebastian's country, Alucia, the rebellions mentioned, or the trade agreements he is working so hard on with England- none of that seems to matter much and is merely background to let him be a prince, and thus, in a difficult marriage position. Julia London's writing style is light, charming, and witty, always a pleasure to read, but I had trouble staying interested in the characters and plot, and felt like it dragged a bit.  I found The Princess Plan a bit of a slog to read, but I'm hoping that was just me and others will enjoy it more.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Strangers She Knows

Strangers She Knows (Cape Charade 3)- Christina Dodd
HQN Books
Release Date: September 17, 2019

Rating:
📚📚📚📚

Synopsis: I have three deadly problems:

1. I've seriously offended a maniacal killer.

2. I just had a bullet removed from my brain.

3. My new daughter is growing up too fast--and she's in the line of fire.

Living on an obscure, technology-free island off California means safety from the murderer who hunts Kellen Adams and her new family.... Or does it? Family time becomes terror-time, and at last, alone, Kellen faces a killer playing a cruel game. Only one can survive, and Kellen knows who must win...and who must die.

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After years of fighting for it, Kellen Adams is finally starting to have the life and family she always wanted.  Her only problems now consist of recovering from brain surgery and her daughter Rae growing up too fast- while Kellen is only just getting used to even having a daughter! Then Kellen and husband Max learn that their old enemy, psychotic serial killer Mara Phillips, has escaped prison and is hunting them down.  The small family moves to a tiny, technology-free island off the coast of California for safety while the professionals track Mara down.  Family time has potential for bonding time, but also for danger when Mara and a typhoon visit the island.  Kellen knows it's up to her to face Mara- and only one of them can come out of this game alive.

Strangers She Knows concludes Christina Dodd's Cape Charade series (Dead Girl Running, What Doesn't Kill Her) in intense style. The trilogy has followed Kellen Adams: Army veteran, hotel manager, and a woman who has had more than her share of hardships, danger, and surprises in life, as she becomes part of a family with Max and Rae while still balancing danger and duty. The first part of Strangers focuses mostly on Kellen getting herself back together both physically and mentally, and the three of them creating memories and bonds that they missed out on as Rae was growing up without Kellen.  This includes some humorous father-daughter bonding over repairing (or trying to) a F-100 truck, discovering the story of the previous owners of the island, and wonderful reactions to dynamite in the fridge that are classic Kellen and Max. 

 Mara Phillips (Dead Girl Running) was supposed to be locked up forever, but in true criminal mastermind fashion, Mara escapes and comes after Kellen and anyone else she believes betrayed her.  When Dodd decides to go for a crazed and disturbing villain, she comes up with a villain who will chill your blood- and Mara is definitely her crowning achievement! The last hundred or so pages of Strangers, where Mara truly sets her plans into motion, is a non-stop terrifying roller coaster of action and emotion.  

New readers won't feel completely lost since enough background is provided to Kellen's former life and Mara to keep them going, but I think readers will certainly get the most out the characters and their growth by reading the trilogy in order. And I don't think I'm giving away any spoilers when I say I hope I'm not the only one who had the ending of Jaws in the back of their minds when reading the grand finale of Strangers. Followed closely by thinking: I never saw that coming and of course that's what would happen.   Readers of suspense thrillers by Jayne Ann Krentz and J.D. Robb, and Christina Dodd's earlier thrillers, will defiantly enjoy the adventures of Strangers She Knows!

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

What Doesn't Kill Her

What Doesn't Kill Her (Cape Charade Book 2)- Christina Dodd
HQN Books
Release Date: January 29, 2019

Rating:
📚📚📚📚

Warning: Possible Spoilers Ahead!

Synopsis: Kellen Adams suffers from a yearlong gap in her memory. A bullet to the brain will cause that. But she's discovering the truth, and what she learns changes her life, her confidence, her very self. She finds herself in the wilderness, on the run, unprepared, her enemies unknown--and she is carrying a priceless burden she must protect at all costs. The consequences of failure would break her. And Kellen Adams does not break.

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When Captain Kellen Adams learned in the end of Dead Girl Running that she had a seven-year-old daughter she didn't know about, she knew that her life was going to change.  In the beginning of What Doesn't Kill Her , Kellen is trying to learn how to have a civilian life with a man she isn't sure still loves her, that man's mother (who really doesn't love her) and a daughter.  It isn't working well and Kellen is feeling lost. So when she gets offered a simple security job to help drive a potentially priceless artifact from the airport to a reclusive authenticator, she jumps on it.  Warning bells go off (and then explosions go off) and Kellen finds herself in the wilderness with an artifact, a stowaway daughter, and a bunch of bad guys trying to kill her.  While most people would call that impossible, to Kellen Adams "impossible" just means "harder to do".

Kellen is a great heroine.  She has overcome the trauma and torture of her past to become a fast-acting, fast-thinking Army veteran on par with J.D. Robb's Eve Dallas.  But, like Eve, while Kellen is confident the Army has trained her for handling life-and-death situations, she has no idea how to handle a seven-year-old daughter and all the complications that come with a new civilian family life. She doesn't instantly fall in love with daughter Rae and while Rae's father Max doesn't understand that, the reader certainly can.  Rae may be a happy and intelligent child, but insta-bonding with a strange kid is not realistic- in fiction or reality.  Having to keep Rae alive through a mountain journey teaches both mother and daughter important lessons, and the ties that develop during the trip make a much better foundation for a relationship than Max had hoped for.  As Kellen and Max begin to think that at least some of the trouble had less to do with a priceless artifact and more to do with someone wanting Kellen dead, the two of them do some much needed bonding of their own.  By the end of the book, I was convinced that the little family had a great start to a long and happy, trouble free life.  Except of course, Kellen never does anything the easy way. Be ready for a bit of a cliffhanger ending that Dodd will have to solve in the next book!

The double plot of people after the artifact and people after Kellen blended well- Dodd is a master of her craft and knows how to keep readers engaged with drama and suspense.  People who have read Dead Girl Running will be happy to see some cameos from those characters and be proud of Kellen as she continues to battle the past and the present.  People new to the series will get good backgrounds and explanations and not feel lost dropping in to the second book in a series.  And all of us will probably secretly (or not so secretly) wish we were bad-ass enough to take Kellen's life motto as our own:

What doesn't kill her . . . had better start running!

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Driven to Distraction

Driven to Distraction- Lori Foster
HQN Books
Release Date: November 20, 2018

Rating:
📚📚📚📚

Synopsis: Mary Daniels doesn’t let anything get in the way of her job acquiring rare artifacts for her wealthy boss. But this particular obstacle—huge, hard-muscled, unashamedly masculine—is impossible to ignore. Stuck in a cramped car with Brodie Crews for hours en route to their new assignment, Mary feels her carefully crafted persona—and her trademark self-control—is slipping, and she won’t allow it.

Brodie can’t imagine what secret in Mary’s past has left her so buttoned-up, though he’d dearly love to find out. Maybe then she’d trust him enough to explore their explosive chemistry. But he needs this job, so he’ll play by her rules and bide his time…until an enemy determined to outwit them strikes and he needs to get close—in every way—to protect her. Otherwise they could lose much more than a precious collectible. They could lose it all.

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Cool, controlled, and ultra-professional Mary Daniels is horrified by the man her boss wants to hire as a driver.  Brodie Crews is unprofessional, crude, and ultra-aggravating.  Worse, Mary finds that she's physically attracted to him.  The more they get to know each other the more the attraction becomes mutual- and more than just physical.  But when they are threatened because of what they are transporting, the distractions become about more than attraction.  They become about staying alive.

A new series by Lori Foster (Fast Burn) introduces readers to the Crews brothers, Jack and Brodie.  They are growing a small courier business and taking on a client like Mary's boss Therman is a great way to build up business.  Brodie can be all business or all play, loves working on cars, pushing Mary's buttons, and catering unashamedly to his adopted dog Howler.  He is as sweet, hot, and alpha as long time readers expect a Lori Foster hero to be. Mary is what we expect from a Lori Foster heroine: smart, stubborn, and driven.  Her past has made her want to blend into the background and remain separated from everyone by a professional exterior, but eventually Brodie works on getting some of her walls down and showing her it is possible to be both a professional and a woman who is loved.  He introduces her to the concept of a loving family and pushes her to accept the people reaching out to her.  It was sweet to watch Mary struggle to adjust to this new way of looking at the people in her life, and heartbreaking to think of why it was such a struggle for her.  

Distraction's secondary characters were fun and quirky, and I look forward to getting to see more of them in the next book.  I have to admit that I found the threat and the idea behind it a little thin, and kept waiting for something more to happen- but since the point of the book was really more about Brodie and Mary's developing relationship it still worked.  

While not Foster's strongest book, Driven to Distraction is full of fun characters, a sweet dog, humor, and emotion.  A good read for long time Lori Foster fans and those just discovering her.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Dead Girl Running

Dead Girl Running (Cape Charade)- Christina Dodd
HQN Books
Release Date: April 24, 2018

Rating:
📚📚📚📚📚

Warning: Spoilers Ahead!

Synopsis: Girl running...from a year she can't remember, from a husband she prays is dead, from homelessness and fear. Tough, capable Kellen Adams takes a job as assistant manager of a remote vacation resort on the North Pacific Coast. There amid the towering storms and the lashing waves, she hopes to find sanctuary. But when she discovers a woman's dead and mutilated body, she's soon trying to keep her own secrets while investigating first one murder...then another. 

Now every guest and employee is a suspect. Every friendly face a mask. Every kind word a lie. Kellen's driven to defend her job, her friends and the place she's come to call home. Yet she wonders--with the scar of a gunshot on her forehead and amnesia that leaves her unsure of her own past--could the killer be staring her in the face?

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Dead Girl Running begins Christina Dodd's new Cape Charade series with a bang.  Smuggling, stolen artifacts, murder and blackmail all within the first few pages let the reader know just what kind of pace Dodd is going to set for the book, and she lives up to it.  Running's heroine, Kellen Adams, is a puzzle of conflicting pieces: strong, intelligent, independent, while also plagued by nightmares, emotionally fragile, and not always sure she trusts her own mind.  A retired Army veteran, Kellen has been through the war zones (literally) but some of her worst nightmares happened in the United States.  She has a gunshot wound scar on her head and can't remember a year of her life.  

Dodd (Because I'm Watching) does a good job of introducing the reader to Kellen, and let's us see Kellen's confusion and divided self more and more as the book progresses.  Kellen spends most of the book trying to live up to the memory of her cousin and make her proud- only to discover that while she pretended to be that strong person, she actually became that person. In trying to solve the murders shaking up her quiet life at Cape Charade, Kellen finds herself dealing with a suspicious possible-federal agent, obnoxious hotel staff, suspicious guests, and friends she thought she knew and trusted.  Then in comes security expert Max Di Luca (of the Bella Terra De Lucas) and Kellen gets even more confused.  She doesn't know Max, but something about him seems familiar.  Could he be a part of her missing year?  The ending of Dead Girl Running was as energetic and action-packed as any action movie.  But what I liked best was that Kellen remained the independent warrior she had trained herself to be.  She didn't need Max to save her, she saved herself. Repeatedly.     

Readers should be warned that the end of Dead Girl Running isn't the end.  We have to wait until next year's What Doesn't Kill Me to answer some of the questions about Kellen's past- not to mention what she decides for her future!  But the mystery to Running is solved, so don't fear a cliff-hanger of an ending!  Dead Girl Running does contain some scenes of domestic violence and abuse. Dodd handles these scenes and their emotional aftermath with sensitivity, but readers should be aware for possible triggers.

Fans of Dodd's Virtue Falls series will cheer this move down the coast to the Yearning Sands Resort and new readers will wonder how they went so long without reading anything by Christina Dodd.  A must read for all mystery/suspense lovers! 

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

His Wicked Charm

His Wicked Charm (The Mad Morelands)- Candace Camp
HQN Books
Release Date: March 27, 2018

Rating:
📚📚📚📚📚

Synopsis: Lilah Holcutt dislikes Constantine Moreland from the moment she meets him. He may be handsome, but he’s frivolous, rash, impulsive and, worst of all, a flirt. Now that Con’s twin brother has married Lilah’s best friend, she’s seeing way more of Con than she’d like. And when Con’s sisters are inexplicably kidnapped, Lilah’s own curiosity and stubbornness get the better of her, and she finds herself swept into Con’s investigation. 

Con knows that Lilah hates him—he just wishes she weren’t so devastatingly beautiful, that he weren’t so attracted to her. Especially since they’re working closely together to solve the kidnapping, an adventure that leads them to Lilah’s peculiar childhood home, Barrow House, which sits atop an ancient fen and features an eerie maze on its grounds.

The more Con and Lilah uncover, the more they’re convinced that the answers lie buried deep within Barrow House—answers to a mystery darker than either of them could ever have realized.

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You knew from the first time Lilah and Con met in His Sinful Touch that they were meant to be together.  They bickered nonstop and went out of their way to avoid being alone together.  But since Con's twin Alex has just married Lilah's best friend Sabrina, they are sure to be thrown together often.  Con is impulsive, flirtatious, and more than willing to embrace the hint of mystic that clings to most of his family- his one complaint being that their mysterious gifts seem to have passed over him!  Lilah, with her stiff attitude, adherence to society's rules, and seeming lack of humor, constantly rubs him the wrong way.  But when Lilah doesn't hesitate to jump into a search for Con's family when they are kidnapped, he begins to think there may be more to Lilah than meets the eye.  The reader sees Lilah's layers mostly at the same time that Con does, knowing that there is plenty beneath her proper surface and getting hints but waiting along with Con until she reveals them to us.  Lilah is a wonderfully multifaceted character who tries hard to be the prim model of society her aunt has raised her to be, but finds herself chafing at the restrictions placed on her.  

When she and Con go to her childhood home, Barrow House, and we meet her eccentric Aunt Vesta, things get really complicated.  The Moreland family kidnapping seems to have less to do with the Morelands than with Sabrina and Lilah and their families.  All of Camp's Mad Morelands series touch on the supernatural or paranormal, some more than others, and His Wicked Charm twines modern Victorian ideas with a heavy does of the appeal of the paranormal that was popular during Con and Lilah's parents and grandparents time.  Past and present are inseparable though, because the puzzle they are trying to solve may have its origins two generations ago, but is very much alive in the present.  

Like the rest of the Mad Morelands series, this book can be read as a stand alone, although there are enough references to events in His Sinful Touch that readers may want to start with that book first.  His Wicked Charm is a fast-paced, brilliantly written thriller from start to finish.  Con and Lilah have smoldering chemistry that, when they finally allow themselves to give in to it, becomes a beautiful and passionate relationship that was one of the best I've read in a long time.  A perfect blend of logic and mystic, normal and paranormal, Lilah and Con balance each other and turn into a perfect team.  The mystery's twist at the end was shocking- and completely perfect. His Wicked Charm may be my new favorite Candace Camp book!   

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review 

Fast Burn

Fast Burn (Body Armor Series)- Lori Foster
HQN Books
Release Date: March 20, 2018

Rating:
📚📚📚📚

Warning: Potential Spoilers Ahead!

Synopsis:  The moment Brand Berry meets beautiful, driven Sahara Silver, the connection between them is electric. It’s also something he can’t pursue. Sahara wants him, sure—to join Body Armor, where his MMA skills, size and cocky attitude make him perfect for her elite crew of bodyguards. For Sahara, the agency always comes first, and Brand needs more. Yet when she’s kidnapped by men searching for her missing brother, he doesn’t hesitate.

Somewhere along the way, flirting with Brand for the sake of business turned very personal. Despite his refusal to join Body Armor, it’s Brand who steps up when Sahara needs him most. Now there’s no more time for games, and no point denying the hunger they both feel. They’ll escape together or not at all. But if they survive, can Sahara finally surrender control to claim this blazing passion?

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Sahara Silver has always been convinced that her brother Scott isn't dead- despite all evidence to the contrary.  She's sure she would feel it if he was gone and has always tried to look at inheriting his Body Armor agency as keeping it in trust until he comes back.  Of course, she doubts he'd agree with some of her decisions- like hiring sexy ex-MMA fighters as body guards.  One particularly sexy, not quite ex-fighter she hasn't succeeded in hiring is Brand Berry.  He's interested, and he likes her, but she hasn't managed to seal the deal.  When she gets kidnapped by men looking for her brother Sahara is thrilled to know someone besides her thinks Scott is still alive- but not so thrilled at the danger she's in now.  Brand and his friends come to the rescue, and now its up to all of them to keep Sahara safe and find out what is going on before it's too late!

Readers of the Body Armor series (Close Contact, Hard Justice, Under Pressure) have been waiting for Sahara and Brand's story for awhile now.  It's obvious where the sparks between the two should lead- but how to get them there?  Sahara is a tough woman who's used to always being in control, Brand's a confident man who uses control to win his fights.  Both have to learn how to give and take to make a relationship work.  I liked how well Foster balanced Sahara's being the boss of a male dominated agency with Brand's convincing her she didn't have to be the boss outside of work as well- and she was allowed to have more of a life than just work!  That she could be a strong woman but still compromise in her private life.  He made it clear to her that he stood behind her when it was work related, and he wouldn't try to take control from her.  It was hard for Sahara to find that balance, and I wish we'd seen a little more of the relationships in her past that made her the way she is now, but by the end we saw enough of her relationship with Scott to make her attitude pretty understandable.  But Foster continues to give us strong, likable female (and male) characters who learn to balance toughness with softer emotions like love and be better for it by the end of the book.

The mystery behind Scott's disappearance and Sahara's kidnapping gets interesting and twisted, and without giving anything away I wonder if we'll be seeing more of Ross- the ringleader behind the kidnapping.  Fast Burn is a fast-paced page turner full of Foster's usual blend of wonderful characters, witty dialogue, and intriguing suspense.  While readers new to the series won't feel lost starting with this book (each in the series is stand alone), long-time readers will be happy to see characters they already know pop up along the way.  

A great book to end the Body Armor series.  Can't wait to see what Lori Foster has in store for us next!

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review