Free new book from a reputable author Aug 28, 2023

This offer will probably be limited time only, like usual for these books. This was a BookBub suggestion. They are a good source for awesome books if you haven’t experienced them yet. They ask you to specify your favorite genres, which narrows things down nicely, and they will provide a daily email which I love. Check them out if you haven’t already.

So far this is the only new book I’ve found today but things could change before we are done.

The Sleuth’s Miscalculation (The Librarian Sleuth Book 1)

Two strong-willed sleuths team up to solve a mystery. Can they work together, or will their differences pull them apart?

Librarian Nancy Daley loves a good mystery and enjoys moonlighting as a consultant for the sheriff’s department. When license plates go missing in Tipton County, she’s on the case. This time things are different—she’s been partnered with the new deputy, and he’s not interested in her help. To make matters worse, she’s angered the wrong person and is now being threatened.

Sheriff Deputy Carter Malone expects Tipton, Oregon to be a sleepy small-town, but he miscalculated. He’d come to town for a fresh start with his nephew—one without the issues big cities deal with. Had he made a mistake? To complicate matters, he’s told he must consult with the sheriff’s daughter, who is not in law enforcement. When the minor case they are working morphs into something more, things quickly go from harmless to scary.

Can they solve the mystery before it’s too late, and more importantly, what will they do about their growing attraction?

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Nothing else is showing up at the moment so I will share my current read. It is a good story, not easy to put down.

Rivers, definitely a unique woman’s name, wouldn’t you agree? Many more unique names and strong characters living in the flow of this book too.

The Art of Rivers: A Coastal Hearts Novel

Rivers Sullivan bears both visible and invisible scars—those on her shoulder from a bullet wound and those on her heart from the loss of her fiancé during the same brutal attack. Not even her background as an art therapist can help her regain her faith in humanity. Still, she scrapes together the courage to travel to St. Simons Island to see the beach cottage and art gallery she’s inherited from her fiancé. When she stumbles upon recovering addicts running her gallery, she’s forced to reckon with her own healing.

After the tragic drowning of his cousin, James Cooper Knight spends his days trying to make up for his past mistakes. He not only dedicates his life to addiction counseling, but guilt drives him to the water, searching for others who’ve been caught unaware of the quickly rising tides of St. Simons. When he rescues a peculiar blond woman and her sketch pad from a sandbar, then delivers this same woman to his deceased grandmother’s properties, he knows things are about to get even more complicated.

Tragic circumstances draw Cooper and Rivers closer, but they fight their growing feelings. Though Cooper’s been sober for years, Rivers can’t imagine trusting her heart to someone in recovery, and he knows a relationship with her will only rip his family further apart. Distrust and guilt are only the first roadblocks they must overcome if they take a chance on love.

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Well, that’s it for now. Maybe later, you never know.

New books August 24, 2023

BookBub has a FREE collection suggestion for us with a short time-frame. We’ve experienced one or two of the books from this series through the years, I think I’ve read one of them. This suggestion will put these stories back on our radar again.

Books 1-3: Pleasant Hearts and Elliot-Kings series (Collections Book 5)

UNCOMMON GROUND: The Pleasant Hearts Series Book 1 (Stella’s story)Her daughter was there, a disaster happened, and then she was gone. The agonizing search for her daughter led Stella to a future she never dreamed she could have.

UNBOUND HOPE: The Pleasant Hearts Series Book 2 (Erica’s story)A veteran air hostess scarred by her past. A US Marshal determined to nab an elusive fugitive. And a lunatic from the past who won’t stay in the past. Will their collision destroy them or prove redemptive?

UNVEILED TRUTH: The Pleasant Hearts Series Book 3 (April’s story)Fleeing home to find a fresh start across the world, led April back to the beginning she was running away from.

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Browsing, I encountered a pre-order book from another author we’ve seen often over the years just not with anything from this series. All of the books involved are stand-alone stories so that’s a good thing, since this is book 5.

Charlotte: A Christian Romance (The Halversons Book 5)

Charlotte’s Halverson’s dream had once been to fall in love, get married and have a family.

But trusting the wrong person has left her a single mother with a jaded view of relationships. Now, Charlotte is content to raise her daughter and pursue her career as an elementary school teacher.

Unfortunately, the past comes knocking, bringing with it more baggage than Charli wants to deal with.

Blake Madden could have been a wealthy man had he just followed the path set out for him.

It’s been over ten years since Blake last spoke to his family, so when he is medically discharged from the military, rather than going home, he goes to where he last felt a real sense of joy and connection: Serenity Point.

Though Blake regrets the decisions he made the last time he was in Serenity, he can’t help but hope that he hasn’t completely burned all his bridges there. He’s at a crossroad in his life, and he’s ready for a new chapter… maybe fulfilling some old promises.

Blake’s return brings with it a bunch of messy feelings and revelations that Charli had hoped to never have to deal with. Blake’s presence in her life reveals the secrets she’d planned to keep forever from her family, and she has no choice but to deal with the fall out.

Can Charli find it in her heart to forgive Blake for making promises and then leaving her? Or will the risk of being abandoned again keep her from opening her heart and life to the man she once loved?

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It’s been another good day!

A new book August 23, 2023

It’s been a quiet week, all the way around. It’s quiet today too but we do have one book, so far anyway.

It has been a while since we’ve read this author but we have read her before, at least three times.

Bitter Truth: A Green Dory Inn Mystery (Green Dory Inn Mystery Series Book 3)

Attempted murder. A hostile rescuer. And an amateur sleuth’s vow to catch the attacker before he strikes again.

Against all odds, Landon Smith and her ordinary-hero neighbour Bobby Hawke survived a murderous plot six weeks ago. Now, she’s determined to leave solving mysteries to the experts—like handsome local police officer Dylan Tremblay.

But when her friend Ciara is nearly killed in a daring daylight attack, Landon can’t sit this out. Not when she knows the anger of being a victim.

Her faith tells her to leave room for God’s vengeance. Her heart says to retaliate.

The fight to expose Ciara’s enemy will uncover secrets and betrayal that could cost Landon her life.

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Browsing exposed book three in a series we’ve been reading over the last several years. Fortunately, they are stand alone novels and can be read in any order if you are new to the series.

A Lady at Willowgrove Hall (Whispers On The Moors Book 3)

Her secret cloaks her in isolation. His secret traps him in a life that is not his own. They will have to learn to trust one another in order to find freedom in this Regency romance.

England, 1819—Cecily Faire carries the shame of her past wherever she treads, knowing one slip of the tongue could expose her disgrace. But soon after becoming a lady’s companion at Willowgrove Hall, Cecily finds herself face-to-face with a man well-acquainted with the past she’s desperately hidden for years.

Nathaniel Stanton has a secret of his own—one that has haunted him for years and tied him to his father’s position as steward of Willowgrove Hall. To protect his family, Nathaniel dares not breathe a word of the truth. But as long as the shadow looms over him, he’ll never be free to find his own way in the world. He’ll never be free to fall in love.

When the secrets swirling within Willowgrove Hall come to light, Cecily and Nathaniel must confront a painful choice: Will they continue running from the past . . . or will they stand together and fight for a future without the suffocating weight of secrets long kept?

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That’s it for today. There were a few others showing up but they are repeats of past purchases. Two is still nice though.

Currently I’m slowly working my way through several of the collections we’ve downloaded in the last while. I’m alternating between them to keep the interest levels up. The downside to this is losing track of the characters and which series they belong in. They begin to sound pretty similar after awhile. Not the story line so much as similar genre, time frame, and situations. Part of the dilemma is my fault for not putting enough effort into remembering names and faces. In spite of the occasional fogginess I’m having a good time.

Book suggestions August 17, 2023

The drought has ended. It may turn out to be a sprinkle rather than a downpour but we will take it.

BookBub has a FREE suggestion with an author we’ve not had the pleasure of experiencing. Reading the first few pages, it is engaging and makes me want to read on to see what comes next.

Many excellent authors use FREE as a incentive to hook you into reading more of their stories and I’m happy to take advantage of the offer. This one has an extremely short effective period, one day, if I read it right. I’m going for it.

Outside of Grace 

Ava Sanford longs to be known as more than the pastor’s kid. When the opportunity arises to study abroad in Scotland, she jumps at the chance to leave the Texas coast and the pressures of Grace Church behind. But she never meant to leave God, too.

Her roommate’s partying lifestyle promises the fun Ava has been missing out on—until a traumatic assault leaves her faith and pride in ruins. As her life in Scotland begins to crumble, rumors race back home, threatening her relationships with her family and friends, including Jack Shields.

A former athlete, Jack keeps his head down, working through college and coasting through life. After losing both his mother and his scholarships, he knows the things you love can disappear at any moment. But when his best friend seems to be next, the nonchalance and security he carefully guards are broken. Fighting for Ava will mean risking it all, and he can’t do it alone. Only God can show them both how far grace can go.

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Definitely a sprinkle. We have just one book this time and I don’t know about you but that is enough for me. I’m still working on the deluge we had a week ago.

Currently I’m half way through book 6 in a 10 book box set.

200+ pages each so it takes a good chunk of enjoyable time. The ratings are excellent too for this easy read.

The common thread seems to be a letter advising of the recipient of an inheritance of a billion dollars. The great pressure is the requirement of marriage within six months. Not an easy hurdle to cross for all of them. The pressure is on too because most of them have deep financial needs and this money would be the perfect solution to a precarious situation.

Sweet Water Ranch Box Set Books 1-10 (Sweet Water Ranch Western Cowboy Romance)

Cuddle up with a cowboy and enjoy these great, heartwarming and inspirational stories of love and laughter under the wide, North Dakota sky!

Book 1 – The Cowboy’s Best Friend: He’s a cowboy with a billion dollar problem. His best friend can solve it, but it might break his heart.

Book 2 – The Cowboy’s Secret Baby: Will Ty pick up his cowboy hat and come back home? Can he convince Louise that he’ll stay this time?

Book 3 – The Cowboy’s Beauty: Can he trust her with his face? Because he’s very close to losing his heart.

Book 4 – The Cowboy’s Best Friend’s Sister: Should he follow the plan, or follow his heart?

Book 5 – The Cowboy’s Convenient Marriage: The cowboy’s not afraid of anything…except losing his heart again.

Book 6 – The Cowboy’s Fairy Tale: He’s the billionaire heir of Sweet Water Ranch. His family is throwing a ball and he must choose a wife.

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My next goal today is to finish book 6 and start on 7. Should be an easy target.

More new books August 12, 2023

It’s feast week by the looks of it – and I’m not complaining, far from it.

Feast or famine is definitely a thing. Experience backs this up. I love feast but famine, while definitely not a favorite, balances things out for us. That will be next week.

So we have another box set suggestion, it’s from BookBub this time. We downloaded and enjoyed three books from this author last year. I think we’ve seen her name often in read-and-enjoyed multi-author collections too.

Heart Lake Box Set 1: Sweet, Small-Town Romantic Suspense Collection, Books 1-3 (Heart Lake Boxed Set) 

Winds of Change: Getting hired as a high school principal in her hometown is a dream come true in this sweet, enemies-to-lovers romance, except for one small detail — her ex is the new head of security…

Song of Nightingales: A billionaire heartbreaker turning over a new leaf and the small town family doctor he falls for — the one woman he can’t have in this opposites attract romance…

Perils of Starlight: A policeman who exclusively works the night shift to hide his scarred face, a lovely detective determined to solve a cold case, and the trail of clues that leads to an accidental attraction…

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Browsing showed up another interesting choice from an author we’ve enjoyed many times before. Both in stand alone books and multi-author collections. I’m excited to see this one.

The Cairo Curse (A Freddie and Grace Mystery Book 2)

Clue meets Indiana Jones with a fiction-loving twist only Grace Percy can provide.
 
Newlyweds Lord and Lady Astley have already experienced their fair-share of suspense, but when a honeymoon trip takes a detour to the mystical land of Egypt, not even Grace with her fiction-loving mind is prepared for the dangers in store. From an assortment of untrustworthy adventure-seekers to a newly discovered tomb with a murderous secret, Frederick and Grace must lean on each other to navigate their dangerous surroundings. As the suspects mount in an antiquities’ heist of ancient proportions, will Frederick and Grace’s attempts to solve the mystery lead to another death among the sands?

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This has been fun. Time to go back to, hopefully, finish my current read and move on to the new downloads I’m anxious to read.

Another new collection August 11, 2023

Today, it’s BookBub’s attractive suggestion. It’s only a 3 book collection this time not 7 or 10 like last time and this author is worth reading, sounds like a good deal to me.

The Legend of My Love: 3 Stand-Alone Novels (Stand-Alone Novels by Melissa Storm

Whether climbing ladders in the corporate world or taking care of things at home, every woman has a story to tell. This special collection of three unique stories by New York Times bestselling author Melissa Storm will speak to your heart and your mind in equal measure.

A Colorful Life weaves a captivating travelogue as three women journey to pick up the pieces of their broken lives at home and abroad.

A Mother’s Love shows just how far one mother will go–even in death–to protect her daughter from life’s hardships.

A Girl’s Best Friend proves that even the most unlikely duo can fall head over heels in love, provided there’s a cute corgi sidekick to help them find their way into each other’s arms.

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One more collection just appeared on my radar and I’m having trouble passing it up. Since we’ve enjoyed book 1 in this series it makes sense to go for all of them, right? It seems like I’m on a roll downloading box sets so what’s one more anyway.

Family Bonds Box Set – Rockyview Romances Season Two: A Collection of Sweet Cowboy Romances 

Rockyview Romances Season Two – Family Bonds
Seeking Home
A rancher who suffered a tragic loss. A tenacious single mother determined to rise above her past. Can these two find the courage to risk a new beginning?

Choosing Home
Being left at the altar has created a mistrust of men. He wasn’t able to save the woman he loved. Will their connection to a painful past help them find a future together?

Finding Home
He thought she chose her father and running his hotel over him. She thought he loved money more than her. Years later, can they fill the emptiness in their hearts?

Coming Home
At one time Naomi and Jess had been high school sweethearts until he abandoned her. Now he’s back, a reminder of their painful past. Jess doesn’t know how to prove he’s really changed. And Naomi carries a dark secret that could destroy any hope for their future. Will these wounded souls recapture their teenage passion?

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I’m spending time with mysteries again so I’ll be ready for binging on romance soon, these collections will make that easy. Always a good thing in my books. (no pun intended lol)

Filling out the series August 10, 2023

It’s a slow day for suggestions but browsing has been lucrative. There are two authors we’ve been following for some time and today’s the chance to add a few more books to the mix.

The first one; we’ve experienced four of the seven books in the series and today we get to download two more – books 4 and 5. I’m looking forward to the chance to read them.

Crashing Into Jake (Stryker Security Force Book 4) 

An injured ex-soldier struggling with being a bodyguard. A country music darling with an eerie stalker. Can he resist her allure to get the job done?

All Jake has ever wanted was to serve his country, get married, and raise a family.
When a mission goes wrong, leaving him with a prosthetic leg and raging nightmares, his plans for the future lie shattered like his career. He joins his brothers-in-arms at Stryker Security Force to help protect others, determined to find contentment in his job as a bodyguard — until protecting Chloe Rose makes him long for more.


Chloe Rose dreams of getting her break as the next country music superstar.
Though her parents would rather she buy her way in, Chloe will make it on her own or not at all.

An invitation to a Colorado music festival has Chloe believing her time has finally come. But when frightening messages arrive on her doorstep, she’s forced to hire protection. Jake is an attractive surprise, and sparks fly when he shows up.


Can Chloe trust Jake when the malicious attacks threaten all she’s worked so hard for? Will Jake’s disability keep him from saving Chloe and the love he’s found in her?

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Discovering Rafe (Stryker Security Force Book 5)

Her brother’s best friend has always held her heart. Now that she has his attention, will her happily ever after be ripped away?

Piper Fields finds contentment in managing her cousin’s music career from the safety and anonymity of staying behind the scenes.
Since her parents’ death at barely thirteen, Piper’s fear of losing others has kept her focused on caring for those she loves. Meanwhile, her own dreams have been left backstage. Not that it really mattered anyway. Her dreams were out of reach and so was her brother’s friend, Rafe Malone.


Rafe Malone approached life with a firm desire to safeguard those who couldn’t protect themselves and have fun in the process. That all changed the day a mission for the Army turned south, forcing him to take the life of a child soldier. Now, the jokester mask he wears to hide his pain is put to the test when his best friend’s sister needs his help. No matter how hard he tries to convince himself he shouldn’t taint her with his tarnished soul, her nurturing presence tempts him to break the bro code of staying away from your friend’s sister.

Can Rafe keep Piper safe when the evasive threat turns deadly? Will Piper trust what she’s discovered in Rafe or is it just another childish daydream?

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This next one is an author we’ve been following for awhile but we’ve only had book 1 in this particular series. Today, the chance is to buy the complete series in the box set and I’m delighted to have found it. There 1843 pages, how great is that?

Cold Harbor – The Entire Series Christian Romantic Suspense Collection

OVER ONE MILLION READERS HAVE ENJOYED SUSAN SLEEMAN NOVELS. NOW IT’S YOUR TURN with the entire Cold Harbor series. Readers are raving about Blackwell Tactical – a law enforcement training facility and protection services agency made up of former military and law enforcement heroes whose injuries keep them from the line of duty. When trouble strikes, there’s no better team to have on your side, and they would give everything, even their lives, to protect innocents.

Join the team as they investigate crimes and provide protection services for people whose lives are in danger and find love along the way. Now you can have all Seven of the bestselling Cold Harbor books for less than the price of 2 books. Cold Terror, Cold Truth, Cold Case, Cold Fury, Cold Fear, Cold Pursuit, and Cold Dawn.

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This has been quite the week for books. Two sets with a total of 17 books between them.

It’s tempting to keep looking but I’m going to quit now – quick, before I change my mind.

Yesterday we were blessed with Romance, today we are back to Mystery, my favorite.

It’s been a good day.

New books August 09, 2023

We have a new suggestion for an author we’ve read and enjoyed once before. This one is historical fiction and the first few pages have me wanting to read more. BookRunes has come through for us today with this idea.

Burgundy Gloves (Mighty One Book 1)

How can a God-fearing man be a Good Samaritan when a confusing young woman is making it impossible?
Levi Graham is a resilient, independent backwoodsman, who stumbles upon the injured young woman. Good Samaritan, he’s finding out the hard way, is not his best strength. In addition to caring for this beautiful, confusing woman, he encounters a robbery, a fire, visits from relatives, and the cabin’s previous owners, all disrupting his former peaceful life of solitude and trapping.
Suspended between two worlds, Allison Kent is helpless to find her way back home without hurting the kind and handsome man who has graciously taken her in.

Clutching her late mother’s Burgundy Gloves, Allison can only hope time will awaken her from this awful nightmare. Strange people, strange ideas and a strange young man looking long and ardent at her. How can she convince him she has nothing to give when she no place to call home? Will she rouse from the dark fog before she’s left to fend for herself?
Will her heart heal before she breaks his to pieces?

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It looks like this is it for today. It’s been fun browsing but one is all that’s showing up for me.

Well, that’s not entirely true. BookBub has a ten book box set suggestion that we’ve seen several times this week. One book is fine at the moment but I’m feeling reluctant to add ten more to my overloaded TBR pile all in one fell swoop.

On the other hand this collection is light-hearted romance. Maybe it would be a welcome change of pace from a long run of intense mystery.

There’s no law that says I have to finish the whole set.

OK, let’s do it.

Sweet Water Ranch Box Set Books 1-10 (Sweet Water Ranch Western Cowboy Romance)

Book 1 – The Cowboy’s Best Friend: He’s a cowboy with a billion dollar problem. His best friend can solve it, but it might break his heart.

Book 2 – The Cowboy’s Secret Baby: Will Ty pick up his cowboy hat and come back home? Can he convince Louise that he’ll stay this time?

Book 3 – The Cowboy’s Beauty: Can he trust her with his face? Because he’s very close to losing his heart.

Book 4 – The Cowboy’s Best Friend’s Sister: Should he follow the plan, or follow his heart?

Book 5 – The Cowboy’s Convenient Marriage: The cowboy’s not afraid of anything…except losing his heart again.

Book 6 – The Cowboy’s Fairy Tale: He’s the billionaire heir of Sweet Water Ranch. His family is throwing a ball and he must choose a wife.

Book 7 – The Cowboy’s Secret Romance: Called The Preacher, Clay Stryker has lived a life as straight as a North Dakota highway. He made a promise to her. And she’s riding west to make sure he keeps it.

Book 8 – The Cowboy’s Bargain Bride: Can love bloom between a woman who was forced to sell herself and the man who bought her to get her ranch?

Book 9 – The Cowboy’s Enemy: Can you love someone and hate them at the same time?

Book 10 – The Cowboy’s Mistletoe Kiss: Mack didn’t trust her, but he needed someone to help him with his nieces. She needed someone to help her put on the best Christmas festival Sweet Water had ever seen. Could they trust each other enough to work together? And what about that mistletoe kiss?

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New books August 05, 2023 Part Two

As promised, we are going for book 2 in the series that kept me up reading last night. Good job it is a short read too.

The main characters in this book played a big role in book 1 and I’m pretty sure they will not disappoint us in this one.

As well as this book there is also another good suggestion from this author and it’s regular length. It looks pretty tempting to me so it’s been added to my pile too.

.Here first is book 2 in the Honeyhaven series.

A Honey of a Christmas: A Honeyhaven Romance (The Honeyhaven Series Book 2)

They say opposites attract; it’ll take a Christmas miracle to keep this couple from killing one another!

Agnes Piercy is finally going to make her mark now that she’s in charge of the Honeyhaven Winter Wonderland. She’s created a new event this year—Santa’s Village—which will bring in tons of tourists and money for charities and church ministries, and secure her a full client list when she opens up her own event planning business. But things go haywire from the get-go, including her feelings for one Tuck Renner.

Tuck Renner has been tasked (against his will) with building the Santa’s Village which means taking orders from Miss Bossy Pants herself—Agnes Piercy. Sadly, she’s off to a seriously rocky start. Feeling sorry for her, and a lot sorry for himself having to hear about it day in and out, he vows to make this the greatest event ever. Except nothing goes as planned. But everything may end up exactly like it was meant to.

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And then the full length novel

Fatal Reunion (Love Inspired Suspense) 

To catch a ruthless criminal, a detective must learn to trust the woman who broke his heart in this suspenseful tale of romance, faith and forgiveness.

When her beloved grandmother is almost killed during a home invasion, Piper Kennedy isn’t surprised to find out she’s a suspect—especially with Luke Ransom is on the case. The handsome detective Piper once loved is convinced she’s hiding something. Given her crooked past—not to mention the way she was forced to betray him years ago—he has little reason to trust her.

But when attempts are made on Piper’s life, Luke will do anything to keep her safe. Working together to find out who wants her dead, they soon discover that the feelings they once shared are still very much alive. But it will take all their trust and faith to take on a criminal determined to keep them from the truth—not to mention a second shot at a future.

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A book suggestion popped up from a favorite and oft seen author, Christy Barritt, and it can’t be passed up in my estimation.

Shadow of Suspicion (Love Inspired Suspense)

A police detective works to clear a woman’s name and keep her alive in this inspirational romantic suspense novel by a USA Today bestseller.

First, computer specialist Laney Ryan’s accused of kidnapping her neighbor’s daughter—and now someone’s trying to kill her. The police don’t believe Laney’s story . . . except for Detective Mark James, whose instincts say Laney isn’t guilty.

Together, Mark and Laney must figure out who really abducted the teen and uncover why they’re framing Laney. But when their search for the truth turns deadly, Mark realizes his feelings for Laney aren’t strictly professional and that he’ll stop at nothing to keep her safe. With a dangerous suspect swiftly closing in, can they find the missing girl and clear Laney’s name . . . before their possible future together is fatally cut short?

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It has been a good day. I’m hoping there is something here that leads you to think so too.

It kept me up all night August 05, 2023

It was definitely a mistake to start a new book in the middle of the night. I was pushing it by trying to finish my current read before lights out; finishing and then moving straight on to a new book at that time of night was crazy. Especially since it turned out to be one to grab hold of my interest, not letting go easily. On the plus side, it was the start of the weekend and I could sleep all day if needed. I didn’t but maybe tonight will be early to make up for it.

We have seen other books with a similar premise but this one captured my attention in a way the others didn’t. Well developed, quirky and believable characters were a big part of it. The smooth story flow was a huge part too. The ending was unpredictable. I loved it.

This is still available at a great price, check it out. Book two is a great price too and it is mighty tempting.

Under the Honey Moon: A Honeyhaven Romance (The Honeyhaven Series Book 1) 

A honeymoon cottage reunites a pair of childhood friends. Can it offer them a future filled with a happily-ever-after?

When B&B owner Juliet Miller’s childhood crush shows up on her doorstep, she thinks he’s come to honor a pact and pop the question. But he’s already engaged and offers her a bargain she can’t turn down. Bowie Nichols has always seen Juliet as a friend until shifting feelings has him second guessing whether or not he’s marrying the right woman.

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This is the book I finished before starting the awesome read above. It wasn’t as compelling but it was still a very good read. The characters were believable and relatable. Some were not all that lovable. Most were though. There were sailboats, wild adventures, and relationships we wanted to see turn into something special.

It also had three times the number of pages.

Becalmed: A Carolina Coast Novel (Carolina Coast Stories Book 1)

When a Southern woman with a broken heart finds herself falling for a widower with a broken boat, it’s anything but smooth sailing.

With her days chock full—designing jewelry for the shop she co-owns with her best friend, sailing her sharpie, and hanging out with girlfriends—Tadie Longworth barely notices she’s morphing into the town’s maiden aunt. When Will, a widower with a perky daughter named Jilly, limps into town in a sailboat badly in need of engine repairs, Tadie welcomes the chance to help. Her shop becomes Jilly’s haven while Will hunts boat parts, and Tadie even takes the two of them sailing. It’s the kind of thing she lives for, and it’s a welcome distraction from the fact that her ex-boyfriend Alex, aka The Jerk of Jerks, is back in town. With his northern bride. Oh, and he’s hitting on Tadie, too.

Those entanglements are more than enough, thank you very much, so it’s almost a relief when a hurricane blows into town: at least the weather can match Tadie’s mood. When Will and Jilly take shelter in her home, though, Tadie finds herself battling her attraction to Will. Even worse, the feeling is mutual, tempting them all with what-ifs that petrify Will, who has sworn never to fall in love again. Mired in misunderstanding, he takes advantage of the clear skies and hauls Jilly out of there and back to his broken boat so fast, Tadie’s head spins.

With the man she might have loved gone, and the man she wishes gone showing up on her doorstep, Tadie finds herself like a sailboat with no wind; becalmed, she has to fight her way back against the currents to the shores of the life, and the man, she wants.

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There are a few more read and enjoyed to share too.

There are others but that will be another post.