This sci-fi, Stealthy Steps, was my favorite read this time. It was well written, believable, and it took me on a wild ride. Judging by the lengthy list of references at the end, the idea of nanophysics is not just a figment of someone’s imagination. That’s cool. This book was intriguing and I’m looking forward to reading the rest of the series.
Nanostealth Series – Stealthy Steps book 1 – Vikki Kestell …. Gemma Keyes is unremarkable. With a degree in business and little-to-no knowledge of science she find herself employed in a high level nanophysics research center and she’s not sure how or why it happened. The lab is housed in an abandoned military weapons storage facility built into the side of a mountain, with unobtrusive escape tunnels and multiple security fences. Her duties are to care for the administrative needs of two researchers – physicists who seem to hate each other.
The project is top secret and of great interest to a hard nosed, two star general who happens to be an elegant but shark-like woman. It’s no secret she has a hidden agenda for her presence in their offices and what she has in mind will not be good for their country.
Tension is high in the lab this morning and Gemma finds herself in a life threatening situation with Dr. Bickle. Feverishly working to pack up his invention and run, he’s convinced the General is about to swoop in and take possession of his work. He will do anything to keep his nanobots from falling into the wrong hands.
Time is up, the army can be heard running toward his lab. Desperate to hide them, he smashes the glass wall of the cage and commands the released cloud of nanobots to hide. Expecting the enemy to burst through the door with guns blazing, he orders Gemma to run. “Hide, Gemma run” he yells.
Soldiers and guns are everywhere, Dr Bickle said run but he didn’t seem to be behind her. The bots fled their cage but she didn’t see if they managed to hide in time.
When Gemma becomes aware of her surroundings, she has no idea how she managed to escape the facility. She’s found her car and on the way home, distressed to think the doctor perished in the gunfire. She can’t imagine how he could have survived.
Heart-sick over Dr. Bickle, she glances in her rear view mirror… and…
Her face is not there.
Reluctant Melody – Sandra Ardoin … Joanna is anxious to sell her rundown property after the death of her husband. Partly for lack of upkeep funds, partly to escape vicious rumors. There are some who think she was responsible for her husband’s death. Joanna’s willingness to sell disappeared when she discovered the prospective buyer is a mistake from her past. How did he know where she was, or did he know?
Be Mine – Rick Mofina … Molly has been waiting at Jake’s Bar & Grill for over an hour. It’s not like Cliff to be late without calling. Something is really wrong.
A shocking murder scene greets her as she checks out his apartment. Shock made worse by the message left for her… written in blood.
The homicide department is up in arms at the senseless execution of one of their own. It looks like Molly is a target but she’s determined to do her part in tracking down the killer, hoping her fellow crime reporters will help.
She’s unaware of the strange flowers that show up in her office on the heels of another killing.
A tense psychological thriller.
Conclusive Evidence – Al Macy … Garrett Goodlove used to be an arrogant defense lawyer and he’s lost the stomach for it. Family Law is easier to live with. His twin sister, Carly, finds herself in need of a good defence lawyer and insists she wants him. He’s worried he’s lost his edge and won’t be able to give her the defence needed. He may be right.
The police detective assigned to the case has a grudge against Carly and will do whatever it takes, legal or not, to make sure she is convicted in the death of her husband.
A Preston Barclay Mystery – Murder Mezzo Forte book 2 – Donn Taylor … Two professors stop by a colleagues office, as requested, and discover she has been murdered. This time they have witnesses to prove they aren’t the killers. Unlike their first involvement in discovering a body.
They’re determined to find the killer and someone is nervous. False evidence pointing fingers at them is showing up in their offices, the police are delighted. The uptight university administration is nervous. To protect the school’s reputation from perceived harm, the decision is made quickly to relieve them of duty. Proof of guilt is unimportant. At least they haven’t been outright fired and they sill have their campus privileges. On the bright side – they have more time and freedom to figure this out.
The Lazarus File – Donne E. Taylor … Undercover Agents are dying and they don’t know how it’s happening. Even off-the-books, deeply embedded agents no one is supposed to know about are having their covers blown. The challenge is; to stay alive – and uncover the person behind these killings. Everything points to insider information but how is that possible with only a handful of trusted knowledgeable people? It’s time to involve an outside agency as handlers, keeping inside information to a minimum. It looks like they are trusting a double agent but who.
Secrets and Wishes – Kathleen Rouser …. Maggie, and Thomas, each widowed, struggle to do their best as single parents. Maggie goes to great lengths to avoid Thomas. It’s hard to see her husband replaced by the new pharmacist in the store he loved.
The choice to make a change is taken out of her hands. Their sons have gotten into a school yard tussle and the situation must be addressed. Her son needs to face the father of his opponent and apologize. The surprise of the whole encounter is how quickly the boys figure out they want to be friends.
Still reluctant to have contact with this man, Maggie is horrified when the local doctor requests she nurse the deathly ill pharmacist. She’s the only one equipped for the task and the doctor won’t take no for an answer.
It turns out, Thomas isn’t the only one needing her. His family is in desperate need of parental attention while he is out of commission. The downside to all of this…. his children are learning to love her.
I hope you are feeling inspired, maybe even enough to read some of these books.
Happy Reading!
The Second Yes – Five Wedding Dress Romances (Crossroads Collection) – Verde, Havig, Bridgeman, Terry, Tru
Beauty in Flight series – Beauty in Hiding book 2 – Robin Patchen ….. Harper has an undeserved prison record which limits her options and she’s desperate with a sudden need to go into hiding. It appears Red, her Alzheimer patient, is being poisoned and she suspects his grandson is behind it. Money and security are major hurdles in this flight. Red is wealthy but she has no way to safely access any of his money, not with his grandson in charge of finances. The first priority is finding a place to hide, she will have to figure everything else out after that.
An Angela Marchmont Mystery – The Mystery at Underwood House book 2 – Clara Benson
Larry Macklin Mysteries – March’s Luck book 5 – A.E. Howe
Walden Beach Series – Love’s Redemption book 3 – Andrea Boyd
An Alex Vane Media Thriller – The Mockingbird Drive book 3 – A.C. Fuller
The Hearth Land Volume One – Chautona Havig
Crazy Love – Francis Chan
A Heart Set Free – Janet S, Grunst …… Heather Douglas is desperate for a new start after the death of her father, and the betrayal of both her intended and her brother. Left with no resources, fleeing an unjust scandal, she books passage to America as a seven-year indentured servant.
The Hope Series – Flight 259 book 1 – Staci Stallings …. Three years and Jenna is still reeling from the loss of her father, husband, and daughter. Claustrophobic living with her mother, she decides on a drastic change. Missing her flight by seconds, she can’t turn back or she will lose the courage to try again. A ticket on the next available flight anywhere, as long as it’s East, is what she has to do.
Midnight is My Time – Mike Dellosso …. Andy Mayer is struggling to survive. Just like everyone else after The Event, the one that saw many people mysteriously disappear. War has broken out between animals and the remaining humans. The animals seem to be winning.
The Bargain – Aaron D Gansky ….. Connor Reedly is devastated, his beloved wife is dying of cancer, and he doesn’t want to miss a minute of the time she has left. They’ve made the long trip to visit Nadine’s sister because there is an urgency about her dying wish. He thinks they would be better staying home but he can’t deny her anything.
That First Montana Year – Donna L Scofield ….. Beatrice Anne and Will had been best friends all through school. They had talked of marrying one day…. until beautiful, flirtatious Victoria came to town and Will was hooked. His mother had grand plans for her son and encouraged the romance, hoping Will would go to university, read law, and marry into a wealthy family.
Mitchell’s Crossroads – A Twist of Faith book 1- Pepper Basham …… Dee is caught in a bad place. She has earned her doctorate and landed a research position in a small university near the Blue Mountain area where she was raised. Alex, her immediate supervisor, visits her office on the pretext of checking in with her. Before he leaves the real reason comes out, he wants her research notes on accent modification for his presentation as keynote speaker.
Serenity Landing Second Chances – Discovering Home book 1 – Carol Moncado ….. A lost and bedraggled puppy on the edge of his country estate is about to change Jonathan’s life in unexpected ways. It all happens after a trip to the vet, followed by a stop at the grocery store for puppy supplies. A chance meeting with a precocious little girl is only the beginning.
The Agency Files – A Forgotten Truth book 4 – Chautona Havig …. This is a mystery thriller. I appreciated it but ….. the reading experience was a little murky in places. As always, Chautona comes up with interesting and engaging stories and this one was interesting and still worth reading.
A Jeremy Winter Thriller – Dead of Winter book 2 – Tom Threadgill …. For reasons Jeremy Winter does not understand, he’s been transferred to an FBI desk job in the middle of nowhere, working cold cases. It’s a lonely adjustment and he’s missing his girlfriend, who also happens to be his current boss. Occasionally he gets called in to help on a case, one of her cases.
Crossroads Collection Betwixt Two Hearts ….. ….. Betwixt Two Hearts – Amanda Tru, The Swedehearts Glory Quilt – Cathe Swanson, Whole Latte Love – Kari Trumbo, Seoul Refuge – AlanaTerry, Guardian of Her Heart – Carol Moncado, Random Acts of Shyness – Chautona Havig
Faded Photograph Series – Broken Things book 1 – Andrea Boeshaar ….. Allie was young and wary of marriage. Jack was devastated when she left him behind to take a job with her father in another city.
Faded Photograph Series – Hidden Things book 2 – Andrea Boeshaar ….. Looking through her mother’s mail, Kylie opens a wedding invitation and out falls an old photo. A group of friends – three girls and a guy. Her mother is one of the girls and they are part of a political demonstration, by the look of the signs they carry. The date on the picture is April 1969 but that can’t be right. Kylie was born in April and her mother does not look like she’s nine months pregnant. Marching in a protest can’t be right either – her mother was the most private, conservative person she knew. If this picture is real, it would appear her mother has been hiding some things all these years.
Focus on Love Romance Box set – Catch of a Lifetime, Dance Over Me, Focus on Love – Candee Fick
First Crush – Ashley Elizabeth Ludwig …… Natalie is shocked to receive a call from a lawyer informing her the grandmother she didn’t know existed is dying and needs her to be there. Newly arrived in town, the pressure is to sell is already being applied.
The Forgotten Life of Evelyn Lewis – Jane Rubietta ….. Evelyn’s company is on the brink of bankruptcy and a desperate need for a solution has her deciding to sell her inheritance – a farm she loved as a child. The property is tied up in an unexpected and complicated trust, making a quick sale impossible. The pressure mounts as her office demands her time and presence, and the farm trust demands the same.
Aspiring Hearts Series – Skirting Tradition book 1 – Kay Moser ….. This is book one in the story about a young woman with aspirations of becoming a teacher, in a time when it was socially unacceptable. The second book Ruffling Society was mentioned in the post before this one. It was actually more about Sarah’s training years. This one is more about the characters she had as mentors at the beginning of her educational journey. They were women who defied tradition and achieved most of their dreams. They paid a dear price for those decisions but if they had it to do over, they wouldn’t change a thing. Well, maybe some things but not the ones that counted.
Love on the Santa Fe Trail series – Wagon Train Baby book 1 – Linda Ford ….. Donna Grace does not trust men. Unmarried and pregnant, since her husband was already married, she’s trying to return to Santa Fe where she was raised. Her wagoneer father has decided not to go this trip, leaving her without a male escort. The wagon master will not allow an unattended female to travel with him, ever.
Willow Falls Series – The Secret of Willow Inn book 1 – Pat Nichols …. Emily, who has always longed for a sister, is devastated when her parents are killed in a tragic car crash. She’s only just told them she is expecting twin girls.
A Southern Season: Four Stories From a Porch Swing – Lillie Beth in Summer – Eva Mae Everson, Ice Melts in Spring – Linda W Yezak, Through an Autumn Window – Clair Fullerton, A Magnolia Blooms in Winter – Ane Mulligan ….. I found these stories didn’t all appeal equally but were still worth the read. Each romance was unique.
Lord of Her Heart – Sherrinda Ketchersid …. Her father sent her to a convent allowing only sporadic visits to the castle she calls home. She’s worried because he’s not answered her letters in more than a year. She overhears a conversation between two nuns, planning to marry her off soon unless she willingly takes her vows as nun. Disguising herself as a young lad she runs away before this can happen.
Finding Love in the Low Country Series – Somewhere a Rainbow book 1, After the Storm book 2, Southern Gentleman book 3, Catch of a Lifetime book 4 – Yvonne Lehman …. All four were stories worth reading. Painful pasts, secrets, family responsibilities, learning to trust again.
Aspiring Hearts Series – Ruffling Society book 2 – Kay Moser …. Sarah is the daughter of an immigrant farmer and is destined to marry the son of a neighbor so that, jointly, their farms will prosper. Her dream is to become a teacher. Her mother had such a dream, once, and is determined to help Sarah escape.
American Heiresses Series – Flights of Fancy book 1 – Jen Turano …. this is about an heiress needing to flee an arranged marriage to an elderly, disgusting man. She is desperate to find a way to disappear and not be dragged back.
Sight Unseen Series – Will Not See book 2 – Chautona Havig ….. Housekeeping awakens her when they enter a hotel room they think is empty. They begin to back out of the room when they see her but stop at her cry for help. She’s distraught because it’s a strange world. She doesn’t know who she is, where she is, or why she’s here.
A Bradford Sisters Romance – True to You book 1 – Becky Wade …. She is a librarian, genealogist, and business owner – with a painful romantic past. She’s decided marriage is not for her. She’ll immerse herself in her career and business ventures. That will be enough.
Among the Poppies – J’nell Ciesielski …. She has no interest in becoming a lady of privilege. She’s been allowed to learn much as chauffer’s daughter and now…. All she wants is a chance to put her knowledge of engines to work and do her part in helping to win this war.
Silver Lining Ranch Series – For Love of Liberty book 1 – Julie Lessman …… They were arch enemies in school years, always battling for first place honors.
Carolina Cousins Series – A Perilous Proposal book 1 – Michael Phillips …. This is a story of life for blacks after the abolition of slavery. The life of slavery was hard but life after slavery has it’s challenges too. Just in different ways.
The Second Noel – Chautona Havig ….. She learns that a family has been scammed. The Diabetic Alert Dog worth thousands is a fake, he has not been properly trained. The community feels ripped off because they contributed for this one and now many think they shouldn’t be asked to give a second time. She feels bad for the dilemma of this family and is determined to find a way to help them. Their son nearly died because the dog missed the signs.
Blow Out the Candles and Say Goodbye – Linda S Glaz ..
A Smokey Dalton Novel – A Dangerous Road – Kris Nelscott (pen name of Kristine Kathryn Rusch) ….
A Preston Barclay Mystery – Rhapsody in Red book 1 – Donn Taylor ….. Preston Barclay has returned to half days as Professor of History, just to have a little contact with others. A solitary existence as a sheep farmer since the death of his beloved wife has been his choice and while he needs to get out more he’s not prepared to give it up entirely.
At First Glance – Susan L. Tuttle ….. Penny Thornton is a popular, successful, and insecure, estate planner. Her insecurity is tied to her controlling, dysfunctional family. She’s beautiful but feels she can never measure up to her sister Belle, especially when it comes to attracting men.
The Children of Main Street – Merilyn Howton Marriot … Katie Collier didn’t expect things to go this way when she opened her mental health clinic. She was prepared for adults – not the overwhelming number of broken children seeking her out.
Summer of Deception – Elva Cobb Martin …. Rachel York is wanting to get away from difficult circumstances at home and can’t rest not knowing what happened to her Drug Enforcement brother. They’ve been told he went down in a plane crash near Charleston but details are sketchy.
A Season to Dance – Patricia Beal ….. This is a book of second chances. Ana Brassfield has a passion for dance but it seems she can never achieve the high level of her dreams. Relationships go wrong for reasons she doesn’t understand. Amazing opportunities present themselves and yet there are setbacks and betrayal.
The Wardrobe Series – Sing a New Song book 2 – Candee Fick …. Pampered Diva Gloria Houghton has her successful dinner theater career cut short with a knee injury. She can still sing but dancing is out of the question.
A Perfect Weakness – Jenifer A Davids … Dr. John Turner is leaving medicine. The experience of civil war in America plus the loss of a patient close to him has left him with a huge burden of guilt. He thinks the world will be a better place if he finds another occupation.
For the Love of Books 