Happy Birthday to me. September 04, 2022

It’s my birthday today. It has been a good day and I don’t even care that we don’t have any book suggestions today.

Four family members were available to spend some time with me and we had fun. Three of us have birthdays within 5 days and we were all here today. Bonus. We get to celebrate at least twice, some of us even more. How could we be sad about that?

We will party officially another day when everyone else is available. We aren’t given to formal occasions, just a chance to be together and express our appreciation and love for one another.

I should have taken pictures but sadly, I didn’t.

I did try to do a sell job on my last read, though. I’m pretty sure they would enjoy it but it doesn’t appear I’m much of a salesman, no one took the bait. The most avid reader in the group has a good excuse – her last visit to the public library netted her 10 new books. I remember those days so I can’t fault her, she has deadlines after all.

My daughter prefers hard copy while I favor e-copy. There are many conveniences about my e-reader that I can’t live without.

I’m just happy for all the readers we have in the family no matter how they read.

So, I was going to move on to book two in the series I was reading and loved. It was not working for me. The main characters are so different it was hard for me to change lanes. I think a bigger break will make for a smoother transition.

During the break I’m reading the third book in another series I follow. These people are running for their life at the moment.

Risky Ambition (Vanishing Ranch Book 3)

Former Navy fighter pilot Nate Casper, also known as Ghost, splits his time between flying jet-setting celebrities around the world and volunteering to help with rescues at Vanishing Ranch. When movie star Chesney Blake books a trip with him, Ghost sets aside his attraction to her in order to remain professional.

But when his flight plan gets waylaid by a barrage of bullets, putting Chesney in danger, his intention of keeping his distance takes a nosedive.

Chesney Blake needs a break before filming her next movie. But when her getaway erupts into nothing short of chaos and her pilot transforms into her protector, her vacation plans are forgotten. Does someone really want her dead? Or was she even the intended target?

As more incidents threaten their safety, Chesney and Ghost set out to uncover the truth. But as they get closer to finding answers, Chesney is faced with a fate worse than she ever imagined—even worse than death itself.

*********************

Happy reading y’all

Current read September 03, 2022

I love it. It’s a mystery with all sorts of skulduggery and tension. There are great characters with deep secrets and broken relationships. Things change as we mature and sometimes childhood friendships have a difficult time surviving adulthood. The story is awesome with many twists and turns but the element that makes it special for me is the author’s sense of humor. Delightful scenarios and dialogue to bring on smiles and even laughter.

It’s still a bargain price, grab it quick. It’s so entertaining you will be glad you did. One of the characters is probably fashioned after the author. Very funny.

To Steal a Heart (The Bleecker Street Inquiry Agency Book #1)

After a childhood as a street thief, Gabriella Goodhue thought she’d put her past behind her until a fellow resident at her boardinghouse is unjustly accused of theft. In the middle of breaking into a safe that holds the proof to prove her friend’s innocence, Gabriella is interrupted by Nicholas Quinn, the man she once considered her best friend–until he abandoned her.

After being taken under the wing of a professor who introduced him into society and named him as heir, Nicholas is living far removed from his childhood life of crime. As a favor to a friend, Nicholas agreed to help clear the name of an innocent woman, never imagining he’d be reunited with the girl he thought lost to him forever.

As Gabriella and Nicholas are thrown together into one intrigue after another, their childhood affection grows into more, but their newfound feelings are tested when truths about their past are revealed and danger follows their every step.   

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Haven’t seen much today in regard to bargain books and certainly nothing I was tempted to read. Tomorrow is another day though.

Right now, I’m headed back to laundry and reading, we are at a good part and I need to know what is going on. A new character has been introduced and it’s unclear how he fits into all of this with a bunch of crazy ladies.

Happy reading y’all.

Christy Barritt’s new book September 02, 2022

Prolific Christy Barritt has yet another new book, third one in the Vanishing Ranch series. I’m thrilled to see it.

Risky Ambition (Vanishing Ranch Book 3)

Former Navy fighter pilot Nate Casper, also known as Ghost, splits his time between flying jet-setting celebrities around the world and volunteering to help with rescues at Vanishing Ranch. When movie star Chesney Blake books a trip with him, Ghost sets aside his attraction to her in order to remain professional.

But when his flight plan gets waylaid by a barrage of bullets, putting Chesney in danger, his intention of keeping his distance takes a nosedive.

Chesney Blake needs a break before filming her next movie. But when her getaway erupts into nothing short of chaos and her pilot transforms into her protector, her vacation plans are forgotten. Does someone really want her dead? Or was she even the intended target?

As more incidents threaten their safety, Chesney and Ghost set out to uncover the truth. But as they get closer to finding answers, Chesney is faced with a fate worse than she ever imagined—even worse than death itself.

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I’ve been checking carefully in case I’ve missed anything else we really need. It looks like this is it.

I’d share my current read but I’m not liking it well enough to mention it. Maybe later.

Happy reading folks.

I hope you like Christy Barritt too. I’ve enjoyed this series mainly because it is a departure from others I’ve read of hers lately.

Bargain books September 02, 2022

1531 Entertainment has a couple of bargain suggestions for us.

This first one is an author we’ve read and enjoyed multiple times.

To Steal a Heart (The Bleecker Street Inquiry Agency Book #1)

After a childhood as a street thief, Gabriella Goodhue thought she’d put her past behind her until a fellow resident at her boardinghouse is unjustly accused of theft. In the middle of breaking into a safe that holds the proof to prove her friend’s innocence, Gabriella is interrupted by Nicholas Quinn, the man she once considered her best friend–until he abandoned her.

After being taken under the wing of a professor who introduced him into society and named him as heir, Nicholas is living far removed from his childhood life of crime. As a favor to a friend, Nicholas agreed to help clear the name of an innocent woman, never imagining he’d be reunited with the girl he thought lost to him forever.

As Gabriella and Nicholas are thrown together into one intrigue after another, their childhood affection grows into more, but their newfound feelings are tested when truths about their past are revealed and danger follows their every step.  

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It looks like book 2 in this series is also on at a bargain price. I can’t resist it.

To Write a Wrong (The Bleecker Street Inquiry Agency Book #2) 

Miss Daphne Beekman is a mystery writer by day, inquiry agent by night. Known for her ability to puzzle out plots, she prefers working behind the scenes for the Bleecker Street Inquiry Agency, staying well away from danger. However, Daphne soon finds herself in the thick of an attempted murder case she’s determined to solve.

Mr. Herman Henderson is also a mystery writer, but unlike the dashing heroes he pens, he lives a quiet life, determined to avoid the fate of his adventurous parents, who perished on an expedition when he was a child. But when he experiences numerous attempts on his life, he seeks out the services of the eccentric Bleecker Street Inquiry Agency to uncover the culprit. All too soon, Herman finds himself stepping out of the safe haven of his world and into an adventure he never imagined.

As the list of suspects grows and sinister plots are directed Daphne’s way as well, Herman and Daphne must determine who they can trust and if they can risk the greatest adventure of all: love.

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The second suggestion from 1531 Entertainment is an author I’ve not read. The intro looks good so I’m taking a chance on this one. This will be a thriller, I’m guessing.

Buried Cold Case Secrets (Deputies of Anderson County Book 1)

Recovering her missing memories

could be the key to solving a murder

Searching for her best friend’s remains could help forensic anthropologist Melanie Hutton regain her memories of when they were both kidnapped—unless the killer gets to Melanie first. For her safety, Melanie must rely on Detective Jason Cooper, who still blames her for his sister’s death. Can Jason set the past aside to solve the cold-case murder…and shield Melanie from the same fate?

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A good looking lineup just in time for the long weekend, last one of summer.

Happy Reading!

Short and sweet August 31, 2022

I lost track of time, so caught up in the story.

I have two books to share. The regency mystery/romance from yesterday and a current romance set in modern day.

My favorite thing about the Regency read, aside from the great story was the setting. I love large old places filled with mysterious histories, hidden stairs, tunnels, and secret rooms. The other nice thing about the era is the opportunity for scenarios that would never work in our day and age. This story was full of all of that.

When Miss Rebecca Lane returns to her home village after a few years away, her brother begs for a favor: go to nearby Swanford Abbey and deliver his manuscript to an author staying there who could help him get published. Feeling responsible for her brother’s desperate state, she reluctantly agrees.

The medieval monastery turned grand hotel is rumored to be haunted. Once there, Rebecca begins noticing strange things, including a figure in a hooded black gown gliding silently through the abbey’s cloisters. For all its renovations and veneer of luxury, the ancient foundations seem to echo with whispers of the past–including her own. For there she encounters Sir Frederick–magistrate, widower, and former neighbor–who long ago broke her heart.

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My favorite thing about this story was the author’s careful treatment of the heartache, hopes, wishes and loves of each character. The main characters were well developed but so were many of the rest of the large family. I couldn’t put this down. It received 5 stars too.

A baby’s future hangs in the balance, sparking a heart-rending mystery. Why didn’t Cash’s sister leave him guardianship of her daughter?

Instead, she leaves her infant in her friend Jane’s care. Though a lifelong friend, Jane isn’t family. And the baby is the only family Cash has left. He insists on being involved in raising his young niece. In the midst of this, strange things start happening at Jane’s dress shop. Can the two overcome their differences–and perhaps build a new family together? Only if his heart of stone can be softened. From a Carol Award-winning author: a faith-filled, second chance romance with a touch of mystery.

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Must go before I turn into a pumpkin.

Happy Reading y’all

Read and enjoyed August 30, 2022

This was a good reading week. Three good books in a row. Well four actually, if we count the current read.

This first one was my favorite. It kept me glued to the book until the end when it was awarded my illusive five stars. I think the interactions of the characters drew me in the most. They were real, mature in their attitudes and actions, and down to earth in their view of life. The story was plausible, interesting, and moved along at a good pace. And bonus, it was full of tense, hair-raising moments.

This book is still a bargain, grab it quick. Lisa has a number of other books on at a bargain price too, not sure how long they will last. I have most of them already so I’m good.

Hunted

Danger around every corner.

When zoologist Elise Tanner is brought home to re-open a zoo destroyed by flood, she takes on more than she bargained for. This single mom is determined to set up her son Chase for his future, but the cost might prove too high when she runs into the last man she wants to see again.

US Marshal Jonah Rivers is the head of a Fugitive Apprehension Task Force hunting Elise’s brother. When a threat brings them together, both Elise and Jonah must contend with their shared past. There isn’t a moment of his life she wasn’t a part of…until she married his brother. Connected by grief and the betrayal of his family, the future they want is just out of reach.

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This next one was awesome too. The thing I liked best about this one was the story. The characters were great but the story grabbed me and held on. It did not end anything like what I expected, at least not until the last few pages when significant clues were dropped. Even at that though, the why and the resolution I did not see coming. Awesome ending. Unique.

The Crushing Depths (Coastal Guardians Book #2)

When an accident claims the life of an oil-rig worker on the first drilling platform off the North Carolina coast, Coast Guard investigators Rissi Dawson and Mason Rogers are sent to take the case. Tensions surrounding the oil rig are high and the death has everyone on edge. Environmental activists are threatening to do whatever it takes to stop the structure from being completed, while rumors are being whispered about ancient curses surrounding this part of the ocean.

Mounting evidence shows the death may not have been an accident at all. Was he killed by one of the activists or, perhaps more frighteningly, a member of his own crew? Rissi and Mason have to sort through not only a plethora of suspects, but also their own past and attraction to each other.

Just as the case seems like it’ll break open, worse news arrives. A tropical storm has turned their way and soon they’re cut off from any rescue–and right where the killer wants them. It’s a race to discover his identity before he eliminates the threat they pose.

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This next one is with a favorite and prolific author. I’ve downloaded 63 of her books in the last 10 years and read all but 15 of them. Chautona writes in a number of different styles but the one I like the best is mystery. It could be that I am a mystery fan but I think it’s her voice . . . it’s different when she is writing in this genre. I like it, a lot. I’ve read book 1 and now I need to read book 2.

Justified Means (The Agency Files Book 1)

How could she not be terrified?

When Erika Polowski is abducted from her bed and held captive without explanation, she has one goal. Get away before they kill her.

Keith Auger’s job as an agent is to keep Erika safe—even if it means keeping her locked in an abandoned cabin in the middle of nowhere. At gunpoint..

What should be a routine “involuntary extraction” goes south when someone finds out where they’re hiding. Add to that a coworker with a chip on her shoulder and too many unexplained “accidents,” and it all adds up to one unlikely, terrifying explanation..

There’s a mole in The Agency..

He’s promised to protect her, but can Erika trust a man whose job it is to hold people against their wills? Does his deep faith make it any better or just a whole lot creepier?

And just who wants Erika dead anyway?.

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I think I’ll save my current read for another post.

Or maybe I’ll share the cover now and share my thoughts in another post.

I’m a little surprised with how well I’m enjoying this read.

Shadows of Swanford Abbey

The medieval monastery turned grand hotel is rumored to be haunted. Once there, Rebecca begins noticing strange things, including a figure in a hooded black gown gliding silently through the abbey’s cloisters. For all its renovations and veneer of luxury, the ancient foundations seem to echo with whispers of the past–including her own. For there she encounters Sir Frederick–magistrate, widower, and former neighbor–who long ago broke her heart.

When the famous author is found murdered in the abbey, Sir Frederick begins questioning staff and guests and quickly discovers that several people held grudges against the man, including Miss Lane and her brother. Haunted by a painful betrayal in his past, Sir Frederick searches for answers but is torn between his growing feelings for Rebecca and his pursuit of the truth. For Miss Lane is clearly hiding something. . . .

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This was a perfect day to share read books, mainly because there were no suggestions that interested me. I didn’t think they would interest most of you either. Tomorrow may be better.

Until then,

Happy Reading

Free books August 29, 2022

We may have books today! It will be exciting if we do.

BookBub has a FREE suggestion for us, one we read and enjoyed three years ago.

Flight 259: A Contemporary Christian Romance Novel (The Hope Series Book 1)

Life has not been fair to Jenna Davis. After losing everything she considered her world three years ago, her only hope has been holding on and trying to survive. When she finally decides she must find a way to go on with life, she boards a plane destined to visit a friend across the country. But she hadn’t counted on meeting a handsome stranger and his young son on the flight, nor could she have prepared herself for what life would throw at her next. Can Jenna find love again after tragedy strikes or is she destined to go from one tragedy to another forever?

Scott Browning was devastated when his marriage broke up. With his young son, Lane, he is learning to pick up the pieces and go on with life. On his way home from a visit to his parents, Scott meets a young woman who will change everything, just before his own life is thrown into question. Most couples think about love at first sight. Could this one be love at first death?

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FREE suggestions from LPC Free Books. I read this first one two years ago but don’t remember much so can’t really comment.

The Last Summer

For twenty-something Sara Witherspoon and her group of friends, a perfect Southern summer includes lake-house getaways, wedding planning, outdoor concerts, and a dash of romance. But for these seven friends who love each other like family, this year, summer rolls in with changes for everyone.

Sara’s longtime crush, Luke, has been her best friend for as long as she has been a part of the group. When Luke begins seriously dating another of their friends, Sara’s forced to deal with her hurt and jealousy, while outwardly try to support them both.

While Sara comes to terms with her own heart and her friends’ relationships, an unexpected handsome pilot from North Carolina and an old flame are thrown into the mix. Knowing her heart suddenly becomes much more complicated.

But as time unfolds and friendships begin to unravel, Sara and the others are presented with the reality of what a season of change does to old friendships and new love interests.

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Another one I read and enjoyed several years ago. This is a favorite author.

The Bargain

Ten articles in eight days is a tall order for any journalist, even for Polk Award winner Connor Reedly. But with a dying wife and an empty bank account, the promised payment of $250,000 is hard to turn down. More so, his enigmatic employer, Mason Becker, has insinuated Connor’s acceptance of the job will result in a supernatural healing of his beloved wife.

The people of Hailey, California—the subjects of Connor’s charged articles—are a secretive group, not willing to open up to strangers. When shots are fired and Connor is running for his life, he demands Mason answer his questions: Why are the articles so important? Is anyone going to publish them? Where is the money coming from? How can he be so confident that the completion of the articles will heal his wife?

Nothing in Connor s vast journalistic adventures—not Katrina, not September 11th, not even his first-hand experience in the genocide in Darfur—could prepare him for the answers Mason gives. Now, it seems, the lives of everyone in Hailey—including his wife’s—are in his hands.

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I’m excited we have free books. I’m sort of sad I’ve read them all. I’m not truly sad though because I still have lots to choose from.

There are some recently read and enjoyed needing to be shared soon and a current read that is awesome. Next post.

In the meantime,

Happy Reading

Bargain books part two August 28, 2022

Two more appealing books stumbled across in today’s browsing session. This first author is new to me.

The Missing Piece: Inspirational Love Story

How does a man pick up the pieces when his world crashes around him? Misplaced priorities shattered his marriage. Problems almost crushed him. Love motivated him to mend the damage, once he found all the pieces. After only a few months of marriage, Lorraine left Dylan on a wintry night after he’d spent one too many nights out with the guys.

Unable to cope with the loss, Dylan escapes the painful feelings by drinking them away. This decision costs him a year-and-a-half of his life after he stops in a little mountain town and ends up in the local jail. When he’s released, he returns home in search of a job to get his life—and his wife back.

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This second one will be a challenge, time-wise, 414 pages. I’m a fan of long books though.

Shadows of Swanford Abbey

When Miss Rebecca Lane returns to her home village after a few years away, her brother begs for a favor: go to nearby Swanford Abbey and deliver his manuscript to an author staying there who could help him get published. Feeling responsible for her brother’s desperate state, she reluctantly agrees.

The medieval monastery turned grand hotel is rumored to be haunted. Once there, Rebecca begins noticing strange things, including a figure in a hooded black gown gliding silently through the abbey’s cloisters. For all its renovations and veneer of luxury, the ancient foundations seem to echo with whispers of the past–including her own. For there she encounters Sir Frederick–magistrate, widower, and former neighbor–who long ago broke her heart.

When the famous author is found murdered in the abbey, Sir Frederick begins questioning staff and guests and quickly discovers that several people held grudges against the man, including Miss Lane and her brother. Haunted by a painful betrayal in his past, Sir Frederick searches for answers but is torn between his growing feelings for Rebecca and his pursuit of the truth. For Miss Lane is clearly hiding something. . . .

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It has been such a profitable day that it’s tempting to keep looking. Prudence says I’d best quit and save more for another day.

Free and bargain books August 28, 2022

This has been a fruitful browsing day and I’m thrilled. It started with a FREE suggestion from BookRunes. This is book 2 in the series, we read and enjoyed book 1 back in January.

Songs of the Heart: Beach House Romance (Three Sisters Resort Book 2)

Sue Wright finds love, but life is determined to prevent her from keeping it.

Sue is a hardnosed woman who knows what she wants and has no time for games. But after she and her sisters take over the Emerald Resort, she is confronted by the one man capable of melting that harsh exterior and changing her life forever.

Sue dives in, reckless and eager to experience those things she has long denied herself. But not everyone is happy. Jealousy soon rears its ugly head, forcing Sue to stand up for herself and her new love. She must push back with everything she has if there is any chance of keeping her relationship alive, but not even the support of her sisters may be enough.

Sue soon questions if he is the one for her. If he is, how far will she go to keep him?

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The next two showed up while browsing. Yes!

The Memory House

The inspirational story of two women whose lives have been destroyed by disaster but find healing in a special house.

When Beck Holiday lost her father in the North Tower on 9/11, she also lost her memories of him. Eighteen years later, she’s a tough New York City cop burdened with a damaging secret, suspended for misconduct, and struggling to get her life in order.

When a mysterious letter arrives informing Beck that she’s inherited a house along Florida’s northern coast, she discovers something there that will change her life forever. Matters of the heart only become more complicated when she runs into handsome Bruno Endicott, a sports agent who has never forgotten their connection as teenagers. But Beck can’t even remember him.

Decades earlier, widow Everleigh Applegate lives a steady, uneventful life with her widowed mother after a tornado ripped through Waco, Texas, and destroyed her new, young married life. When she runs into her former high school friend Don Callahan, she begins to yearn for change. Yet no matter how much she longs to love again, she is hindered by a secret she can never share.

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Sealed with a Christmas Promise: A K-9 Romantic Suspense (Called To Protect Book 7)

After months of searching, former SEAL turned cop Bryce Flynn and his K9, Kirby, has finally found Callie Burgess. He needs to question her about her former boyfriend, a member of the Desert Death Rays motorcycle gang, who was recently murdered. But when shots are fired through the window of the diner where she’s working, he realizes she’s in danger too.

After being betrayed by a police officer in the past, Callie doesn’t trust cops. But when a gunman comes after her, she has little choice but to accept Bryce’s promise to protect her. Her life is in shambles—no money, no job, no place to live. The only redeeming factors are the stray puppy she’s found and Bryce himself.

As the Christmas holiday approaches, will Bryce keep Callie safe and convince her to give love a chance?

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It has been a good book day. There may even be more, I’m still trying to decide.

I’ll be back.

In the meantime . . .

Happy Reading

Bitter Sweet day with one book August 27, 2022

It is a bitter sweet day but not because of only one book. Our family lost an important part of our life today after a long battle with cancer. He was a beloved, good man, and it is not easy to see him go. At the same time the suffering is over and we can’t help but be happy for him. It would take a whole post in itself to name all the ways he is loved far and wide. We often say nice things about the deceased, true or not. In this case the tributes rolling in tell the real story, he touched many lives in positive ways and he will never be forgotten.

There are so many good stories, maybe there will be another post sometime. This gentle giant led a colorful life with his many talents and his sense of adventure.

Now on to the book suggestion that I’ve downloaded and half read. It was brought to my notice by the author and I’m loving this one.

Justified Means (The Agency Files Book 1)

How could she not be terrified?

When Erika Polowski is abducted from her bed and held captive without explanation, she has one goal. Get away before they kill her.

Keith Auger’s job as an agent is to keep Erika safe—even if it means keeping her locked in an abandoned cabin in the middle of nowhere. At gunpoint..

What should be a routine “involuntary extraction” goes south when someone finds out where they’re hiding. Add to that a coworker with a chip on her shoulder and too many unexplained “accidents,” and it all adds up to one unlikely, terrifying explanation..

There’s a mole in The Agency..

He’s promised to protect her, but can Erika trust a man whose job it is to hold people against their wills? Does his deep faith make it any better or just a whole lot creepier?

And just who wants Erika dead anyway?.

The Agency Files: They’ll do whatever it takes to keep their clients safe. Period.

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I thought this book seemed familiar in places. It turns out it is because I read it two years ago. Obviously I don’t remember enough to spoil it for me. Maybe that’s a good thing.

It has been a good thing to have this book show up today. It has been a needed distraction.

Until tomorrow,

Happy Reading.