Read and enjoyed June 12, 2022

A follow-up on my last current read post: to my great delight – the best was saved for last in this collection.

Books 1 and 2 of the D. B. Burns Mysteries (books 5 and 6 in this collection) were a perfect blend of light-hearted and sad. There was mystery/suspense; vindictive neighbors and secret rooms. A whole team of good guys came together and they won in the end. It felt wonderful to have the power hungry tyrants exposed in the most dramatic of ways. (can’t say too much here and spoil the fun)

The smart people were definitely on the good side this time and it was an enjoyable ride.

The Courtship of Harry’s Wife by Jeanette-Marie Mirich

The Last Roses by Jeanette-Marie Mirich

If you appreciate irony and dry humor, you will love this too.

Current read June 10, 2022

Mixed emotions.

That’s what I have about this book collection, mixed emotions.

I like the stories, they are interesting with well developed characters. I guess my quibble is with story progression. Two things; excessive detail that doesn’t add-to or advance the story, and situations that feel contrived. It’s time for another tense moment, let me see – what could it be? The stories drag on too long and are mildly frustrating. Not enough to toss the book but enough to make me skip through multiple pages without really reading them.

Fortunately, I wanted to see how the stories ended and that kept me going.

I’m up to book 5 now. It’s a book that appeared in last years collection, I thought I’d read it but have no recall at all. Maybe I didn’t finish the collection after all.

Reading the first few pages I’m interested mainly because of the sense of humor. The characters are hilarious. So far anyway.

The Courtship of Harry’s Wife by Jeanette-Marie Mirich (D. B. Burns Mysteries #1)

Delilah Morgan planned to mourn in private after her husband Harry passed, but he had other ideas—leaving his wife in good hands & protected from the elite of their small Kentucky town. Harry has selected handsome local judge Lyle Henderson to court his widow.

The judge acquiesces to Harry’s wishes until Henderson’s life spins into a maelstrom after the discovery of bodies in his long absent wife’s car. The police & FBI suspect him of murdering his wife & her apparent lover. Determined to clear the judge of murder, Delilah resolves to hunt down the true story. But will the adventure cost them their lives? Or will it be a wild-goose chase toward love?

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Check it out, this collection is still a bargain.

Free books June 09, 2022

BookBub has a FREE suggestion I am exited to see. It’s book 1 in a new Suspense series by Lisa Phillips, one of my favorite and prolific authors.

Point of Impact (Last Chance Downrange Book 1) 

“Lisa Phillips is the master of edge-of-your-seat action and suspense!” – USA Today best-selling, RITA winning author, Susan May Warren

An old haunt.
A deadly killer at work.


Fifteen years after a serial killer tormented them, Addie and Jacob are living very different lives.
As an FBI Profiler, Addie is on the edge of burnout. When she returns home, she has to face down every nightmare she’s ever had. Is the resurgence of a series of all too familiar deadly crimes the work of a former ally, or a mastermind who has been pulling her strings all along?

Recluse and artist Jacob likes his life. It’s how he’s managed to cope with who he became all those years ago. But he can’t avoid the past any longer. Not when Addie walks back into town, and right back into his life.

The past returns in a wave of unexplained crimes. Addie and Jacob find themselves at the heart of it all, at the place where their lives were torn apart.

This stand-alone story is part of the accountant’s office series, Last Chance Downrange.
An all-new setting. An all-new set of characters.

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1531 Entertainment has a FREE cozy mystery suggestion. We have seen author Bruce Hammack a few times in the last year, books 1-3 in this series. The PI is blind, an interesting wrinkle in story dynamics.

Murder In The Dunes: A clean-read private investigator mystery (Smiley and McBlythe Mystery Series Book 7) 

A detective’s perfect vacation: sun, sand, surf… and murder.

When blind PI Steve Smiley visits his friend and writing mentor, Kate Bridges, he anticipates an idyllic South Padre Island getaway. The island’s magic spell is broken when Kate is accosted by her abusive ex-husband. Two days later, his body is found in the dunes, and she becomes the prime suspect.

With the police in a hurry to close the case and Kate arrested for the murder, Steve sets out to find the real killer. His investigation leads him into the dangerous world of dirty cops and the Mexican cartel—a world where there are no rules.

In a last ditch effort to prove Kate’s innocence, Steve lays a trap for the murderer. Can he outwit the devious opponent, or will the next blood spilled in the sand be his?

Smiley and McBlythe are on the case. He’s a blind former police detective with a special gift for solving homicides and she’s a straight-to-the-point Boston debutante turned detective.

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A good day for books, yes it is.

Happy Reading!

Bargain books June 07, 2022 part two

1531 Entertainment has a great suggestion for us. It is a ten in one collection by an author we’ve seen often. Basically it is book one of all ten of Jessie Gussman‘s series. I’ve read five of these first books and I think this will be a good way to check out all of her work.

Sweet Beginnings (10 full-length sweet romance novels): A collection of beloved series starters 

This collection contains the first book in each of Jessie Gussman’s ten series. Be swept away by cowboys, enjoy some relaxing time at the beach, laugh in Good Grief, Idaho, and feel the cozy warmth of small town life.

Book 1 – Cowboy Walking Away: After being fired from her waitressing job and coming face-to-face with her ex, Rose Baldwin lets a little lie escape. She forgot there is no such thing as a “little” lie.

Book 2 – Heartland Joy: Bridget Rawlings isn’t exactly considered a catch in Prairie Rose, Iowa. In fact, the locals all but shun her and her three children. A cloud of death and disaster seems to surround both her and her farm. After all, The Bad Luck Widow has already buried two husbands.

Book 3 – Harvest Moon Homecoming: When the high school’s float explodes five days before the National Farmer’s Day parade, Principal Calvin Finkenbinder sees his chance at the promotion to Superintendent disintegrate. Unless he enlists the help of Ellie Bright, the most annoying, disorganized and kissable woman he knows.

Book 4 – Yesterday’s Treasures: She doesn’t want a divorce, she just wants…something. Something more than being a single mom yet doing a man’s laundry.

Book 5 – Me and the Cute Catastrophe: I live in Idaho. (Yes, potatoes. *eye roll* Can we talk about something else?) And I love it here. Small town values galore and it’s right where I want to raise my girls after my jerk ex traded me in for a “younger, newer model” (his words, not mine). I was pretty happy with my life until the hot shot, all-state baller from my teen years moved back in next door. (I babysat him, yes, but I never changed his diapers. Just wanted to be clear about that.)

Book 6 – Best Friends in the Show Me State: They’ve been best friends forever. When violent weather sparks an unexpected attraction, will they risk their friendship for a chance at a lifetime love?

Book 7 – Dreaming of Her Cowboy’s Kiss: A simple cowboy in love with a surgeon. A decade of unrequited love. A hopeless, one-sided romance. Except sometimes, if you’re patient, God writes your love story.

Book 8 – 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 9 – The Small Town Boy’s Redemption: Blade Truax did some street racing when he was younger. Illegal, sure. But that’s not what sent him to prison. It was the lying, conniving Watkins girl and her father, Judge Watkins.

Book 10 – Always With You: He doesn’t want her to owe him. He wants her to love him

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There are 2553 pages in this collection and you can’t beat $1.29 as a great way to experience an author.

If you enjoy sweet romance, check it out.

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I’ve started a new read, also a collection and still a bargain. It appears three of the books were in the first collection (which I’ve read) and three are new. I’m enjoying the first new one and look forward to the other two. There are three contributing authors which is interesting.

A Second Date with Danger: Inspirational Romantic Suspense Boxed Set

Until tomorrow, maybe.

Happy Reading!

Read and enjoyed June 07, 2022

Book 2 is coming soon! I can hardly wait.

Christ Barritt’s newest book arrived in my electronic mail box a day or so ago, the first book in a new series. It was everything I hoped it would be. All new characters, new locations, new organizations involved, and fresh situations. I loved it.

At the very end book 2 was introduced as coming soon and guess what, it is already a bargain price on pre-order. It won’t be released until August but with the way this year is flying by it won’t be a long wait.

So book one… it’s still a bargain and I highly recommend it.

Forgotten Secrets (Vanishing Ranch Book 1)

FBI Special Agent Jesse Marx doesn’t know which is worse—waking up in a horse stable with no memories of the past several days or waking up to discover he’s wearing a wedding band. Not only has he been injured, but he’s also gotten hitched—something he vowed never to do.

Sienna Fleming refuses to feel a connection to any man, much less be tied down to one. But when she needs help solving a string of murders, Jesse is the only man she can turn to for help. Unfortunately, Jesse is ready to bolt. Considering the circumstances, she can’t blame him . . . but she also can’t let him go.

The two are roped into this together. . . for better or worse . . . because it will take a united effort to stop this killer before someone else dies.

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Book two… coming soon.

Necessary Risk (Vanishing Ranch Book 2)

Former Navy SEAL Hudson Carmichael came to Vanishing Ranch in hopes of making a difference. The ranch helps people desperate to disappear start new lives–and escape from imminent danger.

When his dead fiancé shows up, her appearance rocks his world. She supposedly died in a scuba diving expedition in the Caribbean. So why is she there now? And what happened to her in the two years since she’d been “dead”?

Hudson will have to put his feelings aside to keep her safe . . . especially as more secrets are revealed.

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This book, book one will be remembered as the highlight of my week. It has actually been a good run for excellent books this week. the best.

Checking out today’s emails, I may be back with more suggestions. It looks like there is a good chance!

In the meantime…

Happy Reading!

New bargain from Christy Barritt June 03, 2022

It has been a busy week around my house with visiting family and I’ve loved every minute of it. This is the first time in years that I’ve had this much time with them and I learned some things.

My son loves to cook, fancy things, not just your regular meat and potatoes. It’s been a surprise because no one else in the family loves to cook. Not even me. I am impressed. And he cleans up after himself too. What a treasure. His wife knows when she has a very good thing going for her and lets him know how much she appreciates him.

They will be back and I can’t wait.

There wasn’t much reading and next-to-no blogging happening while they were here but that has changed already. I think I’m on my fourth book since they left and they were good ones. The kind that keep you up all night reading just-one-more chapter.

The other thing I’m excited about is the speed of spring. The trees have gone from sprouts to full leaves in a little more than a week. The newness of it all is inspiring.

So, getting back to blogging and books…
I’m excited to see a new series from suspense writer Christy Barritt. This is another of her pre-order bargains and with a vanishing ranch I’m trying to imagine what it will be like. It sounds intriguing.

Forgotten Secrets (Vanishing Ranch Book 1)

FBI Special Agent Jesse Marx doesn’t know which is worse—waking up in a horse stable with no memories of the past several days or waking up to discover he’s wearing a wedding band. Not only has he been injured, but he’s also gotten hitched—something he vowed never to do.

Sienna Fleming refuses to feel a connection to any man, much less be tied down to one. But when she needs help solving a string of murders, Jesse is the only man she can turn to for help. Unfortunately, Jesse is ready to bolt. Considering the circumstances, she can’t blame him . . . but she also can’t let him go.

The two are roped into this together. . . for better or worse . . . because it will take a united effort to stop this killer before someone else dies.

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I hope you will enjoy reading as much as I plan to this weekend.

Catch up on Bargain books June 03, 2022

We are way behind on checking out free and bargain books and I’m trying a bit of a catch-up.

BookBub has an interesting suggestion from earlier in the week with an author new to this site. I’m looking forward to this read.

Shadow Game: A Christian Romantic Suspense (Shadow Alliance Book 1)

She must put her faith in a God she doesn’t trust in order to save a man she can never have.
Morgan Caine spent three years in prison for a crime she didn’t commit before being acquitted, but that doesn’t mean she’s innocent. While trying to rebuild her life, she takes a gamble and hacks into a computer network, stumbling across an assassination plot in the process. But despite the possible risks, she refuses to sit back and let a man die, even if he represents everything she’s never had.
But Oliver Wright is not the man she thinks he is, and her good deed traps her in a conspiracy that forces her to question everything she’s known to be true and reveals to both of them that they have more in common than they first realized. Now, with time running out, both Morgan and Oliver must decide how much they are willing to sacrifice in order to save each other
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1531 Entertainment has an interesting suggestion.

In Search of a Prince

It seems like a dream come true . . . until it forces her to question everything.

Brielle Adebayo is fully content teaching at a New York City public school and taking annual summer vacations with her mother to Martha’s Vineyard. But everything changes when her mom drops a bombshell–Brielle is really a princess in the island kingdom of Ọlọrọ Ilé, off the coast of Africa, and she must immediately assume her royal position, since the health of her grandfather, the king, is failing.

Distraught by all the secrets her mother kept, Brielle is further left spinning when the Ọlọrọ Ilé Royal Council brings up an old edict that states she must marry before her coronation, or the crown will pass to another. Brielle is uncertain if she even wants the throne, and with her world totally shaken, where will she find the courage to take a chance on love and brave the perils a wrong decision may bring?

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Not a lot to show for the week but two new books are still appreciated, always.

It’s Friday, maybe something else will pop up and I’ll be back. I’m thinking Christy Barritt will have something new coming out soon. Hopefully. I will be checking it out.

I have some appreciated reads to share with you too. Coming soon.

Happy Reading y’all

Free books May 24, 2022

BookRunes has an interesting FREE book suggestion.

Enchanting Everton (Everton Diaries Book 1)

Elinor Grant has spent most of her life on a quiet farm with just her family and the forest to keep her company. When her orphaned cousins come to live with them, she moves to the city to earn some money to send home. However, adjusting to city life isn’t always easy.

Jack Price was abandoned by his parents at a young age, and lived on the streets of Everton with barely enough to survive. Adopted by the Price family at the age of eleven, Jack is still searching to understand who he is, and overcome the memories of the past that threaten to hold on to him forever.

Can Jack find it in himself to forgive the boy from his past who tells him he’ll never be good enough?

And can Elinor believe in herself enough to do something she never thought she could do?

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Another interesting FREE book

Lessons in Love (Secrets in Savannah Book 2)

Can the handsome man who holds the secret to the disappearance of Megan’s boyfriend hope to hold the key to her heart?

Megan Conley can’t believe her eyes. That handsome man who keeps popping up all over town looks a lot like her boyfriend, Michael. But Megan hasn’t seen him since he vanished unexpectedly, leaving her searching for answers. Turns out the stranger is Michael’s cousin, Noah, and he seems to have her best interests at heart. Could Noah help explain Michael’s absence?

Noah can’t deny his attraction to Megan. But he made a promise to his cousin, and he’s a man of his word. He’ll help her move on with her life—but he can go no further. Unless the key he holds to Michael’s disappearance is also the key to Megan’s heart…

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I have read and enjoyed the second story but the first is all new to me. It will be a surprise.

Happy Reading!!

Read and enjoyed May 12, 2022

These first two books were a fun read. The first impression at the thought of Obituaries would not be fun but when you consider people want the chance to tell the real truth, anything can happen. It has to be said that these people led quite the lives. It’s amazing they were never found out.

These next two were not as light-hearted and fun as the first books but they were definitely good reads.

One last one showed up at the discovery time for the Sisters by Design. It was a nice extension of my time with author Sharon Srock.

My current read is a complete change of pace but it deserves a place here anyway. This author is always enjoyable.

The weekend is coming soon, more reading time.Yes!

Happy Reading y’all

Free books May 09, 2022

We have books this morning! FREE ones. What could be better than that? Heroes, that’s what.

Do you ever look at a word and and feel all distressed and unsettled because it just looks wrong? I checked and it’s right but for some weird reason the spelling of heroes just looks wrong this morning. If I stare at it for awhile maybe it will look right again.

LPC Free Books has several free suggestions for us. With heroes.

The Bonfires of Beltane

It’s what the clan has always done. Since before anyone can remember, Taran’s celtic island people have sacrificed children to Crom Cruach, the dread sun god. Yet in his heart he knows it’s wrong. An escaped slave told him that in distant Britain they worship the One True God, a God who loves. A God so unlike the capricious, evil spirits that darken the souls of his people.

Now Taran’s about to be inducted into his clan’s inner circle of leaders. He promised Laurna, his betrothed, that he’d keep quiet about his doubts. But on the night of his ceremony, beside Crom Cruach, the bent idol of gold, he cannot give allegiance to a lie. Before everyone he questions the druids’ rule. Then he blames the clan’s miserable fortunes, not on the lack of sacrifices, but on the idol itself. What’s worse, he calls it a demon.

The druids are aghast. They meet in council, strip him of all honor, and order his banishment. Instead of a wedding with Laurna, there will be a tearful parting.

As the clan gathers on shore and a storm darkens the horizon, Taran paddles through the waves. But his wee craft was made for the shoreline, not the vast, raging sea. He looks back on his beloved, his people, everything he’s ever known. What has he done?

Thus begins Taran’s adventure in A.D. 432.

Beyond the sea lies ancient Celtic Ireland. There wait the Roman evangelist, Patrick, and two kingdoms ruled by powerful kings and their pagan, druid advisors. It’s a proud land where tradition is everything, where safe passage through the forests and over the bog roads is reserved for nobility, druids, warriors, or bards. Slavery or death await the rest. And the druids will do anything to remain in power and prevent Patrick and his followers from changing their ancient ways.

Will Taran find the spiritual truth he so desperately seeks? Will he escape wrathful kings and druid plots? Will he ever be able to return home, rescue his people, and rejoin his beloved Laurna?

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This next one I’ve read and enjoyed.

The Gathering Storm: The truth can set you free. It can also kill you. (When Darkness Falls Book 1)

Stephanie Walker lives a peaceful life until her undependable and dishonest father, Marty Walker, suddenly arrives at her home pleading with Stephanie to come with him to his Harrington Lodge in the beautiful Ozarks. Stephanie, suspicious of her father’s motives, declines her father’s invitation.

After his departure, Stephanie discovers the diamond necklace she borrowed from her aunt is missing. Racing through a raging thunderstorm, Stephanie drives to the lodge to reclaim the stolen item.

But when she arrives, Stephanie finds her father dead, her aunt’s diamond necklace gone, and a pair of handcuffs fitted just for her. Stephanie’s claims of innocence fail to sway the local sheriff, who produces several pieces of evidence linking her to the murder. With a shaky alibi and a vindictive stepmother, Stephanie turns to a lodge employee for help. But will Brad Wilson’s assistance lead Stephanie to the real killer or prove to be her undoing? Like a gathering storm on a warm summer evening, Stephanie’s world darkens until she’s forced to turn to the one true source of knowledge. But what she learns about her father, family, and her own inner demons are more horrifying than the lies she’s come to believe.

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I have read this author before, and I’ve read Revolutionary War stories over the years too. This one, with today’s writing styles may put a new spin on an old tale. The first chapter has me willing to take a chance.

A Heart for Freedom Janet Grunst

While in Scotland Heather Stewart witnessed the devastation and consequences of opposing the Crown.

Matthew Stewart wants only manage his rural Virginia inn and protect his family from the tyranny of the Crown.

She’s seen the cost of fighting England and wants no part of it. He has a heart for freedom and is ready to die for liberty and those he loves.

Both will find that the consequences of fighting for freedom and religious liberty will cost them more than their love for each other.

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BookBub also has a FREE book you may enjoy.

Fear Has a Name: A Pulse-Pounding Contemporary Christian Thriller (The Crittendon Files Book 1) 

Granger Meade was mentally scarred as a boy by his religious zealot parents. He was bullied at school for his quiet, oafish appearance, which naturally made him a loner and outcast.

But one girl treated him differently—Pamela Wagner. Pam talked to Granger, took an interest, listened, made him feel like a human being. She cared when no one else did, and Granger loved her for it; and still does 20 years later.

So Granger goes back to their Ohio town. Back to Pamela. But she is happily married to reporter Jack Crittendon, who’s embroiled in a time-sensitive story about a pastor who’s disappeared and left a suicide note; a case swirling with suspicion and talk of scandal.

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Happy reading y’all