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.

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.

I’m so excited about this BookBub suggestion. This is the latest, book 7 in the series, and I’ve been hoping it would show up one day soon. We’ve read and enjoyed the first six books and now we are more than ready for this one. Davis Bunn always writes a story worth reading and I can hardly wait.

Shell Beach (Miramar Bay Book 7)

A man adrift . . .
 
Noah Hearst is leaving a life he’s spent twelve years building. Professionally, a losing battle for his job after a hostile takeover. Personally, signing away his marriage in a split that was a long time coming. Now, the difficult part: deciding who he is, what he wants, and where to go next. Maybe it’s time to realize a dream that’s carried him through hard times: owning a boat. Traveling the ocean, exploring new ports, embracing the endless horizon. Blissful. Impractical. Impossible? For now, the dream alone gives Noah the strength to move forward . . .
 
An unexpected lifeline . . .
 
Jenna Greaves is an end-of-life nurse, devoted till her charges’ final breath. She’s been called a confidante, a surrogate daughter, and a best friend. She is all those to Dino Vicenza, a secretive millionaire who refuses to even speak with his greedy and impatient family. Gradually Jenna becomes Dino’s only confidant, and something far more out of the ordinary; she shares the old man’s passion for sailing the open seas. With his passing comes an unexpected bequest: a luxury yacht that invites Jenna to break free of old chains, if only she might find someone to help steer her toward new horizons.
 
One twist of fate and Noah and Jenna are brought together in the most unexpected way to navigate their future—and discover more about life, each other, and themselves than they ever imagined.

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Sheep Gate Publishing has a pre-order suggestion that will be out next year. It’s a long time out and I know I will forget I’ve ordered it but it looks interesting. I think I should go for it. Many of the authors we’ve seen before and some look new.

(OK, something happened and everything from here on to the end disappeared. I hate it when that happens. I can’t remember everything I slaved over so I’ll do a scaled down version and let you in on the books I ended up ordering)

Many apologies but at least we have books. What else matters in the end!

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This is a pre-order.

Summer Suspicions: Ten Christian Romantic Suspense Novels 

Escape into a world of love, mystery, and faith with these ten Christian romantic suspense novels. Today’s bestselling Christian fiction authors are bringing you ten page-turning, action-packed adventures filled with unforgettable characters, adrenaline-pumping mysteries, and heartwarming romance.

Summer suspicions lurk everywhere in small towns and in the countryside, as well as in the cities and on the coast. Cowboys, protectors, former military, single moms, pastors, good friends, sheriffs, missing children, hostages, fugitives, heroes, villains, and more, all in one limited-edition boxed set collection just for the summer of 2024 only.

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Texas Cold Case Threat (Quantico Profilers Book 1)

When a cold case turns hot,

an isolated ranch goes from refuge…to crime scene.

After a murderer sends her taunting letters, FBI behavioral analyst Chelsey Banks retreats to a friend’s ranch—and interrupts the housekeeper being attacked. When evidence connects the break-in to a cold-case serial killer, Chelsey’s best friend, Texas Ranger Tack Holliday, needs her help. With Tack at her side, this could be Chelsey’s chance to catch two killers—unless one of them gets her first.

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Last one

Rescue Mission (Rocky Mountain K-9 Unit Book 8)

A missing baby’s trail has gone cold.
But this K-9 unit has one last lead…

With a baby still missing after months of searching, Rocky Mountain K-9 Unit handler Lucas Hudson and his furry partner must protect the only witness as she recovers from amnesia. But the kidnapper wants Kate Montgomery silenced—permanently. Now hiding in the icy Montana mountains might be the key to their survival and to triggering Kate’s memories of the night baby Chloe Baker disappeared…

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That’s it for today. Until next time.

The read pile is overflowing again so that will appear soon, hopefully.

Last post, I promised I’d found another interesting book to share. I did and I clicked order sooner than usual. I was that confident. Oops. I didn’t notice the book was only 100 pages long and the story was spread over 4 short books. Normally I avoid short books like the plague. Oh well, I did want to read the story so what can I say. I’ll be more careful next time. In the meantime, here it is. . . the first installment anyway. Not sure I will read the rest.

Last Seen at Lighthouse Lane (An Outer Banks Mystery Book 1)

Laura Williams hasn’t stepped foot in her hometown since she was old enough to leave.

But when a doctor calls about her mom’s declining medical condition, she has no choice but to return home and look after her.

Besides, it couldn’t be as bad as living in a city with the man who broke her heart. 2 weeks before their wedding.

As a 35-year-old journalist, hanging onto her job by a thread, and healing from a broken heart, Laura goes back to North Carolina to take care of her mom, agreeing to take on any stories that come her way.

When she arrives, the small-town is on edge because a thirteen-year-old girl has gone missing from Lighthouse Lane…again.

Memories come flooding back, and it all sounds eerily similar to when Laura’s best friend went missing from that exact location 17 years ago…

It gets more complicated when she realizes she knows the missing girl’s father. Harry Matthews, who is just as handsome as she remembers.

Laura makes it her mission to do whatever it takes to help Harry find his daughter.

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While we are on the subject of short books, I came across one from another author I like and thought why not? I have one short book, may as well go for two. On the bright side, I think with this one the story is complete and that makes me very happy. I’m looking forward to both of them.

False Security

Alex Pierce needs Laney Winters to help him prove neither of them is responsible for the millions of dollars that went missing after Laney arrested him for bank robbery five years ago. Besides Laney not believing he truly repented in prison, there’s the problem of the real thief trying to kill her and the police department treating her like a dirty cop.

With the possibility of another crime being pinned on them, Laney finally teams up with Alex to save her life. If only she could trust him with her heart, as well.

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On a totally different topic . . . I love words, I’m always on the lookout for good ones. I found one the other day. It was from a conversation with a character in a book. She was expressing her disdain for what she considered drivel (nonsense). She had no time for it. would not spend precious time on it.

What a great word. I try to avoid drivel at all costs so shouldn’t have to use it often but I like it just in case I do.

I think I should start keeping track of these great words, though, because as I try to think back over recent treasures they’ve all disappeared from my memory. Every last one of them. Hopefully, they will come back just when I need them.

I need to get reading now. An author I follow had a special offer for her email followers. In honor of her birthday she made many of her books available as free for a day. I downloaded 26 of them and challenged myself to read most of them before I move on. Not sure I won’t be lured away by recent downloads, like these ones today, but I’ll try. This lady is prolific and over the years I’ve downloaded 110 of her books. There are still more. I’m on the fourth one of this recent batch and need to keep moving before I lose steam.

Her books aren’t always my favorites, mainly because sometimes I can’t relate to her characters. Some of her books I love though and so I’m glad to have them.

Chautona Havig is her name, I’ve mentioned her many times over the course of this blog and I’m happy to do it again.

Browsing today is fun. Let’s see what we can find.

I decided on one I’ve seen before, an easy decision after reading and enjoying book 1 in the series. I wasn’t ready to take a chance on it at first sight but I’m good now. I was worried a prequel would be a short read but it actually has 344 pages which makes me very happy.

Chasing Freedom: The Prequel (Against All Enemies Book 3) 

How far would you be willing to go if you were chasing freedom?

When Allie Santiago, international scholar at Oregon State University, and her family are captured and labor trafficked by the same drug cartel that drove her father from Mexico, she learns the cartel thugs plan to sell her to human traffickers. Allie escapes, running a marathon through the mountains of Northern California, and collapses in the arms of Jeff Jacobs, a disgraced Olympic decathlete who wants to regain both his honor and his former glory. When Jeff’s actions engage the FBI and US Marshals to protect Allie and free her family from the cartel, a war breaks out in the mountains along the Oregon-California border.

Will Jeff’s efforts enable the two to survive and their budding relationship to grow? Not unless he can keep Allie and her family out of the black hole known as asylum detention. And the reward he now seeks for his efforts, Allie’s love, might evaporate like his dream of Olympic gold once Allie learns about Jeff’s scandalous past.

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There is another prequel from a favorite author and it looks interesting too.

Target: A prequel story (Denver FBI) by Lisa Phillips

Special Agent Liam Conners is the only witness to his neighbor’s abduction: the Chloroform Killer has struck again. But when his neighbor, Andrea James, returns from a business trip, they realize the killer’s mistake—her sister has been abducted in her place.

Now the killer is coming for Andrea, and Liam and his partner are the only ones standing in the way. Can they catch the killer and protect the target?

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For a moment I thought we were done and then two more showed up. They are part of a series we’ve been reading, how can we pass that up? The chance to read the last two books.

Sanctuary Deceived (WITSEC Town Book 4)

Thrust from their home, Bolton Farrera and Nadia Marie Carleigh are isolated from everyone they trust, and Bolton can barely walk. In need of experimental surgery, Bolton has exactly one thing on his mind: getting to the stash he hid years ago. But the man Bolton put in jail has escaped, and the hunt for revenge is on. Nadia Marie knows God put her with Bolton so she could help him. But when Bolton’s past catches up to both of them, the cost is high. Nadia must choose between what she thought the future would hold, and the reality she’s faced with. She must love unconditionally, even if she has to walk away from the one thing she wants. Bolton must protect the people he cares about, and maybe even admit the real truth about who he is. Even if uncovering his deception means he loses everything.

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Sanctuary Forever (WITSEC Town Book 5)

Gemma inherited a secret when Hal Leonard died–along with the knowledge that he was her father. Now it’s her job to guard what Hal had hidden in the radio station. But when Gemma reveals the secret to her best friend, Pastor Dan Walden, they discover a link to Dan’s late father. Can Dan put his memories of the old man’s anger to rest, or will his past be the blade that tears the town of Sanctuary apart? In this final installment of the Sanctuary series old rivals clash, new foes leave their mark, and a ghost from the past returns in this explosive climax.

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Ok, that’s it for today. Not bad at all, I have to say. I’m looking forward to reading them all, equally. It doesn’t always happen that way and I love it when it does.