Hers for the Season by Elena Aitken

Totally hot stuff happens when Liam, a bear shifter, first encounters Bree at the Grizzly Lodge. He is thrown for a loop because she is not (or so he thinks) a shifter. As their live story unfolds, she admits her status but fear drives her away from it and from Liam.
There is a ton of information to unpack about Bree before she can totally and completely commit herself to being his mate.
It is a great book for shifter story lovers.

Holidays in Manhattan by Jennifer Gracen

Can true opposites find lasting love that can withstand scrutiny or is it a disaster in the making? This is a sexy, quick moving story about two direct opposites drawn together like magnets!

Royally Abandoned by Sarah Fischer & Kelsey McKnight

Two people desiring to find their way in life without the burdens of their moneyed/royal connections meet and form a loving bond. His royalty may ruin the relationship, especially when he makes assumptions and creates huge misunderstandings.

Lovely story about love, connections and making the best of awkward situations.  There are some truly funny and cute situations.

Wildflower Hope by Grace Greene

This is a beautiful and moving story telling of the journey a young woman makes back to wholeness. Kara has lost so much in her life and has erected strong walls around herself and her heart to protect her from any more hurt and pain. The story tells of the people who help her see herself anew and as a woman with strength and confidence.

Because You're the Love of my Life by Sarah Kleck

Because You’re the Love of My Life is a heart breaker romance that will make you cry as Annie tells her story of love, of love lost, of love found, and of all the emotion the love entails. It is a lovely but heart squeezing story that totally touched me.

A Bride for the Texas Cowboy by Sinclair Jayne

Past meets future in this often tense story of love rekindling but with a ton of baggage that requires unpacking. It has great writing, evoking the deep feelings of the characters.

Coming Home to the Cowboy by Megan Ryder

This is such a sweet, lovely story. It is filled with longing and desire just waiting to surface.

Things You Save in a Fire by Catherine Center

Things You Save in a Fire is yet another great offering by Katherine Center. Her previous novel, How to Walk Away was a sampling of the novels to come. There is humor amid all the tension in the life of Cassie, fire fighter from Austin banished to the small town where her estranged mother lives when an explosive incident at Cassie’s award ceremony takes place. In the fire department of her new town, Cassie faces a foe determined to destroy her career simply because she is a woman in a formerly all men’s work place. Plus, everything for her changes when she falls in love for the first time ever with her rookie coworker. The story is not all about love and flowers. It is about Cassie’s transformation from a closed off heart to one that learns to embrace life with all its good and awful parts.

The Rancher's Proposal by Paula Altenburg

This is such a delightful story of learning to trust and to love. Posey Davies has her defenses sky high to protect her two year old Trixie and herself from an abusive ex-husband. She settles 2,000 miles away from him to start a new life hopefully free of his manipulations. Zack McGregor, the man on the next over ranch is struggling with his brothers to raise their orphaned niece and nephews. Posey’s daughter, Trixie, offers a playmate for Lydia.

Time can heal many wounds and trust can be built. Time is on Zack’s side as he woos (yes, woos!) Posey, gently, determinedly, and carefully.

Cooking Up Trouble by Lenora Worth

Wedding bells are ringing as Holt Collins and Kayla Burton have to cross paths again as joint caterers for their mutual friends’ wedding. They did not exactly get along the last time they were thrown together but there are sparks that cannot be ignored, sparks just waiting to ignite into a fire of love.

Free Me by Kimberly Ash

The entire Van Allen Brothers series (Forgive Me, Forget Me, and Free Me) is an excellent set of complicated love stories. Each revolves around love and the failings of a father.

Free Me covers the youngest brother, Mathias, and the fallout from his leaving the love of his life, Raya, when she needed him the most. Eight years have gone by and they now find themselves thrown together at work. It’s a touching and engaging story of Matt and Raya and their struggles to regain what was lost to them.

Daring to Fall by Shannon Stults

I loved so many things about Daring to Fall. The story itself is engaging and captivating. I loved the dual story of Harper and Cowboy’s past combined with the current status. I loved the characters of Harper and Cowboy, the credible tension between Harper and her teen sister, Sadie, and the complexity of all the different stories combined. It is a story of tender love that took a bad turn due to wrong perceptions and pre-conceived notions.

All of Me by Jeannie Moon

This is a serious look at the after effects of physical and mental abuse that tempers the life of Lilly Vasquez. She was a well sought after movie stylist who abruptly left that life after an ugly break up with star Gio Graham. She returned to her home in Compass Cove to start over but the trauma lingers on. Unfortunately, her abusive ex is in town filming and Lilly is terrified to see him. Jack Miller, FBI agent is also in town for a family wedding. He and Lilly always connected when they were teens and he is there to watch over her and protect her from Gio. Jack is gentle, non-demanding and falling for Lilly. He begins to crack her defenses and the wall around her.

Her Cowboy Boss by Jeannie Watt

Issues of trust abound in this novel of love that could be if only. McKenna has trust issues stemming from her mentally abusive, narcissistic ex-husband. Brodie had a problematic romance in his last job that led him to leave it and return to Marietta. Both need their jobs together on a ranch and love and romance might get in the way and ruin it for both of them.

Magic Lessons by Alice Hoffman

This is a spellbinding and interesting read. It is filled with devious characters and enlightened characters that tell a captivating story of love, betrayal, and danger.

The Cowboy's Hunt by Jamie K. Schmidt

How to reconcile opposing views is the theme of The Cowboy’s Hunt. Donovan has a hunting lodge on the ranch where Emily lives. She is opposed to hunting and would prefer Donovan gone. But, his lodge is helping to support the in trouble ranch and he is working to combat their wild hog problem.

This is a cute book showing how opposition can lead to romance, even with tension.

Dating The Cowboy by Ann B Harrison

Best friends or possible lovers? It’s a dilemma for Alice and Crease. This is a cute novel of finding true love but botching it up along the way.

The Last Resort by Marissa Stapley

This was not a favorite of mine because there were too many subplots and vaporous details to make the story solidify and not seem to ramble. The premise is good: a couple’s resort designed to delve deep into the true reasons for the couple’s problems. However, the problems of the owners of the resort present more problems to the continuity of the plot rather than add to it.

Twice in a Blue Moon by Christina Lauren

I absolutely loved this book. The characters had depth and true personalities that came out in the great writing. The story was terrific with tension and so well written.

The Bull Rider's Second Chance by Leah Vale

This is a cute book with a cute story. It has great characters and lots of tension with romance and love.

Beside Herself by Elizabeth Le Ban

Joel and Hannah happily married until she learns that he had a short affair. He is totally broken because of his huge mistake. Hannah is totally broken because of his breaking their vows and destroying what she thought was a happy, satisfying marriage.

This, at times, is a hard book to read because of Hannah’s dilemma: she still deeply loves Joel but does not trust him. She decides to have an affair to even the playing field with Joel’s knowledge. But, will this possible move draw them back together or drive the wedge even deeper?

Christmas in Vermont by Anita Hughes

Second chances at lost love rule throughout Christmas in Vermont. It is a sweet story of what if’s and of what could be’s…if only he was not engaged already. Fate has other plans that must be carried out.

Seven Letters by JP Moninger

Seven Letters is a love story filled with romance, divides, missteps and sadness. It is an all around lovely, though oft times sad and hard to read, story of two lives that become intertwined then broken apart.

No Judgments by Meg Cabot

This is a refreshing and cute story not only about rescuing pets left after a hurricane but also the rescue of a young woman from her personal experiences. Her experiences led Bree to escape to a small Florida Keys island to rethink her life. She learns that rescue comes in many forms.

The Empty Nesters by Carolyn Brown

This is a sweet story about four women and their driver making an RV trip to the vacation home of one of them. Tootsie is going for her late husband’s memory. The three other women are all recent empty nesters with their same age daughters all entering the service. One woman got devastating news before she left and is dealing with trying to cope with an impending, out of the blue divorce. Another is afraid her husband is growing apart from her. The third woman is on a trip of discovery.

The Last Post by Renee Carlino

I have thoroughly loved and enjoyed every Renee Carlino novels I have read and The last Post rates highly in my book. It is a very touching story that you will certainly enjoy and love. It is captivating and engaging.

Cowboy Up by Michelle Beatty

This is an excellent offering by Michelle Beatty. Two people with tough pasts meet at a home being built for her by Houses of Hope. His preconceived notions, tempered by his past, almost destroy what could be several times. She’s a diligent struggling working single mom raising her teenage daughter alone. Expect lots of misunderstandings that lead to a finality of trust.

All Roads Lead to You by Jennifer Probst

This is the cutest story about how a spirited, emotionally healing racehorse quality horse brings together two hurt people. Both Aidan and Harper know there is a time limit to their relationship and are wary to cross lines until they can tolerate it no longer. Aiden may one day return to his Irish home leaving Harper to recover from what could be the greatest love of her life.

Labyrinth by Catherine Coulter

Two stories, both serious on their own work together to form a labyrinth of deceit, lies and dead ends in searching for the truth and resolution.

One story is of struck by the kidnapping of a teen girl with no leads but the coincidence of two other missing teen girls from neighboring towns. Enter a psychic woman with the power to affect minds. In the other story, a master plan to infiltrate and spy on the Federal Reserve meeting in order to benefit financially from the outcome. Through it all, Lacey Sherlock has amnesia caused by a car wreck involving another victim of the spying ring.

Tense moments abound with you wondering what is going to happen next and to whom.

Love at First Like by Hannah Orenstein

Great book for lovers of social media! It is an interesting take on how you can promote yourself and your business and get caught up in a messy situation to boot-especially when it seems like there is no solution!

The Oysterville Sewing Circle by Susan Wiggs

This novel is a compassionate and telling one about lost love, lost career, and new beginnings woven into a tapestry that includes the ravages on women of spousal abuse. It is uplifting many times, hard at others. Truly a heartfelt novel that is not to be missed.

The Book Charmer by Karen Hawkins

This is such an engaging book drawing upon the difficulties that life can present to create a picture of how one can not only survive but create a better life. A sort of magic weaves its way into the relationship between Grace and Sarah. On is determined to leave her new home within a year; the other is determined to find a way that Grace will stay forever.

The Russian's Pleasure Proposition by Joanne Walsh

Beware of hot scenes and a sexy male lead in this novel! Sergei is known as the Russian Rake: love ‘em and leave ‘em satisfied. Then he meets Hannah and everything starts to change. His resolve after a surprising break up to leave women until he figures out his lack of commitment flies out the window. Sergei has to find the right pathway to Hannah minus all his animal magnetism. Hannah has her own issues that keep her away from romance or love. Sergei has a lot of work to do.

Five Wakes and a Wedding by Karen Ross

I wasn’t caught by the book at first. The more I read, the more I got into the life happenings of Nina, undertaker with a new business. Her friends, Gloria and Edo, are true blue. They keep her

moving forward in her pursuit of business. There are several surprises that add to the flavor of the book.

I loved it overall.

Lone Star Defender by Jennie Jones

First off, I have to say that I have loved the entire Calamity Valley series. Each story was so clever with some complex guessing going on and each had its own tangled knots to unravel.

Lone Star Defender was terrific! I love second chance romances with lots of “what if’s” and “maybe’s” in them. Plus, Jack and Pepper play so well against each other.

It is a great book and a great series!

Meant to Be by Nan Reinhardt

Meant to Be is the perfect title for this novel in the Four Irish Brothers Winery series. It is all about Sean and Megan-friends since grade schools that discover (uncomfortably) that they have deeper than friend feelings for each other. But, there is the worry of ruining a great and wonderful friendship that puts a hold on each for their dreams of being together.

True Gold by Michelle Pace

True Gold is a thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat! There are culprits, thieves, mysteries, and a second chance at love.

Searching for her lost Alaskan bush pilot mother, Delilah is reunited with pilot Connor after years of remorse, anger and difficult feelings to say the least. There is more to the disappearance than a plane crash…so much more!

Crashing the A List by Summer Heacock

Cleaning out abandoned storage sheds to earn some much needed money, Clara lands on a goldmine that could change her monetary situation. But, it ends up changing her life in this topsy-turvy novel. There are some really funny sections that will make you roll your eyes in humor.

Flash Point by Shellie Stevens

This is such a clever story mixing crazy romance, a culprit, crimes and blooming love. Such a delightful read!

What Happens in the Ruins by Kelsey McKnight

Friends to lovers to separated by her fears, Danny and Sorcha are truly meant to be together in this lovely story set in the Highlands of Scotland.

It is really Sorcha’s story of regaining a whole self after years of mourning the death of her twin, Johnny, She has compartmentalized her grief and shut herself off until her dear friend, Danny, shows her how love and life still exist for her.

Surfside Sisters by Nancy Thayer

Keely and Isabelle always thought they would be best friends for the long haul, through thick and thin. Jealousy and envy divide them, each having accomplishments the other wants. They are drawn further apart by life and its unfair or petty turns. Isabelle is raised rich and her upbringing shows through in her jealousy, anger and inability to move on. Keely moves forward each day wishing things were back to where they once were with Isabelle.

It is a moving novel of friendship on the edges of turmoil, strife and underlying love for each other that somehow must burst through to make the world right again.

Summer Heat by Rachel VanDyken

This is the first installment in a series called Cruel Summer that will prove to be a favorite! In Summer Heat, you meet Marlo and Ray, enemies since forever, thrown together as staff in a summer drama camp. True enemies they are not-just warring should be loves. His rage at her maltreatment of him in high school boils over but the love he has for her takes control. He sees her as a favored princess but in reality her life was hell.
I cannot wait for the next installment!

Never Have I Ever by Joshilyn Jackson

Hoo-whee! What a thriller! It’s fraught with tension triple times! I almost could not read it as it starts out so scary and spine chilling. Just the thought of someone you do not know entering your life and knowing your deepest, darkest secrets and evilly willing to use them against you is chilling enough.

Great read for all you psychological reader buffs.

Game On by Joanne Rock

Game On was not one of my favorites by Joanne Rock but there are a lot of good points to the novel. There’s a good storyline involving second chances. The two main characters, Keely  and Nate, both have problems that seem insurmountable to their reunion. There is a cool secondary storyline involving Keely’s sister, Alexis, and another baseball player, Ty, that continues into the next book in the series. The story is a bit slow to get going and drags in a few areas, too.

On The Market by Audrey Wick

I loved the absolute sweetness of this book about Hutch and Valerie in Last Stand, TX. Hutch is an endearing person-no pretensions, just being himself. Valerie is rather lost between her life in San Antonio and her resurfacing memories of summers in Last Stand, determined to sell the house her grandmother left her and return to her “home.” Home is the operative word for the story. Is home where you live day to day or is it a bigger notion of belonging, of community and of love? Their back and forth play is adorable.

The Bookshop on the Shore by Jenny Colgan

The Bookshop on the Shore is a sweet but slow moving novel that centers around a strapped single mother who is trying to better her life. Zoe and her not yet speaking four year old son move from the bustle of London to the quiet of Scotland. She finds a better and unusual life for the two of them.

Taking on two diverse jobs, Zoe grows as a person as she makes her own decisions for the three love- lost, needy children she becomes an au pair to and for the traveling bookstore she takes over for the pregnant owner, Nina. Her decisions bring betterment for all.

Jackson by Emily March

I love Emily March books because they are sweet combined with the character’s troubles. Jackson is another great offering.

Jackson grieves the inability to be with his small daughter due to his ex-wife’s legal machinations. Because of all the legal drama, he has lost his ability to write music-the utter and complete joy in his life. When he meets Caroline Carruthers, some of the music begins to return and he definitely wants to pursue the chance to see if she is his muse. Caroline has trouble of her own and is finally ready to embark on changes in her life. Enchanted Canyon and the town of Redemption offer both Jackson and Caroline a fresh start and maybe a fresh go round with love.

A Cowboy's Salvation by Megan Ryder

Tara Rawlings’s father dies. She has been a mostly absent daughter but expects to receive her legacy: the ranch. Seems her father had other ideas and split the ranch four ways: amongst her and the three foster boys (now men) that her took in years ago. Expect arguments, town shunning for Tara, a hero and lots of mixed up emotions and messages.

It is a terrific push me-pull you romance because of all the misinterpretations and misunderstandings that Tara feels from her father’s seeming rejection of her and of her right to the family ranch.

Evvie Drake Starts Over by Linda Holmes

Evvie Drake Starts Over is a smart and touching novel and an excellent offering for reading any time. It covers a year in the life of Evvie Drake after she loses her husband on the day she was planning on leaving him. The novel encompasses all the difficult and enjoyable experiences Evvie faces as she comes to terms with life as she knew it and as she wants to have it become.
I really loved the novel and could not put it down.

Once Upon a Bad Boy by Melonie Johnson

There is a ton of relationship stirrings going on in this novel plus a betrayal that cut to the core. A second chance for romance and love becomes a reality if honesty reigns and secrets are divulged and understood.

I love the female, Sadie, who faced her demons and stood tall with her decisions. It was very empowering for others in the same situation.