After the Kiss by Lauren Layne

I decided to give this debut effort from Lauren Layne a go because the summary reminded me a bit of one of my favorite movies, How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days and I am happy to say, I enjoyed this book just as much as the movie!

Julie Greene is part of a trio of women who write articles about love in the leading women's magazine and when her boss throws her a curveball...write about a relationship...what happens after the first kiss, Julie knows some drastic measures are going to have to be taken!  Enter the nerdy looking Wall Street guy Mitchell Forbes.  A man upon appearances is just what a steady kind of girl would want in solid relationship.  Too bad Mitchell has just ended a long relationship and his friends think he can not just have a fling.  Surely Julie, a known flingster, is the perfect choice?  They are exactly what they think they want until the heart takes over and a vicious co-worked threatens everything they have found together.

This was a quick, fun read and I am so ready for more from Lauren Layne!  I loved watching this opposites-attract couple find each other and how they completed each other.  Julie is not subtle, she is too bright, too intense...everything that Mitchell steers clear of but he soon learns to realize that a little disruption in your life can be refreshing.  And the same philosophy works for Julie.  Mitchell makes her explore things she tended to ignore (running on a Sunday morning?) and she loves how he accepts her for who she is, flaws and all.  Mitchell can finally just be himself without being 'on' like he has in the past.  The friendship between Julie and her two co-workers adds a nice sense of warmth and makes me very anxious for their stories!  I really adored this fun, flirty, sexy, and emotional romance and recommend it to any romance fan looking to smile with happiness!  4 stars

eARC provided by Random House (LoveSwept) via netgalley

Sex, Love & Stiletto series
Look to be closely related but as this is the first book, this remains to be confirmed

         Dec 9th
Just One Night  March 10th 2014

Last Chance Christmas by Hope Ramsay

Lark Chaikin has come to the town of Last Chance shortly before Christmas at the deathbed request of her father, Abe Chaikin, to spread his ashes on the eighteenth hole of the Golfing for God mini golf course.  Lark was not able to find out why he wanted that spot as his last resting place but she was determined to carry out his request.  Lark is a Pulitzer prize-winning photographer famous for her photographs of war.  She recently witnessed the shooting death of her partner while they were filming in a war zone.  Although she had witnessed a lot of violence, this had taken its toll on her and she isn't sure she can take photographs again.

Last Chance Police Chief, Stone Rhodes, is a widower with two daughters and a man still mourning the death of his wife killed by a drunk driver.  A good man and father, he has just not been able to let his wife go.

Thinking she could just walk up and spread her father's ashes on what appeared to be an abandoned golf course, Lark is confronted by Chief Rhodes and told in no uncertain terms that her father was not liked when he was there in 1968 as he encouraged a young black woman, Nita Wills, to have breakfast with him at the Kountry Kitchen cafe.  She was the first black person to do so.  The town viewed Abe as a trouble maker.  

We encounter lots of wonderful southern characters in this small town where everyone knows everyone else's business and gossip spreads like wildfire.  So, sit back and read the action as Lark and Stone are drawn to one another; murder is committed; young love is discovered; angels find their way to Heaven; and Christmas takes over the town bringing happiness and joy.

This was my first time reading Hope Ramsey's "Last Chance" book series so I admit I didn't know what to expect when I first started reading "Last Chance Christmas."  But it turned out to be like discovering a new and tasty flavor of popcorn.  Yummy!  A truly delightful novel and a must read.  Four stars

Review copy provided by publisher, thanks!

**Reviewed by Connie**

Last Chance series

Naughty & Nice

I had wanted to read this anthology because I have been wanting to read some good contemporaries lately and I have heard good things about Ruthie Knox and Molly O'Keefe and have enjoyed Stefanie Sloane's historicals so I was very happy to win a print copy from Goodreads First Reads program!  It gave me a great taste of each authors writing and I will be on the lookout for their full lengths now for sure!

Room at the Inn by Ruthie Knox
Carson and Julie have a past and every time Carson returns home, he ends up in Julie's bed...and then leaves her.  Well, Julie has had enough of her heart being battered and tries to take a stand against Carson but as he spends time helping her fix up her inn, the mutual feelings become far to evident again.  Will Carson chose his job or Julie?  This was the longest of all the stories so there was more time to explore the feelings and I really enjoyed it.  Yes, it is a story told many times over but if this is a taste of Ruthie Knox's writing, I know I am in for a treat!  Heartwarming, sexy and a delight.  4 stars

All I Want for Christmas is You by Molly O'Keefe
Maddy is about to turn eighteen and marry her hockey player boyfriend, Billy.  All she needs to do is tell her parents, who want her to go to college and follow her dreams, not set them aside for Billy.  Will Maddy follow her heart and defy her parents wishes or take a new path?  This was a prequel of sorts for Maddy and Billys full length story, Crazy Thing Called Love (out Jan 29th) and I will definitely be picking it up now to see how this couple grows and finds each other again.  It is short but sexy and has good writing and a nice sense of family.  Looking forward to more.  3 1/2 stars

One Perfect Christmas by Stefanie Sloane
I did think it was odd having two contemps and then a historical romance but as Stefanie Sloane was the only author I was familiar with beforehand, I was looking forward to it.  Lucas and Jane are friends but when Jane gets jilted she drinks a bit too much and confesses her true feelings for Lucas...whose feelings just happen to be the same.  Yet Jane bolts early in the morning and refuses to talk to him.  What becomes clear to all around them is the feelings between Lucas and Jane and they do what they can to push them together.  A sweet, delightful Regency Christmas tale that could definitely have benefited from being a bit longer and having more of their backstory told.  Still, I liked it!  3 1/2 stars

Overall, a nice blend of Christmas romances and samples of these talented authors writing.  I know I will be picking up more from each one of them

Holly Lane by Toni Blake

As a huge fan on Toni Blakes Destiny series, I was a bit surprised as to whom this story was centered.  After all, Sue Ann Simpkins seemed to have a perfectly happy marriage with Jeff.  But perhaps of the standard of perfection put on these high school sweethearts, Jeff does an about face and divorces Sue Ann and quickly marries another woman, and to add a bit of insult, the new woman isn't even younger or prettier...she is just average so Sue Ann knows that it is true love.  Sue Ann is blindsided by all of this and decides to take a weekend away at a small cabin to help clear her mind and get ready for the hustle and bustle of the upcoming holiday season.  She knows she needs to make sure her daughter, Sophie, has a wonderful Christmas. 

Adam Becker is in a bit of a Scroogish mood.  His twin boys are spending a month away at a ski resort with his ex and he is naturally quite bummed out.  He heads to a cabin in the mountains that he rents every year on the same weekend and is faced with an unpleasant surprise.  His best friends (up to Jeffs divorce) ex-wife is there, Sue Ann.  There was a bit of confusion during registration and it has started to snow quite heavily and there are no other cabins available so the two agree to share the bunks.  But even though Adam and Sue Ann have know each other for most of their lives, they both see each other in a new light and this leads to one verrry steamy night in the cabin!  Phew!  But just as Sue Ann is letting down her guard a tiny bit, Adam reveals one of the reasons behind his divorce and her walls go right back up.  Oh, but that magical snow that always seemed to be falling helps keep Adam and Sue Ann in contact (physically and emotionally) with each other and Adam deepens his relationship with Sophie, who is his goddaughter, but the drama with Jeff and his requests to stop spousal support and his calling Adam as a character witness keep these two battling wills.  But will the holiday season filled with reindeer and snow and a special kitty help Sue Ann let down her guard to trust her heart to another?

Toni Blake has quickly become one of my favorite contemporary authors and I love her Destiny series and Holly Lane is the perfect holiday companion to an already fabulous series.  She took a topic seen all too often in todays world and showed how true love can blossom from a very unexpected turn of events.  I felt that Sue Anns feelings and her wall she had built up around herself was very true to how any woman would feel in the same circumstances and her love of her daughter and desire to do what was right for Sophie was spot on.  When Adam (as Santa) tells Sophie he will try to bring a real reindeer for her, Sue Ann is quite upset and even though it was the best thing to say at the time, Sue Ann is heartbroken at the thought of disappointing her daughter on Christmas morning.  And even though I saw the happy result coming, I still had happy tears in my eyes.  Actually, I sniffled quite a bit throughout this book.  Toni Blake has a knack for writing emotional, sexy stories that will pull your heart strings and leave a big happy smile on your face and I know I can not wait for more. (Amy, I'm talking about you!)  And fans on this series will be happy to know that Mick and Jenny have a wonderful, emotional side story that I thought played out perfectly!  Overall, this is a perfect Christmas story, based loosely on A Christmas Carol, that will truly put you in the mood for the upcoming holidays!  5 stars

I received this book from the publisher via netgalley.com

Destiny series
Can be read as stand alones but best enjoyed in order



Willow Springs, A Destiny Novel #5   July 2012

Good Girls Don't by Victoria Dahl

As you may have noticed I don't read a lot of contemporary romances lately but one of my few favorite contemporary authors is Victoria Dahl and I was in the mood for a good, funny, sexy contemporary and that is what I got with Good Girls Don't (Hqn).  I'm not going to write up a long full review but here is the goodreads.com summary:

With her long ponytail and sparkling green eyes, Tessa Donovan looks more like the girl next door than a businesswoman—or a heartbreaker. Which may explain why Detective Luke Asher barely notices her when he arrives to investigate a break–in at her family's brewery. He's got his own problems—starting with the fact that his partner, Simone, is pregnant and everyone thinks he's the father.

Tessa has her hands full, too. Her brother's playboy ways may be threatening the business, and the tension could tear her tight–knit family apart. In fact, the only thing that could unite the Donovan boys is seeing a man come after their "baby" sister. Especially a man like Luke Asher. But Tessa sees past the rumors to the man beneath. He's not who people think he is—and neither is she.

I enjoyed watching Tessa and Luke try to figure out how to handle their budding relationship.  Luke is an old college acquaintance of one of Tessas brothers and that naturally leads to a few funny moments!  And phew!  Ms Dahl sure knows how to write some smokin scenes....the couch.....the shower....wowza :)  I liked seeing the close relationship that Tessa has with her two older brothers, even if she did try to save the day without consulting them and keeping it all a big secret.  There is a bit of a mystery as to the who-dun-it with the robbery that moved along well and added to the storyline nicely.  Overall, another good solid winner from Victoria Dahl and just what I needed to cure my need for a sexy contemporary!  4 stars

Donovan Brothers Brewery

Short prequel out now

Sept 27th

Oct 25th

Only Mine by Susan Mallery

Dakota Hendrix knows what she wants from life and when life throws her a hurdle, she has no problem jumping that hurdle and continuing on with her hopes and dreams.  When she meets Finn Anderson, who is in Fool's Gold to stop his twin brothers from appearing on a reality show being filmed there, she agrees on a hot, no-strings-attached relationship with the knowledge that Finn will be returning to Alaska as soon as possible.  When his brothers are selected for the show, Finn sticks around to try to talk some sense into them....after all, they did leave college with only one semester left.  But when Dakotas hurdles become a reality, she and Dakota both start to question what they want from their relationship. 

This is another wonderful addition to Susan Mallerys continuing series in Fool's Gold which is a new venture for her.  We got three books last year and three this year and I know of more planned for next year.  She even has a website dedicated to the ficitonal city:  http://foolsgoldca.susanmallery.com/.  But over and above this, this is a story filled with with Mallerys trademark warmth, humor and love.  Did the storyline take a bit of a predictable plot turn?  Yes but they way to the end was full of lots of family (seriously...could I be part of that Hendrix family?), heat and laughter.  Finn has some major letting go issues as he was thrust into the parent role of his brothers when their parents died and as a result he does not want anymore responsibility...he just wants to be done when he knows for sure they are reading to be let go.  His brothers, Stephen and Sasha, add a couple secondary romances and I look forward to hopefully seeing more of both as they grow in their futures.  A few of the characters from the previous books pop up as well but not enough that if you have not tried a Susan Mallery book you should hesitate to try this one!   I look forward to the rest of this years books, Only Yours (Hqn) and Only His (Hqn) featuring the other Hendrix triplets and many more wonderful books from Susan Mallery!  4 stars

I received this ebook from the publisher via netgalley.com

Fools Gold series so far:

The Heir From Nowhere by Trish Morey

I needed a quick read for the night while I waited for all the new releases to come out Tuesday morning and since I had a special offer from my Kindle (spend $10 on certain books get a $10 gift card) I browsed the selection and picked up three Harlequins that sounded good and had good reviews already.  The Heir from Nowhere (Harlequin Presents) is about Angelina Cameron, a woman who had tried to have a baby for her husband but failed and has turned to IVF to be told that they implanted the wrong embryos into her.  When she refuses to accept the clinics offer to fix the situation, her husband leaves her to go to his young mistress.  Angelina decides to find the true parents of her baby and give them the baby they had hopefully been dreaming about.

When Dominic Pirelli receives a call with a woman telling she is pregnant with his and his late wifes baby, he is floored and suspicious.  He agrees to meet this woman and see how much money she wants, because it is always about money in the end, no woman could honestly just give up a baby she carries for nine months without compensation in his mind.  When he meets the scrawny, drained woman carry his baby he knows he needs to take care of her for the baby's sake.  In true Harlequin way, a situation arises that forces Angelina to live with Dominic and we get to watch these two slowly develop a happy, loving, hot relationship that forces both of them to let go of their pasts to find happiness together.  Overall, an enjoyable way to spend a night that left me happy with the depth of the characters presented in this short novel ...3 1/2 stars 

The Sweetest Thing by Jill Shalvis

Jill Shalvis has proven again why she is one of my favorite contemporary authors with her second book in the Lucky Harbor series. Tara, nicknamed The Steel Magnolia, has no true intentions on staying in Lucky Harbor after she helps her sisters get their inn up and running. After all, her past is all to real here and staring her in the face day in and day out in the form of the delicious Ford. The attraction that Tara and Ford had as teenagers is all too real still nineteen years later and Tara tries to ignore it but (thankfully) she loses the battle. Holy cow, hottness with these two! When Taras ex-husband arrives in town to try to win her back, she tells him absolutely not but that does not stop this small town from turning it into a competition and both males have no problem helping the matter along with displays of manly accomplishments. Another wrench gets thrown into the mix when Tara and Fords past comes back in a big way.

Overall, another fun, extremely sexy book that is a perfect beach read. Looking forward to the next installment Head Over Heels with all the sexual tension that was displayed in this book! Should be fun and hot again *g* 4 stars!

Her Little Secret, His Hidden Heir by Heidi Betts

I picked up this quick book from Harlequin Desire because I really enjoy Heidi Betts books and as her last couple of non-Harlequin books are vampire related and not my cup of tea really. This is the classic secret baby plot with a small twist. Marcus and Vanessa Keller were freshly divorced when she found out she was pregnant after trying for awhile to conceive. Even though they are divorced, she calls up Mark but gets his snarky assistant who tells Vanessa that Mark has nothing to say to her and she has nothing he wants to hear. Saddened by what has happened to her life, she leaves town and moves in with her aunt and together they open up a successful bakery.

It is now about a year later and Vanessa is in need of an investor to expand her bakery and Marcus happens to be a friend of the adviser she seeks out for help. When she sees Mark, she refuses his help but he follows her to her bakery and is meet with more resistance as that is where Vanessa has their son. Marcus quickly discovers Vanessa secret and is rightly upset but stays in town to try to work out some arrangements. They still have the spark that lite up their marriage and Vanessa tells him again why she ultimately gave up on their marriage. Marcus still doesn't really believe her and it takes a trip back to his home to finally clear away the fog and help this couple reunite as a family.

This is exactly what you expect from a quick, secret baby type story-fast moving storyline with lots of hotness-but with the added bonus of some excellent writing. Heidi Betts wrote one of my favorite contemporary series (Chicks with Sticks) and I really hope she wraps up the vampire story lines soon and writes another longer format series as she write very well. Great characters, smokin hot and fun reads...even in a Harlequin book! Overall...4 stars for this one because it did leave a smile on my face :)

Everyone Loves A Hero by Marie Force

After hearing many good things about Marie Force and her books, I am happy to add to the great praise she gets. This is a sexy book about love at first sight and some bumps along the way to their happy ever after. First Officer Cole Langston landed a plane during some unfortunate circumstances and is reluctantly a hero and in the spotlight. Just when the hoopla is finally settling down a bit, he stops to get some Mentos at a shop in the airport and sees a man giving the cashier a hard time. When he asks the man to back off, he gets a fist to the face and the next face he sees is that of the beautiful cashier, Olivia. There is a jolt between them and then he is carted off to the hospital with just her face burned into his memory. The next time he is in Olivias airport he seeks her out and the relationship goes full steam from there. They start up a hot, sexy long distance relationship. Cole plans some sweet surprises for Olivia and it is clear that these two have fallen hard for each other, fast.

This is a great contemporary novel to soak away a day with. Yes, Cole is a bit too perfect and I wanted to smack Olivia a few times for her insecurities with him and I really didn't care for the wrench that was thrown in at the end with an ex, but overall, it still made me smile, sigh, sweat, and cry a bit at the end. Looking forward to getting to the rest of Marie Forces books! 4 stars

Animal Magnetism by Jill Shalvis

Another fun, sexy, entertaining book from Jill Shalvis! This is the start of a trilogy around three foster brothers who had a rough childhood but found family together and now all run a business together. Well, our hero, Brady Miller isn't a part of it...yet but his brothers are hoping he finally settles down and helps them out. When his truck is rear ended by the delightful, sexy Lilah Young, he just knows his life is about to change. Because really....who drives around with a duck, a pig and a couple of dogs?

Lilah is co-owner of the local kennel in town and is always boarding animals and helping strays find new homes, each time giving away a tiny bit of her heart. When Brady makes it perfectly clear he is not sticking around, she is all to happy to just have a fling. And, wowza...what a fling they have! Will these two find happiness together for the long haul or do they stick with the fling set up? Their journey to the end was fun, sexy and I look forward to Bradys brothers stories! Jill Shalvis is one of my favorite contemporary authors as she writes great characters and wonderful settings. Hey, even the animals in this story expressed their feelings great! 4 stars

The Knitting Diares by Debbie Macomber, Susan Mallery, and Christina Skye

The Twenty-First Wish by Debbie Macomber

This is a sweet follow up to a main storyline in Twenty Wishes about Anne Marie Roche and her young daughter, Ellen. This is a very typical Macomber story, clean and sweet so I am not going to say much about it. If you read this as a stand alone, you probably are not going to enjoy it as much as if you had read the previous novel because there really isn't a whole lot of back story explained, just enough to refresh your memory. Overall, though, still cute. 3 stars

Coming Unraveled by Susan Mallery

I mainly read this anthology for Susan Mallerys story, as she is a favorite of mine and she did not disappoint with this one. Robyn Mulligan returns home after her dreams of being a Broadway star fall through and she runs into the last person she expects to see in her grandmothers knitting store, a handsome, hot-tempered man by the name of T.J. Passman. T.J. has done his research on Robyn and knows she has not succeeded to the extent that Robyns grandmother and two dear friends believe and he lets her know straight off he doesn't like her for misleading these women he has come to love as they helped him through a terrible tragedy in his life. Secrets are explained quickly and Robyn and T.J. soon develop a steamy relationship that is helped along a bit by Robyns grandmother and friends, who were some great characters! Good, quick, fun read which would have been a great full length I think. 4 stars

Return to Summer Island by Christiana Skye

This was my first taste of Christina Skye and I enjoyed it. Caro McNeal returns home from her hectic life after a devastating car crash leaves her with the possibility of never knitting again. Needless to say, she is determined to prove the doctors wrong as knitting is an escape from life for her. When Lieutenant Gage Grayson stops by on his way to active duty to pick up a painting from Caros aunt, they both feel the attraction right away and spend the day together, along with Gages children, his beloved cat and dog. As Gage leaves, they exchange emails and begin their correspondences. Caro includes pictures she has drawn of Gages pets that help him out while he is deployed. This was a very sweet, love at first sight story mixed with the powerful attraction of a pets love for their owner, no matter the distance. I really enjoyed this one and it left a smile on my face and a curiosity about more books by Ms Skye. Not much heat though, so I will need to do some research into that...as in is that normal for her or did it just not work for this story? 3 1/2 stars

Overall, not a bad anthology. I enjoyed each story and came away with a smile on my face for each one. Being that Macomber and Skyes were both tame and Mallorys was a bit steamy, they didn't really seem like three authors that fit the best together, in my opinion though. 3 1/2 stars

I received this ebook via netgalley.com

A Lot Like Love by Julie James

What another fun, sexy, awesome read from Julie James! This time around we are back in Chicago and the FBI office with Mr Tall, Dark and Smoldering, Nick McCall who asks for the help of billionaire heiress, Jordan Rhodes to gain access to an exclusive wine party to plant bugs and catch a money laundering scheme. To get Jordan to accept their request, the FBI dangles the release of her twin brother Kyle, who is in jail for shutting down Twitter for two whole days. She agrees as this should be a very simple mission....until they hit the small snag of the host, Xander who has had designs on Jordan and has Nick followed to find out who he is. As Jordan and Nick are forced to continue on with their "relationship" the sparks continue to fly.

I love how Julie James portrays smart, sexy, self independent, strong women. Even though Jordan stands to gain over a billion dollars, she still owns a very successful wine business that she started on her own. I loved how Jordan and her brother have a great, if sarcastic, relationship and you can see they love they have for each other and their father. And Nick...umm...yummy! He is like many undercover agents that have been in the business a while. A bit jaded and hard and not into relationships and is up front with women about that fact. Of course, they never want to let him go and that adds a wrench later in the story for our couple that adds a bit a intrigue near the end. I really enjoyed how Jordan and Nick took a bit of time to develop a relationship before hitting the sheets. And wowza...they sure know how to light them on fire! And holy smokes...who knew a brick wall could be so sexy?

I tried to take my time reading this but all too soon I found myself at the end with a big smile on my face. There are so many funny moments throughout this book and many moments that will make you and your heart smile. I am so looking forward to Kyles book, I mean, he is a dead ringer for Josh Holloway so another yummy fest there. I see no other info when it will be out, but I am guessing March of next year as that seems to be the pattern so far but who knows, maybe we will get it earlier? Please? But really, if you have not tried out Julie James---do so! Now! You won't be disappointed. (Oh, and props to Julie James and the cover art director for nailing the dress on the cover again! I really appreciate when covers match something that happens in the book) 5 stars

Driftwood Cottage by Sherryl Woods

Driftwood Cottage was another nice visit to yet another perfect imaginary town that I wished I lived in, Chesapeake Shores. This is book five in the series but picks up directly where A Chesapeake Shores Christmas leaves off so to get the best feel of this book, it is probably a good idea to read at least the Christmas story, the others you can probably do without but are enjoyable, easy reads as well.

Driftwood Cottage finds the very stubborn Connor O'Brien who became a divorce attorney following the divorce of his parents when he was young. His mother walked out on his father and moved away to New York and he hardened his heart towards her and love in general. Connor had had a pretty good life going with his long time, live in girlfriend, Heather. But after the birth of their son, little Mick (named after Connors father) she realizes she wants the piece of paper securing them in marriage even though she has known all along how Connor feels about marriage and she decides to leave him.

Heather moves to Chesapeake Shores to be near Connors large extended family for little Micks sake and to open up her own quilting shop. The O'Briens are a very loving, meddlesome family that do whatever they can, in small, subtle ways to try and get Connor and Heather to reconnect. The love between them has never been a problem, Heather thinks it is just Connors insecurities about marriage. As our story progresses, Connor makes a life changing decision after Heather has a bad accident but their road to happily ever after is still bumpy. They finally do get to their HEA with Connor coming to terms with his fears and Connor helping Heather realizes her own insecurities about marriage.

Overall, this is a sweet, easy book. There is nothing spectacular about it, just something to curl up with on a nice summer day and enjoy. Everything is a bit to perfect...you know, not much money problems, everyone loves everyone and sort through everything it seems with ease. If you enjoy that, this is an excellent book for you. For me, this is about a 3 1/2 stars book. I look forward to more from this large, nosy family when I am in the mood for a light contemporary book to take me away from my own crazy life.

I received this ebook via netgalley.com

Harvest Moon by Robyn Carr

Wow, Ms Carr as really outdone herself this year with her Virgin River books. All three have been excellent and the latest is no exception. Harvest Moon finds Kelly Matlock coming to Virgin River to recover and reevaluate at her sisters from a broken heart and Lief Holbrook moving there with his rebellious teenager daughter, Courtney. Lief has suffered his own heartbreak at the unexpected death of his wife and an ongoing battle of wills with Courtney and her natural father (who is just a slime bucket).

What is interesting about this story is that the story is just about Lief and Kelly and their romance and about Courtney and her struggles to find herself again. There is really no side story. I really enjoyed Courtney, which I was surprised about because I thought she was going to be a bratty teenager, which she is at times, but Ms Carr does a great job with developing Courtney. I really thought the therapy sessions were interesting and they seemed, to me anyways, like something that would really work in a real life situation. I thought Courtneys transition back to her old self was believable and I got teary eyed during a situation between her and Lief, when she realizes Lief does love her for her and her real father just doesn't care.

The romance between Lief and Kelly is also well done, but then again, Robyn Carr seems to do most things well :) They were attracted to each right away but as Kelly had not been with many men she held off a bit before continuing on with their relationship. And of course Courtney dislikes her and Kelly does not try to force a relationship but the ending between them was very sweet. I was surprised with what came of Kelly broken heart relationship and thought it was a nice little twist that I enjoyed. I am sad that it seems our time with Virgin River this year seems to be done but I hope there is more to come in this series and I hope they all keep up with the wonderfullness the author as done this year. Loved the great community feelings, the turned up heat factor, and the believable characters. For Harvest Moon, 4 stars.

I received this ebook via netgalley.com

A Creed in Stone Creek by Linda Lael Miller

Its that time of the year to head back to your cowboy roots with the queen of western romance. In this new trilogy, we meet up with some more of the Creeds, Steven and his twin cousins, Brody and Connor. This book features Steven who has recently adopted his best friends five year old son, Matt, and the towns prosecutor Melissa O'Ballivan. Steven moves to Stone Creek, Arizona to be near his McKettrick side of the family and leave a bad breakup and the big city behind and start over a bit with Matt. On his first day there he sees an attractive woman, who turns out to be Melissa, and the attraction is instant and mutual.

This book is full of small town country life. Melissa is coerced into supervising the town parade and as a result, has to deal with numerous small problems from the older women in the community. One of the side storied involves a young man that Melissa had successfully prosecuted and sent to jail, getting released and returns back home and he deals with some unfortunate circumstances and lead to Melissa and Steven, a public defender, squaring off against each other. And then there is Matt. I really loved the relationship between Matt and Steven. It was no surprise to Steven that he was the guardian, this was told to him shortly after Matt was born so there wasn't they big 'what do I do with a kid?' problem, which was great. There were a bit of inconsistencies, to me I felt, with Matts age and how he acted, but that seems to happen often with kids in the book. I think its hard to hit it just right with kids and how they act versus their age.

Also present in this book is lots of family and love between them. Melissa has her brother, Brad (who is married to Meg, Stevens cousin) and her twin sisters. Thank goodness both her sisters are happily married because I thought they were going to be paired up with Stevens twin cousins and I am a bit over the twin with twin thing lately. (Of course I don't know what happens with the next two books but I hope nothing happens to the sisters husbands!!) But, at the same time, the intertwined family life is a bit confusing sometimes. Everyone seems to be related somehow! The attraction between Steven and Melissa was heated and progressed very quickly but as Melissa had been burned by a guy with kids before, she is a bit hesitant as he with her as his ex was a prosecutor as well. They gradually overcome these issues with no big misunderstanding which was a plus!

Overall, this is a pleasant book to spend a nice snowy day with while curled up in front of the fireplace and some hot chocolate. I am looking forward to the twin cousins stories as there is some good back story waiting to be told that should be interesting. I have enjoyed all of Linda Lael Millers westerns and enjoy coming back each year for more. I have not tried any other westerns, as its not really my thing, but she does a great job giving you just enough without overpowering you. 3 1/2 stars

I received this ebook via netgalley.com

Then He Kissed Me by Christie Ridgway

This is the second of three books in Christie Ridgways Three Kisses series about three sisters trying to save their family winery. This time we focus on Stevie Baci and newcomer Jack Parini....who just happens to be a prince. Stevie runs a limousine service, aptly called Napa Princess Limousine, and meets the good looking, tough, have-quite-a-history Jack while picking up his sister, Roxy, who is engaged to Stevie's ex Emerson. You would think you would want to hate Roxy for "stealing" Emerson away from Stevie but she is over him and you really grow to root for Roxy and Emerson, who are the side story and have their own issues that are handled very nicely.

I was excited about the royalty aspect of this book because, hey, I admit, I live a a dream world where I marry a real live prince, lol! However, it is pretty downplayed, which in a way, was nice. Jack and Roxy are not full of themselves and their mother is quite a hoot when she arrives! They had a terrible incident happen to them when they were younger and Jack has never really quite forgiven himself for letting Roxy be involved. I enjoyed that Jack and Roxy had some flaws and were not pretentious.

As for Stevie and Jack, well the sparks fly right away and when they are caught in a heated embrace but all of Emersons family, Jacks solution was a bit of a surprise. I felt these two had great chemistry together and Jack helped Stevie feel like that woman she is deep inside and just never let out. Once again we see the build up to the next story with Stevies sister Jules and Liam with a bit more of their back story, just enough to make you really want their story now and not in a few months! I think (and hope!) their story is going to be the best of this trilogy. Even though this is book two of three, I don't feel it necessary to read the first one but of course I do recommend it as it was a fun sweet book as well. Overall, if you are in the mood for a few laughs in a sweet, sexy story about some great family love try this one! 3 1/2 stars