Charming The Troublemaker by Pepper Basham

• Series: Mitchell's Crossroads
• Paperback: 294 pages
• Publisher: Bling! Romance (November 1, 2017)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1946016306
• ISBN-13: 978-1946016300

About the Book:

When Dr. Alex Murdock is demoted to a university in rural Virginia, the last thing he expects to find is a future. But country charm never looked as good as it did on Rainey Mitchell. 

Rainey Mitchell does not need a high-class flirt in her wounded world, but trouble and temptation wafts off the new professor as strong as his sandalwood-scented cologne. 

When circumstances thrust them together to save her tutoring clinic, can the troublemaker find the hero inside and encourage the reticent Rainey to open her heart again? My Thoughts:

I absolutely adore Pepper Basham's contemporary novels!  She has a wit about her that translates well in her writing, and she has the special, intangible something that makes characters pop off the page from the first paragraph.

Alex is a stuck-up snot at first, but watching Rainey wiggle under his skin was a delightful treat.  A rural Virginia college was not his dream, and when he assisted a colleague in the first novel of the Mitchell's Crossing series, Alex had no idea he'd end up in such a backwoods institution.

He quickly learns that this institution of higher learning is more than what he sees, and Rainey is instrumental in helping Alex see the beauty of the world around him.  Including Rainey.

But she's been burned by love and romance badly, and while Alex is handsome, intelligent and wears yummy cologne, Rainey is determined to keep her distance.

Especially to protect the person that means more to her than anyone else in the world.  But that person becomes the catalyst, the spark that ignites the potential of a future together.  Will the threatened loss of Rainey's tutoring clinic drive a wedge, or serve as a magnet, pulling their damaged hearts together to make a whole.

I've enjoyed all of Basham's novels, but her contemporary stories are my absolutely favorites.  I think you'll fall in love with Mitchell's Crossing!

Five out of five stars

Until the next page turns,

Deena

Stars In the Grass by Ann Marie Stewart

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Shiloh Run Press (February 1, 2017)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1634099508
• ISBN-13: 978-1634099509

About the Book:

Christy Award Winner!

Nine-year-old Abby McAndrews has just experienced her greatest loss, and in its wake, her family is unraveling with guilt, grief, and anger. Her father, Reverend McAndrews, cannot return to the pulpit because he has more questions than answers. Her older brother Matt’s actions speak louder than the words he needs to confess, as he acts out in dangerous ways. Her mother tries to hold her grieving family together, but when Abby’s dad refuses to move on, the family is at a crossroads.
 
Stars in the Grass, set in a small Midwestern town in 1970, is an uplifting novel that explores a family’s relationships and resiliency. Abby’s heartbreaking remembrances are balanced by humor and nostalgia as her family struggles with—and ultimately celebrates—life after loss.

My Thoughts:

I had a pre-release copy of Ann Marie Stewart's debut novel on my Kindle for several weeks.  I knew I'd eventually get to read the book, but it took the Christy Award nominations to prompt me to begin to read.

Waiting was one of the least intelligent decisions I've had in forever!  "Stars In the Grass" is so much more than the back cover copy does it justice. An unspeakable tragedy opens the story, one that stops a parent's heart and sends a chill over the reader.

What follows is the journey of the McAndrews family as they navigate the new normal they must now live.  And each member of the family handles the grief in different ways--some self-destructive, some unusual, and all revealing the personalities of the family members.

The story focuses on Abby, the only girl and our narrator.  Viewing events through the eyes of a young girl.  Be prepared for a heart-tugging story, have tissues on hand, and I wouldn't advise picking up the book just before bed...unless you'll want to be up all night.

This is Stewart's debut, which makes me anxious to see what this talented new author has coming next.  I received an advance copy of "Stars In The Grass" from the publisher with no services promised in return.

Four out of five stars

Until the next page turns, 

Deena

Relentless by Christy Barritt

• File Size: 3377 KB
• Print Length: 144 pages
• Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
• Publisher: River Heights (November 27, 2017)
• Publication Date: November 27, 2017
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services LLC

About the Book:

You've read about her in the Worst Detective Ever mystery series. Now Raven Remington comes to life in this novella that's written as if it's a TV show.

An ex-CIA operative. A top-secret mission. Danger that lurks at every turn.

Raven Remington is facing her most challenging mission: protecting the man who may have killed her sister. The former spy is still trying to integrate into life as a civilian and figure out whom to trust. With each passing day, the task becomes more difficult.

Can Raven figure out who is trying to assassinate the man—the senator—she’s been tasked to protect . . . or will surprises hidden just below the surface destroy life as she knows it?

*Relentless is based on the fictional TV show starring Hollywood starlet Joey Darling from The Worst Detective Ever mystery series.

My Thoughts:

I was so excited by the thought of a novel about an fictional actress who plays a fictional detective on a fictional hot television series, and Relentless did NOT disappoint!

Granted, if you haven't read any of The Worst Detective Ever novels, some of the nuance probably didn't resonate with you.  But you seriously need to read that series, one of Barritt's best.

Joey Darling is the star of the popular television show Relentless and plays the character of Raven Remington.  Raven is everything Joey isn't, and up to this point we've just had to take Christy Barritt's word for it.

But Relentless gives us a glimpse into Joey's other persona and it was SO. MUCH. FUN.  As any television show, action wraps up in less than 60 minutes, plot threads continue while a few wrap up by the end, and Barritt threw in an extra treat with closing credits that included her influencer team as part of the imaginary film crew.

So, if you can allow yourself to remember you're reading a fictional story about a fictional actress playing a fictional detective on a hit fictional television series, you'll be just fine.  If you can't, then I don't know what to tell you, except you're missing out, dear reading buddy!

Four out of five stars

Until the next page turns,

Deena

Flaw Abiding Citizen by Christy Barritt

• Series: The Worst Detective Ever
• Paperback: 322 pages
• Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (November 21, 2017)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1979951349
• ISBN-13: 978-1979951340

About the Book:

Where’s the director when you need him to call “cut”? Just when Joey thinks she’s closer to answers about her father’s mysterious disappearance, more questions surface. The starlet is determined to find her dad and to put an end to the crazy stalker fan club trying to manipulate her decisions. 

But life has plot twists she can’t see coming. 

Secrets abound—secrets from the most unlikely of people—and Joey’s had enough. She’s tired of flawed theories and abiding by other people’s rules. Doing what any good citizen would, she seeks resolution, knowing the stakes are higher than just herself. 

Dangerous encounters meet the wannabe detective at every turn. As the end of one mystery draws close, it’s clear that Joey will either end up with the answers she seeks or find herself in the closing credits . . . for one final time.

My Thoughts:

This is by far my favorite novel in The Worst Detective Ever Series, and I adore them all!  Christy Barritt is an author with an imagination that never ends, and she has a way of crafting a story so fun to read, you almost want to be there where the action is!

Although, if bodies kept popping up in my little community, I believe I would move!

Once again, Joey Darling is attempting to unravel the clues from her Super Stalker Fan Club and find her father before time runs out.  She's closer than ever, which means the risk is at an all time high.

Detective Jackson Sullivan is determined to keep Joey safe at all costs, but when she finds out he's been keeping information from her, it's make it or break it time for their budding romance.

The burning question for every reader is this: where is Joey's dad?  And the second burning question: is she ever going to find him?

Well, I can't tell you that, but I will let you know that more answers than questions are packed into this book, and this is one novel you absolutely have to read!  

Oh, and one more thing...even when answers come, Barritt always has a few more questions left wide open as the final page turns.  So look forward to more of Joey Darling, The Worst Detective Ever, releasing this year!

Four out of five stars

Until the next page turns,

Deena

Ghost Heart by Lisa Harris and Lynne Gentry

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• Series: Medical Thriller
• Paperback: 350 pages
• Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (June 27, 2017)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1548444766
• ISBN-13: 978-1548444761

About the Book:

A brilliant transplant surgeon. A rogue organ broker. A ghost child. And the legend that could destroy them all. A brutal murder convinces surgeon Mia Kendall there’s more than she imagined to the mysterious spike in heart transplant rejections. Determined to find answers before she loses another patient, Mia gets sucked into a dangerous international medical web. 

With time running out for her youngest transplant recipient, Mia is forced to partner with a disillusioned ex-military pilot who flies brokered organs across East Africa. But searching for the truth will prove costly for the unlikely duo racing to stop a madman before he annihilates a rare and cursed bloodline. 

From best-selling author Lisa Harris and award-winning author Lynne Gentry comes a chilling, hypnotic medical thriller that will take you from the suburbs of Cincinnati to the jungles of Africa.

My Thoughts:

I love Lisa Harris' intense suspense novels, and when I found out she had collaborated with Lynne Gentry for a unique kind of thriller, I had to check it out.  I'm so glad I did!  Both Harris and Gentry shine a spotlight on the urgency of needed transplant organs and the desperate lengths some people will go to in order to save someone they love.

East Africa is saturated in cultural myth and supernatural beliefs.  Once such belief has a group of their population isolated and in exile.  Dr. Mia Kendall is devoting her skills to help save lives by performing transplant surgeries in the middle of the remote areas of Africa.  Her patients keep dying mysteriously, rejecting the transplanted organs.

Her investigation leads to a partnership with a pilot that has secrets of his own.  In an attempt to make amends for the lives he took in the service of his country, Race Daniels transports organs to local hospitals to save those in need of a transplant.

Across the world, Catherine Taylor waits and watches as her critically ill daughter hangs on, needing a heart transplant to save her life.  With the wait list too long and time running out, just how far will Catherine go to obtain a heart for her child?

The story is multi-layered and rich with description and lively characters.  I was hooked and horrified by page one--these ladies know how to write like the story they're telling is real!  And the truth is, Ghost Heart is fiction rooted in reality, which just increased the flow of tears as I read.

Ghost Heart is a novel you cannot miss, and I'm hoping Harris and Gentry collaborate again soon.  They make a dynamic storytelling duo! I received an advance copy of the novel from the publisher with no services promised in return.

Five out of five stars, and a favorite read

Until the next page turns,

Deena

Fatal Mistake by Susan Sleeman

• Series: White Knights (Book 1)
• Paperback: 400 pages
• Publisher: FaithWords (May 9, 2017)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1455596469
• ISBN-13: 978-1455596461

About the Book:

An FBI agent must protect the woman who can identify a terrorist bomber in bestselling author Susan Sleeman's riveting romantic suspense novel.

Each day could be her last...but not if he can help it.

Tara Parrish is the only person ever to survive an attack by the Lone Wolf bomber. Scared and emotionally scarred by her near death, she goes into hiding with only one plan--to stay alive for another day. She knows he's coming after her, and if he finds her, he will finish what he started.

Agent Cal Riggins has had only one goal for the past six months--to save lives by ending the Lone Wolf's bombing spree. To succeed, he needs the help of Tara Parrish, the one person who can lead them to the bomber. Cal puts his all into finding Tara, but once he locates her, he realizes if he can find her, the Lone Wolf can, too. He must protect Tara at all costs, and they'll both need to resist the mutual attraction growing between them to focus on hunting down the bomber, because one wrong move could be fatal.

My Thoughts:

I've read several of Susan Sleeman's novels, and hands down this is my favorite series of them all!  Fatal Mistake is an intense mystery from start to finish.  With a serial killer on the loose and one survivor left, the action never stops, and you'll be reading far, far into the night.

Tara Parrish is the only survivor of the Lone Wolf bomber.  Her goal is to hide and keep anyone from finding her--especially the one man wanting her dead.  But trouble has a way of creeping in and causing havoc.

Enter Agent Cal Riggins, single-minded and determined to catch the Lone Wolf before he strikes again.  His best source of information is Tara.  Can Cal keep Tara safe while trying to follow the clues to the killer?  Or is getting involved with Tara a Fatal Mistake?

From the first page Fatal Mistake is an adrenaline rush that keeps a steady pace until the case is solved.  I loved the characters and I thoroughly enjoyed the story.  I'm eager to read the next book in the series (*secret--I've already read it as an advance copy--and it ROCKS!*).

I received an advance copy of the book from the publisher with no services offered in exchange.

Four out of five stars for Fatal Mistake

Until the next page turns,

Deena

Troubled Waters by Susan May Warren

Series: Montana Rescue (Book 4) Paperback: 352 pages Publisher: Revell (January 2, 2018) Language: English ISBN-10: 0800727460 ISBN-13: 978-0800727468 About the Book: Billionaire Ian Shaw can have everything he wants--except a happy ending. Or at least that's what it feels like with his fortune recently liquidated, his niece, Esme, still missing, and the woman he loves refusing to speak to him. In fact, he doubts she would date him even if they were stranded on a deserted island. Despite her love for Ian, Sierra Rose knows he has no room in his life for her as long as the mystery of his missing niece goes unsolved. The only problem is, Sierra has solved it, but a promise to Esme to keep her whereabouts secret has made it impossible to be around Ian. When the PEAK chopper is damaged and Sierra lacks the funds to repair it, Ian offers a fundraising junket for large donors on his yacht in the Caribbean. But the three-day excursion turns into a nightmare when a rogue wave cripples the yacht and sends the passengers overboard. Shaken up and soaked to the bone, Ian finally has a chance to test his theory when he and Sierra do indeed find themselves washed up on a strange, empty shore. It will take guts and gumption for the PEAK team to rescue the duo. But it will take a miracle to rescue Ian and Sierra's relationship. My Thoughts: I don't know how she does it. Every time I finish one of Susan May Warren's novels I have this little ritual. First, I get upset with myself because I read it too quickly. Then I cry over the final chapters--full on ugly cry. And then I think, "It can't get any better than this. I'll never forget this one, and I'll love these imaginary people forever. They will be my absolute favorite people." And then Susan writes a new story and I dive in, thinking I won't love these imaginary people as much as I do all the others. But I get hooked on the first page and I read too fast and I laugh and pray for my new favorite imaginary people, and by the last few chapters I'm ugly crying so much I can't see the words. And I think I'll never love anyone as much as Ian and Sierra, and I know that will all change when the next book comes out. Secrets, old wounds, a "3 hour cruise", and a little Robinson Crusoe will meet you in "Troubled Waters". Prepare to fall in love, and buy tissues before you start reading. Giving this one my "Oh, The Feels!" award of approval. I received an advance copy from the publisher with no services promised in return. Until the next page turns, Deena