Tuesday, February 20, 2024

If the Boot Fits (Texas Ever After #2) by Karen Witemeyer


If the Boot Fits (Texas Ever After #2)
By Karen Witemeyer
Published by Bethany House
Publication Date: March 12, 2024

Description from the Publisher
One fateful night will change their destinies forever. . . .
Convinced that his stepmother and half brothers have been wrongfully evicted by cattle king Eli Dearing, Asher Ellis uses the cover of an extravagant ball to break into the Three Cedars' ranch house to search for proof. On the verge of discovery, he flees, but a boy's cry compels him to make a daring rescue.
Spunky and independent Samantha Dearing balks when she learns the ball her father is hosting is nothing more than a matrimonial ambush. Taking a break from unwanted suitors, Samantha spots a thief fleeing her home. When the stranger ends up saving her brother's life, she hides the only clue to his identity left behind--his boot--and resolves to find him herself.
When Samantha encounters the older brother of a student she tutors, all thoughts of the bootless mystery man vanish. Asher values family above wealth, a rare trait that opens her heart. Afraid she will discover his past misconduct, Asher tries to keep his distance, but when a series of suspicious accidents befall her, he vows to protect her, even though saving her life could mean losing her love.

My Review:
Oh, man, there's just so much to like about this book! Where to even start?!
Genre--I sometimes find I like the idea of fairy tale retellings better than the execution, but I love this one. There were some really cool nods to the original story along with awesome twists and changes (like a male Cinderella character losing his boot and the stepmother being an absolute sweetheart) that really fleshed out a great story and fixed some of the stupider moments of the original. For example, I've always found it rather ridiculous that Prince Charming supposedly danced with Cinderella long enough to fall in love with her but had to rely on a shoe to find her. Did he not get a look at her FACE? Could he not provide some sort of a description?) So, I loved the fact that our leading lady really didn't get a look at her mystery man's face and relying on the boot to ID him made a lot more sense. I can't say too much without giving away a really great scene, but I also love how the boot was incorporated at the end! It was so much fun to read that scene!
Characters--they are awesome! I loved reading about Asher and Samantha, both with concerns about their families and their futures as well asking questions about their pasts and regrets about things they didn't realize sooner. I also really liked seeing their growing feelings for each other--they were pretty fast but also felt legitimate to me. Their family members--from a misunderstood father to adorable little brothers to a wise aunt to a loving stepmother--also stole my heart.
Plot--there was a lot going, with someone trying to kill Samantha, her finding out a lot about her deceased mother's past, Asher trying to keep her safe, etc. So it was a bit of a whirlwind but I enjoyed the whole thing. I kept sneaking back to this one to get in a few more pages!
Setting--Texas might not be at the top of the list for likely locations for a fairy tale, but I really liked the western setting and all the details of ranch life.
Tone--there's a lot of serious stuff going on, but there was a great balance of lighthearted moments, too. I loved the messages of faith throughout the story.
So, obviously, I'm a big fan of this book! It was a lot of fun to read and I've gotta snag the audio version as soon as I can to give it a listen as well!
5 stars and one of my picks for the best of 2024.

I read a DRC provided by the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Friday, February 16, 2024

My Phony Valentine (Holidays with Hart #1) by Courtney Walsh

My Phony Valentine (Holidays with Hart #1)
By Courtney Walsh
Published by Sweethaven Press

Description from the publisher:
A chance meeting. A hunky hockey player. A fake romance. Hardly an ordinary day in the life of Poppy Hart.
My days usually consist of agonizing over my failing restaurant, worrying about my mountain of debt and nursing my broken heart.
Everything changes when I bump into a man in the coffee shop and claim him as my new boyfriend. To my absolute horror, he turns out to be hockey’s most renowned bad boy, Dallas Burke. To my absolute delight, he goes along with my story.
When his no-nonsense manager and meddling grandmother jump in the picture, they see a win-win solution for my failing restaurant and Dallas’s less-than-stellar reputation.
A full-fledged fake romance complete with contract negotiations, pretend dates and phony PDA.
But as I get to know the real Dallas Burke, who is not the man the press says he is, it becomes clear that if this isn’t real. . . someone better tell it to my heart.

My Review
I absolutely devoured this book! I LOVED it! Just everything about it drew me in. I loved Poppy and Dallas, and Dallas' grandma is a hoot. I just loved how Poppy and Dallas really came to care about each other, to be friends who supported each other and how that developed into more. There were so many lines that just had me laughing out loud. It was just such a pleasure to read this book. My only (really tiny because I liked the rest of it so much I didn't even care) quibble would be that the conflict with one of his teammates that is such a big deal for Dallas at the beginning of the book just kinda falls away with no real explanation. While something like that might have bothered me a lot in another situation, I really did love the book so much that it was easier not to be bothered by that. Again, this was just tons of fun and I loved it. An easy five stars from me.

5 stars.

Sunday, January 28, 2024

While the City Sleeps (The Women of Midtown #1) by Elizabeth Camden

While the City Sleeps (The Women of Midtown #1) 
By Elizabeth Camden 
Published by Bethany House 
Publication Date: February 13, 2024 

Description from the publisher: 
Katherine Schneider's workaday life as a dentist in 1913 New York is upended when a patient reveals details of a deadly plot while under the influence of laughing gas. As she is plunged into danger, she seeks help from the dashing Lieutenant Jonathan Birch, a police officer she has long admired from afar. 
Jonathan has harbored powerful feelings toward Katherine for years but never acted on them, knowing his dark history is something she could never abide. Now, with her safety on the line, he works alongside her through the nights as they unravel the criminal conspiracy that threatens her. And throughout it all, Jonathan fears what will happen should Katherine ever learn his deepest secrets. 
Join award-winning author Elizabeth Camden for a sweeping and romantic adventure of dangerous secrets and wounded hearts fighting to overcome the darkness while the rest of the city sleeps. 

My review: 
Although I'm very much a character-driven reader, I think the plot stole the show for me in this book! I was really drawn in by the mystery/supense and trying to figure out who is out to silence Katherine as well as cause destruction around NYC. Following along with the clues and theories and policework just really hooked me, as did so many interesting historical details (like about dentistry in the early 1900s and the all-female Martha Washington hotel). I did also like the characters, although there were also times I found both of them to be a bit irritating--likely because they were so realistic and sometimes did things that drove me up a wall! (I think their actions totally fit with their characters, so that's not a criticism of the writing; it's just a comment about how they weren't these practically perfect people who always did everything right.) I was glad to see things work out for them in the end. 
4 stars. 
 I read a DRC from NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Tuesday, January 16, 2024

Embers in the London Sky by Sarah Sundin


Embers in the London Sky
By Sarah Sundin
Published by Revell
Publication Date: February 6, 2024


Description from the Publisher:
As the German army invades the Netherlands in 1940, Aleida van der Zee Martens escapes to London to wait out the Occupation. Separated from her three-year-old son, Theo, in the process, the young widow desperately searches for her little boy even as she works for an agency responsible for evacuating children to the countryside. 
 When German bombs set London ablaze, BBC radio correspondent Hugh Collingwood reports on the Blitz, eager to boost morale while walking the fine line between truth and censorship. But the Germans are not the only ones Londoners have to fear as a series of murders flame up amid the ashes. 
The deaths hit close to home for Hugh, and Aleida needs his help to locate her missing son. As they work together, they grow closer and closer, both to each other and the answers they seek. But with bombs falling and continued killings, they may be running out of time. 

My Review:
World War II is such a fascinating era, and I can't get enough of learning about different experiences during the war, so I was hooked by seeing a mother, a refugee herself, looking for her son while helping to encourage parents in London to evacuate their children to the country for their safety alongside a BBC radio correspondent. Those aspects of history were so interesting--and then the characers themselves were wonderful. I loved how Aleida was determined to find her son and used her organizational skills to try to find him. Hugh was really endearing, with his asthma and his feeling of constantly disappointing his parents as he tries to do what he loves making him so realistic. Their romance was sweet, albeit subtle. While some of the plotlines (there are four murders in the book), the writing is never graphic. All in all, an interesting mystery, a sweet romance between lovable characters, and awesome historical details made this a terrific book! 

 4.5 stars. 

I read a DRC provided by the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Monday, January 8, 2024

Devoted Hearts series by Sally Britton

 I mentioned in a previous post that I'd been catching up on my to-read list...well, during December, I read/listened to the entire Devoted Hearts series by Sally Britton and loved each story! I won't give a review of each book, but I will say I'm not a binger, and yet, I binged this series. I actually started with the seventh book because I was looking through my un-read Kindle books for Christmas stories, and it's a Christmas novella. Well, I enjoyed that so much that I looked at the Libby app to see which books in the series my library might own as audiobooks (the fastest way for me to get through books) and was delighted to see that all of them were available (well, I had to put them on hold but they were all eventually available for me). Luckily for me, I didn't have to wait too long for them to come in and I got busy listening to them. I absolutely tore through these books because I enjoyed them so much!


Here are the books:

Prequel: Martha's Patience
Book 1: The Social Tutor
Book 2:The Gentleman Physician
Book 3: His Bluestocking Bride
Book 4: The Earl and His Lady
Book 5:Miss Devon's Choice
Book 6: Courting the Vicar's Daughter
Book 7: Penny's Yuletide Wish

The narrator was terrific for each book that I listened to, and I loved the characters. You don't have to read them in order, but it does add some depth to see what happened in previous books. 


Five stars for the series! All clean reads and just so much fun to read!

Thursday, December 28, 2023

Protecting Her Heart by Nancy Campbell Allen

Protecting Her Heart (Matchmakers #3)
By Nancy Campbell Allen
Published by Shadow Mountain
Publication Date: January 2, 2024

Description from the publisher:
London, 1887 When newly graduated medical doctor Charlotte Duvall receives word that her father has died, she immediately leaves America and returns home to see to her family's estate. Among her father's possessions is a box of her late mother's letters, which feels like a balm to Charlotte's grief-stricken heart. But the letters contain some inconsistencies that suggest there was more to her mother's death than Charlotte had been told. She turns to the one man she trusts more than anyone--her treasured friend and director of London's police force, John Ellis.
John Ellis has harbored feelings for Charlotte ever since he first met her. Tucked into his heart are thoughts of her sharp mind, quick wit, and remarkable beauty. Though he has not yet found the courage to share his feelings with the young doctor, he is eager to help her in her hour of need. Investigating the details of a death was not how Charlotte imagined she would find love, but as she and John work to unravel a dark web of secrets and lies, she finds herself relying on him more and more--and opening her heart to him in the process. As the danger draws ever closer, John vows to do everything in his power to protect Charlotte from harm. But he fears protecting her heart might come at the cost of breaking his own.

My review:
Fantastic! I completely devoured this book. From the get-go, I was drawn in by Charlotte and John and their story. I loved the friendship between them and how the attraction quickly flared up when they were together again. I also appreciated that there wasn't a whole bunch of dithering (e.g. oh, he can't possibly like me; oh, she's too good for me, etc.) but just a rather straightforward romance--yes, there were obstacles but they weren't pretending not to have feelings for each other. I loved their banter and the way they worked together. The mystery aspect and the details of Victorian life were also really engrossing.
5 stars.

Content note: This is a clean read as far as sexual content. It does get a bit gory as Charlotte delves into what happened to her mother.

I read an ARC provided by the publisher. All opinions are my own.

Wednesday, December 27, 2023

Missing in Action

 I haven't posted in two months! I hit a bit of a lull in my reviewing schedule, and rather than seeking out a bunch of ARCs to review, I've been making my way through my to-read list on Goodreads as well as all those unread books on my tablet. It's been kind of awesome watching the number of unread books go down! I found a series that I loved and binge read (listened to) it, I read a bunch of cheesy but fun Christmas stories, and I started and then deleted a few that I've been waiting years to read just to find out they're not for me. It's been a long time since I've just plowed through a bunch of books without needing to write reviews, and I enjoyed the break, but I'm also excited to share reviews soon of books I have really enjoyed. I don't have a ton of books lined up for the first part of next year, yet, either, so I'll probably push forward with making a dent in my to-read lists, but I'll try to remember to review the best ones, too.