Hannah G
Perfectly intense and wonderful conclusion to the series. Well, maybe not long enough, since I read it in less than a day and now I'm waiting for the next Lynette book again. I loved seeing Raina get her happy ending and the race to save an endangered teen boy was very much a nail biter. Normally I can guess the ending of Lynette's books since I've read over 60 of them, but there were some serious twists I didn't see coming in this one. Fun read!
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a free reading copy. A favorable review was not required.
4.5 stars
I've really been enjoying this series even though I've read some of it out of order. This one is the story of Jude's sister and why she hasn't come home for so long, as well as some about Seth and the last parts of his recovery from being shot in the head in another of the series. I loved the gradual way Nora begins to rethink her opinion of the town she never meant to come home to, and the way the family thaws toward each other.
Hoping for more books in this series as there are still HEAs needing to be dished out, and can't wait for Jude's story (which I immediately ordered)!
I've really been enjoying this series. Lots of outdoor scenes and great descriptions that make you feel present in the scene, intelligent and crafty criminals, likable characters, and a fabulous family ranch at the foot of the Rockies. This one's started with a bang as an arsonist tries to burn the heroine alive in her bed and breakfast when she's in town to hunt a serial arsonist. But as attacks begin to target her, she's got to figure out if it's the serial arsonist or a copycat with a far more personal aim.
Loved the story and her little son as well.
One of the best Hannons I've read. This has a great start to the new series and I'm looking forward to the second story about Jack, Bri's brother. It was a nice chunky read (400 pages) and I read it in two sittings. The villain, while creepy and sick, isn't a horrible person to be inside the head of like some of the other Hannon novels have featured, which was a relief. I didn't have to feel yicky while reading the story.
I did figure out the villain by about 40% in but Marc and Bri weren't a hardship to read about in the meantime, and it was definitely a question of how much damage the villain would do before getting caught. I also loved Marc's grandmother and Bri's family dynamics.
Something that's annoyed me in a number of her previous novels was that many couples' attraction has been way too body-centric and that wasn't the case at all in this book. They are solidly attracted to each other for who they are. Definitely a plus.
An interesting and unusual twisty mystery. The amnesiac heroine unexpectedly finds the husband whose face she remembered, but whose name she didn't know, while hunting for clues from her past. He certainly wasn't expecting to see his dead wife again, and neither of them are expecting to get shot at minutes later. Afterward it's one thing after another as they try to get past more and more attempts on her life and figure out how their marriage went off the rails at the same time.
Note–the cover is way inaccurate, as she isn't blonde and there were only a couple of scenes with any Amish in them at all. I'm glad I didn't skip this story based on the misguided marketing, but I didn't because of being familiar with the author. The correct genre is regular police suspense.
Huge setup with likable characters, only to have various elements of suspense go poof upon the light of day hitting them. Through the story, serious dangers pop up, but fizzle repeatedly. I kept expecting the little girl to get kidnapped or something, but in reality the dangers are nothing more than a tool to get the MCs to marry and then her brother's tragedy is another tool to get them into each other's arms. Promising and with good characters but anticlimactic.
2.5 stars
Interesting plot, but the characterization details really bogged me down. It's a small town but the guys are all lechers except the hero, and the heroine is constantly getting offended over “male chauvinism” and making the hero stand aside to let her change her tire alone, etc. It would have been nice to see the hero obsess less over his disability (if dyslexia can be termed that...I've never viewed it as a disability but he sure does) and also for Mae to spend a bit more time on-page with her one good relative, her grandmother. Mae hates her dad for him saying women shouldn't be police and in the way of danger, among other things...the constant heavy handed man-hating got severely in the way of the story and of the likability of Mae at all.
3.5 stars
It started out with a great set-up and was briefly on the way to being a five star, but ultimately it tried to be too many things and include too many different story lines. The characters got overwhelmed and grumpy, and I as the reader felt like I lost touch with them about halfway through. They weren't relatable in their grumpiness over relatively minor issues, and some of the biggest issues of all were resolved extremely simplistically.
At least they got over themselves a bit at the end, enough to make me round up instead of down. A promising but mostly frustrating story, and the flirtation with a love triangle didn't help matters.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free reading copy. A favorable review was not required. My review is based off a final published copy of the book.
A fast-paced story with a threat hanging over a town. When Charlie overhears a couple baddies plotting an attack on someone in town, they immediately act to protect their secret, smashing him to pieces and leaving him in the hospital with memory loss. It's a race to keep Charlie alive while the perps try to get rid of him before he remembers who and what he heard.
I really enjoyed Charlie and Lizzie as a couple and found it easy to keep flipping pages. I'll be looking for more of Sami Abrams's books to try.
3.5 stars
Fun Regency romance with a dash of spies on the side. The heroine, Penelope, is a meek doormat at the beginning of the book, but must learn to stand up for herself in the aftermath of her husband's
death. I enjoyed the story and read it in a single night, despite some aspects of the writing feeling a bit on the wooden side.
I was waiting for Emmie's story for so many books...she was truly a neat character to get to know better. I actually would have gone for five stars because of the characters and interesting storyline, if the lack of editing hadn't continually pulled me out of the story. For example, a character has a stroke; he's breathing on his own; then on a ventilator; then waking and talking instantly and clearly after a coma –it doesn't work that way. Then, many instances of missed proofreading and so on. Sigh. Hopefully a revised copy will be published.
It was great to find out finally what happened to their mother and who was responsible.
Decently done thriller. I really liked both Gray and Christina, but disliked the occasional graphic gore. I don't like watching “brain matter drip” etc etc. Also a number of plot points seemed exceptionally drawn out, and I spotted the bad guy at about the 30% mark. Angelo seems like an author to watch and I'll try another of her stories.
I didn't realize this was from a series because it wasn't clearly marked on the book cover, so being presented with clearly-previously-introduced characters jarred me a bit. Sure enough, the end of the book shows two other previous books in the series, and I see there's a fourth one too.
I thought Gwen and Caden were a good couple, and really enjoyed their intense story. The only real issue for me was that Gwen's “best friend” relationship was very very distant, so that kind of loyalty was a hard sell for me. She definitely was long overdue to outgrow it.
4.5 stars
Fun travel adventure with a veteran doing a favor to a fellow veteran–only the one doing a favor is a Viscount and not a chauffeur at all! The fair lady, an American heiress touring England, catches his fancy at once, especially when he realizes her older-lady-companion is an adventurer ready to sell her hand to the one who greases her own the best. How can he leave the innocent, beautiful American to the wolves? Hijinks ensue as the Viscount pretends to be a chauffeur and keep his own identity alive on the side without the twain ever meeting.
The travelogue bit reminded me a lot of CN and AM Williamson's books, to the point where several times I forgot I wasn't reading something they wrote.
Cute little Christmas story, with plenty of fun atmosphere and Christmas cheer. However, we don't actually make it to Christmas Day after an avalanche secrets right at the end, which are left unresolved, so the ending feels rushed and unsettled. Also, I need to know what happens with Elaine.
Maybe an expanded version can be published someday?
Mixed feelings. On the one hand, it's masterfully written and the characters practically spring off the pages and kept me flipping pages. On the other, it's a high society story and the secular fripperies and marital infidelities and constant drinking aren't exactly pleasant to read about. Then a serious tragedy occurs to the hero and he in the end finds meaning in heavenly things.
However, it's a Catholic-only kind of heavenly. A frank belief that only in the Catholic faith can one find real peace and religion. I can't agree with that despite being glad the hero has begun to seek God.
3.5 stars
A seriously creepy streak in both timelines. Foxglove Manor is a creepy place all the way back to its early days, with civil war era secrets still haunting the manor in the present day as well.
I liked both sets of characters but preferred the modern ones. The darkness in the older storyline was so intense that it was difficult to really bond with the characters, and the resolution to it was hasty and not extended enough to enjoy fully.
Overall, an interesting story that kept me flipping pages and keeping the lights on while trying to figure out what was actually going on.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free reading copy. A favorable review was not required. Review is based on a final copy.
Well, to be honest, the fifth star is just because the story is just so over the top cheerful and sentimental and cozy. Sure, there's a good bit of nerves involved in the romance, but they're just such delightful ones, and of course they all get properly ironed out by the end. I wanted to squeeze the characters and pat them on the head like a fond grandmother by the time I got to the final chapters!
I don't like large crowds so I was able to empathize quite easily with our heroine's panic at times of public notice. The author stuck us right in her shoes with all the feels on that respect.
The hero is really busy and doesn't feel he can get on with his life until his late sister's kids are grown. It's up to his close friends and one spunky coworker to change his mind about that...
I hope to get a hard copy in time for a cozy Christmas reread in a few months!
Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for a free reading copy. A favorable review was not required.
A deep story for older kids that will make you think. I couldn't give it a perfect score just because the way everyone treated the heroine was just so annoying and many of them were deliberately provocative of the worst side of her nature. Also, it was annoying that the robust young street minister was so judgmental and perfectionist about wanting to tell everyone under the sun exactly how to live their lives, instead of telling them how to seek Jesus only. I loved Lina and Dalrymple as the leads of the story, though, and enjoyed getting to know them in the story.
The title refers to the slums of east London and the mission work there which the author was attempting to draw attention to.