When a prominent Sacramento businessman is killed and his wife injured in a brutal home invasion, Detective Emily Hunter and her partner, Javier Medina, are called to investigate. At first glance, it seems like a crime of opportunity gone horribly wrong, but Emily soon finds there might be more to both the crime and the dead man.
The high-stakes investigation also comes at a time when Emily is caring for her mother, who has early-onset Alzheimer’s, and Emily struggles to balance her job with her personal life. The city’s political elite seem to want the case solved quickly, but darker forces want it buried.
Could there have been a motive behind the attack, making it more than a random home invasion? Emily uncovers clues that cause her to reconsider her understanding of the crime. A deadly game of greed and deception pulls Emily deeper into the shadowy world of gang violence and retribution. She has to walk the razor’s edge to identify the killer—without becoming the next victim.
FACE OF GREED (A Detective Emily Hunter Mystery Book #1) by James L’Etoile is a gritty, intricately plotted, and fast paced crime thriller/police procedural set in Sacramento, California. This is the first book in a new series by this author with a pair of detectives that I already know I am going to love to follow in future books.
Detective Emily Hunter and her partner, Detective Javier Medina are called to the scene of an apparent home invasion. They find the husband, a prominent Sacramento businessman, is brutally murdered and the wife injured, but alive. As they begin their investigation, they are hindered by political interference and the pressure for a quick resolution and a widow who seems to be not that upset by the murder of her husband.
With the death of the dead man’s lawyer, Emily and Javi soon find themselves embroiled in a case full of dirty money and cops, greed, gangs, and violence. Can Emily untangle the evidence before either herself or someone she loves wind up dead?
This story pulls you into the investigation and the lives of Emily and Javi to the point that I could not put it down. Emily is an intelligent and tough protagonist who doggedly follows the clues and walks a fine line at times, but while seeming to stretch it at times, there is always a reason, and she does not cross it. Emily is also dealing with a mother who has dementia and is no longer able to care for herself. Emily’s partnership with Javi feels realistically written and occasionally adds humor to the otherwise intense story.
Mr. L’Etoile’s writing is smart, realistic, gritty, and immersive. The crime plot is twisted and continued to surprise me. I always love this author’s books, and this one was no exception. I am looking forward to reading the next book in this series, River of Lies.
I highly recommend this crime thriller/police procedural!
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About the Author
James L’Etoile uses his twenty-nine years behind bars as an influence in his award-winning novels, short stories, and screenplays. He is a former associate warden in a maximum-security prison, a hostage negotiator, and director of California’s state parole system. His novels have been shortlisted or awarded the Lefty, Anthony, Silver Falchion, and the Public Safety Writers Award. Face of Greed and Served Cold are his most recent novel. Look for River of Lies and Sins of the Father, coming in 2025.
Major social themes weave through his work, including the world of human trafficking, black market organ transplants, homelessness, domestic terrorism, immigration policy, political corruption, and the pharmaceutical industry.
The “Hidden Valor Military Veteran/K-9 Series” by Candace Irving is one of the best series to come along in quite a while. Each book combines a mystery, thriller, and police procedural. While the suspense is off the charts, there is also a very heart wrenching and heartwarming backstory of the characters that remind readers of the sacrifices made by those who serve to keep Americans safe.
The main character is Kate Holland, a former US Army detective that spent eleven hours as a prisoner of war in Afghanistan. She received a Silver Star after killing her captives and escaping. Fast forward to the present where she is a civilian investigator in her hometown of Arkansas. Because she has demons, she is contemplating suicide but discards those thoughts after saving a German Shepherd puppy, Ruger, shot by a hunter. Throughout the series both Kate and Ruger realize they are each other’s support. There is also a budding romance between Kate and another detective, Arash Kharoti, who is part of the plot mysteries and character world. Some of the other supporting characters are Sherriff Lou Simms, and Deputy Seth Armstrong.
There are five books in the series that should be read in order. The first one is a novella, titled Invisible Wounds followed by The Garbage Man, In the Name Of, Beneath the Bones, and Last Dog Out. In each book readers find a plot involving veterans that is very riveting along with more of a backstory on Kate, Ruger, and Arash.
These book plots are gritty, complex, intense, and have edge of the seat scenes. Anyone who has not read this series might want to start and those that are readers will look forward to the next book in the series.
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Author Interview
Elise Cooper: How did your being in the military help influence your writing?
Candace Irving: I am former Army, but it was brief. I did end up in the Navy. I was commissioned as an ensign in the US Navy but ended my career as a Navy Lt. I was sent to Surface Warfare Officer’s School to learn to drive warships and was also a damage control officer. Being a part of both branches enables me to write the lingo, plus I married an Army guy. My husband is a former combat engineer sapper who helps me with the explosive’s storyline. Regardless of which branch of the military, the mindset and how things work is the same. I know the correct questions to ask. For instance, in the Navy we do this so what is the Army or Air Force method?
EC: Why did you decide to write the Kate Holland series?
CI: I am writing for all readers but also am writing for all veterans. I hope this is my gift to them. If someone is a vet, they realize the thoughts and feelings of the characters are what they and I experienced. I want the stories to be realistic, not like a book I read that I threw at the wall. It seemed that author got everything wrong and angered me as a woman and a veteran. This is after 9/11, and our soldiers were coming back with serious scars. This author made it seem that the vet who had a scar was nonchalant about it instead of realizing that some veterans have painful memories. This is why I decided to write the Kate series. I wanted to write Kate as a veteran who had to overcome her scars emotionally as well as living with the physical scars on her cheek.
EC: Why the setting of Arkansas?
CI: I lived there for ten years. I thought how not many settings take place there. Fort Roots is an actual base so the place in my story is a wink and a nod. I changed the real place of Mayflower to Braxton because I did not want to be nailed to a specific town. Usually, she is in the small town with interconnected characters.
EC: Most of the books in this series involve murderers centered around veterans. Do you agree?
CI: I am a detective writer at heart so there must be a dead body. Suddenly these bodies were popping up all over the place in this small town that previously had three murders in ten years. I knew I had to change Kate from being a Sherriff’s deputy to working for the state police with Ruger as her K-9 partner that involved veteran cases. The plots involve a very intense mystery that put the heroes and heroines in a dark and nasty place which they must overcome.
EC: Do you own a dog since Ruger is one of the featured characters?
CI: Yes. The inspiration for Ruger is my fifty-pound standard poodle. Some of the weird things my dog does makes me laugh and I say to myself, ‘that is totally going into the book.’ Dog behavior is pretty much consistent.
EC: How would you describe Kate?
CI: She is not Superwoman but does have skills, such as the way she handles knives. She is determined, smart, funny, strong-willed, stubborn, a survivor, guilt ridden, at times feels depressed, doubts herself, and feels shame.
EC: How about Ruger?
CI: He keeps Kate calm, has a sense of purpose, loyal, a guard dog, a service support animal, as well as a canine partner to Kate. He and Kate rescued each other.
EC: What do you want readers to understand about how Kate’s wounds affected her?
CI: While Kate was serving in Afghanistan she was ambushed and then raped. She suffered injuries of a broken collarbone, a broken shoulder, and burns. She saw her best friend, Max, beheaded by the Islamists. She wears his watch and when she gets anxious turns it until her skin is raw. I wanted to make it realistic, so I took on all her emotions. Kate started to get CPT treatment with the trauma focused sessions centering around pains that interfere with the normal recovery process and have her identify problem patterns.
EC: is Kate’s therapist, Dr Manning, based on Dr. Resick?
CI: Yes. From book 2 going forward she became Kate’s therapist. She took the situation I created for Kate and said this is what would occur with her. She reads the book and is Dr. Manning. She makes suggestions for Kate as Dr. Manning, like having her wrap her wrist so when she feels the need to turn the watch her skin will not be raw.
EC: What about her boss, Lou?
CI: He is like an uncle to her. He can read her, is helpful, and caring. Because he knew her father was heartless and someone who constantly put her down, Lou tried to be the opposite to her. He and his wife felt like Kate was the child they could not have. He is based on a neighbor I had in Arkansas, someone compassionate, grounded, figured out what make people tick, and had a lot of common sense.
EC: How would you describe Detective Arash?
CI: He is caring, understands her, trusting, encouraging, and protective. He and Kate share a deep connection.
EC: What about the relationship between Kate and Arash?
CI: I thought hard what kind of man Kate should end up with. It must be someone who does not care about her scars but embraces them. He realizes she is strong. In a way her scars are a badge of honor. Kate is afraid she will lose Arash because of her scars and baggage. She also has issues with showing off her body to the man she wants to look perfect too, Arash.
EC: You have another series, “Deception Point” besides the Kate “Hidden Valor” Series. Can you talk about them?
CI: Both series have investigations and detective stories, but “Deception Point” has a global setting while “Hidden Valor” takes place in Arkansas. The main character of the “Deception Point Series” is Special Agent Regan Chase, an active-duty CID, while Kate is a retired CID. I used my Damage Control Officer experiences to write the book, Blind Edge, of the “Deception Point” series.
EC: Will the “Hidden Valor” series be made into a TV show?
CI: I did option the rights for this series with a potential TV series.
EC: Next book?
CI: Kate will have her last therapy session in the next book, Blood on The Wire that comes out in August of next year. But readers should not worry, Dr. Manning will not be written out of the series. It will be a process for Kate to get over all her scars on her body and face. The relationship with Arash will progress. Also, her former partner Seth’s story will be a part of this story. The case involves a psychologist at a Little Rock VA hospital who was found brutally stabbed to death. In the victim’s house, Kate is stunned to discover a cache of military-grade explosives. Plus, the psychologist was conducting a private investigation into a heinous crime that occurred more than two years ago in an active war zone. Bodies have begun to multiply.
THANK YOU!!
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BIO: Elise Cooper has written book reviews and interviewed best-selling authors since 2009. Her reviews have covered several different genres, including thrillers, mysteries, women’s fiction, romance and cozy mysteries. An avid reader, she engages authors to discuss their works, and to focus on the descriptions of their characters and the plot. While not writing reviews, Elise loves to watch baseball and visit the ocean in Southern California, with her dog and husband.
The Dowager Countess of Stratton, Clarissa Ware, née Greenfield, has just presented her younger daughter to the ton, and the rest of her life belongs only to herself. She returns to Ravenswood, intending to spend the summer alone there. But the summer has other plans for her.
Born a gentleman, Matthew Taylor has chosen to spend his life as the village carpenter. Growing up, he and Clarissa were close—dangerously so, considering his family’s modest fortune. As a young man, he never would have been a suitable match for the daughter of the wealthy Greenfields. Clarissa married Caleb Ware, the Earl of Stratton, so Matthew married another, though he was widowed soon after.
Now everything is different—Clarissa has already lived the life expected of her by society. And Matthew is as attractive and intriguing as he was when they were young. As their summer friendship deepens into romance, they stand together on the precipice of change—essentially the same man and woman they remember being back then, but with renewed passion and the potential to take their lives in an entirely new direction.
REMEMBER WHEN: Clarissa’s Story (A Ravenswood Novel Book #4) by Mary Balogh is a historical, mature, second chance at love story in this continuing Regency romance series featuring the Ware family. This novel is easily read as a standalone romance, but I have enjoyed reading the series in order.
Clarissa Ware, the Dowager Countess of Stratton, returns to Ravenswood for the summer for the first time without any of her children or other obligations. She is turning fifty and feels adrift in her personal life. Six years a widow, all her children grown, and her daughter-in-law assuming all the duties of being the Countess of Stratton, she wishes for solitude to decide on her future, but fate intercedes.
Matthew Taylor was born a gentleman and second son of landowners but is spending his life as the village carpenter and master woodworker. As a young man, he was a neighbor of Clarissa’s family and they were the closest of friends from childhood to seventeen years of age, but he knew he would never be suitable for her, and she accepted the proposal of the Earl of Stratton.
When Clarissa seeks out her old friend, they discover the attraction is still there. Clarissa has always upheld all expectations from society and her family. Can their renewed friendship and mature attraction overcome society’s restraints and family concerns and turn into something more?
I always look forward to returning to the Ware family of Ravenswood. This mature romance did not disappoint, and I was very happy that Clarissa finally found herself, not just what was expected of her. This is a slow burn romance due to the time period, society’s rules, and the side plot which has Matthew having to resolve his own old family issues to move on. That said, there is also a bit too much repetition especially in the beginning of the story, but I feel the romance and HEA are satisfying overall. I am looking forward to reading more of the remaining unattached siblings’ stories in the future.
An enjoyable historical, mature, second chance romance addition to this series.
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About the Author
Mary Balogh grew up in Wales and now lives with her husband, Robert, in Saskatchewan, Canada. She has written more than one hundred historical novels and novellas, more than forty of which have been New York Times bestsellers. They include the Bedwyn saga, the Simply quartet, the Huxtable quintet, the seven-part Survivors’ Club series, and the Westcott series.
A small-town Oklahoma Christmas would be charming if single dad Chandler Cochran wasn’t being called into the principal’s office to deal with his son’s antics. The instigator behind young Sam’s misbehavior? Little Della-Mae, Izzy Adams’s daughter. The same Izzy who has just taken a job decorating Chandler’s family ranch for the holidays! And even though she and Chandler are pulled together to deal with their children’s misadventures, the bubbly mom and her sweet daughter are adding light and warmth to the stoic cowboy’s world.
Will trouble turn into an unexpected gift this Christmas?
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Elise’s Thoughts
Cowboy Santa by Melinda Curtis, set in an Oklahoma small town around Christmas, is a good holiday read. The male lead is single dad Chandler Cochran who is basically raising his second-grade son, Sam on his own. It seems Sam is prodded to do certain things by the female lead, Izzy’s daughter, Little Della-Mae. Izzy and Chandler are pulled together to deal with their children’s misadventures. Chandler Cochran is a no-nonsense single father who is the manager at the Done Roamin’ Ranch, and his little boy Sam is a precocious and mischievous. When Chandler meets single mom, Izzy Adams, in the principal’s office at the school, he isn’t surprised that her daughter Mae is in trouble, too, and Chandler blames Mae, because after all, Sam wouldn’t get into trouble without encouragement. Chandler wants everything to stay just as it always has while Izzy wants him to be willing to try new things.
As with all the author’s cowboy books readers will enjoy the journey of Izzy and Chandler on how they realize there is a definite attraction. Of course, they are pushed along by their two children who decide to play cupid. People will enjoy the interactions between the children as well as the input of strong-hearted and loving Mary, Chandler’s mom who is recovering from cancer.
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Author Interview
Elise Cooper: The idea for the story?
Melinda Curtis: I wanted to do an enemy to lovers’ book. Then it evolved that the children were in league with each other.
EC: How would you describe the female character, Izzy?
MC: Bubbly, a rule follower, resilient, reliable, courageous, and in somewhat of a shell. This was her coming of age book where she came into her own.
EC: How would you describe Chandler?
MC: Grounded, pragmatic, obstinate, stoic, someone who likes predictability and the word ‘always.’ The past seems to be holding him back and at times he is vulnerable. He was the older brother type to his foster brother cowboys. I enjoyed going into his character in more depth.
EC: What about Chandler’s son Sam?
MC: He is a charmer, a talker, spunky, and can be sassy.
EC: What about Izzy’s daughter Mae?
MC: Delicate, she can be the mastermind in her and Sam’s endeavors. Together they work in cahoots. Both she and Sam come from divorce parents. They get into mischievous at times. Together, they are a force to be reckoned with and are smarter than the average 2nd grader.
EC: What was the role of divorce in the story?
MC: One the divorcees wanted to put their career over raising a child, while the other tried to buy his child’s love and had all his priorities wrong. The original marriages were not the right person for Chandler and Izzy. Neither was helpful in the raising of the children.
EC: What about the relationship between Izzy and Chandler?
MC: They both try to ignore their feelings. They change the conversation when they do not like where it is going. They appear confused and in a funk. She takes him outside his comfort zone. They thought they were fine without romance until they realized that finding the right person is special.
EC: What about getting a dog?
MC: I wanted to have something a little bit playful. As a parent and grandma, I know there are times that the children trap someone into getting them things. I wanted this to be a sweet piece that is true to life. Every child should have a dog.
EC: Mary, the beloved foster mom, has cancer. Please explain
MC: It has been an ongoing thread. Even though I was asked not to write any dreaded diseases, but it is realistic. I understand how grief can get in the way of romance, but it does happen in life and does affect someone’s everyday life. Everyone tends to rally around the person and remember how important life is, something we tend to forget when our noses are in our phones all the time. I wanted to write a healthy powerful way that the characters must deal with the experience.
EC: Next books?
MC: There are six more cowboy books in this series. In spring The Cowboy Wedding Proposal will be published. And another one out in the summer.
There will be another round in the Kentucky Blackwell series.
THANK YOU!!
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BIO: Elise Cooper has written book reviews and interviewed best-selling authors since 2009. Her reviews have covered several different genres, including thrillers, mysteries, women’s fiction, romance and cozy mysteries. An avid reader, she engages authors to discuss their works, and to focus on the descriptions of their characters and the plot. While not writing reviews, Elise loves to watch baseball and visit the ocean in Southern California, with her dog and husband.
Anthology Individual Novella Descriptions and Mini Reviews
Overall Rating: 3.5 out of 5 Stars
COLORADO CHRISTMAS CAROL – Diana Palmer
When a Texan lands in Colorado to solve a case, the last thing he expects to uncover is a sweetly pretty cook who’s also a struggling novelist—and who is more than ready to write their love story . . .
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Dominic “Duke” Marston is a P.I. with a 10-year-old precocious daughter, Melanie “Mellie” who arrives in Benton, Colorado chasing a lead on a case. Estelle “Essa” is the head cook in the hotel, but she has dreams of crime fiction publication. This novella gave me problems from the beginning. There is an age gap between the H/h which did not bother me, but it was Duke’s attitude throughout that I did not like. For me, he was not hero material until almost the end of the novella which was too late. This romance did not work for me, but I loved Mellie.
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THE MOST WONDERFUL RANCHER OF THE YEAR – Kate Pearce
It’s sour meets sweet when a former rancher battling more than one private demon meets a woman who lights up his heart, and proves to him that anything—even love—is possible.
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This novella is an addition to the Three Cowboys trilogy from Ms. Pearce, but it can be read as a standalone. Bernie needs help with her wedding and asks her cousin, Pen to be her wedding planner. Pen’s ADD sometimes limits her, but she is great with customers at her other jobs and the constant shift in needs for the wedding seem to be right up her alley. Rob works for Bernie and works on Luke’s ranch. He has been afraid to follow his heart with Pen due to his past, but between the two of them, they discover they just might be perfect together. This is a wonderful novella with plenty of love, understanding, and forgiveness. It was also fun to catch up with the characters I loved in the full-length trilogy.
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HER CHRISTMAS COWBOY – Delores Fossen
A sheriff convinced to investigate an aging bigamist by the gorgeous P.I. he kissed at a party quickly discovers that the real crime would be missing a chance to get her into his arms again . . .
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Reese Darnell is a P.I. in search of a serial polygamist named Happy Harry in Loveland, Texas. When she checks in with the sheriff’s office, she is surprised to see Zack Caldwell is the town sheriff. She once stole a steamy kiss from Zach when she believed he was someone else and neither have been able to forget. Now as the two work together, the chemistry is still there, but can it last and will they find Happy Harry to solve her case?
Overall:
I was looking forward to some contemporary cowboy romances centered around the Christmas holiday, but all the heroes have other professions and only one is actually working on a ranch part-time. Overall, these novellas deliver a mixed bag of satisfaction, one I did not like and two that gave me satisfying HEAs from these authors that I usually always love.
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About the Author
I was born in south Georgia (USA), graduated from high school in Atlanta, married my husband, James, in Habersham County, and graduated from Piedmont College(Demorest, GA) summa cum laude in history with minors in anthropology and Spanish in 1995.
I worked for over 16 years as a newspaper reporter on both weekly and daily papers. In between reporting jobs, I had a son, Blayne, my greatest creative achievement. I love iguanas and most other animals, and am the biggest geek on earth. If it’s electronic, and non-lethal, I probably have one. I was always the kid who was out of step with the rest of the world, and I still am. My father was a college professor, so my sister and I grew up not quite understanding what prejudice was.
I traveled a lot when I was more mobile than I am now, and I never met a person I didn’t like. Writing books is more than a job to me, it’s my life, next to being a wife, mother and grandmother. I am a person of faith, but I respect all religions and all cultures.
I write romantic suspense for HQN books, mass market and series contemporary romance for Harlequin, and science fiction novels for Luna Books. In my spare time, I sleep. 🙂
About the Author
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Kate Pearce was born in England in the middle of a large family of girls and quickly found that her imagination was far more interesting than real life. After acquiring a masters degree in history and barely escaping from the British Civil Service alive, she moved to California and then to Hawaii with her kids and her husband and set about reinventing herself as a romance writer.
She is known for both her unconventional heroes and her joy at subverting romance cliches about exactly who gets into bed with whom. In her spare time she self publishes science fiction erotic romance, historical romance, and whatever else she can imagine. She currently writes cowboys for Kensington Publishing and Regency mysteries under her Catherine Lloyd pen name.
You can find Kate at her website at http://www.katepearce.com, on Facebook as Kate Pearce, and on Twitter as Kate4queen.
About the Author
Former Air Force Captain Delores Fossen is a New York Times, USA Today, Amazon and Publisher’s Weekly bestselling author whose books have sold over nine million copies worldwide. She’s received the Booksellers Best Award for Best Romantic Suspense and the Romantic Times Reviewers Choice Award. In addition, she’s had nearly a hundred short stories and articles published in national magazines. You can contact the author through her webpage.
The first in a new cozy Christmas series where the 12 annual Competitions of Christmas in the, close-knit town of Noel, North Carolina are underway! This year horse breeder, and newcomer, Jordyn Banks decides to take on the resident Christmas tree decorating champion, who happens to be her handsome next door neighbor.
Barrel racer Jordyn Banks is thrilled to discover affordable land for sale in charming Noel, perfect for breeding her horses. But that’s not all. A nomad with no family—other than her beloved Quarter Horse, Star—she also hopes to find a home within the close-knit Appalachian Mountain community. Yet Jordyn didn’t bargain on inheriting a controversial Fraser Fir—or falling for a handsome single dad whose adorable little girl tempts her to dream of being far more than a property owner . . .
Since losing his wife in childbirth six years ago, Nate Reed has devoted himself to their daughter, Roxanna, and built up their thriving Frosted Firs Ranch. For nine years straight he’s won Noel’s contest for the most perfect Christmas tree for the Town Square. It’s a tradition he began with his late wife. But this year, Jordyn Banks is determined to harvest her Fraser Fir and compete—meaning Nate will finally be challenged—in more ways than one . . .
Throughout the event, Nate can’t help noticing that Roxanna is dazzled by Jordyn’s strength, beauty, and quirky sense of humor. Soon enough, Nate is falling for her, too. But can a feisty wanderer ever really settle down? Is Nate ready to open his heart to someone new? And is it possible that sometimes love does grow on (Christmas) trees? . .
EVERGREEN CHRISTMAS (Frosted Firs Ranch Book #1) by Janet Daily is a heartwarming cozy holiday contemporary romance that features a young women looking for a place to call home. It also introduces us to the town folks of Noel, North Carolina and their traditional Christmas Challenge headed up by the four Noel Nanas. This is the first book in a new series, and I am looking forward to more to come.
Jordyn Banks has retired from barrel racing and with her quarter horse, Star, she wants to start a horse breeding and training farm. She found the perfect small ranch in Noel, North Carolina. What she does not expect is to immediately become a part of the Noel Nanas’s plans for winning the annual Christmas Challenge.
Nate Reed is a widower and father of six-year-old, Roxanna “Roxie”, who owns the Frosted Firs Ranch next door to Jordyn. He has devoted his life to raising his daughter and winning the Christmas Challenge in memory of his late wife. No one tempted him in his personal life until this red-headed beauty moved in next door. Roxie is taken with her new neighbor also and is determined to help and include her in every activity in the challenge, but Nate is afraid to let someone else into his and Roxie’s lives.
Who will win the Christmas Challenge this year?
I enjoyed this charming holiday romance that leaves you feeling warm and satisfied inside. Jordyn is a wonderful protagonist full of love for everyone she meets, which is surprising considering her upbringing. Nate is bullheaded and had me wanting to knock him on that head a time or two but is still a good man in the way he has built up his business and taken care of and raised his daughter. The Nanas were funny and wonderful even with all their meddling. This is a cozy romance with no sex scenes, but plenty of romance and romantic angst. I also liked that Jordyn and Nate were honest and discussed their feelings and did not play games.
I recommend this enjoyable cozy holiday contemporary romance with memorable small-town characters to curl up with on your favorite chair on a cold winter day.
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About the Author
Janet Anne Haradon Dailey was an American author of numerous romance novels as Janet Dailey (her married name). Her novels have been translated into nineteen languages and have sold over 300 million copies worldwide.
Born in 1944 in Storm Lake, Iowa, she attended secretarial school in Omaha, Nebraska before meeting her husband, Bill. Bill and Janet worked together in construction and land development until they “retired” to travel throughout the United States, inspiring Janet to write the Americana series of romances, where she set a novel in every state of the Union. In 1974, Janet Dailey was the first American author to write for Harlequin. Her first novel was NO QUARTER ASKED.
She had since gone on to write approximately 90 novels, 21 of which have appeared on the New York Times Bestseller List. She won many awards and accolades for her work, appearing widely on Radio and Television. Today, there are over three hundred million Janet Dailey books in print in 19 different languages, making her one of the most popular novelists in the world.
Janet Dailey passed away peacefully in her home in Branson on Saturday, December 14, 2013. She was 69.