Book Review: Mercer:The Montana McKennas by Jan Scarbrough

LRH mercer

RATING: 4 out of 5 Stars

MERCER: THE MONTANA McKENNAS (The Montana Ranchers, #5) by Jan Scarbrough is an overall enjoyable, short contemporary cowboy romance. Part of a series, each book is based on one of the blended family McKenna children, but they can also easily be read as a standalone without confusion.

Mercer McKenna is the youngest child and is always trying to be the peace maker in her blended family being the only child of both James and Liz McKenna. Everything in her world is changing. The death of her father has left everyone devastated, but has also brought everyone back home and face to face with their true loves. Mercer always had a childhood crush on her brother’s best friend, Drake and when he comes to the ranch to be Brody’s best man, Mercer is all grown up and feeling more than an adolescent crush. Mercer takes a chance on love, but Drake may not be ready.

Drake Hawkins is a professional bull rider on the downside of his career, but he doesn’t know anything else to do for the money he needs. He has a secret that could derail his chance for Mercer’s love and believes he is not ready for the responsibilities of a permanent home and relationship. Drake has some life changing decisions to make if he wants Mercer’s love.

Mercer’s story is another entertaining addition to this series. Even though each book is short, Ms. Scarbrough brings her characters and their emotions to life. The plot includes extended family dynamics, but the H/h are always the focus. The sex scenes are well written with mild heat. A solid contemporary cowboy family romance series. I’ll be looking forward to reading more in this series.

Written for and posted first on The Romance Reviews.com.

Book Review: The Guardian (Mended Souls #1) by Jacquie Biggar

the guardian

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

(I previously posted this review on The Romance Reviews and Goodreads on May 19, 2016. I wanted to post it on my website, since I will be adding the review for the second book in the series The Beast Within soon.)

The Guardian is the first book in a new paranormal series that grabbed my attention from the first page! The characters come to life and the plot is intriguing and keeps you turning the page. Ms. Biggar’s paranormal romance, featuring guardian angels has become an instant must read for me.

Tracy York is a Cook County Medical examiner who is great at her job, but not so great with live relationships. She is assigned the case of a tragic auto accident that has killed a famous Hollywood bad boy, Lucas Carmichael, his best friend’s sister, and others. Alcohol is suspected, but Tracy is pressured to cover this up. At the same time, Scott Anderson, another Hollywood hunk, is left to live with the loss of his best friend and sister while recovering in the hospital. He blames himself for the accident and doesn’t believe it is Lucas’ fault. When Scott meets Tracy it is instant attraction. She is beautiful, smart and doesn’t fall for his fake persona. Tracy feels the same way, but doesn’t trust that Scott could be attracted to a regular person and insecurities abound. As the romance progresses, so do the threats against Tracy.

As you are engrossed with Tracy and Scott, Lucas’s story is being told and entwined throughout. Lucas finds himself in heaven and learns that he can atone for past mistakes by being a Guardian angel. He is paired with another and they must learn to work together, while helping those on Earth they love and know are in danger. This storyline is just as intriguing because there is a huge plot twist around who the other angel was on Earth. The book does end on a series arc cliffhanger involving these angels, but the author does wrap up the main suspense plot and romance in this book.

Romance, sex, suspense, greed, revenge, Guardian angels, guilt, forgiveness and atonement are all packed into this book. Ms. Biggar’s writing is fast paced, crisp and pulls you right into the characters’ lives. I can’t wait for the next Mended Souls book!

 

Book Review: Hidden In Laguna by Cheryl Phipps

hidden in laguna

RATING: 3 out 0f 5 Stars

LAGUNA BEACH: HIDDEN IN LAGUNA by Cheryl Phipps is an extremely short novella that is easily read in one sitting. It is part of the Laguna Kindle World.

Tania Patterson has settled in Laguna Beach to build a career as a wedding planner after an injury that destroyed her future as a professional ballerina. The injury was not an accident. She was betrayed and feels she will never be able to fully trust another man again. She has built a wall around her emotions, but she starts to feel again when she listens to Braden play the piano.

Braden Dorn is an extremely talented piano player, who gave up his career and shattered when he could no longer take his step-father’s abuse and exploitation. He is a serial dater and never believes he will find a woman to tell his secrets and love like his two older brothers. Something is different when Tania is around and he isn’t sure how to handle these new feelings.

This novella is only 98 pages long and is packed with Tania and Braden’s romance, both characters back stories, some emotional growth on both their parts, sex scenes and the emotional reconciliation between all of the brothers. I just feel it was way too short for all the subplot threads. Braden is more fully formed in my opinion than Tania, but the lack of a substantial emotional feeling for either left the story two dimensional for me.  I felt the sex scenes were well written, but overall, I was not emotionally invested in their romance.

Written for and posted first on The Romance Reviews.com.

 

Book Review: Belonging To A Highlander by K.M. Patterson

belonging to a highlander

RATING: 4 out of 5 Stars

I so enjoy curling up on the couch on a cold winter day and disappearing into a well written romance. BELONGING TO A HIGHLANDER by K.M. Patterson turned out to be the perfect escape. An alpha Highland Scot and the young impetuous woman willing to stand up to him and lead him on a merry chase.

Hugh McCross has one more debt of honor to fulfill before he can fully leave his life as a mercenary and become the full time laird of his lands. He may not like it, but he feels he must fulfill his debt with anything asked of him by taking an innocent from the cloister to be delivered into the McAlison’s hands to settle a blood feud, but there are secrets being withheld.

Catriona McBruiey will do anything to help her friend escape her fate. She pretends to be Tamsin and is taken in her place. She believes it will be of no consequence as she is only a bastard and has no betrothed, even though she is the favorite niece of the king. When the deception is revealed, neither Cat nor Hugh realize the political and deadly ramifications set into motion surrounding both of their lives.

Ms. Patterson has delivered a historical romance with a plot that is very familiar and yet entertaining, scenery and atmosphere that make you feel you are back in historical Scotland, and an H/h that you cheer for to come together for their HEA. The secondary characters were as fully fleshed as Cat and Hugh, good and bad. There are a few steamy sex scenes, but placed where appropriate and not at all gratuitous. This is not a ground breaking new story, but a satisfying historical romance read well worth your time.

Written for and posted first on The Romance Reviews.com.

Book Review: While You Were Sleeping by Kathryn Croft

while you were sleeping

RATING: 4 out of 5 Stars

I now understand why there are so many conflicting reviews for this book.

WHILE YOU WERE SLEEPING by Kathryn Croft is a psychological suspense/thriller that is fast paced and a page turner, with many red herrings and twists. It will keep you reading until the end, but it was not my favorite.

When Tara Logan wakes up naked next to her dead neighbor in his bed, she has no memory of how she got there or what happened. She dresses, runs across the road to her own home and decides not to say anything.

She has a husband, Noah, who has cheated on her, a teenage daughter, Rosie, who has a history of lying and stalking and her young son, Spencer. As the investigation into her neighbor’s death progresses everyone comes under suspicion for differing reasons. The picture of the perfect family is no longer perfect and Tara no longer knows who to believe. Besides the family, there are secondary characters that are creepy and questionable.

This is a well written plot that constantly keeps you guessing and on the edge of your seat and the ending was a big surprise but it didn’t deliver. It just sort of fell flat for me and then it is the end very quickly. I also had a huge problem with the DCI working the case. He gives a suspect information and becomes involved with her, but then he is worked out of the story. If his purpose was just to deliver info, it wasn’t realistic and another way should have been considered.

Very interesting premise and plot, great use of plot twists, interesting characters, just not a good ending for me.

Thanks to Bookouture and Net Galley for allowing me to read a free eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.