Audiobook Review: Wolf Moon by Nora Roberts

Wolf Moon
Author: Nora Roberts
Narrator: Emily Foster
Publication: Brilliance Audio (April 4, 2015)
Length: 2 hours and 58 minutes

Description: From the #1 New York Times bestselling author comes a novella about the call of the moon—and the life-changing power of love.

Simone's European hiking excursion is cut short when she is brutally attacked by a wolf-like creature in the Piedmont Mountains of Italy. When she awakens from the attack, she finds she has been changed in inexplicable ways and settles into an isolated lifestyle. While she is ever hopeful for a cure, she is also acutely aware that she may never be the same again.

Then Gabe Kirby walks into her life. Her desire for him is beyond human. As Simone risks breaking all of her own rules for a chance at happiness with Gabe, she begins to realize that he may be more than the love of her life—he may be the one to help her find the cure.

My Thoughts: This story begins with 17-year-old high school graduate Simone hiking solo through Europe which had been a dream of hers even before her parents died and she was taken in by relatives who never made her part of the family. She's attacked on an isolated trail in Italy and wakes up a werewolf.

The story moves eleven years into the future. Simone has been trying to discover a cure for lycanthropy since she was attacked. She has also built a business selling lotions and potions that she makes with all natural ingredients. she lives way out of town and doesn't make friends. It is a hard thing to do when you turn into a wolf three days a month. Her only companion is her well-trained dog. 

When her dog is injured, she takes him to the vet who isn't the older man she has worked with before but his young, handsome nephew Gabe Kirby. The two are instantly attracted, but Simone has some big secrets that she's never shared with anyone. She is also really busy researching and trying to develop a cure that will make her human again.

Gabe is very persistent, and he's a veterinarian who may be able to help Simone if she can ever bring herself to share her secret with him. I liked the romance between the two of them. Each of the main characters were well-rounded and engaging people. I also liked the happy ending.

This story was first published in an anthology called Moon Shadows in 2015.

I bought this one. You can buy your copy here.

Book Review: Moontangled by Stephanie Burgis

Moontangled
Author: Stephanie Burgis
Series: The Harwood Spellbook 3
Publication: Five Fathoms Press (February 3, 2020)

Description: Take one ambitious politician and one determined magician with wildly different aims for their next meeting.

Add a secret betrothal, a family scandal, and a heaping of dangerous fey magic in an enchanted wood…and watch the sparks fly!

For just one moonlit, memorable night, Thornfell College of Magic has flung open its doors, inviting guests from around the nation to an outdoor ball intended to introduce the first-ever class of women magicians to society…but one magician and one invited guest have far more pressing goals of their own for the night.

Quietly brilliant Juliana Banks is determined to win back the affections of her secret fiancée, rising politician Caroline Fennell, who has become inexplicably distant. If Juliana needs to use magic to get her stubborn fiancée to pay her attention…well, then, as the top student in her class, she is more than ready to take on that challenge!

Unbeknownst to Juliana, though, Caroline plans to nobly sacrifice their betrothal for Juliana’s own sake – and no one has ever accused iron-willed Caroline Fennell of being easy to deter from any goal.

Their path to mutual happiness may seem tangled beyond repair…but when they enter the fey-ruled woods that border Thornfell College, these two determined women will find all of their plans upended in a night of unexpected and magical possibilities.

My Thoughts: This is the third novella in the Harwood Spellbook series and stars Juliana Banks who aspires to be one of the first female magicians and Caroline Fennell whose political career has hid a roadblock when her mentor left the field in disgrace.

The two young women had been secretly engaged for a few years as each worked on their own future. Events come together at a party thrown to showcase the new female magicians where Juliana hopes that their secret engagement can become a public one. But Caroline is determined to jilt Juliana - for her own good - because she doesn't want to drag her down because of her tarnished political future.

The fey get involved when the two girls go off the path in a forest controlled by the fey. The two girls have to work together to get themselves free and eliminating the misconceptions both girls hold is a major part of their rescue.

This was an engaging and romantic story.

Favorite Quote:

That first night, three years ago, when Caroline had spotted Juliana in the shadows of a tedious political house party, their gazes had connected with stunning force--and her entire world had snapped into a new focus. Sudden clarity had sharpened every view as energy surged through her veins. She'd felt more tinglingly alive than ever before--and she still did whenever they were physically together.

I bought this one. You can buy your copy here.

Book Review: The Gate that Locks the Tree by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller

The Gate that Locks the Tree
Author: Sharon Lee and Steve Miller
Series: Adventures in the Liaden Universe (Book 30)
Publication: Pinbeam Books (February 19, 2020)

Description: A cat may look at a tree

This is especially true when the winds of change blow through the universe, leaving eddies of luck, uncertainty, and necessity in the strangest places – and surely Surebleak qualifies as a strange place, as Korval’s Tree qualifies as a strange attractor.

In the rough and tumble aftermath of Clan Korval’s arrival, Surebleak attracts rude mercenaries, pilots galore, Scouts, grifters, and, from time to time, those who have lived under the promise of Korval’s Tree, elsewhere. Chaotic change is in progress, daily.

Bring together legitimate cabbies and fare-jumpers, a sudden Surebleak blizzard, a pregnant cat, and odd young woman with a mission; add the heat of promises made light years away, and you find the winds of change rocking the very roots of the Korval's house, blown against the very gate that locks the tree. It may be that not even the Tree knows what happens next.

This is a brand-new novella set in the bestselling Liaden Universe® created by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller!

My Thoughts: It doesn't matter how many generations of Korval who have been raised under their great tree, there are still new things to learn. In the middle of a Surebleak blizzard with impending visitors including one very pregnant cat, new things are being discovered about the tree and its relationships.

This is a novella told in chapters from a variety of viewpoints including a cab driver transplanted from Solcintra who has always used the tree as a beacon and a young woman who cares for cats and is on Surebleak to take the tree to task for not fulfilling a promise made to the cat in her care. Still other chapters are centered on Val Con and Miri who learn startling new things about the way Jeeves, the cats, and the tree communicate.

This was an entertaining novella. It illustrates the depth and breadth of the Liaden Universe which is filled with interesting beings and stories.

Favorite Quote:

"Is this not a great muddle, Jeeves?" he asked.

"It is, sir," Jeeves acknowledged. "Without speaking out of turn, sir, I believe I've not seen such a comprehensive muddle for some time. If you'd like, I will prepare a list of the ten greatest Korval muddles."

Miri burst out laughing.

I bought this one. You can buy your copy here.

Book Review: The Sons of Broad Novellas

Shattered Fear
Author: Tara Thomas
Series: Sons of Broad
Publication: St. Martin's Paperbacks (February 6, 2018)

My Thoughts: This novella introduces the Sons of Broad romantic suspense series. The setting is Charleston where a serial killer is targeting young women without families. They have been disappearing from a local club. The Prologue introduces The Gentleman and the nameless minion who is kidnapping girls for him. The minion is a gambler who owes The Gentleman half a million. He also apparently has ties to the police department since he knows Janie has been assigned to work undercover.

Janie is a police officer who is undercover at the club working as a bartender. There she meets Brent Taylor who is a rich guy who is also really handsome. She starts dating him despite the fact that he fits the profile of the kidnapper. They are shot at and Janie is removed from the case for her relationship with Brent. However, since a homeless guy she befriended outside the club is murdered, she doesn't want to let the case go and decides to investigate on her own.

The story ends on a cliffhanger and has a few things that bothered me. First of all, Janie is awfully weepy for a police officer. Also the relationship with Brent happened very quickly. I know that things have to happen fast in a novella but I still thought the relationship got too serious too fast. I also thought that Janie going from suspended to fired in the course of a couple of days seemed pretty unrealistic and looked like a potential lawsuit for the police department.

I am eager to see where the clue that Janie smelled a minty cedar smell and has linked it to the kidnapper goes in the next novella.

Hidden Fate
Author: Tara Thomas
Series: Sons of Broad
Publication: St. Martin's Paperbacks (February 13, 2018)

My Thoughts: This second novella has Janie still investigating the kidnappings and murders that happened at the club where she was working undercover until she fell in love with a suspect and was fired by the police department.

Wealthy Brent Taylor was cleared of the charges through the use of DNA evidence. Now his main goal is protecting Janie who is still the target of someone who wants her dead.

The assassin who was assigned by The Gentleman to kill Janie is having too much fun trying to scare her by sending her dead roses and threatening poetry and trashing her apartment. He did make a mistake by leaving some DNA but his is not on file.

In her personal life, Janie and Brent and falling in love. She's ready to move with him to Washington, DC, as he serves on a government committee. Thinking they are safe house hunting in DC, they learn they are wrong when the assassin sends pictures of the two of them in an intimate moment in their hotel suite.

This is definitely the middle novella in a trilogy because it ends on a major cliffhanger. While the readers knew who the assassin was, the good guys just find out when Janie is kidnapped from a police picnic.

Twisted End
Author: Tara Thomas
Series: Sons of Broad
Publication: St. Martin's Paperbacks (February 20, 2018)

My Thoughts: This concluding episode deals with Janie's kidnapping and Brent and Alyssa's quest to find her.

Janie has been drugged which leaves her with slow reactions and hallucinations. Her kidnapper didn't remove her phone from her back pocket though and, despite hands tied behind her back, she manages to call Brent which lets him know she's alive.

Alyssa grabs a tablet and tracks Janie's phone which leads them to an isolated forested area. They need to rescue Janie before the kidnapper steels himself to kill her.

After a fight which leaves Janie and Brent wounded and the kidnapper dead, The Gentleman decides Janie and Brent aren't a danger to him. He also kills a couple of young cops and frames one of them leading the police to believe that he was the kidnappers partner.

This series is among the least realistic romantic suspense stories I've ever read. Janie was kidnapped from a police picnic yet Alyssa doesn't alert the police to the kidnapping. She and Brent go off on their own to try to find her! She does indicate that the Charleston police force is fulled with corruption and she doesn't know who she can trust. But really? There are no officers that she can trust?

I am still curious about who The Gentleman is since he says that he fears Alyssa would recognize him. Hopefully, the full-length novels coming soon will answer that question.

ARC Review: Truth Be Told by Kendra Elliot

Truth Be Told
Author: Kendra Elliot
Series: Rogue Justice Novella (Book 2)
Publication: Montlake Romance (November 7, 2017)

Description: The breathtaking companion novella to Twisted Truth from Wall Street Journal bestselling author Kendra Elliot.

A torrential two-day storm has cut off the small town of Solitude, Oregon, from the outside world. But for police officers Stevie Duncan and her husband, Zane, the ravages of nature have nothing on the nature of man. In the last forty-eight hours, a child was a mute witness to a double homicide; an unidentified body has washed up on the riverbanks; and now, at the foot of a submerged bridge, two FBI agents have been found shot to death inside their SUV. What’s worse, the young charge they were enlisted to protect has gone missing.

With the only exit out of town washed away, Stevie and Zane know that the murderer is trapped. But whatever’s going on in Solitude is far from over—because as sure as the receding water, the killer is going to resurface.

My Thoughts: The story begins with Stevie being called to the scene of a car accident to discover that the two FBI agents who had come to escort kidnapped Liam and his Uncle to Seattle have been murdered and Liam and Marcus are missing again. With rains pouring, rivers rising, and bridges under water, Stevie and her husband Zane know that they have a murderer trapped in Solitude.

Besides the missing Liam and Marcus are also the missing Dodge brothers who had escaped from police custody and a man missing from a local B&B. It is also possible that Liam's father Wade is in town too looking for his missing son. Clearly the mystery is developing twists and turns.

It is now known that Wade did not murder his wife but he is still accused of stealing ten million dollars from his defense contractor employer who is in jail for attacking Stevie's family and trying to kidnap Liam. His business rival Dawn Hazelwood is in town too. She says she's looking for the Dodge brothers but things aren't adding up.

This was an exciting, fast-paced story the kept me reading until I knew who had done what.

Favorite Quote:

"Are you certain Wade hasn't contacted Marcus," asked Zane.

The line went silent for a long moment. "It's possible. But why wouldn't Marcus tell us?"

"I can think of ten million reasons," Zane pointed out, reminding the agent of the money Wade stole.

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.

ARC Review: Twisted Truth by Melinda Leigh

Twisted Truth
Author: Melinda Leigh
Series: Rouge Justice Novella (Book 1)
Publication: Montlake Romance (October 31, 2017)

Description: When Detective Seth Harding responds to shots being fired, he faces a familiar sight: a double homicide. However, he is shocked to find a young boy chained in the basement. The terrified child refuses to speak, but Seth knows he is the key to something sinister.

Reluctantly, Seth calls the only social worker he trusts with the traumatized boy—his wife. Carly is recovering from her own trauma suffered on the job, but she can’t turn away from this case, not from another child in trouble. With torrential rain bearing down, threatening to isolate their little town in a killer flood, Seth and Carly know the best way to keep the boy safe from danger is to take him back to their farm.

But danger is as relentless as the storm. And it’s following them all the way home.

My Thoughts: This novella is packed with excitement. It begins with Seth called to the scene of a double homicide and finding a young boy chained in the basement. New police officer Bruce, Carly's younger brother, is the only one the child trusts. Carly is the social worker on duty for the county. Seth calls her to come take care of the boy. Carly is still dealing with the trauma of going to another client's home and finding a child killed. Now, she needs to take the boy to the hospital to be checked out. The boy is almost kidnapped from the hospital by a man dressed as a doctor.

While Seth is investigating, Carly takes the boy home with her. She arranges for him to see a child psychiatrist because he is visibly traumatized and not talking. The psychiatrist helps Carly when she has a panic attack and confirms that their treatment of the boy is correct. Seth's investigation leads to the identity of the child but there are still many questions about who kidnapped him and why.

Being a novella which will be followed by a second novella in a week, there were a number of threads hanging at the end of this story. I can't wait to read the second to find out how it all resolves.

Favorite Quote:

But as Seth watched the boy tremble in Bruce's arms, he knew that it wouldn't be all right. Two people who had been keeping the child prisoner in their basement had been shot in their bed execution-style, and the killer was missing.

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.

ARC Review: Snowspelled by Stephanie Burgis

Snowspelled
Author: Stephanie Burgis
Series: The Harwood Spellbook, Volume 1
Publication: Five Fathoms Press (September 4, 2017)

Description: In nineteenth-century Angland, magic is reserved for gentlemen while ladies attend to the more practical business of politics. But Cassandra Harwood has never followed the rules...

Four months ago, Cassandra Harwood was the first woman magician in Angland, and she was betrothed to the brilliant, intense love of her life.

Now Cassandra is trapped in a snowbound house party deep in the elven dales, surrounded by bickering gentleman magicians, manipulative lady politicians, her own interfering family members, and, worst of all, her infuriatingly stubborn ex-fiancé, who refuses to understand that she’s given him up for his own good.

But the greatest danger of all lies outside the manor in the falling snow, where a powerful and malevolent elf-lord lurks...and Cassandra lost all of her own magic four months ago.

To save herself, Cassandra will have to discover exactly what inner powers she still possesses – and risk everything to win a new kind of happiness.

A witty and sparkling romantic fantasy novella that opens a brand-new series for adults from the author of Kat, Incorrigible, Masks and Shadows and Congress of Secrets.

My Thoughts: This novella sets up a new adult series by the author. It is fantasy of the "Jane Austen with magic" variety. I very much enjoyed this story about Cassandra Harwood who decided to become a magician despite the fact that magic is the realm of gentlemen while women focused on politics. She had the strong support of her brother who chose to be a historian rather than a magician. Her parents, however, were not so sanguine. Her mother held a high place among the ruling ladies and always intended that Cassandra would follow her path. Her mother has now passed away and Cassandra can no longer do magic.

In an attempt to prove that she was just as good as the male magicians, she tried a spell that was too hard for any magician to do alone. Now, she knows that doing any spell could possibly kill her. She is grieving her loss of magic and the loss of her fiance Wrexham. He is a gifted magician and she broke the engagement so as not to be a burden to him. He, however, is not willing to let her go. Nor are her brother and sister-in-law willing to let the engagement end.

Cassandra finds herself at a country weekend house party with her ex-fiance, a number of political ladies and their magician husbands during an unnatural snowstorm. The goal of the party is a ceremony to reaffirm the human's peace treaty with the elves. Unfortunately, when searching for a lost party of young ladies, Cassandra and her ex-fiance run into a troll and a scheming elf lord and Cassandra make a promise that could cost her life to keep and also break the treaty.

She has one week to find the magician who caused the unnatural snowfall or become the prisoner of the elf lord. Cassandra, who had lost her life's purpose when she lost her magic, now realizes how much she still has to live for. She and Wrexham need to find the magician and outwit an ancient elf lord.

This was an engaging story. I loved the historical setting. I loved the magic. The writing was smart. I loved the touches of humor and the romantic tension between Cassandra and Wrexham. The only thing I didn't like about the story was that, according to the author, more in this world won't be available for me to read until "sometime in 2018."

Favorite Quote:

"Now, love..." Her eyes widened, and she gave me her most innocent look...which put me on my guard immediately.

Kind-hearted, loyal, and adorable were all phrases that may apply very well to my brother's wife; innocent is not one of them, and never has been.

She had, after all, been my mother's final and most promising political protegee.

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from the author. You can buy your copy here.

ARC Reviews: Tracks of Her Tears (Melinda Leigh) & Dead in Her Tracks (Kendra Elliott)

Here are quick reviews of the latest novellas in the Rogue River world.

Tracks of Her Tears
Author: Melinda Leigh
Series: Rogue Winter Novella 1
Publication: Montlake Romance (November 10, 2015)

Description: In the first thrilling Rogue Winter Novella, sleepy little Solitude, Oregon, wakes up to another deadly threat.

County investigator Seth Harding intends to spend the holidays with his newly reconciled family, but a few days before Christmas, a homicide thwarts his plan. Seth arrives at the scene and makes a painful discovery: the victim is his brother-in-law’s girlfriend. Her apartment has been ransacked and her toddler left motherless. To make matters worse, Seth’s brother-in-law, Bruce, is missing. With Solitude locked in a rare, deadly deep freeze and the temperature plummeting, the residents launch a desperate search.

Seth calls his wife, social worker Carly Taylor, to take the case so the little girl doesn’t get lost in the foster care system. With the holidays near, Carly brings the child home with them to celebrate Christmas. But when the Taylor farm is also trashed, Seth and Carly must race against time—and against a paralyzing winter storm—to find Bruce and catch a killer in the first pulse-pounding sequel to the Rogue River Novellas.

Dead in her Tracks
Author: Kendra Elliott
Series: Rogue Winter Novella 2
Publication: Montlake Romance (November 17, 2015)

Description: On Christmas morning, Solitude, Oregon, unwraps murder…

This wasn’t how Police Chief Zane Duncan expected to spend his first Christmas with fellow officer and girlfriend Stevie Taylor. But when a local motel calls in the discovery of a dead body, the couple’s holiday takes a grim turn. This is the second murder in Solitude within the week, despite the fact that their primary suspect is already in custody. Together, Zane and Stevie must face a disturbing truth—their small town may be harboring two killers.

As their investigation digs deep into the backgrounds of newcomers and longtime residents alike, Zane and Stevie also struggle to adjust to life under the same roof. Even if the stress of homicides and cohabitation don’t bring an end to the couple, the murderer lying in wait just might.

My Thoughts: TRACKS OF HER TEARS begins a couple of days before Christmas. Bruce's girlfriend Amber Lynn is found strangled to death and Bruce is missing. His brother-in-law Seth has caught Amber Lynn's murder case and called in his wife Carly, a social worker, to take care of Amber Lynn's toddler Charlotte. Between trying to find Bruce and trying to find out who killed Amber Lynn, Seth is also trying to spend quality time with his wife and daughter. Seth and Carly are working on their marriage after their separation and both know that their all-consuming jobs are a major threat to their reconciliation. Both are trying to make the compromises they need to so that their marriage will survive.

Being a novella, this story went fast but packed in a lot of emotion and action. Between Bruce's nearly fatal car accident, a break-in at the Taylor home, and an attempted car-jacking of Carly and her daughter Brianna, the action was non-stop.

DEAD IN HER TRACKS begins on Christmas Day when Zane is called to the local hotel where a body has been discovered. Zane and Stevie are investigating when they are called back to the jail because their prisoner - Bob Fletcher - has been murdered. Someone went in while all the police were investigating at the hotel and cut Bob's throat.

The new victim had been staying in the hotel before going home to surprise her parents for Christmas. She might have been the young woman that Bob Fletcher was videotaped putting into the back of his SUV. She was killed elsewhere, cleaned with bleach, and dumped back into her hotel room. When Zane starts investigating, he learns that a couple of other young women were also missing from a nearby town too.

Zane is hoping that the serial killer isn't someone who lives in their community. He does have a couple of other possible suspects at the motel including a convicted sex offender. Meanwhile, Zane and Stevie are working on their relationship. Zane is giving Stevie time but he wants to marry her when she feels ready.

When Stevie is snatched by the killer, Zane has to put together all the clues to find the real killer.

This novella finishes the story started in TRACKS OF HER TEARS and stars Zane and Stevie. It is also action packed. This story is more of a police procedural than the first novella as we are given clues to follow. I like the relationship between Zane and Stevie who are true partners.

The two novellas were both fast-paced and engaging. Mystery lovers and fans of romantic suspense will enjoy them both.

Favorite Quotes:

Stevie had slipped on the ring and stared at it on her finger as different emotions battled inside her chest. "No. I'll keep it. It's a reminder of what we've been through. And it's proof that we can overcome what life throws at us." A battle scar.

I got these two novellas for review from NetGalley. You can buy your copies here and here.

Book Review: Dream of Danger by Maggie Shayne

Dream of Danger
Author: Maggie Shayne
Series: A Brown and DeLuca Novel (Book 1.5)
Publication: Harlequin MIRA (November 1, 2013)

Description: She didn't want to need him.

Murder brought self-help guru Rachel de Luca and Detective Mason Brown together. Their shared secrets drove them apart. But now they're together again in this riveting novella that begins where New York Times bestselling author Maggie Shayne's Sleep with the Lights On ended.

She may have been blind for twenty years, but Rachel's always had an uncanny gift for seeing through people—and she distrusts her assistant's new boyfriend at first sight. Amy isn't interested in Rachel's misgivings, though. She's too eager to celebrate Thanksgiving by introducing her family to the new man in her life.

Then Amy doesn't show up for the holiday….

Desperate to find her missing friend, Rachel has no choice but to turn to Mason. Their investigation into Amy's disappearance takes them ever deeper into danger—and reignites the attraction that they've both sworn to resist. Now it's a race against time as these reluctant partners fight to stave off passion and save a life.

My Thoughts: This novella fits into the series after SLEEP WITH THE LIGHTS ON and before WAKE TO DARKNESS.  Rachel's assistant Amy disappears on the way to Thanksgiving Dinner with her family. Her plans had been to take her new boyfriend home with her. Rachel never liked the guy; she feels that something isn't right about him. So, she snaps a picture of his car showing his license plate when he takes off with her.

When Amy's mother calls the next morning to say that Amy didn't arrive, Rachel's first call is to Mason who drops everything to help her. They quickly learn that Rachel was right about the boyfriend. He was married and cheating on his wife. He says that he told Amy about it the night before and she - very angrily - broke up with him.

Mason and Rachel decide to retrace her steps and soon find her abandoned car. I like the relationship between Mason and Rachel. Neither one is in a place where they feel comfortable starting a relationship but the chemistry between them is hot. I also like Rachel's relationship with her blind bulldog Myrtle. She may talk tough but Rachel has a heart of marshmallow for the dog.

This was a nice bridge between the first two books in this series as it has Rachel show her affection for Amy and lets the tension build even more between Mason and Rachel.

Favorite Quote:

How do you write sunshine and rainbows when you're wishing you could poke someone in the windpipe with an acrylic nail?

I bought this one for my Kindle. You can buy your copy here.

Book Review: Walking on Her Grave by Melinda Leigh

Walking on Her Grave
Author: Melinda Leigh
Series: Rogue River Novella (Book 4)
Publication: Montlake Romance (November 18, 2014)

Description: The electrifying conclusion of the romantic suspense novella series from Melinda Leigh and Kendra Elliot.

The sleepy town of Solitude, Oregon, has turned into ground zero for a turf war between the manufacturers and distributors of a lethal new drug. When a teenage witness disappears, social worker Carly Taylor must find him before he’s silenced permanently.

Rogue County investigator Seth Harding wants to keep Carly, his estranged wife, out of harm’s way, but she refuses to let his concern keep her from doing her job. When one of her young charges vanishes, Carly gets pulled even deeper into the deadly case, and Seth knows he must help her…even if it leads them right into the criminals’ crosshairs.

Explosive and exciting to the last page, Walking on Her Grave is the fourth and final thrilling addition to the new romantic suspense series from Melinda Leigh and Kendra Elliot.

My Thoughts: The conclusion to the Rogue River novellas was just as intense and fast-paced as the earlier stories. Carly and Seth are tentatively trying to rebuild their marriage while both are involved in trying to stop the drug problem growing in their town.

This story starts with a fire. The resort started by the O'Rourkes to add to the economic stability of Solitude catches fire. Seth and Carly were fishing near by and Seth rushes in and manages to save two of the three men trapped inside. Carly keeps him from going in after the third which saves his life. The thought of losing Seth when he takes another chance with his life makes Carly decide to accelerate their reconciliation.

However, Seth and Carly have to find a way to overcome Seth's protective instincts. He is trying to remind himself that Carly is a strong and competent woman but those protective instincts are a very large part of his personality. It was nice to see him allow Carly to be herself and do what she needed to do especially when one of her young clients disappears.

The story was action-packed and filled with danger. I think a good part of it took place in the local ER where either Carly or Seth were getting patched up after dangerous encounters.

I thought the conclusion was satisfying and the whole quartet of novellas well-written. Fans of romantic suspense and of novellas will enjoy these stories.

Favorite Quote:

Their marriage had been loud and turbulent like the rapids a quarter mile upstream. With a strong undercurrent, this lull was just as frightening, with just enough hope to destroy her if reconciliation proved impossible.

I got this eARC from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.

ARC Review: Her Grave Secrets by Kendra Elliot

Her Grave Secrets
Author: Kendra Elliot
Series: Rogue River Novellas (Book 3)
Publication: Montlake Romance (November 4, 2014)

Description: There are no secrets in a small town—until someone has one worth dying for.

Local cop Stevie Taylor and police chief Zane Duncan have startling new proof that a deadly street drug is expanding its poisonous grip on their small town: a skull found on the banks of the Rogue River has two bullet holes in the back. Still caught up in the excitement of their new relationship, Stevie and Zane are determined to track down the drug’s source before more lives in Solitude, Oregon, are lost.

Then one death strikes especially close to home, leading to heartache and confusion for Stevie. As the drug distributers strike hard and the body count in Solitude grows higher, she and Zane must hunt down the deadly killer—but are they the predators, or the prey?

Filled with unexpected twists, Her Grave Secrets is the third exciting Rogue River novella in the romantic suspense series from Kendra Elliot and Melinda Leigh.

My Thoughts: The action is ratcheting up in this third of four novellas in the Rogue River series. Stevie and Zane are trying to find the drug dealers who are selling C-22 in their town. It has been confirmed that Stevie's father, the former chief of police, was a victim on the drug too. That just increases the sorrow that his family is feeling.

Stevie and Zane are also building their relationship. I like the mutual respect they have for each other along with the love. I like that they can work together and not let their relationship interfere. I like that Zane is beginning to feel more like he belongs to the town.

When Roy's body is found Stevie and Zane learn that he must have been involved in the drug sales too. He was shot execution style. Both Stevie and Zane find it hard to believe that a man they thought they knew so well could have done something so out of character.

I do have a guess about the source of the drug problem but it is just a guess and I could easily be wrong. I can hardly wait for the final novella to learn the resolution of this story.

Favorite Quote:

We don't have a drug problem.

Roy's words from the night the teen died at O'Rourke's Lake echoed in her brain. The boy had clearly died from something he ingested or injected, but Roy had been absolute in his insistence that Solitude didn't have a drug problem. Even while the evidence lay dead at his feet.

I received this eARC from Montlake Romance. You can buy your copy here.

ARC Review: Gone to Her Grave by Melinda Leigh

Gone to Her Grave
Author: Melinda Leigh
Series: Rogue River Novella Book 2
Publication: Montlake Romance (October 21, 2014)

Description: In Solitude, Oregon, everyone has secrets…and some will kill to keep them.

When she believes a teen is falsely accused of drug dealing, social worker Carly Taylor takes on a high-risk case and her estranged husband—the detective in charge of the investigation—to prove the boy innocent. A deadly new designer drug has taken hold of her small rural hometown of Solitude, Oregon, and Carly is determined to find the real dealer and clear the teen’s name. But the deeper she digs into the case, the more danger she unearths, until someone decides it’s time for Carly to move on…permanently.

Investigator Seth Harding knows he can’t stop his wife when she has a child to protect. But he risks any chance of reconciliation with Carly if he can’t learn to accept her dangerous job. When a drug dealer decides Carly is getting too close, will Seth lose her altogether?

A pulse-pounding Rogue River novella, Gone to Her Grave is the second exciting addition to the new romantic suspense series from Melinda Leigh and Kendra Elliot.

My Thoughts: This second Rogue River novella is action-packed. Carly Taylor is a social worker who is currently separated from her husband Seth who is an investigator for the County Sheriff's office. Their main source of conflict is Seth's desire to protect her and his feeling that his work is more important than hers.

Carly is immensely busy in this story. She is concerned for Tammy Fisher and her four kids because Darren Fisher is a drunk who abuses his family. Carly tries to get Tammy to ask for assistance by Darren has her so cowed that she won't. She is also involved when Russ Warner is arrested for drug dealing and a possible homicide. Russ was introduced in the previous story when his abusive father attempted to kill Zane and Stevie.

Russ is accused by another teen - Peter Rollins - of selling him the same drug that has been plaguing the county and has been responsible for a number of deaths. The one thing about this story I had trouble believing is that Peter's mother would take the drug away from Peter and then take it herself. The fact that she is in a coma and might die is what sets Russ up for a murder charge. Carly believes Russ when he says that Peter is lying and both Zane and Seth think so too after questioning Peter. But Peter is supposed to be a good kid from a good family and Russ's dad was a drug dealer.

Besides the relationship issues, Carly is in real danger when Darren goes out of control. Being rescued by Seth who has had some tough love from Carly's mother may give them the opportunity to rebuild their relationship.

We still don't know who is making and selling the drugs in town. We do learn that Carly's father's death is going to be looked at more carefully. It is possible that it wasn't a heart attack that killed the healthy 59-year-old. I am also still wondering where Roy Krueger disappeared to. He was the police chief briefly after Carly's father died but left town abruptly when Zane took over. I'm also wondering what is going on at the resort Faye O'Rourke is building.

I can't wait to read the third and fourth books in this quartet to finally have my questions answered.

Favorite Quote:

"And that, Seth, is the problem," Patsy said. "Until you accept Carly as she is, not as you want her to be, you aren't going to get her back."

I received this novella from the author for review. You can buy your copy here.

ARC Review: On Her Father's Grave by Kendra Elliot

On Her Father's Grave
Author: Kendra Elliot
Series: Rogue River Novella Book 1
Publication: Montlake Romance (October 7, 2014)

Description: In a small town like Solitude, Oregon, keeping a secret can be murder.

Stevie Taylor had left her sleepy Oregon hometown for a more exciting life. But after her police chief father passes away, the LAPD cop returns to Solitude and signs on as a patrol officer, hoping to heal from her loss…and from the horrific things she’s seen in the city.

In Solitude, everyone knows everyone else’s business—and, to Stevie’s dismay, local gossip soon ties her to the new police chief and a man from her past. Tragedy then shakes up the small town when a teenager dies after taking a strange new drug. Now, the seasoned LA cop must hunt down the dealer while investigating the most important case of her life, one that could divide her tranquil town.

The first of four thrilling Rogue River novellas, On Her Father’s Grave launches a new romantic suspense series from Kendra Elliot and Melinda Leigh.

My Thoughts: This first of four novellas introduces the town of Solitude and has a start of a romance between newly back in town Stevie and the new police chief Zane. Stevie has been a cop in LA but came home when her father - the former police chief - died of a heart attack.

Even before she is officially on the job, she is called to help interview teens at the lake where kids hang out because one of the boys died. Hunter had been perfectly healthy until he collapsed and died. The autopsy showed that he had a strange chemical in his blood. Stevie and Zane are concerned that a new drug is coming into town.

Stevie also handles the day-to-day life of a small town cop. She visits the deaf old lady who thinks someone broke in; she deals with the drug guy who doesn't work but is driving a big new truck.

Stevie is happy to be back home with her mother, her two brothers, and her sister. She had to go away to appreciate what was always there. Zane is still trying to be something other than the new guy despite being in town for five years. He is looking for a home and belonging.

This was a nice start to a romance and mystery. A lot happens in only 100 pages. The main mystery - what is the drug and who is supplying it - didn't get resolved here. I'll be eagerly reading the other three stories to find the answers to those questions and to see how Zane and Stevie's relationship is going.

Favorite Quote:

Solitude had the a main street with the usual small businesses, but no retail chains. Growing up here meant a life of outdoor recreation, family, and friends. Residents waved as cars drove by. Neighbors called to ask about your cold when you didn't show up for church.

Stevie had loved it and hated it.

I received this novella for review from the author. You can buy your copy here.

Book Review: Connecting Rooms by Jayne Ann Krentz

Connecting Rooms
Author: Jayne Ann Krentz
Publication: Pocket Star (January 27, 2014)

Description: Available for the first time as a standalone eBook novella, #1 New York Times bestselling author Jayne Ann Krentz's Connecting Rooms

Amy Comfort is a real estate agent on Misplaced Island, a quaint, remote town located off the coast of Washington. When she sells an old Victorian manse to the sultry, sexy Owen Sweet, a private investigator relocating from Seattle, sparks fly from the get-go, though both Amy and Owen decidedly ignore their natural chemistry.

Until, that is, Amy enlists Owen's help in looking into her aunt Bernice's fiance Arthur Crabshaw, who Amy suspects is not what he seems. To keep their cover intact, Amy and Owen pretend to be a lovestruck, newly engaged couple, as they travel to Villantry, Washington, to investigate Arthur. When the mystery surrounding Arthur begins to spin out of control, Amy and Owen must trust in each other to stay alive. But, when the lines between their make-believe courtship and reality begin to blur, will the faux-couple end up with something aside from what they had set out to find?

My Thoughts: Though I am a huge fan of Jayne Ann Krentz, I had somehow missed this novella when it was published many years ago. It was fun to meet Owen Sweet and Amy Comfort. They had both admired each other from afar but, when Amy's aunt gets engaged to a suspicious man, Amy hires Owen to investigate. He is reluctant until Amy suggests that they pose as an engaged couple.

I really liked both characters and loved the interaction between the two of them. There were a couple of misunderstandings between them on their way to confessing their love for each other - and one attempted murder. But everything works out for this couple.

Favorite Quote:

The roses had been abandoned along with the crumbling ruin of a house years ago. Instead of dying off in a bittersweet, genteel manner, they had gone wild, with a vengeance. They climbed the garden walls as though bent on escaping prison. they formed impenetrable thickets across the cracked paths, choked the empty fishpond, and had apparently been intent on marching up the steps and into the sun porch. Owen Sweet had arrived in the nick of time.

I bought this one for my Kindle. You can buy your copy here.

Book Review: Howling for You by Chloe Neill

Howling for You
Author: Chloe Neill
Publication: NAL (January 7, 2014)

Description: Jeff Christopher is a shapeshifter and ally of Chicago's Cadogan House of vampires—he’s also a tech whiz and mostly-legal hacker. And the only protective shields he’s never been able to find a way around are those of the powerful Keene Family.

For a long time, Jeff has only had eyes for the beautiful Fallon Keene. Unfortunately, she is the only sister of the lethal North American Central Pack Apex Gabriel Keene. The intricate balances of power and politics make it all but impossible for Fallon to trust her feelings.

But fate takes a hand when the Pack's totem is stolen—threatening the Keene family's rule—and Fallon enlists Jeff's help to retrieve it before the Pack is thrown into chaos. Can she and Jeff find the totem, and restore order, before it's too late? And will Jeff finally be able to prove himself to the only person he truly loves?

My Thoughts: This novella leaves the vampires behind and concentrates on the shifters. Fallon Keene is the next in line to be Apex of her pack if something happens to her older brother Gabriel before his infant son Connor grows up. What that means for Fallon is the she needs to find a mate. Fallon and her family are wolf shifters - the most prestigious of all shifters - and her family needs her to mate with another wolf shifter.

However, Fallon is in love with Jeff Carpenter who happens to be a tiger shifter.  In order to do her duty to her family she is meeting and dating "potentials" but none of them are Jeff. The latest potential is Gabriel York who comes from a family that is quite wealthy but has never been high up in the pack hierarchy. She dates him but, as usual, there are no sparks.

Sparks do fly when she wakes up the next morning and finds that the coronet that is used to anoint the alpha family has gone missing. It was scheduled to be used at a ceremony that will mark baby Connor's entrance into the pack. Since the main suspect is Gabriel, Fallon and Jeff need to track him down to see if he was the thief. Jeff and Fallon make a great team but it takes some major effort for them to find a way to be together.

This was an enjoyable story as Fallon decides if love or her duty to her pack is the most important to her. I loved Jeff's care for her and for his geekiness.

The novella also includes the beginning of WILD THINGS that makes me very eager for the book to be released. WILD THINGS brings us back to the main storyline with Merit and Ethan and the troubles they are having both with the mayor of Chicago and the Greenwich Presidium (the vampire council).

Favorite Quote:

"Every time I breathe, I breathe for you. Every time I speak, I speak for you. And every time I howl, I howl for you." He pressed his lips to mine, so softly. "This isn't over," he said, and walked inside.

I bought this eNovella to try to hold me over while waiting for the next Chicagoland Vampires novel. You can buy your copy here.

Book Review: Hush (Tangleheart) by Carey Baldwin

Hush (Tangleheart)

Author: Carey Baldwin

Publication: Carey Baldwin (July 6, 2013)

Description: A romantic suspense novella from award winning author Carey Baldwin.

Coming home has never been this sexy...or this dangerous.

Reformed bad boy Charlie "Drex" Drexler returns to his hometown of Tangleheart, Texas hoping to make peace with his dark past and make amends to those he's wronged. He's also looking to reconnect with an old flame. But Anna won't cooperate, new questions tear open old wounds and his best friend's wife and baby disappear. Can Drex and Anna mend their broken hearts while fighting for their lives and racing to bring mother and baby home safely?

My Thoughts: HUSH stuffed a novel's worth of plot into a novella. The story was fast-paced and exciting. But something has to give and what seemed to give in this story was the building of the motivations of the villains. Ms. Baldwin seemed to be leading me to a certain conclusion and then brought the villains in out of left field.

Charlie Drexler left Tangleheart, Texas after the suicide of Megan, a girl he had dumped. He left behind the best friend that he was just admitting to himself that he loved. Anna was left behind without a word. When Charlie comes back six years later, he has grown up and wants to make amends for his fast departure.

Things don't turn out quite the way Charlie had planned. Anna has moved on and isn't interested in having her heart broken again. She treats him with indifference. And when he goes to apologize to Megan's mother, he learns that she had been running around on him with another man. He also learns that someone has been sending her mother $500 every two weeks. 

When a reporter who was looking into Megan's death also seemingly commits suicide, Charlie wonders about Megan's death. Who was it that Megan was seeing? Could it have been Anna's sister's husband and Charlie's good friend Nate?

When Anna's sister and nephew run off, Anna and Charlie have one more thing to investigate.Anna and Charlie find themselves on the run from someone shooting at them as they try to solve Megan's death and find Anna's sister and nephew.

This was a quick read and an entertaining one. 

Favorite Quote:

As the sheriff paraded around the circle, raising an eyebrow here, shooting a distrustful glance there, Charlie couldn't help but think the only thing necessary to complete the whole mystery-movie atmosphere was Colonel Mustard brandishing a candlestick.

The author gifted me with the novella for review. You can buy your copy here.