Suspense and sappy sweet sparks...
937838
I must admit that even though this storyline is semi-predictable, the journey was fun and entertaining.  The suspense is stronger than the romance aspect of the story.  The set up is fine and follows the usual formula.  The writing is great and the dialogue and storytelling flows quickly and easily. This is one of those historical suspenseful romances that just goes down smoothly and is tailor made for a light summer read.

Nicole Aldridge (20) is petite and beautiful with long black hair and violet eyes.  She's sweet and breathtaking, and completely innocent of men.  She's inexperienced and naive' to their advances.  Nicole is the daughter and only child to England's famous Jockey, Nick Aldridge.  And because of death threats to her famous father --- they're on the run and hiding for their lives.  In order to make ends meet, Nicole disguises herself as a boy and enters herself as a jockey in her father's stead...after-all, she's been raised in and around stables all her life and is an experienced horsewoman of her own right.  So what that she's female?  So what that female jockeys are unheard of?

Lord Dustin Kingsley (32) is the Marquis of Tyreham.  He's handsome, self-assured and devastatingly charming with his coal black hair and midnight blue eyes.  He's a shrewd businessman and famous horse breeder.  He's also adept and renowned with women...(who flock to him) mesmerizing them with his famous wicked smile.  Dustin is passionate and naturally flirty but he's become bored with the usual shallow women throwing themselves at him, seeking his money and title.  So when he stumbles upon Nicole sitting alone by the river in the evening, he's instantly fascinated, charmed and intrigued by her.  Within a short conversation, he quickly realizes she's not a wanton or worldly person.  Her innocence is obvious.  And within moments, her unconventional mannerism(s) make him both protective and possessive of her.

Okay so yes, this story was sweet in a sappy 1970"s Kathleen Woodiwiss kind'a way...but still so much fun to engross myself into.  Character descriptions could have been stronger and reinforced periodically throughout the story keeping my visual fresh and alive.  They weren't.  But I loved the discreet parallel's the author drew between the skittishness of a thoroughbred being calmed by a new handler, and Nicole's nervousness around Dustin.  I also loved Nicole's strength(s) combined with her fragility.  She's a dreamer yet she's a realist.  I loved Dustin's dilemma.  He's obsessed with this woman.  He doesn't want to lose her.  But in his attempt to keep Nicole nearby and keep her and her father safe... and ease her worries while earning her trust; he makes promises to her and digs his own grave...(kind'a funny).  The author doesn't take us through the usual misunderstandings and false assumptions between Dustin and Nicole's attraction, but rather gets right down into the nitty-gritty of the suspense....the criminal side of horse racing and the mystery of "who done it"?  I loved having more of Lord Trenton and Lady Ariana and hearing all that's transpired since book #1&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Echoes-in-the-Mist-Kingsley-in-Love-Book-1/dp/B0099HZYV0/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Echoes in the Mist (Kingsley in Love Book 1)</a>&nbsp;The heartfelt moment between Nicole and her father where she tries to explain her feelings for Dustin --- well, that right there had me bawling buckets and blubbering to the point I couldn't see the words to read.  That part of the book was worth every $$ for this story alone.  Ms. Kane built up the suspense to the point that I was cursing any distraction that forced me to put my book down!
3522901
"A Field of Poppies" by Sharon Sala, aka Dinah McCall is a captivating book. As others have said, this is a romantic suspense book, but I found that the romance component did not play as large a part in this book as in some of Ms. Sala's other works. Instead, the suspense, conflict and character development focused more on the relationships between fathers and daughters than on the hero and heroine's relationship. There was a romance but it seemed to be a minor subplot compared to the murder investigation and familial relationships.

Characters were well-developed, most were very likeable, though flawed, and the villains were chillingly evil. The villains reminded me of the words of the writer who spoke of the "banality of evil" when writing about all the bureaucrats and workers who facilitated the smooth running of the Nazi death camps. The villains in "A Field of Poppies" were 'ordinary' people who had the attitude that people were only pawns and obstructions to be manipulated or disposed of, in the most efficient manner, whenever the need arose. They were not sadistic serial killers, nor were they torturing or raping people. They were simply cold, arrogant, callous people who were indifferent to anyone else's suffering or death, so long as their own objectives were achieved.

The story was heartwarming in how it dealt with the various father/daughter, mother/daughter, sibling, and young love relationships. The heroine, Poppy, comes to know and understand her mother better through the discovery of her mother's diary. Poppy reevaluates her relationship with her "daddy", but her love and respect for him remain intact. Although they learn a devastating secret about their relationship, Poppy and her brother reaffirm their love for each other as brother and sister, when there is reason for both to hold anger towards each other. Poppy shows kindness towards her new 'sister' even though she is hurt and angry.  Justin Caulfield demonstrates courage, integrity and great love when he places the needs of his daughters before his own. Strangers with a secret connection to Justin's daughter embrace the opportunity to be an organ donor for her when many in their situation would have refused. Although there was a romance between Poppy and Mike, these other relationships were the heart of the book.

There were some things I did not like about the book. I found it annoying that Poppy fainted every time she face a major traumatic event. I found it strange that Poppy's brother kept calling her 'sister', instead of using her name. Maybe it's a cultural thing but the only time I've heard people addressing someone as 'sister' was if the person they were addressing was a British nursing sister, a nun, or a member of a southern evangelical church.

  ***SPOILER***

For me, there was also a major flaw in the plot. Justin's parents wanted no part of Poppy or her mother, because they were from the wrong side of the tracks. Yet they fooled Justin into marrying a socially prominent woman who was pregnant with the child of someone from the wrong side of the tracks, and let him think the child was his. At least Poppy was actually their son's child, their own biological grandchild. Sure, everyone would know that Justin was involved with a 'social inferior' if he married Sunny or acknowledged Poppy, but is this worse than having the appearance of social exclusivity while secretly presenting an unrelated 'social inferior' as the heir apparent? Maybe that is how they felt, but I found it difficult to suspend disbelief enough to accept that premise.

  *** END SPOILER ALERT***

Even with the flaws, I still really liked this book and am glad I bought it. I am one of Ms. Sala's fans and although I have most of her books in paper, I like them enough to have been replacing them with Kindle books. There are some of Ms. Sala's books that I don't like, however, so I don't slavishly praise everything she writes. I truly thought this was a good book and was very surprised to see that her publisher rejected it.
4598110
Love's Refuge is one of those books I could easily see as a Hallmark movie. It's sweet and a little sappy at times, but still filled with pain and healing. Reading this book was so cozy, I just wanted to curl up on the couch and watch a sweet movie after finishing. But alas, with 3 little ones and a football loving hubby, the TV was not mine to watch. ;)

 I related all too well to Skye's struggle to deal with the public. Her issues were due more to a traumatic past, and thankfully, I did *not* relate to that. I DO struggle with social phobia daily, though. It would be all too easy to hide away on an island with very few people, like Skye. The longer I'm away from the public, the harder it is to enter back. Skye has spent so long hiding away that her entries into the real world was a hard and slow process. I also understood all too well her realization of just how patient Danny was with her. It's only through God that my husband was/IS patient with me and my oddities. I understood her feelings of thinking Danny deserved and could do better when Skye's oddities were coming into play full force.

 Despite the many issues happening around Skye, I still found this a relaxing read. The island that Skye lives on sounded like such a peaceful environment! With my chaotic life, I couldn't help but desire a tiny bit of that peace.

 Overall, this is a sweet read! I enjoyed it!

 *I was provided an e-copy in exchange for my honest opinion.
1939969
This was such a sweet read... I wasn't sure what to expect when I started this book (I have only read a couple of books set in my home country) but it was a pleasant surprise...

It's full of teenage angst, those feelings of first love, lust, and desperation.

Flynn is like every seventeen year old girls' dream... he's protective, sweet, romantic, and of course, gorgeous. But after something awful happens to Cass she's not sure she can let him in again.

I read this really quickly... I had to know how things ended for Cass and Flynn. And I LOVED Flynn's texts and emails to Cass - really made the story for me!

Can't wait for book two!
560141
Reunion Revelations
Book 1

This is the first is a six book, multi-author series.  To make sense, this series must be read in order.

The book opens with a hint to something that happens later on, then goes two months back to a college reunion that Stephanie Kessler attends.  Stef comes from a family with lots of money and doesn't have to work at the college - she wants to.  She hires her ex-roommate's brother, Trevor Whittaker, to build a built-in bookshelf in her office.  To do that, he has to knock out part of the wall.  When he does, they make a discovery.

The suspense is pretty light in this book.  I think the author concentrated on developing the mystery.  There were a couple of suspenseful scenes,but they easily resolved.  This is very, very mild on the suspense compared to most LIS books.

The romance was sweet.  I liked how the author wrote about them growing closer and falling for each other without all the drama.  I was very pleased.

The book ends with a lot of questions.  I suspect I know who both people are, but we won't know for sure until the end of book six!
4666576
This was my first time reading anything by Connie Lafortune and I must say that I thoroughly enjoyed this sweet story. Connie Lafortune has given us a story with some twists and turns, and the romance is steamy with some suspense to keep us guessing. The suspense is like a roller coaster ride filled with mystery,that will have us on the edge of your seat waiting to see what is going to happen next and will leave you wanting more. The characters are so well written that the story just flows so smoothly. Ryker Steele was a DEA agent who's been living off the radar for the past 3 years .But he's tormented guy and who seems to be a man with conscience that's gone AWOL, He's mysterious ,alpha male with a past. He would rather leave your ass to die in a ditch or a snowdrift in the middle of no where , then to help you out. But then there's Lyra Harper who is a mysterious ,young woman with a boyfriend who is devoted to her ,and loving parents,and a normal job. And her last thoughts of capitulate to an icy death in her wrecked car. But when she awakes in Ryker cabin she's just relieved to be alive, but she's also scared out of her wits . But as he tells her that she can every go back to the life she once knew . But as she bids time until she can escape, she learns that there's more to this man then meets the eyes. But she's curious about this man and also drawn to him at the same time,but she thinks that she must be crazy to think this way. I think my favorite part is she not the kind of woman who blindly falls for a man that she doesn't know, it doesn't matter if he save her from death or not. But the pull is strong and she vert attracted to him. Lyra wants so badly to break that wall down that he as built around himself . She wants him to do all sorts of dirty sexy things to her. This story is been told by Lyra and Ryker point of view . I could go on and tell you more about this touching story ,but that would spoil it for you. I highly recommend that you read this touching story ,you won't be disappointed.
2462901
Sam Dawson left Sugar Creek six years ago.  Why?  That's exactly the question that Kit Kendall has been asking herself for the last six years.  Now, being that Sam has returned, she might just get an answer to that question.  There's just one problem.  Sam is Kit's childhood sweetheart as well as the person that just might be trying to put her out of business.  So, how will Kit ever get the answer to the question when she's so angry with Sam that she doesn't want to see him, much less talk to him.  Except that Sam is making it really difficult for her to do that when he's always showing up.  As for Sam, he has his reasons for doing so, reasons that are a mystery to Kit.  But she's determined to find out what those reasons are and she plans on doing so without giving up any of her land or giving up her heart.  Kit soon finds out that the second is going to be much more difficult to succeed at than the first.

Darcy Flynn has done a great job of creating a sweet romance story.  But it's not just a romance.  It's a story of letting go of baggage, learning to forgive and trust, and starting over.  It's also infused with humor and some intrigue.  It kept me smiling, sighing, and laughing, as well as keeping me on the edge of my seat.  And just when I thought I had things all figured out, the author threw in one more little surprise that I didn't see coming.  Rogue's Son is a beautiful and sweet romance that once you pick it up, you won't want to put it down until you've read the very last word.

*****I received a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.  All opinions and viewpoints are my own.
448339
I never left the edge of my seat from the moment I picked up this wildly intense romantic suspense. Sweet one moment, gritty and thrilling the next, I was ducking for cover as the sparks tension and bullets were flying. Romantic suspense lovers definitely need to check this one out.

Lara Crosby just wants a little peace and quiet. The life she built as a political fundraiser has come crashing down around her along with all of her idealism for the political world. She's fled Chicago for her lakeside cabin in Minnesota. Far from her high society parent's failed expectations and those she called `friends', she is trying to regroup and rebuild her life.

When the power goes out of her cabin, Lara goes to investigate and discovers Jacob Sumner's car wrapped around her utility pole. He's alive, but he doesn't remember who he is or where he's from.

While gone to treat Jacob's wounds, Lara's home is vandalized. Unfortunately, Lara and Jacob happen upon the burglars before they escaped, and now Jacob and Lara find themselves the targets of some near miss bullets.

The two build a trust and friendship as they both work to solve who is targeting them and why. I love the way Ms Morris used the suspense plot to drive the romantic plot as well. It's that kind of technique and attention that makes Ms Morris stand out. All the tension eventually explodes into an all out frenzy. They were beautiful and raw and unforgettably hot. Oh momma, were there some seriously hot love scenes to enjoy.

I loved the pacing and I felt Ms Morris took the time and care to help us invest in both Lara and Jacob before moving their relationship into a romance. While the search for who was behind the attack was fast paced and gripping, the love story was slow and filled with so much sexual tension I thought I'd combust. I was way more than ready by the time the two were thinking the "love" word.

The ending has a bit of a twist as all my favorite suspense mysteries find a way to work in. It's so good to still be able to be surprised.

This one is sweet, and sexy and full of tons of on the run suspense. It's definitely one to check out. Enjoy!
3621724
This is Book 1 in the "Fishing for Trouble" Series and I enjoyed it. This is a sweet romance with some elements of suspense and some drama.

Liam and Kate got married in Las Vegas ten years ago, after knowing each other for only a few days. When Liam got scared by his feelings for Kate, he left her in the motel room and dedicated his nergy to pursue his baseball career. A couple of days later he filed for divorce. His rejection hurt Kate deeply but let him go after his dreams.

Now, they meet again for a work related matter. The chemistry between them is strong and they still have feelings for each other.

There is some suspense, great second characters and the book is very well written.

I received a copy by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
1301091
Well...not so much passion, but certainly a slow building affection that becomes more and more romantic.  Eventually binding Camille and Jonathan, this closeness will see Jonathan as Camille's protector.

I enjoyed this novel.  It is part suspense, part mystery and part romance and Ms. Ladd gives us all three with some surprises thrown in also.  This is sold by Harper Collins Christian so there is no sex which is welcome to some readers.  The extent of physical interaction is a kiss. There are nice characters, there are not so nice characters and then there are really down and dirty characters.  This makes for some interesting interactions in the book.

This is a charming, story with some angst and I recommend it to those who want their romance on the sweet side.

I received this book free for review from the publisher.
1550159
I am a huge fan of Sparks' work, and while I admit that I immensely enjoyed this novel, there were moments where I knew what was going to happen next. I also had moments where I didn't like knowing more about the antagonist than the other characters did. It's like those moments where you yell at the TV, hoping the characters would pick up the pace and put two and two together faster. But besides that, I really like how Sparks melded the romance and suspense together. I don't see anything wrong with how this book turned out :)
4869041
Okay, so I came into this series (Dangerous in Dallas) a little lateThe Professional is book number threeso to say that I was a little lost is a bit of a understatement. While a little backstory was provided, I believe I would have connected better with this book if I would have started with book one.

Heres whats going on. Violet is a successful wedding planner and one of the three owners of Elegance and Lace. While she does everything in her power to give couples their happily ever after, she doesnt believe ones in the cards for her. When a creep looking for two priceless rubies kidnaps her, Violets shocked to find that Max, the one guy that drives her up the wall, is her rescuer. Now Max and Violet are on the run attempting to flee the man who is after the rubies. As they claw their way out of one dangerous situation after the other, they finally start to give in the attraction they are feeling.

Max and Violet both have issues from their pasts that they need to overcome. They also have preconceived notions of each other that they need to work through. So it was interesting watching them deal with their issues while trying to stay alive.

There was an attraction between Max and Violet, although they bickered like two little kids from the start of the book and only grew worse as the plot progressed. There were several times that I wanted to put them in time out. It seemed like every time a spark of chemistry presented itself, it was doused by the constant conflict between them. I like a healthy dose of conflict between my characters but this just came off as annoying.

If you're looking for a full out suspense novel, then this is the book for you. The suspense kicks in at the start and doesnt stop until the very last page. It was action-packed and thoroughly edge-of-your-seat engaging.

While I completely enjoyed the suspense, I felt a little lost regarding the origin of it. The catalystwhich was the discovery of three priceless rubies and a faux set of the English Crown jewels that were hidden under the floorboards of their businessstarted in book one and everything that happened in this book was the fallout of what happened in books one and two.

Even though it was a little far-fetched, I would have liked to have seen a bit more about why the Renaissance Stones were so important, and why they had to be spirited out of England.

I loved Addison Foxs House of Steele series, so I was a bit disappointed to discover that this one fell short. I know some of my inability to connect came from missing the previous books, but the characters fell a little flat as well.

Overall, the suspense was riveting but this series truly does need to be read in order. I would have liked to have seen less bickering and more chemistry between Max and Violet as well.
4231852
Beware this review includes spoilers!
<spoiler>

This was a sweet story. I really enjoyed the plot line and how the conflicts were resolved. Ella and Alex's characters were realistic and identifiable but could be exasperating - which made for great suspense. When I think of a word that best describes Ella, the word feisty comes to mind...but so does the word fickle. Reading the story in her POV could be frustrating at times. Her relationship with Alex was fun and special - their first date was beautiful, but her past relationship continued to rear its ugly head and she questioned her feelings for Alex continually. Ella's fickleness drove me nuts, especially since Alex was so clearly the best choice.

Alex also had his moments of misunderstanding, as well. He was moody and often immature, making snap decisions that only hurt his relationship with Ella. I appreciated the dual POV, otherwise I would have been completely clueless as to some of Alex's actions. But when he was in a loving mood - wow, he was so worth it. This guy could really show a girl a good time. He was passionate and thoughtful, but then there were times when you wanted to shake him because he was too caught up in his job.

The use of Ella's hearing impairment was done brilliantly, as it so beautifully highlighted how independent and capable Ella was despite her special needs. And Alex's acceptance and respect for her, in part because of her disability, made him even more endearing.

All in all, this was an enjoyable read - feisty, fickle heroine meets moody, madly-in-love hero.
<spoiler>
615997
A story at Christmas time with horses and cowboys with a little suspense is a winner for me.  This is a sweet and steamy read.  I can't wait to read book number two, "Trace's Trouble", of the "Last Chance" series.

"Christmas with Angel" by Lexi Post is book number one in the "Last Chance" series.  This is cowboy firefighter, Cole Hatcher and Lacey Winters' story.

Lacey and Cole are engaged to be married and are in the process of building their new home.  They are living with Cole's grandparents and other family members.  It is hard for them to find private and quiet times.  Cole wants to go to his mother's Christmas dinner.  Lacey does not.  She wants them to stay home and enjoy some private and quiet time.  Lacey is also having a hard time forgiving Cole's mother for keeping them apart for eight years.

Things do not go according to either Lacey or Coles plans.  There is a little suspense and a few surprises on their Christmas day.  Through Lacey and Cole's unexpected Christmas day they learn the importance of forgiveness, second chances, and the things that really most important.

I enjoyed the horse, Angel, in the story.  Cole has started a horse rescue place and Angel is one of their rescue horses.  The story reflects on the abuse that some horses experience.  It is really sad the abuse some animals and people may experience in life.

FYI, includes mature content.
3990168
Wow! How did I miss this book? I'm a hug fan of Jay Crownover's stories, but somehow I missed this book when it was released a year ago. I'm so glad to have found it, because this book just pulled me out of a reading slump!

Leo (Leora) is getting over a very difficult breakup when her friend Emrys decides they need to go on a wilderness retreat in Wyoming. Leo is skeptical, but agreeable and the two best friends hit the road to do some back woods horseback riding. When they meet the Warner brothers, the owners of the ranch and tour company, Leo's life gets very interesting.

In steps Cyrus Warner, the older of the three brothers. There's immediate sparks between Cyrus and Leo and not the romantic kind...at first. But the longer they spend on the trail, their spark turns into attraction and makes for some very steamy scenes between them. Oh, and there are other people on the trail with them, a family in trouble and two men who don't seem to quite fit in with everyone else.

Everything seems to be going well until a runaway horse takes Leo into an area that some criminals want to keep private, turning the story into a tense and tight romantic suspense as Cyrus and Leo work against the clock to keep their group and Cyrus's brothers from serious harm.

I loved this. I could not put this down. The story is told from Leo's perspective, and that it interesting because she had a lot to work through. The tension, sexual and otherwise, is tight and very engaging. As a fan of romantic suspense, this story did a nice job of balancing the romance and action.

I also thought Cyrus was yummy, and I'm looking forward to his brother's stories. Not everything turns out "fine" and I liked that about Retreat. There was no magic that made everything better -- the characters had to learn to live with the cards they were dealt and that made for a very satisfying conclusion to the story (nope, not gonna tell).

The end of the book sets things up quite nicely for Shelter, the next book in the series which is out on December 26, 2017. I definitely recommend grabbing a copy of Retreat -- it's a very exciting and super steamy romantic suspense that puts Retreat on my favorites of 2017 list.
2558924
Jamie and Mason feel the sparks the first time they lay eyes on each other. Her job producing articles for a news station brings her to town to develop a story, but then she becomes a part of the story. Sweet with a hint of heat
1148915
Lily has come back to Pecan Valley to get some questions about her parents' deaths answered. Her father was accused of setting the fire that killed them because he was depressed over losing his job. She and her sisters were then separated and adopted by families in different states. The three of them have agreed that that doesn't sound like their father at all and Lily is determined to get to the truth.

When she gets to town one of the first people she meets is Griff, owner of the local ice cream parlor. Griff has the reputation of being something of a bad boy, never committing and being rather lazy. She understands what they see, but she sees something else when she looks at him. She sees a man playing a part while he cares intensely about the things that matter to him. He looks like he's lazing about his ice cream parlor, dabbling in experimenting with flavors, but she sees the way he's given the kids in town a safe place to hang out. She's especially impressed with the interest he has taken in some of the kids who are victims of abuse.

Griff sees a pretty young woman who is looking for answers to the mystery of her parents' death. He's drawn to her like he's never been drawn to anyone else. Since she's arrived in town there have been several fires set and the people in town are looking at her like she's the one doing it. He knows she isn't, after all, she's been with him during much of her time there. But he's afraid that she could be in danger from whoever is responsible. I loved seeing the way he was determined to take care of her, even though she kept trying to resist. He was surprised by how well she seemed to understand him, which made him a little bit nervous, too. The more time they spent together, the more he could see having her with him all the time. It was sweet to see how he cared for her each time she had to deal with another fire being set. I loved seeing him realize the depth of his feelings when he nearly lost her. The epilogue was funny and sweet as he dealt with her sisters.

The suspense was really well done. It was obvious that someone was feeling really nervous about Lily and the questions she was asking. I loved seeing each step of her journey and how the information kept building. Each fire that was set had a link to the questions she had, and each one made the townspeople suspicious of her. The fires also seemed to be escalating, which made Griff even more worried that something bad would happen to her. As more information came to light I began to have a suspicion of who the firebug was, but the reasoning still eluded me. When the final confrontation came I really wondered how it was going to be resolved. I thought it was well done and the after effects were pretty realistic.

The only problem I had was that nothing was really said about Griff's background. It's obvious that he has money but I finished the book with no idea where it had come from. I would have liked to learn more about what made him who he was.