Sunday, December 31, 2017

Upcoming Releases I'm Looking Forward To: January-June 2018

Upcoming Releases

Today I am sharing with you the books that are releasing during the first six months of 2018 that I am really looking forward to and will be picking up as soon as possible. Of course I expect more new releases to be added to my TBR list, but my goal for this upcoming year is to read more of the ones I already own but have not yet read (currently just under 50 books).

Releasing January 2

Oath of HonorPolice officer Isabelle St. John loves her crazy, loud, law-enforcement family. With three brothers and two sisters, she's never without someone to hang out with--or fight with. And she knows they'll be there for her when things get tough. Like when her partner is murdered and she barely escapes with her own life.

Determined to discover exactly what happened, Izzy's investigation sends her headfirst into a criminal organization, possibly with cops on the payroll--including someone from her own family. With her dead partner's handsome homicide detective brother Ryan shadowing her every move, Izzy's head is spinning. How can she secure justice for her partner when doing so could mean sending someone she loves to prison? And how will she guard her heart when the man she's had a secret crush on for years won't leave her side?

This is Book 1 of a new series by Lynette Eason. Ms. Eason is one of those authors I pick up without ever reading the description first. I am currently in the middle of this one and it has definitely captured my attention.
 
 
Troubled WatersBillionaire Ian Shaw can have everything he wants--except a happy ending. Or at least that's what it feels like with his fortune recently liquidated, his niece, Esme, still missing, and the woman he loves refusing to speak to him. In fact, he doubts she would date him even if they were stranded on a deserted island.
 
Despite her love for Ian, Sierra Rose knows he has no room in his life for her as long as the mystery of his missing niece goes unsolved. The only problem is, Sierra has solved it, but a promise to Esme to keep her whereabouts secret has made it impossible to be around Ian.

When the PEAK chopper is damaged and Sierra lacks the funds to repair it, Ian offers a fundraising junket for large donors on his yacht in the Caribbean. But the three-day excursion turns into a nightmare when a rogue wave cripples the yacht and sends the passengers overboard. Shaken up and soaked to the bone, Ian finally has a chance to test his theory when he and Sierra do indeed find themselves washed up on a strange, empty shore.

It will take guts and gumption for the PEAK team to rescue the duo. But it will take a miracle to rescue Ian and Sierra's relationship.

Book 4 of the Montana Rescue Series. I feel like this is a long anticipated story. I first met Ian and Sierra in the prequel to this series and can't wait to finally get more of their story.
 

Releasing February 6

Saturday Night Supper Club

Denver chef Rachel Bishop has accomplished everything she’s dreamed and some things she never dared hope, like winning a James Beard Award and heading up her own fine-dining restaurant. But when a targeted smear campaign causes her to be pushed out of the business by her partners, she vows to do whatever it takes to get her life back . . . even if that means joining forces with the man who inadvertently set the disaster in motion.

Essayist Alex Kanin never imagined his pointed editorial would go viral. Ironically, his attempt to highlight the pitfalls of online criticism has the opposite effect: it revives his own flagging career by destroying that of a perfect stranger. Plagued by guilt-fueled writer’s block, Alex vows to do whatever he can to repair the damage. He just doesn’t expect his interest in the beautiful chef to turn personal.

Alex agrees to help rebuild Rachel’s tarnished image by offering his connections and his home to host an exclusive pop-up dinner party targeted to Denver’s most influential citizens: the Saturday Night Supper Club. As they work together to make the project a success, Rachel begins to realize Alex is not the unfeeling opportunist she once thought he was, and that perhaps there’s life—and love—outside the pressure-cooker of her chosen career. But can she give up her lifelong goals without losing her identity as well?

I loved Ms. Laureano's book Five Days in Skye and was excited when I found out she had a new book coming out.
 

Releasing March 6
 
If I LiveCasey Cox is still on the run after being indicted for murder. The hunt that began with her bloody footprints escalates, and she’s running out of places to hide. Her face is all over the news, and her disguises are no longer enough. It’s only a matter of time before someone recognizes her.

Dylan Roberts, the investigator who once hunted her, is now her only hope. Terrifying attempts on Dylan’s life could force Casey out of hiding. The clock is ticking on both their lives, but exposing the real killers is more complicated than they knew. Amassing the evidence to convict their enemies draws Dylan and Casey together, but their relationship has consequences. Will one life have to be sacrificed to protect the other?

Book 3 of the If I Run series. I loved book 1 and book 2 of this series and can't wait to see what happens next. But I am sad knowing this is going to be the final book of the series.
 
Releasing March 13
 
The Heart Between UsMegan Jacobs always wished for a different heart. Her entire childhood was spent in and out of hospitals, sitting on the sidelines while her twin sister Crystal played all the sports, got all the guys, and had all the fun. But even a heart transplant three years ago wasn’t enough to propel Megan’s life forward. She’s still working as a library aide in her small Minnesota hometown and living with her parents, dreaming of the adventure she plans to take “once she’s well enough.” Meanwhile, her sister is a successful architect with a handsome husband and the perfect life—or so Megan thinks.

When her heart donor’s parents give Megan their teenage daughter’s journal—complete with an unfulfilled bucket list—Megan connects with the girl she meets between the pages and is inspired to venture out and check off each item. Caleb—a friend from her years in and out of the hospital—reenters her life and pushes her to find the courage to take the leap and begin her journey. She’s thrown for a loop when Crystal offers to join her for reasons of her own, but she welcomes the company and the opportunity to mend their tenuous relationship.

As Megan and Crystal check items off the bucket list, Megan fights the fears that have been instilled in her after a lifetime of illness. She must choose between safety and adventure and learn to embrace the heart she’s been given so that she can finally share it with the people she loves most.

This one sounds intriguing. I enjoyed Lindsay's first book, One More Song to Sing, and am looking forward to finding out what the journey holds in this one.
 
Releasing April 3
 
Pelican PointA crumbling lighthouse is not part of the inheritance Army doctor Ben Garrison expects to claim when he journeys to Hope Harbor. Fresh out of the service, he wants only to unload the tower of bricks, decompress from years of treating battlefield trauma, and prepare to launch his civilian career.
 
Hope Harbor Herald editor Marci Weber has other ideas. She may not be a Hope Harbor native, but the small Oregon seaside town has become home--and she's determined to save the Pelican Point landmark.

Sparks fly as the two go head to head over the fate of the lighthouse. But when they start to cooperate, a different kind of fire ignites. And as they work together, might Hope Harbor heal the hearts of these two romance-wary souls?

I have enjoyed the first three books in this series, therefore I must pick up book 4. I am looking forward to returning to quaint town of Hope Harbor.  
 
Releasing May 1
 
Falling for YouFamously beautiful model Willow Bradford is taking a temporary break from her hectic schedule to work as the innkeeper at her family's small-town bed-and-breakfast. She was enjoying the peace of her hometown, Merryweather, Washington, right up until she came face-to-face with Corbin Stewart, the man she loves to hate. A thoughtful rule-follower by nature, Willow threw caution to the wind four years ago when she entrusted her heart to Corbin--and suffered the consequences when it all fell apart.
 
Former NFL quarterback Corbin is forceful, charming, and accustomed to getting what he wants . . . except where Willow Bradford is concerned. Unable to forget her, he's never stopped regretting what happened between them. When their paths unexpectedly cross again, he's determined to make her give him a second chance.
 
When a decades-old missing persons case finds Corbin and Willow working together, they're forced to confront their past and who they've become--and whether they can risk falling for one another all over again.
 
Book 2 of the Bradford Sisters series. We met Willow and Corbin in book 1 and learned that they have a history but that things did not end well between them. Now its time to learn more of their story.  
 
 
Storm FrontA tornado has destroyed a small Minnesota community and among the missing are not only a group of students but PEAK Rescue team leader Chet King. Ty Remington will stop at nothing to rescue his mentor, not even when the girl he loved--and lost--walks back into his life. But Brette needs his help more than he knows, despite her stubborn determination to push him away. And when he gets a second chance, loving her just might cost him more than he can imagine.
 
A blogger for Vortex Storm Chasers, Brette Arnold didn't expect her adventures to land her in the same place as Ty, the guy who she walked--no, ran--from over a year ago. She had her reasons--good ones. The kind that tell her that falling for him again would only lead to heartache. But Ty isn't the kind of man to give up--not on the missing students, or on her.
 
Another anticipated addition to the Montana Rescue series, this is book 5. I love when characters are carried throughout a series but each book focuses on a specific one.  

Releasing June 5
 
Just Let GoFor Quinn Collins, buying the flower shop in downtown Harbor Pointe fulfills a childhood dream, but also gives her the chance to stick it to her mom, who owned the store before skipping town twenty years ago and never looking back. Completing much-needed renovations, however, while also competing for a prestigious flower competition with her mother as the head judge, soon has Quinn in over her head. Not that she’d ever ask for help.
 
Luckily, she may not need to. Quinn’s father and his meddling friends find the perfect solution in notorious Olympic skier Grady Benson, who had only planned on passing through the old-fashioned lakeside town. But when a heated confrontation leads to property damage, helping Quinn as a community-service sentence seems like the quickest way out—and the best way to avoid more negative press.
 
Quinn finds Grady reckless and entitled; he thinks she’s uptight and too regimented. Yet as the two begin to hammer and saw, Quinn sees glimpses of the vulnerability behind the bravado, and Grady learns from her passion and determination, qualities he seems to have lost along the way. But when a well-intentioned omission has devastating consequences, Grady finds himself cast out of town—and Quinn’s life—possibly forever. Forced to face the hurt holding her back, Quinn must finally let go or risk missing out on the adventure of a lifetime.
 
Courtney Walsh is another of my favourite authors, when I saw she had a new book coming out I added it to my wish list before even reading the description. I loved the previous book set in Harbour Pointe, Just Look Up, so I am really looking forward to this one now that I have read the description.   
 
 
Releasing June 12
 
The Love Letter
With the colonies at war and his country divided, Hamilton Lightfoot must choose sides: Fight for the British Crown or for the Independence of America. But after witnessing the death of his family at the hands of redcoats, he fears he’ll fight for revenge instead of honor. On the verge of a great battle, he pens a letter to Esther, the woman he loves.
 
Esther Longfellow is in love with Hamilton, but her father is a loyalist, living in upcountry South Carolina and working for a wealthy British lord. When the Revolutionary War comes to her doorstep she is forced to choose between devotion to her father and her love for Hamilton.
 
Chloe Daschle is the daughter of Hollywood royalty—a great director and an Oscar-winning actress. Yet her career has taken an unexpected turn: She’s the queen of death scenes. Trying to break out, she accepts a supporting role in a revolutionary war film. But she longs for the perfect role and the perfect real-life romance. Does happily ever after only exist in the movies?
 
After a life-changing tragedy, MIT graduate Jesse Gates decides to leave his life behind and move to LA to try his hand at acting and screenwriting. When he finds a page from one of his ancestor’s letters, he becomes consumed with the love he finds there. Determined to help his grandfather find happiness at the end of his life, Jesse writes and sells a screenplay based on the events surrounding the lost love of previous generations.
 
When Jesse meets the woman he has cast to play Esther Longfellow—his grandfather’s one true love—the stories of all four collide across time and space. The love letter from the past might have more power to affect the future than any of them could have imagined.
 
I have loved the dual timeline stories by Rachel Hauck, especially the Wedding Chapel & the Wedding Shop.. I am intrigued to see what she has in store for readers in this one.
 

Saturday, December 30, 2017

My Recent Faves (Oct. - Dec.)

Recent Faves Oct-Dec

Today I am sharing my top nine favourite reads from this past fall and early winter.

Dangerous Illusions      Finding Love at Steeple Ridge      The Esther Paradigm


You're Gonna Love Me      The Christmas Cowboy      Wrestlin' Christmas


Barreling Through Christmas      Flaw Abiding Citizen      Imperfect Justice
  
What have been some of your favourite reads recently?
Do you have any recommendations for me?

Friday, December 29, 2017

First Line Friday - Week 34


Happy New Year!!!

Welcome to First Line Friday's hosted by Hoarding Books.
 
Today's book is: Troubled Waters by Susan May Warren

Troubled Waters

First line is:
"Oh this was a bad idea. Epically, abysmally, horrendously bad."

Ms. Warren definitely knows how to engage readers right from the beginning. What a engaging first two lines. I am so excited to read this book, it offically releases Tuesday, Jan. 2. I've been waiting for the continuation of Ian and Sierra's story ever since I first read the prologue to this series this time last year.


Now it's your turn!
Let me know your first line in the comments and then head over
to Hoarding Books to see who else is participating!
 
Hoarding-Books-Icon_thumb_thumb_thum

Thursday, December 28, 2017

The Cowboy's Accidental Bride by Cindy Roland Anderson

Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Gelato Publishing LLC
Released: Oct. 10, 2017
153 pages
About the Book:
Ruby Harrison is a glass-half-full kind of girl…except when it comes to her own love-life.

Having already lost in the game of love, she’s satisfied being a single mother. But when her seven-year-old daughter asks if she can find her a new daddy, Ruby reluctantly ventures back into the dating world with one stipulation: the man can’t be a cowboy. Her condition for dating is challenged when she crashes into Tate Allred’s truck. The cowboy defies all her preconceived notions, turning Ruby’s life upside down and making her realize that hitting the cowboy’s truck might be the best thing that ever happened to her.

Goodreads / Amazon
Cindy Roland Anderson's Website


My Rating & Thoughts:    ðŸŒŸ ðŸŒŸ ðŸŒŸ   (3 stars)

“Hormones were so fickle and couldn’t be relied upon
to find the right man to be with.”

This is a novella about a mom, Ruby, who has been hurt by a cowboy in the past and would rather remain single than going through that pain again. She has a daughter to focus on, but that daughter wants a dad, and has decided her friend’s uncle is the man to fill the role. The moment the two meet, it is instant attraction and even though she says she wants to keep her distance she keeps agreeing to things that will put them together. I liked Tate and the girls, but Ruby annoyed me because I felt like her actions and words didn’t mesh together. I was drawn into this story by the cute cover (love the pink cowboy boots) and the title intrigued me, but I don’t feel like the title really fit the story. Overall this was a cute story, but I was hoping for more depth.

(I purchased my copy of this book; opinions expressed in this review
are my honest opinion and completely my own.)


Tuesday, December 26, 2017

Finding Love in Park City Utah by Angela Ruth Strong

Series: Resort to Love # 3
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Mountain Brook Ink
Released: March 1, 2017
270 pages
About the Book:
Falling in love can feel a lot like tumbling down a mountain

C.J. Lancaster’s job as a tabloid journalist takes her to the Sundance Film Festival to interview an actress. She tries to charm her way past the movie star’s youngest brother-in-law, Sam, and somehow ends up on an “undate” with him. If C.J. were ready to date, the fun-loving veteran would be her first choice, but since she’s still healing from her ex-husband’s affair, she knows it will be safer if she scares her new “friendboy” away.

Sam Lake is intrigued—he’s never had to pursue a woman, and he can’t get C.J. out of his mind. Whether it’s how she likes to eat ice cream in winter or the way she gets his nieces and nephews to gang up on him in a snowball fight, he feels more at home with her than his oversized family. But when his own issues arise, he realizes C.J. might be right about avoiding a relationship with him.
Can the two of them overcome the emotional mountains in their lives to be together, or will they remain a “noncouple” forever?
 
Goodreads / Amazon

My Rating & Thoughts:    ðŸŒŸ ðŸŒŸ ðŸŒŸ   (3 stars)

“Romance movies and poetry books were full of beautiful phrases
and eloquent analogies that made a woman swoon,
but she turned into mush at a simple greeting.”

Sam has travelled to Park City to the Sundance Film Festival with his family, while there he acts as bodyguard to his sister-in-law since he can’t partake in any of the winter activities due to a broken foot. CJ is in Park City on assignment, trying to get an interview with one of the actresses, but things don’t start out well for her. The first meeting of these two is a bit awkward but both feel a draw to one another. Sam wants to pursue this feeling, but CJ wants to steer clear of it.

There were some really entertaining moments and the concept of un-dating was funny. However the overall story did not hook me as much as the previous book. While I enjoyed getting to know Sam better and catching up with previous characters I never felt like I couldn’t put the book down. I struggled to connect with CJ, while I understood that her past experiences have made her leery of men, her up and down feelings towards Sam irritated me. There was a strong faith element shared, predominantly the conversations between CJ and her dad. I also enjoyed how the author had the characters use Bible characters to show how gifts and strengths can be used. Sam learns that even though he feels he does not measure up to his siblings, God has indeed given him gifts that he can use to help others. Sam was a great character, a true kid at heart but filled with wonderful talents. His interactions with the children made for some really sweet moments. There were times where the story felt a little too unrealistic for me, especially as everything happens in just a 2 week time period. The epilogue gave the book a satisfying end. Overall I enjoyed the story and catching up with the Lake family members.

“Every time you face a challenge you’re going to overcome
and realize you are stronger than you thought you were.”

(I purchased my copy of this book; opinions expressed in this review
are my honest opinion and completely my own.)

 Other Books in the Series:
5-Finding-Love-at-the-Oregon-Coast_ 1-Finding-Love-in-Sun-Valley-Idaho_t Finding love in Big Sky Montana