After the Fall by Liz Isaacson

Released: Feb. 13, 2017
268 pages
Series: Gold Valley Romance # 2

About the Book:

 

Professional snowboarder Sterling Maughan has sequestered himself in his family cabin in the exclusive mountain community above Gold Valley, Montana after a devastating fall that ended his career. Lost, with no direction and no motivation, the last thing he wants is company. But Norah Watson has other plans for the cabin. Not only does she clean Sterling's cabin, she's a counselor at Silver Creek, a teen rehabilitation center at the base of the mountain, and she brings her girls up to the cabin every twelve weeks. She senses that Sterling's lost more than his chance at another gold medal, and she feels a pull to help him. She doesn't have much to give, as she's the full-time caretaker of her mentally ill mother and her three half-brothers, but for Sterling, she invests the time. When Sterling finds out there's a job for an at-risk counselor at Silver Creek, he asks Norah to drive him back and forth. He learns to ride horses and use equine therapy to help his boys—and himself. The more time they spend together, the more convinced Norah is to never tell Sterling about her troubled past, let him see her house on the wrong side of the tracks, or meet her mother. But Sterling is interested in all things Norah, and as his body heals, so does his faith. Will Norah be able to trust Sterling so they can have a chance at true love?

 

My Rating & Thoughts:   🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 (5 stars)

 

I honestly didn't think I was going to like Sterling when he was introduced in chapter 1. But as I got to know him more and see how he was with Norah I grew to really like him. I felt for Norah, having to be the mother to her brothers and her mother, working two jobs and going to school. I understood her hesitation with Sterling because they came from such different worlds. I loved Dr. Richards response after he found out that Norah and Sterling were seeing each other even after he told them co-workers dating was against policy, you could tell he truly cared about Norah and wanted her happy. I did not want to put this book down, I had to know things were going to work out for both of them. Disclaimer: I received this book free from the author but the views expressed are my honest opinion.

 

Mermaid Moon by Colleen Coble

Released: Jan. 12, 2016
346 pages
Series: Sunset Cove # 2

About the Book:

Mallory’s mother died fifteen years ago. But her father’s last words on the phone were unmistakable: “Find . . . mother.” Shame and confusion have kept Mallory Davis from her home for the last fifteen years, but when her dad mysteriously dies on his mail boat route, she doesn’t have any choice but to go back to Mermaid Point. Mallory believes her father was murdered and childhood sweetheart Kevin O’Connor, game warden in Downeast Maine, confirms her suspicions. But Kevin is wary of helping Mallory in her search. She broke his heart and left—without a word—years ago. When Mallory begins receiving threats on her own life—and her beloved teenage daughter, Haylie—their search intensifies. There’s a tangled web within the supposed murder, and it involves much more than what meets the eye. As answers begin to fall into place, Mallory realizes her search is about more than finding her father’s killer—it is also about finding herself again . . . and possibly about healing what was broken so long ago with Kevin. She just has to stay alive long enough to put all the pieces together.

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

 

First off I have to say I love the cover! I had high expectations for this book. The summary description interested me and I had heard praise about it which had me really looking forward to reading this one. However I found I didn't enjoy it as much as I expected. Mallory has not been back to Mermaid Point since leaving 15 years ago, but when her dad dies she comes home and has to face the past. She & Kevin haven't spoken since she left but she needs his help to look into what happened to her dad. As they begin looking to what happened they end up with more questions than answers. It becomes clear that someone doesn't want Mallory to find the answers. Can they find the answers and stay alive at the same time? As Kevin & Mallory spend more time together they realize the old feelings never left, are they getting a second chance? Can they move past the past? The romance side felt a bit rushed to me, yes they loved each other but there was some painful history to overcome that seem to go away very quickly without really talking about it. The suspense of who was after Mallory and why had me had me questioning everyone. There were a couple of characters I thought were involved but it turned out they weren't. The reveal at the end felt incomplete to me. I know people do things for reasons that make no sense to others but that is how this felt to me, the reasons why didn't seem justified. I especially liked Kevin, a single dad raising his blind daughter, he came across as an all-around good guy who was respected and could be trusted. I especially liked that he stood by Mallory and stood up to his parents when they were being downright mean. I enjoyed how the theme of learning to forgive not only others but yourself as well for past mistakes was presented. This was book 2 of the series, but it could be read as a stand-alone as Kevin & Mallory are not in book 1. However characters from book 1 make frequent appearances in this one, so it was nice to already know them a bit. I am now starting book 3 which it focuses on Kate (Kevin's cousin). She has been a recurring character in both books and I look forward to getting to know her better.

 

 

The Inn at Ocean's Edge by Colleen Coble

Released: April 14, 2015
334 pages
Series: Sunset Cove # 1

About the Book:

 

Claire’s visit to a luxury hotel in Maine awakens repressed memories, threatening all she holds dear. In 1989, Claire Dellamare disappeared from her own fourth birthday party at the Hotel Tourmaline on the island of Folly Shoals, Maine. She showed up a year later at the same hotel, with a note pinned to her dress but no explanation. Nobody knows where Claire spent that year—and until now, Claire didn’t even know she had ever been missing. But when Claire returns to the Hotel Tourmaline for a business meeting with her CEO father, disturbing memories begin to surface . . . despite her parents’ best efforts to keep them forgotten. Luke Rocco lost his mother under equally mysterious circumstances — at the same time Claire disappeared. After a chance encounter reveals the unlikely link between them, Claire and Luke set out together to uncover the truth about what happened that fateful year. With flashbacks swimming just beneath her consciousness and a murderer threatening her safety, Claire’s very life depends on unscrambling her past . . . even if her family refuses to acknowledge it. Someone—maybe everyone—is hiding something from Claire Dellamare, and it will cost her everything to drag the truth out into the light.

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

I picked this one up because I wanted to read book # 2, Mermaid Moon, of this series but I could not read that one until I read book one. I was drawn to Claire right after she experiences the panic attack, just like her I wanted to know why the inn caused her to react this way. As she is trying to catch her breath she meets Luke and Meg. This first meeting leads her to more questions about her history. On the same day she also gets attacked. Is everything that happens connected? Or is Claire just having a bad day? I felt for Claire immediately and wanted answers. At chapter 8, the story switches to Kate’s pov, I was so confused by this as I had no idea who Kate was at this point and none of the other characters were around. I even wondered if there was a mistake on my kindle version. But halfway through the chapter Claire returns, so I figured Kate must connect eventually and I just had to wait for it to be revealed. The plot takes quite a few different twists and turns, but I had figured out most of the mystery way before it was revealed. I did enjoy getting to know the three main characters, Claire, Luke & Kate. They each come from different backgrounds and were unique in their own way, no character felt like the other. Claire experiences so much during the search for answers, but some of her reactions don’t seem realistic. For example, she witnesses a murder but when talking to her mom right afterwards it seems more of a “oh, by the way” moment instead of the traumatic event you would kind of expect from someone who has never seen a dead body before. There were a few more moments like this. I was very proud of Kate the moment she stood up for herself, she did not deserve to be treated the way she was. There were quite a few characters I did not like, but I think Ms. Coble wanted me to feel this way about them as each one was hiding something horrible they had done or were doing. The two themes I got from this novel were truth and family. Telling the truth, even if it hurts, is much better than living a lie. What happens when that lie is exposed? What makes a family, is it blood, love or something else? There were no loose ends left at the end of the book, but it also doesn’t end with the traditional happily ever after ending. I am looking forward to starting book 2, maybe I can spend more time with the characters I liked? 

 

Moving Target by Lynette Eason

Released: January 31, 2017
336 pages
Series: Elite Guardians # 3

About the Book:

When Maddy McKay and Quinn Holcombe don't show up for Quinn's surprise birthday party, his friends know that something is very wrong. Their search turns up little beyond evidence that Quinn and Maddy just decided to take off for a long overdue vacation. But it soon becomes apparent that they did not leave of their own accord.

Maddy awakens in a cement room with no idea where she is. But it's not long before she realizes she's in the clutches of a madman exacting revenge by hunting. His prey of choice? Humans. Now Maddy and Quinn must run for their lives, hoping to find their killer before the next game begins. Because if they don't win this game, they die.

Fast, furious, and flirty, Lynette Eason's relentless suspense barely gives her readers time to catch their breath in this third thrilling installment of the Elite Guardians series.

My Rating & Thoughts:   🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 (5 stars)

This is the third book of Ms. Easson’s Elite Guardians series. I became interested in Maddy and Quinn’s story after meeting them the first book, Always Watching, and was excited that book three would be their story. While Quinn is working a serial killer case, him and Maddy end up becoming the target of the killer who refers to himself as “The Chosen One”. This killer decides to play a game with them, can they win? The scenes on the island were very well described that I could picture exactly what was happening, it was scary. Majority of the story was fast-paced but there were some slower moments which focused more on the relationship between Quinn & Maddy. I enjoyed these moments just as much as I enjoyed the action. I did not want to put the book down until I knew everything was going to be okay, the killer caught and Quinn & Maddy in a good place. I liked that Ms. Eason told the story not only from Quinn & Maddy’s point of view but also from The Chosen One. This helped to get to know them and try to figure out who the Chosen One really was. Just when I thought I knew something happened which caused my theory to go out the window. I would recommend reading the previous two books in this series if you haven’t yet to help give you more insight to these characters and the friends who play pivotal roles in this one.

 

My Rating & Thoughts:   🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 (5 stars)

I was excited for the release of this book, as it is the third book in the Elite Guardians series, and i had been introduced to Maddy and Quinn in the previous 2 books which I very much enjoyed.  Moving Target did not disappoint.  It quickly turned quite intense as Maddie and Quinn both end up kidnapped by  “The Chosen One”.  As the intensity slows down, I liked getting to know more about Maddy and Quinn and their stories and personal struggles.  Their friendship develops into love for each other, however they each have some struggles in their personal lives that they need to deal with.  Throughout this book we see the journey that Maddy and Quinn were on in their faith and how their faith develops throughout the book.   I enjoyed this book and would recommend reading the entire series in order.

 

Shadow of Suspicion by Christy Barritt

Published: Feb. 1, 2017
224 pages

About the Book:

 

First, computer specialist Laney Ryan's accused of kidnapping her neighbor's daughter—and now someone's trying to kill her. The police don't believe Laney's story…except for Detective Mark James, whose instincts say Laney isn't guilty. Together, Mark and Laney must figure out who really abducted the teen and uncover why they're framing Laney. But when their search for the truth turns deadly, Mark realizes his feelings for Laney aren't strictly professional and that he'll stop at nothing to keep her safe. With a dangerous suspect swiftly closing in, can they find the missing girl and clear Laney's name…before their possible future together is fatally cut short?

 

 

My Rating & Thoughts:   🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 (4 stars)

 

This was action packed right from the beginning with the police invading Laney's home. The action never stops either, just when Laney thinks she is safe something else happens threatening her life. Detective Mark James has been assigned to the case, but struggles with the question is Laney really guilty or is she being set up to appear guilty. Mark is torn between doing his job or following his gut feeling about Laney. I knew that Laney was innocent, but looking at the case through Mark's eye I could understand how he was feeling. Each chapter ended with enough of a cliff-hanger that made you want to read the next one to find out what was going to happen. There were enough clues throughout the story to allow the reader to figure out who the bad guys were, but it was not obvious either. I enjoyed the ending, knowing the bad guys were caught and the good people were happy. Disclaimer: I received this book free from the Ms. Barritt but the opinions expressed here are completely my own.