FINISHED -

1. "DARK BLOOD" by Christine Feehan (Carpathians #26) (A+++++) Zev Hunter was an elite warrior, a dark-blood dealer of death to rogue Lycans who preyed on mankind. He was a loner, never given to personal attachments, and damned fierce at his job. But Zev begins to question his past and his purpose when he awakens in the darkness of the sacred cave of warriors - and is soothed back to consciousness by the sensuously familiar voice of one womanm the woman who has haunted his fantasties for centuries. She is Branislava, member of the Dragonseeker clan. For this half-mage, half-Carpathian temptress, the ritual of awakening Zev to the council of warriors was the only way to save him. Locked away for his own protection, the time has now come for his rebirth, for his blood to stir with that of the ancient warriors before him. He has been assured by Branislava that their fates are entwined, that their spirits are woven together for eternity and that his new purose in life is beyond imagining. Now, with a blood-sworn vow of honor, mercy and endurance, and under the influence of a siren as bewitching as Branislava, Zev begins to wonder what his purpose is, what it means for the future of the Carpathians and what it is about his rebirth that he has to far.
2. "HOMECOMING" by Shannon Stacey (Boys of Fall #3) (A++++) They were the golden boys of fall: Stewart Mills High School's legendary championship football team. Fourteen years later, they're back to relive their glory, save the team - and find themselves again. Sam Leavitt has returned home to Stewart Mills with one goal: to fill in for Coach McDonnell and lead the high school football team to the championship. He doesn't have time for distraction or commitments - but he's unable to resist falling for the sexy guidance counselor he shared a hot night with months ago. Jen Cooper knows what she's looking for long-term, and it's not Sam - even though the night they shared was explosive. Now, with Sam back in town and working by her side, picking up where they left off is too great a temptation to resist. But before long their fun fling is looking like a future together. And as the championship approahes, Sam is faced with a big decision that will either break them apart - or help them find their way home.
3. "MARRY ME AT CHRISTMAS" by Susan Mallery (Fool's Gold #19) (A+++++)  To bridal boutique owner Madeline Krug, organizing a Christmas wedding sounds like a joy - until she finds out she'll be working closely with the gorgeous brother of the bride, movie star Jonny Blaze. How will a small-town girl like her keep from falliing for the world's sexiest guy? Especially with mistletoe lurking around every corner! Jonny came to Fool's Gold looking for normal, not for love. Happily-ever-after only happens in the movies. Still, nothing about this quirky town is quite what he expected, and "Ordinary" Madeline is the most extraordinary woman he's ever met. Refreshingly honest, disarmingly sweet. Achingly beautiful. Planning the perfect wedding leads to candlelit dinners and strolls through snow-covered streets. And Madeline finds Jonny in real life even more captivating than her celebrity crush. But will the action star be brave enough to risk his heart and step into the role of a lifetime? "A KISS IN THE SNOW" (Fool's Gold #20.5) (A+++++) Cupcake baker Nancee Smith is stunned when search-and-rescue pilot Jesse “Shep” Sheppard strides into her kitchen. The last time she saw the Ghost of Heartbreaks Past was the night before he left her at the altar. He said he loved her, then didn't even say goodbye. Now Shep claims he's done dashing away at the first sign of forever. The romance of Fool's Gold at Christmas tempts her to have faith - snow glistening on rooftops like great swirls of frosting, twinkle lights in every window - but this time around, she's the one with cold feet. If promises alone aren't enough to sway her, Shep will have to show her the love in his heart.
4. "THE BROKEN ROAD" by Richard Paul Evans (Broken Road #1) (A+++++++) A broken man. A twist of fate. A second chance. What if you could start over? Chicago celebrity, Charles James can't shake the nightmare that wakes him each night. He sees himself walking down a long, broken highway the sides of which are lit in flames. Where is he going? Why is he walking? What is the wailing he hears around him? By day, he wonders why he's so haunted and unhappy when he has all he ever wanted - fame, fans and fortune and the lavish lifestyle it affords him. Coming from a childhood of poverty and pain, this is what he's dreamed of. But now, at the pinnacle of his career, he's started to wonder if he's wanted the wrong things. His wealth has come legally, but questionably, from the power of his personality, seducing people out of their hard-earned money. When he learns that one of his customers has committed suicide because of financial ruin, Charles is shaken. The cracks in his facade start to break down spurring him to question everything: his choices, his relationships, his future and the type of man he's become. Then a twist of fate changes everything. Charles is granted something very remarkable: a second chance. The question is: What will he do with it?
5. "INNOCENT BY ASSOCIATION" by Lisa Jackson (unabridged audio CD) (A++++) A lot of money, cold, hard cash, has "ended up" in stockholder Garrett Reave's bank account. Somone is trying to frame him. Investment house president Meegan McKearn - his former lover - had motive, means and opprtunity. Is she guilty? It looks as though Garrett will have to, once again, get very close to Megan to find out.
6. "SUGAR CREEK" by Toni Blake (Destiny, Ohio #2) (A+++++) Welcome to Destiny, Ohio - where two families have been at odds as long as anyone in town can remember. Rachel Farris returned to her childhood home with one mission in mind: get Mike Romo out of her family's apple orchard business and out of their lives. But hard-nosed and totally hot Mike, who happens to be the law in Destiny, is convinced the Farris clan stole the lands from his family fifty years ago and he's not backing down. Even when shapely trouble shows up in a pair of designer blue jeans. However, either the hunky cop not the sexy prodigal hometown girl can anticipate the electricity that heats things up whenever they're together - adding new sizzle to an ongoing feud that's raged for generations, and soon putting both their hearts at risk.
7. "ALWAYS A COWBOY" by Linda Lael Miller (The Carson's of Mustang Creek #2) (A+++++) Drake Carson is the quintessential cowboy. In charge of the family ranch, he knows the realities of this life, its pleasures and heartbreaks. Latelyu, managing the wild stallions on his property is wearing him down. When an interfering so-called expert arrives and starts offering her opinion, Drake is wary, but he can't deny the long - and the challenge - she stirs in him. Luce Hale is researching how wild horses interact with ranch animals - and with ranchers. The Carson matriarch invites her to stay with the family, which guarantees frequent encounters with Drake, her ruggedly handsome and decidedly unwelcoming son. Luce and Drake are at odds from the very beginning, especially when it comes to the rogue stallion who's stealing the ranch mares. But when Drake believes Luce is in danger, that changes everything - for both of them. "GROWING UP WESTERN" (A+++++) Linda Lael Miller's personal story of growing up in the west.
8. "SWEET WATER" by Anna Jeffrey (West Texas #1) (A+++++) Most people merely pass through the quiet town of Agua Dulce on their way to someplace more interesting. Marisa Rutherford has actually returned to care for her mother, who's suffering from Alzheimer's disease, and to run her mother's cafe. But when the town is sold in an eBay auction, it could mean the end of Agua Dulce as Marisa and the other nine residents know it. Terry Ledger is a high-rolling real estate develooper who knows a good deal when he sees it. Though purchasing a remote town in West Texas on eBay sounds crazy, this serene hamlet actually holds much promise as a hub for travelers. Unfortunately, the citizens don't share in his vision. To win them over to his side, Terry much curry favor with the town's unofficial leader, feisty Marisa, who fiercely guards her hometown and her recently broken heart. With different plans for the future of Agua Dulce, they find themselves agreeing on one thing - an undeniable attraction that could change their lives forever.
9. "BLAME IT ON THE COWBOY" by Delores Fossen (McCord Brothers #3) (A+++++) Every cowboy has a wild side - all it takes is the right woman to unleash it. All of Lorgan McCord's carefully laid plans erupt the day he walks in on his would-be fiancee getting...well, not so carefully laid. Tonight, just once, Logan is acting on instinct. And that intinct is telling him to say "Happy to oblige" to the cute stranger looking for a no-strings fling with a Texas Cowboy. When chef Reese Stephens made her bucket list, she mistakenly thought she had weeks to live. Not that she regrets her one-night-stand with the gorgeous rancher. But she does regret leaving an heirloom watch as a parting gift. Tracking Logan down is easy. Walking away again is another matter. Because Reese's crazy past and Logan's battered heart are no match for the kind of chemistry that could turn one night into the start of a passionate lifetime. "COWBOY UNDERNEATH IT ALL" (McCord Brothers #2.5) (A++++) Fresh out of the air force, Kane Bullock comes home expecting things to be the same. But change can strike anywhere, even Spring Hill, Texas. His old flame is about to walk down the aisle and her little sister, Eliza Wright, has told the entire town she and Kane are an item. Kane makes it his mission to confront his “girlfriend” and tell everyone the truth…until he sees that Eliza is all grown up and impossible to resist. Eliza's attraction to Kane didn't disappear when he stepped into a flight suit. Now that he's back, she intends to show him the cowboy he was meant to be. Helping him rebuild his ranch is the perfect opportunity to step out of her family's shadow and prove her business skill. But how can she go through with a simple plan to pretend to fall in love when everything she feels for Kane is real?
10. "BETWEEN YOU AND ME" by Jane Blackwood (new author for me) (A++++++) Unforgettable, that's what you are. It seems like forever since Meghan Rose stormed off Will Scott's yacht, but he still stows her photo in his berth. Of course, nobody knows that; and Meg should have known better than to hit him with The Ultimatum. Sure, their four years sailing together were the best Will ever had, but that didn't mean he was ready to be tied down...not in the marital sense, anyway. Problem is, he needs her. Maybe he always has. Of all the insufferable, arrogant, obnoxious...Meg could go on, but her staid fiance probably wouldn't cancel his next appointment to hear the unabridged list of adjectives Will Scott brings to mind. Tack on strong, stubborn and hot - and - here. In Meg's office. Sporting that same damned grin she's always been tempted to wipe off his face...with her mouth. Now he wants her to leave her landlocked life for two weeks' yacht racing - as if she'd jump at the chance to help the very guy who shattered her heart. Well, why not. Surely, she's immune by now.
11. "DO YOU TAKE THIS REBEL?" by Sherryl Woods (Calamity Janes - Cassie  #1) (A+++++) (unabridged audio CD) Cassie Collins fled Winding River, Wyoming, when she discovered she was pregnant. Now, ten years later and stronger, she's been drawn back to town for a reunion with her friends, the Calamity Janes. But is she strong enough to stand up to Cole Davis, the wealthy father of her child who has the power to take away her son? Or can they finally become the family she's always dreamed of?
12. "LOOK AGAIN" by Lisa Scottoline (A+++++++) When Ellen Gleeson gets a "Have Your Seen This Child?" flyer in the mail, she almost throws it away. But something about it makes her look again, and her heart stops. The child in the photo looks exactly like her adopted son, Will. Everything inside her tells her to deny the similarity between her son and the boy in the photo, because she knows her adoption was lawful. But she's a journalist and won't be able to stop thinking about the photo until she gets to the truth. And she can't shake the question: If Will rightfully belongs to someone else, should she keep him or give him up? Ellen makes the wrenching decision to investigate, uncovering clues no one was meant to uncover. And when she digs too deep, she risks losing her life - and that of the son she loves.
13. "CHASED" by Lauren Dane (Chase Brothers #3) (A++++) Marc must face the biggest challenge of his life - convincing Liv Davis that he means to love her forever. Live Davis has just about given up on her happily ever after. Burned by love more than once, she's beginning to think Mr. Right isn't the cards for her. Marc Chase is a confirmed bachelor and lover of women - lots of them. He's determined not to fall head over heels the way his brothers have. Until he kisses Olivia Davis and realizes head over heels may not be such a bad thing after all. Can Liv open her scarred heart for this younger ladies man? She loves Marc more than she can begin to admit ut she's terrified of being rejected again. Marc faces a challenge greater than he's ever faced before. Making a woman believe he's more than just a great bedmate - making her believe he's in it for good. In the end it will all come down to two days in a hotel and a bet. Can they both win?
14. "WANNA GET LUCKY?" by Deborah Coonts (Lucky O'Toole #1) (new author for me) (A+++++) A young woman plunges from a Las Vegas sightseeing helicopter, landing in the pirates' lagoon in front of the Treasure Island Hotel in the middle of the 8:30pm pirate show. Almost everyone writes her off as another Vegas victim. But Lucky O'Toole smells a rat. She's head of Customer Relations at the Babylon, the newest, most opulent mega-casino and resort on the Strip, and she can't resist turning over a few stones. When a former flame is one of the snakes she uncovers, Lucky's certain she's no longer dealing with an average Sin City suicide. Lucky must manage the Babylon's onslaught of outrageous festivities, solve a murder and struggle to keep her life and libido from spinning out of control...not to mention keep her balance in six-inch heels.
15. "MIRACLE ON 5TH AVENUE" by Sarah Morgan (Made in New York: From Manhattan with Love #3) (A++++++) Sometimes love needs a Christmas miracle. Hopeless romantic Eva Jordan loves everything about Christmas, even if she is spending it alone housesitting a spectacular Fifth Avenue apartment. What she doesn't expect is to find the penthouse still occupied by its gorgeous - and mysterious - owner. Best selling crime writer Lucas Blade is having the nightmare before Christmas. With a deadline and the anniversary of his wife's death looming, he's isolated himself with only his grief for company. But when the blizzard of the century leaves Eva snowbound in his apartment, Lucas starts to open up to the magic she brings. This Christmas, is Lucas finally ready to trust that happily-ever-afters do exist?
16. "SILVER LININGS" by Debbie Macomber (Rose Harbor #4) (A+++++) Since opening the Rose Harbor Inn in Cedar Cove, Jo Marie Rose has grown close to her handyman, Mark Taylor. They are good friends - and are becoming something more - yet he still won't reveal anything about his past. When Mark tells her he's moving out of town, Jo Marie is baffled. Just when she is starting to open herself up again to love, she feels once more that she is losing the man she cares about. And as she discovers the secret behind Mark's decision to leave, she welcomes two visitors also seeking answers. Best friends Kellie Crenshaw and Katie Gilroy have returned to Cedar Cove for their ten-year high school reunion, looking to face down old hurts and find closure. Through life's highs and lows, all three women find that every cloud has a silver lining - even when they least expect it.
17. "NOBODY BUT YOU" by Jill Shalvis (Cedar Ridge #3) (A+++++) Sometimes you can go home again. After an overseas mission goes wrong, Army Special Forces officer Jacob Kincaid knows where he must go to make things right: back home to the tiny town of Cedar Ridge, Colorado. All he needs to scrub away his painful past is fresh mountain air, a lakeside cabin and quiet solitude. But what he discovers is a gorgeous woman living on a boat at his dock. Sophie Marren has nowhere else to go. She's broke, intermittently seasick and fighting a serious attraction to the brooding, dishy, I'm-too-sexy-for-myself guy who's now claiming her dock. Soething about Jacob's dark intensity makes her want to tease - and tempt - him beyond measure. Neither one wants to give any ground...until they realize the only true home they have is with each other.
18. "IF YOU STAY" by Courtney Cole (Beautiful Broken #1) (new author for me) (A++++++) Twenty-four-year-old Pax Tate is an asshole. Seriously. He's a tattooed, rock-hard bad boy with a tough attitude to match. His mother died when Pax was seven, leaving a hole in his heart filled with an intense guilt that he doesn't understand. What he does know is that he and his dad were left alone, and they have never been close. Now, he uses drugs and women to cope with the black void in his soul. He pretends that the emptiness isn't there and his has always worked...until he meets Mila. Sweet, beautiful Mila Hill is the fresh air that Pax has never known in his life. He doesn't know how to not hurt her - but he quickly realizes that he'd better figure it out because he needs her to breathe. When the memories of his mother's death resurface to haunt Pax, Mile is there to save him from his overwhelming guilt. Mila restores his broken heart, even as she evokes his powerful, sexual desires. Now for Pax to keep Mila, he needs to work on his issues - and stop being an asshole. But is that enough to make her stay?
19. "RIVERBEND ROAD" by RaeAnne Thayne (Haven Point #4) (A++++++) Protecting the streets of Haven isn't just a job for police officer Wyn Bailey, it's a family tradition. But lately she's found herself wanting more, especially from her boss - and overprotective older brother's best friend - sexy chief of police, Cade Emmett. The only problem is getting Cade to view her as more than just a little sister. Cade's hands-off approach with Wyn isn't from lack of attraction. But his complicated past has forced him to conceal his desire. When Wyn is harmed in the line of duty, Cade realizes the depth of his feelings, but can he let his guard down long enough to embrace the love he secretly craves?

CURRENTLY READING -

1. "Gastien: From Dream to Destiny" by Caddy Rowland (Gastien #2) (reading on a Kindle app on my computer)  
2. "Going Down Hard" by Carly Phillips (Billioniare Bad Boys #3) (reading on a Kindle app on my computer)  
3. "Where I Lost Her" by T. Greenwood (new author for me)  
4. "Into the Whirlwind" by Kat Martin (BOSS, Inc. #2)

CURRENTLY LISTENING TO - 

1. "The Hit" by David Baldacci (Will Robie #2)

Finished this month: Gone by Lisa Gardner.  Ex-FBI profiler Pierce Quincey's wife is missing.  Her abandoned car has been found, but no trace of her, which leads to suspected kidnapping when letters are sent to the newspaper editor and then the police. A very intense plot that develops with each new clue. A great read!

The Five Bells of Bladebone by Martha Grimes--- Superintendent Richard Jury of Scotland Yard is supposedly on holiday, but he happens to be in Long Piddleton [love these English town names!] visiting his friend Melrose Plant when a man's body is found stuffed in an antique desk. While investigating this death, a woman's body is found in an area of London. Who is she? That's the question throughout the remainder of the book. Is she or isn't she...Sadie Diver or Hannah Lean? Love the characters in this series and Grimes' dry humor.

The Keepsake by Tess Gerritsen--- "Madam X" has been discovered in the Crisp museum, thought to be an ancient Egyptian mummy.  But when she's X-rayed, she becomes a modern day murder victim, then 2 more victims are found.  A very good plot with lots of twists and turns. 

The Murders of Mrs. Austin and Mrs. Beale by Jill McGown --- Two women are found murdered on the same night, the connection is a dead phone line between the two. But who killed them? Detective Inspector Judy Hill and Detective Chief Inspector Lloyd have lots of suspects but the ending is a total surprise. Great series!

First Impressions by Jude Deveraux --- Eden Palmer has inherited Farrington Manor, the home of a woman who befriended her when she was a young unmarried mother.  When she moves to Arundel, North Carolina she thinks she's embarking on a new life; little does she know how much her life is going to change.  Interesting read, enough twists and turns to keep the pages turning.

The Land of Mango Sunsets by Dorothea Benton Frank --- Marion Swanson is trying to keep up the former lifestyle she lived when she was married. But things aren't working out so she goes back to Sullivan's Island where she grew up to spend some time with her mother. However, her mother has changed, and not for the better to Marion's way of thinking. A fun read as are all of Frank's books!

"D" Is For Deadbeat by Sue Grafton ---Kinsey Millhone has been hired to deliver a $25,00.00 check to a 15 year-old boy. But she can't find him and the man who hired her isn't who he claims to be. Lots of twists and turns in this story.

Ten Thousand Island by Randy Wayne White --- I'll have to go back and find the first one of this series because I plan to read them all. Government-agent-turned-marine-biologist Doc Ford agrees to investigate the death of a teenaged girl who died years ago. I love White's writing style, it certainly kept me turing the pages.

Better Than Chocolate by Sheila Roberts--- 1st in the Icicle Falls series.  Samantha Sterling is trying to save her family's business, Sweet Dreams Chocolate Company, from being taken over by the bank because of her stepfather's mismanagement. She and her mother and two sisters come up with a plan, but everything seems to be working against them. A fun read, should be a great series.

The Old Silent by Martha Grimes ---  Inspector Richard Jury  is eyewitness to a woman shooting her husbnd. As he tries to understand why, he's drawn into the case even though it's out of his jurisdiction. The main characters of the series, Melrose Plant, Aunt Agatha, Vivian, Trueblood, Wiggins all play a part in the unfolding of the storyline, and a lot of the time it's more about what's going on in their respective lives than it is in the crime. An interesting read as their lives take new directions.

Eggs in Purgatory by Laura Childs --- A really good "cozy" series, I enjoyed it a lot. Suzanne, Toni and Petra are three friends who've opend The Cackleberry Club cafe.  When Suzanne's lawyer is found murdered behind the cafe, they try to find out who and why. Then when Suzanne's dead husband to accused of kick-backs and a cult outside of town seems to be involved there's enough side plots to keep the pages turning.

The Collectors by David Baldacci --- The Camel Club [1st in this series] was really good, but The Collectors is even better! Oliver Stone and his three friends [members of The Camel Club] are trying to find out how Jonathan DeHaven died.  DeHaven worked at the Library of Congress with Caleb Shaw [one of The Camel Club members]. A second plot line introduces Annabelle Conroy and her accomplices, the ultimate con team. While the two stories evolve seperately, they tie together toward the end. A real page-turner!

Currently reading: A Cat on a Winning Streak by Lydia Adamson

The Year of No Clutter    Eve Schaub

The Story of a New Name Elena Ferrante

Britt-Marie Was Here  Fredrik Backman

The Stranger in the Woods    Michael Finkel

Into tha Water Paula Hawkins

Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk    Kathleen Rooney

Tracks     Robyn Davidson

The Death Collectors by Jack Kerley

Finished: Blue Heaven by C.J. Box. Good one, I liked it alot, but not sure I liked the ending. 

I just finished three of the series by Bruce Alexander, Sir John Fielding Mysteries.   Trade paperbacks:  Blind Justice (1) and Murder in Grub Street (2).  Hardback is Person or Persons Unknown (4).   The series is definitely keeping me interested and I ordered three more.  

If you are interested in these books let me know.  I would love to send them to the same person.  

Finished "Magician: Apprentice"  by  Raymond Feist, and now I'm on to "Flesh and Spirit" - almost finished with "Dust and Light."   I'm enjoying Carol Berg.  I heard she was good, but I hadn't tried her out.  I'll download more from her now that I know.  Finished up the previous books, and I'm reading "The Last American Vampire" and "City of Ashes."

Judye

Finished in April:  The Summer Before The  War  by: Helen Simonson

                             American Houses  by:  Philip Langdon

                             Dead Wake - The Last Crossing of the Lusitania  by: Erik Larson  for book club

Currently Reading:  The Invisible Ones  by: Stef Penney

                                A View From the River  by: Jay Pridmore & Hedrich Blessing

Hope to get to in May:  A Man Called 'Ove  by: Fredrik Backman  for book club

                                     Hill Country  by: Janice Woods Windle

                                     Eve     by: William Paul Young

Currently Reading:

The 14th Colony by Steve Berry

The Basque History of the World by Mark Kurlansky

100 Vegetables and Where They Came From by William Woys Weaver

Finished:

The Cassandra Complex by Brian Stableford

Capital City by Mari Sandoz

War Hawk by James Rollins & Grant Blackwood.  

Fur, Fortune and Empire: The Epic History of the Fur Trade in America by Eric Jay Doblin

Distant Fires: Duluth to Hudson Bay by Scott Anderson. short book. a re creation of a trip done by Eric Sevareid about 60 years earlier. quick read.

Binge read the first six books in the Immortal Las Vegas series by Jenn Stark and if you like UF, they are good.  Read the free Novella (Kindle) first.  It's short and a bit choppy, not nearly as well done as the books but does into some characters.

Blade Bound the 13th and final book of her initial Chicagoland Vampires series by Chloe Neill.  Not bad, but the last few have been much weaker stories than the earlier books.

Scottsdale Sting bu B.A. Trimmer is a good female PI series and interesting, undemanding reads.

Shades of Pink by Gina Lamanna is the first in another female PI series.

Vicious Circle by C. J. Box, his latest Joe Pickett is good, but a bit more noir than most of his stuff.

Duplicity by Newt Gingrich and Pete Early was surprisingly good DC action/thrill/terrorist yarn.

Field of Fire by Marc Cameron is his latest Jerico Quinn book and once again pits Quinn against 'time is running out' scenario doing with a nerve gas more potent and deadly than VX

About a 1,000 more to go.  SIGH!

Nothing Like It in the World by Stephen Ambroise. The story of the building of the transcontinental railroad.

The Next Time You See Me by Holly Goddard Jones. Really good so far, but knda depressing. Doesn't look good for any of the main charaecters, yet I keep reading it,,,

Chasing the Monsoon A Modern Pilgrimage Through India by Alexander Frater. A sort of combination memoir and travel narrative. interesting.

The Black Book by James Patterson. This would be a good beach read.  I read James Patterson non -series books and share with my mother.