FINISHED -

1. "SIMPLY SEXUAL" (House of Pleasure #1) by Kate Pearce (A++++) Sexual Satisfaction...Ten years as a sex slave in a Turkish brothel left Lord Valentin Sokorvsky with an insatiable appetite for sex. Now the time has come for him to marry, but finding a woman who can satisfy his lustful desires proves a challenge...until he meets Sara and all he can think about is having her lie under his rock-hard body, begging him to taste and touch her. Sensual Seduction...Sara Harrison knows she should be shocked and scandalized by Lord Sokorvsky's bold advances, but instead she is secretly aroused by this sensual, seductive man. For beneath her calm and composed manner is a wanton woman who longs for a man's intimate caress. She is most willing to be educated in the art of sensuality, to receive and give pleasure and to succumb to the wild desire that knows no limits.
2. "STILL ME" (Me Before You #3) by JoJo Moyes (A+++++) (listening to on my phone using an Audible app) Louisa Clark arrives in New York ready to start a new life, confident that she can embrace this new adventure and keep her relationship with Ambulance Sam alive across several thousand miles. She is thrown into the world of the superrich Gopniks: Leonard and his much younger second wife, Agnes, and a never-ending array of household staff and hangers-on. Lou is determined to get the most out of the experience and throws herself into her job and New York life within this privileged world. Before she knows what's happening, Lou is mixing in New York high society, where she meets Joshua Ryan, a man who brings with him a whisper of her past. As Lou tries to keep the two sides of her world together, she finds herself carrying secrets - not all her own - that cause a catastrophic change in her circumstances. And when matters come to a head, she has to ask herself - who is Louisa Clark? And how do you reconcile a heart that lives in two places?
3. "A STARDANCE SUMMER" (Eternity Springs #13) by Emily March (A+++++) Sometimes the end of one road...is the start of another. Brick Callahan enjoys every minute of chaos at his campground, Stardance Ranch, especially after the Tornado Alleycats arrive for an extended summer stay, The members of the all female glamorous camping club are primarily seniors - active and adventurous, friendly and fun. But when he discovers Liliana Howe frolicking with the glampping grannies in a late night skinny-dipping session, he fears he's in for a summer of trouble. Because his best friend's kid sister has grown up to be drop-dead gorgeous. Betrayed by those she trusted, Lili decides she's put her career first for too long. She sells her practical sedan, buys a travel trailer and heads to Eternity Springs for a summer of rest, relaxation and reassessment as the newest member of the Alleycats. The last person she expects to find running an RV resort is her high school crush. Their undeniable mutual attraction is a reminder that life is full of surprises. But when the past comes calling, will their summer romance stand the test of time?
4. "DEAD SILENCE" (Stillwater, Mississippi #1) by Brenda Novak (A+++++) There's a body buried behind a Mississippi farmhouse...Grace Montgomery knows who it is, and she knows why it happened. She was only thirteen the night it all went wrong. And now, like then, she has no choice but to keep her mouth shut. Grace left the town of Stillwater thirteen years ago, trying to forget, trying to make good. As an assistant district attorney in Jackson, she's finally achieved the success that was supposed to change her life. But it hasn't so she's come back to confront her own history. Which means returning to the farmhouse now owned by her brother and facing the people of Stillwater, a number of whom suspect the truth. Widower Kennedy Archer is one of those people. He's running for mayor and needs to stay as far away from Grace as possible. And yet she's an enigma he can't resist. Even though her enemies are close to finding out what really happened and that could ruin them both.
5. "ESCAPE TO YOU" (Montana Heat #1) by Jennifer Ryan (A+++++) A Montana man always protects the woman he loves - He discovered her during a Montana blizzard, freezing cold, impossibly vulnerable, a little boy by her side. Undercover DEA Agent Beck “Trigger” Cooke is astonished to recognize Ashley Swan - award-winning actress, famous beauty - and missing for over a year. To keep her and the child hidden from a sadistic madman, he secrets the pair away to his isolated home. No longer a prisoner, and protected at Hope Ranch, Ashley recovers and learns the tall, tempting federal agent may have a dark past, but it hasn’t destroyed his sense of honor. As they shed past roles and find common ground, Ashley and Trigger can’t help but fall slowly, carefully, in love. But danger still lurks outside the boundaries of Hope Ranch, for until her crazed captor is brought to justice, and Trigger’s undercover past is laid to rest, none of them will ever be truly safe.
6. "CAN'T HARDLY BREATHE" (The Original Heartbreakers #4) by Gena Showalter (A+++++) a woman who's never felt desired and the man who wants her more than air to breathe…Bullied in high school, Dorothea Mathis's past is full of memories she'd rather forget. But there's one she can't seem to shake - her long-standing crush on former army ranger Daniel Porter. Now that the sexy bad boy has started using her inn as his personal playground, she should kick him out…but his every heated glance makes her want to join him instead. Daniel returned to Strawberry Valley, Oklahoma, to care for his ailing father and burn off a little steam with no strings attached. Though he craves curvy Dorothea night and day, he's as marred by his past as she is by hers. The more he desires her, the more he fears losing her. But every sizzling encounter leaves him desperate for more, and soon Daniel must make a choice: take a chance on love or walk away forever.
7. "WILD RIDE COWBOY" (Copper Ridge #9) by Maisey Yates (A++++) He's come back to Copper Ridge, Oregon, to keep a promise - even if it means losing his heart. Putting down roots in Copper Ridge was never Alex Donnelly's intention. But if there's one thing the ex-military man knows, it's that life rarely unfolds as expected. If it did, his best friend and brother-in-arms would still be alive. And Alex wouldn't have inherited a ranch or responsibility for his late comrade's sister - a woman who, despite her inexperience, can bring tough-as-iron Alex to his knees. Clara Campbell didn't ask for a hero to ride in and fix her ranch and her life. All she wants is the one thing stubborn, honorable Alex is reluctant to give: a chance to explore their intense chemistry. But Clara has a few lessons to teach him, too...about trusting his heart and his instincts, and letting love take him on the wildest adventure of all.
8. "RESCUE ME" (Second Chance Ranch #2) by Catherine Mann (A+++++) Detective AJ Parker left undercover work in Atlanta to join a small-town Tennessee police force, hoping for an easier workload and the solitude of his cabin. But the scars left by AJ’s previous work are more difficult to escape than he thought. Mary Hannah Gallo works with the Second Chance Ranch Animal Rescue to train therapy dogs for traumatized patients. It isn’t easy, but her life is under control - until she meets the broodingly sensual AJ, who rattles her composure all the way to her toes. After an assignment confiscating dogs from a backyard breeder reveals a dangerous drug operation, AJ must work with sexy perfectionist Mary Hannah to train an abused rescue dog - a dog now named Holly. While Holly proves to these two very different people that opposites can, in fact, attract, she also knows more than a few explosive secrets that could heal - or divide - the entire town.
9. "NIGHT SHADOW" ( T-FLAC #14) by Cherry Adair (listening to on an audible app on my cell phone) (A++++) side from working for the international anti-terrorism agency T-FLAC (and having the same last name), Lexi Stone and Alex Stone are polar opposites, right down to Lexi’s mere mortality and Alex’s paranormal powers. While straight-arrow Lexi pushes paper at an Internal Affairs desk, renegade Alex is busy pushing the envelope as he pursues the most dangerous global criminals. And though Lexi disdains his rule-breaking bravado and cowboy tactics, she can’t deny Alex’s skills when it comes to getting his man (not to mention any number of women) - just as she can’t ignore how his roguish charm makes her heart race and her temperature rise. But Lexi’s secret desires clash head-on with her duties when suspicions arise that Alex is poised to switch sides - and join forces with a European terrorist cell. Tapped for her first field mission, Lexi finds herself assigned to shadow Alex’s every move, and if necessary, terminate him. Despite her feelings, Lexi’s willing and able to carry out her orders, as long there’s proof that Alex is a traitor. But getting the goods - and the drop - on her superagent quarry becomes an even tougher task when Lexi and Alex suddenly find themselves partners on an emergency mission in Russia. When terrorists seize a busy Moscow railway station for ransom, then abruptly massacre their hostages andvanish into thin air, the agents realize they’re facing adversaries possessing of the same paranormal abilities as Alex’s elite T-FLAC/psi unit. But after Lexi kills an armed suspect during a breathless rooftop chase, she makes a series of shocking discoveries about the enemy T-FLAC is facing, the troubling truth Alex has been concealing, and the terrifying plot of a treacherous mastermind that could spell the downfall of T-FLAC’s most powerful and valued operatives. To save precious lives and stop the rise of a superhuman terrorist threat, Lexi and Alex must work as a well-oiled team in a race across the globe - and against time - with lethal shadows looming behind them, and no one to trust but each other.
10. "OUTLAW'S HONOR" (Cahill Ranch #2) by B.J. Daniels (A+++++) She never expected this Cahill to be her hero - or the only man she'd need. It's hard to forget a beautiful woman who picks your pocket the first time you meet. Darby Cahill recognizes Mariah Ayres the moment she walks into his bar looking for a job. He shouldn't hire her...or crave more after one impulsive kiss. But what starts as curiosity about her motives turns to concern when he senses how much danger she's in. Mariah has been running ever since she left her fiancé at the altar. Now she's playing the part of the perfect employee, terrified that her past will catch up with her. But Darby has already seen through her act. He's the kind of guy who saves people. And even if Mariah's given him no reason to trust her, he's determined to protect her - and he'll risk his life to do it.
11. "EXTREME HONOR" (True Heroes #1) by Piper J. Drake (A+++++) Honor, Loyalty, Love...David Cruz is good at two things: war and training dogs. The ex-soldier's toughest case is Atlas, a Belgian Malinois whose handler died in combat. Nobody at Hope's Crossing Kennel can break through the animal's grief. That is, until dog whisperer Evelyn Jones walks into the facility...and into Atlas's heart. David hates to admit that the curvy blonde's mesmerizing effect isn't limited to canines. But when Lyn's work with Atlas puts her in danger, David will do anything to protect her. Lyn realizes that David's own battle scars make him uniquely qualified for his job as a trainer. Tough as nails yet gentle when it counts, he's gotten closer to Atlas than anyone else-and he's willing to put his hard-wired suspicion aside to let her do the same. But someone desperate enough to kill doesn't want Lyn working with Atlas. Now only teamwork, trust, and courage can save two troubled hearts and the dog who loves them both.
12. "KISS RIVER" (Kiss River #2) by Diane Chamberlain (A+++++) Gina Higgins has come to the Outer Banks of North Carolina - a stranger with a secret. But secrets are a fact oflkife in the close-knit community of Kiss River. Kiss River's historic nineteenth-century lighthouse has all but fallen into the sea, taking with it the huge Fresnel lens that once served as its beacon. Gina is desperate to find a way to raise the lens from the sea: the glass holds the key to her future, her fortune and her only chance to save the one person who matters to her. Lacey O'Neill lives in the old lightkeeper's house, a home she shares with her brother, Clay. When Lacey meets Gina, she invites her to stay with them. Eagerly accepting the offer, Gina begins her quest to raise the lens as Clay finds himself drawn to her struggle and to Gina herself. As Gina's story unfolds, so does the shocking legacy left buried in the light, revealing more than Gina expected...much more. And with it comes new hope for the future...and for love.
13. "COMANCHE MAGIC" (Comanche #4) by Catherine Anderson (A+++++) Handsome, strong, and just a little bit dangerous, half-Comanche Chase Wolf is used to getting what he wants. So when he sees Franny - a golden-haired angel with deep green eyes, delicate features and the sweetest smile - he sets out to make her his. But far from the innocent she seems, Franny is the local "unfortunate," who services men above the Lucky Nugget salon. The shocking truth sends Chase reeling. Long ago, circumstance forced Franny to make a terrible choice in order to provide for those she holds dearest. Now she lives a secret double life - respectable in one world, shunned in another - always fearful of discovery, forever marked by shame. But Chase's love for Franny is persistent and patient and knows no bounds. He offers her a life she longs to claim but believes she can't possibly deserve. Franny tries to resist Chase, but he won't listen to reason, and he won't stop trying until her defenses have fallen, her heart is healed, and their love has triumphed.
14. "BLUE SKIES" (Kendrick/Coulter/Harrigan #4) by Catherine Anderson (A+++++) Carly Adams feels as if she's been given a new lease on life. Born with a rare eye disease, she was blind until a recent operation restored her sight. Now, she's eager to experience everything the world has to offer - including the sweet talk of a handsome cowboy who rouses her with desire. But she isn't prepared for the consequences, especially when a night of searing passion results in a pregnancy that threatens her eyesight - and all her dreams for the future. Hank Coulter has no plans to settle down - until he discovers that Carly Adams is carrying his child. Obsessed with making things right, he bullies the blue-eyed beauty into marrying him. With her radiant smile and remarkable goodness, Carly is exactly the kind of wife he's always imagined by his side. But if Hank wants their practical arrangement to become permanent, he's going to have to convince Carly that one moment of risk can bring about a lifetime of joy.
15. "SWEET TOMORROWS" by Debbie Macomber (Rose Harbor #5) (A+++++) Jo Marie thought that Mark was the one - but now he's left Rose Harbor and she is unsure if he's ever coming back. The Rose Harbor Inn doesn't seem the same without him but Jo Marie knows she has to move on with her life. Emily has suffered heartbreak and is hoping that a long stay in the inn will be exactly what she needs to get her life on track again. She doesn't expect to meet a neighbour and form an unexpected bond. The last thing she was looking for was a relationship, but is she willing to take a chance? The Rose Harbor Inn has always been a special place of healing. Can it work its magic one more time?
16. "HOT SEAL RESCUE" by Lynn Raye Harris (Hot SEAL Team #3) (A+++++) Abducted at gunpoint by a gorgeous woman... Navy SEAL Cody "Cowboy" McCormick is in Las Vegas for a little R & R before his friend's wedding when a beautiful blonde jams a gun in his side and abducts him from a casino in broad daylight. He could stop her, but he plays along because he's intrigued - plus he's convinced she's in danger. CIA agent Miranda Lockwood's life is on the line when an undercover operation goes wrong. Little does she know when she sashays up to the biggest, baddest looking dude in the casino lobby that she's kidnapping a Navy SEAL - or that she'll be unable to resist his charm when he turns up the heat. When the CIA labels her a rogue agent, Miranda's faith in everything she believes in is shaken to the core. Cody's the only one she can trust to help her find the traitor in the agency. But even though she's forced to betray him, she can't get over the SEAL who made her feel safe in his arms. Miranda will have to fight harder than she's ever fought for anything if she wants his forgiveness - but Cody's not in a forgiving mood in spite of the sparks that still fly when he's forced to team up with her again. When disaster strikes and they're caught in the line of fire, Cody will do everything in his power to keep them both alive. Because if he doesn't, he'll never get to hold Miranda close again.
17. "LIFE OF LIES" by Sharon Sala (A+++++) Fame, fortune...and a fatal obsession...Sahara Travis is used to being worshipped by adoring fans, but now someone is fixated on her in a dangerous way. After multiple attempts on her life, she reluctantly agrees to hire a security specialist for her protection, though the last thing she wants is some burly bodyguard invading her personal space. Former army ranger Brendan McQueen's job is to keep the starlet safe and track down her would-be assassin. But when Sahara receives news that her estranged mother has been murdered and her father, the top suspect, is missing, Brendan quickly realizes this is much more serious than your average celebrity stalker. With Brendan and her devoted assistant, Lucy, in tow, Sahara returns to her family estate in New Orleans to uncover the identity of her attempted killer before he can close in on his final target.
18. "ROPING YOUR HEART" (Riding Tall #2) by Cheyenne McCray (A++++) The Cat Hayden returning to her childhood home after nineteen years is a different person and a tragic accident has left her insecure about her appearance. But her heart is still filled with memories of the love she left behind...Blake McBride. Blake recognizes Cat with his heart, a heart that never stopped loving her. But that heart was broken when she left so long ago. Can he trust her again and rekindle that flame that burned so strong?  A champion barrel racer before the accident, Cat finds herself instructing Blake’s talented yet temperamental fourteen-year-old daughter, Demi. Demi is determined to see her divorced parents find happiness together and Cat, great coach or not, doesn’t fit in the picture. During a bitter legal battle with his ex-wife, Blake stands to lose custody of his daughter. Cat stands by her man but can he fight for his daughter and keep the woman he loves or will shattering events tear them apart...Permanently.

CURRENTLY READING -

1. "Gastien: From Dream to Destiny" (Gastien #2) by Caddie Rowland (reading on a Kindle app on my computer)
2. "Wish upon a Wedding" (Cricket Creek #10) by LuAnn McLane)
3. "A Miracle of Hope" (The Amish Wonders #1) by Ruth Reid (new author for me)

CURRENTLY LISTENING TO -

1. "The Family Gathering" (Sullivan's Crossing #3) by Robyn Carr (listening to on an audible app on my cell phone)

Just started the 3rd in John Verdon’s series, Let The Dead Speak, about a retired detective who continues to be involved in capturing serial killers. 

Just finished Trust No One by Gregg Hurwitz. Liked the twists, would have posted it but had some water damage.

Next up I want a light book.

Aguire by Stephen Minta. combination travel and history.

Finished: Goldwyn A Biography  by: A Scott Berg

              The Shell Collector  by: Anthony Doerr

              Every Note Played  by:  Lisa Genova

              One Breath Away  by: Heather Gudenkauf

              Darker  Fifty Shades Darker as Told by Christian  by: E L James

Currently Reading:  The Original Illustrated Sherlock Holmes 37 Short Stories and a Complete Novel from the Strand Magazine  by: Arthur Conan Doyle

Hope to Get to:  Underground Railroad  by: Colson Whitehead   for book club

                        Like Family - Growing Up In Other People's Houses  by: Paula McLain

                        The World I Made For Her  by:  Thomas Moran

                        The House at Riverton  by:  Kate Morton

Reading:  

All Shall Be Well; and All Shall Be Well; and All Manner of Things Shall Be Well by Tod Wodicka

Fifty-Nine in '84:  Old Hoss Radburn, Barehanded Baseball and the Greatest Season a Pitcher Ever Had by Edward Achorn

Finished:

The Lost Order by Steve Berry

Edda by Conor Kostick

My Search for Warren Harding by Robert Plunket

Now that my house is back in order, I am listening to Dead and Gone and almost finished with The Elysium Commission. Finished the Elysium book and went on to Alas, Babylon.  How did I miss that one?  Am making a thumb drive of all the Sookie Stackhouse books today. I have read all the books, seen every TV episode, but listening to the soft southern voice of the reader is relaxing.

I  will be reading the Sookie books all summer.  I'm already half through the first book.  I have the entire series now.  As an aside, I am binge watching Lost, the TV series.

 Judye

Shadow of the Silk Road by Colin Thubron. travel in central asia.

Finished this month:

Rainbow's End by Martha Grimes --Scotland yard Superintendent Richard Jury is in Santa Fe, New Mexico, investigating three possible linked deaths. How did the women know each other, two from England, one from Santa Fe? But all the deaths lead Brian Macalvie and Jury to suspect they are related. Always an interesting storyline by Grimes.

Wormwood by Susan Wittig Albert -- China Bayles has been asked to accompany her friend, Martha Edmond, to Kentucky to help with a herb workshop at Mount Zion Shaker Village.  What China finds out is that Martha wants her to help investigate some "accidents" that have taken place there and look into possible financial mishandling. Interesting history about the Shakers along with the plot line.

Holly by Jude Deveraux -- Hollander Latham is obsessed with restoring Belle Chere, a run-down Southern mansion, but she is also obsessed with the owner, Laurence Beaumont, whom she met as a 13-year-old while he was 16 years old. Now she's a successful architect into restoring and saving old houses.  Enter Nick Taggert who is definitely not what he appears to be.

Bad Blood by Linda Fairstein -- Alexandra Cooper is in the middle of a murder trial prosecuting Brendan Quillian for the murder of his wife when there's an explosion underground in New York City.  While this holds up the trial for numerous reasons, Alex and detectives Mike Chapman and Mercer Wallace delve into how the explosion is related to Brendan's trial.  Lots of interesting background into the underworld of New York City and the "sandhogs"; the men who work 6 stories underground in these tunnels.

The Four Seasons by Mary Alice Monroe --- Jilly, Birdie and Rose have come together for the funeral of their sister Merry.  What happens next when they decide to fulfill Merry's last request is the basis for the rest of the story as the 3 sisters and one niece set out on a quest that will draw them closer together while, individually, they will discover themselves.  Wonderful story!

Currently reading:

Home for the Summer by Mariah Stewart

I just read an 'unkown' but very good novel.  Eddie's Bastard by William Kowalski. Great characters.  Good stories, which is what this book is about.  The stories of a family from the Civil War to the 1970's.  A baby left on the doorstep of the Mann Family Mansion is the last of the family line of Mann.  Will is the son of Eddie, who died in Viet Nam and is remembered as the golden boy of the town.  Will's growing up is guided by his Grandfather who tells him all the family stories.  Will's life is unusual, but he grows to be a fine person who many love, especially those who remember his father, Eddie.  I give it 4.5 stars.