FINISHED -
- "THE HARDER YOU FALL" by Gena Showalter (The Original Heartbreakers #3) (A++++++) Millionaire video-game creator Lincoln West has a dark and tragic past. The sought-after bachelor lives by a rigid schedule and a single rule - one relationship per year, lasting no more than two months - until a brash beauty dredges up long-buried emotions. A reformed party girl, Jessie Kay Dillion is determined to walk the straight and narrow. But her love-hate sizzle with West is just too irresistible. They can't be near each other without tearing off their clothes, but the last thing she needs is to be his next two-month dump. Will she become the one exception? Because as any former girl-gone-wild knows: rules are made to be broken.
- "THE CHRISTMAS BOUQUET" by Sherryl Woods (Chesapeake Shores #11) (A+++++) For the very driven medical student Caitlyn Winters, catching the bridal bouquet at a Christmas wedding has set off a chain reaction that she's sure is more curse than blessing. Not only has she fallen in love with family medicine resident Noah McIlroy, but an unexpected pregnancy threatens her well-laid plans for the future. It doesn't help that Noah - with a whole lot of help from Caitlyn's O'Brien relatives - is completely on board with the prospect of marriage and happily-ever-after. It takes a whole lot of patience, love and family persuasion to help Caitlyn realize that she can sti;l have everything she ever wanted, including a home in her beloved Chesapeake Shores and a man who understands all her dreams. "BAYSIDE RETREAT" (Chesapeake Shores #12.5) (A++++) When Jaime Alvarez, Mick O'Brien's top executive, comes home to Chesapeake Shores while his broken leg heals, Mick puts his matchmaking skills to work to make sure that Jaime leaves town with the woman of his dreams. Not even the most stubbornly resistant male or very reluctant female are immune to the magic of love once the O'Briens get involved.
- "PARADISE COVE" by Patrice Wilton (Paradise #1) (A+++) (New Author For Me) (listening on an Audible app on my cell phone) Cardiac surgeon Sean Flannigan lost his daughter to a rare form of leukemia; he can mend broken hearts, but his is beyond repair. Kayla Holmes, along with her sisters, inherited guest cottages in the Keys after their stepfather died. Their high spirits and positive energy are a beacon of light that directs Sean's sailboat into Paradise Cove. Can Kayla's compassion find a crack in Sean's armor? Sometimes love isn’t enough to heal a wounded heart.
- "SEND ME NO FLOWERS" by Sandra Brown (A+++) (abridged audio CD) Since the death of her husband, Alicia Russell has struggled to take care of her two young sons alone. But when a sudden storm threatens to ruin a family camping trip, Alicia must rely upon a stranger for help. Before long, the man offers much more than shelter from the storm. Handsome, sensual, and slightly mysterious, Pierce Reynolds showers much-needed attention on Alicia's sons - and reminds her how it feels to be desired. But even as Pierce tempts Alicia to explore her newly reawakened longings, he holds her at arm's length, his only explanation a silent refusal to share the secrets of his heart. Alicia knows she can't give Pierce up without a fight. But how can she convince him that love is a risk worth taking?
- "TRUE DEVOTION" by Irene Henderson (Uncommon Heroes #1) (A+++++) She was going to drown...Lifeguard Kelly Jacobs watched the sun go down and knew time for her rescue was running out. The naval base glittered in the fading light, like a jewel she could not reach. The sea surged and pulled, stinging her with cold. Until he came...Navy SEAL Lieutenant Joe "Bear" Baker plucked Kelly from the raging sea when she had nearly given up hope. She'd known he would come - he was her best friend - and she clung for all she was worth to the safe haven she found in his arms. Then he said the wrong thing...Kelly had already paid the ultimate price of loving a warrior. She had the folded flag and the grateful thanks of a nation to prove it. She didn't dark risk loving another man in uniform. But held close in Joe's arms, Kelly said the wrong thing and their friendship suddenly hung in the balance. Now they're both in danger...The man who killed Kelly's husband is back and closer than either Kelly or Joe realize. They're about to discover that God is a refuge, because this time there may be no rescue.
- "EVERGREEN SPRINGS" by RaeAnne Thayne (Haven Point #3) (A++++++) Christmas is the last thing on Cole Barrett's mind this year. He's barely hanging on trying to care for two growing children since his ex-wife died in a tragic accident. For the reclusive Cole, there is no time for gift-giving and celebration - and certainly not for a sunny-natured optimist to blow into his screwed up life. Physician Devin Shaw has long researched the curative powers of Lake Haven's mineral waters. Unfortunately, the hot springs are on Barrett property, forcing Devin to strike a bargain with the ranch's attractively gruff owner: she'll give Coe's children a magical Christmas and Cole will allow her patients access to the springs. But can she work for holiday magic to heal the Barrett family's battered hearts - and her own?
- "STILL THE ONE" by Jill Shalvis (Animal Magnetism #6) (A+++++) Darcy Stone is game for anything - except sexy Navy vet and physical therapist AJ Colten, the guy who rejected her when she needed him most. Now the shoe is on the other foot and he needs her to play nice and help him secure grants for his patients. Unfortunately, Darcy can't refuse. She needs the money to fund her passion project: rescuing S&R dogs and placing them with emotionally wounded soldiers. AJ admits it - Darcy is irresistible. But he's already been battle scarred by a strong-willed, vivacious, adventurous woman like Darcy, and he's not making the same mistake twice - until he and Darcy are forced to fake a relationship. Growing closer than they'd ever imagined possible, Darcy and AJ have to ask themselves: How much between them is pretend? What's the real thing? And where does it go from here?
- "THE WIDOWS OF WICHITA COUNTY" by Jodi Thomas (A++++) Apart from sharing the same zip code, Randi Howard, Anna Montano, Meredith Allen, Helena Whitworth and Crystal Howard have absolutely nothing in common until a fiery explosion on a west Texas oil rig changes everything. Their husbands are men who live to search for "black gold," men who are willing to exchange backbreaking work and long days for danger and excitement - and money. But on a blistering day in early autumn four of the men pay the ultimate price - leaving behind one man who wishes he had. In one brief moment the tragedy binds Randi, Anna, Meredith, Helena and Crystal closer together than a lifetime of friendship. As they gather at the hospital, waiting to learn who among them will not have to bury her husband, they turn to one another for support. And so begins a journey of faith, of strength, of tears and love.
- "THE STRENGTH OF THE PACK" by Jorrie Spencer (New Author For Me) (A++++) Seth Kolski, a werewolf, hides his heritage and passes for normal. Until he meets Jamie. Since his sister disappeared two years ago, Seth's solitude has intensified. Despite his deep need to be part of a packm he sets himself apart, wary of humans who fear the wolf in him. When Seth hooks up with a crush from his past, lonliness and physical desire overcome his distrust. Jamie welcomes his attentions, albeit a little shyly and Seth rationalizes they can have once night together before they part. For Seth can never be part of a regular family. No normal woman is going to accept his freakish nature, not his past violence. Especially a single mother determined to protect her family. However, Seth and Jamie's bond runs deeper than he knows. He cannot return to the shadows Yet exposure may bring danger to them all.
- "TOP SECRET TWENTY-TWO" by Janet Evanovich (Stephanie Plum #22) (A+++++) (Listening to with an Audible app on my cell phone) Trenton, New Jersey’s favorite used-car dealer, Jimmy Poletti, was caught selling a lot more than used cars out of his dealerships. Now he’s out on bail and has missed his date in court and bounty hunter Stephanie Plum is looking to bring him in. Leads are quickly turning into dead ends, and all too frequently into dead bodies. Even Joe Morelli, the city’s hottest cop, is struggling to find a clue to the suspected killer’s whereabouts. These are desperate times, and they call for desperate measures. So Stephanie is going to have to do something she really doesn’t want to do: protect former hospital security guard and general pain in her behind Randy Briggs. Briggs was picking up quick cash as Poletti’s bookkeeper and knows all his boss’s dirty secrets. Now Briggs is next on Poletti’s list of people to put six feet under. To top things off, Ranger - resident security expert and Stephanie’s greatest temptation - has been the target of an assassination plot. He’s dodged the bullet this time, but if Ranger wants to survive the next attempt on his life, he’ll have to enlist Stephanie’s help and reveal a bit more of his mysterious past. Death threats, highly trained assassins, highly untrained assassins and Stark Street being overrun by a pack of feral Chihuahuas are all in a day’s work for Stephanie Plum. The real challenge is dealing with her Grandma Mazur’s wild bucket list. A boob job and getting revenge on Joe Morelli’s Grandma Bella can barely hold a candle to what’s number one on the list - but that’s top secret.
- "COLD, COLD HEART" by Tami Hoag (audio CD) (A++++) Dana Nolan was a promising young TV reporter until a notorious serial killer tried to add her to his list of victim. Nearly a year has passed since surviving her ordeal, but the physical, emotional and psychological scars run deep. Struggling with the torment of post-traumatic stress disorder, plagued by flahbacks and nightmares as dark as the heart of a killer, Dana returns to her hometown in an attempt to begin to put her life back together. But home doesn't provide the comfort she expects. Dana's harrowing story and her return to small-town life have rekindled police and media interest in the unsolved case of her childhood best friend. Casey Grant, who disappeared without a trace the summer after their graduation from high school. Terrified of truths long-buried, Dana reluctantly begins to look back at her past. Viewed through the dark filter of PTSD, old friends and loved ones become suspects and enemies. Questioning everything she knows, refusing to be defined by the traumas of her past, and struggling against excruciating odds, Dana seeks out a truth that may prove too terrible to believe.
- "LAST CHANCE HERO" by Hope Ramsay (Last Chance #9) (A+++++) Ross Gardiner has had his fill of difficult relationships. Returning to Last Chance after a rough divorce, the town's handsome new fire chief just wants safety and stability - a tall order given his dangerous job and the way he has the attention of all the single women in town. All except Sabina Grey, the girl who stole his heart when they were teenagers. Sabina knows a lot about playing it safe. Always the good girl, she's now responsible for her antiques store and caring for her sister. But having Ross in town brings back the memory of one carefree summer night when she threw caution to the wind - and almost destroyed her family. Now that they are both older and wiser, will the spark still be there, even though they've both been burned?
- "CHRISTMAS ON CANDY CANE LANE" by Sheila Roberts (Life in Icicle Falls #8) (A+++++) Icicle Falls is the place to be at Christmas...Everyone's getting ready for Christmas in Icicle Falls, especially on Candy Cane Lane, where holiday decorating is taken very seriously. Tilda Morrison, town cop, is looking forward to celebrating Christmas in her first home...until she discovers that she's expected to "keep up" with the neighbors, including Maddy Donaldson, the inspiration behind the whole extravaganze. But this year, someone's destroying Maddy's precious candy canes! Thank goodness for the cop in their neighborhood. Tilda already has her hands full trying to sort out her love life and fix up her fixer-upper. Oh, and won't it be fun to have the family over for Christmas dinner? Not really...Then there's her neighbor Ivy Bohn. As a newly single mom, Ivy can sum up the holiday in two words: bah, humbug. But she's determined to give her kids a perfect Christmas. Despite family disasters, irritating ex-husbands and kitchen catastrophies, these three women are going to find out that Christmas really is the most wonderful time of the year!
- "ANYTHING FOR YOU" by Kristan Higgins (Blue Heron #5) (A++++++) Before you get down on bended knee...you should be pretty darn sure the answer will be yes. For ten years, Connor O'Rourke has been waiting for Jessica Dunn to take their on-again, off-again relationship public and he thinks the time has come. His restaurant is thriving, she's got her dream job at Blue Heron Vineyard - it's the perfect time to get married. When he pops the question, however, her answer is a fond but firm no. If it ain't broke, why fix it? Jess has her hands full with her younger brother, who's now living with her full-time and a great career after years of waitressing. What she and Connor have is perfect: friends with an excellent benefits package. Besides, with her difficult past (and reputation), she's positive married life isn't for her. But this time, Connor says it's all or nothing. If she doesn't want to marry him, he'll find someone who does. Easier said than done, given that he's never loved anyone but her. And maybe Jessica isn't quite as sure as she thinks.
- "MAYBE THIS CHRISTMAS" by Sarah Morgan (O'Neil Brothers #3) (A+++++) This winter, ex-skiing champion, reformed heartbreaker and single dad Tyler O'Neil has only one mission - making sure his daughter, Jess, has the best Christmas ever. The fact that his best friend, Brenna, is also temporarily moving into his chalet at the overbooked Snow Crystal resort is a delicious distraction he's simply going to have to ignore. Theirs is the one relationship he's never ruined and he's not about to start now. Ski pro Brenna Daniels knows all about the perils of unrequited love - she's been in love with Tyler for years. But living with him is absolute torture. How can she concentrate on being his friend when he's sleeping in the room next door? Then when Tyler kisses Brenna, suddenly the relationship she's always dreams of feels so close she could almost touch it. Could this be the Christmas her dreams of happy-ever-after finally come true.
- "APPRENTICE IN DEATH" by J.D. Robb (In-Death #43) (Listening to with an Audible app on my cell phone) (A++++++) The shots came quickly, silently, and with deadly accuracy. Within seconds, three people were dead at Central Park’s ice skating rink. The victims: a talented young skater, a doctor, and a teacher. As random as random can be. Eve Dallas has seen a lot of killers during her time with the NYPSD, but never one like this. After reviewing security videos, it becomes clear that the victims were killed by a sniper firing a tactical laser rifle, who could have been miles away when the trigger was pulled. And though the locations where the shooter could have set up seem endless, the list of people with that particular skill set is finite: police, military, professional killer. Eve’s husband, Roarke, has unlimited resources - and genius - at his disposal. And when his computer program leads Eve to the location of the sniper, she learns a shocking fact: There were two - one older, one younger. Someone is being trained by an expert in the science of killing and they have an agenda. Central Park was just a warm-up. And as another sniper attack shakes the city to its core, Eve realizes that though we’re all shaped by the people around us, there are those who are just born evil.
- "A COLD CREEK CHRISTMAS STORY" (Cowboys of Cold Creek #12) (A+++++) by RaeAnne Thayne - Celeste Nicholas prefers to keep to herself in her hometown of Pine Gulch, Idaho. That is, until one of her children's stories becomes a major success. Millionaire Flynn Delaney has moved back home to help his little girl heal from losing her mother. Celeste holds some indefinable magic for them both. Can Flynn find a family and true love, in the one who got away? "CHRISTMAS IN COLD CREEK" (Cowboys of Cold Creek #9) (A+++++) by RaeAnne Thayne Rebecca Parsons claims to be a waitress and a single mother, but she doesn't look the part to Pine Gulch Police Chief Trace Bowman. Becca will do anything to protect her little sister from their con-artist mother, but can the sexy cop perform a holiday miracle?
- "AFTER DARK" by Beverly Barton (Griffin Powell #1) (New Author For Me) (A+++++) When a shocking scandal exposes southern secrets...As the blazing heat of summer gives way to sultry September, a shroud of suspicion settles over Noble's Crossing, a sleepy Alabama town. Nothing is as it seems - and never will be again. Lane Noble Graham stands accused of murdering her ex-husband. And the one man who can help, Johnny Mack Cahill, vowed never to return to the town that scorned him - or the woman whose love he knew he didn't deserve. No one is safe from cold-blooded murder...From the rusted-out trailer on the wrong side of the river to the stately pillared mansions along Magnolia Avenue, everybody has something to hide - but one secret could make Lane and Johnny Mack the next targets of a twisted killer, who's struck once and is bent on striking again.
- "TEXAS ROOTS" by Jean Brashear (The Gallaghers of Sweetgrass Springs #1) (Texas Heroes #7) (A+++++) (Listened on an Audible app on my cell phone) When scandal and an ambitious prosecutor wreck Scarlett Ross's life and she learns of a grandmother she never knew she had, she flees the notoriety to pay an anonymous visit to Sweetgrass Springs, Texas, a town kept alive only by her grandmother's determination and carried on the strong shoulders of sexy rancher Ian McLaren. There she is surprised to discover a yearning to sink roots deep in the Texas Hill Country—but she is terrified that the secrets she's hiding will endanger everyone she's come to love.
- "MY KIND OF WONDERFUL" by Jill Shalvis (Cedar Ridge #2) (A++++++) Unexpected and undeniable...Bailey Moore has an agenda: skiing in the Rockies, exploring castles in Europe, ballroom dancing in Argentina. Now that she has a second lease on life, she's determined not to miss a thing. What she doesn't realize is that item #1 comes with a six-foot-one ski god hot enough to melt a polar ice cap. She doesn't want to miss out on him either, but Hudson Kincaid isn't the type of guy to love and let go. And as gorgeous as Cedar Ridge is, she's not planning to stick around. As head of ski patrol at his family's resort, Hud thinks he's seen it all. But never has he run into someone like Bailey. She might look delicate, but her attitude is all firecracker. And her infectious joy touches something deep within him that he's been missing far too long. Now he'll just have to convince Bailey to take a chance on her biggest adventure yet...something rare and all kinds of wonderful.
- "MIXED MESSAGES" by Linda Lael Miller (A++++) Mark Holbrook was a legend. A tall, rugged imposing legend. He'd won a Pulitzer, interviewed kings and queens, presidents and movie stars. Carly Barnett, on the other hand, was a former-beauty-queen-turned-advice-columnist. Not exactly on the same level. Still, Carly was determined to prove that she was more than a pretty face. Mark wasn't sure the beautiful and spirited Carly had what it took to be a reporter, but he was sure that he wanted her. And Mark never denied himself what he wanted. Only, Carly was far better at uncovering the truth than Mark had given her credit for. And sooner or later she'd uncover the most dangerous truth of all - that he couldn't live without her. "THE SECRET CHILD AND THE COWBOY CEO" by Janet Maynard (New Author For Me) (A++++) Trent Sinclair didn't forgive anyone, especially Bryn Matthews, the woman who'd lied about the father of her baby. But when Bryn returned to Wyoming, Trent wondered if the time had finally come for him to take what he had always wanted - family and honor be damned.
- "WOLF TROUBLE" by Paige Tyler (SWAT: Special Wolf Alpha Team #2) (A++++++) He's in trouble with a capital T. There's never been a woman on the Dallas SWAT team and Senior Corporal Xander Riggs prefers it that way. The elite pack of alpha-male wolf shifters is no place for a woman. But Khaki Blake is no ordinary woman. When Khaki walks through the door, attractive as hell and smelling like heaven, Xander doesn't know what the heck to do. Worse, she's put under his command and Xander's protective instincts go on high alert. When things start heating up both on and off the clock, it's almost impossible to keep their heads in the game and their hands off each other.
- "CHRISTMAS CLASSICS" "A MUCH NEEDED HOLIDAY" by Joan Hohl (A++++) For Kate Warren, Christmas was a time of empty feelings. So when she saw the beautiful child lost among the holiday shoppers, she vowed to give the neglecful parent a piece of her mind. But Kate was unprepared for devastating bachelor father Trace Sinclair...and what began as a contest of wills became a victory for love! "SEASON OF MIRACLES" by Emilie Richards (A+++++) Schoolteacher Elise Ramsey had chosen duty over love and lost her only chance for happiness. Then, in the middle of her life, fate placed a strange trick - she was offered yet another opportunity to find her heart's desire in the strong arms of Sloane Tyson, her first lover, whose laughing eyes had haunted her for seventeen long years.
CURRENTLY READING -
- "One With You" by Sylvia Day (Crossfire #5)
- "Moondance Beach" by Susan Donovan (Bayberry Island #3)
CURRENTLY LISTENING TO -
- "Fatal Error" by J.A. Jance (Alison Reynolds #6)
- "Windfallen" by JoJo Moyes (Listening on an Audible application on my cell phone)
Last Edited on: 9/30/16 1:02 PM ET - Total times edited: 41
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