Robert K. R. (rikker) reviewed on 5/1/2024 + 218 more book reviews

A good family story of one who isn't trusted anymore, and has to prove herself.

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Robert K. R. (rikker) reviewed on 5/1/2024 + 218 more book reviews

Any war story and its care for the wounded is tops.

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Robert K. R. (rikker) reviewed on 5/1/2024 + 218 more book reviews

any story about murders is always one that gets my interest.

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Karin A. (Jerseygirltoo) - reviewed on 5/1/2024 + 453 more book reviews

Very enjoyable amnesia story. I loved the heroine, and it was great to see her new found confidence. The hero had a lot of atoning to do.

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Margaret Y. (frogslady) - , reviewed on 5/1/2024 + 86 more book reviews

I loved that this book recognizes that though the situations are different, persons who lose their spouse through death or divorce need to grieve for many of the same things and to make similar adjustments. I wish I had read it sooner. Overall the tone of the authors was very supportive.

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Jude G. (blissmountain) reviewed on 5/1/2024 + 16 more book reviews

i really loved this book. from start to finish. it's got a solid historical fiction story line going with the children of london being evacuated during world war two. it's about books, both real and imagined, including a special book shop or two. the main characters are memorable as are the secondary ones.
there are lots of eccentric characters who are also believable. don't hesitate to read this special one.

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Cathy C. (cathyskye) - , reviewed on 5/1/2024 + 2262 more book reviews

I've been slowly savoring Robert Dugoni's Tracy Crosswhite mysteries. While some readers will binge when they discover such a good series, I stretch out the time between each book to make the series last. I like knowing that I have a "sure thing" or two waiting for me on my to-be-read pile. Close to Home was next up on my list.

Speaking of series, this is a perfect one for those who like the characters' personal lives to be important parts of the story. Tracy is now married, and while this city girl tries to adapt to country quiet, she and her husband make an important decision. Tracy's partner, Del, recently lost a beloved niece to a drug overdose, and his investigation leads him to Celia McDaniel, a woman whose son also died of an overdose. Military lawyer Leah Battles plays a significant part, and I hope to see her in future books.

The mystery in Close to Home is a strong one, and like all good crime fiction, readers' knowledge can grow a lot on the way to finding out whodunit. There's plenty to learn about the military legal system as well as the healthcare industry's shift in focus to pain management rather than treating underlying ailments. And how about the legalization of marijuana? When I found out how the drug cartels adapted to that, I realized that I hadn't been paying enough attention to the world outside my door. There are even more kernels of knowledge in the pages of Close to Home, some of which made me smile. (Navy camouflage being called "blueberries", and the general opinion of them, for example.)

Dugoni's Tracy Crosswhite series is for readers who love to be immersed in both the story and the characters-- especially when the main character is a bonafide member of the Harry Bosch School of Policing (Everybody counts or nobody counts). If you're not already a dedicated reader, I'd advise you to begin at the beginning with My Sister's Grave. This is an excellent series that you won't want to miss.

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Robert K. R. (rikker) reviewed on 5/1/2024 + 218 more book reviews

Entertaining selection of things that could, and probably do, happen in our journey through life.

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Robert K. R. (rikker) reviewed on 5/1/2024 + 218 more book reviews

Two good adventures of the way things were, way back when.

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Robert K. R. (rikker) reviewed on 5/1/2024 + 218 more book reviews

Fine story of a couple's way to a happy ending.

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Ron K. (WhidbeyIslander) - , reviewed on 5/1/2024 + 689 more book reviews

Interesting setting but way too long and after an exceedingly boring chapter about the criminal mind of a possible suspect I gave up and didn't bother reading more.

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jjares reviewed on 5/1/2024 + 3266 more book reviews

Sometimes, authors allow children to become a pain in a story; Geralyn Dawson has the good sense to allow these three motherless girls to become terrors. They are a howl with no end in sight.

They are actually the three daughters of Trace McBride: known as the McBride Menaces. They never plan to cause a problem; things just get in the way. At present, they have decided that they want a mother but Trace, as a widower with a terrible secret, has had all he wants of women.

Trace rents space to Jenny Fortune, a struggling seamstress, trying to make her fortune. One of her most amazing creations, a wedding dress, was used by Big Jack Bailey's 4 daughters, each of whom had an awful accident. The dress is now referred to as the Bad Luck Wedding Dress â and Jenny's dress shop has turned into a ghost town.

Superstitious Big Jack Bailey isn't one to take things calmly; he is bent on destroying Jenny's business. Jenny has part of the downstairs for her modiste. * The Menaces and their father live in the floors above. Because Trace is so busy (and the Menaces manage to run off housekeepers at an amazing rate), the girls start to spend a lot of time with Jenny. They decide that Jenny would be perfect as their new Mama.

Trace has designed his new home and is making plans to return to his former career as an architect. He wants to sell this saloon and become respectable again.

The Menaces have other plans; they try to keep Jenny and Trace near each other so they can fall in love. These two are too stubborn to see what they are looking at, but the Menaces have the title âstubborn' all sewn up.

Jenny decides that she needs to get married and wear her âBad Luck Wedding Dress' to show her work isn't cursed. Jenny thinks Trace would be a perfect choice but fate interferes and another groom offers marriage.

Well, the new groom didn't check with the Menaces before making the offer and they are not happy. This is a funny, cute story that will have you laughing out loud. Jenny is a perfect parent for the Menaces because she's just as unpredictable as the 3 girls.

* Fashionable milliner or dressmaker.

Bad Luck Brides
1. The Bad Luck Wedding Dress (1996)
2. The Bad Luck Wedding Cake (1998)
3. Cold Feet (2000) (in A Season in the Highlands)
4. The Bad Luck Wedding Night (2001)
5. Her Bodyguard (2005)
6. Her Scoundrel (2005)
7. Her Outlaw (2007)

(5/1/24) I've just reread this book and enjoyed it as much as ten years ago. Wonderful characters with wild situations keeps the reader guessing.

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jjares reviewed on 5/1/2024 + 3266 more book reviews

This is an entertaining, clean who-dunnit with interesting characters that I would like to read about again. There were a couple of slow spots but generally this is a great story. I suspected the first culprit but was stunned by the rest. The author kept us guessing.


Stone County Justice
** 1. Murder Around the Bend (2019)
2. Missing on the River (2020)
3. Dead End (2022)
4. Without Remorse (2022)23)

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Karen S. (MKSbooklady) reviewed on 5/1/2024 + 948 more book reviews

Light, no bad words, no violence, story is simple and straight forward. Won't give you bad dreams, just a sweet little story.

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Audrey A. (Arosea) reviewed on 5/1/2024 + 394 more book reviews

This book follow's Rue's daughter, Lia, and Rue's ex-assistant thief, Zane. In this book Rue hires Zane to go and retrieve the Draumr, a dangerous diamond that can control drakon. Little does Rue know her daughter Lia has been hearing Draumr's song her whole life and has also been dreaming of Zane. Shortly after taking off on his quest Zane is joined by Lia who has abandoned her boarding school in her own search for the diamond. They are uneasy partners through the wilderness and two questions must be answered; will they find the diamond and when they do what will Zane do with it?

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Rachel G. (roach808) - reviewed on 4/30/2024 + 144 more book reviews

WOW WOW WOW. The story is great, what a way to show up with her full, authentic self. But, what really blew me away was that illustration. There were SO MANY drawings in this 300+ page book, just panels upon panels and pieces within pieces, and they're so detailed. Many really looked just like a photograph.

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Susan F. (scoutmomskf) - , reviewed on 4/30/2024 + 2543 more book reviews

This is a terrific story in an unusual setting for a Harlequin Historical. In a line mainly set in the Regency or Medieval eras, this book takes place in 20th-century Hawaii during the attack on Pearl Harbor. I have lived in Hawaii and visited the Arizona Memorial, so this character-centered look at the attack and its aftermath was fascinating. I especially appreciate the author's attention to the small details that made the story come alive.

Wendy is a young woman from Nebraska with a spirited personality. She has a craving for adventure and promised her mother she would see the world. Becoming a Red Cross nurse's aide was her first step, followed by accepting a post in Hawaii. Though she is in a tropical paradise surrounded by men, Wendy plans to avoid romantic entanglements that could tie her down or affect her independence. She is determined to live her life to the fullest.

KT is an underwater welder with the Navy. He's often amazed that a guy from land-locked Oklahoma has ended up in tropical Hawaii. KT is a serious man with a well-developed sense of honor. He has a girl back home with expectations of a future together, so he avoids any opportunities for impropriety.

Wendy and KT meet on December 6 at a dance for the people stationed at Pearl Harbor. Wendy's excitement is evident in her enthusiasm for dancing, though she's a little frustrated that no one matches her enthusiasm. A handsome sailor draws her attention, but he doesn't seem interested, so she dances with others. Wendy's exuberance attracts KT's attention. He notices her talent for dancing and her apparent disappointment in her partners. He loves to dance but wouldn't feel proper dancing with anyone other than his Betty. I loved when they encountered each other. Their banter was fun, and I loved how Wendy challenged him to dance with her. Their connection was immediate, and they danced together as if they'd been partners for years, to the point where they won an impromptu dance competition. They parted at the end, not expecting to see each other again.

A few hours later came the attack by the Japanese. The descriptions of the attack from the viewpoints of KT and Wendy were vivid enough that I could almost smell the smoke and hear the explosions. Their experiences in the aftermath were realistic and easy to visualize.

Wendy never expected to end up with KT as one of her patients. She had thought of him often during the hours since the attack and hoped for his safety, so it was a shock to find him at the hospital. KT was severely burned while using his diving skills to rescue trapped sailors. His injuries require frequent attention, and the head nurse has requested her skills.

As the days go on, Wendy and KT's connection grows deeper as they spend many hours together. I enjoyed watching their friendship develop and could see them fighting the deeper feelings that were building. There were some terrific scenes of them together, from his time in the hospital to after he was released.

But Wendy is hiding a secret from KT. It began as a simple desire to save him from more pain during his recovery but went on too long. She felt guilty about not confessing but couldn't bring herself to do anything about it. Unsurprisingly, it eventually came back to bite her, creating a rift between her and KT. Each has decisions to make when unexpected career opportunities are offered. I loved the advice Wendy received from her mentor and its effect on her perception of her life. KT also had the chance to reevaluate his plans after an unexpected conversation.

I loved the ending and seeing how Wendy and KT found their way back to each other. Their reunion was sweet, and their future looks bright.

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Robert K. R. (rikker) reviewed on 4/30/2024 + 218 more book reviews

Interesting drama of what happens when you don't expect it.

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Robert K. R. (rikker) reviewed on 4/30/2024 + 218 more book reviews

Good story of the way things are with men and women, in today's world.

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Thomas F. (hardtack) - , reviewed on 4/30/2024 + 2558 more book reviews

Between Downing's "John Russell & Effi Koenen" books I often forget how riveting they can be. This one is post-World War II and describes the harsh condition still prevalent in Europe, unless you were with the Allied forces or a criminal. Russell tries to play off the Americans against the Russians, who both think he is 'their' spy. Meanwhile, he assists armed Jewish groups seeking to move Jews out of Germany and Poland to Israel, as well as avenge themselves against their previous oppressors.

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Frank H. (perryfran) reviewed on 4/30/2024 + 1178 more book reviews

I really can't resist Lansdale. He's one of my favorite authors â I've read all of his Hap and Leonard novels as well as many of his stand-alones. I have enjoyed them all and have not really been disappointed in any of them.

MORE BETTER DEALS is one of his stand-alone novels taking place as usual in East Texas, this time during the early 1960s. The narrator and protagonist is Ed Edwards, a used car salesman who gets involved with the beautiful wife of one of the car dealer's customers, Frank Craig, who bought a used Cadillac. When Frank quits making payments, Ed is sent to repossess the car. Frank is out of town in the Cadillac but his wife Nancy is there and immediately Ed is in a torrid affair with her. Later Nancy shows signs of abuse by Frank and convinces Ed to kill Frank to collect on an insurance policy. Ed sees this as an opportunity to get out of the used car business and as a path to a better life. Well do things go as planned? And is Nancy what she claims to be?

Other reviewers have compared this novel to James M. Cain and his novel Double Indemnity. I feel that it also may have used Cain's The Postman Always Rings Twice as a template. In any event, I thought this was a pretty good noir novel with murder, lust, greed, and racism mixed in. Ed is actually half black but is passing for white and gets involved with blacks from the poor side of town who have no rights in mid-twentieth century Texas. This probably isn't Lansdale's best novel but I enjoyed it nonetheless.

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Audrey A. (Arosea) reviewed on 4/30/2024 + 394 more book reviews

What I liked about this story is that is was not so gruesome and horrible that I had to stop reading. I'd say it was about at my limits but not over them. It was a good mystery but did not spend all the pages in gruesome details and blow by blow just for the sake of shocking readers. The story was about women disappearing and turning up dead. The police are looking for a stalker/killer. There is actually a mastermind behind the killer which I didn't see clearly until the end. Good murder/mystery but not a cozy. Might recommend to my book club.

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Alice K. (ilflatlander) - , reviewed on 4/30/2024 + 130 more book reviews

This book kept me turning pages and looking forward to reading. I hadn't expected this book to be so intriguing as I've read other Holocaust books, but this one grabbed me.

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Susan F. (scoutmomskf) - , reviewed on 4/30/2024 + 2543 more book reviews

Overall, this was a good book. Jared is the result of a one-night stand; his father never knew about him. Jared wondered about him but didn't have much interest in connecting with him until he had a crisis of identity. Jared is a chef, and devastating criticism of his ethnic cooking sent him looking for his Filipino roots. He arrives in his family's town with no plan of action. The first night, he connects with a beautiful woman.

Matilda loves her job managing the B & B. The owner gave her a job and a chance after Matilda left an unhappy marriage. Her organizational skills are unparalleled, and she has a finger on every pulse of the business.

Jared chickens out of confessing who he is when he arrives in Peak. Instead, he takes a job as a fill-in chef at the family B & B, using the time to get to know his father's family. He connects easily with his half-sisters and is sweet with his nephew. He feels guilty about keeping his identity secret but can't decide the best way/time to come clean.

Meanwhile, he and Matilda continue spending time together. Matilda is wary of getting involved after losing herself in her marriage. She doesn't want to risk the same thing happening again. She tends to keep tight control of her emotions, feeling that is her only way to protect herself. She is also a bit of a control freak when running the B & B. She, too, begins to feel guilty about keeping Jared's secret and the effect it could have on her relationship with the family.

I liked the development of the relationship between Jared and Matilda. Jared is upfront about his interest in her. Matilda is more hesitant, as she is bothered by the ten-year age difference between them. I liked seeing Jared and Matilda spend time together and discover their compatibility. But when the secret comes out, the reactions are all over the place, and Matilda and Jared must deal with the fallout. I ached for them all as everyone came to terms with the revelations. The ending was emotional and well done, and the epilogue was sweet.

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Jennifer Eve S. (EveSorenson) reviewed on 4/30/2024 + 2 more book reviews

This is beautiful. If you have never perused a Nick Bantock book and appreciate beautiful pictures and quirky stories make sure to try one in real paper media form - nothing else will do!

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