Cowboy Seeks a Bride by Louise M. Gouge

Description
Courted by a Cowboy
Marybeth O'Malley is everything rancher Randall Northam seeks in a wife…if she'd only say "I do." Although his family paid for her train ticket West with the understanding the two would marry, Rand won't pressure her to set a date. Especially since he suspects she's learned about his reckless past. Who would want to marry an untamed cowboy like him?

Marybeth won't marry until she locates her long-lost brother. And when Rand agrees to help her with her search, she can't deny her surprisingly warm feelings toward her prospective groom. Could this honorable cowboy show her he's the husband she never knew she wanted?
Series: Love Inspired Historical\Four Stones Ranch
Mass Market Paperback: 288 pages
Publisher: Love Inspired (January 6, 2015)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0373282958
ISBN-13: 978-0373282951

My review: Cowboy Seeks a Bride by Louise M. Gouge (Four Stones Ranch)

4 STARS

I liked the story, community & characters. Also liked that it is a clean read and I wanted to know more about them. I did figure out what happened to her brother. Does mention church, scriptures and values as part of the story. It fits in with the story.

Randall Northam makes for a good hero. He is a good guy, who changed his bad ways and is trying to be better in his life.

Marybeth is likeable but was living a lie. She is smart, alone and cares about others. She does not want to make the same mistake as her mom. She wants to find her brother.

The setting is July 1881 Esperanza Colorado. A western town that does not have a bar. police. I liked the characters of the town that make the story and wants to bring you back to Esperanza and sees what happens next.

Marybeth agreed to marry Randall. She made the deal with his parents back east. She wants to find her brother that was last heard of years ago in nearby town. She found out on the train that Rand was a gambler and killed a guy. She is scared that he is like her father a drunk, gambler that is abusive. Marybeth plans to get a job. She knows how to use a typewriter, accounting.

Rand is agreeable to waiting to get to know Marybeth and to help her find her brother.

This is the second book in Four Stones Ranch but first one I have read. The book does a good job of standing alone but I would like to read the first book. I would like to read more books by Louise M. Gouge in the future.

I was given this ebook to read by Net Galley and Harlequin. I agreed to give a honest review of Cowboy Seeks a Bride.

Under the Lawman's Protection by Laura Scott (SWAT: Top Cops #3)

A PROMISE TO PROTECT

As a skilled SWAT team negotiator, Isaac Morrison has defused many a crisis situation. But safeguarding Leah Nichols and her young son may be his most challenging mission yet. Leah's brother —his best friend Shane —has gone missing while working undercover. Now it's up to Isaac to protect mother and child from Shane's enemies. He doesn't know whom they can trust, but he's determined to catch the gunmen threatening their lives. Isaac knows he needs his best protection skills against their formidable adversary. Because he can't risk the consequences to the little family who has stealthily claimed his heart.

SWAT: Top Cops: Love in the line of duty
Series: Love Inspired Suspense\SWAT: Top Cops

Mass Market Paperback: 224 pages
Publisher: Love Inspired (January 6, 2015)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0373446438
ISBN-13: 978-0373446438


My review: Under the Lawman's Protection by Laura Scott (SWAT: Top Cops #3)

4 STARS

This is a good suspense action. You never knew for sure who the bad guys were till they revealed it. Did not put the book down till I finished reading. Fast read. When things looked liked they were calm than more drama and action. I liked that they prayed for help, protection, and food. I liked the characters.

Isaac Morrison got a message on his phone to protect a friends sister and kid because his cover was blown. He could not trust anyone.
Isaac when he received the message was already an hour old. Isaac was a SWAT officer. His friend Hawk lived in a close city and different police department.

Isaac had only met Leah Nichols a few times. He hoped she still lived in same place. When he got their he found someone sneaking around. He got Leah and Ben to safe away but not for long.

Leah is a widow raising her 5 year old son Ben. Her only other relative is her brother. Their father died in line of duty so she was always afraid for her brother. No way was she going to fall for a cop.

I have read two of the three books of this series and have liked them both. I would love to read the book I have missed reading.

I would read more books by Laura Scott in the future.

I was given this ebook to read by Net Galley and Harlequin. In return I agreed to give honest review of Under the Lawman's Protection.

The Accidental Alchemist by Gigi Pandian

Description

Series: An Accidental Alchemist Mystery (Book 1)

Paperback: 360 pages

Publisher: MIDNIGHT INK (January 8, 2015)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 0738741841

ISBN-13: 978-0738741840

A modern tale of ancient intrigue from a USA Today bestselling author

When Zoe Faust—herbalist, alchemist, and recent transplant to Portland, Oregon—begins unpacking her bags, she can't help but notice she's picked up a stow away: a living, breathing, three-and-half-foot gargoyle. Dorian Robert-Houdin is no simple automaton, nor is he a homunculus; in fact, he needs Zoe's help to decipher a centuries-old text that explains exactly what he is. Zoe, who's trying to put her alchemical life behind her, isn't so sure she can help. But after a murder victim is discovered on her front porch, Zoe realized she's tangled up in ancient intrigue that can't be ignored.

Includes recipes!

 

My review: The Accidental Alchemist by Gigi Pandian

 

4 stars

 

This is the first book in a new series.  It is unique with a alchemist, gargole and teenagers as main characters trying to solve some mysteries.  It is a fun, clean cozy murder mystery.

 

Zoe Faust just moved to Portland, Oregon she has bought a real fixer upper.  When she finds some of her boxes opened. She finds a gargoyle hitched a ride from France in her boxes.   She is older than she thinks.

 

Dorian is a three-and-half-foot gargoyle who is alive.  But something is going wrong with him.  He knows that Zoe was a Alchemist in the past and he has some old alchemist books in Latin he wants help to stay alive.  He is a good cook.

 

Brixton is a teenager who breaks into Zoe's house on a dare.  People think her house is haunted.  Brixton sees Dorian that he is alive.

 

The setting is Portland, Oregon.  Talks a lot about Portland underground tunnels that make me want to take the tour and explore too.

 

This is a good start to a series.  I would love to read more of Zoe & Dorian.  I would love for her to have a romance with Max.  I would read it.

 

I love how it has a lot of real history and people mixed into her story so natural.  It made the book so believable.

 

I was given this ebook to read by Net Galley and Midnight Ink.  In return I agreed to give honest review of the Accidental Alchemist.                             

The Awakening by Dorine White Win $25 Amazon or Paypal cash

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The Awakening by Dorine White




Nightmares really do come true, and for fifteen-year-old Kyler Birkwood, they are just beginning. Raised on a farm by his Aunt Martha, Kyler has no clue about the magical heritage swimming through his blood. When he discovers evidence of a mythical creature, a terrifying beast thought only to exist in fairy tales, his safe world shatters.

Left at a school of magic to hunt for clues, he is overwhelmed and disbelieved. As loved ones begin disappearing and Orcs roam the land, Kyler must undergo a journey that takes him from the High Courts of the King to the unknown forests of the East. His magic just awakening, Kyler is the lone hope for a world that will not listen.

Walter

 

The road sloped down toward the fishing port at an awkward angle. Walter loped over patches of dirt and rubble, while looking at the view before him. The dwellings he approached could scarcely be called homes. They were hovels pasted together with sticks and mud. Many leaned against trees for support, while others stood on their own with piecemeal stone chimneys to support their weight.

Children ran around with dirty faces and bare feet. Some of the women stopped working as Walter passed through. The hunger in their eyes betrayed greedy thoughts, but no one had enough courage to chase after a wolf.

Glad to leave the smelly hovels and hungry eyes behind, Walter raced over cobbled paths. The closer he drew to the port, the more the smell of salt water filled his nose. He drank in the damp air with a pleased snort. The port was still at least a mile ahead, but from his vantage point he could see the water’s edge. Large vessels of all kinds lined the banks. His keen hearing picked up the hollers of men as they off-loaded barrels and crates.

As far as his eyes could see, homes were crammed together like puzzle pieces. They rose between twisted streets and alleys, making the city into a maze. Walter wasn’t sure the salty air could cover the stench of a human population so tightly packed into a city. Closer to the docks, large warehouses sprang up like gophers from holes. He stopped on the path, waiting for Martha to catch up with him. A wolf alone was a sure way to get captured by traders. He needed her presence as his master to use as a disguise.

“I see you finally decided to stop.” Martha’s voice floated up from the path behind him. “I was afraid you’d run all the way down to the port.”

            While turning his head, he cocked an eyebrow in her direction. “What? And miss a grand entrance with you?”

            Reaching his side Martha scratched his thick head. “I think someone’s a little full of himself!”

“You know the plan won’t work without you holding me by a leash.”

            The plan was to listen to the gossip of the village. Martha figured that with all the comings and goings of a fishing port there were bound to be rumors and real information floating around. Their job was to separate the junk from the treasure. Key phrases like “large flying monster” or “missing villagers” would be tip-offs. With Martha holding his collar, he would appear to be no more than a tame pet. They’d be able to eavesdrop on all sorts of conversations.

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Praise for The Awakening




"Dorine White delivers twists and turns to the plot that will keep you turning the pages." ~ Melanie Mason, author of the YA historical, The Line That Divides




"The Awakening is a clever blend of folklore and fantasy, perfect for fans of Harry Potter and Percy Jackson. A furiously fun read!" ~ Laurisa Reyes, author of the YA thriller, Contact









Author Dorine White




My name is Dorine White. I am a children's fantasy author and a book reviewer. I grew up back East in Maryland and attended BYU in Utah. I have a BA in Humanities with an interest in Art History and French. Currently I live in the beautiful, yet rainy Northwest with my husband and 6 children. My first novel was published in 2012 and is the beginning of the Cleopatra's Legacy series. The first two books are out, The Emerald Ring and The Ruby Pendant. Look for the third book, The Diamond Looking Glass in the summer of 2015.

Website * Blog * Facebook * Twitter

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Deception Lake (The Gates #4) by Paula Graves

Description

Series: Harlequin Intrigue\The Gates (Book 1553)

Mass Market Paperback: 224 pages

Publisher: Harlequin (February 17, 2015)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 0373698208

ISBN-13: 978-0373698202

"I'm not who you think I am."

While his rodeo days have come and gone, cowboy Jack Drummond is in for the ride of a lifetime…with life itself hanging in the balance. An unexpected encounter with his old flame, Mara Jennings, triggers a series of events that Jack never could have predicted. There's just one problem: Mara isn't the same woman Jack remembers. She looks like Mara. And sounds like Mara. But reignited passions aren't enough to hide the fact that she's harboring a big secret—and hiding out from an even bigger enemy. Now, learning the truth might be the only way to stay alive. Or it could tear them apart—permanently.

 

My  review: Deception Lake  (The Gates #4) by  Paula Graves

 

4 stars

 

This is book 4 of the Gates but is the first one I have read.  It is a good suspense romance.  Lots of drama, action, suspense and romance.  Lots of violence and car chases.  Did not know who to trust.

I did figure out one of twists early on.

 

Mara Jennings works for the Gates. Someone is after her.  She does not know who to trust.  She has a secret job to find a computer hacker. Only a few people know what she is doing.

 

Jack Drummond can't believe he has found Mara.  He needs to make amends to her from four years ago.  Even though she does  not want to even talk to him. Jack was a rodeo bull rider. He is determined to help Mara.

 

This is a fast exciting read. It does have a couple love scenes.

 

I want to go and read the first three books and look forward to reading the next book in the series.

 

I was given this ebook to read from Net Galley and Harlequin.  In return I agreed to give honest review of Deception Lake.

Where Secrets Sleep by Marta Perry

 

Description

Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages

Publisher: HQN Books (February 24, 2015)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 0373779607

ISBN-13: 978-0373779604

In Amish country, not everything is as simple as it appears

After a terrible betrayal, Allison Standish flees Philadelphia for the small Amish village of Laurel Ridge to claim an unexpected inheritance. Allison intends to sell the mansion housing various shops on Main Street—until she meets Nick Whiting, a single father and tenant of Blackburn House, who challenges everything she believes about her estranged grandmother and the Amish community.

Strange stipulations in her grandmother's will soon bring distant relatives and seething townsfolk to Allison's door. As anonymous threats escalate, Nick grows protective of Allison, and she finds herself falling for the handsome carpenter… But then she discovers her grandmother's death may not have been accidental, and someone wants Allison gone. Permanently.

 

My review: Where Secrets Sleep by Marta Perry

 

4 STARS

 

Where Secrets Sleep is a clean suspense, romance Amish story.  It grabs you right from the start. There is plenty of characters that I want to see more of. This has Amish characters but the main characters are not.

 

Allison Standish has just inherited a building in Laurel Ridge.  It has strings attached to it.  She has never known her grandmother and was surprised that she was left something.  She has to manage the building for a year at a profit then she will own it with no strings.

 

Allison just found her boss and boyfriend together right before she left to see what she was left. 

Something is going on in her building.  People don't want Allison to stay and keep the business.

 

Nick Whiting and his father own one of the business that is in the building. Nick and Allison got off to a rocky start.  Nick is a single father and has moved back in with his family.  He is not sure if he wants her to stay.

 

Laurel Ridge is a small town. It has a Amish community as part of it.

 

I would love to see more stories in Laurel Ridge.  I hope Mac and Sarah both get books. I was not ready to put the book down. I want more of Laurel Ridge.

 

I was given this ebook from Net Galley and Harlequin to read and in return agreed to give honest review of Where Secrets Sleep.

 

Teardrop Lane (Eternity Springs #9) by Emily March

Teardrop Lane

Series: Eternity Springs

Mass Market Paperback: 320 pages

Publisher: Ballantine Books (January 27, 2015)

• ISBN9780345542328
• Price7.99
• CurrencyUSD
• EditionMass Market Paperback

Description

In Emily March’s beloved new novel set in Eternity Springs, a woman who has given up on dreams of a family meets a man who needs her to complete his own.

Town physician Rose Anderson hides a well of sadness behind her cheerful and capable professionalism. Heartbreak has only reinforced her belief that marriage and children aren’t in her future. Yet she’s a woman with a pulse—and when sexy, brooding artist Hunt Cicero shows up at her office with his young nephew, the sheer physical attraction he ignites in her is both exciting and unsettling.

Hunt has an artist’s passionate temperament and a bachelor’s lifestyle. So when he becomes guardian to his sister’s children, he’s riddled with conflict—and in way over his head. Without Rose and her warm maternal instincts, he’d be lost. Still, she’s a woman who guards her own heart, and he’s a novice when it comes to commitment. Can the healing magic of Eternity Springs shine on this patchwork family and allow Hunt and Rose to trust that love is the fabric holding them together?

 

My review: Teardrop Laney by Emily March

 

4 STARS

 

While this is the ninth book in the Eternity Springs series it is the first one that I have read.  It is full of drama, romance, art and characters I love and ones I wanted to yell at.  I did shed some tears in this story some happy and sad ones. It touched me a lot. 

 

There are a lot of characters that we meet in this story that have lots of history in Eternity Springs.  I feel like I would like to go back sometime and read all about there story lines.  I feel that Teardrop Lane can stand alone but would be better if you have read some of the others books in the series.

 

I love the community of Eternity Springs.  They rally around those in need in there community.  It is a small town in Colorado.

 

Hunt Cicero is opening up a glass art shop, studio.  His foster sister just died and left four children behind.  He plans to help take care of them and pay the medial expenses of his sister and help support her kids.  Hunt never plans to have a family.  He is a glass artist and trains a couple of apprentices. 

 

Rose is the town doctor and writer in her spare time.  She feels lonely that all the new families starting in Eternity Springs.  She likes Hunt and thinks about having a fling with him.

 

Hunt and Rose's plans get messed up big with twists along the way. It is a good story and grabbed my attention and did not let it go.

 

I was given this ebook to read by Net Galley ,Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine . I agreed to give honest review of Teardrop lane in return.