Spies Don't Fall For Their Neighbors by Meg Easton

 How can a cozy-sounding town like Cipher Springs contain a company of spies and a plumber that need each other?  

Charlie typically spends her day at her computer directing spy operatives out of dangerous positions as they attempt to take out the illegal activities of criminals.  At night, she relaxes with a shower and a dinner with her BFF roommate.  The night her relaxation is interrupted with a wet floor and water spouting out of the wall of her townhome, she is forced to confront her new neighbor, Owen.

The wall in question is also Owen's wall of his temporary townhome.  It doesn't matter that Owen is a totally hot and maybe available man, but it does matter that he's a plumber and is proficient in construction.  

Forced into approaching Owen, Charlie confronts him about the leak in the shared wall.  

The first sparks fly when the wall needs to be taken out to expose and fix the leak.  Now, except for a plastic wall, they share a home.  

Getting to know each other and to diminish the uncomfortable closeness, Charlie leaves Owen small treats, notes, and gifts.  He reciprocates, which allows them to learn fun things about one another.  

Owen plans to be in town only until a historical building makeover is complete, so a relationship isn't welcome.  Charlie has a well-hidden job making it possibly dangerous to allow romance into her life.  The plumbing dilemma may change their minds.    

When the owner of the building Owen is working on appears on Charlie's work radar, things get complicated and their relationship gets closer.  We can only hope the closeness is amicable and tender feelings result versus it exploding like a leaky pipe.  

Happy reading,

Dawn

True colors by Kristen Hannah

 The beautiful landscape of Washington provides a perfect spot for the horse ranch of the Grey sisters.  Three distinct personalities and three distinct sisters, each having trouble in the romance department, figure out how to continue.

The beautiful equestrian, Vivi Ann, leads the attempt to make the ranch profitable.  She doesn't have any problem attracting men, yet her final choice isn't respected.  A Native American, Dallas, is hired to help with the ranch. His hard personality intrigues her, and she finds an undeniable attraction.

Aurora appears happy and set with children and a doctor as a husband.  Always the peacemaker of the family, her own problems are hidden.

School and grades provide Winona a position as an attorney.  She hides behind work, lacking confidence because of her excess weight. The man she's had on her mind since childhood supplies her with a best friend, although her wish for more is always on her mind.

The tight bond between the sisters frays as a tragic murder shocks their township.  Disagreements on who's right or wrong, men who don't live up to expectations, and who's to blame for everything creates a tangle that the law ties tight.

With each of their attributes, the sisters travel a long road back to comfort in their relations and love and romance that can thrive.

Happy reading,

Dawn

The French Mis-Connection by Vicki Hilton

 Iris Hawthorne decides on a grand adventure for an un-grand reason.  She and her best friend, Chloe, decide to leave London to backpack Europe.  Iris broke up with her no-good boyfriend and needed to get away.   

Running out of money, they find a vineyard that needs temporary help.  This will also help Iris save money as she has found out that her ex is holding her cat ransom.  Time will mend her heart and money will get her cat back.  At least, that's the plan.

The sun is so hot, Iris figures a small dip in the off-limits pool will be worth the clandestine effort.  After the cool water covers her shoulders, not only did a big splashy dog find her, but also its owner, Luc Du Comtois.

Luc acted quite perturbed until he came up with a plan.  Beneficial to all involved.  

He will lose everything, which affects the whole family, if he's not married by his thirtieth birthday.  A few months is not long enough to find a wife unless it's a setup.  Perfect idea if Iris agrees.

Luc offers a payment for her to act as a fake fiancé and get married for a short time.   Iris agrees to the amount she needs to get her cat back.  A pet is like a kid.

Spending excessive time together at fancy functions, Iris and Luc get to know more about each other, and it's not all bad.  They can be civil and somewhat friends. 

It's always hard to say goodbye to friends, so if a man and woman become more than friends, will they say goodbye?  Is it inevitable, or can things change?  Can Iris accumulate enough to get her cat back, and will that be enough?  

In the vineyards under the French sun, find out if two hearts will melt together or burn apart.

Happy reading,

Dawn

   

The Witch is Back by Sophie Morgan

 I had to dive into a witchy book before the season because I love them!  I'm sure I'll have more for you this fall.

Emmaline Bluewater has left her witch family of her own accords.  Chicago offers her a new family of friends, including her mixed mutt familiar, a suave bar named Toil and Trouble, and purposefully not using magic- most of the time. 

Contracted to marry Bastian Truenote in order to bring hierarchy to her family, Emma wanted OUT after he left without a word, note, or any explanation.  That's when she found her new and very pleasing lifestyle owning a bar and running her own life without her meddling mother.

Always the cavalier and carefree warlock, Bastian left for Egypt and any other location he fancied immediately before the marriage was to take place to Emma, his BFF in childhood.

They both didn't know why he left, avoiding the nuptials.  

Curses and hexes played a part in both their naivete of the sudden change in course, but Bastian came back.  He had to marry Emma to save his mother.

And the story gets more tangled on who threw the last spell, how to undo them, and who's to really blame in the game of love and marriage.  

Choose this romcom as your start to the witchy season only a few short weeks away!  

Spooky reading,

Dawn

Madeleine's Ghost by Robert Girardi

 It may not be Christmas, but if a ghost from your past wants to give you a gift, then take it.  

Ned Conti needs a part-time gig. He lives in the slums of Brooklyn near a church.  His apartment is haunted, he knows this from moving objects, but it takes a while to decipher the unspoken code.

The nearby church needs Ned to research a stone tomb in the back property.  The priest is sure the research will produce the miracles of a dead nun; therefore, a saint will be born.  The priest will have fulfilled his mission.  This still leaves Ned on a dead-end road.

He wants to figure his life out, what he should do with it.  Under the duress of the house ghost, Ned returns to New Orleans, where the love of his life left him.  Maybe he can resolve the questions of his heart, and then he can move forward.

Ned visits his old hang outs and friends.  Friends don't have to be talkative, just there when needed.  He meets new friends, too.  Antoinette is annoying, talkative, and maybe a lot of trouble.  Trouble that can be tamed and loved.  

Antoinette is like an open book, take it or leave it.  Ned thinks taking her to Brooklynn would be an exchange for harboring past life and moving into a new and better future.  

Happy reading,

Dawn

The Chemistry of Love by Sariah Wilson

 Chemistry may not hold interest to all, but chemists are people with the same feelings, ambitions, and heartache as anyone else.  

Anna Ellis loves her nerdy job as a cosmetic chemist.  She has her own lab at home, put together dollar by dollar in the most frugal way she is able to manage.  Her lab at work is complete with a best friend, a demeaning boss, and the desirably handsome son-of-owner, Craig Kimball, she rarely gets to see.  

Anna's goal, outside of her creations with chemicals, is to capture the love of  Craig.  She's sure he vividly remembers a parking lot encounter two years prior.

Anna, Anna who?  Craig is less enamored than Anna could imagine. Instead, she's invited to his engagement party where he proposes to Marco's, his brother's, ex-girlfriend.  

Marco hatches a plan to give payback to Craig, help Anna attain her true love (she thinks it's Craig-just a reminder), and help the makeup company they all work for thrive.

This involves a pretend relationship, which has to appear authentic between Marco and Anna.  So many emotions have to be incorporated either by choice or necessity.  Lust, Greed, jealousy, honesty, anger, and love.  Some are great, and others not so great.  

As the reader, you cannot tell the characters what to do, unfortunately.  You have to wait and see if they find the right chemistry with the right people.  A little hand-wringing and urging from the sidelines might help happiness and love prevail, even for the one who smells like sodium sulfate (the bad egg!).

Happy reading,

Dawn 

 

Just A Kiss (A Fake Boyfriend Billionaire Romance) by Tabatha Kiss

 Millionaires don't appear to be enough anymore, so let's hit on the billionaires.  They're people, too.

Penelope has a hated family reunion at an all expense paid high-class resort.  I think I could tolerate that just for the fact of a free sort-of vacation.  Penelope's problem is that the family has a perfect match for her, and it's the same Dillweed every year.  Family friend, of course.

The fake boyfriend she set up ditched her last minute, so with a desperate plan and a good-looking man at the bar twenty bucks might by her freedom for the weekend.

Hayden hangs out at the Botsford Hotel while he recovers from a baseball injury and is bored.  Bored enough to play the game with a beautiful, desperate, but not eager woman.  Game on.

I mentioned Penelope's desperation.  Her mom is leery of the "new" boyfriend.  Mr. Dillweed doesn't like or believe it.  Penelope's dad loves Hayden.  Hayden is surprised at his interest.  Mainly because she's not gushing all over him like most other women.  He's had a lot of girlfriends/one-nighters.  

There are a few hurdles to leap for an understanding between Penelope and Hayden to come to at the same time...over zealous reporter, parents, Dillweed butting in, Penelope's dream job as a hair stylist, and Hayden's bank account with his family's name on it.

It's a delightful ride from the first kiss for money and the last kiss which could be real!

Happy reading,

Dawn

Unlikely Animals by Annie Hartnett

 Slinking back home, Emma Starling returns to her home near the Maple Street Cemetery.  The first sentence raises a lot of questions as to why Emma is reluctant to reclaim her home roots and what's so notable about this cemetery.

Emma has a special gift of healing.  It comes and goes and can't be regulated.  Medical school had been her target.  Now, her father is dying of a mysterious brain disease and he hallucinates animals.  Maybe Emma can heal him.

The cemetery is more alive than most with ghosts watching the neighborhood.  Without obvious interference, they want the living to enjoy life as much as possible.

Emma takes on an unlikely job as a fifth grade teacher.  She also meets, Mack Durkee,  a high school teacher. 

With so much going on in her life, Emma tries to focus on everything.  The imaginary and real pets, father's illness, family attempt at bonding, school, work, and the list goes on and leaves minimal time for her to concentrate on herself.  

Some things just take their own time and place in life and that includes love.  

A heartwarming and lovely story to enjoy.

Happy reading,

Dawn 

Not You, It's Me by Julie Johnson

 It's great when you hear a woman using the line "It's not you, it's me" instead of the man.  Gemma Sommers is well acquainted with saying that.  She doesn't believe love is a real emotion that she can attain after many pathetic dating experiences.

Such as at the beginning of her story, she's dating her apartment neighbor who can barely pay attention to her.

This is evident when Mr. Gorgeous, Chase Croft, saves her on screen with a smothering, in a good way, kiss.  Her boyfriend is standing right next to her and doesn't even notice, by the way.  The rest of Boston sees it.

Gemma has a creative job at an art gallery where she sells exclusive art.  Her apartment is small and full of color just as she wants it.  Her funds are low, but she's pleased with her lifestyle.

Chase has a different type of problem.  His bank account is exploding, woman love him, and his penthouse is spacious.  He thinks he doesn't have room for the right woman, yet he seeks out Gemma as his art consultant.

Sounds easy for them to fall in love, but Gemma is short on the trust theory and Chase has a meddling family and doubts of his own ability to run his business and treat Gemma in the way she deserves.

It's a fun read as the insecurities of each are hashed out, thrown against the wall, and hope to reach the finish line in a compatible manner!

Happy reading,

Dawn

A Ruin of Roses by K.F. Breene

 Danger is all around.

The curse put on a kingdom and surrounding villages cannot be broken.  Well, there is a way.

Finley has her own way to help her village sustain life.  She sneaks into the Forbidden Forest to find the elusive herb that holds back the deadly curse.  Her crusade must be done at night and in the shadows of the Beast.

The Beast, dragon-shifter unable to use all powers, guards his kingdom of leftover shifters cursed into the life of continual sexual desires as their only pastime.  Nyfain has little to keep the curse of his kingdom at bay, yet capturing the strong-willed intruder gives him hope of some sort.

Always wary of her surroundings, Finley doesn't back down to Nyfain, but rather tells him exactly what she thinks of him and his disgusting lifestyle.  

A few lenient breaks in her imprisonment, shows a different man and Beast of Nyfain.  She could almost care about him.  But not so fast, he has to prove himself.

Nyfain is spellbound by this daring minx and her steadfastness for her village's wellbeing.  Maybe they can work together on this curse cast to all.

A little loving may be what the last potion needs for the curse and the romance!

Happy reading,

Dawn

Christmas at Fireside Cabins by Jenny Hale

 The warmth, love, and cheer of Christmas are in every page of Jenny Hale's story.  

The atmosphere couldn't be warmer than the cabins in the mountains of Tennessee with white snow draped over the evergreens.

Here's the problem...  Lila is a wonderful woman who followed her sweetheart to Nashville and promptly got dumped.  Her job sucks, and she doesn't know what to do next.  Fortunately, she has a fabulous group of girlfriends.  That's not enough because they're all moving on in their lives with work and family.

One last grand Christmas week together is what Lila has.

The girls rent a spot at Fireside Cabins.  The cabin is worn, the host is lonely and in need of spirit, and the coffee shop has a handsomely, cranky bachelor ignoring his customers.

Theo owns the coffee shop, but closes himself from feeling, well, anything.  He could be a thoughtful and caring man, if he didn't have to hide.  

Lila sees all the beauty and anguish in the merry week of Christmas with friends, and needs to fix it.  That's what she does.  And Theo is on the list of needing fixing.

A delightful holiday romance.  Hale gives me goosebumps of cheer and many other Christmas stories to read.

Happy holidays,

Dawn  

Dark Tides by Philippa Gregory

 So many lives and loves at stake in 1670 at a shabby area of London on the Thames.

After two decades, Lord Avery returns to London to reclaim his love and son.  Alinor is tested with her heart and mind.  Can she forget or forgive that Avery left her for dead when he realized she was pregnant with his child?  

Livia voyages to London from Venice with a dire message.  Alinor's son, Rob, has drowned. As his widow, she claims she will help the family become rich in return for a place in Rob's English family.  Livia doesn't seem to be without the need for a man at her side and thinks Avery would be a better match for herself than Alinor.

Sarah, Alinor's granddaughter, is suspicious of Livia's intent, and plans a trip to Venice.  This will give her proof of Livia's past.  Sarah has a long itinerary to verify the death of her uncle and to check the history Livia proclaims.  

Sarah meets a man with many stories of Livia and her occupation.  Felipe holds Sarah's heart if she will agree he's a reformed man.

With a casual pace to the beginning of the story, the intrigue tumbles in from all sides as the characters reveal their true personalities and intents.  People do change, some for the better.

Happy reading,

Dawn

   

 

Mister Know-It-All by Amelie S. Duncan

 This is a fun read.  Although the cover makes me think of summer on a beach, it takes place in New York city where there's too many fun and exciting experiences to mention.

Finding out that her long-term boyfriend cheats on her and thinks nothing of it, Jasmine writes to a help column, written by her cousin, for advice.  Her parents are all about her relationship with her professor who employs her to get the advantage she needs for future success, so an objective view is necessary.

More advice from a best friend and the the Summer of Me evolved.  Don't date men, use them for a confidence building fling.

Fine idea, but not really Jasmine's style. 

Men everywhere.  Of course Ford appears, all handsome and touchable.  Naturally he has issues.  Past (maybe still current?) girlfriend, work related to Jasmine's employment, and acts like a know-it-all.

Not good at the "fling" thing, especially when she's interested, Jasmine plays her cards tightly and probes the idea of a casual relationship complete with the sex.

As summer, the work, and college looms, Jasmine makes a big decision on how to tie her future plans with a complicated and arousing man.  Hopefully her family will back her, but a girls got to do what a girls got to do!

Happy reading,

Dawn      

The Checklist by Addie Woolridge

 Dylan's going to check all the boxes and make her life perfect.  The shorter the list, the easier and closer to a longed-for life.

Good luck, right?

Dylan has the perfect boyfriend already and a professional life getting businesses out of trouble.  When she's sent from Texas to her hometown, Seattle, Dylan has to suck up all her skills to fix a business with a scattered and unrealistic CEO.  She has to prove her boss wrong because she can do this.

Seattle holds a lot of adolescent memories that she rather leave behind, including her hippie parent's relationship with their neighbors.  Granted the neighbor's son, Mike, has grown into some great eye candy.  He doesn't even mind her goofy parents.  

Mike's moms greet Dylan with an unexpected friendliness, and she finds herself visiting the neighbors frequently after harrowing days at the ridiculous assignment she's on.  

Dylan's list grows with more personal than work items, and she must figure out why she doesn't miss her boyfriend in Texas, why Mike would be interested in her, what to do for a neighborly truce between parents, and if the business she's working on can be saved.  

Time to make the list shorter and Mike is willing to help her.

Woolridge's multi-cultural love story deserves a check on my list of fun reads!

Happy reading,

Dawn  

 

The Authenticity Project by Clare Pooley

 It's well-known that people put their "best" self forward for their world, community, and friends to see and know.  To discover their true selves, is another story.

Monica gave up her high-stress professional life and created a coffee house.  Right there, I knew the novel would be warm and comforting.  

Monica finds a notebook with a statement from an unknown person.  It's the type of revelation that made her sit down and think:  Who wrote this, what made him reveal his private thoughts, and how can I help this lonely person?  He signed his statement.

The notebook is entitled "The Authenticity Project."  Write you're true story and pass it on, are the instructions.  The mismatch of people who accidently encounter the notebook bring together a delightful group of people who all have something unsatisfactory in their lives of which they want to fix.  

They gather at Monica's Coffee, not known to any why they inadvertently collected.  None are alike, yet compliment each other.  An artist past his prime, a traveler experiencing life, an alcoholic finding himself,  a helper of sick, and several other people color the notebook.

Monica convinces herself that Riley is the man she was meant to find and connect their lives.  He's young, impressionable, and isn't going to stay in one place for long.  Maybe she can fit into a world like that.

As the characters encounter and learn about one another, what is simple to one is an extraordinary addition to another in their lives.  Monica learns what she can and will change in her life and what she won't.  It may be surprising who her true love and future lies with.

Happy reading,

Dawn

On the Edge, A Dublin Nights Novel by Brittney Sahin

The first two things in this romance are a paradox to me because I love Dublin, Ireland and hate fighting.  So, of course, I had to read this story and find out what Brittney Sahin  creates to make me love the tale.

Granted an internship in Dublin, Anna, filled with excitement and fear, packs up and leaves the U.S. for the summer.  

Her roommate in Ireland is as good as a blind date.  She found Leslie online, the supposed woman who turns out to be a man.  Only she meets Adam instead on her entry of the apartment.

Adam is Leslie's best friend, a fighter - kind of like boxing only worse and illegal, and a billionaire.  Quite the unique combination.  Leslie had been beat up pretty bad in the ring, so Adam is sent to meet Anna.

The meeting of Adam and Anna is uncomfortable, but it is even worse when Anna starts her internship and finds Adam is her boss and owner of the tech company.  

Leslie is still a big part, but hardly seen.  He also fights and lost a lot of money.  Adam had quit fighting, but is put in a position to get his friend out of trouble and ultimately to keep Anna safe.  Adam is blackmailed into returning to the fight, almost a bad addiction for him.

Let's not forget, during the close contact Adam and Anna continually have, they are extremely attracted and can't hide that fact.  I have to like her because she abhors fighting just like me.  He has some hidden good points other than being a fine business man.  Between his looks and charitable goodwill, Anna just might be able to find a good man in him.

Let's hope she gets a job through her internship, can overcome the distance from her family, and he finds a way to stay away from the fighting!

Happy reading,

Dawn

  

The Devil Drinks Coffee by Angela Corbett writing as Destiny Ford

 Not truly about the devil, but rather let's decide which hot hunk, Spence, Dylan, or Hawke will win the independent journalist's interest.  Kate wonders how she gets so lucky to be the center of so many men's attention.  Yet, she has a murder to solve before anybody gets in her pants.

After a breakup, Kate takes her career back home to Branson Falls, Utah.  Kate doesn't follow the Mormon practices, and she does drink coffee which is secretly called "hot chocolate" as a cover.  The local gossip tree, The Ladies, has it in for her from the start.  But Kate doesn't care because Spence hires her at his newspaper.  He's charming, good-looking, and easy to work with.  Is he the one?

Chelsea Bradford is found floating in Emerald Lake, and Kate can't believe the police are correct in labeling it an accidental drowning.  One thing Kate learned while away at college is that "boob manipulations" can go a long way with convincing men to do what she wants.

Hawke, a mysterious PI, gloms onto Kate immediately.  He wants to be partners in solving this alleged crime.  The locals don't know much about him, probably because the most notable thing is his tight ass and omnipotent presence.  Will she get extra close to Hawke?

And the player comes out to play.  Dylan, local politician, claims Kate as his girlfriend because he wants to find out more about Chelsea's death.  Maybe he's settled down and wants to get serious.

It's a fun story, letting the crime get in the way of wandering eyes and hands.  Not knowing which man really gets Kate's attention in all the right ways is a mystery in itself.

Happy reading,

Dawn

  

 

A Mistletoe Kiss (A Tangled Charms Romance) by Jennifer Faye

The village of Marietta has everything for a perfect Christmas, falling snow, soft lights around the streets, and Suzanna Simms who can't help violate her own commitment of being single for this year's holiday.

Suzanna has been around the block on the almost-married circuit and wants peace this year.  Her artsy knick-knack store, Tangled Charms, will keep her plenty busy along with friends and family.

Jake Hamilton, her new next-door neighbor, feels the same way about getting tangled up in a relationship.  He has his furry St Bernard to keep him company during dinners of pizza and to-go food.

It's just funny how they keep running into each other, needing assistance with lights or carrying groceries, and sneaking extra opportunities to informally end up together.  

Somehow, Suzanna and Jake end up together, no strings attached, at her parents for dinner.  Family, thinking she needs a boyfriend, assume they're together.  And then the fun really starts as Jake and Suzanna fake it through the holiday season.

Pay attention to when the "faking" is real.  It's hard to pick the right episode, whether it's the contagious smile, the slip of his arm around her waist, or a trip to the ice skating rink!  

Enjoy,

Dawn Kunda  

 

The Substitute (The Wedding Pact #1) by Denise Grover Swank

 Megan  Vandemeer has a huge problem with an easy solution.  Well, easy for friends to tell her what to do, but you know how hard it is to fess up to a situation.  All Megan has to do is open her mouth, and done!  

But the long, deceptive, and mind bending resolution is what she chooses.

Megan is supposed to get married this weekend at the huge expense of her parents.  They've never met the groom.  Let's not forget, Megan chickened out on telling her parents that they broke up several months ago.

Short term solutions is all she can come up with.  So she's on a plane headed for her hometown wedding. 

After Josh helps Megan off the plane because she passes out from mixing air-sick meds and alcohol, he is helpfully mistaken as her fiancé.  Granted, he has an ulterior motive. 

Josh's architecture  firm believes Megan's father's firm stole plans for a big job.  If Josh can search out her father, he can get the plans back.  Pretending to be her fiancé until Megan formally breaks up with him and stops the wedding is a small price to pay.

Oh, my!  Which event will Megan follow through with the breakup?  At the gathering of which side of the family, or the rehearsal dinner, or the dress fitting, or when?  Josh is actually a nice guy.  he's hot, and he kisses fabulously. 

How can a person fall in love after a few days?  Love or lust, Megan and Josh are tangled together in a lot more than the sheets!

Happy reading,

Dawn

A Cry in the Dark by Denise Grover Swank

 Getting a little serious, this romantic suspense makes you wonder who's the good guy and who's the bad. 

Carly Moore doesn't know who to trust when she abandons her marriage before the vows are legal.  With not much in her pocketbook, she finds true friends that help her find a new life, a car, and a mountain road leading to better times until her car breaks down.

By some miracle, Max pulls up with his tow truck.  Carly isn't sure about his motives. A handsome man who happens by on the deserted mountain side and conveniently wants to help.  

Max sees a motorist stranded, and true to his business of fixing vehicles, he pulls over.  Finding a beautiful  woman alone, he has questions when she definitely doesn't want police involved in helping her situation.

In the small, tight knit community he drives her to, she's introduced to Max's brother who owns the tavern and rundown motel she needs to stay at till her car's fixed.  Everyone is so helpful.

Yet, there are bad seeds in the mountain, and it doesn't take long for Carly to witness the murder of a teenage boy.  

Her suspicions rise on all around her.  Max stays scarce because of a family feud, so she doesn't know what to think of his help, then his distance. That's until her new friends decide she's in danger.  The danger can't be pinpointed to certain people, which includes the police department. 

Max overcomes his separation from family in order to assist Carly to get her life back together and to stay alive. 

The pace of the story is exciting and with a lot of nail biting while Carly ducks bullets and evil men.  Sincere friends and a man falling in love do their best to keep her safe and give her a new place to call home.

Happy reading,

Dawn