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

Anything But a Gentleman by Elisa Braden

 The rules of London in the early eighteen hundreds don't favor women.

Augusta Windmore is determined to change that around for her sister, Phoebe.  Phoebe was promised a betrothal before the pregnancy, and the future groom has fled the situation. 

Doing anything for her younger sister, Augusta has one choice.  She needs to convince Sebastian Reaver, owner of the Men's Club, to help her.

In disguise as a maid, she gains access to Sebastian's private quarters.  And she won't budge regardless of his brutish candor.  

Sebastian likes things simple and utilitarian.  The constant badgering by the spinster, Augusta, has thrown him for a loop and he's not quite sure what to do with her.  

He makes an unconventional deal with her, sure she'll run, but an agreement confounds him.  Especially since they will be in close quarters for an extended time.  Time for them to realize or deny why they look forward to seeing each other.  Time to get a husband for Phoebe.  Will there be time for Sebastian and Augusta to lower their shields of pride and realize they aren't that different?

Read to find out if a double romance can survive an unconventional start!

Happy reading,

Dawn Kunda

Spellbreaker by Charlie N. Holmberg

 Orphaned as a little girl, Elsie Camden now does her best to survive the 1880's Victorian London, England as an assistant to a stonemason, Ogden.  

I've always felt London such a magical location.  Now I have my chance to experience a London truly full of magic!  In Elsie's world, there are spellmakers and spellbreakers, and it's well known that magic is used especially among the rich males. 

Elsie keeps her spellbreaking ability undercover and only uses it when called on by the team that can hopefully give her a license to be legit.

At this time, London has a bunch of murders to Masters of magic.  Bacchus, a knight near his Master title, requests Elsie to help him break spells.  Not only does she astound him with her ability, they both secretly have love building a connection.  Under the unwritten rules, a romance is out of the question.  

That's until the mystery of the murders is connected to Elsie's spellbreaking and Bacchus wants to protect her, whether he should or not.  

Quite a white-knuckle story as Elsie is in constant danger, her housemates are involved, good and bad, and Bacchus is the only one left to tie up the loose strings.  And can they solve the murders, stay alive, and reveal their feelings in this era of class distinction?  I sure hope they find a way because they are perfect for each other!

Happy reading,

Dawn

 

Career of Evil by Rober Galbraith

Another masterpiece written by Galbraith, aka J.K. Rowling! 

Robin Ellacott, Cormoran Strike’s investigative partner, receives a body part in a box at their office.  Robin’s aghast.  Strike doesn’t like it either, but his mind immediately analyzes the situation and four names come to mind of who might have done this.  Not in agreement with Scotland yard, of course.

All the men who have a grudge against Strike.  That’s his list.

Robin wants to hide her apprehension and help with the investigation.  As more attacks happen to Robin and around the city, Strike demands she is home by dark.

Home to her fiancé who hates her job. 

So, while a tricky and twisted follow up on the murder and continuing murders happens during office hours, The heart plays tricks on Robin and Strike.

Robin’s fiancé admits to a possibly unforgiveable deed.  Robin takes time off from him while thinking about Strike after hours.  The problem is that Strike thinks about her too. 

It’s very common for the reader to cheer for the couple the reader wants to get together and stay together.  This one’s difficult.

Robin and Matt are still engaged with a huge issue at hand.  Robin adores Strike, but does it go further than that?  Strike has to force himself to keep only to business with her.  So, who gets Robin in the end?  Is it who the reader thinks will get her?  Is it who the reader wants to win? 

The end was a tear jerker and I couldn’t guess what would happen till I read it.  Another story I didn’t want to end!

Happy reading,

Dawn  

Lost Souls by Lisa Jackson

Vampires, suspense, and romance make a chilling mix.

Kristi Bentz returns to college signing up for English classes, which includes a popular study of vampires.

How vampires are included in English is a ruse to interest students versus all dull (granted, I don’t find English dull) curriculum. 

Kristi’s purpose is to become a true crime writer.  Her chosen campus is the perfect place to study and to research the disappearance of four young women from this same college.

All the missing women have taken English along with belong to a vampire cult led by the professor of the class.

A fill-in professor of one of Kristi’s classes is surprisingly a boyfriend from ten years ago, who also works for the county forensics and police department.  Jay McKnight might have to be Kristi’s knight in shining armor for her to survive the multiple suspects surrounding the campus.

The obvious suspects are watched, but there’s many more that need a critical eye, be it a group of students, professors, and various on persons on the grounds.

Jackson did an outstanding performance on whipping the story into a frenzy and keeping the reader guessing on who committed the crimes, who will survive, and who just might find a permanent love through all the horror.

Best read at night under your blankets!

Happy reading,

Dawn

No Strings Attached: A Lexi Carmichael mystery, Book 8 by Julia Moffett

 A fun novel with Lexi Carmichael continuing her unasked-for involvement in an international cyber attack.

Lexi did what she was supposed to.  She gave a presentation at a hackers’ convention, complete with computer nerds and smart-asses.

After a draining question and answer, she needed a quiet place in a busy hotel bar.  Finding a table marked “reserved” with no one there, she took the table.  There was a reason she shouldn’t have sat at this table.

Wrong place at the right time.

Let’s just say this is where it gets complicated.  I won’t tell you what happened at the table, the car chase and shots aimed her way really gets in the way of her planning her best friend’s bachelorette party. 

Lexi is too busy to deal with any of this and she needs to call on friends at NSA for the first problem (that would be the car chase) and hopes to pull off the party she’s in charge of and has no idea what to do except have games relating to getting married!

Another thing I like to do when I read a well-written and engaging story is to read about the author.  Julie Moffett has an extensive education throughout many countries and has experienced many avenues of life we all say we’d like to do “someday.”  Definitely a fun read:)

 

Happy reading,

Dawn

Pocketful of Diamonds by Nicolette Pierce

To fall in love with a thief has its price.

Ian’s willing to pay the price of his heart and his time. 

Ian Miller has found a true belief in helping the people of a third world society in Sierra Leone through mining diamonds and donating the revenue to make a better life for the people.

Gwen visited the village with another project in mind.  She came to steal the diamonds, more than once.

The problem with this, other than loss of revenue to Ian, was he also lost his heart and she disappeared.  He berated himself for wanting a thief and used the excuse of finding the diamonds to reconnect with Gwen.

The aching heart mutually disturbed Gwen.  When she returned to Ian’s village, she dreaded the idea of another theft.  

From there, things get heated between Gwen and Ian along with other diamond thieves. 

Every thief has a story.  Gwen’s dramatic life and her reason for becoming a thief causes Ian to fall more in love with her.  Unimaginable but the heart will do funny things.

The story was full warm and intense scenes and great imagination!  I have to admit that I was tickled to meet the pygmy hippo and feisty monkey acting as silent counselors.  The rituals of the village of Sierra Leone gave a living quality to the villagers, and I wished for the best outcome for everyone I met along the wayJ

 

Happy reading,

Dawn    

A Brew to a Kill (Coffee House Mystery) by Cleo Coyle

This is the eleventh book of the Coffee House Mysteries.  I can see why the series keeps going and the readers keep reading!

Clare owns a coffee house in New York, complete with a Muffin Muse truck to carry her tasty treats throughout the city. 

Coyle knows the streets, the signs, the traffic, and the people who live in New York, so it feels like you’re right there with Clare.

Too bad Clare’s boyfriend, Mike, is out of town on a special assignment when the dastardly deed is committed.  She could’ve used his shoulder after her friend and colleague, Lilly, gets run over by a white van which might be under the ownership of Clare’s biggest competition.

Without Mike’s help, Clare ops for her team at the coffee house to figure out who and why Lilly was run over. 

Clare construes a plan to find the van and believes she’s on target with catching the bad guy. 

Too bad the police are better at solving mysteries and have to keep turning Clare in other directions.  She still doesn’t feel she’s wasted a bit of time when it comes to helping her friend.

The end result, along with a hefty dose of Mike, calms Clare and returns her to her main focus, the coffee house. 

It’s a fun and ever-changing route Clare takes her readers on, so if you’re in the mood for something light and enticing, pick up A Brew to a Kill!

Happy reading,

Dawn

The Liar by Nora Roberts

This is a delightful read, granted being a liar is nothing but the lowest form of relationship problems to deal with.

The liar is the dead husband of Shelby Pomeroy.  And what a horrific way to find out he lied - about everything.  He gave her all that money could buy and left on frequent business trips to make this money. 

When her husband died, he also left her with a lot of debt, a lot of doubt, and a background that terrified her.

Shelby made a plan to pay off the millions in debt by selling everything and taking her daughter to her hometown in Tennessee.

Her large family welcomed her home, along with a buff and gorgeous man, Griff, dead-set on helping her out, which includes in the protection department.  Shelby’s husband’s past followed her along with murders in Little Rock.  Griff would do his best to keep her alive and at his side.

The close knit community in Tennessee, the charming people, and the far from charming people can only be created by Nora Roberts.  If you’ve read her books, you’ll know what I mean.  If not, it’s never too late to jump in and find another favorite author!

 

Happy reading,

Dawn

I'll Never Let You Go by Mary Burton

Tennessee is a beautiful state.  A place where a comfortable life can be lived amongst the forests and mountains.  Leah Carson tries to prove this to herself as she guards her psyche from the past.

The past being a husband who tried to stab her to death.  After the attack, her husband was killed in a car accident.

Four years later and Leah is still wary of her surroundings.

Things begin to happen – just like for years ago.  It’s almost like her husband is back in town.

Agent Alex Morgan of the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is on the trail of the strange happenings and the new murder in town.  The murder executed in the same manner of Leah’s attack.

Alex and Morgan remain tight with communications and a few other things as the authorities unravel the murder.

I loved this story with its intensity and the fact that Leah is a veterinarian, she has my vote for a happy lifeJ

Happy reading,

Dawn

F*ck Love by Tarryn Fisher

I know Valentine's Day just ended and in no way do I want you to feel the way Helena (character) feels about love.  The title says it all until better things come around.

I am completely into reading new authors and new books this year.  I hit a gold mine with this romantic comedy by Tarryn Fisher. 

Helena is the sweetest, not prettiest according to her best friend (her BFF, Della, is wrong), caring, understanding, and messed up young lady. 

Helena dates Neil, who has his own issues, big ones.  Della is in love with Kit Isley, and they have issues, nearly bigger ones.

What could go wrong with two couples that hang out together and are BFF’s?  Shall I number the problems??

When things start to unravel between Helena and Neil, the first thing Helena thinks is What. The.  F*ck.  Yes, she has a potty mouth that works for her.  I won’t tell you what’s wrong with Neil, I’ll let Helena in her words because she does it so much better.

The other problem lies with Kit and Della, or is it Helena and Della, or maybe Helena and Kit?  It’s all in there. 

Helena, I love her, does get a match up with the right man at the right time prompted by whiskey, babies, dreams, a cult leader (brief meeting), ex-girlfriends ( of Kit’s), Florida and Washington, beige clothes, allusions from art . 

Wish I could give you more plot, but that would give this delightful story away.  You have to read F*ck Love and I promise you will laugh and cry along with Helena.  And that’s not a joke!

Fun and happy reading,

Dawn

Husband Fur Hire by T.S.Joyce

Elyse lives in the wilderness of Alaska and that’s not the only wild things she deals with in this paranormal romance.

She’s a tough woman who knows how to take care of herself as long as she doesn’t let love get in the way.

With a shotgun in hand, she sends her lover out the door.  He’s a lazy piece of sh*t and his werewolf tendencies don’t help her survive. 

The only thing she can think to do at this point is to advertise for a life partner, romance not necessary, to help her maintain her homestead and keep food on the table.   A partner is all she wants.

Until Ian, the man-bear, knocks on her door with a different intention than her ad. 

Elyse assumes he’s read the paper.  She looks up and down his strong and powerful human body and questions his intentions and abilities.

Ian forgets why he really arrived and can only think about helping this beautiful woman.  He wants to set her up to survive before he needs to hibernate for winter.  Ian cannot imagine telling her about his “bear” side.

Elyse fights the urge to like and love another man.  Ian won’t divulge his secret.  This leaves them in a precarious situation, especially because their hearts unwillingly bond stronger and stronger.  Not only that, but the werewolf clan is at their door.

Husband Fur Hire is a powerfully emotional romance.  My heart aches as the love is obvious between the two, yet both have stories to uncover and truths to be revealed before a permanent life together can be considered. 

And sometimes the truth comes out accidently. 

I adored this story and want everyone to have a man-bear for themselvesJ

Happy “grizzly” reading,

Dawn

Broken by Karen Slaughter

There’s a possibility of multiple matches in Broken, as long as they live past the knife. 

Special Agent Will Trent is sent to Georgia to assist in a probable triple homicide.  Each victim was stabbed in the back of the neck.  The murderer likes to set up their work as a suicide, but Will is too smart to fall for that old trick.

Officer Lena Adams, stationed in Georgia, has a professionally dark past along with other force members.  Evidence tampering might be the least of Lena and her partner's worries.  Will studies her and the rest of the police force while Lena tries to investigate the deaths. 

Dr. Sara Linton is called to help and drags her broken heart back to her home base.

Lena’s love life defies her past dark actions.

It’s a curious thing as to whether Will ends up with Sara or Lena.    

Who ends up happy in the end?  Who ends up not being killed and how can the killer evade the facts and evidence discovered? 

Slaughter keeps you guessing on all accounts of the story and the ending surprised me, so be prepared.

Happy reading,

Dawn   

A Question of Guilt by Julianne Lee

Definitely a historical novel not to miss. 

Mary Stuart, cousin of Elizabeth I, wife of several heartless and childish men, beautiful and tall, and Queen of Scotland, was a naive and gracious queen.  The last years of her life ended for a questionable reason.  The story retells Queen Mary’s turbulence in the1560’s.

Her sincerity and kindness to all, even the traitorous, held her in a constant position to be attacked by her enemies.  She loved the men she married and some were her enemy.

Too bad these men didn’t have better ideals for their queen and wife.  The last two husbands were her downfall.

While married to Henry Darnley, he was killed.  Mary could not believe her next husband, Bothwell, may have set her up as the murderer.

Back to present day 1587 where Janet de Ros, wife of a wealthy merchant, cannot hold back her interest in Queen Mary’s true story. 

Janet doesn’t believe Queen Mary killed her husband, Darnley, nor is she certain that Queen Mary plotted against England’s queen, Elizabeth I. 

Against her husband’s wishes, Janet continually meets with restricted people who may have a clue to the truth about Queen Mary.  Janet’s inquiries leave her and her husband in danger of resurrecting the past and possible family connection to the treachery, which could lead to problems of their own.

Julianne Lee chose a spectacular route to study all the stories and rumors about the end of Queen Mary’s life and who’s to blame.  Love can lead to a dangerous path, and sometimes history should be left alone.  

Happy reading,

Dawn

Mean Streak by Sandra Brown

What better place to find romance than in the mountains of North Carolina?  But when you travel through treacherous ice and snow and fog, get lost and injured, it doesn’t have the same appeal.  At first.

Dr. Emory Charbonneau decided to train for a marathon on the trails of the beautiful mountains.  While she went by herself, her husband had time to spend with his girlfriend, a colleague of Emory’s.  I say that with a bit of sarcasm, as her husband is less than ideal.

Emory starts her run in the morning, but the next thing she knows is it’s dark outside.  It’s dark with a snow storm whistling around and dark inside a small cabin.  The man leaning over her checks her injuries.

The cabin belongs to a man who won’t tell her his name.  Many reasons for that.  He tells her he won’t hurt her and he’s keeping her attacker at bay.  Whoever that may be.  She wonders if he’s telling the truth or if he abducted her.

He’s so hot and tasty on cold winter day.  Emory wants him, and he has a hard time admitting he wants her.  Emory’s leery, though.  Can she trust him?

Once again, Sandra Brown hits her mark with a novel of true suspense and a taste for the lust.  Too bad her stories have an end.

Happy reading,

Dawn

Virtue Falls by Christina Dodd

Virtue Falls, Washington sounds like such an innocent and charming place.   For twenty-three years it’s been quite the opposite.

A heinous murder is reported as “husband kills wife while four-year-old daughter watches.” Elizabeth Banner, the former four-year-old, returns to Virtue Falls over two decades later as a renowned geologist with a closed personality.

An earthquake at Virtue Falls is Elizabeth’s first dream-come-true.  Studying such a phenomenon is a once in a lifetime opportunity.  Her second dream-come-true is to visit her committed father, committed for Alzheimer’s and committed for a murder he might not have performed.

Garik Jacobsen, an ex-FBI agent and ex-husband to Elizabeth finds out trouble is brewing in more than the collateral of an earthquake in Virtue Falls and comes running to save the ex-wife he still loves.

That would be Elizabeth’s third dream-come-true even though she’s not aware of it early on.

What I like about this story is the amount of suspects Dodd places in strategic positions throughout the search of Elizabeth’s mom’s murder.  Not even sure if her dad is innocent, a handful of culpable suspects surround the town.  Even more, the reigniting of love between two people who learn problems can be solved.

This is the second of her "Falls" series and well worth the enjoyable time.

Happy reading,

Dawn