#BookReview: Big Bad Cowboy (Once Upon a Time in Texas #1) by @carlybloombooks

Synopsis: In the New York Times tradition of Lori Wilde and Carolyn Brown comes the first book in a new western romance series from Forever debut author Carly Bloom about a no-strings cowboy fling with a fairy tale twist.

Who's afraid of the big, bad cowboy? 

After one too many heartbreaks, Travis Blake hung up his cowboy hat and put Big Verde, Texas, behind him. But when he gets the call that his young nephew needs him, he knows he has to return home. His plan is to sell the family ranch and hightail it back to Austin, but there's a small problem: the one person who stands in his way is the one person he can't resist.

Maggie is pretty sure she hates Travis Blake. He's irritating, he's destroying her business, and . . . and he's just so frickin' attractive. But when they're forced to work together, Maggie discovers that the Most Annoying Man in the World is more than he seems. He's sweet with his nephew, he helps out in the community, and he makes her heart flutter. Maggie doesn't want to risk everything on a man who wants to leave, but what if she can convince this wayward cowboy to stay?

#BookReview: I'll Be Watching You (Hollywood Heat #1) by Leslie A. Kelly

Synopsis: She can trust him with her heart, but can she trust him with her life?

Growing up as a foster kid, Jessica Jensen found her escape in movies-especially those starring teen heartthrob Reece Winchester. When she meets him as an adult, he's just as charming, fascinating, and devastatingly handsome as she'd imagined. Before she knows it, Jessica is falling hard. But her real-life Cinderella story is about to take a deadly turn...

Jessica has completely upended everything about Reece's carefully ordered life. There's a reason he's never allowed anyone to get so close to him before. But now that she has, there's a target on her back. Because someone knows that the Winchesters have been hiding some dark family secrets. Someone who is out there waiting to strike. Waiting...and always watching.

Previously published as Watching You

#BookReview: Primrose Lane (Harmony Harbor #3) by @AuthorDebMason

Synopsis: Love is the best medicine

Olivia Davenport has finally gotten her life back together. She's left her painful past behind, started over in a new town, and become Harmony Harbor's most sought-after event planner. But her past catches up to her when Olivia learns that she's now guardian of her ex's young daughter. With her world spinning, Olivia must reconcile her old life with her new one. And she doesn't have time for her new next door neighbor, no matter how handsome he is.

Olivia may act like she's got everything under control, but Dr. Finn Gallagher knows a person in over her head when he sees one. He'd really like to be the shoulder she leans on, but Olivia makes it clear she doesn't want his help. Since he's returned to town, his waiting room has been full of single women feigning illness. Yet the one woman he's interested in is avoiding him. But with a little help from some matchmaking widows and a precocious little girl, Finn might just win Olivia over.

BONUS: Includes a complete novel from BookShots Flames!
The McCullagh Inn in Maine by Jen McLaughlin

#BookReview: Dream Maker (Dream #1) by Kristen Ashley

Synopsis: From the New York Times bestselling author of the Dream Man and Rock Chick series comes a brand new story about love, friendship, and the bonds of sisterhood. 

Evie is a bonafide nerd and a hyper-intelligent chick who has worked her whole life to get what she wants. Growing up, she had no support from her family and has only ever been able to rely on herself. So when Evie decides she wants to earn her engineering degree, she realizes she needs to take an alternative path to get there. She takes a job dancing at Smithie's club thinking this would be a quick side gig, where she can make the money she needs. But with her lack of dancing skills and an alpha bad boy who becomes overly protective, Evie realizes this might not be as easy as she thought.

Daniel "Mag" Magnusson knows a thing or two about pain, but the mask he wears is excellent. No one can tell that this good-looking, quick-witted, and roguish guy has deep-seated issues. Mag puts on a funny-guy routine so he can hide his broken heart and PTSD. But when Evie dances her way into Mag's life, he realizes that he needs to come face-to-face with the demons of his past if he wants a future with her.

#BookReview: A Christmas Bride (Chapel of Love #1) by @HopeRamsay @readforeverpub

Synopsis: A season of hope . . .
'Tis the season in Shenandoah Falls and the first time Willow Peterson has been home in years. But she's determined to fulfill the wishes of her recently deceased best friend and restore Eagle Hill Manor to its former glory-all in time to host the perfect holiday wedding. She just has to get the owner of the historic inn to hire her. Unfortunately, that means dealing with Scrooge himself... 

After the death of his wife, David Lyndon has a bah-humbug approach to Christmas. But as December counts down and the wedding planning is in full swing, it's harder and harder to stay immune to the charms of Willow, especially when he sees how much joy she brings his eight-year-old daughter. After a simple kiss under the mistletoe turns into something more, David is hoping he can turn the magic of the holiday season into the love of a lifetime.

#BookReview: Justified / It's All About That Cowboy (Loveless, Texas #1) by @jaycrownover @carlybloombooks @readforeverpub

Synopsis: The New York Times bestselling author of the Marked Men series delivers a romance about a rugged Texas sheriff who must protect the woman who was once his sworn enemy...

Case Lawton comes from a family of criminals. So as the sheriff of Loveless, Texas, he's determined to do everything by the book--until he's called to Aspen Barlow's office after a so-called break-in. The last thing he wants to do is help the woman who cost him custody of his son. But Aspen isn't the heartless lawyer Case remembers, and he starts to question his long-held grudge...

Aspen is scared for her life, and Case is her last hope for protection. But to get him on her side, she'll have to reveal the painful truth from all those years ago. Now, as they work together to track down a dangerous criminal, Case and Aspen learn to trust each other. And as the threats escalate, it becomes clear there's a thin line between love and hate... because there's nothing Case wouldn't do to keep her safe.

Includes It's All About That Cowboy, a bonus novella by Carly Bloom! 

#BookReview: Forever and a Duke (Rogues to Riches, #3) by Grace Burrowes

Synopsis:  A duke meets his match in the last place he'd ever expect in this charming Regency romance by the New York Times bestselling author of My One and Only Duke.

Wrexham, Duke of Elsmore, is overrun by family obligations. With three sisters to escort about Town, a legion of cousins to look after, and aunties who insist he dance with every eligible young woman, he barely has time to manage his dukedom. When he finally carves out a moment to evaluate his family's finances, he learns that he―and his sisters―are on the verge of social catastrophe.

Eleanora Hatfield has an uncanny knack for numbers, but she knows from experience that dealing with the peerage can only lead to problems. Though she wants nothing to do with any titled gentleman, she reluctantly agrees to help when Rex seeks aid from her employer. What starts out as an unwanted assignment soon leads to forbidden kisses and impossible longings. But with scandal haunting Ellie's past and looming in Rex's future, how can true love lead to anything but heartbreak?

Includes the bonus story "The Lady in Red" by Kelly Bowen!

#BookReview: Snowbound at Christmas (Christmas, Colorado #5) by @AuthorDebMason

Synopsis: Surviving the holidays will take a Christmas miracle...

Ex-cop Cat O'Connor is bored working for her sister, Chloe, as a personal assistant on the set of her soap opera. Until Chloe gets an opportunity to audition for the role of a lifetime and asks her identical twin to substitute for her on the soap with no one the wiser. It's a perfect switch—until Cat attracts the attention of the mysterious Mr. Tall, Dark, and Way-too-handsome leading man. 

Grayson Alexander never thought being snowbound in the charming town of Christmas, Colorado, for the holiday would get so hot. But between working with sexy, tough Cat on set and keeping his real reason for being there under wraps, he's definitely feeling the heat. And if there's one thing they'll learn as they bring out the mistletoe, it's that in this town, true love is always in season...

#BookReview: Lethal Redemption (Steele Ops, #2) by @AprilHuntBooks @readforeverpub

Synopsis: April Hunt “will keep you on the edge of your seat” (Lori Foster, New York Times bestselling author) in this heart-pounding new romantic suspense.

Top FBI profiler Grace Steele was just a girl when she escaped the Order of the New Dawn, and she’s spent the last seventeen years trying to forget her time there. But when private security firm Steele Ops needs her help extracting a young woman from the secretive cult’s clutches, she’s all in. Even though the mission requires posing as the fiancée of the only man who’s ever broken her heart.

It’s been nine years since Cade Wright turned his back on his childhood sweetheart, and he’s never stopped regretting it. Now that they’re forced to work together, he knows this is his opportunity to show Grace how much he’s changed. But the deeper they get pulled into New Dawn, the clearer it becomes that the demons still haunting Grace are very real, and Cade will have to risk everything to keep her safe . . . including his own life.

Includes the bonus novel Extreme Honor by Piper J. Drake!

#BookReview: Christmas Wishes and Mistletoe Kisses by @jhaleauthor @readforeverpub

Title: Christmas Wishes and Mistletoe Kisses

Author: Jenny Hale

Published:  October 30, 2018
Publisher: Forever
Pages: 368

Synopsis: SOON TO BE A HALLMARK MOVIE: fall in love with this sweet, heartfelt romance about the magic of Christmas and falling in love under the mistletoe, perfect for readers of Debbie Macomber, RaeAnne Thayne, and Maisey Yates!

An uplifting, beautiful story about never letting go of your dreams, the special magic of a family Christmas… and the rush of falling in love under the mistletoe. 

Single mother Abbey Fuller loves her family more than anything, and doesn’t regret for a moment having had to put her dreams of being an interior designer on hold. But with her son, Max, growing up, when a friend recommends her for a small design job she jumps at the chance. How hard can it be? 

Nick Sinclair needs his house decorated in time for his family’s festive visit – and money is no object. What he doesn’t need is to be distracted from his multi-million dollar business – even if it is Christmas. 

When Abbey pulls up to the huge Sinclair mansion, she has a feeling she might be out of her depth. And when she meets the gorgeous, brooding Nicholas Sinclair, she knows that she’s in real trouble… 

With the snow falling all around, can Abbey take the chance to make her dreams of being a designer come true? And can she help Nick to finally enjoy the magic of Christmas?

#BookReview: Don't Breathe a Word (Texas Justice #2) by @Christie_Craig @readforeverpub #Giveaway

Synopsis: New York Times bestselling author Christie Craig returns with her next heart-stopping romantic suspense about a woman on the run and the man trying to uncover her secrets.

Police detective Juan Acosta doesn't only carry scars on the outside. He's filled with guilt and anger ever since his undercover job led to the murder of those he loved the most. Now he's living for one thing: revenge. That is, until Juan meets his beautiful new neighbor.

Vicki Holloway prides herself on being capable and independent, but her life is turned upside down when her sister Sara is killed by an abusive ex. Fearing for the safety of her niece, Vicki and the little girl go into hiding...resurfacing in Texas with new identities.

Juan finds his once-frozen heart thawing around Vicki, but he knows she's hiding something. Juan needs answers, but Vicki isn't talking. She has to keep her secrets if she wants to keep Bell safe, which means resisting her growing feelings for the sexy, scarred man next door. But when Juan's quest for justice brings danger to her door, divulging the truth might be the only thing that keeps her alive.

Includes the bonus novella "Hot Target" by April Hunt!

This title will be released on November 5, 2019.

#BookReview: Don't Close Your Eyes (Texas Justice #1) by @Christie_Craig @readforeverpub #Giveaway

Synopsis: What would you do if everything you thought was true about your family turned out to be a lie? 

Annie Lakes has had the same recurring nightmare for years. Her heart pounding in her chest. A panicked voice, begging her to run faster. Her own bloodcurdling scream. But now Annie is starting to realize it's more than just a bad dream. She's starting to remember things about the night her cousin Jenny disappeared all those years ago. Things that make her believe her family was involved--and what they're hiding is much worse than she ever imagined. But she can't unravel this alone. She needs someone she can trust, someone like sexy Detective Mark Sutton ....


Mark has seen enough--too much--to assume that Annie's story is a dead end. It turns out that her family is hiding some killer secrets. A long time ago, Annie was just an innocent little girl who saw something she shouldn't. Now she's a target, and Mark's running out of time to protect the woman he's starting to fall for. But how does Mark face off against a murderer who just may be someone Annie loves?

#BookReview for Welcome to Last Chance (Last Chance #1) by Hope Ramsay

Synopsis: "The essence of Southern charm!" --- Sherryl Woods, New York Times bestselling author

Wanda Jane Coblentz arrives in Last Chance, South Carolina, with five dollars in her pocket and hopes for a fresh start. Her first goal: a hot meal. But when she walks into the local watering hole, it's the man playing in the band on stage who suddenly has her hungry. With his worn black Stetson and boots, an open black shirt, and snug black jeans, everything about him screams Danger.


Clay Rhodes knows his small hometown is off the beaten path, and it's certainly a long way from his past life in Nashville. He left a bad relationship there, and the gorgeous brunette who blows into Dot's Spot like a hurricane seems like the type who'd turn his life upside down all over again. Not to mention that bad boys like him don't rescue damsels in distress.


Thank goodness Wanda Jane plans on rescuing herself.


Includes the bonus story "A Fairytale Bride"!

#BookReview: The Highland Earl (Lords of the Highlands, #6) by Amy Jarecki

Synopsis: Mr. & Mrs. Smith meets Outlander in this action-packed Scottish romance where a marriage of convenience leads to secrets that could be deadly. 

With two young sons to care for and a large estate to run, John Erskine, the widowed Earl of Mar, needs to remarry as quickly as possible. 

And beautiful Lady Evelyn Pierrepont would be the perfect match. But there's more behind the English lass's calm demeanor than she's letting on, including a smoldering allure not even John can ignore.

Evelyn has no desire to wed the rugged Scottish earl, but at least she'll be able to continue her work as a spy-as long as her husband never finds out. 

Yet the more time Evelyn spends with John and his boys, the fonder she grows of their little family, and the last thing she wants to do is put them in danger. 

As alliances shift and enemies draw closer, soon everything they hold dear is at risk: their lands, their love, and their very lives.

#BookReview: The Last True Cowboy (Chestnut Creek, #1) by Laura Drake

Synopsis: This cowboy's got one last chance to prove himself. 

Carly Beauchamp has loved cowboy Austin Davis since first grade.

Ask anyone in their dusty, backwater New Mexico town of Unforgiven, and they'll say "Carly and Austin" the way some say "big trucks and country boys."

But after years of waiting for a wedding ring, Carly's done with being a rodeo widow . . .

Austin never meant to put his career on the circuit before Carly.

She's always been his future, his one and only. But now that she's moved on, he's beginning to see where he went wrong, and he'll do anything to win her back.

 The only thing is, Carly's suddenly acting differently, and she's definitely hiding a secret-one that will test the depth of their love and open up a whole new world of possibilities.

#BookReview: Barefoot Beach (Harmony Harbor #8) by @AuthorDebMason @readforeverpub

Synopsis: Can a summer of love make up for a lifetime of secrets?

Wedding fever has taken over Harmony Harbor this summer, and the local matchmakers have set their sights on Theia Lawson, a former navy pilot who's in town for a stay at Greystone Manor. 

And while Theia's got her reasons to put this small town behind her as fast as she can, there's a certain tall, dark, and irresistible man that she can't seem to get off her mind.

Firefighter Marco DiRossi wants to beat the matchmakers at their own game so he conspires with Theia to pretend they've already fallen in love. It's only for the summer. What could go wrong?

 Yet as the beach season draws to a close, Marco and Theia find their pretend relationship has led to very real attraction. 

But when a secret from the past is revealed, jeopardizing everything they hold dear, can this unlikely couple find their way to a happily-ever-after? 

#BookReview for The Summer House by Jenny Hale

Synopsis: Some summers will stay with you forever... 

Callie Weaver and best friend Olivia Dixon have finally done it: put their life savings into the beach house they admired through childhood summers, on the dazzling white sand of North Carolina’s Outer Banks. 

They’re going to buff the salt from its windows, paint its sun-bleached sidings, and open it as a bed and breakfast. 

Callie’s too busy to think about her love life, but when she catches the attention of local heartthrob Luke Sullivan, his blue eyes and easy smile make it hard to say no. 

He’s heir to his father’s property empire, and the papers say he’s just another playboy, but as they laugh in the ocean waves, Callie realizes there’s more to this man than money and good looks. 

Just when true happiness seems within reach, Callie and Olivia find a diary full of secrets... secrets that stretch across the island, and have the power to turn lives upside down. 

As Callie reads, she unravels a mystery that makes her heart drop through the floor. 

Will Callie and Luke be pulled apart by the storm it unleashes, or can true love save them? 

#BookReview for Deadly Obsession (Steele Ops, #1) by April Hunt

Synopsis: “April Hunt’s romantic suspense will keep you on the edge of your seat.”—New York Times bestselling author Lori Foster 

Someone is watching their every move.

After a lifetime spent in and out of hospitals, Zoey Wright is tired of playing it safe. She’s ready to take charge of her own life and get out of her comfort zone, starting with a new job as a CSI agent. 

But when her childhood crush Knox Steele gets pulled onto her case, Zoey needs to put her feelings for him aside or more women will die at the hands of the serial killer preying on her hometown. 

Former Army Ranger Knox Steele is back in Washington to help his brothers open an elite private security firm. 

He never expected to stumble onto a crime scene, or see his best friend’s little sister working it. Zoey is all grown up now, and the attraction between them is electric, despite his best efforts to resist it. But all that changes for Knox when he realizes the victims have one thing in common . . . and Zoey might be next.

#BookReview for Hometown Cowboy (Rocky Mountain Riders #1) by Sara Richardson

Synopsis: NEVER FALL IN LOVE WITH A COWBOY 

Jessa Mae Love is done with relationships. No matter how tempting he might be, she cannot--will not--fall for a man like Lance Cortez.

 The outrageously handsome cowboy is practically a living legend in Colorado, as famous for riding bulls as he is for breaking hearts. 

What would a big-time rodeo star like him see in a small-town veterinarian who wears glasses, rescues animals, and cries when watching rom-coms? Turns out, plenty.

Raising bulls, riding the circuit, and looking after his ailing father--Lance never stands still for long. Yet Jessa catches his attention, and the more she tries to resist him, the more he wants her. 

When she agrees to move to the ranch to keep an eye on Lance's dad, Jessa tells him they have to keep it professional: no flirting, no sweet talk, and definitely no kissing. 
But with Jessa now living under his roof, that's easier said than done . . .

#BookReview of Cowboy Bold by Carolyn Brown

About the Book: 

With her sassy humor and sexy cowboys, USA Today bestseller Carolyn Brown launches her new Longhorn Canyon series.

One city girl, one die-hard rancher, and eight mischievous kids. What could go wrong?

Every summer Cade Maguire looks forward to opening his Longhorn Canyon Ranch to underprivileged city kids. But this year, he's having no luck finding a counselor for the children-until Retta Palmer walks through his door. 
Flat broke after selling everything she owns to pay her father's medical bills, Retta is thrilled to hear of an opening for a counselor position. She's not as thrilled about the ranching part, or the sexy cowboy with beautiful blue eyes who's her new boss. 
After being left at the altar two years before by his fiancée, Cade isn't sure he can take another heartbreak. And Retta isn't even sure she wants to stay. But the sparks between them are absolutely undeniable. And with a couple of lovable kids and two elderly folks playing matchmaker, Cade and Retta may find that the best way to heal is with each other.