Books Read 2016

Kasey Chang · Post by **Kasey Chang** » Thu Nov 24, 2016 2:12 am

Finished Getting Out of Hand / Sapphire Falls 1 by Erin Nicholas FREE on Amazon

Book 2 was reviewed earlier.

Sapphire Falls needs some development, and the mayor is inviting all the rich ex-residents back for a class reunion, esp. Mason Reily, genius agri-scientist, and holder of land most suitable for the new shopping center. Not that Mason liked class reunions... until he ran into the new girl in town: Adrianne Scott.

Adrianne Scott had to retire from her high-pressure lifestyle and Sapphire Falls was great for her. Now she wants to open her candy store and live a drama-free life... Until Mason bid $400 to dance with her. And Mason knows how to dance... and looks nothing like a geek... But can she like a man who pisses off the Veep of the US and cavorts with the Washington Elite?

Fun read, but not as fun as Book 2. 6 out of 8

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Finished Something More Than This by Barbie Bohrman FREE on Prime Reading

Katy Lewis has a great job as a sports reporter, a great roommate, and two overprotective brothers. When her first crush Connor reappeared after 9 years of noncontact and show ssome signs of wishing to getting to know her better, she's giddy with delight. But when a co-worker started to put some moves on her boss Dylan, Katy realized she may have feelings toward Dylan as well. Which one should she go after... the old crush that may not be for long-term, or her boss which is a very very bad idea?

Fun quick read with some real issues for the girl to walk through in a bad choice... Lots of LOL parts, and some serious angst when true feelings are confronted.

6 out of 8

Kasey Chang · Post by **Kasey Chang** » Fri Nov 25, 2016 2:14 am

Finished Seal for Her Protection by Paige Tyler FREE on Amazon

Hayley Garner was a journalist who were out chasing a story in Africa when she was ambushed by Boko Haram... then rescued by US Navy SEAL raid. She can't forget the blue eyes of her rescuer... Months later, covering a press event on Navy Base Coronado, she ran into the the very SEAL that saved her... Chasen Ward. And they immediately agree to a date, as she had imagined thanking her hero in every way possible. But ever since returning home, Hayley felt that someone was watching her. Was it just PTSD, or was one of subjects of her investigative reports fighting back? Can her SEAL hero protect her again?

While the SEAL references are not as generic as other "wannabes" SEAL romances, they are much much better as this author apparently did research SEAL stuff and can explain BUD/S and swim buddies and missions and training and eval and all that stuff and use them as necessary to add flavor to the background, but it's basically generic white hat badass save the day kinda thing. There was a pretty decent twist leading to the darkest hour, but the grand gesture is kinda "meh". 5.5 out of 8

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Finished Romancing the Alpha by Alicia Montgomery Advanced reader copy

Book 3 of the True Mates series, Book 2 was previously previewed

The war between the blood mages and the New York Clan of Lycans continue, and the Mages have set their target on the Alpha himself: Grant Anderson, billionaire rich playboy. An ambush left him drugged and dazed out of his clan territory... in New Jersey, one of the minor clan areas headed by a female Alpha, Francesca Muccino. In his drug-induced haze, he kissed Francesca, and if not for her brothers coming home they may have done the deed, but Francesca was hurt by previous betrayals and legacy from her mother who were left by their Lycan father to ever love again... as she believed that Grant will love her then leave her. Grant was very smitten with Francesca and kept coming back, showing every intention to date her, and eventually she relents. But enemies and traitors are ready to destroy her and use her to get to Grant... and they don't care who will get hurt in the process, humans or Lycans.

Nice world to play in, quite a bit of sex and "romancing the billionaire" mixed with Lycans and stuff. Lots of fun to read. 7 out of 8 at least.

Jeff V · Post by **Jeff V** » Fri Nov 25, 2016 1:57 pm

The House of Fox by SK Smith

There are rules in the House of Fox, and Dylan is challenging them. There is also an administrative overseer, Kitty, who becomes involved with all four of them. When Frank, the weasel of the bunch (reminded me of Frank Burns from M*A*S*H) shows signs of mental instability, he is consigned to the pits of hell. Literally. Dylan's quest then takes him on a Dante-esque journey through hell with Frank (or what's left of him) as his tour guide.

Characters in this story seemed turned on by everything; everyone was a nymphomanic. The sex scenes were crude and often repetitive, this could have been a better book with less of it, particularly if the author replaced it with more character development. It did appeal to the hidden juvenile in me, much the same way direct-to-video sex comedies sometimes do.

Jeff V · Post by **Jeff V** » Fri Nov 25, 2016 2:45 pm

Creativity Inc. - Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration by Ed Catmull

Ed Catmull is the president of Pixar Studios. How Pixar came to be what they are today is a remarkable story -- one that very nearly ended prematurely back in the company's early days. I had no idea they started out as a hardware company designing high-end graphic workstations, for example.

Mostly this book is a history of the company, with anecdotes of useful commentary to insure the reader is learning the lessons Catmull and crew learned -- often the hard way. Some of it is skewed towards the particular business of creating a unique, expensive product like a movie. A catastrophic disaster can instantly sink such a company -- this nearly happened when the work files of one of their movies was completely deleted from a production server during routine maintenance and there was no apparent backup. By happy accident, an employee working from home had a week or so earlier copied all of the files to her local machine because it was too slow working remotely.

Creative types don't respond very well to rigid structure, so flexibility is often called for. Catmull discusses several occasions when the tenuous relationship between staff and management became strained by errant policy decisions, and what was done to reverse such setbacks. Acquisitions are another topic covered in detail. While Pixar was acquired by Disney, the Pixar management not only stayed in place but also took over Disney Animation Studios, and a culture clash ensued.

There are plenty of dry management books out there, this is not one of them. I try to read a couple of management-related books a year just for professional development; I wish all were as entertaining to read as this book.

Kasey Chang · Post by **Kasey Chang** » Sat Nov 26, 2016 12:24 am

Finished Royal Date / Monterra Book 1 by Sariah Wilson FREE on Prime Reading

Kat MacTaggart is a girl who had a plan for everything, and a skiing vacation in Monterra was a dream come true, until she got on the wrong slope, careening down a mountain while not knowing how to ski... and was rescued by none other than His Royal Highness Prince Nico of Monterra. And while Kat was forever grateful, she was not ready to date anyone (she still has her V-card), much less a genuine prince, which only further intrigues Prince Nico, and he made her an offer: let him show her the country, so she can come up with some good tourism articles which can only help her career and her financial situation. As Nico tries to romance the reluctant Kat, a British noblewoman and a meddling paparazzo complicated the scene, for Kat is falling for Nico and his family even as she tries to hold her distance...

Basically, a modern day fairy tale written as a romance. Not bad, actually. 6 out of 8

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Finished SEALS of Honor Books 1-3 bundle by Dale Mayer

Mason: Tesla lost her brother to IED and she was developing a special tracking software that can turn the balance when she was kidnapped. And Mason and his SEAL team are sent to retrieve her, and as the team fight through the hostile terrain of Mexican jungle and surprise ambushes within the US from conspirators to keep Tesla safe, Mason realizes that Tesla is one woman whom he can entrust his heart to...

Hawk: Hawk is going home to a small town, only to get news that local law is trying to process a secret arms cache found in the caves. Then he arrived at his old flame Mia's gun store to find what's apparently her father dead. Mia was out of touch, guiding spelunkers through an underground cave system. Someone emptied the gun store's arsenal, and there are rumors of chemical weapons and large amounts of explosives for a major terrorist plot...

Dane: While hunting for a chemist that may be tied to a chemical weapons plot, the team came across Marielle, a brilliant student on a holiday with a professor, only to find that he had very very different plans for her. She ran... right into the SEAL team surveilling the place. SEAL team can't afford to let her go for she has valuable intel and thus must be protected, yet they can't spend the manpower to babysit a civilian either. As the team tries to stay a step ahead of ambushes and threats against Marielle, Marielle found herself falling for Dane, one of the protectors.

These series of novels seem to thrive on having the FMC getting kidnapped left and right. I swear the FMC gets kidnapped like 4-7 times in each novel that it's utterly ridiculous. And these guys don't behave like SEALs. The brotherly talk are like SEALs, but in combat they utterly suck, and they are running around civilians like mercenaries, I swear. There are the worst bodyguards around, as they keep losing the girl. And the bad guys seems to have omniscient capabilities to always reach out and kidnap the FMC again (and again). It's... hilariously bad at times. 3 out of 8.

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Finished Bishop's War / Book 1 by Rafael Amadeus Hines

Special Forces Sergeant John Bishop is the most decorated soldier in the war on terror, and was known to have TURNED DOWN a CMOH. His retirement back to New York was quickly shattered when he stumbled into a terrorist plot in New York City and quickly diffused it, only to enrage a Washington sociopath and incur the wrath of the leader of plot, who has backup plans in place, while a raid on some HVTs back in Afghanistan resulted in multiple casualties on "Team Razor", the elite team Bishop was a part of recently. Now John Bishop is under attack, from terrorists in the city, from assassin dispatched by the warlord, from sleeper agents in the city, and from mercenaries and smear merchants hired by the Washington sociopath. But behind Bishop are his brothers in Team Razor, the entire Familia Valdez and their mercenaries, and the law enforcement apparatus of the USA, including SOCOM, FBI, CIA, NYPD, and more. This is Bishop's War.

Fun adventure about thwarting further terrorist attacks, with hostiles respecting no limits, including going after women and children, the war in New York will be bloody, good men will die... and there will be further problems for Volume 2. 7.5 out of 8, it's that good, though at moments it's like "wait, they didn't notice?" There are a couple technical and plot glitches too, but not a huge deal.

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Finished Sold to the Hitman: A Bad Boy Mafia Romance by Alexis Abbot

Andrei is a hitman for the Bratva (Brotherhood) but he also has a conscience and sometimes kept people alive that he should not have. One night, in a rage, he bid 1.6 million on one young innocent girl to save her from human traffickers, and to be his wife. Her innocence inspired him to take on the corrupt bosses and make the final break... with only a few more targets to hit... to protect her and their unborn child.

Apparently the "cold and dangerous Siberian Assassin" is a trope in romance too.

The girl was raised in a uber-religious community, never traveled, no TV, no makeup, virgin, no date, and suddenly she was sold at a human trafficking auction then "married off" just like that, and then her family cut ties with her out of shame. Good thing she ran into someone with a heart, eh? It's a fairy tale. The action scenes, at least, are not too bad, if a bit too inspired by the game HITMAN.

5.5 out of 8

Kasey Chang · Post by **Kasey Chang** » Sun Nov 27, 2016 12:35 am

Finished His Hostage by Willow Winters

Vince is tall, cocky, and handsome, the panty-melting kinda guy that has no shortage of companions... Until they learn who he really is, then either they recoil in horror or had to pry them off. That is... Until Elle, new in town, looking for a bar to study... and ran into Vince. And Vince knew he had to taste this innocent girl, and what Vince wants... Vince gets... Because he's really Vincent Valetti, underboss of the Valetti Mafia family. And he was successful in seducing Elle... Until Elle stumbled into a terrible crime. Now Elle is a liability, and Vince is forced to choose between love and family. But Vince is keeping Elle no matter what... even if he had to tie her up... literally.

Was kinda interesting, then it gets downright weird as the virgin (yes, Elle's got her V-card) turned into a submissive that came to ENJOY being tied up every day and every night and great sex with Vince, while Vince and family had to deal with some problems with a motorcycle gang making a move on them. It's like Stockholm Syndrome sex. Eeek... 2.5 out of 8

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Finished #1 Crush by Kaia Bennett FREE on Amazon

Nicole had a crush on Gabriel, her sister's roommate and friend, for years. Gabriel saw Nicole as his good friend's very pretty but very off-limited baby sister. Then one night, Nicole indulged in her obsession on Gabe by entering his room and started masturbating to his porn... and called out his name... And he was there to witness it... and now they knew each other was really... really interested...

Sex is hot, but it's kinda shallow story. 5 out of 8

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Finished Last Chance to Run: Sly Temp Book 0 by Dianna Love

Former elite athlete Angel Farentino had to run for her life because she took something from some very bad men (but she's going to return it to its rightful owner) and she was caught and left in a compound guarded by some very bad people, and she knew she won't survive another round. So when there was a power outage, she ran and made it to an airfield, and onto Zane Jackson's plane. She was not going to the law, because years ago, she got railroaded by the law into a 4 year prison sentence for a crime she had no knowledge of. What she did not know is Zane, the hot pilot that was saving her, is a DEA operative trying to ingratiate himself into the smuggling scene, and while Zane did not trust Angel, Zane knew he was smitten, and the attention is mutual, even though both are suspecting the other of knowing and not showing more than each knew... As the bad guys send in bounty hunters and shooters and more after something VERY valuable held by Angel, and Zane struggled to keep up with Angel's escape attempts, and rescue her when she failed, they are falling for each other... hard.

Nice "forced by the circumstances / No way I can tell you everything" romantic suspense, but the ending was a major letdown. 6.5 out of 8 (could have been 7)

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Finished Trucker: Good Guys Book 1 by Jamie Schlosser

Angel is a hitchhiker trying to go from east coast to California... to visit her mother in jail, but she's actually a runaway from her foster home. She doesn't have that much money for bus and hotel, so she went to hitchhike... and was picked up by the most handsome guy she saw: Travis. Travis is heading home to a little town in Illinois when he saw Angel trying to catch a ride and he just HAD to stop, once he understood her circumstances, and then offered her his home to wait until she turned 18, and she will take her to California with one of the loads in a few weeks. If he can just survive a stalker who's determined to claim him by driving Angel away...

A "cozy" romance because there really isn't much keeping them apart other than "I have to go to California" (wow, they knew of a load WEEKS ahead? That's pretty darn impressive logistics) and you know the ending is pretty much pre-ordained. Both are self-professed virgins (he's 21, she's 18) and somehow they really know how to fuck make love. And for a tiny town of 320 their thrift store is world-class in selection and price. (Hahaha) 5 out of 8.

Kasey Chang · Post by **Kasey Chang** » Mon Nov 28, 2016 2:40 am

Finished Christmas Knight by Jennifer Blake FREE on Amazon

Jake Benedict was surprised to find Donna Ingraham on his lot about to chop down the special Christmas tree he had cared for, even though Donna did not want it for herself, but for the senior she's caring for, Grandma Chauvin, hoping to cheer her up because grandma Chauvin kept mentioning the Christmas she had when her husband and kids were still around. When Jake wiped out his bike behind Donna's truck due to a rabbit and a bad pothole, it was Donna's ER training that saved Jake from bleeding out, that they came to a compromise... Jake will put the tree up at Grandma Chauvin's place, but Donna (and grandma Chauvin) will host the Christmas party (that Jake was prepping for). Between then and now, grandma Chauvin's place needs a bit sprucing up, and Jake is the man to do it... which means spending a lot of time with Donna, and the two had some serious unfinished business from way back, in high school...

Kinda fun holiday romance novelette, cozy. 6 out of 8

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Finished Lancelot of the Pines by Jennifer Blake FREE on Amazon

Lance Benedict is a deputy in the Sheriff's department who were ordered to keep an eye out on Mandy, esp. after he had to shoot the local football star when he came out of the car drunk holding a gun, and did not obey orders. Mandy was forced to run from New Orleans when her husband disappeared one night and suddenly a goon appeared out of the dark to kidnap her. A surprise move saved herself and her attacker did not survive. But the cops believe she's a golddigger that had contracted hitmen to rub out her husband, and they are demanding payment when she failed to deliver. When Lance met Mandy, she was nothing like he expected, and when assassins came out of nowhere to force them on the run, they get to know a lot about each other, but one thing remained... is she a damsel in distress... or a blackwidow?

Nice suspense romance even though the part about arresting her near the end made no sense. And this book has TWO "darkest hour" moments, not just one. 6.5 out of 8, may be a 7

Kasey Chang · Post by **Kasey Chang** » Mon Nov 28, 2016 11:48 am

Finished Joy and Anger by Jennifer Blake

Julie Bullard is filming a movie about the swaps of Louisiana and she needs a consultant, and she sought out the legendary Cajun Rey Tabary, aka "The Swamp Rat". Rey turned her down flat, but later relented, not because he enjoys making her squirm under his gaze, but because he knew that someone in her crew is helping drug smugglers, and soon, a dead body reinforced that Julie may be in danger. To keep Julie safe, Rey had to keep her close...

A bit drawn out but excellent mystery / suspense / romance. The title had NOTHING to do with the plot, really. 6 out of 8.

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Finished Material Witness by Lisa Mondello FREE on Amazon

Crime novelist Cassie Lang (real name: Juanita Cassandra Alvarez) walked into Rory's Bar in Providence to 'research' being a call girl in a bar, and a cool blue-eyed handsome guy in leather jacket came over to chat... when all hell broke loose as someone from outside sprayed the bar with automatic gunfire. In the aftermath, one notorious gang boss and one FBI undercover agent were dead, and the handsome guy who saved Cassie was PPD officer Jake Santos. The only witness of the shooter seems to be Cassie herself. When her name was leaked to the press, FBI ordered Jake to take her out of the city at an FBI safehouse, but when the safehouse was sabotaged, it's clear there was a leak in the FBI, not to mention spending a lot of time next to Cassie was a serious distraction...

It's kinda cute forcing them together like this, and the traitor was revealed nicely, but the big shootout at the end was a bit forced. 6 out of 8.

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Finished Hearts of Clover / Clover Series Book 1 and 2 by Danielle Stewart FREE on Amazon

Devin was an angry kid when he was railroaded into a murder conviction and lost a decade of his life. Now, he's a successful businessman ready to take revenge on the town that had wronged him and its corrupt sheriff by turning it into a landfill and dump the entire police department. That was, until he found that his love, Rebecca, was not happily married like the letters she wrote him... but was a single mother getting pushed around by her junkie "boyfriend", and still in town. Now, Devin must decide whether revenge is more important to him, or save Rebecca and his humanity instead?

Each of the books reads like a cliffhanger as nothing was resolved, and things get from bad to worse, and new characters are introduced, and old ones disappear without a trace. It's basically a teaser for "book 3", when books 1 and 2 together barely makes a novel (272 pages together). We also get cliffhanger endings. 3 out of 8

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Finished Her Fierce Warrior by Paige Tyler (Book 4 of X-OPS Series)

A special forces team came upon a scene out of a horror movie in Tajikistan... a village of screaming men, running away from a room full of slaughtered men, blood and body parts like an abattoir, and one scared girl who's clearly a hybrid/shifter. Special Forces soldier Angelo managed to calm the girl down and they became inseparable as the team managed to retrieve the unidentified hybrid and move her to the states into the ultra-secret compound of X-OPS, and finally learned that her name is Minka, and she was experimented on by scientists and escaped, and she was an "artificial hybrid" (someone injected her with something). After a little training and exploration, can Minka find the lab that created her? Are there more hybrids to be saved? Can they catch the evildoers?

Kinda interesting variation on "shifter romance" without overreliance on urban fantasy. 6.5 out of 8

Kasey Chang · Post by **Kasey Chang** » Wed Nov 30, 2016 12:18 am

Finished Huntress Moon by Alexandra Sokoloff FREE on Prime Reading

FBI Special Agent Matt Roarke was closing on a major criminal organization when his undercover agent was mowed down in front of him by a truck on a busy street after requesting an emergency meet, and the only clue he had was an enigmatic blonde girl wearing a sleeveless high collar blouse that he saw for a split moment. Operating on a hunch, he soon found that this girl had also appeared at the scene of two other "accidents", which makes him believe he may be onto the rarest of the rare: a female serial killer. As Roarke hunt for clues across multiple Western states, he slowly realized that the mystery woman was the very reason he joined law enforcement, and the woman was on a mission of her own... and their goal may not be that different, even though they are on opposite sides of the law...

Nice mystery / suspense as the police closed in. I don't think the big battle at the end really meant anything, it felt... tacked on / extraneous. Still, good book

7 out of 8

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Finished Method 15/33 by Shannon Kirk

A pregnant 16-year old girl was just kidnapped walking back from school, shoved into a dirty van, and driven to parts unknown. Through snippets of conversation, from her guards and the "doctor" and the "couple" that came to "visit", she knew that they want her baby, and it was likely she won't survive giving birth. But it is the captors that should be afraid. Because instead of the typical 16-year old hormonal teen scream queen... Who they got is a 16-year old genius-level sociopath with almost photographic memory... And she has two objectives... protect her baby... and exact merciless revenge. 33 methods (and counting) have been devised. Soon method 15 will be put to use... This is her story, and the story of the FBI agent chasing her down with his own demons to conquer...

Wow, one heck of a thriller. Who knew that a 16-year old can be this... calculating? Rarest of the rate: 7.5 out of 8 for minor pacing issues near the end.

Kasey Chang · Post by **Kasey Chang** » Thu Dec 01, 2016 1:13 pm

Finished Her Secret Agent a X-OPS novella by Paige Tyler

John, director of Depart of Covert Ops, wants to recruit Cree Forest... a clever fox-shifter. But Cree was not who she seems... and she had been watching John longer than he had eyes on her... On opposite sides of a game that can easily prove lethal, can they trust each other?

Interesting intro to the X-OPS series about shifters in our midst. 6 out of 8, but mostly to throw previews of other series at us.

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Finished SEAL's Honor by Elle James

SEAL Reed Tucker doesn't believe in commitment until he got involved with the right woman: Delaney O'Connell. A pilot for the 160th Nightstalkers that often carry them into battle, O'Connell knows the risk of loving a SEAL. When Reed's best friend proposed to her just before a mission, then lost an arm on that mission, she can't refuse the proposal, and now she's torn between loving one and pledged to another. Will Reed admit he can love before it's too late?

Ah, finally someone who knows combat and love and all that. Fight scenes are authentic, and all the rest. 6.5 out of 8.

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Finished Making Her His by Lucy Leroux

Alex Hanas is a business magnate that has a secret obsession... He had been waiting for his step-sister Elynn to come of age... So he can properly seduce her, and he was angry that a stalker rich kid had actually beaten her and almost raped her, and ruined her self-image that she almost always wear something that DE-emphasize her figure. But now Elynn is all grown up, and Alex can no longer wait.

It's a coming-of-age story for Elynn to grow from a virgin with no body self-esteem and confidence to a girl who can dress up (or down), with desire to explore sex, and plenty of confidence to face down Alex's crazy ex and confront something even more terrible... The problem is Alex came off as overbearing ASS that just orders other people's lives around without even asking, even though he actually did care, i.e. "I did all the thinking for you already".

6 out of 8

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Finished Ocean of Storms by Christopher Mari and Jeremy K. Brown

In the near future, political tensions between US and China are about to explode over Taiwan when an EMP pulse emanated from the moon and disabled the electrical grid on Earth for days. Something on the Moon is signaling. Why? When suspicious circumstances in both nation's space program caused loss of lives, an unprecedented effort of co-operation means a joint-team will head for the moon... but they were not prepared for what was hidden on the moon for millions of years...

2001 + Gravity + Apollo 13 + UFO Conspiracy + Time Travel, it's a heck of fun read if a bit long at times. 7 out of 8

Kasey Chang · Post by **Kasey Chang** » Fri Dec 02, 2016 12:59 pm

Finished Hungry Like the Wolf by Paige Tyler FREE on Amazon

The Dallas SWAT team has a huge secret... They are all werewolves (i.e. Wolf shifters). They are the darlings of Dallas, getting people out of the stickiest of situations, occasionally showing possibly beyond humans abilities, but usually in situations where no one would have cared. And they are just too squeaky clean for an investigative journalist like Mackenzie Stone. And what better target to get the scoop than directly at the commander Gage Dixon? Gage knew Mac is trouble the moment she was "invited" into the command van, but he can't refuse her. Keep your friends close, but enemies closer. Except... he never realized that once she got that close, he may not want to let her go. But there are troubles ahead for the Dallas SWAT... not just from bad guys out for their hide, but getting exposed from within...

Fun story with the reporter who realized sometimes, the truth must be buried. 6.5 out of 8

$iljanus · Post by **$iljanus** » Fri Dec 02, 2016 1:40 pm

Kasey Chang wrote:Finished Hungry Like the Wolf by Paige Tyler FREE on Amazon

The Dallas SWAT team has a huge secret... They are all werewolves (i.e. Wolf shifters). They are the darlings of Dallas, getting people out of the stickiest of situations, occasionally showing possibly beyond humans abilities, but usually in situations where no one would have cared. And they are just too squeaky clean for an investigative journalist like Mackenzie Stone. And what better target to get the scoop than directly at the commander Gage Dixon? Gage knew Mac is trouble the moment she was "invited" into the command van, but he can't refuse her. Keep your friends close, but enemies closer. Except... he never realized that once she got that close, he may not want to let her go. But there are troubles ahead for the Dallas SWAT... not just from bad guys out for their hide, but getting exposed from within...

Fun story with the reporter who realized sometimes, the truth must be buried. 6.5 out of 8

I don't know why but I found this particular Kasey Chang recommendation hilarious. SWAT team werewolves, plucky female reporter, romance! Watch the fur fly!

Kasey Chang · Post by **Kasey Chang** » Fri Dec 02, 2016 1:51 pm

They even changed SWAT to mean "Special Wolf Alpha Team".

$iljanus · Post by **$iljanus** » Fri Dec 02, 2016 1:54 pm

Kasey Chang wrote:They even changed SWAT to mean "Special Wolf Alpha Team".

LOL of course they did.

Kasey Chang · Post by **Kasey Chang** » Sat Dec 03, 2016 1:34 am

Finished Deadly Betrayal by Lee Anne Jones FREE on Amazon

Country music star January Winters has a stalker problem, and it's getting bad to worse, bad enough that her manager Lou hired a bodyguard. What she didn't expect was it be Dino Machiavelli, her high school lover... and she ran away from him back then. This time, there is no running. The stalker gets ever closer and actions ever more threatening. Why? What was the stalker after?

Kinda like a version of "The Bodyguard", albeit with a couple side plots like an addict cousin, a former flame, a secret hidden by the manager, and the FMC who's basically too stupid to live, as she never seems to set the alarm. 5.5 out of 8

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Finished Protecting Caroline by Susan Stoker FREE on Amazon

Caroline is a chemist who hates crowds and considered herself below average in looks... On a commercial flight to East Coast, she was seated next to SEAL Matthew "Wolf" Steel and two other members of SEAL team in civvies when they came upon a plot to hijack the plane where the passengers were drugged and pilots disabled because the crew was infiltrated. Disaster was only averted by Caroline noticed the smell in the ice and SEAL team was able to retake the aircraft. Caroline was wounded and flown to East Coast by the SEAL team where Matt and Caroline fell in love. While SEALs were on a mission, Caroline was stalked and her home invaded. FBI moved her to a safehouse and SEAL team joined in, but then the safehouse was attacked and Caroline was taken. Now the team must gather and save Caroline because the terrorists had to learn how the plot was foiled... but there's a traitor...

Still pretty generic badass, the SEALs in this book at least get to do some wet missions like a SEAL rather than just super-soldier. On the other hand, occasionally the bad guys are just gloating evil and the good guys are misled too easily. And the FMC is just... masochistic. 3 out of 8

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Finished Billionaire's Assistant by Rose Francis

Naomi is having a perfect storm of a bad day... Everything had went wrong. The night before her roommate's boyfriend tried to get into HER bed. She didn't get any sleep and ended up distracted at work and lost her job. Only a rich handsome (white) guy's help cheered her up slightly. The guy lived in a mansion and needed a personal assistant. No catch... Really?

There's a twist near the end, but this is basically one long fairy tale about the girl down on her luck was saved by a prince. It's even advertised as a BWWM (black woman, white man) romance. One twist at the end about a sister was not too bad, but too little too late. FMC is strong, but there's nothing for her to do except accept the white rich guy as her lover.

3 out of 8

Kasey Chang · Post by **Kasey Chang** » Sat Dec 03, 2016 6:54 am

Finished Sheriff Catches a Bride: Chance Creek Book 5 by Cora Seton FREE (for the moment) on Amazon

Sheriff Cab Johnson is single even as all his guy friends are getting married... and the girl he wanted, Rose Bellingham, is engaged... to Jason, who's elsewhere for 6 years. Rose got engaged to get away from her controlling parents but ended up being controlled by her fiancee's father, neither approved of her love of art. Rose needed independence, and she came up with the idea: build a treehouse in a forest. Soon she was joined by Mia (who's pregnant) and Hannah (who is having some problems with her boyfriend). Then additional visitors arrived... Jason is back in town, and he brought a girl... On the run from terrorists who are about to marry her off to an operative here... And some unsavory characters followed them into town... and Cab better figure out something fast to protect the town...

Wow, almost TOO MANY elements mixed together to complicate the Cab / Rose relationship. They do come all back together but one or two of these side plots can be axed, IMHO, to keep things moving.

6.5 out of 8

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Finished Hell or High Water by Jerrie Alexander FREE on Amazon

Ex-SEAL Nate Wolfe cannot leave Kay Taylor in danger though she may not want to see him again because he left her 15 years ago to be a SEAL. Kay's job as a Child Protection Services agent had her stumble into a giant conspiracy of human traffickers near Dallas. Her latest recovered victim was found dead in a hospital dead as a "suicide", and she was kidnapped once, escaped, then saved from an attempted kidnapping within a few days. What are these criminals looking for? As Kay's co-worker Holly was kidnapped, the former "wolf pack" must reunite with Nate leading the pack... and stay away from Kay... if he can.

The threat pivoted a couple times with the end dragged on for a bit. I guess it's okay.

5.5 out of 8.

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Finished Protecting Alabama by Susan Stoker FREE on Amazon

Alabama had a horrible start of life, abused physically and emotionally since young, she spend high school in foster care, to stay quiet, and rely only on herself, and have a way out. Chance brought her to attention of Christopher "Abe" Powers, part of the SEAL team, tired of bar scene and superficially beautiful people, and Alabama was a breath of fresh air... so quiet, so innocent, and so self-reliant. Abe knew he must get to know her better. And proceed to do just that. But after a false accusation torn them apart, can one side forgive?

Pretty average pure romance between an ingenue and a totally honest guy with a third bad-person being the evil biatch. The beat's all wrong, with a HUGE pause between darkest hour and grand gesture. 4 out of 8.

Kasey Chang · Post by **Kasey Chang** » Sun Dec 04, 2016 11:10 am

Finished Adam / Faraday Country Book 1 by Chris keniston

Meg O'Brien thought she dodged a bullet when she learned, in the hour before her marriage, who her fiancee really is, so she took the red sports car and did a runaway bride, still in her wedding gown. Now she's in the middle of nowhere in Texas on a country road with a flat tire, after a possible collision with a dog, with no phone, no wallet, and no help, until Adam Faraday, the oldest of the Faraday clan came upon her. Meg must adjust to country life with no money and no prospects, and make friends with all the quirky residents... and maybe... is there a spark with her rescuer?

Nice quick romance with a bit of suspense near the end and everything was resolved nicely. 6.5 out of 8 even though it's a little short.

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Finished Moment in Time by Lisa Mondello FREE on Amazon

Jenna Traynor got her life back. Her no-good BF left her to deal with her problem by herself, and now she's free to work on Nantucket Island, get social again, and a good place to restart her life... fun times, great views, lots of yummy guys... Then she met Bobby... Can she afford to fall in love, or keep it just as a summer fling and keep her heart from breaking?

Bobby Callahan is on convalescent leave from the military after suffering a serious wound. His mind was on rehabilitation because he joined the military to get away from it all, and he desperately wanted to get away again... Until he found Jenna. He knew Jenna's life was in danger, and he will have to go back to his unit, but he does not want to let go...

Nice emotional tugs / wounds preventing either side from falling fully in love, not to mention lots of meddling relatives, as Bobby came from a rich clan. 6 out of 8

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Finished Lost and Found by Willow Summers FREE on Amazon

Krista had suffered a very abusive relationship before making a clean break and ran off to San Francisco for a great job... If not for the scrumptious boss Sean, the office charmer who seem to have every female in the company on his beck and call. And it seems he had set his eyes on the new hire...

Slow, kinda "boiling frog" of a romance, but also a bit of coming of age, as Krista have to learn to trust men again, and trusting the guy who's the office flirt is going to be a bit of a problem. 5/8

There are two more volumes of this story, but this is not a cliffhanger.

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Finished Ready to Fall by Olivia Dade FREE on Amazon

Librarian Sarah needs to learn how to ride a bike in just 3 days because she needs to get on the school bike retreat to attract her oblivious co-worker Ulysses to fall in love... she needs someone who can stand her theatrics, and she thinks Ulysses may be that person. But when she spot her bicycling teacher Chris's physique, her plans may have some bumpy roads ahead... Chris Dean had to get away from his hometown when her fiancee went for his best friend instead. He changed everything and vowed never to fall in love, even when Sarah, a feisty blonde bombshell, offered him $500 for a couple riding lessons. But when they start riding, it may be right into each other's arms instead...

A novelette at just over 100 pages, it's a fun fast read. 6.5 out of 8

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Finished Christmas Romance 2016 Short Story Collection

Four short stories (about 50 pages each) set in the town of Vinegrove featuring four different couples with some common characters and settings. All four are sweet and features Christmas in a significant way, and many of them involve a little get-together at the wine shop where the ladies play a little game called "The Love List" where each single lady draw a name of all the eligible bachelors in town, and surprisingly the right name came up more often than not.

All four are sweet, but some are plotted better than others. Average I can give this 5.5 out of 8. Some are just 4, some are 6.

Kasey Chang · Post by **Kasey Chang** » Fri Dec 09, 2016 2:18 am

(Did I go a couple days without posting here? Or did someone roll back the entries?)

Finished Gabe: Alvarez Security Book 1 by Maryann Jordan FREE on Amazon

Gabe is a bodyguard / security agent on VIP Protection when he saw Jennifer dumpster diving at a banquet hall for food to take back to her senior home, and he was immediately smitten and wanted to make sure she was all right. When a real estate "mogul" set his sights on Jennifer's building as a part of his "redevelopment", accidents, intimidations, started to happen. When the threats turn to murder, Gabe must call upon his friends to protect the one woman he loved.

Both FMC and MMC have good character arcs and even the evil can be explained. 7 out of 8.

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Finished Scandal with a Prince by Nicole Burnham

Megan had the perfect summer fling ten years ago in the jungles of Venezuela with a hot prince... Prince Stefano, but he had to go home and marry his fiancee. And he never knew she got pregnant. Ten years later, Megan is at the height of her career as business manager of a major hotel in Spain... when she ran into Stefano again... and this time, he is not letting her get away... even as he was surprised by the revelation that he had a daughter... out of wedlock.

Romance is sweet, but 10 year wait to rekindle a romance is kinda... weird. 6 out of 8.

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Finished The Star King by Susan Grant FREE on Amazon

Jas Boswell was shot down in the desert and the last thing she remembered was a golden-eyed stranger and they saved each other. Fifteen years later, friendly aliens visited Earth, and Jas saw the man in her dreams... former Crown Prince Rom B'kah, now in exile, but still wielding some power. And Jas will do anything to see that man again... to learn their destiny together, even if it is to be among the stars...

Problem with writing romances with aliens is... you have to make the aliens essentially human... so human they are... ahem, biologically compatible with all the appendages and such. The aliens in this book are basically human, albeit with a higher tech level. 5 out of 8

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Finished Texas Rose Forever by Katie Graykowski FREE on Prime Reading

CanDee McCain was hired to write the history of Texas Rose ranch, 2nd largest in the state, but was mistaken by the head cowboy there... Cinco for a stripper. CanDee and Cinco did not hit it off, but Cinco's contriteness and willingness to apologize got her swooning, for Cinco was a sweet guy hurt by betrayal of his previous marriage (Naomi married him for the money) . CanDee, on the other hand, was haunted by her evil ex who stole her debut novel and passed it off as his own, not to mention getting her evicted from her place and had her living out of her car for a while. When CanDee's history turned up some potentailly embarrassing secrets, CanDee had to figure out can she sacrifice her own accomplishments for her love.

Fun read, though there's not enough karma for the bad guy. 7 out of 8.

Kasey Chang · Post by **Kasey Chang** » Fri Dec 09, 2016 4:33 am

Finished Blame it on Mistletoe by Dani Collins FREE on Amazon

Liz Flowers is a California Girl, but this Christmas she's stuck sitting her former mother-in-law's dog in Marietta ... and she let her ex took her daughter to Mexico. Blake Canon had his son away and he spots Liz... and realized Liz was once married to brother of his ex-wife. Their kids may be cousins, but they're determined to make the best of kissing under the mistletoe, until all the kids started to arrive early, and more family secrets are revealed...

More family drama than romance, IMHO. 6 out of 8.

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Finished A perfect shade of Assassin collection by Rebecca Milton

The girl who prefer to engage her target in passionate sex... then stab them in the neck. Five of her adventures where she leaves no witnesses, no matter how good of a fuck they are. There were a few situations where she met her match... but... well, you'll see.

6.5 out of 8, mainly for the sex.

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Finished Craze: Pierce Security 1 by Anne Conley

When Krista caught her boss doing the unthinkable, and she can't unsee what she saw, she ran. Pierce Security was called in for an assignment... and Ryan was assigned the job of tracking down Krista, who supposedly stole some serious secrets. But something was very wrong. Ryan found Krista and sorta forced her to stay with him to protect her, and Ryan was smitten. When Krista was kidnapped right from Ryan's house, Ryan must rally his team on a search and rescue mission, not just for Krista, but for other lives in the balance as well, as the FMC basically had a "too stupid to live" moment, while the bad guys are just gloaters. (Instead of eliminating her right away, they want to make additional money out of her by using her in a snuff film)

These security novels are getting a bit formulaic. 5.5 out of 8.

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Finished And Never Let Her Go by Nancy Glynn

Erin Donahue had a career in photography and a man who will do anything for her... But when she found out something about herself, she had to run, for she was afraid to hurt any one. Now she lives in a small town of Destiny, IL, and embraced her quiet life, until Slade Callahan showed up at her door... Slade Callahan loved Erin, but Erin loved his brother, so he buried his love and went through his army tour. Now he's back, and he never understood why did Erin run. Until he found his brother dead... with two letters... One for his wife... and one for Erin. Now he's here to deliver his brother's final message... and profess his own love for Erin... But what was in the letter? What was the secret that Erin tried desperately to hide that she had to run?

Family drama, letter from beyond the grave, secrets and more secrets, and who knew what. 7 out of 8.

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Finished Silk and Spurs by Cheyenne McCray FREE on Amazon

Jessie Porter is on the Arizona "Bar C" Ranch, home of the Cameron clan, to cover the wedding of Zane Cameron, and found herself swooning for the cowboy, but know he is off-limits. Zane feeling that his fiancee is showing some devious cattiness that she had hidden, called off the wedding... then attackers started targeting Jessie, forcing Jessie into seeking Zane's protection. But Zane's fiancee had more dastardly plans for both Jessie and Zane...

It's almost formulaic that romantic suspense results in a kidnapping as the "darkest hour". This one was done actually pretty deftly, no "too stupid to live" moments here, even if it's almost based off the same formula. 6.5 out of 8

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Finished Once Upon a Cowboy by Lacy Williams FREE on Amazon

Princess Alessandra escaped to a place no one would ever think of looking for her... a ranch in Oklahoma, after surviving an assassination attempt in New York. She was taken in by Gideon, former Navy SEAL, now rancher with a bum knee, and gets to meet the entire family of ranch hands and more. Gideon knew Allie is keeping secrets, but also discovered that she loves children and was not a stuck-up royal. Allie, on the other hand, learned that beneath the gruff exterior of Gideon "the bear" is a warm loving heart. When enemies close in, Gideon must once again pick up the gauntlet and protect Allie... against all enemies.

Basically a retelling of Snow White as a contemporary romance, it's actually not as corny as it sounds, but not as good as a completely independent story either. Doesn't make sense for him to just escort her around. 5 out of 8

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Finished Anti-Hero by Sky Warren FREE on Amazon

Sofia was a reporter for an Austin newspaper working on political corruption. She took off early, only to see someone bombed the newspaper office, destroying the backup server farm, leaving the copy of news in her laptop the only copy. She eventually made it home, only to find her landlord dead and her apartment being ransacked. She made a "last call" to her former boyfriend Nate (who's now in the security business). He came to her rescue just in time... Despite having parted ways months earlier. Now the two are stuck together against someone with almost unlimited reach, and they can no longer deny the passion that they share. But there is someone betraying Sofia from the inside, and the stakes are higher that Nate had to call in some help... to take down a giant conspiracy... and save Sofia.

The problem here is pacing. There are flashbacks to Sofia's childhood, about how she can't fall in love because she was raped by her brother's gang, and how her brother sacrificed himself to get rid of the gang threat once and for all. Those revelations feel... extraneous, that they don't fit into the flow of the novel. 5.5 out of 8

Kasey Chang · Post by **Kasey Chang** » Fri Dec 09, 2016 3:09 pm

Finished Love Hate Relationship by Jessica Prince FREE on Amazon

Rowan Locklaine was soured on relationships after giving it to one woman who broke his heart. Now he's an impossible temperamental foul-mouthed boss who drove away every personal assistant by either being hostile to them, or by fucking them first THEN be hostile when they turned cling-y. Then came Navie Collins. Navie likes Rowan fine... until he opened his ***damn mouth. She also believes she's not worthy of anything, including love, and she doesn't care about other people's opinions... other than getting a job, and thus, she could put up with Rowan's antics, even as they convinced themselves that they hate each other... but soon they realized life is so empty without each other... Is there a future for them?

Kinda cute push-pull love-hate, both realizing they are worth something. 6 out of 8.

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Finished Blame it on Mistletoe by Noelle Fox FREE on Amazon

JD Baxter had only one wish... let Daddy come home again, and he let Saint Nick know, two years in a row. Nothing happened. This time, he wants a personal answer... By heading to North Pole, Alaska... by stowing away . He's going to ask for his miracle in person. And he made it, found a postmistress who insists she's not Mrs. Claus (even though she looks just like her), a man named Rudolph with a herd of reindeer, and even Santa's Workshop full of toys and candy and Christmas Cheer... but... no Saint Nick.

Abby Baxter did everything to hold on after her husband's death, and raise JD despite the loneliness. When JD went missing, her world crumbled, just as her husband's best friend arrived to lend a helping hand, to look for JD, even if it means going to Alaska.

Frank Machado could not save David Baxter life that one last time, but he made a promise to David to look after his family for he had none of his own now. And he felt ashamed for being in love with David's family, even as he came visit. Now, he will do anything to reunite that family.

Perhaps wishes do come true... if you blame it on the mistletoe.

Family drama and romance, fun little adventure, with a little romance mixed in. Pretty clean and holiday cheers and warm and fuzzy. 6.5 out of 8, short too. (Under 200 pages)

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Finished Home for Christmas by Emme Rollins

Ginny is on the run, alone, and homeless. She has proof of some bad people doing some very bad things, including to herself. She knew if they found her, they will kill her, but only after they have inflicted the maximum amount of pain and humiliation... AFTER they find and destroy the proof. But she will do anything to keep her sister and her sister's boys safe... When a mysterious man offered her help in her times of need she must decide if she can trust this mysterious man...

Short novel with a good amount of suspense, a lot of details about living as a homeless, and some very bad people doing very bad things getting their karma. 6.5 out of 8.

Kasey Chang · Post by **Kasey Chang** » Sat Dec 10, 2016 1:55 pm

Finished The Family Simon Box Set 1: Books 1 - 3 By Juliana Stone

Tucker Simon had given up on love when his wife disappeared on an expedition three years ago. When a family wedding forced him to find a date, he picked... the local bar girl, Abby Matthews, whom he considered as a friend as he knew he was not capable of love. But Abby was in love with Tucker... Can she be satisfied with just being friends... or should she go after more with the risk of breaking her own?

Jack Simon's political career is at risk due to his tumultuous relationship with acclaimed singer Donovan James (a girl, really) until five years ago, when she suddenly broke it off with no explanations. Now Jack wanted an answer, and Donovan herself, but Donovan can't give him what he needs... answers... and herself, because she cannot let her own needs destroy the only man she loved. But Jack will not take no for an answer.

Maverick Simon's songwriting career is on hold as he hid out in New England dealing with burnout when he met Charlie Samuels, an promising engineer genius reduced to fixing cars and caring for her little brother, damaged due to emotional trauma. Maverick had finally found the girl who doesn't want his fame or fortune, even as he knew he was just "passing through" and cannot do relationships. Charlie on the other hand, after having her boyfriend taken by a married older woman, is willing to take a chance, even as a one-night stand... but can she give her heart?

Three tales of normal women falling for rich and powerful men with their own set of family trauma, all of which are above average reads. 6.5 out of 8.

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Finished Too One Hundred by Melissa Blue FREE on Amazon

Eva shared her life with a stranger online, and they flirted with each other almost effortlessly. She can hide her past, and just be her avatar. Imagine her surprise when she discovered that the stranger she chatted with online is her summer professor Grady Addison. And this professor don't date co-ends, much less his students. But Eva... he would make an exception. But she can't let him, because her past can destroy them both...

Spoiler:

Lots and lots of geek references (esp. Firefly, but also Dr. Who, Xbox, and other stuff)

Emotional as heck, yes. 6.5 out of 8

Kasey Chang · Post by **Kasey Chang** » Sun Dec 11, 2016 12:12 am

Finished No Coming Back by Keith Houghton FREE on Prime Reading

Jake Olson is going home to Harper, Minnesota. His father's cancer had turned terminal. His mother had left long ago. His brother had disappeared. He was put in prison for murdering his girlfriend Jenna Luckman on circumstantial evidence alone eighteen years ago. Jenna was never found and there was no body. On the day of Jake's return, a body was discovered at the frozen Hangman Falls. Jake not only wanted to see his father, he also wanted to find who killed Jenna, but his enemies are still in town... His nemesis is now police chief, his friend now a patrolwoman. The more Jake dug, the more he realized there were some aspects of Jenna he knew nothing about... and everybody had secrets... and digging into them means people will die... and what people will do to keep the truth hidden...

Wow, what a twisting plot, even though the end came a bit too quick, IMHO, and the surprise revelation... not quite enough info. A lot of bad guys did not get their karma, but the main character basically committed two mortal sins and he did figure it all out before the end, but a lot of folks didn't get karma. A LOT of people, or did they?

Spoiler:

7 out of 8 for lack of karma for killer of Jenna (or was there karma?) and the very very sad ending.

Kasey Chang · Post by **Kasey Chang** » Tue Dec 13, 2016 11:44 am

Finished A Cliche Christmas by Nicole Deese FREE on Prime Reading

Georgia Cole, aka Holiday Goddess (for penning Christmas-y screenplays) is going home when her gran summoned her to help with a community theater project to raise funds for a girl's cancer treatment. She wanted sun and sand for her November and December. What she got was snow and ice... and the source of her greatest crush and humiliation: Weston James. Struggling to write an original play in a few weeks as well as oversee casting and production, Georgia has no time for romance, or trouble from her nemesis still in town. But Weston James was not going away...

Fun holiday tale, but the "change of heart" ending at the end kinda ruined it for me. 6 out of 8

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Finished Charmingly Yours by Liz Talley FREE on Prime Reading

Rosemary Reynolds is going to SoHo New York to fulfill a friend's last wishes... have an adventure away from the little town of Morning Glory, Mississippi, to live life to the fullest. She took a wrong turn and ended up in Little Italy, and ran into Sal Genovese. Sal was under pressure by his family to settle for running a cafe they are setting up and marry the girl his family adores, but he doesn't love. Sal romanced Rosemary for all his worth. Soon it turned into a mad two-week fling... But when family pressure came to bear, and Rose decided to cut bait and run, will Sal follow his head... or his heart?

Fun romance read about two people so alike, and yet so different. My problem with the book is both families came out as a bit flat "You don't know what you're doing" and the girl came across as so unlikeable it came out as flat evil, rather than sympathetic evil. 6.5 out of 8

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Finished Full Hearts Collection #1 by M J Summers FREE on Amazon

Three novels plus one novella about four couples who have to survive their trials and tribulations

Break In Two: Claire ran from Seattle to get away from her ex who traded her for a 10 year younger hostess. She went to Colorado Springs for a chef's job at a guest ranch, and found her boss, Cole to be the most handsome cowboy ever, and they can't keep their hands off each other. But Cole has an ex who was about to enter the picture, and her own ex was about to invade her life as well...

Don't Let Go: Alicia knew she will marry Ben when she was six. It will take many many years for him to realize it as well, and this was their story.

Breaking Love: Megan has a 6-year old kid Elliot, and she had sworn off love after her marriage to Ian fell apart (because he went to booze and pills after his MLB-career ending injury) a vacation in Paris with her best friend Harper brought her to Luc Chevalier, the quintessential French lover, who managed to draw out the passionate Megan from years ago, but it was supposed to be a holiday fling. Luc thought it was a fling too, but he cannot stop thinking about Megan, but little did he know he has a secret admirer, someone close to him who will protect him from himself... if need be...

Breaking Clear: Harper Young is going home, sans career, when she was dismissed for asking time off to care for her father who had suffered almost fatal injury on his job. There, she encountered her crush and nemesis Evan Donavan. As she resettled into small town life, and made a new life for herself, Evan promised himself to never let her go again... unless it was for her own good. But can he?

Each of these novels is filled with typical romance devices, such as "surprise baby", "accidental pregnancy", "evil manipulative ex", "sick parent", "cute kid", "inconvenient timing", and so on, yet the execution was above average to very good that you don't really notice the problems. 6 out of 8

Kasey Chang · Post by **Kasey Chang** » Wed Dec 14, 2016 4:00 am

Finished Revel by Alison Ryan

Declan and Charlotte met by chance ten years ago, fell in love, then he forced her away, not by choice. It devastated her.

Ten years later, they met again under similar circumstances, in the same city. And both have secrets to reveal... if they will admit their love for each other.

Good romance with parallel timelines, ten years ago, and current day. As you will eventually learn the secret that tore them apart... and the love that brings them back together. 7 out of 8

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Finished Getting Wrapped Up, Sapphire Falls Hol.iday Bundle by Erin Nicholas FREE on Amazon

Three holiday tales of Sapphire Falls where everything is fun... and funny, between a matched yet mismatched couple, Levi (the rich playboy accustomed to city life but need a break) and Kate (city girl who never figured out Christmas) who mistook each other for their respective date, then managed to grow to love each other and want to move to the other's home city... It's funny read.

6 out of 8

Kasey Chang · Post by **Kasey Chang** » Wed Dec 14, 2016 1:27 pm

Finished Our Husband by Stephanie Bond Free on Amazon

When one traveling salesman Raymond Carmichael had an auto accident and ended up in the hospital, THREE Mrs. Carmichael found themselves at the bedside of their trigamy cheating husband... Beatrix the aging socialite, Natalie the harried small-town doctor, and Ruby the pregnant stripper. Raymond soon passed away apparently of a heart attack, leaving the mess for the three to figure out, even as Natalie was gently romanced by the pawnbroker who formerly tried to collect on Raymond's debts. Things soon get even crazier when the autopsy revealed that Raymond was poisoned... and all three Mrs. Carmichaels are under suspicion...

Fun and furious read but the best part is each of the three women changed for the better, and found each other. 6 out of 8

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Finished April's Fool by Blanche Marriott FREE on Prime Reading

April Vaillancourt had a moment of weakness and created a fake wedding album with a guy he had a crush on and herself as an April Fool's joke. And after a girls night out, she accidentally left it at a restaurant. Weeks later, it turned up at the fake groom's desk. And his name is Michael Goode. Michael is an investment advisor about to become CEO, and he was first incensed about her invasion of his privacy. His confrontation with her however, did not go as planned, as he was captivated by her charm... so he went to plan B... Ask her to be his... pretend wife, so he can secure his promotion. Reluctantly, she accepts, but that lead to only more lies, wedding rings, pretending in front of their ex's... and their bosses... But is what they are experiencing real... or just pretense?

Ah, another "fake love turned real", except it wasn't really fake! Nice multi-layer feelings 6.5 out of 8

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Finished Love and Mistletoe by Zara Keane

Policeman Brian Glenn had always had a crush on Sharon but also knew he couldn't get involved because her father was a well-known crook in the town of Ballybeg. Sharon actually had a crush on Brian for a long time too, but she was too busy keeping the family together after her mother got sick. When both ended up enrolled in the local university's forensic psychology class, sparks fly as the unlikely pair admit they had been teasing each other all along! But willt hey finally admit they love each other?

Almost pressure-free sweet romance where nothing really happened much until Sharon finally took the next step: move in with Brian and out of the toxic home of her father. 5.5 out of 8

Kasey Chang · Post by **Kasey Chang** » Thu Dec 15, 2016 9:59 am

Finished Sing Your Heart Out by Crystal Kaswell FREE on Prime Reading

Meg Smart is a good girl. She's 21, aces all her classes, has a great part-time job, and avoids all trouble like drinks, drugs... and boyfriends. Her only vice is her addiction to the band Sinful Serenade... the lead singer, Miles, had a voice that really, really spoke to her. Then she saw him at a party one day... Miles Webb doesn't do "boyfriend"... he can't afford to be committed, nor does his manager. Meg met the real man behind the voice, and she was both embarrassed and intrigued... and Meg gave in to the temptations, and entered a "friends with benefits" arrangement with Miles... and gave up her V-card. There are only three rules: no secrets, no feelings, no falling in love. But surely such an arrangement cannot last...

It's an interesting view on how such a relationship can development over a song, and how secrets and such can break it. It's fun read, 6 /8

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Finished Gambler's Heart by Kay P. Dawson

Fiona is tired of the London society scene where she is no longer marriage material, so she took the biggest gamble of her life: she answered a mail order bride ad in America and went across the ocean. She did not expect to land in a small town in Kansas and be fobbed off like chattel to a gambler named Brooks.

Brooks is a gambling man who wanted to care for his wounded sister and seek revenge against the man who ruined his father. So he farmed by morning and learned to gamble in the afternoon, Until a winning hand sent Fiona into his care, and he could not just walk away...

Fun read, with a compressed darkest hour and grand gesture that leads to HEA. 6/8

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Working on America's Bravest by Kathryn Shay FREE on Amazon

Six novella collection of "Hidden Cove Fire Department" series, a fictional town based on the author's ride-along with a major city's fire department. They are pretty good, actually, as it had a lot to do with work/life balance issues, danger of their profession, and more.

6/8

Kasey Chang · Post by **Kasey Chang** » Thu Dec 15, 2016 10:06 pm

Finished Curing Doctor Vincent by Renea Mason FREE on Amazon

Elaine Watkins, PR Advisor for Western Pharma, was surprised to receive a summons from the enigmatic Dr. Xavier Vincent. Elaine worshipped the superb physician and company icon, responsible for developing the drug that saved her sister, and found him to be a very charming man, and she was eager to report to Paris for the new project. But Dr. Vincent did not summon her for a project... but to indulge him in joining him for his very unusual sexual escapades... Elaine falls for the doctor's games, then learned his circumstances, and decided to change the game on the Good Doctor... and discovered a conspiracy that may have predated the doctor himself...

Surprisingly complex plot that included murder, conspiracy, generational conspiracy (i.e. something that lasted generations), and kink without whips or chains or even pain. 7 out of 8

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Finished The Writer by D.W. Ulsterman FREE on Prime Reading (And $1 on Amazon)

College journalist Adele Plank has been granted the first interview in decades for the one-hit-wonder author Decklan Stone. He had been in mourning for 27 years when in one night, his wife disappeared from his boat and was never found. Adele ventured to the writer's remote private island home and started to figure out something is very very wrong in this town. Many believe Decklan is a murderer, others believe his innocence. Then former police chief ordered her to stop sniffing in places she doesn't belong... She would never suspect what she will end up finding...

Nice mystery, and very interesting variation on hope and love lasting. And it's NOT really a romance, at least not in the traditional sense. 7.5 out of 8 (yes, I know, rare).

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Finished Snow Angel by Melanie Shawn FREE on Amazon

New Chief of Police Eric Maguire of Hope Falls is sexy, single, and ready to settle down, so when a mysterious dark-haired beauty moves in next door, Eric knew he must get to know her better. However, Lily Sotelo is not biting. She's the new choreographer of pop star Karina Black's winter tour, and she had to remain anonymous. She had been running for the past ten years under witness protection, never spending more than six months at a single location, using different identities, and Marshall Service released her two years ago. Now in Hope Falls, Lily felt safe for the first time in years, with friends in town, police chief next door, and a therapy dog that loves her... And the oh so sexy Eric... But working with a pop star means her photos ended up with the paparazzi...

Fun tight little adventure, lots and lots of lust at first sight (but they sure waited to indulge in them). Add a therapy golden retriever called Shadow, and it's a fun romantic suspense read. 6.5 out of 8

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Finished Holiday Heat by Noelle Adams FREE Novella on Amazon

Carrie and Matt, both suffering from tremendous loss, entered into an arrangement... friends with benefits. Just hot sex and nothing else. But Matt soon realized that Carrie is his muse and for him to live again, he needed Carrie... if he can only convince her of that...

Cozy holiday tale about how sex and understanding turned into a lot more. Not too much keeping them apart, really. And it's short. 4/8

Moliere · Post by **Moliere** » Fri Dec 16, 2016 10:45 am

UAE launches new law to 'make reading a daily habit'

Described as the first of its kind, the UAE’s new “national law of reading” was announced by UAE president, Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed al-Nahyan, earlier this week. It will allow government staff time to read at work – although they must focus on reading matter about professional and personal development within the context of the workplace.

The law will also oblige coffee shops to offer reading material for their customers, said Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, the UAE’s vice-president and Dubai’s ruler, and will see branches of libraries opened in malls, as well as exempting books from fees and taxes.

Kasey Chang · Post by **Kasey Chang** » Sat Dec 17, 2016 1:33 am

Finished Ineligible Bachelor by Kathryn Quick FREE on Prime Reading

Frederika "Freddy" McAllister has a plan to win her long-term crush Logan Gabriel's heart... She'll enter him in a magazine's Eligible Bachelor contest, then soothe his bruised ego when he loses. Unfortunately, Freddy's plans usually goes kaboom in her face, because Logan won... and gets to be on a reality TV show with 6 gorgeous women vying for his affections... and Freddy should have read the fine print on the entry form, because as Logan's oldest friend, she will be along to chose the lucky girl! Freddy's perfect plan is now the perfect nightmare, as they are constantly hounded by cameras, yelled at by the show producer for deviating from the script, AND watching her crush wooing someone else! Can Freddy pull a miracle out of the hat? Or is this the finale on her love?

Funny read and sweet, but not quite enough trauma/drama. 6 out of 8.

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Finished Cowboy: Bought and Paid For ... and other stories by Crystal Chance

MacKenzie Green has self-control issues, and she just lost her mother's life savings, originally for her tuition of Masters program, at a casino. With no money left, and desperate to cover it up, she answered a surrogate baby ad... and found a rich rancher Mitchell in Colorado with his beautiful but crazy wife Dana. Mitchell is very hot, very sexy, and not really in love with his wife Dana, but he had no intention of cheating on his wife... yet. Dana, on the other hand, has a way of only hearing what she wanted, suspected MacKenzie of being a homewrecker almost as soon as she arrived (even though it was she who placed the ad). As MacKenzie underwent the in-vitro fertilization and undergoes drama at school (where she failed several classes due to her sickness) Mitchell and Dana's marriage start to go south and MacKenzie is caught in the middle...

Also has a couple other novels/novellas thrown in, totally over 900 pages... The story itself was kinda interesting, as MacKenzie did change, and Mitchell ended up marrying her eventually, but it's kinda low-stress stuff. Not darkest hour, no struggle, no grand gesture. Call it3.5 out of 8. Didn't really read all the other stuff.

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Finished Manhattanite's Christmas by Avery Aster

Actress and Pop Princess Neve Adele will do anything to revive her stalled career (except fall in love and lose her V-card). Single dad Sheldon Truman will do anything to keep his autistic son from his con-women ex-wife. When Neve's PR firm decided to pair them for reality TV show "Celebrity Newlywed Boot Camp", with prize of 1 million dollars and tons of publicity, they agree to get married and pretend to be a couple. But when they fall for each other for real, can this marriage last for real, despite the challenges when his crazy ex and her crazy birth mother came calling? Or is this all destined to be just a manufactured fantasy quickly forgotten?

Sheldon has no problem f***ing Neve six ways to Sunday but the chemistry wasn't explained that well. The pretend couple thing was kinda interesting, as are the AA vows, pretending, and so on. The reality TV show was just mostly sitcom though, and too much "change of heart" at the end. 5 out of 8.

Kasey Chang · Post by **Kasey Chang** » Sat Dec 17, 2016 5:21 pm

Finished Fix On You by Laurelin Paige

Alayna Wither developed an obsessive-compulsive stalker personality/disorder after her parents died and her brother had to bail her out before. After several counseling sessions and studying to be MBA she's better, but always afraid of any commitment to be a trigger to her relapse. She was eager to be manager-trainee/bartender at a nightclub. That is, until she ran into club's new owner, Hudson Pierce. He's gorgeous, smart, rich... the exact kind of person Alayna should stay away from... Except, Hudson wanted her... and made her an offer she cannot refuse: he'll pay off her student loans and pay the lease on her apartment because her brother (who always bailed her out) decided to cut her off for his own family (baby coming soon), if she'll be his pretend girlfriend for a couple months, just to get his mother off his back. However, as Alayna get to know Hudson better, she realized Hudson comes with his own baggage... But it is too late for Alayna to pull away... But perhaps... Alayna and Hudson are perfect for each other...

An interesting variation on the young innocent girl falls for a billionaire. The girl was almost a stalker and recovering, learning to let go, while the guy was almost sociopathic, play with other's emotions like a toy before discarding them, and only realize such actions have consequences.

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Finished Hook line and sinker by Susan May Warren FREE on Amazon

Ross Springer wants to leave a lasting legacy at Bethel College by winning the top prize at the famous Deep Haven fishing contest. However, she never expect his fundraising effort had drawn his nemesis... and secret crush, Abigail Cushman, someone who reminded him of all they had shared... and lost. Abigail planned to run into Ross at the event, even though she never really fished before. Can they reel in each other?

Susan May Warren likes to weave Christianity with romance, and this is a clean one about circumstances and second chances. At only 62 pages this is a very short read. 4 / 8

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Finished Inked Passions by Amber Burns Advance Reader Copy

Tattoo artist (and occasional cage fighter) romances an ER nurse (who's actually pretty rich). Not much here. Romance and sex is fine, but there's minimal threat to the romance. 4/8

Kasey Chang · Post by **Kasey Chang** » Sun Dec 18, 2016 12:38 am

Finished Delta: Retribution by Cristin Harber

Trace Reeves was a navy SEAL until his twin brother's death in Afghanistan had him on the edges of washing out. His only solace was having spent a night with "Mallory" near a base and they had a great night, but she was gone in the morning, never to be found again. Months later, Trace was offered to join Titan Group's Team Delta as an off-the-books operator... and his first serious assignment was to retrieve a high-value-target from some heavy in South America... and that HVT turned out to be "Mallory". Trace reignites the one-night stand, as he finally broke down her walls about her insecurities, and how perhaps, his only salvation.

At under 120 pages, this is a short story, and again, it relies on two kidnappings to threaten the good guys. While the military stuff was up to par, and the romance was not bad, the bad guys are really lame. 6 out of 8.

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Finished Begin Again by Evan Grace

Journey Cummins spent two weeks with the best man she had ever met, and then he disappeared without a trace, leaving her only good memories... and a child. She had spent next two years trying to locate the man, to no avail, until fate brought him back into her life. Dylan Carmichael lied about his name and walked out on Journey two years ago, until she walked in on his brother's wedding reception, on a different man's arm... and told him he had a son. Dylan now must convince Journey to let him back into her life and life of his son... If it is even possible.

Not much here threatening the reconciliation other than spite, pretty much. Both wanted it, nothing really much standing in their way except "I can't let you hurt me again" or some such. 4/8

Kasey Chang · Post by **Kasey Chang** » Tue Dec 20, 2016 5:01 am

Finished Billionaire's Christmas Virgin by J. S. Scott FREE on Amazon

A pretty lame story about a spoiled rich brat who actually has a heart of gold but plenty of jealousy, and a rich guy who will do the right thing for family, indulge himself on a girl who got her world view flipped then walked away, left her with a ton of misunderstanding for a dozen years. 4/8

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Finished The Christmas Secret by Jeannie Watt Free on Amazon

Lil Reynolds had a messy love affair. She loved Casey Lanigan, but Casey was a bad boy and when he was arrested second time, he left town to make a name for himself, leaving her behind. She got engaged to Casey's brother, but called it off last second. Now Casey's brother's getting married on Christmas Day, and Lil only wanted to spend it alone to sulk... Until Casey, who was in town for months trying to show his father that he could run the family business but met cold shoulder at every turn, finally decided he had enough and was about to leave, but a storm stranded him with Lil, and it's confession time... is Casey a changed man? What grudges are Lil still holding? Why did Lil call off the marriage? Is there a future for them together?

Surprising amount of plot in just under 120 pages. 6.5 out of 8 at least.

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Finished Down on Love by Jayne Denker FREE on Amazon

Georgiana Down has a blog "Down on Love" that is getting surprising amount of hits, usually with the advice "dump him". Georgiana herself is getting out of relation with "Lucifer" and going back home to the Castskills. While she likes to care for her niece and enjoy some home cooking, the town is... fully of meddlers, and it sure doesn't help that Georgiana runs into her high school crush, Casey Bowen, now a handsome grown man. And maybe, Georgiana can take some of her own advice, as she had to choose between accepting Casey, and the meddling town, or going back to Boston (and get in the clutches of Lucifer again)...

Somehow this story just feels too... long. Relationship is nice, a lot of push-pull between the two, but it just feels... slow. 5 out 8

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Finished Billionaire Body Guard Attraction by Joanne Wadsworth FREE on Amazon

Lydia Sands witnessed the hit-and-run death of a powerful man's son. Her bodyguard was shot protecting her when the killer came back to dispose of her, and she was placed in hiding. A year later, the case is no closer to being resolved, and her handler put her on a yacht out in the middle of nowhere... except this puts her next to the man who took three bullets for her... and her lover... except he lost some memory such as the good times they had together...

The truth is this plot really makes no sense. Why put her on a yacht when you can't even locate the killer? When the guy did remember their good times together, they managed to really fall in love this time, and she gave up her v-card, AND got pregnant at the same time... just as she went WITSEC (of the NZ equivalent where she got whole change of identity) but he managed to find her again, except for another "too stupid to live" moment. 4 out of 8

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Finished You and Me by Veronica Larsen FREE on Amazon

She's a mid-wife who chose to stay away from traditional meds. He's a neurosurgeon who is the epitome of medicine. They met in a downpour, both noticing each other's attributes, and both are instantly attracted to each other like two different magnets... Opposites do attract!

Fun fast read at only 60 pages. 6 out of 8

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Finished Atlas by Alison Ryan

Atlas Titan defied his tycoon father by becoming a SEAL, then joined CIA's dark ops while heading a tech startup in California. When one of his former step-sisters, Piper Kipton, got into trouble, Atlas was called in by his father to keep her safe... for her tormentor was no less than Atlas' nemesis, an ex-SEAL, who's also a congressman and a blueblood with his own vast resources. The pair took a flight to the Middle East, only to fall into a different trap... For Piper has become Atlas' weakness... For his enemies to exploit... Now Atlas must save himself and his love...

I honestly don't know what to say about this one. The action scenes read like amateur fan fiction (oh, I can just sneak onboard and hide in the back of the plane!) or (I'm fighting 3 guys so I'll just give my knife to the girl who doesn't know how to use it), and the romance reads like hero-worship where Piper basically threw herself at Atlas "please take me, every way you can think of" and she's pregnant by the end of the book (ARGH!) 3 out of 8

YellowKing · Post by **YellowKing** » Tue Dec 20, 2016 9:26 am

Just finished:

Bind,Torture,Kill: The Inside Story of BTK, the Serial Killer Next Door by Roy Wenzl, Tim Potter, Hurst Laviana, L. Kelly

If you want some fun, light bedtime reading, you may want to stay away from this inside tale of one of the most cold-blooded serial killers in American history. Researched with cooperation from the Wichita Eagle, which covered the case meticulously for over three decades, this book is chock full of detailed information with a particular focus on the men and women who tracked BTK and eventually brought him to justice. The details of his murders are absolutely chilling - men, women, and children - he spared no one and had absolutely no remorse. I've always been fascinated with BTK due to his terrifying patience in stalking his victims and matter-of-fact approach to killing. True crime fans should love this book, as it tries to provide a well-rounded view of the story from all sides: killer, victims, and investigators.

Kasey Chang · Post by **Kasey Chang** » Thu Dec 22, 2016 3:42 am

Finished A Seal's Oath by Cora Seton

Navy SEAL Boone Rudman and his 3 buddies, all from Chance Creek, is going home... to start on a reality TV project and build on a dream: self-sustaining community based on Westfield Ranch. There is only one problem... His old crush, Riley Eaton, was already there, believing that ranch was still hers to use, and her own three friends have all decided to quit the rat race and join her doing a Jane Austen revival in the mansion. Now Boone has a problem: convince Riley to marry him... or else the ranch is going bye-bye... except he broke Riley's heart way back when...

To me, Cora Seton has mined Chance Creek too much for her stories. While I don't mind her adding a few characters here and there, this start of a new series was just too far fetched and too much proselytizing about the environment and all that, not to mention trying to setup multiple couples at the same time. 4 out of 8

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Finished Burn by Erin McCarthy FREE on Amazon

Bodyguard Ryan Harris found an intruder in his apartment taking a shower... Except... it's his former step-sister Isabel... but she insists her name is Julia. And he's estranged from his father and barely saw Isabel a few times. He certainly didn't remember this very sexy naked girl. She doesn't quite remember a few things... but she likes this Ryan guy... she feels safe around him. And soon, she wants to take him to bed... but how did she lose her memory? Is someone stalking her?

This plot started off weird, slides off into uncomfortable (she still has her V-card) but actually ends pretty well as the mystery on how did she lose her memory was revealed. 5.5 / 8

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Finished Sealed with a Kiss by Leeanna Morgan FREE on Amazon

John Fletcher is a quiet billionaire living in Montana who wanted his daughter to have the best... But his daughter Bella wanted him to be happy... So she wrote to Bridesmaid's Club about finding her daddy a bride. Rachel McReedy, head of Bridesmaid Club, managed to track down Bella and her father, and her father offered Rachel a temporary tutor position only over the holidays, but at a VERY high pay. Rachel would love to teach Bella, but hates John's high-handed lifestyle or the amount of security around him and his family. But John can't share the amount of threat to him and his family with outsiders, right? Can John convince Rachel to stay permanently, as his wife?

The "threat" was only described, and the few times they were shown, they all turned out to be false alerts. Too much "cry wolf"! 4/8

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Finished Christmas Mail-Order Brides Anthology FREE on Amazon

Very Clean Christian Tales of Four Mail-Order Brides for the holidays. Annika arrives in Wyoming to find that her intended didn't want her, but his brother did. Jolie's journey to Nevada was interrupted by a robbery on the stage coach and animosity between father and son. Elizabeth took a lot of secrets to Nebraska, including her own ex-lover and how she's actually not good in anything she was described...... And Amelia went to California for one final matchup...

Other than almost overly religious tone, they are actually pretty good tales. 6 out of 8

Kasey Chang · Post by **Kasey Chang** » Thu Dec 22, 2016 12:13 pm

Finished Oklahoma Christmas Blues by maggie Shayen FREE on Amazon

Darryl left his girl behind to join the army, then an IED took away his chance to ever father children. Now he works as PI and bodyguard, and he's on assignment... Watching over the very beautiful Sophie McIntyre. Sophie was a doctor who got ruined when her ex stole her prescription pad and wrote himself oxycontin for himself and for sale that basically destroyed her career and possibly her license to practice. She went home to bartend in the family bar back in OK to pass the time. She did not expect to fall for the big and gentle head bouncer, yet the Christmas wishes she asked for are coming true one by one... Perhaps... it is time to believe.

Kinda "Christmas Miracle" story that had a couple nice twists, perfect Christmas romance, sweet. Call it... 6 out of 8.

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Finished Dream Vacation (Short Story) by Sidney Bristol FREE on Amazon

She's taking a vacation in Mexico... and stranded due to a hurricane. He's crashing her vacation, except they've never met face to face, but only online. But they are about to take it to the next level...

Meh. 5 out of 8

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Finished My Love by Melanie Shawn novella FREE on Amazon

Kinda prequel story between Bobby and Sophie and a development that will test their relationship. Kinda meh there. Previously reviewed her intro book "My First" and that was a better read. IMHO, of course. 5/8

$iljanus · Post by **$iljanus** » Thu Dec 22, 2016 2:08 pm

Kasey Chang wrote:Finished A Seal's Oath by Cora Seton

Navy SEAL Boone Rudman and his 3 buddies, all from Chance Creek, is going home... to start on a reality TV project and build on a dream: self-sustaining community based on Westfield Ranch. There is only one problem... His old crush, Riley Eaton, was already there, believing that ranch was still hers to use, and her own three friends have all decided to quit the rat race and join her doing a Jane Austen revival in the mansion. Now Boone has a problem: convince Riley to marry him... or else the ranch is going bye-bye... except he broke Riley's heart way back when...

To me, Cora Seton has mined Chance Creek too much for her stories. While I don't mind her adding a few characters here and there, this start of a new series was just too far fetched and too much proselytizing about the environment and all that, not to mention trying to setup multiple couples at the same time. 4 out of 8

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You know, you never hear about Delta getting wrapped up in silly romantic entanglements.

Kasey Chang · Post by **Kasey Chang** » Thu Dec 22, 2016 3:55 pm

That's the problem of romance writers. They fall into tropes. Every badass male is an ex-SEAL, and every regency romance male lead is a pirate captain or a rake Duke. There were jokes that if there were that many dukes in romance royalty would populate the earth or something like that. I propose the following observation... if there were that many ex-SEALs we'd have won the war on terror a decade ago.

Kasey Chang · Post by **Kasey Chang** » Fri Dec 23, 2016 3:28 am

Finished Once a Wife by Patricia Keeley

Sarah Colby left her son and her husband when she was seventeen because she believed that was the only way she could help her family. Her husband Reese, a rich rancher's son with aspirations for politics, married her, a half native American, and had a kid Drew and is taking minimum wage construction jobs because he was disowned by his family. And their son has diabetes upon birth. She lied to leave him, because her mother-in-law promised to take him and their son back if she will leave him... so she did... back to her reservation... pregnant with daughter Lisa. Twelve years later, their son Drew is getting self-destructive because Reese is about to marry for convenience and make a run for the state legislature. Sarah chose to get involved with her son's life, even if she had to pretend to be a stranger... and incur the wrath of her ex and her ex-mother-in-law... and maybe... even let him know he had a daughter too...

More family drama than romance, it does switch to romance later when both sides revealed WHY they chose what they did, and understood each other's choices. The trick is making their kids understand the problem too... 6.5 out of 8

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Finished Navy SEAL's E-Mail Order Bride by Cora Seton FREE on Amazon

Mason Hall and his three brothers (one for each branch of military) have a chance of getting Crescent Hall, their ancestral ranch, back from Aunt Eloise by playing her game... Get the ranch running again, all four brothers wed and at least one baby on the way... within twelve months. Their problem... They don't even have girlfriends yet. Their solution? Advertise for e-mail order brides! Regan was ready to start a family by herself, even scheduled an IVF and quit her job, when she came across Mason's ad, and in a drunken dare, replied, and they are both intrigued by each other's answers, and Skype convo followed. And Mason managed to convince Regan to go to Montana with him to check out the place. Unfortunately, it seems that their uncle Zeke had practically gutted the ranch, pawned off anything of value, still left a ton of unpaid bills behind, and the whole ranch is in crap shape. Will Mason and Regan make a go at it despite all that's against them?

With a focused story Cora Seton's email order bride stories actually make sense and was fun to read. 6.5 out of 8.

Kasey Chang · Post by **Kasey Chang** » Sat Dec 24, 2016 2:52 am

Finished Christmas Lights by Jolyse Barnett FREE on Amazon

Jade Engel walked away from her dead-end unappreciated career and headed home... and ran into her old childhood friend Ben Stephens. They used to be best friends, until she ended it and left him behind. Now "Benji" is all grown up, a doctor, handsome as heck, and... very available. However, her family believed that Ben was the source of their troubles with one of Jade's twin brothers and blacklisted Ben. However, Jade is a big girl and can make her own decisions, and she's only home for a little while, so she will engage Ben as friend with benefits... but Ben wants a lot more...

Not too bad as a romance, though family hate on that is, IMHO, really lame. 5.5 out of 8.

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Finished Winter Interlude by Sandy Loyd

Kate is dating James, who is Paul's brother, but James is not ready to settle down. Kate is mortal enemies of Paul, always have verbal barbs for each other that's beyond tease. Paul is dating Kate's best friend Judith, but Judith is not in love with Paul. When circumstances force Kate to spend a ski vacation in Tahoe with Paul... they are forced to confront each other's real feelings... and realization that they should make love, not war.

Actually not bad, if a bit tedious. 5 out of 8.

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Finished Horns and Heels by Nathaniel Wake Advanced Reader Copy

A female business owner falls under the spell of a rough-and-ready cowboy... who's into kinky sex.

Makes no f***ing sense, as this is purely erotica. The businesswoman, taking a day off to watch a rodeo, basically chose to perform fellatio on this cowboy she barely met minutes ago, then gets into breath play (i.e. light choking) then in a few weeks, flies down there for some personal BDSM sex.

At least the cowboy terms and BDSM terms are accurate, but this sort of fantasy (and that's all it is, a fantasy that couldn't possibly happen) should just be fantasy, not romance.

5.5 out of 8.

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Trying to read two novel collections, one's not bad, the other started very very weird and dark.

Kasey Chang · Post by **Kasey Chang** » Sat Dec 24, 2016 6:12 pm

Finished A Family for Christmas by Mona Ingram FREE on Amazon

Lily, an upcoming fashion designer, and Maddie, newly unemployed accountant goes through the holidays getting to know the Chase and Brent, the Drummond brothers and their niece Annie, while dealing with their psycho ex's derailing their romance.

I like the double pairing, but when both couples had to use psycho ex to derail the romance it's just... shallow as heck. 6 out of 8

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Finished Katie: Clover Springs Mail Order Brides

Katie O'Callaghan left Ireland fleeing the destruction of her clan's village. She never imagined she would be forced to flee Boston less than a year later, but she can no longer stand her uncle's household full of forced labor... and keep her sister safe. The only way out seems to be to become a mail order bride... AND take her sister along to Colorado. Daniel Sullivan is in need of a wife if he was to get a loan to buy out the general store in town... but the only girl he wanted, met on the train that was being robbed, was betrothed to someone else... Which would happen to be Katie. But God works in mysterious ways...

A pretty good mix of mail order bride tropes, about taking chances, love, and promises, as well as a good family. While short, all the plot devices are there. Darkest hour, on the other hand, is not dark enough, IMHO. And there wasn't much of a grand gesture.

5 out of 8.