Tell Me Why: a tangled web of secrets, corruption and betrayal in the small town of Hart's Ridge

Tell Me Why is the fourteenth book in the Hart’s Ridge series by Kay Bratt. Private investigator Taylor Gray is called to the scene of a charred vehicle, a vehicle registered to her family’s farm. Inside is a body too damaged to be identified; however, nothing prepares Taylor for the news that the victim might be someone who called family. She begins by digging deep into the victim’s ties to a shady local business, a business that seems to come out of nowhere. A business which leaves a trail of secret deliveries and someone pulling the strings. Fighting through grief and the swirling rumors, Taylor follows every lead of corruption, addiction and betrayal. She gets closer with each lead, there is someone who is desperate to keep her from discovering the truth. Her instincts tell her there is more to the case than just an unfortunate accident. However, she isn’t prepared to learn who is behind it all. 

The Hart’s Ridge series has been a wild ride of cases inspired by real life events and a family forming a new foundation. Tell Me Why opens as Taylor is racing to the scene of an accident which readers learned about in the previous book. When I learned who the victim was, I cried and I was just as determined as Taylor to find out the why and who. I did pick up on a clue about who the mastermind behind the shady business was and I hoped I was wrong. The story does end on a cliffhanger as someone who is finally ready to reveal all that they know. If you are a fan of the Hart’s Ridge series, I highly, highly recommend Tell Me Why. If you haven’t started the series, I recommend starting with book 1, Hart’s Ridge. You will be pulled into the small town, the residents and the danger that lurks in the shadows. 

Tell Me Why is in paperback and eBook

The Hidden Prince: a young woman must lean on God during a period of political secrets and danger

The Hidden Prince by Tessa Afshar is a story of a young woman who finds herself leaning on God during a period of political secrets. In order to help her family, Keren is taken into Daniel’s household and soon becomes his most trusted scribe. She also finds herself taking lessons and swordsmanship training with Daniel’s sons and their best friend, Jared. After a tragic accident sends her far from home, Keren finds herself in a foreign country, tasked with teaching Artadates, a young shepherd boy, in secret on how to be a lord. When she overhears clues to the boy’s true identity, she realizes what could be at stake. Jared finds it difficult to forgive Keren for the accident; however, he finds himself traveling far and wide to bring her home. When he learns the boy’s identity, Jared knows that he and Keren must do what they can to protect him, trying to save the boy who could be the one foretold to deliver their people from captivity. 

Tessa Afshar has the amazing ability to bring to life the stories of the Bible that might seem dry and boring. I have loved her storytelling since I picked up Pearl in the Sand (2010) and I eagerly await her newest release. The Hidden Prince is a story set during the Babylon captivity as Daniel is an older man, well respected during Nebuchadnezzar's reign. Keren is a young woman who has talents and skills beyond her years. I found myself immersed in the story as I followed Keren from Babylon to the Medes Empire. I loved the recurring theme of enduring. Taking from 1 Chronicles 16:34 “Give thanks to the Lord; for he is good; his faithful love endures forever,” Keren and Jared learn what it means to endure in God’s love. The political intrigue was suspenseful and interesting. I also enjoyed the love story between Keren and Jared. I also enjoyed the relationship between Keren and Artadates. I highly, highly recommend The Hidden Prince. 

The Hidden Prince is available in hardcover, paperback, eBook and audiobook

Coming to Rosemont: a woman starts fresh in a small town and finds herself in a fight against political corruption

Coming to Rosemont is the first book in the Rosemont series by Barbara Hinske. After the sudden death of her husband, Maggie Martin uncovers his double life and is left to deal with the financial and emotional aftermath. She is surprised to learn she inherits the Rosemont estate in Westbury, a Midwestern town. Why did she know about this house? Maggie travels to Westbury with the intent of selling the Rosemont; however, when she arrives she immediately falls in love with the house. Throwing caution to the wind and ignoring the concerns of her grown children, she moves into the Rosemont for a fresh start. Maggie soon discovers political corruption complete with fraud, embezzlement and arson. Instead of the quiet life she was looking forward to, Maggie finds herself in a fight to rid this quaint town of the wrongdoers. 

I have heard great praise for the Rosemont series and I was looking forward to reading the first book. Described as a “fast-paced, smart novel that has enough twists and turns to make the reader want to buckle in!” The story had wonderful characters. I enjoyed Maggie as a woman dealing with the death of her husband, the betrayal she uncovers and yet still fights for her new town. There was a bit of lighthearted romance. The political aspect was overly drawn out and tedious at times. It dragged down the story for me. Overall, I enjoyed the story. A few things were left unresolved, probably for future books in the series. However, I wasn’t interested enough to continue the series. If you enjoy women’s fiction with fresh starts and a bit of mystery, I recommend Coming to Rosemont. 

Coming to Rosemont is available in paperback, eBook and audiobook

Chasing Stardust: one young woman's journey of self-discovery and love

Chasing Stardust by Erica Lucke Dean is a road trip adventure where a daughter learns who her mother was before her, finding your own strength and maybe even finding love. Even though she thought it was crazy, she made a promise to her dying mother. Zoey Jones is tasked to spread her mother’s ashes along the path her eccentric grandma, G-Lo followed in 1972, David Bowie’s Ziggy Stardust tour, the same path her own mother took later in life. Taking Go-Lo’s ancient Cutlass, with her mother’s journal and her mother’s ashes, Zoey hits the road. After breaking down in Nashville, Zoey meets Dash Hammond at an all-night diner. Dash is a recent college graduate who is spending his summer trying to escape his father’s expectations. He offers to drive Zoey to her destinations. What adventures and life lessons will they learn on the road? 

Chasing Stardust was a choice for October’s Amazon First Reads. Described as a “funny and heartfelt novel,” the beginning fell a little short for me and I wasn’t sure if I would enjoy it. However, as Zoey and Dash head out on the road together, I found myself cheering for Zoey as she learns about the person who mother was before she became a mom. Zoey finds her own rebel spirit buried deep inside. I enjoyed Dash’s character too as he is fighting a different battle than Zoey; however, he is determined to make good on her promise to help her finish her trip. By the end of the book, I was very happy that I continued Zoey’s story and I enjoyed her growth and fighting spirit. It was also cool to learn about David Bowie’s tour and the icon himself. I highly recommend Chasing Stardust. 

Chasing Stardust is available in paperback, eBook and audiobook

Broken Harbor: a hockey player, a single mom with great banter and romance

Broken Harbor is the third book in the Sparrow Falls series by Catherine Cowles. After leaving a dangerous situation involving her ex-husband, Sutton Holland came to Sparrow Falls with her young son and started rebuilding her life. She finds happiness in her business, The Mix Up cafe and seeing her son, happy, healthy and safe. She never thought they would find that safety in Copeland “Cope” Colson, a hockey player. She quickly learns there is so much more to Cope than the dominant hockey player. Sutton is surprised by the gentle way he is concerned for their safety, the playful way he plays with her son, and the way he seems to truly see her. As they spend time together, Sutton finds herself falling for him. Cope and Sutton both have secrets and when their pasts come roaring back, they now must fight for their newfound happiness. 

The Sparrow Falls series is an emotional roller coaster of romance, suspense and the fighting, resilient human spirit. There are a few spicy scenes. The suspense was great and took me by surprise with the reveal. I loved this story! Cope and Sutton are great together. They butted heads with great banter and when they fell, they fell hard. I loved the macho bravado of Cope which hid a very wounded heart and it was Sutton to help him heal. Sutton is a strong woman who wants to stand on her own two feet for her son. Her son is completely adorable and added to the humor in the story. I also loved the Colson family and I am looking forward to reading the rest of the books in this series. If you haven’t started this series, I highly recommend it. I highly, highly recommend Broken Harbor. 

Broken Harbor is available in hardcover, paperback, eBook, and audiobook

The Runaway: a grumpy-sunshine military romance

The Runaway is the fifth and final book of the Brides of Beaufort series by Jess Mastorakos. Nate Bristol is getting ready to travel cross-country to his new duty station in Beaufort, he has a tight schedule. He never expected to have travel companions. When Ms. Hattie asks Nate for a favor, no questions asked, he finds himself aiding in the escape of Nikki, a runaway bride, and her teenage daughter, Marigold. She is the ultimate sunshine and is determined to see the bright side of anything and make the most of the turn of events. Nate is the ultimate grump and as the miles tick by, Nikki and Marigold worm their way under his skin and he learns to roll with the punches. As they get closer to their destination, the slower he finds himself driving. Will they be able to say goodbye once they reach their destination? 

I have loved this series and it was sad to see it end. The Runaway is a grumpy-sunshine military romance. Nate and Nikki’s story was sweet with lots of laughs and drama. I loved how Nikki slowly chipped away at Nate’s gruff demeanor. There is a bit of suspense and a nail biting scene with Nate coming to the rescue. I even enjoyed Marigold’s character and as a mom of a teen myself, I appreciated that Ms. Mastorakos got the teenage slang accurate. I loved Nate’s reaction to the slang. It reminded me of my husband’s reaction to the slang when our teenager and her friends use it. When Nikki and Marigold are in danger, I loved how Nate and his fellow Marines jump into action. Overall, I enjoyed this story and the series. If you haven’t read the Brides of Beaufort, I highly recommend it. I highly recommend The Runaway. 

The Runaway is available in paperback and eBook

Gemini: the untold story of the program that helped bring us to the moon

Gemini: Stepping Stone to the Moon - the Untold Story by Jeffrey Kluger. Everyone knows the famous Apollo 11 moon landing of 1969 and even the disastrous Apollo 13 mission. However, without the pioneering Gemini program, there would be no Apollo and there would be no moon. It was no easy transition from low Earth orbits to moon landings, it was the Gemini program that was the extraordinary bridge. However, there are deaths and near-deaths and a blood feud with the Soviet Union, the Vietnam War and calls for budget cuts challenged the astronauts and scientists to persevere. Their perseverance paid off as the trial and error and the knowledge gained helped fuel the legendary Apollo program. As the Gemini program got lost in history in Apollo's shadow, Jeffrey Kluger set out to tell the true story and give the Gemini program its place in history. 

With in-depth research and interviews, Jeffrey Kluger tells the story of the Gemini program with cinematic, edge of your seat storytelling. While I knew of the Gemini story and its tragedies, I did not know the impact the program had on the Apollo program. I did not know the nitty gritty history of NASA and the space race. With recognizable names of Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, Jim Lovell and Gene Kranz, readers will become engrossed in the story of this amazing program and learn of other men involved with the program. Mr. Kluger has an amazing ability to write the events in ways that the readers feel the drama and nail-biting missions. I enjoyed hearing the unsung heroes of the Gemini program. If you enjoy history or the history of the space program, I finally recommend Gemini: Stepping Stone to the Moon - the Untold Story. 

Gemini: Stepping Stone to the Moon - the Untold Story 

is available in hardcover, eBook and audiobook

Love from Afar: a short but sweet Christian romance

Love from Afar is the first book in the Love Letters from Ellis Creek by Penny Zeller. In the frontier town of Ellis Creek in 1880s Montana Territory, Meredith Waller has quite the reputation as a wedding dress seamstress. However, she is never the bride and with the low number of suitable bachelors, she is resigned that she never will. Gabe Kleeman has returned to town after three. However, his administration for Meredith never wavered. However, he is unsure how to let his feelings known. Tillie and Lula are best friends. Best friends who are tired of watching their older siblings admire each other from afar. So they hatch a plan to bring their siblings together. It’s all for a good cause. Can they bring these two lonely hearts together? 

Love from Afar is a short but sweet Christian romance. With faith, humor and two pint sized matchmakers, I quickly read this story. I smiled at Tillie and Lula’s antics and their plan to bring their siblings together and later their bargaining skills when someone finds out. I loved how Gabe found the words to say what was in his heart. I sympathized with Meredith as she tried to keep the faith that God had someone for her and yet couldn’t see how that would happen in their small town. I loved the two of them together. Overall, I enjoyed this story and I look forward to reading more in this story. If you enjoy a quick story for a cozy afternoon of reading, I recommend Love from Afar. 

Love from Afar is available in paperback, eBook and audiobook

The Sidelined Wife: does she get back in the game or does she stay on the sideline?

The Sidelined Wife is the first book in the More than a Wife series by Jennifer Peel. Samantha Higgins heard her husband’s conversation by accident through his car’s bluetooth and now she is divorced and at loose ends. She writes on a blog post that goes viral and she reinvites herself as The Sidelined Wife. Life becomes a bit more interesting when her younger brother’s best friend, Reed Cassidy, moves back to town as her son’s new head football coach. Reed was an adolescent annoyance and has harbored a crush for Samantha for years. However, Samantha isn’t looking to date, not even the attractive younger man. As she navigates the single life, Reed makes her wonder if she wants back in the game or if she prefers the sidelines. 

The premise of the book was intriguing that I was excited to dive in. However, from the get go, I was annoyed by Samantha. Her internal monologues were annoying and eyerolling. Her constant complaining about the unfairness of not being represented in the name of the family business, her grandmother’s scorn for her divorce, and how horrible Reed was in the past. Her grandmother throwing holy water on her was supposed to be a funny gag but I cringed and rolled my eyes from the first time it happened. I did like the relationship between Samantha and her teenage son. The romance between Samantha and Reed was disappointing. Her constant worrying about their age difference was tiresome. Overall, I did not enjoy this story. I will not be continuing the series. I do not recommend The Sidelined Wife. 

The Sidelined Wife is available in paperback, eBook and audiobook

The Contract: two best friends and a marriage of convenience

The Contract is the fifth book in the Brides of Beaufort series by Jess Mastorakos. Zoe Katsaros and Chase Mitchell are fellow Marines and best friends especially after they were on deployment together. His family is about to lose everything and he can’t send extra money home. Her family is pushing for marriage to a Greek man she doesn’t like or love. Thanks to dual military benefits and his willingness to embrace her Greek family’s traditions, Zoe suggests a marriage of convenience as the answer to their problems. They discuss terms and set their plan into motion. However, married life isn’t all they thought it would be, even to a best friend. Their arrangement started out as a means to an end; however, Chase will do everything he can to make it much, much more. 

When I started Chase and Zoe’s story, I wasn’t sure I would like it as well as I did the previous books. It did have a different vibe than the others. However, there were a lot of deep issues present in the story and I cheered for them and ended up falling in love with their story. Parental expectations. Family traditions and culture. And responsibility of adult children to their parents. I loved how strong Zoe was as she loved her family, her culture and their traditions but deep in her heart, she wanted something more than an arranged marriage. I wanted to hug Chase as he struggled helping his parents and I was angry on his behalf when he learned the truth. What is the truth? You’ll have to read the story to find out. I highly, highly recommend The Contract. And if you haven’t started this series, what are you waiting for? 

The Contract is available in paperback and eBook

Releasing 10: young love that blossoms into a deep bond but can it survive the tests of life

Releasing 10 is the sixth book in the Boys of Tommen series by Chloe Walsh. Lizzie Young has always been “too much.” Diagnosed with bipolar disorder at a young age, she never really fit in anywhere. Not her family. Not her community. Not with her friends or in school. Like any child, she just wants to be accepted and loved, with very few on her side, she carries her secrets alone. That is until she meets a kind boy on the school bus and everything changes. Hugh Biggs is a young man beyond his years with a sharp mind and a firm code of ethics, he finds himself drawn to Lizzie with an intense sense of protection. Lizzie finally finds a group of friends and a tenuous sense of belonging. With a bond that grows through their teen years, Lizzie and Hugh’s chemistry grows with a potent love and a connection that goes soul deep. However, their love is shaken by forces and circumstances beyond their control. Can their love within stand the tests that most adults would buckle under? 

I love the Boys of Tommen series and while the series tackles serious topics like childhood abuse, sexual abuse, self-harm, mental illness and suicide, these characters are worth reading such hard topics. Hugh and Lizzie have been on the sidelines since the beginning with little tidbits as to their story, Releasing 10 dives deeper into their history and how they got to where they are when readers first meet them. My heart broke for Lizzie as she struggled with mental illness. My heart also broke for Hugh as he tried to be strong for Lizzie while longing to be a regular teen. I am looking forward to reading the continuation of their store. While the book is categorized as a young adult fiction by the publisher, the topics covered in this series are not suitable for readers under the age of 18. If these topics are too sensitive for you, I do not recommend reading Releasing 10 or the rest of the series. However, if you can handle these topics, I highly, highly recommend Releasing 10. 

Releasing 10 is available in paperback, eBook and audiobook

The Fake Date: an arrangement to fulfill a promise and keep matchmakers at bay

The Fake Date is the fourth book in the Brides of Beaufort by Jess Mastorakos. Beau Devereux is a Marine with a side hustle. Mr Fake Date, a business in which women can hire him to be a date for weddings. He has strict rules. No feelings. Kissing is extra. Everything was going great until his father forced him to make a promise to find something real. Lyndi Robinson is the beautiful yet bookish woman who caught his eye a year ago. When she needs a fake date for an upcoming family wedding, he offers his services. They can pretend to be dating to satisfy his father’s promise and keep her family’s matchmakers away. As they begin their charade, Beau realizes she could be the one. But he is determined to be her fake date and walk away. He has to. He doesn’t want to fall in love and lose her like he lost everyone else. 

To say I am loving this series would be an understatement. And Jess Mastorakos is quickly becoming a must-read author for me. Great characters with flaws, of course, handsome military men are always a plus. The Fake Date dives deeper into the fear of loss, social anxiety and escaping reality. I loved that the mutual attraction between Beau and Lyndi was shown in the first book and carried on through the second and third book even though neither Beau and Lyndi were willing to act on their feelings. The growth of Beau and Lyndi in this story was great. I loved Beau who was closed off for a purpose, although he really didn’t want to be but felt he had to to protect his heart. I loved the bookish Lyndi, but there were times I wanted to shake some sense into her. Overall, I loved this story. I’m ready to jump right into book five. I highly, highly recommend The Fake Date. 

The Fake Date is available in paperback and eBook