The Girls of Mischief Bay by Susan Mallery

I've read a bit by Susan Mallery and thought her works were entertaining, so when this first book in a new series came out I thought I'd give it a try.  A group of strong women trying to make their way in life.    Never a bad plot premise.

This book surrounds three women.  Nicole is running her exercise studio and dealing with a husband who up and quit his job and isn't helping around the house.  Shannon has always put her career first but now has found a man that may change her view on things.  And Pam isn't coping well with aging.  But these three friends will help each other through tough times and try to find the appropriate path in life to take.

I can't say I really cared about Nicole or Shannon's stories.  Well, maybe Nicole a little bit.  But Pam was the one that I thought had the best storyline.  It's not that it was any more relatable than the others, but it seemed the most developed and you could really sympathize with her emotions.  She made you feel the strongest.  As for the guys in the novel.  They weren't as fully developed.  They had some personality but the real story was with the girls.  So that was a tad disappointing.

I do think that all the plots were realistic and things that various women at various stages in their lives could relate to.  What it boils down to is that they have man troubles, and relationship issues.  Which is a common thing, but was presented in a way that it was interesting.  The writing was approachable and it moved with a solid pace.  This is a sort of romance so there are mentions of sex and the like in there.  So if that's not your thing, just be aware that it is there.  It's a longer book, but it also has a reader's guide and some recipes in it, which extends the page count.

An enjoyable romance.  It had some emotional aspects to it but by far was more of a leisure read.

**This book was received as part of the Amazon Vine program**

The Girls of Mischief Bay
Copyright 2014
401 pages

Big Sky Secrets by Linda Lael Miller

**This book was received as part of the Amazon Vine program**

Linda Lael Miller is one of my favorite romance novelists.  I like her stories, subjects, and the detail she puts into everything.  This book was technically part of a series, but it isn't really necessary to read them in order, it can be read as a standalone book.  It wasn't one of my favorite of hers, but it still kept me reading.

Ria has started a new life.  After the death of her husband she left the west coast for a small flower farm in Montana and now is content growing her flowers and attending the farmers markets.  Her only agitation is her neighbor Landry, who has a buffalo that likes to get loose quite often.  But he's so darn good looking that she can't help but feel more than agitation for him.

The characters were a little weak in this one.  I especially didn't like the plot twist for Ria's dead husband.  It felt like they had to make him a less likable guy in order for her new romance to be ok.  I just didn't see the need for it.  And Ria herself had a couple bouts with her character going crazy.  Add in her niece Quinn that acted more like 12 than 17, and it was somewhat confusing.  That being said, I did like Landry's butler.  While a weird addition to the book, he was a welcome one.  Landry was the typical rich cowboy, he provided a hunky love interest who was good in the sack.  Which for a romance novel is pretty standard.

The plot was ok.  There wasn't that much strife.  And I did think the ending was a little rushed.  I'm also never sure why the end all be all of these romance novels are marriage and a kid.  I'd love to see marriage and perfectly happy without kids, but I don't think romance novels are allowed to be published without that ending.  I did like that the two had sort of a love-hate relationship going and that it took place in Montana.  Miller is also very descriptive so while this book didn't take place over a long period of time, it felt like what was happening was in a regular timeline while reading because you could picture what was happening.  There were descriptive sex scenes in this book, three, right at the end.  So there's a lot of buildup as you can imagine.

Miller's still my favorite but this one fell just a bit flat.  But it was entertaining, and you can't go too wrong with that if you're not expecting fine literature.

Big Sky Secrets
Copyright 2014
376 pages

Christmas at Cardwell Ranch by B.J. Daniels

Well this certainly wasn't a relaxing Christmas romance. It barely had any Christmas at all actually. But there was adventure and mystery.  And this is the fourth book in a series that has had its ups and downs but takes place in the beautiful state of Montana.

Tag headed up to Montana in hopes of spending the holidays with his father.  It was a sentimental thing, and he sure didn't expect to become embroiled with a couple of murders.  Worse, his father is acting like his is a part of it.  And a local lady he just met the acquaintance of seems to be involved as well.

I actually didn't get much of a personality out of Tag.  He was more of a prop to keep Lily out of trouble and respond to what she was doing.  And he's highly suspicious of everyone even though he doesn't know them.  I guess that's a reason to be suspicious, but being that he normally works in a social setting (is in the restaurant business) it just doesn't seem authentic.  Lily is smart.  She's a mathematician and more logical than most.  And it was made clear that she's just helping her brother out by waitressing because she's family, not because she needs to.  There are a couple of reoccurring characters in this book.  Hud and Dana are there, but while they have glimmers of themselves in the first book, they're still much weaker characters than they used to be.

There was a lot going on in this book.  The excitement never ended and there was always someone after somebody else.  It was a little overwhelming in fact.  I think that the author tried to mix in a few too many plotlines and it left the story very convoluted and fast paced.  Just removing a side story (namely the one involving an antagonist from the last book) would have given more detail to the main plot and made the book more believable and easier to read.  I'm not saying that the book was terrible, but it wasn't as good as the last one in the series.  I did enjoy all the descriptions of Montana again and think that the author always has a good setting for her romances.  And there was a little bit of romance in this particular romance novel, which I also appreciated.

I'm sure there will be more books in this series, and I'll probably read them.  It would seem that they are definitely more action oriented than romance though.

**This book was received as a Goodreads Giveaway**

Christmas at Cardwell Ranch
Copyright 2013
218 pages

Review by M. Reynard 2013

The Sweetgum Ladies Knit for Love by Beth Pattillo

Maybe the problem is I came to this on the second book rather than the first. Because Knit for Love is the second book in the series. I honestly feel like I probably didn't miss much, just a little backstory. But maybe it would have helped me connect to the characters a bit more.

The Sweetgum Knit Lit Society studies books and knitting. Together. A group of ladies get together once a month to read a book and knit a project related to that book. And this year, the leader Eugenie chooses love stories, probably as a result of her recent marriage to the preacher. Her foster daughter Hannah is pursued by a new boy in school, but he is in a different social realm than her and it makes her nervous. Camille too is pursued by an old crush who doesn't want to lose her, but she desires to get out of the town and finally go to college. Esther finds herself greatly in debt after the loss of her husband and has to make some hard decisions. Merry struggles with leaving her child at daycare and going to work full time with her lawyer husband and Maria too has financial troubles brought on by her father's death. And sometimes the club just isn't enough to help these ladies get through their day.

There are a lot of dead people mentioned in this book. Nearly every character has lost someone. But rather than focus on that, the theme is on love instead which means there are all kinds of romances happening in this book. Maria's admirer started off as pompous and considering her old, yet seems drawn to her in a way he can't control. I found him a bit cold, but to each their own I guess. Merry has a good husband who sees her through. Although she's a bit spastic about her children, which I guess only a mother could understand. Eugenie's husband, for being a preacher, is pretty quiet and secretive, which surprises me in a new marriage. Hannah's boyfriend seems a bit too good to be true which Hannah suffers from a low self esteem. Which is actually pretty realistic for a teenager her age. Camille and her boyfriend are in the book, but felt more like afterthoughts to me as their stories weren't developed quite as much or focused on.

I liked reading all of the different stories for the characters but felt they were too rushed and incomplete. It's obvious this book is part of a series and it suffers from middle-book syndrome. It couldn't just stand alone but made you want to read the rest book as you wanted to finish the stories. Which I'm not even sure if there's a next book out yet. But the pace did hurt this book quite a bit. That and the lack of actual knitting. It was mentioned here and there, along with different stitches, but it and the books took a back seat to all the drama of the characters. I would have really liked to hear more about the knitting. Luckily, in the literature's case, they did at least have a short one or two page discussion about a book each time. This is a slightly religious book too as the church is mentioned several times (since one of the characters is married to the preacher) and the Song of Solomon is one of the selections for the club. It's not overt though.

I'd probably read the next book just to finish up the characters stories. And maybe the first book, just to see if the series started out strong. But this one was just average.

The Sweetgum Ladies Knit for Love
Copyright 2009
354 pages

Cardwell Ranch Trespasser by B.J. Daniels

Cardwell Ranch Trespasser is the third book in the series.  I hesitate to send you back to the first two, as I didn't really enjoy them, but I think they're necessary in order to understand the background for this book.  This book was much better than those two were though.

Hilde is a little disturbed when her friend Dana invites a long lost cousin to come and stay for an indeterminate amount of time.  And from day one, her instincts prove right.  Dee Anna isn't just mysterious, but she seems to be the cause of many of Hilde's most recent accidents.  Growing more worried for her friend, Hilde finds out what it's like to have everyone think she's crazy, while this stranger grows closer and closer to Dana.

Hilde is probably the best written character that I've come across in the series so far.  She has sense, speaks her mind, but still acts like a normal person.  And she's written so well that you actually feel frustrated right along with her when it comes to the situation.  Dana grows dumber and dumber with each book unfortunately.  She starts out so strong but becomes less of herself with each additional book.  Same with her husband.  I realize we're focused on new characters, but I'd like to see the original ones make a comeback.  The antagonist in this story was exceptionally well written.  You knew who was trouble from the start, but still wondered what lengths they could go to and just how psychopathic they could get.

Like I said, you knew from the start of this book what you were getting into.  But that didn't stop it from being an on the edge of your seat type of book.  I was worried the whole way and eager to find out what happened.  And there was even some romance in this book (and a small sex scene) which compared to the amount of romance thrown in on the previous two books is a lot.  It was still fast paced though, but not as bad as the first two.  This one didn't feel as if you were running a sprint while reading it.

Much better than the first two.  I'm now eager to read the fourth book, especially since it's a Christmas one.

Cardwell Ranch Trespasser
Copyright 2013
282 pages

Justice at Cardwell Ranch by B.J. Daniels

Ok, so I won the fourth book in this series in a giveaway, and now I'm reading the three before it in order to get prepared.  I have mixed feelings about it.  They're set in a wonderful place, but the characters leave much to be desired.

Jordan Cardwell is back in town because of a buddy and a mysterious phone call.  So when Liza finds him standing over the dead body of his buddy, things do not get off to a good start.  But Joran's charming, and there doesn't seem to be a feasible way that his friend was murdered by him which means there's a killer at large.  And this is a killer who doesn't want Liza solving the crime. 

In the first book Jordan took his sister by the shoulders and shook her.  And I seem to be the only one who remembers this.  At least out of a pool of myself and the book characters.  So how does he end up the likable protagonist in this book?  It kind of angers me as that was physical abuse and it never comes up again and everything is sunshine and rainbows.  Liza at least is a good character and knows what she wants.  I liked how she made decisions and followed through with them.  It showed she has guts and is a realistic thinker.  We have some of the characters from the first book as well, but they are toned down quite a bit.  Which is probably because six years pass in between the last book and this one. 

Again, I love that these books take place in an area of Montana I'm familiar with.  I've even been to Ousel Falls and having that personal connection makes it sort of special.  Although I do have to wonder why she kept saying "down" to Bozeman and "up" to West Yellowstone.  Bozeman is North and West Yellowstone is South.  The pace in this book was rather fast and jumbled and I thought the ending was a bit unbelievable.  Again, what is going on with the water in that town?  They have more than their fair share of crazy people. There's a little side plot in this book involving Dana's sister that I thought was actually more interesting than the main plot.  It was all very mysterious but then it was resolved pretty quickly too.

I've got the third book in my hands so I'll read it.  But I'd only give this one about 2.5 stars.  Hopefully they improve by the time I get to the fourth one (or the next)!

Justice at Cardwell Ranch
Copyright 2012
216 pages

Crime Scene at Cardwell Ranch by B.J. Daniels

So this was more of a mystery than a romance.  Probably because there wasn't enough time to fit both a romance and a mystery in the book.  Something had to be left out.

Hudson Savage is back in town to be a temporary Marshall.  So it's not the greatest of instances when his first case is a dead body found on Cardwell Ranch.  Mainly because the owner of the ranch is his ex-fiance.  An ex-fiance that was hurt terribly by him and someone that he still has feelings for.  As for Dana, she's having the worse birthday ever.  A body, Hudson being back in town, and some deplorable siblings make for a rough day.  And because she's close to the crime, there may be someone who doesn't want her around either.

I don't like Dana.  I think she jumps to conclusions to quick and is kind of flighty, despite the fact that she's supposed to be the solid one of her family.  Sure she holds a lot of responsibility, but she seems to stretch herself thin and I can't say I actually saw her do much hard work in this book.  I just heard a lot alluded to.  Hudson is a better character.  He actually is out there doing something and is pretty level headed.  In fact, he's so reliable that you can't see how things really got destroyed in the first place.  And all the other characters?  Someone needs to fix the water in that town. 

I was pleased that this took place in a part of Montana that I really know.  Especially hearing the Emerson in Bozeman mentioned.  That just made my day.  It's such a beautiful area that I love when books take place there and cringe when the details are wrong.  And I did enjoy the mystery in this book, although I somewhat guessed what it was half ways through and thought that it should have gone a different way.  But I'm hoping the next book in the series will include a little of the romance.  I sure didn't get enough of it in this one. 

This is an ok book, considering that on the cover it's advertised as free and so many have enjoyed it for nothing.  Quick, rushed, but still easy to get through, it's good for a read you don't have to think about.

Crime Scene At Cardwell Ranch
Copyright 2011
248 pages

Christmas in Snowflake Canyon by RaeAnne Thayne

There's something insanely comforting about a holiday romance novel.  Really.  I don't know what it is but I love them, and I must not be the only one because there are quite a few out there.  Who wouldn't want to get a nice mug of cocoa (spiked of course), sit by the fire, and read a lovely book?  And this one fit the bill, albeit a little unconventionally at times.

After spending her credit cards to the max, Genevieve Beaumont is tricked into coming back to the States by her father who seeks to put her on a shorter leash.  He wants her to fix up her grandmothers house for sale and actually start taking some responsibility for her life.  However, plans go awry when she starts a bar fight over Christmas carols and ends up having to do community service with the dark, dashing, and wounded Dylan Caine.  Dylan is a war vet who lost his eye and arm to a blast and has come back Hope's Crossing to live a quiet life in the mountains.  So he is less than pleased when he has to do Community Service at a local charity for wounded warriors that his sister helped create.  And he is even more displeased at his growing attraction to Genevieve.

These are some flawed characters.  But in a realistic way.  You've got your wounded war vet, who pushes people away from him thinking they won't like him since he isn't "complete."  You've got your spoiled socialite who just wants to go back to France and shop her days away.  And you've got your supporting cast making sure that these two fall in with each other every chance that they get.  It's a good mix.  I actually did like Genevieve despite her materialistic tendencies. She wanted to do good, she just seemed a little lost.

The situations were pretty realistic too.  I mean, how much more realistic can community service and punishment get?  No romantic meeting on mountaintops for these two.  Just bar brawls.  Although there was one thing that troubled me about the bar scene, and this may just be showing my ignorance of how the law works.  Why is it that only Dylan and Genevieve got in trouble?  The ADA was the one who made the first physical contact.  I would think that they would have been charged for assault as well.  But oh well, we probably didn't want to see them doing community service anyway.  The writing is quite humorous.  There were a couple of lines in there that made me laugh out loud.  Especially the one at the front involving cookies.  It's great, look for it.  And there are no explicit sex scenes, but there is a lot of romance and cussing.  So it's not one of your "tame" romances. 

I really enjoyed this story and didn't even realize it was the sixth book in a series.  Obviously it can be read as a stand alone but I think I'll enjoy seeking out the first five books.

Christmas in Snowflake Canyon
Copyright 2013
362 pages

**This book was received as part of a Good Reads Giveaway**

The Sweethearts' Knitting Club by Lori Wilde

This was cute, but I can't say it was a fantastic romance.  I've certainly read better from Wilde before.  And I really thought there would be more knitting involved in it. 

Flynn has always taken a backseat to everyone else in her life.  Her father, with his drinking problems, her siblings, who she's raised ever since her mother was diagnosed with an incurable disease, and even her knitting club, where she only pretends to know how to knit and instead spends the time playing hostess to the ladies who come over.  The only person she hasn't put first is her boyfriend Beau, the town Sheriff, who has asked her so many times to marry him that it isn't a new thing anymore.  And she isn't certain why she doesn't want to marry him.  It can't be that she still has a crush on a boy from highschool.  A boy who went to prison and has recently returned to town.  After all, loving him would not be the responsible thing to do.

Flynn was too flighty for me.  She's supposed to be a level-headed, grounded person, and yet she flys off the handle on nearly everything that's presented to her.  She's a hard worker, but doesn't take time for herself and the martyr act is tiring after awhile and makes it hard to like her.  By contrast, Jesse is actually one of the better characters.  At least you understand his motives and he's not as far out there as Beau and his weird need to rescue damsels in distress.  Jesse may have gone to prison and had a wild youth, but at least he's more level-headed than everyone else in the book.  I really can't say there were a lot of genuinely nice characters here, they all have motives and imperfections and are a bit selfish.  Yes, that's realistic, but it's a romance novel, I need warm fuzzies too!

If it weren't for the weaker characters the plot was actually interesting.  You have a guy just out of prison who's the main love interest.  Which is unusual.  A sheriff who's the bad guy.  Ok, not so unusual, but still a good antagonist as there is a lot of power there.  And then you have your typical strong female romance protagonist who doesn't need any man.  Yet wants one because he curls her toes.  Add in a lot of people who make bad personal decisions and the book has a lot going on at least.  Although for as thick as it was, it was fast paced and the ending felt a bit rushed.  I also didn't learn anything new about knitting than I did before and having rushed into this thinking it was sort of a crafty, cozy novel, I was a bit disappointed.  Yes, the main character is in a knitting club and has aspirations to open a knitting shop, but that was mostly how the knitting was described.  No in-depth descriptions of projects, no how-to's on knitting something.  In fact, I think the sex scenes had more detail than the knitting scenes.

I would probably read the next in the series (just because it has quilting in the name) but I'll be forewarned that it probably won't have much to do about the craft.  I just hope the characters are a little more likable.

The Sweethearts' Knitting Club
Copyright 2009
384 pages

The Geek's Guide to Dating by Eric Smith

**This book was received as a Goodreads Giveaway**

This was a cute book.  And I think it hilarious that it's aimed towards boys but the majority of the readers thus far seem to be girls.  Although it can apply to girls in some aspects. And the author even has a section on how this book relates to girl geeks.

Geeks have a hard time dating.  Especially if they stay in their basements playing video games all day.  Ok,so that's stereotyping, but really, this book advises those that may be more socially aware of NPC's than they are of real people.  We start with the introduction, and then prepping for a date.  Next is plotting how to meet someone and then the actual asking of someone on a date.  Chapter 5 has how to get through the date and chapter six explains what you do depending on if it went well or not.  Finally, we end with Chapter 7 which goes on to describe further dates or a breakup.  It's all covered.

I love the way the author describes "Player 1" in this book.  The person who wants to start dating that is.  He captures all of the weaknesses and the strengths.  And he tries to capture all of the different types of nerdiness there is, from comic books to video games, to just being tech savvy or a social media follower.  And there's a handy dandy guide for determining which sort of geek you are. 

As far as methods I think there is so good advice in here.  Especially if you haven't really dated before.  And while I didn't find out why even geeks don't hit on me, that's alright, I learned how they act when they're trying to ask someone out.  I think the chapters are outlined well and go in a logical order.  My only thing I didn't agree with was on the clothing part.  The first part was alright when he was talking about normal clothes, but then he tried to say that certain characters (like Captain Kirk or Neo) are great characters to emulate for clothing.  I'm not going to lie, some of those looks are just not going to get you a second date, just a weird couple of glances.  Otherwise, there's some good stuff in this book.

I do need to comment on the pictures and layout of the book.  It uses pixelized images and makes the book very videogameish. And everything is really colorful.  So a pretty book with useful information, it should be a book single geeks should definitely check out!

The Geek's Guide to Dating
Copyright 2013
204 pages

Big Sky Christmas by C.J. Carmichael

**This book was received in a Goodreads Giveaway**

I have to say, this fourth and final book in the Coffee Creek Montana series certainly improved upon the third book. The characters were written better and the plot moved along better. And because it is the fourth book, it's one of those series that would be helpful to read in order. Especially because this one relies a lot on the history from the other books.

Winnie has finally returned to Coffee Creek. In Book One, we saw her on her wedding day, about to get married to Brock Lambert, when a terrible accident killed him on his way to the church. Now, almost two years later, she returns with her son (she was pregnant with Brock's child)and finds herself trying to fit in with the Lambert family despite an overbearing almost-mother-in-law. And to make things even more complicated, she has feelings for Brock's foster brother, Jackson, who feels so much guilt over the accident that he's just not prepared to have any kind of interest in Winnie.

I was glad we got to see more of Winnie in this book. She kind of just disappears in the first book and then we only have phone conversations between characters with her in the next two. And it did seem unfair that she lost her fiance and never had another chance for love within those books. Jackson is also a well written character. But I can't say I like him. But that's probably because he just isn't my type. Regardless, he has fully developed emotions in this book and is believable. The only character I didn't really like was Olive, the matriarch of the Lambert family. She's hard to get along with anyway, but she has some unexpected changes of heart in this book that are just never fully explained.

This wasn't an exciting plot. It was more angst and emotion driven. But I thought it was well done. I really wanted to see what would happen with Jackson and Winnie. And some side plots that the author had been creating in the previous books were also resolved in this one. So that provided some closure. Maybe they weren't as dramatic as I was expecting, but they were realistic. This is a romance novel, but aside from the unsnapping of a bra, they weren't descriptive. It's a tame romance novel in that regard. So if you're looking for cowboys and love stories, this is going to be in that genre.

I'm glad the series ended on a positive note. Overall it's been pretty good and since I'm partial to cowboys and Montana, I was happy to read about Coffee Creek. I also wouldn't be adverse to this not being the final book in the series.

Big Sky Christmas
Copyright 2013
216 pages

Promise From A Cowboy by C.J. Carmichael

You would expect grown men to have a little more sense. Especially if they're trying harder to be responsible. But in this 3rd book of the Coffee Creek Montana series, common sense is hard to find. And being that it's the 3rd book, I'd highly recommend reading the series in order if you want to understand the characters, although it isn't entirely necessary.

B.J. Lambert has decided that the rodeo just doesn't hold the draw for him it used to. In fact, the sheriff from his hometown has more appeal. But then again, she always has for him. But it's a shame she doesn't trust him because of an unfortunately fire that involved him and her brother as youths. Because of that, and the new evidence found in it, he may find that Sheriff Savannah will never be willing to have feelings for him.

B.J. is infuriating. He tries to hold back things on the pretense of not hurting someone, even when they tell him the truth would make them feel better. It makes absolutely no sense and is just used to drive the plot. I quickly became disgusted with his character and would not have seen him the way that Savannah does. Savannah herself is a pretty strong woman. She has to be, to be the sheriff, so that too baffles me why she would fall for someone who's obviously not up to her standards. I was relieved to see the mother drama of the Lambert clan was toned down a bit. I don't like the woman, and that's probably the intent of the book, but it makes me want to skip over the parts that mention her.

The fact that a poor decision on keeping the truth is what drives this plot makes this one of the weaker ones in the series. Sure it moves along at a good pace and more loose ends in the Lambert family are tied up, but I've come to expect better from the series. Since they have a great setting (Montana) and cowboy characters, there's some good ingredients in the mix. It's not a bad book, but it certainly isn't one of the better ones in the series. And for the romance aspect of it, it's all pretty mild, so if you don't like graphic sex scenes, this would probably be a series right up your alley.

I'm eager to see what the fourth and final book will bring. Hopefully it will be better than this one.

Promise From a Cowboy
Copyright 2013
216 pages

Her Cowboy Dilemma by C.J. Carmichael

This is the second book in the Coffee Creek Montana series. You could read them in order, but having read the first book, I don't think it's entirely necessary. There's a prologue on this one so it kind of fills in the backstory and you can muddle through without any trouble. That being said, I do think the first was a better written book.

Cassidy has just graduated and while she waits to hear about a job interview, she's moving back home. Something she's not looking forward to with her overbearing mother. And her arrival coincides with an outbreak of illness in their horses on the ranch. Which means that she's going to have to spend a lot of time with the local vet; a man whose heart she broke and he's never forgiven her for it.

Cassidy is kind of a weak character. She spends all this time being passionate about something but doesn't seem to truly know herself and has multiple changes of heart. She's flaky. The male lead is actually the better character this time around. He had a wide range of emotions and strong feelings and was very appealing. The mother; I can't decide if she's for real or not. I know there are people out there like her, but it's hard to believe no one has really called her down for her actions and gave her some consequences. It's infuriating at times. I also grew tired of the conflict with her sister. Since the author isn't willing to even let a tidbit drop about what was going on, I kind of just lost interest.

I also thought the plot was weaker this time around. It seemed very out there with the cause of the horse illness and the "strife" between Cassidy and Dan seemed forced. Especially since they are able to dash it away pretty quickly. But being that this is a romance novel I can't absolutely trash the book. It was still mostly entertaining and involved cowboys. Those are good things. I just sometimes wish that romance novel writers would spend more time developing stories and characters, especially if they have a lot of potential to begin with. And since this was a quick read, it was hard to put down. On the romance side of things there wasn't a whole lot of description, but things were insinuated.

Not the best in the series so far, but I still think this is a series worth reading. Can't wait to get on to the next

Her Cowboy Dilemma
Copyright 2013
219 pages

Remember Me, Cowboy by C.J. Carmichael

Cowboy romances, they are definitely my guilty pleasure. After all, what's better than some handsome dude on the cover in a cowboy hat? The story doesn't even have to be good as long as I can keep flipping back to the cover. Luckily, the story in this one is decent even if the cover is tantalizing. Although I keep looking at it and forgetting what it is I'm trying to write here...

Laurel is in town for her friend's wedding. She hasn't been to Montana for awhile since moving to New York and starting a life there for herself. But the day of the wedding several members of the party are involved in a terrible accident. Including the man that Laurel slept with at the rehearsal dinner. The man that is the father of her unborn child and now doesn't have a clue who she is due to amnesia.

This is a short romance novel. None of the characters are particularly well developed. There's a lot of hints at their stories and pasts, but nothing is fully fleshed out. And a lot is left hanging (this is the 1st book in a series though, so anything could happen). We have conflict between characters that is never resolved, and that's a little irritating. Laurel is decent. She starts out knowing what she wants but then kind of has to readjust her whole way of thinking when she finds out she is pregnant. And I do think that she lets people walk on her too much. Corb didn't have much of a personality.
Sure he does sweet things, but aside from the amnesia, we don't really know that much about him. It makes it hard to really go crazy for him as a character.

I'm never too tough on romance novel plots. They have to follow a formula and getting the next bestseller out of those kinds of conditions just isn't going to happen. This one was decent. Rushed, and a lot of conflict thrown in in an attempt to make it interesting. But the amnesia wasn't the usual so I found that unique at least. I also liked the family issues thrown in as they made it seem realistic. This was a regular romance novel so I was surprised to see the romantic parts glossed over. All flash and no bang. It's not necessarily a bad thing, but just surprising. So if you're looking for something descriptive in that realm, it's just not here.

I'll keep reading the series. They are entertaining and I do like my cowboys. For the first in a series, it wasn't a bad start.

Remember Me, Cowboy
Copyright 2013
217 pages

The Waiting by Suzanne Woods Fisher

This is the 2nd book in the Lancaster County Secrets series. You don't have to read the first one in the series, this book could be considered a stand-alone. And as far as amish fiction goes, it was decent.

Jorie King is quite content on her grandparent's Percheron farm. Her one love, Ben, went off to war to be a conscientious objector and she hasn't felt compelled to date anyone else. Her friend Maryanne lives near by with Ben's brother Caleb and she enjoys the children that inhabit the house there, so is especially pleased when she is selected to be the schoolteacher. Not everyone is happy with this decision though and Jorie must deal with the sharp insults and sting of disapproval from some of the Amish.

Jorie is a strong character. She is still very Amish, but with an independent streak. And I liked that she valued education highly. She's the type of woman that knows what she wants and is patient enough to get it. Caleb, the neighbor and minister, is a little more confused. He has a good heart but is unable to focus with everything going on in his life. I do think that he recovers from some strong emotions a little too quickly, but it's hard to say if it's authentic as different people feel things differently. There were a lot of other characters, but I do have to say that I thought the character of Sylvia was treated unfairly. She was clearly the "bad guy" in this book and it just seemed as if all the negative aspects were pinned on her.

The plot was ok. Since it takes place in the Vietnam war I expected there to be a whole lot more mention of it and how it changed the Amish's lives. Especially considering some of them were drafted for it. But aside from the mentions of Ben, and the other brother working in a hospital, there was surprising little of it. A cougar actually got more book time. And there was a tiny plotline of a black man becoming the veterinarian during such turbulent times, but it was so downplayed I'm not even sure it really effected the book too much. I just don't think with it being the time period that it was that a lot of the book stuck true to what actually happened. It just didn't seem authentic.

Overall though it was a quick read and I did like the small love story that played out. I won't go rushing back to get more books by Fisher, but if some happen to slide their way into my to-read pile, I wouldn't turn them down.

The Waiting
Copyright 2010
Large Print 438 Pages

Message in a Bottle by Nicholas Sparks

I can only imagine how many middle aged women went out, wrote a message, put it in a bottle and then threw it into the ocean after reading this.  Or spent all their time at the beach trying to find a message all their own.  Sparks just seems to have that kind of power.

Theresa is on vacation when she finds a bottle that contains a letter to a lost love inside, on the beach.  Urged by her editor, she publishes it in her weekly column and through readers, discovers two more letters from the same man.  They touch her, and she wants to know more about him, so she sleuths her way to finding him and develops a connection she didn't think possible.

Theresa is kind of a stalker.  I realize it's hidden under the guise of doing a reporting job, but we all know she went for herself, not the column.  And despite having no harmful intentions, that's still kind of creepy.  And Garrett, I honestly didn't see the appeal.  He's stuck on his dead wife and devoted in that aspect, but on his own he seems kind of moody and unforgiving.  Sure, he grows in the novel, but the time Theresa is near him he really doesn't seem that happy with her and I just can't figure out the attraction unless she's pining for the love she felt in his letters to his dead wife.  And although there is supposed to be a connection between them, I never really felt it in this book.

I did like the idea of the plot.  There is something romantic about finding love through a bottle tossed into the sea.  And the sea itself is always the subject of a lot of romances.  There's a little bit of sex scenes thrown into this book but nothing overly descriptive and I'd call it a tame romance.  The only part of the writing I wasn't that fond of were Garrett's letters themselves.  They were too cheesy for my taste and again, I didn't see the attraction there.  But then again I'm not a girl that really appreciates poetry either, so maybe it's just lost on me.

It's an ok quick romance and while the story is original, I just didn't care for the characters.  Luckily Sparks has plenty of other good books out there to try though.

Message In a Bottle
Copyright 1998
322 pages

Big Sky River by Linda Lael Miller

**This review is part of the Amazon Vine program**

 I'm not going to lie, I read Miller's books because of the covers. Oh my! Well, that and the fact that she's my guilty pleasure, I like her romances generally. This one wasn't too bad, it makes me want to go back and read the rest of the Parable series (although you don't really have to, this can be a stand-alone).

After a rough divorce, Tara moves to Parable County Montana to start life as a chicken rancher. She's sad to be leaving her stepdaughters, but life in the country is just what she needs right now. The only problem she has to deal with is the eyesore double-wide next door owned by handsome Sheriff Boone. And he's got his own problems, after his wife died a few years back he sent his sons to live with his sister. But her husband was in an accident and now the boys have to come back and live with him. He's secretly pleased, but scared at the same time. At least they'll have someone to play with though since Tara's stepdaughters are also coming for a visit. And despite her snooty ways, he's looking forward to seeing Tara a little more as well.

I have to say that Tara got the bad end of the bargain in this book. Sure Boone is handsome and helps out a little bit. But the man abandoned his kids (which is softly ignored in the book, although Tara does think about it at some point) and couldn't even keep his house up to par. I know grief does things to a person, but if you have responsibilities and can still handle being a sheriff, it shouldn't excuse you from being a parent for so long. Tara herself is wonderfully nice. She has a way with children and while I can't figure out how she's making a living at chicken farming, it still provides a background for her. There are numerous side characters that are always harping on them to not be single, which is a bit disingenuous, but maybe I'm just jealous because my friends don't set me up with handsome cowboys.

The plot was formulaic, as Miller's books tend to be. She always has a headstrong couple that doesn't like each other at first but then blossom into passionate feelings for each other. I'm not complaining, it makes for some steamy romance scenes, but if you like variety, it's probably not going to be found here. All the kids added in made this book kind of interesting too, since they added to the dynamic and the troubles that the main characters had. One element I wasn't expecting was the religious tone in this book. Miller's other books had hints of it here and there, but this one was a little more in your face than her other books, and I just couldn't wrap my head around it. It wasn't preachy, but it wasn't her normal either. But it was an entertaining read, perfect for a glass of wine and a bubble bath on a cold winters day.

So as it stands I want the cowboy on the front cover. But I suppose I'll just have to live vicariously through another one of Miller's books as soon as I can get my hands on it.

Big Sky River
Copyright 2012
338 pages

A Stone Creek Christmas by Linda Lael Miller

Linda Lael Miller is my guilty pleasure. Sure I read other romances, but I don't seem to enjoy them nearly as much as I do hers. And since this one combined a Miller romance with Christmas, well it definitely "tis the season."

Olivia is a veterinarian in the small town of Stone Creek. Her brother, Brad, once a famous magician is now building a shelter that she'll be the head of. He's brought in Tanner Quinn to build it too. Tanner is a good guy, but flighty. After the death of his wife he sent his daughter to boarding schools with high security to try to keep her safe, and has moved around quite a bit, never staying in the same place year after year. So when he develops an attraction to Olivia, it pulls at him a little bit. Nevermind the fact that she thinks she can talk to animals and may be just a little strange in his opinion.

Olivia was pretty tame for a heroine of the book. Sure she had her thing with animals but it is downplayed so I kind of wonder why it was mentioned at all unless it was just to make the dog, Ginger, a more interesting character. I kind of would have liked to see more about it. Tanner was a pretty believable character though. His desperation between wanting to keep his daughter safe yet still wanting to make her happy was a conflict that I think a lot of parents would have and could relate to. And the daughter was cute, although she definitely acted older than her age. The only real problem I have with the characters is that they usually seem to be insanely rich or at least know someone or is related to someone who is. It'd be nice to have an average joe thrown in once in awhile who has some money issues. But I suppose that would ruin the fantasy of it all.

The plot was simple. Tanner comes to town, meets strange veterinarian, has worries about daughter and they all have family issues that they have to come to terms with. But they threw in the Christmas aspect and a little bit of magic (supernatural) and it gives it a twist. Since this is a romance novel I do have to say that there are sex scenes in the book. They aren't long or greatly graphic by any means, but they are there. So if you prefer your romances without the love scenes, Miller is probably not an author for you. The rest of the writing is down to earth and comfortable and it made it an enjoyable holiday read because of all the Christmas aspects in it.

I'll definitely continue to read Miller. It's hard to find a terrible book by her and I enjoy most of her books that I've come across.

A Stone Creek Christmas
Copyright 2008
211 pages

The Lucky Dog Matchmaking Service by Beth Kendrick

This was a cute book, I read it cover to cover in one sitting. I knew from the cover it would probably be interesting, and I was right. I had a real problem with some of the characters though, and that's what kind of ruined the book for me in some regards, making it a 3.5 star kind of book.

Lara is very good with dogs. So good in fact that she is known as a matchmaker of sorts for people and their dogs. She can find a stray the perfect home. Too bad she's not as good at matchmaking in other regards though, especially with her own love life. When she and her boyfriend have a fight over her rescued dogs, Lara finds herself homeless, and back living with her mom, who's not the most maternal of people. But she also gets new opportunities in the form of dog training clients from this move too, so thinks are starting to look up.

Lara is an ok character. She's strong willed in some ways and flaky in others, but for some reason it just doesn't mesh together and make her seem like a real person. I think she gets walked on too much, and that it is excused too easily during the book. Her boyfriend I didn't like at all either, and I'm not sure what she saw in him really. The same with her parents, I can understand a child being attached to someone because they are a parent, but she would have been better to just walk away from the both of them. The only really redeeming character in this would be her friend Kerry, and even she had problems of her own.

The plot was cute though. And that's what saved this book. I liked the concept of a dog matchmaker and all the hard work that was put into finding good homes for dogs. That kind of thing just gives me the warm fuzzies. And when it was talking about the dogs the descriptions were better and the ideas were better too. Kendrick took the time to make you want the best for these dogs, more so than for the human characters. I did think the ending moved a little fast and things were resolved a little too quickly as well, but for the most part the book maintained a decent pace.

Cute, and while it could have used better characters it was still worth the read. I would probably read more by this author.

The Lucky Dog Matchmaking Service
Copyright 2012
320 pages

A Season of Love by Amy Clipston

**This review is part of the Amazon Vine Program**

I think I might be in the minority here, but I just wasn't impressed with this book by Amy Clipston. I like Amish fiction, and while there were plenty of good elements to this book, there were just some I couldn't get past.

Katie is unsure of where her life is headed. Her friends Lindsay and Lizzie Anne's have boyfriends and betrothals and she's starting to feel left out of things as they plan their futures. Because Katie has no beau, she just works in the bakery and while she enjoys it, she knows she wants more too. So when handsome Mennonite Jake starts doing carpentry at the bakery, she knows she shouldn't be attracted to him, but she is. Unfortunately her father doesn't like her newfound attraction and punishes her severely. She and Jake can never be together, but she wants to badly.

Katie, while the main character of this story, is kind of a bystander. She meekly stands by and lets things happen and while I know it is not the Amish way to dissent, it just seemed that she wasn't very firm in any of her beliefs, which is not the Amish way. I actually enjoyed her friends personalities more because they knew what they wanted and they worked on ways to make it happen. And Katie's father, he was more than just a little unreal and I just couldn't quite believe in his change of emotions. They changed too swiftly to be believable. Jake was a good character and I did enjoy reading about him. He at least was decisive and probably would make up for Katie.

The plot was fairly simplistic, almost a Romeo and Juliet of the Amish world. And I did like it, and thought that the way Katie's friend's stories were woven in was done just right. I also liked the use of the Amish German dialect and thought it came across ok, not too hard to understand or keep up with. Really it was just the characters and their sudden changes in beliefs that I really had trouble with in this book. And that was enough to really distract me from liking it above average. Things have to be believable. The pace was ok, it drug out a little bit in the beginning and then really started racing towards the end. A more moderate pacing might not have gone amiss. And because this is Amish fiction there is a lot of Christian elements to the book; not a bad thing for some, but it was definitely noticeable here.

An ok Amish book. Not the best out there but surely not the worst either. I would read another book by Amy Clipston.

A Season of Love
Copyright 2012
300 pages